A LIVELES LIFE: OR, Mans Spirituall death in Sinne. Wherein is both learnedly and profitably handled these foure Doctrines

  • The Spirituall Death in Sinne.
  • The Doctrine of Humiliation.
  • Mercy to be found in Christ.
  • Continuance in sinne, dangerous.

Being the substance of severall Sermons upon ‘EPHES. 2. 1, 2, 3. And you hath he quickned, who were dead in trespasses and sins, &c.’ Whereunto is annexed a profitable Sermon at LINCOLNES INNE, On GEN. XXII. XIV. Delivered by that late faithful Preacher, and worthy Instrument of Gods glory, IOHN PRESTON, Dr. in Divinity, Chaplaine in Ordinary to his Maiesty, Master of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes Preacher of Lincolns-Inne.

ROM. 7. 9. For I was alive without the Law once, but when the Comman­dement came, sinne revived, and I dyed.

LONDON: Printed by I. Beale, for Andrew Crooke, at the Blacke Beare in Pauls Church-yard, 1633.

AN EXCELLENT TREATISE OF THE SPIRITVALL DEATH IN SINNE.

EPHES. 2. 1, 2, 3.

And you hath he quickned, who were dead in trespasses and sinnes.

Wherein in times past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the Prince of the power of the ayre, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.

Among whom also wee all had our conuersation in times past, in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh, and of the minde, and were by nature the chil­dren of wrath, euen as others.

THe scope of the Apostle in the former part of this Chapter,The scope of the Chapter. is, to stirre vp the Ephesians to a high estimation of their redemption by Christ; and that hee might the better doe this, hee sheweth [...]hem their estate without Christ; That they were [Page 2] children of wrath, and dead in sinnes and trespasses: and that they were dead in sinne, hee proueth, Because they walked in sinne: That they walked in sinne, he proveth, Because they had amongst them some false guides,Three false guides among the Ephesians. which here hee reckons up, and de­clares them to be these three:

  • First, the World; (They walked according to the course of the world.)
  • Secondly, the Devill; (According to the prince of the power of the aire.)
  • Thirdly, the lusts of the flesh; (Among whom also we all had our conuersation, in times past, in the lusts of our flesh, &c.)

The first point that we will observe as naturally arising out of the words,Doct. is this,

That all men by nature are dead in trespasses and sinnes.

This point is to be considered of all men, both those which are alive, and quickened out of this Lethargie; and those which are yet dead in their trespasses and sinnes. That wee are thus dead in sinne,The Doctrine proved first by Reason, it plainly appeares by this reason; All man­kinde were represented in our first parent Adam, of whose fall this death of sinne, and of nature, was made a part of the punishment; now he being the root of us all, and that being dead, all the bran­ches must needs be dead also.Secondly, by Scriptures. It is also plaine by places of Scripture: as, Ioh 5. 25. The dead shall heare the voice of the Sonne of God, and they that heare shall live: so againe, Ephes. 5. 14. Awake thou that slee­pest, and stand vp from the dead, and Christ shall give [Page 3] thee light. Also in the Gospell, our Saviour Christ saith, Let the dead goe burie the dead: that is, let such as are dead in trespasses and sinnes, goe burie those that are dead through sinne. By all which places it plainly appears, that all men by nature are dead in sinne. This men consider not: You would thinke it a gashly sight to see Churches, streets, and houses for to lye full of dead corpes: but for to see places full of men spiritually dead, which is farre the worse, is a more gashly sight; and yet who amongst us is there, almost, that doth consi­der it?

In this death in trespasses and sinnes, for our ful­ler understanding of it, I will shew you these five things:

  • 1. What this death is.
  • 2. The kinds of this death.
  • 3. The signes of this death.
  • 4. The degrees of this death.
  • 5. The use to be made of it.
    1▪ What this death is.

First, What this death is.

To know this, we must understand that as a cor­porall death,Two things, a naturall and a spiritual death so a spirituall death hath two things in it:

First, As in the naturall death there is a priva­tion of life when the soule is seperated from the bodie; so in the spirituall death there is a privation of the life of the soule; namely, the extinction of originall righteousnesse; by reason of which, a man can neither set hand nor foot forward in the waies of goodnesse; as Paul confesseth of him­selfe: [Page 4] for as the seperation of the soule makes the body to dye; so the extinction of originall righte­ousnesse makes the soule to dye.

Secondly, As in the death of the bodie there is a stinking carkasse left, when the soule is departed thence; so in the death of the soule there is a posi­tive corrupted qualitie left, called the flesh, where­by a man is prone to doe all evill: And therefore they are called dead workes: Dead workes why so called. Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us goe on unto per­fection; not laying againe the foundation of repentance from dead workes, &c. Heb. 6. 1. And so againe in the 9. chapter of the same Epistle,, and 15. verse; where it is said, How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead workes, to serve the living God. Now it seemes a contradiction that they should be workes, and yet dead; but yet it is so, because besides the privation of good, there is a positive evill, and stirring qualitie, which is active, and bringeth forth these evill and dead workes.

Now for the chiefe seat of this death:The seat of this death. It is chiefly seated in the minde and understanding, and not in the will. The Understanding is pri­mum vivens, & moriens primum; the first living, and first dead: for although the will bee corrup­ted, yet whatsoever is in it, is carried through the understanding. And this death of the under­standing is such a darkenesse of judgement, as thereby a man esteemes not, but dislikes the [Page 7] wayes of God and goodnesse, and approves the wayes of sinne and wickednesse. And in this fa­cultie of man, the understanding, is this death of sinne chiefly seated; therefore it it is said, Ioh. 1. 4, 5. In him was light, and that light was the life of men. So also, Ephes. 5. 14. the place before mentioned, A­wake thou that sleepest, and stand vp from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light: Ephes. 5. 1 [...]. where hee sayes, not life, but light; for if there be light, life will cer­tainly follow: So againe, Acts 26. 18. To open their eyes, that they may turne from darknesse to light. One would thinke, that in these places it should bee life, and not light; but it is so put to shew that the chiefest seat of this death is in the under­standing. Therefore also is it said, Be renewed in the spirit of your mindes, Rom. 12. 2. And to the same purpose also saith Iames, Iam. 1. 18. The word of Truth begat you: now Truth hath a reference to the understanding. And thus briefly have I gi­ven you a taste what this death is, and the place wherein it is seated.

2.2. The kinds of this death. Now it followes that we speake of the kinds of this death; which for the better handling, and benefit of your memories, I will range into these three sorts:

  • 1 The death of guilt, by which we are bound o­over to eternal damnation: and so in the same manner usually wee say, a man condemned is a dead man.
  • 2 The death which is opposed to the life of grace which is the seperation of grace from our soule.
  • [Page 6] 3. The death which is opposed to the lif of joy and comfort, which is a thousand times more terrible than all deaths, if it were truly, and as it is indeed apprehended.

Which latter death, that you may the better conceive of, I will open it a little to you.

God joynes with every mans soule, and gives to the most wicked man some seeming life of grace, and some colourable life of comfort; for else they would indure an hell here upon earth.

For the first; although the wicked have no true grace, yet they have a shadow of it, as is manifest in their morall vertues. So for the second, for com­fort, they have some, although no true comfort: for God is the author of comfort, as the Sunne is of light; which all, both good and bad, doe more or lesse participate of, or else they could not sub­sist: As may appeare by the contrary; for, when he doth but once with-draw his comfort from us,How terrible the taking a­way of Gods presence is. it is the terriblest thing in the world: An example of this we may see in Christ; when this comfort was with-drawne from him but in sense and fee­ling onely, it made him cry out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Matth. 27. 46. Where Gods presence is taken away, there is nothing but horror and trembling: and I have knowne such, that in his absence, when his presence hath beene taken away, have had their soules so pressed with horror, that they have said, That if at a thousan [...] yeeres end they might enjoy the comfortable pre­sence of God, they would thinke themselves th [...] [Page 7] happiest men in the world. The absence of this, made Luther to say, That if all the creatures in hea­ven and hell should set to torment him, they could not doe it so much as the with-drawing of Gods comfort did.

Alas, poore creatures, now in this world God is not seperated from you, you feele not the torment of this death, but now you enjoy the crepusculum, and day-light of this comfort; and therefore al­though it bee now slightly esteemed, and little re­garded, yet when that day shall come that the Lord shall totally seperate them from his presence, they shall by lamentable experience learne how terrible a thing it is. Thus much for the second point, the kinds of this death.

3.3. The signes of this death. For the signes of this death.

The signes of it may be taken from them of the bodily death; the signes of that are these foure:

  • 1. The understanding faileth.
    Foure signs of bodily death.
  • 2. There is want of sense.
  • 3. Want of motion.
  • 4. There is a deadnesse in the face.

These foure things you shall finde in a spirituall death:1. Privation of reason. First, As those that are corporally dead, want reason and understanding, so doe those that are spiritually dead; they cannot understand the things of God, no more then men can judge of colours in the darke.

I but some man will object and say,Obiect. The carnall man knowes many things, he hath a generall noti­on of the God-head, and can talke of the creation [Page 8] of man, and his redemption by Christ, he can dis­course of faith, repentance, &c.

There is a great difference betweene knowing Spirituall things,Answ. A difference betweene knowing spi­rituall things, and knowing them in a right manner. and knowing them after a right manner; a carnall man knoweth them, but not in a right manner, not in a spirituall manner. And hence is that of the Apostle, Tit. 1. 16. They professe that they know God, but in workes they deny him, being abo­minable, and disobedient, and unto every good worke re­probate: The word which there is translated repro­bate, is [...]; signifying, unable to judge. Indeed in the generall they may understand and like the things that are of God, but come to particular cir­cumstances, that crosseth them; they, as a Divine sayes of them, love veritatem lucentem, non redargu­entem; they wholly dislike particulars, because they bring them to hic et nunc, to particulars. In the abstract they loue holinesse, but not as it is applied to particulars, as it convinces them of their parti­cular sinnes. Hence it is that godly men are most hated of them that come neerest to them in shew, because they bring light home to them, and disco­ver their acerrima proximorumodiv, their inward and bosome hatred of their neighbours: It is as much as if one should bring a Torch to one that is a do­ing some unlawfull thing, some deed of darknesse, he would wish him further off: their lives shine as lights, and therefore giving good examples by a shining and godly conversation, which is contrary to the life of the ungodly and hypocriticall ones, they cannot chuse but hate them: and as all wic­ked [Page 9] men hate them, so especially those that are nighest unto them in shew; because that their life doth not onely shine unto them, and lay open their vildnesse, but scorch them also; and therefore they being occupied about the workes of darke­nesse, wish them as farre off as they can: So that hence we see, with an approving judgement, not any save those which are quickned, can understand spirituall things.

2.2. Privation of sense. The second thing wherein a naturall death consisteth, was in a privation of sense; so also is it in the Spirituall death; for their hearts are strong and cannot bee moved; although I deny not but sometime they may have a little griping of con­science, and sense of Gods judgement, which na­turally ariseth from conscience; but they never have any reall and true feeling of it.

3.3. Want of motion. In a naturall death they are without moti­on; so likewise it is in a Spirituall death; for the wicked can no more move themselves unto any good worke, than a dead man can move himselfe out of his grave.

4.4. Want of beauty and vigour. In a naturall death there is a want of vigo­rousnesse and beauty, as well in the face as in all o­ther parts of the body; so also there is in the Spi­ritual death the losse of that vigorous beauty which followes the life of grace; they may bee seene to have death in the face; if a living man beholds them, he knowes how to discerne it: although I deny not but that they may have hypocriticall painted vertues, which may to weake eyes for a [Page 10] great while seeme true ones; as men may have painted faces that have been taken for living ones, but they are not true graces, such as proceed from the life of grace indeed.

I but some may here object and say,Obiect. have not some men many excellent morall vertues, such as even the godly themselves have not?

Indeed it's true that they have,Answ. How wicked men may have moral vertues and these are Gods gifts also, but yet they are but as chaines of gold a­bout a dead mās neck, oras pearls in a swines snout: There may be many good things in them, but they make them not good men; for as the evill actions of good men redound not to their persons to make them evill, so these good actions in evill men, re­dound not to their persons to make them good; they may have good in them, but are not good. And thus much for this third point, the signes of this death.

4. To come to the degrees of this death: First,4. The degrees of this death. The death of guilt. for the death of guilt, that hath degrees; some men are more bound over than others, as the Heathen men that were guided onely by the light of nature, they indeed were guilty; but the Jewes which had a more perfect knowledge, they were more guilty then they: and now we that live under the tropicke of the Gospell, and have Sermon up­on Sermon, line upon line, and every day are in­structed, are more guilty then the Jewes: and a­mongst us, they that have most meanes, and profit least, are most guilty of all; and therefore are most bound over unto this death.

[Page 11] Secondly,The death opposite to the life of grace. for the death that is opposite to the life of grace and sanctification, that also admits degrees:

1. For the first part, the privation of life, indeed there is no degree; but all that are dead, in regard of the privation and absence of originall righte­ousnesse, are all dead alike.

2. But for the second, to wit, the positive cor­rupt quality, which is called the flesh, that admits degrees: for one may be mad and drunke both a­like, but the one may have some sparkes of reason more then the other. The degrees therefore of this death,Three de­grees of this death. The first. are these three that follow:

1. When men doe oppose and set themselves against a holy life, although it bee closely and co­ver [...]ly under other names, for against them directly the Divell will not speake, because the knoweth it will not be regarded; but he speakes against them under names of reproach, which he himselfe hath invented. These men are one of the bottome staires of the chamber of death; and therefore it is al­most impossible they should ever rise, but must needs remaine in a pittifull case, although it may be they thinke farre otherwise.

2. When men are given up to voluptuousnesse and sensuality;The second. as Paul speaketh of the wanton wi­dow, 1. Tim. 5. 6. that because shee lived in volup­tuousnesse, shee was dead while she lived: Even so, the more a man is sunke into voluptuous courses, the more hee is dead, and as it were buried in his corruptions, so that hee is altogether unable to [Page 12] stirre out of them; it is a very difficult thing to leave them;The third. as in the sinnes of uncleannesse.

3. When we are indifferent, and care not how things goe; and this is when a man is addicted un­to the death of civill men, which is a degree nea­rer to life, yet is truly and indeed no better than a death: such as have much restraining grace, these are nearer the gate of heaven then others, yet they are as truly shut out as they that are furthest off; it is no matter how neere they are to heaven, since they are all out of heaven alike; they shall be sure, if never any more quickened, to goe to hell as well as others.

Thirdly,The death op­posite to the life of ioy. The death that is opposed to the life of joy and comfort, that hath also degrees: God sometimes with-drawes his comfort from some more than others, and so suffers some to have lesse horror then others: Thus I have briefly ex­plained this death, in which all men naturally are. I will now answer an objection of Bellarmine a­gainst that which hath beene said, and so come to the fifth thing.

Some there be that say,Obiect. If all men are dead in sinne, as you say they are, then to what end is all our Preaching, and your hearing? for the dead are without life, and cannot be moved with any of these things, and therefore they are all in vaine.

To this I answer;Ans. 1 first, that although every man by nature be dead unto grace, yet he hath the lif [...] of reason in sinne, whereby hee is able to perceive two things:

[Page 13] 1. To see that they are dead, and without this life of grace, their conscience telling them so.

2. By the sight and feeling of their death, they are able to bring themselves to the meanes of life, as to the Word and Sacraments.

Secondly, I answer;Ans. 2. that though all men be dead, yet there is an end and effect of our speaking, and their hearing: for the Word that we speake may put life into them, as the word that Christ spake unto Lazarus, was able to raise him from the dead.

Thirdly,Ans. 3. A difference betweene the spirituall and corporall death. Wee must know that there is a great difference betweene this spirituall death, and the corporall death; for this death consisteth in the understanding and will, and is a free willing death; in it they freely slye good, and embrace e­vill; they freely choose the wayes of death, and therefore are said to be already dead: as, suppose a man is resolved to commit murder, or treason, and a friend come to him, and perswade him from it, and cannot prevaile, that man may bee said to bee dead, because he will doe that that will cost him his life: Even so we may affirme that that man is dead already, because hee will doe that that will bring death after the doing of it.

5.5. The Vses of this point. Now for the fift thing, the uses of this point, That all men by nature are dead in sinne.

The first Use then that wee may make of this point,Vses. 1. is, If all men are dead in sinne, then let us be exhorted not to deferre our repentance,Not to defer repentance. saying, we will repent afterward. This is a fault usuall a­mongst young men, and such as presume of their [Page 14] strength and ability of nature to live a great while, they find nature strong in them, and therefore put off repentance till they be sick, and age bring them to thinke of death: but let such consider that they are dead already, and repentance is a putting of a new life into them: Dost thou thinke it is in thy power to create a new life in thee when thou art dead? Surely,How the devil deceives men in perswading them to put off their re­pentance, no more is it in thy power to repent when thou wouldest. Hereby the devil entrappeth many, in putting this conceit into them, that they may repent when they will; and this hee bring­eth them unto, by making them to mistake repen­tance, in conceiving of it to be nothing else but a sorrow for sinne past, and a purpose to live well af­terward, and leave all sinne: he neuer tels them, nor they neuer thinke that it is the creation of a new life in them; for then they would say more: but they are decejued, this is not to repent, for thou mayest doe all this, and yet when thou hast done, be damned. But such repentance as will save thy soule,Saving repen­tance what it is. is a sorrow for they sinne that is past, and a purpose for the time to come to endevour to leave all sinne, arising out of a love to God: for all re­pentance ariseth either out of a love of God, or else from selfe-love: if it be out of a love of God, thou wilt presently give thy selfe unto his service, and forsake thy sinne: if it be not out of love to God, but out of selfe-love, that thou purposest to for­sake thy sinne, then it is not true repentance, b [...] false, and riseth from by-respects. Repentance is hard to be had, it is not in thine owne power; ex­cept [Page 15] God breathe a new life into thee, thou canst not repent; thou art as the red clod of earth before God, of which he made Adam; it had no life, un­till he breathed into it: so while the spirit breatheth in us, we are dead. A Beast may desire his owne life, so may a man his owne salvation, but hee can doe nothing without the spirit blowes. When then the spirit blowes, why wilt thou be so foolish as to deferre thy repentance unto another time? If a man upon paine of death were within twen­ty dayes to be beyond the Seas,Simile. if the wind should blow well for his purpose the first, second, or third day, would hee bee so foolish as to neglect it, and deferre his journey, and say, it may bee it will blow againe tenne dayes hence, and then I will goe? No, he will not be so foolish, for hee knowes the winde bloweth where and when it listeth; and therefore he will take it when it blowes, least it blow there no more. In these earthly things men are not so foolish, why therefore are they so igno­rant in this point of spirituall wisdome? Let eve­ry one of us then hereby be perswaded to learne wisedome; when the spirit bloweth, neglect it not: certaine it is, that except it doth blow in thy heart, thou art damned; therefore when it doth blow, suppose it be at 17. or 18. yeeres of age, neg­lect it not, omit it not, neither deferre it, it may be it will never blow againe, and thou canst not make it blow when thou wouldest, for it is free.

There are none which live vnder the Gospell, but at some time or other have had some blasts of [Page 16] the Spirit, but in some it vanisheth as bubbles in the water: but let us take heed of that, and un­lesse we could have them againe when we would, let us not let them passe: when thou hast but the least sparke, let it not goe out, leave it not till it is become a slame to purifie thy heart.

