Sermon I.

OUr Text is part of the prayer and confession of Ezra, the occasion whereof was this; That holy man being returned from Baby­lon to Ierusalem, with men, mo­ney, and great encouragement, he is welcomed by a sad message from the principall in Israel; they complaine, that the people of Israel, the Priests and the Le­vites, had not separated themselves from the peo­ple [Page 2]of the lands, doing according to their abho­minations: the hearing of this caused much sor­row in good Ezra, that he should come so farre, and finde Paganisme in Iudea; therefore like a distracted man, he rends his cloathes, teares the haire off this head and beard, and sits downe asto­nished: all which is but a fair preface to the prayer he makes; wherein, as if his heart were poured out in devotion, he professeth that he is ashamed to lift up his face to God, and confesseth the ini­quities of the people, acknowledging that God had been just in punishing them; And now, O our God, saith he, what shall wee say after this? thou hast worthily plagued us, for wee have forsaken thy Commandements. These three verses are a part of his prayer, the substance whereof is an argument which he makes for God against themselves, and it stands thus; Those whom thou hast delivered out of servitude and bondage, if they shall againe provoke thee by their rebellions, they deserve to be consumed; but this is the state of Israel, thou O Lord hast de­livered Israel out of captivity and thraldome, and yet they have rebelled against thee; therefore they deserve to have no more favour shewed them, but to be de­stroyed and utterly consumed. Our course in open­ing these verses shall be this: In them I propound two things to your consideration; first an Indite­ment preferred by Ezra against Israel: secondly, his pleading it for God against themselves. In the first he remembers Gods mercy, and their re­bellion: Gods mercy is laid downe in the thir­teenth verse, and that three wayes: first he shewes [Page 3]that they were not punished without cause: se­condly, that God punished them lesse then they deserved: thirdly, that he had totally delivered them. Their rebellion is comprised in the four­teenth verse, in which there are two parts; first the sinne, secondly the punishment: the sinne is laid downe, first generally, should we againe break thy Commandements? secondly particularly, and joyne in affinity with the people of these abhominati­ons? Then followes the punishment; first, God will be angry: secondly there is the degree of his anger, he will not leave consuming till all be destroyed. This is the carriage of the three verses; in the opening of which, we shall see that they sute us in this Land as well as any people under heaven: for considering that God did lately scourge us by the pestilence, and of his meere mercy removed it totally from us; seeing wee have revived our sinnes, and renewed our provocations against his majesty, if he begin againe to renew his plagues, and scourge us till he have consumed us, we must justifie him in his proceedings, who is righteous in all his wayes, and holy in all his works. Before we handle the particulars as we laid them downe, there be two things in generall which offer them­selves to be discussed: the first is out of the party, which was Ezra; the second is out of the course he takes, and that is humbling himselfe in Gods presence. First for the party, it is Ezra; yee shall read in this book that he was a man that set his heart to seek the Lord, neither did he this only himselfe, but sought by all possible meanes to in­cite [Page 4]others to follow his godly example. Had all Israel beene such as he, they needed not to have feared judgements comming upon them; but they were not, therefore seeing the sinnes of the Land, hee could not forbeare, but breaks forth into lamentation and mourning; which affords us this point of Doctrine.

Doctrin 1 Good men, though they be at peace with God, finde cause of sorrow for other mens sinnes: yee shall see this proved in the Scripture: the Spirit of God calls Lot a righteous man, yet this righ­teous mans soule was vexed from day to day with the uncleane conversation of the Sodomites, 2 Pet. 2.8. The like we see in Moses that good man; 2 Pet. 2.8. doe yee not think that hee was strangely moved at the sinne of the people, when he let fall and brake in pieces the two Tables of Stone, in which God had written the Decalogue with his owne sacred finger? Exod. 32.19. Exod. 32.19. It was so with the Prophet Samuel, he mourned for the disobedience of Saul, for which God rejected him from reigning over Israel, 1 Sam. 15.35. 1 Sam. 15.35. the like we see in Da­vid, mine eyes, saith he, gush out rivers of teares, be­cause men keep not thy Law, Psal. 119.136. Psal. 119.136. may some man say, what were the sinnes of the world to David? it is true, they were none of his, yet he thinks himselfe bound to grieve for them, be­cause he knew they were displeasing to his maker. We see the same in good Ieremiah, he wishes his head were waters, and his eyes a fountaine of teares, that he might weep day and night for the iniquities of his people, who were all adulterers, and an assem­bly [Page 5]of treacherous men, Ier. 9.1.2. Ier. 13.17. Ier. 9.1.2. and in Ier. 13.17. He professes, that his soul shall weep in secret for their pride: and was it not so with thee O blessed Savi­our, thou didst mourn for the hardnesse of mens hearts, Mark. 3.5. Mark. 3.5. and when thou camest to Hierusalem, thou weptst over it, saying, if thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong to thy peace; but now they are hid from thine eyes, Luk. 19.41, 42. and the same spirit was in S. Paul, Luk. 19.41.42. Philip. 3.18. Philip. 3.18. he tells them, he had told them often, and now speakes it weeping, that there bee those among them, who are enemies to the crosse of Christ: thus yee see the point sufficiently proved.

Vse 1 It shall be to let us see the stupidity and sence­lessenesse of the sonnes of Belial; though they have most cause to weep and mourn, yet they live in jollity and merriment, and are meere strangers to all sadnesse: Some of these stick not to say, What hath any man to doe to weep for their sinnes? and that by their impieties, they trouble none but their own soules; But I tell thee O wretch, thou troublest not only thine own house and soule, but thou troublest all Israel, thou givest the Saints of God occasion to be pensive for that which makes thee jocant and glad: and happy is it for thee, that there be such as Noah, Lot, Samuel, and David to mourn for thee; for were it not that some did mourn for thy prophannesse, thou shouldst not live againe to commit it; did not some bewaile thy drunkennesse, thou shouldst bee taken away with the pot at thy mouth; did not some godly people grieve for thy filthy lust, thou [Page 6]shouldst with Zimri and Cosbi be smitten dead, flagrante crimine, in the very act of uncleannesse: but the servants of God pray and mourn, fast and weep, and all to avert judgements from thee, who deservest little at their hands.

Vse 2 In the second place, This may Answer a com­mon Objection which is put to the Saints, be­cause they be sad and dumpish: I would have you know, that it is not holinesse which makes them sad, but the prophannesse of the world is that for which they are so much dejected: What need the child of God be sad, who is in the love and fa­vour of God? thou that complainest against him for his sadnesse, know, that therfore he grieves with holy David, because he is constrained to sojourne in Mesech, Psal. 120.5. and to dwell in the Tents of Kedar, Psal. 120.5.

Vse 3 Lastly, according to the practise of Ezra, though we have made our peace with God, let us mourn for the wickednesse of others: every one knowes what cause there is for this, iniquity having over­spread this Land of ours, from Dan to Beersheba, from one corner of it to another: and were these impieties modest, it were not so much, but they be impudent and have a Brazen front, Religion is out of fashion, and none are so esteemed as fashi­on-mongers, they be your only men now in credit: The case thus standing, there is no way to prevent judgements which be imminent, but by mourning and fasting: Now that yee may bee perswaded to practise these so seasonable and necessary duties, remember but these things; First, it is piety to [Page 7]mourn for the sins of others; shall we hear and see God to bee dishonoured, and not grieve for it? piety cannot lodge in that breast where such an ill spirit inhabites: a man will and ought to grieve when his friend is wronged; Christ calls us his friends, Ioh. 15.15. and hee is our best friend, Iohn 15.15. therefore wee have abundant cause to mourn for the sinnes of wicked men, whereby hee is much dishonoured and the Holy Spirit grieved. Se­condly, pity requires this duty at our hands: I read of Marcellus the Roman, that entring a City which he had gained by composition after a long siege, he burst forth into teares; one that stood by him demanded why he wept, saith he, I cannot chuse but weep to see so many thousand led into captivity. Shall a Heathen weep for the captivity of mens bodies? and shall not Christians mourn for their sinnes which are enough to enthrall soules and bo­dies in Hell for evermore? it should bee the griefe of our soules, to see thousands and tenne thousands that will be damned. Thirdly, if we doe not mourne for other mens sinnes, we make them our own: that of the Father is most true, peccatum quod non displicet, tuum est, that sinne is thine, with which thou art not displeased: and that yee may see, I goe not without book in this, look that place in 1 Cor. 5.6. there was one in the Church of Corinth that had committed that foule sinne of incest, 1 Cor. 5.6. and the Corinthians were so farre from grie­ving for it as they ought to have done, that they gloried in it; S. Paul corrects them for it, telling them that thereby they were become a sowre [Page 8]lump. Lastly, we should be moved to this duty, by the blessing which attends it, what saith our blessed Saviour, Matth. 5.4 Matth. 5.4? Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted: And in Ezek. 9.4. the Lord gives command to spare them in Hieru­salem, Ezek. 9.4. that did sigh and cry for the abominations done in the midst thereof: The next way to escape judge­ment, is to mourn for the sinnes of the Nation, and though we should bee taken away in a gene­rall visitation (as none bee exempted) yet that shall be to us, as the fiery Chariot was to Eliah, it shall put us into the possession of Heaven, where all teares shall be wiped away from our eyes.

The second generall is, the course which Ezra takes, and that is humbling himselfe by confession, weeping and supplication, to let us know thus much.

Doct. 2 The maine receit in time of affliction, is humi­liation: a probatum est, of this will appeare in Gods people: if a judgement have been threatned or comming, they have humbled themselves before God; 2 Chro. 20.3. in the 2 of Chro. 20.3. when that great Army of Ammonites and Moabites came against Iehosha­phat, it is said, Iehoshaphat feared, and set himselfe to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Iudah: So when that fatall Decree of Haman was procured, for extirpation of the Iewes, and a day destinate for their destruction, Hesther commands the Iewes 10 fast three dayes, and saith she, I also and my Maidens will fast likewise, Esth. 4.16. and we doubt not, Esther 4. [...]6. but they afflicted their soules as well as their bodies: Ionah. 3.5. And in Ionah 3.5. when the Prophet [Page 9]denounced destruction to Nineveh, saying, yet forty dayes and Nineveh shall be overthrown; what fol­lowes? the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclai­med a Fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them: This is in judgements imminent and to come; yee shall see that this also hath been their course, when a judgement hath been inflicted in a time of drought, Ier. 14.20. Ier. 14.20. We acknowledge O Lord our wickednesse, and the iniquity of our fathers, for we have sinned against thee: in a time of dearth and famine, Ioel 2.12. the prescription is, Turne to the Lord with all your heart, with fasting, Ioel 2.12. weeping and mourning: The people of God have done the same when the sword hath been amongst them; this wee find in Iosh. 7.6. when Israel was discom­fited by the men of Ai, Ioshua rent his cloathes, Iosh. 7.6. and fell to the earth upon his face before the Ark of the Lord untill eventide, he and the Elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads: So in the judgement of mortality, when David saw that seventy thousand of his subjects were slaine by the pestilence for his sinne, hee betakes himselfe to God in a humble manner, saying, Lo, I have sinned and done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand I pray thee, be against me, and against my fathers house, 2 Sam. 24.17. We see it also in Davids particular case, 2 Sam. 24.17. Psal. 30.7.8. Psal. 30.7.8. Thou O Lord didst hide thy face, and I was troubled: then I cryed to thee O Lord, and unto the Lord I made my sup­plication: So likewise in the case of the whole Church, Hosea 6.1. Come and let us returne unto the Lord, for hee hath torne, and hee will heale us: Hosea 6.1. [Page 10] hee bath smitten, and he will bind us up: The grounds they went upon were these two:

Reason 1 First, Zeph. 2.1.2. they knew it was Gods Commandement; that place in Zeph. 2.1, 2. is notable to this purpose: where the Lord saith, Gather your selves together, yea, gather together, O Nation not desired; before the decree bring forth, before the day passe as the chaffe, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, before the day of the Lords anger come upon you: As when Ab­solom could not speak with Ioah by faire meanes, hee knew that if once his corne were on fire hee would quickly come unto him; So when the Lord inflicts judgements on his people, it is to humble them in his presence: Isa. 22.12. So in Isa. 22.12. In that day (to wit in the day of their affliction,) did the Lord God of Hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, to baldnesse and to girding with sack­cloth.

Reason 2 Secondly, the Saints were sure that sinne was the cause of all their miseries; that being the Achan which troubled the whole Host, and the Ionah endangering the whole Ship; therefore, to look to have the judgement removed, without humiliati­on and repentance, were to no purpose: who looks to have a wound cured, as long as the weapon that made it sticks in it? and it is in vaine to expect the removall of a judgement, till men be hum­bled and purged: but take away the cause and the effect will cease.

Vse 1 What shall we think of a number of desperate wretches in the world, who when they should bee humbled under Gods afflicting hand, sinne more [Page 11]and more, and more against him? this was the sinne of Abaz, for which the Spirit of God stigmatises him to all posterity, in the 2 Chro. 28.22. saying, 2 Chro. 28.22. and in the time of this distresse (that is when the Phi­listimes had invaded his Land) did hee trespasse yet more against the Lord; this is that King Ahaz: This also we finde charged on Israel, Isa. 57.17. Isa. 57.17. For the iniquity of his coveteousnesse was I wrath and smote him, saith the Lord: I hid me and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart; They' were so farre from being better, that they were the worse for Gods afflicting them: and are they bet­ter, that when the plague of God is gone out against a place (as at this time it is against this City) yet can sweare, lie, cheat, and be drunk? they know not, but that the destroying Angell may smite them next, and yet they dare provoke God by these and many other sinnes: woe is me, that people should bee thus unprepared for death; will nothing teach these but bare feeling? will they take no warning till God touch them and set the bloudy crosse upon their bodies? let these know, that although God spare them a while, hee will not spare them for ever, and to be sure, he will put all into the last draught, which shall be as bit­ter as gall or worm-wood.

