balm FROM GILEAD, To cure all Diseases, especially the Plague. four and twenty Sermons on 2 Chron. 7.13, 14. And two Sermons of thanksgiving, for Gods deliverance of London from the PLAGVE. Preached anno 1625. in the Church of St. Leonard eastcheap, by H. R. Master of Arts, Minister of Gods word. HOS. 6.1. Come, let us return unto the Lord, for he hath smitten us, and he will heal us: he hath wounded us, and he will bind us up. LONDON, Printed by I. N. and A. M. and are to be sold by William Shefford, in Popeshead Ally. 1626. TO THE RIGHT honourable SIR ALLEN COTTON, Lord Maior: the Right worshipful the Aldermen and Shriefs, &c. Inhabitants of this famous city of London: Mr. Doct. Westfield, Mr. Thomas Gippes Cloathworker, M. Abraham Colfe, and my good friends, Parishioners of St. Leonard eastcheap eternal happiness. THE usual maner of setting forth books, is under the Patronage of some, willing and able to defend the same: I affect not singularity; occasion putting me vpon the work, I trace the same way. My burden is balm from Gilead, Remedies and prescripts for all diseases, especially the Plague: Whither should I go with it, but unto this renowned city? It was composed in this city, and first vented in this city, mine own habitation and ministry is yet bounded by this city: the principal distressed part of this Land was, and is ordinarily( as populous places use to bee) this city; from hence as the evil was, remedy may be dispatched to other parts( being first here approved.) I am not ignorant, that many in this city and Land, approved Doctors, haue in their several stations composed balms, and might of the same simples or Text, furnish both this city and Land: and yet am not discouraged. This is what I could in that strait of time, a part of my labours, amid many public and private distractions,( mine whole Family being smitten, ( though not with that hand) this may put us in mind of our great trouble; Gods merciful deliverance from that trouble, and our proportioned duty unto GOD( when as all may bee forgotten) speaking of all, to us and our Posterity. It hath made choice of your Patronage, Right honourable, &c. the weal of this city, is( under his majesty) committed unto your vigilancy, you haue good skill and great experience of that evil, and this remedy: You haue had your parts in the one and the other: Gratitude to God( the Gilead of this balm) requireth Patronage: providence also in regard of future times; What joseph did against times of famine, will not be amiss for you to do in your places, against future times of the plague. Experienced Physitians were now enforced to draw out old experiments. And although these may bee( as the Physitians prescripts were) out of date, when as that evil shall bee over; yet it will not be safe in such a time to be wholly to seek. Besides, who knoweth how soon the same hand may sand it again? And as yet some impressions remain of it in diuers parts of this Land; on whom GOD look in mercy. add yet, this balm is a Catholicon, a salve for every sore; the trembling Ague as well as the destroying Plague, and of daily use: in these names doth it call vpon all; especially your Honour, &c. for Patronage. I cannot but visit and mention you my kind and worshipful friends, in your places, members, and parts of this famous city. Dr. Westfield and M. Thomas Gippes( as long loving friends, I join you together, that the tie may bee the surer to each other, and myself:) Gratitude requireth it. You, Dr. Westfield; in regard of many kindnesses received: by you was the foundation of my small pittance of knowledge in sacred things( under God) laid; whilst as, an hearer, I sat at your feet: I freely aclowledge your furtherance to, and care of me in the university, direction in studies, cost, encouragements, setting me a work first, when as I was {αβγδ}, in tirocinio; and constant courtesies. If I haue failed in composition, you can and will point it me out: If I haue taught the truth, I question not your Patronage: If you own it, many others will for your sake& name, which is, and O that it may be ever precious. You, Mr. Thomas Gippes, by whom the Lord, took me up; without your good will, love, and leave, I had not been an academic: by it I went unto the university of Cambridge, and was maintained almost wholly there: I lived since in your house. In a word, I haue and do still find you a Father. I cannot but particularly name you. Gratitude bindeth me to much more: I would encourage you and others living, by your example to works of that nature. And you, Mr Abraham Colfe, the place I fill is yours. It is as mine account; you are my common shelter: Your great love unto me, unto your Parish; good men and Gods truth, deserveth a mention. Finally, my worshipful and loving Parishioners, you; Though the Doctrine was general, mine application was unto you: Some of you were not present, such as heard may safely read again: I spake then, and writ now, for your profit. I haue freely reproved sin; were they not that cause? Am I not a watchman? could I but see them, and their fruit, the Plague? Was it not in the midst of us? How narrowly did we escape? Was it not time to cry? Who thought either day I should speak, or he hear more? It is Gods Ordinance to repentance, and so the salvation of myself, and you that heard me also. Amongst other sins, I much smite at the neglect of the Lords day, our Christian Sabbath. My purpose, doctrine, and practise, is not jewish. I respect& follow the doctrine of our Church, in those contemned( by such as know them not) Homilies: The rule I aclowledge the fourth Commandement, one of the ten words, Gods immutable and eternal Law,& would urge nothing but what is answerable. If you Right Honourable, Right worshipful, and my loving friends, in your places, shall approve of this balm, quatenùs e narthesio sacro( if any question it, try it, bring it to the Scriptures, the onely Canon and rule; do but practise it.) I hope it shall do Gods people much good, It shall bee savoury to their temporal, and eternal salvation; Our great God shall haue his glory, I mine end. For which, with all other blessings, I shall daily beseech the Lord, and rest From mine House on new fish-street Hill: London May the 10. 1626. Yours in any service, work, or labour of love in the Lord. HENRY ROBROVGH. A Table of the Doctrines handled in these Sermons. DOct. 1. sin is the cause of the plague, pag. 4. proved by five reasons, pag. 5. 6. particular sins, pag. 7. &c. to the 15. objection. Why are not all sinners cut off by it? answered, by giuing six causes. p. 16. 17. 18. use. Instruction: First, in the true cause of the plague. p. 19. 2 In remedies against the plague. p. 24. 3 in the difficulty of its cure. p. 27 28. &c. 4 Of the odiousness of sin. p. 31. and incitation to use these means. p. 33 Doct. 2. The Lord sendeth the pestilence. p. 37. proved by five reasons. p. 38. &c. use. The misery of the wicked heart, pa. 42. Satisfaction to their grounds of escape, p. 45. 2 Our duties, their object, pa. 47. and manner. 3 God must be acknowledged, p. 51 4 How to know the time of the continuance or ceasing of the plague, p. 56 Doct. 3. God sendeth the pestilence amongst his own people, p. 57. Reasons, p. 58. &c. object. Psa. 91.3. Answered, p. 60 object. Gods peoples sins are remitted: answered, p. 61. use. Instruction. 1. Not to censure such as are smitten. p. 62. 2 Outward privileges exempt not. p. 63. &c. 3 The Lords must in such times fit themselves for death. p. 65. 4 They must use Gods means. pag. 68. Doct. 4. The pestilence is an evil of the Land. p. 70. Reasons, p. 72. use. 1. The odiousness of sin. pag. 74. 2 Men in place must roote them out. p. 76. 3 it is a ground of sympathy in the Land. p. 80. And 4. Of the Lands use of means. pag. 82. Doct. 5 It is the Lord that will heal the Land. p. 84. 4. Reasons ib. use. 1. reproof, p. 87. And caveat, p. 88. 2 Direction whither to go; pag. 89. 3 To whom to give the glory, p. 93. 4 The misery of the wicked heart, and happiness of the ungodly, p. 95. Doct. 6. Where God sendeth the pestilence, he calleth for humiliation, and that is his means of its cure. p, 104 What it is, p. 99. &c. 3 Reasons, p. 105, use 1. reproof, p. 112. 2. Examination, p. 114. 3. Exhortation with motives. p. 120. Doct. 7. Another means prescribed and called for, is prayer, p 128. Reas. 4. ibid. object. 4. Made and answered. p. 131. &c. use 1. reproof. pag. 134. 2. It setteth forth Gods mercy. pag. 135.3. Examination requisites of prayer. pag 141. 4. Exhortation to use the means with motives. p. 152. Doct. 8. Another means prescribed and called for, is seeking the Lord. p. 160. 5. Reasons. p. 161. use 1. reproof. 2. Examination with requisites of seeking. pa. 164.165. As Christians, p. ibid. As Magistrates p. 170. As Ministers, p. 173 3. Exhortation p. 179. Doct. 9. The means, is seeking the favour of God. p. 187. 4. Reas. p. ib. use. Then can wee not deserve it, p. 189. 2 The misery of the place where GOD doth sand the plague, pag. 191. 3. Exhortation to seek in Gods manner. p. 196. Doct. 10. sin is a way, and a wicked way. pag. 208. 4. Reas. pag, 209 &c. use. To inform our judgements, work vpon our affections, and order our lives answerable. p. 215. Doct. 11. Such as outwardly onely profess, must turn from sin, which is another means, p. 218 four reasons. ibid. use. The misery of wicked men. p. 222. Exhortation, p. 227. motives, p. 230. &c. Doct. 12. Such as are turned, must turn more and more p. 234. five reasons, ibid. use. There is truly sin in the regenerate, p. 241. Why Gods hand is on his people? p. 242. Exhortation to mortification, p 243 means, 248. &c. motives, 262. Doct. 13. We must turn from our own sins, and the sins of others, p. 267 proved, p. ibid. How a man may turn from the sins of others, p. 271. use. Take notice of danger, in regard of the sins of others, p. 275 And avoid it, p. 276 Doct. 14. God calleth for reformation and amendment, p. 280. Reas. 4. pag. ibid. use. True repentance, p. 284. reproof, ibid. Exhortation with motives, p. 287 Doct. 15. Such as are turned, must turn more and more, p. 293. 4. Reas. And object. Answer. ibid. use. conversion is not perfect. p 298 God smiting his own, justified, p. 300. reproof, ib. Exhortation, p. 301. means, p. 302. motives, p. 307, &c. Doct. 16. Wee must turn from all sins to God, according to all his Commandements p. 312 4 Reas. ib. object. answered, p. 317 reproof, pa. 319. Examination and means thereof, p 321. Exhortation, p. 235. motives, p. 326, &c. Doct. 17. The Lord doth first hear and then heal, p. 138 use. The necessity of prayer and encouragement, p. 339 Doct. 18 The Land must haue forgiveness of sins, that it may bee cured, p. 343 3 Reas. p. 344. object. Answered, p. 345 it teacheth us to labour for forgiveness of sins, p. 347 Doct. 19. It is the Lords privilege to forgive sins. p 349. 3. Reas. 350. It is sacrilege to give it to man, p. 352 Therefore it is Gods to cure the plague, p ibid. Whither to go for forgiveness of sins, p. 356 To whom to give the glory of it, p. 358 Doct. 20. That the Lord may forgive, we must repent, p. 359. 3 Reas. p. 36 &c. use. Refutation of the contrary opinion, p. 366. object. Answered. p. 367. &c. 2. Where repentance is, there is remission, p, 375. How to seek remission, and to know we haue it, p. 377. Psal. 116. resolved, p. 381. Doct. 1. The purpose and practise of Gods people, is to walk, p. 385. Explication, p. ib: &c. proof 389 use. p. 394: motives p: 400 Doct. 2 Their purpose and practise is, to walk before the Lord, pag. 404. proved, p. 405. use. A ground of privileges and comforts, p. 407. And duty, p: 411 Doct. 3. It is the purpose and practise of Gods people, to walk before the Lord in the land of the living, p: 413 proved, p: 414 use. Examination, conviction, 417 Exhortation, p: 420. Doct. 4. Therefore Gods people purpose, and practise this duty, because of Gods deliverances. p. 423. proved, ibid. use. Examination, p. 425. Exhortation, p. 434. &c. balm FROM GILEAD. 2 CHORN. 7.13.14. If I sand the Pestilence amongst my People, If my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sins, and I will heal their Land. 26. june, 1625. The first day. THese words contain a gracious promise of God unto his Church: Salomon having finished a Temple for the Lord, dedicateth it unto him, which he doth by prayer; in which he putteth forth diuers Petitions on diuers occasions: amongst other things, he entreateth, that if there bee pestilence in the Land. vers. 28. and the people( knowing the sore or sin in the heart) shall spread forth their hands, &c. that the Lord would bee pleased to hear, to forgive their sins, and to heal the Land. In these words the Lord giveth a direct answer unto that part of the Petition, wherein proser●ing means in their right use promiseth, Then I will hear from heaven, I will forgive their sins, and I will heal the Land. It is written( as whatsoever else) for our instruction, and sheweth us what is to bee done, being smitten with the Pestilence, if ever we look to attain that blessing, curing the Land. In the words we haue two things. 1. The malady or sickness. 2. The remedy or cure thereof. The malady in those words, If J sand the Pestilence, &c. The cure in those: If my people, &c. In the first there are three things, the Cause, the Effect, the subject. The Effect, the sickness itself, the Pestilence. The Cause is double, inflicting or sending, or else that which is outwardly moving thereunto; the former expressed, the latter implied: the inflicting cause in the word, I. If J sand, that which is outwardly mo●ing sin, of which after▪ And the subject is laid down in those words, my people. In the second we haue the Cure itself, and the means. In the Cure we haue cause, I; effect, will heal; subject, the same that is diseased. wherein we may note it extent, how far this malady doth extend, the Land. The means are of two sorts to be performed by us, or God disposing to the cure: those that are to be used or performed by us, are four. First, humiliation, If they shall humble themselves: 2. Prayer, and pray: 3. Seeking, and that set forth by it object, and seek my face: 4. Repentance, and turn from their wicked ways. Those that are previous unto the effect in God. First, Hearing, I will hear, &c. Secondly forgiving, I will forgive their sins. And so the effect followeth, I will heal the Land. And Gods order is not to bee left out: first, wee must humble ourselves, &c. then God will hear, and forgive, and heal the Land. I should now first open the meaning of the words, and then gather the propositions; but if there bee any difficulty in the words, I shall labour to clear it in the several propositions, as their proper seat and place, and so come directly unto those propositions. And first of all observe. That sin is the cause that moveth the Lord to sand the pestilence amongst his people. This, though it bee not expressed, is implyed in this sentence. Salomon in his prayer expresseth it as a cause of all judgements, Because they haue sinned against thee, is often repeated; he implieth it when he prayeth for forgiveness of sins: and so doth the Lord when he promiseth forgiveness of sins, which is, the taking away of the Cause. And this is a clear case according to the Scriptures. 1 Because Salomon praying for the remooueall of the Plague, prayeth withall for the removal of sin: which had been to no end, in vain, if sin were not the cause of the plague. 2 Because the Lord making a promise of healing the Land of the Plague, promiseth as disposing thereunto forgiveness of sins, which were to no purpose, in vain, were not sin the cause of the plague. 3 Because the Lord doth oftentimes minace and threaten this Iudgement, the Pestilence, as the wages of sin. Numb. 14.12. I will smite them( murmuring Israel) with the pestilence. If you will not be reformed, &c. but will walk contrary unto me, Leuit. 26.23.25. I will bring a Sword vpon you, &c. I will sand the Pestilence amongst you. And amongst those many curses pronounced by the Lord for sin. Deut. 28. the Pestilence is one, Deut. 28.21 The Lord shall make the Pestilence to cleave unto thee. 4 add hereunto, that the Lord hath oftentimes sent the Pestilence because of sin: he hath been as good as his word; with this did he cut off many thousands in Israel, at one time four and twenty thousand: Num. 25. and in the dayes of david, 2 Sam. 24.15. for his sin seventy thousand. Stories in all ages show this truth: with this iudgement hath the Lord often visited the sins of this city. You haue yet bills of thousands cut off An. 1603. in this city for sin. Bills now to the eyes, and Bells unto the ear( to omit other testimonies of sense) declare this truth, that the Plague is the wages of sin. 5 And last of all, when as Death itself, and all curses are the fruits and return of sin: Rom. 6. ult. The wages of sin is death. Cursed is every one that abideth not in all: all these curses shall come vpon thee, and overtake thee. The Pestilence being of that nature must necessary be an effect of sin; and so the Propositon is clear, that That which moveth the Lord to sand the Pestilence amongst a people is sin. every sin is a cause of this Pestilence, as we haue seen: and yet for our farther edification it shall not be amiss, from the general to descend unto particulars, and to inquire into the particular sins causing the Plague: which we shall find out, if we consider, to what sins God doth threaten this iudgement: for what sins he hath heretofore executed it; and so argue from a parity of reason. Two sorts of sins I find causing the Pestilence, O missions or defects sometimes, sometimes Commissions. Amongst Omissions, 1. I find a moving cause, want of Sacrifice; This Moses and Aaron imply, when as going unto pharaoh to entreat that Israel might go, that they might Sacrifice unto the Lord their God. Their inducement is, lest he fall vpon us with the Pestilence. Wherein we may understand, that Omission of sacrifices of God, layeth a People open unto the judgements of God, to Gods falling vpon a people with the Pestilence. By a parity of reason, wee may gather that omission of any sacrifizes prescribed us by the Lord, maketh a man liable to this Iudgement of God, the Plague. 2 Want of humiliation, and prayer, seeking of Gods favour, and repentance, is another cause; and this is laid down in this place: for if the performance of these, in Gods maner, be a means of the remedy and cure of a Land, the want of these must bee a cause of the evil. Of which particularly( God willing) hereafter in their several places. 3 Another defect is, in profit by former mercies or judgements, the intent of the Lord in our chastisements, is amendment, the Lord doth it for our profit: Heb. 12. as a Father he useth first one, and less after, more and greater blows: when as few and less judgements work not, prevail not, more, and greater must follow; amongst other, this of the pestilence: Thus doth the Lord say and do, seven times so many plagues more, amongst them the pestilence: If you will not be reformed by these, &c. lieu. 26.23.25. J will sand the Pestilence amongst you. 4 unto these, add the want of zeal; the zeal of the Lord in all men in their places, and it expressure in love of goodness and detestation of that which is evil. Phineas the son of Eleazar the Priest,( saith the Lord, in a time of the Pestilence) hath turned away my wrath from the children of Israel, whilst he was zealous for my sake: Numb. 25.11.13. He was zealous for his God: Whence I may probably argue, if zeal be a cause and means of staying the wrath of the Lord, then zeal and its effects being wanting, cause the wrath of the Lord: this particular effect of it the Pestilence: the continuance of the Plague is clearly an effect, and the principles nourishing are the same, with those which cause a disease. That which is spoken of the zeal of Phineas is true, of others in their places, of Ministers, especially Magistrates. indeed when as the Magistrate, the man whom God so honoureth, as to give him his name, J said ye are Gods, and place to( for the iudgement is for God; they are as God) is not a terror unto the wicked, shall connive and wink at impiety, haue an hand in, I, be the first in transgression; It is time for the Lord himself, for the preservation of the sound parts, yea for his own name, to look unto the matter, to arise; to sand some extraordinary judge or Executioner: when as the subordinate doth not, it is time for the principal to keep an assize, and there is no Messenger more ready or speedy, or impartial in execution then this, the Pestilence: by this God can quickly visit a person, a Family, a Parish, a city, a Land: he can c●t off ten or twenty hundreds or thousands in a week: he can visit from Dan to Beershebah, and slay twenty thousand in three dayes, as in the time of King david, and the way of the Lord is equal( as we see) when as want of zeal is a cause. 5 Hither-vnto refer want of observation of Gods Sabbaths, which amongst other causes, is rightly observed by the Church of England, as in the late Seruice-book for time of this Visitation. Amongst the causes for which GOD visited Israel in the wilderness( one Iudgement being the Pestilence, Numb. 14.37.) I find one, the pollution of Gods Sabbaths. Ezech. 20 ●t is, what the Lord plainly minaceth against that sin, as you may see, lieu. 26.3. and 25. compared together. indeed, wheresoever there is a want of hallowing Gods Sabbath, or the Lords day: there must needs be a want of spiritual Sacrifices required, it being the special time and season of those Sacrifices: and in that name a cause of the Plague: The want of santifying Gods Sabbath, is an evidence of want of zeal, the zeal that was in holy Nehemiah, Neh. 13.22. and where there is a want of zeal, there is a sufficient cause of the Plague; and the punishment, and sin, are very congruous; for all persons and places do owe unto the Lord a rest: and where it is not payed, lieu. 26. God threateneth desolation, and hath executed the same on Israel, 2 Chron. 36. and that for this end, that the Land might enjoy her rest. Now what fitter iudgement to execute this vengeance, written, desolation, then the Pestilence: it causeth houses to spew out Inhabitants: it maketh our congregations thin, and our streets thin: it maketh men to forsake all by flight, or death, as we now begin to see in this city. And therefore: Last of all, want of coming to the Sacrament, or at least with the worthiness, compliment, and quality required by the Lord, is another cause of the Pestilence; as is also observed in the said book: 1 Cor. 11. For this cause( saith the Apostle Paul) some of you are sick, some of you weak, some a sleep: Though the disease be not specified, yet there is a likeness of reason between this and any other sickness whatsoever in this respect. And thus haue we now the particular sins, causing the Pestilence, under that head, Omissions. unto these add positive sins or commissions. 1 Pride and vain confidence in man, the arm of flesh. This was King Dauids sin: moving him to number the people: therefore the Lord smote with this Plague 70. thousand men: a proportioned punishment unto the sin destroying, other Gods trusted in, with whom david was vainly lifted up. 2 Cruelty,& oppression of those that are under of whatsoever sort: Grinding the faces of the poor, &c. when as in Israel they did not harken unto the Lord in proclaiming liberty to their brethren and neighbours: jer. 34.17. the Lord was wrath with Israel, and behold, I proclaim liberty for you( saith the Lord) to the sword and to the Pestilence. cruel men are merciless men: and when God sendeth the Pestilence on such, he executeth vengeance without mercy: he useth a merciless disease in sundry respects. 3 whoredom is another cause of the Pestilence. Spiritual whoredom, and corporal whoredom. I join both together, the one the cause of the other, as we may see in the Heathen and vnc●eane Idolaters. Esai. 5.11.12. vide c. 8. As I live, saith the Lord, because thou hast defiled my sanctuary with all thy detestable things, and with all thine abominations, therefore will J diminish thee, &c. A third part of thee shall die with the Pestilence. And thus, when as the Lord threateneth the sword and the Pestilence; one cause is, committing adultery with their neighbours wives. In the 15. of Numbers, jer. 29.23. you read of 24. thousand which fell by the Plague: the cause was, the children of Israel committed whoredom with the daughters of Moab. Num. 25.1, 2, 3, 4. Being called to the Sacrifices of their Gods, it is said, the people did eat and bow to their Gods. Israel joined themselves to Baal-Peor: and so the wrath of the Lord is kindled; and there followed such a slaughter amongst them by the Plague. 4 Contempt of such as are set over us by the Lord, Numbers 14.2.12.37. 5 Disobedience unto Gods word and ministry: so when as the Lord minaceth the sword, famine, and the pestilence: the reason, Because they haue not harkened unto my words, saith the Lord, I sent unto them by my seruants, the Prophets, rising up early, but ye would not hear, jer. 29.17.19, saith the Lord. Finally, oaths and Cursings are a cause of the Plague, Because of oaths the Land doth mourn, saith the Prophet. When doth a Land mourn, if not when it is smitten with the plague? And what marvel, when as one ordinary curse in mens mouths, of all sorts, is, as the Pox: so the Plague, it is a righteous thing with the Lord, sometimes to hear and answer in kind, and to measure unto man what he so commonly measureth to others by his mouth, destruction by the plague. But what stand I vpon particulars? the plague is the flux of every sin, as we haue heard: there is no man that hath that sore in his heart, or bosom, but hath a cause in act, which is the mover of the Lord, to sand this fearful messenger to his destruction, the plague. If sin bee the cause, how is it that in this time of the pestilence any sinner escapeth, that all are not cut off? This question may be made hereafter, who knoweth whether any man shall escape? If the Lord goeth on as he beginneth, there will be no occasion of this question: and yet if any be spared, it will be the mercy, patience, and long suffering of the Lord. It is the mercy of the Lord, that we haue not been already consumed. Particularly, there are causes why in such times the Lord spareth even the wicked. 1 The Lord can put the wicked man to some good use. 1. He maketh them a fence to Gods Church, who are few, who are but a little flock: sometimes against the beasts of the field: sometimes against men, to men beasts, to the Church worse, such as would destroy Gods vineyard. 2. They proclaim the great patience& long suffering of the Lord. 3. They set forth Gods great power, which is then seen, when as he shall rule and dispose of all in his manner, in the midst of his enemies. 4. They exercise all the graces of Gods spirit in his people, as I could particularly show. And so further( though they think not of it) their salvation. 2 The Lord hath many more judgements besides the plague, and is not bounded: and the plague is his messenger, which he can sand again at his pleasure; if not this week, the next; many yeares after. 3 every wicked man is always in all places Gods prisoner, as a dog in an halter: when he will, and how he will; he can execute his vengeance written. 4 It may be God hath a purpose to call him, and that hour is not come as yet: All that are given me of my Father, shall come unto me. 5 It may be God hath a purpose eternally to destroy a man: he shall haue life and pleasures here, his torments hereafter. Where the husbandman hath an hope of fruit, he pruneth those trees, and loppeth superfluous boughs, where he intendeth the fire, he suffereth those trees to grow: when as the grazier putteth his ox so the fattest pasture, he intendeth, and it shall not be long before there come a day of slaughter: as long as a wicked man goeth on vnsmitten for sin, he doth but heap up wrath against a day of wrath: he doth but with the ox feed, and fat himself against a day of slaughter. 6 Last of all, the Lord intendeth to make them without apology in the day of Iudgement, they shall haue not a word to speak for themselves: and then is the uttermost day of account and reckoning: and for these causes, the Lord in times of the pestilence doth not cut off,& sweep away all wicked men. Let us now make some use of this proposition: and first, 1 It may be unto us a ground of information in the undoubted cause of the pestilence: of this hand of God in other places, in this city at other times, and now in this city, in this Parish, in this Land, many causes are given by the physician, and I honour the physician, I give great credit unto him in his Art. physic sheweth second causes, theology in this proposition the first cause, that which giveth efficiency to all the rest, that is, sin: the particular sins spoken of: the pestilence is the effect, and sin is the cause, the sins spoken of. What sin is not to be found in this city of London? what place else in the Land doth not justify her, if not( all considered) exceed her? Is there not amongst us great want of sacrifice? Prayer is a sacrifice. How many families are there, and persons that call not vpon God? that call not in his maner( as after.) Distribution, and doing good sacrifice: and yet what want is there? The swarms of poor going up and down, lying, starving, seen dying in our Streets, show it. righteousness, a sacrifice. O the want of righteousness in all sorts, I dare not to instant in particulars: God looking down, seeth that there is but a little righteousness in the Land. Praise, a sacrifice, the which specially honoureth God: what Land or city in the world more blessed, less blessing the Lord: and what marvel is it, if there bee for every one of these the plague. Where's our profit: our reformation& amendment by former judgements foreign, domestic, public, private? Where's Nehemiahs zeal? the zeal of former Magistrates for Gods Sabbath: the zeal of Gods name against oaths, of Magistrates, of Ministers: It is of a fiery temper indeed, it may bee gone to heaven: there's but a little vpon earth, and many labour to quench it. Gods Sabbaths are ordinarily polluted in this Land, in buying and selling, and what not: the rest of the ass, in eating& sleeping, is a great piece of service; and GOD is beholding to some, if they do but walk up and down the ●e●ds, or sit vain●ly talking on that day at ●heir door. A few come unto our Sacraments: fewer worthily, and what wonder is it, if that wee haue Gods ●essenger with all, the plague, the one is the cause, the other but the effect thereof? The time would bee to long for me to speak of our pride, and vain confidence, oppression, without which men dream, our very Trading, cannot subsist. whoredom a common sin. Many as Zimri and Cosbie might bee found out, if Phineas stood up. Not to speak of spiritual whoredom, Israelites daily join themselves to Baal-Peor, go unto the sacrifices of Moab, eat thereof, and bow unto their Gods, and can we wonder that the wrath of God is kindled, and the plague amongst us? It is ordinary to murmur against Moyses, and ●o despise Aaron the holy ones, faithful Ministers of the Lord, men hear Gods curse and go on, blessing themselves, hardened in their sins as separated unto evil. And the plague of God, as curses, and all fearful oaths are in many a mans mouth: what sin is there, but it is amongst us, in this Land? and if you will receive it, these are the causes which haue produced, or moved the Lord to sand amongst us the plague. And as it sheweth the cause, so those unto whom this is to be imputed: some give it unto the poor, some unto this man, others to that, if thou wilt not miss the mark: thou must give it to those men that live in their sins; the particular sins spoken of: these are the Achans which trouble Jsrael, to whom we must impute it. And hence may wee guess what to expect unto ourselves, our Parishes, our Families, our persons in this infectious time: unless wee follow the prescript of the Lord: all prescripts else will be but vain, so long as we carry the plague sore, sin, in our hearts. As likewise about it continuance, as long as the cause doth remain, the effect must: wee cannot expect other, it is Gods order. 2 If the pestilence be the effect of sin, we may learn hence what preservatives to use, and remedies for the cure of the plague. What is good against the Plague, is a needful question now, a few of us meet with a physician: but that is our question: it is a matter of life and death; we are sensible of it: Skin for skin, and what will not a man do to save his life? The physician that could prescribe a remedy, were of no small value. Our proposition in part prescribeth the means, and specially, in that it sheweth the cause, sin. The best preservatives against the plague, are preservatives against sin: The best remedies for the plague, are such as cure the sores in the soul of man, his sin: And vpon this ground are wee called on to find out those preservatives, and carefully to use them. If a man desire to know what these are, and where to be had. My answer is, onely in Iesus Christ. It is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Iesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. He is the alone saviour, an horn of salvation, perfectly able to save all those that come unto him. There is no other Name given under heaven whereby a man may bee saved; He is the son of righteousness, there is healing in his wings, in him there is circumcision not made with hands, to the putting away the body of the sins of the flesh, in him redemption, and remission of sins. If you demand how a man may attain it? I answer, by faith in Christ. By faith in Christ, receiving, apprehending, accepting him offered and given, wee receive remission of sins, sanctification, salvation, and so are all these given unto faith in Christ Jesus. If you demand when that offer is made, and is to be received. I answer, in the gospel, diligent attention unto it ministration, in the promises of God, Christ and all his benefits are leapt up. And thus the gospel is the power of God to salvation: and the pleasure of God is by the foolishness of preaching to save them that beleeue. Christ Iesus is the fountain opened for sin and vncleanenes,& therefore are we called to come unto the water, to wash us, to make us clean: and by faith in him both ways, to put away the evil of our doings out of Gods sight. he dyed for our sins, he is risen, ascended, exalted a saviour, and a Prince, to give repentance and remission of sins. If any man sin, wee haue an advocate with the Father, Iesus Christ the Just. The cure of the Plague, is by taking away the cause, sin; the taking away of sin, is by believing in Christ. Beholding by the eye of Faith, the lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the World. This is the onely means and remedy against sin, and above all other 〈…〉 virtue in al second 〈…〉 〈◇〉 the effect to soundness and ●alth so far as is truly good. ●eny that means, or its use, the operation of all other secondary means will cease, soundness will not follow. You may force a skin on the plague sore, the core will remain, and at length, break forth again. Corruption will grow and increase, until it cometh unto ripeness: and thus the end of sin is death. This was that which the Israelites did in the wilderness, looking up to the brazen Serpent: hence issued that virtue, and virtue of healing all diseases hence virtue from sacrifices and oblations in the old Testament, hence ever the plagues ceasing; use this at all times, especially now: It is a remedy against sin, and so, a taking away of that, which was the cause of the plague. 3 If the Pestilence be a fruit of sin; 〈…〉 no natural mean of itself 〈◇〉 cure it; the cure must be withall 〈◇〉 use of means supernatural, as the●● we spake of before. It is true, th● Lord hath means secondary, those can,& may take away the second cause; the supreme cause is supernatural, and there must be supernatural mean withall to the taking away of that cause. Let not us trust in second means, nor use them, neglecting the chief: use both, first and chiefly, the first and chiefest means, supernatural means: and then the other, if you look for good success. Besides the difficulty, in regard of supernatural means,( unto which by nature we haue no power, no sufficiency, no will, no deed) it will bee farther increased, the cause, sin is so hardly found out: there is not a lust, but it is a deceivable lust: In that respect, The heart of man is deceitful above measure, and desperately evil; who can find it out? Surely, onely the Lord. The diligentest observer of his own ways, confesseth secret sins, from which he desireth to bee cleansed. It is an inward malady, a spiritual evil; it hath a thousand covers and vailes; it hath so many abettors: the World, it course, it custom, it inducements, it glosses, and they bear a great show, haue a goodly presence. Satan useth all his subtlety to the same end: in this are his methods and wil●ss chiefly exercised, he appeareth as an angel of light: and so blindeth, that the light of the Word shall not shine unto a soul: or not to discovery, Satan hath many ministers, is a lying spirit in the mouth and practise of many a man, who cry peace to all courses of sin; who bid men go on and prosper. Who run with them and cry, Come, let us, &c. And count it strange if any run not, who if they say right, do not. Finding out sins is difficult, if not impossible:( to omi●) when it is found out, it cleaving unto us, a man is born, and bread, and ●ccustomed to it, it is as blackness to a Moore, as spots to a Leopard: which must call vpon us to consult with God in his Word, and cause us to look thoughts, words, and deeds, yea, nature itself, in the glass of Gods Law, by it oftentimes to search and to try our ways. By Prayer to cry, make me to know, cause me to remember. To beg until thou receiu the spirit, and it light, to conviction of thee of thy sin: consider what Conscience accuseth thee for, the Word galleth thee for; what godly friends, dislike in thee:( but of these in an other place after.) It will be an hard matter to cure that which is not felt, nor found out; the difficulty of our finding out these causes, sin, is the reason why every small disease becomes incurable. An Ague putteth to a nonplus the most skilful physician, physic cannot work. It is the more difficult, last of all, because the reason may bee, and is, sometimes the sin of some other, primarily respected by God in this hand; the sore in the bosom of every man may be a sufficient cause, and yet that which is in an other the efficient: For the sin of a Father, God doth threaten, and answerably visit a child: and there is a case wherein the sin of the Mother is not blotted out. There are sins which make a Land mourn, and will make it desolate: there are sins in public persons, as david, as in the head; the whole body may bee the worse, for the evil of the head. All these make the cure of the Plague more difficult, which also wee must find out,& repent of;( of which afterward.) The difficulty of the cure must make us all so much the more careful in our use of the means. Last of all, this sheweth us the odiousness and ugliness of sin, of all sins, the sins spoken of causing the Plague, and ought to be a prevailing cause of aversion and opposition unto it in all men. It is sufficient, I suppose, when as our Proposition saith, it is the proper cause of the Plague. Physitians call that disease, a monster of Diseases. The Scripture, The snare of the hunter, the noisome pestilence. It is the fear of the night, an arrow that flieth in the day, it walketh in the darkness, it destroyeth at noon day. Besides the pain, torture, torment, and raging destruction that it canseth in such as haue it; and oftentimes( then which it can do no more) Death. It depriveth a man of helps and means, which in other Diseases may be had. It shuteth out the physician, loving neighbours, and friends, confineth and imprisoneth a man: comforts without are excluded by it: and it bereaveth a man of many comforts within: now one child, then an other, sometimes a seruant; now the desire of the mans eyes: sometimes the bond of the house, sometimes all; the evils are infinite if a man abide. If he fly, hid himself, whither shall he go? though we receive all, and are the refuge of all, at all dead lifts, in all contributions, wee are not received, wee haue no quiet place of refuge, wee are a strife unto our neighbours, and reproached of all places round about: We deserve it( as david of Shemei) of the Lord, though not of the Country: and all these come vpon us by Gods deserned punishment inflicted vpon us, the plague. Is the plague the effect so fearful, and is not sin the cause so much more? will a man fly the effect, and nothing at all bee moved with the cause? It is far more fearful, and hath all miseries else attendant, and therefore so much the more to be eschewed: if not, yet let these fearful effects prevail with us, and work vpon us at this time. Especially let it stir us up unto the use of Gods prescribed means. In this perilous time, the Lord calleth for humiliation, emptying of ourselves, self denial, submission of soul and body unto the Lord; to put ropes about our necks, coming before the Lord: to judge and condemn ourselves, to take unto ourselves shane and confusion of face for our misdeseruings, to break down every high and proud imagination: if nothing else prevail, let the wages of our sins, and the misery we endure, by reason of the plague. The Lord now requireth that we pray, that wee erie mightily, that Prince, Priest, people, wrestle with God by prayer; that we pray in Gods manner, and bee not weary, make a virtue of the necessity that is vpon us, by this fearful iudgement of God, the plague. The Lord requireth now, that we seek his face, and favour, in which all one is life temporal, spiritual, eternal, in all means, early, diligently, continually, in time: Let us be incited unto it by this destroyer and devourer of God, the plague. The Lord requireth, that we forsake every man his evil ways, every evil way; of thee swearer& curser, that thou swear and curse no more; of thee an usurer, or oppressor, that thou bee an usurer and oppressor no more: Of thee that art a profaner of Gods holy Sabbath, that thou bee so no more; that wee cleanse hearts and hands, and cry of all sins, as Ephraim of Idols: What haue I to do with Idols any more? to rend the heart, to unloose the bonds of sin: to divide and cut between them and the soul: to cut off right hands: to pluck out right oyes: to cry unto all, get ye hence, and to do contrarious gracious actions. Hard sayings, great works, against nature: and yet let us bee put vpon it, by the many imminent destructions for our sins, by Gods messenger, the plague. It is true, that the love of God, and the hatred of sin, must be ingredients, impellments, motives to all these, or else all these will be but temporary, slavish, and not accepted by God, and yet that we( moved out of love) may move forward: we haue need of rods, as dogges, to ●riue us, it is Gods intendment in the plague: let us be answerable. unto all oppositions and tergiuersations, propose the plague. Consider with thyself by holy reason, what God proposeth to move thee, on the one side there is life, on the other death: on the one side, in use of Gods means, a promise of paerdon, a promise of healing the land: on the other side; if I neglect the same, the wages of sin, the plague attendeth me, it is at the door: one of these must now be chosen, as wee would live long, and see good dayes, use the means; come let us return unto the Lord, and use his means: as for other, who can easily bear and brook Gods hand, the plague; who slight it, and it effects, can dwell with it, I, and everlasting burnings also; you may go on in your sins; Be filthy still; fill up the measure of your sins, neglect Gods means: be a swearer, a Sabbath breaker, a sinner in any, in all kindes spoken of before, and yet notwithstanding know, that the destroying messenger of God for these sins, the pestilence is abroad, and that it is the Lord that sendeth the Pestilence amongst a people, because of their sins, which is our next proposition. 3. july. 2. day. our second preposition is, That it is the Lord that sendeth the pestilence vpon his people for sin. If I shall sand, &c. It is the Lord that threateneth it in the places before, it is the Lord that executeth it, as in the particular instances before. He is the inflicter of all iudgement: Amos 3.6. There is no evil in the city, and the Lord hath not done it. J haue sent amongst you the pestilence after the manner of egypt. Amos 4. 1● And if we consider the fierceness of this disease, the speed it doth make in execution, its boldness and impartiality, its knocking at the doors of beggars and Palaces of mighty Kings, it must be confessed a messenger of the eternal God. 1 One reason may be the truth of God, which as it is seen and exercised in performance of promises, for in fulfilling his threats, of which this iudgement is one: He is a God of truth, Iehouah, a giver of Being to all his words, promises and threats. 2 Another is his iustice; he is chief Iustice, the judge of all the world; he cannot but do right. Death in general is the wages of sin: all diseases as means; death by this meaues the pestilence, as wee see in Gods revealed will, the canon of Iustice. 3 The anger and wrath of the Lord, out of which he is carried to punish sin; and thus when Jsrael committed whoredom with the daughters of Moab, and joined themselves with Baal. Peor, Num. 25.3. the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel: the effect was the death of 24. thousand of the plague, Phineas being zealous for Gods sake, turned away his wrath, and the plague ceased. 4 To this refer the iealousy, or zeal of the Lord of hosts, his just indignation, and direful vengeance on sinners. Phineas turned away the Lords wrath, that he had not consumed them in his iealousy: That stroke to consumption was an effect of his zeal. God is the Lord of Hosts, all judgements his Armies; be is he God to whom vengeance belongeth; in this he sheweth himself, the zeal of the Lord of Hosts doth bring this to pass. As the Lord requireth zeal in Magistrates, Ministers, &c. so one argument is his own example: when as men in the cause of the Lord are zealous as Eliah; and effects thereof haue been death in offenders, as in the example of Phineas with his Iaueline; and that on Zimri and Coshie great ones. What marvel is it, if man wax cold in Gods cause, that the Lords iealousy wax hot, and that it consume by the plague; it is a perfection of the Lord, and the marvel is, that it doth not consume to the nethermost hell. Deut. 32 21 22. Finally, there is the faithfulness of the Lord in accomplishment of promises to his own: he hath promised cleansing, to take away hardness of heart; to give grace, its growth and degrees, its consummation and perfection, to save from all vncleannesses, to present us blameless in glory: he hath promised the means and efficacy to these ends. When as direct means work not, the word, its ministry, the Sacraments, health, prosperity, peace: when as prayer, and fasting, and other ordinances, I, the Lord himself beginneth to grow out of request with us; when as men deal with the means for the soul as preservatives of the body in times of health, out of infection, that he may accomplish his promises, he must use other means; one affliction or another must be sanctified, to this end the plague must be sent: that will bring preservatives of the soul, as it doth prescripts for the body, God himself and his ordinances in request. The Word and the Sacraments will be precious, and effectual for their ends, that will stir up grace, and make it put forth: It will exercise faith, hope, love, humiliation, Patience, prayer, praise: it will make a man to work for his life, to give all diligence, in clearing his evidences, in making election, and call sure: when as an healing plaster will not, there must be a corisiue: when as a cordial will not work the feat, the physician will tamper with poison; when as words prevail not, we use blows: and thus doth our heavenly Father. The righteous shall flourish like a palm three, and spread abroad like a Cedar in Lebanon: those that be planted in the house of the Lord, shall flourish in the Courts of our God: They shall still bring forth fruit in age: they shall be fat and well liking, Psal. 92.12, 13. and all to show that the Lord is upright, and that there is no unrighteousness in the Lord: that trees planted may grow, and bring forth; the husbandman must water, dung▪ and dress them; he must prune them, lop off superfluous boughs. The Lord is an husbandman, joh. 15.1, 2. every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth, that it may bring forth more: the pestilence is one of the means: of very faithfulness, in this respect, david confesseth, that the Lord caused him to be troubled. And these are the reasons for which the Lord sendeth the pestilence amongst his people. 1 Let us put it to use: and first, It sheweth the misery of all ungodly men, living in the sins spoken of without repentance, as in regard of the punishment itself, so because it is a messenger of the Lord. The messenger of the Lord will do his arrand: and if it doth, how canst thou that art an ungodly man promise to thyself, that thou shalt escape? Ezechiel the ninth, wee may see Gods commission to men with destroying instruments, in these words: go through the city and smite, let not your eye spare, neither haue you pity, slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women. Wherein observe their commission go: the place whither, with it extent, through the city; not onely the Suburbs, out Parishes, some Parishes, and by-Lanes in the city, but through the city. 3. Going through the city, they must smite, I and slay 4. And whom, utterly old, young, maids, little children, and women. And lastly, they must not spare, they must haue no pity. look what God gave in charge then, it seemeth he doth now to the pestilence: his commission is to go through the city, to smite and slay of all sorts, to haue no pity: if God will thus visit jerusalem, why not London? If no degree, or age, could exempt itself, then how shall it now? What ungodly one is there not comprised under that division, old, young, &c. of the Lord? I urge not this, brethren, as desiring the same: our Lord doth not desire the death of a sinner, his intent is repentance to life. It is my fear and astonishment. Hearing this, my belly trembleth, rottenness entereth into my bones, mine intent is, to show you your sins, and what will bee their profit, except ye return, to move you to mourn for your own, and abominations of others the cause, to take up, and use the prescrips of the Lord, to show you, and make you sensible of the wonderful strait we are in this day, to put you vpon the duties. It is the Lords messenger, and without repentance, now tell me, how canst thou possibly escape? Thou wilt say, I am guilty indeed of some of those sins you speak of: but I did them in secret, no eye saw it, no man in the world can say blacks mine eye, therefore I may escape. No, no: hadst thou to deal with a man, a Minister, a Magistrate, thou mightest escape, what they see not, nor know, they cannot reprove, they cannot punish, thou hast to deal with God: Psal. 139. he knoweth thine uprising, and thy down lying: he searcheth thine heart, and trieth thy reins, there is not a thought in thine heart, but he knoweth it altogether: all things are open in his eyes, Heb. 4. with whom we haue now to do: this will be but a silly shift. Thou wilt tell me thou art young and strong, in perfect health, what ever others do, thou mayest escape. Is not the commission to old and young? do not our strong& mighty men die as well as the weak? Did not the Lord by this messenger slay 70000. men at once in Israel? Is it not the messenger of the Lord of hosts? art thou stronger then God? Thou wilt say thou hast advice of the best Physitians, thou hast there preservatives, thou art constant in their use: Thou dost well, if thou use all good means for thy soul, as well as for thy body: spiritual causes of the plague remaining, the operation of such as are corporal, is suspen lead: unto the unclean all things are so, physic itself: their opetation will be void, otherwise at the approach of this messenger of the Lord. Thou wilt pretend thou hast a Country house, or means by others, thou wilt sly thither, and so escape, Flight may, and yet scarcely bee a means of anoyding the messenger of a man, not this of the Lord. Did not this messenger do its arrand, In 3. dayes from Dan to Beershebah? Psal. 139.7, 8, 9. Whither shall I fly from thy presence, O Lord? If I go unto heaven or hell, thou art there, &c. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the Sea, even there shall thine hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me. No, no: neither these, or any other shifts will serve thy turn living in sin: there is no way to avoyde the hand of the Lord, but the means of the Lord: and if thou wilt not use them, thou must buckle with the Lord. 2 If it bee the messenger of the Lord, it must instruct us in the duties required: the object, to whom: and the manner, such as beseemeth the Lord: there is no possibility by flights to evade: what's to be done then? Prepare thyself to meet thy God: from the highest unto the lowest of us all: the advice of that Prophet, is, to prepare ourselves to meet the Lord. It is the wisdom taught us, by wisdom itself: when a stronger army cometh against us, then wee can withstand, to sand whilst it is a far off, to offer conditions of peace. Gods Army is stronger then wee can resist, who can stand before it, it is near; if far off from us, yet now let us sand, and offer the Lord conditions of peace. When as the plague began amongst Israel, Moyses willed Aaron to go to make an atonement, and Aaron ran. Let us propose Christ, our once offered atonement, the advocate with the Father, the propitiation for our sins: as the men of tyre and Sidon, made Blastus their friend to King Hered. Let us by faith in Christ, use him as a friend unto the Lord. break off thine ungodly courses: humble thyself under the mighty hand of God. cry mightily, Spare thy people, O God. seek the face of the Lord continually: turn from every evil way; return unto God. Thou wilt say, that the Lord is a righteous God, a just, an angry, and a jealous God, a consuming fire: it will be the high way to meet with the plague, to meet or approach unto the Lord. It is true, and yet in Christ Iesus there is mercy with the Lord: in him he is well pleased, satisfied; in regard of strict Iustice his anger is appeased: how angry so ever Esau was with Jacob, when he met him with a present, and humbled himself, his bowels earned vpon jacob: so will the bowels of the Lord on us, humbled before him in Iesus Christ: it is our stubborn going on in sin alone, that restraineth the sounding of the bowels of the Lord. The Lord, I, him alone must wee seek unto, and in use of all other means depend on the Lord, who is he that sendeth the plague. Yea, as it directeth us to the object; so in the manner, wee must respect the time whilst he is a far off in regard of iudgement, near in regard of mercy, patience, and long suffering, before the decree come forth, before it come home to thine house, it cannot be safe dalying, or delaying the time, having to deal with the Lord. look unto our sincerity, let our seeking, &c. be hearty, it standeth us in hand, wee haue to do with the Lord. It is true, the Lord had respect unto Ahabs servile humiliation, his weeping, putting on sackcloth, and walking softly: it is a truth of Israel, when as they did but flatter the Lord with their lips, Psal. 78.36. and lie with their tongue; they were not destroyed: such is Gods mercy, he was so merciful saith david: so forward is he in encouraging men to perform him service sincerely, and yet wee must know that there is no promise but unto sincerity; it will prove but a repriuall, or putting off for a time, no absolute forgiveness, and a time of wrath will come, wherein with hypocrites wee shall pay for all. Looking sour, abstinence from meats, a bare outward confession, I haue sinned, rending of the garments, putting on sackcloth; sprinkling ourselves with ashes, nor any, or all outward compliment will not pass for currant with the Lord: the Lord requireth the heart, an heavy heart, a broken and a contrite heart, a rended heart, a cleansed heart, an whole heart, inside as well as outside service; had a man to deal onely with man, the one might serve, stop his mouth, give him content: having to deal with the Lord, our care must bee proportioned, and there will bee good reason, seeing the plague is a messenger of the Lord. 3 Lastly, if it be the Lord, it calleth vpon us to aclowledge him, to iustifi● him, to give him the glory of all the attributes exercised in this work, secret oftentimes, and high is his present execution, full of admiration: it is a work of infinite wisdom and iustice; he ought to be had in remembrance for ever: all uses depend vpon our acknowledgement of the Lord, and it is full of comfort unto Gods people in these times. Who, and what is the Lord in relation unto them? and what are they again in relation to the Lord? Is he not their Lord and Master, their King, their Father, their Husband? Is not his mercy towards them, from generation to generation? Is he not their God● hath he not confirmed this truth by promise, by oath, two immutable things: by his sign and seal, baptism; by the other often, the Supper of the Lord: I, by the blood of Iesus Christ, the blood of the everlasting covenant? Is he not engaged for grace, glory, and good? for salvation, a plenary deliverance out of the hands of all our enemies, for righteousness and eternal life? Are ye not seruants, subiects, children, the Spouse of God married to himself, his people? Surely such as haue evidences of these things, haue great cause of comfort, they need not to bee fearful, distracted, and divided even in this perilous time, the plague is a messenger of this their God. If health and safety bee good for thee now, the plague shall not come near thy dwelling: did it come by chance or fortune, it might come to thee as well as others: came it by the disp●sition of malicious and ungodly men, it might befall thee to bee smitten with it before another. A Sparrow falleth not to the ground, without thine heavenly Father: the very hairs of thine head are numbered by the Lord. If he shall sand that messenger unto thee, or thy family, it is a messenger from thy Father: a rod in dead, and yet in the hand of a loving Father thou mayest expect pity of him as a Father. If he take away wife or child from thee, did he not give them first, or rather lend them unto thee for a time, may he not take his own? If by this messenger he shall otherwise dispose of thee, is he not thy Lord? oughtest not thou to bee like unto a seruant ever waighting the coming of thy Lord: be at the come, and tarry, and go, and do of thy Lord? Thou wilt say, thou couldst do him better service now then ever: Art thou wiser then the Lord? Are not all his works, and known unto the Lord? Thou wouldest willingly live, and provide for thy wife and small children: see them bestowed; are they not in the hand of thine all-sufficient God? Doth he not feed the young ravens? Is not he a Father of the fatherless,& the God of the widow? When he vnlooseth the tie of thy life, he dissolveth all those bonds, he acquitteth thee of care, and taketh the matter on himself. If thou bee troubled now about any thing, let it be the ordering, specially of thy spiritual house; make thy peace with God, reniew the conditions, consider aright thy failings, renew thy faith and repentance: see all reckonings strait in the satisfaction of Jesus Christ, mortisie sin more and more, work with Gods iudgement to the perfecting thy sanctification: Be careful in the use of good means, and leave the issue to God. Let the messenger of the Lord find thee so doing: so by death thou shalt haue an Euge, well done, and enter in to thy Masters ioy. It is true; the Lord expecteth fear and trembling in these times: When the lion roareth, all the beasts of the forest tremble: the Master of a family being angry, and laying about him, the whole house must needs be troubled: yet let it issue from faith, and love, and submission, such as may dispose us to use his means, to stand in the gap, to make up the breach: wee shall not otherwise appease him, we shall displease him rather; and all this will be in a proportioned carriage unto him, as he is in relation to us, that is it which giveth him glory of these attributes in this time. It comforted david in a great strait: the mercies of the Lord are great: You haue heard of the patience of job, and the end the Lord made, he is full of pity. Wee cannot now come in to any place, but the subject matter of our speech, is this messenger of God, the plague, and its message; when we speak, remember it is the messenger of the Lord, talk with all, of his anger, and wrath, and iealousy, and iustice, and truth; his mercy, his wisdom, his power, remember the Lord, aclowledge the Lord, as occasion is offered, that will be the way to set heart, and hand, and mouth a work, unto every one of the former duties. Finally, if it be the messenger of the Lord: learn hence to guess of the continuance, or ceasing of the plague: surely when as it hath done it arrand, it will depart, and not before: when Phineas executed iudgement, which was the plagues arrand, the plague ceased, until Achan was found out, it went ill with Israel. When a sore is whole, a plaster will fall off: when as wee haue given an answer unto the Lord, his messenger will return, until then it will abide: it is a messenger of the Lord; yea, it will abide with those that are Gods own people; and so pass we to the third proposition: it is the manner of the Lord to sand the pestilence amongst his people. afternoon Sermon. IN the third place, observe, that it is the manner of the Lord, to sand the pestilen●e amongst his own people, those that are called by his name. A people are his, in regard either of the common& outward covenant, and adoption, or inward covenant, as sons& daughters of God by faith in Iesus Christ. Our proposition is true of both. Such were Israel in the time of Moyses, in the time of david, amongst whom the Lord sent the plague, and I suppose that man rash in his conceit, who will determine, that none of Israel( indeed) were of that company. It is clear in Hezekiah, whom some probably judge smitten with the plague. It is certain of the Corinthians, 1. Cor. 11. that some of them were sick, some weak, some asleep: and when they were judged, they were chastened of the Lord, that they might not be condemned of the world. When jonathan is taken away in one battle, and Josiah in another( if we had not experience) by a parity of reason, we might gather that God may, and doth sand the pestilence amongst his people. 1 What marvel, seeing amongst them the cause, sin, is to be found: for those that are onely in the outward covenant, circumcised with the circumcision made with hands of uncircumcised hearts& lips. It is clear, sin is in them, and it reigneth: They profess they know God; in their works they deny God, are abominable, and unto every good work reprobate. All the sins spoken of, causing the plague, are to bee found amongst them, though they be called by the name of God: What wonder if the effect be found amongst them? For Gods own, sin is in them, though it reign not, they haue members on earth, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, covetousness, which is idolatry, as yet to be mortified: even they whose life is hide with Christ in God: who when Christ shall appear, Col. 3.3, 4, 5. haue faith made them by the Apostle, to appear with him in glory, &c. there are the fruits, Iere. 4. Col. 3. vain thoughts lodging in them: idle, I, cursed speaking: he that is able to rule his tongue, is a perfect man, which state is reserved to happiness, is glory: In many things we offend all: he that saith he hath no sin, deceiveth himself, and the truth is not in him. When wee find amongst them the cause, what wonder is it if there bee the effect, the plague? Besides, the pestilence will discover these, and put a difference: discover grace, put it to a trial: it will purify& reform them more and more; it killeth voluptuousness, worldly mindedness, glorying in a mans own strength: it prepareth to death and iudgement: it exerciseth all graces, and so by Gods overruling hand, worketh ever to good, everlasting good and glory. Against this may be objected that promise, He will deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, &c a thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand: it shall not come near thy dwelling. I answer, that promise is not absolute, it hath limitation, as a iudgement, or punishment, properly so called; so shall they bee delivered from it, who are indeed the Lords, not simply, but as a curse, and truly evil. Besides, we may add so often, as it shall not bee truly good for thee: it is sometimes truly good for the Lords to bee afflicted: it may bee a means of delivery from a greater evil to come; it is ever a pledge of Gods fatherly love, Heb. 12. at worst a conueigher to happiness. 2. Reg. 22.10. Reu 14.13. josiah dying in battle, went to his grave in peace: blessed are the dead that die in the Lord, whatsoever the kind of death is, or disease, if of the plague, even so saith the Spirit. We know, 2 Cor. 5.1. that if the earthly house of this our Tabernacle be dissolved, howsoever dissolved, wee haue an abiding place not made with hands, eternal in the heauens. It may bee said, the sins of Gods people are remitted, and therfore they are not cause. I answer: granting a plenary remission to every faithful soul: There's no condemnation to them that are in Iesus Christ: Rom. 8.1. I deny the consequent, that sin is not a cause of the plague amongst them: all that followeth, is, it is not a cause of death, as a curse or punishment properly so called; it is not compensatorie, satis factorie: so Christ alone is accursed for us, he troad the winepress of his Fathers wrath alone: and yet for this cause, sin; some of you are sick, weak, asleep: when as Gods people are judged of the Lord, they are not punished as before, but chastened of the Lord, and that they might not be condemned with the world. 1 learn hence not to censure a people, not to be a people of God, particular persons, Parishes, Cities, Lands, because they are smitten with the pestilence; there is in man a censuring humour: out of the abundance in the heart the mouth speaketh: if God smite a Minister, or one that is not just of our cut, in matter of iudgement, we mark him with a black coal, we judge them before the time; we account them as those did rashly, Paul touched with a viper. We conclude it, the vengeance of God, beware of it: that doth not ever follow, God smote Israel, Hezekiah, the Corinthians: thou mayest judge the generation of Gods people. It is true, a man may say, it was for sin: and yet it may be but a chastisement. Who art thou that judgest another? Either one of the godly, or a wicked man. If a godly man, gather the same may happen unto thee that doth to thy fellow-servant, thou art if the Lord strictly examine, and look what's amiss, in the same condemnation. If thou bee a wicked man, fear what shall betid thee: if it be done thus with a green three, in whom there is sap, leaves and fruit: what shall be done with thee that art dry? Eezk. 15. with thee that art as the Vine, not fit for any good work, not to make a Pin. If iudgement beginneth at the house of God, what shall become of them that obey not the gospel of Iesus Christ: 1 Pet. 4 17 18, if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? 2 learn hence, that no outward privilege of Gods people, can exempt them of public calamity, and the misery of every ungodly man,( though otherwise professing more strictness then other men,) seeing as yet he is open and liable to the plague. Man, vain man is in such times ready to build vpon any privilege: the Jews cried, Iere. 7. Math. 3. the Temple of the Lord, this is the Temple of the Lord, wee haue Abraham to our Father: What shall we speak of religious privileges? wee are ready to build on strength, on riches, on honours. It is a vain thing, there is no cause: doth not GOD sand the pestilence amongst his people? Thou sayest thou art a Christian, baptized, one that comest to the house of God, sittest amongst the people of God, receivest the Sacrament, thou fastest and prayest: all these thou mayest do, and bee an hypocrite, and not exempted. When the Iewes gloried in the Temple of the Lord, the Prophet calleth them lying words, and willeth them not to trust in them, sendeth them to Shiloe, to see what he did there for the wickedness of his people Israel; so long as wickedness remaineth, the Temple cannot shelter. jer. 7.3.4.12 Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. Though the Iewes cry, wee haue Abraham to our Father. John threateneth the Axe: It is laid to the roote, and calleth for repentance. The same is said to vs. Circumcision is nothing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature: Rom 2. circumcision profiteth, if a man keep the law: if circumcision break the law, it is uncircumcision. All these will avail us nothing; means without profit by them, increase sin and condemnation: Woe be unto thee Corazin, woe be unto thee Bethsaidah, &c. Therefore tyre and Sidon shall rise against them in the latter day. The same may be applied unto us in this city. And if outward privileges exempt not from the plague, they cannot free a man from hell and condemnation, which notwithstanding is all that many men can show and pled for it; much less privileges of nature in this world, less& worse then these are. 3 It teacheth such as are the Lords in these times, to fit and prepare themselves for the worst, to dispose themselves to death: at all times there is a cause, now especially, when as in all places we fear to meet with this messenger of death: Man that is born of a woman, is but of a few dayes; his life is compared to a vapour, a bubble, to a shadow, to a flower, to grass, all flesh is grass, to vanity, it is lighter then vanity: in midst of life we are in death: as soon as a man is, he is sinful, therefore corruptible: corruption increaseth daily, it cannot be long before he be mortal, as soon as a man is born, he hath cause to take out this lesson, to learn to die. Death is an enemy to nature, so are very thoughts of death, therefore do we lay aside provision for death. Gods people themselves more then flesh& blood, then nature, are very backward: Teach me to number my dayes. Make me to know mine end, and the number of my dayes: God himself complaining of it, wisheth us wisdom to consider our latter end. How indocile so ever we are, we must all come to it: wee must haue a time to prepare ourselves unto it, or be taken unprovided; amongst other motives, let this now prevail, the plague is amongst us, and wee are not exempted. Let it move us to set our houses in order, to cast up all reckonings with the Lord and man. The time seemeth now short: let us that haue wives, be as if we had not, in weepeings for matter of this world, as if we wept not: in worldly ioy, as those that rejoice not, buying, as not possessing, using the world as not abusing it, live as men dying: wee are seruants; let us be as seruants, waiting for the coming of our Lord: all the dayes of our appointed time, let us wait till our change come, at any time we may: now it seemeth wee must die; clear wee now our evidences, and make sure wee are the Lords: live unto the Lord, die unto the Lord: Whether we live or die, believing, say, we are the Lords: glory and tryumpn in this against death, and all it means. I am persuaded, that no thing, nor life, nor death, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, in Christ Iesus our Lord Come unto that pass, and rest not, till with the Apostle thou say, We know that if the earthly house of this our Tabernacle were dissolved, we haue a place not made with hands, eternal in the heauens. The use is profitable at all times, now especially, seeing the pestilence is amongst us, from whence let us bee carried to provide and comfort ourselves, with those and the like sayings. Last of all, it doth call vpon us, even the people of the Lord, for a careful use of the means prescribed, seeing the Lord sendeth the pestilence amongst vs. Let us now work for our lives: this is a time, wherein not onely the wicked are called vpon, to fast and pray: but also such as are godly indeed, such as haue humbled ourselves already, fasted and prayed; wee must do it more and more, wee may not bee weary. That of Zephanie cometh home to us: seek ye the Lord ye meek of the earth, which haue wrought his judgements, seek meekness, seek righteousness, as we look to be hide in this day of the wrath of the Lord. These are the means, unto these means used by us there is made a promise. Many things may move us to bestir ourselves; that our heavenly Father may not be any longer angry with us, that the wicked which cannot pray, may not utterly be cut off in their sins: that our friends and families may be safe: that wee may haue restored our former comforts, and enjoy fellowship and society one with another again: amongst the rest, for our own lives sakes, which are now greatly in danger, the Lord for sin having sent the pestilence amongst his own people. 3. Day. july 13. we haue spoken of the cause of the Pestilence, sin: of him that sendeth it, of those amongst whom, his people: come wee now to the promise in those words, J will heal the Land. Wherein observe three things: First, an Agent: secondly, his action: thirdly, the object of it: the first, in the word I; the second, in those, will heal; the third, in that, the Land. observe. Where God sendeth the pestilence, it is an evil, or a iudgement, vpon that Land. It is a truth, not onely in regard of the particular place infected, but the whole or other parts of the Land. Thus in the time of david: it destroyed from Dan to Beersheba, it was an evil of a land: So the judgements minaced for the fore-spoken sins, are threatened a land, Because of oaths the Land mourneth. I will bring your Land to desolation for disobedience in general, particularly pollution of the Sabbath: lieu. 26.32. Then shall the Land enjoy her Sabbaths, Ver. 34. so long as it lieth desolate. indeed, suppose it be sent but to a city, as London is, yet it will be found the evil of the Land: the whole is as a body, and London will be found either as the head, or some other member; if it were but as a finger or to, it is a part: and even as the sanitie or strength of every part in our natural body, is a blessing on the whole, of the eye, of the foot, &c. And on the contrary, the evil vpon a part, an evil on the whole, a weakener of the whole, whence it is that man saith, I am blind, I am lame, &c. So it is in the matter in hand: the good and weal of a city, is the good and weal of the Land, and the evil of a city, the evil and hurt of a Land. When as a part, as a city( as London) is ill affencted, though it bee but a part, it may bee said of the Land: because the members of this city are parts of the whole Land, and are by near relations and bonds allied to the whole land. This city is, in many respects as jerusalem was, once thither come up all the Tribes, there is the place and seat of Iustice. It is as a Storehouse to the Country, for many necessary commodities; the refuge of the Country in extremities, in evils, of fire and water, and all manner of losses, the help which London affordeth, is( perhaps) better then all the rest in the Land; and therefore it cannot be but the evil of this city, London is the evil of the whole land. 1 Reason will farther clear this: the sins which procure this iudgement, are not the sins of a particular, some few, but ordinarily the sins of the whole Land. It is true, that the sin of a particular, might bee a cause of the evil of a Land One Achan may trouble Israel, and for Dauids numbering the people, God may smite the whole land; in which sense that of Eliah to Ahab, was a truth: that he was a troubler of Israel. And yet ordinarily the reasons and causes are in the whole land: the wants and defects of good spoken of before, and the positive redundancie of evil, are evils of the whole land: indeed, one part in regard of commerce, &c. is mingled often times with the other, and there is a mutual learning of each others works; a mutual consent and agreement in evil, and so confirmation and obduration of each other. And thus, as there is an agreement in the corrupt nature of the whole, so in the actual evils, which flow from the same: What Rome is to the inhabitants of the earth, a mother of formcations; great Cities in their kinds and degrees, are unto lesser places; and lesser places again in their kind and degrees, unto greater. One infected sheep may mar an whole flock: the sins being of the Land, what marvel if the plague the fruit of it be with all the evil of a land. 1 learn hence the odiousness of sin, and the vildnesse of all such as live in the sins spoken of, causing the plague, an evil of a land: it bringeth evil, not onely vpon man himself, sinning, onely such are not taken away, it causeth evil on the whole land. It is a truth, and ought to be urged vpon every such wickedman. It may be spoken to men in great place thus sinning; to david, by God; to Ahab, by Eliah: thou art he that troublest Israel: to private men as Achan, by Magistrate and Minister. That with a child( some other being dead before) marked by Gods tokens, in the present visitation of this city, calling the Father, showing him those tokens on her, receiving Gods sentence of death, told her Father, lo these are the tokens of God, what you haue often times called for vpon us, by fearful cursings; ( which is one of the sins, name as a cause of the plague before) may bee brought home, and laid to the charge of all the rest, of the like common cursers, and the whole rabble that live in the aforesaid sins, people, as in the case of david, children, seruants, all sorts, to others thus sinning: lo here the fruits of thine abominations, the desolations, destructions in the whole land. So ought every such man to say to himself; lo, saith david, I haue sinned, J haue done wickedly, but these sheep what haue they done? 2. Sam. 24.17. Let thine hand I pray thee be vpon me and my Fathers house. The Lord requireth humiliation, broken hearts of us this day, it is his mean, prescribed for the healing of the land, what more prevailing argument can we find? what will wound the soul of a man, if not to see himself a wilful murder of his deere children and wife, of so many men, women, and children, as die in the city, as are taken away with the pestilence in the land: what a torment and fury may it be unto the soul of such a man? had he attempted the murder of himself, it might work vpon him how much more, when as it is of the Land? to haue any man lay to his charge murder, is a piercing thing; much more, children, wife, city, to cry thou art a bloody Father unto me, a bloody husband, a bloody Citizen: how much more, when as it is the voice and cry of the whole land, as it is vpon all that live in the said sins, without repentance and reformation. 2 It calleth vpon all men in place diligently, to look unto the rooting out of these sins, causing this plague, bringing so great an evil vpon the Land. Vpon this ground, Ministers in their places, must cry down these sins especially: they must lift up their voices as Trumpets, cry aloud, Tell judah of her sins, Israel of her transgressions; such as haue had no zeal must repent, as causes of the peoples sins, and the plagues of the Land; such as haue zeal, and use it, must be zealous still; the more these sins and plagues increase, the more let our zeal against those sins be manifested. Wicked men account those Ministers mad, who cry out vpon those, who fear not an oath, and ordinarily pollute the glorious name of the Lord our God: all wish moderation, they would haue us indeed luke warm, key could; and yet judge whither there be not a cause, when as these sins procure so great a slaughter vpon the land: Were wee not seruants, had wee no respect to the glory of our God, this were notwithstanding a sufficient cause. Were a watchman in some Castle or key of the land, negligent in his place, not seeing an army coming to invade the land, not giuing warning, suffering them to land. A seruant careless of his Maisters goods, seeing a thief stealing, and yet silent, making no ado to recover the same. Did a shepherd look on a wolf, worrying his sheep with silence, and neither cry, nor run unto their help. Would not the world condemn that woman, seruant, and shepherd? is not all that evil justly to be imputed unto them, and to be required of them? every Minister is a workman: a seruant in special place, and service of the Lord, a Sheep heard. If he see a man in his charge live in any of the said sins without repentance, and be silent, he suffereth an army of judgements to invade that man, I, that place, even the land, he suffereth evils, as dwarves, to devour the Lords sheep: he is as that seruant spoken of: all those evils must be imputed to him, and the Lord will require them of him. This fearful iudgement of God, the plague on our land must needs be imputed at least in part unto the faulty Ministry of many that haue that office in our Land. What was once said, is still to such Ministers and people: Be zealous and amend: where vision faileth by the default of a people, is not, is suppressed, is disheartened, or discouraged: their sins live and thrive, and the people perish eternally in their souls, temporally in their health and prosperity of their body, a gap is open to all Gods curses, to this iudgement on that Land, the plague: that people die, they die in their sins: their blood, and the blood of the land, shall bee required at their hands. Where vision faileth, by the default of the Minister, sins grow, iudgement hover over that place, as so many black clouds, that people perish in soul and body, they are naked to the plague, and so is the Land: they shall die in their sins, their blood shall bee required at that Ministers hands. As it calleth on Ministers, so vpon Magistrates in their places, to make laws against such sins, and to execute them vpon such sinners, they being the cause of the plague, an evil of the whole Land. What greater argument unto a good Patriot, next unto the glory of God, and salvation of souls, which yet are conjoined, then the good of the Land? Thou canst not bee a good Patriot, that art remiss in this duty, that dost connive at such sins: thou dost withall connive at the slaughter, that is now caused at home, and abroad, in all the Land. think of the minaced iudgement on ely, who did connive at his sons, and fear the same judgements vpon yourselves: want of zeal in you, hath kindled zeal in the Lord, and made him in this maner to consume the Land. 3 If the plague be an evil of the Land, it is a ground of sympathy, and fellow-feeling unto the whole Land, and to show it in mutual duties. It is a ground of humanity in the Country unto Citizens, who fly unto such places as a means of God for shelter: were they strangers of another Nation, the respect wee ought to bear them( especially they being the sons and daughters of the same God) ought to bee great: Remember ye were Strangers, is often repeated: and ourselves may bee, being still in the body; the kindness of the city to the Country, being it common refuge, deserveth it, and it is no light argument, that it is the evil of a Land: In all bodies there is sympathy, rejoicing, mourning, a putting the evil as our own case: Remember those that are in bonds, as bound with them. It should bee so, it is not in many parts of the Country: the hand of God in the city, hath been easier on many Citizens in the midst of the plague, then in the Country amongst men; the inhuman cruelty of many of these, cry unto God for vengeance, and without great repentance must expect it: how worthy soever wee were of it from the Lord, and though the Lord bad Shemei to curse, and let loose the Country, to vent their cruelty, the Country notwithstanding was unworthy, we deserved it not: it was their foul sin, and will bee for ever remembered by God and man to their shane amongst men, and if not condemnation, as they haue sown, they shall reap of God, it is certain they must expect retaliation. Yea, it is unto the whole land, a ground of taking up the prescribed duties, unto which the Lord promiseth the healing of the Land: not onely parts, persons, Parishes, Cities smitten, but those that are as yet whole, which warranteth the godly care of his majesty, &c. at this time enjoining by Proclamation a Fast unto the whole land. In common calamities every man must put to his helping hand: when as a neighbours house is on fire, it is a neighbourly part for every man to bring some water unto the quenching of it: it may by a neighbours house proceed unto their own, self-love may prevail with men in this case: At this time London as well as other parts, is as it were on fire: Let every one of us haue our hand in quenching of it. Wee haue all our share in the cause, sin, the good and welfare of it shall be ours, and we must look to partake in the evil of it: One man by humiliation and prayer, seeking the Lord, hath prevailed much. Moyses alone standing in the gap, hath turned away the wrath of the Lord: If the prayers of one child of God bee so available, how much more shall be the prayers of a congregation, of so many congregations as are in this land? If one mans entreaty will give the Lord no rest, offereth violence to heaven, the prayers of many shall do more through Iesus Christ, and wee may conceive good hope, that the end shall follow healing of the Land: to stir us all up, Remember the plague is an evil of the Land. afternoon Sermon. observe in the next place, that it is the Lord that will heal the Land: so the promise runneth. Hence it is, that when as the angel of the Lord had slain 70000. men, and stretched out his hand to destroy jerusalem, 2 Sam. 24.16. it is said, that the Lord repented him of the evil, and said unto the angel that destroyed the people, it is enough, stay now thine hand. 1 indeed, the plague is a messenger of the Lord, as the words import, if I sand the pestilence; therefore at his command, at his come, at his go: faithful seruants unto men in authority, are at their Masters command, if they say unto one come, he cometh; go, he goeth; do, he doth it, that serveth such a Master, such are all the host of the Lord, and therefore it is the Lord. he being offended, as wee haue heard, sendeth the plague: his anger being appeased, he taketh it away. It is one of his properties, to kill, and to make alive; all issues of life and death, are in his hands. 2 Besides, the blessing on all the means, I, the means themselves, are from the Lord: humiliation, prayer, seeking, repentance, his gifts; vpon his acceptation they prevail: the physician his skill, his materials, their operation is from him: he hath filled him with that skill, and the herbs, and with that power. God, as the first cause, concurreth with these as second, to their effects; suspending or prospering the same, according to his own pleasure. All second causes work by vettue of the first; the burden of all lieth on the first, to whom it is to be attributed, and therefore it it is the Lord. 3 add yet all the means prevailing, look vpon God: haue him their object, go unto God. Outward, and corporal means must be sanctified by God, a blessing is brought down by prayer from God: and so for spiritual: humiliation is under the mighty hand of God: call vpon me, Psalm. 50.16. Sheweth the onely object of prayer to be the Lord: the words are clear, that seeking is to be employed about the face of the Lord, and the term ad quem, of turning from evil ways, is unto the Lord: turn unto the Lord your God, Ioel 2. All means of pacification; look vpon the Lord, when Aaron stood between the living and the dead, and made an at tonement, he offered to the Lord: all which show, that the healing of the Land is from the Lord. Last of all, all the causes producing the plague, are injuries against the Lord: they are sins, and trespasses against the Lord: so all sins against the first Table, immediately, and sins against the second, whose object is our neighbour, sins against the Lord. A King is vindex vtriusque tabulae, as the Vicegerent of the Lord, the Lord a jealous avenger of both much more. And the for giuenesse of sins is a peculiar unto the Lord, as in this place, and after more particularly, he onely can heal the land of the plague, that can take away the cause, sin: he onely can take away the cause, sin, and so he onely must be acknowledged the curer of the Land of the plague. 1 This put to use, serveth as for reproof of some, for caveat to all: reproof of such as give the cure of the plague to others, caveat that we give it onely to the Lord. Those of the Church of Rome, haue according to the number of their diseases a Saint, or a petty God: unto this Saint they pray, from this Saint they expect deliverance: they haue a Saint unto whom they pray, for deliverance from the plague. Tu qui Deo es tam charus, Et in luke valde clarus, Breuiar. Sarisbur. Castig. p. 132. Sana tuos famulos, Et a peste nos defend Opem nobis ac impende, Contra mortis stimulos. What's this but to ascribe divinity unto Saint Roche, to give that unto the creature, which is revealed his own privilege, the healing of the Land of the plague. Saints themselves vpon earth, such as are sanctified by God, oftentimes are taken away with the plague, cannot save themselves: it were a vain conceit to think they can do it for others, especially Saints, such as diuers are in the Popish Calendar, fabulous, feigned, false; or at the best many of them doubtful. Their Legends are Comments, or rather Commedies vpon them, like lips, like Lettuce. For caveat, give it not unto the physician, give it not unto the means, trust not in them, hope not vpon them; let our trust and hope be onely vpon the Lord. Physitians disclaim that power, and generally fly and hid themselves from this hand of the Lord. Physitians are Gods ordinance, so are their prescripts; so to be used, the efficacy of both to be given to the Lord. Physitians indeed cannot endure those cracking empirics; an Artist may discover them to be of no value: much less will the great physician, Physitians themselves, who give or take unto themselves the privileges of God. It was Asas sin to go first unto the physician, it shall be ours: the reason of both is the healing of the Land of the plague, is the work of God. 2 It serveth for direction unto us in this contagious time of the plague: every man now would bee directed unto an able physician. In this place the Lord proclaimeth himself such an one, and we are by this proposition, as it were by a bill directed whither to go, even unto the Lord. And as for direction, so advice that, that wee be ruled by him, and take his prescripts as preservatives against this plague. persuasion of the skill of man to any effect, will carry us to that man, will cause us to use his means: one special argument urged on Patients, to take an vnsauourie Potion, is, it is the prescript of such a skilful physician: wee haue all cause to bee fully persuaded of the skill of God: let it carry us to God, and cause us to use his means, to urge us all along: remember it is the prescript of that able and skilful physician, the Lord doth require at our hands humiliation, that wee humble ourselves, that wee pray, that wee seek his face, that we turn from our evil ways: From all sins, the particular sins spoken of, discovered, as the causes of the plague: those sins to bee the causes, he hath discovered the book, the Chapter, the verse: these particulars to be his means, he hath discovered in this book, Chapter, and Text, to move you, to every one of these know, that they are prescripts of the Lord, the particulars are hard, impossible to flesh and blood: a proud man to empty himself, a rebel to submit, an vnbeleeuer to pray; a dead man in sins to seek the Lord, a man accustomend to sins spoken of, bound in a double bond of nature and custom, another nature, for an habituated swearer, to refrain swearing, &c. so for the rest, it is an hard matter, it is a bitter Potion, our stomacks rise against the very naming of it. Those that are enabled by God, and attain the particulars, in part find great resistance, and that in every part, and yet if we will escape, wee must use the means: this is the prescript of that able physician, to cure the land of the plague. O that wee did beleeue this great physician, that he is able to do it, and that these were his means, I suppose, in so great a strait as we are now, wee would be ruled by this physician: the prescripts of men are obeyed to an hair, we make conscience of it, and wee do well: a few of us use the means of this great physician; in this we do very ill, ye cannot expect a blessing, be the means otherwise never so sufficient: yea, it must bee a ground of the qualities required in every prescript, as of the use of means, so of the maner: as those that haue to do with the Lord: of faith, and hope, and confidence, in this physician, as he hath revealed himself of comfort and encouragement: all these may safely bee done, the healer of the Land of the plague, is the Lord. It must bee a ground of sincerity and singleness of heart: the prescripts belong unto the hart specially: men deal but with the body, they cannot see infallibly the working of any physic vpon the soul, as the Lord doth: men receiving physic of men, deceive men, the physician, I, themselves, they hear what he saith, and do what they please; take physic with one hand, and cast it away with another, fain taking of it. So do many a thousand deal with the Lord, I fear even in these times: many observe them not at all, many with the out side, a few with a sincere and a single heart, that the Lord requireth, is humility, and specially of the heart, prayer with the heart, seeking the Lord with the whole heart, the rending of the heart, the cleansing and purifying of the heart: though we deceive man, wee cannot deceive God: he trieth the heart, and searcheth the reins. Let us remember so much from this, that all these particulars are his prescripts, and that the curer of the Land of the plague, is the Lord. 3 It teacheth us to whom to give the glory of this cure, the Lord. We haue been smitten oftentimes with this iudgement, and haue been healed; the glory of it must be given the Lord. If at this time when others are taken away, wee escape, when thousands fall at our right hand, and ten thousands at our left, wee stand, and it cometh not near our dwellings. If we be smitten, or ours, and yet live, there is a cause of it; it is the Lord that healeth the Land, to him let us ascribe it. give it not unto idle Saints, as St. Roche, unto the physician, or unto any preservatives: look thorough all second causes, behold and aclowledge the first. He doth all things for his glory, he will not give it unto another, let not vs. Let us sing, that it is the Lord that killeth, and the Lord that maketh alive. What Tertullus did of, and to felix, Acts 24. Let us to our God. It is by thee Lord that wee haue enjoyed so great quietness, and all worthy deeds are done unto this Nation by thy providence, wee accept all, always, and in all places, and with all thankfulness. It is one special way to continue a kindness, and to obtain the like again, to bee thankful. One special cause of this present hand of the Lord vpon our Land in the plague, is our unthankfulness for former deliverances; wee haue not acknowledged him the healer of the Land of the plague. 4 Last of all, it sheweth us the misery of such as live still in their sins in these times, and the happiness of that people that hath made a covenant with the Lord, and endeavoureth to keep that covenant. The misery of the wicked: it is the Lord that healeth the Land of the plague, no wicked man can expect this blessing thus long, can as much as warrantably hope, that he shall escape this devouring plague. No wicked man so long hath a promise of God, hath a way made open to haue recourse unto God: and( which is worst of all) hath any will, desire, or endeavour to use the prescripts of the Lord: no wicked man so long can humble himself: pray, seek the face of the Lord, and so not expect the end. They haue to deal with the Lord: If with man, if money, or favour, might procure it, they might bee happy; but when as it is to bee had onely of the Lord, these are of all other most miserable, the causes of the plague, their sins are in act, none of the cure; so long they are a company without God. What a desperate and damnable estate is this, to be a wicked man, how fearful the fruits of sin, pleasurable, profitable? What fruit or profit can there bee in these things, which put a man into so great straights, which deprive him of the protection of God? What greater motive, to separate, to come out, to haue no fellowship with unfruitful works of darkness: and never to leave, until wee become by faith the friends of God. Of the happiness of Gods people, their confidence, and comfort, a thing needful in these troublesone times, wherein on every side nothing is minaced more then desolation by this hand of the Lord, the plague. One great ground of comfort in great distress, is, a possibility of deliverance, that there are means, and it is as great that those means may be attained; where there is no mean, deliverance is impossible; ordinarily when there are means, but not to be attained, it is to little purpose. How great soever our distress is, there is a possibility of deliverance, there are means, they may be attained: I will heal the land. Consider who it is that promiseth curing, even he that smiteth; how able, how willing, our Husband, our Father, our King, and our God. What would not our gracious King do, had he power, for the health of the land? what will not a Master, a Father, an Husband for the safety of a seruant, a son, or a wife? and will not the Lord, made known unto us by all these relations, by every of those titles, attributes, or names? look what pity a Father beareth unto his children, such doth the Lord bear unto us that fear him. Can a mother forget her child? If shee can, the Lord will not forget us, wee are eternally graven in his palms: he will not forget us, remembering him now in his ways: There is now a book of remembrance for us before the Lord; the Lord will put a difference, and spare us, as a father his child. Haue wee our trust in him, and out of it recourse unto him; let this bee our encouragement, let this be our comfort, let it encourage and comfort us, notwithstanding all our former and latter sins, that it is the cure of the Lord: there is greater cause of comfort in God, then all other fathers or husbands: mothers and fathers may forget their children: husbands, wives that go unto other men: Man will not return unto her; thou hast played the harlot with many louers, yet return unto me, saith the Lord, jer. 3.1. God our Father will never forget: the rule of love and tender affection, is not the affection of a natural father, God is not regulated by it; the rule is the love of God, Math. 5. Comfort from hence may bee far greater in these times unto us, seeing the healer of the land of the plague, is the Lord our God. 20. july. 4. day. we haue seen the evil, the subject of it, the cause deserving it, sin, and inflicting, God: the extent, the land; and physician, the Lord: come wee now to the means: the first is, humble themselves: First, I will show what is meant, and then come unto some propositions. Humbling of a mans self, is the exercise or operation of humility; humility acted: humility an especial work of God, by his spirit on the elect whereby they submit themselves unto God in soul and body, the motions and actions of both. By the term special, I difference this from that which is common, and hath not the promise. By Spirit, I mean the spirit of sanctification. By Elect, I denote the subject, whose peculiar it is to haue this humility. Submission is the specifical act of it: the object is God, in his attributes word or works. By soul, I mean the mind with thoughts, motions, and conclusions thereof, and the will, it is not a thing extorted, but willingly yielded: and by body, I mean the mouth or words, and all other required outward expressions. An humble man is one emptied of high conceit and vain confidence, in himself, wit, strength, &c. in whom high thoughts and imaginations, opposite to Gods rule, are cast down by self denial: one that seeth his sins and judgements minaced, imminent or inflicted, judging them folly, accusing himself, I haue done foolishly, confessing the punishments deserved: unto us belongeth shane and confusion of face, accepting of them at Gods mouth, according to his word. Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken: or of his hand in the act or execution. lieu 26 42, 43. receiving sentence against himself, and opening himself unto it, Let thine hand be vpon me, and vpon my fathers house, coming( as it were) with a rope about the neck, judging and condemning himself, abhorring himself, being every way pliable unto the Lord. Thus is he in his soul, and all outward parts express it, he is ashamed, and doth blushy to lift up his face to God, Ezr 9.6. as the Publican he standeth a far off, at the feet of Christ; behind him, as the woman in the gospel, indeed he confesseth he cannot stand before the Lord, in regard of his sins, Ezr. 9.15. Yea, at some times they haue expressed it by sitting on the ground in ashes as Job, besprinkling themselves as Tamar: they haue wallowed in dust and ashes. They haue taken up an howling, and made exquisite lamentation, as one that should mourn for her onely begotten son, Am. 8. Iere. 6. The King of niniveh layeth aside his rob, covereth, himself with sackcloth, sitteth in ashes: thus did he, thus did the very beasts. It hath been expressed by leaving all outward comforts and delights, bed chamber, Joel 2.16. ointments, Dan. 10.3. I, necessary meate and drink for a season, Jonah 3. and in all these silence hoping, and quietly waiting for the salvation of the Lord, Lam 3.26. even as a proud man is an ignorant man, ignorant of himself, of his wit, strength, weakness, sins, deserts, I, of God himself. And out of it puffed up with high thoughts, and imaginations against God himself, his word, and works; impenitently rebelling; expressing it with proud swelling words of vanity, who is the Almighty &c. with high looks, the show of their countenance, witnessing against them, Isai. 3.9. by walking with stretched out necks, Vers. 5. shining in gold as Herod: plaiting of the hair and gold ( which Peter opposeth in a woman to a meek and quiet spirit) going in purple and fine linen, faring deliciously every day: Putting off iudgement, slighting and contemning the same: promising peace, I shall haue peace though, &c. Deut. 29. or blaspheming the Lord, being under his judgements, as those in the revelation of John: so an humble man is one, in whom there is a privation of all these, and every thing inward and outward, contrary, as we haue already heard. And when as we haue mentioned some outward expressures, as sackcloth and ashes: wee must know those are not absolutely& always commanded, inward humiliation in the soul expressed by mouth and life, in main and substantial actions is the thing, thats it which hath the promise: other may be so in the children of God, as withall, in hypocrites as Ahab: the Lord requireth the rending of the heart, and not of the garment. The afflicting of a mans soul for a day, bowing down the head like a bulrush, lying in sackcloth and ashes, is not the fast which the Lord hath chosen, nor his humiliation. Esai. 58. And when he requireth, humbling a mans self, he doth not imply freedom of will, but so far forth, as it is freed by grace: The wisdom of the flesh is enmity against God, it is not subject to the law of God, nor can be: It denoteth a willing and free exercise of that grace: Neither is the grace and exercise all that is required, but the degrees and growth of it: whence it is, that the meek of the earth are called vpon to seek meekness, with promise of being hide in the day of the Lords wrath, which is all one with this here, healing the land. Let us come now unto the propositions. 