Francis Spira neglecting these comfortable blasts,An example of Spira. at the last wished that hee might have had but one drop of that comfort which once he de­spised; and so till his last breath, cryed out, I am damned. God not therefore still on in thy sinnes, falsly perswading thy selfe, saying, thou shalt bee saved: Remember what God threatneth unto such men, Deut. 29. 19. He that hearing the words of this curse, shall blesse himselfe, saying, I shall have peace though I follow my sinnes; the Lord will not bee mercifull to that man. Sit downe therefore but one halfe houre, and consider with thy selfe, that thou art but a dead man, and that thou canst not quic­ken thy selfe, but it is God onely that is able to quicken thee; and the quickeneth whom hee will, and those whom he quickeneth are but very few, as the gleaning after the harvest, or the grapes after the vintage, and thou knowest not whe­ther thou art in that small number: Consider, I say, but this with thy selfe, and surely this will make thee never to give thy selfe rest, untill thou findest life in thee, and never be quiet untill thou art sure thou art quickened.

Another Use which wee will make of this point,Vse 2. How to esteem civill men. is, If naturally all men are dead in trespasses [Page 17] and sinnes, this should teach us how to esteeme of civill men, and such like; wee should esteeme of such men as of dead men: and therefore,

  • 1 We should not overvalue them.
  • 2 We should not make them our companions.

First, We should not overvalue them. For their beauty, they have none that is true beauty: what beauty have dead men in them? they are dead, let us not regard their seeming beau­ty. Esteeme the poore Saints; for they, though never so meane, are better then those, though never so brave. Grant your civill men bee as Lions, (then which no irrationall creature is better,) and that your Saints are but as dogges (then which no creature is worser,) yet a living dogge is better than a dead Lion. It's a signe of a new life to e­steeme no carnall excellencie: so saith Paul, 2 Cor. 5. 16, 17. Wherefore henceforth know wee no man af­ter the flesh; yea, though wee have knowne Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know wee him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are past away; behold all things are become new: hee, that is, a new creature, will not regard these things, but they will bee dead in his account. They account us but dead men, therefore let us ac­count them so also.

Secondly, Make them not your companions.

Wee may, and ought to love them with the love of pitty, but not with the love of delight and complacency: if thou love them, and delight in them, it is a signe thou art dead also; yet in [Page 18] this we are to blame, that wee doe not more pitty them, and seeke their salvation, but wee must not delight in them, and make them our familiar ac­quaintance, for wee can never thrive in grace till we leave them: for although they bee dead, yet they have a leaven which wil infect thee, although thou perceivest it not. Wee use to say, wee will make use to our selves of the good in them, but let the hurt goe: but wee cannot doe so; for wee are insensibly hurt, when we thinke we are furthest from it:Simile. Even as a man is tanned when he is wor­king in the Sunne, and hee never perceives it; so doth their company infect us insensibly, when wee thinke least of it: It's therefore but a folly to pur­pose to serve God, and not to breake off their company;Simile. yea, it is a plaine contradiction. Every man is compared to a coale, he is either living or dead; if he be a living coale, hee will kindle him that is next him; but if hee bee a dead coale, hee then will blacke and fully thee: Even so it is with company, if it be good and zealous, it will kindle our affections; but if bad, it will bee sure to infect us: therefore from such company thou must either gaine good or harme; but for good, cer­taine it is that thou canst receive none, and there­fore thou must receive harme: If thou walke with the wise, thou shalt be more wise; if with the foole, thou shalt learne folly, Pro. 13. 20.

The third Use wee will make of this point, is this,Vse 3. To stirre up to thankful­nesse for be­ing quickned. Seeing that by nature all of us are children of wrath, and dead in trespasses and sinnes, This should [Page 19] stirre up those that are quickened, to be thankefull to God therefore. Above all, wee ever labour to bee most thankefull to him that hath saved our lives; and this God hath done for us, let us there­fore stirre up ourselves to thankfulnesse. Paul, as we may read, Rom. 7. 24, 25. joynes these two to­gether, his deliverance, and his thankfulnesse; O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from this body of death? I thanke God, through Iesus Christ our Lord. I confesse the world esteemes not this, but if they have riches therein, they rejoyce; and so like the dunghill Cocke, or unskilfull Lapida­ries, preferre vaine things before this precious Jewell; but they that have once found the sweet­nesse of it, will not lose it for a world: for if wee have but this, what though wee lose wife, chil­dren, goods, credit, and good name? they are all too light being layd in the ballance with this. Doe yee every one therefore consider who it was that gave thee this, and to him yeeld all thankfulnesse. Let us love much, because as much is forgiven, so much is given to us: Paul was much stirred up with this consideration, thinking that he could ne­ver doe enough for Christ, who had done so much for him; as appears in many places of his E­pistles.

The fourth Use we will make of this point, is, If we are all dead in trespasses and sinnes,Vse 4. How to e­steeme of the meanes of grace. then this teacheth us how we should esteeme of the means of grace: if wee are dead, then it must bee an Omnipotent power which must quicken us. All [Page 20] the meanes, as the Word preached, the receiving the Sacraments, &c. are but dead letters, they are but as pennes without inke, God must put inke into them if ever they be effectuall: and therefore as wee must not give too little to the meanes, so wee must not give too much, nor rest in them. When wee come to heare the Word preached, it is not the hearing of the Minister, but Christ in the Word preached, which makes us live. It is good to heare the Minister, but except wee heare another voyce speaking to the heart, as his doth to the eare, we shall never be the better: it is Christs voyce in the Word which doth quicken and put life in our soules. But here let mee warne you to take heed of breaking the Conduit-pipe from the Fountaine; if thou hearest and profitest not, know that it is because Christ speaketh not to the eares of the heart, as well as the Minister to our out­ward eares.

The fifth and last Use wee will make of this point shall be,Vse 5. To examine ourselves whether we have life in us or no. Simile. If that naturally all men are dead in sinne, this should teach us to try our selves, and see whether wee are dead or alive. Consider the shortnesse and uncertainty of thy life here: Mans life is like an houre-glasse; if it runnes his course it is but an houre, and it may be broken before it is run out: ye have but a short while to live here, accor­ding to the course of Nature, and yet perhaps that course may not runne out too, it may bee broken off before wee are aware; and then for ever, ei­ther in heaven or hell, wee must abide hereafter: [Page 21] Oh then never be quiet vntill you see wihther you shall goe, to eternall blisse, or everlasting woe. Here the Diuels triicke is to put it into mens heads,How the di­vell deceives civill men. that a civill life will serue the turne: but he dea­leth with them as those that take gold from in­fants, and give them counters and rattles: and thus he would keepe them from this consideration, per­swading them of the latitude of religion, and tel­ling them that they are well enough, seeing they are troubled for some sinnes, and doe some duties, perhaps, in private, but this you may doe, and yet be dead still. If he cannot prevaile this way, then he will labour to hinder them by drawing them on in a voluptuous course of life, or with worldly cares, and so draweth them from themselves, and so makes them never to consider what they are do­ing, nor whit [...]er they are going: and therefore is it that in the Gospell of Saint Luke, chap. 16. the prodigall Son is sayd, to come home to himselfe, when he once beganne to consider his estate: Although their conscience tell them all is wrong, yet the ta­brets of lusts and pleasures make such a deane where they are, that they heare it not, and so never consider: nay, if that Christ himselfe againe, or the sonnes of Thunder should speake, yet except Gods Spirit should inwardly worke, it would not make men seriously to consider their estates: It is the hardest thing in the world to make men sensi­ble of life and death. Let us therefore bee mo­ved in particular to consider whether we are dead or alive.

[Page 22] If thou art quickened,Two signes of our quickning 1. thou shalt finde, one time or other, these two things in thee:

First, Thou once hadst a deepe and sensible con­sideration of thine estate by nature, thou wert deeply affected with it, so that thou sawest what need thou hadst of Christ: till thou hast had this consideration, thou art a dead man. I know God can save thee without this, hee could come with­out the terrible voyce, as Christ could have come without Iohn Baptist before him, but hee will not, neither ever doth, because it is impossible for a man highly to esteeme of Christ till hee is thus hum­bled; for hee never will preferre him in particu­lar actions, and take him with all crosses and los­ses, till hee fully see what need hee hath of him, which he cannot untill he is thus humbled.

Secondly, Consider if thou wer [...] ever changed from what thou formerly wert; neither is it a slight change that will serve, but it must bee both constant and generall; it must not be for a month or a yeare, but daily and continually. It must bee such a change that all where thou livest may see it; thou must become a new soule in another bo­dy: Thy change must be so great that thou mayst say, Ego non sum ego, I am not my selfe, I am quite another man: There must be as great a change in thee, as there is in a white cloth when it is died blacke. Such a change was in Paul, he was conver­ted from a persecutor to a Preacher: So thou must of a Lion be made a Lambe: there must as much difference be in us, as is between winter & summer.

[Page 23] And now seeing the time of the Sacrament is at hand,An applicati­on to examine our selves be­fore we re­ceive the Sa­crament, let us all examine our selves: we must not make excuses to keepe from the Sacrament, but as all, Nehem. 9. were to come to the Passeover, else they were to be cut off from their people, except they could shew some good cause; so I know no reason why it should not be so still for the Sa­crament. But againe, on the other side, if wee doe come, and are dead men, wee come unworthily, and eat and drinke our owne damnation in not discerning the body of Christ, 1. Cor. 11. 29. which we doe when wee doe not sufficiently esteeme it, and conceive not what right we have to, which was the Corin­thians sinne; for they knew well enough that that did represent his body. Let us therefore take heed we come preparedly; for as God strooke Vzzah for touching the Arke with polluted hands, and Nadab and Abihu for offering of strange fire, so if thou come unpreparedly to the Sacrament, he will strike thee.

But to returne to the poynt which was even now handled, That all men are dead in trespasses and sinnes, because it is point which concernes all sorts of men, wee will a little further consider it, and in the next place speake of the nature of dead men.The nature of dead men.

Dead men are either,

  • 1. Such as are starke dead in sinne,
    Two kinds of spiritually dead men.
    and doe make no shew at all of life; as are all open prophane, and notoriously wicked men.
  • 2. Such as are dead indeed, and in truth, but yet [Page 24] make a shew of life, outwardly seeme to have it; like the Angels, that have appeared many times in assumed bodies, but yet have none of their owne that is true and substan­tiall; and these are chiefly dissembling hy­pocrites, or men meerely civill.

First, This starke deadnesse, without any shew at all of life,First, starke deadnesse. of which sort wee have every where too too many; consists chiefly,

  • 1. In the privation of life.
  • 2. In an active positive principle.

Now there are certaine signes arising from both these, and they are

  • 1. Positive.
  • 2. Privative.

1 The Positive signes of a dead man,Three positive signes of dead men. are these three:

1 First, All those which live any life, whatsoe­ver it be,A careless neglect of goodnesse. seeke such things as are agreeable to pre­serve that life, and hate the contrary: as a man that liveth a naturall life, looketh for food, ray­ment, &c. so in the life of grace, there is an apt­nesse to cleave unto goodnesse, and unto Christ, as iron doth to the Loadstone: So a man that lives the life of grace, his delight is in praying, hearing, reading, &c. but his lusts, they are aegritudines ani­mae, the soules sicknesses; they are as thornes to his sides, and smoke to his eyes, and he is never well or at quiet, untill they are removed and gone: but a wicked man, one that is dead in sinne, he is sicke of goodnesse (as the other is of wickednesse) and [Page 25] weary of it; he is too strait-laced in it, and there­fore cannot brooke it. A godly man hath an in­ward aptnesse and inclination to serve God, as fire naturally inclines to goe upward: indeed hee may sometimes contract impurity, and have some cor­ruptions, yet they are but as mud in a cleere and living fountaine, they are soone washed away; but wicked men are like ditches which are full of mudde at their best, and there it lyes and con­tinues.

Secondly, another positive signe of this dead­nesse,2 is,A lying still in any lust. When a man lies in any living lust, or knowne sinne: for as a mortall disease and life cannot stand together, no more can a living lust and the life of grace. That is a living lust, when al­though sometimes hee may have fits of resisting,A living lust, what it is. yet he alwayes gives over, and still yeelds to that lust, saying, It is their nature, and they cannot choose but commit, it, they know not how to re­sist it; when as if there was some present Judge­ment threatned thee, upon the commission of it, then thou couldest forbeare: This I call a living lust, and although it be but one, yet if other lusts tempted thee as much as that, thou wouldest com­mit them also: if thou forsakest other sinnes, be­cause they are sinnes, why forsakest thou not this also? Gal. 5. 24. They that are Christs, have crucifi­ed the flesh, with the affections and lusts. There is in every man a body of lust; if any member of that body be unmortified, he is yet a dead man. 1 Tim. 5. 6. Shee which liveth in pleasure, is dead while shee is [Page 26] alive. Some may keepe themselves cleane from some sinnes, but that will not serve; for if they live in any knowne sinne, they are dead.

3 Thirdly,An antipathy to God and godlinesse. a third positive signe is, When a man hath a secret antipathy against God and godlinesse. Some beasts naturally hate some colours; so some men, out of a naturall inclination, cannot endure goodnesse it selfe, though they pretend some cause. I call it an antipathy when a mans stomacke riseth against a thing, and hee knoweth not wherefore: so they hate goodnesse, meerely out of a naturall abhorring of the thing it selfe, al­though they pretend some cause for which they hate it. They distant holinesse of life, and for no just cause: if it be you distast such men as professe an holy and pure conversation, onely because they doe not conforme (as some pretend,) why doe you distant those also that doe conforme? If you dis­like the professors of an holy life because of the hypocrisie they have found in them, as some have not stood to say, why doe you also dislike those that you are sure are no hypocrites? They cannot define the holy man they hate, but have a secret naturall hatred to them they cannot tell why: but we know the reason well enough; it is because they live a contrary life to them, and therefore cannot agree no more than fire and water: indeed fire and water may agree in remisse degrees, but not in intense; so these men can suffer those which are indifferently holy, but if they come to any perfection and height of holinesse, then they can­not [Page 27] endure them. Now the Apostle sayes expres­ly, 1 Ioh. 3. 14. By this we know wee are translated from death to life, because we love the brethren: hee that lo­veth not his brother, abideth in death. So that it is an infallible signe of deadnesse not to love the bre­thren: if thou hatest the Saints; nay, if thou lo­vest them not; nay, if thou lovest them not accor­ding to the measure of grace that is in them, and if thou art not grieved for any of their sinnes, by which they may cause scandall, or bee disgraced, thou art yet a dead man. And so much for the po­sitive signes.

2 The Privative signes of deadnesse follow,Five Privitive signes of dead men, which are these five:

The first privitive signe of deadnesse,Privation of speech. is want of 1 speech: He that is dead, is speechlesse, and breath­lesse; so he that is dead in sinne, in all holy things is speechlesse; Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh, saith Christ in the Gospell, Matth. 12. 14. When the mouth is speechlesse, the heart is empty. Some that are dead in trespasses and sinnes may speake well sometimes; but there is no living man but doth speake well. Esa. 19. 18. Those that belong to Canaan, will speake in the language of Ca­naan: Their language will shew whether they are Galileans or not: every man delights in operati­ons agreeable to their habits. Here you may learne to judge of your selves by your words; not by some words that are spoken by fits, but by thy usuall and customary speech, that is a signe of that that is in you. The godly sometimes cannot speake [Page 28] godlily and holily; as a Fountaine sometimes is stopped up, so that it cannot send forth pure streames, yet take away the rubbish that stopped it, and then it will runne cleare againe; even so it is with the godly; and therefore consider your ordinary speeches, if they be not holy and good, it is a signe that you are a dead man.

2 The second privitive signe is Coldnesse; when a man is dead,Privation of heat. he growes cold; so is it with men dead in sinne; they may pray, but it is coldly; and so in all other holy duties they are very cold.

But some man will be ready to object and say,Obiect. You tell us of coldnesse, but for any thing I can see, there is as much coldnesse in the best men: for your godliest men are sometimes cold in their prayers.

It is true;Answ. but there is this difference betweene the coldnesse of a godly man, and a dead man; If the meanes be used to a godly man, it doth bring life to him againe: if he be rubbed and chafed with admonitions, or hath the aquavitae of the Word, he will recover his heat, because the inward prin­ciple of heat still remaines within him. But to a wicked man use never so many reproofes, or ad­monitions, hee will still remaine cold: Let this therefore bee a certaine tryall, if after all admo­nitions you still remaine cold, you are dead.

The third privitive signe is Stiffenesse; a dead 3 man growes stiffe,Stiffenesse, and in what position his body is in when it is dead, in the same it will remaine, you cannot bendit; so is it with men spiritually [Page 29] dead, what course they take, what opinions they hold, what company they keepe, they will not bee changed from them. Rev. 22. 11. He that is filthy, let him be filthy still: that is, he will be filthy still, they will not be changed: If that they hold to be Gods will, be Gods will, so it is, then they are right; but it is not because it is Gods will, but be­cause his pleasure fell on what they held. As a rustie hand of a clocke,Simile. it turnes not with the day, but stands still; but if the time of the day chance to be such as it stands at, it is true; not because it moveth with the day (as it should) but because the day hath fell jumpe with it: So these men, if Gods will hit with theirs, they will doe it; if not, they will crosse it: This is a signe of a dead man.

The fourth privitive signe is Senslesnesse; hee 4 that is dead,Privation of sense. is senslesse: so it is with the spirituall death, there is no sense in it; they can neither see, heare, nor taste.

I but some man will object and say,Obiect. that is not true alwayes; for even the wicked sometimes know m [...]tters of faith; nay, and sometimes they rellish them too.

To this I answer,Answ. Matth, 13. 13. opened. As it is said of the dead Idoll, so may it be said of them: Mat. 13. 13. Eyes they have and see not, eares and heare not.

First for seeing, they see not aright: Gods chil­dren see experimentally, the wicked only by con­templation; and there is a great difference be­tweene them, for as wee see there is a great diffe­rence [Page 30] betwixt knowing fire to be hot, and the fee­ling of it; so betweene a meere notionall know­ledge of Gods will, and a know­ledge that doth like and approve it.

Secondly for taste, they finde no taste in Gods Word; or if they finde any, like a vitiated pallat, they account that which is most sweet to bee very bitter.

Thirdly for smelling, they smell no sweetnesse in Christs name, whereas to his Saints it is a sweet oyntment poured out, that perfumeth all the roome.

Fourthly for feeling, they feele not whether the Law or Gospell be applied to them, rub over their skarres, and make them runne downe with blood, they are notwithstanding all that senslesse still: they may have a counterfeit feeling arising from a naturall conscience, but to have such a fee­ling as may drive them to Christ, they cannot; and therefore still they are but dead men.

5 The fifth signe is this,No sympathi­zing in the miseries of others. A living member, if the body be in danger, will have a sympathizing and feeling of the danger; as the hand will lift it selfe up to save the head, so now if we hearing the case of Gods Church in what danger it is, if wee take it not to heart, or be not affected with it (especial­ly now we are put in minde thereof) it is a certaine signe we are dead men: We should have the spi­rits that Moses and Paul had, who even wished to be stroyed, so they might save the Church. Moses, rather than that should perish, would have his [Page 31] name raced out of the booke of life: Paul, for the Churches sake would bee anathema. It is a true signe of a living member to bee touched with o­thers miseries; this was an extasie of love, in which out of love to the Church, they forgate themselves. This here we must know, that if the creature could destroy it selfe for God, it could not but be well, because the good of the creature is more contained in God than in it selfe, as the beame of the Sunne is more contained in the Sun than in it selfe. Now is the time of considering this, now is the time of more than extraordinary fasting; now if you have any feeling, you will shew it; if you are living men, now you will shew your selves; now the Church lyes in tents, and wallowes in blood, now the foundations thereof are shaken; never was the face of Christen­dome in such danger as now it is. Doe wee thinke to stand now others fall? If the fire be at one end of the building, shall we be safe which are at the other end? (for all Gods house is but one buil­ding.) Are not they our brethren, and sonnes of the same father? have they not the same spirit? are they not of the same profession? shall wee not then bee ready to helpe them? wee cannot send armes over to them, but wee may send up prayers unto God for them: Christians are stronger than Politicians, and their prayers are armies. Let us therefore doe what wee can, the storme is not yet quite over.Two things to move us to consider the Churches mi­sery.