Vse 2 In the second place, seeing the Lords wrath is at this present gone out against us for our iniqui­ties; let us all I beseech you with Ezra, addresse our selves to God by Prayer and fasting: what is it for us to fast in private, though Authority have not commanded it? when it is done by the com­mand [Page 12]of the Magistrate, wee seeme to fast of ne­cessity; but when wee take it up voluntarily, it argues ingenuity, nay there cannot be a more pregnant sign of sincerity: Is it such a matter to forbeare one meale in a week? Well, however we think of this duty, if it be performed as it ought, (with supplication and humiliation) there is no such way to prevent or remove a judgement: I hope there is none so wicked amongst us, but will confesse that we have great cause to humble our selves before God, for who can be ignorant but that we our selves are the cause of the plague which is now among us? it is true, sometimes it encrea­ses, at other times it decreases, so that it keeps at no stay; but if wee shall therefore neglect to humble our soules and bodies in the presence of God, we shall so incense him, as to encrease this plague among us without measure; but if we shall turn to him that smites us, by unfained repentance and amendment of life; hee will not only take this grievous sicknesse from us, but hee will leave a blessing behinde him. So much for the two gene­ralls: We now descend to the particulars, as they were laid down: Wee begin with the indictment preferred by Ezra against Israel, in which is re­membred Gods mercy, and their rebellion: Gods mercy is laid down in the thirteenth verse, and that three wayes: First, he shewes that they were not punished without cause: Secondly, that God puni­shed them lesse then they deserved: Thirdly, that he had totally delivered them.

First, for the first particular in the gradation of [Page 13]Gods mercy, (thou our God hast punished us,) that is, thou hast punished us deservedly: Tyrants will and doe punish men without cause, nay, they desire to pick holes in mens coates that they may punish them; but the Judge of all the world never pro­ceeds to punish, but when hee is provoked. In that Ezra saith (seeing that thou our God hast punished us) take notice in the first place of this ob­servation.

Doct. 3 Whatsoever is the instrument, Isa. 45.7. God is the Au­thour of the punishment. This is proved in Isa. 45.7. where the Lord saith, I make peace and create evill: I the Lord doe all these things: so in Amos 3.6. Shall there be evill in a City, Amos 3.6. and the Lord hath not done it? yee must understand these places, not of the evill of sinne, but of punishment; for, Deus non author, sed ultor peccati, God is not the authour, but revenger of sinne: it was hee that opened the bottles of heaven, and sent the deluge on the earths it was hee that rained that igneum imbrem, shower of fire and brimstone from heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah; it was he that shut up the wombs in Abimelechs house, and that plagued Egypt with those successions of plagues: the Magicians could not, or would not see, digitum Dei, the finger of God in them; but had they not been blind, they might have seen ambas manus, his ten fingers, in those tenne judgements which hee inflicted on them: It was hee that offered David his choyce of three plagues, and upon his choyce sent the pestilence; and in 1 Cor. 11.32. S. Paul there labours to perswade the Corinthians, 1 Cor. [...]. [...]. that God chastened [Page 14]them; Psal. [...]9.9. and David saith, Psal. 39.9. I was dumb, and opened not my mouth, because thou didst it: mistake mee not, I know that sometimes God makes use of instruments for the execution of his wrath: hee made use of the earth, to swallow up Corah, Dathan, and Abiram; he made use of the water, to drown Pharaoh and his Host; hee made use of the fire to slay the Captaines, and their fifties which came to apprehend Eliah; he made use of a Lyon, to kill the disobedient Prophet; and of Beares to destroy two and fourty children, that called Elisha bald­pate; and he used Serpents, to sting to death the rebellious Israelites: but the primus motor, the chiefe efficient is God, who is the Lord of Hosts, and hath all creatures at his beck. Ioseph was not ignorant, that his brethren had a hand in selling of him into Egypt, yet he tels them that God had sent him thither: and Iob knew well enough that the Sa­beans and Caldeans had taken away his goods, yet he saith, The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away, and blessed be the name of the Lord: though men were the instruments, yet he knew God to be Authour of what he suffered.

Vse 1 This may informe us, what is the ground of all the impatience in the world; there be a number which repine and murmure when Gods hand is upon them; what is the reason? they stick in the second causes, and look so much on the lower links of the chaine, that they forget him that hath the top of it in his hand; one complaines of his brother, another of the ayre hee lives in, a third of the meat he eates, and hence it is that they [Page 15]repine: whereas if a man looked up to God in what he suffers, he would say as Eli, It is the Lord let him doe what hee will, and with Iob, The Lord gives and takes, and blessed bee his Name: Nay, if a man would doe this, it would not only make him patient, but to profit by his affliction; for no man sees himself so clearly and truly as in the glasse of adversity; every affliction that God laies upon us seemes to say as Ehud to Eglon, I have a message to thee from God, which if a man would consider, it would make his affliction a Bethesda, to cure him of his spirituall infirmities, and by so doing, hee would come out of that fornace, cleare gold, purged from the drosse of his corruptions.

Vse 2 Secondly, here is a Use of admonition; ever look up to God in all thy afflictions: look to him in thy Feaver, in thy Ague, in the Plague; I know there may be an infected ayre, there may be ill humours in the body which may help for­ward infection, I know also that a man may bee infected by being conversant with infected per­sons; these be second causes, but God is the chiefe and principall. The Heathens call the plague, a judgement sent from God, and surely there is something more divine in it then in other pu­nishments, and a man may say of those that die of the Pestilence, as Moses said of the death of Korah and his Complices, they die not the common death of men: for as there is something in this dis­ease for the Physitian to look on, so something for the Divine.

Vse 3 Lastly, when the Lords hand is upon us, and that [Page 16]we would have it removed, the nearest way we can take, is to have recourse to God by prayer: for as our Saviour told Pilate that he had no power but what was given him from above, so afflictions could not seise upon us, without Gods giving them a commission; a man may spend all that he hath to be cured of his disease, as did the wo­man in the Gospel that had the bloody issue, and yet unlesse God please, all shall doe him no good; Saul may goe to the Witch of Endor for help, and Amaziah to the god of Ekron to bee healed, but except the God of heaven work the cure, it shall never be effected: let us therefore in all our afflictions seek to God and to him alone, for he that is the inflicter must be the restorer. I now proceed to the point which even now I named, Ezra saith, (God punished them not with­out cause,) which guides mee to this Obser­vation.

Doct. 4 God doth never punish any without desert. Gen. 18.25. Saith Abraham, Gen. 18.25. Shall not the Iudge of all the world doe right? Nay, let mee tell you, it is not triviall, but grosse sinnes, which cause God to pu­nish men: mark it in his dealing with the old world, did hee take advantage at every petty im­piety? No, but hee staid till all flesh had corrupted their wayes, and then, and not till then brought he the deluge, Gen. 6.12. Gen. 6.12. so before ever he punisht Sodom and Gomorrah, their sinnes were exceeding grievous, Gen. 18.20. Psal. 78. [...]8. Gen. 18.20. It is said in Psal. 78.38. he being mercifull, forgave their iniquity, and destroy­ed them not, but oft-times called back his anger, and [Page 17]did not stirre up all his wrath. Another pregnant place to prove this, 2 Chro. 36 16. is 2 Chro. 36.16. where the Spi­rit of God saith, They mocked the Messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused the Pro­phets, untill the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, and till there was no remedy: Mark, he must of necessity punish them, unlesse he would have his justice, truth and providence troden under foot: and when he saith, he is prest under men as a cart is prest that is full of sheaves, Amos 2.13. Amos 2.13. it shewes evidently, that God doth not punish for every small sinne; hee is propense to mercy, but loath to punish: hence it is that he calls opus ju­dicii, the work of judgement, opus alienum, a strange work, Isa. 28.21. Isa. 28.21. and when he must needs punish his people, hee saith he will shave them with a Rasor that is hired, Isa. 7.20. Isa. 7.20. as if he had none of his own, but was faine to borrow; so prone is God to mercy, that hee would ever think thoughts of peace towards us, but wee will not suffer him.

Vse 1 We should ever justifie God, in all the judge­ments he brings upon us: the Saints of God have done this in all times; thus did David, Psal. 119.75. Psa. 119.75. I know O Lord that thy judgements are right, and that thou in faithfulnesse hast afflicted me: it was so also with Nehemiah, Nehem. 9.33. Chap. 9.33. Thou O Lord art just in all that is brought upon us, for thou hast done right, but wee have done wickedly: the like we see in Daniel, Dan. 9.7. Chap.9.7. O Lord, righteousnesse belongeth unto thee, but to us confusion of faces, as at this day; and the poore Thiefe on the crosse tels his fellow [Page 18]when be reviled our blessed Saviour, Luk. 23.41. Wee indeed suffer justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds, but this man hath done nothing amisse: in Matth. 16.27. when our blessed Lord called the woman of Canaan, Matth 15.26.27 dog, she digests it, saying, Truth Lord, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their Masters Table: and let wicked men dis­pute and plead as long as they are able, it shall never be found, but that God punishes deservedly. But if it shall come into the minds of any to say as those in Ierem. 16.10. Wherefore hath the Lord pronounced all this great evill against us? Ierem. 16.10. or what is our iniquity? or what is our sinne that we have committed against the Lord our God? I tell these as the Prophet told them, you are plagued for your swearing, lying, Sabbath-breaking, hypocrisie, drunkennesse, lusting, oppression: these and other sinnes bee the procreant causes of all plagues, these bee the traitours which open the gates to all judgements.

Vse 2 In the second place, seeing God punishes none without cause, let it teach us patience under his afflicting hand. And the truth is, why should men be impatient under the crosse, when as he punishes not till he be provoked? neither is it every pati­ence which will serve the turne; there is asinina patientia, an asses patience, when a man is not sen­sible, though never so much load be laid upon him: Secondly, there is canina patientia, a dog­gish patience, when like a snarling dog tied up in a chaine, wee indure what is inflicted upon us, against our will: Neither of these will stand us in [Page 19]stead, but Christian-like with all submission, wee must take thankfully the hand of God upon us, saying with holy Bernard, Lord, that which thou layest upon us, is durum pro viribus, hard to be born, in regard of our poore strength, sed dignum pro me­ritis, but just in regard of our iniquities: Let us be as the good corne, which when it is winnowed falls at the winnowers feet, not like the chaffe which flies in his face; and let us say with David, 2 Sam. 15.26. Behold here I am, 2 Sam. 15.26. let him doe unto me, as seemeth good unto him. Further, wee may observe, that Ezra speaks not only of sinne in ge­nerall, but of (a great trespasse;) what was it? it was the peoples mingling themselves with the Heathen, which was a foule transgression: the Doctrine arising from hence is thus much.

Doct. 5 When God arises to judgement, hee ever sets him­selfe against the foule sinnes of men. Will some man say, which be the foule sinnes for which God is so much offended? They be these, The first, is pride; what was it that put on David to number his peo­ple, but the pride of his heart? for which you know he smarted shrewdly, 2 Sam. 24. A second, 2 Sam. 24. is Ido­latry; this is a grievous sinne, and for this God is exceeding angry wherever it is practised or coun­tenanced, Exod. 20.5. A third, is lust, Exod. 20.5. especially when it growes impudent, as was that of Zimri and Cosbi. A fourth, is blasphemy; wherefore was Senacharib that proud monster and a hundred fourescore and five thousand of his Army slaine, but for blaspheming the God of Israel? Isa. 37. A fifth, is murder; this is that sinne for which God [Page 20]hath a quarrell with a Land, Hosea 4 2. Hosea 4.2. The sixth, is oppression, the Lord is very wroth where this is committed, therefore wee finde him saying, Psal. 12.5. For the oppression of the poore, Psal. 1 [...].5. and the sighing of the needy, I will arise and set him in safety, from him that puffeth at him: And elsewhere he threatens to make his arrowes drunk in the bloud of oppressours. The last sinne (that I will name) causing God to rise to judgement, is the prophanation of his Ordi­nances: Moses knew this, which made him re­quest Pharaoh to let them goe three dayes journey into the Desart, and sacrifice to the Lord their God, lest hee fall upon them with the Pestilence or sword, Exod. 5.3. 1 Cor. 11.33. a Exod. 5.3. and S. Paul saith in 1 Cor. 11.30. for this cause (to wit, for prophaning Gods Ordinance) many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