1 We may gather that when GOD sendeth the pestilence amongst his people, he doth call vpon them to humble themselves. And secondly, that humbling ourselves is one prescribed means, at such times, to the healing of the land. indeed, the Lord calleth vpon us all our dayes to walk humbly with our God, in times of prosperity, in times of greatest ioy( true humility, and spiritual rejoicing, are not opposites, contraries, as flesh and spirit: so the kingdom of God should be divided against itself, and it could never stand.) And yet at such times as these are, humility is more especially called for. The first proposition is clear, seeing the Lord supposing that evil calleth for it: And the 2. ariseth from this, that it is as a mean prescribed to the healing the land of the plague, and hath the promise. The latter is the main scope of the Lord, and a reason of the former; therefore mine especial labour shall be in the proof of it. 1 God hath revealed this a mean in his word, and prescribed it as an antidote and preservative against the plague. In this place, If my people humble themselves, I will heal the Land. When as the Lord requireth obedience, Leuit. 26. making promises of blessings to obedience, and fearful threats or curses unto disobedience, amongst other there is this iudgement in hand, the pestilence, and its effect desolation of a land: in this time notwithstanding, he is pleased to offer conditions of peace, Ver. 40. and the condition is, that if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity, then I will remember my covenant, and I will remember the land &c. I will not cast them away, nor abhor them, to destroy them utterly, lieu. 26.40.41, 42, 44. unto which we may add that promise, Math. 5. of inheriting the earth, which implieth length of dayes: and so exemption from untimely death, Math. 5. And when as it hath the promise of grace itself, blessedness. Blessed are the meek, Math. 5. I, and glory: what marvel is it, that it hath the promise of what is less, a temporal benefit, healing the land? 2 As the Lord hath said, he hath done. When david humbling himself, sought the Lord, he was entreated, and the plague ceased, 2. Sam. 24. When as the King of niniveh, and his people humbled themselves, the minaced iudgement of the Lord was blown over, the Lord repented him of the evil: If the feigned counterfeit, outside humiliation of Ahab, found of God,( such was indeed his grace and mercy) freedom from a minaced temporal iudgement: how much more shall true and sincere humiliation, he hath and will do it. 3 There is good reason from the nature of humiliation, which if a man put, he putteth all other means and causes to this effect. Humility is as it were the mother of all the rest of the duties: it is the emptiness of the soul,& thats like the emptiness of the body, where ever it is, it causeth hunger and thirst; it setteth the whole man a work for its satisfaction; it will make a man ask, beg meate and drink, diligently to seek out for meate and drink: it will cause a man to put away whatsoever may hinder the attaining of it. What's Esaus birth right unto him, if he be ready to die with hunger? What's I shmael to Hagar; in times of famine, it causeth the eye of the tender mother to be evil unto her own child; there is nothing so pleasing or profitable in the world, but for satisfaction it will part with it. It is a like in this grace, true humility: it is an emptiness of the soul, it begetteth hunger& thirst, after that which will satisfy, it will make a man to pray, and to beg of God, it will make him eloquent, fervent, mighty in prayer; it will set a man a work to seek it with all diligence, in the use of the means to cast off any sin. What haue I to do with Idols? whats all, so long as it hath not that it desireth which satisfieth: so that wee haue the mother and it, great withall other means; and how can it bee, but there shall follow the healing of the Land. Besides, humility is a grace which giveth GOD his ends, aimed at in the plague. less principal attendance vpon Gods means, an humbled man is a fitted man to heat, and to receive the engrafted word of God. To hear of judgements and mercies, it will make a man to pray( as wee haue heard) to attend unto the Lord in his works of mercy and iudgement. He is a docile man, Psal. 25. he hath the promise, and is disposed to all instruction and information of the Lord. It causeth a man to come in, it is submission itself: it maketh a man tractable in doing, in suffering whatsoever shall bee Gods pleasure. It is the Lord, let him do with me what seemeth good in his own eyes. What doth a father intend in a rod, the Magistrate by the sword, but coming in of a seruant, subject, or child, and this doth as it were dissolve an heart, otherwise hardened against a man, and intending destruction. Jacobs submission to Esau, altered the purpose of Esau,& prevailed with him. It caused his very bowels to yearn: he was not the man he was before: our submission hath ever annexed the melting, and relenting, and sounding( as I may say) of the bowels of the Lord. Isai. 63.16. How resolved so ever GOD was to destroy niniveh( as appeareth in the message of the Prophet, Yet forty dayes and niniveh shall be overthrown.) It is said, God repented him of the evil, jonah 3. And after to peevish jonah, should not I spare niniveh the great city, wherein are six score thousand persons not discerning between the right and left hand. It disposeth to salvation, I to the main end, Gods glory, no grace more, let God reveal himself just, merciful, angry, pleased, humility justifieth God, acknowledgeth him to be whatsoever he revealeth himself. How can a man question then the healing of the land? And as it disposeth and qualifieth to Gods ends, so unto all other causes, and their efficacy. To peace and friendship with God, when as the Lord proclaimeth war against a proud man, that he will resist the proud, and behold the proud a far off: on the contrary, unto him I will look that is humble, a woman or man of a meek and quiet spirit, is a thing much set by, by the Lord I dwell with the humble. I? who art thou Lord? The great physician for the cure of the plague. Is it possible that he shall thus dwell, look, &c. and not manifest the same in healing the land of the plague? In a word, put true humility, and you put Christ: this is a bewrayer of him, it is an effect of Christ in that heart by faith, by virtue of Christ dwelling there, pride and high imaginations fall, are cast down, this emptiness is caused: rebellion is purged away, submission wrought, Christ by his Spirit worketh it, and so proportioneth the member unto Christ, the head; where humility is before God, there is Christ the onely name and Mediator, in whom it is bold; denying itself it doth approach: and how can not Christ prevail? humility doth not merit or deserve it of GOD, it voice is, I am not worthy, I am less then the least of thy mercies. What can emptiness deserve? It qualifieth the person: sheweth the man with whom GOD doth dwell, in whom is Christ, in whom there is ever more acceptance of GOD. In him God is well pleased; so that in all these names it must necessary be a means of healing the land. 1 If when God sendeth the pestilence, he calleth vpon a people for humiliation, and that is a means of the cure of the land. Then are we justly reproved for not answering Gods call, nor using his means. Gods hand in the pestilence hath hath been in our land a great while, dayes, weekes, moneths. At its first entrance of the land, and ever since, we haue been called vpon: where is our answer, where hath been our humiliation? What marvel if the plague increaseth, and is dispierced? that it cometh from the Country to the city, from the city to the country: That it is in our Suburbs, and in this manner, in the midst of our streets: following all sorts, and as it were extorting humiliation. How just is the Lord in his proceedings, and going on? how merciful in giuing any call, in that he will not give over until we answer, in that any escape, seeing we are so careless in not giuing attendance, and use of his means. Wee now may perceive that a truth of david, it is better falling into the hands of God, then man. The mercies of the Lord are very great. Had an armed enemy invaded our land so long since, wee would haue sent to haue met him. If wee had not before this time, it had been overrun. It is the great mercy of the Lord that wee are not consumed. Our sins were great before: in this we haue added unto our former sins, and unto us may be imputed the many thousands who haue been swept away: what is our neglect, but rebellion, slighting of the Lord, contempt; and so a farther provocation; a King would not haue born with Rebels so long, and will the Lord? What a dash is this sin added unto this dayes humiliation, and it success, if GOD blot it not out? How justly may he refuse to call vpon us by smiting any more? Suffer us to go on, and make up the measure of our sins: give us over unto the will of enemies, the rod of Ashur, Pro. 1. because we refuse his call, that he should refuse ours, as he threateneth: it increaseth our sins brethren, and must increase as a motive, our farther humiliation. 2 If humiliation bee a means, then may we gather unto ourselves whither wee be likely to speed this day in the business wee are about; namely, if vpon examination, wee find, that wee haue humbled ourselves: That GOD hath promised healing, is a truth; God is a God of truth, he will forgive, and heal; but he must bee sought with humiliation. Examine we ourselves therefore by what hath been spoken, and ask ourselves the question particularly. Do I humble myself inwardly as well as outwardly: let every man examine himself, whether he doth humble himself before the Lord. do we now know, and aclowledge our own sins, pleasurable, profitable sins; the inward roote, the branches, especially the sins, which according to Gods word, cause and produce the plague? are wee persuaded they bee sins, and our own? do wee see death minaced, imminent, acted, or executed on others, with all means previous, and disposing thereunto( besides death spiritual and eternal) particularly this messenger of death amongst us: the pestilence, and the hovering iudgement of famine; the wages of sin, our own sins? Are wee vpon this sight emptied of high thoughts and imaginations, arising from vain confidence in ourselves, or any thing else, out of which, wee haue formerly lived in those sins; contemning and slighting Gods judgements? do we now justify the Lord, and condemn ourselves? aclowledge the Lord just and righteous, and holy, powerful, true, angry, and a jealous God in all effects, of the pestilence amongst us, and whats farther minaced? do we now accuse ourselves as deserving causes, judge ourselves worthy, and condemn ourselves? Are we come with this iudgement, as a deserved rope about our neck, in our heart and mouth; acknowledging the Lord( as before) if he execute the same on us and ours? do wee in that respect cry, Let thine hand be vpon me, and vpon my Fathers house. Do we now open ourselves to God his word, admonishing, exhorting, reproving, convincing, &c. accepting the present iudgement, kiss the rod? do we now take shane unto ourselves, and so look vpon God, I,& our neighbours to, who are acquainted with our ordinary sins? do wee thus in our heart? are our outward actions expressures of an humble heart? Is it our desire to do what we can, and more, even all that the Lord requireth, in his manner, and that as we expect, forgiveness of sins, and healing of the land? Surely thou man or woman art, that humbler of thyself, the promise is made to thee, thou mayest weight for it; and bee encouraged to persevere in this duty, until the Lord vouchsafe the healing of the Land. But if on the contrary, there bee none of these particulars amongst us this day, we are not persuaded, the evils spoken of, or the like in us, to be sins: that wee deserve not the plague, that we are as secure out of vain confidence, as ever before, promising to ourselves, and saying, peace and safety, though we walk on: Wee do not confess accuse, judge ourselves, and taking shane to ourselves, justify the Lord. If our humiliation be onely outward; abstinence from meats, and drinks, and outward delights: in the hanging of the head; in a few, light, heartless, fruitless, slavish stashes, or Amens. If wee be as proud as ever in our mindes, as high in our imaginations, as swelling in our words and looks, as opposite to God, and his word, and works: that our humiliation hath onely outward and violent causes, the law, and command, or example of man, or violence of this present disease.( And I would there were not cause to fear that God: looking down from heaven, beholdeth many of this stamp, in the congregations assembled in this Land.) If there be any such amongst us, I protest against them, that person, that humiliation, it is not Gods mean, it hath not a promise, it doth not appease, but provoke him rather: the land, thy family, thy friends, thyself shall be never the better: as thou art the same man, in regard of sin, thou wast before so liable to the same judgements; thine humiliation will be but for the time, as a bowl, after thou wilt return to thine old bias, as a dog to thy former vomit, as a sow thou wilt wallow in thy former mire: Thou wilt be as notorious a swearer, sabbath breaker, adulterer, &c. as ever thou wast before, I worse, for evil men and deceivers wax worse and worse: Know that thou canst not promise to thyself, or hope that thou shalt escape this plague; thou art a man marked with the tokens: the plague sore, sin, unrepented of, is in thy bosom. Remember thou hast not to do with man, Magistrate, Minister, but God and his dreadful messenger; and if thou escape this time( as many do which walk abroad with those tokens) thy sin remaineth, and punishment, and there is appointed by God a day of reckoning: the forbearing of the Lord abused, will but make thee ripe or fat against that day of slaughter. 3 Finally, let it bee a ground of exhortation, to answer Gods call, to use his means: what wee profess, let us do as in Gods presence, in Gods manner, and that wee may know it, read, hear, meditate, pray. Get that grape, exercise it, grow in it: for all these haue an eye to the Father of lights, from whence every good gift cometh, this humiliation. All the arguments against pride, are in array to move thee. 1. The Lord is an enemy to a proud man, he resisteth the proud man, which is, every one that humbleth not himself. 2. Pride forerunneth a fall, he that exalteth himself, shall be brought low. 3, As is the fruit and brat of a fleshly mind. 4. It is a cause of all sins: it maketh a man unfit to do or receive good of God or man: it disordereth a man in prosperity, in adversity: it robbeth GOD of the honour of all his attributes. It maketh man( once like God) to resemble the divell, the King of the children of pride. It bereaveth and robbeth man of all blessings, this deliverance from the plague, and openeth a man to all curses, the arrest of the plague: that I say no more. All the arguments commending humility, are to bee forced against ourselves. Humility is a grace of graces, the lustre of all graces: every grace is in itself amiable, but if it be found ouer-laid with this grace in an humble man, it is as apple of gold in pictures of silver, as a Diamond in gold. Though it seemeth a cipher, nought yet being added unto one, it maketh it( as a cipher ten, to ten an hundred. It is a character of a blessed man: it disposeth to all the promises of God: it hath this sovereign promise of remedy, and curing the land of the plague, it is the approved medicine of that great physician, our eternal God. 3 Consider thirdly, that the greatest man in the world, hath sufficient cause to humble himself, at all times, specially, now in this time of the plague. Whence are we? our father Adam, and mother eve, our father an Amerite, our mother an Hittite. There is enough in this one particular, were it resolved: resolve Adam our principle is dust: Wee are but dust and ashes, as Abraham: our foundation is in the dust, wee dwell in houses of day as job, dust wee are, into dust shall we return again: resolve that principle,& thy term is nothing. Consider thy coming into this world: Naked came I out of my mothers womb, and naked shall I return again. Wee brought nothing into this present world, and it is certain, wee shall carry nothing out. All worldly matters which puff up are vanity, riches haue wings, beauty is fading, strength frail, honour shall lie in the dust, the most desirable things in a man as a moth. Mans life a vapour, a bubble, a shadow, a flower, grass, all flesh is grass, the grass withereth, the flower fadeth away: like unto vanity, altogether vanity, lighter then vanity. here are causes enough of humility. There are more yet, if wee consider our estate by sin. It is true: we were holy and happy creatures, little lower then the Angels, we haue lost that state; we are free from righteousness, and the seruants of sin: conceived in iniquity, born in sin; every imagination of the thoughts of mans heart, is evil only and continually. Thus do we live and die, without Gods rich mercy: hence are wee odious to God, aliens, enemies, open to death, temporal death, all curses written, and those that are not written; liable more and more to spiritual death, I unto eternal death, blackness of darkness for ever: if these are not, what may be motives unto us of humility? Consider this sin is against God, we haue to deal with him: An holy God of purer eyes, then to behold iniquity: a righteous God, one that will give unto every man whats his own: we may see it in the suffering of our surety; God spared not his own Son, the sword must awake& smite the man, that is his fellow: wrath is revealed from heaven, against all ungodliness: our surety must tread the winepress of his Fathers wrath. The judgements of God preach Gods iustice, this iudgement, the plague, wherewith he hath swept away thousands fourteen thousand once, four and twenty thousand another time, 70000. another. We see it amongst ourselves, and there is no running from his presence. Yea, as if our own sins were not enough, we haue the sins of others, the sins of fathers, and the iniquity of the mother is not done away. I may run through all relations; and wee haue to do with a iealus God, visiting the iniquity of the Fathers, vpon their children, to the third and fourth generation. add yet: all this haue wee done, notwithstanding Gods manifold mercies: creation, preservation, living, moving, being, being not beasts, toads, worms, but reasonable men: notwithstanding all commodities of our land, a land as Canaan, flowing with milk and honey: notwithstanding the time, not under the old Testament but the new: not in times of heathenism, or darkness, of Popish Egyptian darkness, but in times of the clear sunshine of the gospel; notwithstanding all positive good things, and deliverances former, from fearful evils. All these are causes and motives of getting, and use of humiliation in this day: which I therefore mention, that by them wee may enforce ourselves unto that duty. It calleth vpon all, especially Gods people, the meek of the earth: exercise humility, still seek meekness, as the Prophet speaketh. Though wee haue humbled ourselves, the Lord requireth of us still, that we do it more and more, and in so doing, promiseth, hiding in the day of the wrath of the Lord, Zeph. 2.3. Consider, that even all our righteousness is as a polluted cloath; he that is holy, must bee so yet: he that is humble, hath cause of humiliation; for want of humiliation, for weakness in humiliation: we know God, and ourselves, but in part, and such is our humiliation. Consider, that the pestilence is now amongst those that are his people: And to encourage thee, know, that as humiliation hath the promise of healing the Land; so thou that art indeed a confederate, hast a promise of humility; a promise of it power, it use, it groat: He that hath begun a good work in thee, will perfect it unto the day of Iesus Christ. In thine use of humiliation, thou shalt surely grow in it: call vpon God for that will and deed: Put him in mind of his oath, of his promise, of his signs and seals, of all his attributes, of the blood of the everlasting covenant, the blood of Iesus Christ: as God calleth vpon thee for humiliation, call vpon him for that power, and persevere in it; and in this doing, we shall find by experience, that humiliation is a means unto the faithful use whereof the Lord doth promise the curing of the land of the plague. The fifth Day. july 27. Sermon 1. COme we now to the second duty, and pray: in speaking of which, our propositions shall be as the former: that in times of pestilence the Lord calleth vpon his people for prayer, and that prayer is a means of healing the land of the plague. This is coupled with humbling ourselves, and is a means previous and disposing to hearing, forgiveness, and healing the land. 1 First of all, it is the precept and commandement of the eternal God, in this place, and for this end, and so else where: Call vpon me in the day of trouble: whatsoever day of trouble? I will deliver thee, Psal 50.16. &c. and St. james, if any be afflicted, let him pray; neither doth he leave it as arbitrary; he may pray or choose, he must: there is the necessity of a precept laid vpon him. 2 Prayer hath the promise: particularly of healing the land of the plague, in this place: it hath the promise of all things, Math. 7.7. ask and you shall haue, whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my name, it shall be given unto you. It hath the promise of all manner of deliverances: Psal. 50.16. Call vpon me in the day of trouble, whatsoever trouble, J will deliver. It hath the promise of greater matters, grace, faith, wisdom of the spirit, of salvation, whosoever shal call vpon the name of the Lord, shall be saved. Now put God faithful, true, one that cannot lie, and wee haue many reasons, out of which wee may conclude. If he promise it, he will do it; if it hath the promise of all things, of this; if of all deliverances, even spiritual and eternal, of this: if of grace, and whats greater, of this, which is less, and so healing the land of the plague. 3 As the Lord hath said, he hath done. Gods people haue called vpon the Lord, and haue been delivered from the plague. 2 Sam. 24.25. david about this spake unto the Lord in prayer, and the Lord was entreated; so the ninivites from that which was minaced against them. It hath had deliverance from all troubles, I sought the Lord, and he heard me( his seeking was by prayer) and he delivered me from all my fears, Psalm. 34. Gods people haue received grace by prayer, as Salomon, a wise and understanding heart: increase of grace: they haue built up themselves in their most holy faith, praying in the holy Ghost: They haue had deliverance from sin and the divell. I said I will confess, and thou forgavest, Psal. 52. What kind of devill is there, that is not cast out by fasting and prayer? Put God now the same immutable, unchangeable, his ear not deaf, that he cannot hear, nor his arm shortened, that he cannot help, and wee may argue what he hath done, he will to others rightly disposed, according to his promise: he hath delivered from the plague, such as pray he will deliver: he hath from all, he will from this, others haue by prayer obtained greater mercies, eternal deliverances: why shall not we the lesser? deliverance from sin the cause, and shall it not together take away the effect? 4 It will follow, seeing prayer is a means to all the means, that haue a promise of healing the land of the plague, and a blessing on them. It is a means of discovery of sin, the cause of the plague, by prayer that light which discovereth a man to himself, is attained: it is a means of humiliation, as Gods gift it descendeth, plucked down from above by prayer: it is a means of seeking, I, seeking itself. It is a means of repentance, convert me, and I shall be converted. It procureth all outward means; the Lord which by prayer giveth the end, giveth the means, physician his prescripts, its operation for good; every thing is sanctified by the word and prayer. In a word, it is a mean to the prime and principal physician himself, a piercer of heaven, and preuailer, and therefore it is reasonable, that prayer is prescribed a means, of healing the land of the plague. Some may object, to pray is vain, the Lord knoweth before I tell him, before I ask: Our heavenly Father knoweth, that we stand in need of these things, Math. 6.32. It followeth not, I must not pray: he knoweth, I need it, and therefore may give it me if he will, is the speech and thought of one that is proud and stubborn: argue not in that manner, but obey, let it not disswage or discourage thee, but move thee rather to pray, he knoweth my necessity, I may the boldlier ask. But he saith, before wee call he will hear, Esai. 65.24. It is a truth he saith it, and doth it sometimes, he is so gracious: this may in like manner encourage us: if he will hear before, much more when as wee seek unto him in his means. But wicked men who do not, who cannot pray acceptably: haue deliverance from the plague. I answer, it is a truth: so patient and long suffering is the Lord: and yet, though some bee delivered many thousands, are cut off by the plague; so long as they pray not, they are open to vengeance; jer. 10. ult. power out thine indignation vpon the Heathen that know thee not, and families that call not vpon thy name. A wicked man, not praying, cannot expect deliverance: it is not a blessing to such a man to be delivered, his natural course from evil to worse: he increaseth sins, and shall heap up sorrows and plagues vpon his head, in time to be executed. But for ought I see, the families that call on GOD, and persons that pray, I, Ministers themselves are taken away, &c. It is a truth sometimes, not ever. Many that call on the name of the Lord, are thus saved. If not, it is Gods means, and it shall further their account. Suppose such a man taken away, the evil of the plague is taken away too: it is not to them a curse, but a blessing: Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord: whatsoever dead: If once the earthen house of our Tabernacle be dissolved, we haue a place not made with hands, eternal in the heauens. Though God hear him not to temporal, he heareth him to temporal and eternal salvation: and if the man that calleth vpon God be taken away, how shalt thou who neglectest that duty dream once, thou shalt ever escape? 1 It serveth for our just reproof and condemnation, who haue not answered Gods call, nor used his means: by sin, the cause we haue been called on,& might haue been moved to pray: the plague, the effect, hath been long with us, from 10. and 11. a week, it hath made gradations to some thousands: and yet alas, where hath been our prayer, private prayer: the Lord is to be justified, we to be condemned: it argueth contempt, pride, a slight conceit of Gods judgements, as if wee were of that spirit, that wee would not be beholding to the Lord for it: we would not so much as speak, as open our lips: how justly may the Lord slight us and our prayer: It is what he doth threaten, because I haue called, and ye haue refused, I haue stretched out mine hands, and no man will answer: it shall come to pass, when fear cometh as desolation, and destruction as a whirl wind, Pro 1.24. &c. when distress& anguish cometh vpon you, then shall ye call vpon me, but I will not answer. When as the Lord first called me, we had little fear: we had no desolation; our fear is now desolation, destruction is amongst us as a whirl wind: wee haue distress, and anguish is come vpon us, except the Lord bee merciful, wee amend, and yet cry mightily: the latter part may bee as truly accomplished as was the former. 2 It sheweth us the great goodness and mercy of the Lord: it is mercy in our great misery, to show us means, and wee must aclowledge it from this text of Scripture: but that which magnifieth mercy indeed, is, that these are the means, humble ourselves, and pray. It is a small benefit that is not worthy asking: it is an easy task to obtain so great a favour for asking. It is true, it is an hard and weighty task, if it be done as it ought: every man cannot pray, and yet the mercy of God never the less; the mean of itself not the harder, neither doth the Lord therefore prescribe it, because wee cannot, but because his means is prayer. Yea, when as he doth enjoin us prayer, what doth he but desire acquaintance, familiar interchange of words: what doth he but afford his presence, requires ours, that wee give up our petitions into his own hands, in our own words. Mans sin, Adams fall cannot endure familiarity with the Lord. Adam fallen, fled from God, and hide himself in the Garden, and would hardly be drawn to speak, or give any account at all unto the Lord. Thus is it with all the sons of Adam, they call not: when GOD is thought vpon, he is apprehended as a judge, as an avenger, as a lion, and a bear, as a consuming fire; man cannot endure to see him, or to speak with him, he cannot grapple with him. Gods children haue in them that which flieth God, according to that they are averse, and awkeward in coming into the presence of GOD, in calling vpon the name of God: when as they do otherwise, it is by a supernatural power: they haue powred vpon them the spirit of supplication and prayer, it is by the spirit of adoption received, whereby they cry, Abba Father. Now when as man is so backward, what a mercy of God is it to come after us, to lay such a burden as this is vpon us; to desire and command familiarity with us? and when as wee will not entertain it else, to sand the pestilence amongst us, to enforce us; great men deal not so with their poor neighbours: every King hath not such respect unto his poor subiects, when as they follow them with petitions, cry, and the commandment of the Lord, is prayer: holy and humble familiar speech, which must be acknowledged by vs. Yea, when as he calleth vpon us to pray, as a means against the plague: what doth he but perform his promise of enabling us to exercise grace, and grow in it; according to that, I will cause them to walk in my statutes and commandments, and to do them: And another; Those that bee planted in the house of the Lord, shall flourish, &c. they shall bring forth more fruit in their age: And in it wee are to take notice, as of the truth, so of the wisdom of the Lord; out of which by contrary means, he effecteth his pleasure, causing the plague to effect that, which direct means do not. Gods mercy, truth, wisdom, in this, are to bee considered by us, wee are not to take his name in vain: but to give him his ends, to come unto him, pray hearty, continue in prayer: and leave not in the temporal benefit, the cure of the land, but in exercise of grace, and it groat, and giuing the Lord the glory of these his attributes, which( me thinks) are clearly seen in this, that the injunction of the Lord, is prayer. 3 If prayer bee a means of curing a land of the plague. It may be unto us an use of instruction and examination for instruction: for when wee are called vpon to pray, wee are called vpon for more then doth appear at the first sight. When as a physician prescribeth mithridate, it is not that which may haue the name, but that which besides the name, hathal ingredients belonging unto the same, &c. Thus is it in this case, when as our heavenly physician prescribeth prayer for the plague: he doth not intend every prayer, but such as hath all requisite ingredients. There are some things which will hinder these, must be put a part; other that farther it, which must be looked unto, and provided to the very uttermost. That which is to be put away( besides worldly business and affairs, which in times of prayer, hinder and choke that work) is our sin: all vicious and ungodly courses, trades of sin, especially the sins which procure the plague, and bring that iudgement vpon the land: and this is a duty enjoined unto every man. Let every man that calleth vpon the name of the Lord, 2 Tim. 2.19 depart from iniquity: as every man must pray, so every man that doth pray, must depart from iniquity. The reason is good, the Lord will not hear sinners, living in the same without repentance. Iam. 9.31. Wee be sure that the Lord heareth not sinners, the Lord hideth himself, as it were with a cloud, that the prayer of the wicked passeth not through. Lam. 3.44. Prayer is a sacrifice, and the sacrifice of the wicked is abomination to the Lord. Pro. 15.8. Particularly, the sins spoken of, omissions, commissions must bee put away. Col. 3. Pride: God resisteth the proud; anger, wrath, and malice must be deposea: pure hands without wrath and doubting, must be lifted up: Cruelty and unmercifulness, Pro. 28.9. such as stop their ears at the cry of the poor, the Lord will turn his ear from them: Neglect, contempt, slighting of the word of God: He that turneth away his ear from the Law, even his prayer shall bee abominable. Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and you would not hear: so you shall cry, Zach 7.11 12, 13. &c. and I will not hear, saith the Lord of hosts. It is a truth of every other particular sin lived in without repentance; wee need to go no farther then my Text, wherein with prayer is conjoined, turning from their evil ways, that is their sins. 1 positive requisites are; first, faith: a lively faith must bee an ingredient: he that cometh to the Lord, must beleeue: it is the prayer of the faithful that availeth much, Iam. 1. The prayer of faith shall save the sick, Iam. 5. Let not that man that wavereth or staggereth out of unbelief, think that he shall receive any thing: Rom. 14. ult. whatsoever is without faith, is sin. indeed how can a man call vpon him, in whom he hath not believed? 2 Hope, whence david in prayer, Let thy mercies be vpon us according, and as wee hope in thee, Psalm. 37. ult. 3 love unto God and man, without which, all is unprofitable, 1. Cor. 13. If at the Altar wee remember ought that another hath against us, we must leave our gift there; first be reconciled, then come and offer, Math 5. forgive, as I forgive, for I forgive: so did our Lord teach us to pray. 4 righteousness; Psal. 34.14. The eyes of the Lord are vpon the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayers. Holinesse: wee must hold up pure hands, saith the Apostle, in prayer. innocency: I will wash mine hands in innocency, and so will I compass thine Altar, O Lord. godliness: Psal. 32. For this shall every man that is godly, make his prayer unto thee, &c. Humility: Psal. 10.17. Lord thou hast heard the desires of the humble. Hunger and thirst: The Lord filleth the hungry, and the rich he sendeth empty away. Contrition: The sacrifice of the Lord, is a broken and a contrite heart: a broken and a contrite spirit, O Lord, thou wilt not despise. fervency: The prayer of the faithful availeth much: but with an if, if it bee fervent. Hence Christ in his prayer, Father if it bee possible, &c. Father if it bee possible. And again the third time: Father if it be possible. He repeateth it often: he sent forth strong cries and tears. Hence Paul three times: and Abraham oftener beseecheth. The ninivites prevailing, cried mightily. Iacobs prayer was a wrestling with the Lord. Moyses in his prayer would not let God alone. The voice or resolution of a preuailer in prayer, is that to God, which the Sunamite spake to Elisha, As the Lord liveth I will not let thee go, &c. It must be prayer in and from the heart, as well as the mouth, with Hanah though our lips scarce move, or move never so fast, we must withall speak in our heart: Mine heart answereth, saith david, thy face Lord will I seek. The complaint of the Lord by the Prophet, Hos. 7.14. was, They haue not cried unto me in their hearts, though they haue howled vpon their beds: Therefore the Church in the Lamentations, Let us lift up our hearts and hands: God is a spirit, and such as worship him, must worship him in spirit and truth. We must pray in the holy Ghost, it assisting, and enabling, actuating our heart. Wee must look unto Gods will, in a precept, a promise, or warranted example. When thou saidst seek my face, mine heart answered, thy face Lord will I seek. It expecteth the word from Gods mouth, and putteth it to use. Some not remembering this, ask they knew not what; they ask amiss to spend vpon lust, and receive not: and in this sense it is true, that as a man must pray with his spirit, so with his understanding also, 1. Cor. 14, 15. We must resign our wills, absolutely good is to bee prayed for, and evil prayed against, and yet because wee cannot judge ever rightly of good and evil for us, wee must resign ourselves. It is the Lord, let him do with me what seemeth good in his eyes. We are but beggars, and there is small reason that we should be choosers. add once more, our prayer must bee put up in the name of Christ: whatsoever you ask the Father in my name, hath its limitation: He is the only Mediator, Redeemer, advocate,& Intercessor, in whose name,& the Altar vpon whom our prayers must be laid, if they ascend as Incense: and therefore our Church, as the Apostle will haue all to bee done, closeth her prayers in and through our Lord Jesus Christ. again, a prevailing prayer must haue perseverance: God doth not always answer at the first call, that he may exercise grace, faith, hope, patience: he that believeth maketh not haeste; if we hope, we abide with patience, saith the Apostle: and so for the trial of grace: a counterfeit may for a fit howl vpon his bed, cry Lord, Lord, he will not hold out: he will not pray always, the Lord will give us a sight of sin, and sensibility of his displeasure, that wee may search and try our ways, and turn unto the Lord. The benefit begged, must bee valued when it cometh: The Lord delighteth in the prayers of his Saints, as a father in the talking of a child. A child is so set on his play, that he is hardly drawn to talk; therefore the father holdeth the Apple in his hand; had the child the Apple, farewell father: and right thus is it with us and God. It may be wee are not fitted for that blessing: it may be the Lord intendeth a greater: for all these reasons he deferring answer, will haue us to hold out in prayer. The evangelist saith, that Christ put forth a parable, the scope of which, was, that wee should pray, and not be weary. Last of all, when as a man doth pray, he must use all other means. Paul in a storm prayed, had a promise of safety, and yet all must abide in the ship. When the Lord will save Lot, he must serve his providence, and go out of sodom. jacob wrestled with God, and prevailed, received a promise, to prevail with man. he did so, and yet went and met Esau, brought him a present, and fell before him seven times. Hezekiah prayeth, is heard, and yet useth a bunch of figs. Wee must not now look, that the Lord prescribe the particular physic, or outward preservative: That case was extraordinary: his ordinary mean is a learned and godly physician, avoid unwarrantable occasions of danger, as company with such as are infected; use all other means, even flight itself,( with its cautions) otherwise we do but as he that crieth Lord, and lieth still in the ditch: He that hath appointed the end, delivery, appointeth means, prayer, and all other; our prayer, without use of other means, is but a tempting of God, a provocation of God. We now see what must be put away, what taken up. The particular ingredients, I haue spent time in gathering them, and naming them, they are all substantial, I could not leave as much as one out: now let us put this to use. We are this day by the commandemen of God and man, in the presence of God: One task enjoined us by both, is prayer: by prayer we are to entreat the face of the Lord, to take away from us his heavy hand in the plague, his imminent hand of famine; his gracious protection of our navy and Armies, by sea and land, to remove our sins which alone can hinder. It would comfort our souls to bee persuaded, wee shall prevail with God: it would trouble us not a little, that he should still frown vpon us, and reject our prayers. With cain it would cast our countenances down. If wee will bee freed from the trouble of the one, and enjoy the comforts of the other, we must pray in this manner. Examine wee ourselves therefore of the particulars. Haue we departed from our sins? omissions, commissions, all sins, the sins especially which cause the plague. Is there a cessation in mouth, in life, I, in our hearts from the same? is it our desire and endeavour, and haue wee attaining that, set ourselves to call vpon God this day? Are we come, and do wee use a lively faith, hope, charity, holinesse, righteousness, innocency, and the rest of the name graces: are our prayers fervent, as those that hunger and thirst for the favour of God? do wee lift up hearts as well as hands to GOD, building vpon his promises, with resignation to his will, and all in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ? And is there a purpose in thee to persevere in prayer, and the use of all other holy and wholesome means. Surely the promises are made to us, so many of us may weight on the Lord comfortably, for a gracious answer. Wee haue sown for it, and in due time we shall reap, if we faint not. But if it bee otherwise with us, that as yet wee still live in our old sins; the particulars often spoken of, which haue called out the plague, being the old men& women we were before. There being no restraint of those courses, or onely that which is outward, for this day and time of humiliation, our hearts and minds being as foul as ever before. If it bee so that none of those graces, or not all;( indeed where they be not all, there bee none) which are prescribed ●ngredients in this duty of prayer, or the manner.( And good Lord, how many such men call vpon God this day? no natural man can do it. All the imaginations of the thoughts of his heart are evil, onely, and continually: they are men without faith and hope, none of them that do good, no not one; they are natural men, without the spirit, and so the fruits or graces of the same. They cannot bee fervent, holy fire is not kindled within them, how can it flamme? hypocrites cannot pray always. How much less the man that is under Gods curse, in blindness and hardness of heart, habituated in sin, accustomend to do evil, on whom the sentence is past, for long unfruitfulness under the gospel, never grow fruit vpon thee more: and there be many thousands of these known unto GOD in our congregations.) If it bee thus with any of us this day, calling vpon the name of the Lord: Bee it known unto that soul; the Lord maketh thee no promise of hearing: thy prayer is not the Lords injunction, it hath not his ingredients: thou canst not expect a blessing on thy prayers, in regard of person, family, Parish, city, our navy or Land: thou provokest God rather, and callest for a curse: thy prayer is but sin; depart from iniquity; amend thy ways: then come and pray, and expect a blessing: it is not every prayer that is prevailing, or required that which hath the fore-named ingredients, thats it which hath the promise of Gods hearing, and healing our Land. Last of all, if prayer bee the prescript of GOD, let it move us all to pray. Lam. 3.56 Let every creature of this land, having this breath, breath it out in holy prayer unto the Lord. Such as haue not the spirit of prayer, cease not until you find your unction, and the holy spirit of prayer bee powred out vpon you. Such as haue it, labour for it more and more, use it in public, in private; use it always, in all things, in all means, let them bee sanctified by prayer: pray, and that in this manner. Consider it is whats commanded by God, thou that dost it not, art but a rebel. It proclaimeth thee an arch atheist in these times: their Character is, they call not vpon God, Psalm. 14. It sheweth( whatsoever thou dost pretend) thou hast neither faith, nor hope, nor love, nor fear of God at all: Faith will flamme in prayer, will speak: hope will use means; love will not bee hindered, fellowship, and talk; the fear of God teacheth this wisdom. david out of all these, rather then he will omit prayer, will loose his life: it openeth a man to all Gods judgements; to Gods indignation, the Butt of God in this respect, is the heathen, and families that call not vpon Gods name. Consider Prayer is an holy conference with God: that which bringeth us into Gods presence more specially, our heaven vpon earth; in thy presence is fullness of ioy: Hell is especially, a banishment from Gods presence. It is a Key which vnlocketh all Gods treasures, the treasures that are in Christ; the treasures that are in God. whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name he will give it. An hook which pulleth down from heaven every good and perfect gift. It it as Incense, when Araon ran and put on Incense, the plague ceased: It is sacrifice, when david offered sacrifice, the plague likewise ceased. It is as dropping of an honey comb, Caent. 4.11. As pleasing unto the Lord as honey to the mouth of man. As the Lord( once to Eliah of Ahab) seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself: So the Lord now, much more of every one of his poor humbled seruants, as the Lord of Paul, to Ananias, the Lord is now ready to say, Behold he prayeth. Consider Prayer is in the power of every child of God, it was in the power of man; if he hath lost it, he may thank, or rather blame himself: in the moment of your christening or incision unto Christ by Faith, God powred out on you the spirit of supplication and prayer, ye received the spirit of Adoption, whereby you cry, Abba, Father. If the Lord had required a greater matter( as Naamans seruants to Naaman of the Prophet) should wee not haue done it? how much more when as it is, but ask and haue? Consider, Prayer is a mean to all means, grace; its power, its use, its growth( how much more temporal means) ask and your ioy shall be full. Consider, Prayer is a means a man may use at any time, and in any place: there are times and places, we cannot haue other means. physician, physic, neighbour, friend, no friend to go unto the physician, or physician to come: As it is a salve for all sores, so it is ever in season: In every day of trouble, he may use it in the day, I, and at midnight, when man cannot go to man, he may go to God, when a man cannot speak to man, he may speak to God: when a man cannot speak with his mouth, he may speak in his heart, or by groans and sighs in prayer. Consider, if a man haue no other means, yet this is sufficient. Bee careful for nothing, saith the Apostle, Phil. 4.6. that is, with a distracting, distrusting, or dividing care; But in every thing, with supplication and prayer, and giuing of thankes, let your requests bee made known unto God. Good Lord what straights are wee in at this time? how many things trouble us? wives, and children, and seruams, kindred, neighbours, friends, cares of the city, cares of the whole Land, wee are at our wits end, and what shall wee do? Be careful for nothing. If thou canst but pray. Consider, it is not a vain thing to call vpon the Lord,( as those in Malachi● 3.14. there reproved for it.) There is no seruant of God that performeth any service in vain, the promise is, I will deliver. Psal. 91.15. As soon as he shall call vpon me J will hear him, I will be with him in trouble, and deliver him. Hitherunto ye haue asked nothing, saith Christ unto his Disciples, ask, John 16.4. He is readier to give us then wee are to ask him; yea, the promise is, Isai 65.24. Before they shall call I will answer, and whilst they are speaking, I will hear. What can encourage a man more then such gracious proffers? And as he hath said, he hath done, I, saith david, called vpon the Lord, and he heard me, Psalm. 34.5. Whilst Daniel prayed, Incline thine ear, and hear, harken and do, differre not, Whilst I was speaking and praying, Dan. 9.18. 19, 20, 21. confessing mine own sins, and the sins of the people. Whilst I was speaking in prayer, Gen. 24.15 Behold the man Gabriel. When El●aser prayed, before he had done speaking, behold Rebecca. Genes 19. You shall find Abraham, the Father of the faithful, wrestling with GOD: he putteth up one request, and the Lord granteth it; six times he prayeth, and the the Lord granteth. Abraham first leaveth asking, before the Lord leaveth granting: I will ask but this once. Being compassed about with such an army of motives, let us take up this duty; put God in mind of his attributes: grace, mercy, goodness, truth; of his oath, of his promises, of his performances with others; of his sparing of sodom and Gomorrha for ten righteous mens sakes. urge him with his dealings with others, with ourselves: Thou hast been mine help, Psal. 27.9. leave me not, nor forsake me: Lam. 3.55.56. Thou hast heard my voice, hid not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry. Thou hast heard the desire of the humble, Psalm 10.17. Put him in mind of that relation which is between us, by that title Father, a prevailing argument; our Lord that taught us to pray in that form, Our Father, &c. knew it. Against all infirmities, remember Elias subject to infirmities, praying hard: thou hast to deal with God, a Father who will bea●e with, and cover in Christ the imperfections of a submissive calling child. urge Christ, his name, his merits, his death, his resurrection, and ascention, and exaltation at the right hand of God, to give remission of sins. persevere until the Lord heareth: though joseph for a time seem harsh, and deal toughly with his brethren, as spies; secretly he will weep, and open himself unto them at length: though God saith unto thee nothing,( as Christ to the woman in the gospel, check and taunt thee, maketh thee to possess thy sins, writeth bitter things against thee, calleth thee dog. bear thou thine own shane, accept of it; bee more and more vilde, and humble in thine own eyes; and yet cease not to pray: urge( as she,) dogges gather crumbs; at length( as shee had) thou shalt haue an answer. O woman, great is thy faith, be it unto thee as thou desirest. The earnest cry of a distressed importunate man, will move an unrighteous judge, though he fear not God, nor care for man: And shall not God hear his elect, that cry day and night unto him? I tell you he will, and that speedily. Amen Lord, through Iesus Christ. 