MY intention is not to expound this Scripture, but onely at this time to take occasion from the main drift of it, to instruct you a little in that we are about. The main drift of it, is this, That here the Lord by the Pro­phet threatens many, and grievous judgments that should come upon this people; you shall see who they are in the Chapter. I say they were many, and they were sore and grievous: And the Lord doth begin (as his usual maner is) with some first, and with the least; and when the people would not turn to him that smote them, then the Lord would send another plague on them: For that is the meaning of that phrase, His hand is stretched out still. They went on [Page 2] in wickedness, and then the Lord sends another plague, His hand is stretched out still. The stretching out of Gods hand is the executing of judgment upon wicked people usually: So that he goes on with very fore judgments, as here in this Chapter it is said, A man shall eat the flesh of his own arm, and yet the hand of the Lord is stretched out still. A man would think that were the sorest that could be; a man would think that were enough, yet notwithstanding the hand of the Lord is stretched out still.

It is the maner of God throughout the Scripture, The maner of Gods pro­ceeding to, and in judg­ments. to defer judgments a long while before they come, and when they come, he sends them by degrees; but when they come, usually they are many, and sore; and it is uncertain when they will end, as we see in Levit. 26. Amos 4. Isai. 5. And here, and in some of the Chapters following, His hand is stretched out still.

Just so (beloved) it is with us at this time, as I shall Application to our times. shew you briefly, (for I told you I would not expound, but take a word to quicken your hearts, and mine, that we may speak unto the Lord more advisedly.) You know, a little while agone, we thought that the Lord was coming to end the wars. The Lord gave us victory upon victory, after many corrections, and judgments before; and we thought they were now over, but we were deceived, as we were many times before. You know God hath been many times about to end our miseries, but he hath sent back for his mercies, and so he hath done now; he hath very strangely called back his mercies, and loving kindness, and hath stretched out his hand many ways against us. [Page 3] God begins to raise up enemies again, and to strengthen them; he suffers the enemy to break in among us, besides all expectation: And how long, or how far God will stretch out his hand that way, who knoweth?

Let me deal plainly with you: For this day we The cause of Gods judg­ment to be sought in our selves. should deal plainly with God, and our own souls; and however through the week we look for Reasons and Causes of things in a natural way, who followed, and who were the Commanders, and what were the Forces, and the like: yet it should be the business of this day to judg of things spiritually, to see spiritual Reasons.

And here we see in this Chapter, and many such, That God stretcheth out his hand, while there is some continuation of sins, or some new provocation against the Lord; therefore, (it may be God hath many more ends in it, as doubtless he hath, but) certainly there is some strange provocation of God among us, that the Lord deals so with us again. And all this, that we may now see, that the miseries that are beginning to rise, they are but the stretching out of Gods hand: It is Gods Those are wilful, pro­voking sins. hand; and as of private persons, so of publike Nations; it is not common frailties that grieve the Spirit, but some wilful wickedness. When a man hath sin at the slaves end, and yet lets it come in to his bosome, and when he sees sin through the Key-hole, and yet opens the door, and lets it come in: So in a Nation it is not frailties and weakness; there will be whore­dom, and drunkenness (though these provoke God.) It is not so much this, as some wicked pro­vocations of God that are among us. Therefore [Page 4] in a word give me leave a little to tell you what I conceive, what I fear rather, what is the reason why God afresh and anew stretcheth out his arme, when we thought his sword was half put up, yet now it comes out again, and God knows how far it will go, or how long it will continue.

Beloved, we should be born with in searching our selves, and beholding and confessing our sins, and the sins of those that are among us, especially in such days as these, unlesse we will deale hypocritically with God, and proclaim a fast day, and come to humble your souls, and no man look after his own sins, and men not be allowed to bewaile the common sins. I was considering, that the Saints before, con­fessed their own sins, and the sins of others, of their Princes, and Magistrates, and great ones; and the true prophets were bold to tell them also of their sins. Therefore though I delight not (God he knoweth) of any thing to speak of mens sins; and if I do, the Lord he knoweth, I am more willing thorow his What they are among us. grace to see my own then any mans sins, and to speak of them and bewaile them. Therefore I say, I hope you will bear with me if I tell you my heart (if I now were on my death-bed) what I think (according to this blessed book) provokes the Lord that now so ter­ribly he threatneth us again when we thought his an­ger was over. Therefore I pray hear me, I shall be brief.

The first thing that I fear highly provokes God a­mong 1. A formal practice of penltential duties. us (and as long as we stretch out this line of sin, he will stretch out the line of wrath) That is, our for­mall humiliation, and repentance, and fasting and such [Page 5] like things. I do not speak (neither can any man that hath charity think I speak) against humiliation, or repentance, or fasting, I desire to practise it: but our humiliation, and fasting, and praying, and repentance, and these things, they grow every day more formall then other, that truly there is almost nothing but for­mality in the eye of spirituall Christians, and they be­gin to loath it, how much more the Lord who is a pure Spirit, whose eyes are brighter then the Sun? In Isay 1. you shall read that the Lord punished, and cha­stised the people, that there was no whole part in them from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot. Just as you do with an untoward childe, one while you strike him on the head, another while you whip him, ano­ther while you cudgell him on the shoulders, till at last the childe be all bruised and wounded: so the Lord sent for the Assyrians, he sent sicknesse and famine, that the Lord had not left an inch whole, and the people were very devout for all that; they fasted, and prayed, and the Lord sixteen times in that Chapter saith, I will none of them, away with them, they are an abomi­nation to me, they are iniquity. They were so far from being reconciled to God by this kinde of fasting and humiliation, and the like, that doubtlesse they provoke God as much, if not more then any other way. Therefore blessed is that man or woman that mournes for this, not onely on this day, but secretly before the Lord, this formality. I fear the Lord may say to us as to those people in Isay 65. this people take up­on them to be holy, I am holier then thou, yet they are like smoke in my nostrills all the day long. I fear our fast dayes are the most smoky dayes in Gods nostrills of [Page 6] all the dayes of the yeer. Therefore the Lord open our eyes, and the Lord finde a way to deliver us from formality in these things: If not, I fear the hand of God will be stretched out more and more. That is one thing that in my serious thoughts I think God is offended with.

Secondly, as our formall humiliation, so our feigned reformation. It is the scriptures word as Calvin shews, 2 A feigned reformation. of reformation, It is that you have in Ierem. 3. 10. saith the Lord, I corrected Israel, yet for all this her treacher­ous siste Iudah did not turn to me with her whole heart, but feignedly. Here is a great deal of stirre about refor­mation, here is a great deal of cry, but a little reality. Look to our congregations, to our ordinances, to every thing among us, you may put all in a little piece of paper; There is a great deal of stirre about the Sacra­ment, and the mixed multitude, and the Service▪book, and I know not what. We must speak plainly before the Lord this day, there is a great deal of stirre, and abundance of people slain in the world, and ruined, and plundered, and Towns burnt, and all for reforma­tion, and people think there is a glorious reformation, but God knows where it is, only there is a great stirre about it: therefore I say let every honest heart mourne before the Lord, we have shed reall blood, we have paid reall money we have taken reall paines, and brought upon people a world of miserie, they have need to have some reall reformation, that they may have some reality. I speak but a word, I desire you even before the Lord that ye would think more of this then I speak.

The third thing among us that I fear draws out 3. Vices of ministers. [Page 7] Gods hand still, it is the flattery, and pride, and cove­tousness, and apostasy of divers ministers, Their flattery, that is, divers now are grown so wise and so discreet now in such a time as this, when the Lord would teach us to see our sins with a maul as we say, yet we will not speak, we will not deal plainly, we will not tell men of their sins: We have opportunity to tell Magistrates, and great ones, they would be told, and be thankfull: but we are apt to sooth them, and to flatter them, and if they humour us as we would have them, they are brave men, zealous men, Oh, it is a sad thing! Then the pride and height of ministers every day growing more and more, especially after a little victo­ry, there is a deal of preaching, and stateliness. I have no pleasure to speak of these things, but I desire that we should be wiser.

And such covetousness, such shifting wayes to multi­pliy livings, and to get estates in the world; these are too palpable.

Then the apostasy of ministers, There are diverse ministers that were comforts to Gods people before in the Bishops times, that would preach the will of God, and comfort poor people: now there is nothing left but railing against Gods people, calling them Here­ticks, and schismaticks, that it is a wonder to think. God sees this grow more and more, and if he should end our war and give us peace, we were undone. God will keep it up to help to pull down the pride, and covetous­ness, and ambition of Ministers, to bring them down low to love their brethren, and to love honest hearts as before. The Lord do it, or else this war will never end, or the end will be as bad as if it had never ended.

Another thing I fear, that there is a generall (put 4. Hardness of heart. me in if you will: for I may put in my self) hardness of heart, that grows on us against reproof; people even Christians are grown so peevish that no body must reprove, or admonish one another for matter of judgement or life; none must tell another his fault, if he do, they will quarrell presently, he that Pro. 29. 1. hardeneth his neek, being oft reprooved, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. When men will not be told, magistrates, and ministers, and people when they harden themselves daily that it is enough to imprison a man with some kinde of people in the most loving, and sincere way in the world to tell them of their faults. This is the time when a man is made an offender for a word, This is a miserie: the Lord give us hearts like the bleeding heart of Ieremiah, Jer. 9. that we may weep and mourne in secret for it.

Then fiftly, that that provokes God highly (I fear) 5. The vices of Officers. is the covetousness, and self-seeking, and perfidiousness, among Commanders, and Officers, That provokes God; as in reason it drew on the war, as in Germanie, the Mercinary souldiers; so also in a spirituall sense. And it is to be feared that men grow to make a trade of war, and he that can get a good place, the longer the war holds the better it is, and so they have devises to make good his estate while he is in; and people learn every day to make a miserable vertue of necessity, to make a sweet, and fine life of our miseries, and when they come to the work, then such a one betrayed such a Town, and such a one betrayed such a Castle, and such a one ran away from the Field, that cost ten thousand pounds before he came there. As it troubles us in [Page 9] sense, and reason, so it provokes God; and Gods end to keep on the war may be to discover these wretches more and more, and to bring them to ruine. There­fore if there be any Officer, or Committee man, or Soul­dier here, whatsoever thou art, thou art a cursed man if thy heart delight in riches, and wealth that thou gettest when they poor brethren and sisters are ready to pe­rish in this time of need. Take heed, it provokes God, and draws out the hand of God anew, and God knowes how far it will be drawn out.

Then also there is another thing that I fear (for I 6. Breaches and divi­sions among the Saints. speak of great things, not of ordinary frailties) that is the tuchiness, and divisions among the Saints, that daily multiply and increase, and are no way closed, and some talk, but there are few that take a serious course to close them in any measure. Now these di­visions, and wranglings among the Saints, (whereas the Saints should be at peace, and by being so honour Christ by their union) by these open divisions, many turn seekers, and many down right atheists. The Lord will not bear this, he will whip them together, Wo to thee that art a professor, that delightest in having any thing to dissent from thy brethren: some people are never well, but when they have crotchets wherein they dissent from their brethren with delight: wo to thee, thou hast a foul cursed heart; and though it be a truth and thou must needs dissent from them, yet it would be a sorrow to dissent if thou hadst a godly heart.

Seventhly, such a deal of blasphemy, such heresies, for 7. Heresy & blasphemy. I may call them so (if any thing) such errours, and grosse ones increase daily, and hugely increase among [Page 10] those that seemed to be godly once and professors, as denying the scriptures, denying Christ Iesus, denying the resurrection, calling God every thing, and every thing God, confounding God and the creature toge­ther, and abundance of such hideous blasphemous things, and they grow on wofully, especially in our City: these things highly provoke God, the Lord give us hearts, to mourne for them.

Then there is another thing all along, I fear, that provo [...]s God, that is, the oppression of the poor Saints 8 Oppres­sion. both in soul and body: that throughout this Kingdom as far as ever I could see or hear, in all these wars in any Town or City, if there be half a dozen poor Saints, they pay as much as the Malignants to our men, and the other side come, and ruine them; I never heard that they paid less, but more, beside loanes, and con­tributions. These things go high, and though we take no notice of it, there is one that takes notice of the cry of the oppressed, and the widdow.

And then our self-love, and hardnesse of heart against the poor Saints in their distress, that every one thinks 9. Self-love and hard▪ heartednesse. they have help too little for themselves, and their fa­milies. Indeed we did help one another a little in the beginning of these troubles; but now the miseries are so many, and so many are in distress, that we do not look after them, but let them do as they can. And this is too rife in this city, that we have not a constant care of those poor people among us that are either strang­ers or inhabitants that are ready to perish with want in these times. And it is the generall disposition of peo­ple in this City, that if they can get the enemy three or fourscore miles off, if they can keep the enemy at [Page 11] Newark, or in Wales, or in the West in Cornwall, they care not, they lay it not to heart: but if he come to Hertford-shire, or Cambridge▪shire, then they will do any thing, they will lend or give. There is a great deal of self-love, and of hardnesse to poore people. Why should we not pity the poor Saints in the North, as those in Hertfordshire? There are many, and many poor children. We have not bowels of compassion, and in my apprehension that little there is, is shutting up more and more.

There is another thing, and so let me draw to an 10. Prevari­cation in calling evill good and è contrario. end, and that is a thing that grows among us wofully, it amazeth me, and in my conscience it would amaze me if I were a carnall man, if I were as once I was in the state of nature. What is that? you have learned a way to pervert, to call evill good, and good evil, both for things and persons, against light and conscience. This is grown ordinary, as it is said in Isaiah, saith he, therefore Gods hand is stretched out, why so? They call evill good, and good evil. We are as he said Rome was, let a man stay in Rome that knowes how to turn black to white and white to black: so, ma­ny times people raile at things that in their con­science are the wayes, and the will, and the things of God. And such a person; because he is not favored in the world, when they come in company, and see every body raile at him, they will do so too. There are few people that in all places, and companies, speak as they think. The truth and right is, this grows wofully, therefore the hand of the Lord must be stretch­edout still.

There is one thing more that I will not nor 11. Apostasy. [Page 12] cannot say positively it is so, but if it should be so, I am sure it provokes God highly, that is, a kind of a generall apostasy (I fear) in the City of London, ex­amine your selves. The City of London a few yeers ago was famous over the world for their zeale, and readiness. What a deal a do there was to get Arms, and to lend Plate, and if there were a Malignant, you had him to justice: then the zeal of the City of Lon­don quickened up the Parliament: but now the zeal of the Parliament may rather quicken the City of Lon­don, that is my thoughts and my fear. Therefore I wish that you would not make a mocking work of this, when you talk of humiliation, and fasting, and keep people from their trading; let us deal really with our selves, and if it be thus, let us desire the Lord to help us to our first works, and our first love, and zeale for God and his people.

IN the Chapter before, you shall read, The cohe­rence of the words. That the Prophet did pronounce sore judgments against the enemies of God and his people; to wit, against Moab. And the judgment should be so sore; that the Lord saith, He will come forth against them, just as a man spreds his arms abroad to swim: So God would open his arms (as it were) to smite them; and he would tread them down like straw for the Dung-hill.

And in this Chapter, the Prophet comforts the Saints, the believers: he gives them some comfort to support their Spirits, when the Lord should come in judgment against the wicked.

In that day shall this song be sung in the Land of Judah; we have a strong City, &c.

God will do two things for his people in the day of his wrath, against his enemies.

First, he will make them to sing: In that day shall [Page 14] this song be sung in the Land of Judah. The world oft sing, when the Saints mourn; and therefore the world shall mourn, when the Saints shall sing.

And another thing is, In that day, when the Lord shall open his arms as a swimmer for judgment: The Saints shall have a strong City, or Garison, or Refuge to go to, where they shall be safe. We have a strong City (that shall be their song) Salvation will God ap­point for Walls, and for Bulwarks.

Now, it shall not be an outward City, or an outward Garison; but the Lord will give them a spiritual Gari­son: The salvation of the Lord shall be to them as Walls, and Bulwarks. So that beloved, in few words, this is the lesson that I would learn thorowly, and would have you to learn from this Verse, that

In all the troubles, and calamities that are in this world, Observa­tion. God a sweet refuge. the people of God have a sweet Refuge, or a safe Garison to go into.

Let the judgments of God be out upon the earth, upon the wicked and unbelievers never so much; and let the Kingdoms be never so miserable, yet the Saints have a Garison; they have a sweet place of shelter, of retreat, and refuge, and safety, in the worst of times that can be in this world. You shall see a blessed place to this purpose, Heb. 12. 25, 26, &c. See that you do not turn away from him that speaketh from Heaven (saith the Apostle) whose voice then shock the earth, but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more will I shake, not the earth onely, but also heaven. And this word, yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken, may remain: Wherefore we re­ceiving [Page 15] a Kingdom, that cannot be shaken, or moved; let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably. Be­loved, not to open the whole place, this is that onely I would observe from it, That there are times in the latter end of the world, wherein the very heaven and earth shall once more be shaken: That is, there shall be such troubles, and calamities now in the latter end of the world, that men shall think that God is shaking, not onely Kingdoms and Nations, but Heaven and Earth, the whole Ʋniverse, and is ready to pull it down. There will be such times saith the Apostle, yet saith he, We receive a Kingdom which cannot be shaken. It is a blessed place, when all the Kingdoms in the world shall be shaken, all the Earth, and all the Heavens (as it were) shall be shaken too; yet we have received a Kingdom that cannot be shaken. The Saints are in a Garison, or Kingdom, that though all the world about them were shaken, and totter, they are safe, and stand still.

Truly, I have oft thought in my own apprehen­sions, that the Saints differ as much from other men, as if you could suppose a man to live in the middle Region, where there is no wind, nor storms, nor tempest: And you know here in all the sublunary world, there is nothing but clouds, and rain, and storms, and all weathers. If one were above in the middle Region, lot it rain, or thunder, or hail, or be what it will here, he is safe, and quiet. Just so it is with the Saints, they are in the middle Region, in a Kingdom; that though all the Kingdoms of the world shake, yet they receive a King­dom that cannot be shaken.

But, you will say, Where is this Garison, that [Page 14] we may go into it? Where is this Kingdom?

Salvation (saith the Prophet) the Lord shall appoint us for walls and bulwarks.

That is, this Kingdom is not outwardly to be found, it is not an earthly garison; but it is a figurative speech, that they do finde in the Lord by the holy Spirit, such security, and such safety, as if they were in a garison that cannot be assaulted or taken.

But you will say, How can that be? This is a meer Idea, or Notion, which no body can under­stand.

I shall shew presently, how it can be, by the help of God. The troubles of a man, the real troubles of a man, are in his minde, and soul, and affections. Now if you could finde a way to keep a mans minde, and soul, and heart, it were easie to keep the whole man: For our trouble is not a little imprisonment, or poverty: Paul, or Sylas, were in prison, and were to be hanged the next day, for ought they knew; yet they could sing. The man is as his minde is; if we can finde a way to fortifie, and garison the soul and minde, and affections, it will be easie to garison the whole man.

But now, how shall we garison the minde, or soul, How a man may be said to be secure and impreg­nable. or heart and affections? to use no critical distincti­ons, how shall we garison the heart of man?

You shall see that in Phil. 4. 7. The peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and mindes, through Christ Jesus. There is (saith the Apo­stle) a peace of God that shall keep you, or as the word in the Greek is, garison you, shall set up a garison in your hearts, and mindes through Jesus Christ.

What peace is that?

You shall see, if you compare it with the Gospel of John: When our Lord Christ was going to Hea­ven, he told his Disciples, I will send the Comforter John 14. 7. among you, and, My peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you, not as the world gives, give I unto you. My peace I give unto you, not as the peace of the world. It is a legacy that we have in the New Testa­ment from our Lord Jesus Christ that is now in heaven; by the Holy Ghost there is a kinde of peace that comes into the hearts of the Saints, that passeth understand­ing, not onely the understanding of wicked men, that they know it not, and apprehend it not, but it passeth the understanding of a godly man that hath it. As we see in Isaiah, there is a peace that comes, and quiets, and secures his soul; such a peace as he never understood, or did suppose could come into his soul, according to that, Neither eye hath seen, nor ear heard, nor hath en­tred Isai 64. 4. into the heart of man to conceive what God hath pre­pared for them that wait for him. That is, God sends this peace, (and many other blessings.) Such a peace as a man never conceived in his heart; and this peace comes in, and keeps the heart like a Castle, or sets up a garison in the heart, it keeps the heart and minde through Jesus Christ.

Therefore from that briefly you may learn a lesson or two, that so I may proceed to that which remains.

Ʋse. First, Learn, I desire, and beseech you, that pro­fess your selves to be Saints; that you would make To repair to this refuge. towards this refuge, or this garison here in all your troubles.

I am ashamed, and troubled, and have been truly, many yeers, to see Saints, and godly people, when trou­bles come on them, to spend their wits, and beat their brains, in finding refuge in outward things. O, if I were here, or there, in such a Town, in such an Iland, in such a Country, in such a place, I should have it. Beloved, our song should be, Salvation God will appoint us for walls and bulwarks. Our way is, when all the Kingdoms of the world are shaken, to seek to get into that Kingdom that shakes not: That is, let England, and all the world shake, I care not, so I have the Spi­rit of Christ, the comforter, to bring peace to my soul, that may set up a garison there, that nothing may assault and trouble me. Then let all the world, let heaven and earth shake, I am sure, I am safe; this is the way.

It is a common saying of many particular persons, Let a man not seek himself any where without, in the opinion of men: So let not Saints seek refuge, and shelter, and salvation, in outward helps; but if they should see the Kingdom of England (which God for­bid) involved in more miseries and troubles, and deso­lations, &c. Lay this down alway by thee; there is a Kingdom that cannot be shaken. England, and Scotland, and Ireland are shaken; but there is a Kingdom that cannot be shaken. Such a garison is besieged, such a Town is in danger, such a place is stormed; but there is a garison, that the Lord hath put into the hearts of his Saints, that cannot be stormed or assaulted. There­fore ply the Lord Jesus Christ by the Spirit of the New Testament, by his holy comforter, that he would garison thy soul, and put peace there. And then what [Page 19] shall be the issue? I will tell thee, that thou with a holy joy, and complacency, and delight of Spirit, when thou seest the very pillars of heaven shaken (as it were) shalt sollace thy self in thy own garison, and walk in the streets of it, and be safe; thou shalt triumph over all storms and troubles, and all that is here.

Not because that a Saint is able to encounter those things that are here: For a Saint is not able to answer, if you ask what he conceives will be the end of these things? he cannot answer these things; but onely he retreats to the middle Region, as a bird, he flies above sublunary things; he can say, I cannot tell what shall become of England, or Scotland, or Ireland, but I am sure I know a back door that leads into a Kingdom that cannot be shaken, to go into the middle Region, where no storms of the Air shall trouble me; and there I can rest my spirit.

I alway, for my part (with submission to the wise) apprehend it as a thing too carnal, and too low for Saints to think to finde a resting place in this world; any place is heaven; in such an Iland, in such a Planta­tion, and such a place, let it be what it will. But a Saint that hath this garison in his heart and minde, he is at peace. This garison David had, when his ene­mies compassed him, and he had no walls, when there were 10000 about him, he lay and slept: For thou Lord sustainedst me, saith he; The salvation of God was walls and bulwarks about him.

If this peace of God be above understanding, how can it be otherwise, then be above expression? We can therefore give but a hint of it; but such a thing there is. The Saints walk in a green meadow by the [Page 20] rivers of waters, Psal. 23. in the spring all the day, and all the night long, in beholding the love of God, and the Covenant of God made in Iesus Christ; the full for­givenesse of all their sins, the everlasting union be­tween them and Christ, and through Christ between them and God; and beholding the Spirit in its working within them, and beholding the glory that shall be re­vealed at the last day, the Crown that Christ shall bring with him: they walk safely and sweetly, and securely, though all the Kingdoms of the world, and the pillars of heaven be shaken. As the heathen said, If the world break about his ears, he would undergo it without trouble. Not because he can answer these things, but withdrawing himself to his place from them; I cannot tell whether the Kingdom shall stand, but I can go to the middle Region, to Iesus Christ, where there is no storme. Learn that, and lay aside your great projects, like the men of the world, of building Castles in the air, for Garisons: but labour to get into this Garison. Salvation will God appoint for walls and Bulwarks; Open ye the gates that the righteous Nation which keepeth the truth may enter in.

This is a speech just alluding to a Garison; they use there to open the gates, and to shut them; and when any body comes they bid them stand, and ask them who they are for? What are they? One saith he is a friend, and then they bid open the gates, and let him come in; if not, to shut the gates against him.

Open ye the gates, saith the Lord:

But none must come in but a friend; but who is this friend? It is,

The righteous Nation which keep the truth, they shall enter in.

The word in the Originall, it is Truth, not Truth, not one, or two, or three, or four truths, but the righte­ous Who have a right to Gods pro­tection. Nation that keepeth the truths, let them enter in. That is the word, if you will passe this Court of Guard, he that shall come into this Garison, is he that keepeth truth with a good conscience, notwithstanding all the troubles that befall him in this world, he shall en­ter into this Garison.

Therefore I beseech you look to your selves. Truly it is unconceiveable, and unutterable, what the joy, the comfort, the worth of that Garison is, where it is set up in the soul; yet there are no hypocrites, no partiall obeyers of Iesus Christ, and his laws, that shall enter into it. Therefore if I speak Hebrew, or Greek (as it were) to you, that you understand not what I mean by this Garison, look to your selves, it may be you have not the word, and therefore you cannot get in. It may be you walk not uprightly, you are not of the upright Nation, and people, you keep not the truths. It may be you pick one truth here, and another there that pleaseth you, that suits with your reason, or your lusts, and corruptions, or with the stream of the world; you honor and respect that, and for the rest of the truth, let you neighbours take it if they will, you will none of it, if it bring shame, and persecution, and reproch. That is the reason, when troubles come, you are at your wits end, you know not where to go, because you have not the word, you keep not the truth of God. The righteous Nation that keep the truth, let them come in, shut the rest out of doors, 2 Pet. 2. there are a [Page 22] people that are cleansed from their sins by the know­ledge of Iesus Christ, and yet after turn from the holy commandment. Beloved, there are common, generall com­mandments (as I may speak) and holy, precise com­mandmens: Religion in every age hath something in it that is feasable to carnall men: and in every age it hath some nicities, and preciseness in it; there is some­what superfluous in the eye of the world in every age from the beginning. Now it may be it is ordinary with thee to look to truths that the world acknow­ledgeth; to deal honestly in thy shop for the most part; to come to Church, and repeat a little of the word, or the like: these things the world commends; thou ob­servest fast dayes, or thanksgiving dayes, or the like. But there are other truths that are more precise and spi­rituall, that worldly men do not apprehend, and these thou leavest as nicities. And that is the reason many times when thou apprehendest miseries coming upon thy family, or thy self, or the Kingdom, thou art at thy wits end, and knowest not where to go; God shuts the gate against thee, thou hast not the word, thou art not a man or woman that hath kept all the truths of God.