Now there are two things that may move us to this:

  • [Page 30]1. The greatnesse of the Judgement.
  • 2. Our ability to helpe them.

1 First, The greatnesse of the Judgement:

It will prove the extinguishing of Gods Church and the Gospell, and when that is once gone, what are all other things? It was a good saying of that Saint, That browne bread and the Gospell was good cheare; what are all our houses, lands, &c. if this Spirituall food be wanting?

2 Secondly, Consider our ability to helpe them.

We may doe much by our prayers; hee that knoweth not his strength, useth it not: Did not one Moses, one Eliah stand in the gappe? They did not these things as they were extraordinary men, but as they were Gods children: We may by our prayers doe as much; though one childe may have better gifts than another, yet common­ly the father loves all alike; so God (although they had better gifts than we) will grant our pray­ers as soone as he did theirs.

But some man will here bee ready to make a question,Quest. and askeme, what I would have him doe for the Church now? he is but a singleman, and therefore is unable to doe much himselfe alone.

I answer,Answ. What we must doe for the Church. Though thou canst not doe much, yet these things thou mayest doe; and therefore,

1 1. Pray for it: God delights to bee called up­on, for else his hand is not taken notice of; but then we see his hand,Pray for it. and acknowledge it, when wee see him granting our desires. So that the [Page 33] strength of a land lyes in Christians, and their strength lyes in their prayers, as Sampsons strength did in his haire. Oftentimes prayer is more avail­able than fighting: Moses prayer in the moun­taine, did more than Ioshuahs fighting in the vallies. If Noah, Daniel, and Iob stood before me (saith God, Ezek. 14. 20.) they should not prevaile: which shew­eth, that if any thing could have prevailed, their prayer would: So also Luther attributes all to prayer, as may be seene in divers of his Treatises. Now this prayer which I urge unto you, must

1. Not onely be small expressions of the mind,Our Prayers must be fervent. but now God lookes for strong cryes, and long continuance in prayer. Moses prayed all day: Christ, which had lesse need than we have, prayed all night; Daniel three weekes: therefore wee that have more wants and needs, ought to bee the more fervent.

2. Our prayers must be Spirituall,Spirituall. not out of selfe-love; as to desire the safety of the Church, that so under it we may lead a safe and quiet life; but out of meere respect to God, and love to his Church.

3. It must be a prayer of faith;Of Faith. so the Apostle saith, Iam. 5. 15, 16. The prayer of faith shall save the sicke, &c. And a little after, The effectuall fer­vent prayer of a righteous man availeth much: Now there is no man righteous without faith: so accor­ding to their faith Christ still yeelded to them.

4. Pray with constancy and fervency:With Con­stancy. it is not for a snatch and away, that is pleasing to God; but a [Page 34] constant performance of duty which hee accep­teth.

5. It must bee the prayer of a righteous man:Of righte­ousnesse. Therefore, Micah 2. the Prophets sought unto God in the time of trouble, but prevailed not, because they were not righteous: for it is said there, vers. 7. Doe not my words doe good to him that walketh uprightly?

6. It must be with humilitie;With humili­ty. and that consists First, in confessing how unworthy we are to ob­taine any thing at the hands of God.

Secondly, how unable to helpe our selves, and therefore to have our eyes onely towards God.

2 Another way to doe good to Gods Church,Be more [...]ealous. is, to be more zealous; seeke unto God extraordi­narily: The cause of the destruction of a Land, is chiefly the sinnes of the godly. When they grow cold and dead, and lose their first love, then God, as Rev. 2. will remove the Candlesticke from among them, and take away his Gospell. Indeed the carnalnesse of dead men, their prophanenesse in contemning of Gods Saints and his Gospel, &c. ha­sten Gods Judgements on a Land, but chiefly the Luke-warmnesse of Professors doe it: when Israel, as Hosea saith, is as a cake halfe baked. Let us there­fore rectifie our lives, renew our repentance, quic­ken our zeale, else shall wee be guiltie of the de­struction of Gods Church by our sinnes.

3 3 A third meanes to doe good to Gods Church,Stir up others is, to stirre up others to take to heart the miseries of the Church, to pray, to renew their repen­tance. [Page 35] It would be good if Ministers would bee as Beacons to give warning to others, and to set them on fire. Thus the old Christians did, as it were, make an armie (manu facta) against God, by joyning together in prayer. This is a blessed a­ction to stirre up others: thus they did in the Pro­phet Malachies time, Mal.3.16. Then they that feared the Lord, spake often one unto another, (see the issue of all,) and the Lord harkened and heard it, and a booke of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and thought upon his Name. So, Zach. 8. 21. there they did so; And the Inhabitants of the Citie shall goe one to another, saying, Let us goe spee­dily to pray before the Lord, and to seeke the Lord of hoasts, I will goe also. Let us therefore, as the Apostle exhorts, Heb. 10. 24. consider one another to provoke our selves to this good worke of fasting and prayer for the Church; let us marke who is a likely man to joyne with us, and not let him passe.

4 A fourth meanes to doe good to the Church,4 is,Performe du­ties in due time. to doe it in due time: Jerusalem had a time to seeke God; if then shee would have sought, shee might have beene saved: And Christ complaines, Luk. 19. 41, 42. saying, If thou hadst knowne, even thou in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. And so before Christ, the Prophets of old complained of the people; as Ier. 8. 7. Yea, the Storke in the heaven knoweth her appointed times, and the Turtle, and the Crane, and the Swallow observe the time of their com­ming, but my people know not the judgement of the Lord. [Page 36] The time to seeke unto the Lord is now: Some Judgements are sudden, and have no fore-runners, as the Gunpowder-treason, in such God lookes not that wee should meet him by repentance, be­cause we know them not: Others use lingring, such as send feare and rumours before them, as are those mentioned by the Prophet, Ezek. 22. 30, 31. there God expects we should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before him, and so meet him with repentance to stop the judgement.

5 The fifth meanes to doe good to the Church,With Conti­nuance. is this, Let us doe it with continuance: It may be while the newes is fresh wee will bee fervent in prayer; but often the newes altereth, and some­times it happens to be good, and then wee leave off: But this must not be; wee must bee constant in this dutie, to the very uttermost end of all; there may be ebbs and flowings, but it is the last issue which brings all: therefore let us continue in this dutie of fasting and praying, that wee may trie that last issue of al. It is the common fashion to make the afflictions of the Church onely a wonder of nine dayes. This was the Jewes fault, Ier. 34. 10, 11. When they heard of their enemies, for a while they would pray. But although the newes bee good, yet still continue as the importunate widow did to the Judge, and your importunitie will move God. Set therefore to it, and continue in it; Pray for Ierusalem, let those prosper that love her peace, Psalm. 122. 6. Mourne apart, every familie apart: It is not enough to heare this, and to let the [Page 37] Ministers voyce be to you as one that singeth with a pleasant voyce: Thus were the Prophets to the Jewes, Ezek. 33. 32. Who heard his words, but did not doe them: and therefore God tells them that they shall be destroyed in the judgment. The divel will suffer you to purpose and purpose to doe this dutie,The Divels cunning to deferre men from doing good Duties. but keepes you from the execution of it, and present practice, which is that onely which may doe the deed. Consider it therefore, and deferre not the present doing of this dutie: what can you doe better than to deliver Gods Church, and you may doe it, although you be poore and despised, yet being Gods Saints, your prayers are in force with God; as in Eccles. 9. 14, 15. the poore man delivered the citie by his wisedome; hee was poore and despised, yet it was hee that delivered it. Others may seeme to doe much, and stand vaunting on the hatches, but it is the Saints that doe it. If there be any consideration of Christ in you, if any love, any grace, any well-wishing to the Church, pray for it: this is that I feare, you will purpose to doe it, but will deferre it; but, be­loved, the doing onely God regards. Wee, when we reade how much Alexander, Caesar, and the like, did, we admire them; why we may doe more by our prayers, performed in a right manner: if you doe it, either the Church shall bee delivered, and you shall have comfort; or else you shall save your owne soules. Without you thus pray, you are guiltie of the Churches destruction: The horsemen, if they stand still, although they fight [Page 38] not against their owne armie, yet are guiltie of their destruction, because they should have fought for them. The Praetor, if hee let the enemies in the gate, hee is the destroyer of the Citie, be­cause he should have kept them out: so the Saints, which should stand in the breach, if they pray not, they destroy the land: So God saies, Ezek. 22. 30, 31. And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none: therefore have I powred out againe indig­nation upon them, I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their owne way have I recompenced upon their heads, saith the Lord God. Because hee could not find a man to stand in the gap, therefore hee powred forth his indignation on the land. Their not praying destroyes the land: The Saints and holy Prophets are the Chariots and horse-men of Israell; if then they stand still, they doe what in them lies to destroy the whole Nation: they are not onely the Chariots, but the horsemen also; they are the whole defence of Israell; and there­fore if at these times they be idle, they are guiltie of the destruction of the whole Church. Hence Salomon said, An idle man is brother to him that is a great waster. As a Pilot, who for want of atten­tion suffers a Ship to bee overthrowne, or split a­gainst the rockes, is guiltie of the losse thereof: So the Prophet Samuell, notwithstanding the peo­ple had sinned a great sinne in forsaking God to be their King, saith, 1 Sam. 12. 23. God forbid that I [Page 39] should sinne against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: and therefore it is a great sinne not to pray for Gods Church. The Jewes in the captivitie were commanded to pray for the peace of Nabu­chadnezzar, who was an heathen Prince; how much more then ought wee to pray for Christian Princes? And surely, if God should take away from you this Prince, and give you such an one as Queene Mary, you would then know what it is to enjoy such a Prince, as now by Gods mercie we doe. Therefore stirre up your selves to the du­tie by fasting and praying, much may you doe this way. Ester delivered all the Jewes by this meanes: it was not Esters word that did it; for what made the King not to sleepe that night? how came he to call for the booke of the Chronicle? how light hee on that place of Mordecay? They had first turned God by fasting and prayer, and then hee thus prepared the King for Ester to speak. Thus then, and by these meanes we may releeve the Church in distresse: And therefore if we be true living members, let us manifest our endevour to releeve them by these meanes. And thus much for the signes of men which are starke dead.

Now follow signes of distinction betweene such as seeme to live, and such as live indeed: and these may bee resembled to such spirits as as­sume bodies to themselves, and seeme to in­forme them; and they are chiefly all Civill men. Now they are discerned by these and the like signes;

[Page 40] The first signe is this;Signes of civil men that seem to have life, but have none indeed. As the Angels in their assu­med bodies seemed to eat and drinke, but mani­fested not any effect of it, for they did not grow by it: so these man, they seeme to heare the 1 Word,They doe not Grow. but they make no progresse in it: they may seeme to feed on the Sacraments, but they grow by none of these meanes, they still goe on in their old tract. They are not unlike some men which eat as much, or more than others, but are never the fatter, but as leane as ever they were: even so the Ministers of the Gospell now deliver the Spirituall food of the Word, in as great abun­dance as ever, yet where is the fruit? who growes any fatter, any better liking than before? Wee, (beloved) desire not to have againe the fruit of our teaching in your understanding only (although that be good) but in your practice: Like sheep­heards which would not have their hay againe of their sheepe in hay, but in the milke and wooll. And hence it is that the Apostle Peter exhorts them, 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new borne babes to desire the sin­cere milke of the Word: and why? that they may grow thereby. Though thou beest never so weake at the first, yet if thou growest stronger, it is a signe of life; but if thou hast gotten no strength in grace, nor no victorie over your lusts, notwith­standing all the meanes of grace you have had, yet whatsoever you seeme, you are still but dead men.

2 The second signe is;They are moved by an outward Prin­ciple. As the Angels, though they were moved, yet it was from no inward, but [Page 41] from an outward principle; so these Civill men, and all hypocrites may be moved, and doe all that good men can doe, but it is not from an inward principle, but from some outward and by-respect. They are like Clockes and Watches, which are moved by some spring, and therefore when the weights or spring is downe, they move no longer: when that false end which made them take in hand the shew of Religion is gone, then they will bee no more Religious. Thus Ioash was Religious, but for some by-end; viz. while Iehoiada lived; and therefore after his death, Ioash forsooke God. Thus many will be good whilest they are in good families, under good Governors, but being remo­ved from them, they turne with the swine to the tumbling in the mire. Some againe, good exhor­tations and counsell will make them live well, and they will continue so, while they are in that good mood: Others will bee good while a storme of ficknesse indures, but when the sunne-shine of prosperitie shall beginne to appeare, they returne to their old courses: they are like a Bullrush, which hangs downe his head till the storme is over it, but as soone as the Sunne shines it lifts it up againe. Some may hold out longer than others, yet at the last all will give over, because they are not moved from some inward principle.

The third is this; As the Angels assumed those 3 bodies but for certaine times,They doe it but in some places and company. and places, and oc­casions, and afterwards laid them aside againe; so will your hypocrites doe in some places and com­panies [Page 42] at some times, they will take on them the bodies of living men, and so have a name to live, but indeed are dead: But come they in other pla­ces or companies, they will lay aside their bodies, and then will be as profane as any. I confesse, a godly man may bee the worse for being in an ill companie; they may be myrie and dirtie, but yet they still remaine sheepe: as a pibble and a pearle foyled with the same mire can scarce be distingui­shed till they be washed; so the godly, doe but wash them, and then you shall discerne them to be pearles; but these Wolves, the wicked, which onely takes sheepes cloathing on them, comming amongst Wolves, cast off that cloathing and be­come as much Wolves as any.

The fourth signe is this: As Angels or devils 4 which assume bodies,They speake from the teeth, not frō the heart. cannot speake heartily as li­ving men, but have an artificiall framed voice, which is from the teeth outward, not heart; so where there is no true grace but seeming, it may be discerned from the speeches, not in the matter, but in the manner; an hypocrite may often babble more than the true Christian, as a blazing Starre shines as bright, if not brighter than the true Star; but there is abroad difference betwixt them; the one speakes but from the head, and the other from the heart: for a true living man doth speake hear­tily and feelingly. That the manner of speaking doth much affect others,Iunius conver­ted by a coun­try-mans har­ty speaking. it is plaine: Hence is that that Iunius reports of himselfe, that hee lighting into a Countrie mans house, which was wholly [Page 43] illiterate and unlearned, hee confesseth that his heartie speaking of faith and repentance, &c. did so move him, that he thought that there was som­thing more in it than meere knowledge, and so wrought on him, that by Gods grace it converted him; so that the manner of speaking doth often affect where the matter doth not; which an hy­pocrite cannot have. And thus much for the signes of seeming living, but indeed dead men.

Now having shewed that all are dead, it followes that we should shew the meanes of getting life, which are also comprehended in my text,Two meanes to get life. and they are these two:

1. To labour to see that ye are dead, (You that were dead in trespasses and sinnes, &c.) as all men are by nature.

2. To goe to Christ for life, hee it is onely that can give it; so saith my Text (hee hath quickened you:) It is the propertie of God alone to give life. Now wee cannot goe to him but by Christ, and we must goe to Christ by faith, therefore is faith called a living faith, because it unites Christ and the soule together. Now the difficultie is in this, that men will not come to Christ and take him: some come not for him at all, others take him, but not in good earnest; as grafts put into a stock, but not so ingrafted as to grow thereby: but when a man is once soundly humbled, then will he come to Christ, and not before; for till then hee doth not hunger and thirst after him: but the extreame hungrie will bee satisfied with nought but meat: [Page 44] as Sampson said, Give me drinke or else I dye. Now life consists in the union betwixt Christ and thy soule: This union is by Luther compared to fire and iron united, which causes the iron to have all the properties of fire, as burne, scorch, &c. so an humble Saint, united to Christ, hath all his pro­prieties, though not in the same measure and de­gree.

The Doctrine of Humiliation.

Now these must bee handled distinctly: and therfore the first meanes of life, is to see our selves children of wrath, and that wee are dead in tres­passes and sinnes: The point that hence ariseth, is,

That whosoever would be translated from death to life, must first apprehend himselfe to bee a child of wrath: Doct. No translati­on to life, without ap­prehension of Gods wrath due to sinne. that is, he must see the face of God, as of an angry Iudge, so farre forth as it may drive him to Christ. So that a man cannot be saved untill hee hath not onely a touch or two, but a true sense of sinne, a deepe apprehension of his sinnes, of death, and of damnation; for onely to such are all the promises made, Christ is onely sent to binde up the broken hearted: Christ came to call all that were heavie laden, and those onely, those he will ease: Peace must be preached to none but those that moume in Sion. Therefore the Apostle saith, Gal. 4. 21. Tell me, ye that are under the Law, doe ye not desire to heare the Law? Yea, the Law is said to be a Schoolmaster to drive men to Christ: that is, first there must bee the Law before Christ can bee had; for else, al­though wee should Preach the Gospell, it would [Page 45] be contemned: therefore Christ in his time gai­ned onely the poore; The poore receive the Gospell: that is, the poore in spirit. God will have his jewels of life and salvation to be esteemed, which we will never doe untill we see our miserie, how that we are in the estate of death. As the delive­rance out of Egypt would never have beene so sweet, had they not beene in extreame slavery and bondage first. God deales with us, as Princes doe with their malefactors; first they bring their neckes to the blocke, and then give them a pardon, for then they apprehending death, the pardon is the sweeter and more welcome and acceptable to them. Indeed if the question were made, what God could doe in his absolute power; I know that God might convert us and not humble us if hee would; he might say as hee did in the Creation, Let it be, and it must be: hee might come in a still voyce onely, without sending before a voyce ren­ding the rockes: hee might use lightning and no thunder, but wee speake of his ordinary course, wherein hee will not; for none are saved but such as have not onely a sight, but also a deepe appre­hension of their sinnes.

For the better understanding of this point,Things con­siderable. wee must consider these things:

1 That there are three things which keepe a 1 man from Christ.Three things keepe a man from Christ: 1. Vnbeleefe.

First, Vnbeleefe: when men will not beleeve that he which was borne of the Virgin Mary was Christ and God; therefore about the proving of [Page 46] this, the Apostles did spend most time, because then it was hard to beleeve.

Secondly, Not caring for Christ:2. Neglect of him. as those that came not to the Kings feast, they beleeved that there was a King and a feast, but cared not for it, they regarded more their Oxen, &c.

Thirdly, Not willingnesse to part with all for Christ;3. Vnwilling­nesse to part with other things for him they will not take him upon all conditi­ons: they see some need they have of Christ, but not much; and so they will forsake some things for him, but not all: they are loath to part with their master sinne; like the young man in the Gos­pell, he had done a great deale, yet he would not part with his possessions.Three things to be set a­gainst these, to bring us to Christ. But to these three things must be opposed three other things to bring us to Christ:

  • 1. Faith to beleeve he is God.
  • 2. A sleight humiliation to bring vs in love with Christ.
  • 3. Sound humiliation, to be willing to part with all for his sake.

The first is received amongst all Christians, al­though it is to be feared that many doe beleeve it but confusedly. The second is a sleighter manner of apprehending of Christ, and that a little sor­row will doe, a little humiliation. But the third (which we must have before we can be saved) to be willing to forsake all, to leave every sinne for Christ his sake: and that we will not doe vntill we be thorowly humbled,The necessity of a deepe hu­miliation. & are fully broken har­ted: therefore first a deepe humiliation is necessary for salvation.

Secondly, If we have not such an humiliation, then either:

  • 1. We will not come to Christ.
  • 2. Or we will not stay with him.
  • 3. Or else we will not doe or suffer any thing for him.

And if wee want any of these wee cannot be saved.