3. August. 6. day. COme wee now to the third duty, And seek my face; in which we haue an action, seek, and its object, my face. Prayer is a kind of seeking, J sought the Lord, and he heard me, Psalm. 34. This duty is more general, and it enfoldeth the exercise of all graces in all Gods means and ordinances, disposing to the attaimment of the favour of God. Our propositions are as before, from the action; When as the Lord sendeth the pestilence amongst his people, he calleth vpon them to seek him. Secondly, That seeking the Lord is a means to the curing of the land: and then from the act and object joined: It is the Lords face that is to bee sought unto. Of the two former together as before, and then of the third proposition. 1 It is the precept and commandement of God, that we seek unto him. Thus when as the Prophet took up a lamentation against the house of Israel, Amos 5.1. in the fourth, &c. thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel, seek ye me: and after, seek the Lord. And in Zephanie, when as the Prophet had threatened great desolation, Chap. 1. in the second he calleth, seek ye the Lord all ye meek of the earth. And in this place he requireth, as humbling ourselves, and prayer, so seeking. 2 As the Lord commandeth it, he expecteth it. david therefore bringeth in the Lord, looking down from heaven amongst the children of men, to see if there were any that would understand and seek after God. He doth so when he calleth by his word, he doth so when he calleth by his works, of iustice, or mercy, and therefore we must seek. 3 Because the neglect of it, is that which openeth us unto Gods judgements. Thus when as he had called the people to seek the Lord, in Amos. Amos 5.6. He addeth: less he break out like fire, in the house of joseph, and devour it,& there be no man to quench it in Bethel. That will follow, if the Lord be not sought. Thus when he hath threatened to consume all things of the land; Zeph. 1.2.3 he will consume man and beast: he particularly instanceth in those that haue not sought the Lord, nor inquired after him. And thus must it needs be, where the Lord sendeth the pestilence, unless he be sought unto, and therefore. 4 Besides, seeking is that which hath the promise, particularly of healing the land of the plague in this place: Math. 7.7. Generally of all things, seek and you shall find. Of all good, the Lord is good unto the soul that seeketh Lam. 3.25. him. Of deliverance in any day of wrath: Zeph. 2.3. It may bee ye shall bee hide in the day of the Lords wrath Now the Lord being Iehouah that saith it, one that giveth a Being to all his promises, he will in the particular: he will from the general promises answer in this particular. Isa. 45.19. He said not unto the house of jacob, seek me in vain. 5 add yet, the Lord sought unto, hath dove it. When as david sought the Lord, as wee haue heard, the plague ceased david sought the Lord, and bee heard him, Psal. 34. and delivered him out of all his fears: he being the same GOD, unchangeable, God over all, and rich unto all that seek him, will now do it. 6 Last of all, it is a means, because it directeth a man unto the fountain of all good, unto the onely saviour: him that saveth man and beast, and hath an excellent name for it throughout the world: he it is that is offended; his is this messenger, our arrest is at his suit; he said unto it go, Ezec 9. and smite, and slay: whither shall a man seek for pity and mercy, but unto him. He cureth all diseases, and so this, and therefore it is reasonable, that we seek, and seek unto him. 1 This serveth for our just reproof, as before in other duties; for as much as we haue not by seeking answered Gods call, or used his means: therefore doth it make such steps, and cutteth us off three thousand in a week: what wonder is it that a sick man groweth worse, that seeketh not unto the physician: that sickness of our Land and city increaseth, when as wee do not so much as seek unto the Lord. This amongst other is a great blot unto our seeking this day, because I haue called, &c. they shall seek me diligently, but they shall not be able to find me, Pro. 1. It is what God saith and doth this day, as wee all see. 2 If seeking bee that which is required, then are wee to look that we do it, and that in Gods manner, and to that end examine ourselves: as I said of prayer, I must say of seeking, it is not every seeking that hath the promise, there must be many ingredients: in the Text before it is said, Pro. 1. that some in affliction shall seek the Lord diligently, and yet shall not find him The Prophet speaketh of some, that go with their herds to seek the Lord, who shall not find him, the Lord hath withdrawn himself from them, Hos. 5.6. Therefore it is requisite, that wee look into the word of God, and thence learn the kind and manner of seeking of the Lord. 1 If we will seek the Lord, all things that may hinder our seeking or finding, must be put away: a man hath need of no clogs; worldly affairs lawful so far as they are, hinderers must bee put a part: the special impediment is sin: seeking the face of God, and turning from our evil ways, are coupled in this Text, and must not be put asunder. When the Prophet had said, they seeking should not find, and that the Lord had withdrawn himself: the reason is. They haue dealt treacherously with the Lord, Hos. 5. The Lord in Esay saith of some: They seek me daily, and delight to know my ways; as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God, they ask of me the ordinance of iustice, they take delight in approaching to God. Isa. 58.2. A few of us go farther then these, many never so far: We seek not daily, neither is there in us that seeming delight: and yet Ver. 3. these cry out and complain, we haue fasted, and thou seest not, we haue afflicted our souls, and thou takest no knowledge. Whats the reason? Ver. 1. The Lord calleth vpon the Prophet to cry aloud, to lift up his voice like a Trumpet: show my people their transgressions, and the house of jacob their sins: as yet they lived in their sins: and therefore after, is this such a Fast as I haue chosen, a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and spread sackcloth and ashes under him; wilt thou call that a fast and acceptable day unto the Lord? Thats to no end, there must bee a losing of the bonds of sin, &c. these without that are hated and despised of the Lord, Jsai 1.11. Amos 5.21. Therefore Saint james when he had called on us to draw near unto God, and promised, that God will draw near unto us, addeth as a disposition and compliment to bee brought with us in drawing near, Cleanse your hands you sinners, and your hearts you double minded: sin therefore must be put away, all sins, especially, those that cause the plague, and hid Gods gracious face from us: provoke the Lord wee may by sin so seeking him, we cannot look for curing the Land. As impediments must bee put away, so wee must haue all gracious qualities and manners required ●i Faith in Christ. He must beleeue that the Lord is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him. That Faith will carry a man through fire and water, through briars and thorns. As the men of Tyre and Sidon made Blastus their friend unto Herod angered, so may we by faith, make Iesus Christ our friend unto the Lord, interpose him who is our Peace, in whom God is well pleased. Add hereunto holinesse and righteousness: whence it is that the meek of the earth, which haue wrought Gods judgements, are called vpon to seek the Lord in the like case. Zeph. 2.3. Indeed as the Lord will haue us, to cease from evil, so to do the contrary good, which is complete repentance, and so to come and reckon, Isay 1.16. The Fast that the Lord requiteth is, As to loose the bonds of wickedness, so to deal bread, to feed the hungry, to cover the naked, &c. Then thou shalt call, and the Lord shall answer, thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. Isay 58.9. And this extendeth itself to all gracious contrary actions and their degrees. Such as haue sought the Lord being meek,& haue wrought his judgements, must still seek meekness and righteousness, and so haue the promise. Besides, we must seek by prayer as before, and with humility, of which also before: our special respect must be unto the Heart. Set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord. 1 Chro. 22.19. Deut. 4.29. I thou shalt seek him with all thine heart and all thy soul. Add yet hunger and thirst; as a man doth dig for silver and gold, as Salomon: and yet with patience, for the patient never seeketh the Lord in vain. We must seek him in all his Ordinances, the Word, Sacraments, Prayer, the assemblies of the Saints, Where two or three are gathered together, I am there in the midst: he walketh in the midst of the seven candlesticks. Finally, wee are to respect the time. seek the Lord whilst he may be found. We must take the opportunity, whilst he may be found, whilst we haue time. And it must be all that time, all that while, there is not any time to bee idle: and therefore the precept is, seek his face evermore. These are general requisites belonging to all; there are besides these special ones, which men in place must look unto, as magistrates, as Ministers, &c. There is an excellent example of Asa, who gathered all judah and benjamin together, and entred into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their Fathers, with all their heart, 2. Chr. 15.11. and with all their soul, which they bound themselves to by oath. It is lawful to purpose and swear that wee will keep Gods Commandements. Magistrates and supreme heads are to seek the Lord, putting away what is a cause, doing the contrary. sin may bee the cause, personal sin: as Dauids numbering the people: as Saul slaughter of the Gibeonites. For the former, the Lord sent the plague; for the latter, the famine, and that after Sauls death. Those must bee put away; as personal sins, so, the sins of inferior Magistrates, great wicked ones Zimries, Cosbies notorious in any kind, public offenders: these sins remaining, cause public plagues, and hinder public blessings: the Magistrate is vindex vtriusque tabula. And thats not all he is to look for amendment, and that by backing Gods laws, and execution of iudgement. So Asa by law: When Amos called, seek the Lord, and promised life, and live. He addeth, but seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not unto Beersheba, a place in judah, whereinto the ten Tribes turned now and then to idolatry; Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bet hel shall come to nought: what Gods law commandeth or forbiddeht, mans must. As by making laws, so their life, execution: to this end the Lord must bee sought, by finding out offenders, as the Lord adviseth joshuah, wrestling with God, and arguing the case in prayer: Ios. 7.6, 7, 8, 9. Israel hath sinned, saith the Lord, therefore they could not stand before their enemies, &c. neither will I bee with you any more, except ye destroy, the accursed from amongst you. All the Tribes must pass, the families, the households and the man Achan, the troubler of Israel must bee found out, and troubled, and stoned with stones, according to the law of the Land and Church. Prayer and Joshuahs strong arguments prevailed not with God, until iudgement was executed. This is a part of Scripture, and it is written of the instruction of such as Josuah was: and until the Lord be thus sought, the plague shall increase, and Israel fly before the men aye. The promise is, if there be found in jerusalem the man that executeth iudgement, the Lord will pardon it, jer. 5.1. When david delivered the seven sons of the bloody house of Saul to the Gibeonites, and they were hanged up before the Lord, the famine ceased. When iudgement was executed vpon Zimri and Cosbie by Phineas, the plague ceased. As Magistrates, so Ministers in common duties, and such as belong unto his office; he must bee the mouth of the people to God in prayer, and cry, Spare us good Lord: he is to give the Lord no rest; he is to see sins, to confess sins, his own sins, and the sins of the people, he is to weep for these sins, as in public, so in secret. He must be the mouth of God to the people in preaching: God hath made a Minister a Watchman, he must see sins and plagues; plagues to come in present sins, and sins present in judgements executed: Thus is he in his place to discover what in him lieth, Achan, not by pointing out his person, but pricking his conscience, and when as in seeking wee do not prevail, he must to it again, and never leave until he hath found out Achan: thats not all, but he must ston him with Gods judgements: O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; When as they fasting sought the Lord, and sound him not, the Prophet hath a precept still, to cry aloud, to tell them of their sins, and so of their plagues. The complaint of the Lord was; The Pastors are become brutish, and haue not sought the Lord; and their iudgement followeth: jer. 10.21. therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered. In a word, what is enjoined Magistrate and Minister, is enjoined every Master of a family, who is both in his place, according to which, he must seek the Lord. Wee are this day again in an ordinance of God, seeking Gods face: seeking is his ordinance; it hath a promise: and we may expect to find him, if we do it in his manner: and that we may know the success, examine whether we haue, or now do seek the Lord in this manner or no. Haue wee laboured to find the plague-sore in our hearts, our sins; and haue wee endeavoured the casting away of that, being that which hindereth: haue we by faith in Iesus Christ, made him our friend, interposed him between GOD and us? do wee seek him in holinesse and righteousness, with humble prayer, with mouths and hearts: and is it our purpose patiently to persevere in all his ordinances? do Magistrates, and Ministers, and Masters of families in their several places? As many as can answer I, may conclude, they seek; they haue the promise, and may expect to find the Lord: that the Lord will bee with our navy, that he will forgive our sins, and heal our Land: though wee haue not the measure of the sanctuary, whats required, so our hearts are set to seek the Lord; our good Lord will be merciful, let patience haue it perfect work, go on. But if it bee otherwise, that wee are come to seek the Lord, in our sins, with our plague sores in our bosoms, and lives: do wee seek without faith and repentance, in its particular branches, not in the duties required, of Magistrates, and Ministers, and Masters of families? Be it known unto every such particular, that this is not the seeking of the Lord: thou mayest seek thus long enough, and never find, the plague will incease and knock at thy very gates: thou must humble thyself for this seeking, and not leave until thou dost it in the Lords manner. What a motive may this bee unto you brethren( not to meddle with others not within the compass of our congregation) even the whole rabble, Sabboth-breakers, whose practise it is, and hath been, time out of mind, to buy, and sell●, and ride on that day: swears, who haue pox, and plague, and wounds, and blood in your mouths, usurers, drunkards, tipplers, mockers, scoffers, &c. who are free from righteousness, and the sworn seruant of sin: I say, what a motive may this bee unto thee at length, even now to repent; without this thou canst not so much as seek the face of the Lord. There is not one of us here, but would bee glad of the prosperity of our navy: he hath not grace shall I say? no not English blood, that doth not wish it: wee would bee loathe( if the Lord shall nor give it success) that the fault should bee in any one of us: prosperity is from the Lord; for this, will the Lord bee sought unto, he must be sought unto in the mentioned manner. God, and thy King, and thy Country call vpon thee this day for thine help. If thou seekest not, thou comest not forth to help the Lord against the mighty: thou art under the curse: Curse ye Meroch, curse ye the in habitants thereof bitterly, because they came not forth. If thou seek in thy sins, and not in Gods manner, it is all one, as if thou didst not: the navy may sink for all thee: thou art no good patriot; let this move thee to repent and amend. Sure I am, you would be all glad to hear of the Lords hand in the pestilence stayed: thou wouldest not haue it in the Land or city, not in thy Parish, much less in thy family or on thy person, thou wouldest do what in thee lieth to procure that freedom: the means of the Lord is seeking, and that in his manner, casting away thy sins, thou must amend: as thou dost expect that blessing, deliverance, and to be freed of that evil, seek: put away the evil of thy doings, and amend thy life; the sentence of the Lord otherwise is peremptory, thou shalt seek him diligently, and he will not be found. david maketh the question, who will live long and see good dayes: were it made in this congregation, every one would be ready to say I, I, the way that he prescribeth, is eschew evil and do good. The same question is by the Lord in earnest in this fearful time, published in this congregation: Who is the man that will now live and escape the plague? unto every soul that answereth I, it is shewed, that he must bee a seeker of the Lord: this day behold life and death set before thee: seek the Lord, and thou shalt live. If thou seek him not, thou hast no promise of life; death, by the plague, according to the word, lieth at thy door: Follow the lust of thine own heart, and the pleasure of thine own eyes, be filthy still, and yet fear less the feet of them that carried away thy neighbour, bee as it were in a readiness to carry thee also. Finally, let it serve for exhortation unto us all, to get this power, and to use it to the uttermost; in Gods manner, and never leave, until wee haue found the Lord; as yet wee haue not sought the Lord. Many amongst us are insensible, as stocks and stones no way moved with this iudgement; though now one, and then another neighbour bee taken away, though a thousand fall on our right hand, and ten thousand on our left; amongst us there are many secure, peace and safety is their cry, and they go on, adding drunkenness unto their thirst. The curse of God is palpable vpon many, they swear, and drink drunk notwithstanding. Many, I, the most amongst us seek not, they haue not that power, they know not the Lord, who is the Almighty, as those in job? they do not beleeue him to bee what his works declare him, they mock at Gods judgements: as those sons in law of Lot. natural men are dead men, without life or lively motion, without a mind, a will, affections, a mouth, or any congruous action, to the seeking of the Lord. Seeking is a privilege of Gods people, of those that shall ascend into Gods hill, Psal. 24.3.4.6. and stand in his holy place, the men that haue clean hands, and pure hearts; this is the generation of them that seek thy face, O God of jacob, they are the men, that set their hearts to seek the Lord God of J srael. 2 Chr. 11.16 Sawest thou him whom my soul loveth, saith the seeking Spouse. This seeking implieth that love. Desire as new born babes, the sincere milk of the word of God, &c. If you haue tasted how gracious the Lord is, that desire implieth and supposeth this taste. If he be risen with Christ, seek those things that are above at the right hand of God; seeking, supposeth resurrection with Christ, which supposeth faith: so many( God bee merciful to) are dead without life, love taste of the grace of the Lord, not set into Christs death, burial, or resurrection; and therefore do not, I, cannot seek. Of those that do seek, the most do it in hypocrisy: they are forced and constrained by somewhat outward, the law of man, example, Gods iudgement, then they cry as Pharaoh, sand for Moyses, and Aron and pray the Lord that he will take away this plague; I will let Israel go. As iron in the furnace, or fire, they are pliable, as a dog that is sick, they vomit up sin, as a Sow washed they appear clean; as a bowl thrown with a strong arm, they go forth right: whilst Gods hand is vpon them or theirs, they howl vpon their beds, they cry Lord, Lord, they seek diligently: when once that hand is over, Pharaohs heart is as hard as before, Israel shall not go; the iron is as hard as ever, the dogges stomach is good to his vomit, and Sow will wallow in the mire; the bowl will to it old bias, men are the same, as bad as ever, a few seek, a few can expect to find. What ever others be, or do, let us do it: though we never did before, let us now learn, and begin. Consider his call; his expectation and looking down from heaven, to see if we answer, his seeking, as a good shepherd in his ordinances( they not working) in and by his judgements. Let the fearful destruction wrought, and desolation threatened, in cities, streets, Parishes, and houses, move vs. Let the consideration of our proposition, that seeking is a means, prevail with vs. Let us consider the example of Gods Ministers that are faithful, and humbled, seeking Saints, with the opportunity of this public Fast, of this day of life, it may be wee may never haue the like again. How many thousands are weekly cut off from the land of the living, resting from their labours, cannot seek: theres none of this work in the grave. Consider that if wee seek him not, his favour, his wrath will find vs. Let his power and love work; let him not bee enforced to stay us, to enforce us to seek him, as he was Israel, Psal. 78.54. It is not good provoking the Lord, neither will it be profitable for vs. Consider if wee seek him in his manner, wee shall find him: the swifter we are to seek him, the slower will he be in iudgement to find vs. When Aaron ran at the command of Moyses, to make an atonement, the plague ceased. When jacob met furious Esau, and bowed unto him, his bowels did yearn vpon jacob. O that wee had been so wise, when as the plague first came into the city, or our land, when as God,( as Esau) came forth to meet us: that with Aaron wee did yet run: wee haue not sought the Lord, and therefore it is that his hand is stretched out still. Were wee swift to seek the Lord, he would be flow to wrath, and his bowels would yearn. The Lord calleth on us in his word, in his work, by authority, and hath given some of us purposes and bent of heart, a power in a measure, and it deed, and it is increased, since wee haue set our hearts to seek him: in these things wee haue been found of him, when we sought him not: Surely the desire, I, all these are from the Lord: had he a purpose utterly to destroy us, he would never haue ordered things in this manner; his manner is, to prepare our heart, and so to cause his ear to hear: as many of us as find it, let it encourage us to seek him still, and bee unto us a pledge, that a time shall come we shall surely find his face, which is our next Proposition. 10. August. 7. day. ANd seek my face: God( in propriety of speech) hath no face, as no hands nor body; The Scripture useth this maner of speech condescending to our infirmity, signifying somewhat unto us in our own language: Face( as it is given to God) signifieth variously; sometimes his presence, sometimes his power, sometimes his indignation and anger, which the face is a notable bewrayer of: whence david, hid thy face from my sins, Psalm. 51. And that of the Lord, I will set my face against them for evil, and not for good: some times it is taken for Gods favour and grace; So prayer for favour is an entreaty of the face of God, 1 Sa. 13.12. entreat the face of the Lord for me, saith Jeroboam to the man of God: and so the man of God is said, to entreat the face of the Lord, &c. 1 King. 13.6. So in that prayer, Numb. 6.25. The Lord make his face to shine vpon thee, and be gracious unto thee, the latter part explaineth the former: Whence david, Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance vpon me. Psalm. 4. even as when a man is angry, or displeased, he will not look on him with whom he is displeased, he hideth his face, or looketh in an angry and frowning mauner, bending the brow, &c. So on the contrary, if a man be pleased he will look vpon a man, and that graciously he will smile; his countenance will witness, that his inward complacency outwardly: and in this latter sense it is to be taken in this place; the injunction is to seek Gods favour or favourable presence and aspect for the good they stand in need of. So that our Proposition is, That for the cure of the Land of the Pestilence our duty is diligently to seek Gods favour. 1 This we see is Gods prescript for the plague. We must seek and seek Gods face; according to which the precept runneth in other places( which may be our first reason) Seek ye the Lord& his strength, 1 Chron, 16.11. Psal. 25. seek ye his face continually. Thou hast said, seek ye my face: Thou had commanded me to seek thy face and favour. 2 Hence shall we find this the practise of Gods people in such cases. hid not thy face from me, Psal. 31.16. for I am introuble: Make thy face to shine vpon thy seruant. Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance vpon me, Psal. 4. And therefore are they called, Psal. 24. the generation of them that seek the face of the God of jacob. Whose practise is written for our example. 3 There is no thing in us that can deserve this or any other benefit or favour of the Lord, no strength, or wit, or art, or worth, it must bee from the Lord, and his favour. We are not worthy: We are less then the least of all Gods mercies, as jacob: therefore doth he call all mercies. When as Daniel humbleth himself in prayer unto God, one of his passages is, Dan. 9.18. We do not present our supplications before thee, for our righteousness but for thy great mercies: and therefore his prayer runneth, Cause thy face to shine vpon thy Sanctuary which is desolate, Vers. 17. there being nothing in us to procure it, wee must seek favour. 4 Lastly, the face and favour of the Lord is the fountain of all good: The special good a people in this case standeth in need of, namely, Life. In thy favour is life, saith the Psalmist. Life, and all the means of life, the giuing of life, preservation of life, restoring of life: It is he that doth kill, and he that doth make alive, all out of favor. It is his favour, that causeth us to turn from our evil ways: of his favour that we haue will or deed to humble ourselves, pray, and seek the Lord It is the grace of God( leapt up in the gospel through I sus Christ) which ( appearing to salvation) teacheth us( effectually and inwardly) to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live a godly, righteous, and a sober life, Tit. 2.11. If God hear, it is favour; If the Lord forgive sins, it is favour; If the Lord healeth the Land of the plagu, he dealeth favourably with the Land; temporal life, and eternal life are in Gods favour; Rom. 6. eternal life is the gift of God: temporal and eternal salvation are by Gods favour, By grace ye are saved, Ephes. 2. Good reason therefore that we should seek Gods favour. 1 If wee must seek Gods favour for healing of the Land, and remoouall of the plague: then can we not deserve even that at the hands of God: No, not those that are Gods people. deserve the plague we do, its remoouall wee cannot: favour and mercy are opposed and will not agree. Daniel in his prayer, in their desolation denieth his own merits, his own righteousness, and establisheth Gods great mercies. Which as it may help us forward in the first duty, humbling of ourselves: So it sheweth our inability to merit greater matters, spiritual deliverances from sin, its guilt or punishment, spiritual blessing, as eternal life: he that cannot deserve the less, cannot descrue the greater: if temporal life be of favour, eternal life: Which is shewed in this that the Lord prescribeth seeking, and that of his favour, It is true the promise is made to humbling ourselves, prayer, &c. righteousness, as the quality and disposition of the person to whom it is made, not as merit. Against those merit-mongers, children of pride, who tell of merit of eternal life, who plead condignity, and otherwise tax God of injustice, not in regard of his covenant and gracious promises, but it worth. 2 If seeking Gods favour bee a means of healing the Land of the plague, then when as the Lord shall sand the pestilence vpon a Land, there the face and favour of GOD may be said to be valed and hide. God may be said to withdraw his favour: consequently Gods hand being in this iudgement, now vpon our city and Land, we may be said with all in a sort without Gods favour: what a man seeketh for effects wanting, a man hath not in regard of the effects wanting, and in this sense I am sure our consequence is true. O therefore the misery of our Land, of our city this day, and the foulness of those sins which procure this iudgement, the plague, when as withall, the soul, the face, and fatherly countenance of our Lord. The evil we suffer, and smart under, the plague, a great evil; we see it in the effects, the present effects on every side show it: besides in explicable evils at home, it maketh us a strife unto all our neighbours round about us: it depriveth us of the favour of men: but whats all the rest to this, that we are deprived of the favour of our God: When wee be deprived of Gods favour, what wonder is it if wee bee deprived of the favour of men: seeing God hideth his face, it must necessary bee that we be sore troubled, Psal. 30. that we be a company, as those may, going down unto the pit, Psalm 143.7. The ioy that ariseth from Gods favour, is more then theirs, whose corn and wine, and oil increaseth: the loss of Gods favor a greater cause of grief, then the loss of corn, or wine, and oil: in Gods favour is life, without it death; the favour of God is better then life itself, the loss of Gods favour more bitter then death. A great punishment it is for a child to bee put out of the favour and presence of his Father, to haue a charge to see his face no more; or not to see his face, a graceless child, a child that hath but affection of nature will think it so. When as Absolom( having slain his brother Amnon) fled to Geshur, and had been there three yeares; as a man banished from the face of his father, it could not bee but a great affliction. It was so in the iudgement of joah, but a spectator; who therefore out of pity, devised a way to bring home the banished: yea, when as Absalom was come home to jerusalem, and yet confined, commanded to turn to his own home, and not to see david his fathers face. It was a great trouble to Absolom, so great, that he could not bear it any longer, and therefore( after two yeares being in jerusalem in that manner:) he sendeth for, and enforceth Joab to come and go for him to the King, and his message sheweth his trouble. Say wherefore am I come from Geshur? it had been good for me to haue been there still; 2 Sam. 14.24.32. Now therefore let me see the Kings face, and if there be iniquity in me, let him kill me. He compareth it with banishment, and chooseth a trial, I, death itself rather: Is it such a misery to loose the face of a man, and is it not greater to loose the face of God? Is it so much to be without the favour of an earthly father: and is not more to be without the favourable countenance of our heavenly Father? will a child, a natural child, an unnatural rebellious child as was Absolom, grieve so much for the lesser, and shall not wee much more for the greater? What a cause haue wee then of this city, of this Land, of grief? how may wee cry out and complain as the godly woman: Our glory is departed, our glory is departed. Who can but travell with pain, as that wife of Phinies. 1 Sam. 4. What was the pain she suffered, or cause of ioy for a child born, so long as the ark of God is taken? shee will call that son Icabod; the glory is departed; thats her sorrow: and whats the plague and its desolation, that it taketh away husband or wife, or child, or friend, that we enjoy all these, and what ever else, so long as Gods face is gone. We may call all these Ieabod, and cry, our glory is departed: Wee must prefer this as our greatest grief. O that wee know, and were sufficiently sensible of this loss, what an hatred would it breed in us of sin, all sins, the sins which haue procured this plague? It would make a man abhor Sabboth-breaking, swearing, cursing, drunkenness, idolatry, adultery, &c. It would appear, who are the bane and burden of the Land, the rotten and accursed members of a city. The light and heat of fire in Winter wee cannot be without: they were enemies to the commonweal, that did hinder the same: much more if a man could hid from a Land, the rays and beams of the sun: what are you who withdraw the face, and shine of the countenance of God; when as you cause the plague? you cause the cause of the plague: the withdrawing of Gods face, you hinder the remedy and cure of the plague, Gods favour and face: which is to bee sought for. 3 Let it move us to seek, and to seek Gods face, and withall to take up all other duties required of God, as ingredients in the seeking of Gods face. It is not every seeking, and so not every seeking of Gods favour that will find his face. I haue shewed the former already, and yet will not bee sorry to go over the same again, seeing I find them particularly applied by Gods spirit, to the duty in hand, seeking Gods face. Generally the man that seeketh Gods face, must put away sins, specially such as cause the plague. One iudgement threatened for sin, is the hiding of Gods face. Deut. 32.20 I will hid my face from them, I will surely hid my face in that day, Deut. 31.18 for all the evils they haue wrought. As the Lord saith, he hath done: Your iniquities haue separated between you and your God, Isa. 59.2. and your sins haue hide his face from you, that he will not hear. Isa. 64.7. jer. 33.5. Thou hast hide thy face from us, and consumed us, because of our iniquities. If this hiding Gods face be a fruit of sin, we must not look to find Gods face seeking in our sins. It is a truth of every sin lived in without repentance, I find instance in idolatry& adultery, as the Lord doth threaten it, so the people shall say, Are not these evils come vpon us, Deut. 31.17 18. because our God is not amongst vs. jer. 18.17. And so J will show them the back and not the face in the day of their calamity: idolaters may not seek. And so for the other sin. Ezec. 39.24 According to their uncleanness, and according to their transgressions, haue I done unto them, and hide my face from them. And you may observe other particulars in that 59. of Isay: this is laid down in my Text, there is no seeking to God with sins, except it be for the subduing of them, or else remission. As we must put away sin, so wee must come with required qualities: Repentance is one, and that a general one: that hath the promise of Gods face: The Lord your God is gracious, and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if you return unto him. When as man turneth his back vpon God by sin, the Lord turneth his face from that man: when as man returneth again to the Lord by amendment, the Lord returneth in regard of his face to him. 2 Chro. 30.9. he is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face if ye return. And therefore the Churches prayer is,( and it is three times itterated in that psalm.) Psal 80.3.8.& ult. ) turn us again, and cause thy face to shine vpon vs. Implying that, a requisite quality. And if God answer not in that, we cannor expect Gods favour in any consequent mercy. A particular is prayer, such as we before spake of, that hath the promise. he shall pray unto the Lord, job 33.26. and he will be favourable unto him, and he shall see his face with ioy. Psal. 22.24. He hath not hide his face from him, but when he cried unto him, he heard it. Yea, the prayer that findeth Gods favour, must haue hunger and thirst manifested by trouble and complaint in its want, and for its attainment. Thou didst hid thy face, Psal. ●0. and J was sore troubled. It cannot but trouble a man to lack such a treasure: Therefore david, Psal. 13.1. How long wilt thou hid thy face from me? Psal 44.24. Wherefore hidest thou thy face? hid not thy face from thy seruant, J am in trouble. Psal. 69.17. All these are the complaints of one mourning in his prayed, and as it were vexed. A wicked man valueth not Gods favour, seeketh it not, or coldly: an ungracious child lightly esteemeth the face of his father: there is nothing that can trouble a gracious child of man, or God more then the missing of Gods favour. 2 He that seeketh Gods favour, must remember that he doth it with his heart: he must seek not onely with desires, and so his voice and cries: but withall these must issue and flow from the heart. Psal. 27. Mine heart answered: Thy face Lord will I seek, Psa. 119.58. Psal. 27. I entreated thy favour with mine whole heart, O be merciful unto me. 3 A man must seek Gods face with fear, not that of seruants and slaves, but of sons mingled with the love of God. Did he not fear the Lord, and besought the face of the Lord( the Prophet of Hezechiah) and so the Lord repented him of the evil that he had pronounced against them: jer. 26.19. The fear of the Lord is excellent, and must not be left out. We must not forget the chiefest, Faith in Iesus Christ: he is the son of Gods love, all acceptation is in the beloved. The voice from heaven must bee heard and obeyed, which saith, Math. 3. This is my well-beloved son in whom J am well pleased. Lastly, wee must be patient, and persevere in seeking, Gods face is not by and by to be found. GOD will haue man to chew sin, to consider what an evil it is that hideth his face: he will haue a due price put vpon it which wee do not so much in its enjoyment as want: he will beget a greater purpose and care of keeping it, and therefore will be sought with patience. I will wait vpon the Lord, which hideth his face from the house of jacob, Isa. 8.17. and I will look for him: and the precept is, seek his face continually. Wee are this day assembled to seek Gods favour in the removal of the plague, and curing our Land, and withall a blessing for and vpon our navy,( As Gods favour is the cause of one, so it is the fountain of the other. It was God( saith the Psalmist) that did drive out the Heathen, and plant. Israel in; they got not the Land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them, but thy right hand and thine arm; and the light of thy countenance because thou hast a favour unto them. As therefore david did then, wee must now, Thou art my King( O God) command deliverance for jacob; Psal. 44.23.4, 5. thorough thee will wee push down our enemies, and tread them under that rise up against us, for I will not trust in my bow.) Wee would willingly obtain, we must seek Gods favour in this manner, and hereby may we judge of success. Haue we put away our sins which hid Gods face? do we seek it with returning, with prayer, do we mourn in our prayer, doth our hearts answer, thy face Lord will we seek? do we seek with fear and faith, and are we resolved to persevere? Then know that we haue the promise of hearing of forgiveness, and of healing the Land. In a little wrath for a moment haue I hid my face from thee. Isa. 54. ●. A little wrath, if wee regard our deserts, and that but for a moment. That may make thee patient. When david hide his face from Absolom, he desired to see him, and to go forth unto him. It is said, That the soul of King david longed to go forth to Absolom. Surely wee may as safely say it with reverence of the Lord: His soul longeth to go forth unto his Church, to show it his face: neither is his face altogether hide from us as appeareth this day. But if it bee otherwise with us we haue not the graces, we come in our sins to seek the Lord, how can wee look to find the Lords face? In that very respect away with sins, and return, and let us all pray, to that end turn us( O Lord) and cause thy face to shine vpon vs. Thus much for the third duty, and its object. afternoon Sermon. ANd turn from their wicked ways. These words contain our fourth and last requisite: in which we haue two things expressed. 1 An Action, in the word return. 2 The object, ways, set forth by their qualities, wicked ways. ways in this place is a Metaphoricall speech, it doth denote a mans life so and so led, or a state of life; a power that a man hath and it exercise or use in a course. It is taken in a good sense, and so it doth denote grace and its exercise, thus we read of the way of the righteous, and paths of righteousness, and walking in the fear of God, in the lawe of God, in newness of life. In an evil sense for sin and its exercise, which is called the way of the wicked, which is any wicked course or trade of life, contrary to the former, the old way and the good way, and of the latter, the Lord speaketh in this place, as appeareth by the adjunct, wicked: from these a man must turn. By turning the Lord meaneth, a leaving off that course, and taking up an other, a contrary trade of life. As when a man is out of his way, if ever he looketh to come to his journeys end he must return to the right way: So is it in this case. sin is aversion from the Lord, a going from him, a turning inordinately to somewhat else: Thus is man born, his back is vpon the Lord, he is thus in habit or disposition of soul and body, according to this are all his motions; inward, outward, with his back still vpon the Lord, he is in progress by a natural motion, until he cometh to term death, Destruction. Now when as the Lord requireth turning, it is to set his back vpon sin, and his face towards God: and therefore the phrase used sometimes is, return, which infouldeth conformity to the Lawe of GOD in soul and body, in the habit and exercise of grace. In a word, the Lord in this place calleth for Repentance; in doing which, the manner of the Lord, is sometimes to mention one term, as in this place, turn from their evil ways. Sometimes he calleth for it by the other term, conversion, turn, or return unto me. Sometimes the Lord calleth for it, mentioning one particular sin, enfolding all the rest. Sometimes he mentioneth one grace, enfolding all the rest: The word used in the new Testament signifieth, a change of the mind: and yet thats not the largeness of its signification it infoldeth the former part turning from sin: enfoldeth the latter part, the change of the Will, Memory, Conscience, Affections, with the motions, and the outward man, and for this cause it is translated,( a part put for the whole) Amend you lives. Sometimes again, the Scripture mentioneth both terms, and coupleth them, jer. 35.15. as return now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings. Isa. 1.16. &c. Cease from evil, learn to do well. When as the Lord therefore calleth here for turning from evil ways, he doth imply, turning to the right way also, and so all positive gracious dispositions or qualities, and their exercise, which is ●he special part of repentance. This duty( if you observe) he enjoineth all the people called by his name, such as are so onely by profession, and such as are so indeed already truly turned: every one must turn from sins, even those that are turned, more and more; every one must turn unto God, even those that are turned, more and more; and that in regard of the power of sin, its habit and use, and power of grace, its habit and use. And lastly, the term is laid down indefinitely, which is all one with an universal turning from all evil ways, and turning to GOD according to all his Commandements. And thus will I stand on, and handle all the particulars in their order distinctly. And first observe: That every course and trade of sin, is as a way, so a wicked way. This is clear in the very words. Hence generally sin is called, Psal. 1. the way of Sinners. And as many particular sins as there are, so many particular wicked ways, as The way of living. Psa. 119.29. And sometimes they bear the names of particular famous men, tracing particular wicked ways. The Scripture mentioneth the way of cain, of Balaam, the way of Iereboam, &c. Hence it is that there is mention made of particular motions in these ways Going out of Gods way, standing in the way of sinners, they haue gon in the way of cain: going astray, running in the way of Balaam, their feet are said to be swift to shed blood, &c. From all which it is clear, that their course of life is as a way, so a wicked way. 1 One reason is the devill, who is unto these a Father, a Prince, a God: in which respect, as he hath power in and over them; so they at his come, and go, and do, as drudges ready to trace every wicked way. When as Paul had laid down our natural state, to bee walking, &c. One reason is given Satan according to Satan, Ephes. 2. the Prince of the power of the air, the spirit that ruleth in the children of disobedience. So Christ to wicked Iewes, You are of your father the devill, you do his works. From him, was Dauids numbering the people, and that Iudas betrayed Christ; he filled the heart of Ananias and Saphira, to lie, he beguiled our Grandmother eve. He is a principle of aberration from good, and walking in every evil way. The sin of Elemas was, perverting the right ways of the Lord, Acts 13.10. the roote, the devill. O full of all subtlety and mischief thou child of the devill. himself stood not in the truth, he was an Apostate, a renegado, Iam. 8.44. Iude vers. 6. a retrograde, he left his habitation: He goeth up and down like a roaring lion; he compasseth Sea and Land, his children are like him,& of him, and so walk inwicked ways. 2 A second principle is the World, the world of wicked and ungodly men, their example and practise, their aduise and counsel, &c. Their greatness, their multitude, when as in the way to life, there are few, it being strait and narrow: Requiring accuratnesse, and laborious care, this way is broad and many walk therein. An argument from many is strong, the Lord sheweth it in making provision against it, go not with them, consent not, thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil. The Lord will not haue us to stand in the way of Sinners, or walk in the counsel of the vngedly, they will be as a stream to carry us with them. And the Apostle in the forenamed place, addeth another principle of their walking, according to the course of this world. Ephes. 2. 3 Man need not seek a cause out of himself, nature is a sufficient one, being altogether corrupt, the understanding is as a blind guide, it leadeth the will and the affections, it ruleth the mouth and actions. every base lust leadeth the whole man up and down as a beast. covetousness will make a man run greedily in the way of Balaam. How prevailing is uncleanness? it is a truth of drunkenness, or anger, of envy, of every lust. It is Lord and Master in every wicked man, and he doth obey it in the lusts thereof: Deut. 29.20 all their members are instruments of unrighteousness unto sin. Ecel. 11.9. Hence are wicked men said, to walk in the imaginations of their own hearts. Iude ver. 17 To walk in the ways of their own heart. To walk after their ungodly lusts. Out of this it is( were ther no other principle) that it is true which is said of the wicked, They are estranged from the womb, as soon as they are born they go astray, and speak lies. Finally( not to mention the just judgment of God on some who little think thereon.) It appeareth a posteriori, and from effects. As a priori, they are a malo; as Christ, from the wicked one, so they tend ad malum, to condemnation,( as the Apostle james in like manner of vain swearing:) it is a truth of every enill way, it tendeth to the evil of sin and punishment: of sin, one action doth dispose to more; by a few repeated acts of drunkenness, it is that men are habitual drunkards. They revolt naturally more and more, they wax worse and worse. Of punishment, death temporal, as Death the way of all flesh. Psal. 23.14. So the path that leadeth unto it is sin. How pleasing soever that way doth seem, it end is death? It is a malo from evil, and ad malum to condemnation, and therefore as a way, so a wicked way. This being a truth, put it to use, let it inform our judgements, work vpon our affections, and so order all our lives answerably. learn what to judge of every course in sin; lying, and juggling, deceits in trading; a way, and a wicked way; profane swearing, a way and a wicked way; drunkenness a way, and a wicked way; covetousness a way, the way of Balaam, and a wicked way: hatred and malice against Gods people for righteousness sake: the way of cain a wicked way. Idolatry, though the way of jeroboam, a wicked way: oppression, sacrilege, &c. If thou tell me it is full of pleasure, yet it is but a wicked way. If thou say it is a way to thriving or preferment, I tell thee, yet it is but a wicked way. If thou reply the greatest part of the world, walk in it, and approve of it: yet I must answer the same, it is but a wicked way. Let this inform thy iudgement of every course, and trade in sin; it is but a wicked way. It may set a work thine affections, be afraid to sin, it is a wicked way. Hate it, it is an evil way, I hate every evil way, faith holy david. It may teach thee how to speak of it; what ever names men and custom give sin, for every one hath a cloak: yet in truth it is otherwise, as the Lord calleth it, thou must, if thou wilt not lye, call it a wicked way: and so for thy practise avoid it, fly it, it is an evil way. What do I call vpon you for brethren, but that which the Lord prescribeth, to turn from your evil ways, the argument is sufficient, it is an evil way. unto a man out of his way( least withall he be out of his wits) it is enough to cause a man to turn to tell him, that tis an evil way: suppose beset with thorns and briars, it is a deep way in water, in mire, in mud: there are Dogges, bears, Lions, in the way: there are sleeves, &c. so ought it to be enough to any sinner, to move him to turn, when as he is told from the Lord, that his course in sin is but a wicked way, not an evil in all ways, else but is, I all evils in this way. thorns and snares are in the way of the froward, Pro. 22.5. destruction and misery, saith the Prophet: All manner of destruction, and all misery is in this way: the plague itself is in this way, and therefore the Lord prescribeth, that we turn from it: turn therefore sinners of all sorts: be not deceived, and gulled by the world and devill; no, neither yet by thy deceivable lusts. Mistrust thine own iudgement, The way of every man is just in his own eyes, Pro. 21.2. and so is the way of a fool( which every wicked man is) Pro. 12.14. Thy mouth is out of taste, thou art but a blind man, thou judgest good, evil, and evil good, sweet sour, sour sweet. If thou wilt not bee deceived, harken to the word of truth, the word of God. Consider the principles: and search whether ever there came good out of evil, Can a man gather Grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? and think vpon the end, thou hast experience of the evil of sin, and shalt haue of punishment, and if thou wilt not turn as he, rejoice young man in thy youth, &c. walk in the ways of thine heart, and the sight of thine eyes: so may I to every ungodly man: and yet know that every way shall bee brought to iudgement, thy ways shall bee brought vpon thine own head: thy iudgement shall bee according to thy ways. Last of all, as we must turn from them, so aside from them that walk in them; go not with them, follow not a multitude to do evil. Gods people are set for signs and for wonders: Men count it strange, that wee run not with them in excess and riot; they think, and speak evil of us, as I, more then evil doers. And yet we must not go, nor walk. If there were no other argument, to reject drunkards, &c. this may suffice, it is a way, and an evil way: and so much for the proposition. August. 