Therefore will you now labour to be a righteous Nation to be upright? It is a word that hath ran much in my minde; saith God to Abraham, I am alsufficient God, walk before me, and be upright. I did not think there had been so much crookedness in the world as now I see. The world is like the word Isa. 7. young Saplings, as the wind goes this way, they go this way, and when the wind goeth the other way, they go the the other way. It grieveth my soul to see how [Page 23] unupright people are; even professors: what a deal of daubing, calling darkness light, and good evil, that think one thing, and speak another, and go against their con­science; it cuts my soul unexpressibly. Therefore it is just with God to leave those daubing people; they go with the stronger side, and say as the world saith, and do as the world doth, though it be contrary to their understanding, and conscience: be sure, they shall never be admitted to passe the Court of guard to come to this Garison.

And for their comfort, those that come not to this Court, or Garison in this world, they shall never come to that in the world to come; if they come not into this little Court of guard, they shall never come to the great one. It is a miserable thing for a man to be left without the works: a carnall man is left with­out the works, and sin, and the devill, and men may come, and undo him. Therefore labour to be up­right.

It is a principle in Religion that Christians should observe (and a principle, that is a generall grand rule) to call things as they are, to call a Spade a Spade: but men, they call evill good, and good evill, and frame their discourses according to the world, they speak according to the world though it be quite contrary to their understanding, and in spight of con­science.

I am alsufficient God, walk before me, and be upright. What is that? Do not turn aside to the right hand, or to the left; If thou will be my servant, thou must neither be driven with fear, or drawn with favour a hairs breadth out of my Commandments. This is up­rightnesse, [Page 24] lay all the preferments, and honors in the world on the one side, you shall neither draw them an ace from the truth of Christ; and lay all the terrors, on the other side, you shall not drive them an ace: Why so? Because God is alsufficient, there is the reason; as the holy man Doctor Preston hath at large well shewed. Why should I be upright? Be­cause God is an alsufficient God. What is that? Men naturally bargaine for gain, it is a principle, and God expects not that it should be otherwise; if any man offer me any thing to turn aside the breadth of a haire out of Gods wayes, honour, or preferment or the like, more then God will give, I had reason to turn aside, and God would not be angry: but I am alsufficient, keep in my wayes, I will give thee more honour, and wealth, and riches, and preferment, then all the world can. On the other side, could any creature do us more hurt then God, we had reason to fear that creature: but God is the best friend, and the worst foe, he can de­stroy body and soul as Christ saith; therefore walk be­fore me, and be perfect.

There is a sweet place in Eccles. 3. 14. I know that whatsoever God doth, it shall be for ever; nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it, and God doth it, that men might fear before him. I know that what God doth, shall be for ever, nothing can be added to it, or taken from it: that is, if God have a design to make you happy, all the world shall not take a dram of that happinesse from you; and if God have a designe to make you miserable, all the world shall not take one jot of that misery from you.

That men might feare before him,

That is, before him onely: for if the creature could do me any measure of good or hurt, it were but rea­son that I should fear the creature, and God too, but whatsoever God doth is for ever, nothing can be put to it, or taken from it, that men might feare before him. All the world cannot do me a farthing worth of good or harme; God onely can, and he is alsufficient, therefore, let us be upright before him. These are the two words I would have you remember, Pray the Lord to stablish your hearts in his love, in his Garison, that you may be able to triumph over the world, That you may be able to say, Though all the Kingdoms in the world be shaken, yet I am in a Kingdom that cannot be shaken. And when you walk in the streets, and see such factions of men, and there is not a man of a thou­sand but he temporizeth, and wil say this week as the world saith, and the next week another way; Do not do so: walk wisely, and speak what you should, and as you should, but call not good evil, and evil good: but walk uprightly before the Lord, approve of that which is good in the eyes of the Lord: Walk in the truthes of God, and then God in distresse will bid open the gates; there is a man was upright in all the changes of the world, he called not good evil, nor evil good; Open the gates that the upright Nation may come in.

I Shal endevor briefly to pick a lesson or two out of this Chapter. In the Chap­ter before, we have many blessed pro­mises that God hath made to his people, and that in the times of trouble: And many threatnings of the wicked, How God will come [Page 27] out against them, as he saith, Chap. 25. And spred his hands in the midst of them, as he that spredeth his hands to swim. That is, God will extend his wrath and power to destroy the wicked; and in the latter end of Chap­ter 26. The Lord cometh out of his place, &c.

Now the beginning of this Chapter is but an enlarge­ment and illustration of that. The Lord will come with his sore, and great, and strong Sword, to punish Leviathan the crooked Serpent, and to stay the Dragon in the Sea.

This Leviathan, whatsoever it is (which is scarce known) onely we read in Job of Leviathan, one of the terriblest creatures that God hath made. It is con­ceived to be the Whale, but it is uncertain; whatso­ever it is, it is a terrible creature.

The wicked that persecute the Saints, are called Leviathan, the piercing, crooked Serpent: That is, those Gods ven­geance a­gainst the wicked great enemies of Gods people, those venemous, cruel enemies, those crooked, deceitful enemies of Gods peo­ple; he will come with his great, and sore, and strong sword to destroy them. So we see, be the enemies of God never so great, never so cruel, or never so cunning, the Lord will destroy them. He hath a great, strong, sore sword. He hath a great sword, in opposition to their greatness; he hath a strong sword in opposition to their strength, and he hath a sore sword, in opposition to their cruelty.

Therefore, O that God would teach you this lesson! A ground of our confi­dence. Let your confidence get above the greatest enemies in this world. What though men be wise, and crooked? as Solomon saith; there were three things that he knew not; one was, The way of a Serpent upon a Rock: Though men be so cunning to betray the Church, that [Page 28] they cannot be traced, no more then a ship in the Sea; or a crooked Serpent on a Rock; yet let your faith get on the top of them. Say not, they are great, but there is a greater then they. God will bring them down, and bring them to confusion. That is one thing.

In that day, sing to her, A vineyard of Red Wine, I the Lord will keep it; I will water it every moment, I will keep it night and day.

This vineyard is the Church, and people of God. I will not stand upon it, why it is called a vineyard. He calls it so principally, because the people of God are a fruitful people. One sinner destroyeth much good, and one Saint doth much good. Were it not for a few Saints, you may let all your Armies, and Courts, and every thing go: There is no good in the world besides; there are a few Saints, and they are fruitful.

And also, because God preserves them, and keeps them; because of the Lords care, I the Lord keep it, I water it every moment, least any should hurt it, I keep it night and day.

See how God expresseth his tenderness, and care of his (blessed art thou, and I, if we be of them!) The Lord keeps, and preserves them; and he will do it with all care. The Lord keeps not his Vineyard, as we keep his Commandments, and Ordinances, and the things that belong to him. The Lord expresseth his care of his Vineyard, by the greatest expressions of care that any creature hath; therefore he saith, he keeps them as the apple of his eye. That made David boldly ask, Lord, keep me as the apple of thine eye. And the Prophet Isai h saith, He keeps them as a little bird that sits over her young. A Bird is a fearful creature, and yet if you [Page 29] come to take away her young ones, she will flie in your face.

Beloved, though we think the Lord mindes us not, yet he hath a wonderful, tender, unspeakable care, in preserving us.

Vineyards are hot, and must be watered, or else they will be scorched by the Sun: So, our souls unless they were watered continually, they would be scorched up.

What is this water?

The Holy Spirit. I will pour water upon the dry ground: That is, I will pour my Spirit upon your souls. We are so apt to wast our graces every day, unless God give us a new stock. And the earth in Spain, and Italy, and those hot Countries, is not apter to drink water, then our hearts are to devour, and make havock of all the grace of God. And were it not for the blessed, constant supply that God gives of his Spirit, the best Saint in twenty four hours, would be as bad as a carnal man. It may be thou hast a little quickening of God in thy soul, but yet God must water them every moment.

Fury is not in me: who would set the bryars, and the thorns against me in battel? I would goe through them, &c.

God expresseth his goodness to his people. One would think it was a wonder God did not destroy them: No, saith God, Anger is not in me; For who would set bryars and thorns against me in battel? I would go through them. This is the reason that God doth not destroy thee and me; not because we are not sinful, [Page 30] but because we are so wretched; if he should contend with us, he would destroy us presently. Saith God, All the imaginations of mans heart are evil; therefore I will destroy the earth no more. It is the nobleness of Gods nature; that nobleness that is in us, is but a poor thing, it is but a resemblance of that at the best; it is the nobleness of Gods nature, he will not destroy a creature that is too weak, and too small for him. Therefore of Niniveh, God saith, There were so many that knew not their right hand from their left, therefore he would not destroy them. So our littleness moves the Lord to spare us, when our wickedness would make him to destroy us. The Lord is a consuming fire. Put a little stubble, or thorns, and bryars, before the fire, and it will consume them. O blessed God! that takes any argument to save his creature: And O wretched Creatures we! that will take no argument to serve, and obey him. If there be any good in us, he makes that an argu­ment; if that be not there, yet from our littleness, and weakness, any thing he will draw arguments of his goodness from: Yet many times we are of such a tem­per, that we will not draw one argument to move us to do that which is pleasing in his eyes. Well, he is a glorious God, and we are like our selves.

Let him lay hold on my strength.

Let the poor bramble go, and lay hold upon the wall, I have strength enough to destroy, and devour them, but I wish that they would lay hold of my strength. There is a way, that all the strength that is in God, thou mayest make it for thee, on thy side. All the power and strength that is in God, is against [Page 31] wicked men that receive not Christ; but there is a way that thou mayest make that party on thy side, thou mayest make God on thy side, Take hold on him, that is, receive Christ, and then thou art in the Covenant, and all belongs to thee upon that, and all the power whereby he made heaven and earth, and rules the sea, and every thing, is thy power, it is for thee.

And make peace with me, and they shall make peace.

It is like the expression of some people that are wondrously given to love, and peace, and though other people desire to quarrell, yet they will not quarrell, but they will be freinds: there is no neighbour so mis­chievous, but they will be friends with them in spight of their heart; so sayth God, Let them make peace with me, and they shall make peace. It is like that expression of God, I will put my spirit in their hearts, and they shall keep my statutes. That thy soul could creep along upon this blessed wall and make peace with him, and lay hold of his promise and he saith, thou shalt make peace!

He shall cause them that come of Iacob to take root, &c.

You see how sweet God is in afflicting his Saints, how he preserves them, and hears them in whipping them. Here he shewes three great differences be­tween Three dif­ferences in the afflicti­ons of the godly and wicked. the afflictions of the godly, and of the wicked.

The first is this, saith he, have I smitten him, as I smote those that smote him? Or is he slain according to the slaughter of them that are slain by him? That is, the Lord doth not lay such a weight of affliction upon his children as he doth upon wicked people, that is one thing, therefore he stays his rough wind in the day of the east wind. No east wind blowes on the Saints: [Page 32] for in Scripture language that is the wrath of God. All the other winds are growing, but the East wind, is cutting, and chilling.

Secondly, it is said, God will debate with them, that is, besotted carnall men, as Pharaoh, and others, he layes afflictions upon afflictions upon them, and they never know why, it makes him a sot, and he brayes him as a fool in a Morter: but I will debate with him, saith God, I will reason the case, As a father when he whips his childe, will you do so again? saith he, And, is this handsome? The Lord never whips his childe, but he debates with him.

Thirdly, the issue, and fruit of it, All the fruit is, he doth it to take away sin, he will make all the stones of the Altar as Chalk-stones; he will beat them to pieces, that is, they shall pull down their Groves, and their Altars, as you do Chalk-stones when you burne them, and beat them in pieces.

This should make us sweeten our thoughts of God; he is sweet in his providence; in his Ordinances, in his corrections, we see what a good God he is, how he draws water out of the Flint, he draws arguments of grace, and mercy, and goodnesse, to save wretched crea­tures any way, in such a way that if we were Judges we would condemn our selves. The Lord sweeten your hearts, and raise up your souls to apprehend his mercy.

NOt that they said so: but God brings in their thoughts, as in Iob, Depart from us, we desire not the knowledge of thy laws. That is the difference between Gods book and mens books; men write books according to the words of men, but the word of God is according to their thoughts,

Here are four or five things noted of wicked men. Four things observed of wicked men. 1. Their v. in conceits.

First, we have made (say they) a covenant with death, and with hell we are at an agreement.

The meaning is not, that they did draw writings between them, and hell: for hell will make no agree­ment, but the meaning is, they were assured in their conceits that they should be delivered from hell, and death, and misery. As a man that hath made a Cove­nant for his land, &c. and hath got witnesses to it, he hath made sure, he hath it in black and white: so there was a foolish confidence in them; they assured them­selves [Page 34] that they should escape, as if death and hell had given them an acquittance, and had sealed it, and there had been Covenants drawn between them and the Devill. That is one thing.

But, saith God,

Your Covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand.

That is, you shall see that all those conceits are but vaine. Just as if a man should go, and make a Cove­nant with his neighbour, and buy his land, and he should never tell his neighbour that he would sell it, this agreement would be broken, and the Covenant would not stand. So, you build Castles in the aire, you make a Covenant, and agreement in your conceits, that you are safe, and you hope the best, and God is merci­full, but the day will come when all this will be done away, As Iob saith, it is just as a Spiders web, that is, a fine thing that she hath been working all the week, and then the Maide comes to make clean the house, and all is taken away with one stroak of a brush.

Another thing is, the Lord compares them here to Illustrated in two com­parisons. Compa∣rison. 1 people that would hide themselves by the sea side, where the tide comes up. As you see sometimes when the tide is low, there are green medows, and bushes before it be high spring; and there they hide themselves, and the water comes and overflowes their hiding place. If they stay there a while, and it may be are asleep, the tide comes and drowns them all. Do ye not think a man were mad that should go and hide himself in a hole of a bridge, and sleep when the tide was low, and then the tide come in and overwhelm him: So it will be with thee, if thou receive not Iesus Christ.

We have made lies our refuge, and under falshood have we hid our selves.

Mr. Calvin saith, they may be compared to little chickens, or partridges, that run their heads in a bush, that hide their heads from the Hawk; the Hawk sees all their bodies, onely in a conceit they hide them­selves thus, that is, they hide their own eyes that they may not see the Hawk: but they do not hide their bodies that the Hawk may not see them. So men shut their eyes, and have many conceits (O the Lord deliver us from it) this is the hope of wicked men, drunkards, and whoremongers, and sottish creatures, that come not up to take Christ.

The Lord after compares them to little children Compa∣rison. 2 in bed.

The bed is shorter then that a man can stretch himself on it.

As little children, when they hear thunder, they run under the sheets and blankets, and think they are very safe: so we conceive that we shall be delivered. But truly all the shifts thou hast, shall be no more to keep thee when the Lord comes on thee for a drunkard, or an unbeliever, or a persecutor, then the sheets, and blankets can keep them from a thunderbolt if God send it.

I, but these were but comparisons, and the people were ready to mock the prophet for it: Saith he, Mock not, least your bands be made strong, for I have heard from the Lord a consumption determined upon the whole earth.

Give ear, and hear my voice, hearken to my speech. Doth the plowman plow all day to sow, &c.

This is the manner of the prophet Isaiah, especially when he speaks of the miseries, and judgements, that shall come upon people, he mingles comfort for the poor Saints. This he refers to the Saints that were upright. And to comfort them, he takes a compari­son from the Husbandman that plows the field. For the creatures are Gods Characters: God hath written his will in his word at large, and he hath written a copy of it (as it were) in the creatures, that by the one we might be enabled to understand the other. For we understand not one line of this blessed book any fur­ther then we are taught. Now God hath so cast things in this world, not only for the use and good of man, but he hath cast things by his creation and providence, in such a way, as that every thing might resemble hea­venly things. Therefore it is said, God hath given dis­cretion to the Husbandman to do this: the Lord hath ordered the earth so to be plowed, and managed, and the corn so to be threshed, that thereby we might have a shadow of spirituall things, comparing it with the blessed word.

Doth the plow man, plow all day? God deals diversly with weak and strong Saints.

What is the meaning of that? It is thus, you poor Saints, God plows you, and harrows you, and if the Lord follow you with one affliction after another (that whosoever escapes, you suffer, if not without, yet within, and sometimes you have both) you think God deals wonderfull strangely with you, Sayth he, look on the plowman; if ever you see one plow, you will say, yonder man doth but plow, and harrow the land, and make it fit to sow, Barly, or Oats, or Wheat, he hath some end in it: they are the common heaths that lie unplowed: [Page 37] but where there is good ground they plow it, and when he hath plowed, it is his discretion to sow. So it is, that when the Lord continues his afflictions upon thee, thou shouldest consider that God, that is thy good father, hath some gracious designe to sow Barly, or Wheat, or Rye, to sow some grace more: And what though he plow thee, or me, or another more then other men or women? Some lands are plowed thrice, some four times besides the sowing, they are so tough, and dogged. So some natures must be ofter, and deeper, and longer plowed.

Therefore stare not so much upon the affliction, but consider the gracious designe, and purpose of God to sow thee, and to do thee good. Thou, and I have barren hearts, and there is little corn that is pleas­ing to him there: therefore he meanes by the af­flictions that he layes on thee, by such a sicknesse, by such a perverse husband, by such an ungracious childe, or losse of estate, the Lord means to sow thy barren heart; and then blessed be his name. If the Lord do that, thou mayest well suffer him to plow, and harrow thee any way, with any instrument as he pleaseth.

Then he takes another comparison from threshing.

The Fitches are not threshed with a threshing instru­ment, neither is a cart-wheel turned about upon the Cum­min, &c.

That is, the afflictions of the Saints, are also like the threshing of corn: as there is no land that bears corn without plowing, no more can we enjoy it without threshing, some more, some lesse, some one way, some another. Now (saith he) in the [Page 38] manner of afflictions you may observe two things from the threshing of men; which was in another manner in those countries then with us: It was trod out with the Oxe, and they did bring a wheel, and hors­men to ride upon their corne in those dry countries, And some was beaten with a staff, and small corne they did whip out with a rod. So saith he, there are two things to be observed in the manner of Gods dealing, you that are weak people, weak Christians, the Lord sees that you are little Fitches: Fitches is a little graine, and Cummin especially, Christ calls them little things; yet little and weak Christians are like Cummin and Fitches, God will not bring a Cart wheele over them that shall bruise them to pieces, and make them worth nothing, but he will beat them with a staffe, and the Cummin with a rod; that is, where there is a little, weak Saint, the Lord will take a little wand, a rod, a small, light affliction.

But bread corn is bruised because he will not ever be threshing it, not break it with the wheel, &c.

That is, sometimes also God meanes to lay all the afflictions (as it were) at once upon his childe, where he sees a strong Saint many times he brings his horse­men, and his cartwheel, as he did with Iob; you know Iob had but a bout, and so he goes over, and some of his days before and his days after were comfortable, God brings strong afflictions upon his children.

The reason is, because God will not alway be threshing, he will not alway afflict, for then the spirit of man would fail before him.

If thy afflictions be light, say, I am a little Fitch, or Cummin, if they be heavy, say, they will be short; for [Page 39] the Husbandman, though he deal more coursly with his Corn then with his Fitches, yet he takes it into his Barne, and laies it up safe: so though thy afflictions be sore, thou maist from the practice of the Husband­man say, they will be short: therefore indeavor to learn a little from afflictions, and how to carry and behave thy self like a Saint, wait patiently upon God, to know Gods design and meaning.

This also cometh forth from the Lord of Hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.

What is the meaning of that? That that made the Prophet cry out, that the Lord was wonderful in Coun­sel, and mighty in working it, was this, to see the har­mony between Gods Works in his Books, and in his Creatures: O who would think when a man is plow­ing, that there were such a mystery there! that he should fetch a glorious mystery in afflicting his Saints, from a little Cummin. This also is from the Lord of Hosts, which is wonderfull in counsell, and excellent in working, that he reveales his blessed will in his book, and gives such a glorious copy of it in the crea­tures, that we may understand the one by the other. Thus have I shewed you a little of the meaning of the word of God in this Chapter, as I understand.

YOu shall finde that in the Scriptures, espe­cially Consolation a duty. in the New Testament, we are commanded to comfort one another, as much as to exhort, and more then to reprove: It is very ordinary, Comfort one another. Though the other duties to the Saints in the New Testament are full of consolati­on: The Apostle from every argument, would have us draw comfort from the coming of Christ, and every thing almost.

There are these four things that I shall speak of, Four things, hinder Con­solation. that hinder the consolation that might be in your souls. If I take away those hinderances, it is as much as if I did positively comfort.

Im∣pediment. First The first is, (I will not say you want faith, but) you have a faith of the Law, and not of the Gospel: You believe in God, but not in Christ. My meaning is this, your saith is begotten, and bred, according to the doctrine, and principles of the Old Testament. It is good, and true, but it is bred, and nourished, ac­cording to the principles, and strain of the Old Testa­ment: which (old) Testament (saith the Apostle) is done [Page 41] away. You need not stumble, you know my mean­ing, your faith is not yet come clearly, according to the strain, and course, and frame of the New Testa­ment.

You will say, There is but little difference between the old, and the New Testament.

Look how they be opposed, 2 Cor. 3. Gal. 2. and in the Hebrews; that is the main business to shew the difference between the old, and New Testament.

Now that your faith is so, it will appear three ways. Which ap­pears three ways. 1 First, there is a Heathenish desire of sanctification, of holiness. Holiness is a blessed thing, and there are none desire more earnestly, sincerely to be holy, then the Saints in the New Testament: Holiness is upon the bridles of the horses of the Church; yet there is a desire of holi­ness in the soul, that is, legal faith; that by the earnest desire of holiness, a man may see the frame of his faith to be legal. There may be a thirst that ariseth from a Feaverish distemper of body, that is not good. Therefore truly, a man may desire holiness, more then happiness (as you are wont to express it.) He may de­sire holiness, and to avoyd sin, more then Hell it self, and any thing in the world. He may say, he would not for a world, but overcome his lusts; and O that I could overcome my frowardness, and my pride, and yet it may be a Heathenish kinde of thirst. I have known people that have gone every day to hear, and have wept, and desired holiness, and yet out of a Hea­thenish desire of holiness.

Why; what is the meaning of this? how comes this about?

The soul resolving to be justified, and to finde favor [Page 42] with God; partly by the righteousness of Christ, and partly by some grace; not that it hath, but that it hopes to have: Therefore the soul, as a Feaverish man reacheth out, and layes down this conclusion, I must be holy; and there are some things, if I could reach them, then I should be well; and so the Feaver grows higher and higher. And God crosseth him; for it is against the way of the Gospel. God will do no good to us, if we go contrary to his glory: Therefore if we weep our hearts out, we shall not have it, for it is a designe of our own, saith God, You will not be con­tent with the righteousness of Christ, but you will have something to make it up; you will believe, and be holy, but you shall go my way or not at all.

Now a Saint that is according to Gods minde, first upon believing in Jesus Christ, and his righteousness, his soul is fully satisfied, and he is at peace; He saith, Lord, whether I be holy, or not, I see a full righteous­ness in Jesus Christ to justifie me, and to sanctifie me, and pacifie my conscience. And Lord here I am, Thou knowest that I have nothing but my old nature; thou art wise; all my sins are done away, do with me what thou wilt: If thou wilt put me to pain, or into pover­ty, or into Hell, or suffer me to go in rags, all my life long, do so: As a godly man said, If pride, and fro­wardness must have its work, though I had rather go to Hell for the time; yet here I am, I rejoyce in my spirit, be­cause I am accepted of thee. So, here is a desire of holi­ness, but it is not Heathenish; as if a man could have no assurance, and comfort in his soul, till he had gotten such a degree of grace. These are Feaverish de­sires.

2 Secondly, It appears to me, that your comfort is not right, that your faith is not according to the Gospel, because of the startlings in your conscience after sin. That when God suffers the soul to be overtaken, and to fall, the soul startles; that is, horror seizeth presently upon the conscience, and hardness upon the heart; there is a startling, that makes a man that he cannot go on in his calling, that makes all his neighbors take no­tice of him, as if he were not his own man. (Take it as a general rule, the most, and the greatest dangers, or the most dangerous errors, border nearest on the most glorious light.) It is blessed to startle at sin, and to de­sire holiness; but I say, there is a Heathenish desire of holiness, and startling at sin, that argues, That the con­science is not quieted in Christ.

Object. You will say, when a Saint falls into sin, shall he take no notice of it?

Answ. Yes, and have no peace till he have poured out his soul to God: But yet as a Son to a Father, and his as­surance is whole still. Thou art my beloved father, and all that is befaln me; thou hast suffered it, and hast a hand in it. I confess Father, I am an unhappy childe; there is never a member of thy Son Christ, that thou hast more trouble with, then with me, there is none of them so vile, and so the heart is all wholly poured out freely, and fully to the Lord. The other cannot; but he is hardened, and startles at every thing, as a man going among wilde Beasts.

3 Thirdly, It appears to me, that your faith is not come to be right, by the defilements you have from the creatures: Your faith is not according to the Gospel. When men are defiled with lawful things. Nay, so [Page 44] much, that some men cannot eat, or go to bed; one while they must eat of one dish, and not of two (though sobriety be a Gospel grace.) And one while they must eat one meal a day, another while one meal in two days. I have known one eat but one meal in a week; and let them eat little or much, they defile their consciences. One while they must go so in their apparel with lace, and after that, lace damneth them. Though sobriety be good, in cloaths, and diet, yet this shews that they are defiled; for to a good man every thing is pure, but to others every thing is impure, because his conscience is impure; that is, His conscience is defiled, and so he is taken prisoner; his conscience is not sprinkled, and washed through the blood of Christ; therefore in these things, he is tangled endlesly. Now if ever you will have comfort in your souls, that is true and solid: for there may be comforts according to the Law, but they will not last, they will be out upon the least breach; but if the Lord frame your faith according to the Gospel, your comfort will be solid and lasting.

Im∣pediment. Second The second thing is, having faith according to the Gospel, labor to live by faith. Many of you have a little faith, and true Gospel faith; but you do not live by it, you live by sence. It is a proverb in Scripture, The just shall live by faith. I shall have occasion to open that when I have more time, and therefore I proceed.

Im∣pediment. Third A third thing that makes your comfort short, is the slow coming of grace into your souls. You finde grace come in but slowly; you believe, and labor to believe according to the Gospel, and yet grace comes but slowly and poorly; you have been so many yeers, and have scarce any grace.