Vse 1 It shall be a use of examination to us, to search whether or no these sinnes be among us; which if wee doe as wee ought, wee will soone conclude that God plagues us for these very sinnes. First, for Idolatry, is not that among us? and though Dagon have been thrown down, yet is hee not set up againe? So for uncleannesse, is it not to be found (shall I say in the skirts?) nay, in the more noble parts of the City? and I wish it were a slander to say there were profest brothell houses both without and within the wals of London: and for pride, if ever it rid in triumph in any gene­ration, then now it is; how neare doth the toe of the Citizen come to the heele of the Gentleman? This smoak containes not it selfe in palaces, but [Page 21]gets into meane habitations: the back and the belly, two daughters of the horse-leech, cry, Give, give, and the men of the times are so indulgent to them, that they will deny them nothing, inso­much that by this meanes many brave Estates are brought to nothing. Fourthly, for blasphemy, who can with patience passe along and heare the vol­leys of oathes which are sent out against heaven daily? nay, so common is this sinne, that chil­dren can no sooner speak, but they can swear and blaspheme: And for murther, you have scarse a bill comes out, but some or other are slaine; nay, sometimes bloud toucheth bloud: and for oppressi­on, what complayning is there in our Streets, against such as grinde the face of the poore? and for prophanation of Gods ordinances, I grieve to declare how frequent this is: men are grown so prophane, that they will excommunicate themselves from the Congregation, and save the Minister a labour: and for those that doe come hither, the greatest number of them stand but for ciphers, for, dum corpus in choro, animus in foro, while their bodies be in the Church, their minds are in the Market­place. Now seeing these sinnes are found among us, may not the Lord say justly of us as he said of the Jewes, Ierem 5.29. Ierem. 5.29. Shall I not visite for these things? shall not my soule be avenged on such a Nation as this? hee may say, I will no longer suffer their iniquity to out-brave me, but I will up and make them smoak, I will root them from un­der heaven, as I did the Inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah. Lastly, in Ezra his practise wee may [Page 22]see a true forme of confession, he confesses their (great trespasse:) teaching us thereby, that as wee must confesse all sinne in grosse, so especially, our maine and master sinne; that Saul which is higher by the head, then the rest of his brethren: wee want not examples of this in Scripture, David confesses his murder, Paul his persecution, and Daniel confesses the great sinne of his people: A great many confesse their sinnes, but they doe it as Nebuchadnezzar told his dreame, he tells his wise­men that hee had a dreame, but never tells them what it was: So these men say they are sinners, but they will not confesse their grosse transgressions. Wilt thou deale otherwise with God Almighty then with thy Physitian? when he comes to thee in thy sicknesse, thou wilt conceale nothing from him, but tell him how it is with thee in every par­ticular: and yet when thou commest to confesse thy sinnes to thy God, thou concealest those capitall sinnes which have most offended him. Well, let my counsell be acceptable to thee, get thee up to the beame of thine own conscience, and judge thy selfe: and in judging thy selfe, doe not think it enough to censure thy selfe for thy lesser sinnes, but especialiy judge thy selfe for thy great offences, if thou doe not, God will judge thee; mince not then thy sins by labouring to extenuate them, but confesse them ingenuously, for the more severe thou art against thy selfe, the more mercifull shalt thou finde God unto thee.

Sermon II.

WEe come now to the second amplifi­cation of Gods mercy, Ezra had said that God had dealt mercifully with them, how proves hee the mercy of God? hee proves it thus, because that when hee punished them, it was lesse then they deserved, (thou our God hast punished us, lesse then our iniquities de­serve:) Here is one word joyned with punishing, which I would have you take notice of, he saith [thou our God hast punished us:] Herein he is a pattern to us, when at any time wee come to confesse our sinnes before God: [Our God] intimates a strong relation and affection; certainly when hee saith thus, be knew there was hope of Gods being re­conciled to them againe, giving us thereby to understand what is required of men in the con­fession of sinne; a man must not only as David, water his couch with his teares, Psal. 6.6. Matth. 26.75. Psal. 6.6. nor with Peter, goe out and weep bitterly, Matth. 26.75. nor with the woman which was a sinner in the City, wash Christs feet with our teares, Luke 7.38. Luk. 7.38. nor [Page 24]secondly, must hee only with a great deale of selfe shame confesse his sinne, as did Ezra in this chap­ter, and the poore Publican, Luk. 18.13. Thirdly, nor must hee only confesse his sinnes with anger, Luke 18.13. Ioh 42.6. Hosea 14.8. as did Ioh 42. chapter, 6. v. and Ephraim in Hosea 14 8. But lastly, he must confesse them with faith and confidence; that is, so to aggravate his sinnes before God, as not to let goe his hold in God: Wee see the Church taking this course in Hosea 6.1. Come, Hosea 6.1. let us return unto the Lord, for he hath torn, and he will heale us: hee hath smitten, and hee will bind us up: Mark, they had a confidence in Gods mercy, though they knew their sinnes were foule and criminall: So Daniel confesseth and aggravateth the sinnes of the people, yet he lets not goe his hold, but saith, To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though wee have rebelled against him, Dan. 9.9. Dan. 9.9. The like we see in the Prodigall, hee had gone into a farre Countrey, and there wasted his substance with riotous li­ving: afterwards being pincht with want and comming to himselfe, hee saith, I will arise and goe to my Father, and say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to bee called thy Sonne, Luk. 15.13.17.18. Luk. 15.13.17.18. Though hee knew hee had grievously offended God, yet hee will make use of that name [Father] and not let goe the staffe of his confidence: and to say the truth, God doth make known to us in his word, that hee is our Father, intimating thereby the duration of his affection: a husband may cease to be a husband by reason of a lewd wife [Page 25]which is divorced from him; and a master may cease to bee a master, for want of a servant; but a father can never cease to be a father, though his child be never so wicked and contumacious, because hee is full of bowels and compassion: Therefore when a man comes to confesse his sinnes before God, he must not confesse them with assurance to die, as Achan did, but hee must confesse them with hope to obtaine mercy and pardon: and if yee look into sacred Writ, you shall finde that when Gods children have come to confesse their sinnes, they have still done it with hope of forgivenesse; there­fore sometimes they urge him by his Covenant, Nehem. 9.32. sometimes for his mercy sake, Nehem. 9.32. Psal 6.4. Psal. 25.11. Psal. 6.4. and sometimes for his name sake, Psal. 25.11. as if they had said, O Lord, wee know wee for our sinnes deserve not to be heard, yet Lord finde matter in thy selfe of being mercifull unto us, and for thy goodnesse sake reject us not, the depths of whose misery call for the depths of thy mercy.

Let the consideration of this, Vse. teach us to take out this needfull lesson: some there be that con­fesse their sinnes, but it is with despaire, thus did Cain and Iudas; and of Francis Spira we read, that being neare unto death, he could not be perswaded of Gods mercies, but died despairing: But for our selves, let us confesse our sinnes with hope that God will pardon us, and with the servants of Benhadad let us addresse our selves to him, and say, we have heard that thou who art the King of Israel, art a mer­cifull King; let us never despaire, but still come in hope of mercy, though wee know that God [Page 26]hath just cause to damne us, because the sharp grapes of our sinnes have sowred his countenance with indignation: Let us not for all that cast away the staffe of our confidence, but look up to heaven and say with Iob, Though thou killest me, yet will I trust in thee. [thou our God hast punished us.] Doth he call him their God, and yet doth he punish them? hee seemes to impropriate God unto them, and yet he saith, he punished them: by the conjunction of these together, I lay down this as a firme conclusion.

Doctrine. God may love, and yet punish. I will make it plaine unto you; sometimes God punishes unwillingly, Lam. 3.33. He doth not punish willingly, Lamen 3.33. nor grieve the children of men: And when hee is forced to punish, Isa. 1.24. it is with Ah and alasse: Isa. 1.24. Second­ly, it appeares thus, because he desires to bee stopt in his way of punishing; yee see on what faire tearmes he would have been taken off from pu­nishing Sodom and Gomorrah; if there had beene but ten righteous persons in those Cities, hee would have spared them for tens sake, Gen. 18.32. nay, Gen. 18.32. Ezek. 22.30. in Ezek. 22.30. the Lord saith, if he could but have found one man to stand in the gap before him for the land, he would not destroy it: and in Ierem. 5.1. he saith, Ierem. 5.1. Runn to and fro thorow the streets of Ierusalem, and see now and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if yee can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgement, or that seeketh the truth, and I will pardon it: God would have beene glad if one could have been found, to avert his indignation: Nay, when he finds no such interces­sours, [Page 27]then he tells men before-hand what he will doe, that by their repentance they may keep him out of the way of his justice, Amos 4.12. Amos 4.12. Therefore thus will I doe unto thee O Israel: and because I will do thus unto thee, prepare to meet thy God O Israel: it is the saying of Seneca, and it is a true one, a man that professeth hatred to another, is thereby prevented of doing him the mischiefe hee intended: Hence it was that Absolom forbore to speak either good or bad to his brother Ammon, for three yeares toge­ther, for feare he should suspect some mischiefe towards him: and when God tells men plainly before-hand what hee will doe unto them, it is a cleare demonstration that be desires to be stopt in the way of his fury. Thirdly, this shewes it, because that when his hand of punishment is upon them, it shall be removed if they repent: This we finde often made good to Israel, on their performance of the condi­tion; and it is a signe we have not repented un­der Gods hand, if wee have not found it true in our own experience. Lastly, it appeares to be true by this, he punishes men because he loves them, this is plain, Prov. 3.12. Revel. 3.19. Prov. 3.12. cited in Rev. 3.19. whom the Lord loveth he correcteth: He sees punishment as neces­sary for his children as meat, and when hee layes it on, it shall not be so much penall as medicinall, therefore there must needs bee love in it.

Vse 1 I desire from my soule that people would bee perswaded of this; I confesse it is durus sermo, a hard saying, and men will hardly be drawn to be­lieve it, especially when the affliction is smart: How often did Iob think God his enemy, when his [Page 28]hand was heavie upon him? I knew it was in his paroxysme and hot bloud, for in his coole bloud he retracts whatsoever he had said before: the like we see in the Jewes, because God did not presently set­tle them in the Land of Canaan, therefore they say, because the Lord hated us, hee hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us, Deut. 1.27. Deut. 1.27. And as a man is apt of himselfe to think so, so the World and the Devill are prone to suggest such thoughts unto him; the World saith, as Moses supposeth the E­nemies of God would say, if hee should destroy his people, Deut 9.28. Deut. 9.28. the Lord layes this affliction upon thee because he hates thee: and the friends of Iob were conceitd that God punisht him because he hated him; and his wife doubtlesse thought no other, therefore shee bids him curse God and die. The Devill also is busie at this, when hee seeth Gods hand heavie upon a man, What, saith hee? is this the God yee serve, that thus layes load upon you? assure your selves, he would never pu­nish you in this manner if he loved you, this is but a draught of that cup, the dregs whereof yee shall suck out in Hell: thus hee layes an assault to our soules to hinder our eternall good, wronging Gods mercy like a lyar as hee hath been from the beginning: Why should we think it strange, that God should love and punish? see it in Ioseph, the time was when hee took his brethren to be spies and felons; all this while Ioseph offered violence to his own heart, cruciat & amat, hee torments them and loves them, for when he handled them [Page 29]most roughly, hee could not forbeare but he must goe out and weep: shall hee doe all this, and yet love his brethren? and may not God much more punish his children, and yet at the same time love them? So in David, all men knew that he loved his Absolom well, but yet when he turns Rebell, he must take up armes against him, yet at the same time hee bids his men intreat the young man Absolom kindly: now can man punish, and yet love? and shall not God doe the same, who is fuller of mercy, then the Sea is of water? all the mercy which is in all the men upon earth, is not as the drop of a bucket to that Ocean of mercy that is in the Almighty. Come to our own experi­ence, thou art the Father of a child, and he offen­ding thee, thou correctest him; shall a man say, thou hatest him because thou chastifest him? no wise man but will say thou lovest him, and there­fore thou punishest him, that hee may grow bet­ter againe; thy child hath a disease growing upon him, which if it be not prevented in time, will be his death, and thou tendring his good, givest mo­ney to a Surgeon to cure him, though it be to his great paine; is it because thou hatest him? O no, it rather appeares, that therefore thou lovest him, else thou wouldst not be at charge with him: So God findes cause to punish us for our sinnes; shall we dare to say, he doth it because he hates us? God forbid. Saith Augustine, I know the Physitian is irksome to a man in a frensie, because he ties and binds him: doth he use him thus because hee hates him? no, but desire to cure him, constraines [Page 30]him to take that violent course with him. Againe, thou sometimes walkest into thy garden, and findest occasion to prune thy trees, is it because thou hatest them? no, but therefore thou do'st it, to make them grow better: now if all this be true in thine own experience, why should not God love, and yet punish?

Vse 2 In the second place, it should teach every man to take heed of censuring any to he such as God hates, on whom God layes his afflicting hand: This was the humour of the Jewes spoken of in Luk. 13.2.3.4.5. they thought those Galileans whose bloud Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices; Luk. 13.2, 3, 4, 5 and those eighteen on whom the Tower in Silo fell, to bee greater sinners then any in Ierusalem: our blessed Lord corrects this, and tells them it was not so, but that except they repented, they should likewise perish: This was also the misprision of them of Melita, Acts 28.4. Acts 28.4. When they saw a Viper come out of the fire and fasten on Pauls hand, they pre­sently judge him to be a murderer. O take heed of this, for all these things fall out alike, both to good and bad, and in so doing a man may censure the generation of the righteous, Psal. 73.15. Psal. 73.15. Nay, he may be guilty of censuring our Saviour Iesus Christ, for he was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrowes, and acquainted with griefe, Isa. 53.3. yet at the same time he was the Sonne of his Fathers love, Isa. 53.3. one in whom hee took an ever­lasting complacency: Iosephs cup may bee found in Benjamins sack; and Gods child may be punisht, yet in his love and favour, for God may love and [Page 31]yet punish. [thou hast punished us lesse then our ini­quities deserve:] The point is plaine.