17. 8. Day. COme wee now to the fourth prescript, and that anatomised, or opened in pieces as before, that wee may distinctly give unto every thing and man his due: it is in a matter of life and death, and those things require proportioned care and respect, in him that is to preach, in those that are to hear. The people of GOD are of two sorts, onely such in regard of the outward covenant and profession, circumcised in body, uncircumcised in heart, or so in the outward, that they are withall in the inward covenant, professing and acknowledging in works, circumcised in flesh and heart, to both these he directeth this precept, in regard of either term. Whence first we gather: That when as the Lord sendeth the pestilence amongst his people, he thereby calleth vpon them, merely outwardly, professing to turn from their evil ways, as a means of avoiding the plague. That there were such, I take as granted: there were ever such as profess they know God, and yet in works deny him, Tit. 1. the duty is in terms laid down. 1 It is the commandment of God. Thus Isa. 1. Judah being under Gods hand in fearful judgements: Your Country is desolate, Ver. 7. though rich and abundant in outward profession, in sacrifices, &c. as you may read at large, is called vpon to put away the evil of their doings from before Gods eyes, and to cease from evil, Ven. 16. So Chapter the 58. they are said to seek the Lord as a people that did righteousness: Yet vpon them he calleth, to loose the bonds of wickedness, as a means to his hearing: I suppose them yet in the gull of bitterness, and bonds of iniquity, which the Lord will haue dissolved. Hence it is, that the Lord calleth vpon the Iewes, stiffnecked, and uncircumcised in heart, Acts 7.51. Circumcise ye the foreskin of your hearts,& be no more stiffnecked, Deut. 10.16. And else where, circumcise yourselves unto the Lord, and take away the foreskin of your heart, jer. 4.4. &c. It is the scope of the law of nature: and of every commandement, which law is especially in force against the lawless and disobedient: And this commandment of God is a reason of all other reasons. 2 Such ought to turn from sin, because sin is a cause of the plague as wee haue heard: for it, hath the Lord cut off many thousands. It is the cause of all plagues written, not written, temporal, spiritual, eternal. The cure of any disease, is by taking away the cause, and so it must bee of this, and for that cause he prescribeth turning from wicked ways. 3 As it is a cause of the plague, so that which alone stirreth up GOD to sand the pestilence, the cause, of the cause of the pestilence, he hath bound himself to inflict it for sin by his iustice: he hath threatened it, and is bound to inflict it also by his truth; it kindleth his anger, provoketh him to iealousy: he is of purer eyes then to behold iniquity, it is as a burden unto him, it presseth him down as a Cart is with sheaves, as the Prophet speaketh: therefore he crieth, Ah, I will ease myself of mine enemies, I will avenge me of mine aduersaries, Isa. 1. And therefore. 4 Last of all, it is an enemy, that which putteth a bar unto all other means, their use, their operation, I their very being. A man cannot live in sins, and humble himself under the mighty hand of God, sin reigning( as it is in every man, that is not actually gracious) and humility are incompatible, cannot stand together, feigned or outside, heartless, graceless humility, and a life in sin may( as in Ahab, one that sold himself to commit iniquity) the humility required, and before spoken of cannot: such a man cannot pray: cry, and call( as a raven doth unto God) he may, pray he cannot, much less can it bee accepted: he cannot pray that doth not beleeue: his prayer is abomination. Such a man cannot seek, he is dead in sins: he doth not know the Lord, as it is said of the sons of Eli: every thing hindering seeking, is present with him, things furthering and disposing, wanting. he doth not turn from his evil ways, that and a life in sin imply contradiction: he cannot seek Gods face, thats hide from him, thats against him. he hath no promise of hearing: If I regard iniquity in mine heart, God will not hear my prayer: no promise of forgiveness of sins: as he is a God, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sins; so one that will in no wise hold the wicked guiltless, he that confesseth and forsaketh his sins, is the man that shall haue mercy. He hath not as much as one word of promise of a blessing vpon any outward means, physician, physic: these must be sanctified by prayer, which a wicked man cannot do: he hath not received the spirit of adoption, by which he must cry, Abba, Father: unto the unclean and vnbeleeuing, all things are unclean, their very consciences are defiled. In a word, so long as a man is wicked, notwithstanding his profession, he is indeed without God and Christ, and any promise of good, I, without hope. So that a life in sin, being an enemy to all the means of curing the Land of the plague, it is necessary that there bee a turning from sins, that the Land may be, or a person, healed of the plague. 1 If this bee Gods means, &c. then wicked men may here see their misery, at all times, especially now when the pestilence is amongst vs. I see not how any obstinately wicked man, living in a course and trade of sin, can as much as hope that he shall escape, seeing he doth not answer Gods call, he doth not use his means. True it is, man was made in Gods likeness, in holinesse, in righteousness, there was an harmony in his soul, and marvelous consent between him and GOD. This power is lost, a contrary servility is contracted: he is a vagabond from God: sin in a man by nature is a sole Lord, so long as he is natural, it doth reign in him, he doth with the whole will obey it, in the lusts thereof; as man is at the come, and go, and do, of the devill, and walketh after the course of the world: so after every ungodly lust, it is an absolute King, in him a Monarch: unto whose laws, mind, will, affections, life, body and soul, are as seruants, as slaves every way, serviceable with the Apostle, maketh a note of the reign of sin, Rom. 6. Yea man natural, doth not onely obey sin but taketh up arms for it, against all opposition: he doth so in defence of the world and devill, and every base lust, his mind, reasoning part, and iudgement, is as a weapon held out, or rather a forge for all sorts of weapons, from whence all defence and arguments for sin: his will cleaveth unto it, as the heart of jonathan did to david, and so confirmeth the iudgement in error, his affections haue all manner of complacency in it: the mouth venteth it, and pleadeth for it, the hand, &c. acteth it. It is a truth of every lust, though specially of the predominant. And although it be true, that wicked men are restrained sometimes from some outward acts, by natural conscience, by a general restraint of GOD, by the powerful preaching of the Word, by mans Law, and the fear of man by education; by some present plague or iudgement, by want of occasion and opportunity; yet the mind and will, or power of sin in the soul, is never the less: so long man is under the power of satan: the power of darkness, one that selleth himself to commit iniquity, a worker of iniquity, a seruant of sin, in the gull of bitterness, and bonds of iniquity. Yea, custom in sin, is unto many, another nature, especially in that which is predominant: repetition of actions hath brought forth an habit; men are farther hardened and blinded, they take pleasure in ungodliness, and rejoice in iniquity. And( that we may bring this home) this is the state of many, I fear me, amongst us, notwithstanding outward profession: they serve diuers lusts. Many are habituated, and accustomend to evil, accustomend to swearing and cursing, they cannot speak without it: accustomend to oppression& deceit, it is as a trade: accustomend to drunkenness, usury is a trade, it is a truth of lying and slandering, of scoffing and mocking, and all manner of uncleanness, the man that runneth not with them, is a sign and a wonder, a song, a pray. Are there not amongst us, who tread the steps of Gods Courts, si● a● a people of God, and hear the words of the curse of Gods book, and yet bless themselves, crying peace, I shall haue peace, though I walk in the abominations of mine own heart, and so go on, adding drunkenness unto thirst? It is as e●●●ent as ever. What a misery is this at any time, in regard of all Gods curses: at this time in regard of the plague? when as the means to avoid all curses, and this iudgement the plague, is to turn from wicked ways: how can these men escape any curse, avoid the plague? What a ground of pity and compassion, and so lamentation, may this be unto Gods Ministers& people, whose eyes God hath opened to see this truth? What occasion is now offered, with david, to our eyes to g●sh out riuers of waters, to wish our eyes fountains to weep for, and bewail them? The dishonour these do unto God, calleth for it: the destruction and slaughter, these cause of so many of themselves, otherwise near, and deere unto us; the imminencie of the iudgement, especially their blindness& hardness of heart, being without pity and compassion to themselves, call for it. What a ground is this, to enforce you that hear this day, in this state to repentance, to turn from these sins. It is what the Lord calleth for, by all his holy Prophets, rising early,& what he calleth vpon you for now by me. Yet forty dayes( said jonah) and niniveh shall be overthrown. It may bee said to this city, now in regard of the plague, I cannot give forty dayes, not a day nor an hour, thou that wilt escape, must now turn. It may be the patience of the Lord is bounded to this day; this call, this Sermon, and his messenger is to visit thee anon. What answer dost thou make unto the call of the Lord? Whats thy resolution? If thou tell me thy sin is a pleasing sin, I must oppose the plague, sour sauce; and withall, that the means prescribed, to avoyde the plague, is turning from that sin. Thou wilt say, my sin is a profitable sin, all I haue came by it: mine houses, my rents, my lands, all my preferments. Thou must turn from it, notwithstanding if thou lookest to avoid the plague: Thou sayest, thou wilt leave it one of these dayes. I tell thee, thou hast not an hour given thee, Gods messenger is at thy door, that will not give any further day, but presently cast thee into prison. Thou goest on, and sayest, the Lord is merciful: It is true, but to whom? to him that liveth in his sins? abuseth his mercy, that turneth grace into wantonness: No, no, he that confesseth and forsaketh his sins, shall haue mercy. Thou wilt tell me of Christ, and the blood of Christ shed for sinners. It is a truth, but for what sinners? Such as reject it: such as disgrace it, and deny it power to cleanse? No no, if we confess our sins, God is faithful, and just to forgive us our sins, and the blood of Iesus Christ, Gods son, shall cleanse us from all sins: the blood of Christ purgeth the conscience from dead works, he is a sanctifier as well as a saviour: yea, in sanctifying, a saviour from uncleanness: Except ye repent, saith Christ, ye shall perish. O but I haue lived so long, and yet escaped? Thy measure is the fuller, thy sins the riper, now must thou look for Gods sickle. But many of them that live in such sins escape; theres no time past with the Lord, Except they repent, they shall perish. It had been better for them to haue been cut off before; they haue now increased their sins, and the measure of their plagues. Thou wilt tell me, thou canst not leave thy sin, it is such a bewitching thing: thou hast purposed it often, thou hast trembled at the apprehension of thine estate, and yet 〈◇〉 sins prevail against thee. Is not this that which I told thee before? See what a strait thou art in: how is it possible for thee to escape the plague? I tell thee besides, it may bee thy death, it may bring thee to iudgement, and possess thee of everlasting plagues. Thou canst not: Hast thou a mind and a will to do it? didst thou ever put to thine hand, and endeavour it? thou canst not, because thou wilt not: thou art without excuse, thy perdition is of thyself. To more thee to a farther endeavour: consider that course of life of thine, is clearly sin. It comformeth to the world, to the devil himself: it maketh thee( a free man, otherwise bound unto none; one that gloriest in thy freedom, as thou hast good cause) a slave, cursed as Canaan, a seruant of seruants. Consider the goodres of the Lord unto thee, thou art a reforable creature, a man, an husband, a wife, a Master, a Father, a citizen, a rich man, an old man, thou hast had means, times, and place of knowledge of God of thyself, thy sin: threats of plagues and hell, promises of forgiveness, and heaven, he hath continued good to thee; admirable in his patience and long suffering. He hath been, and is so yet, as yet he still calleth and stretcheth forth his hand: as yet he appeareth by his names or titles of gracious, merciful, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin, how many soever, how great soever; as yet Christ is offered, a Mediator, a saviour, an advocate, a surety: Hoe, every one that thirsteth, come unto the waters, &c. And the cry of Christ is, Come unto me, as yet he is near, as yet he may bee found: let this move thee to repentance. If thou do not, consider thou mayest haue this call no more, this offer no more: thou mayest never haue opportunity of hearing more; haue none to show thee, thy sins or Gods salves; thou mayest bee struct now, God may now shut up his loving kindness in displeasure: now pass sentence, never grow fruit on thee more, give thee up and over, or pluck thee up as a cumberer of the ground. Consider his threats, The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness: tribulation and anguish vpon every soul that doth evil. He is a righteous and faithful God, by this thou puttest him to it, though with an Ah, I will ease me, I will avenge me. Consider as he saith, he doth, are not famine and the sword imminent, is not the Pestilence in our streets? Consider the Lord hath more plagues, seven times so many more is minaced, and desolation: besides the hand of the Lord is soddaine, When men cry most, peace and safety, sudden destruction shall come vpon them, and they shall not escape. And yet if wee hear not God now, we cannot expect that he will hear us, when as wee out of necessity call vpon him. Prou. 1.24. Our prayer shall bee abomination. marvell not brethren at mine earnestness, at the multitude of mine arguments, and wedges; I haue knotty timber to deal with, hearts harder then any stones, those that are dead, I would pluck all out of the fire, my passion is out of compassion, I would do what in me lieth, to save with fear. In this argument all our tools are broken, their edge turned. Our cry for yeares hath been in vain, our strength is spent for nothing in this argument, and in vain: My place and commission, love of souls, mine own, yours, and Gods imminent hand give life to these, whilst I may speak and you hear. Whilst it is too day harden not your hearts. Hence let one, let all these arguments prevail. The Axe is laid to the roots of the trees, every three that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. The Axe, a destroying instrument: The Pestilence is laid, it is amongst us not threatened; to the roots, it hath rooted up and out many a man, every three that &c. Young and old, Cedar, Shrub, Man, Woman; is heawen down, thats the sentence of the Lord, it cannot be reversed. God is not as man that he should repent. Except we repent, we shall perish. afternoon Sermon. NOw as wicked men; so Such as with their profession haue turned indeed already, they must turn more and more: The Lord calleth for it, and enjoineth it as a means to your escape. I haue a message and arrand unto you from the Lord: as the plague is amongst both, the prescript doth belong unto both. 1 It is the Precept and commandment of the Lord in all those places, wherein Gods people being under Gods hand for sin, are called vpon for repentance. Coloss. 3. The Lord calleth vpon them, mortify therefore your members vpon earth. What are they? Fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, covetousness which is Idolatry. vers. 5. And after, But now put away all these, Anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouths. lie not one unto another. In this text there are great,& grievous crimes name, to be mortified, to be deposed. To whom doth the Apostle speak? to the colossians: what were they? Their life was hide with Christ in God: when Christ shall appear they shall appear with him in glory. They had put off the old man& his deeds, and had put on the new man and his deeds. When we haue true repentance, and complete repentance for parts, yet these wee must put off and mortify. It cannot be concealed nor denied, these are in the best of Gods people: To move them, the Apostle addeth, for the which things sake, the wrath of GOD cometh vpon the children of disobedience: which is a shaking of the rod: even as it is with the Master of a family, being offended with a lewd seruant, he threateneth him, he layeth him on; and withall, if a child shall haue in any degree an hand in the like, he doth threaten him, and it may bee deal unto him some blows, and that with the same rod or staff, that he may amend: right so is it with our Lord, when as he is provoked, though he bear long, at length he visiteth, sometimes with one iudgement, sometimes with another: in wrath be payeth the wicked, in love he chastiseth the godly: every sinner whom he doth receive, he doth chastise, even they for sin are sick, and weak, and a sleep: and all for this end, that they may amend: our Apostle telling the Colossians, that the wrath of God cometh vpon the children of disobedience, willeth them to beware, and to mortify their corruptions, to turn more and more from them. Thus the Lord to the Churches, Repent, or else I will come against thee shortly: even the Churches which haue large commendations otherwise, haue somewhat amiss, must repent, or else, &c. O jerusalem, jer. 4.14. saith the Prophet, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest bee saved; how long shall vain thoughts lodge within thee? Where the scope is by Gods fearful judgements, to move jerusalem, Gods own Church, stil to cleanse the soul from sin. This is that circumcision of the heart, &c. called for, that mortification, that crucifying and deading of the flesh, and the lusts thereof; that putting away, that putting off, that casting away, that which hindereth; that washing, and cleansing, and purifying of hearts and hands, called for: yea, the rending of the heart, to the dissolution of the bonds of sin more and more; all which, and that in cases of extremity of danger, are commanded them that are so already: and therefore. 2 They are called vpon for this, because even this hath the promise of life, it contrary threats of death. O jerusalem, jer. 4.14. wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. salvation eternal, and so much more temporal, doth depend vpon it. If you live after the flesh, saith the Apostle to the romans, you shall die: but if you by the spirit shall mortify the deeds of the flesh, Rom. ●. 13. you shall live, at least temporal death is threatened, and life promised. 3 Because these corruptions, and their motions are the cause of the pestilence in them, it is clear in Israel, it will bee hard, say none of them were smitten with the plague; it is certain in david, his unmortified pride, provoked the Lord to cut off twenty thousand: And at Corinth, some( who when they were judged of the Lord, were but chastened, that they might not be confounded with the world) were sick, dead, and a sleep for sin. 4 Remnants of corruption, and their deeds in Gods people hinder them in the use of Gods means: pride opposeth humility, lusteth against Gods spirit in that respect, riseth up, and exalteth itself to its power, and sometimes swayeth, leadeth david captive, to the numbering of the people. And hence it is that there is disturbance, disorder, and all imperfection in our humbling ourselves, according to the strength of the one, the other is weak. It hindereth our prayers, it setteth vpon faith and hope, raiseth doubts, dismayeth, and discourageth the soul. It floweth in to by stealth our very prayers, making us to ask amiss, to spend vpon our own lusts: It grieveth the spirit, and quencheth as it is able the holy flamme thereof, prayer. It maketh unwilling to pray, and unable to hold out, the hindrances that way are many, it hindereth seeking Gods face, causeth him to hid it from them: it flieth Gods face, as it utter enemy and destroyer. It is directly opposite to all righteousness, without which we cannot pray, nor seek the Lord, I to Gods hearing. If I david regard iniquity in mine heart, God will not hear my prayers. And therefore. Finally, mortification disposeth a man unto the Lord, that great physician: to life, to his favour, in which is life: his residence is in that soul, his respect to that person, to their prayers: Thus saith the high and lofty one, &c. I dwell with him that is of a contrite and an humble spirit, &c. What is a contrite heart, but an heart broken, grinded in regard of corruption, which is as an hard ston, in which lust is tamed, and brought under, in dissolution: the heart itself for substance is not broken, nor yet the grace in it, but corruption. I dwell to revive, to give spiritual life, and temporal life is less. A broken and a contrite heart, O Lord, thou wilt not despise, Psalm 51. And for all these Reasons, this prescript in this time is, and must bee directed to them. 1 learn hence that there is in Gods own people, those that are turned from sin, that which is truly and properly sin. It were vain either by word or work to call vpon man to turn from that which is not; to mortify and kill it, to put it off: that which is not can haue none of these affections: it were to bid a man to fight with his shadow; afflictions were vain, that which is not cannot bee purged by them. If any confess actual sins in words or deeds, I demand, whence these come, and whether, if it were not in the heart, it could be in the mouth, or life? Out of the abundance and treasure that is in the heart, the mouth speaketh. I demand, whether it were not an unjust thing to smite them with sickness, weakness and sleep, being the fruits of sin? Were there no experience of Gods Saints vpon earth; that one Text, Colloss. 3.5. where the Apostle calleth on them to mortify their members, fornication, and uncleanness, &c.( unless they deny them Saints, or their members sins) is enough to convince blind Papists, who teach that after baptism there is no thing remaining, which is properly, and formally sin. 2 It sheweth a reason of Gods proceeding by the pestilence against such as are truly his own, and for exhortation unto them, that they will answer Gods call, and use his means. The reason of it, is some sin unmortified and untamed, in regard of some degrees, and the deeds thereof, not turned from. You may say they are Saints, It is a truth of every child of God, and yet even they sin, and for that cause are sick, and weak, and asleep. Which is to be laid down as a certain conclusion for the justification of God, and condemnation of ourselves. For the second, exhortation; this being Gods prescript, harken unto it, and obey it. I speak unto you that are within, that are indeed called by the name of GOD: Your eyes must not be onely on the sins of others, and your mouths open on them, but on yourselves; your hearts, your thoughts, your words, your own works. I am sure you look in an especial manner to bee preserved, that the Lord aclowledge you, that the Lord would put a difference between you that serve him and those that serve him not: you suppose that if you be taken away, roote, the sore at lest, in the mouths of profane ones, mockers, haters of religion, who will be readier to gather, as poison, that sin, such sins as haue been name, are not the causes of the pestilence, and so not sins: seeing even you that protest against them, are notwithstanding taken away, and you do well. I haue desired that they, even mine enemies, Gods enemies, triumph not over me, saith david. You would haue Gods mark and token of good vpon you: when as the messenger of God passeth our steerts, that it pass over you; that if any men malign you, they may see it and bee ashamed. You profess yourselves an obedient and tractable people, willing to know, and to do GODS will, and are so if you bee Gods people indeed: show it in hearkening to Gods call, and in the use of his means. What those sins are, yourselves can best tell: I could be contented not to publish them in Gath, but the Lord willeth that wee cry aloud, that we tell judah of her sins. he hath somewhat against the best of us, amongst us their may be some Achan, some accursed thing, from whence it is that the Lord doth not hear us, but sweepeth even of us away. Is their not in you some prevalent corruption or lust; which most of all swayeth; suppose covetousness, pride, envy, anger, uncleanness, or the like; and their deeds varnished and glossed with many faire colours, and walls of defence, as Figgleaues, and are you not justly open to taxation for them? Are there not amongst you all, those, anger, wrath, malice, envy, and uncharitableness, and their fruits: because of difference in iudgement, and that oftentimes in indifferent things, doth not your face or countenance show it? Besides words and deeds, one scarce acknowledging the other a brother, though otherwise of the same household, faith and works? I wish this taken into consideration: Is there not amongst you, backbiting, slandering, false witnesse-bearing, and deceiving, and the degrees of the spirit, of detraction, evil thoughts and speeches, and that against dignities? Are there no corruptions within your compass conniued at, unpurged in your trades and callings, children, families? Neglect or little respect to familiar duties, in Husband, Wife, Father, Child, Master, Seruant, according to relations?( Though particularly required, and punctually set down) to the peace of the family, flourishing of the Common-wealth, and ornament of Religion? Is there not much neglect of public worship, in Gods Ordinances, and private prayer? Is not Gods Word slighted too much? are there not unprofitableness, vnworthynesse, vncheerefulnesse, and unthankfulness, and a thousand more evils in some degree or other, more or less to be found in you. And let not any man rise up, and conclude, I wrong Gods children, the things are neither so nor so; and I withall discard them from being Gods Children. Let God bee true, and all men liars. I could bee more particular; Is is not before the Lord? Is not Gods hand in the Plague amongst us? Is it for no thing? Is there not a cause that we inquire, that I cry? do I alone speak of these things? Haue wee not all in our Consciences lamentable experience? Doth not the Apostle, Colloss. 3.5. &c. say as much to and of Saints, such as when Christ shall appear, shall appear with him in glory? Doth he not call vpon them, To mortify their members vpon earth; and instance in Fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affections, evil concupiscence, and covetousness? In anger, wrath, malice, filthy speaking, cursed speaking, lying? Are not these their members, and to be mortified? Doth not Saint Paul tell of a Messenger of Satan sent to buffet him? of a lawless Law in his members rebelling, and leading him captive unto the law of sin? Do●h he not cry out of himself, O miserable man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of sin? Were these in the colossians and Paul, and shall they be thought a slander, to say they are in us? Were they Saints, notwithstanding, and may it not bee so with us? It is a truth, let no man build error thereupon, on the right or left hand, the onely thing I exhort unto, is to mortify them; they are wicked ways, even in Gods children, and even they must turn from them, as they expect to escape the plague. 1 That thou mayest do it: First, labour to see and know corruption, all corruptions in thee, the predominant, thy goliath, that which most of all, and oftenest to the apaling of thy soul, defieth the holy one of Israel, the spirit, and it fruits. howsoever original sin bee equally in every man by nature, and look in what measure one lust is mortified, or cast off, every one is, yet there is somewhat, whence it cometh to pass, that even in Gods children one corruption is, that which beareth sway more in one then another. Places wherein a man is born and bread, incline more to some one sin then an another, the Cretians are always, liars, slowbellies, saith Saint Paul: What Nation is there, but it hath a note of some prevailing and domineering sin? A mans constitution hath a great stroke in this matter, according unto the preualencie of some of the humors. Some are hereditary like some diseases, drawn with the constitution from parents, and it is seen in a like prevailing in disposition. Some are sucked in with the milk from the Nurse, according unto the humour or disposition, of whom the child is, wee know it by experience, and can give examples of it. unto some wee are inclined by youth, as lusts, therefore called lusts of youth; to other by age, it hath many vicious inclinations. Some take place in us by our trades, other from examples of superiors, or companions; and of this also wee haue experience, some out of an acquired habit, gotten in youth by custom and repeated actions, lived in before regeneration; which though in them haue their deaths blow, and are mortified, yet haue no small swinge; and with the rest spoken of, is not usually butted wholly in that sense, consumed and wasted away, until a man be butted and laid in his grave. Well brethren, bee it whatsoever, that wee may kill it, wee must first labour to know it, thou must be convinced, it is, it is sin, and thine: Who can hate that, put it down, or starve it, which he knoweth not? 1 And to help thee to know it: First, thats thy predominant, which most of all boileth in thoughts, and if not in words and deeds, yet in secret, and not observed( or hardly) motions of the eyes: by these fruits, their kind, thou shalt know the roote, the fore that is in thine heart. 2 It is that thou art lothest to leave, most of all tempted unto, art least able to resist, that most of all hindereth a sincere and entire walking, or course with God. It is that which Conscience most checketh thee for: that unto which the Lord doth most of all proportion his fatherly visitation, and it may bee seen by a spiritual eye. It is that the soul most of all plotteth about, whose foments haue best entertainment. Haue recourse unto the word, it light, and the discoveries that doth make unto thy soul. harken unto friends: Enemies sometimes will tell thee the troth, when friends will not, pray that the Lord will convince thee of it. In the use of all which means, know that thou canst not be too jealous of thyself, or inquisitive: lusts are deceivable, strangely attired, the Lord doth not in vain give that advice; bee not deceived. Is thy seruant a dog? saith Hasael, not acquainted with himself. The heart of man is deceitful above measure: who can find it out, but the Lord? August. 24. 9. Day. proceed wee now. When as thou hast found thy corruption: In the second place it is required, that thou subtract and withdraw all those things which may foment and nourish the same. It is a policy in war to take an enemies passages, to stop them, to block them up against all farther strength, and force of confederates: hunger-staruing of a city this way, is a special means to enforce a city to yield: The same policy is commended to us in this case, and must bee used against all confederates of sin, that so wee may hunger-starue it, and cause it to yield. The strength that corruption hath from without, is properly from those confederates, the devill, and the world, the men of this world, the ungodly pleasures or profits of the same. every special corruption findeth here a friend, and some special foment, which may be known by that which was spoken of before, thats it which doth stir that lust up, and awaketh it, draweth it out, setteth it a work, affordeth it delight and contentment. If it bee covetousness, it is some occasion, or matter of excessive gain and great advantage: if it bee uncleanness, it is some object suitable, or opportunity. And so of the rest. To these must a man that will mortify his sin, haue an especial eye: all our use of means else our prayers, and our tears will be but vain, except wee look diligently to these things. For this cause are wee to look unto all our ports, or the porters of our soul, the senses, to make a covenant with them, to swear them, touch not, taste not, handle not, hear not, see not, &c. is good advice: These our senses are the dorekeepers, and haue the keys of our soul. It is a dangerous thing to admit of p●rly, on any terms or offers, or conditions of peace, it will disturb thine inward peace, raise civil war in thy members, and hinder thy peace with God. reject therefore, and put them by, in, and at the first; check thy senses failing, and in the very beginning quench those motions within thee, that are stirred up. Nip them in the bud, kill them in their birth, or conception rather: mercy in this case to them, is cruelty to thine own soul, and a seed of misery. They are young babylonians; what ever they seem, their real cry is against Gods building in thee; down with it, down with it, even to the ground: And for that cause, are they as an Engine raised against our walls. serve them as they will serve thee else, happy is the man that taketh these, being young ones, and dasheth them against the stones. They are the generations of vipers, if we kill not them in their conception, they will endanger our life in their birth; give the waters no passage, no not a little. Too few Christians look to this duty, wee open ourselves to the world, unto the devill, we give way, we admit occasions, we seek them: with david we are in our turret, wee look, we lust, we sand for satisfaction: with Peter, wee get us in to the high Priests Hall: we put ourselves vpon trial: what wonder is it if denial of Christ followeth? A few make a covenant with their eyes, as job: That abstain from place and presence, as Joseph of his whorish mistress: and how can wee look for the mortification of corruption? Man cannot touch Pitch, and not bee defiled, carry fire in his bosom, and not bee burnt: nourish occasions of sin, and yet die unto it. 3 There is required that wee arm ourselves, and call in our confederates for assistance. Put on, saith the Apostle, the whole armor of God, that ye may bee able to stand against the wil●ss of the devill: Ephes. 6.11.13. take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may bee able to stand in the evil day. Wee must haue armor, Gods armor, the whole armor of God, and it must be put on, and used to. above all( saith the Apostle) take the shield of faith, Ephes. 6.16 it is of especial use; all the rest of Gods graces are buckled to that, and set a work by that. Faith maketh the Word of GOD profitable to a soul; it maketh Gods Law profitable in its discovery of sin, and due punishments, which are of a dreading and appalling nature to sin, As the hand-writing against the wall to balthasar; It will put it out of countenance, it will assuage it heat, and cause the whole man to tremble. It hath answerable effect in the gospel, and those things that are leapt up in the same Gods grace and favour: Our God, Iesus Christ the captain of our salvation: in procuring and getting strength from whence, Faith is of excellent use. For our better understanding, and help in this matter, you must remember, that when GOD in his time of love passed by us in our blood, and said, soul live, and made a covenant; one special promise made, was for complete salvation; not only to take away sins guilt& power, but stain also. He promised to save us from all vncleannesses; particularly he undertook the taking away of our hard heart, the whole hard heart; To cast down every strong hold, to bring down every imagination opposite unto the sole rule of Iesus Christ, and that against all opposition: For this he became our God; whatsoever is GOD ( Grace, Mercy, love, Truth, Power, &c.) became ours. What GOD promiseth he hath given Christ to accomplish for us, to us; in whom he became ours,( for God is first the God of Christ, and in him our GOD) he hath given him a witness unto his people, a Leader, and a Commander, a complete saviour, who undertaketh that matter, and maketh it good. he gave himself for his Church, that he might cleanse it, that he might present it a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle. He dyed and was butted( whence the death and burial of sin) he rose, aseended, and is exalted a Prince and a saviour, to give repentance as well as remission of sins. To make Faith of these particulars besides the earnest and pledge received, the spirit of Christ, we haue Gods promise, wee haue GODS oath, two immutable things: Wee haue the Sacraments, baptism and the Lords Supper. Now the special use of Faith is, as to cleave unto God in Christ, To live in him, to walk in him, rooted, and grounded For accomplishment; so by Prayer to go unto God in ●esus Christ, as a confederate for help. This our Lord taught in that petition, deliver us from evil: and when we pray, that the kingdom of God may come, we desire him a sole King, a Monarch, not onely that he rule in the midst of his enemies, in our souls, but that he put down all, and reduce all to subiection. When as therefore we haue found sin, that sin; and by Gods gracious assistance, haue done what in us lieth, to resist that which may nourish sin. Finding at any time our own weakness:( For who are we, that we should be able to wrestle with flesh and blood, with the world, with Principalities and powers?) Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. cleave unto him, call vpon him for auxiliatie forces; acquaint him with thine enemies, their confederates, their strength, thy weakness complain unto him often, and beseech his assistance: as he calleth vpon thee in his Word, and by his chastisements, to kill sin, to turn more and more from sin; so do thou call vpon him by prayer for assistance: as he putteth thee vpon it now with the plague, put him vpon it with prayer; put him in mind of his undertaking to save, to take away thine hard heart, to tread Satan under thy feet. Remember him of his promises, and of the pillars there of his Attributes. Thou hast said thou art gracious, thou didst appear by the name of God Almighty. Oh let the power of my God bee great: put him in mind of his oath, Thou sworest unto thy seruant: thou didst swear unto me when thou becammest mine: put him in mind of his signs and seals, make use of baptism,( which a few haue recourse unto) it in this sense saveth us: haue frequent communion with Iesus Christ in our Lords Supper: urge that death of Christ, the purchase of Christ, claim it is a legacy, a due legacy, and greatly needed. live by Faith in the son of God for all these, in his death, in his burial, in his resurrection and session at the right hand of GOD, exalted to give it unto you: contemplate the death of Christ often for sin. look by faith vpon him, wounded and broken, pierced, pierced by thee. It will make a man to haue small lust to sin. It will make a man to mourn. It is an infallible truth, all these are purchased by Christ, and promised by the Lord, and shall bee infallibly accomplished to every Christian soul; And yet for this will he be sought unto. The truth is, because we are so careless in the life of faith, and haue so little quickening by Gods direct means, word, sacraments, prayer, fellowship with the Saints, he leaveth us to ourselves, that wee may not trust in ourselves. He sendeth all sorts of afflictions, this of the plague, and as a most skilful physician altereth nature, and maketh it to work together for our good: by sending the plague on our body, he cureth a plague sore, that is, in our soul. And surely brethren, this is a prevailing means: Paul buffeted with a messenger of Father, prayeth three times, often; Ephraims cry was, convert me. O Lord, and I shall bee converted: Thus david in the 51. Psalm, is an earnest suitor for mercy, mercy in forgiveness, mercy in purging the stains of his soul. He confesseth and complaineth of his conception in sin, and crieth often, Wash me, purge me, as from the guilt, so from the pollution and remnant of corruption in his soul; it is that which Christ taught us, as before: and indeed of the prescripts of the Lord in this place; of which also before. Now to move us unto this work in the use of these means. Consider how pleasing and profitable so ever thy lust doth seem, it is sin, a transgression of Gods law: It is a defiler, and a polluter of thy soul: It is the cause of all actual sins, thoughts, words, deeds. It is nourished by the world and the devill, wicked damnable destroying m●anes. It is the especial enemy thou dost find, or can bee in the world. What is the devill? what the world? what their assaults and temptations? if it were not for lust, they could haue no place in thee that is it which openeth thee to the world, and betrayeth thee to the devill. Consider it is a prime cause of all thy disquiet and discontent, the chiefest troublehouse any man hath; the disturber of peace, ioy, and comfort, the rayser up of doubts and fears; for hence it was that Paul cried, O miserable man that I am, who shall deliver me? It will persecute thee, as Saul did david, and make thee many times to conclude, that it will at length make an end of thee. It is the special cause of the special temporal hand of the Lord, that doth follow thee. It is that which is opposite to the image of God in thee, which lusteth against the spirit, which sighteth against thy soul, the greatest enemy to thine enti●e, holy, and comfortable walking, and cause of thine halting and limping progress in Christianity; It grieveth Gods spirit, it quencheth it holy flames; it hideth Gods fatherly face from thee: It in a word brought Christ from heaven, attached him, bound him, lead him before Annas and Caiphas, Herod, and Pilat, buffeted him, scourged, and crucified him. The one half of these causes or considerations, is enough to cause enmity to man, were it against our body or goods. It would kindle anger, it would burn, it will make one to speak and strike, to kill and slay, to turn and run too from it, if that would serve: All of them in a matter of the weal of soul and body, may cause us to do so, a great deal more. Consider thy promises& vows, the first vow thou didst make in baptism, when as thou didst give up thy name unto God: namely, thy forsaking the devill, and all his works, thy maintenance of war against sin, as Israel was bound against Amaleck from generation to generation. Consider thine own actual doing it at thine entrance into covenant, or baptism into Christ: wherein thou being called, didst run and answer with thine heart unto God. Thine often renewing of the same, and sealing it up again to God in the Supper of the Lord: these promises are bonds and obligations unto this duty. Consider ye are a people in covenant with GOD, members of Iesus Christ, such as haue received the spirit of adoption, such as haue had the first fruits, the peace, and ioy, and comforts of the same, and expect all the rest, theres not one of these, but is a sufficient motive: I beseech you by the mercies of God, Rom. 12.1. If there bee any consolation in Christ? if there bee any fellowship of the spirit? 2. Phil. 1.2. If you bee risen with Christ? I, your life is hide with Christ in God. And when Christ shall appear, ye shall appear with him in glory: mortify therfore your members, &c. Put away all these, anger, &c. lie not one to another, Col. 3.5. Thats not all, they are that may, and do move, indeed such as are so. Grace appearing to salvation, according to it degrees and measures; teacheth us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, &c. The love of God doth constrain, that man in whose heart it is shed abroad. If any man be in Iesus Christ, he is a now creature, old things, I all old things are past, he is dead with him; our old man is crucified with him. Those that are Christs, haue crucified the flesh with the lusts thereof, he is butted with Christ, the whole is in it consumption, moulding, as a corpes in a grave, the whole body of sin shall be destroyed. if the spirit of Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin. As we expect, and will make good those comforts, we must take up this duty. Finally, consider the desire you haue to live, to escape the plague, that GOD should now put a difference, and aclowledge you; show some good token for you, turn from sins more and more; your turning from sin, is his prescript against the plague. afternoon Sermon. we haue not yet done with the term, from which we must turn; Let our proposition be that, when as the Lord calleth vpon us to turn from sins, he requireth that wee turn as from our own, so from the sin of all others. And this also is the prescript of the Lord, and his intent, as shall appear in our proof of it, which is built vpon this ground. Because a man may be punished, not so much, or onely for his own personal sins, as for the sins also of others, and wee cannot question, but the Lords call is for turning, from whatsoever sin may cause or continue his punishment. 1 That the former is a truth, will appear: First, because the Lord proclaimeth himself in that manner: The Lord strong, gracious, merciful, &c. visiting the iniquity of fathers vpon the children, Exod. 34.7. and vpon the childrens children, to the third and fourth generation. 2 This is one of his threats, and a reason annexed, to enforce the observation of the second commandment: Exod. 20.5. I am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the Fathers, &c. 3 It is that which the Lord is acknowledged, to be by Prophets: so Moyses and ieremy. Num. 14.18 jer. 32.18.4 4 It is that which the Lord hath often, and ordinarily done. Besides, that great and universal visitation of the iniquity of our first Father Adam, vpon the world, he hath punished particulars: for the iniquity of Corah, Numb. 16.27.32.33. &c. It is said, they, their wives, and little children, and all the men appertaining unto them( the earth opening her mouth) were swallowed up. For the iniquity of Achan, Psal. 7. Gods hand was vpon Israel. For the sin of Saul and his bloody house, the Lord sent three yeares famine in the dayes of david. For the sin of david, Dauids child by Bathsheba shall die: For Dauids shedding the blood of uriah by, &c. The sword shall never depart the house of david: for Dauids numbering the people, the Lord smote down twenty thousand men at one time in Jsrael with the plague. For the sin of Salomon, God did rend the kingdom from his posterity, and gave it to jeroboam: For the sin of jeroboam, the Lord did cut off from jeroboam the man that pisseth against the wall. I might show it in many particulars else more. Thus the Lord threateneth, and hath done. And for that word fathers, in the second Commandement, I suppose the meaning to bee as in the fifth Commandement. It encludeth all superiors, and thats not all but inferiors sins by a parity of reason: for the sins of Elies sons, GOD visited ely the Father: and when as the Lord was wrath with Jsrael, he let loose satan to move david to number Israel. And the Scripture is clear, that it went ill with Moyses for Israels sake. indeed an whole land or family, &c. are as a body, in which members haue community; the actions of the part are the actions of the whole, and there is a kind of consent and concurrence of the whole, even as it is in a body: Suppose there be a command or connivency in a superior; if there shall be consent, counsel, example, approbation, excuse, defence, commendation● in all which respects, there may bee a concurrence in sin, a kind of joint stock, and so the one open and liable to the personal aberration, and transgression of the other. By all which, it is manifest, that God in many cases doth punish the sin of one vpon another, and therfore that wee may escape punishment, when as the Lord calleth for turning from sin; he calleth, and we must answer, in turning from the sins of others. But you will say, it is injustice: This is according to the proverb, The Father, eateth sour Grapes, and the childrens teath●are set on edge. Where also the Lord saith expressly, that the Child shall not bear the iniquity of the Father. This objection is made, Ezek 18. and even there also shall you find the answer. Our proof is a truth of the son that walketh in his Fathers steps; and the exception or objection holdeth, in case a son shall not walk in his Fathers steps; which, what is it but the prescript of the Lord in this place, and a proof of this matter? Now then it will be demanded, in what this repentance doth consist, or how a man may turn from the sin of another? I answer, it consisteth in disposition or readiness of soul, and also act of ceasing or parting from all others sins known unto me, in mind, iudgement, will, affections, and( which is the other term or part) a disposition and act of contrary good, in all the foresaid parts, with contrary profession, according unto my place. Thus in Ezekiel, the Lord having expressed a wicked Father by his sins, speaking of the son exempted the punishment of the Fathers sin, describeth him by contrary actions, denying and departing from his fathers sins known. A seer of all his sins, vers. 14. One that hath not eaten vpon the mountain, one that hath not lifted up his eyes to the Idols of the house of Jsrael, that hath not defiled his neighbours wife, that hath not oppressed any, nor holden the pledge, neither spoyled by violonce &c. that hath not received vpon usury, &c. and then on the other side, hath walked in my Statutes, Of such a son he pronounceth, He shall not die for the iniquity of the Father he shall surely live. And it is worthy our consideration, to take notice how Gods people haue expressed their contrariety. Of Lot living in sodom, it is said, he saw, and heard, and was vexed in his righteous soul from day to day, for their unlawful deeds. 