First, If we be not truly humbled, we can never 1 come to Christ,Without sound humili­ation we will not come to Christ. nor regard him: we may preach Christ long enough, and no body will regard him, except they be soundly humbled for their sinnes: as in the Law no body did care for the Citie of re­fuge, but he that had slaine a man; to him onely whom the revenger of blood pursueth, is the Citie of refuge sweet: when the fiery Serpent had stung a man, then he looked to the Brazen-serpent, and nevertill then: so when we see our sinnes and mi­serie thereby, then, J say, and never till then is Christ welcome. The prodigall Sonne never thought of returning home to his Father vntill he saw that he must else starve; when he saw he could no longer subsist, then he returned. So, when wee are so humbled for our sinnes that we see we shall indeed be damned without Christ, then, and never untill then we care for him.

Secondly,We will not stay with him. Although we doe come to Christ,2 yet without we be truly humbled wee will never stay with him, althougst wee may rejoyce in his light for a season. And for the better understan­ding of this, consider the foure sorts of grounds [Page 48] which represented foure sorts of hearers,Humiliation compared to the sout sorts of ground, Mat. 13.Matth. 13. The first were not humbled at all, (It fell by the wayes side, and presently the Fowles of the aire devou­red it, vers 4) The second was humbled a lit­tle, but not so much as to suffer for him, (The Sunne parched them for lacke of rooting, vers. 6.) The third sort were so farre humbled for sinne, that they suffered some persecutions, but would not part with all for Christ, the world they estee­med more; The thornes choaked them, vers. 7.) But the fourth ground was fully humbled; that is, they were so humbled in a sight of their sinne, that they saw that they had more need of Christ, than of any thing in the world, and so would part with all for him, and suffer any thing; and there­fore they are said to bring forth fruit with patience. Others may stay a while with Christ, but when that comes that they preferre before Christ, then they leave Christ; for untill a man can bring his heart to that passe, that he can prize Christ above all things, undergoe all persecutions for his sake, he is not soundly humbled, but is like the second and third ground.

4 3. If wee stay thus with Christ,We will not suffer or doe any thing for him. yet except wee be thus humbled, we shall neither suffer nor doe any thing for Christ. If Christ had bidden Paul, (before he was humbled) to have done so much for him as he did, he would never have done it; but when he was humbled, then, Lord, what wouldst thou have me doe?

And the reason of this is apparent, if we consider these things:

[Page 49] First,Reas. 1. There are many lusts that doe encumber us whilest our hearts are unbroken; so that there is such a basenesse on the outside of Religion, that except we be humbled wee will never like it, but shall be offended at it; and like proud servants, say our wages are too little, our fellow-servants too base: but on the contrary, hee that hath once beene soundly humbled, thinkes all too good for him.

Secondly,Reas. 2. There be such strong lusts to be mor­tified, which cannot be done without humiliation, that we care not for Christ: our lusts indeed may for a while sleepe, but when once they are awa­ked, like Sampson, they cracke a two all the bonds of good purposes and vowes; they are never slaine untill we be soundly humbled.

Thirdly,Reas. 3. there are such contrary lawes to bee delighted in, that wee can never frame our nature unto, untill we hunger and thirst after Christ, and [...]en his lawes will bee meat and drinke unto us: for before we delighted in the Law of the flesh, but now if we be truly humbled, we must delight in the law of the Spirit.

Fourthly,Reas. 4. There are so many strong lusts to be parted from, so many Isaacks, which every man at some time or other will be called upon to offer up, the which if hee doth not doe, hee will damne his owne soule; yet untill he is humbled, and shewne what damnation is, he will not buy salvation so deare.

For these causes is Humiliation necessary in the [Page 50] first place: Therefore in the Scripture this method is alwayes used,The Doctrine of Humiliation must goe before Sancti­fication. by the Prophets, Apostles, and Christ himselfe, they preached ever repentance and humiliation before sanctification and justifica­tion: This was Christ order, as you may see, Luke 4. Thus did Nathan with David, he laboured to humble him, before he told him God had for­given him. Thus did Ionas; Yet forty dayes and Nine­veh shallbe destroyed, Ion. 3. Thus also God dealt with Adam in Paradise, he intended to reveale unto him the promises of the Gospell, and yet at the first he strikes him downe with terror that made him hide himselfe, then he told him of his sinnes, and after all reveales the Gospell unto him, (The seed of the woman shall breake the Serpents head, Gen. 3.) Thus dealt Peter with his auditors, Acts 2. 38, 39. Repent and be baptized every one of you, &c.

Thus you see that Humiliation is so necessary, that without it there is no salvation: Let us come in the next place to make some Use of it.

Therefore (my brethren) seeing this is so,Vse. con­tent not your selves with morality and civility, except you have more in you than nature can give you; nay, except you be all new, not patched up; as 2 Cor. 5. Except you bee wholly changed and cast into a new mould, being first broken by humi­liation, you cannot be saved. Try therefore whe­ther now you doe that that others will not doe; wherein else doth the power of Religion consist? Try whether you have denied your selves, and throughly mortified your dearest lust, and what so­ever [Page 51] the fl [...]sh desireth? and whether you bee sicke of sinne? regard not what the world prizeth, la­bour you to h [...]ve yo [...]r hearts broken, else you may pray, be charitable and loving to oth [...]rs, and with Herod, make a conscience of many things, yet all will stand you in no stead, because it commeth not from an humble heart: for be it never so holy a dutie, never so constantly performed, except it comes from a broken heart, God accepts it not: So the Prophet David saith, Psal. 51. 16, 17. God careth not for Sacrifices, (and yet they were his ordinances as well as our prayers,) onely a bro­ken heart was pleasing [...]nto him; and therefore whatsoever you have done from a broken heart, is accepted of God. But here Satan deceives men, with gilded things, namely, formall performance of holy [...] which when they need them (as in the day of [...] or trouble) stand them in no stead. As often he coozeneth Witches, in giving them money to doe some murders, they laying up the money, and when they have need of it, going to fetch it, have found nothing but dry leaves; E­ven thus will all the holy duties wee have perfor­med from an unbroken heart faile us. They are like Glowormes, they glister greatly in the darke,Simile. but when once the Sunne comes, their light is no­thing. So Paul, before he was humbled, hee ac­counted himselfe a godly man, and none better than he; but afterward, hee was not worthy (as hee said) to be counted an Apostle. Therefore deceive not your selves any longer, for nothing is more [Page 52] dangerous than an unsound heart, therefore take heed it deceive you not: if you never have beene humbled, now labour to be humbled; for it was that that made the Publican to be justified rather than the Pharisie, because hee was humbled and the Pharisie was not: and indeed none are further from salvation than those that content themselves with outward formalities.

Now in Humiliation, for our fuller under­standing of it,Three questi­ons. I will explaine these three que­stions:

  • 1 Wherein Humiliation doth consist.
  • 2 What kinde of sorrow is required in this Humiliation.
  • 3 How we shall know whether our sorrows are true or not.

The first question is,Quest. 1. Wherein consists this true Humiliation?

I answer,Answ. In three things:

1. In seeing your life to abound with acutall sinnes,True humilia­tion consists then in looking into your heart and nature, 1 which is wholly corrupted,In seeing our lives abound in sinne. and the root of all e­vill, and where your corruption is strongest, as fire in the root. Many labour to excuse their sinnes from their nature, because that that is prone unto it; but that makes their cause the worse, it increa­seth their vildnesse; for, why hast thou such a na­ture, and dost not curbe it? Besides, their natures are odious to God, though they never should breake out; as a Serpent is odious unto us, though he never hurt us. Further, consider, hast thou not [Page 53] made thy nature worse? Every sinne thou hast committed makes it worse; for actuall sinne doth more increase the custome and habit of sinne; so that besides Adams sinne, thou thy selfe art guilty of corrupting thine owne nature.

2. In considering that there is nothing in thee 2 that is good at all;In considering that there is nothing good in thee. so the Apostle saith, Rom. 7. 18. For I know that in me dwelleth no good thing: and, Gal. 3. 22. The Scripture hath concluded all (not onely men, but things) under sinne. Men thinke well of themselves, because they have much good in them; but consider with thy selfe thou hast nothing good in thee at all: Can good fruit proceed from an ill tree?

3. In smiting thy heart with an apprehension 3 of death,In smiting th [...] heart with a [...] apprehension of Gods curs [...] hell, and misery, due to thy sinne; then wilt thou find thy selfe in a miserable estate, and canst not chuse but be humbled, when in conside­ration of these things, thy heart smites thee, as Belchazzars did him. And so much for the first question.

The second question is,Quest. 2. What kinde of sorrow is required in this Humiliation?

I answer;Answ. Not those violent flashings of sor­row, which for a while amaze like a land-stood,What sorrow is required to true humilia­tion. but it must be this:

When thy judgement is enlightned to see thy estate, and the judgements of God hanging over thee; and after this convincing, then thy affe­ctions are stirred to mourne for thy sinne. If the judgement bee fully convinced, the affections will [Page 54] follow: therefore in Scripture, when any is said to be humbled, in those places is shewed that their affections were stirred; as we may see, Acts 16. in the Jaylor: and of Peter, it is said of his conversion, He went out and wept bitterly: So also of those, Acts 2. it is said, They were pricked in their hearts: for the ground of their sorrow is the con­vincing of the judgement, which workes upon the affections; therefore Christ saith, The Spirit shall come to convince the world of sinne, &c. Ioh. 16. 8. The other sorrow not arising from this convincing of the judgement, is but a passion, and so is streight gone; this is an affection, and so is more perma­nent although it is stiller, as the deepest water; are ever stillest. And so much for the second que­stion.

The third question is,Quest. 3. How shall he know whe­ther these sorrowes of his be true or no?

To this I answer,Answ. There is an Humiliation not deepe enough,How to know true sorrow. a sleight Humiliation; and there is another too deepe, which so drownes vs in sorrow that it takes away all hope of salvation, and brings despaire, such was the sorrow of Iudas and Achito­phel: but the third and true, is an indifferent be­tweene both: sometimes there may be an humili­ation and no grace, as there may be a plowing and no sowing.How true Hu­miliation dif­fers from o­ther sorrow. But true humiliation differs from other sorrowes thus:

First, In the rice of it: both a godly man and an 1 hypocrite may;In the rise. first, be wounded with Gods wrath: secondly, desire freedome from hell; but [Page 55] into the godly God doth instill gracious seeds, whereby hee is humbled for sinne as well as hell, and desires grace as well as mercy: But the hypo­crite onely desires mercy and freedome from these torments, and therefore when the terrour ceaseth his holinesse and desire of goodnesse ceaseth, and so being eased from the torments, he cares for no more; but the godly hee desires to be joyned to Christ, and to have his lusts mortified.

Secondly, in the continuance of it: hypocriti­call 2 humiliation may be longer or shorter,In the conti­nuance. but it is never constant,Bousion Cons. 299. it doth vanish; but true humilia­tion doth last all the life long.Simile. The humiliation of hypocrites is like iron, which while it is hot in the fire you may fashion it which way you will, but when it is once out, it is presently stiffe againe: So Pharaoh as long as Gods hand was on him, hee would let the people goe, but as soone as the fire of affliction was removed, his heart was hardned, so was Ahab and Saul. But in true humiliation God takes away the iron heart, & gives an heart of flesh, so that although it may be brawnie a little, yet still it is flesh: Hypocrites so long onely as they are under the judgement are soft, but the heart of the godly is alwaies soft.3

Thirdly,By the signes and effects. by the signes of brokennesse of heart:Contrition of heart. Now brokennesse of heart

1. Heales our sinnes. First, the beloved, the master sinne,1. Heales our Sinnes. and then all the rest: other humilia­tion skinne over, but cures not; it stops the streame for a while, but it breakes out againe: it may cause [Page 56] you to make many purposes to leave the sinne; yea, and to leave it awhile, but you will returne to them againe; whereas if one bee truly humbled he is stronger against that beloved sin than against any other; not but that hee hath strong inclinati­ons to that sinne, but hee is more shye of it, and shunnes the occasions of that sinne, because hee hath fully felt the smart of it, and hath by his hu­miliation seene that sinne more than any other. Now after the beloved sinne is once healed, then the other sinnes will soone be healed;Simile. as in a cloth by washing out a deeper staine, the same labour doth wash out lesser staines.

2. It causeth love of Christ:2. It causeth love to Christ: So Mary Magda­len, because she was humbled much, and saw that Christ had forgiven her much, therefore she loved much. So Paul, who was much humbled, ever expressed a servent love to Christ, as we may see, Acts 21. 13. where hee saith, having beene per­swaded by his friends not to goe to Jerusalem, I am ready not to bee bound, but also to dye for the name of the Lord Iesus: as who should say, I feare no­thing, because I care for nothing but Christ, So also, 2 Cor. 5. 14. he saith, The love of Christ con­straineth mee: and therefore when by humiliation we see what Christ hath done for us, we thinke we can never doe enough for him.

Now you may know if you love Christ or not,Signs to know whether we love Christ or no. by these signes:

The first signe to know the love of Christ,1. Obedience. is o­bedience; Hee that loveth Christ, keepeth his [Page 57] Commandements, and they are not grievous un­to him.

The second signe is this;2. Affection towards him. If you love him, you shall finde in your heart that you love him, your heart will be carried towards him; as I can tell if I love a man, for then my heart is carried to­wards him.

The third signe to know the love of Christ,3. The light prizing of spi­rituall things. is this; It causeth me to esteeme of spirituall things, to prize them at an high rate, and other things lit­tle worth: for when a man is soundly humbled, aske him then what he desires most, he will answer Christ and Grace, and that his corruptions may cease in him; as for outward things, hee passeth not for them: as a man that sees he must dye, hee cares for no outward wealth, take you that, give him onely the pardon of his sinnes.

The fourth signe of the love of Christ, is this; It maketh him content with the meanest conditi­on.4. Contented­nesse with the meanest con­dition. The prodigall Sonne, when he was humbled, so he might be in his fathers house he was content; he liked the meanest condition, even to be a ser­vant; I am unworthy to be thy sonne, make mee as one of thy hired servants, Luk. 15. 21. So Paul, after hee was humbled, thought himselfe unworthy for the Saints company, and that not for a fit onely, but even ever after he still cryes out, I am unworthy to be an Apostle. Thus Naomi, returning home to her Countrey, said, she went out full, and yet had no­thing but her selfe, sonnes, and husband; she ac­counted any thing too much for her. If a man [Page 58] once come to be verily perswaded that he is wor­thy to be destroyed, hee can with patience beare any losses and crosses; for these are nothing to death, which he knowes he hath deserved; there­fore what impatience soever thou hast, so much art thou short of true humiliation.

The fifth signe to know we love Christ,5. Feare of of­fending God. is this; It makes us fearefull of offending God: tender­nesse of conscience is ever according to the mea­sure of true humiliation; for by how much the more we are humbled, by so much doe wee feare to offend God, and labour to walke obediently un­to him. Esay 66. 2. the Lord saith, To him will I looke that is poore and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word: If thou art of a contrite heart, thou wilt tremble at his words; that is, at his Com­mandements; such an one feares to breake any Commandement, he is sensible of the least sinne: Hence it is, that Prov. 28. 14. feare is opposed to hardnesse of heart; Happy is the man that feareth al­way, but he that hardneth his heart shall fall into mis­chiefe: Now the opposite to hardnesse, is broken­nesse of heart, but feare is opposed to it because it is a signe of brokennesse of heart. Now this fear­fulnesse stands in two things:

1. In a facility to be convicted of any sinne; for he that is not thus broken in heart, stands out with God, and will not yeeld unto him.

2. In a feare to offend God; for when hee is once convinced, he labours to doe according to his knowledge; and then is afraid to displease God, ei­ther▪

[Page 59] 1 In committing the least sinne; as Moses would not leave the least hoofe behinde him; and as Iob feared lest his sonnes should have sinned in heart, Iob 1. 4. He was so truly humbled, that hee would not sacrifice for owne sinnes onely, but even for his sonnes also, and that the least, the thoughts of their hearts.

2 In omitting the least good duty, or doing it formally; which thing the hypocrite cannot doe, because he hath not this tendernesse of conscience.

The sixth signe of the love of Christ,6. The finding of sweetnesse in the word of God. is this; It makes Gods Word sweet unto us; as it was to David, Sweeter than the honie and the home-combe: Crummes are sweet to an hungry man; so if a man hunger after the Gospell, it will be sweet unto him. Indeed if the Word be sweetened with hu­mane Eloquence, it may bee sweet to one that is carnall (for so it is pleasing to nature,) but if the purer it is, and the more it is seperated from those gaudy flowers; if the more piercing it is, the sweeter it is to us, then it is a signe of a broken heart; for it is a reproach to those that have not a broken heart, and so it cannot be sweet: as wee may see, Ier 6 10. where the Lord saith, Behold, their eare is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the Word of the Lord is unto them a reproach, they have no delight mit. And againe, the Prophet saith, Ier. 15. 16. Thy words were found, and I did eat them, and thy Word was unto mee the joy and rejoy­cing of mine heart: It is joy and rejoycing to those [Page 60] that have a broken heart, as the Prophet had: nay, the sharper it is, the more they delight in it.

The seventh signe of our love to Christ,7. Meekenesse of spirit. is this; It causeth meeknesse of spirit. The spirit that dwel­lethin us (before we are humbled) lusteth after en­vy, Iam. 4. 5. now every naturall man is so; but he that is of a broken heart envieth not, he spends his [...]nger on himselfe, and lookes to his owne offen­ces so much, that he regards not others.

But some man will here bee ready to object and say,Obiect. My nature is hasty, and I cannot sup­presse it.

To this I answer,Answ. It is true, every one by na­ture is a Lion;Humiliation changeth our nature. but grace when that comes, it tur [...]s us into Lambs and meeke Sheepe. Luk. 3. 4. Iohn cryes in the wildernesse, Prepare the way of the Lord, &c. but how? by Humility: Every high moun­taine and hill shall be digged downe, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough wayes shall bee made smooth: Humility, which prepareth for Christ, diggeth downe those high mountaines, and maketh plaine those rough wayes. I deny not but that somtimes Gods child may haue a passion of anger; yet the peace of God rules in his heart, although that sometimes breakes out as a rebell, but it dwels not in him: Christ is meeke, and so are all his. And so much for the third question.

Now to proceed further in the explication of Humiliation, and come to the fourth question, which is this,

Whether this Humiliation must be in all men,Quest. 4. [Page 61] as well in those which are well educated, and have fallen into no grosse sinnes, as in o­thers?

I answer,Answ. yes; it must be in all, even this great Humiliation here spoken of, else let them goe ne­ver so farre, they will in the end fall away: and that is the very reason why so many Professors, that have given up their names to follow Christ, fall away, because they were never humbled soundly for sinne.

Yet there is this difference betwixt the hu­miliation of one brought up well,The differen [...] of humiliation in one well e­ducated and a grosse sinner. and a grosse sinner:

1. The filth of sinne is not so suddenly revea­led 1 to those that have beene well brought up, and have some knowledge, and therefore they are not so suddenly smitten, as to those that lived in igno­rance all their life long: those that have a light on the sudden, it presently amazeth them; even so God strikes downe suddenly the grosse sinner, and amazes him with a more violent sorrow and humi­liation, than he doth the other.

2. The Joy is not so sudden, nor flashing, nor 2 sensible in him that hath more knowledge; the medicine is knowne to him as soone as the wound: he knowes Christ a Saviour offered up for all that are wounded for sinne, and so as soone as he feeles the wound he applies the medicine; so is not his trouble so irkesome, neither being delivered hath he such sensible joy: For instance, Suppose a man be in the way wounded among theeves, and al­most [Page 62] killed, so that he saw no meanes of life; if one, a friend of his, on the sudden should steppe forth and helpe him, hee would be more sensible of it, than such an one as knowing before he shall be robbed, getteth company to goe with him, and so escapes the danger. And so much for the fourth question.

The fifth question is this;Quest. 5. What is the least de­gree of Humiliation that must be in one that will be saved?