Doct. 2 God doth not punish any of his so much as they de­serve. In Ierem. 10.24. the Prophet prayes thus, Ierem. 10.24. O Lord correct me, but with judgement, not in thine anger; lest thou bring me to nothing: as if he had said, correct me moderately, and not according to my demerits; and yee shall finde it to bee Gods own promise in Ierem. 30.11. I will not make a full end of thee, Ierem. 30.11. but will correct thee in measure: the same also is the confession of the Church, Psal. 103.10. Psal. 103.10. He hath not dealt with us after our sinnes: nor re­warded us according to our iniquities. And Zophar Iobs friend tells him, Iob 11.6. Iob 11.6. that God exacted lesse of him then his iniquity deserved. It is a good observation that is made by some of the Learned, that as God still rewards, ultra merita, beyond mens deserts, so he ever punishes, citra, lesse then they deserve: that hee is alwayes beyond our merits in rewarding us, is evident in Luk. 17.10. where our Saviour saith, Luk. 17.10. When yee shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, Wee are unprofi­table servants, wee have done that which was our duty: but hee is ever on this side in punishing us: See this in Gods dealing with Adam, what de­served he at Gods hand but hell? yet be punisht him only with temporall death. So, when Cain had committed that great sinne against God, he might have sent him presently to his own place, but hee spared him, and suffered him to live a long time on the earth, waiting for his repentance; and when the Israelites deserved to be destroyed, and that [Page 32]hee was forced to punish them, yet he let not his whole displeasure rise against them, Psal. 78.38. Psal. 78.38.

Vse 1 Is it so? let us then in all the judgments which God inflicts upon us, lay our hand upon our mouth, and conclude, that it is lesse then we de­serve: Hast thou a disease upon thee? know that it is lesse then thou deservest, though it be sharpe and irkesome: O but will some say, my disease is so grievous, that I wish I were out of my life: what of that? hee could yet lay more grievous upon thee, he might send terrours into thy soule if he would, which bee, tempestates mentis, the tempests of the mind, and farre worse then any corporall disease; judge then if God doe not pu­nish thee lesse then thou deservest. O but saith ano­ther, when God sends a man to Hell, doth hee punish him lesse then his desert? I answer, in re­gard of the extention of time, that which God inflicts on the damned in hell, is as much as they can deserve or he can inflict upon them, because it is for ever: but in regard of the intention of the punishment, they be not punished as they deserve, God could make the paines of those in everlasting chaines much more intensive, but that all his wayes are intervein'd with mercy: let us therefore be patient in suffering what God layes upon us, knowing that whatsoever the punishment is, it is lesse then, and on this side our demerit.

Vse 2 Secondly, let us learne of our heavenly Father, to bee mercifull as he is mercifull: hee doth not deale with us after our deserts, why should wee deale otherwise with our brother? you see Solomon [Page 33]spared Shimei his life, though for reviling his Fa­ther, he had deserved death; only he confined him to Ierusalem, which when he violated, then and not before, he took away his life: The Iewes ever had a desire to bee more holy then the Law of God required, therefore when the Lord had set and ap­pointed when the Sabbath should begin and when it should end, they would begin it an houre be­fore, and conclude it an houre after the time limi­ted by God: So the Lord commanded them to have no familiarity with the Heathen, and they were so strict, that they would not so much as speak to one uncircumcised: So for the matter of punishment, which is to our purpose, God com­manded them not to exceed fourty stripes, there­fore they would inflict but thirty and nine upon offendours: Thus S. Paul saith, 2 Cor. 11.24. Of the Iewes five times I received fourty stripes save one: 2 Cor. 11.24. I do not applaud their superstition, in doing more then God commanded, but yet it argues merci­fulnesse towards Delinquents: so when a man had deserved death, if the Lord had not exprest in his word, what death he should die, they would put him to that which was most esie: I wish that this practise of theirs rise not up in judgement against us Christians; how many be there among us, that for petty matters seek to crush and undoe men? they are so farre from punishing men lesse then they deserve, that they inflict ten times more upon them then is meet: this is the fault of Ma­sters and Mistresses, they will so beat their servants for trivials, that they be scarfe their own men and [Page 34]women ever after: doth this argue bowels of mer­cy? or doth God deale so with your soules? re­member the parable of the two servants, one whereof owed his master tenne thousand talents, and because hee had not to pay, his Lord com­manded him, his wife and children, and all that he had to be sold, and payment to be made: the servant therefore fell down and worshipped him, saying, Luk. 1 [...]. Lord have patience with mee and I will pay thee all: Then the Lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt: No sooner had his Lord forgiven him, but hee goes out and found one of his fellow servants which ought him an hundred pence; and hee laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest: and his fellow servant fell downe at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with mee, and I will pay thee all: and he would not, but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt: When his Lord heard of it, he calls him to account againe, (for it seemes he had forgiven him upon condition that hee should forgive his brother) and saith unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou de­siredst mee: shouldst not thou also have had compas­sion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pitty on thee? and his Lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tor­mentors, till hee should pay all that was due unto him: Call this parable often to remembrance, and see­ing God is so mercifull to thee, deale not to ex­tremity with others; let those that be superiours think of this, let them remember what they ex­pect [Page 35]from God, and let them be mercifull as hee is mercifull. Another Exposition of these words, [thou hast punished us lesse then our iniquities de­serve,] is this, the words in the Originall are, [thou hast held us from being beneath by our iniqui­ties.] As if hee had said, thou hast kept us from being prest down to hell by our transgressions: in this phrase of speech, the Spirit of God intimates to us of what weight and load sinne is: saith David, mine iniquities are as an heavie burthen, they are too heavie for mee, Psal. 38.4. and in Isa. 1.4. God calls Israel, a people laden with iniquitie: Psal. 38.4. Isa. 1.4. Matth. 11.28. Heb. 21.1. and our Savi­our Christ calls to him all that are heavie laden, Matt. 11.28. and in Heb. 21.1. we are called upon to lay aside every weight: and our Saviour saith to his Disciples, in Luk. 21.34. Take heed to your selves lest at any time your hearts be overcome or prest down with surfetting and drunkennesse. Luk 21.34. Now that sin is weighty and of a ponderous nature, appeares thus. First, one sinne presseth upon another, and they all presse down to hell. Secondly, sinne hinders us from doing whatsoever good is, it makes us dull and heavie in the performance of good actions: above all remember how heavie Christ our Redeemer found our sins: though he was but a sinner by impu­tation, yet he found the burden of our sins so weigh­ty on his sacred shoulders, that they made him sweat drops of bloud in a cold night; and to cry out on the Crosse, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Vse 1 Doth sinne presse us down? then yee may see the folly and stupidity of people, that goe on in sinne, and never finde it burdensome; but let me tell these, if [Page 36]ever God shall awake their drowsie conscience, they shall finde that one Ionah is too much for a whole Ship: the Devill is cunning, and to the end hee may engage men in sinne, he will not re­present it to them in its own hue (which is most ugly,) but hee shewes it in a false glasse, either of profit or pleasure; and hence it is that he ensnares so many soules: hee tells them that sinne is no burthen, and that hell is not so hot as the Minister makes it to bee; but herein hee playes the lyar, which hath beene his trade from the be­ginning.

Vse 2 In the second place, let us find sinne a burthen; there is no better argument of grace then to be sensible of the weight of sin: and that man that doth not find it ponderous, happily he may com­plaine of the stone in the kidney or the bladder, but hee hath most cause to cry out of the stone in his heart; for were not his heart harder then the nether mill-stone, he would feele sin a burthen too heavy for him to beare.

Vse 3 Thirdly, if God have freed us from this burthen, let us take heed of being engaged in it againe; for every sin is a weight, the least is enough to presse us to hell, but many will presse us downe to the bottome of hell.

Vse 4 Fourthly, is sin a burthen? let us then labour all wee can to ease men of it, by giving them good and wholsome counsell; but the times be wretch­ed, and it is a wonder the world stands so long; some laugh at the sins of men, others labour to engage them in sin, and take pleasure in loading [Page 37]them; there be too many that make men drink drunk, and provoke them to sweare: these are desperate wretches, and most unchristian-like, for instead of keeping their brethren from, they put them on to sin.

Vse 5 Lastly, is sin such a burthen? how are wee bound to thee O blessed Saviour, for easing us of this pressure? of thy infinite and unspeakable love thou tookest to thee a load, which would have prest us to the pit of hell; make us wee beseech thee ever mindfull of it and thankfull for it: The last amplification of Gods mercy is, that he had delive­red them: [thou hast given us such a diliverance as this:] Will some man say, what deliverance was that? it was the delivering of Israel from the Babylo­nish captivity, which lasted seventy yeares, and was a very great deliverance; for in Babylon they hanged their harps on the willows, and sat downe by the rivers, and wept when they remembred Zion, Psal. 137.1.2. therefore the Spirit of God sets a speciall character on this, tearming it [such a deliverance as this:] Psal. 137 1.2. the point is perspicuous.

Doctrine. There be certaine deliverances which God bestowes on men, for which they are to be more thankfull then for others. It is true, God is so great in the great­est, that he is not little in the least, yet some are greater then others; some of Gods works are written in greater, some in smaller characters: it was not every deliverance that made Noah build an Altar to the Lord, but Gods sparing of him and his from perishing with the old world: it was not every deliverance which caused Hezekiah to [Page 38]pen a song, but it was Gods adding a lease of fif­teene years to his life, when hee thought him­selfe past recovery: they were great deliverances that made the Iewes keep their Anniversaries, as the Feast of the Passeover, of Tabernacles and of Trumpets. And when Ioshua commanded a man of every Tribe in Israel to take a stone out of the midst of Iordan, it was in remembrance of a spe­ciall mercy, that when their posterity should see that pile of stones, and aske them the meaning of them, then they should answer, that the waters of Iordan were cut off and stood on heapes untill they past over on foot: and it was no small, but a grand deliverance which caused the Iewes to keep the dayes of Purim, it was for the reversing of the fatall decree Haman had got out against them: and when Iehoshaphat and his people assembled themselves in the Valley of Berachah, it was to blesse the Lord for a great Victory which hee gave them over their great Adversaries, 2 Chron. 20.26. 2 Chron. 20.26.

Vse.Let me call upon you, to reflect inwards upon your selves, and to say with Ezra, [God hath given us such a deliverance as this.] What a deliverance did God give unto us in this land at the entrance of Queen Elizabeth of ever blessed memory, who resto­red true Religion among us, and broke the heavy yoak of Antichrist from off our necks? what a deliverance was that which our God vouchsafed us in eighty eight, when hee overthrew our ene­mies to their perpetuall shame? their strength at that time was so great, that if God had not sub­dued [Page 39]them for us, we had never been able to make resistance: what a deliverance was that which God afforded to King and People in one thousand six hundred and five from that damnable and hideous Popish powder treason, which was hatcht & forg'd in hell, and should have been executed à primogenitis Diaboli, by the first borne of Satan? what a deli­verance was that which hee gave us five yeares since from the raging Pestilence, when there died in one week five thousand two hundred and five? God was then pleased to cause it to cease on a sud­den, till it came to a paucity, nay to a nullity. And to come to our owne particulars, may not many of us say, that our next neighbours were visited, and wee were preserved? may wee not say that some in the same house, nay some that lay with us in the same bed, were smitten and died, and wee escaped? see then how God hath magnified his mercy towards us, in giving us such a deliverance as this: O let us remember what the deliverance was, and what the blessing is, hee snatcht us as brands out of the fire; as therefore our sorrow was the greater then, so let our Songs be the more now: shall Gods mercy bee to us in a fire, and our thankefulnesse to him in a frost? God forbid. As therefore at that time of need, his mercy was great towards us, so let it appeare in our lives that wee are sensible of his extraordinary favour, by living holily and righteously all the dayes of our life.

Sermon III.

IN this verse we may take knowledge how Ezra justifies Gods severity, upon the precedency of mans sinne; the verse divides it selfe into two parts: First, the sin; Secondly, the punishement. The sin is laid down: First, generally, shall we return to break thy Commandements? Secondly, particularly, and joyn in affinity with the people of these abominations? Then followes the punishment; first, God will bee angry; secondly, there is the degree of his anger, he will not leave consuming till all bee destroyed. We begin with the sinne in generall, [Should we re­turn to break thy Commandements?] in the Originall it is, should we return againe to commit iniquities? which intimates to us, that when Gods hand was upon them, it wrought them to amendment: from whence I note thus much.

Doctrine. That is sound repentance, when a man so sorrowes for his sinne, that hee forsakes it. In the three speci­all languages, the Hebrew, Greek, and Latine, the words which signifie repentance intimate as [Page 41]much: the Hebrew words are two, [...] and [...], the one signifies grieving, the other tur­ning: the Greeks have likewise two words, [...] and [...], one is an after griefe when a thing is done, the other is an after wisedome to flie from it for time to come: the Latines also set it out by two words, the one is poenitentia, which is a griefe for sinne, the other is resipiscentia, which signifies a turning from that for which hee sorrowes: and the phrases in Scripture intimate as much, as in 2 Cor. 12.21. there the Apostle saith, 2 Cor. 12.21. I feare lest when I come againe my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewaile many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the unclean­nesse and fornication and lasciviousnesse which they have committed. So in Rev. 9.21. they repented not of their murthers, sorceries, fornication, Revel. 9.21. nor of their thefts: That is, they neither sorrowed for, nor re­pented them of these horrible sinnes: It is the counsell of Saint Peter to Simon Magus, Acts 8.22. Act. 8.22. Repent therefore of this thy wickednesse, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thy heart may be forgi­ven thee: So in Heb. 6.1. the Apostle saith, Heb. 6.1. There­fore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us goe on unto perfection, not laying againe the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith towards God: The former of these is to grieve for their ignorance, the other is to turn from it: and yee shall finde the same in those places where repentance is described: as in 2 Chro. 7.14. If my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray, 2 Chro. 7.14. and seek my face and [Page 42]turn from their wicked wayes: then will I heare from heaven, and will forgive their sinne, and heale their land. Ioel 2.12. So in Ioel 2.12. Turn unto me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning; there is compunction of soule, and a­mendment of life: And saith Saint Iames, Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purifie your hearts yee double minded, Iames 4.8. Iam. 4.8.