For your comfort, this is one thing; thou that hast but little grace coming in so many yeers: I tell thee, God saith that grace is like the springing of the sea; or the springing of the yeer. Now in the springing of the sea, when men would have a tide for their passage, a man is glad to see a little turning of the water first, it is so much the nearer: then he observes, and is glad to see the Sea rise, and cover a few stones or marks, though it be little: but stay till it be almost full Sea, when it is high tide, then every thing almost is covered on a sudden, the tide over-runs all. Take it in the spring of the yeer (for we should learn something from the creatures) about February, you are glad to see the buds of Haw thorn; you look a week together, and it grows a little, and you see no other, it is a signe that Summer is coming. In the beginning of March it may be there are two or three things more, and they come slowly, and you are glad to see them, and look on them every day. In Aprill or May, the Gardens are full of Flowers, and the fields full of grass; you know not what to observe. So it is in experi­ence, in the beginning the Lord makes a Saint glad of a Primrose, of a little turning of the water, that the blood, that the stream is turned; if he begin to hear the word, that hated it, and to rejoyce in the company of good neighbours, that hated it, two or three little Primroses. But grace comes as the tide; stay a while, and thou shalt see such a flowing of grace in thy soul, that thou knowest not where to look; such a tide of love, and joy, and knowledge, such innumerable lessons, that thou knowest not where to look; Therefore wait up­on the Lord, & thou shalt see grace come in as the tide.

impedi∣ment. Last Lastly, thou dost not (it may be) make use of the experiences thou hast had of God. Thou hast had abun­dance of experience of the Lord; and we are apt to forget: As Christ saith, do you not remember the loaves the other day, and do you now doubt whether you have bread? O yea of little faith! Truly the very creatures will rise in judgement against us, that having had so many experiments of God, we are so shie of trusting God, and thinking well of God. Didst thou ever see a Dog (let me instance in that vile creature) (for God would have us learn from the creatures, and God hath cast them so that they should not be onely for our use, but every thing in reference to his Gospel, that we may not only occasionally draw such things that hap hazzard fall out, but to observe their nature, and qualities, and learn somewhat from them) you see in a Dog, when he hath abused you, it may be against his will, and it may be you have beat him; he runs away, or he comes with fear, and is very shie, and will hardly come to you: but take him in your arms, and stroak him, and all his fear it gone; when you smile, he thinks you mean him no hurt, he hath no thought of your former anger. So we come many times to the Lord, and are shie, and tremble, and fear, and think he means to hurt us, and what are his thoughts? How oft hath God taken us in his arms and stroaked us, and laid us down again, and yet we fear again, and are worse in many respects then the bruit creatures. When the Master hath the Dog, he may kill him if he will; but he stroaks him, and the Dog thinks his master means well to him: so, many times God might kill us, and throw us into Hell, and catch us at advan­tage, [Page 47] yet in stead of that he loves us, and imbraceth us, and layes us down again; and yet we are so shie, we fear, and distrust him. We have not that plainnesse of heart as that old Martyr said, I have lived eighty yeers, and he never did me any hurt: So God many times hath had advantage to have thrown us into hell, yet he hath kissed, and stroaked us. Why should we be so fearfull, when afflictions, and troubles come upon us? These things procure sadnesse, because we do not trust in that God, that in our extremity hath been friendly, and fatherly to us. The Lord help you to lay up these few broken words in your hearts.

THe Lord doth here reprove, or rather shew his indignation against hypocrites. Here is their description, they say, stand by thy self, come not near to me, for I am holier then thou, yet they were a rebellious people, as we see before, the Lord spread out his hands to them all the day long, and they walked in their own wayes, after their own thoughts. The thing I drive at, is, to acquaint you with this;

How hatefull, how abominable hypocrisie is to God.

Their hypocrisie was, that they thought, and they said Hypocrisie a hatefull thing to God. to their brethren, stand off, I am holier then thou, come not near me, &c. yet it was but outward holinesse, and [Page 49] the Lord saith, they are a smoake in my nostrills all the day long. The meaning is not, as if God had nostrills, though usually where you read of the anger, and wrath of God in the Hebrew, It is said, Gods nose, God tooke this to his nose, when he was angry. But when he saith, they are a smoake in my nostrills, God takes the comparison from man, as it is oft in the pro­verbs, a sloathfull messenger is as vinegar to the teeth, and smoak to the eyes, that is, very sore. So God saith, hypocrites are as a smoak in his nostrills all the day long, that is as smoak in a Kiln, or in a smoaky house where there is a bad chimney, it is a wondrous trouble­some thing, especially if a man be driven to continue all the day, a man is not able to bear it, the smoak will fill his eyes, and his nose. God takes the expression from men, to shew his indignation, and displeasure a gainst hypocrisy. My aime is to make you sensible, how displeasing to God hypocrisy is.

Hypocrisy, take it in the grossest sense (though there be a hundred degrees of it) is when men seeme and are not, when you say, and do not, as some expresse it; when you pretend to be that you are not, or pretend to be more then you are; for so it is here, I am more holy then thou. That is hypocrisy, when you seem what you are not, or in degree more then you are; yet that lesse degree is as a smoak in Gods nostrills all the day long. It is abominable to God; and that is the rea­son that Christ eight times in the same Chapter, Mat. 23. pronounceth Wo to you hypocrites, Wo to you hypo­crites. It may be the Lord may call an hypocrite: for an hypocrite is but a sinner though he be the worst of sinners: but hypocrisy is abominable to God.

The reason is, because such a man Idolizeth every Proved from two reasons. 1. The hy­pocrite honours the creature above God. creature, and makes every creature more then God, he honours every creature more then God. For he knows that God deales with his heart, he knowes that God deals with his heart, he knows that God sees his heart, and men, and children, and every thing, sees his out­ward life: now he is more carefull to please men and creatures, and to carry himself religiously, and devoutly, as a Saint before men, then he cares how to carry his heart before the Lord, which is as if he should say, I do more honour, and respect every creature that seeth my outside; then the Lord God that views, and sees my heart. What can more provoke God, when God is put below every creature, and every creature is ad­vanced above him? That is one reason.

Another reason is this, because that the name of God is more dishonoured, and his Gospell, and his King­dome 2. Hypocrisy contributes most to Gods dis­honour. more scandalised by them, then by all the world besides. The Saints sometimes dishonour God by weaknesse: but carnall men usually know in their con­sciences that it is but weaknesse in such a Saint, looking on the course of his life, and the frame of his spirit: but hypocrites, the world seeing sometimes their base doings, are ready to curse them; Here are the men that go to such Lectures, and such Sermons, and thus they cozen, and over-reach, and all their Religion is of the same stamp; they are all hypocrites, as this sanctified bro­ther, cheaters they are. This doth transfigere nomen Jehovah (as blasphemy signifies) it makes men pierce through the name of God, and of Christ, God hath so fastned it on my heart how abominable it is, that it cannot out of my thoughts: therefore God may have [Page 51] an end in it, to reach some of you at this time, though you have been as a smoak in his nostrills, though you have kept God no a kilne (as it were) by your villany, by seeming what you are not; or to be far more then you are. For take it from God, for it is from him in a speciall manner, let us all look to our selves, let us all consider our wayes, and let all take heed that we seem, and pretend not to be any thing in Religion more then we are in our closets; That we may be able to say, O Lord, if I were at thy tribunall, this is true, I desire thy glory, I seek thine honour, and the welfare and advancement of thy people, and so whether I be well, or ill, or live or die, I care not. Look to it, and wo, wo, wo, to those among us whosoever they are, let them be Magistrates, or Ministers (I leave them to the Lord to point them out) that drive on Iesuiticall designs under the pretence of Religion; They talk of Refor­mation, and I know not what, and a blind man almost may see their covetousnesse, and self-seeking, and oppres­sion of the Saints. Whosoever thou art, thou hast the worst end of the staff, be sure. The hearts of the Saints are touched with the same loadstone as the heart of God, they judge as he judgeth, and as God saith, such people are a smoak in his nostrills, so they are in the eyes of the Saints, they curse such. They pity wicked men when blindly they go against the Saints: but when thou puttest the best side outward, and pre­tendest to be holy, and thou knowest, thou couldst eat all the Saints of God, and throw down the Worship of Christ, O there are many prayers against thee, and there is a harmony between the hearts of the Saints, and the heart of God. God saith, ye are a smoak in his [Page 52] nostrills, and so say the Saints. It grieves me more at the Jesuiticall designes of some, then all the proceedings of the Cavaliers. Wo be unto them: there is no­thing done in secret, but it shall be open, there is no­thing spoken in the ear, but it shall be published on the house top; all their villany shall come out.

And so in trading, a man must take heed of many professors (I hope the generation of the Saints shall not suffer by it) in buying, and selling; a man were better deal with carnall men, then with some professors in the City that I have knowen.

I speak this to thy comfort that art such a one, though thou be the very heir of hell, Mat. 24. they shall have their portion with hypocrites, as if hell were their inheritance, Yet for thy comfort know that an hypocrite is but a sinner, though he be as far from hea­ven as any. For there is that that magnifies Christs love, he came to die for sinners, and thy conscience tells thee, I am the man that the minister meant, my trading is so, I know what accompts I keep, and what wares I sell: though thou be, yet I trust God means thee so well as to bring thee to Christ, and when thou art as bad as thou canst be, think yet thou art but a sinner, the Lord doth but rank thee among sinners, learn this short word, to see how hatefull hypocrisy is.

THe prophet in this Chapter speaks of the calling of the Gentiles by the Iews; what glorious times the last times should be when the Iews that were the eldest sister, as the Gentiles are called the little sister in Scripture; we have a little sister and she hath no breasts; when this eldest sister should go and carry the youngest, when they should go and call in the Gentiles, and feed them and cherish them, as the eldest children use to do the youngest. They shall bear them upon their sides, and dandle them upon their knees; as we see children nourish one another, especially the elder do the younger. So they should be tendered, they should bring all their brethren as an offering to the Lord; they should bring them upon Mules, and upon swift beasts, and when they could not go on foot, they should put [Page 45] them on hors-back, and if they could not ride, they should put them in charets; and if that were too harsh they should put them in litters, that is, they should do any thing to nourish them, and to bring them up. We may well reason, if the children be so fond one of ano­ther, as that they should carry them, and let them hang on their sides, and dandle them on their knees, much more fond will the Lord be to those children: There­fore in the next verse he saith, As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you. God shews the dear­ness God and the Saints fond of each other of his love, by those little sparks of love in the children of God one towards another. But his love is very high, a kinde of fondnesse, he will dandle them on the knee. Why? Cannot he do them good but he must dandle them in the lap? There is a holy spirituall fondness between God and his people. He is fond of them, and they are fond of him.

It is not every Saint that is so; thou mayest be a Saint, and yet be a stranger to all that I am to speak of from this text, But there is such a thing. Because a Saint, if he be a right Saint, you cannot put before him any pitch of grace and holinesse, but he seeks to attaine it. As when Christs Disciples came into the companie of the Disciples of John, and Johns dis­ciples knew how to pray, and they did not, say they, Lord teach us to pray. So you need but put a higher de­gree of grace before a right-hearted Saint, and he will be sick, and never be well till he hath it. Therefore I will present you with such a temper that is in some Saints, that they are fond of God, with a holy, not with a sinfull fondnesse: as your children, they are fond of you sometimes with a great deal of sin; but this is a holy fondnesse.

First I will shew you that it is so.

Secondly, I will shew you which way God makes his children fond of himself.

1 The first thing is this, that a fond childe will never Proved in five particu­lars. suffer his father to go out of his sight. Beloved, one may be a Saint, and yet may see his father, but as a childe at nurse, once a quarter, or so. It is ordinary with the Saints, they see their father it may be at such a Ser­mon, or at such an ordinance, or in such a private cham­ber, where they have examined their soules; and it may be they do not see him in a fortnight after: and they make shift with grace received, with the impres­sion of Gods love (when they saw it) and with a little help of the creature, and the comforts of the world, to hold up till they see him again: this is the life of most Saints. But there is such a temper of a Saint, he is so fond of God that he will never let God go a moment out of his sight, but he will cry after him. My mean­ing in a word is this, that there is such a temper, if thou and I had attained it, that God can never go out of ken, but I alwayes behold him, and see him alwayes beholding me in the face of Jesus Christ; I am alwayes with him. See it in the Saints, David was a fond Child; Thou scest my thoughts, saith he, and my speech, when I sit down and when I rise up, thou knowest all, and whether shall I go from thy presence? It was not in a hypocriti­call way that he might flee from God: but when I awake I am alway with thee, When I walk abroad, I have set God on my right hand that I might not sin, when a man is alwayes in view; when Gods eye is alwayes on him, and his eye alwayes on God, what a blessed thing is it! Such a Saint, let God but hide his face, and [Page 56] he is troubled, let God go but one hour from such a soul, and he is ready to cry out his heart, as we see in a fond childe. That is the reason there is so much carn­alnesse in the Saints, that they have so many unsaint-like tricks, like the men of the world; Why? They go behind Gods back, they think God is a sleep a while, and they may dispatch their businesse; whereas Joseph said, how shall I do this thing and sin against God? God was in the view of him, when he was with that wretched woman: so a man would say, how shall I pretend my office is for the good of the publike, and for the glory of God, when it is to in rich my fa­mily? God may be out of sight, and ken, and yet you may be Saints: but there is a more glorious life, when a man always walks in Gods sight, God seeing him, and he seeing God. These things are not for the head, but the heart. Now talk with thy heart a little, and see what is thy temper, and thy way, and if thou finde it not thus, tell God; the minister said that there be Saints that live gloriously, that are fond of God, that are alway with him, sleeping, and waking, at bed, and board, they are never out of his sight. Lord make me such.

2 Another thing is, that a Saint that is grown fond of God, he will never be still or satisfied with any creature. A childe that is not fond, you may give him twenty baubles whiles his mother goes to market, or doth other things, but if he be grown fond, a thousand of those will not satisfie him. So a true Saint hath much of God, and little of the creature; a man may be a true Saint, and be much upon the creature, but when the soul grows fond of God, no creatures, [Page 49] or rattles will serve, if God put the creature into his hand, he is glad, but if God be away nothing wil serve him: As a childe that is fond of his mother, give him a Rattle or a Cake while he is in her hand, he is glad, but nothing will still him without her.

3 A third thing is this, there is an exceeding boldness in a fond childe to ask any thing of his father, truly such a boldness as were rude in a stranger; a childe will sit in the lap of his mother, and snatch a thing out of her hand: So people may talk of forms how people should pray, and stand half an hour confessing of sins, and so come on by degrees, but one that is fond of God with an holy fondness, he knows he may leap into his fathers lap at any time, and fall into his arms, and ask any thing without courting, and comple­ment.

4 There are some Saints that cannot at any time get to God, and ask any thing, but they have much ado to set their hearts, and to get off the guilt that is be­tween them and God as a cloud; they have much a­do to get a little adoption to call God Father, and to lay hold on the promises: but there is such a temper of holy fondness, that there needs not all, or any of this: God and the soul are so well acquainted, and al­ways together, that as soon as ever he comes he can ask any thing, and in a holy boldness snatch it: for the Kingdom of heaven is taken by violence, therefore saith God concerning my sons and daughters, Command ye me. A childe can command his father, and say, I must have a new coat, I must have a new book, or I must have a ball to play with: so a Saint can say, Father, there is a covenant, thou art my Father, and I am thy childe, it [Page 58] cannot stand with thy Truth, thou wert not just if thou shouldest deny me any thing that is good: O this is a holy boldness! As a childe can creep into his mothers breast, and pull it out with his hand, yet be­cause there is an inward love, she bears with it, and smiles in his face. It argues a great deal of neerness to God when one is always in a readiness to ask any thing. I have observed that souls that are far from God, they must always go upon their knees, but a soul that is neer can pray standing, or walk­ing, or talking, as that good man that you read of in the Book of Ezra, he can pray with his hat on, he can pray in his bed, or where you will, when he is is communion with God. It is a most glorious thing, and a grace that I have seen in some Saints, and it hath made my soul sick to have it, to have a soul al­way in such a temper, they can speak a spiritual word at any time, as it is said of Bradford, to have a heart so familiar with God, that it can speak in a moment: A weak Professor prays, and he is put to it to the ut­most for his duty in the morning, and he gos be­hind Gods back all the day till night, and unless he set aside all his work, and go upon his knees, he cannot pray as he buys, and sells, and trades.

Fourthly, there is in a fond childe a holie carelesness, of casting himself, bodie, and soul, and familie, and busines, and affairs and all upon God, Be carefull for nothing. It is not to make careless Christians: but it is true in one sense, when in a holie carelesnes, a man casts himself upon God. It is your weakness, much of your dispute, concerning grace, and salvati­on, and justification; a fond Childe of God smiles at [Page 59] it; he can come near his father, and catch him, and hold him, and say, I know whom I have trusted, on whom I have layd my soul; As a man that puts his estate in another hands, can say, I know whom I have trusted, A weak saint thinks little of, and cares little for the service of God; but he cares much for his owne safetie, and security, and salvation: a strong, fond saint takes less care for his owne salvation, but he cares much for the service of Iesus Christ. For (thinks he) let the Lord Iesus look to that; he hath taken on him to die for my soul, and he hath promised to re­ceive it; and he hath sayd he will not cast away them that come to him, I have cast my soul on him, sink or swim, I will not trouble my head with that, but all my thought, and care shall be how I may please Iesus Christ, and love and glorifie him. It is a blessed pitch of grace when a saint can come to that carelessnes, that a man is not thoughtfull for his soul, when he hath brought it to Christ, leave it there, and think not of it, but think of the work and will of Christ, and how to honour him. As suppose you meet in the way as you travell, an enemy, a man that (it may be) stands there to destroy you, though you meet him you know not his purpose, if you did, you would go ano­ther way; now when you meet the man, there is one of these two things to be done, either concerning your safetie, or your carriage to Christ. Now a saint is apt to take Christs work, and lay aside his own; another man doth not care in that case, how he is pleasing to Christ, and carries himself to him; but his care is how he may get off from his enemy, that he may not kill him, and take away his life: that is our errour; we should [Page 52] leave that to Christ, he hath put an enemy before me, and he cannot kill me without Christ give him power: but my care should be, how to be pleasing to God, and so to speak, and think, and do. As for outward things, and for the body; so for the soul, my care should not be so much whether I shall be damned, or saved: I know into whose hands I have put it; but my care should be, how to walk more holily and pleasing to Christ, and for the edification of his Church and king­dome; this a childe that is fond of God will do.

5 Fiftly, a Saint that is fond of God in Iesus Christ, he seeth something of God in every thing. As they say of love, one that is in love, sees nothing with her eyes, nor hears nothing with her ears but love: so a Saint that is fond of God, bring him meat, he sees the love of God in Christ in it; bring him cloathes, or any thing, his eye is fastened more upon the love of God in Christ, then upon the thing. As the spouse in the Canticles (for the Canticles is a book of fondnesse between Christ and his people) she hears one talk, I warrant you (saith she) this is the voice of my beloved; she is so fond of him, that she could not hear one talk, but she saith, It is my beloved, when she looks on the gallery, and the lattice, I warrant you (saith she) my beloved looks thorow that grate, and when she sleeps, her heart waketh. It is a blessed thing when we do not eye things in themselves, but so as we are able to see God in them.

And you shall know it by the various tempers of your souls: for sometimes you are more spirituall, and sometimes more carnall: when you are carnall, you use more of the creature, and never see God at all; but [Page 53] when you are spirituall, you see God, and his love in Christ in every thing.

I shall now shew you how God brings his children This fond­ness wrought four wayes. to this holy fondnesse, and I would leave you longing for it; and I trust in God to leave some souls sick, till God work, and bring up their souls to that; I will name but onely four.

The first thing is, that God utterly convinceth a Saint 1. By disabl­ing all the Creation to this end. of the vanity of every creature, and of every condition, he will never be fond till then: God lets him suck one crea­ture after another, and then he sees the vanity of them. God puts him into one condition after another: O, saith a Saint, when he is sick, if I were well, I should rejoyce, and glorifie God: God gives him health, and then he is in a worse temper. When he is poor, saith he, If I had to pay my debts, and to set up handsomly, then I should serve God; God sets him up, and lets his heart go after cove­tousnesse, and saith to him, Dost thou not see that thou art worse then thou wert before? So God chas­eth him from one creature to another, and from one con­dition to another. If he would be in the Country, God convinceth him that he will be worse then in the Town; At last he saith, Lord, I have tried, and hunted all, and I see they are a company of vanities. And sometime when he is sick in body, and shaken in soul, God appears gloriously, and makes the worst condition better then the best: so God follows, and traseth, and chaseth him from one to another, till he bring him to see every creature vanity, and every condition; and, saith a Saint, I do not much care what condition, whether he put me in prison, or at liberty, whether I be rich or poor; well or sick, so he reveal himself to my soul. You will never [Page 62] be fond till you come to that, till God convince you of all conditions, and of the use of all creatures, and tire thee that thy soul may say, God is all in all; I am in­different what creatures I have, or want, or what condi­tion I am in: for I have seen God to be all in all, I have seen nothing in riches, and in liberty, but as God comes into a condition, or is absent, so it is sweet or bitter, good, or bad. People that are professors in these sad times, they would not be so reaching, and griping and under­mining, for offices, and places, and preferments, and I know not what, if they did see this.

Another way it this, that the Lord sheds his love in­to their hearts, Rom, 5. he poures it out, as you would 2 By Gods pouring forth his love in their heart pour out a Paile, or a Bucket of water; God so over­powers the heart with his love, that there is no guilt, no hardness, no fear, no spirit of bondage at all left in the soul. Beloved; why are not we more fond of God? why is not he more deare to us? The reason is, be­cause we have many hard thoughts of him, that he may be an enemy as well as a friend, and I know not what he means: I look upon him at a catch, as with a staffe in his hand to strike me. There are abundance of those thoughts in the soul, especially in affliction; some professors are ready to say, God hath found me out as an hypocrite, and plagueth me. In afflictions, ordinary pro­fessors loose more, though they talk of getting. But the Lord comes to some of his children, and so over­powers their hearts with his love, that there is not one thought nor imagination in their hearts, but onely of love to him, and then they will be fond: for when they see pure love in God, and nothing but a principle of pure love in them to God; what should hinder but [Page 63] they should be fond one of another? There is a homely comparison, a woman that hath butter in a dish, she melts some of the butter; but if she take it too soon from the fire, there will be a core, a knob in the dish left, and being taken from the fire it grows bigger, till all be hard. So a weak Saint, by studying the promises of God, and the love of God, it dissolves much of the knobbinesse, yet there are some hard thoughts, and Iea­lousies, and suspitions: but God comes at last, and melts all the butter together, all the knobbiness that is in the heart, every thought, and imagination, of terrour, and guilt, and fear, that there is a clear, and pure principle of love to God, and then the soul is fond of him.

The Lord takes a great deal of delight to train and bring up his childe to be more in love with him: God will so traine and bring him up, that if he throw him into the worst condition that can be for body, or soul, and shall say, what thinkest thou of me now? hast thou any hard thoughts of me? saith God: No, saith the soul, all is Love. As for instance, I will tell you a thing, the worst on this side hell, I speake not of imprisonment▪ or shame, but God may take him, and leave him to sin, and then the soul awakes, and thinks, good Lord where am I? O what a hell have I in me! for there is a hell in the heart, if God take off the vail of grace, if he draw the Curtain, there is nothing but hell in the soul: There are many sins that thou hast committed, that there is not a soul in the world that hath committed worse. This is true, saith a Saint, and dost thou not think, saith God, that thou art an hypocrite? and that I shall damn thee for this? No, saith the soul, I know I have nothing in me but of thy [Page 56] Grace, and if thou draw the Curtain, all is hell; but there is nothing but love, even then after sin, there is not one hard thought, it makes the soul more fond: he saith, it is true, I am so, and there is no devil that hath worse thoughts, but the more need I have to go to my Fa­ther, for I am thy son, I am sure of that; and seeing that I am weaker then I was, I have the more need to betake me to thy lap, and into thy arms, and so he grows more fond of God by sin it self.

Nay, I will tell you a greater then that. What can that be? There is one greater, and yet all this can­not quench the love and fondness that is between the soul and God, that is, when God corrects his childe with one sin for another: It may be for his fault he lets him run to covet Places and Offices, &c. and the next day after, the Lord suffers another lust to carry him as in a Cha­riot to hell, that this may make him take heed how he looks after such things. This is the worst between this and hell saith God: Should I not now come, and break thee in pieces as a villain? No, saith the soul, this is a wise design of thy love, and there is nothing but love in thee to me, and there shall be nothing but pure love in me to thee.

Learn these things, beloved, There are many that come to hear, and all that I can see from them, is, that if there be controversal, they dispute of that when they come home, but lay these things to heart, as it is said of Mary, and beg of the Lord to screw up your souls to that heavenly, blessed Life, that you may attain in this world. 3. Assurance of conquest o­ver all kinde of enemies.

The third thing, before which a Saint will never be fond, is, God will convince him of an absolute, perfect [Page 65] conquest over all his enemies. A childe of God will ne­ver be fond till he be secure, and he will never be so till God shew him by his Spirit, that he is more then con­queror over most of his enemies, and that he is a cer­taine conquerour over all. And this is by faith: for by sense sin prevails over us, and if we say we have sin, we do not say true. But by faith, when Satan is most severe, he is conquered, and sin when it is most violent, he looks on it as a vassall at his foot, intreating pardon. It is said in Daniel, that Christ came to bring in everlasting righte­ousness, and make an end of sin. A Saint by faith sees sin ended, as hell, and damnation, and wrath, and the curse is so, sin shall be out of doors. There is no damna­tion to them that are in Christ. He hath redeemed us out of the hands of our enemies, that we might serve him without fear, as Zechary saith, from all our enemies: and he shall (as Malachy saith) tread his enemies as ashes under his feet.

This is that that keeps a Saint under, he cannot come to the height of love to God; because there is some enemy that over-tops him. This day, when he hears that our souls are over sin, he is cheary: but when he comes home, there comes a sin or a tempta­tion, and breaks all, and he is at a loss. Now when faith is scrued so high, as to tread on all enemies, on sin, which is the strongest: say it be a strong temptation of covetousnesse, thou studiest to purchase and to enlarge thine inheritance: suppose there be such a thing in thy soul, and it is violent, and thou hast offered to resist it, and thou canst not: thou mayst say, Sin, though thou be strong, and I cannot put thee cut, thou hast bolted the door, but thou art my slave, and in the blood of [Page 66] Christ, I am thy conquerour; thou thinkest to conquer me, but thou art my vassall and my slave. And much more may he say so of Satan; Thou molestest me, but thou art condemned, I am made Lord over thee in the blood of Christ. Grace, and sin will mount as the bird and the Hawk, and the one seek to out-mount the other: the bird for safety, the Hawk for prey: so grace and sin get one above another. O, saith grace, I would be holy: saith sin, thou shalt be covetous. I will pray, saith grace; but I will make thee my possession, saith sin. When the soul out-mounts sin, to the place where dwelleth righteousnesse, that King­dom that cannot be shaken; that I see all my enemies beneath: and when they are most strong, and imperious over me, I look on them with a peaceable & quiet spirit

Last of all, and so I have done with this; notwith­standing all this the soul could not be fond of God, but 4. By a spiri­tuall ad hesion to the new Cove­nant. as God gives him a spirituall understanding of the new Covenant; the enemies will over-mount the soul else. As for instance, to give you but one illustration, there are such pangs, and such a temper in the soul of a Saint, as that sometimes, nothing in the world can give him satisfaction; there is sin, and temptation, and it may be paine in body: and where is God, and the spirit, and any thing to help? God can help, but who knows whether he will or no? now I am in the hands of mine ene­mies: In comes the Covenant, O (saith the soul) it is true, I am in the hands of mine enemies, and God may chuse whether he will rescue me. He might have done, but now he is bound in an everlasting Covenant, that (with reverence) God must help: time was when God might have cast me to hell, and he was not bound to [Page 67] save me, but the case is altered, God is bound to save me. Therefore saith David, Though my house be not so with God, yet there is a Covenant, this is my desire, and joy. Many times, the soul is so that nothing can re­lieve it but the Covenant that God is bound, that God cannot though he would desert him.