I answer, it is so much as will bring us home to Christ;Answ. that is, so much as will make us ap­prehend sinne to be the greatest evill in the world,The least de­gree of humi­liation will make us count sin the grea­test cuill, Christ the greatest good and Christ to be the greatest good; so much as will enable us to make sinne our chiefest sorrow, and Christ our chiefest joy: when wee doe so, then whatsoever is offered we neglect for Christ, and preferre him. Thence is it that the Churches are said to rejoyce in Christ with joy unspeakeable and glorious, 1 Pet. 1. 8. For when we apprehend sinne to be the greatest evill, and by Christ to beefreed from it,A mans con­version con­sists in three things. we must needs rejoyce unspeakably. For wee are to know that our conversion consists in threethings:

1. In being soundly humbled, so that wee see sinne to be the greatest evill in the world.

2. In stedfastly laying hold of Christ, and be­leeving in him, so that wee will not part with him for any thing in the world.

3. In a newnesse of life, walking in obedience to all his Commandements: and therefore Christ [Page 63] saith, Iohn 16. Hee will send the Comforter to convince the world of sinne, and righteousnesse: first, to hum­ble for sinne: and in this also there are degrees; for here one may be humbled more than another, and so thirst after Christ more; but the more wee are humbled, the better we are humbled; it is a signe God hath a greater worke to doe by us, when we are thus humbled: It is a great fault in us that we are prone to thinke that we are humbled enough, and that our humiliation at our first con­version was enough; no (beloved) our humilia­tion must not be like a land-flood, that runnes but for a little time, but like a spring running con­tinually; for all degrees in grace, depending on God, mortification of our lusts, &c. depends on the degrees of our humiliation; and hee that is the most humbled, would be much more if he saw himselfe to be the better. And so much for the fifth question.

The sixth question is this,Quest. 6. How shall we come to be thus humbled?

I answer,Answ. By the Law; for though the whole act of our humiliation is wrought by the Law and the Gospell,The Law the onely meanes of humiliation Rom. 6. yet that humiliation which I now urge, is that legall humiliation which is wrought by the Law: by the Law, I meane not onely the ten Commandements, but the rectitude of our persons to the whole Scripture, which is the exposition of them: First, consider therefore how much perfection Gods word requireth, then how short you come of that perfection; this is one meanes.

[Page 64] I but some man will bee ready to say,Obiect. I have done what I could, and yet I am not humbled.

To this I answer,Answ. it is not the Law alone that must humble us, but it must be joyned with the spirit of bondage; for as to make the Gospell ef­fectuall there is required the spirit of consolation, and a faith to beleeve it; so to make the Law ef­fectuall there is required the spirit of bondage, and faith proportionable.The spirit of bondage, what and why re­quired to hu­miliation. The spirit of bondage is that which enlightneth us to see the bondage wherein we are by reason of our sinnes, and then is required a faith to beleeve the threats against those sinnes; for faith is required to beleeve Gods threats as well as his promises; faith in the generall being nothing but a lifting us up to see what nature cannot: for when the uncleane person is threatned he is not moved because he beleeves not.

But here some man will be ready to object and say,Obiect. Afflictions often humbleus, therefore it is not the Law that doth it.

To this I answer,Answ. Afflictions, as the plow, make way,How afflicti­ons and the Law concurre to humiliation but it is the seed of the Law sowne in our hearts that must humble us: indeed those notions, which they had before, are in afflictions made to seem otherwise then before: but we must take heed that afflictions cause not worldly sorrow, for that is the applying of the corrosive to a whole place.

Now you must know that there is an extraor­dinary humiliation which God at some times workes in some men; we urge not to that, (God [Page 65] workes that in whom he pleaseth, and intendeth to make extraordinary,) wee urge to the ordinary humiliation. Now the meanes to attaine that, are these five:

The first meanes to aftaine humiliation,Five meanes to humiliatiō. is, To enter into a serious consideration of our estate, as the prodigall Sonne did;1. Meanes, to consider our estates. he is said, Luk. 15. to come to himselfe, and consider that his father had e­nough, and he starved. So every one of us should doe: consider

First, the greatnesse of thy sinnes in particular,1 and make Catalogues of them.

And then secondly, let our actuall sinnes leade 2 us to our corrupt heart, which is the root of all. So God dealt with the children of Israel, Deut. 8. 2. where it is said, God led them forty yeares in the wildernesse, to humble them, and to prove them, and to know what was in their hearts, &c. Hee himselfe knew it well enough, but by their sinnes he would make it knowne to themselves and others. So al­so God dealt with Hezekias, 2 Chron. 32. 31. Where it is said, God left him, to try him, and to know all that was in his heart. Hezekiah had a proud heart, and God left him to himselfe, not that God might know what was in his heart, but that hee himselfe might know. So God tels the Israelites, Ezek. 36. 31. Yee shall remember your owne evill wayes, and your doings that were not good, and shall loath your selves in your owne sight for your iniquity, &c.

Thirdly, Having thus considered your sinnes,3 consider Gods wrath, and the certainty of it; the [Page 66] wrath of a King is the messenger of death, what then is the wrath of almighty God? even as the power of God is more than the power of man, so is his wrath also: as long as he lives, so long will he punish thee in hell. The consideration of this made Moses breake out, Psal. 90. and say, Who knowes the power of his wrath? Paul is in great heavinesse for the Iewes, Rom. 9. And as God shewed his almigh­ty power in making of man, so will he in destroying and punishing. And this wrath of his shall fall up­on the most sensible part of man, viz. the soule, which as it is capable of the greatest measure of joy, so is it capable of the greatest measure of griefe. What is God but infinite? what is his wrath but infinite? under it thou shalt most wish for death, which now thou most fearest.

The second meanes to obtaine Humiliation,1. Meanes, to suffer sorrow to abide on us is, to stay a great while on this consideration, to suf­fer sorrow to abide on our hearts; for it is the oft and serious consideration that effects this: and therefore we may learne something from Sathan, when he would drive a man to despaire, he oft puts thoughts of Gods wrath due unto our sinnes into our mindes, hee holds the object close unto our mindes, and so letteth us thinke of nothing else. It is the frequent and seirous consideration of these things that humbleth us: This was that that hum­bled David, Psal. 51. My sinne was alwaies before me: so Iam. 4. 8. cleanse your hands ye sinners, and purifie your hearts yee double minded: How is that done? vers. 9. be afflicted and mourne: all waveringnesse [Page 67] and instability comes from the corruption of the heart, and therefore cleanse that; and the way to cleanse that is to be humbled; and the way to be humbled is to sequester your selfe from all carnall mirth (though else lawfull) and stay on these con­siderations.

The third meanes is this; If you cannot see sinne in it selfe,3. Meanes see sinne in [...] effects. labour to see it in his effects. All miseries which you feele in your selfe, or know in others, are the fruits of it; and this will make you say, it is a bitter thing to sinne; so Peter in his se­cond Epistle and second chapter, by this effect ag­gravates sinne, where he shewes it was for sinne that the Angels were throwne downe into hell, that the old world was drowned, that Sodome and Gomorrah were destroyed.

The fourth meanes to attaine humiliation is,4. Meanes, to make these e­vilspresent by faith. to make these evils present before you by faith: as in an opticke glasse, those things that are a far off will seeme neere to those that looke in it; so these by faith should seeme at the very doore: it may be the not considering them as present makes them not affect you; for what is a farre off, although it be in it selfe feareful, yet is not feared, as death, &c. there­fore set hell before your eyes, and see it as present before you.

Make present unto you these two things:Two things ought to be present before vs.

1 All sinnes past: a thing that is past vs will seeme small unto us, though it be as great as e­ver it was before, and so doe our sinnes to us: we usually doe as men that leave something be­hinde [Page 68] them, when they are far gone they thinke it is but a little, and therefore they will not re­turne for it; so we being far off from our sinnes, they seeme little unto us, but we must remem­ber the day of our iniquity. Let us therefore make them our sinnes present, God he esteemes them as great as ever they were, let us doe so therefore, let them seeme abominable to us: thus did Iob possesse the sinnes of his youth.

2. Things future: as Gods judgements, which are neere at hand, and lye at the doore, as God saies to Cain, although they seeme to us a farre off: But this is Satans cunning to deceive us; he is as a Painter, who by the collusion of colors makes things seeme far off which are nigh; so he makes Gods wrath which lyes at our doore, seeme a farre off, when as it may bee it will light on us the next day.

The fifth meanes to attaine Humiliation,5. Meanes. To take heed of shifts; is, To take heed of all such false shifts whereby you may seeme to keepe off the blow of Gods law from lighting on you: wee are never moved with these considerations untill all shifts are removed; so that wee see nothing but death, and then we tremble.

The shifts by which men thinke to keepe off the blow of Gods judgments,Eight shifts, whereby men think to keep off iudgments and so with-hold them­selves from being humbled, are these eight:

1 Civilitie;1. Civility. this Gloworme of civility so glit­tereth in the darke, that wee thinke it to bee a true sparke of grace, but where the spirit shines wee [Page 69] shall finde it false: and as the Divell deludeth Witches, in giving them leaves instead of silver and gold, so doth hee deale with thee here; for except there be a supernaturall frame of thy hear [...], there is not cause of comfort notwithstanding all thy civility: and therefore thou must bee sure to have something in thee more than nature, for civi­lity will not bring to heaven.

2 Formall performance of holy duties;2. Formall performance of holy duties. as praying, reading, &c. that puffes men up, and keeps them from humiliation. If you either omitted them altogether, then your conscience would checke you; or performed them well, then your heart would be bettered, and you would be hum­bled: but this formall doing of them keepes the heart dead and senslesse. Remember therefore that no sacrifice is acceptable to God, but that that comes from a Broken heart, Psal. 51.

3 The badnesse of your nature;3. Badn [...]sse of nature. you would doe better, but your nature is so bad that you can­not. But remember,Two cautions first, That that aggravates your sinne, and God likes you the worse for that, and 1 will the hardlier pardon you; even as wee our selves are readiest to pardon an offence in a good nature. Secondly, your selfe is the cause of the 2 badnesse of your nature: God gave you in Adam a good nature, but you have lost it, and since by many sinnes have made it worse by farre.

4 Gods mercy:4. Gods mercy he is mercifull, therefore you will not feare: but what if hee be mercifull, hee calls not thee, thou art not burdened with thy [Page 70] sinnes, he cals onely such, Come unto mee all ye that are heavy laden, and I will ease you. What hast thou to doe with mercy, which seest not thy misery? thou hast no part in it, as Iehu said to Iezabell.

5 The making conscience of many things;5. The making conscience of many things. so Herod did many things after Iohns preaching; so the Gentiles did by nature the things contained in the Law, yet were without God, Rom 2. but there is no example like unto that of Amazia, 2 Chron. 25. 2. he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord for a long time, but not with a perfect heart. One may make conscience of praying in private, and of doing many good duties, and yet have no true grace, but doe all out of a naturall conscience for feare of punishment.

6. Because Judgements come not swiftly,6. The delay of executing of judgement and are not speedily executed, Ministers threaten but they feele nothing: But wee must know, that the lesse afflictions we have had, the more are behind; and I know not a more miserable condition than this is; it is a most dangerous signe thou art or­dained to death, when thou art thus let alone vn­punisht: As we use to say, when men are frequent­ly sicke there is no danger of death,Simile. but when they never have beene sicke, and at length fall into it, it is very dangerous; so it is to be feared, that when once God beginnes with thee, hee will make an end, as hee threatned to Hophnie and Phincas; hee will so strike, that he will not strike twice: so that nothing can be worse, than for a sinner to goe on without trouble.

[Page 71] 7. Men judge their estates and sinnes in a false ballance of opinion:7. A false opi­nion of their estates, none (say they) thinke ill of them, but a few that are more precise than wise. But consider:

1 That Ministers are onely the men by whom ye beleeve,Three cauti­ons. not whom ye should beleeve: take our words but so farre forth as they are proved unto 1 you by Scripture; and if they be true, then (al­though few be of that minde) yet you ought to beleeve them.

2 Consider whether that latitude of Religion 2 which thou stickest unto, and hopest to bee saved by, will serve thee on thy death-bed, and at the day of Judgement.

3. Consider that it is the part of holy men, and 3 of none else, to discerne which are the wayes of God: every one is to be beleeved in his owne art, therefore beleeve them.

Men thinke that it concernes onely some to bee holy,8. An opinion that some should be ho­ly and not all. as Ministers, &c. and not all. I will answer such with the saying of Wisedome, The way of godlinesse is too high for a foole: If thou wert wise, thou wouldest thinke it concerned thee also.

Now I beseech you (brethren) humble your selves,Vse. and so much the rather, because now the time and necessity of the Church requires it, now while shee is thus in her mourning gowne seeke not after your profits and pleasures, drinke not Wine in bowles, use not now the liberties that o­therwise lawfully you might. Remember that saying of Vriah, 2 Sam. 11. 11. The Arke, and Israel, [Page 72] and Iudah abide in tents, and my Lord Ioab, and the ser­vants of my Lord are encamped in the open fields, shall I then goe into my house to eat and to drinke, and to lye with my wife? &c. And doe as Daniel did, chap. 9. Now practise all the parts of Humiliation, now Gods Church needeth it; although you your selves were free, yet humble your selves for the sinnes of others; continually pray to God for them. Remember what God threatneth to those, Esa. 22. 12. that when he called to mourning, they followed their pleasure; hee saith, He will not forget it to the death: so Esa. 66. 4. God is angry with all that neglect this duty, and will not bee stirred up to performe it; but those that doe call on him he will heare. The unrighteous Iudge, Luk. 18. was overcome by importunity, and then much more will God: if we humble our selves, as Mor­decay, Ester 4. 14. concluded excellently, Their de­liverance shall arise from another place; so may we; then certainly the Church shall stand, and Anti­christ shal fall, as a mill-stone into the sea, never to rise up againe. I grant hee may rage very farre, he hath raged farre already, and how farre more he shall rage, God onely knowes; yet in the end, certaine it is he shall fall, & the Church shall stand. Let us all therefore be humbled, you which have not yet begunne this humiliation, now beginne; and yee which have begunne, bee stedfast therein, knowing that your labour shall not bee in vaine in the Lord.

Mercy to be found in Christ.

The next thing to be shewed after this doctrine [Page 73] that wee are dead in sinne, is the meanes of reco­vering our life, and that is by Christ, as it is in the Text (you hath hee quickened that were dead, &c.) Hee, that is, Chist hath done it. Hence learne this doctrine of comfort, as a refreshing cordi­all next after the bitter potion of humiliati­on. That:

Whosoever will come to Christ,Doctr. 3. may come and finde mercy, Rev. 22. 17. Whosever will,3 Things in the doctrine, let him taste of the waters of life freely. Here I will shew:

1 What is meant by will (whosoever will) that is,1 Taking of Christ. he that will receive Christ with all his con­ditions, to be his Lord and his Ruler, &c. Whosoever will thus take Christ hee may: if wee would take Christ before wee were hum­bled we might, but till we be humbled we will not take him. It is Christ that gives life, but till we be hungry we wil not take him and eat him: the Sunne enlighteneth,Simile. but the window lets it in; Christ gives life, but our hungring after him makes us eat him, which we will not doe untill wee be humbled.

2 May come to Christ] that is,2 Laying hold of him. receive him, and beleeve in him; it is but laying hold of him when hee sees he must perish,Simile. as a man that is falling into the sea, casts himselfe on a rocke, and there will lie and rest; so wee seeing wee must perish without him; wee clap hold on him, and will not leave him for any persecution or pleasure.

3 Whosoever will] It is generally propounded;3 All may come and take him. [Page 74] for Christ is a common fountaine, he that will, may come; As Iohn 7. 3, 7. If any man thirst, let him come unto mee and drinke: hee that beleeveth in mee, as saith the Scripture, out of his belly shall flow living waters: and againe, Iob. 3. 16. God gave his onely begotten Sonne, that whosoever beleeved in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. As the old Adam was a common root of sinne and damnation; so is Christ the second Adam, of grace and salvation: as at the yeere of Iubilee, when the trumpet sounded, whosoever would might goe free, but if any would be sollavish as to serve, they might; so now to Christ, now he calleth, whosoever will, may goe free and be de­livered; but if there be any so flavish minded as to stay, they may.

The grounds of this Doctrine why I thus ge­nerally deliver it,The grounds of the Doctrin generally. are these:

1 Because else there were no ground of our faith;1 Otherwise no ground of our faith. faith must have a ground of Scripture, and the Scripture makes no particular promise to any man; it saith not, thou Thomas, or thou Iohn, shalt be saved, but it faith, Whosoever will, let him come, and drinke freely of the water of life: Then we say, but I will; therefore on this ground is the strength of faith, that whosoever will, may come.

2 Because faith is about things that are;2. Faith is a­bout things that are. faith presupposeth his object: God gives the generall promise, Whosoever will beleeve, shall be saved: This is the object of faith, this premised [Page 75] the faith followeth; and is the the cause of all the consequences, as that Christ is mine, I am sanctified, justified, &c. these follow faith, but the object is before, viz. that whosoever wil come to Christ, may: as, if I beleeve the world is created, then it must first be created; so if I beleeve, I shall be saved, if I goe to Christ, then I must first have this, for to beleeve, that who­soever will come to Christ, may come.

To exhort so many as are humbled for sinne,Vse. and see what need they have of Christ, to come to him to be quickened; the fountaine is open­ed, so that, be thy sinnes never so many, or great however, committed of knowledge after many vowes or covenants, yet if thou art so touched and humbled for thy sinnes, that thou truely thirstest after Christ, if thou wilt take him, thou maist. To those onely that are humbled is this wide doore of comfort opened; art thou but humbled, let thy sinne be never so great, suppose it be of murther, uncleannesse, &c. let them be aggravated with all the circumstan­ces, yet if thou canst be but humbled, and then lay hold on Christ thou maiest, Read 1 Cor. 6. 9. See what great sinnes those were, how can you name greater? Neither fornicator, nor idolater, nor adulter, nor effeminate, now abusers of themselves with mankind, nor theeves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, not extortioners, shall inherit the King­dome of God. And such were some of you: But yee are washed but ye are sanctified, but ye are iustified, &c. [Page 76] Nay, suppose you have not one jot of holinesse, nor of godly sorrow, yet doe but take Christ, and hee is thine. To looke for sorrow and holinesse before thou takest Christ, is to looke for life before the soule. Therefore doe but take him and hee is thine: for,

1 The promise is free without any condi­tion; If godly sorrow and grace were re­quired, it were not free; godly sorrow and grace followes faith, but are not required be­fore it.

2 The promise is generall, Mark. 16. 16. Goe yee unto all the world, and preach the Gos­pell to every creature: If therefore there be any poore soule touched with his sinnes, so as hee will doe or suffer any thing for Christ, to him I speake comfort, to him Christ doth belong, thou maiest have CHRIST if thou wilt.

But some man will here be ready to ob­ject and say,Obiect. Then every one will take him.

To this I answer,Answer. Every one would take him for a Saviour,Every one would take Christ as a Saviour, but not as a Lord. but there be conditions follow­ing after, though not going before faith: if you beleeve hee is your Saviour, you must beleeve hee is your Lord, you must serve him in all his commands, and leave all your sinnes, which none will doe, untill they see that without him they cannot but perish: and none but they will take him, whom, when they have taken him, he descendeth [Page 77] into them, and quickeneth them, and ani­mates them, and makes them like himselfe. As fire doth yron,Simile. to have the same quali­ties which fire hath, although not the same degrees. Thus when a man, humbled for sinne, longeth after Christ, and receives him, Christ enters into him,Christ gives whome hee quickeneth a three-fold life and gives him a threefold life: 1 The life of guiltlesnesse, by which wee are free from the guilt of sinne. 2 The life of grace. 3 The life of joy. Thus hee quickeneth those which are dead in trespasses and sinnes. Hitherto of the first verse, we come now to the second.

Continuance in SINNE DANGEROVS.

EPHES. 2. VERS. 2.‘Wherin in times past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the Prince of the power of the aire, the spirit that now ruleth in the children of disobedience, &c.’