Vse 1 This lets us see the vanity of those who say they have repented of, and yet have not turned from their evill wayes: it may be while Gods hand was on them they repented, and said they would forsake all sin, but no sooner is the rod off their backs, but they renew their unsanctified Olims, turning with the dog to the vomit, and with the sow that was wash­ed, to wallow in the mire; what repentance doe men call this, when as they have neither cleansed their hands, nor purged their hearts? darest thou say thou art cured of the lea prosie, when it ap­peares white in thy forehead? I know thou da­rest not; and dare any be so impudent as to say they have repented of their sins, when as they daily renew them? this is so farre from deserving the name of true repentance, that it is, poenitentia poeni­tenda, repentance to be repented of.

Vse 2 Secondly, as wee say, wee repent of our sins, so let us turne from them; this was the savoury coun­sell of Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar, O King break off thy sins by righteousnes, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poore; it is possible for a man to turne from sin and yet be never the better, if hee grieve not for it; and it is possible for a man to [Page 43]grieve for sin, and yet far enough from true repen­tance, if hee turne not from it: if any of us should have a servant that grieved for his offence, pro­mising no more to commit the like, and yet as soon as our back is turned should run into the same againe, wee would presently conclude that hee did but dissemble: what then shall wee think of our selves when wee say wee disclaime sin, and yet our lives testifie the quite contrary? let us in the feare of God sorrow for sin, and turne from it, else God shall be just in consuming us. [Should we re­turn to break thy Commandements?] The manner of Ezra his speaking intimates to us, that it is possible for a man to be engaged in sinne, when he hath had a taste of Gods mercy; and if so, give me leave from hence to gather this Obser­vation.

Doctrine. After the receit of great mercies, Gods children are apt to be engaged in great sinnes: See it made good in some instances; was there ever a greater deliverance bestowed on any then that which the Lord afforded Noah, when he out-rid that storme of the Deluge in the Ark, when all the World be­sides him and his were drowned? It is true, for the present, hee was so affected with it that hee built an Altar to the Lord, and offered burnt offerings on it; but soone after hee forgat this great favour, and was over-taken with intem­perance: could there bee a greater deliverance then Lots? hee was snatcht by the Angell out of Sodom as a brand out of the fire, and in his flight God gave him his hearts desire, and that was to [Page 44]escape to Zoar, yet after his going to live in the Mountaines, he made the Mountaine where he lived a Sodom, for there he committed incest with his two daughters: the like we see in wicked Pharaoh, he is very passionate with Moses and Aaron to have the judgements of God removed, and when hee hath his desire, hee is so farre from being better, that he is worse then he was before; just like Iron, which is soft as long as it is in the fire, but being coole, returnes to its former hardnesse: hee got strength by his fall. So in the children of Israel, what a deliverance did God vouchsafe them when hee freed them from Egyptian bondage? while their necks were under the yoak of that oppressour, they were in as great distresse as ever people were; well, it pleased God to ease them of that servitude, and to give them a miraculous passage thorow the red Sea; would any man have thought that ever they would have forgotten this transcendent blessing, yet with in a few weeks, Moses being but gone up to the Mount to receive the Law of God for them, they make a golden Calfe and worship it: how soone was this forgotten? So in the book of Iudges, we finde the same people often guilty of the same fault: they provoke God, and hee sold them into the hands of their enemies, sometimes for eight yeares, sometimes for eighteene, sometimes for fourty yeares; but no sooner are they delivered, but they run their old bias, and are engaged in foule trans­gressions: as if they had beene redeemed to dis­honour their benefactour. The like wee see in [Page 45] Hezekiah, the Lord bestowed upon him a strange deliverance; for when Senacherib came against him with a puissant Army, thinking to destroy Ie­rusalem, the Lord for his insolence and blasphemy, put a hook into his nostrils, and slew of his Army in one night, an hundred fourscore and five thousand, and so delivered him out of his hands: after this the Lord smore him with the plague, (as most In­terpreters think) and yet he recovered; no sooner was this done, but the Babylonish Embassadours comming from their Master to congratulate his recovery; he was so taken with it, that he shewed them the house of his precious things, which was a baite to that King to come and destroy his Land; and it fell out accordingly: for when Isaiah had asked him from whence those men came, and that Hezekiah had told him, adding withall, that he had shewed them all his treasures; he saith, the Lord of Hosts saith, Behold the dayes come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy Fathers have laid up in store untill this day, shall be carried to Babylon: as if the Prophet had said, thou hast made thy will O Hezekiah, and the King of Babylon shall be thy Executour: and so it fell out afterwards, for the King of Babylon made warre against him, and took and carried away all the Treasure which former­ly had been shewed to his Embassadours. And when our blessed Saviour saith to the man whom hee had restored to his limbs, Sinne no more lest a worse thing come unto thee, Iob. 5.14. it intimates to us, Iohn 5.16. that men are apt to runne into sinne, when they have had the sweetest relish of Gods mercy. [Page 46]What may bee the reason of this?

Reason 1 First, it is from the corruption of our nature since the fall of Adam, which is so depraved thereby, that we are apt to forget the mercy of God, even then, when wee have most cause to remember it.

Reason 2 Secondly, it proceeds from the malice of the De­vill, for when hee sees God to bestow great mer­cies on men, hee then labours especially to en­gage them in transgression: and why so? that the mercies of God may be obscured by their unthank­fulnesse, who but even now were the objects of his bounty: and not only so, but he doth it likewise to vex and afflict Gods children, for when God shall open their eyes, hee knowes it will grieve their spirits for sleighting Gods mercy as they have done; therefore it is that he steps in then, when God hath been most gracious to men, and puts them on to commit sinne, that thereby hee might draw black lines over the legible characters of Gods mercy.

Let me perswade you, Vse. that as yee bee sensible of Gods mercies, so to watch over your selves upon the receit of them, that yee may be thankfull for them: the Saints of God have been carelesse this way, notwithstanding God hath bestowed abundant favours upon them; they have been wanting in payment of that tribute of prayse which God ex­pected and deserved at their hands: when God looked for sweet, they have brought forth wilde and soure grapes; like as it was with the Hea­then of old, who comming to the Temples of their gods to give thanks for their health, went [Page 47]home drunk; and as the Devill doth labour then to step in when God hath done men most good, so above all times labour at that time to be most thankfull and obedient, that God may have his glory, and you a sweet relish of his mercy. [shall wee break thy Commandements?] How shall wee un­derstand this? break his Commandements? how could it be otherwise? doth any man live and not sinne? and yet shall they for this be exposed to Gods judgements? who knowes not but as long as we live in this world, and spin out the thread of our life, that we cannot but break Gods Com­mandements? were we as faithfull as ever Abraham was, yet wee could not but wee must bee guilty sometimes of breaking Gods Commandements: and doth not Saint Iames say, in many things we sinne all? and what saith the Apostle Iohn? he that saith hee hath no sinne, is a lyar, and there is no truth in him: As it is in the Fable which was told the mother of Achilles, that if she dipped her Son into such a River, so farre as the water wet him, so farre hee should bee invulnerable, therefore she drencht him over head and eares, and wet every part of him, save onely the tip of his heele, by which shee held him, and in that part hee re­ceived his deaths wound: So let a man be never so much sanctified, be hee as holy as ever any Saint was, I will not except the Virgin Mary, yet as long as he dwels here below, he will be guilty of break­ing Gods Commandements: how then must wee understand what Ezra saith, when he saith, [shall we againe break thy Commandements?] His meaning [Page 48]is, that if after so great mercy, as God had vouch­safed them, they should fall into grosse sinnes, then God should be just in punishing them; for though a man cannot shun peccata quotidiana, sins of in­firmity, yet hee may refraine from committing foule and scandalous sinnes. Luk. 1.6. In Luk. 1.6. it is said of Zachary and Elizabeth, That they were righteous before God, walking in all the Commandements and Ordinances of the Lord blamelesse: and it is possible for a man to live sine scandalo, without scandall, though not sine querela, without being guilty of lesser iniquities: or secondly, he may be understood thus, though they bee sinnes which be lesse, yet if men shall wilfully commit them, it shall bee just with God to punish them for the same; if they be of industry and not of infirmity, if they be lesse then the first, and yet shall be runne into against knowledge and conscience, they shall for these be exposed to Gods judgements, as well as for greater sins. From the words thus opened, note thus much in way of application.

Vse 1 In the first place, let us deplore the misrerable corruption of our nature since our fall; there is now a necessity of sinning, waking, sleeping, soli­tary, in company, at home and in Gods Temple: were it so that a man were living, yet if hee were alwayes sick, we would say, it were a poore life; what is it then to be alwayes prone to sinne? yet this is our unhappinesse while we are cloathed with flesh; have wee not cause then to be weary of this sinfull life? and ought we not with Saint Paul, to sigh while wee are burthened with this body of clay, [Page 49]desiring to bee cloathed upon with immortality, that mortality might be swallowed of life? Is there not just cause for us to say, with the same Apostle in the sorrow of our soules, Cupio dissolvi, & esse cum Christo, I desire to bee dissolved, and to bee with Christ?

Vse 2 Secondly, because Ezra would have them a­void foule sinnes; in the name of God let our care bee to abandon such; Which bee they? Swearing, whoredome, oppression, murder, drunkennesse, Sabbath — breaking; these doe vastare conscientiam, wast the conscience, and en­danger the soule more then other sinnes: a ship may live at Sea, that hath a leake sprung, if the Mariners bestirre themselves in pumping; but when it is shot thorow and thorow by wind and water, it is hardly kept from sinking: So a man that sins of infirmity, if he repent, he shall obtaine pardon; but the soule that sinnes wilfully is scarse kept from sinking.

Lastly, hee would have them avoid smaller sinnes; and so ought wee; for a little sinne committed with purpose, is greater in Gods ac­count, then a great sinne committed against a mans will: as therefore a man should avoid great sinnes, so also all lesser impieties: the heart of man should bee against all sinne, and he should have respect to all Gods Commande­ments, that if hee chance to fall, it may not bee presumptuously, but by infirmity, and then hee may expect mercy from God, who knowes whereof wee are made, and remembers that wee [Page 50]are but dust. [Shall we joyne in affinity with the peo­ple of these abominations?] It is an Hebraisme, the Spirit of God cals them people of such abomi­nations, in stead of abominable people: it is more to be called people of such abominations, then a­bominable people; thus when Antichrist is cal­led the man of sinne, it is more then if he were called a sinfull man: Here I could observe how hatefull the Heathen and all their doings be unto God, as also how odious all grosse sinners are in his pure eyes; hee loathes and abhorres them: in the Scripture yee shall finde, if the godly be com­pared to gold, they are termed drosse; if the god­ly be compared to wheat, the wicked to chaffe: Nay, the ungodly man is resembled to the dirt in the street, which you know is filthy and noi­some: Again, if the godly be termed sheep, the wicked are called goates; nay, in our Text, they be abominable: As it was said of Naaman, hee was an honourable man and a brave souldier, but a leaper; So wee may say of the wicked man, be he never so rich and honourable, if he be a grosse sinner, hee is hatefull to God; yea, I will be bold to say, hee is more loathsome to him, in peccato, quamvis non persona, in his sinne, though not in his person; then a toad is or can be in our eyes: But I cannot stay here. [Shall wee joyne in affinity with the people of such abominations?] The Holy Ghost makes it a foule sinne to joyn in affinity with the Hea­then; and indeed so it is, for God charges the contrary, Exod. 34.15.16. Exod. 34.15.16. And yee shall finde that God hath followed those with punishments that [Page 51]have joyned themselves to Heathens: Esau married strange Wives to the great griefe of his Father and Mother, and he was made the more prophane by it: The like we see in Solomon, he married the King of Egypts Daughter, and shee brought him to Idolatry, for which God plagued both him and his posterity: it was so with Sampson, hee would needs have the Daughter of a Philistim to wife; what followed upon it? shee proved his bane: so in Ahab, he took to wife Iezabel, the Daughter of the King of Zidonia, which was the filling up of his iniquity, and brought the curse of God on him and his progeny: it is said in 1 Cor. 7.39. A wo­man, 1 Cor. 7.39. if her Husband be dead, is at liberty to be mar­ried to whom shee will, onely in the Lord: That is, saith Gregory, to a Christian, and saith Augustine, shee must still remaine a Christian, though marri­ed to a Heathen: And the same Apostle saith, 2 Cor. 6.14. Bee not unequally yoaked with Infidels, 2 Cor. 6.14. for what fellowship hath righteousnesse with unrighte­ousnesse? and what communion hath light with dark­nesse? What is the meaning of that? Gregory saith, S. Paul meanes that Christians should marry with Christians; and Chrysostome saith, To doe other­wise is to make the members of Christ, the members of a Harlot.