2 Pet. 2.8. In the ninth of Ezechiel, those that are exempted from that iudgement, are said to bee such, as cry, and mourn for all the abominations done in the city. Mine eyes, saith david, gush out riuers of waters, because men keep not thy law. Hither may we refer their confessions, as of their own sins, so of the sins of others: In sin was I conceived, and in iniquity did my mother bring me forth: his original sin, that which came from Adam. Thus Daniel confessed his sins, and the sins of his people Israel, wee and our Fathers, &c. are often found in the confessions of GODS people. Psal. 106. add hereunto the complaints of Gods people unto God: So Eliah, the children of Israel haue forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine Altars, and slain thy Prophets with the sword, 1, Reg 19.10. Of this kind are the private whisperings of Gods people, in the Church of the Iewes, of matters which sometimes may not safely be spoken, or born. Then they that feared the Lord, spake often one unto another, Mal. 3.16. Yea, the secret opposition of soul, when as the mouth is put to silence; the prudent shall keep silence in that time, for it is an evil time, Amos 5.13. And thus may inferiors depart from the sins of their superiors. Hither unto may we refer, departing by advice and counsel, by dislike, by reproof, according to a mans place. job suffered his seruant to contend with him. A Magistrate must by reproof, and execution of iudgement. A Minister ought to reprove in his place, keeping his bounds, and so both are clear: if they do not, the people shall die in their sins, and their blood will be required at both their hands. 1 If the Lord call vpon a people, to part with the sins of others, as a means of healing the land of the plague. take notice of this cause, the sins of others, and the misery of many in these times in this respect; as if our personal sins were not enough, we may be enfolded in the sins of others; and for those sins, the plague may be inslicted vpon vs. by this doctrine, there is a new discovery of danger to superiors, inferiors, and equals. magistrates, besides your own sins: you may bee in danger this day for the sins of such as are under you. it may go evil with you, as with moyses, for the peoples sake. minister besides thine own sins, thou mayest bee in danger of the plague for the sins of other, in thy family, in thy charge, it may go evil with thee for their sake. master of a family, besides the danger thou art in for thine own sins, it may go evil with thee for thy wife, children, or seruants sake; and so contrary, or on the other side inferiors, besides the evil you are open to for your own sins; it may go evil with you for your superiors sakes. Companion, besides the danger thou art in, for thine own sins; It may now go even with thee, for thy companions sake; when as the Lord calleth vpon us, to turn from the sins of others: what doth he but discover a danger, for, and in respect of the sins of others? What remaineth, but that all of us, as always, so now take notice of that danger, that we may avoid it. A wise and a prudent man forseeth the plague, and flieth from it: It is near us, even at the doors; and how may this be done, but by Gods advice, turning from the sins of others. As a way to this, knowledge and notice of the sins of others is to be taken, and an enquiry to bee made: What may bee that sin, those sins. Vpon this ground Magistrates are to examine in their places, and to find out such sinners and sins: that which the Lord spake to joshuah, is counsel given by the Lord to them: the tribes, families, housholds, are to bee inquired unto, I, even particular men. david did by prayer inquire of the Lord the cause of famine, and the Lord answered him, the sins of Saul, and his bloody house. When Achan was found, he was troubled: the sons of Saul were delivered to the Gibeonites, and hanged up: The famine did cease, the Lord went against aye, with the men of Jsrael. When Solomon came unto the Throne, he took notice of offenders, 1 King 2.33. brought their blood vpon their own heads; and so promised unto himself, that vpon david, vpon his seed, and vpon his house, and his own Throne, shall be peace for ever from the Lord. The same is required of a Minister in his place: he is to see his own sins, I, and to examine the lives of others, his family, his Parish, or people: he is to cry aloud, not to spare: he is to cause them what in him lieth) to know the sins of their Fathers. Ezek. 20.4. Of all men in place according to the same: of Masters of families vpon whom primarily this fault resolved lieth heavy. The same is the duty of inferiors, according to their places, and seeing they haue no power to reprove or redress: use those weapons of Christians, prayers& tears to God; let these be witnesses of our contrary mindes wills, and affections: In thy closet thou mayest confess thy sins, and the sins of the people: with Eliah thou mayest complain: These arms, a child, a seruant, a subject, may take up against a Tyrant, and a bloody pers●cutor. Let the world see that thy life is contrary. This is that which the Lord calleth vpon us for this day, and wee must put in practise. Tell me not now, that thou wilt break Gods law in any point, because others do; a Master, a Father, a Minister, a Magistrate, a multitude, live not by examples of men, but Gods laws: Ezek. 20.18 walk not in the statutes of your Fathers. In this case it is not good to obey man, to be the seruant of man. I am the Lord your God, walk in my statutes. God is greater submission unto superiors is ever limited in the Lord. every Christian indeed is a man bought with a price, he must not be the seruant of a man in this sense: he is redeemed not with corruptible things, such as men give silver and gold, but with the blood of Iesus Christ, as of a lamb without spot. And from what, hell, and sin? vain conversation, 1 Pet. 1.18. even that which is received by tradition from Fathers. If a man follow the sin of his Father, he shall bear his punishment, following the generation of his Father, he shall never see light. Let the saying and doing of the Lord move us to this duty: his present imminent hand, as wee would not haue others in relation to us cut off for our cause: superior, thine inferior, people, wife, child, seruant, friend, inferior thy superior; Master, Father, Husband, Minister, Magistrate, turn thou from thine own sins: Yea, as thou respectest thine own life, turn withall from the sins of all others. It is Gods prescript for the plague, to turn from our own sins, and the sins of others. August. 31.10. Day. COme wee now to the other term of Repentance, and so our Proposition is, When God sendeth the Pestilence amongst his people, It is not enough to turn from sins, but there is further required at their hands, as a means of curing the Land, reformation and amendment of life: And this is, 1 Gods Precept and Commandement in all places where he calleth vpon us and prescribeth Repentance, wherein he calleth for conversion, turning, or returning to the Lord. It is the scope of GOD in all his Commandements, the affirmative part is amendment. The negative precepts infould the affirmative, which is amendment: sometimes both terms are expressed, ever to bee supplied. Rom. 12.9. abhor that which is evil, cleave unto that which is good; Put off the old man, Coloss. 3. put on the new man: Let him that stolen, steal no more, but labour with his hands. And so to the purpose, as the Lord calleth: Cease to do evil, Isai. 1.17. he addeth, learn to do well: seek good and not evil, and so live. As they must loose the bonds of wickedness: Amos 5.15 so they must deal bread unto the hungry, Isai. 58. and bring the poor into their house. And in this place the term ad quem is amendment. 2 It is called for, because thats it which hath the promise; all promises, positive blessings and deliverances, Who is the man that would live long, Psal. 34. and see good dayes, let him escbew evil and do good. And so before in the place of Esay and Amos; when as John the Baptist prescribeth means to such as come unto him, To sty from the wrath to come, he calleth for Repentance: That is,( not excluding turning from sin) Amend your lives,( as our Church rightly giveth the same in the book of Common prayer,) Bring forth fruits worthy amendment of life. And when he hath threatened the Axe, he infereth, every three that bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down and cast into the fire. Not to bear evil fruit is not enough, it must be good fruit or else cast into the fire: And when as the Apostle had said, There is no condemnation to them that are in Iesus Christ; he describeth the subject, Such an one as doth walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. Rom. 8.1 Amendment hath the promise of temporal deliverance, it hath the promise of eternal deliverance, and therefore it is a means prescribed& called for by the Lord. 3 Because the want of it is sin, and so a cause of the Plague, which must be taken away by a suplie of that want: It is sin( a transgression of the Lawe) which requireth the presence of that power& its use; it is less then what's commanded,& so a fault: Such is want of humility, Prayer, seeking the face of God: In all which positive graces, holinesse and rghteousnesse are ingredients,( as we haue heard) even these and the like defects are the cause of the Plague: and therefore, 4 Amendment is called for, because it is the means itself enjoined and prescribed, I, an ingredient unto every one of the same: Whats humbling of a mans self, but the exercise of humility, turning unto God according to that Commandement, possitiue good? And the same may be said of Prayer, and seeking the Lord: The Prayer that is enjoined, hath ingredients, faith, Hope, charity, Holinesse, righteousness, &c, as we haue heard: All positive graces and amendment, the like is true of seeking. These are the means of GOD, disposing to his hearing, to his forgiving, to his healing the Land of the plague: and therefore it is not enough, or all that the Lord calleth for, when as he will haue turning from sin, there must bee reformation and amendment of life, to the curing of a Land of the Plague. Which( as it instructeth us in the nature of true repentance, and justifieth that snarled at saying of Luther, Optima poenitentia nova vita. Stoppeth their mouths who exclude amendment, and convinceth many in the world never to haue repented.) So it reproveth some, and may be a ground of exhortation unto all at this time, not onely to turn from sin, but to amend their lives. reproof falleth vpon many, vpon most, they are the old men, they are turned from no sin, nor proportioned unto God in any Commandement. God looking down from heaven seeth all gone out of the way, a few that do good. I would that amongst our rabble of sinners, there were to be found one taking up this preservative against the Plague. Where is that man whose trade hath been a breach of the Sabbath( before against laws of GOD and man) in buying and selling, killing, doing the works of ordinary calling, that is now turned from that sin by Gods call, That remembreth now to keep holy the Sabbath day? What Idolater is there who is turned from Idols to the service of the living God? That man that did not fear an oath, that now feareth it, and honoureth that great and glorious name, the Lord our GOD? That man that was an Adulterer, that liveth chastely, and possesseth his vessel in holinesse, as a member of Christ, as the Temple of the holiest? The usurer and Oppressor, a man of that common trade, that he is so wrought vpon by Gods hand, that he forsaketh that sin, That giveth his evil gotten goods unto the poor, or resolveth with Zacheus on restitution? I might run through the rest. I might demand it of Magistrates, Ministers, Masters of Families, of husbands, of wives, &c, in regard of relative, ordinarily required duties to man; and private duties of Families to man and to God? I am afraid, a few answer the call of God. Did wee but examine ourselves, ourselves must confess it. indeed brethren, let us examine ourselves, bring home this word; as the Disciples at a speech of Christ, let us demand of ourselves. Is it I? haue I answered this call of God? haue I used this means? If I find purpose, endeavour, and practise, according to thy measure, and the sincerity of that endeavour, thou mayest find comfort, and expect that God will hear, and forgive thee thy si●nes, and be gracious unto the Land, and so be encouraged to perfect thy satisfaction in the fear of God. But if vpon examination thou dost find it otherwise, thou art still the same man, and dost not amend, thou art under Gods reproof, and canst not expect at this time to escape Gods iudgement, the plague, and that thou hast not thus repented, thou must repent. Consider it is that which thou art called vpon by the plague, as many as are smitten, and die about thee, as real voices call vpon thee to amend thy life: they say, except thou bring forth good fruit, thou shalt bee hewn down. Consider it is the Lords intendment, in being still patient towards thee; why did he not meet with thee first, and cut thee off, when a thousand haue fallen on one of thine hands, and ten thousand on the other? Why did it not? Why doth it not come near thy dwelling? Theres no reason in thee, it is onely in gods patience, which therefore suffereth long, that thou mayest amend. Out of this, it is that in effect, he saith, Let him alone one week longer: let him haue one Sabbath more, and one day, or opportunity in public of seeking God more: let him haue one dunging and dressing more, one gracious shower more: Let him haue the call and space of one Sabbath more, and the example of one neighbour more. If these means work reformation well: if not, pluck him up as a fruitless three, as a cumberer of the ground: Let Gods patience lead thee to repentance, and execite thee to a nend. Consider there is no privilege in the world without this, that can exempt thee, not all thy riches, these die. It is not thy youth, children die: It is not thy strength, strong men smitten, expire and die. Thine health hitherunto cannot, many are spared many weekes, and yet die. baptism and coming to the Supper cannot; such coming thither unworthily, die: comers without amendment, come unworthily, eat and drink iudgement: it is a wonder, if for that very cause they be not cut off, and die. It is not thine hearing Gods word, or treading his Courts: as the Apostle in another case I may. Circumcision profiteth nothing, nor uncircumcision. If any thing prevail, it must be a new creature: amendment of life. Consider without amendment of thy life, thou canst use none of the Lords means; without this thy prayer and seeking the Lord, are vain; thy fasting and humbling thyself in vain. Suppose Gods hand vpon thee, what canst thou do but cry, Lord, Lord, will that help thee? nothing at all, except thou do the will of the Lord: Psal. 50. unto every wicked man, saith God, what hast thou to do to take my word, or name, in thy mouth, being a man that dost hate to be reformed? Thou canst not use means thyself. I pray thee who shall use them for thee? thou wilt sand to thy Minister or neighbour: If thou amend not( suppose they pray) what help can come unto thee? No man can regularly pray while he hath no promise, as long as thou dost not amend thy life, thou hast no promise: What shalt thou be the better if another pray? Besides, Gods pestilence is as a plaster: the chirurgeon putting on the one, aimeth at the cure of thy body: the Lord sending the other at the health of thy soul. The plaster may not bee taken away, until the sore mend, unless it bee to put on another, nor may wee look for the removal of the plague, until our lives do amend, unless it be to sand another. It is true, we must pray one for another: for forgiveness of sins, and the healing of the Land: but if it be according to Gods will, it must bee first for repentance, and so for forgiveness of sins, and the healing of the land. Thats the course thou must take for thyself, if God hear thy prayer, thou must first amend. I, that the prayers of others, for thee, may prevail with God for forgiveness, &c. thou must see that thou amend. The plague was never taken away in mercy, but iustice rather, where men do not amend. Neither may we now trust in lying words( as the most do) of faith, and hope, the spirit, Christ& Gods mercy, so long; these are lying words, as we do not amend. Neither let man say, I do repent, or beleeue such as say one may, when as he doth not amend. It is not the stroke vpon the breast, when thou dost swear, and saying, I cry God mercy. It is not thy sighing, nor every sorrow indeed,( much less grief like the sickness of a dog causing him to vomit) not every shaking with fear of hell, as a man in the fit of an Ague; it is no one, nor all these, or more, I, or any thing else, that a man may in this sense safely trust unto: they are as lying words, so long as a man doth not amend. The faith thou dost talk of severed from this, will not save thee: true faith that saveth, is a lively faith, a purifier of the heart. It hath all good works: the man that is dead and butted with Christ, is risen with him also, and that by faith of the operation of God, Col. 2. Thy tattle of a good hope, is a lying word, without this whosoever hath this hope, purifieth himself: it is, and produceth, amendment of life. If any man be in Iesus Christ, he is a new creature If the spirit of Christ bee in thee as the body is dead, because of sin, the spirit is alive: grace appearing to salvation, teacheth as( what was spoken of before) denial of ungodliness and worldly lusts: so( which is the matter in hand) to live a godly, righteous, and a sober life. The repentance Christ calleth for, is, amendment of life: thats it which comformeth to Christ: he loved righteousness, and hated iniquity, and proveth us the people of God. The repentance that shall stand for true, and good before God, is amendment of life. Thou hast none of all these indeed, that hast not amendment of life. Thou dishonourest the gospel, and grace, and Christ, and discreditest all the rest: unto whatsoever soul in these effects the gospel cometh, there are all manner of good fruits: Col. 1.6. It is fruitful from the day that they heard, and knew the grace of God in truth. Finally, if thou without amendment, escapest this hand of GOD, thou must look for a greater; thou hast been under the hand of God, thou mayest fall into the hands of man, thou hast been delivered from a lion, and shalt meet with a merciless bear; the little finger of GOD in his next iudgement, shall be thicker then his loins: this a chastisement, and it was as with whips, the next shall be a punishment, and it shall be as with Scorpions. It was one plague. The Lord will sand vpon thee Land, city, Parish, particular soul, seven times so many plagues more, I, many times se●uen times so many plagues more: and at length desolation: and though thou live now, thou shalt die, and thy death shall bee eternal. Theres no condemnation to them that walk after the spirit: there is nothing else unto them that walk not after the spirit: The Ax is laid to the roots of trees that bring not forth good fruit, they shall be hewn down and cast into the fire: that fire is an unquenchable fire, there shall bee weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth: If thou hast no fear of the plague, and canst withall dwell with everlasting burnings, continue in thy former courses, and do not amend: and yer remember that God calleth for it now from thee, and that one of the prescripts of the Lord, whereby a man may escape, is, to turn from our evil ways unto God, and so to amend. afternoon Sermon. AS yet we haue not gathered all the Propositions which are in this last prescript. Our next Is, when the Lord sendeth the Pestilence amongst a people, he calleth vpon them that are turned unto the Lord, to turn unto him more and more, and that as a means disposing to hearing, &c. and healing of the Land. This ariseth from Gods sending the pestilence amongst those that are truly his, and calling vpon them to turn unto GOD: that is, they must turn more and more. 1 And this in the first place is the Precept of the Lord, Gods word and his rod aim at one and the same thing. It is Gods Commandement in all those places, wherein they that haue grace are called for it in a farther measure, 2. Pet. 3.18. to grow in grace, to perfect sanctification, to abound in the works of the Lord. 1. Cor. 15. ult. Not to fall vpon particular graces which I might be large in. Reu. 22. Let him that is righteous be so still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still, grow in knowledge &c. To the meek of the earth, Gods precept is, seek meekness; to them that haue wrought Gods judgements, Ephes. 3.2.3. seek righteousness. In all those places wherein he threateneth and executeth his judgements, chastening his own: this of the Plague which is as a fire and a furnace to purify and refine Gods people, to extract dross, the pruning hook of GOD. Christ is the vine, wee the branches; God the Husbandman, Iam. 15.2. every branch that beareth fruit in me, my Father purgeth, that it may bring forth more fruit. They are as a dog unto unruly beasts, the means whereby he intendeth to reduce us straying, and to keep us forth right, and forward in the way. 2 Because thats it which hath the promise of the Lord. The Lords Promise is made to returning simply; it doth hold more strongly, where there is turning more and more. In this place if we consider the subject already turned, the promise of healing is made to turning more and more. It is clear in the prophesy of Zephanie, Zeph. 2.3. seek ye the Lord all ye meek of the earth, which haue wrought his judgements, seek meekness, seek righteousness: and then the promise followeth, It may be you shall bee hid in the day of the Lords wrath. Wherein by the day of Gods wrath( as the plague is) the promise of God of hiding is made unto a farther seeking of meekness and righteousness. 3 Because, not onely the want of grace, or turning to the Lord, but of degrees, is sin. The Lord in his Law commandeth perfection of parts and degrees; whosoever cometh short in degrees of the Law, Continueth not in all the Commandements, and he is accursed. GOD may for want of degrees of the power or habit of garce: I, for defect or want of acts it use or exercise, take advantage against his own. And hath, as on Zachary, for the want of an act of Faith, Luke 1. As on Moses and Aaron for want of a particular sanctification of the Lord, in that place at that time; as vpon the Corinthians, Who for that cause were some sick, some weak, some asleep. We cannot conceive them, simply unworthy, altogether without quality and compliment. If God cause such in that case to sleep, and they shall never awake, such as shal not be condemned in the world to come, must bee understood, of failing in degree, or measure, or some acts. The want of it being a cause of the plague, it must be removed; endeavour for grace and acts more and more must be put for the healing of the plague. 4 Because turning is a means, as we haue heard before, the more grace the stronger the means, the speedier the effect. Where there are many hands there is light work, forces united are strongest, the greater faith is, &c. the more fervent prayer; the greater the supply of the spirit of prayer is to us, the more may it be powred out; the more humility, the greater humiliation: and therefore It may bee said, the promise is made to grace, the least measure whereof is so Therefore it seemeth impertinent to stand vpon degrees. First I answer, the consequence is lame, it is pertinent, and that which followeth is, the promise is made much more unto a great measure, as we haue heard. Secondly, But the scope of the Lord in this is to decipher, true converts, whose property is to turn unto God more and more by his means and working, and exclude others from that number who do not so; and withall, to stir us up to co-worke with him, to that end, in perfecting our Sanctification; and to justify him when as he shall at any time in any chastisement take advantage of us, as wee by wants give him often times cause. 1 learn hence: first, that our graces, and so conversion unto God who are regenerate, are not in regard of degrees perfect: were they perfect, we needed no precepts, nor spur, nor rod; this violent means of purging, that wee might bring forth more fruit. And hence we may argue, 1 I argue, That inherent righteousness,( being imperfect) cannot be the formal cause, or that by which wee stand justified before GOD, which Romanists teach, and that there is another righteousness to be sought after, by which that may be done; the perfect righteousness of Christ imputed and given unto us, put on by faith, which Papists deny and call putative. 2 Secondly, I argue, that so long a regenerate man cannot perfectly in regard of degrees, and doth not fulfil Gods law against the same Romanists. Were the question of perfection of parts, It were none: they fought against their shadow in that controversy, it must be understood of degrees which are imperfect. 3 I argue, that good work cannot bee condign and meritorious causes of eternal life, against Romanists, especially those that teach it, without relation to Gods gracious covenant and promises in Iesus Christ, there is less then is commanded, which is sin, whose condign stipend is eternal death. And what will become of the doctrine of supererogation, which teacheth doing of more. If wee did all, it were but perfection required: we are seruants, wee did what wee ought, and were to be punished, if wee did not so much. Let us disclaim our own righteousness; all our righteousness is as a polluted cloath: Let us look that we be sound, not having or trusting unto that, but the righteousness of Christ live by faith in it in him, because our righteousness is imperfect. Woe be unto the most commendable life of any( if GOD setting aside mercy) should enter into iudgement with it. 2 It may bee a ground of our justification of the Lord in these times, wherein he maketh such a breach vpon his own people: it is a truth, many other causes may move the Lord, and this cannot prejudice their eternal salvation, and yet this must bee acknowledged a cause: It may make every mouth dumb, seeing it is his righteous doing. 3 It may serve for reproof, instruction, and exhortation, reproof, even of the Lords, who answer not Gods call, who use not his means; which of us are not open unto it? Who can put it off? Which of us haue preached and tried our ways, and turned unto the Lord? Finding ourselves many degrees short of the perfect holinesse and righteousness, required by the Lord, haue enforced ourselves in the bent and purpose of our souls, to a nearer proportion unto his Commandements? What hath been added to our faith, hope, charity, prayer, peaceableness, especially if wee consider the means, this hand and scourge of the Lord? Wee must all confess, it hath been the mercy of the Lord, that wee haue not been consumed. Let us submit unto this reproof, humble ourselves under it, and all things threatened and deserved, and bee stirred up by it yet to reformation, in the use of good means. Grow by this in faith, in hope, in charity, &c. in the grace most opposed to thy prevailing sin: if it bee lust in chastity, if pride in humility, if it be covetousness in bounty and liberality: if it bee anger in patience, a meek and a quiet spirit: if it be malice or envy in charity; as the Apostle saith, vpon this ground let us above all, as an vpper garment, put on charity, Let the peace of God rule in our hearts, as the Elect of God, holy and beloved, put on bowels of mercy, &c. add unto virtue and knowledge: grow in every grace and perfect sanctification, in the fear of GOD. 1 To this end be wee more frequent in the word: read it, hear it, meditate in it, chew it,( a despised practise of some) as new born Babes let us desire the sincere milk of the word of GOD, that wee may grow thereby. show that in it wee haue tasted how gracious the Lord is. The ministry is for the gathering and perfecting of the Saints, obey it. Let the word dwell plenteously, to all spiritual wisdom and understanding. In it are leapt up all the causes, motives, and arguments whatsoever. 2 Let us bee frequent in the use of the Sacraments. look back to baptism, the sign and seal of God, 1. Pet. 3.21. I, pledge of complete salvation; come unto the Supper of the Lord as often as the table is prepared. In these there is fellowship with Christ, God himself, and all his treasures, a supply of the spirit, and so of every grace, occasion is administered of enriching ourselves in every grace; of perfecting what is lacking; of nourishing up to eternal life. 3 Let us often use the fellowship of the Saints, in it we shall bee reproved, convinced, admonished, taught by precepts and examples, encouraged, wee shall haue companions; such as will call vpon us, go and run with vs. Come let us return unto the Lord, he hath smitten us, &c. Theres not a grace, but occasion shall be here given of it exercise and groat: the force of fellowship is great; wee see it in all the congregations of evil doers, contrary fellowship hath contrary effects, it is terrible unto a wicked man? how doth it restrain them? In the presence of grave pious sober men, many that are openly lewd, are for the time restrained and kerbed: The very sight of virtue and godliness, worketh awe and reverence in loose and dissolute mindes. It really worketh by Gods blessing vpon the godly. 4 Examine thyself of thy groat, compare thyself now with what thou hast been, either thou shalt find increase or not: if not, thou lackest an evidence of thine eternal estate, and must give diligence by this to make it sure. If I, thou hast an encourgement to go on: searching and trying our ways, accompany and dispose us to turning unto the Lord. 5 enure thyself to reformation, let not a day pass without a line, without some ground gotten: use maketh perfect in any thing: it is so in omission, as of prayer in the morning, &c. how easily will a man discontinue? for commission, lying, swearing, idle speaking, repeated oaths, dispose unto an habit. It is so in grace on the contrary, repetition of actions, maketh a man merry in its use: To him that hath and useth, shall be given, that man shall abound. above all, use faith, live by it, in God thine, and in our Lord lesus Christ. When God entred into covenant with thee, and became thine, he promised to give a new heart; to make thee to walk in his Commandements, and to do them, to perfect the good work begun in thee, the just shall flourish, &c. those that are planted, &c shall bring forth more fruit in their age, &c. He said it, he swore it, he hath given the sacraments, signs, and seals of it. I, the spirit an earnest( Christ himself purchasing, undertaking, exalted to give it) and engaged himself, by all his names, by all his attributes. live now by faith in Christ for all these: walk in him rooted and grounded, with full purpose of heart cleave unto the Lord, keep close unto him for accomplishment, suck and draw from him by faith in all ordinances, exercise faith in prayer: so Christ taught his Disciples; Lord increase our faith: Thy Kingdom come: Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. As the Lord now calleth vpon thee to grow, call vpon him, for power, for will and deed: put him in mind of his names and attributes, by which he appeareth in his word: of his promises, of his oath, of his sacramen●s: convert me, and I shall bee converted. Thus haue Gods people, and wee ought. And surely brethren, what God saith, he is able to, and will do, and yet will bee sought unto in the use of means, to which he promiseth it. Theres no degree of grace any hungry soul needeth, but it is( as it were in his hand to give.) If wee do ask, he will give us the holy Ghost, a supply of his spirit. Therefore vpbraydingly he saith; Hithervnto you haue asked nothing: ask, and your ioy shall bee full. Exercise of faith; of faith in prayer, is a means of fullness of ioy; of the perfection of all graces whatsoever. add hereunto comparison of thyself with others, not as the pharisee did himself, with men notoriously evil; nor yet with every godly man; set the best, him that is most eminent before thee; and that in the grace thou dost chiefly stand in need of. Moyses the meekest man, zachary, Elizabeth, Abraham, Sarah: rich men sail not for riches, by the compass and carded of poor men; their eye is vpon rich men, vpon the richest. Haue an eye unto Christ, learn of him: Let the same mind be in thee that was in him: follow him. I, God himself: Be perfect as your heavenly Father, holy as he is: S●t before thee Gods Law, aim at it as at a mark, mind it, will and affect it. O that mine heart were so direct to keep all thy Comanedments. And to move thee: Consider thou that hast the greatest measure of grace, art short of Gods law, thou knowest in part, thy faith is little, and weak: a strong faith is weak in regard of whats required: a great faith little in that respect; our faith is mingled with infidelity: our righteousness like a polluted cloath, thou must not hear rest or sit down. Consider, the Lord requireth perfection. he aimeth at it in his means, his Word, Sacraments, ministry, Sabbaths, all which are ordained and continued for the sanctification of thee. Not to profit by his means, is to take his name in vaiue: Which who so doth, shall not be held guitlesse. It is the end of the places and times wee haue, with the means; all these are as Talents, they must not bee hide, thou must put them to use, what the usurer doth with his money, thou must with these in kind. According to what the Lord soweth, he doth expect he shall reap; concerning the time, ye ought to haue been teachers, saith the Apostle to the Hebrewes. And yet ye haue need to be taught principles. The Lord doth not complain for nothing, nor smite for nothing. I might urge vpon you the mercies of GOD, the good you haue, and haue had, and by all these move you to return, the Lord is gracious and merciful, you haue found it by experience, therefore turn unto the Lord. I might beseech you by all the mercies of God: As the Elect of God holy and beloved. I may now cry, behold the patience and long suffering of God towards thee: especially now in this contagious time when as so many die. I might urge the mercies of God to come; the high price thou art called unto may make thee press forward; I might bid thee eye the recompense of the reward, the end will give louelinesse to all the means, and carry thee through thick and thin. Abound in the works of the Lord, thou knowest thy labour is not in vain. Consider Gods glory, bringing forth much fruit doth glorify the Lord: It shall give him the glory of his means, his Word, Sacraments, Fasting, Prayer, and other ordinances; of Christ Iesus, of all his attributes, Iustice, Anger, zeal, Power, Mercy, goodness, Truth, all these shall be really acknowledged and credited by us; we shall glorify God ourselves, show that the Lord is true, and provoke all others. In a word, by this thine answer of Gods call, thou art put to trial for coristianitie. Psal. 92. The just shall flourish like a palm three, &c. They shall bring forth fruit in age, Prou. 4.18. &c. The path of the just is as the shining light, which shineth more and more until perfect day. Though the kingdom of heaven be as a grain of Mustardseed, the least of all other, if it bee sown it becometh a tall three. It is as a little leaven hid in the lump, it leaveneth the whole; It is as a natural motion, most swift near the end, Bern. that man was never good, that laboureth not to be better. Deny this; far well thy evidence is of Christiai●ie: thou art made naked of these and opened to Gods plague for the present, not answering Gods call, norvsing his means. And if such as haue grace are under reproof, for not going forward, what are those, whose backs are still vpon the Lord; Who revolt more and more, who wax worse and worse, who stand at a stay, are dwarves, ever learning never coming to the knowledge of the truth: on whom that curse seemeth to be executed, never grow fruit on thee more, of such as grow onely in head or tongue on part, of those that go backward, retrogrades, renegadoes, apostates, such as begin in the spirit, and end in the flesh; such as return with the sow to her wallow, and with the dog to his vomit? These answer the call much less, are much more open to reproof, and under the danger of Gods hand, the plague, in this infectious time. If it go ill with green trees, which haue sap, and leaves, and fruit, what will it do with the dry? If the righteous now scaresely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinners appear? It is more then time for these to answer, and thoroughly to repent. Septembr. 7. 11. Day. Come we now to the last Proposition, in this last prescript broken in pieces; and that is, when as the Lord sendeth the pestilence amongst his people, calling for, and prescribing turning from sin, and turning unto God: That turning is from all sins and to God according unto every commandement: The words run, and turn from their wicked ways, Indefinites are all one and equipollent unto Vniuersalls. It is all one as if he had said, every evil way, under which the term to which, answereth, and hath the same extent. 1 This in the first place is Gods Precept, in all the places name before, abhor evil, cease to do evil, eschew evil, that is, all evil, the least degree of evil, and every act. And when he enjoineth, cleaving unto that which is good, learning to do well, doing of good, the meaning is, every good; the power and exercise of it to every good work is commanded. The Lord testified against Israel and judah, by all the Prophets, and by all the Seers, saying, turn you from your evil ways, and keep my Commandements, and my Statutes. mark, in this place you haue the testimony of the Prophets. What was it? turning from evil ways and keeping my Commandements, theres complete repentance: but yet we know not the rule in either of these; 2 King 17.13. that followeth according to all the Lawe which I commanded your Fathers, and which I sent you by my seruants the Prophets. There is no 'vice but it is particularly forbidden in Gods Law, nor virtue but it is particularly commanded in the same, and that is the rule: he that forbiddeth one forbrideth all; he that commandeth one commandeth all, there is but one law giver, as the Apost James reasonet● in this case. God spake all these ●ords, saith Moses in his Preface to the commandements, as an argument unto our observation of them all. 2 It is reasonable, because the promise of God is made unto, turning from all sins, and turning unto God, according to all his Commandements. And thus are wee to understand where repentance turning from sin, or turning to God, is any where called for with a promise: Isai. 56.2. Blessed is the man that keepeth his hand( saith the Prophet) from doing any evil▪ If thou shalt harken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and do all his commandements( saith Moyses) suppose negative and affirmative, Deu. 28.1.2 then all th●se blessings shall come vpon thee, Esek. 18.21. and overtake thee. The Prophet Ezekiel is clear in this: If the wicked will turn from all his sins which he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, &c. he shall surely live, and shall not die. In these words we haue a promise of freedom from death and of life; your condition is repentance: whats repentance?( a great question amongst some) turning from sins, all sins, turning to GOD, that is, keeping his statutes, all his statutes, both as essential parts are coupled together, and may not bee severed. And therefore, 3 Because one sin lived in without repentance, is a sufficient cause of the plague: and so is the want of one grace, or it exercise: Cursed is every one that abideth not in all the commandments of the law, to do them, man must not onely hear, but do, he must do all, he must continue in doing of all, it is the duty of every man: he that doth not, is accursed. Leuit. 26.14.& 15. If you will not do all these commandements, then will the Lord sand plagues seven times so many more, and amongst the rest the pestilence. If thou wilt not harken unto the Lord, to observe and do all his commandments, &c. then all these curses shall come vpon thee, Deu. 28.15 and overtake thee, and amongst the rest the pestilence, as wee haue heard before. And therefore, 4 Because its the turning, which is the means, and that is an ingredient unto all the other prescripts: one sin lived in without repentance, regarded in the heart, is an enemy unto prayer, an enemy unto a mans seeking the face of the Lord, an enemy to Gods hearing, a bar to forgiveness of fins: as in all the places wee haue often urged before. It bereaveth a man of any portion in Gods promise, it keepeth him in danger of the curse; without a promise there can be no seeking or preauiling prayer. One virtue denied( required by God) in the said prescripts before, is as a principal ingredient in the composition of the Apothicarie. It is more, it denieth all the rest: deny righteousness, or holinesse, or love, you deny faith: deny faith, you deny all other graces. saving graces, are all inseparably linked and chained together. They make the new creature perfect in regard of parts, where any part, or grace is wanting, there is a monster, partly belonging to heaven, partly to hell, evidences are vncontrouleably true of either. Neither can any man except against one grace, it necessity may easily be shewed. In all which respects, wee see it must bee a turning from all sins, and a turning unto God, according to all his commandements. This seemeth an hard saying, and who can abide it? the man that sinneth not, liveth not. If wee say wee haue no sin, we deceive ourselves, and haue no truth in us, and all our righteousness is like a defiled cloath. Wee come short of whats commanded. It seemeth a thing impossible, and so an impossibility to escape. I answer, it is not a thing impossible to answer the scope of the Lord, and so to escape. Suppose it were impossible, the fault is not in the Lord. The fault is not in the physician, if he prescribe that unto thee which thou canst not get, when as nothing else will do it. The fault in this case is in thyself: he made thee perfectly holy and happy, able to do all, and may require all, thou hast lost that ability; the fault is in thyself, and thou must lay thine hand vpon thine own mouth. But it is otherwise, this may bee and is performed( God assisting) by his Saints. Theres a double doing of all, or perfection; one in regard of parts, the other in regard of degrees: Of parts; When as a man shall turn from every evil, and do every good: that is, when as the power of every sin is broken, and a congruous disposition in every faculty of soul, and part of body; so that though sin bee in every part, it is not a monarch, it is not allowed and approved, and wholly obaved, but in every part oppugned, lusted against: and so when as there is every grace present in the soul, it power and proportioned motions, so that though there be weakness, and wants in degrees, yet there is every grace and it motion, according unto it measure. Perfection of degrees is, when as a man faileth not in any degree, turneth from sin in every degree, either of it inward disposition or corruption, and use or act; turneth unto God in every degree of the habit and acts. When as the Lord calleth in this place for this turning, though he require according to the law, perfection of degrees, yet in Iesus Christ ( who hath fulfilled all righteousness, who is the Lord our righteousness) he accepteth of the perfection of parts: provided there bee withall, first his disposition to sin, remaining it power or act, we come short in turning from: so far as wee know it( and our prayer is for it discovery and endeavour) wee approve it not, we will it not with the whole will, we disallow it, wee abhor it, wee hate it, according to our measure of grace; we also fight against it, confess it, complain of it, judge ourselves for it, and in the use of his means before spoken of, labour its mortification, and utter abolition. And in the next place his disposition unto the want of grace, as it is sin present, wee are carried unto it, as before, living by faith in the son of GOD for redemption, remission of that, and all other sins, as it is whats required, willing its perfection, desiring it, hungering and thirsting after it, endeavouring it attainment in the use of Gods means, praying thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven, and doing thereafter. In this sense GOD accepteth the will for the dead, and hearty endeavours in stead of sound performance. This david saw well when as he prayeth, Psal. 119.6. so let me not be confounded, whilst I haue a respect unto all thy commandements: Wherein he implieth a promise to this respect, which I suppose that which I haue opened unto you. 1 Let us put this proposition to use. And first, it serveth for reproof of many in these times, who answer not Gods call, who use not this means, who turn not from all sins, who turn not unto God according to all his commandements. All those that are partial in their mindes, wills, affections, mouths, actions, in turning from sin, in turning to God. Though they pretend conscience of words& works, make none of vain thoughts, of wicked thoughts. Though they can boast of good heart, and will, and intention, haue neither good words nor works, at least not all. Such as are zealous in paying man his due, at his time, to a farthing: they glory in this, that they pay every man his own( though iudeede they know not what it is they owe, and so cannot care to pay it) and yet are infinitely indebted to God, promise him, and take day, and break ever with him, such are those that glory in the service of God, and pretend much that way, and yet haue no care nor conscience of duty to men, in giuing their own to men: Such as pretend great conscience in great matters, and haue none in lesser, such as are very zealous again in those lesser, and haue no respect unto the greater; such as can speak of many sins, sins of others with detestation, it may bee small ones and yet are silent in others their own, though never so great: Such are all those that reserve some one course or trade of sin, lesser or greater, turn not from it, reform not: the good Lord must be merciful to them in that. It is the saying of sinners of all sorts, usurers, Swearers, Cursers, Contemners of the public worship of GOD, Drunkards, liars, deceivers, and the rest; and good Lord how many such men are there to bee found amongst us convicted in Conscience, or by the evidence of a course in notorious facts, or which may bee,( will they but spend a little time in examination, in searching and trying their ways by that golden rule, the word of God) To help thee in this examination, that we may go through with our work. Consider, whether there be not( I say not some infirmity, such as to thy grief, thou art sometimes overtaken with) some course and trade of sin in which thou livest, of which thy friends tell thee, thy husband, or wife, or christian neighbour, or at least thine enemy, which with an angry word, to thy disgrace he twiteth thee, and putteth thee in the teeth. Consider whether( living under a plain dealing Minister) or by occasion having to do with the Ministry of such, there be not some sins thou dost more especially fear that minister at that time will meet with. Consider, whether there be not some sin, which if that Minister neeteth with discovering it, and Gods judgements against the same; these work vpon thee more then ordinarily; suppose trouble or heaviness, or discontent, if not a plain opposition, and its effects, great thoughts of heart, grudgings, and surmisings against that Minister, with a readiness of venting the same, if there might be any plausible reason, as a shooe-horne to draw it on, and that to the face of that Minister; or at least, at home, and among companions. Consider, whether there bee not some sin, in regard of the opposition, of which by such a Minister, of any man else, thou wilt not stand to, or appeal to the iudgement of him in it descision: thou wilt not hear him of any man: Thy soul hateth him as Ahab did Micaiah, as one that ever prophesyeth evil to thee and not good: And whether thou hast not a resolution, that if thou die, such a man shall not preach at thy funeral, least he should speak of that sin, and some disgrace redound unto thee from thence: whether there be not such a proviso in thy breast, if not in thy will. Consider, whether there bee not some sin for which Conscience doth most of all smite thee, now and then twitch thee, or give thee a check; somewhat thou omittest that is commanded, or committest which is forbidden. Consider, whether( if thou hast been under Gods hand, in extremity of sickness, such as hath called on thee to order thy house, and expect death) there hath not been some sin above other in which thou hast lived, whose remembrance causeth sadness at the heart, casting down the countenance, if not confession to thy friends, and minister, with tears. Examine thyself, I say, and put every one of these as queries or questions to thy soul; it is a matter of weight and moment, the life of thy body, I of thy soul may depend vpon it. If vpon examination thou findest all right and faire, that there are sins indeed, but all hatred abhorred, disallowed, deprecated, declined in thine hearty endeavours; That thou hast laboured to keep a good Conscience in allthings; that what thou hast failed in, or come short of in innocence, thou hast l●boured to make good again by penitence, that thou hast app●oued, and liked; and blessed God for, and su●mitted unto Gods discovering hand, in his ministry, I, the mouth of a cursing Shemei an enemy. If vpon examination thou canst find these particulars, with those spoken of in the answer of the objection before, according to thine uprightness in Gods sight, thou mayest haue peace and comfort in the mercies of God, through Iesus Christ: at all times, in these infectious times; thou mayest expect hearing, and forgiveness, and healing the Land: thou art a man conformed to Gods prescript, and qualified unto his promise. But if it be otherwise, that vpon examination there be found evil ways, courses and trades of sin; but one lived in, approved, allowed, as usury, Sabbath-breaking, Swearing, Drunkenn●sse, &c. If there be one sin, as a Dalilah, as an Herodias, in which thou si●test down, in regard of which thou art reserved; and criest, in effect, Lord be merciful to me in this: Thou art the man reproved by God thou answerest not his call, usest not his means, thou canst not expect the effect: The prescript of the Lord is, Turning from every wicked way unto the Lord according to all his Commandements. Let it bee therefore in the next place, an use of exhortation unto us all to answer the Lord, and to use his means, if we will turn, let it be from every sin, let it be according to every Commandement: let us not allow ourselves in any sin, Let our respect be to al Gods Commandements: Cease not until thou art at peace with God in this respect: and so in covenant with his word and ministry, and conscience, and whatsoever quick-sighted enemy, until thou hast a purpose and practise, endeavouring to please GOD in all things: and to move thee. Consider, this is that repentance called for in the word of God: it is not devised nor imposed by man, any idly and vainly scrupulous or precise, but God. Consider, the Lord is reasonable in it, it is no more then thou wast made able to perform. In the day of thy creation thou wast perfectly holy and righteous, there was a sweet harmony& consent between body and soul, and God: the body was as an instrument at hand for all offices imposed by the soul, the inferior parts were naturally submitted unto the superior parts of the soul, the superior parts in all things unto God: there was no discord at all, no need of a golden bridle: grace was connatural; male and female was created in Gods image: God made man just, he saw that all his works were good. In this prescript therefore the ways of the Lord are equal, he requireth not what he gave not first, reapeth not where he did not first sow, gathereth not where he did not straw: so that hence it will follow: if thou answer him