If you examine, what this Covenant is; and where­to it is? The Lord knows we are apt to measure him by our selves, and so we do in every thing: we think our thoughts, as Gods thoughts, and his thoughts as ours: therefore God is willing to condescend unto us in our own way: for that God that contrived a way of sal­vation before the world was, we may not fear but that that love will carry us thorow: but God would come in our way, and take that way that one man doth with another: because we are apt to measure God by our selves, therefore he comes and saith, and if that serve not, he swears, and if that will not serve, he brings a seal, and a Covenant, and then with men a man is safe enough: So, Gods word had been enough; but be­cause we should have strong consolation, that must be conveyed according to our apprehensions, and thoughts: there God saith, and swears, and makes a Covenant, and binds himself, that we may see him bound. Therefore saith the Apostle in the Galatians, If it be but a mans Co­venant, none can dissanull it. As if he should say, I made this for your sakes, or else I have one, and none can alter it: but foryour sakes I came down, and made a Covenant like men; and There are three that bear wit­ness, and that is enough among men: therefore think my love will be constant to the end. So when a Christian is at a dead lift, this relieves him, not that [Page 68] God can save him if he will, but that God must, he is bound to save him.

It is a pitifull thing, when a man is in the hands of a thousand enemies; and then can only say, peradven­ture God will save me and rescue me, but when the soul sees that God must rescue it, and there is a Covenant made, and sealed with the blood of Christ, and it is not possible to be broken, Gods Covenant is to save me, and preserve me to his everlasting Kingdom. Thus I have briefly shewed you that fondnesse that is between a Saint, and God; and the book of Canticles is (as I told you) nothing but a book of fondnesse (as I may say) between Christ and the Saints. Therefore you should aime at the good of your souls, and seeing there is such a condition, that there are Saints that are so, desire the Lord to make you such.

I Shall not go about to expound this whole Chapter unto you, you see it is very long, and therefore I will not abridge my self or you of time for that which is to fol­low: but onely briefly take notice of a few things in [Page 70] this Chapter which I shall touch upon: for they are sweet, and very serious words that Moses speaks to the people of Israel. One thing is in the fourth verse, saith Moses, Your eyes have seen what the Lord did be­cause of Baal-peor: for all the men that followed Baal-peor, the Lord thy God hath destroyed them from among you.

But ye that did cleave unto the Lord your God, are alive every one of you to this day.

You shall read in Num. 25. 4. and in Num. 30. 15. that by the counsell of Balaam the people of Israel were brought to commit Idolatry at Baal-peor, Israel joyned himself to Baal-peor; and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. They were brought first to whordom, and then to Idolatry, as we may see in that Chapter, for which God cut off men and women about some twenty four thousand. And yet in this great temptation, some of them did cleave to the Lord, and those the Lord kept alive and destroyed them not: ye that did cleave to the Lord your God, are alive every one of you this day.

So that,

It is a blessed and happy thing when people shall Observation cleave to the Lord.

The word is taken sometimes to stick, my belly cleaves or sticks to the dust. And so truly the word should stick a little upon our thoughts. Cleaving, it implies or signifies two things.

It signifies, first to glew, to unite two things toge­ther into one, and so you shall have it, Gen. 2. 24. They Cleaving to, implies two things. 1. A neer conjunction. two shall be joyned, and made one flesh, they shall be glew­ed (as it were) together. So you have it in Ephes. 5. [Page 71] And there is in that word, as that reverend Doctor Preston, I remember, observes, it signifies a greater union th [...] any other in the world. Indeed, there is a great union between two boards glewed together: for I have heard Joyners say, it is sometimes stronger then the board it self, as a broken bone is stronger when it is knit, then before ever it was broken. It is an union more then marriage, more then between man and wife, yet that is the greatest in the whole creation. Be­loved, such a union should be between our souls and Iesus Christ; we should not hang loose upon Iesus Christ, we should be united to him as a man to his wife, yea something more then that: And therefore saith David when he found a loosnes in his heart, O knit my heart to thee, that I may fear thy name. Knit my heart; as Ionathans heart was knit to David. Will you learn this now? For our work is as Moses said in ano­ther kind, I have laid before you this day life and death, and (saith he) at another time, I have laid before you judgements and statutes: so our work is to lay before you the will of the Lord; now this is one part of it, that there should be such a union between our souls, and Iesus Christ. And therefore learn this, when thou goest home, if thou finde a loosnesse between thee and Christ, remember this word, thou shouldest learn to cleave to the Lord, and pray the Lord to knit thy heart to him. When there is a loosnesse, that is, when many times, other things run between thy heart and God, sometimes thy husband, sometimes thy wife, some­times thy money, thy wealth, thy cash hath thy heart: O pray the Lord to knit thy heart more and more to him.

But cleaving also is taken more usually, for sitting 2. A relative permanency with or abiding in the Lord, when others do leave him. It is a relative kinde of word, it is not simply [...]iting to God, or knitting to him: but when other things are in competition with God, when (it may be) others follow other things, and when both are laid before mine eyes, that I may follow the one or the other, then when I abide with God, this is called cleaving to the Lord. As I could give you diverse instances. Gen. 2. 24. A woman is to forsake her father and mother, and to cleave to her husband: that is, a woman when she is married, she hath two sweet objects before her eyes, her fathers house, her father and mother, and sisters and brothers, on the one side, and her husband on the other side, and his friends and relations: now when a woman leaves the one, and sticks to the other, this is properly called cleaving. You shall read also in 2 Sam. 20. 2. the people of Israel, every man of Is­rael, went up from after David. The people of Israel there, in a peevish humor, left David their King, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri, but the men of Iudah did cleave to their King from Iordan to Ierusalem. There the people were divided, Israel followed Sheba, but Iudah clave to David. In stead of many I will give you but one more, that is in the book of Ruth, you shall have there a good woman that had two daugh­ters in law, her sons were both dead, and so she was going to return to her country, she was in a strange country with them, and she takes her leave of her two daughters, Chap. 2. 8. Naomi said to her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mothers house, the Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with [Page 73] me; that is, they had been kind to her sons and to her, for they lived in a strange country, now Farwell, The Lord grant that you may finde rest, each of you in the house of her husband: Then she kissed them, &c. And they said, surely we will return with thee to thy people, we will go along, we will not leave thee, No, daughters (saith she) do not so, for I cannot bear other children for you to marry, as the law was then. If I should lie to night with an husband, and have children, you would not stay so long, therefore I pray abide, and go not. And it is said, Orpah kissed her mother in law, and lift up her voice, and wept, and left her, but Ruth clave unto her. Orpah was per­swaded, and wept, and took her leave, but Ruth clave to her, and said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whether thou goest I will go, and where thou lodgest I will lodge, thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God, Where thou dyest will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me and more also, if ought but death part thee and me. So I say you see here, that when there was a competition, a kind of parting, then Ruth abiding with Naomi, that is called cleaving.

It is a glorious thing, that when the seeming servants The honour of cleaving to Christ. of Iesus Christ shall depart from him, when there is a division among professors, then to be able to cleave to Iesus Christ. That you may understand it, conceive that in the wayes of Iesus Christ, many times there are such times that abundance of hypocrites as well as Saints abide with him, they are sometimes still, like the waters of Shilo, there is no persecution or trouble in them, it may be there is a great deal of honour, and wealth, and riches with them, and many times a great party of the world [Page 74] sticks to him; but there is a little tripp, and step in the ways of godlines, when there is a parting, when hy­pocrites like Orpah, shall weep, and repent, and so shall go with Christ no longer: if they do, one shall loose his friends, another his trade, another his wife, and shall lift up their voices and weep, and take their leaves; then is the beautie of Christianity and the blessednesse of a Christian, to be able to cleave to the Lord in such a time as this is. This was the exhortation of the good man Barnabas, that he gave to the people, as you shall read Acts 11. 22, 23. When he was come, and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart, they should cleave to the Lord. I have oft marvailed with my self, why Barnabas, that is said to be a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost, coming as a stranger to a congregation of good people, where he saw the grace of God among them; why he should choose this and no more, but onely pitch upon this exhorta­tion, that seeing they were godly, and had received the grace of God, he should say; I have no more to say but this one word, understand it well, that is, that with full purpose of heart you cleave to the Lord.

Indeed the reason was (as I conceive) if you compare it with Chap. 14. 22. Barnabas was a man to whom God had discovered much of the doctrine of Tribula­tion, and persecution that belonged to the Gospell. For take notice of it by the bye, I look on the peo­ple of God, li [...]e the servants of God that did go to build the Temple, some were appointed to hew stone, some to digge them up, and some to carry them home, some to build them up, some to cast accounts and to keep reckoning. So the Lord Iesus in his Kingdom (no man [Page 75] knows the reason why) he cuts out distinct parcells of work to his people, and thereupon supplies them with his spirit, and reveales truthes to his people, some to manage such a thing, no man knows the reason. God fastens the doctrine of justification upon some, that they cannot rest night nor day, and one that may be unwilling to die for another point, but not for that: Another about Church-government, Another upon sanctification, none knowes why; but God fits them for their work by his Spirit, according to his blessed will.

Therefore we should not censure or sleight godly men because our master doth not imploy them about such a work, as he doth us. It may be my thoughts are upon sanctification, anothers upon justification. So God cuts out the work as it pleaseth him. Now this Barnabas it seemes did not speak much as we read of, but he had a mighty apprehension of perse­cutions and tribulations that the Saints should suffer in this world. Therefore in Acts 14. 22. he and Paul confirm the souls of the Disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God. In every Sermon (as we may say) Barnabas had something to strengthen the souls of the people to go thorow tri­bulation, and affliction, It may be another Apostle had his Spirit upon another work. It may be in reference to this he gave them this exhortation, desiring them with full purpose of heart to cleave to the Lord, As if he had said, Now you are in prosperity (for so they were) and are all ready to hear the Gospell, and re­ceive it. O (saith he) but there is a time a coming, [Page 76] to trie you, and you must not think to run to heaven between two feather-beds: but as all the Saints be­fore had their share, so every one that will live in Christ Iesus must suffer persecution. As there is a Sta­tute in heaven for all men once to die; so if you be Saints, you must live in tribulation, and persecuti­on, and that is the way; as Christ was made perfect by sufferings, so you must come to salvation. There­fore when those things come, I have not much to say to you, but O then remember to cleave to the Lord: for then you shall see hypocrites in droves go­ing away from Iesus Christ, and leaving him, one stumbling at this, another at that; one is offended at the Crosse, that it takes away his credit, another for his profit, another his liberty, another his trad­ing: but brethren, I beseech you with full purpose of heart to cleave to the Lord. See how a company in Iohn 6. with one word speaking went all away from Christ, If they had been called to fire from Christ, it had been something; but he saith no more, but you must eat my flesh and drink my blood, and they all went away. Yet the Disciples (there was twelve then) saith Christ, Will ye go away also? Lord, whether shall we go? saith Peter, thou hast the words of eternall life: so they abode with him, and clave to him.

Saith Barnabas, with full purpose of heart, that is, you must not cleave as Iudas: for Iudas did then cleave to Christ, when all but the Apostles left him, that we read of, but with full purpose of heart, the Greek word signifies with full decree of heart, such as the Medes and Persians had, when they decreed to cast Daniel into prison, though the King were otherwise minded, and [Page 77] had seen his errour, yet they told him a decree of the Medes and Persians cannot be broken, it must be kept; the Apostle alludes to that, there must be such a decree in the soul, of sticking to Christ, and cleaving to God, notwithstanding all tribulations, and persecutions, and shame, and reproach, and trouble whatsoever that be­falls, that you may as soon break the lawes of the Medes and Persians, as bring the soul from that de­cree, As one said of old, they might as soon stop the Sun in the firmament, as hinder that godly man in his course of holinesse, So let me intreat, and exhort you in the exhortation of Barnabas that you would cleave to the Lord with full purpose of heart.

There are two great times in generall when people 2. Speciall times of cleaving to God. 1. In a gene­rall deluge of sin. leave God, and then you must be sure to cleave to him, that is,

First, when a generall time of sin comes up among you, as this of Baal peor, there were twenty four thousand slaine, for their sin at Baal-peor; sin when it comes up once, is like a streame; truly the course of the world is but the streame of sin in the world, and worldly men. Therefore you shall see that sins in Nations, though they begin from little, see how men are carried away with them when once they are grown strong! when once people begin to be proud and high, and set themselves up, every one shall be so. I shall be laugh­ed at if I do not spend my money in vaine things to maintaine my servants, my coate, my garb, and Coach, and the like. This pride is grown to a streame in the world: and so for swearing, and so for drunkennesse, and every other sin. Now I say, when sin doth in this manner break out, and thou seest others carried with [Page 78] it more and more, then take heed, then be sure thou cleave to God. Nay, there are more spirituall sins then these, as it is said, Barnabas was carried away with the dissimulation. When thou seest generall dissimula­tion in a Kingdom, to call darknesse light, and light dark­nesse, and good evil, and evil good, to call good men treacherous, and treacherous men good, to call blinde, base, superstitious men Orthodox, and Orthodox men superstiti­ous, take heed then that thou cleave to the Lord.

Then secondly, when persecutions, and sufferings 2. In times of persecuti­on. come, few men make account of it, we cannot make people sensible of it, what they must suffer, they have false hopes; they think that though people suffered in Queen Maryes time, and others may after, yet they shall go in peace. We must suffer: talk of Reformation, and what you will; all honest hearts inevitably shall have tribulation. Therefore let this word abide with you, that it be your study, and earnest prayer to the Lord, when you see others run into sin and are carried away for fear of this trouble, and that crosse, and the other shame, that then you abide with the Lord as Iu­dah, Though Israel play the harlot, yet let Iudah be faith­full with his God. Though such a man dissemble, yet why should I do so? though such a one go against his own light, and conscience, yet why should not I cleave to Christ? That is one exhortation, that you would cleave to the Lord.

THis Psalm containes in it a grievous complaint of the prophet to God, against the enemies of his Son, and of his people. Some do conceive that it was not the prophet David, but Isaiah, or some of the prophets in the time of Hezekiah, when Zenecharib, and other Nations that were con­federate with him were coming up against Israel. But however, a confederacie there was of the wicked a­gainst the godly; and the prophet whosoever he was here, complaines to God; and doth as it were

First, awaken God to hearken to his complaint, The parts of the Psalm. Keep not silence O God, hold not thy peace, and be not still.

Secondly, he layes down the matter of the com­plaint which was the crafty counsell, and the conspiracie [Page 81] of divers wicked people, yea of Nations, some ten Nati­ons, against the people of God, the Israelites, and he lays down in particular who they were.

Then thirdly, he doth pray, or prophesie: for most of the prayers of the prophets were prophesies also: he not onely prayed that it might be so, but prophesied that it should be so: that they should be as a wheel, that they should be as fire in the wood, or as a flame of fire upon the mountains.

Lastly, he lays down the end, why he so prayed or prephesied, to wit, that his enemies might be filled with shame, that they might seek the name of the Lord, that they might be brought home to God. Or if they will go on and perish, that others may know the name of the Lord, that they may know that thou whose name is Ie­hovah, art most high over all the earth. And though their faces being filled with shame, they will not fear the Lord, yet doubtlesse others will; and when God shall bring confusion on his enemies, others will acknewledge the name of the Lord Iehovah, and that there is no other in the whole earth. This is the sum and substance of the Psalm. I shall endeavour to open the meaning of it a little in particular.

First, concerning the prophets complaint, the prophets waking of God as it were in those his complaints.

Keep not silence O God, hold not thy peace, be not still.

Or as the Septuagint renders it, O Lord (say they) who is like to thee? keep not silence, O God, hold not thy peace, be not still.

And you must take notice, and it is worth observing, that when the prophet saith here, O God, he means Iesus Christ. That whereas ordinarily in the old Testament, [Page 81] especially in the book of Psalms when you hear the prophet mention God, or Iehovah, or the Lord, you think of God naturally, out of Christ, whereas he usually means Iesus Christ; as I could fully cleare it if I had time. Let me give you one instance; In the last verse of the former Psalm: Arise, O God, judge the earth, for thou shalt inherit all nations. That is clearly meant of Christ: for we know that God inherits all Nations; he made the world, and he had the command and pos­session of it: but to God in Iesus Christ, there is a time when God hath promised that he shall inherit the nations, from the uttermost ends of the earth. And there­fore here by God is meant Iesus Christ.

For indeed, ordinarily, and naturally you shall not finde a people conspiring against God properly: you shall see no wicked man but in some sort or other he will speak honourably of God: but God in Christ, God in the mediator, God in the Gospell, God in his Saints, God in Gospell ordinances, and the like: hence are all the tumults in the world, and all the conspiracies against God, and his Saints. Therefore if you compare this place, Thine enemies make a tumult against thee, with Psal. 2. Why do the heathen rage? Or why do they make a tumult? (as some read it) and why do the people imagine a vaine thing? the Kings of the earth take coun­sell against the Lord, and against his anointed. That is meerly meant of Iesus Christ. So take notice of that, that carnall men ordinarily do not speak or think evil of God absolutely considered, but the worst of men speak well of him, when he gives them wealth they thank him, when he gives them faire weather, they blesse him; when he gives them peace and preserves them in their [Page 82] journeys and wayes, every one speaks well of God: but God in Iesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh; God in the mediator; God in his Saints, God in his ordinances, God in his commands, and the like: then the men of the world use to make tumults, then they take crafty counsell together, and conspire against the Lord, and a­gainst his apointed.

Keep not thou silence, O God, hold not thy peace, be not still.

You see the prophet looks upon God as one that in the midst of these conspiracies, did keep silence, and hold his peace, and sit still; Not that God doth use to speak, or to stir properly as we men do: but the mean­ing is this, that many times when his son Iesus Christ, and his laws; and his ordinances are most conspired a­gainst, God (as it were) doth keep silence, I meane Iesus Christ, God in Christ, when his people, and ordi­nances are conspired against, he keeps silence, and sits still, as though he would let his enemies do what they would, and what they list; as though God did not see or heed which end did go forward. The Lord oft doth this.

Keep not silent O God.

I remember that place in Isaiah 40. 27. Why sayest thou O Iacob, and speakest O Israel, My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgement is passed over from my God? The meaning of it is this, that when the enemies of God, as we see, Chap. 39. did oppresse this people, they did pray to him, and looked for assistance from him, but he was silent (as it were) or asleep: therefore they begin to say in their heart, My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgement is passed over from my God: that [Page 83] is, Surely it is impossible that God should eye, and see my wayes, and how men deal with me while I am believing, and waiting, and praying, and humbling my soul; no, my way is hid from the Lord, and my judg­ment is passed over from my God; that is, my God hath forgotten to give ear to me. Beloved, there is a time when the Lord (as it were) gives cause to his people so to think; that he is (as it were) asleep, and lets their enemies go on, and none contradict them. I was thinking out of scripture that there are three Reasons 3. Reasons of Gods si­lence in the danger of the Saints. 1. To try their faith. why the Lord keeps silence when his people are in danger, and sits still when there is most need to give help and assistance.

One is, the Lord doth it to trie their faith, as we see clearly, Matthew, 8. 23. where it is said that our Lord Christ was asleep, There arose a great tempest, insomuch as the ship was covered with waves, but he was asleep; and his disciples came and awaked him, saying, Lord save us, we perish. We read more fully in Mark. 4. & Luk. 8. he left them, when the ship was covered with waves, and they were rowing for their lives, their Lord was asleep the while, and he said to them, Why are ye fearfull, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the wind, and the sea, and there was a great calm. Truly, the Lord will not suffer his people to be overwhelmed, that is certain, but he will suffer them to come very near, that the waves cover them, and fear and horrour shall cover their souls, and all to try their faith. For faith is the evidence of things not seen, take it in all senses, take faith for the soul or faith for the body; and we live not here by sense but by faith; and as the Apostle saith of hope, so we may say of faith, If we see, why do we yet [Page 84] hope? If we did see God present striking of wicked men when they consult against his children, this were sense; men would see that it were better to stick to God then otherwise, and there would be a world of hypocrites as Doct. Preston saith: for every man would be a professor. But God seems to sleep sometimes and keeps silence, and leaves his people as he did this poor fishing boat here, to see if when they see nothing they will keep faith to him.

I do find another reason in Isaiah 59, and that is, the 2. To try their up­rightness. Lord doth keep silence in the midst of the troubles of his people, as to trie mens faith, so to trie mens upright­nesse, who will stick to God: as to see who will stick to God by faith, so, who will stick to his cause, or his people out of uprightnesse of heart. For if God should alwayes appear for his cause, God and his cause should have many favourites and friends: but sometimes God leaves his cause, and leaves his people; and leaves his Gospell, and his ordinances to the wide world, to see who will plead for it, and stick to it. As you see in that place of Isaiah. Transgressions are multiplied saith the prophet) in transgressing, and lying against the Lord, departing from our God, and uttering words of fals­hood, judgement is turned back, and justice standeth afar off, truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter, Yea, truth faileth, and he that departeth from evil maketh him­self a prey. And the Lord saw it, God was as it were asleep, but he looked through the lattice, the Lord beheld it, and he saw that there was no man, and he wondred that there was no intercessor. That is, God suffered all this truth to faile, and Justice to fall back, and every thing to go to wrack and ruine: God would see if any man [Page 85] would intercede, any man among our Magistrates or Ministers, or Citizens, if any man would plead for God, and for his people, and for his truth, but he saw none and wondered. Truly God wonders, and men may wonder to see what abundance of people follow God, and good lives in the time of prosperity, and when adversity comes, and wicked men, and al the powers of hell conspire against godlinesse, to see how few shew themselves for God, God wonders at it. Therefore his arm brought salvation unto him, and his righteousnesse, it sustained him: he put on righteousnesse as a breast-plate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head, and he put on the garments of vengeance for cloathing, and was clad with Zeale as a cloak. The Lord comes and Arms himself, just as valiant souldiers in the wars: when a party is gone forth, they stand to see what they do, how they come off: but if there be none that will stick to it, but run away, they buckle on their armour: So the Lord stands to see where is the man that will stick to it in these cases, and if there be any, God rejoyceth in it, if there be none, God himself comes in.

Therefore be sure of this, when the Lord suffers his Son, or any thing that belongs to him to come to these low conditions, when truth failes in the street, and equity is perverted; it is not that God means to suffer the wicked to have their wills, for God hath sworn that Christ shall reign, but to trie us a little space, whether we will couragiously stick to God and his cause, or basely for fear of men comply with the world. 3. For the compendi­ous destru­tion of the it enemies.

There is a third reason; God (as it were) keeps silence; and holds his peace in the middst of the greatest [Page 86] troubles to this end, that God may (as it were) gather the wicked into one fagot, into one bundle that they may be destroyed together. There is a great deal of ado to ga­ther the Saints in this world; and truly there is some ado togather the wicked. So God withdraws himself from his people, yet he hath a hook in their hearts, he holds them up secretly by his Spirit, that they shall not leave him; yet the world shall not see but that God hath quite left them, and all their Ordinances and his Gospell, and every thing: and then the wicked come together and insult, whereby God may come upon them at once, and destroy them, as we finde ten Nati­ons in this Psalm. And so in Genesis, God stirs up the Nations against Abraham, and his posterity, and there are ten Nations that God promiseth to cut off before Abraham at once, the Perrezites, and the Iebusites, and the Canaanites, &c. So God heaps them together, and burns them like stubble. Those that burn stubble have rakes, and they gather it to heaps, and then they fire it. This is the way of Gods keeping silence among his people, and sitting still in the midst of their mis­eries, thus God gathers their enemies on heaps as stubble, that he may burn them together.

Therefore from this that I have said, I have three words to say to you, and to my own soul.

Vse 1 The first of all is, that if the Lord should take any such course in our dayes, that you would learn hence to awake God, to call upon his Name, to be earnest with him. Truly, there are a generation of people now, I leave them to the Lord to judge them (as I shall al­way) for we have all one master; but there is a peo­ple that throw away the ordinance of prayer, and they [Page 87] professe to live immediately upon God without ordi­nances, without prayer, and without all the rest. I do not know what their perfections may be, therefore I cannot judge; but this I know as far as ever I had experience, that the chiefest way of communion with God is spirituall prayer; Build up one another on your holy faith, and Pray in the Holy Ghost, saith Iude. And there­fore, though you be ancient Christians, and grow spi­rituall, and see a great deal of formality in your prayers, as some pray so many times a day, and that out of forme; not that they should not pray so oft in a day, that is well; take heed that out of any pretence you be not remiss: for truly, it is the readiest way to heaven, and to attaine happiness, and the clearest conduite to bring grace to the soul, and the love of God, and the shining of his face, that I have yet known: I yet know no better; therefore take heed of the temptations of Satan, that you do not upon any pretence either throw away prayer or be remisse in it.

Vse 2 Secondly, if the Lord should leave his Church, and people, as we know not what he will do; it may be God is going to take a napp; let me warne you from the Lord, and his word (for that is the excellencie of the word; by it thy servant is forewarned) take heed of distrust,, and unbelief, and impatience towards God: God doth take a napp sometimes; it is for his glory, and for your good; but yet cleave to him; say as it is here in the Psalm. O Lord, who is like unto thee? Do not think that the Lord will leave his people: for God hath (you know) made a Covenant with his Son that he shall inherit all nations, he shall subdue all his enemies. [Page 88] under his feet. All the enemies hitherto that have risen against his Church, God hath subdued them, and ei­ther our Gospell is vaine, and our preaching vaine, and our faith vaine, and all vaine, or else God will exalt his Son, and his people, and Saints, and ordinances, maugre all enemies: though ten Nations, as it is in this Psalm, fight against them, nay though ten thousand, if there were so many in the world, God will awake, and subdue them, and if there be no man in the world that will plead their cause, God will do it. Therefore live by faith, and not by sense, take heed of living by sense, there is nothing that more poysons, and im­bitters our hearts, and spirits, and lives, then the beholding of things by sense, that as one good man speaks, I wish (saith he) sometimes that I were quite bereft of reason that I might exercise faith. We are used to sense, and such a man doth this and this, and here is conspiring in this and that place, and all to over­throw Christ, and the power of the Gospell. What of all this? Look by faith what God hath said, and Covenanted, and promised, and keep up your spi­rits by faith.

Vse 3 Then lastly, I would admonish all in the bowels of Iesus Christ, to take heed of betraying Gods cause or people, or your own salvation by your fleshlinesse; I mean, take heed you that have thought well of God, and his people, and have spoken well of him, that when you see God sleep a little while, and seems not to owne them, take heed that you help not the children of Lot; go not with the Moabites and the Tabernacles of Edom, and with wicked men to conspire against the godly: if you do, know that if there be a God in [Page 89] heaven, and if there be truth in this book, you are un­der Gods wrath, to be gathered on heaps for the fire; There appears no fire yet, but be sure you shall feel it hereafter; therefore take heed. The Lord will come (saith the prophet) as a bear bereaved of her whelps. If a man take away the whelps of a Bear when she is a­sleep, and go away; when the Bear awakens you know what case that man will be in, when the Bear sees him, and her whelps in his arms. So God takes upon him to sleep, and if he see his little ones oppressed, and abused, when he awakes he will be as a Bear robbed of her whelps. So much concerning that.