Let us take heed of intimate familiarity with Heathens; Vse. and in this case I say to you as Samp­sons Father said to him, Is there never a daughter in Israel to please thee? Nay, I will spread it further, Shun not only familiarity with Heathens, but make no league with grosse sinners, for there is much danger [Page 52]in it: First, the danger of suspition; let a man bee never so good, yet if hee associate himselfe with those that bee bad, hee will bee thought as bad as they; for what will men say? birds of a feather flie together. Secondly, he runnes the hazard of infection; all the Rivers in the World run into the Sea, but yet they cannot sweeten it, but are made brakish by it: and a wicked man is tenne times more apt to corrupt a good man, then he is to be wrought on by the conversation of a good man. Thirdly, there is a danger of a curse by consort­ing with wicked men; for as many ill men fare the better for one good man; thus the houshold of Potipher was blest for one Ioseph, and all in the ship fared the better for Pauls presence: so many good men may sometimes fare the worse for one wicked person: thus for one Achan, the whole Host of Israel is discomfited: and this made Iohn the Evangelist to hasten out of the bath as soone as he saw Cerinthus there, for saith he, I feare lest the house should fall upon my head for being in company with such a wicked heretick as thou art: This also was that which caused Moses to command the Is­raelites to depart from the Tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram: and the Spirit of God saith, Come out of Babylon my people, lest by partaking in her sins, yee partake of her plagues: Besides, when a good man maintaines inward familiarity with the wick­ed: First, hee seemes to approve and applaud their wickednesse: Secondly, it is a scandal to Religion, and doth greatly prejudice weak Christians: Thirdly, it is a great meanes to keep the wicked from [Page 53]repenting; for too much intimacy with them, har­dens them in their sinne: take heed therefore of intimate acquaintance with wicked men, and let our affection be to the Saints that be in the earth, and to those that excell in vertue. We now come to the punishment: [wouldst thou not be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no rem­nant nor escaping?] First, here is Gods anger, in the first clause: [wouldst thou not be angry with us?] Se­condly, we have the degree of his anger, in the last words: [so that there should bee no escaping.] Wee begin with Gods anger, [wouldst thou not be angry with us?] We must know that anger is not a passion in God, as it is in man, but in speaking thus, the Spirit of God stoops to us, to raise us up to him: as the Nurse stammers to the child in its own dialect, so our weaknesse makes God condescend unto us: certaine it is that anger is in God, as zeale, not as vice. Out of this first clause I note two things for our instruction: The first is this.

Doctrine. Great sinnes, after the receit of great favours, are usually inherited by great judgments. Cham was freed from being drowned with the old World, which was a great deliverance; if after this he shall not bee sensible of Gods mercy, and shall mock his Father, no marvell if he be made servus servorum, a servant of servants. Nay, Noah himselfe, if hee shall no more remember the favour of God, then to bee excessive, it is no wonder if he be mocked by his own child, and this was no small judgement. So for Lot, if after so great a deliverance vouch­safed him, he shall be guilty of Incest; no marvell [Page 54]if his two Sons begotten of his Daughters, prove the fatall enemies of Israel: So for Pharaoh, the deliverances which God gave him were admirable, but for the contempt of them, they are succeeded with great plagues: it was a notable mercy which God afforded Nineveh, in keeping off that judge­ment which Ionah had denounced against it: when Nineveh sins againe, see what God saith, Nah. 1.9. I will make an utter end; Nah [...]m 1.9. affliction shall not rise up the second time: that is, hee will so set on the stroak, that hee need not smite twice: it is like that speech of God to Samuel concerning Eli and his houshold, When I begin, I will also make an end, 1 Sam. 3.12. and that caution of our blessed Saviour, 1 Sam. 3 1 [...]. to the man that was cured at the Poole of Bethesda, [Sinne no more lest a worse thing come unto thee,] What doth it intimate to us, but that great sinnes after great favours, are inherited by great plagues? The Magdeburgenses observe, that these three things goe together; great mercies have been bestowed, great sinnes have ensued, and great judgements have followed both: And wonder not at this, for it is a great dishonour to God that his favours should be sleighted; Rom. 2.4. as in Rom. 2.4. Knowest not thou O man, that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance? That is, it should lead thee to re­pentance: Therefore beware of abusing the mer­cies of God, else they shall bee seconded by feare­full judgements. The second observation arising from that clause, [wouldst thou not be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us?] is this:

Doctrine. There be degrees of Gods wrath, it rises by little [Page 55]and little till it consume: Levit. 26. This is proved in Levit. 26. there we finde that as mens sins encrease, so Gods plagues shall encrease; and if they persist to sin, hee will plague them, seven times more, and seven times more: So in Psal. 78.38. He, that is, the Lord, Psal 78.38. being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity and destroyed them not; yea, many a time turned he his an­ger away, and did not stirre up all his wrath: So in Psal. 2.12. if his wrath be kindled but a little, Psal. 2.12. blessed are all they that put their trust in him: If therefore the Lords wrath bee turned to fire, all the World will be consumed: So in Revel. 6.17. The great day of his wrath is come, and who can stand? Revel. 6.17. The Prophet David makes it an imprecation against his enemies, That God would render seven times into their bosomes their reproach, Psal. 9.12. Psal. 79.12. as if he had said, O Lord, I know thou dost punish them now, but I am sure, thou canst punish them much more: It was so with Eli, one brings him word that Israel was discomfited, another that his Sons were slain, a third that the Arke of God was taken, the hea­ring whereof caused him to fall backwards, and it is a question whether his neck or his heart brake first: So it was with Iob, one brings him word that his cattell were taken away by the Sabeans, ano­ther that his sheep and servants were burnt with fire from heaven, a third that his sonnes and daughters were slaine with the fall of a house, which was the most wofull newes of all: Thus the wrath of God rise higher and higher. Could Rehoboam make his little singer as heavie as his Fathers loynes? and could Nebuchadnezzar make [Page 56]his Oven seven times hotter then it was before? and shall not God encrease his wrath? Yes hee can at pleasure.

Vse 1 It meets with a great number, who if they have been freed from an ague, of which they had foure or five fits, they presently say, with Agag, the bitter­nesse is past, and they shall no more have it: What thinkest thou? is not God able to visite thee againe? or thinkest thou that thou deservest no more at Gods hand? Gods manner is, first to shake the 10d at his child, if that will not deterre him, then he gives him two or three stripes, if that will not work him to obedience, then he layes on more; and no wonder if new judgements succeed new sinnes, and if great sinnes be inherited by great judgements.

Vse 2 In the second place, whensoever Gods hand is upon us, let us know, that hee could lay much more upon us if hee would; and though his hand lie heavie on us, yet there is something beyond that, and that is to give us up to our own lusts, and that is as bad or worse then to be given up to the Devill: when God gave David up to adultery and murther, it was much worse, then that the sword should never depart from his house: spirituall judgements doe farre exceed corporall and temporall; Why? the one drives men to, the other drives men from God. Againe, there be some judgements be­yond these, and they be troublers of soule; saith Solomon, A wounded spirit who can beare? these bee so great, that none can expresse them but those who have felt them; those lashes of soule are [Page 57]insupportable: and yet there is that which is beyond all this, if men repent not; and that is hell; To­phet is prepared of old; yea, for the King it is or­dained, hee hath made it deep and large; the pile thereof is fire and much wood, the breath of the Lord like a streame of brimstone doth kindle it: Isa 30.33. Isa. 30.33. all the strappadoes in the world are but flea-bi­tings to this: Nebuchadnezzars banishment, was but for seven yeares, but the paines of hell be eter­nall: when a man hath been punished there tenne thousand millions of yeares, he is never the nearer comming out of that Pit, for he must goe them over again and again, world without end. The mi­series of this present life be compared to waters, which ebbe and flow, but hell is called stagnum, a standing peole; saith Iohn, Rev. 20.15. Revel. 20.15. Whosoever was not found written in the book of life, was cast into the lake of fire: There is nothing in that place but sor­row, and that for ever: So that God can plague thee corporally, spiritually, and eternally. Hath he begun to fleece thee? hee could flea thee: hath he begun to bond thee? hee could break thee; doth hee punish thee in thy body? hee could plague thee in thy soule; nay, hee could send thee to Hell, and that is the dregs of the Viall: Therefore stand in awe and sinne not: Hath hee begun to plague thee? Repent; if thou dost not, hee can plague thee ten times more, and ten times more; And it is fearefull to fall into the hands of the living God.

Sermon IV.

IN this verse Ezra pleads guilty to the in­ditement, acknowledging God to bee just, though hee should renew his judgements a­fresh upon them: There bee two things in it; First, his justifying God, in these words, [O Lord God of Israel, thou art righteous.] Secondly, the reason which hee gives for it; first on Gods part, he had used all possible meanes to bring them to Reformation: [Wee remaine yet escaped as at this day:] secondly on their part, [they were still in their trespasses.] And therefore they were the fresh fuell of Gods indignation. Before we come to these particulars, give me leave to speak a word or two of the stile hee gives God; he calls him, [Lord God of Israel.] The title [Lord,] signifies [Page 59]his greatnesse, [the God of Israel,] his goodnesse: A fit Preface for a prayer: for the word [Lord,] it is a terme well befitting God; in the holy Scripture he is said to be strong in power, and wonderfull in working: Nay, so powerfull he is, that nothing whatsoever is impossible to him: The Scripture demonstrates further, That he doth what he pleaseth, in heaven and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places, Psal. 135.6. And what hee will doe, Psa. 135.6. all the world cannot hinder. Secondly, the holy Scripture sets out Gods power by this, that what­soever hee doth, hee doth without difficulty: hee knowes how to sit still and work, and to work and sit still; Yea, so farre is his power extended, that his will is his power, as appeares in the crea­tion; he said the word, and all things were created: and though some Atheisticall spirits have asked with what ladders and engines, God built the Fabrick of heaven; if they had but consulted, Gen. 1. they should have been resolved; Genes. 1. for that shewes them, that by his word speaking all things were made: and it is worth our observation in the Book of God, where hee is said to effect things by meanes; we shall finde that he hath done the greatest things by the smallest meanes: Thus by Moses and Aaron, a couple of poore men, he de­livered his people Israel out of Egyptian bondage, in spight of Pharaoh that great Potentate; and by Gideon and his three hundred men, hee conque­red that great Army of the Midianites which lay as as Grasse-hoppers on the earth for mul­titude: So he ruined the Walls of Iericho by the [Page 60]sound of rammes hornes; and he wrought those great wonders in Egypt by Moses his rod, which was a contemptible thing: This also by Shamgars goad hee laid the Philistims heapes upon heapes: and by a jawbone of an Asse in the hand of Sampson, he slew a thousand men; and by little David overcame and slew that great Goliath: When hee would work redemption for the Sons of men, hee brought it to passe by him who was, novissimus hominum, the meanest of men: who was poore in his birth, obscure in his educati­on, poorely attended when he came to the ex­ecution of his Ministry, and poorest of all in his death, for qui in vita non domicilium, in morte non sepulchrum, he that in his life had not a house to hide his head in, when hee died, was buried in another mans Tombe: and when hee will dispence the Gos­pel, hee makes choyce of Fishermen, to pub­lish those glad tidings to the World. Thirdly, God is said to bee powerfull, because he can doe more then he will: he could of stones have raised children to Abraham, but hee would not; and when our blessed Lord was apprehended, hee tells Peter, that hee could have obtained of his Father, more then twelve legions of Angels to help him, but he would not: He can doe more then hee will, but hee will not doe all that hee can.

Vse 1 It meets with those that deny this to God: Plinius secundus saith, God is not Almighty, be­cause hee cannot lie nor deceive: Lodovicus Vives wonders at this, saying, I admire that a man so [Page 61]wise should cavill at Gods power; but Saint Au­gustine answers him well, and saith, therefore is God ommipotent, because hee cannot he nor deceive, for these argue impotency. Secondly, it confutes others, who say God is not so power­full as the Scripture makes him to be, because hee cannot make a thing to bee against its na­ture, as to bee, and not to be: to whom I answer, things which in their nature are simply impossi­ble (with reverence bee it spoken) God cannot doe; but all other things, though impossible to created nature, God can doe; therefore this vaine objection doth not disparage Gods power.

Vse 2 In the second place, let it comfort Gods peo­ple; God is the Lord Almighty in power, what then shall bee obstaculous to him to per­forme with them? where humane help failes, there God puts in with his power, and makes mans extremity his opportunity: hee comes not to Sarah, till it had ceast to bee with her af­ter the manner of women: he comes not to de­liver Israel, till they were upon the brink of the red sea; and then Moses said, Feare yee not, but stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord; hee came not to deliver the three children, till they were cast into the fiery furnace; nor to Daniel till he was among the Lyons: there can be no falshood in what he saith, for nothing is too hard for him to effect.

Vse 3 Lastly, it should teach us to stand in awe, and not sinne against God, for hee is able to grind [Page 62]the greatest Prince to powder, if he be rebelli­ous: nay, he can make the flies, the lice, the lo­custs, the ants, those contemptible creatures to destroy man, if hee continue refractory: there­fore let us stand in awe of this great Lord, that his mighty power may bee armed to our preservation, not to our destruction. So wee come to the second, which is, that hee is, [the God of Israel.] And if in the first he was maximus, the greatest, then in this he is optimus, the best. l know hee is the God of all the earth, Psal. 24.1. Psal. 24.1. but more especially hee is the God of Israel: First, secundum specialem cultum, by a speciall and peculiar wor­ship: to them above other people, hee revealed how hee would bee worshipped; they were scri­niarii legis, the treasurers of the Law: God dealt not with the Heathen, as hee dealt with Israel; they are described by calling on the Lord, as if no people called upon God but they. Second­ly, hee is the God of Israel, secundum specialem curam, in regard of that speciall care hee had of them: he was a wall of fire round about them, to preserve them from their enemies: God is said to carry his people, as an Eagle carrieth her young ones on her wings, Deut. 32.11. Deut. 32.11. it is a sweet comparison, the Eagle feares nothing from above to hurt her young ones, because she soares higher then any other bird; and if there come any danger from beneath, her body is between it and her young, shee will be hurt, rather then they shall: So God interposes between his people and their enemies, so that no mischiefe shall befall them, [Page 63]but by his permission. Thirdly, hee is the God of Israel, secundum speciale praemium, by a speciall reward which hee hath promised them: he saith to Abraham, I am thy exceeding great reward; and that God that told him hee would give the land of Canaan to him and his seed for a possession, doth not only provide for his people a temporall Canaan here, but an eternall Canaan hereafter, of which the other is but a Tipe: they be called, segullam, his chiefe treasure: and Saint Peter cals them, a chosen generation, a royall Priesthood, a holy Nation, a peculiar people, 2. Pet. 2.9. 2 Pet. 2.9. And to spread it a little further, it is not only now, Deus notus in Iehuda, God is known in Iudah, but notus inter Gentes, he is known among the Gentiles; for where­soever the Gospel is preached, they be the Israel of God: they be the piece of ground culled out of the whole world, to be a garden for the Lord; they bee his inclosure, and are tied to him by the strictest relations in the world; hee is their Master, and they bee his servants; yet more, hee is their Father, and they bee his children; yet more, hee is their Husband, and they bee his Spouse, for hee hath married them to himselfe, Ierem. 3.4. Ierem. 3.14.