not, thy mouth shall bee stopped, thou hast no word in defence. Consider that which the Lord calleth for, is no more then what thou hast yielded other Lords, thou art by corrupt nature of thy father the devill, and thou hast done his works; without reservation thou hast been the seruant of sin: all the imaginations of the thoughts of thine heart haue been evil onely and continual; though thou hast professed the knowledge of God, in thy works thou hast denied it, thou hast been abominable, and unto every good work reprobate: Thy body and soul haue been obedient unto sin in the lusts thereof, thou hast given thy members as weapons to and for sin: Thou hast been as the vine in Ezechiel, as any three in the forest, as any gentle, unfit for any good work, no, not to make a pin to hang a thing on, good for nothing but to burn: thou hast been a very drudge, and packhorse unto the world, risen early, gone late to bed, denied thyself meate, and drink, and sleep; been without God, not once calling vpon his name in the day, and all out of faithfulness to that Master. Equity requireth of us Christians by profession, such as haue given up our names unto GOD in baptism, that our care and industry bee no less in the service of this Lord, th●n it hath been for those, as wee haue obeyed them in all, and giu●n up bodies and souls as instruments and weapons in all, so we should God, Rom. 6 I hope the Lord hath been as good I, better when ye did him no service, when you did others all) and may bee at last as those others: if you could give him better service, there is a cause, I suppose( in common reason) you cannot but give him as much. Consider that which the Lord requireth, is that wee be not conformed unto sin, the world, and the devill, that wee be conformed to his holy law, to Christ to himself. The former in itself ugly, odious, loathsome, ●o be abhorred; the latter in ●●self amiabl●, lovely, appetible, most of all to bee desired. Did the Lord require any thing, his just and holy will ought to be unto us a law, when as he requireth these things, he is to be obeyed much more. Consider that reservation of thyself, or living in any sin, is but the spice of hypocrisy, and that which proclaimeth thee an hypocrite to the world, thou art no better: an hypoc●ite may abstain from some evils, and do some contrary good things in his manner, in regard of appearance and show. Herod heard John the Baptist, often, gladly, Mark. 6.20 the Text saith, he did many things, and yet an hypocrite. I discovered to be so, being put to the putting away his brother Philips wife, Herodias. he will neither hear nor do, John must to prison, and if the Damosell please to ask it, shee shall haue his head. Jehu, very Zealous for the Lord( if you beleeue himself) jonadab must see his zeal, he pretended the word of the Lord by the Prophet Eliah, for all he did: not a word of that must fall to the ground, concerning the house of Ahab, 2. King. 10.10. he was zealous against Baal, he destroyed him out of Jsrael, and yet an hypocrite, discovered to be so by his idolatry, he departed not from all idolatry, he worshipped the calves in Dan and Bethel: he did but chop and change idolatry. The pharisee, a gross hypocrite, could say, he was no adulterer, extortioner, or unjust person, he did fast and pray, and pay tithes of all that he did possess. They did tithe, Mint, and Cummin, and Annis, and yet discovered many ways to bee hypocrites, they left undone the greatest things of the Law. They could strain all Gnats, and swallow Camels. Be thou whatsoever, abstain from many evils, do many good things so long as thou art not universal; thou art a nominallist, an hypocrite: thy speech and curtold practices do betray thee. Consider, so long thou art a man open to all the curses of the Lord: thou art but an hypocrite, and must look for thy portion with them. The word of God like thunder soundeth, Cursed is every one that abideth not in all the commandements of God, to do them. if thou shalt not observe all these commandements, all these curses shall light vpon thee, and overtake thee: he that keepeth the whole law, and yet faileth in one, is guilty of all. One sin is sin, as well as a thousand, an offence against the chiefest good, an infinite God, and its wages is death, temporal, spiritual, eternal. Tell me in reason, will not one Th●●fe in thine house, with one key to thy ch●st or treasury undo thee, being suffered, as well as a thousand? Will not one mortal wound produce death as well as a thousand? One leak in a ship suffered, sink the same, as well as a thousand? Is not one by path ●nough to mislead thee from thi●e intended p●ace, as well as a thousand? These particulars thou wilt grant, and there is the same reason for a life in any one sin●e. sin in thy bosom, is as a thief to thine estate, as the wise man of adultery, I may say of any sin: It will consume all that ever thou hast. It is a wound, a mortal wound, it wages is death; it is a leak in a ship, and will sink the soul to the nethermost hell. It is in a word, a by-path, destruction and misery is in that way. A thousand sins lived in, deserve greater punishments in hell then one, one deserveth hell: that thou livest in one( if it were possible) may exempt thee from so much torment, it cannot exempt thee from all. And let me tell thee, if conscience happen to awake, one sin will be as a thousand, and equally affright thee in these times of mortality: I haue had experience of some terrified in conscience, for the remembrance of one sin. I haue seen some tremble for one sin, afraid least GOD should take them away living in it. Their speech in that respect hath been unto me; Sir, what shall I do to bee saved, as sometimes the trembling jailor did: a wounded conscience who can bear? That one wound will be sufficient, except the Lord heal it. When as the Lord willeth us to cut off right hands, and to pluck out right eyes offending, and sheweth as a reason, that it is better to enter into heaven maimed, then with all to bee cast body and soul into hell. He doth intend to show us the danger of beloved and darling sins, the not parting with one sin as deere as a member of the body, will endanger all, and cast all into hell. Consider, it is an inseparable property of a Christian indeed, to turn from every wicked way, and to turn unto God, according to all his commandements. Dauids profession was; Psal. 119.104. Vers. 101. I hate every evil way: I haue refrained my feet from every evil way: So let me not be confounded, whilst I haue respect unto every one of thy commandments josiah turned unto the Lord with all his heart, Vers. 6. and with all his soul, 2 King. 23.25. and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses zachary and Elizabeth were both just before God, Luke 1. and walked in all the commandements of GOD without reproof, 1 Cor. 1.5. &c. Of the Corinthians Saint Paul, that they were enriched in every thing &c. and that they did come behind in no gift. Vers 7. Of a vessel of honour he is one that is sanctified, 2 Tim. 2.21 and meet for the Masters use, prepared unto enery good work. indeed as Gods promise is, to save from all vncleanenesses, to take away the hard heart, to give a new heart, to cause to walk in his statutes and commandements, and to do them, &c. so grace appearing to salvation, teacheth( with efficacy) to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts indefinitely, and so to live a godly, righteous, and a sober life: If any man bee in Iesus Christ, he is a new creature: all old things are past, all things are become new, The blood of the everlasting covenant maketh perfect unto every good work, and worketh in us whatsoever is pleasing in Gods sight: Where the spirit is, there is liberty, in regard of guilt and power of sin, &c. It is working liberty from the stain also, there are all the fruits of the spirit. If thou hast this, thou mayest make good the spirit, fellowship with Christ, the favour of God, that thou art a Christian indeed, when as on the contrary thou hast no part, nor portion as yet in this business. Finally: Consider all the promises of God are made unto this, read those blessings, Deut. 28. it may be some one or other of those blessings may as yet prevail with thee. All thine impellments to sin( if thou balance this matter) are not to be compared with one of those blessings, much less withall: amongst the rest, there is deliverance from the pestilence; who is the man now that will live long, and see happy dayes: That will be delivered in this perilous time? Who will not? Not a man but will answer, I: Consider Gods voice and prescript. turn from every evil way, turn unto God according to all his commandements. If otherwise, all the world cannot secure thee in these times: thou hast sufficient matter, the causes of death in thee: Thou canst look for no other; and if thou escape now thou shalt die for thy sins: Thy wife hath but a short husband of thee: thy child a short father, thine house and goods, &c a short Master: Thy life is as a little water spilled on the ground; thou must die, and then cometh iudgement. In that day thou must give an account of every sin: Verily I say unto you, that for every idle word you shall give an account in the day of iudgement. Behold, saith Enoch, the seventh from Adam( as St. Iude relateth it) he cometh, he cometh to execute iudgement vpon all, and to convince all, of all ungodly deeds, which they haue ungodly committed, and of all hard speeches which ungodly sinners haue spoken, Ver. 14. All ungodly men for all ungodly deeds: not one man, not one dead, not one ungodly deed, not one ungodly word shall bee past by: the plague may be the means this very day, this very day these words may bee executed in part. Knowing the terror of this day, I beseech you to repent, obey Gods prescript, turn from every evil way to the Lord, according unto every one of his commandements. And so much for the means which are to bee used and performed by vs. COme wee now to the means previous unto this effect in God, Hearing and forgiveness: And hence gather, that the Lord may beale the Land of the plague, he must first hear our prayers. Hearing is not given properly to God, neither hath God ears 〈◇〉 he onely in these speeches condesc●nd●th to our infirmities: it denoteth his readiness to receive our prayers, and to grant our requests: As Salomon prayeth, that God will hear and forgive, so the Lords p●omise is in that order, I will hear, Exod. 6.5. and forgive, and heal the land: First, God heard the groans of Israel in egypt, and then helped them: I sought the Lord, Psal. 34.4. he heard me, and delivered me. Vers. 6. This poor man cried, the Lord heard him, and sa●ed him out of all his trouble. The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth and delivereth them out of all their trouble. I will stand no longer in the proof of it, but put it to use. learn hence the neces●ity of prayer, in this time of prayer to God, such prayer as he promiseth hearing unto: This was a sufficient ground of that public injunction of prayer, of our p●rseuerance in the solemn performance of it, and stirring us up unto this work: to pray and not to be weary: There is great hope that at length our Land shall be healed if we pray, God is a God that heareth prayer. howsoever it be true, that GOD heareth not sinners: Will God( saith job) hear his cry when trouble cometh vpon him: he will not; job 27.9. Surely the Lord will not hear vanity: job 53.13. They called, but there was none to save them, yea vpon the Lord, Psal. 18.41 but he answered them not; Yet it shall be otherwise, God will hear the prayers of his people; the promise of the Lord is, if they pray, J will hear; hearing prayer, is one of Gods holy attributes: All flesh shall resort unto thee A God hearing prayer. Psal. 65.2. By it hath God been made known, and he intendeth the same. Of Manasses it is said, that( being in misery) he prayed unto the Lord, 2 Chron. 33.13. and that the Lord was entreated, and brought him again unto his kingdom. And it is added, that then Manasses knew that the Lord he was God; and so when Israel halted between God and Baal; by Gods hearing the prayer of Eliah, 1 King. 18.37.38. they knew, and cried out, The Lord he is God. There are many amongst us that know not the Lord, the best know him but in part, and so serve him. That the Lord may now gain some soul belonging unto him, that the word preached may be effectual to that end, that the Lord may roote, and ground, and establish his own, there is good hope he will hear our prayers. The Lord greatly desireth our faith in him, it increase, our love, our walking before him, our prayer, our praise. It is his end in all his ordinances, next unto his own glory, and the glorifying of his son; it is indeed our salvation, and will bee wanting in no good means that may stir us up unto the same: Hearing of prayer being a means, he will not be now wanting to us in the same: experience of Gods dealing with others, in this respect, is a great encouragement. For this shall every man that is godly pray unto thee: Psal. 32.6. J sought the Lord and he heard me, as david, Psal. 34.3. to encourage others: How much more experience of Gods hearing us? I love the Lord, saith david, because he hath heard my voice, and my supplication; because he hath inclined his ear unto me, Psal. 116.1.2 therefore will I call vpon him as long as J live. Vpon this ground he will love, he will continue and persevere in love and prayer: his resolution is, to walk before the Lord, to give thanks to God, to pay his vows in the congregation: He is at a nonplus; what shall I render unto the Lord? And else where, Blessed be the Lord that hath not turned away his ear from my prayer. Psal. 66. ult. Wh● do I speak of these things brethren? Surely a( in these times wherein wee walk in the midst of the valley of the shadow of death, when as the sorrows of death compass us about) to dispose us to gratitud● in the particulars b● Dauids example, when as the Lord shall hear us, and to engage us more by promises, and vows of service unto the Lord so to encourage every soul in this duty of prayer, every of the observed particulars hath great force; we begin to bee weary, the Lord would haue us to hold out: the more he disposeth our hearts to pray, the more doth he prepare his ear to hear. The former found in us, may bee an evidence of the latter in him, and a pledge: Gods hearing is disposing to that, the healing of our land, wee continuing in prayer, the Lord, will at length hear, and forgive, and heal the Land. Septemb. 14.12. Day. IN the next place from the order of God. That the Land may bee cured of the Pestilence, there must bee first forginenesse of the sins of the Land. Thus Salomon prop●s●th his request, and GOD a●swereth. whilst I kept silence( saith david) my bores waxed old, Psal. 32. and day and night thine●h●nd was heavy vpon me: I said, I will confess my sins; and thou for gavest mine iniquity and so( which is to bee supplied) thou remoouedst that hand. And thus in order wee are taught first to pray for forgiveness of sins, and then deliverance from evil. First GOD will hear, then he will forgive sins, and so heal the Land. 1 It is reasonable: Because forginenesse of sins is a taking away of the cause of the plague, which must ever bee first. First a man must take away the cause, then effect will die. sin as wee haue heard, is the cause of the plague: so long as sin doth remain in a man, that man is in danger of the plague. Remission of sins is a taking away of sins, A putting of sins far from a man, an unloosing, or dissolution of the power, binding over to punishment; It is a blotting out of sin: And therefore, 2 Because with forgiveness of sins, taking away the cause, amends is made by righteousness, there is put satisfaction and compensation unto Gods exact iustice, by the righteousness of Christ, vpon which, and whence, remission of sins floweth, the penalty in that is exactly born and suffered, and whatsoever GOD requireth, put, in regard of which Gods people, his beloved is wholly faire, there is no spot in her, in him shee is complete. until payment bee made a prisoner cannot be delivered, when as payment is made he must be delivered: before and until that righteousness bee put, evil property so called may be justly inflicted, if once that bee put, that evil cannot bee inflicted; and therefore. 3 Because if forgiveness of sins be put, all other means prescribed to this end are present and supposed Humbling ourselves by prayer, seeking Gods face, turning from sins, turning unto God, even complete repentance, all these are supposed in us; I, and hearing our prayer in the Lord: whence healing of the Land followeth, there is a necessity of that, as disposing to the end. Which being put, suppose all other means conducing thereunto: and so of forgiveness of sins. It seemeth remission of sins doth not dispose to the healing of a Land, seeing all those whose sins are forgiven haue not healing, and some again are healed who haue not remission of sins. Grant what is objected, yet it hath no consequence: For clearing of it, we are to consider the plague, and its effect, Death; and so the contrary to it, Life, as they are in themselves, or else as they are in relation to such and such persons: For the first, the plague and death are in themselves evil, a curse, and yet not so to Gods children, such as haue forgiveness of sins; to them it is not compensatory satisfactory, it curse and evil, or sting is taken away. Those are blessed that die in the Lord: the day of death to thē( by what soever evil means) is better then the day of birth: To die is advantageous, to them it is a cure of all diseases, of sin itself: a means to enter them into their masters ioy. So that though the particular bee not performed unto them, that which is better is: and yet so often as that is good, it is performed in kind this way. On the other side, life and deliverance in themselves, blessings, and yet unto a wicked man a curse; one ●udgement threatened the wicked, is smiting no more: it is a fearful iudgement to live and prosper in sin: the more a wicked mans dayes are, the more his sins must needs bee, and so the greater his iudgement. So that, though the particular iudgement be not executed, that which is worse is, where there is no remission of sins. If forgiuen●sse of sins disposeth to the healing of the plague; then( to omit that it teacheth Gods exact iustice) It sheweth us what we must look to obtain before the the Lord in mercy, heal our Land, namely forgiveness of our sins. Healing cannot bee expect●d as a blessing before, as long as sin is vnpardoned, our score stand●th in Gods book, guilt lieth at our door, is within that house; our sore will run, the hand of the Lord will bee vpon us day and night: and therefore calleth vpon us to use those means; vpon this ground are we to go unto Gods threane of grace and mercy, through Iesus Christ the Mediator, the saviour, to Christ the advocate with the Father, the onely Intercessor and Redeemer, to get into him by faith, to wash us, and to make us clean, in his blood, the fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness, make wee him our peace and propitiation; this is the substance of that Incense in the Censor of Aaron, with which he stood between the living and the dead, and appeased the wrath of the Lord kindled in the plague. Make wee him our friend, and use him now for the weal of our Land, seek remission of sins by faith in him: look that faith be conditioned, bring with it whatsoever God requireth, else to remission of sins, of which particularly in my last proposition. blind men& women that we are, we busy ourselves altogether about the disease; our eye is vpon that, our finger is vpon that, our month talketh of that; at furthest, our thoughts are of second causes onely, we think not of the first cause, sin; we use not Gods means for remission and pardon of sins, and therefore our disease remaineth, which would bee otherwise, if we did wisely consider, That forgiveness of our sins is that which disposeth us to the healing of the Land. Before I speak of the order of these means, obserne, It is a privilege of the Lord to forgive us our sins, I will forgive their sins. Thus doth the Lord proclaim himself in the Scriptures. The Lord, the Lord, Exod 34.6. &c. forgiving iniquity, transgression and sins. I, Isa. 43.23. even I am he that blotteth out thy transgression for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. And so in many other places. This hath the Church of God professed, as in their prayers for remission of sins, so in their praises and blessings of GOD for the same: See psalm; 1. and psalm 103. And our Lord taught us to go in prayer to him our Father for remission of sins, and in the same place to ascribe power, and glory to him, of remission of sins. Mich. 7.18. And therefore the Prophet, Who is a God like unto thee, that pardonest iniquity As if he should say, thou onely art God, and manifested to be so by forgiuenesle of sins. Therefore the Scribes themselves, Who can forgive sins but God alone? Luk. 5.21. 1 indeed unto him alone belongeth the power of remission of sins, unto whom those attributes gracious, merciful, do belong; but these are essential and incommunicable properties of GOD: they are conjoined in that proclamation, The Lord, the Lord gracious, merciful: and therefore, it is his privilege. 2 His privilege alone, it is to forgive sins, whose it is to save, whose privilege it is to redeem, to enliue, and regenerate; to wash and cleanse a soul from sin: in a word, which compriseth all, whose privilege it is, to make the covenant of grace: Remission of sins, is salvation from sins; salvation from their guilt, binding over to punishment, salvation from wrath that is to come. Remission of sins is redemption, Col. 14. delivery from guilt and punishment, wrath due and to come; in whom wee haue redemption, remission of sins: Remission of sins is a part of spiritual life, life of and by justification: Remission of sins is the washing and cleansing of the soul from sins. It is one part, or legacy of the covenant of grace, I will bee merciful unto their sins. Now every one of these are the peculiars of God: it is his to save, besides him there is no saviour. he is the Lord God of Israel, that visiteth and redeemeth his people. GOD purchaseth his Church. It is he that doth kill, and he that doth make alive, that regenerateth, that raiseth from the dead: It is he that washeth us with clean water: that maketh as white as snow: whence david, wash me, Psalm. 51. It is he that maketh that covenant: I will make an everlasting covenant with you It is God that justifieth, and therefore remission of sins is his privilege. 3 He onely can forgive sins, whose lawe is transgressed thereby, having power to give life unto its observation, being able to punish with eternal death the transgression of it: sin is the transgression of the Law of God: There is but one lawgiver that is able to save and to destroy: Opus Dei est peccata remittere. Salmeron, ●●ouing the holy Ghost God. Q●is antem remittit peccata nisi solus Deus? to. 9. tr. 63. p. 478. others can kill the body and go on further, GOD alone can cast both body and soul into Hell fire. And therefore vpon all these grounds. I conclude it, the privilege of God to forgive sins. By this argument you know, Christ proveth himself GOD: For it the Pharesies thought he did blaspheme: it was his to haue the key of david to open when as none can shut, to shut when as none can open, and the privilege of none other. 1 If it be the Lords, Sacrilegious is their practise, who teach and practise communication of the same unto a mortal man, as in the Church of Rome. It is not a Ministerial or declaratory power they give unto them, but judiciary, l 3. de paenit c. 2. §. quare cum suas claves. the same, the same which Christ had, he communicated to the Apostles, saith Bellarmine. They do it not by the ministry of the word, Vt enim flatius extinguit ignom, et discipat nebalas, sic ●●iam 〈…〉 ti● sacerd●ti●●ectata dispergie ●r cranescere facit Id 〈…〉 q●int● Colligitur. Bel●●l 2 de sac in gen. c. 8 rat. 6. saith Bellarmine, but extinguendo& dissoluendo, as the wind putteth out fire and disperseth the clouds: so doth the absolution of a Priest disperce sin, and cause the same to vanish. According to which Metaphor( saith he) We read, Deleui vt nubem peccata tua, I haue done away thy sins as a cloud; which indeed proceedeth of GOD, but not of any priest or Pope. It is not a conditional absolution, If thou dost beleeue, if thou dost repent;( though they teach Sacraments to follow faith, and that they cannot rightly bee conferred on those that are of age, Nisi iis qui prius credunt: and aclowledge that Multi baptizantur qui non recipiunt spiritum Christi, l. 1. c. 25. ad postremum. quia sine fide aut poenitentia baptizantur, and that multi impij baptizantur ficto cord& Eucharistiam sumunt, l. 1. c. 14. arg tart. qui proinde peiores sunt& magis inuisi Deo quam antea: but absolute( and what shall they stand vpon conditions, when as they teach, As that a Priest doth not know the faith and repentance of another( which is truth) so that a man can not be certain of his own righteousness; which was the cause of Bellarmines tutissimum to rely on the only mercy& bounty of God; l. 5 de justif. c. 7. Propter incertitudinem propriae justitiae:) Whether thou beleeue and repent or not: Which the Apostles received no power for; They had no power against the truth, but for the same; upon which may follow the justification of the wicked, and condemnation of the just: which the Lord pronounceth a like abominable. Which GOD himself( as being impotency, rather then power) hath not, and disclaimeth: he will not hold the guilty innocent. It is a truth that Ministers, and they alone( against Sectaries amongst ourselves, who with Anabaptists give the power of the keys unto every believer) haue in Gods place and stead, a power to bind and loose; but it is ministerial and declaratory, that is, to declare and pronounce unto them that are truly penitent, the absolution and remission of their sins; as our Church speaketh. And when men, unto whom they show Gods good pleasure, are rightly qualified, it is ratified, they are Ambssadours from God, and haue commission to testify unto such souls the grace of God: as in binding they declare wrath: So on the contrary. Let the Pope and all his adherents bind him that truly believeth, repenting of his sins, God absolveth him, he is blessed, and it shall not be reversed: and on the other side, absolve and loose an impenitent sinner never so much; he is still bound before God. Gods Word pro●ounceth him a cursed man, and he shall be accursed, judiciary power; as salvation itself is that which is proper to God, none can fo●gine sins but God onely. 2 If it be Gods to forgive then it is Gods to heal the Land of the plague. Whosoeuers it is to forgive sins, his also it is to heal the Land of the plague: and therefore they are here coupled together. Could a Priest take away, I, blow away sins, as the wind doth the clouds, he might heal a Land of the plague, he taketh away the cause. When as he cannot do the less, possibly merely himself, he cannot in that manner forgive sins, which is the greater: they are both privileges of God. 3 It teacheth us whither to haue recourse for this blessing, even unto the Lord; our saviour taught it, and all Saints practised it. Haue mercy vpon me O Lord, according to the multitude of thy mercies, do away mine offences Expect it not, seek it not from man, or angel, seek the face of God who promiseth vpon it to forgive sins. As it sheweth us to whom to go, so the manner, such as beseemeth the Lord, such as he prescribeth in his holy word: Which may bee an argument to renew all the former duties, but of that anon directly. Yea, it is for our encouragement notwithstanding former and larter sins. It was an encouragement( sometimes) to them to sue unto the Kings of Israell, because they had heard them to bee merciful. It is a truth much more of our King and God: he proclaimeth himself such, he hath been found so from generations, Manasseh a bloody Idalater had experience of it. So had Paul, I was a blasphemer, a persecutor, an injurious person. I obtained mercy; Mercy in his work, The mercy of the Lord is from generation to generation, on thē that fear him; As I live( saith the Lord) J will not the death of a sinner. Let us put it to use, having need of remission of our sins. Let the gracious attributes of this God, whose privilege this is, 'allure us and encourage us to the uttermost; at length we may prevail, and as he was to Jsrael he will be to us: he was( saith the Psalmist) so merciful that he forgave them. Last of all, it must teach us to whom to give the praise and glory of it, in all the duties thereof, even unto the Lord: thou that hast it and dost know it( without which thou caused never give God the glory of it, as an intellectual agent) Ascribe unto the Lord the praise, thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory; give him the glory of good will, of grace and mercy, of truth and power, of Jesus Christ, of all his other means by which thou hast attained the same. Remember that of his, My glory will I not give unto another; give it him with thine heart, with thy mouth, with thy life, all recieue in this mercy from him: Let all for this mercy return praise and glory unto him. bless thou the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me praise his holy name. bless the Lord, O my soul, Psal. 103.1. and forget not all his benefits, who forgiveth all thine iniquities. It is his privilege. afternoon Sermon. IN the last place,( for I purpose not to obserne any thing else out of these words) That GOD may forgive our sins, it is necessary that wee repent. Or repentance in us is a condition required, as previous and disposing to remission of sins. I gather this from the words: the promise of the Lord is, hearing, forgiveness, healing the Land: the condition or quality requisite in the subject to whom this promise is made, Is turning from their evil ways to God in all holy duties, those name in the Text, Humbling, Prayer, Seeking. If they shall, &c. I will forgive, &c. 1 This is the constant Method of God in the Scriptures, my Text is a primary place: So Esay 1.16. Wash you, make you clean, &c. Cease from evil, learn to do well, &c. seek iudgement, relieve the oppressed. In which words, there are both terms of repentance; and then the promise of the Lord followeth, Though your sins be as Scarlet, they shall be white as snow: which is, forgiveness of sins. if the wicked shall turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and( which is observable) keep all my Statutes, Ezech 18.21. and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, and he shall not die. Thus Peter, Acts 2.38. Repent, and be baptized for remission of sins: which is his injunction unto those his auditors pricked in their hearts. And elsewhere Repent, Acts 3.19. and bee converted that your sins may be blotted out. Thus Solomon, Pro. 28.13. He that confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall haue mercy. Mercy in that effect of remission. If we confess our sins God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins: 1. Iam. 1.7. What can bee more plain? Thus the Prophet laying down the commission of Christ, The Spirit of the Lord is vpon me, &c. he hath annoynted me to preach the gospel unto the meek. He hath sent me to heal the broken hearted. Whats that glad tidings, but amongst the rest remission of sins? and to whom? the meek, the poor, &c. Answerably, Christ did preach, Blessed are the meek, &c. They are that quallisied subject to whom the promise is made, to whom my commission leadeth me to preach blessing. I might bee larger, but this shall suffice for our first head; the constant method and order of God in Scriptures. 2 This will appear in the next place, because there is no promise made unto an impenitent man, of remission of sins; yea, all the curses of God are denounced, and enforce against him. Cursed is every one that abideth not in all the commandements, to do them. If thou shalt not observe and do all, &c. Deut. 28. All these curses shall come vpon thee, In which observe the words run, of not doing the Commandements; and that so long a man is under the curse. I, of doing all, wherein we see there must be a turning from sin in heart, in the roote, its power must bee tamed; there must be a turning from it in mouth, and in life; suspension of acts is not enough, that may bee where sin doth reign, which implieth contradiction to repentance. I, turning from sin is not all, there must be a turning unto God; there must bee doing whats commanded, amend nont: in heart, in it motions, mouth, and life, in their season: or else all these Curses shall come vpon you, and overtake you. Therefore it shall come to pass, Deut. 29.19.20. saith Moses.( Of the man, who hearing the words and curses of Gods book, shal impenitencly go on: saying, I shall haue peace though I walk in the abominations of mine own heart, &c.) The Lord will not spare that man, the wrath and the iealousy of the Lord shall wax hot against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall fall vpon him. Saint Paul of an impenitent man having an hard heart that cannot repent, he treasureth up wrath, Rom. 2.5. against the day of wrath, &c. The Axe is laid unto the roots of the trees, saith John the Baptist, every three that bringeth not forth good fruit( observe, he saith not that bringeth not evil fruit onely; nay, if it were possible, to bee without good fruit) it shall be hewn down and cast into the fire. Math. 3. How many times hath God said, Exod. 34.7. he will not clear the guilty. And wee cannot question but he is faithful and just. Nah. 1.3. So that if the curse of God necessary abideth, every man that doth not repent, turn from sin, and turn unto God, according to his commandements, then must a man in that manner repent, that he may be exempted Gods curse, and qualified to the contrary blessing of remission of sins. 3 I argue, a lively faith is before in nature, and so previous to remission of sins, and therefore repentance; for the former, it is the position of all divines that I know. Protestants constantly teach a lively faith, the instrumental cause of justification, it is indeed that whereby we receive Jesus Christ, and haue union with him, in whom we haue redemption, remission of sins, remis●ion of sins floweth from communion with Christ, which in order of nature followeth union, which is by faith; for the consequence, it is clear, seeing faith without repentance is not a lively faith; faith without, separable, separated from works, 1. Thes. 1.3 is a dead faith: a lively faith is an effectual faith, it sheweth it in all good works in separable companions; it is the mother of all Christian virtues: it is that one good work which is great with all other; it is a work, holinesse is of it nature, whence it is called our most holy faith; though in that respect it justifieth not, faith indeed alone justifieth, but that faith which justifieth is never alone: it hath all graces present, though not efficient in justification. Promissio Dei de remissione peccatorum gratuitaque nostri iustificatione percipienda fidem vivam postulat; Dr. Benef. de persever. pag. 213. fides autem viua non est, si sine poenitentia studioque bonorum operum fuerit; cvi autem non fuerit fides viua, nequaequam ei remittentur peccata, nequaquam ille iustificabitur. Dr King on jonas, Lect. 39. p. 529.& 530. Wee never said( saith that reverend late Bishop of London) that faith without works, barren and empty of her fruits, justified an unrighteous soul, but that faith so qualified, doth notwithstanding justify without those works, wee maintain against men and Angels, &c. It is not a naked, fruitless, hypocritical faith, but soundly and substantially conditioned: So St. James meant. Let us now make use of it. And first, it serveth for refutation of the contrary opinion that repentance is not before, and disp●sing to remission of sins in the order of nature; especially that which maketh repentance simply after remission of sins, in the order of nature:( which distinction must bee observed in faith, and repentance, and remission of sins, seeing these haue the nature of cause, and effect, and so stand in relation unto each other, which I observe a scruple, when as repentance is spoken of, under that notion of sanctification●;( though confessed the same with repentance) myself demanded heretofore of priority of repentance and remission of sins, haue constantly answered according to my proposition: But if the question were of sanctification, mortification, vivification, and remission of sins, I was wont to deny it, and yet finding, and still holding both these one and the same, I saw myself condemned: and being every way persuaded of the truth, thought good to persuade others, having so clear a Text, and rise for it and such an occasion. Against this may be objected, God justifieth the ungodly. I answer: ungodliness was not the state of that man in the point of Gods act, but the immediat state before Gods mercy on him in that effect, God protesteth the contrary in plain terms before; who knoweth not that the formal cause of justification, is the righteousness of Christ imputed and given? Vpon which justification, and I so remission of sins follow, in which a man is not ungodly. here is a supposition of union with Christ, of one in Christ, Coll. 1.14. in whom wee haue redemption, remission of sins: and faith by which we haue union, and thereby remission of sins, a lively faith as before: so that between remission of sins and an ungodly man, there is imputation of righteousness, union, and faith, ungodliness is the immediate estate in order of nature before. Whom he called he justified, whom he justified he glorified; under which, sanctification is enfolded: from whence it followeth, as that justification is before glorification, and so sanctification. I answer, and grant sanctification a part, or the beginning of glory. I grant also that the degrees of sanctification& consummation, followeth justification or remission of sins; that it simply and according to its parts doth follow, I deny. Call enfoldeth repentance or sanctification, as it term ad quem, the first term ad quem, is Christ, 1. Cor. 1.9. in Christ from sin it reign, and the power of darkness, Colloss 2. in whom wee are circumcised with the circumcision not made with hands, to the putting away the body of the sins of the flesh: Colloss. 1. and so to the kingdom of the son of Gods love, light, righteousness, holinesse, grace, virtue, repentance which enfoldeth all: so that though the consummation followeth justification, the beginning and parts of renovation may go before, as the term ad quem of call, and as the companions of faith, by which I am justified. But is not this popery? I answer, it hath nothing to do with any thing that is popery indeed. Repentance with them is a Sacrament, it worketh justification ex opere operato, it is a part of the formal cause of justification, it is a cause of remission of sins: These particulars are popery, and I deny them. I affirm a necessity of good works or repentance, in regard of presence, and that in a measure and degree onely, as the quality and conditions of faith: and the person to whom God promiseth remission of sins. I confess the progress of sanctification, and it exercise vpon that motive, Gods mercy in forgiveness after. I deny all efficiency, or casuality in repentance at all, of our justification, or remission of sins. skill they follow their Mistris, but in remission of sins, and clothing a sinner with the iustice of God, therein they give her the place, and put the burden of the work vpon her shoulder: As that worthy Protestant, Doctor King, ubi supra. This Papists themselves confess Protestant doctrine: Multi postea docuerunt opera necessaria esse ad vitam aeternam: Vasques 1.2 ae. disp. 214 n 21. sicut etiam dixerunt necessariam esse renouationem per fidem spem& charitatem ad justificationem. Lutherani etiansi contritionem requirunt ad remissionem peccatorum, Bellar. de poenit. l 1. ca. 12. tamen non ferunt, vt contritio dicatur causa justificationis. And elsewhere, Lib. 1. de Instit. ca. 18 §. adhaec. Praerequiri istos actus praeter fidem quoad praesentiam, non quoad apprehensionem justificationis: Bellarmine giveth sanioribus Prostantibus Which distinction of Efficiency and Presence, though some allow not of, I suppose to be nothing else but the Doctrine of the Church of England. Homil. of Salua. p. 15. And yet that Faith( which alone justifieth) doth not shut out Repentance, hope, love, dread, and the fear of God, to bee joined with Faith in every man that is justified, but it shutteth them out from the Office of justifying: so that though they bee all present together in him that is justified, yet they justify not altogether. Neither is this Doctrine mine alone but of the learned. Bellarmnie before giveth it Lutherans: And so to Luther, Volo eam( scilicet poenitentiam) said dico eamnon operari justificationem aut remissionem peccatorum. To Cymnitius, Exam. part. 2. de paenit. pag. 316. Est& hoc extra controuersiam apud nos neminem posse Deo reconciliari,& remissionem peccatorum consequi, nisi agate poenitentiam: nam cor impaenitens cumulat sibi iram Dei, Rom. 2. luke. 13. I, he giveth it also to Caluin. Inslit li. 3. ca. 4. §. 3. Diximus nos quodam loco nunqum sine poenitentia obuenire peccatorum remissionem: said similiter adijcimus poenitentiam non esse causam remissionis peccatorum. Nam nullis hoc peccatum( originale) remittitur nisi qui spiritu mentis suae renouari incipiunt. D. Whitak de orig. pec. pag 313. in octaue. Repentance for sin must go before remission, In vers. ult. Iud. Dr. Abbot. in Thomp. pag. 212. saith Master Perkins. Nusquam autem decreta est remissio peccatorum absque poenitentia, neque unquam alia conditione concessa est. Oleum miserecordiae non infundit nisi in vas contritum& contribulatum, saith Bernard, citat Cymnit. ubi supra pag. 330. he pardoneth and absolveth all them which truly repent, saith our church. King james on the Lords prayer calleth it, Pag. 65. In johan. lo. de remiss. peceat. l o. §. 6. pag. 42.43. Causa sine quo non. Master Zanchy, conditions non propter quas, said citra quas peccatorum remissio non obtinetur. Whom I wish consulted with, he answereth that objection fully, that then remission will not be free. See also Master tailor in Psal. 32. pag. 153.& 164.173. And Doctor Francis Whites Orthodex, pag. 17. p. 33. p. 217. One saith truly, The Lord hath not as much as promised or spoken any syllable tending to a promise of forgiveness of sins but to such as forsake their sins. And I could add a great many more: And by this must that of Augustine be limited and understood, Bona opera non praecedunt just ficandum, said sequuntur iustificatum: of degrees and measures not simply, in the sense explained before. All which I desire to bee considered by my Learned Brethren. One rub more must bee removed, If Repentance bee before remission of sins, then before justifying faith: Three I find in this manner arguing. briefly I deny the consequence. Of Repentance in the sense, I haue out of the Word of God explained it, Turning from sin, turning unto God in amendment, mortification, and vivification; two of the three yield the non consequence: and to make that good deny Mortification and vivification, or turning to God, by amendment, to be the repentant God calleth for; that they confess a fruit of faith in question: which I suppose in former propositions I haue sufficiently made good. The third that maketh this objection conceiveth rightly of Repentance, and includeth, the love of GOD above all in it nature. Now to say, that the love of GOD above all is in nature before justifying faith, is a conclusion; so of all sorts confessedly absurd, that I need for the present but to name it. It is sufficient though I say nothing. Whole Sanctification, as well it parts, Mortification, and vivification; the purging and purifying the heart in this sense, is ordinarily given to Faith in Christ, Acts 26. and colossians 2. From which Christ, Faith draweth the same. Faith is of all the Learned confessed the roote, the mother of love, and all Christian virtues; and therefore to make it an effect or consequent of them is but novelty, strange, and unheard of Doctrine. But of this( if GOD be pleased) an other time. 2 If repentance be the condition of remission of sin; then wheresoever there is this condition, there is remission of sins: it is Gods promise, his truth and iustice are at stake for it, 1 John 1.7. J said I will confess, and thou for gavest. Neither is there any space or time between these; therefore the Scripture pronounceth such a man blessed, Blessed are the meek, blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, Matth. 5. actually blessed. The Lord dwelleth with the humble, actually. A broken heart is a sacrifice of God. indeed, true repentance put, all requisites to remission are in act; it is turning from all sins, and turning to God according to all his commandments, there is the whole new creature for parts of grace. Consequently fellowship with Christ, from which this doth flow: and so faith, by which there is caused that fellowship with Christ; and if it were otherwise, a true repentant might be actually accursed, and it might be possible, that he dying in the mean time, might go to hell. Which I observe against those who teach that true repentance, and justifying faith, may be separated, the one before the other in time, and others who teach besides, that a man may be seven yeares, more or less, truly repentant, and yer unjust, one of the ungodly, vniustified, and so without remission of sins, and there is a rout of those about this city:( which withall convinceth repentance with them, to bee but legal, indeed unjustice, ungodliness: if the three be nought, the fruit cannot be good.) No, no, repentance and remission of sins are inseparable, godly Preachers ever joined repentance and remission of sins, as our Homilies: And therefore our Church: At what time so ever a sinner repenteth him of his sins, &c. I will put out all his wickedness out of my remembrance, as the saying of the Lord, and giveth power to Ministers, to declare and pronounce unto the penitent soul, remission of sins, such men are subiects of comfort; glad tidings must bee preached unto them, they may hear of ioy and gladness: wheresoever God worketh repentance, he promiseth and giveth withall inseparably remission of sins. 3 This teacheth us in what manner to seek and sue for, to the Lord, remission and pardon of sins, namely with this quality and disposition, repentance, and for that cause it is( as before) that every one that calleth vpon the Lord, must depart from iniquity, must lift up pure hands, &c. And withall, affordeth us vpon trial, an infallible ground of knowledge, whether wee haue remission of sins or no. The trial is necessary, remission of sins is a matter of great consequence, blessedness is that which belongeth unto that man, until our sins are forgiven us, wee haue no sound peace, or ioy, or comfort: guilt binding over to Gods judgements, lieth as a dog at our door. Wee are open to Gods danger of all curses, of death itself: the very sight and sense of such a state is terrible, and hath strange and unnatural effects. See it in Iudas and cain: when as Gods face is sometimes hidden from his children, withdrawn, and their persuasion and assurance of faith is eclipsed: When GOD bringeth old sins to remembrance, and maketh even them to possess the sins of their youth: their trouble sheweth their complaints, and earnest cries for mercy, declareth it. If a man hath that blessing, and none other of the world, he is truly blessed. If a man want that, if he hath all the world can afford him, he is truly miserable, fearfully accursed, the wrath of God abideth on him: the healing and weal of the Land, in regard of the plague, dependeth on it. Besides, every one of us stand up, and say, wee beleeue remission of sins, we beg it often: would you now know whether you haue attained that blessing, whether you are as you profess, free from that terror and danger spoken of, and so bound for life everlasting? look unto your repentance, Gods condition, examine thyself narrowly about that, as I haue before delivered it. If thou find that, thou mayest conclude, and know thy sins are remitted. The peace and quiet of thy soul is substantial: thy faith and hope of eternal life are lively, truly conditioned and qualified; thou mayest be encouraged comfortably to go on unto perfection. But if vpon trial it bee otherwise, there is a denial of repentance spoken of: Thou hast not the forgiveness of thy sins: thou art not conditioned and qualified unto the promise of the same: the peace and quiet of soul are but carnal security, thy faith and hope vain: as a Spiders web, as the giuing up of the Ghost: Thou hast no title to eternal life, the stipend and wages of those sins, is death: repent and bee converted for the remission of thy sins, except thou repent, thou shalt now, or eternally perish: repentance is Gods condition to forgiveness of sins. And so much for this proposition, and GODS whole prescript for the plague. {αβγδ}. TWO SERMONS of thanksgiving, Preached the first of Ianuarie. 1625. PSAL. 116.9. I will walk before the Lord in the Land of the living. THis psalm containeth a profession of duty to GOD for deliverance. The sorrows of death compassed david about, the pains of hell got hold vpon him, he found trouble and sorrow, Ver. 3. he was brought low, Ver. 6. he was greatly afflicted, Ver. 10. In this trouble of his, then, he called vpon the name of the Lord; his petition was, Lord I beseech thee deliver my soul, Ver. 4. The Lord gracious, righteous, merciful, Ver. 5. Heareth his voice, inclineth his ear unto him, Ver. 1.2. Helpeth him, Ver, 6. Looseth his bands, Ver. 16. delivereth his soul from death, his eyes from tears, his feet from falling, Ver. 8. Vpon this david in this psalm maketh a profession of his faith in God, the mother and roote of his prayer: J believed, therefore I spake, Ver. 10. Of his love, J love the Lord, ver. 1. He promiseth to continue in prayer to GOD. Therefore will I call vpon him as long as I live, ver. 2. and 17. Walking before the Lord in the Land of the living, ver. 9. thankfulness, ver. 13.17. Payment of his vows, public in Gods house, ver. 14.& 18. service in general: I, continuance in it: as before, I love, and I will call &c. So in this, I am thy seruant, I am thy seruant, he was so in affliction, he is so, he resolveth to be so: yea,( he being as it were ravished with the sight and sense of this,& al Gods benefits towards him.) In this psalm( as one at a non plus) crieth out: What shall I render unto the Lord for all his mercies towards me? The evil of david, hath been lately ours, the evil of the Land, of this city, of this Parish, of every one of us abiding in the same: the sorrows of death compassed us about, the pains of hell got hold vpon us; wee found trouble and sorrow, wee were brought low, wee were greatly afflicted in this affliction, we called vpon the Lord, wee besought him to deliver our souls: the Lord was gracious, yea, our God was merciful; he hath now wonderfully delivered us; we therefore also owe duty unto God for our deliverance: the practise of david ought to be our pattern, it is written for our example: Theres not a duty professed and promised by him, but is due from vs. I cannot particularly handle all: out of all I haue chosen one, in the speaking of which I intend to stir up myself and you, to a proportioned purpose, and resolution, and practise, in these words, J will walk, &c. These words contain Dauids resolution: they may bee considered two ways, absolutely, or relatinely; absolutely, as in themselves: so they contain a proposition, in which wee haue: first the subject, in that word I. Secondly, the predicate in the rest, in which we haue, first an action, in the words, will walk: Secondly, the manner of it, before the Lord: Thirdly, the circumstance of place, in the land of the living. relatively. So they are an effect; the cause is laid down in the foregoing words: Thou hast delivered my soul from hell, &c, J will walk: that is the cause, that is the motive of this resolution, I will walk, &c. In these words, we haue clearly laid down four propositions. First, It is the purpose and practise of Gods people to walk: 2. Their purpose and practise is, to walk before Iehouah, the Lord. 3. Their purpose and practise is, to walk before the Lord in the Land of the living. 