Now the prophet having spoken to God, and desire him to awake, he begins to tell him how the case stood.

For loe thine enemies make a tumult, and they that hate thee lift up their heads, they have taken crafty coun­sell, &c.

The complaint was this in generall, that they be­gan to make a tumult. Why a tumlt? The whole world is but like an Army, a Brigade of men (as it were) under a Generall; and God is the Lord of Hoasts, that is the Lord of his Armies: now when there is a tumult in an Army, they complaine to the officers, to the Generall especially; and he must come and sup­presse them. Therefore (saith he) thou Lord of Hoasts, that art Generall of the world; lo there is a tumult in the world, a mutinie; what is it?

They that hate thee, have lifted up their heads.

That is, they are waxen proud, and high.

And take crafty counsell together against thy people, and consult against thy hidden ones.

You see here the property of wicked people, when God [Page 90] doth not restraine them to consult, and conspire against the godly: for by the hidden ones are meant the godly. So the Septuagint reads it, thy Saints, or holy ones.

They are called hidden ones, or secret ones (as some read it) because they are precious: as in Exodus God The Saints Gods hidden ones. calls them his treasure, my peculiar people, my treasure. And you know our treasure and riches, we hide it, and keep it secret.

And they are called hidden ones likewise, because the Lord useth to hide his people in the time of trouble, hide me in the hollow of thy hand (saith David) and hide me under the shadow of thy wings, in another place.

They are called hidden ones (I think) principally, because the world knowes them not; because the Devill alway hath some vail upon the eyes of the wicked, that they are not able to know the Saints as Saints. 1 Ioh. 3. Now we are the sons of God, and the world knowes us not. It is the clearest note of a man truly carnall, that hath nothing of God in him, he will tell you that he knows not who are Gods children and Saints, and who are not, the Devill hath so many wayes, and nick-names; as to call them Lollards, and Schismaticks, and Puritans, and now there are more nick-names then ever. So God hath his Saints, and peo­ple, they are his treasure, and peculiar ones, but he hides them from the world: for it is not in the apprehen­sion of wicked men to persecute the Saints as Saints, but they persecute them as Schismaticks, or hereticks one way or other; yet it may be they may be Gods hidden ones. Therefore what you do against Gods hidden ones, you do against him. I beseech you take heed how you consult, and conspire against people that [Page 91] make any profession of Religion, though you think they be hereticall, or Schismaticks, and it may be they are so, and it may be they are Gods hidden ones: it may be because of my fleshliness I think him to be an he­retick or a Schismatick, and it may be he is a Saint, and childe of God, and one of his hidden ones.

In the next verse he layes down the conspiracie, what it was that they craftily consulted of.

Ver. 4. Come and let us cut them off from being a Nation, that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.

The desires of the wicked are not to suppress one, or two, or a few of the Saints (though indeed they light upon a few, and God never suffers them to touch all) The maine design of persecutors. but the maine design is wholly to root out godlines, and the people of God, that they may not be a Nation.

For if you consider the ground of persecution, it is not any one particular thing in a person: but the de­signe of Satan (whose part they act, who is the old serpent) is to overthrow the whole Kingdome of God to destroy the seed of the woman: therefore whosoever sets himself against one, his aime is (if he observe his own heart) if he could to destroy all. And in the times before, when men durst speak the language of their hearts, Bonner would say, I wish that all the here­ticks were in a sack in the midst of the Sea. And many Bishops among us have gloried, that they had not one Puritan left in their Diocess. And some of late have bragged that they hoped their would not be roome for one puritan in England; before those scurvie names that are rife among us now came up. It may be if we observe we shall hear some of the same phrases still, though the words be altered the designe is the same. [Page 92] Come, let us cut them off from being a Nation.

You see that Satan is not willing to have one Saint on earth, not one ordinance, or one Gospell-sermon. It is too low a designe for Satan to aime at a particular per­son. Just as it was with Haman in the book of Hester; he might have punished Mordecai if he would, but it was too low a thing, he would cut of the whole seed of the Iews, that there should not be one left. That is the reason that Pareus, a learned man gives, why the Saints are said to be a people that are not, 1 Cor. 1. be­cause the people of the world wish that they were not; the world desires that they were not nor any thing that belongs to them.

Therefore I beseech you take this caveat from the Lord, that you would take heed how you carry your selves against the Saints, though they be but some few particular persons; though it may be there may be some weakness in them that may provoke your cor­ruptions: for if you once begin to fall on persecuting, to oppose Christ Iesus or his people, though you begin with a few, first one, and then another, you will un­awares fall into the tide, into the streame; to set on the whole designe of the Devill, that is, to cut off the people of God from being a Nation, that the name of Israel may be no more remembred. It is an easie thing to fall in­to the streame of persecution. There is no man that sets himself against the whole Generation of Saints at once; but first he quarrells with this professor, and then with that; and it may be there is a reason to dis­like this, and pretended reason to dislike the wayes of that, till at last he come to be an absolute persecuter of all godlinesse.

The prophet tells the Lord what the designe is, and then doth press God forward; in verse 5. he tells him of their consultation again: he had spoken it three times before, and here again. They have consulted to­gether with one consent, they are confederate against thee.

The prophet would have God hearken to him, and take notice of his complaint from two arguments.

The one is from the depth of their conspiracies, and their diligent and earnest consultation.

And the other was, because whatsoever they did against his hidden ones, he tells God it was against him. God perse­cuted in the Saints. So that (beloved) it is a great argument with God to awaken and stir him up against the wicked, and to help his people; when the wicked consult, and plot toge­ther. It is a sore thing when men occasionally and acci­dentally, and Ignorantly fall into the streame of the wicked, to do things against the Saints: but it is more grievous when they consult, and are confederate, and associat themselves together, and beat their heads, and brains together, and lay snare upon snare, and designe upon designe, against the hidden ones of God.

Know beloved, and be sure that there is no consul­tation so secret but God knowes it; there is nothing so hidden, but it is open to the backbone before him, as it is Heb. 4. It is a thing of jealousie that God will not suffer, when people consult together against God and his people. It is enough, and too much that oft times ignorantly, and rashly we speak and do against the Saints (as a man out of frailty may do) but if we go to consult once, there are thousands of Saints that will awaken God, and wish God to come to the consulta­tion. [Page 94] Therefore whatsoever we do of ignorance, God may pardon, and pity: but take heed of all conspiring, and consulting against the Saints. And remember that I warne you this day, that if you hear that there is any meeting against the Saints, that there is a designe going on to root them out in this, or that notion: for I love not those names, nor plead for this or that way, but when it is against the Saints, as a blind man may see in such wayes as the world useth. I beseech you that come here to hear God, Take warning; have nothing to do with their conspiracies and plottings: for God will not brook that.

They are confederate against thee.

It is an old common truth, commonly known to the Saints, and to the world too; whatsoever you do against the Saints, you do against God, he that toucheth you (saith God) toucheth the apple of mine eye. In all their afflictions he is afflicted, and (saith the Lord Christ) the reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me; in ano­ther case. And that known place Acts 9. when Paul was going on a designe to Damascus to persecute the Saints, the Lord Christ met him by the way; and said, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? He doth not say, why dost thou go to Damascus, and arm wicked people to destroy my children? He speaks not such a word: but he saith; Thou persecutest me. For the poor Saints they are under covert, they are married to Christ, and we cannot defend our selves, but we are married to one that will defend our suit, and what is done, he takes it as done to himself, and will accordingly judge them that do it.

Whatsoever good you do to the Saints, the Lord [Page 95] takes it as done to him; and whatsoever evill you do to the Saints, the Lord takes it as done to him; Mat. 25. When I was hungry you fed me, when I was naked ye cloathed me, when I was in prison you visited me, And they shall say, Lord, when did we see thee hungry, or naked, or in prison? In as much as you did it to one of these little ones, you did it to me. Whereupon Calvin saith, that God, and his Saints, God, and the people of God are one. We are too subject to forget Christ in his members; we think not that we offend Christ, when out of imperi­ousness, or out of heat or the like, we offend a poor Saint: and we think not that we help Christ Iesus di­rectly when we help a poor Saint, if we did, we would be more wary in the one, and more ready and for­ward in the other.

The prophet having entred his suit, and complaint in generall, he comes to particulars, and tells God who they are that had done this. God might say, Who are these that conspire against me, and against my people, and hidden ones? Lord (saith the prophet) I will tell thee who they are.

The Tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmalities: of Moab The particu­lars of the complaint opened. and the Hagarens; Geball, and Amon, and Amalok, the Philistines and them that dwell at Tyre.

He names some ten Nations, that joyned together against one poor Israel. It is a thing you should observe that when the people of God are conspired against, God rests not in generall complaints, but he will know who they are. As I told you, he is the Lord of Hoasts, the great Generall. When there is a mutiny the Generall asks, what Officer, or what Corporall, or what Ser­geant, or who did begin the mutiny? and it is a [Page 96] fearfull thing when a poore persecuted Saint shall bring thy name as a persecutor before the God of hea­ven. When a poor Saint shall go home and say, There is a confederacie in London, a conspiracie against the Saints of God; and when a poor Saint shall say, such a Magistrate, such a Minister, such a man in such a street, such a woman set her husband against the Saints, and against thine ordinances: it is a fearfull thing. Therefore I remember a blessed woman, if it be true that is reported of her in the book of Martyrs, that when the wicked abused her, and reproached her, and oppressed her, she would say no more but this, I will go home, and tell my father: give over, or else I will Note bring your names before God, and tell him: there was all, and that was enough: for he would presently take it up. A man may better bear a pound of dirt on his feet, then a graine of dirt in his eye; the Saints are the Apple of Gods eye. And a poor Saint he need say no more, but there is such a man delights in nothing but confederacie against the people of God; he delights in nothing but to have them opprest; he need say no more.

But let us a little view these Nations that were joyn­ed together; they were very numerous, very many. The best place in the world will afford company enough if a man will conspire, and plot against the Saints. It is no argument for a man to say, Such a Gentleman, and such a Magistrate is in, and such a one hath put his hand to it, and they plead for it; that is not enough, here are ten Nations, people enough, A man must not go with a multitude to do evil. It is rather an argument that the thing is evil when there is a [Page 97] multitude, especially when it is a multitude of people that are set upon no good, that the most are whore­mongers, or drunkards, or covetous men; when there are a multitude of such, then the multitude is an argu­ment rather that the designe is naught, though they be not thorowly acquainted what it is.

But let us look upon them in particular.

First, The Tabernacles of Edom were there, they are first set down. Now who this people of Edom were, you shall see Deut. 2. They were the seed of Esau, God had forbid the children of Israel when they were going up to Canaan, they that should not distress Moab, and Edom, but should buy every thing for their money; they should not plunder (as we use to say) nor do any thing unrigh­teously; because God had given Mount Seir to Edom, a people that had received abundance of kindnesses from Israel, and when they passed thorow their coun­try, though they were a wicked people, yet they paid money for their very water, as it is in the beginning of Deuteronomie. And the Holy Ghost put them in the fore­front, that Edom of all others should do it.

The Tabernacles of Edom.

That is, the Souldiers that lived in tabernacles, or tents: for they used tents in their Armies, as we see clearly, Iudg. 7. There was a cake comes, and throwes down their tents. The Tabernacles of Edom; that is, the Souldiery, part of Edom, they were they that did this.

Beloved, they of all others the Lord takes notice of in conspiring against the Saints, who have received kindness from the Saints.

How many men have we seen in England, that [Page 98] have received many courtesies in their wants of the people of God, and when they have been in distress o­therwise; yet after all their purposes, they have come to cut their throats, God takes notice of them more then others, Therefore 2 Chron. 20. 11. you shall read of Moab, and Amon, and those of Mount Seir, they were coming to fight against Iehosaphat: Iehosaphat enters the suit to God; he sets himself to seek the Lord, and among the rest of his arguments, this is one, behold (saith he) how they reward us, to come to cast us out of the posession that thou hast given us to inherit, you shall read in ver. 10. And now behold the children of Ammon, and Moab, and Mount Seir, whom thou wouldst not let Is­rael invade, when they came out of the Land of Egypt, but they turned from them and destroyed them not. (saith Ie­hosaphat) When we came out of Egypt, thou com­mandedst us that we should not destroy them, and that we should pay for every thing we took; and behold how they requite us. There are few wicked people, but they receive courtesies from the Saints: but when they turn persecutors (it is a pittifull thing, consider of it) in the black roll of the accusations of the Saints, the Lord will have them put in the first place. The Taber­nacles of Edom.

That is, the seed of Ishmael, that presecuted his brother Isaac, and jeered him, and laughed at him.

Moab was one of the children of Lot.

That is, those that came from Hagar: for though they were the same people, sometimes they are called [Page 99] Ishmalites from their father, or Hagarens from their Grand mother Hagar.

Geball, they say, was a Nation near Zidon where So­lomon sent to fetch gold.

Ammon, was one of the sons of Lot by incest.

Was one of those that first fought against Israel, Exod. 17. that God sware should be cut off, and God sent Saul to do it, and he did it not, and he after was cut off by an Amalekite.

We read of the Philistines often.

Tyre was a rich City spoken of by the prophets on the Sea-side.

Ashur, that is, the Assyrians that came from Aser one of the children of Seth.

That is, they have holpen Moab, and Ammon, they have strengthened their Arms against Israel.

That is, take notice. Of what? that they were nu­merous, that did it, and that they were in the first place that had received kindnesses of God people. And take notice that those that acted most in it were the seed of godly men, they have holpen the children of Lot. Many times the children of Gods peo­ple the chief­est persecu­tors.

Beloved you see by experience many times the chil­dren of Godly people are the feircest persecutors. All the rest, Geball, and those inhabitants of Tyre, they were [Page 100] prophane people, they did but help the children of Lot, it was they that set it on foot, and carried the designe, a kinde of rotten professors, that are persecuters of god­ly people.

I have oft thought, if thou be the childe of a godly man or woman; though thou have many priviledges that others have not, thou hast more cause to fear then others have: for usually it comes to passe, that that Reli­gion that was in power in the parents, is onely in forme in the children: they learn their fathers Religion by head, that they had by heart; they pray as their fathers did, but there is not that Spirit; and they can hear Sermons, but there is not the heart of their fathers, and mothers: so, for a time they keep a forme of godliness that will not last, and then on a sudden they fall into the stream of persccution; and then all that head▪knowledge that they have, serves them for no other stead, but to make them more desperate, and skilfull in persecuting, and opposing, the people, and the ways of God. Thus you have the Nations set down that do this.

Now the prophet come to pray unto the Lord fur­ther, or to prophesie: for the prayers of the prophets were prophesies usually.

Do unto them, as unto the Midianites, as to Sisera, as to Jabin at the brook Kison, which perished at Endor, they became as dung for the earth, &c.

The prophet prayes, or prophesies against them two ways.

First, he desires God that he would punish them according to those patterns and examples of justice that he had shewed in former times.

You shall read of them in Iudg. 7. The Midiantes were as Grashoppers for number, and Gidion with an hundred men, that had Trumpets in their hands, comes upon them, and makes them all flee, and as they were fleeing, God put every mans sword against his fellow, and so they slew one another. Do unto them, as unto the Midi­anites, that is, dash their heads together, make their policies to crosse one another. As we have seen in our dayes, all the conspiracies of the wicked turn to the ruine of themselves. Thus the Bishops came to ruine, God put them one against another, that their own plots and policies did overthrow them.

You shall read of him in Iudge 4. he had nine hun­dred Chariots of Iron going into the field, and all his men were defeated, and he fleeing for his life; Iaell, a poore woman, as he was asleep in the tent, comes, and nailes him in the Temples, and kills him. Do unto them, as unto Sisera, that is, be they never so strong, and have Chariots of Iron, thou canst make small meanes, a naile in the hand of a silly woman to be their over­throw.

That is, they were so contemptible, that they were left as a heap of dung upon the earth, and no man to bury them; and this I say is not a meer prayer, but a prophesie what the end of such people will be.

Those were princes of the Midianites; you shall read in Iudge 7. how they were destroyed.

Those were two great Princes that were slaine by Gedeon, Iudg. 8.

Who said, Let us take to our selves the houses of God in possession.

Those wicked men that would destroy the people of God; and rule in the house of God; that would take the houses of God in possession, and ruine them, do to them as to Zebah, and Zalmunna.

Then he comes and speaks more plainly, and de­sires God to punish them, or to let his judgements fall upon them, and those judgements he sets out by three comparisons.

The first is, O my God (saith the prophet) make them like a wheele.

And make them as the stubble before the wind.

And make them as the fire that burneth the wood, and as the flame that setteth the mountains on fire, &c.

Some conceive, the meaning is, make them as a wheele going down a hill, that give it but half a turne, and every motion will add strength to its course, the longer it runs down, the stronger; so the meaning is, let their own devises; and designes, tumble them further and further into misery; let every thing they do, help to throw them down to hell. That is true: but I rather follow the Hebrew word that signifies any round, un­certaine, or light thing: for all do not read it as a wheel. So the meaning is, O my God, let them never solidly be able to conclude any thing, but let them be so unstable that they may do, and undo, and say, and unsay; let them not prosper in any thing, but do thou dash all that they do, let it be as a feather or a light thing; tossed up and [Page 103] down in the aire. That is a thing that we see God many times doth, he makes the counsells of the wicked though they have wise heads, learned heads, and number enough, yet all produce but a feather, and all vapours into aire.

That makes me think that the word wheele is so to be understood because of this expression: he doth not say, Make them as stubble before the fire (though that be true, and it is so exprest in another place) but as stubble before the wind. And all do not read it stubble, but conceive it many be meant chaffe or any light thing. I adhere to these rather; and so it comes to the same thing, Make them, and all their designes, and plots as chaffe before the wind; let them not go on in a steady resolution, and course; but dash and con­found all their projects and policies, and bring them to nothing.

As the fire that burneth the wood, and as the flame that setteth the mountains on fire.

That is terrible: the meaning of it is, as we see in the verse following; Lord, let thy tempest and storm make them afraid: Let thy judgement come on them and devour them, as the fire doth Goss, or Heath, or Fearne, or furrs, that one would think a whole moun­taine were burning when a childe doth but set fire on Fures; so let those terrible judgements and storms of thine take them. And whereto? Two ends of Gods judge­ments on the wicked. 1. To work shame in them.

There are two ends for it.

First, that it may fill their faces with shame, that they may seek thy name. There are no people so wickedly, and mischievously bent against the Saints, that they [Page 104] should desire God to ruine, and destroy them; onely, they may desire God to send his tempest, and storme on them, that they may learn to be afraid, and seek the name of the Lord. As Steven, when Saul, and the rest stoned him, saith he, Lord lay it not to their charge. There is no­thing more improper and unbecoming a Saint, then revenge; and a Saint that hath been a slave, and is re­deemed, and kept from the pit by the Lord Iesus Christ, he should not desire the destruction of any creature; he hath had mercy by the Gospell, therefore he should have mercy on every creature. And truly a man that knows his own desert, and his nature, and his wayes, and knows how much grace and mercy God shewes to his soul, he should not desire the worst man to go to hell, and perish. Therefore take heed least there be any spirit of revenge in any of Gods people, though the wicked con­spire never so much: but desire that the Lord would make all stubble that they do, as a wheele, as a vain thing; or if he will send a little fire of affliction upon them, to make them seek his face; this is the utmost we should desire.

And if God will not do this, that they may be bet­tered, yet

That men may know that thou, whose name alone is Ieho­vah, art the most high, over all the earth. 2 To work amendment in others.

Some understand it, as though it were meant of the same people; for the word Men is not in the originall; that they may know that thou, whose name is Iehovah. But that is not allowed, and approved by the generality: but they take it in generall, and the originall will bear it better; that the name of Iehovah may be known, though they will not know it: it may be God may [Page 105] blast their counsells, and they will be at it again; and God may cast fire among them, and they will not be ashamed: yet others will, they will take notice how wicked people conspired against the people of God at such a time and in such a place, and God made it as a bubble, and plagued, and punished them, and sent the Pestilence into their Cities, and families; they will not learn; but there are other people that will worship Iehovah, that will fear the Lord by seeing his judge­ments on others. As David saith, When the wicked are taken away as drosse, my flesh trembleth for fear of thee, I am afraid of thy judgements. When he saw the wicked took away as drosse, with the fire of Gods judgements, he feared. Therefore learn not to desire their death, onely to pray for them, and to believe that all their plottings against the Saints will be as stubble, and as chaff, they will come to nothing. And if the wicked will not learn by seeing God to crosse them; as he hath crossed all their designes in our age (blessed be his name) yet do thou take notice how God went against such people, and such a Nation that rose against God; God crost, and blasted them: and be sure that God will do so to the end, to all that rise against him and his people. Only take notice of Gods ways in the world, to fear him, and trust in him, and to wait for him to come and do what thy soul desireth.

I Promised if the Lord would give me strength, to speak a word unto you this afternoone, concerning the mercies of God unto us in the victories of Scotland, but es­pecially of Bristoll, because we have more knowledg of it, and more relation to it, the most of us. And therefore I would briefly from this Psalm, take occasion or ground of what I have to speak to you. Two things briefly I see here laid down in this Psalm.

The first is, the Psalmist doth expresse the great mercie of God to him, in some speciall deliverance. And that he doth illustrate by the misery he was in: for he was in a very low condition, full of tears, and prayers, [Page 107] and sorrows, and his feet were ready to fall, so the Lord heard his prayer, and delivered him out of his troubles, whatsoever they were. That is one thing, he takes notice of the great mercie of God to him.

The second is, he doth consider, what he should do to God: now God having delivered him, what is his duty? For it is a known lesson among us, that the mercies of God require somewhat from us (though all be by his grace) And those are here laid down in the Psalm, they are various, I will love the Lord, I will call upon him while I live, I will walk before him in the land of the living, and diverse such duties he lays upon himself in consi­deration of Gods great mercy to him. Now I have not time and strength to go over all, which are many in the Psalm, and therefore I will onely tell you a few thoughts that I have concerning Gods mercie in bestow­ing Bristoll upon us again, and that according to Da­vids method here, which is the most naturall, and the most usuall by the Saints.

First, to take notice of Gods goodness in that mercy.

And secondly to consider what is our duty.

Concerning the first, there are abundance of mer­cies and kindnesses, couched, and wrapped up together in that. It was not only the taking of a Garrison, but there are abundance of mercies in it, and mingled with it, you Gods mercy in the taking in of Bristoll considered in five re­spects. 1. In regard of the potent opposition. especially that are concerned in it, and are godly, you know: but in my eye these are the chiefe that I see, and am affected with.

The first is. I look upon the greatnesse of the mercie, I see that all were great things in, and about it, there was no meane, inconsiderable thing in it. I know it is a great City, the second in the Kingdom; and I know [Page 108] also, there were great works to keep it, I know there were great, and strong, and numerous souldiers in it. There were great resolutions in those souldiers, And I am sure too, there was great miserie in the City among the poor people, and round about the City, & hath been these two yeers, the plague, scarsity of provision, and o­ther things. And no man doubts but it is of great con­sequence, if the Lord make it a blessing to us, if the Lord sanctifie it, it will be of great consequence, not only to those parts (being the chiefe City in that part of the Kingdom) but to this City and to the whole State, and Kingdom, I see nothing in it but great things.

And therefore me thinks that he that should do this for us, surely he must needs be a great God, that pulled down the great pride of that City, and the garison in it, that must throw down those Bulwarks (as it were) And therefore, let us exalt God, let us conceive of God ac­cording to his greatnesse: for surely, he that did that work there, no man will doubt, or deny that it was God, and that God that did it, any man that will seriously con­sider of the work, will say he is a great God: therefore let us glorifie him in his greatnesse.

Another thing very observable that we should take 2. In regard of the hazard in storming. notice of, is, that the Lord hath there preserved our friends, preserved our Army in such a wonderfull man­ner in storming that City. I have no skill in war, but I think there are no people that go about storming, but they resolve to lose many a man, therefore they will do any thing rather then storme, if it may be gotten o­therwise, and to storme such a City, such Forts, such strength, such a Castle, double lined in some parts, and to do it by no very great Army neither, and that the Lord [Page 109] should please to preserve them, that so few should be slaine or wounded, it is a wonderfull mercy. For truly (beloved) when there were but a few in the City, when the other side sought it, they had it not so cheap, it cost them the lives of many hundreds of them: but this was the Lords goodnesse to his poor people, and truly we may say as David doth here, he hath inclined his ear to us, and heard our prayer.

Then a third blessing, that I take notice of in it, is, 3. In preser­ving it from the Pesti­lence. that God should preserve our friends from the pestilence. We alway conceived that if they had that City, they knew not what to do with it, because of the pestilence, that might ruine, and destroy the Army after they had took it: and as we hear, though they be in the same houses, and quarter where the sicknesse was, and have lain in the beds where men have been sick, yet we hear little or nothing of the infection coming among them. Surely, this can be no other but the finger of God, con­sidering how hot, and violent it was.

Then I look upon it further, as to consider what 4. In that this succeed­ed a series of mercies. mercies there had gone in a streight line before, and how this comes after, mercy upon mercy, God adding al­way greater to the lesse. This hath not been Gods way with us hitherto, but if God heard us in one mercy, he gave us a correction presently, if we did get one gar­rison, we lost another, if we have one victory, we lose another. Now that God, that is a Zealous God, should go on, and not see iniquity in his people, and passe by their infirmities, and should go from on Fort to another, and from one garrison to another, and bring in this great City to the rest. I speak of it, because the chief thing in this City is to desire to see the glory of God as Moses [Page 110] did, to desire above all things to see God, perfect God. We know God is perfect, and useth not to work by halves: but God hath hidden that attribute in a great measure among us. He gave us many overtures of mer­cie, but he called for them back again, and so present­ly turned our joy, into sorrow. It hath been familiar in all his dispensations to us, for these two, or three yeers; Now that the Lord should go on from one thing to ano­ther, without interruption, and cast nothing in by the way to imbitter our mercies, and to go from lesse to greater in this manner, me thinks the Lord hath shew­ed himself a perfect God, as he did to our fathers be­fore, and that is a glorious attribute.

Besides, it is not a little mercie that the Lord hath 5. In respect of a confid­ing Gover­nour. inclined the Parliament to bestow a governour upon that City that they may confide in: that is a greater mer­cy, then we can now speak of.

And truly if you will give me leave to tell you what I think (for we may haply judge of Gods mercie in this, because of our concernment further then some of you) it is a great mercie in our apprehension, that the Lord hath cleared his people that came thence. For when they came up, I remember well, of all people that came from any part of the Kingdom, as I apprehend (pardon me if I misapprehend) the Bristoll people, and those parts (though they received much kindnesse from this City, which they are bound with thankfulnesse ever to acknowledg, yet) they lay under a blurr, because they were looked on as faulty, and defective, and neg­ligent, that they lost the City, and endangered the Kingdom. That truly besides their losses, and suf­ferings that you cannot imagine unlesse you had [Page 111] suffered with them) this was not a small affliction, to see so many frown on them, and to add affliction to af­fliction, as though if they had been more valiant, and couragious, they might have kept the City, and have saved it, &c. I meddle not with the commanders, and governours; but I speak of you that are here, and the good people of Bristoll that use to be here: I say the Lord hath restored the poor people, to their home at least (though that be naked enough for them) and hath taken away their reproach, for though we said before, that we did what we could to save the City, and stood out, yet it was generally thought, that we might have done more: but now it appears to the world, that now there were many more then we had, at least three for one, and there were two yeers works, forts, and lines built more then there was then, and we kept them out three dayes in storming, and I hear not that they did one. As soon as we lost the City we capitulated, so did they as soon as they lost it. I say not but that we had weaknesses, and (it may be) from the greatest to the least wanted skill in mannaging it: but I know (and I should know as much as one [...] that the people of Bristoll were valiant from the least to the greatest. The Lord hath taken away the reproach: for whereas all o­thers in the Kingdome were pitied, many frowned upon Bristoll men after all their sufferings. There are many other things that are not now expedient to insist upon. I leave it to your serious consideration.