AFter the Apostle had proved these Ephesians, to whom hee writes, to be dead in trespasses and sinnes; here in the next verse hee proceeds to confirme his Dorctrine, by proving them to be dead men from the signes of death, which are three: That they walked:

  • 1 According to the course of the world:
  • 2 According to the Prince of the aire:
  • 3 In the lusts of the flesh.

[Page 80] These are the guides by whom they were led, the world, the flesh and the divell: where such guides lead a man, hee is like to runne a good course.

Now the point of Doctrine that ariseth from the first of these, is:

That whosoever walketh in any course of sinne, Doctr. 1. is a dead man, and the child of wrath: that is, if there be any ruling lust in a man, so that hee followes it, and it commandeth him, that man is in the estate of condemnation.

This is plaine,The Doctrine prooved Scripture. Rom. 8. 1. There is no condem­nation to those which are in Christ Iesus, who walke not after the flesh, but after the spirit. If there be no condemnation to those which walke after the spirit; then certainely there is condemnation to those which walke after the flesh: So like­wise, Rom. 6. 14. Sin hath no dominion over you, for you are not under the law, but under grace; that is, if sin hath but dominion over you, then were you in the estate of death: if but any lust hath do­minion over you, so that you must yeeld obedi­ence to it, you are not in the estate of grace, but of damnation: and the reason hereof is vers. 18. because, you are the servants of sinne, (for his ser­vants you are whom you obey.) Suppose you have but any one predominant sinne, it is enough to damme thee. There are some that can deny the sin of lusts, but for to leave their company, that they cannot doe: Againe, some can leave their company, but by no meanes will part with the [Page 81] sinne of lust; some can part with both: but for their riches, they will not part with a penny; and so for other particulars, many will be con­tent to part with some of their sins, but one is so sweet, that they will not part with it. But let all such know, that if they have but any one sinne to rule and reigne so in them, that they must needs obey it; if it be so sweet unto them, that they cannot leave it, they are in the estate of condemnation: yea, if they continue but in any one knowne sinne, for there is but one way to heaven, but by-waies a thousand: now, if thou takest but one by-way, it will leade thee from heaven as well as if twenty; for the right way to hit the marke, is but one, but there are many by-waies wherein we may misse.

I added, Whosoever walketh in any knowne sinne. Indeed, a man may sometimes by chance slip out of the way into some sinne; but I meane not such a man, but him that maketh some sinne his continuall walke.

But every one will be ready to say; This is a hard saying,By reason. and who can indure it? I will therefore shew you some reasons for it.

The first reason is,Reason. 1. because, that whosoever walketh in any knowne sinne,Hee that wal­keth in sin is overcome of sinne. is overcome of sinne, and whosoever is overcome of sinne can­not be saved. Indeed, a godly man may often­times be foiled, but never is overcome, and at the last getteth the victory: But when a man assimulates himselfe to sinne, and without any [Page 82] reluctation is overcome of it, striving no more against it, as fire when it is ouercome by wa­ter, that man is certainely in the estate of con­demnation. This is the meaning of the Apo­stle Peter, 2 Pet. 2. 9. While they promise them liber­tie, they themselves are the servants of corruption, for of whom a man is overcome, of the same hee is brought in bondage: If any sinne overcome thee, thou art in the estate of damnation. It will not serve our turne, to use those weake excuses, which com­monly is our plea; to say, wee cannot leave them, because we are flesh and blood, and they are naturally in us.

The second reason is,Reason. 2. because, whosoev [...]r walketh in any knowne sinne,In him sinne hath the chief­est command, and God no place. in him sinne is predominant, and hath the chiefe command, and where that hath the chiefe command and rules, God hath no place; for the motion fol­lowes the predominant element; if godlinesse be predominant, that moves us and rules us; if sinne be predominant in us, that rules us. As a man speaketh out of the abundance that is in his heart, so also he worketh out of the abun­dance that is in his heart. This is plaine, for when Christ would shew their hearts to be bad, hee biddeth them consider their speech; and if he could gather the naughtinesse of their hearts by their speech, then certainly much more by their actions and workes.

I,Obiect. but some may say, I have a secret sinne in my heart, yet it breaketh not forth; I keepe it [Page 83] in, and will not suffer it to come out, and so long it is not predominant, neither doth it beare rule, neither doth he walke after it, but covers it.

I answer,Answ. they have so, and though they doe not walke after them, yet they are not the bet­ter for that, for God judgeth according to the inward heart, he judgeth according to the hea­ven we aime at in our owne hearts, he feeth the secret bent of the heart which way it is; it may seeme contrary to the eyes of men, but hee judgeth not according to the outward appea­rance, but hee judgeth with righteous judge­ment.

The third reason is,Reas. 3. because, that whosoever lyeth in any knowne sinne,Hee is an hy­pocrite. is an hypocrite, and no hypocrite can be saved, though he doth other things never so well; for such an one hangeth not like the sprigge, but like a bough that is al­most rent off the olive tree, which can never prosper. If he did but a little, and yet did it in sinceritie, it would be accepted, whereas, while he doth much,God hath re­spect unto small things with sinceri­ty, more than many great things with hypocrisie. yet in hypocrisie, God regardeth it not. This I finde by comparing these two places together. 2 Cron. 25. 2. And 2 Cron. 15. 17. In the first place it is said, that Amazia did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart, and therefore God rejected him: the meaning is, that he was not through­out perfect, but had some secret sinne in him, therefore God rejected him.

[Page 84] Now, in the other place, It is said, The hears of Asa was perfect all his daies; yet as we may read, he had many infirmities: as 1 He put not away the high places: 2 He relied upon the King of Egypt: 3 He trusted on the Physicians: 4 He put the Prophet into prison. Yet notwithstan­ding all these infirmities, it is said, his heart was perfect, because that these did not rule in him: For, where there is found humiliation wrought in any man, he, though these through infirmity may be in him, yet he walketh not after them; and then only humiliation is good, when a man is desirous to be rid of his sinnes; and this the hypocrite wanteth, because there is rottennesse at the core, and his heart is not truly sound.

The fourth reason is,Reason 4, because that hee that walketh but in any one knowne sinne,He is ready to runne into o­ther sins upon occasion. if he had but tentation unto other sinnes, he would runne into them also. Thence is that of the Apostle Iames 2. 10, 11. Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, is guiltie of all; his mea­ning is, that if such a man had but as strong ten­tations unto other sins, he would commit them also; for if a man doeth any duty out of sinceri­ty, he would do all, because that God comman­deth all, as it followeth in the same place: For he that said, Doe not commit adulterie, said also, Doe not kill: Now, if thou commit not adulterie, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the whole Law. For, looke what sinne soever thou art tempted unto, the same thou wilt commit, and if a hun­dred [Page 85] tentations should as much beset thee, thou wouldest yeeld to them all as well as to one.

For the better meaning of the point,Quest. here it may be demanded, what this walking is.What this walking is.

To this I answer,Answ. It is a metaphor taken from the manner of men in their most usuall and or­dinary carriage of themselves;Right walk­ing is knowne and therefore it needes some explanation,1 By the choice of the way. because it is a figura­tive speech. Now it is discerned by these foure things.

First, See what way a man chooseth to walke in; If a man by accident happeneth to fall into some by-path, where lies not his journy, that way is not of his choosing, hee is not said to walke in that way: Psal. 119. 30. There David saith, I have chosen the way of truth, thy iudge­ments have I laid before me. His meaning is, when hee did wholly consider what journie to take, then hee fell into Gods path, and went in his waies; this was his resolution. If then after consideration thou hast a full purpose and in­ward resolution to go in the paths of righteous­nesse, thou walkest right.

2 See what way thou goest forward in,2 By the pro­gresse therin. for that way thou walkest in; if a man choose a way, and goe not on in that way, it is nothing: David, Psal. 119. 32. saies, I will runne the way of thy commandements, when thou shalt inlarge my heart. But many are here deceived, they thinke they have chosen the waies of God, and yet go on in the waies of sinne; if they would walke [Page 86] aright, they must hold on the paths of good­nesse.

3 See what companions and guides you choose for your journie;3 By compa­nions and guides. if thou professe thou hast chosen the waies of God, and yet dost de­light in the same sinfull pleasures thou didest desire, thou maiest say what thou wilt, but cer­tein it is, that thou art the same man thou wert: for Davids resolution, when hee walked in this path, was quite contrary, he saies, Away from me yee that worke iniquitie, for I will now keepe the com­mandements of my God. And this is laid downe in the Text: if therefore wee follow the same guides, the world, the flesh and the divell, wee still go wrong, and are not yet in the right way.

4 See what provision thou makest for the place before thou come thither;4 By the pro­vision wee make. See whether thou seekest God or the divell. A man that is to travell into Italy, or any other country to traf­ficke there, will be sure to provide afore hand for his journie; doe thou likewise, see for what country thou bringest exchange for; if thou laist out all here for heaven, it is a signe thou art travelling thither; but if wee will make ship­wracke of a good conscience, and all our care is to gaine here, it is a plaine signe we walke not aright; and that wee mind nothing lesse than heaven. Now, thus much for the meaning of walking.

The uses follow:Vse. 1. 1 This should be a triall for us to examine ourselves,For triall to see whether we walke in the right way or no. whether wee be [Page 87] living men or no; for if we be living, then we walke, and if wee walke, then wee are to see whether we walke in the right way or not; for, this is the scope of the Aposte here. Now, this we may know by that place, Rom. 8. 1. There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus, who walke not after the flesh, but after the Spirit: his meaning is, by this yee shall know, whether ye are in Christ Jesus or not, if ye are in Christ, yee walke not after the flesh, but after the Spi­rit. This is a sure place of triall, and a true touchstone. And this triall is very necessarie for us; because, that men live in the Church as corne lies in the barne, after it is thresht in the floore. It is called corne from the more worthy part, and that rightly; yet there is more chaffe than corne in the heap, and there­fore it is necessary that the fanne should come and discerne the chaffe from the true corne: so in the Church, there is need of the fanne also, to winnow the good corne from the chaffe. Let men therefore by these two rules examine themselves:Two rules to try whether we walke a­right.

  • 1 See if it be a knowne sinne.
  • 2 See if you continue in any sinne.
    1 To see whe­ther it be a knowne sin.

1 See if it be a knowne sinne. A good man may continue in sinne, and yet be perfect before God, if hee know it not to be a sinne; as the Patriarkes lay in polygamie, yet it was not acounted of before God, because they knew it not to be a sinne: There were ma­ny [Page 88] good Kings continued in it, but if they had knowne it to be a sinne, they would have forsa­ken it, and therefore, for all that they are said to serve God:Simile. As for example, a good subject may be said to be obedient to his Prince, when it may be he doeth not that which at that time is his Princes will; because, that if he knew what were his Princes will, he would doe it: but if a man willingly commits treason, he can­not be said to be a faithfull subject; so he that sinnes against knowledge, cannot be a good man.

2 See if thy sinne be continued in.To see if thy sinne be continued in.

It is the continuance in sin that makes thee the in estate of condemnation: if it be a knowne sin a man fals into, yet if he continue not therin, this is no argument against him, for the godliest man upon occasion may fall, but such a man is not himselfe. Hence is that saying, He was not himselfe when hee did it: But as for those that make a common trade of sinning, they cannot say, but that they are themselves in the cōmit­ting thereof. In the godly, as Paul said, Rom. 7. 17. Now, then, it is no more I that do it, but sinne that dwelleth in mee. It is not they, but sinne that still remaineth in them: yet the sinne, though it be in them after their regeneration, yet it hath no possession as it had before. Take heed therefore, that although thou hast the same occasions of­fered thee as before thou haddest, yet thou dost not continue in it, but totally absteine there­from, [Page 89] for a wicked man may a great while, even, a whole yeer, absteine from some sin, and yet be said to lie in it, because, that if he had the same occasions offered as before he had, he would have committed the same sinne as before hee did. Let every man therefore looke backe un­to his owne heart, and consider with himselfe, whether he is not the same man he was; some had their delight in covetousnesse, some in plea­sure, some in preferment, some in credit, examin now your selves, and see whether thou dost not delight in the same things still; see if thou dost not continue still in them, and c̄omit them usually, and so judge of it accordingly.

But here men may make many evasions, and find many doubts, that it is no knowne sin, that they lie not in it, and the like. Therefore, to the end I may make it plaine, I will reduce all to these five heads:

The first question shall be this,Quest. when it is a knowne sinne,I. When sin is a knowne sin. for the hypocrite will be ready to find an evasion about this; as for the breaking of the Sabbath, for covetousnesse and the like, they will say they are no sinnes, how shall they know they are sinnes?

To this I answer,Answ. the sparkes of conscience will glow in the midst of this darknesse,Every mans conscience will tell him what is a known sin that will grudge at that sin, and then be sure it is a knowne sin, though it doe but whisper against it. If therefore thy conscience tells thee, that such and such things are naught, and to be a­voided, [Page 90] (although it may be for a time thou maiest keepe downe thy conscience, and suffe­rest it not to speake out for the noise thy lusts make) yet, when thou shalt come to lie upon thy death-bed, and at the last day, when thou shalt appeare before God in judgement, then for certaine shalt thou find these to be sins, and that to thy cost: Thou now wilt be ready to say some thing, and put away thy sin from thee, but that will not serve the turne; harken there­fore now to thy conscience, and see whether that doth not tell thee, such and such things are sinfull.

Here it may be demanded;Obiect. A godly man sometimes may have a scruple in conscience, whether he is to doe such or such things; now therefore wherein lies the difference betweene the scruple of the godly, and ignorance of the wicked.

To this I answer,Answ. Indeed there is a great dif­ference betweene the scruple of the godly, and the ignorance that is in the wicked,Differences betweene the accusing of a guilty consci­ence, and the scruples of the godly. and the murmuring and accusing of a guilty consci­ence. There are three signes whereby they may be discerned:

1 For the guilty conscience; when he lies in a knowne sin,Differ. 1. and his conscience tells him it is a sin, he makes no inquiry after it,The wicked after know­ledge lie in it, but the god­ly forsake it. but he findes such a sweetnesse in it, that his heart is ingaged to it, he cannot speake against it, nay, he resolves to sin, yea, and whensoever he is reproved for it, [Page 91] he is very angry. But on the contrary side, for him that hath a scruple in conscience might he but be informed of it that it were a sinne, hee would fain know it, and with all his heart leave it. Therefore he doth but inquire and labour by all meanes to know if it be a sin, and no sooner doth he know it to be a sin, but he forsaketh it.

2Differ. 2. Thou maiest discerne of it by the subject matter of their scruple:In the subiect matter. if it be a hard knot and question, then it may be in a good man, and such an one should gather the soundest and best rea­sons, and see what side is most probable, and that he must follow. But on the contrary side, if it be an easie matter of morality, then thou art the more to be suspected, for the morall law is ingrafted into our hearts. For an instance, if it be about the neglect of the Sabbath, or about company keeping, and the like, the conscience that is a virgin, and never will be corrupted, that will tell thee these things, and perswade thee of them: Indeede, sometimes thou maiest have a seared conscience, past feeling, and then, when once thy conscience hath done telling of thee, then thou art in a pittifull case.

3Differ. 3. Thou maiest discerne of them by the rest of their actions;In the rest of their actions. if they have a good conscience, they will be troubled about that, and the rest of their life will be good: but thou maiest quickly gather whether it be a raging sin or no, for then they will doe all things on the other side, and one known sin drawes on another, and the false­nesse [Page 92] of their hearts will be discerned in other things also; for one raigning sin is like to a dis­ease that weakneth all the faculties of the bo­dy: for even so that weakneth all the faculties of the soule. And so much of the first question.

The second question is this,Quest. he that is a car­nall man may say, I doe many good things as well as others, and although I doe sometime sin, yet I allow not my selfe therein; and what can a godly man doe or say more?

To this I answer:Answ. Godly men and wicked may goe farre together,Wherein a godly man & a wicked may bee said to a­gree & differ. but in themselves they differ much. Therefore first, I will shew how farre they may be said to agree and differ, and secondly, how they may be discerned.

1.1 They agree in the way & differ in the end of their journey. In these things they agree and differ.

First, both may agree in the way, and yet dif­fer in the end, their journeies end may be 2. se­veral places: for the end of all that a godly man doth, is the glory of God; but the good which a wicked man doth, is either out of some pre­sent feare, or hope, or flashes of conscience, or for som by-respects, so that in al he aimes most at his owne profit; it proceedeth not from the inward man, a new regenerated heart, as it doth in the godly:Simile. for example, suppose a man tra­velling, and by chance fall into London road, because it is coincident with his way, and not because his journey lies to London, but only for that is his readiest and perhaps cleanest way; now wee cannot say, that man tends to [Page 93] London for all that, because here the denomi­nation is taken from the utmost end of his jour­ny.

2.They both disagree and differ in the disapproving of evill. They both agree and differ for the disap­proving of evill: I know that this may be in the wicked a disapproving of evil, as well as in the godly: wherefore we are to know that there is a twofold disapproving of evill.

1. That that ariseth from a principle na­ture,Disapproving of evill two­fold. in conscience.

2. From a true principle of regeneration.

If thy disallowing of sin doth but arise from a naturall conscience, that is nothing. But if it be from a principle of regeneratiō, that is, from a new disposition that is wrought in us, if from it we disallow sin, our case is good.

But now the signes whereby we shall dis­cerne betweene these two,Three s [...]gnes to distinguish betweene a naturall dis­like of evill and a regene­rate. are three:

The first signe is this; if thou dost disallow thy selfe in sinne from a new principle of regeneration, thou wilt absteine from sin with delight,A delightful absteining frō sin. and settle upon goodnesse, as a stone, or any other heavy thing rests in its centre, for working with a habit, is working with delight, when a man sets himselfe against sin with all might and maine, then it is a true signe. But now for the naturall conscience, let him be but out of his old company he is out of his element whatsoever good thing he doth, lie doth it not with the whole bent of his spirit, but it seemes tedious unto him.

[Page 94] The second signe whereby you may discerne the natural conscience,A change & rising of the heart both a­gainst old sins and the doers of them. is sin; if he loveth those that continue in such sins as he doth; if he be a drunkard, he doth delight in drunkards, if a gamester, he doth delight in gamesters: for he never comes to the contrary grace, but hath pleasure in them that commit the same sins But the regenerate man, hee that hath a heart changed, his heart riseth against such men. Therefore, Rom. 1. 32. it is said, Who knowing the iudgement of God (that they which cōmit such things, are worthy of death) not onely doe the same, but have pleasure in them that doe them. If this is reckoned as one of the sins of the Gentiles, not onely to commit sins themselves, but also to take plea­sure in those that commit the same sins. When therefore a man hates them that love goodnes, and favoureth and delighteth in those that are evill, its a great signe the heart is not changed; for the Scripture makes that a lesse signe of a dead man, to doe evill, than to favour them that doe it. On the contrary side, for a man to fa­vour good men and goodnesse and hate sin, it is a great signe of a regenerated man; when, as the wise man saith, Prov. 29. 10. The unjust man is an abomination to the just.

The third signe whereby you may discerne it,A change of the whole m̄a▪ is this, if thy disallowance of sinen arise from a true principle of regeneration,Simile. it will transforme the whole man; as a sprig being once ingrafted into the stocke, will change the [Page 95] whole nature of the stocke. For looke what the will is set upon, that wil change the whole man, and draw that after it; see therefore now what thy speeches and delights are, if thy dis­allowance of sinne arise from a good principle, they are true. On the contrary side, the natu­rall conscience that doth not transforme the whole man, but onely in some few things; though it disallow of sinne, yet it will goe on in sin; and such men hold, or as the word in the originall is, (Rom. 1. 18.) They imprison the truth in unrighteousnesse. Their consciences be­inlightned, they keepe it, and imprison it in that faculty; The conscience that telleth us what to doe, and yet there is no general amend­ment in us. And this is a great signe wee are not inwardly changed. And so much for the se­cond question.