Vse 1 This that hath been said, may assure Gods children of his affection towards them: be they his? then they may bee sure that hee will have a care of them; relation hath ever been a ground of affection: a man loves not his Countrey so much, quia magnam, because it is great, as quia suam, because it is his: Therefore if God entitle his [Page 64]people to himselfe, they may bee sure hee will care for them: and what can bee more for Gods people to triumph in, then that the Lord is their God? This high Priviledge exceeds all things whatsoever; for hee that hath honour and riches, may goe to hell with them; but hee that hath God to bee his God, is sure to bee everlastingly happy. I read of one in S. Augustine, that passing by a stately house, which had faire demeanes about it, hee asked one that hee met, to whom that house and land belonged, hee answered to such a one; O saith hee, that is a happy man: no, saith the Father, hee is not happy, that hath that house and land, but hee is happy that hath the Lord to be his God.

Vse 2 Secondly, mee thinks this should take off the edge of all Persecutors; Is God the God of his people? and dare they touch that which is hallowed unto God? will they meddle with the apple of his eye? God is said to be blasphemed, when Rabshekah that railing Oratour reviled the Host of Israel: and Christ saith to Saul when hee was going to Damascus, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou mee? It is well known that there was an in­finite distance between our Saviour and hee; but it was in his members that hee was persecuted. Zeresh the wife of Haman gave good counsell to her Husband, had he taken it in time, shee tells him, Esth. 6.13. Esth. 6.13. If Mordecai bee of the feed of the Iewes before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shall not prevaile against him, but surely falI before him. I know that oftentimes God gives Persecutors [Page 65]power to hurt his people, but it is not ad extir­pationem, to root them up, sed ad exercitationem, but to exercise and try them; Therefore the enemies of Gods Church, are compared to Bees, that have honey, as well as a sting: God makes the wicked as usefull to his children, as the fire is to the gold: as Ignatius that holy Martyr said, when hee was threatned, that he should bee eaten up of wilde beasts; saith he, By passing thorow the teeth of wilde beasts, I shall bee the purer manchet for the table of God my Master.

Vse 3 Thirdly, me thinks it should teach all Persecu­tors, and all wicked men to love the people of God: how are wee affected with earthly things? If wee know a man whom the King favours, how doe wee seek to get into his favour? wee will doe him any service to obtaine it: and are not the Saints of God his Favourites? Yes, they are those whom God highly honours; Why doe wee not then indeare our selves unto them? if the wicked were wise, they would keep in with Gods people above all others; one Moses will more prevaile with God to turne away his wrath, then a thou­sand other men: Acts 27. and in the Acts 27. all in the ship are beholding to Saint Paul for their lives: I know the wicked mis-use the godly, and think meanly of them; but were it not for them, they should quickly be made as Sodom and Gomorrah, for they stand in the breach interceding with God for them, in so much that hee saith, let mee alone: but though ungodly men maligne them, we who are led by a better spirit, should doe the Saints [Page 66]of God all the good we can: And they that doe it shall not goe unrewarded, for it is a Sacrifice well pleasing to God, Phil. 4.18. Phil. 4.18. And saith the same Apostle, Heb. 6.10. Heb. 6.10. God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which yee shewed towards his name, in that yee have ministred unto the Saints, and yet minister: and Christ himselfe saith, Matth. 10.42. Matth. 10.42. Whosoever giveth a cup of cold water only to the least of these, in the name of a Disciple, verily hee shall not lose his reward.

Vse 4 Lastly, is the Lord the God of Israel? let Is­rael then behave themselves as Gods people: what saith the spirit of God in Deut. 26.18? Deut. 26.18. The Lord hath avouched thee this day to bee his peculiar people, as hee hath promised thee, that thou shouldst keep all his Commandements: So in 1 Cor. 6.20. 1 Cor. 6.20. Yee are bought with a price, therefore glorifie God in your body, and in your spirit, which are Gods: Titus 2.14. and in Titus 2.14. Who gave himselfe for us, that hee might redeeme us from all iniquity, and purifie to himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good works: and Saint Peter cals the people of God lively stones, and a holy Priesthood: Why so? it followes in the next words, to offer up spirituall sacrifices, 1 Pet. 2.5. acceptable to God by Iesus Christ, 1 Pet. 2.5. Therefore as many of you as lay claime to God, be not companions to wicked men; though they sweare, lie, deceive, oppresse, vos autem non sic, yet must not you doe so: Though Iudah play the har­lot, let not Israel sinne; let your chiefe care bee, to live as the people of God: and if yee would bee known to bee such, Let your conversation bee [Page 67]according to the Gospel: and as many as walk after that rule, peace shall be upon them, and upon the whole Israel of God: Now wee come to the particulars in the Text, as wee laid them down: First, for his justify­ing of God, [thou art righteous.] This hath been ever the practise of Gods people, they have still confessed God to bee just in what he hath brought upon them. Thus doth David, Psal. 51.4. Psal. 51.4 Against thee, thee only have I sinned, and done this evill in thy sight, that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be cleare when thou judgest: As if he had said, though thou punish mee severely, yet I cannot but confesse that it is justly: Psal. 119.137. So in Psal. 119.137. Righteous art thou O Lord, and upright are thy judgements: The like wee see in Eli, when Samuel told him that sad Message from God, concerning the extirpation of his house, hee saith, It is the Lord, let him doe what seemeth him good, 1 Sam. 3.18. 1 Sam. 3.18. which calls to my minde that of Hezekiah, when he had shewed the Embassadours of the King of Babylon his Treasurers, and that the Lord had sent Isaiah to tell him, that for his vaine-glory, hee would give them into the hands of that King; all that hee saith, is, bonum est verbum Iehovae, good is the word of the Lord, Isa. 39.8. Isa. 39.8. The like wee see in Daniel, Dan. 9.7. Dan. 9.7. O Lord righteousnesse belongeth to thee, but unto us confusion of faces as at this day: The same was the practise of good Ne­hemiah, Neh. 9.33. Nehem. 9.33. Thou art just in all that is brought upon us, for thou hast done right, but wee have done wickedly: As if hee had said, we know wee lie under a great judgement, and wee hope [Page 68]thou our God dost not think it small, but bee it what it will, wee are sure thou art just in inflicting it upon us; and because contraries doe best ap­peare when they are brought together, yee shall see how contrary the wicked be to the godly in this: Cain cryes out, that his punishment is greater then he could beare: hee complaines not of his sinne, but of his punishment, as if God punished him more then hee deserved: and Saul takes it ill that Sa­muel should charge him with disobedience, though it were grosse and palpable; and yee shall finde in Scripture that God exposes his actions to scanning, Ierem. 5.19. Ierem. 10.16. that it may appeare to all the world, how just he is. In Ierem. 5.19. and in Chap. 10.16. the wicked are not ashamed to question God, why hee punished them, as if hee had done it without cause: Ezek. 18.25. So in Ezek. 18.25. They say, the Lords wayes were not equall: as if he had punished the children for their Fathers sinnes; when as the same sinnes were found in the children: Mal. 3.8. So in Mal. 3.8. when God challengeth and plagueth them for their transgressions, they reply, What have wee done? As if God punished them without desert: and this humour of turning againe, will not leave the wicked at the last day: for when Christ shall say unto them on his left hand depart yee cursed in­to everlasting fire, prepared for the Devill and his angels, for I was an hungred, and yee gave mee no meat; I was thirsty, and yee gave me no drink: then shall they answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or a thirst?

Vse 1 This lets us see, how the world failes in this [Page 69]particular; when God layes his hand on men, how apt are they to dispute with God, and say, why doth hee deale thus and thus with us? and by this meanes they are so farre from mitigating, that they encrease his hand upon them: Nay, there bee those presumptuous ones that in ar­gumentation will aske, why God elected some, and reprobated others? but take heed of this, is it not enough to knock at the doore, but wee must break it open? Who art thou O man, that repliest to thy Maker?

Vse 2 Secondly, let us alwayes bee perswaded of the justice of God in all his proceedings; for though wee see not the reason, why hee doth this or that, yet there is good reason for it: Voluntas Dei secreta sit, nunquam injusta; the cause why God punisheth, may bee hid, but it is never unjust: Therefore when thy tumultuous flesh shall say with Rebeckah, Why am I thus? know that it is for thy excesse, thy Sabbath-breaking, thy hypocrisie, thy lewd conversation: Therefore change thy note, and say with the Church, Mich. 7.9. Mich. 7.9. I will beare the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him: I know it is a hard thing to suppresse the tumultuous thoughts which arise in men in times of trou­ble; but these must bee laboured agaist with all our power, for no man gets by contending with his Maker, but multiplies his stroaks: Wee proceed now to the reason which hee gives for justifying God: [for wee remaine yet escaped, as it is this day.] As if hee had said, thy [Page 70]goodnesse is demonstrate, hee that runnes may read it, thou hast been abundantly more merci­full to us, then to thousands of our brethren who perished in the captivity; for lo, we remain even to this day: That which I collect from hence is this.

Doctrine. In generall judgements which God brings upon the World, there is still some escaping. When God sent the Deluge upon the world, Noah and his Family perished not; in the fiery shower which God rained on Sodom, and Gomorrah, Lot, and his Daughters perished not; nay, a whole City (to wit Zoar) is spared at Lots entreaty: When Pharaoh commanded all the male children of the Iewes to bee drowned, Moses was preserved: and when Iericho was destroyed, Rahab and her Family were spared: and when for Davids pride, seventy thousand were consumed by the Pesti­lence, many thousands in Israel escaped: and when the last great Plague was among us, thou­sands and ten thousands had their life for a prey. What is the ground of this?

Reason 1 First, all Gods wayes are interveined with mercy.

Reason 2 Secondly, God still spares some to bring them to repentance, that they may turn out of the crooked, into the straight path.

Vse 1 Let me advise them that have tasted of Gods mercy in this way, never to forget it: and for this let me stirre up my own soule to prayse God with you: when my next neighbour was smitten dead, why was not I smitten also? it was only Gods [Page 71]mercy: when some in the same house with us were infected, and died of the plague; why were wee spared? it was of Gods meere mercy, and it ought to bee marvellous in our eyes.

Vse 2 Secondly, let us bee farre from censuring any that dyed in the last visitation, as if they were greater sinners then others; farre bee it from us to bee of this wicked humour: for ma­ny a good soule went to Heaven then, and ma­ny a Cham was spared: Wee are bound to praise him for our selves, for why did hee spare us? was it not that wee should bee better? Gods sparing men, is either to harden them, or to amend them; therefore, except wee repent, wee shall likewise perish. The reason which hee gives on their part, is, that though God had spared them, [yet they were before him in their trespasses:] as if hee had said, O Lord thou hast to the full performed thy counterpart with us, but wee are yet in our sinnes, for wee are as bad or worse then wee were before. Here take notice of thus much:

Doctrine. What a fearefull judgement it is, not to profit by afflictions: It is that for which God finds great fault with his people in Deut. 29.2.3.4. his hand had been heavie upon their Enemies in their sight and view, Deut 29.2.3, 4. yet they were never the better. So in lsa. 1.5. there the Lord saith to Israel, Isa. 1.5. why should yee bee stricken any more? yee will revolt more and more: Ierem. 12.13. The like also we see in Ierem. 12.13. They were sick and had no profit: This was the [Page 72]sinne of Cain, hee was stigmatised for a wretch, yet hee was as wicked as hee was before: It was also the sinne of Pharaoh, Ahab and Ahaz; they were all the worse for comming under the rod, and are therefore branded by the spirit of God to all posterity. There is a great deale of difference between Gods afflicting the godly and the wicked, Isa. 27.7. as may appeare Isa. 27.7. Hath hee smitten them, as hee smote those that smote him? What is the reason? the godly profit by af­fliction, but the wicked are the worse for be­ing afflicted: Every thing works together for the best to Gods people, but every thing turnes into sinne to the wicked, according to that strange speech, Ierem. 4.11. Ierem. 4.11. saith God, I will cause a dry wind of the high places in the wildernesse, to blow toward the Daughter of my people, not to fanne, nor to cleanse: That is, I will bring a great judgement upon them, but such is their obstinacy, that they will not bee bettered by it.

Vse 1 May wee not think without breach of chari­ty, that this is the case of many in these dayes? Hath not the Lord punished some of you, for pride, excesse, adultery, op­pression? and yet yee are as proud, excessive, lustfull, and oppressive as before: What? doe you meane to out-brave God? doe you long to bee made the instances of his displeasure? beware of this, for yee cannot provoke him, but to your own hurt.