And what the goodnesse of God is to us in the victo­ry in Scotland, no man (though we know it but in ge­nerall) can be ignorant, how that Kingdom being sub­dued, the enemy would have been over us, and all the [Page 112] three Kingdoms would have been gone in the eye of reason: but God hath sent them seasonable reliefe be­yond all expectation: A great mercie!

Now from all this, I will tell you my thoughts, what you, and I should learn.

First, for ever hereafter we should learn patiently to wait upon the Lord, when we have made our prayers to him, and he hath made his promises to us. We had many promises in our eye, and we made our prayers, but when the Lord gave the City into their hands, we thought the promises, and our prayers were lost; neither did we see, or could understand, how any thing should become of them but onely shame, and reproach. For we boasted of God in the Pulpits, and in the streets, and at our work, that the Lord was our God, and would help us, and yet the Lord turned it against us, and there were few of us that had so much grace as to wait pati­ently on him, and to know that though nothing ap­peared the vision would speak and would not lie. But now we are convinced of our folly, and we see that God hath fully answered those prayers of Bristoll. For those prayers I believe did speak loudest, of all the prayers in England, in getting that City, And I value one of those prayers more then an hundred now, for they are old prayers in store, stale prayers are good. And they were prayers from broken, afflicted spirits, and believing hearts. And now you see how the Lord hath gracious­ly provided food, and raiment for his people, and done the souls of many of them much good, and in due sea­son restored their dwellings, and habitations to them. Therefore there is a word in Rom. 10. that I did think to open. The Apostle there comparing the righte­ousnesse [Page 113] together, he saith, ver. 5. that the righteousnesse of the law is thus described by Moses, The man that doth these things, shall live in them. That is the language of the law, he that doth these things, he that keeps the law shall be saved. But the righteousnesse of faith (the way of faith, as the Apostle calls it, Gal. 3. or the way of the Gospell) speaketh on this wise, it hath another kinde of language, say not in thine heart, who shall ascend into hea­ven? or who shall descend into the deep? But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, the word of faith which we Preach. That is, this is the language of faith, that Je­sus Christ hath fulfilled all righteousnesse for us. And how do we come to know this? Here is the word, and then the Spirit of faith; this is the language; this is the way of the Gospell, the way of faith.

But you will say, What is that word of Faith that this is grounded on?

The Apostle chooseth one Scripture, verse 11. in stead of all other as there are abundance of Scriptures setting forth the Gospell way: but he takes this as one of the chief among the rest) whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. He takes it out of Isaiah 28. whoso­ever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. He takes (I say) that as one of the chief Scriptures of Gospell, that is to be the foundation of the way of faith: and though you may apply it for the soul, and principally so; yet you may for every thing else, that this is a generall and sure rule, he that believeth on God shall not be ashamed. So the Lord hath removed our reproach. We heard with our ears jeering of God, and Preachers, and Preach­ing, but now blessed le God we need not blush, we may own our prayers, and stand to our preaching, and [Page 114] glory in the promises of God: he that believeth shall not be ashamed.

Therefore, hereafter, though God doth delay a long while, (as this was about two years, and a monety) yet notwithstanding learn to believe in God still, wait upon God patiently, and either the whole Gospell will not hold, or else this will: for this is the pillar of it; he that believeth shall not be ashamed. The pa­tient abiding of the meeke shall not be ashamed. If God see a man meekly, and patiently wait for him, his waiting shall not be in vain, and though it be long in our eyes, yet a thousand yeers with God are as one day, and one day as a thousand yeers. And the delay of a thousand yeers is as it were but a day, yet he brings about all his promises of mercies sweetly for his glory, and the good of his people.

Therefore, whatsoever we would have for his glory, and the good of his people, let us follow God, and rest on his word. Remember that Gospell pillar (I say not promise, but pillar) he that believeth shall not be ashamed. That is one thing.

Another is this, that we should (but God knows when we will learn it: for people are further, and fur­ther from learning it every day) me thinks learn hence a little in due order and manner to honour the Saints, and people of God. A man would think so: but blinde men cannot see. We know that there is an Army, the generality (I hope I may say so of them) being godly people: an Army (I think truly, I may say without disparagement to any other fearing God, and seeking his honour, as much as any Army under the cope of hea­ven these five hundred yeers. Blessed be God that put it in your hearts to reform them, if there be any evill [Page 115] among them, it is one of the most glorious works that ever you did. Now it is no disparagement to God, that under God, and in God we honour his people. Therefore wo to them that call light darknesse, of which to this day the streets are full all the week long, notwithstanding the humility, the love, and uni­ty, the self-deniall, and all the graces that are to be seen as cleare as the sun in the firmament in this Army, yet you shall have people, and many that would be called professors to reproach them, and raile, and say, A scanda­lous aspersi­on upon the Army, that when they had got the power they intended to rule both King and Parliament. The admir­able graces observed in the Army by the Author long since. they fight for their own ends, they seek themselves, they are no friends to the Parliament; they meane to get a lit­tle power, and then to rule King, and Parliament too. O blasphemous speeches! Beloved, for my part, I have not been there oft, but I saw more grace, in that small Ar­my (poor wretches) then in all the Kingdom besides.

First, I see more love there, their love is true love, and it is love to one another as they are Saints, as they are honest men; and not as such a one holds a faction this way, or that way. If one man be wounded, they will all venture their lives to fetch him off; and if one be sick, every one contributes to his wants; there is abundance of sweet love: There is unity: here is biting, such a one is a Presbyterian; another is an Independent, another is an Anabaptist: there is no such biting there: They look not in mens mouthes, as men do in horses mouthes, and say is he a Presbyterian, or an Indepen­dent? but is he an honest man, a godly man? if he be, he is a companion for any godly man.

We are the most miserable men in the world, this poor City: if a man had as much grace as Paul had, if some Independent see him, and say he is inclining to [Page 116] Presbytery, or if a Presbyterian see him, and say, he is in­clining to Independencie, then let him go, and cut his throat. The Lord pity you, that so Christ Iesus in the souls of people may be the object of your love. Is there grace and Christ there? be there what there will if there be not that, I have nothing to do. Now if one that is carnall joyn with me, or another, or a third man in faction, we take him. The Lord pity us; it is not so in the Army, It would do you good to go among them twenty four hours to see the unity that is among them. I say, learn to honour the Saints.

Then there is a spirituality there, there is a thing that may be called spirituality in the Army. There is not onely a profession, and duties, &c. as we have here, but a kind of flower of godlinesse, some sparklings of their graces; there is not onely grace, but grace flying. As when I was in the Army, I saw some glory shine in their graces, that would dazle a mans eyes al­most as the Sun, an excellencie of grace, the spirituali­ty of grace. We strive about low, carnall things, about this and that, but they, about the mysteries of the King­dom of God, you may see it gloriously.

And then what self-deniall is there! Who lives there by plundering, and stealing, as many have done; and do? And then, when honour is got, how doth every one study to cast honour on his brother, and not on himself! and studies silence not to have his name men­tioned, but that God may have glory, O it is a glorious thing.

And then what fidelity! If there were nothing in them of all those things in that flaming manner, yet [Page 117] me thinks their fidelity as subjects should make them honourable,

How?

I will tell you how; because that having no en­couragment almost, but railing, and scoffing, and con­temning of them, and raising reproaches on them, &c. and the liberty of their conscience threatned day by day, and impaired very much every day by those that stay at home here, and eat the fat the while; yet not­withstanding they do not (as diverse have done) lay down their Armes, and say, I see my conscience will be in slavery when all is done, and I have ventured my life: therefore I will go beyond Sea, as many godly men have done: but they resolve, I will die for the Parliament, let them take away my liberty, and make me a slave, yet we will do it, all the reproaches cannot discourage them; it is the joy of their souls, when they hear of a skirmish, or a fight, they leap. What a glorious spirit is on English men!

Therefore (I beseech you) take heed of calling light darknesse, there is nothing that provokes God more: take heed of raising, and nourishing a cursed reproach against the Saints. I say not against Independents, or Presbyterians, or Anabaptists, but I say against godly men: I will stand to it, there is the hatred against Christ, and godlinesse in them, and then they put it up­on Antinomians, and Presbyterians, and Anabaptists, and Independents: but they are blind wretches that hate god­ly men, and seek to ruine the Kingdom, and to cut the throats of them. Therefore take heed, honour those that God honours, If God have honoured them, and they [Page 118] honour God, and love God, let us in and for God give them honour also.

Shall I teach you another word (and so I have done) Learn hence by experience (though it be not the best mistress) to set forward godly men (as much as you can) to the work. It is not a dallying time; the Kingdom is almost sunk, and we have made experi­ments of men, and things to try conclusions, till we have almost ruined the Kingdom, though we see it not here. It is not a time to dally when the Kingdom gasps, you know there is a party of wicked men at Oxford: here was a great company of treacherous men chosen for the Parliament that went to the King: Then we have had experience of all Committees, what things are done by men that are not right, that are not godly, I meane, not that are not of this or that faction, but that are not godly.

O Learn, and O that God would teach England and London, and all to be wise at last, that now in all places, and Offices, and occasions of war, and at home, and in Committees and any thing. Look not how I may please my Landlord, or how I may please such a Gentleman, but if he be a faithfull godly man, O set him forward. That is the way to save this poor Kingdom, you will never save it as long as you say, I have such a kins­man, and he shall be a Colonel, and I have such a Cosen-German, and he shall be a Committee man, you will never do good so. Therefore if God would, and O that he would put it into the hearts of the Parliament to imploy godly men in this Army, that lay idle before, and did nothing: you see how the Lord hath wonder­fully blessed them, you see things done that have not [Page 119] been done in our age before, such successions of victo­ry, and worthy actions. Therefore imploy godly men, faithfull men, Presbyterians, or Independents, look not at that, but see if they be godly men. Let us pray to the Lord that God may do it, that God may put it into the hearts of all so to do.

I shall say two or three words more, and so I have done.

One is, from this of Bristol, learn to believe that the strongest afflictions will work for our good. We know this was a strong affliction, a sore affliction that had confounded. There was not a man of us when we came out of Bristol, that could render a reason, what God did mean in shaming our prayers, and our preaching, and in scattering the poor Saints: it amazed us, we knew not what it meant, yet now we see plain­ly that God did mean to do our souls good; God hath done the souls of many of his people good, and God will do their bodies good, and every thing shall be for the best; and we hope also, that they now knowing what the cruelty and oppression of the Enemy is, it will make them more carefull to save the City, whereas before, all the world could not make the generality confident to the Parliament: but now we see God was wiser then we, therefore if God bring strong afflicti­ons on our selves, or our wives, or children, that we know not what to make of them, let us learn to be quiet and patient, and to see that God means us well, and that it shall turn to our good.

Another thing is this, that you may learn a little for your souls from it, to reason from the greater to the least, and from the least to the greater, it is the or­dinary [Page 120] way of Scripture, If God hath given us his Son, shall he not with him give us all things? So, I say, thus me thinks you and I may reason, that the Lord that hath battered those Forts, those Castles, or done as good as broken them, that all their preparations these two years could not keep them, but God hath thrown them down; why should I not hope that God will batter down the bulwark in my heart? I prayed, and you prayed that God would deliver that Castle and Forts and those things to our Forces, and they were strong and mighty, and God did it, and shall not the Forts and Bulwarks that Sin and Satan hath in my heart be thrown down? Truly, that should help our faith a little to follow God to throw down the one as he hath the other. Those strong hodls, those strong lusts that are there, unbelief and worldliness, and pride, and wantonness, and such like things that are in the souls of people variously. Methinks this might in­crease our confidence, and stir up our more earnest prayers to God, that he would be pleased to throw down these, as he did the Works of Bristol, and to make way for the King of glory to come into them.

And I could wish lastly, that you would help poor Bristol people a little, as much as you can to settle them comfortably in their habitations according as the Parliament gave order, for they will finde naked walls there; and if there be any thing, the Plague having been there, it may be they dare not go in. Therefore incourage them, pray for them, and if it be in your power any way, help them a little, for they are but a few that are here, and weak. Pray for them that they may have good Officers, and good Common-Counsel-men, [Page 121] and good Ministers, and the like, you have more friends that live here, and it may be more understanding then they have, and now is the time if you can do any thing, help them a little in that: otherwise for them to go home, among a company of carnal Aldermen, and carnal Common Counselmen, and carnal Ministers, what help shall they have? Therefore pray for them, and help them, as God shall give you opportunity.

HEre are four or five things that the Lord The bles­sings of the later times. promiseth in the latter times.

One is, that the mountaine of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted. That is, the Church and [Page 123] people of God and the things of God shall be exalted in this world above all other things. You know now that the power of Christ is beneath all other powers, and the Kingdom of Christ is beneath all other Kingdomes, and the people of Christ are beneath all other people, and the Ordinances of Christ are beneath all other or­dinances: but in the latter times, the Mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the moun­tains. The time shall come when God shall raise his Church, and people, and his laws and ordinances, and every thing of his, above the world, that the Saints shall be more glorious, and more respected then all the people in the world besides.

And therefore you that are Saints: be not troubled to see Christ so low in the world, it grieves them to see how every base thing gets over Christ, to see how Christ and his things are trampled on in the world. Christ is as a Worm, thou worm Jacob, every childe may put his foot upon the head of a Worm: so are all the things of God, and have been hitherto, but in times to come the Lord shall raise his Mountain above all other mountains.

Another thing promised is, that in the last times, Many Nations shall come and say, Come let us go up to the House of the Lord, and to the Mountain of the God of Jacob, &c. that is, when Christ and his Laws, and Ordinances shall be exalted, there will be a greater Har­vest among the people then ever there was be­fore.

First, In respect of the extent of it, Many Nations shall come and say. Whereas now, most of the Nations of the world are ignorant of, or enemies to the things [Page 124] of Jesus Christ: there are few Nations that hear of the Name of Christ: but then many Nations shall come, many Nations that lye in Paganism, and Heathenism, and darkness, God will finde a way to spread the savor of the Gospel to them.

Secondly, then there shall be a great deal of wil­lingness to come to Christ in his holy Ordinances, they shall say, Come let us go up to the mountain of the House of the Lord, and they shal flow to it. Now you know what a deal of preaching there is to bring home one soul to God; a man may preach, and preach, and searce ever a one brought home to God; the Lord pours but a little of his Spirit with preaching, we are to bless his Name for any, but the time shall come, that as soon as the people hear they shall obey.

The people shall flow unto,

The word is taken from the Tide: there are two things meant by it,

First, That then abundance of people shall come in to the Lord, for the Tide comes in with waves, and abun­dance of water, it comes not with a little water, but with multitudes.

Then it comes with strength and power, that goes through all opposition. We see now it is not so, the Lord gives but little of his Spirit, and therefore there are but few that come in to God, and of those few, many of them, every little thing turns them off, one is afraid of persecution, another of the loss of his estate, another of the loss of friends, another of the loss of his grace, but then they shall flow.

Another thing in this Promise of this glorious Har­vest is this: as they shall flow, so also they shall be in­abled, [Page 125] their hearts shall be inlarged to learn abundance of the Will of God, and moulded to a willingness to obey it. This is not accomplished yet, They shall then say, Come, let us go to the house of the God of Jacob.

Now you know there is but little teaching. Indeed God teacheth some few wondrously, more aboundantly then we can teach, but yet there be many, though we speak much, and though they live under the Ordinan­ces, yet they learn little; and then that little that they do learn, there is very little power that goes along to frame their hearts to do it, but then they shall say,

There will be a power, that when the Saints hear the word from God, they shall not be alway wishing, and woulding, and say I would I could do so: but there shall be a power with the word, whereby they shall be en­abled to do it.

Another thing promised in the last times is, that,

The Lord will end these wars that are among the Na­tions, that make the lives of people and of the Saints uncomfortable. And especially (as I take it with sub­mission to the people of God that are wise) that the wars here principally meant are wars for Religion, as ap­pears by the verses following, they shal be at their swords into plow-shares, and their spears into pruning hooks. They shall then give over wars, and live peaceably together; whereas you know now most of the wars in the world are about Religion. The Turk would come, and subdue [Page 126] Christendom to set up the worship of his Mahomet, the Pope would destroy him to set up his Religion; and so all over the world there is a disposition, that with fire, and fagot, and sword, and spear; we would bring men to worship God, every man according to his own fancie, But (saith he) then there shall be no such wars, every man shall sit under his own vine, and under his own fig­tree, and none shall make them afraid, The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. Then they shall be quiet, there shall not be such persecuting in the world.

For all people will walk, every [...] in the name of his God, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for evermore.

That is the reason why I think it is meant of wars about Religion: because it is said, all people will walk every one in the name of his God, and we will walk in the name of our God also. That is, people shall not be forced to worship this or that God, or this way, or that way, with sword, and spear, but they shall all sit under their own vines: that shall be the fruit of that abundance of teaching that there will be, every Nation will walk in the name of his God, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever.

Not (beloved) but that the Lord Iesus hath left, and doth still continue to the end of the world a way of spirituall censure, and punishments for people that sin against him. It is not meant that people in the last times shall go where they will, and do what they list; no, we have ordinances in the Church given by Christ for the correction of those that walk inordinately; we are to deliver our selves from them, and to deliver them up to Satan. But in respect of the main course that [Page 127] the world hath been in, and is to this day, they shall not then be under censures for those nifles, and trifles, as hitherto the way hath been by fire, and fagot, and sword: but (saith the Holy Ghost) it shall not be so then, every one shall walk in the name of his God, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for evermore.

Then here is another mercie.

In that day saith the Lord will I assemble her that halt­eth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted, and I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast afar off a strong Nation, and the Lord shall reign over them in Mount Zion, from henceforth even for ever.

That is, we may know the worth of mercies, by the presence of miseries; we see now some halting, some runing into errours, and blasphemies, and we know not what to do: but then the Lord will make them that halt a remnant; the Lord will gather the people that halt and go aside, and he will settle, and confirm them in the truth. These are the thoughts of the Lord, and the counsells of God concerning the last dayes. There­fore we are the while to wait patiently for the Lord, and to pray earnestly that God would make good his promise to us: and not to loose our selves (as we are apt) to see the disorders and confusions of Churches and Common-wealths in these days. But as people that are in a storm, we should look when the cloud will be over, that the Lord will give fairer weather, and remove all these things, when the last, and blessed, and best dayes shall come. And this is the chief thing that the prophet here aimes at.

I Will not stand now to shew you what a just man is. Only in a word take notice that the just man here meant, is not a man that is just in his own sight or in his own personall righteousnesse, or just in the esteeme of the world: though men be so called, and not improperly: he is a just man that deales justly: but the just man in the Gospell lan­guage, is a man that though he be not greatly esteemed in the world; and though he hath many things that make him seem less just then many morall men that seem just, yet according to the law of God he is just, we are to declare him so, the Gospell declares him just, because God hath received a righteousness whereby he calls him just; he calls him just, because Iesus Christ is The just man lives by faith four wayes. 1. In respect of justifica­tion. made righteousness to him. Now the just man lives by his faith four wayes.

He lives by faith, first in respect of justification; there is a light that the Saints have, that whereas, as sinners [Page 129] they were dead before in trespasses, and sins, they now see themselves acquitted of all their debts, they see Gods justice satisfied and his law fulfilled, and they see them­selves just men: whereas they were dead in law be­fore, now, in law (or in Gospell as it were) they are a­live again. For so it is, that every man, and woman among us, though he be never so honest, or civill, or faithfull in holy duties, &c. yet if he be not justified by the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ, he is a dead man in the language of God, and according to the law of God. Just as a man at the barr that is condemned to die, he is a dead man in law, though the sentence, as Solomon saith, be sometimes delayed, and put off, and not executed: he may be reprived a little, from one yeer to another, but he is a dead man, that is, he is an unjustified man: so if God hath not given thee the righteousnesse of Christ, and a heart to lay hold of that, be what thou wilt in thy self, and do what thou canst of thy self, yet thou art a dead man, and those that lay hold of that righteousnesse are living men. This life is much spoken of Rom. 5. how we are dead by the first Adam, and alive by the second Adam, that life is our justification, vers. 17. By one mans offence, death reigned by one, much more they which receive abundance of grace, and of the gift of righteousnesse, shall reign in life by one, Iesus Christ.

There is secondly, a life of sanctification, Ephes. 4. they were strangers from the life of God; that is, the life 2. In respect of sanctifi­cation. of holinesse, and their hearts were heardned, and carried away with lasciviousnesse, &c. Thus a man comes to live by faith: for all that thou dost, though thou ac­count it holinesse, and the world may account thee a holy man, yet if every graine of thy grace, and holi­nesse [Page 130] do not come from Christ by the power of faith, thou art but a dead man, and all thy works are but dead works.

Then thirdly, the Saints live by faith, that is, the life 3. Faith is their assurance. of assurance (as I may so call it) the Saints they hold their assurance of the former by the power of faith (not by sense) for a while at least: they know they are Saints, how do they know it? by faith: they know they are justified, how do they know it? By Faith.

True it is, when God gives them the knowledge of sense, they must not shut their eyes one day that they have it, but our eyes are so dim that we are ready to mistake; so that the maine course of a mans life is by faith from Gods love in Christ in the free Covenant, which Covenant consists in such promises, which pro­mises speak to me by such ordinances as this, and the Lords Supper, &c. This is a third way.

Fourthly, and lastly, the Saints live by faith, that is, in all afflictions they do bear up their spirits, and are sup­ported 4. It is their support in afflictions. by the power of faith upon the word, though there be nothing seen, and appear. A naturall man cannot hold up, but sink, further then there is some sensible, visible thing to hold him up: but the just, those that are Saints, they have an art, a mysticall art, whereby when they see nothing, but have a word, wherein God hath promised to do this, or that for them, they can bear up themselves, and so go on as chearfully as if they did enjoy, or as if they did see their deliverance. Thus Habakkuk, we read, this proverb. verse 1, 2, 3. The vision is for an appointed time, in the end it will speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely [Page 131] come, it will not tary, Behold, his soul which is lifted up, is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith.

There was a vision that did promise good to this peo­ple, but this vision must tarry a little, it must not be performed presently: but they might say, how shall we do in the mean while? The just shall live by his faith. Though there be nothing seen, yet notwithstanding they shall bear themselves, and carry themselves chear­fully, and comfortably, and contentedly by beholding the truth of the busines, and the sweet expectation they have of it, as if it were come already. You have the proverb repeated by the Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrews, in this sense, yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. You have need of pati­ence, saith the Apostle. They were in great afflictions, there was a promise that God would help them, but what shall we do in the meane while, while the grasse grows? In the meane while the just shall live by his faith; he shall drive on and carry on the work, and bear up himself, and his spirit, and his comfort, and all on the word of the Lord, and he shall do all this by his faith. So that this being the lesson shortly (though I be not able yet to clear this fully to you: for truly this is a lesson wherein we still shall want light, we are not able to see it perfectly, it is from faith to faith, saith the Apostle. That is, we come from one degree of faith to another to live by faith: there are many kinds, many degrees of living by faith) Now this is it that I would commend to you, and exhort you to, that you would seek the Lord, and study the Scriptures, that you might come to this, that you may live by faith.

First of all, in the grosser part of it, concerning sancti­fication (that is an easie thing to be understood) that you would not regard, or weigh any thing in all your profession, but what doth come from Iesus Christ by faith. Truly, much of our Religion, is a naturall kinde of Religion, and much of that which is like good in us, doth not spring from Iesus Christ, and whatsoever is not from him, will never be accepted by him. We have many morall vertues from old Adam, that we gild over, and account them graces, but God loaths them. We have many duties that we have taken up in the imitation of others, by good education or the power of the letter Preached to us, and yet this is not the life of faith, it is not holinesse by faith.

And therefore, let us not (like many professors) study the muchnesse of Religion, or the plausiblenesse of it without; as that I am able to preach, as other preachers do, and you are able to pray in a day of humi­liation as other professors do, this is nothing: but let us labour that that little holinesse that is in us, may clearly proceed from the Lord Iesus Christ. One had better have a Garden of a few true, and pleasant Flowers, though there be but a few, then to have a Garden with some Flowers, and a world of trash like Flowers, there is no pleasure in it. Now, I fear that much of thy best duties spring from old Adam, much of thy best prayers, and much (it may be) of that Reli­gion whereby thou art accounted a professor: much of it, I fear, is nothing but old Adam, and his ruines screwed up, and varnished, or gilded, and not from the Lord Iesus Christ.

And therefore remember this, that as drunkennesse, [Page 133] and whoredom, and those grosse, and scandalous works of darknesse, are called dead works, so every graine, every stamp of good in thee, if it be not from the new Adam, it is but a dead work. I could shew you how you shall know the one from the other, but that the time is short, and I must not hinder other occasions; There­fore I leave that upon your thoughts that you may pray to the Lord: Lord; I do not care how men conceive of me, I care not though I be among the least of all Saints, as Paul saith, if I be reckoned the least of all Saints, so that that little Saint-ship, and holinesse that is in me flow from Christ, that it be a grace from his grace, and light from his light.

But the other truth is wondrous hard to expresse, that we should in respect of justification, and assurance learn the Art of living by faith, that when the Lord shall take away all comfortable objects of sight, and sense, that we can see nothing, we cannot pray at all; we see corruption upon corruption, and waves of temptations one upon another, and no working within to relieve us, that I am able then to live by faith; that is, to see a righteousnesse in Iesus Christ, and to build upon his word, and Covenant, to hold my self, and my assurance still, I am a son still, everlasting life belongs to me still, though I feele, and see nothing, but hell, and some­thing worse if it may be, yet notwithstanding I am a Saint, and I am righteous, and just, and the Lord is my father, and hath reserved everlasting life for me.

Beloved, the life that Christians ordinarily do live, it is a life mingled with faith, and sense: for if God give me free grace, why should not I rejoyce in it? If I clearly see the first fruits of the Kingdom of heaven, [Page 134] why should I exclude my reason not to conclude that there is more grace behind?