The third question is this;Quest. 3. godly men often­times relapse and goe backe againe and againe, and often fall into the same sin, and they know it to be a sin: how therefore shall I distinguish betweene this relapsing and lying in sin?

To this I answer:Answ. You shall distinguish it by these 3. signes:

The first signe is this,Distinctiō be­wixt a godly mans relap­sing and lying in sinne. a godly man never re­lapses into purposes of sinning, hee doth not before hand premeditate and think of the plea­santnesse and sweetnesse thereof: and after this manner is it said,He hath no purpose to sin he that is borne of God can­not sinne; for hee is overcome of sin but upon [Page 96] some occasion. But the wicked man after hee hath committed sin, doth purpose to doe it a­gaine; so that hee cannot be properly said to fall into sin againe, because in purpose hee ne­ver left it.

The second signe is this;He favour­eth not his sin Looke what sinne a carnall man lyeth in, that is his beloved sinne, he favoureth it most, and would not be crossed in it, he cannot abide to be told and admonish­ed of that sinne. Now it is otherwise with the godly man, he favoureth not himselfe herein, but that sinne which he is most ready to fall in­to, he is gladdest to heare that condemned, he is very willing to heare the Preacher speake a­gainst that. As for the wicked man hee must not be touched, hee is like a lame man which cannot indure to be stirred, so he cannot abide that his beloved sin should bee spoken against.

3. There is a great difference in these two things.He falls not into the same sin.

  • 1. The godly man falls not into it so of­ten as he did before.
  • 2. Hee falls not into it after the same manner.

1. He falls not so often as he did before.So often as before.

He doth greatly resist it, the being and es­sence of sinne is not still in him, though it may be in part; if the same occasions bee set before him, yet he is not drawne away as hee was be­fore. As for the wicked man, he is the same he was, and upon every slight occasion he will be [Page 97] drawne away; he cannot absteine from sinning, because that sinne is not weakend, but is full still in him.

2 For the manner:

Although he doth sometimes slip,After the same manner. yet it is with great griefe and reluctation, hee is more sorry for it alwaies, and every time gets ground of it, and strength against it. But as for the wic­ked man it is nothing so, hee doth it with as much joy as ever he did, hee findeth as much sweetnesse in it as ever he did before. So then we see there is a plaine difference between the relapses of the godly, and the wickeds lying in sin. And so much for the third question.

The fourth question,Quest. 4. or rather an objecti­on, is this: No body can doe all things, the best of us are sinners, we are but flesh and blood, which is fraile, the best have some imperfecti­ons; and therefore, who is it that sinneth not?

To this I answer,Answ. It is true that all men are sinners, the godly offend as well as the wicked, yea, the godly offend often, and much;A double dif­ference be­tween the sins of the godly and the wic­ked. but yet there is a double difference between the offen­ces of the godly and the wicked.

1 The hypocrite hath alwaies some pre­dominant and ruling sin in him,In the wic­ked some sin is ever predo­minant. wherein he fa­voureth himselfe, so that all he doth must have respect to it, and where religion crosses that it must give place, and there must be a bawlking of good duties, if it be against it. But as for the godly, in them there is no predominant sinne, it [Page 90] may be now one infirmity starts up, then ano­ther, but downe they goe againe, none can get the victory over him. The hypocrite hath some dominering sinne, in which he will be fa­voured, but as for the godly man, he desires none to spare him.

2 There is a great difference in the manner;The wicked commit sinne as a proper worke. a wicked man doth it as his proper worke, his delight and his glory, hee acts himselfe in it. But the godly man, he acts not himselfe in committing such a sinne, it is not he that sins, but something that is in him, and he is very sor­ry afterwards that he was so foolishly overta­ken therewith.Simile. One man may weare a chaine for an ornament, another for a fetter, and would with all his heart be rid of it: so it is with the godly man, his sin is a burthen unto him, and he would be very glad to be rid of it, but to the wicked man it is no burthen, but he rejoyceth in it, he accounteth it all his pleasure, he rec­kons it a losse to be hindred in his way, or to leave it. The godly man he esteemeth it as ve­ry hurtfull, he knowes it hinders him, so that he cannot doe that he would. The godly man, he entertaines sin as a theefe, but the wicked man as a welcome guest. And so much for the fourth question.

The fifth and last question is this,Quest. 5. How shall wee distinguish betweene the purposes of the wicked and of the godly, because that oft times both seeme to be good; and there be many men [Page 91] that have good purposes, and do but very little.

To this I answer,Answ. The purposes of the wicked are weak and fruitlesse, but of the godly strong and ef­fectuall. the purposes of the hypo­crite are weake, and bring nothing to passe, but as they rise, so they presently vanish againe, But the godly mans, they are well rooted in the soule, and bring the thing to passe that they labour to effect. A good man will use all the meanes he can to absteine from sin, he will shun all the occasions: but the wicked man, he will not absteine from the occasions, hee knowes his nature will be ready to take hold of sinne, and yet he will not avoid the occasi­ons and allurements thereto; surely therefore this man hath no purpose to leave sin; for if his purpose be not put in practice, he had as good never purpose, for it hath no effect. The god­ly man, hee will use all good meanes to fur­ther his intent, by fasting and praier, and all other good duties. Againe, a godly man, if he hath a lust in sinne, hee will resist it with all his might, and never give over, though hee doth slip, yet hee presently riseth againe, and never ceaseth, and therefore it shall not be im­puted to him; but if a man hath flitting pur­poses in his braine, that is nothing, though he falleth no into the same sinne so often. Thus much for the first use of triall.

The second use serveth for comfort.Vse. 2. To comfort al those that do not continue sinne. For if this be a signe of deadnesse, to walke in sinne; Then is it a matter of comfort to all those, who, although they often times slip [Page 100] into sinne, yet are sincere hearted, and doe not continue in knowne sinnes. You had therefore no neede to cry out against us, that our words are cruell words, for this is a doctrine full sweete; you must at the first give us leave to open the wound, though it be painefull, yet after, you shall finde the ease and sweetnesse.Simile. The bone-setter, that because hee would not deale roughly, setteth not the bone aright, but puts in the sore joynt only a little, and doth not set it through­ly; it may be at first thou shalt be called a good bone setter, because the person ill affe­cted, for the present, feeles no paine, yet af­terwards when the joint is not seated, will be railed against: or the Surgeon that will not search the wound, to the bottome, for paining the patient, at the first may be pleasing; but afterwards in the end hee shall have little thanke for his labour: in like manner should the doctrine be harsh at first, because it fear­cheth the sore to the quicke, yet the end of it is comfort. The end of Christs speaking to the people in Saint Iohns Gospell, was at the last comfort and joy. Labour therefore all of you to make this use of this doctrine; you that have sincere hearts, take it home to your selves, if you doe walke in no knowne sinnes: but if yee have walked formerly in any knowne sinnes, now beginne to rectifie your lives, that so you may have cause to [Page 101] take this Doctrine unto your owne soules. Breake the bands of Satan, and forget all his faire allurements, you must part with all your sweetest sinnes for it, and give all you have to purchase this Jewell. Comfort you may have, and all our desire is, to make your hearts perfect, that so you may finde comfort.Comforts in a perfect heart. If your hearts be perfect, you shall finde these foure comforts:

1 You shall finde more comfort in easi­nesse and contentednesse to forbeare that lust wee most delighted in,Contented­nesse to for­sake lust. than ever wee did in yeelding to it.

2 You shall finde your selves able to rest,Ability [...] prayer. to pray, to heare, and to sanctifie the Sab­bath; make your hearts good, and you shall doe these things with delight: for,Simile. as when a mans hand is out of joint he cannot worke; so if the soule be out of frame it cannot pray, &c.

3 You shall find your selves able to beare afflictions;Abilitie to beate afflicti­ons. before you can beare nothing, but every thing is as a burthen unto you: A man having a shoulder that is out of joynt, cannot beare any thing; so, if sinne be min­gled with affliction, it makes that bitter: but after you have purged your selves from sinne, you shall be able to beare them; but when there is no strength within, how shall wee beare them?

4 When you hearts are perfect,Soūd pea [...] and lasting. the wound [Page 94] will presently be healed and grow well. The peace of the wicked is but like a wound that is skinned over, at the last it will breake out againe, hee may make a shew for a while, but there is a secret disease in him; and the later end of that man will be worse than the be­ginning; their paine will be worse hereafter, the paine that hee shall indure when death comes, when Gods insupportable wrath be­gins to charge his sin upon his conscience, that will be worse than all hee indured before. And thus you see this Doctrine is most sweet to all those that have perfect hearts, but to the other, that remaine still in their sins, most dangerous.

A PROFITABLE SERMON PREACHED AT LINCOLNES­INNE, ON

GEN. XXII. XIV.‘As it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seene.’

THe occasion of these words,The occasion of the words▪ was that fa­mous hystorie of A­brahams offering his Sonne Isaack: now that so great a passage of Gods providence, and so great a tryall of Abrahams faith might not passe away, but be remembred, the Lord delivereth it in a proverbe, [Page 2] As it is said unto this day; because wee are apt to forget, and proverbs are short and pithy, and so the better remembred, and therefore the Lord setteth this marke upon it:Observ. whence by the way we observe, That speciall passages of Gods pro­vidence should not be forgotten.

And therefore it is the manner of the Lord in such passages of his providence, to make songs of them: and so hath it beene likewise the practice of the Lords people to turne such things into songs, which they would not forget, as we see at the Red Sea,Iudg. 5. Deut. 31. 19. and in the time of Dehora; and so did Moses, when he would have some things to bee remembred of the children of Israel, he left them a song: so did David likewise, who for the re­membrance of the Lords goodnesse, made many Psalmes of thanksgiving.

Now a proverbe is much of the same nature; but it is short, and makes a greater impression, and therefore this great matter here set forth by it, is the dispensation of the Lords providence.

Wherein note wee in the first place, That the Lord will be seene: Two things observable in the Text. why, what strange thing is that? the Lord is seene every where of us, and makes himselfe continually visible unto us. I, but this is another kinde of sight, which is not in a generall manner to bee beheld, but in his speciall provi­dence to his servants in their afflictions.

The second thing is, The time when he will be seene; that is, In the mount: that is, when things are brought to an extremity, when we thinke there [Page 3] is no more helpe nor hope, that is the time when the Lord will be seene.

Now the scope of this place is,The scope of the place a­gainst discou­ragements. to helpe us a­gainst discouragements, when wee see it goe hard with the Church that there is no hope for them, for then we are not to distrust, Because in the mount will the Lord be seene, in distresse will the Lord shew himselfe; and therefore you are to take heed of discouragements that you leave not your hope, for then you take away indevour, and so Gods causes fall to the ground, and thereby the Lord is forsa­ken of us; for it is our hope that sets all aworke, and the want of hope makes us turne our backes; yea, foyle and give over the Lords Battels; and therefore we should still maintaine our hope in all extremities whatsoever, for when the Lord sends any afflictions on the Church or our selves, wee ought not to despise or make light of them, be­cause they are the messengers of the Lord, to hum­ble us: so we must not on the other side have the sinewes of our soules loosened by them; for as we are not to despise the Chastening of the Lord, so are wee not to faint when wee are rebuked of him; for in the Mount will the Lord be seene: that is, it is a thing that the Lord will usually doe, not at this time when thou wouldest have him, but even when Abraham was fetching the blow, then to stay his hand: And it is his usuall course so to doe; and therefore it is turned into a proverbe, because it is ordinary.

Secondly,For ordinary use. we have ordinary use of it, and there­fore [Page 4] likewise it is put into a proverbe; for the Lord usually brings us into extremities; and that it might be the better remembred of us, it is put into a proverbe, for that is the use of short senten­ces to be easily carried in the memory; and there­fore the Lord hath thus turned it: As men doe by their Silver,Simile. they change it into Gold that it may with the more ease be carried.

Now to cometo the words; out of which wee may learne,Doct. 1. That it is Gods usuall manner to bring his children to extremities. The examples are so many in Scriptures, and in our daily experience of this, that we need not insist on the proofe of it, but pro­ceed to shew the reasons thereof.

And the first cause why the Lord doth so usu­ally doe it,Reas. 1. To make it an affliction. is, When hee brings afflictions on his children, he lets it runne along till they may thinke there is no more helpe, nor hope, that so it may be an affliction to them; for it would not bee an affli­ction, except it did runne on to the uttermost point; for if there were any doore for us to get out, wee were not compassed about, but when a man hath no gap to goe out at, that is it that makes the spirit of a man to sinke.Simile. If a man were in a smoky house, and had a doore open, it were no difficulty for him to shift himselfe out of it; but when wee are shut up, that is it which makes it difficult; and that it might be so, the Lord suffers it to come to an ex­tremity.

Secondly,Reas. 2. Because the Lord might be sought unto. The Lord brings us to an extremity because the Lord might be sought to; for so long [Page 5] as the Creatures can doe us any good, we will goe no further; but when they faile us, wee are ready to looke up to the Lord:Simile. As it is with men which are on the Seas, when they are in an extremity, those that will not pray at any other time, will pray now, and bee ready to say with these in the Prophet Hosea 6. 1. Come and let us returne unto the Lord; for [...] hath torne, and he will heale us; he hath smitten, and he will binde us up: and the reason is, because where the Creature ends, the Lord must beginne, otherwise there can be no helpe at all. And hence it is that at the time of death, when a man once sees that, and hath no deliverance, it quaileth the stoutest spirits that are: as Saul, when he could see nothing but death before him, then he sanke downe to the ground, and till then the Lord is not sought to; but in their afflictions they will seeke mee, saith the Lord; because then they can goe no where else. Therefore when a man is brought to say, vaine is the helpe of man, then he will looke to the Lord for his helpe; but till then, man is subject to looke round on every side to see if there bee any that will helpe: but when there is none, then hee seekes unto the Lord and is delivered.

Thirdly,Reas. 3. Because God may be known to be the hel­per. The Lord doth it, because that hereby it comes to passe that the Lord may bee knowne to be the helper; that when wee are delivered, hee may have all the praise; for otherwise if there be but a little helpe in the Creature, wee are ready many times to ascribe it all to it, or at least to di­vide [Page 6] the prayse; and therefore the Lord said to Gideon, Iudg. 7. 2. The people that are with thee, are too many: though indeed they were but few in com­parison of the multitude which they were to goe against, yet they were too many for Gideon, to have acknowledged the hand of the Lord in it, if hee should have had the victory with them. But the Lord will not divide his glory with another, and therefore he will bring a man to the streight to bee without all hope, that so hee may have all the praise; for when other meanes concurre with his helpe, then it is divided; but without that, his arme lyes naked, as it were, and therefore that it might bee knowne, hee brings them to extre­mitie.

Fourthly, The Lord doth it, because all that we have,Reas. 4. Because we might receive it as a new gift wee might have as a new gift: There­fore the Lord suffers us, as it were, to forfeit our Leases, that he may renew them; otherwise we should thinke our selves to bee Free-holders. But when wee come to see all gone, our health, wealth, and credit to faile us, and in that extremity the Lord to give it us, it is as a thing given on a new gift, and then we take our life as given againe of the Lord: and so in any other streight, when there is no helpe of man left, then wee take it wholly from the Lord; and then wee give it to him a­gaine.

Fifthly,Reas. 5. Because wee may know the Lord. Quest. The Lord doth it, because hee may teach us by Experience to know him.

But here some man will be ready to say, Why [Page 7] cannot that be without these extremities?

To this I answer,Answ. God is never knowne well but by expe­rience. You must know when a man goes on in a course, without any troubles, or chan­ges, his experience is to no purpose; for hee hath no great experience of the Lord: But when a man is in tribulation, that brings experience; and ex­perience, [...]pe; for it is another kinde of experi­ence that is so learned, than that which comes without it: and indeed nothing is well learned till it bee learned by experience. And therefore our Saviour Christ himselfe that had all knowledge that could be had without this, would have this also of experience likewise; for when a man is in ex [...]emity, then shall hee have experience of the Lord: And therefore it is said of Manasses, when he was in affliction, and had prayed to the Lord, humbling himselfe, and was restored, that he knew the Lord was God, 2 Chron. 33. 13. Why, did hee not know that before? No, not as now hee did; for now hee knew the Lord by experience: and the want of this is the cause why many feare not God; for because they have no changes, they know him not by experience, and therefore they feare him not.God manife­fleth himselfe ever upon some great change. And for this cause, when the Lord did ever manifest himselfe in any speciall manner to any of his people, ye shall see it alwayes to bee upon some great change that befell them: As when Iacob was forced to leave his fathers house, to flye from his brother Esau, then did the Lord in a speciall manner manifest himselfe unto him; and so likewise at his returning home againe, when [Page 8] his brother Esau came against him with foure hun­dred men to destroy him, which was a great change, then the Lord appeared to him againe: so still upon the great changes of his people doth the Lord appeare unto them; and as hee did to them in former dayes, so he doth to us now; hee doth appeare unto us sometimes by [...]erience of his goodnesse; which that he may doe, he brings us to extremities.

Lastly,Reas. 6. The Lord doth it for proofe and tryall, for so it is said in the beginning of this Chapter, God did prove Abraham; and therefore said unto him, Take now thine onely Sonne Isaack, whom thou lovest, and offer him up on one of the mountaines which I shall shew thee: Now seeing the Lords intent was to prove him whether hee would part with his sonne Isaack for his sake, therefore he lets him goe to the very place and utmost period of offe­ring his sonne; for if the Lord had taken this tryall of him before hee had brought him to the very utmost, hee had not beenetryed; but when the knife was as it were going to the throat of his sonne, then was heefully tryed: And like unto this doe we deale with friends one towards ano­ther; for when you will try how another will trust unto you, you will let him alone till there be none else to help; for if there be any other for him to go to, it is no tryall; but if it is come to this that you must doe it, or none will, then have you tryed him and not before: in like manner did the Lord prove Abraham in this place.

[Page 9] The Use of it is,Vse. Not to be dis­couraged whatever our case be. That wee might searne never to be discouraged; whatsoever our case is, let us never suffer our hearts to be cast downe in us; for as we are very prone to let goe our hold upon all occasions, so is it a very great fault so to doe. We see how David doth recollect himselfe together when h [...] soule was disquieted within him,Psal. 43. 5. asking himselfe why it was so? which hee would not have done, if the other had not beene a fault in him; and therefore why doe wee so cast downe our soules? If we say,Obiect. it is because it will be long before the Lord will come and undertake our helpe:Answ. I answer, no, it will not, for as soone as he doth see thee fit for helpe, hee will give it; for when things are most desperate, then his helpe is nearest: for as he is able then to doe it, so is hee most willing to doe it then. And to this purpose is that place, Hos. 14. 4, 5, 6. I will heale their backe­sliding, I will love them freely, Hosea 14. 4, 5, 6. opened. for mine anger is tur­ned away from them. I will be as the dew to Israel, he shall grow as the Lilly and cast forth his roots as Lebanon: his branches shall spread, his beautie shall be as this Olive, and his smell as Lebanon. When Israel was fallen into a very low condition, and had taken to him words, and repented of their sinnes, then the Lord healed their back-sliding, which was the cause of their misery: and then though they were outwardly miserable, yet he will be as the dew unto them; that though they be as the Lillies in winter which hath neither colour, scent, nor beauty, yet consider in the spring time [Page 10] what I doe unto them, and learne to know me by the workes of nature; for if I doe but send a little dew, such as is in the time of spring, it shall grow againe, yea and bring forth such a flower, whose beauty shall exceed Salomon in all his Royalty: and if the Lord can doe so in nature to the hearbs of the field, doe you not thinke he is able [...] doe it to you in the ordinary passages of his providence? If hee shall but shine on you with the light of his Countenance, yea though you were as the Lilly in the Winter, yet shall you spring againe as the Lilly in the Spring: that is, you shall spring quick­ly. I but you will say, and quickly wither againe: No, saith the Lord, you shall be confirmed and e­stablished in your estate, for hee will fasten your roots as the trees of Lebanon, and they were fa­ster than the trees in other places; for though they be tall, and so their boughes might bee mo­ved, yet the bodies of the trees hold their owne, because they were well rooted: and in Lebanon they were faster than in other places, because it was a firmer ground: so that if the Lord list to plant you, you shall be sure to remaine firme. I but what shall I be good for? I know not how to be usefull neither for God nor man, but to bee laid aside as a thing for which there is no more use. Nay, saith the Lord, I will not onely make you beautifull as the Lillies, and rooted as the Cedars, but I will make you as the Olivetrees which are fit for use. And put the case thy name and credit bee lost, yet your smell shall be as the smell of Lebanon, that [Page 11] is, as Lebanon had many sweet blossomes and sweet smels, so shall it be with you, whatsoever your condition be.