4. deliverances of GOD vouchsafed unto Gods people, are prevailing motives of this purpose, and practise of theirs, to walk before the Lord in the Land of the living. All these are plainly laid down in the words, and my purpose is, to speak of them in their order. And first, of the first. The purpose and practise of Gods people, is to walk. In handling this proposition, I will first explain the words, then prove the proposition, and after put it to use. For explication, walk is a metaphor, borrowed from men in a journey, their exercise and use of feet, whereby they tend unto some place; a course of life, or a life thus and thus lead, is called in Scripture a way, living and going on in it, walking: as a way, so walking and walkers are of two sorts or kindes: from the quality the one is called the way of wickedness, or the way of the wicked: The other contrary hereunto, paths of righteousness, or the way of the righteous: In regard of the end or term ad quem, the one tendeth to death, it is the broad way, many walk in it: the other to life, a narrow way, a few find it, a few walk in it. The former is a going out of the latter way, a turning of the back vpon God, and his way, a trudging from the same, the latter a turning from the former, a returning unto the Lord and his ways. The former denoteth a course, and it progress in sin, the flux or motion of inward corruption, in thoughts, words, and deeds: the latter, the life of grace, and exercise of it, in thoughts, words, and deeds: the former implieth a power( or impotency rather) and expresseth it use, or exercise, and progress; the latter, the contrary power, with it use, as occasion is offered, and progress, until the power and acts are perfect, and the end fully attained and enjoyed. In this place we are not to take it in the former sense: For that a people are open to, and under Gods danger; that walk and way leadeth to death: the prescript of God for avoiding danger, is, To turn from our evil ways. But in the second, the contrary course and trade of life, exercise of grace, and progress in the same. Thats it which david promiseth, and all the godly practise, under this notion of walking, When as he purposeth walking, it is not to be restrained by one or two graces, their use, or exercise of them, but it is to bee meant of the use of all graces: It is laid down indefinitely, which is aequivalent to universal terms. Though david specially promiseth exercise of Faith in GOD, gracious, righteous, merciful, found and tasted to bee so by comfortable experience, w●lking by faith in God and Christ rooted, and grounded, and built up; building up himself in his most holy faith: yet love is not excluded, nor prayer, nor praise, nor any other sacrifice. These are expressed in the psalms, and to be implyed in our Proposition. It is generally, A walking in Gods Lawe, in all his Commandements, 2 Chron. 6.16. When as the duty is expressed, we must conceive, that Gods manner is also required: unto which all requisites scattered up and down in the book of God are to be referred. As by faith, So Enoch walked pleasingly, without which it is impossible to please God. Gen. 17.1. Heb. 11.5.6. uprightly, or sincerely, with all the heart, 2 Chron. 6.14. Honestly as in the day. As children of light, Ephes. 5. Worthily, Rom. 13.13 worthy calling, Ephes. 4.1. wisely, accurately; precisely, Col 4.5. Humbly, as the Prophet Micaiah, the manner must not be neglected. Add yet, david must be considered in all respects: generally, as a Christian, or child of GOD: particularly, or specially, as a King, and as a Prophet; his profession is in the largest extent to bee understood: He will walk as a Christian, in exercise of all grace, towards GOD the Head, and also towards man the rest of that Community. He will walk as a King, in the administration of that Office; as a Prophet, in the administration of that Office. The promise of God to Ely and his Fathers house was, that they should walk before him for ever: 1. Sam. 2.30 and honour him in the administration of that offiice, And so are the Kings of Israel said to walk, in regard of the administration of that Office: And so must we conceive the proposition, enfolding exercise of all grace, as Christians, as Kings, as Ministers, as People, as Husbands, as wives, as Parents, as Children, as Masters, as Seruants. And thus is it the purpose and practise of Gods people to walk. For proof: I might bee large in instance: It was the commendation of Enoch He walked with God: of Noah that Preacher of righteousness. Of david& Hezekiah. Of that renowned pair, Zachary and Elizabeth, They were both just before God, and walked in all the commandements& ordinances of God: Commandements, Ordinances; First in Commandements, then in Ordinances, in both, in all. There is good reason for it: First, It is Gods express Commandement, Gen. 17.1. walk before me and be upright, saith God to Abraham, and to his seed, Genes. 17.21. And it is worthy our consideration, to take notice of the particular graces and their exercise, called for under this notion of walking, in these phrases: Walking in the spirit, after the spirit, in the Law of God, by faith, in love, in truth, in the fear of God, in newness of life: unto which wee may refer precepts about the manner in the places name before. It is the Commandement of God, and therefore. This will yet appear further. 2 Because these are a company of confederates of God, such as haue made a covenant with him; by virtue whereof, look what the Lord requireth of them, he promiseth and undertaketh,& accordingly worketh in them as he requireth, walking in his Commandements, he promiseth to cause them to walk: J will cause them to walk in my statutes, and to do them, Ezek 36.27. Ezec. 36.27 3 Because these are a company called effectually, called with an high and heavenly call, by Christ, to Christ, and fellowship with him, 1 Cor. 1.9. From whence as their issueth life, and a power of grace, so inablement to it use and exercise in walking. And thus doth God enter into covenant with us, and exequute the former promise: and therefore the Apostle beseecheth the Ephesians, To walk worthy the calling wherewith they were called, Eph. 4.1. And worthily, because that walking is an inseparable effect of this calling: when as the Prophet had said, He( Christ) shall call a nation, it is added, and they shall run unto him, Isai. 55.5. effectual call enableth a man to answer the same, comformeth a man to that he is called unto; it planteth or setteth a man into Christ, and comformeth him to Christ, to his death, Whence followeth, We( in regard of the old man) are dead with him, to his burial, Whence it inseparably followeth, we are butted with him: the old man is laid in a consumption, as a carcase in a grave, To his resurrection: that like as Christ dyed, and rose again from the dead, by the glory of the Father, so wee should walk in newness of life, Rom. 6.4. Hence those that are in Iesus Christ, are called walkers not after the flesh, Rom. 8.1. but after the spirit. he that abideth in him, ought to walk, as he hath walked, 1 John 2.6. By effectual call unto Christ we are made new creatures, 2 Cot. 5.17. the new creature is a talent received, and that for use: Wee are his workmanship, Ephes. 2.10 created in Iesus Christ unto good works,( saith the Apostle) which he hath inclined, that we should walk in. Good works are ordained for us to walk in, and we created to walk in Gods Commandements, to do good works: so that we being a company, called to Iesus Christ; from hence haue this purpose and practise, to walk. Last of all, the privileges given unto Gods people, necessary require that they walk, they are a people that haue obtained mercy in remission and pardon of sins: there is no condemnation unto them; Rom. 8.1. they haue hope of eternal life and glory: they are begotten again unto a lively hope of an inheritance, immortal, and undefiled, that fadeth not away, 1. Pet. 1.4. None of all which can be made good, can bee accomplished unto that man that doth not purpose and practise this duty of walking: walking is a compliment, necessary disposing the soul to these blessings. Thus Salomon describeth the Lord, keeping covenant, and showing mercy, but to whom? seruants: and what seruants? That walk before thee with all their hearts, 2. Chron. 16.16. And when the Apostle had said, There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus; he sheweth who those are, describing them by this, as another effect of their being in Christ, which walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. howsoever good works are not the causes of reigning, yet they are the way, or causa sine qua non, God hath ordained them, that wee should walk in them unto heaven: the man that walketh not in them, shall never attain Gods kingdom; and therefore, there is a necessity of this walking, of this purpose and practise in every child of God. The use I make of it, shall be discovery vpon examination, whether we be the people of God or no: examination a necessary duty, our comfort and encouragement in our journey, our going on, and our return into the right way( if wee be out of it) depend vpon the same, a necessary duty at all times, especially when as we come to the Sacrament. Let a man examine himself( saith the Apostle) and so let him eat of this bread, and drink of this cup. Of what must he examine himself? his worthiness, his compliment, his quality: and wherein doth that consist, but in such things as show a man, and prove him a confederate, one within the covenant, in all those particulars: this holy walking, the power itself of grace, and the exercise of the same: examination therefore of ourselves in regard of this duty, is a work of this day, put we ourselves vpon it: Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of this bread, and drink of this cup. Is it so then, that we looking into ourselves, can find this purpose and practise of walking, that we are men walking after the Spirit, by it conduct; in the truth, in faith, in love, in the fear of GOD, in newness of life, in all the commandements of the Lord: do we( communing with our own hearts and lives) find the duty and Gods manner, in sincerity, with all the heart, honestly, as children of light, accurately, and precisely, as Christians, as Magistrates, as Ministers, as Masters of families, as husbands, as wives, and according to all our relations? Is it our purpose and practise, as in the presence of God, and that until we come to our journeys end? Then may we gather, wee are indeed Gods people: wee may make our calling, our fellowship with Christ, our confederacie with God sure, we may make good all the privileges annexed, that there is no condemnation unto us, the mercy of God, his keeping of covenants to eternal life, and glory, with all good: Thou art a man qualified, all the promises of God are made unto thee, unto thee belong these signs and seals; the scope of the Lord is, to make faith by them unto thee, of his bounty in Iesus Christ, against all questions, and doubts, and disputations within thy soul arising to the contrary, to communicate himself, and his Christ unto thee more and more, and in him to open unto thee all his treasures: thou art an invited guest, thou mayest eat and drink boldly, as thou receivest Iesus Christ, the Lord, walk on in him, rooted and grounded, and built up in thy faith: bee encouraged to go on; come as often as Gods table is laid, until thou attain Christ and God unto perfect union: bee holy yet, bee righteous yet, cast off every thing that may hinder thee: press forward daily towards the mark; Be constant and immovable, always abounding in the works of the Lord, assuredly thy labour shall not be in vain. But if vpon examination and trial, this is not to be found, thou hast not this power and it use, neither the will, nor yet the deed.( I mean to walk in Gods commandements, in Gods manner, according to thy place:) Is it so that wee are found not to walk, or to walk in contrary courses to those of the people of God, that we walk but after the course of the world, after the flesh, after the imaginations of our own hearts, in the vanity of our minds, in lasciviousness, in excess of wine, in reuellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatry, 1. Pet. 4.3. in the way of sinners, of cain, of Balaam, of jeroboam, of lying.( And how many such may there be found amongst them, who account themselves good Christians?) If wee be such ourselves, and account it strange, that others run not with us to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of them therefore, such as walk as enemies to the cross of Christ; perverters of the ways of God, Blessing ourselves in our own wickedness, crying peace with a non obstante, to that, walk in the abominations of our own hearts, and so add drunkenness unto our thirst. If so be that wee are so far from walking, that we stand still at a stay; notwithstanding, times, places, means, meate we eat, as Pharaohs lean Kine, as ill-favoured as ever before: that we are retrogrades, beginners in the spirit, ending in the flesh, such as wax worse and worse, such as revolt more and more. If vpon examination this in any particular be found the state of us, the conclusion followeth: thou man or woman art none of the people of God, this privilege is denied with that purpose and practise, thou art without God and Christ, without salvation, nothing but condemnation belongeth unto thee, thou art in the broad way, how seemingly pleasing soever it be unto thee, it end will bee death: the voice of the Lord crying to thee, calling vpon thee in Scriptures, is, turn from that evil way, return unto GOD. walk in his commandements. This is the way, walk in it. Search we, and try our ways, and turn unto the Lord. Come let us all return, get grace as feet, exercise the same, walk. Consider the end; thats good indeed, that hath a good end; the end of the ways of GOD, is life, everlasting life; the end of other ways death, everlasting death; life and death are set before thee this day. Consider, this was thy first vow in baptism; there didst thou renounce all other ways, and promise this, pay thy vows. Let the time that is past, spent in by paths, bee sufficient: let it shane thee that wicked men are, that thyself art more nimble in thy course to hell then heaven. redeem that time; as thou hast served sin, serve the Lord. Consider thy present profession is Christianity, that thou art a member of that Church, called to fellowship with Christ, that thou art a child of light, that thou art an honest man, thus art thou in profession; wouldest bee acknowledged by God and all mens charitable conceit, thou canst not endure excommunication in the very conconceit of men. discover it by thy working, walk worthy that calling, walk honestly, walk as a child of the light: whatsoever mans charitable conceit is, remember The iudgement of God is, and shall bee according unto the truth. Consider if thou walkest on in sin, thy walk is contrary to God, and God will walk contrary unto thee; he will cross and curse thee in all thy proceedings: unto the evils inflicted he will add seven times so many more, many times seven times so many more unto desolation: unto the evils written, threatened, he will add such as are not written. Trust not in lying words, Peace, peace, I shall haue peace though I walk, &c. Theres no peace unto the wicked, the wrath and iealousy of the Lord shall wax hot against thee, the Lord shall separate thee to evil. he will deal with thee as with the men of sodom and Gomorrah, Deut. 29.19.20. whilst thou shalt cry, peace and safety, destruction, and sudden destruction stall come vpon thee as travell vpon a woman, and thou shalt not escape. Consider it is one special means of prevailing against the enemies of Gods Church, a mercy wee do stand in need of at this present. O that Jsrael had walked in my ways, J should soon haue subdued their enemies, and turned mine hand against their aduersaries. The haters of the Lord( such are the Idolatrous enemies of Gods Church) should haue submitted themselves, &c. Psalm. 81.13, 14, 15. Whether our not walking in Gods ways hath not been a cause of our present not prevailing; for the present wee may simply fear, if not peremptorily judge. Finally, thou hast no part nor portion in this business in hand, the Supper of the Lord: thou wast not invited, the table was not spread for thee, nor these fat things prepared: it is childrens meate, thou a dog; an holy thing, such may not be given to Dogges; a pearl, they may not bee cast before swine: thou art indeed without God and Christ, and that covenant, and the Promise, in a desperate case if thou comest, without hope of it good, thou hast not thy compliment, thy quality, worthiness, the wedding garment. If thou eat and drink unworthily, thou art guilty of the body and blood of the Lord; thou eatest iudgement: Gods children not renewing that covenant of walking, coming and eating, eat iudgement. What shall become of thee? What shall be done to thee? Thou shalt eat damnation. The cup of blessing which we bless, Is it not Communion of the blood of Christ? The Bread which we break, is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ? All know it. And withall that there is no agreement between God and Belial, between light and darkness. if we say, we haue fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. he that saith, he abideth in him, ought to walk as he hath walked. All these belong to Gods people, whose purpose and practise it is to walk. I will walk. As the purpose and practise of Gods people is to walk, so the manner of it is before the Lord, Which is our second Proposition. That is, as in the eye, sight, presence, and protection of God. God in whose presence I walk, saith Abraham, Genes. 24.20. God( saith jacob) before whom my Fathers, Abraham and Isaac walked, Genes. 48.15. It is the commendation of Noah, of david, of Hezekiah, of Zachary and Elizabeth, both walked before God. And for this also there is good reason. 1 It is Gods Commandement as that we walk so before him, walk before me, Gen. 17.1. 2 It is that we are elected unto, such as are the Lords, are elected in Christ before the foundation of the world, appointed to obtain salvation, by the means of our Lord Iesus Christ. Elected and appointed to the end, and withall unto the means, good works, which as God hath ordained that we should walk in them, so that we should be holy and without blame, which is all one, and that before him. Ephes. 1.4. 3 It is one of the ends of our Redemption. That wee being delivered out of the hands of all our enemies, should serve him in holinesse and righteousness before him, all the daies of our lives, Luke 1.75. 4 Our comforts, duties, and their manner required, dependeth on this. It is a great comfort and encouragement, in a difficult action, to see a Father, or a powerful friend auxiliary, assistant; how much more, GOD at hand, a rock, a strong Tower, the A mighty God? I haue set the Lord always before me, because he is at my right hand, therefore I shall not be moved, Psal. 16.8. The same david, I haue kept thy laws and commandements, for all my ways are before thee, Psal. 119.168. When as the Apostles commanded not to preach, would convince such as would silence them, they are bold to appeal unto themselves, putting the matter in the sight of God. It maketh much also to the manner, to sincerity, preciseness, performance with the heart: walk before me and be upright: walk honestly as in the day time: such as are drunken, are drunken in the night: the eye of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, The day restraineth wicked men, how much more the presence of him who made the day and night, the Father of lights, to whom the day, light, and night, darkness, are both alike. Last of all, it is the note of a wicked man, not to set God before his eyes, Psal. 86.14. GOD is not in all his thoughts, contraries haue contrary affections, and it must needs be the purpose and practise of Gods people, to walk before God. This is a ground of the great love of God unto his people, of many great privileges and comforts. It is true, he enjoineth service, walking, that which is painful and laborious, and they submit unto him, and yet all is enjoined, and to be performed, ever in his eye, before him, in his presence; all service of holinesse and righteousness is before him. An high privilege and favour( if wee saw it, if wee but clearly knew it.) In this respect, Gods children are truly happy: it is a shadow, or beginning rather of perfect happiness. In thy presence is fullness of ioy, and pleasure, for evermore, Psalm. 16. The greatest hell is banishment from Gods presence. It is that which shall at length satisfy us; the consummation of it, is our presentation in Gods glorious presence with ioy, Iude: as soon as wee are made children and seruants, wee are admitted that presence. A great privilege it is, to be the seruant of a King: There is no service of a King, to do service in his presence, before him is the greatest: Happy are thy men, and happy are these thy seruants( saith the queen of Sheba to Salomon) which stand continually before thee, 1. Kings 10.8. How much greater is it to bee the seruants of the King of Kings? how much more happy a thing to do service to God before him? to bee his Ministers, seruants, and people, to bear his bread, and his cup; to draw near unto him in prayer, and other his ordinances, in public and private, daily to come before him and appear. What an inducement is this, to draw us to Gods service? us, ours, I and mine household will serve the Lord. Nature flieth Gods presence, as Adam: it is the greatest misery of natural men, they fear it; the world seeth it not, deride that service as Michol, and yet it is before the Lord: the best of us all see it darkly, and haue but a small portion of allowed comfort from the same. It is very comfortable, in regard of the evils wee meet withall: the world, and the flesh, and the devill, daily thrust sore at us, that wee may fall, our adversary the devill, goeth about like a roaring lion, seeking how and whom he may devour: Wee haue lawless laws in our members rebelling &c. Miserable men that we are, who shall deliver us, all men are liars, vain( in this case) is the help of men: some thrust sore at our state, and teach that we may fall away: is not God the God of his people? and that a ground of a glorious resurrection? though Abraham be dead, is he not vpon that ground, living? is not Gods omnipresence, and gracious being at hand, our God? is he not with us in the fire, with us in the water? one that will never fail, nor forsake? is not our privilege to serve before him? How then shall wee be removed? Because God is on my right hand, I shall never bee moved. If God be with us, who shall be against us? J am God Almighty: so did God appear to Abraham, Isaac, and jacob, and doth unto us; so is he engaged for all promises: walk before me, and be upright: bee not afraid, our redemption is to service before God, and that without fear of any enemy. again, it is very comfortable, in regard of the good wee do, wee will, we purpose, to God, to man: thoughts, wishes, desires, affections, words, deeds, prayers, tears, are all before God: our works and labours of love, are all in his sight: what matter if no eye else in the world see them: if I haue no other witness, if others see not, know not, deny mine actions, slander me, bely me, bear false witness against me, judge me, condemn me: conscience acquitting, giveth great comfort; it is as a brazen wall; It is a continual feast, Gods witness and testimony, by eye and presence is greater. I pass little to bee judged of you or mans iudgement, he that iudgeth me is the Lord, my walk is before him. 2 Let it bee a ground of our taking up this duty, cease not until thou art vpon thy feet, until thou walk, until thou walk before GOD, and so make thy state, thy portion amongst Gods people sure; with the privileges and comforts spoken of: manifest it by inward thoughts and motions, answerable, of our souls, by congruous words and works, so speak, and so do, as those that haue to do with him, to whose eyes all things are naked: let us approve ourselves to man, but primarily to God. When doth the schoolboy look off his book, and play the trewant, the seruant beate his fellow seruants, eat and drink with the drunken: the whorish woman cry, Let us take our fill in love and dalliance: but when the Masters eye is off him, when that seruant supposeth that his Master delayeth his coming; when the wife saith, Her husband is gone into a far country with a bag of money. When is man corrupt and abominable, but when he saith in his heart, there is no God? See his wickedness, Psal. 10. when as he saith, God hath forgotten it: he hideth his face, he will never see it, ver. 11. When is a seruant more composed in countenance, and gesture in words and deeds, more at his Masters come, and go, and do, then when he is before his Master? a graceless seruant will do eye-seruice. When is the soul of a child of God more composed, bent, set for the service of God, then when it is sensibly in the presence of GOD: walking, and before God, are ever conjoined. It is a truth, there is no flying from Gods presence: if I go into heaven, thou art there, &c. If I say that darkness shall cover me, darkness and light are both alike unto thee: all things are naked and manifest to his eyes, with whom we haue to do. It is good therefore to make a virtue of necessity, and so to do: and yet, rather let us bee moved by his gracious presence, as those that love him, and entirely delight in him, as those that find it the rise of our greatest ioy, peace,& contentment; as those that hope to reap satisfaction with it: let us now sow. If wee now set him at our right hand, our heart may bee glad living, and when wee die, our flesh may rest in hope: God will show us more and more the paths of life, until we come into his presence, fully to enjoy it, in which there is fullness of ioy, and his right hand, where there be pleasures for evermore, Psal. 16. ult. Which God for his mercies sake bring us unto, through Iesus Christ. Our third proposition is, that it is the purpose and practise of Gods people, to walk before God in the land of the living, where as men live: this david professeth in this place, and so Psal. 56. ult. And good reason: Because this is the time, and place, and state of our walking before the Lord: of the exercise of the graces of the spirit of their growth: when as man is dead, he is cut off from the land of the living,( as the Scripture useth the phrase) and the use of his grace in duties unto God and man. The dead praise not thee, Psa. 115.17 nor any that go down unto silence: so david. The grave cannot praise thee, Isa. 38.18. the dead cannot celebrate thee, they that go down into the pit, cannot hope for thy truth( saith Hezekiah.) This life is for that purpose: Psa. 11●. 18 Wee( saith david living) will bless the Lord from this time forth for ever. Psa. 118.17 I will not die but live, and declare the works of the Lord. Let my soul live, and I will praise thee: Isa. 38.18. the living, the living he shall praise thee as I do this day. In, and by death there is a separation of the body and soul, and an utter cessation of all actions or motions of the body. It cannot be Ancillarie unto the soul for good, by sense, hearing, sight, &c. senses are all bound up by that lasting sleep; the soul cannot receive good by them, nor do good by the body: neither is this the world of souls departed. Then is a man uncapable of farther good, by the works of God, by the word of God, by the ministry, reproofs, and exhortation, and admonition, are all in vain: inhabile of good by Sacraments; unction, and absolution of one that is dead, are both in vain; there is no gathering by it, no perfecting by it. As long as a man liveth, body and soul are together, life as a third resulteth from their union; so long there are motions and actions of both; so long the soul can do good by the body, and the body is an instrument of the farther good of the soul; so long God may be seen in his ordinances( the fear of Hezekiah dying, was that, he should not see the Lord, even the Lord in the land of the living:) so long a man may hear Gods word, bee gathered by it to Christ, live, and grow, and go on by it; Profit by the word and Sacraments, by Gods works of mercy and iudgement. Let my soul live, and I will praise thee, and thy judgements shall teach me. I will learn what it is to offend thee, thy iustice and truth, thy power and wrath, thy goodness and mercy. I will put all to a good use, and be the better. The living can put every occurrent unto a good use, make it an occasion of his glorifying God and own edification: Eccles. 7.2. If the living bee in the house of mourning, he will lay it unto his heart,( as Solomon speaketh) The living know that they shall die,( saith Solomon) and so may make use of it in prepartion: In application of his heart unto wisdom. Eccles. 9.5. But the dead know not any thing. If it be not in the mind, it cannot bee in the will or affections, mouth or actions for any use or end. The living knoweth and imparteteth to others. The living, Isa. 38.19. the living praise thee; the father to the child shall make known thy truth. The man that liveth( unless he be spiritually dead, whilst he liveth, may profit himself and others. This being therefore the time, and place, and state of walking: it is but reasonable, that Gods people purpose and practise walking before the Lord, in the land of the living. 1 The use I will put this proposition to, shall be examination, and so conviction of many not to bee Gods people; and exhortation to all by this, to make that privilege unto them sure. conviction of many, because they haue neither purpose, nor practise of walking before the Lord, whatsoever their purpose bee in another world, it seemeth they haue had none to walk with God here in the land of the living. The time that is past, hath been spent indeed in walking, and it hath been in the eye& sight of God, God hath seen it( though he be silent) but it hath been after the course of the world, according to the prince of darkness, after their own ungodly lusts. In all manner of sins, they haue not walked one step in the laws and commandements of God, they haue not as much as a purpose to walk, the purpose they seem to haue, is violent, caused by some extremity feared, or felt temporary, for the day of trouble onely, in a death or sick bed: Whilst Pharaoh is under the plague, and whilst Herods ear is tickled by the sweet sound of the preaching of John. There is no inward principle of motion: repentance, which is a turning from sin,& a turning to God, is put off, their purpose is to reform and amend hereafter, possibly in another life. Yet a little sleep, yet a little slumber, yet a little folding of the arms. How punctual& precise so ever men are with men, and stand vpon it, in keeping day, they ordinarily break with GOD. The truth is, there is small hope of many in this world, custom in sin is added to nature, as another nature, they are by it as Leopards in regard of spots, as black Mores, in regard of their skin, they cannot change: they are under the curse of God, given over, by God, given up: the curse is past already vpon many vnproficients, under rich means, never grow fruit vpon thee more. whatsoever that be, leave it as a secret not belonging to us: let it onely bee feared, and provoke to holy iealousy. It is evident, they are not as yet in the rank of the people of God, their purpose and practise, is to walk before God in the land of the living. whatsoever thou mayest be, I leave it as a secret to God, for the present, thou art none of that company. There was never a child of God of a day old, without this purpose and practise, in some degree and measure; of the Colossians Saint Paul saith that the Gospel was amongst thē, Col. 1.6. so that it was fruitful since the day that they beard and knew the grace of God in truth. I may say not for an hour, the purpose and practise of the thief vpon the cross, condemning himself and his fellow, justifying Christ, believing and praying, will bear me out. I may add not for a moment, for that purpose is practise, the exercise of a power given and received, effectual call is unto, and into Iesus Christ; in whom whosoever is, is a new creature, one that walketh not afrer the flesh, but after the spirit; regeneration is as generation, the introduction of a new form, and that in an instant, it is a motion, a non esse ad esse; and there is no third or middle estate: when Christ calls, they run; they are as trees planted by the riuers side, they bring forth all manner of fruit in their season. Consider this you that forget God: take time and day no longer, trifle not with the Lord any more: consider times are not in your hands or power: When you say you will, what is your life but a vapour, as a bubble that passeth away? Whats past, yesterday, is gone, it cannot be recalled: whats to come is the Lords, the onely present point of time, is ours, and therefore if ever ye intend to walk, take the season, make use of opportunity, seek the Lord while he may be found: call vpon him whilst he is near: whilst thou hast the light walk, as a child of light before God: whilst it is called to day harden not your hearts. Now thou hast the word, and God, in his works, calling vpon thee; thou hast all thy senses, whatsoever is in thine heart, desires, wishes thou mayest do, and onely now, let slip this opportunity, thou mayest never haue another: how often doth the Lord threaten sudden destruction? how suddenly doth it come vpon many? It is even as travell vpon a woman, and they cannot escape, it is as lightning, as a very snare unto many, many haue not leisure to make a will, to order an house, the wills that are made, are rather of such as stand by, then those that haue their name, they cannot sometimes cry Lord, Lord, every one that doth so, I promise and protest to walk, hath no such purpose, the experience is ordinary; men as iron out of the fire, are as hard as before: The dog turneth to his vomit, the swine to wallowing in the mire: The dead cannot praise God, they haue no hope in Gods truth: the living, the living, are the men that shall praise thee, such as wee are all this day. Let us all therefore now take up this resolution and practise: thou that didst never, now begin, thou that hast taken it up already, and dost walk, walk on; Perfect sanctification in the fear of God, run, and so that thou obtain, and to move both, consider it is the purpose and practise of Gods people, to walk before the Lord in the land of the living. Come we now to the last proposition, from the coupling of this resolution with what goeth before: Therefore Gods people purpose and practise this duty because of Gods deliverances from evils imminent, or threatened. I gather it from Dauids purpose and practise. God delivered his soul from hell, his eyes from tears, his feet from falling; and therefore he resolveth, I will walk. It is the main scope of david, in this psalm,( as we heard in it resolution.) And there is great reason for it. First, Because it is that which the Lord requireth, as homage, it is our gratitude, Exod. 20. We haue the ten Commandements of Almighty God, a perfect, immutable, and erernall rule of manners. Whats the motive of God to Israel? J am the Lord thy God, which haue brought thee out of the Land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage: therefore thou shalt haue no other Gods before me, &c. And that argument is often through out the Scriptures repeated: the reason is alike to them and us from that deliverance, and the like; and therefore, This is Gods end and aim in our deliueraces, his glory, our good, eternal good, the way unto which is Gods Commandements, walking in them. Luk. 1.75. That we being delivered out of the hands of all our enemies, should serve God in holinesse and righteousse, before him all the dayes of our lives. Which is all one with walking before God in the Land of the living: Call vpon me in the day of trouble, Psal. 50.16. I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. It is as we see the Lords Condition. Last of all, it is but just and equal. It is that which is covenanted for, promised and vowed: Not a villain in the world, but in sight and sense of danger will promise this, I am sure Gods people do: What more equal then to perform covenant, and to pay vows? It is that whereby life is given unto us, it is no more then that which is given, then that which is received of the Lord: It is just and equal to call for that, for any base and slavish employment, and it is less then life, the kindness wee receive: how much more when as it is to be employed in the service of God? Gods service is perfect freedom: The Apostles glory was, James a seruant, Paul a seruant. david that King, his glory, J am thy seruant, I am thy seruant. Angells themselves, I am thy fellow-servant, and a fellow-servant of the brethren. And therefore the reason is good, just, equal, that this should bee a motive of such a purpose, and such a practise. Let us put this also to use. 1 The use shall bee Examination and Exhortation. Examination, whether we bee of the people of GOD or no, such as david was wee all profess ourselves to bee; by this wee may all know it: Magistrates, Ministers, Masters of Families, every particular man and woman. It cannot be denied, but the Lord hath done great things for us: he hath commanded for us many deliverances. In that memorable year 1588. we had a strange deliverance. In the year 1605. from the Popish, hellish, devilish, never to bee forgotten Gunpowder treason, a miraculous deliverance. It is not long since the Flux and fever, destroying messengers of God were amongst us: our city was delivered, ourselves escaped; particular deliverances of particulars are infinite, wee should never make an end of telling them. Not long since, the now breath of our nostrils was not, was in a strange land, egypt; wee haue received him, and now enjoy him, by Gods hand delivered, quitted from egypt. Not long since our land, as egypt once( in another kind) was amnoyed with frogs, Priests, Iesuites,( a plague worse then that of Frogs in egypt) they crawled up& down; the insolency of their creatures must never be forgotten: They had fire and faggot( their old weapons) in their mouths: we may imagine they had the same, and much more in their hearts. In a good measure we are delivered, by proclamation they are swept away, and shall be by timely execution( if our sins still hinder not) which the Lord GOD speedily grant vs. Lately, the Lord had crwoned the earth with grass and corn, the Lord in his clouds did frown vpon us, and yet the Lord was entreated, that fearful storm was then blown over. Not long since, the Lord shewed he had another controversy with us for our sins: Iudgement was not executed, and the Lord sent an extraordinary messenger to that end, the pestilence. It did that office with a witness, in the city, in the Country, in our whole Land: What Parish amongst us was there not infected? what house or particular person free, at least from imminent danger? The received sum of those that died by this hand in the city and places adjacent, is 41313. and the Lord doth know how many hundreds more, the streights of those times are fresh in our memories: Many of us received the sentence of death being stricken: all of us did tremble and fear: our lives were always in our hands: the desolation of this famous city was great: whilst many forsook it,( barbarously entertained by the Country) whilst most houses spewed out more or less, of their late Inhabitants? Who can express our lamentable complaints? With the Prophet here wee may say, that the sorrows of hell compassed us about, we found trouble and sorrow, wee were brought very low, wee were greatly afflicted: when as on the sabbath or Fast dayes, wee came from Gods house: our fear was, wee should never see the Lord again in his house, even the Lord in this land of the living. In this great strait of ours, we called vpon the name of the Lord, wee earnestly besought him to deliver our souls, those and the like voices: let my soul live, let our lives be precious in thine eyes, were often in our mouths: the Lord inclined his ear unto us, heard the voice of our supplication: gracious was the Lord and righteous: yea, our God was merciful, he preserved us, he delivered us; he delivered us from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence: he did cover us with his feathers, and under his wings we were safe; a thousand did fall at our side, and ten thousand at our right hand, it did not come nigh us: onely with our eyes did we behold, there was no evil( truly so) that did befall us, the plague did not, or but come near some of our dwellings: he gave his Angels charge over us, and they did keep us in all our ways, because he set his love vpon us, therefore did he deliver us: with life did he satisfy us, and show us his salvation. None of these deliverances can be denied. Haue we by holy walking, before God, in the land of the living, answered in purpose and practise all these deliverances? to pass by all the former( the thing itself speaketh, wee haue not been answerable to former deliverances, had he had his end, we had never had so great an hand, so fearful a messenger as this plague sent against us) haue wee that are all alive this day, brands plucked out of the fire, preserved,( in second causes) appointed to die, answered the Lord: haue we had Dauids profession, purpose, and practise? Haue wee of all sorts, Magistrates, Ministers, Masters of Families, particulars, vpon this resolved to love GOD, to call vpon God, to give thanks to GOD, to pay our vows to GOD, to walk before the Lord in the land of the living, to serve the Lord in holinesse and righteousness, before him all the dayes of our lives: Such of us as were wicked men before, living in trades of sin, haue wee vpon this motive, this deliverance, turned from our evil ways: entred into the paths of righteousness: Haue wee( before entred) mended our place, walked on in the same, grown in resolution, endeavour and practise? If I, let it be an evidence unto thee, that thou art of the number of Gods people; because they are delivered, they resolve and practise this duty of walking before the Lord, in the land of the living. But if vpon examination it bee found otherwise with some of us, thus every way delivered.( And alas it is so with the most of all sorts, the sins spoken of before, causing and calling for the plague, abide amongst us: the defects, and wants, omissions, are as many as before; positive sins or commissions are as many as they were before; the man is hardly found that lived in a trade of sin before, that now professeth reformation: that man, who before polluted the Lords day by riding to fairs, buying, selling, working in ordinary callings, in whose mouth were Wounds and Blood; the Pox, and the Plague before: that was an Adulterer, an habituated haunter of taverns, a Drunkard, an usurer& oppressor of his brethren in that kind, and that can say in truth I am a reformed man, is a rare man. With mine eyes I see, with mine ears I hear, and with mine heart I bewail and lament the contrary: Men are as black Mores, as Leopards. Notwithstanding, the evil disposition as it were of the stomach,& shows of washing in times of our Fast,( there was not so much as a show, but profession of the contrary in some then;) the proverb is fulfilled, The dog is returned to his vomit, the Sow to wallowing in the mire. If vpon examination it be found thus with us, bee it known unto that man and woman, his religion and profession of the same is vain: thou art none of the people of God, thou wantest this strong evidence of it: they delivered; resolve, and practise walking before the Lord. Repent, repent of thy dead works, of this dead work, thy not answerable walking. Is this cursed life of thine that thou promisedst unto the Lord, in trouble? Is it proportioned to thy deliverance? Did God spare thee for this? Did God give thee thy life for this? dost thou thus reward the Lord? Thou art reproved by God for this sin: bee convinced of it, bee ashamed and confounded for the same, aclowledge and confess it unto GOD: judge and condemn thyself for this sin: forsake it; never leave until thou hast gotten of the Lord in the use of means, a power to walk before GOD, the will and deed, that purpose and practise. And to move you, remember that fearful iudgement which was of late vpon you, the plague: Remember Londons desolation, the emptiness in houses, in streets, the fillings of Churchyards, the complaints of poor& rich, for friends, for seruants, for children, for housbands, for wives, for Ministers; often recount those times, let the scars in thyself or thine put thee in remembrance, and prevail with thee. Let our strange and miraculous deliverance from that hand, and Gods rich mercy in it persuade thee. Consider and know, if thou do not, thou hast to deal with the Lord: thy sins even this, is still noted in his book, thou art still within his reach, and open to his danger, there is no going for thee from his presence: the world and particular place of thine abode, is but the prison of the Lord, from whence at his pleasure he can drag thee to execution: the Lord hath more rods and scourges, he can sand famine, he can sand the sword, and give us over unto the will of our aduersaries. he can return in anger with the same iudgement, the pestilence: former deliverances exempt not a people unworthy from future judgements and plagues: Of Israel it is said, that after the Lord delivered them out of the land of egypt, he did destroy them that did not beleeue, Iud. How many recovering of the Flux and fever haue been swept away by the plague? that escaped in former times, the plague, and now by it are gone to their long home? How many haue been smitten now with it, and recovered; smitten again in such a manner, that they haue no need to be smitten any more? Doth not the Lord by this messenger hover over us, and continue about us, as if he would tell us for our unthankfulness, he meaneth some such thing? If thou do not, know that thy purposes, and promises, and vows before were hypocritcall and feigned: thy deliverance was not in mercy, but iustice rather: Had God cut thee off before( impenitently now persevering) thy sins had been less, so had thy condemnation: it is his just iudgement vpon thee, to smite thee no more: he leaveth thee to thyself, as the beast is, for a day of slaughter, after the hardness of thine heart, that cannot repent, thou heapest up wrath against a day of wrath, and the revelation of the righteous judgements of GOD. Consider this ye that forget GOD, sow for better things, bee not so cruel to your own souls; do not in that manner reward the Lord. And yet if thou art of another mind, another purpose, another practise; walk on, follow the lust of thine own heart, and the pleasures of thine own eyes, thou that art filthy, bee so still: thou that art unrighteous, bee so still: fill up the measure of thine iniquity, and yet for all that, know that for all these things thou shalt come unto iudgement. As for us, let it be otherwise, seeing the Lord hath delivered us: let us purpose and practise with david, let us pay our vows, the vows of our trouble, in the congregation, in all places; let us walk before the Lord: God calleth for it, our obligations are infinite: This memorable deliverance must prevail: Let the plague itself, as the Sermon of Peter, win to GOD some thousands: let this deliverance provoke more. The day, and time, the first day of the new year calleth on us, the former part misspent is enough, and too much: Let us spend no more in that manner. Let us pass all the rest in walking before God, in newness of life. In baptism we vowed it, and renewed it as often as we haue been at the Lords Supper. This day wee haue been refreshed with the Lords Supper. In it( notwithstanding all our sins) God hath renewed his covenant with us; In and through Iesus Christ, and the blood of the covenant, communicated unto us that are worthy: he hath appeared by the name of GOD Almighty, by all other holy names and attributes relative, to bee unto us a God: he hath condescended to our infi●mities, and unto his promises written, added this sign and this seal: he hath made faith to us of remission of sins, of eternal life, of all good. His covenant is an everlasting covenant, his mercies sure mercies. In it wee haue likewise renewed our covenant with the Lord, wee haue once more promised& sworn allegiance, we haue given GOD our sign and our seal. If we look for comfort from the Lord, let us purpose and practise our promise: comfort and obedience are conjoined by God, no man can put them asunder. The thing the Lord requireth, and we promise( if wee be the Lords) wee shall bee enabled to perform, it is one of his legacies; both are the purchase of the death of Christ, with whom wee haue had communion this day, and in whom we haue received fresh power, to resolve and practise this duty: by which we may know that wee haue been disposed Communicants, and that wee are thankful rememberers of the Lord. If one deliverance bee such a ground: what are all our deliverances together? If this deliverance of our land from the plague: what is that of England, from the service of stocks, and stones, and works of mens hands, of creatures, from more then egyptian darkness from slavery( whilst England was heathenish, whilst enthralled to egypt, and sodom, Rome? What is the deliverance of Gods people from the power of sin and satan, the power of darkness, from this ungodly and wicked present world, from hell and the grave? What is our salvation promised, purchased, undertaken begun from all our vncleannesses? What is our redemption out of the hands of all our enemies? All these add weight unto that motive, and call aloude on us who haue that faith, and hope, for service of God, in holinesse and righteousness before him all the dayes of our lines. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, thus visiting and redeeming his people, raising up unto us such an horn of salvation: Because thou hast delivered our souls from hell, our eyes from tears, our feet from falling. Wee will walk before the Lord in the land of the living. Now the great shepherd of his sheep, CHRIST jesus, in the blood of his everlasting covenant, make us all perfect to do his will, and work in us whatsoever is pleasing in his sight, through Iesus Christ: to whom be all glory and dominion for ever. Amen. FINIS.