But there are other Saints that have a mixture of faith and sense, that take away sense, and their faith is gone, their faith is grounded upon sense. And I have oft times looked in to my soul, and thought why the Lord suffered me to be carryed away with corrup­tions, and to be overwhelmed with temptations, whereas he hates these things, and I hate them, and I weary him, and they weary me, and he can help it, and I cannot; why he should do thus, to suffer me to pray, and I cannot overcome? There are many reasons the Lord hath given in to my soul from time to time: but of all reasons this is the chief, that the Lord thereby would inure us to live by faith. The Lord comes many times when we are compassed about with grace, and holinesse, and can go as you do into your Gardens, and take now one Flower, and then ano­ther, and make a posie of grace, I behold my love to the Saints, and my delight in God, and my uprightnesse in my calling, and I make a posie of them, God comes and dashes it all, every jot, and what shall I say now? Now for a man to be able to take up a promise that the just shall live by his faith, that is, I am still as just as ever I was, and I am assured of it (in a sort) as much as ever, without the least graine of any thing felt or seen, and I bear up my profession, and all my works, as if I had those views of graces that once I had, now all is gone. Whereas, ordinarily when God dasheth all this way, what is the fruit of it? Then a man con­cludes, I am an hypocrite, I am a damned creature, I [Page 135] cannot believe, then I must sit in a holy moping, why? because sense is gone, faith is gone almost, faith stays no longer then sense, and that is a signe that you alway lived by sense: God takes occasion many times to dash all that ever is in us, and that ever hath been done by us; God will write hypocrisie upon it, he will make us read so at least, dost thou see what thou art? There is no creature more carnall; and in that thou hast done, there is this crookednesse, and that hypocrisie, there is this guile, and that, all is naught. Then the Lord by this teaches one to go a high-lone, without crutches; one of these faintings teacheth one to go without a staffe, alone. And there­in also is the glory of God, that is glorious in all his works of creation, and providence, glorious in war, knapping the spear asunder: but his glory in the Gos­pell is more, that usually when God hath shewed a Saint his confusion and wickednesse, to magnifie his grace the more, then ordinarily, God takes these times to do more for a poor soul, then ever he did at any time: the Lord will then give a new seal of the par­don of sins, and new discoveries of the mysteries of the Gospell, and of Iesus Christ in the midst of these con­fusions. But it is the hardest thing in the world, to live clearly by faith when sense is gone; there is that I drive at all this while. I see poor creatures mop­ing every where, and when sense is out, then their candle is out, as Iob saith, How oft is the candle of the wicked put out? So, that Saint that lives by sense, his comfort is no longer then he sees, and feels grace, he hath assurance of Gods love no longer [Page 136] then he feels grace. So there are but few of you that have a root of faith, that in all the ebbings, and flowings of grace, your comfort, and strength, and assurance by Faith goes on in its course as before. Now desire the Lord to bring you to this clearely, that according to this blessed proverb you may live by faith.

THe occasion of this speech of our Saviour was, there was a young man, a very rich young man that came to Christ, and would learn the way to heaven of him. And our Lord he cuts him out a task too hard for his carnall heart, among the rest, to give all that he had to the poor. The young man was very sad, and went away, because he was very rich, It may be a poor man might have done it: but the more riches men have, the more loath they are to part with it. Whereupon, saith our Lord, you may see how hard it is for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of heaven, A Camell may go thorow the eye of a needle as soone. Whereupon his Disciples replied in a vanting way, crowing over the man, Master, what shall we have? we have done gallantly, we have forsaken all that we have, and have followed thee; what shall we have therefore? Saith our Lord Christ, You shall have a large reward I confesse, I say unto you. Ye [Page 138] which have followed me in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit in the Throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve Thrones. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or land, or children, or father, or mother, or wife for my names sake; shall receive an hundred fold here, and shall inherit everlasting life. For, saith he (he puts this correction upon it) here is a large reward, as if he should say, if the young man had followed my advice he had been no loser, nor you shall not, but many that are first shall be last, and the last shall be first. As if he should say, I would not have you to be proud, and to crow over that poor man that is run from me, because you are old Disciples; it may be that man may come back again to me, and be my best servant when you may run away: for many that are first shall be last, and the last shall be first. And thereupon our Lord in the next Chapter, on purpose to this end to bring down their spirits, he expresseth himself in a whole parable of a man that hired servants, and he that came at the last hour received as much as he that came at the beginning of the day; he takes down their spirits from being too high over poor sinners. So that is the lesson that I de­sire you seriously to consider of, the text it self shall be the Doctrine, that

I say, many sinners, and slow professors, shall be first, and formost in the ways of godlines; and many old professors that have been once zealous, shall be last, and lowest in the formes of Religion and godlinesse.

I need not tell you that there are severall formes of godlinesse. There are (as Iohn saith) fathers, and young men, and children; there is the weak, and the strong, [Page 139] the spirituall, and the carnall. Now God (I say) hath cast it so that ordinarily the weak shall outrun the strong, the childe shall go before his father, the young, green, slow professors; shall be in heaven, and the way to heaven before the old professor, and they that were first shall be last, and they that were last shall now be first. For the opening of it, it is to be understood two ways.

First of all you are to understand this, that the first shall be last, and the last first, not as an universall, generall rule, that every young professor shall outstrip an old: but the way to Heaven is so narrow, that in the pro­fession of Religion, abundance of them do fall away. And few men fall away at the first: but when the tryall comes, when the Sun ariseth, as our Lord saith. So a learned expositer upon it saith, that it may be thirty, or fourty, or fifty, or sixty yeers among pro­fessors, there may be many hypocrites, and there are more that have but a common work of the spirit of God: thereupon our Lord speaking onely to profes­sors such as they were, Matt. 13. where he saith three of the four were rotten, and come to nothing, and the fourth only hold out. Some mens sins are open before (saith Paul) and some follow after. We see it by some men setting out in Religion, they never come to any thing: but some mens sins follow after. Some men go far, and walk gloriously, and afterward are discovered. And truly, it is a rule among the best of our ministers, that seldome or never, hypocrites go out of this world undiscovered: And hence it comes to passe by the falls of hypocrites, and those that have not a saving work of grace, that great ones fall away, and little, low ones out­strip them.

Secondly, it comes to passe that the first are last, and the last first, because the Lord for reasons best known to himself for the most part so casts it, that even among true professors, true Saints, the most part of them when they grow ancient (in Religion especially) they take a napp before they go hence. They go as travellers in the way, that go out betime in the morn­ing, but take a baite of two or three hours in the way, and so slow travellers get before them. There is not one in ten ordinarily, but hath a shrewd napp when he is ancient in Religion, before he go hence. There­upon we see the ten Virgins, Matt. 25. The wise Virgins slept as well as the foolish, they all slept: but the wise Virgins awaked in time, and got up again, and the foolish slept it out. And while they are napping and sleeping, the first becomes last, and the last first. For we may not think that all such ancient professors, that they have no grace. We see now, are there not some Magistrates, and many Ministers, old non-conformists, that are now generally napping, and sleeping, that you would think there were nothing of God in them? we may not think that they belong not to the Lord, and that they have no grace. This is the time when many simple souls get into Christ, and the knowledg of Christ, and have further enjoyments of spirit, and communion of spirit with him, then those grave Ministers, and Com­mon-wealths men, that before held out Religion more then others: yet we are not to think that they have no grace.

Therefore of this briefly, there are these four or five practicall lessons that we should learn.

The first is, that all you that are ancient Christians, 1. Vse to a­void security. [Page 141] ancient professors, if ye stand, to take heed least ye fall. How should this me thinks make an ancient Saint watch? how should he avoid security, when it is ordi­nary for old Christians to take a napp, and so not to be higher in Heaven; they lose much of their glory in Heaven; nay they lose their honour here, ye some men think them to be hypocrites. Therefore stand on your guard: say not, we have been professors, twenty, or thirty, or fourty yeers, as ordinary professors bragg of their standing in Religion. No, but remember this lesson, there are many first that shall be last: therefore walk watchfully, and circumspectly. Think with your selves, and O that the Lord would open the eyes of ancient Christians in this City, to see poor souls of a yeer, or half a yeers standing, start up, that have more of Christ in them, and more clear knowledge of the Gos­pell, and love him more, and his Saints, and do more for him then they do. O look about thee, and con­sider with thy self that though thou be ancient, and before that man or woman in Christ, yet thou mayst come a great while after him to heaven for all that. Therefore, saith Paul, I press hard to that which is be­fore. It is a comparrison from men that run in a race. As the heathen Poet saith, when a man runs in a race, he never looks on the horses that are behind him, but if there be one before him he looks to that. Beloved, look that if thou be before others, take heed that thou come not to the goale after them.

Secondly, let ancient professors, ancient Christians 2. Not to contemn o­thers. learn not to despise, and contemn weak Saints, young beginners, nay not sinners themselves: I have ob­served it to the grief of my soul, with the bleeding of [Page 142] my heart, a great deal of contempt, and disdaine in the brows of some ancient Christians against some weak Saints: take heed of it: for though thou be first, and great now, thou art honoured now as an excellent Prayer in London, as one excellent in a day of humilia­tion; who knows whether thou that art first mayst not be last? Therefore contemn not weak Saints. No, nor sinners, there is many a man that may be in the Ale-house, a drinking, and swearing, and whoring, and his quean with him, that may be in heaven before thee, therefore be tender to sinners, especially if it be a Saint that hath any thing of God in him, consider he that is first may be last, and the last may be first.

Thirdly, let weak Saints, and young beginners, learn 3. Weak ones not to bear themselves unreverently hence also, as on the one side (that I may put in that caveat) not to behave themselves unreverently toward the ancient. I would not have old Saints to crow over the young, muchlesse the young over the ancient: Saith Paul, rebuke not an elder, but rather exhort him. If we in preaching must not speak so sharply to ancient Christians, whether elders in Office, or rather in Religi­on (as I believe it is) we must not rebuke him, but speak with reverence, so much more young Christians must speak reverently, of ancient Christians, and not say, there goes such an old professor, and such a one saith, the first shall be last; and so despise him. No, but as God hath put the law of nature that the young shall ob­serve the elder, and the junior shall respect the senior: so in grace and Religion, people must observe their duty. Therefore young women must learn of the old, and old women should be teachers of good things to young women, not given to wine, &c. beware [Page 143] of petulant, wanton carriage towards old profes­sors.

So, on the other side, be not discouraged by seeing the Neither to be discourag­ed. graces in ancient, strong Christians. It is an ordinary thing for weak Saints to be more discouraged at the graces of strong Saints then at any thing else. As a weak eye that looks on the Sun can see just nothing; so many a weak soul hath the testimony of Gods spirit, that he walks uprightly in his family before the Lord: but if he fall into the company of spirituall Christians that are full of the Spirit, full of the Holy Ghost, he comes home, proclaiming himself an hypocrite all the way as he goes. Do not that; for God hath cast it so, that the first shall be last, and the last shall be first: therefore though I be weak, who knows but that God may make me equall to that glorious Saint? There­fore as he is not to be secure and proud, so I am not to be discouraged.

Fourthly: learn also this lesson (for it is of especiall use in these times: for this is the age when old pro­fessors 4. Not to judge others. set themselves to sleep) learn hence, not to judg of Christians, old Christians, old professors to be hypo­crites, because that they have taken a napp. I may not think that that man whom I have known to be the first man for Religion, of all the Iustices of the Peace, of all the Gentlemen in the country, of all the ministers in the County: because he is now the least and last of all the gentry, or ministery, or the like, I may not (a [...] the ordinary fashion of men is) conclude that there is no grace in him. It is an ordinary thing among us, you have instances every where in this case: but rather conclude this, that many that are first shall be last, and [Page 144] the last shall be first, God hath put the one against the other, that we should finde nothing after him.

God delights in variety of works, and he hath cast it so, that ordinarily professors should be like the An­gels or Iacobs ladder, some up, and some down, the young going before the old, and the old coming be­hinde the young, and as souldiers in training, wheele about, and go behinde one another. God in wisdom hath done so; therefore I wil not say, such a Magistrate, or such a minister, or such a Gentleman doth not belong to God, because he is not so good as he hath been, he was once the best, and now he is the least, he may be the Lords notwithstanding all this. We must re­member this, or else we shall make hypocrites of all the world: for there is no Christian but hath his fail­ings, and if we conclude so, then God will have no Saints. It is a blessed meanes of meekning the heart to­wards napping Christians.

Then lastly; let there be a kind of equality, and spiri­tuall 5. To pre­serve a corre­spondencie and equality. correspondencie between all Saints (O that God would have it so) that as the younger should not carry themselves unreverently to the elder, so the elder should not despise the younger: but as there was an equality in their gathering of Mannah, they that had much, had nothing to spare, and they that had little had no want: so the Lord delights in equality among the Saints, God hates to see Christians, that have much knowledge, to brow-beat weak Saints, God hates it. Let us love a kinde of equality, and spirituall correspon­dencie: For we are all one body, and have all one head: the greatest member cannot say to the toe, I have no need of thee: the greatest Christian; if he be as an eye [Page 145] in the head, he cannot say that he hath not need of the weakest Saint: there is something that may do him good, if he could see it.

To end this, I will give you the expression of Calvin on Rom. 16. 16. Salute one another with an holy kiss, the Churches of Christ salute you. The observation of Master Calvin upon this place is this, that the A­postle had before saluted a great many strong Saints by name, and commended them for some excellencies, one for one thing, another for another, Priscilla, and Aquila as helpers in Christ, and such a one for such a thing he gives commendation; now because he names not all, least the weak should be offended, therefore, saith the Apostle, salute one another with a holy kisse. It was their manner before their supper, they had feasts of love, and before their feasts of love, they did alway salute one another with an holy kisse; they kissed one another, and it was a Ceremony that God appointed to this end, to shew that there was a kinde of equality between all the Saints, that the poorest could not be kept at a distance from the rich, and the youngest Saint that the other day was a drunkard, or whoremonger, was not to be despised, but was kissed of the old. So that kiss linked them together, that though there was difference, yet this kisse levell­ed them.

Beloved, how far, this ceremony should be practised by us, or we are bound to it, is more then I can tell, or any that I know: but that is signified by it holds, that there should be a blessed correspondencie between all the Saints, and some kinde of way, whereby a man that is in Christ, be he never so weak, may know that [Page 146] Christ accepts him, that the greatest Saint, and most glorious on earth, accepts him also. And not as the factious custome of disputing professors is; that never take notice of, but scorn hundreds of poor Saints, that have not those gifts, that cannot talk swelling, proud words, as Iude saith. All that are Christs should be dear to us as they are dear to Christ, he loves them a­like, he paid as much for them as he did for us; and God is their father. And Christ provided foreseeing the disposition of men in latter times, that of all Saints we should take care of the weakest: therefore saith Christ to Peter, Peter, lovest thou me? lovest thou me? lovest thou me? Lord, thou knowest all things, Well, I see thou lovest me, as thou lovest me feed my lambs. We are to feed the sheep too: for Peter was a Shep­erd, but we are to feed the lambs of Christ especially. In Mat. 18. you know what care Christ takes of his little ones, he compares young professors to little Chil­dren, and if any offend one of them, it were better that a Milstone were hanged about his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the Sea. If you should see a man in the midst of the Sea with a Milstone about his neck, it were a miserable condition: so it is a sad condition of high, and lofty professors, that brow-beat weak Saints, that will not correspond, or condescend to them of the lower sort, O, saith Paul, who is weak and I am not offended? who is offended and I burn not? I will say no more of that, remember many that are first shall be last.

I Do finde beloved that now a days the devil hath wondrous designes in the world, and truly one of the great­est that I know among us is this, that he indeavours to cheat us of the ordi­nances of God, and to bring us from them one by one by degrees. He hath brought us from repetition of the word, and from singing of Psalms, and many from baptizing of the infants of the godly, and divers from the supper of the Lord, and from hearing the word of God preached; and now he comes and begins to bring people from praying, or calling upon the name of the Lord: therefore let us do as Rehoboam did, when he had lost Ten Tribes, he went and strengthened the two that remained. Be­loved there are but a few ordinances that remaine, and they are almost gone too, therefore let us do our best to keep those. One is praying, or calling upon God; [Page 148] which our Lord Christ divers ways, by precept; and example, and parables, &c. doth exhort his Disciples to, to pray alway, and not to faint. So that this is it that you should do well to consider, that

Prayer, or calling upon the name of God in Christ, is an ordinance, and a perpetuall ordinance of God.

And though (it may be) many of you do not doubt of it, and therefore you think why should I speak of it? Truly, no more did not I doubt of it, yet I have had many thoughts of it: and though we doubt not of it, yet the considering of it out of the word may stir us up to do it more then we do: for I am afraid, though many of you doubt not of it, yet many of you are slack; and though you believe not what the others say, yet you hearken so much to them as to slacken of what the old Saints did, and of what your selves did before, you do not set your selves so earnestly, and so frequently, and follow God so hard in prayer as you have done: this I greatly fear.

For I find many times that the devill plays a double game, that when he comes to take away an ordinance from people, to cheat them of it, he knowes that some are so giddy, that he can gull, and cheat them clearly, and he knows this that those that he cannot cheat yet he can cast them into a kinde of remisnesse. As for in­stance, he hath taken away from many, singing of Psalms, prasing God according to that manner that the Saints have had for divers ages, whereas there is no particular manner in the scriptures for the outward thing: now as he hath brought many that they will not sing at all, so there are many that are indifferent; and so for baptising the infants of the godly, and so for [Page 149] hearing the Word; and so for praying. The devil hath a dilemma, if you will do so, so it is, or else do this; so I say while some giddy heads, or hearts are throw­ing away the Ordinance of prayer. I am afraid there is a general remisness, or carelesness growing upon your hearts, therefore I shall shew these two things concerning prayer.

First, I shall shew you that it is an Ordinance of God, Prayer an Ordinance of God. Prayer a per­petual duty. that it is a duty, that it is the duty of a Saint.

Secondly, I shall shew you that it is a lasting duty, a duty to be performed in all ages untill the coming of Christ, and that briefly and plainly.

For the first, That it is a duty, consider any duty in the world, and whatsoever you would have to prove it a duty, I dare say it is clear in the Word concerning this duty of Prayer, that, and much more, you cannot name any duty in the Book of God, any external duty that is underpropped, that hath such foundations, such clear ground-works for it as the duty of Prayer.

There are four main grounds of duty, and one of Four main grounds of dutie. them many times is a sufficient ground for any one, as

First, that it is a thing that the law of Nature hath 1. The [...] of Nature. written in the heart of man, to call upon God, it was written in the Creation. There are many duties a­mong us that are not so, under the Gospel, especially. Now that you see in all ages, all kinde of people call upon the name of their God. As in the ship where Jonah was; the Heathens by the dictates of Nature, they awake Ionah to call on his God, and they were calling on their god: it is a thing in the law of Nature. And (by the By) that is the reason why we may pray with [Page 150] carnal men, though we may not receive the Lords Supper, because the Supper of the Lord is an Ordi­nance by institution, the other is a natural Ordinance or duty. Now when a man doth a Natural duty, it is supposed that it is in the heart of a wicked man, and he doth but what he ought when he doth it. A carnal man when he prays he sins, not in that he prays, much less do I sin in doing the duty with him, in doing what he ought: But wherein doth he sin? In the maner, that he prays without faith, it is his fault and not mine; and so an hypocrite that prayeth without faith: when I do the duty, I look that the thing be good, but for the maner of his heart, and spirit, that is for him to look to. So a man may pray with carnal people, though he may not receive the Supper of the Lord, because that is an Ordinance by institution, and is onely for the Saints. That by the by.

Secondly, There is this ground for it, for prayer 2. Com­mand of the Word. we have more precepts then for any other dutie, Christ Jesus saith here, Pray always, And the Apostle, 1 Thes. 5. he bids us pray evermore, pray alway, I need not stand to prove this.

Then you have also presidents for it, almost in eve­ry 3. President and Exam­ple. Saint in the Book of God; you seldom hear of a Saint, but he was a praying Saint. And let me tell you this, that Saints, and Churches, or Assemblies, (for so the Greek word is indifferently) and people that call on God▪ with a pure heart, they are Synonomies. Sometimes Paul saith, Grace, mercy, and peace to the Saints, sometimes to the Churches, and sometimes to those that pray, and call on the name of the Lord Iesus, 1 Cor. 1. 1. It is a thing so proper to a Saint, that it is [Page 151] usually taken for the description of a Saint. Therefore in Zech. 12. where there is a Prophesie concerning the conversion of the Iews; saith God, I will poure on them the Spirit of Grace and Supplication. What is that? That is, they shall be converted. To have a spirit of Supplication, a praying heart is the same as conversion: to convert the Iews is to give them a spirit of Grace and Supplication: As soon as Paul was con­verted, Act. 9. when Ananias inquired of him, he was praying, therefore you have examples enow. 4. Promises entailed on it. Psalm 50.

And then you have Precepts for it, and Promises to it, all along in the Book of God; Call upon me in the time of trouble, and I will deliver thee; So in the new Testament, Iohn 14. And in the Epistles of Iohn; If we call upon God, he will hear our prayers, and grant our petitions, and if you ask any thing in the name of Christ, you shall have it. You know these things; onely I minde you, as Peter, and the rest of the Apostles often minded them of what they knew already, least they should be carried away with the error of the wicked. That is one thing; it is an Ordinance, you see four great pillars under it, it hath the Law of Nature, there are Precepts, and Examples, and Promises to per­form what we pray for: And there are threatnings to those that do it not, Curse the Families that call not on thy Name.

Secondly, I said it was an everlasting Ordinance or duty, and you may see that three ways.

First, If you look upon the old Testament, you shall see there all the people of God, they practised it, I need not instance in any one place.

And secondly, you will easily grant, that if you [Page 152] look upon the times of the new Testament, the dawning of it in Christs time, (for that was the dawning of the new Testament) there you see Christ prayed whole nights, and before day he was on the mountain seeking God; and there are many Parables, one in Luke 11. and an­other here, wherein he exhorts his disciples to be earnest with God, and though God as it were seem as if he had no minde otherwise to do it, yet by the very importunity of prayer (for that is the drift of that Parable in Luke 11. and of this) the Lord will be in­treated. Then come after to the times that the new Testament was fully set up; you see when Christ was gone to the Holy of Holies, there they prayed, and cal­led on God continually, all those Churches did call upon God, there is nothing more clear.

Nay, thirdly, (for there is the main hint of it) in the last times, in these times, and in later times then these (though these be called the last times) the glo­rious times that shall be just at the end of the world, the people of God will be a praying people in those days. I will give you but one place, Zach. 12. that is clear concerning the conversion of the Iews in the last times, that they shall look on him whom they have pierced, and shall mourn every family apart. Now the Iews are not yet come in, neither are those glorious times yet come to the Iews and Gentiles that shall fol­low upon their coming, yet it is said when they shall come in, praying shall be in such request in those days that even the conversation of the Iews is called a pouring on them the spirit of grace and supplication.

Therefore say not now, the last times are come, and these are glorious times, and we can live immediatly [Page 153] upon God without Ordinances, &c. No, those times are not come, and yet when that time is come, they shall have a spirit of grace and supplication to call upon God. And therefore I beseech you, let not the devil steal away any of your Ordinances, for I tell you a­gain, and again, he drives on a wonderful design a­mong you in that respect. And of all Ordinances, labour to keep Prayer: for cast off Prayer, and cast off Saintship; for to be a Saint, and to call on the name of the Lord with a true heart, are the same. I will call thee no longer a Saint then thou callest on God. There­fore notwithstanding all pretences look to that. Some object, God knows our wants, and what need we pray? Saith our Saviour, Mat. 5. Your heavenly Father knows what you have need of, and yet Christ taught them to pray. We must manifest our obedience notwithstand­ing that God will do one thing when we pray for ano­ther: that is a foolish objection, because we know not what is good for us, neither how to pray according to the minde of God: but if it be according to his minde, and for our good, God will not deny it to us.

But the maine Engin that the devil hath to cheat us of this Ordinance, is, that there were times when there was neede of Ordinances, and these beggerly rudi­ments, (this is the language of some) these carnall Ordinances, it is true they were good in the times of the Apostles, and those former times, but now glorious times are come for Saints to live immediately on God, and therefore there is no need of them.

I told you that when the Iews shall be called [Page 154] there will be need of these Ordinances; and though as we grow more perfect in glory, so we have less need of them; therefore as we are more glorious, and have more of the Spirit of Glory in the new Testament then they had in the old, so we have fewer Ordinances then they; and when we shall come to heaven, when she shall be full of glory, we shall have no Ordinances for ought I know: but yet we have infirmities, and the Lord knows what is best for us, and we have a great deal of flesh, and carnalness, and we shall have in a great measure till we be in heaven: therefore God in mercy affords us these Ordinances, and helps to deal with him, and to keep our Communion with him, and to live in, and from him: Therefore I pray you without partia­lity and prejudice weigh the Word of God, whether this be not the Will of God, and then take heed how the Devil cheat you of this blessed Ordinance; for truly I may say, as Christ said, Now is the Ax laid to the root, to the root of Prayer, and if the Devil take away that, thou art no more a Saint, my life for thine, if thou once throw away calling on God. Therefore learn that word, and endeavor to keep up the Ordinances of God: and you that do not, but are grown into remisness by the Opinions that are abroad concerning this duty, I beseech you renew your care and diligence every one of you in publick and private to seek the Lord.

And consider with your selves whether there be not a greater remisness on your spirits then be­fore, did you not set your selves oftner and more earnestly apart to seek God before, then you do [Page 155] now? If it be so, in the name of God, say as David, O how sweet is thy Word! by it thy servant is warned. Now this is the goodness of God, the sweetness of his Word that hath warned thee when thou wert going to undo thy self, and to throw thy self away: Therefore set thy self to it, and let not the sin of o­thers in throwing away of Ordinances, make you remiss in using them, either throw them away quite, or use them as the Ordinances of God, for the careless use of Ordinances is abominable to God.

FOr ye are not under the Law.

There are three things in which a Christian is subject to be under the law, and so to be scourged by it, and if he can get himself in those three things Saints under the Law in three respects out from it, then he is wholy clear. The Saints are un­der it partly, either

• In respect of their
  • Persons.
  • Actions.
  • Afflictions.

For their persons, that is, we do conceive that we do 1. As to their persons deal with God in some measure according to his law, we think that God doth deal with us according to his law, and that we deal with God in some measure according to his law. Whereas we should conceive that God doth not look on me, or speak to me, or deal with me at all according to the law (Christ having fulfilled it, and I being dead to it) but only in reference to grace, so I [Page 157] deal with God as he is my Father, as he is revealed to me in grace in the Doctrine of the Gospel: so that if we could conceive that our persons are fully justified, that all my weaknesses thoughout the day, or week, or year do not make me according to his Law one jot more unjust nor all my good doth not make me more just, for Christ Jesus his Death and Resurrection doth that wholly, therefore my person for ever is freed from the power of the Law, and if I sin, grace may call me to account for it, and whip and scourge me with his Ferula: but for the Law, what have I to do with that? what have I to do with a husband that is dead and buried? what have I to do with the Covenant of works that Jesus Christ hath fulfilled and cancel­led?

Therefore get your persons clear of the Law; for that is it that evidenceth many times that you are not, because when you sin against God, then there ariseth storms within you that were once without you, on Mount Sinai, that blackness and darkness, then you fear you are hypocrites, then you finde wrath in your consciences: as oft as you finde wrath, (that is the work of the Law, for the Law worketh wrath) it shews clearly that your persons are not quite freed from the Law, for though there should be sorrow, and more kindly, and abundant sorrow then ever you felt be­fore, and care, and other things, yet even that wrath, and horror, and hardness of heart, and risings of spirit against God, will testifie that in some measure your persons are under the Law.