This place then is a place of comfort aganst dis­couragements,Examples. which you may see exemplified in divers examples:Iob. As in the example of Iob: you know in what a case hee was, he lost all hee had, that he had not a friend left him; no, not his wife nor servants that would sticke unto him, but was brought to the very Mount, to an extremity that could not goe further, for he was at the very brim of the hill: yet when Iob was fit for mercy, when hee had humbled himselfe, you see what a change the Lord made, how his beauty did returne againe, and how all his health, prosperity, and friends did returne unto him, in so much as he was in all things as before, yea and beyond it. So in the fourth of Daniel 26.Nebuchadnez­zar, who would have thought it possible for Nebuchadnezzar ever to have beene restored, that had lost his kingdome and wits too, which is the onely meanes to bring a man in againe; yea, hee had lost all his beauty, for hee was a beast of the field, yet the Lord made a change with him: now a man would wonder how this should be brought to passe that hee should have his kingdome a­gaine and be made knowne to his Nobles; why the Text saith, He looked up to heaven, vers. 34. and then his Nobles and Princes sought unto him: for the disposition of all people is to have the right heire to rule the kingdome; and therefore he had as much glory and honour as ever before. The [Page 12] like you shall see in Mordecayes time, [...] [...]ewes in Mordicaes time. when the Church was in extremity; for you see how farre Haman went, the blow was as it were in the giving, the knife was in his hand to cut the throat of the whole Church of the Jewes, yet when they had humbled themselves by fasting and prayer to the Lord, that made worke in heaven; and when there was a change in heaven, you see how quickly the Church was changed, and brought even from the lowest degree to the highest that could be, or ever was in the time of their trials. And therefore let us never give over our hopes, and despaire not, for because the Lord is ever ready to shew mercy, for mercy pleaseth him: A man when he corrects his childe,Simile. he doth it unwillingly; but when hee is fit for mercy, hee is glad to shew that: why so it is with the Lord, hee being willing to doe it, and ex­ceeding able, for hee is a Physician that is able to heale the most dangerous diseases, and shall wee then doubt of the accomplishment? It is a com­mon fault amongst us to measure the Lord accor­ding to our selves; and so when we see man cannot helpe us, we thinke that God cannot; but he that can turne Winter into a Summer, can speedily turne our estates when we are fit for it: As a Physi­cian that administers hard potions to his Patient,Simile. it is not because he cannot or will not give him plea­sant things, but it is because his Patient is not fit for it; for as soone as hee is fit for Cordials, hee most willingly gives them unto him: And as the Husbandman,Simile. hee is willing enough to sowe his [Page 13] seed in the earth, and would bee glad if the time were come; I but hee knoweth if he so we it on the wilde waste ground it would be lost, and ther­fore he plowes it first, and againe too, yea thrice if it be needfull, and then having well fitted it, hee sowes his seed; Even so it is with the Lord, hee first plowes the ground, he digges deepe into the hearts of men if it be needfull so to doe, but if a little plowing will serve, he never takes a deeper; and if one will serve, he never gives a second; and therefore when we are fit to receive the seed, mercy shall come in amaine amongst us, even as that which goes with wind and tide; yea, it shall come as fast as our misery did, which though it comes headlong upon us as it did upon Nebuchad­nezzar, yet how quickly did the Lord deliver him againe? and so shall it, bee with us, because the Lord is delighted with mercy, therefore the Lord doth usually helpe in extremities, and not before; for in the Mount will the Lord be seene.

And as the first Doctrine is drawne naturally from these words, That it is Gods usuall manner to bring his children into the Mount; so in the second place, then and there will he be seene: Therefore it followes, That

In the time of extremities will the Lord be seene, Doct. 2. Reasons why God will not be seene till extremities are. and not before: But then he will appeare in his speciall providence, for the comfort of his Children, though not before.

And why so?To exercise the graces of your God by. First, because the Lord knowes 1 this is the best way to draw forth the practice of [Page 14] many graces, and good duties, which otherwise would be without use: As for example; When Iacob had made his brother Esau his enemy by his hasty getting of the blessing, whereas if hee had stayd the Lords time, he might have had it with­out any sorrowes with it; but because he will have it a wrong way, it is accompanied with many sor­rowes both in him and Rebecca likewise: Now if the Lord had presently made reconciliation be­twixt him and his brother, as he could have done, though he did not, but made it long first, that made Iacob exceeding fruitfull; for hee being caused to to flye, as his mother counselled him to doe, in his necessity became acquainted with the Lord, and knew him better than ever otherwise hee should have knowne him; yea, he knew himselfe better too, and therefore vowed to give the Lord the tenth of all that he had, and that the Lord should be his God for ever if hee would give him food and Clothing, of which hee felt the want at that time; and this brought his heart to the Lord: So likewise when Esau came against him at his re­turning home againe; if it at the first it had beene told Iacob that his brother had beene friends with him, hee had never wrestled with the Lord as hee did; and so should he have missed of that great blessing which he received in being called Israell. And therefore we se [...] the Lord by this doth draw many great fruits from them, of which other­wise the Lord should lose the glory, and wee the benefit, if it were not so with us. So likewise the [Page 15] Angell was sent to Daniel when he began to pray; I but if the message had then beene delivered to him, his heart had not beene so well moulded in the frame of grace, therefore the Lord lets him a­lone; though hee had given the Angell charge to deliver the message to him, yet till he had done his worke, and was made fit for it, the message of their full deliverance was not made knowne unto him.

A second reason why the Lord deferres, and will stay till the very extremity comes, is,Reas. 2. To give time of repentance▪ Be­cause he would give a time to men to repent and meet him in, which is good for his Children, o­therwise we should not seeke unto the Lord: and for such as doe not seeke him, it is to leave them without excuse: as in 2 Chron. 11. 12. Chapters, you shall finde that Roboam sought the Lord for three yeares together, and then departed from him, yet Shisacke was not sent against him till the fifth yeare of his reigne: Whence this is to be obser­ved, that though he had forsaken the Lord, who therefore had resolved to bring judgement upon him, yet he gives him two yeares liberty to see if he would returne. So when Nebuchadnezzar was like a flourishing tree, when he had dreamed his dreame, and that made knowne unto him, that he should be cut downe to the very root, like the lilly in winter, nothing should be left but the stumpes, yet you shall finde it twelve moneths after before the Lord strucke him. So in the destruction of Je­rusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, the Lord was often­times [Page 16] offering to strike it, yet called backe his hand again that they might humble themselves and seeke his face: but as it is said of Iezabel in the second of the Revelations verse 12. hee gave her time to repent, but she repented not.

Thirdly,Reas. 3. To let us know the vanity of the creature. the Lord doth not deliver till the time of extremity, that we may know the vanity of the creature. And see that they are but as reeds that are empty: as for example, when a man is brought to some great straight, and sees that men will forsake him in it, as the Lord will cause them to doe when he will bring a man to a streight indeed, for then he will shew him that there is no helpe in man; as when a man that is sicke,Simile. and so farre gone that no physicke will doe him good, but all Physicians have left him; or when a man hath some great businesse in hand, and nothing that he hath will ef­fect it; and so likewise a man at Sea, when hee is in such a tempest that neither rowing nor any thing else will doe him good, then when men are in such cases, they come to see the vanity of the creature, and that all outward meanes will start aside like a broken bow; for a broken bow being drawne but a little, will hold; but if it bee drawne up to the head, then it breakes in the hand of him that han­dles it: Even so, when the creature is put to it, then the vanity of them is seene, and that they are but as hollow reeds that are empty, and so not bee trusted to.

Now we must adde to this,Though God defer till ex­tremity, yet then he will surely helpe. that as the Lord will not deliver till then, yet then he will doe it; and [Page 17] of that you must make no doubt, because the Lord will make good his promises and bee just, for he is abundant in truth, he will make good all that he hath said, and that in abundance. Now if the Lord will helpe, and yet not till a man come to extremity, why then hee must helpe or not at all, and so he should faile them that trust unto him, when as one man will not faile another that trust­eth him, for that were treachery so to doe; why then much lesse will the Lord faile thee, if thou rely upon him, if thy heart can tell thee thou dost intirely rest upon him, it is impossible hee should faile thee: And therefore hee must helpe thee at the last cast, or else not at all; and untill thou art so farre gone, thou art not come unto the Mount; for Abraham was three dayes in going the jour­ney, and the Lord might have revealed it before if hee would, but hee did not till he came to the mount: And therefore doe not say, now is the ex­tremity, and yet the Lord doth not helpe mee, when thou art but in the way, for thou art not yet come to the brow of the hill, thou art not at the utmost part of the Mount.

The Use of it is,Vse. To teach us not to make too much hast for delive­rance. to teach us not to make too much haste for deliverance in the time of distresse, but to wait upon the Lord, yea depend upon his providence when we seeme to be without helpe: If we looke upon the Creature, yet then are wee to depend upon the Lord, so as never to say there is no helpe; but on the contrary, to say, I will trust in him though he kill me; for so did Abraham here, [Page 18] he was to kill his Sonne, and yet he had hope: So let us, though there were a thing that would bee our utter undoing if it should come on us, yet if it doe come thou oughtest to hope, because it is the Lords manner to bring his people to extremities, as here to Abraham: and the like hee did to Peter when he came to him on the waters; for he might have holpen him before he beganne to sinke if he would, but hee did first let him sinke a little and then he holpe him: So when the people were at the Red Sea, and had no gap to goe out at, then the Lord holpe them, by making a way thorow the Sea: In like manner he did to Iacob when hee was returning home from his father in law Laban, hee, suffered Esau to come out against him with foure hundred men, before hee holpe him; and who would have thought that Esau's mind should have beene so suddenly turned? But when Iacob was brought to a streight, then the Lord turned all an­other way. And the like he did with David in the time of his distresse, he let him alone till the wa­ters were like to goe over him: but when his feet had almost slipt, in regard of his outward and in­ward troubles, for he was at the very going downe to the grave, then the Lord brought his feet out of the Net, and set him at liberty, and tooke him out of the waters that he was not drowned▪ and therefore still trust in the Lord, and labour that thy faith faile thee not whatsoever thy straights be; for that was Peters fault when hee was on the water, for if he had sunke, being hee had the [Page 19] Lords word, hee should have beene safe enough, and therefore had no cause to doubt; and so wee should learne to doe, in all our streights still to be­leeve; which if we doe, wee shall finde the Lord very exceeding ready to helpe beyond all that we can be able to aske or thinke.

See this in an example or two, how the Lord comes betwixt the cup and the lip as it were, be­twixt the very lifting up of the hand to the stroke; and as in the Text, so also when the Shunamite had by the command of the Prophet left her land, be­cause of the Famine that was to come when the seven yeeres were done; for shee trusted the Pro­phet, and therefore did not say, Alas, what shall I doe for my lands againe? but did goe; and when shee returned, and was gone to the King for her lands againe, at that very instant was the King tal­king with Elishaes servant about the great workes of the Prophet, who then told the King of this woman and her sonne, confirming that which Ge­hezi had said, and Gehezi being present to helpe to speake for the woman; and then shee had not onely her lands restored her, but the fruits of it also for the whole time of her absence. So like­wise when Mordecayes destruction was plotted by Haman, and so neare brought to passe, that there could be no hope of helpe on any side, yet then when Mordecay was asleepe in the night, and had made no plots at all for his safety, then the Lord brought it to passe;Ester 6. 1. for that night the King could not sleepe; then hee must needs call for a booke, and [Page 20] then that above all other bookes, that should bee brought, and in that booke that very place to bee turned to of the treason against the King, and Mordecayes truth and faithfulnesse in discovering the same; and that this should be done at the ve­ry extremity, when a day or two after would have done him no good, it is worth the considering: therefore never doubt, feare not, but trust to the Lord in any streight; for though hee doth not worke miracles now, yet he workes wonders, and is able to doe as great things as ever he was, yea, and doth so too when there is the like occasion: In like manner, when our Saviour Christ was brought to the very brow of the hill by the peo­ple to bee cast downe from it, why then he went a way thorow the midst of them; so is the Lord able to doe with us, and will also if there be the like need; and therefore let us learne to trust in the Lord, and in all things to depend upon him. One would have thought it impossible when fortie men had secretly vowed neither to eat nor drinke till they had killed Paul, for that to bee re­vealed, and Paul to be delivered, when so many that were able enough to destroy a poore prisoner had conspired against him, yet we see the Lord de­livered him from that great streight; and there­fore let us wait still upon the Lord, for it is but the staying till the time be out, and then he that can save, will save, and will not tarry. And so much for the second thing.

The last point observable from these [...]

[Page 21] That godly mens extremities are but tryals,Doct. 3. Godly mens extremities are trials, not punishments. sent for their good; and not punishments, sent for their hurt and ruine.

The Lord did this but to prove Abraham, hee meant him to hurt at all in it: And so the Lord doth by afflicting others of his owne people, he doth not meane to hurt them by it. And there­fore when you see an affliction to bee so great as if it would undoe those on whom it is, yet you shall see in the issue it was but like an evill; for when Abraham was bid to take his onely Sonne Isaack whom he loved, and offer him in a Sacrifice to the Lord, and was suffered to bee the three dayes in the tryall, yet the Lord meant him no hurt; here was indeed a great apprehension of evill, yet it was no evill; but it might as much worke upon him as the evill it selfe: Even so is it with us in our afflictions, they are not evils, but meere try­als, and therefore we are not much to be dismay­ed for the greatest afflictions that can befall us in the world, because they are but trials, that doe be­fall thee from God.

I,Obiect. Answ. but will some say, what shall I get by it? Why, so much that there is so little cause to be sorry for it, that thou hast cause to rejoyce, if thou woudest beleeve; as it is said in the first of Iames 2. My Brethren, count it great joy when you fall into divers trials: It is a very fit Text for the purpose, for the Lord said hee would prove Abraham; and all is no more but to try us, and not to doe us any hurt: and this is a good reason [Page 22] why it is so, in that wee are bid to rejoyce in it; now we have no cause to rejoyce in that which wil hurt us, neither will the Lord lay any unreasonable command upon us.

I,Obiect. Answ. but what if the tryals bee many? Yet hee bids us rejoyce, though they be of divers kindes; when wee are not onely afflicted in the losse of goods, and our friends forsake us, in which wee might have some comfort, if our healths and liberty might bee enjoyed; or if all the outward man were afflicted, yet if the spirit were whole it would beare out infirmitie. I, but what if that bee wounded too? Why, if there bee tryals of all sorts, and you fall into them all, and that of a sudden too, as a fall of waves, one comming upon the necke of another as they did upon Iob, yet wee are bid to rejoyce: Why one would thinke it were enough for a man to bee patient in that case; yet (saith the Apostle) you must rejoyce in it; yea, count it exceeding joy: that is, as your trials are greater, so let your joy be greater.

Why,Obiect. Answ. We ought to rejoyce in tri­als, because the greater the tryall is, the more will be the good. that is a strange command you will say: I but though you see not the reason of Gods Commandements, yet there is a great reason in them, which if you saw, you would keepe them most willingly. And the reason of this Command is, the greater the tryall is, the more will bee the good, and therefore the more cause of joy; for if the most painefull bee the most gainefull, then they that have them, have the greatest cause to re­joyce in them: It was a tryall for Abraham [Page 23] to goe from his owne land, and to cast out his sonne Ismael; I but this was the greatest, and this brought him the greatest fruit that ever hee had.

I,Obiect. Answ. The good that comes of tri­als, is, but what is that good? Why this; first, it shall increase grace in your hearts; for as the gold when it is tryed loseth nothing but drosse, and so is made the better thereby; so it is with our affli­ctions, for the triall of our faith, Increase of grace. saith the Apostle, bringeth forth patience: so the greater thy tryall is, the more it strengthens thy faith, and so increa­seth comfort: for when the afflictions of the Apo­stle abounded, his Consolation abounded also. And hence it is, that our Saviour Christ saith, You shall receive an hundred fold with persecutions; that is, when the tryall doth abound, the comfort shall abound.

Againe,Increase of reward. you shall have the greater wages; for when a man hath a friend that hath be one employ­ed about any great thing for him, why the greater the trouble was which he did undergoe for him, the more will hee bee beholding to him, and the greater reward will hee bestow upon him; even so the greater the tryals are from the Lord, the greater benefit will come to us by them; and therefore when you see the greatest tryals befall the Church and people of God, bee assured by this which hath beene said, that some great bene­fit is comming to them; for doe you not thinke this is a usefull doctrine; it may bee it concernes [Page 24] some of you now at this present; if not, it may doe, and therefore lay it up before-hand; and let us not thinke of our afflictions as of things that will undoe us, but as tryals that will bring us profit. For as the Spyes that went to Canaan were of two sorts, and looked upon the Gyants that were in it with a double eye; and so some of them said, O the land is a very good land, and in­couraged the people to goe up into it; and others that were afraid, they said, nay but the land eats up the Inhabitants thereof, and discouraged the people to goe up into it: Even so it is with many amongst us, when they see afflictions befall the Church and people of God, O they presently are afraid, and therefore they say, Who would be as these men? let me be of such as be in prospe­rity and have friends, and some that will provide for mee: but what is the reason of this? Why they send forth wrong spies, and therefore they bring backe a false report: but if thou wouldest send forth thy faith and spirituall wisdome which ought to be in thy heart, then thou shouldest see it were no such matter. And therefore let this be our practice concerning the estate and condition of the Church at this time, and needfull it is wee should so doe; for doe you not see the dangers that they and we are in, and the confusion that is almost throughout all Europe? yet God hath not forgotten us, neither will he leave us, if wee can but rest upon him: what though there should be a [Page 25] sudden change, so that all things were with us as it was in Hesters time? yet could the Lord bring forth some good thing out of it that should tend much to his glory and our good: Put the case all were turned upside downe, as it was in the con­fused Chaos, wherein heaven and earth was ming­led together, and the waters overcomming all the rest,Simile. yet as then when the spirit of the Lord did but move upon the waters, many beautifull crea­tures were brought forth, and the Sea divided from the rest, that those waters that seemed then to spoyle all, serves now to water all, and with­out it we cannot bee: Even so, were the Church in never so confused a condition, yet the Lord shall so order the things that seeme to undoe us, that they shall bring forth something of speciall use; that is, something to water and make fruit­full the house and people of God: and therefore be not out of hope whatsoever befalls thee, one­ly bee humbled; for there is great cause so to be, and the Lord calls thee to it by his Ministers, and wee are his messengers to declare his will unto you; and as we must bee humbled and take to heart the cause of the Church, so wee must consider the time, that wee may bee throughly affected thereby; for it was Ephraims fault not to doe it: and thou must see this distresse, so as it may bring thee into the Mount; for it is not an extremity simply that will cause the Lord to helpe thee; but when thy soule is plowed up [Page 26] therewith, and then the Lord will cast in the seed and water it, so as thy soule shall spring a­gaine; and therefore let us still maintaine our hope in all conditions whatsoever. And for this end did I fall upon this Text at this time, That in the Mount will the Lord be seene.

FINIS.

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