Ye are not under the Law.

Secondly, Your actions I (say) should not be under 2 In respect of their acti­ons. [Page 158] the Law, for as one saith, as our persons are justified fully by Christ, so are our actions; that is, whatsoever action I do, or commit, however that action may not be pleasing to God according to Grace or the Gospel, it may not be an acceptable sacrifice, as all our actions should be, yet notwithstanding we should not con­ceive that our actions are to be squared and measured according to the rule and life of the Law, which is the Covenant of works. As for Instance, when a man is under the Law, whose actions are under the Law, he labors all the day long to please God, to serve, and obey him, but if he fail but once or twice that day in his duty, there is some confusion whispered in his soul that all is lost, there is more trouble for that one fai­ling, then he hath comfort for all that he hath done that day; that is just the Law, for the Law saith, if he fail in one he is guilty of all. Now if a man be under grace, he rejoyceth in his sincere indeavor to honor God, and he rejoyceth in the passages of that day, that he hath had communion with God, and where there is weakness, there would be a sweet, clear mourning for it in reference to God as a Father, and not to have the heart estranged from God, and straitned. Our actions in a great measure are under the Law. Our actions are freed from the Law in this life, but we know not our freedom. They are freed thus, all arise either from flesh or spirit; for those are the two beginnings, the two first beeings of all. Now those of the flesh (for a Christian may do an action that is purely flesh, that hath no good in it, then) that is a sin, Christ Jesus hath done it away. Now if it be an action that ariseth from his holy Spirit, that flows [Page 159] from the principle of Iesus Christ that is in him, the Lord accepts of it, that is done already, if he were able to do it, yet it comes too late; but onely he doth it as the honest upright indeavor of a loving childe to a dear father. So, could we measure our acti­ons according to that rule, our lives would be more holy, and more sweet and comfortable.

Thirdly, our afflictions, or sufferings, (it were well 3 Relating to their af­flictions. if we could get out from under the lash of the Law in all these) there we are deeply under it; as soon as ever we are whipped, then we say, God hath found me out, and it is true, God may whip me for it, because I will not take notice of it: though God will not hide his countenance, and his smiles from his childe, one jot further then he must needs do it for fear of cockering him: therefore I know if God frown, and hide his face, that God loves me, and he would shew it: but I have a base heart, that at such times as that would like some sin, and be wanton, otherwise, God hath no delight to hide his face a mo­ment. Now all my afflictions, and sufferings, I am not to look on them under the Law, that is, as though God in reference to these had a purpose to satisfie himself, and his vengeance, and to let his wrath fall upon me, (that is clearly to frustrate the death of Christ) but I am to look on that as fully satisfied, and done by Christ, and God is more faithful then to be paid twice: but I am to look upon all my afflictions, as proceeding from the love of a dear father, and I can take notice of many sins that displease him, and he hath many Gospel-ends to do me good: therefore in afflictions I admit not one hard thought of God, but [Page 160] love him more for his favor in the Gospel. If we see afflictions under grace aright, then afflictions do ex­ceedingly kindle love to God, and increase our commu­nion with him; and whereas they make us run from God, they would make us run to him, and delight in him, but we are under the Law, and that makes our persons and actions, and afflictions to be a burthen. O that the Lord would help us to get clear of it, that every one would labour to get his spirit, his person, his actions, and his corrections, and all clear of that, and dead to that.

Grace in this place (as I conceive) hath a very large extent, and is not taken onely for that favor of God, as it is usually in Scripture, but there is something meant by it, that shall be equivalent (in all respects to a Christian) to the Law, for ye are not under the Law, but under Grace: they are opposites.

Now what that is that is meant by it, I conceive, and can give divers Scriptures also if I had time, that by Grace here is meant the whole Doctrine of the Gospel. Indeed the substance of the Law is contained in it; for the substance of the Law is one and the same for ever. I say the whole Doctrine of the Gospel, that is called Grace; because it is a gracious Do­ctrine, it is a Doctrine full of Grace. The stream, and the maine thing of our Preaching, is, or should be the Grace of God, the love of God, and the good­ness of God. If it be taken for the whole Doctrine, as that in Tit. 2. The grace of God hath appeared to all men, teaching us to deny ungodliness, and worldly lusts, and to live holily and soberly, &c. Grace, that is, the [Page 161] Doctrine of Grace or the Doctrine of the Gospel, 2 Cor. 6. I beseech you receive not the grace of God in vain, that is, the Doctrine of the Gospel, which hath in it grace and mercy, and life and salvation, and the like. Grace and the Law are opposites, as we see Iohn 1. The Law came by Moses, but grace and truth came by Iesus Christ. So grace in this place is to be understood in a large sense.

That is, not onely you are freed from the Law, and you are now in a condition wherein God will have mercy on you, and save you, but far more then that. For beloved, as the Law hath Precepts, and Com­mands, and Teaching: so Grace hath its Precepts also, and commands as well as Promises: therefore he saith, The grace of God teacheth us. He saith not the grace of God tells us, and promiseth us, or the like, but it teach­eth us. Grace hath a School, as the Law had: the Law had a School, and those that lived under it, according to its method it did train and teach them: so a Christian now in the School of Grace, under grace, he hath all that was good, or necessary in the Law, and much more, that it is sufficient in all respects. For a Christian if he be under grace, there he shall have Precepts and Pro­mises, and Directions, and Comforts, any thing that is necessary for him. So that it were well if you would indeavor to conceive, that the onely master you have is Grace, the onely rule by which you walk is Grace, it is the Gospel, which implies in it all the substantiall Precepts of the Law: so in that respect we are bound to the Law, and the Law is of use, and will be to the end of the world.

Now then I would conclude with this, to shew you a little concerning this Argument, Sin shall not have dominion over you, because ye are not under the Law, but under Grace. There are three main Reasons Sin hath less power over those under grace upon three reasons. why a man that is under Grace, that is, clearly freed from the Law, why sin should have less power over him, then when he was under the Law: for those that live under Grace, though they be not perfect, yet they are eminently holy in comparison of what they were, and of what others are that are under the Law.

1 One reason is, because that Grace hath clearer and more spiritual instructions, and directions to holiness then the Law hath. It hath what the Law hath, but it teacheth a great deal of exactness that cannot be exprest: for what the Law teacheth, we may ex­press it by natural understanding, and you by natu­ral understanding may comprehend it; and if you miss it, we may by natural understanding convince you of the breach of the Law: but the precepts of the Gospel are spiritual, and cannot be conceived by na­tural understanding. I say, the course of a Christian, the main walk of a Christian under grace is such, that a natural man cannot see, or understand which way he goeth, because a natural man conceives not the things of God. By the Law a man may convince, and shew it clearly; but the precepts of Grace are so sub­lime, and spiritual, that they must be understood spiri­tually. And thereupon, being that the Precepts, and Instructions, and Directions of Grace, being clearer and brighter, and higher, that is the reason why a man under Grace is brought into fuller obe­dience [Page 163] to a freer service then a man under the Law.

2 Besides, Secondly, when a man is under grace, there is a kinde of ingenuity, a Spiritual ingenuity of the heart, yet though it may be there are not so many Covenants, and Resolutions, and Vows, and the like, yet there is a kinde of ingenuity, that understanding the grace of God, he cannot sin as another doth that is under the Law, and that is the meaning of those Phrases of the Apostle, how abhorrent such a thing would be: As for instance, Shall we continue in sin that Grace may abound? God forbid. As if he should say, our hearts are against it, we cannot endure to render an answer of all Gods grace and goodness in such a manner as that; and so in 2 Cor. 5. whether we be mad or sober, The love of God constraineth us: for we thus judg, that if one died, then all were dead, that we should not henceforth live to our selves but to him that died for us, That is, this is, our reason, we have a kinde of ingenuity in us that makes us thus reason, that if one man did come, and die, and purchase everlasting life, we cannot but live to him that died for us.

That is the reason why a man under the Law, that it may be is a Swearer, a Drunkard, a Spendthrift, and this consumes his soul, and body, and family, and all; and he knows this, yet notwithstanding he goes on, he cannot help it, why? because he is under the Law, be­cause when he hath had his pleasure all day, the Law whips him at night, and thereupon he hardens his heart, and it grows more and more against God, and his Commandments: Now if God would let it into his soul to see what Christ hath done for [Page 164] him, and how righteously the Law is fulfilled through Christ, and thereupon he is freed from Satan, and sin, and death. If God would shew him the hope of his cal­ling, and the glorious condition that he stands in, there would be such an ingenuity that he could not do it, he need not make Vows and Promises that he would be drunk no more, but he would abhor to do so basely and unworthily to so gracious a God that had done so wondrously and incomprehensibly for his soul.

Lastly, There is a power in grace. The Law, was a voyce of words; it did teach just as the Command­ments upon a wall; a poor man may come in and read them, but his heart is not the warmer, there is no disposition to observe the Law: but Grace comes, and in some measure gives a blessed power and strength to do that it teacheth, therefore saith the Apostle, Sin shall not have dominion over you, because ye are not under the Law but under Grace.

THe Apostle ends his Prayer for the Ephesians in a general manner, with a kinde of Thanksgiving. Now to him that is able to do exceeding abundantly according to the power that worketh in us.

According to the power that worketh in us.

There is a mighty power that worketh in the Saints; and you shall see that power Ephes. 1. 19. saith he, I de­sire that you may know what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward that believe, according to the work­ing of his mighty power. It is not weakness, but power, and not a small power, but a mighty power, a great power, an exceeding great mighty power. That worketh in you. The Saints are strong creatures. If you ask, what this power is? you shall see in the verse follow­ing; [Page 166] The power which wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in heavenly places, far above all principalities and powers, &c. That is, the power of his holy Spirit that dwells in us; greater is he that dwelleth in us, then he that dwel­leth in the world. We have a greater power in us, then can be from the world, or hell against us. And that power is illustrated here by the raising of Iesus from the dead, and setting him up in heavenly places. There was no active power that ever God expressed, that can be compared to that of raising Christ from the dead; It was a power, and a great power, and Gods power too to make this world, and it is a power to preserve it: but that power is not comparable to this, when Jesus Christ was dead, under the curse of the Law, and un­der the wrath of God, and under all our sins, under the malice of men, and under a great stone that was rowled on him, and for a dead man to be raised up through all those oppositions of heaven, and earth, and hell, and to be set in peace at the right hand of glory, and ma­jestie on high. It must be an exceeding great power.

The Saints do not consider what strength they have, If thou didst consider what strength thou hast in thee, thou wouldest not be afraid to hear a Cross, thou wouldst not be discouraged to attempt any work for God, thou wouldest not be dismaied at the threat­nings of men, no, nor at the temptations of the devil: there is such an exceeding great and mighty power that works in them that believe.

This power, is the power of the Spirit of God; for that is the power of the most High; the holy Ghost shall [Page 167] overshadow thee, and the power of the most High shall come upon thee. The holy Ghost is the power of God which dwelleth in the Saints. And therefore my aime is to fasten that word on you, and to shew you how you come short of that life, and strength, and grace, that otherwise you might have, for want of magnifying, and exalting the Spirit of God, which is the Conduit, the Intelligencer, that which brings light, and life, and strength to our souls from God. The Spirit of God is lightly esteemed, therefore we have little grace: a low esteem of the Spirit will keep a Saint low all his days.

I thought to have instanced in a few things wherein you undervalue the Spirit. One is, that you do not hearken enough, nor regard, and observe enough the teaching of the Spirit of God; and that is one cause why we are left to our selves, and do so often miss the will of God. For I know not (according to the Covenant of Grace) why a Saint should at any time miss the will of God, but that he doth not observe his Leader; For I will give you the Spirit (saith Christ) that shall lead you into all truth: Now if you observe not this Leader, this Teacher, it is very just that you should be left to wander, and go out of the way.

If a Christian would observe his way, and observe his leader, a Christian might easily finde when he is in, and when he is out; for truly, if a man would ask himself, Why did I miss the will of God so often, since I have such a Teacher promised me, and given me by Christ? he must needs say, that oftentimes I did not observe him, I did not hearken to him, I hearkened only to men, and not to the Spirit of God. And so he would [Page 168] easily finde, when he began to give over harkning where he left the teaching of the Spirit; for in my ap­prehension a Saint follows the holy Ghost with a kinde of sagacity (if I may compare it with reverence) just as we see the Dog follow the Hare: there is something in Nature that the Dog knows which way the Hare went, when a wiser creature knows not: so, there is something in a poor Saint, that when all the wise men in the world know not which way God went, a Saint can tell: Onely the Dog may hunt upon a cold sent, and think the Hare went that way, and it grows colder and colder, and he misseth: So a Saint shall finde when he misseth the will of God, that the Spirit of God hath not left him, unless it be very rare, as the Spirit left Christ to be tempted in the wilderness, so he may leave thee to pull down thy pride, and to humble thee, Isay, that is rare: but ordinarily, the Spirit leaves not thee, but thou lettest goe thy leader, and thou goest all the while on a cold sent. A Saint, though he headlong follows this, or that conceit, yet notwithstanding he may know when he comes to look upon himself; surely I went upon a cold sent in those things: though I followed them headlong, and giddily, it was not of the Spirit, it was not the same teaching that I had or­dinarily. Therefore observe your leader, hearken to the Spirit of God: If God give you him as a master, he expects that his children should learn, and see when you go in the way of the Spirit of God, and you may easily finde that, if you will avoid headlongness, and giddiness, and rashness.

I speak not this as if the Spirit were contrary to the Word, as some men to advance the Spirit, set the [Page 169] Word and Spirit by the ears; but the Spirit leads by the Word.

That which I chiefly intended to shew you, was The power of the Spirit set out in four things. to give you a few instances, that you may have a little light, to see the exceeding greatness of the power of the Spirit working in you. I shall not shew in all re­spects, nor in many, as I might, but onely in a few. I will instance in these three or four things. As first, 1. In dicta­ting a world of prayers to us. that you may see the greatness of his power, what a world of prayers doth the Spirit of God put into thy heart, that thou art never able to utter with thy mouth? All the wisdom in the world cannot make one spiritual pe­tition; we may make forms of Prayer; but now the Spirit of God, that knoweth the minde of God (as the Apostle saith) that maketh prayers according to the will of God, and he prayes with sighs and groans unuttera­ble. I speak to them that know the working of the Spirit: how many thousand prayers doth God put into thy heart that it is impossible for thee to utter with thy mouth? Thou canst not speak to God one peti­tion of fourty that the Spirit puts into thy heart. That some conceive to be the meaning of that in Rom. 8. The Spirit prays with sighes unutterable, not because of our weakness, but because of their strength, and they are so numerous, they are so many, that when a poor Saint goes to pray, one petition stops another, and throngs it out that he cannot ut­ter it.

If the Lord should hear only those prayers that thou makest with thy mouth, thou wouldest be but a poor man, but the Lord respects the prayers of the heart: Therefore I say, to have power to make one prayer, [Page 170] and to have such innumerable sighes and groans in the soul too, it must be an exceeding great power.

Secondly, consider this, how much the Spirit of 2. In sup­plying us when we pray not. God doth for thee, and in thee, that thou never pray­edst for, nor never couldest pray for, no, not so much as in heart. If the Lord did answer all the prayers of heart and tongue, that we make throughout all the year, a man would think that were a great matter; but surely they are so few, considering our wants, and they are so confused and blinde, that I am confident, if God should deal with thy soul and mine, accord­ing to our prayers all the year, we should be miserable creatures all our lives. God exerciseth us to pray, and many of them he answers in their kinde, and he is pleased with our obedience in every thing: but surely, God hath a higher rule of doing us good, and the Spirit of God works in a more methodicall, and wise, and merciful, and blessed way, then we can pray. I have sometimes wondred that God hath made promises to answer many prayers that we make; but I wonder more that God should grant things that we pray not for. This is the exceeding greatness of his power.

Thirdly, consider the exceeding greatness of his 3. By teach­ing us in­wardly▪ power in this respect, in his teaching, how the Spirit of God teacheth his people and servants, he teacheth them above what they are taught outwardly by men. As thus, Cast with thy self, suppose thou hadst every Sermon that thou hast heard in thy life, and every Lecture that thou hast heard on the week days, and on the Lords day, that thou hadst them in order and method, suppose they were written in thy heart, and fresh in thy memory, that thou didst under­standing [Page 171] and remember every Sermon that thou hast heard (which no man doth) a man would think such a one to be a very knowing man. Truly if thou hadst it so, thou mightest be a miserable, confused, blinde man for all that, for all that ever thou hast heard preached, thou mightest be a blinde creature: for alas! our teaching comes with so much weakness and dross with it, and one saith, and another unsaith; and if we con­sider it in a natural way we shall never be made knowing men by all outward teaching in the world. But now the Spirit of God comes in, and he is plea­sed indeed to make use of it, that we shall teach out­wardly; but alas! the Spirit of God reads such a Lecture in the heart of a Saint, and clears things, and orders things, and assures things, and settles things that are right, and discovers things that are not, and in­largeth, and sweetens, and quickens them, that it may be a man in hearing one Sermon of an hour long, may be taught more, then another man in hearing Sermons seven years together. This is the exceeding greatness of the power of the Spirit of God; that truly (beloved) I have often thought with my self (I speak not to disparage our teaching, and your hearing, but) our coming to teach, and you to hear, it is as your sending your little children to School, to keep their cloaths clean, and to keep them from play, they learn nothing (in a manner) for your money, onely they are obedient to their Parents, and are quiet, and are in the School where teaching is. So you come to hear, and we to teach; but all our teaching in a manner is by the Spirit of God. Therefore it is a won­derful thing to see how quickly the Spirit of God will [Page 172] make a Schollar ripe; how in a quarter of a year, nay, in a moneth almost the Spirit of God will fill him with all spirituall learning, whereas the best preacher in the world, let him Preach concisely and exactly in a natural way, he shall not teach him the tenth part: Nay, we reach you, we preach it may be four or five Sermons, and we open it as well we can, poor earthen creatures, and when we come to look on it a quarter of a year after, we finde that those notions that it may be were so confused and poor while we were teaching you, that there is a glorious piece made in your souls, by the Spirit of God, though our Notes when they were done, were scarce worth the burning, we are so poor and frail in teaching, and you in your outward hearing, therefore there is an exceeding great power that works in you that believe.

Fourthly, and lastly, (for I speak this to inhaunce, and 4 By work­ing our works in and for us. advance the Spirit of God, as Paul saith, we are not debters to the flesh, but to the Spirit, you ow more to the Spirit then you are aware of, consider in all the good that you do, in all the good works that you do, how wonderful passive you are in the doing of them. We have a saying, It holds true, I gainsay it not in a sort, that a man in conversion is passive, and afterwards he is active, that is, God in a mans conversion works on a man as a dead creature, only he is rational, but he suf­fers and works not with God, but when he is converted, then a man hath a principle of life. God works, and man works, man works with God, and it is a true com­parison, we were then passive, now we are active. But in respect of the principle, by which we move, and walk: truely a Christian may say, I am altogether [Page 173] passive in a manner in all that I do. God carries a mans tongue to speak, and his hands to work, and his feet to walk, God carries a man in good many times, and glorifies himself many times, and a man knows not how in the world he comes to do it, or why he did it, or how he came about it; so God doth many glorio­ous things by us, and we are not aware, This is the Lord, this is the greatness of his power.

God in some actions, he either carries a man, and doth his work by a man, without a man (as it were) or else he doth it above him. There is no good almost that thou doest, but thou shalt clearly see that it is above thee, that it is God, thou wert never able to speak, or to do or to go through any such thing, but the Lord went through with it. It may be some of you understand not what it is to do a thing without you, it is too spiritual; but there are Christians that may, and can say, God did it without me, I was as a block, I know not how, I was scarce active with God, God did all. O great and glorious is that power, look which way you will, what that power is in changing thy na­ture, in destroying old Adam, what that power is in resisting temptations, what that power is in wrestling, and prevailing with God, what that power is to up­hold thee in the wicked world, and to preserve thee to the last day. Consider it every way: it is great, won­drous, glorious, and mighty, and exceeding mighty is that power that works in them that believe, even the power of the Spirit of God.

The Spirit is called power, Power it self (as it were) not that I deny the person of the Spirit thereby, as if the Spirit were nothing but the energy or working of [Page 174] God, that is not the meaning; but he is called power, because (as it were) he is nothing but power, whatso­ever he doth, he doth powerfully, and gloriously, and effectually; Angels work in little, common, outward things; marke the difference between the assistance of the Spirit, and of Angels. The Angels are ministring spirits sent out to wait upon the Saints. How do Angels work for us? Angels make not prayers in us, Angels never subdue one sin in me, they can never bring peace to my conscience, and soul; Angels con­verse not in spiritual things, but in outward things; Angels keep thee that thou dash not thy foot against a stone, they keep thee from breaking thy neck, they keep fire from thine house; but spiritual things are done by the Spirit of God: the exceeding greatness of power is by the Spirit. Therefore consider of this word, be not such poor, low-hearted creatures, to be afraid of every ill, and to be discouraged from going about any good thing. I say, consider the power that dwels in you, and indeavor to give glory to God, to magnify the blessed Spirit, that works in you, to admire it, for the more you admire the Spirit, the more vile you will be in your selves, and the viler you are in your selves that you attribute all to the Spirit, the more glory God shall have, and then things will be as they should be, in the best order for God and man.

THe Apostle in this Chapter, and especial­ly in that going before, exhorts the Saints to walk worthy of their calling, that is, to walk humbly and meekly, &c. towards God and men; and there he shews sometimes the good they should follow, and the evil they should leave, pro­miscuously, which is meant by walking worthy of their calling. And here in this first verse, saith he, I beseech you be followers of God as dear children. He puts in this motive to all the holiness he speaks of before, and af­ter; that as dear children of a blessed father, they would hearken to him, that they would hate all the evil, and cleave to all the good he had pro­posed to them, so that the Lesson is this, That

The Do∣ctrine. Our spiritual priviledges should as much ingage us to holiness, as they should help on our comfort.

My meaning is this; you know in this wicked world wherein we are, this is one Gospel way, that we use and practise, and have been taught, that whensoe­ver we came near the Lord (especially then) we should indeavor to raise up our souls, by the conside­ration of our Gospel-priviledges, and the relations be­tween us and God. When you and I come to pray, we study as much as we can to look on him as a father (and we do well) and to look on our selves as sons and daughters, as those that are in Christ, as those that have their sins pardoned and covered in him: to look on our selves as the Spouse and Wife of Christ. And all the relations we can make out, and all the pri­viledges that are laid down in Scripture, we seek to own them whereby to get up our souls to some joy and comfort before the Lord, and this is a good and blessed thing when we do so; for the Lord would have his children, as to live holily, so he delights to see them live comfortably: The Lord takes delight in the prosperity of his people. But here now, you and I miss, we do this out of a kinde of Self-love, because we would have comfort we make use of our priviledges, and plead our relations, but we should also make use of them to move us to holiness, and to resist sin and evil, as well as to raise us to comfort and consolation: And thence it is that we are so oft foyled with sin, because we walk as men, as the children of men, as the Scripture saith; we forget in what a station God hath put us, in what grace and glory we stand through Jesus Christ. Therefore when we are walking, and conversing in the world, we look on our selves as men, we think of our neighbours what they [Page 177] would have done in such a case, and it may be we thinke of natural reason, it may be of corrupt reason; but we do not state our selves all the day as sons and daughters of God.

Man naturally doth not love to reflect upon him­self, which (saith Dr. Preston) is the difference be­tween a man and a beast: take two or three children, it may be one is a Lords son, and another the son of a Begger, they reflect upon themselves, you shall see by their carriage; the poor childe carries himself respe­ctively to the other, the other carries himself disdain­fully to him. So all people, every one hath a kinde of conclusion upon himself from natural considerati­ons. Such a one carries himself high, he reflects so upon himself. Why? he thinks he is a man of such parts, of such fortunes, and breeding and feature, and the like, and he carries himself accordingly: It is so with all mankinde. Now if we would have the Spirit of God shine upon our souls, and draw such conclusions alway that lie in our breasts, that I am a son, a daugh­ter of God, one in Christ, married to Christ, bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh, that I may walk all the day thus cloathed with these reflexions: then when we come to sin, when temptation is offered, it may be the devil will say, such a one did it that is wiser then thou, and such a one that is a fellow, of the same calling, then, this positive actual reflexion upon the soul that thou art in Christ; this would make thee say, O, but how shall I do it? Jesus Christ died for me, Jesus Christ hath washed me in his blood, I am one with him. What if the children of darkness do so, is it fit for a childe of light? what if sinners do so, is it fit for a [Page 178] man that God hath called out of sin, and out of the world, is it fit for him to do so?

We seldome carry those reflexions about us when The Saints should re­flect upon their high condition. we go abroad among the snares of the world, there­fore we fall into sin: for the older we are in grace, the more full of snares the world is. I could shew that you can name no place in the new Testament, where our priviledges, and relations are mentioned: but as the holy Ghost mentions them to raise up the soul for comfort, so expresly to stir us up to holiness, 1 John 3. 1. Behold what manner of love God hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God! I am per­swaded that the Primitive Saints in the new Testament, did generally look upon themselves, distinct as a Common wealth, and a people redeemed out of the world, and in the light of that they did so walk, they did alway speak so of themselves, We are the first fruits of the spirit, we are the sons of God, we are redeemed and bought with a price. We are the sons of God, but it doth not appear what we shall be, but when he shall come, we shall be like him; O this gives comfort; but what then? what follows? He that hath this hope purifieth himself as he is pure. This hope is somewhat like that reflexi­on I am speaking of, when there is an actual hope in the soul of being with the Lord, and an actuall posi­tive perswasion that I am the Lords, then a man will purify himself as God is pure. I might mention a hundred places in the new Testament, 2 Cor. 6. Come out from among them, seperate your selves, and touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you, and I will be your father, and you shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. This is very comfortable, that we shall [Page 179] be his sons and daughters, and that he will be our Fa­ther. What then? In the beginning of the next Chapter, Having therefore these promises, let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. If we be the sons and daugh­ters of God, and he be our Father, therefore we should be holy in soul, and body, and spirit. I remem­ber a little Story of a great Monarch (though I do not much trouble you with them, but it doth a little il­lustrate what we speak of) walking with his son, a Prince; the great Emperor seeing little poor children to play and tumble in the dirt, he said to his son, Why dost not thou go and play with them? Saith he, I would, if I did see any Kings and Princes children play with them, he reflected upon himself that he was a Prince, a Kings son, and it was not fit for them to tumble in the dirt. So you may say, when you see Drunkards, and Whoremongers, and Extortioners, if the devil tempt you in your hearts, and say, Why dost not thou do so? why dost not thou get money as yonder man doth? or labor to be great in the world? O, say, do the sons of God use to do so? to cozen, and cheat, and be drunk, and lie? If the Saints did so, then it were another thing, but shall I that am a Prince, that am a son of God, shall I be a Scullion, and wallow in the dirt? Therefore I say it is enough to an honest heart to propose a pitch that is above him, that he never at­tained, and what will he do? he will seek, and not give over till God have wrought it: God wrought it in most of the Saints of old: therefore let us labor with the Lord, that we may have such considerations al­way about us.