Vse 2 In the second place, let us labour to profit by [Page 73]affliction; (it is a lesson worth our learning, for affliction is not good in it selfe) and then we profit by it: First, when it urgeth us to exami­nation and confession of our sinnes. Secondly, when it works us to humiliation for our sinnes, when we have the melting heart of Iosiah, and the contrite heart of David. Thirdly, when wee poure out our soules to God in prayer, when his chastning hand is on us, as the peo­ple of God did, Isa. 26.16. Isa. 26.16. Lastly, when wee not only vow amendement of life in our af­fliction, but when wee reforme our wayes, and so follow our vowes with endeavours: This is the true end of affliction, when like gold wee come purified out of the fire, and when it is as a file to cleare us from our rust, and be­comes a Bethesda, to cure us of our spirituall infirmities; but when men are the worse for being afflicted, they may well expect a worse thing to befall them. The last clause is, [nei­ther can wee stand before thee, because of this.] As if hee had said, wee cannot come before thee with any confidence, while wee bee in our sinnes unrepented of: which yeelds us this Ob­servation.

Doctrine. That man that comes before God in his sinnes without repentance, cannot come with any confi­dence or hope of mercy. Prov. 28.13. In Prov. 28.13. mercy is promised to him that confesseth and for­saketh his sinnes, but wrath is pronounced a­gainst him that hideth them: Such a man may [Page 74]come into the Courts of God; such a man may offer sacrifice to God, but it is an abomination to him, Prov 1 [...].8. Isa. 1.15. Prov. 15.8. and hee tells such, in Isa. 1.15. When yee spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you; yea, when yee make many prayers, I will not heare: Why s;o? your hands are full of bloud: And this is the mea­ning of those words in Iohn 9.31. [God heareth not sinners: Io [...] 9.31.] That is, not such as are obstinate and impenitent sinners.

It should teach us to abhorre sinne; Vse. if we know a man to bee infected, wee will bee sure to avoid his company: and shall we not cast away sinne, which makes us unable to stand before God? Therefore abandon thy wicked lusts, and wash away all sinne by the teares of true repen­tance, and then in the name of God come into his Courts: though thou canst not bee an in­nocent, yet come in penitence, and thou shalt finde that God is as well pleased with penitents as innocents. And now that I have done with this Text; give mee leave to goe over the three verses againe by Application, and to spread them on you, as Elisha spread him­selfe on the Shunamitish womans childe: wee have right to them all three; it is said in the first, that God punished them, but lesse then they deserved, and that he had delivered them: was not this our case five yeares since? for our sinnes God punished us, by turning our wa­ters into bloud, and hee punished us lesse then [Page 75]wee deserved; but withall hee magnified his mercy towards us in taking that judgement off, the pestilence wholly from us in a short space. Then for the next verse, did not wee say, as these Iewes, O Lord, now that thou hast delivered us, if wee shall returne to our sinnes againe, it shall bee just with thee to punish us most severely? Which of our soules did not say thus? And for the last verse, wee may say also with Ezra, Wee are be­fore thee in our trespasses, therefore O Lord it may stand with thy justice utterly to consume us. (Be­loved) I have ever been free and bold with you, and I will not now begin to discolour: Is not London as full of pride, excesse and adultery as ever? doth not sacriledge and usury keep as high a roome in the City as ever it did? Surely those sinnes must bee of a deep tincture, which all this scouring will not cleanse; well, God hath begun with us againe, and hee shall bee just, if hee should not leave a man of us alive: What shall wee now doe? every man to his prayers, let every one amend one, and then all will bee amended: Let every one sweep his own doore, and the Street will soone bee cleansed. Here wee bee now, but God only knowes whether wee shall have so much leave as to come into his house againe; while therefore wee have time, while the arro [...]es of God flie beyond us, and beside us, round about us, and yet not touch us, let us seek his face by true repentance; and I will bee bold to say, if hee finde us penitent, hee will [Page 76]remove his judgement: but if wee stand be­fore him still in our sinnes, no marvell then, that hee renew and encrease our plagues.

Sermon V.

THe former Chapter did set downe the humiliation of Ezra, this demonstrates the fruit and effect, that it produced: when the people saw that hee was so affected and afflicted, and that not so much for his own sinnes, as for the sinnes of the people, they take it to heart; and first, there is a very great Assembly gathered together. Secondly, they weepe sore. Thirdly, one particular person, She­caniah by name, confesseth the sinnes of the people. Fourthly, they conceive hope of remis­sion. Fifthly, they resolve to put away their strange Wives. Lastly, they put their late resolu­tion [Page 78]into execution: That which gives occasion to all these, is laid downe in the first words of the Chapter, which containes; First, the actions of Ezra, and they bee two: [praying and weeping.] Secondly, his manner of confessing, [hee cast himselfe down before the house of the Lord:] upon this followes the comming together of a great assembly of men, women and children. We be­gin with his actions, and first for his praying, [when Ezra had prayed.] As I told you in the former chapter, this good man was come from Babylon, with a great deale of comfort, and with a happy message of good newes to Israel; no sooner is hee come to Hierusalem, but he is wel­commed with a sad relation, there is a complaint made to him that the Princes, Priests, Levites and people, had mingled themselves with the people of the land, doing according to their abominations: Ezra hearing this, knowes no other way to appease Gods wrath, but by pouring out his soule to him in prayer; and if yee look into the sacred Scripture, yee shall finde, that this hath ever beene the practise of Gods peo­ple in time of affliction, they have still betaken themselves to prayer: The commandement of God is for it, Psal. 50.15. Call upon mee in the day of trouble: Psal. 50.15. Iam. 5.13. So in Iames 5.13. Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. And as God com­manded it, so his children have practised it: in almost all the pages of holy Writ, yee shall finde the Saints of God exercising prayer: this was the weapon that Iacob took up, when hee [Page 79]expected nothing but hostility from his brother Esau; the Text saith, Hee prayed to the Lord to deliver him from the hand of Esau his brother, Gen. 32.11. This also was that which Moses took up, Gen 32.11. when that Pharaoh and his Host were at the heels of Israel, and the red Sea before them, he betook himselfe to God by prayer, Exod 14.15. Exod. 14.15. And this was the weapon which hee used, when Israel conquered Amalek, Exod. 17.11, 12. Exod. 17.11, 12. How often doe wee finde David practised in this duty? as few of the Saints had more crosses, so none oftner in prayer then hee: This is that which the three Children make use of in the fiery Oven; Daniel in the Lyons Den; and Ionah in the Whales belly: instances hereof are so obvious in the Scripture that I spare to name any more: and from proving the point, I come to answer some Objections which are made against that which I have said, and they bee these.

First, Objection. say some (being in affliction) God knowes our desires and wants before wee ask, what need wee then pray to him?

I answer to this with Saint Ierome, Solution. we pray not to God, to acquaint him with what hee knowes not, but that wee may the more incline him to mercy: as that Father saith well, non narratores, sed oratores sumus, wee come not to informe him of what hee is ignorant, but we are humble suters that hee may be facilitated unto mercy.

O but say they, Objection. God hath determined how it shall bee, and let mee poure out never so many prayers, it is impossible for mee either [Page 80]to hasten or fore-slow his pace.

The Answer to this, Solution. shall bee that of Daniel, he knew by reading the Prophecy of Ieremiah, how long the captivity of Babylon should last, yet hee addresses himselfe to God by prayer, Dan. 9.19. The Prophet knew, Dan [...].19. that as God had ordained the end, so also the meanes, and amongst those, prayer is the chiefe.

But thirdly, they reply and say, Why should we pray? Objection. are wee not commanded to be patient in tribulation?

I answer, Solution. these two bee not incompatible: as for instance, David was as patient a man as ever lived, as we may see 2 Sam. 15.26. where he saith, 2 Sam 15.26. If the Lord have no delight in mee, behold here am I, let him doe to me as seemeth good unto him: and yet David was frequent in prayer to God: the like wee see in our blessed Lord and Saviour, who is an example without exception, all the world knowes that hee was patient to the death, yet hee prayed, Father if it be thy will, let this cup passe from mee: it is true, a man must bee patient when Gods hand is upon him, and not have so much as the least rising thought against God; but yet hee may at the same time, without offence, implore God to have mercy upon him.

Vse 1 If it bee thus, it meets with those that wave this course, who being in affliction seek not to God: Ahaziah goes to the god of Ekron, and Saul to the Witch at Endor; and a company among us in time of trouble, seek to Negromancers and Wizards, which is no other, then to cast out the [Page 81]Devill by Belzebub: to such I say▪ as the Pro­phet Elijah said to the Messengers of Ahaziah, is it because there is no God in Israel, that yee goe to enquire of Baalzebub the God of Ekron? can­not God help yee, but you must goe to such as these? This is the highest degree of irreligion, even meere Atheisme. Secondly, it meets with others who are sullen and pettish when Gods hand is upon them; they are so sensible of the stroak, that it drives all piety out of them; they had rather sullenly die, then seriously pray unto God for ease and release; but let these know and bee assured, that God will either bend or break them.

Vse 2 In the second place, whensoever the hand of God is upon us, let us in the first place addresse our selves to God by prayer, and to this end re­member these things: First, pray sensibly, be sensi­ble of what thou suff [...]rest; God loves not that men should bee as so many Stoicks, insensible of what they suffer; nay, hee hates indolence, Ierem. 5.3. and finds fault with them for it, in Ierem. 5.3. Because they grieved not, though hee had stricken them. Se­condly, a man must pray, as feelingly, so fervently; saith Iames, the prayer of a righteous man availes much, if it bee fe [...]vent, Iam. 5.15. Moses his prayer is called a cry, Iam. 5 15. Exod 14.15. Gen. 32.24. Hosca 12.4. Exod. 14.15. and Iacob is said to wrastle with God, Genes. 32.24. which was by prayer and supplication, as is evident in Hosea 12.4. and Saint Paul desires some to whom hee wrote, to strive with him by prayer to God: Au­gustine [Page 82]saith, this was the reason why the Egyptian Monkes made short prayers, lest they should lose their fervency by praying long: And here under this will come in, intention in prayer, which is when a man minds what hee prayes; and though Bellarmine say, that a vertuall intention is enough, without an actuall; yet Gregory, and I, ask him or any such, this question, why seeks he to bee heard of God, when hee heares not himselfe? when a man doth perfunctorily slubber over his prayers, how should hee look for a comfortable return of his petitions? the bullet can flie no further then the quantity of powder, wherewith the piece was charged, can carry it: and it is impos­sible our prayers should reach heaven, unlesse fervency goe along with them. Thirdly, we must pray faithfully, that is, believing wee shall receive what wee implore God for, if it bee according to his will: Iam. 1.5.6.7. saith S. Iames, Iam. 1.5.6.7. If any of you lack wisedome, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and it shall be given him: but let him ask in faith, nothing wavering, for he that wavereth, is like a wave of the Sea, driven with the winde and tossed: neither let that man think, that he shall receive any thing of the Lord: And in Chap. 5.1 [...]. The prayer of faith shall save the sick, Iam. 5.15. and the Lord shall raise him up: and if hee have committed sinnes they shall bee forgiven him. Fourthly, wee must pray constantly; this is that which our Savi­our commends to us from the importunity of the poore women, who would not cease trou­bling the unjust Iudge, till hee had granted her [Page 83]request and done her justice: this also is that which the Apostle Paul meanes, when hee saith, continue in prayer, Colos. 4.2. to wit, that men should bee importunate with God in prayer, Coloss. 4.2. and if any man think it ill manners to be sollicitous in pressing God by prayer, Gregory tels him, it is a good violence, and affects God, who loves that his servants should take the Kingdome of heaven by force. Further, there be two other things to be observed in our prayers; First, Wee must aime at the glory of God in all the prayers wee make: This our blessed Lord teacheth us in that absolute forme of prayer, which hee hath left us, the first petition whereof is, [hallowed by thy name.] The glory of God must be preferred before all things; yea, before the salvation of our soules, as we see in the examples of Moses and Paul, who chose rather to have their names rased out of Gods book, then that hee should lose his glory in the salvation of his people. Therefore when a man is in afflicti­on, hee ought to pray to God to deliver him, but for this end, that hee may live to glorifie him: This was the end of good Hezekiahs request, when God sent him word by Isaiah that hee had added fifteene yeares to his life, saith hee, What is the signe that I shall goe up to the house of the Lord? Isa. 38.22. Isa. 38.22. as if hee desired health upon no other condition, but that hee might glorifie God in his Sanctuary. Secondly, a man must so pray to God, that withall hee use meanes to ac­complish his desires: This is the advise of Solomon, Prov. 2.3.4.5. If thou cryest after knowledge, Prov. 2 4.3.5. and [Page 84]liftest up thy voice for understanding: if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid Trea­sures; then shalt thou understand the feare of the Lord, and finde the knowledge of God: There yee see that crying and calling, seeking and search­ing, must goe together: and in vaine dost thou pray to God, if thou follow not thy prayers with thy endeavours, for the attaining of that for which thou art a petitioner: as for example, thou prayest to be delivered from thy filthy excesse, but unlesse thou strive to forsake it, thou wilt ne­ver bee rid of that filthy vice: to doe otherwise is to bee like the man in the Apologue, who when his Cart stuck in the mire, prayed to Hercules for help, but never set to his shoulder to lift it out.

If wee lay the men of these dayes to this square, Vse. wee shall finde them to fall very short of what wee have said; doe the pray sensibly? Alas, when they pray, their hearts like Nabals, bee as dead in them as stones. Secondly, doe the pray fer­vently? alas no, for their prayers bee even key­cold. Thirdly, pray they constantly? O no, they desist and are soone weary, they would have God presently to heare them, but they will not stay his leasure. Fourthly, doe they pray in faith? Alas, they have no promises to lay hold on. Againe, doe men ayme at Gods glory in their prayers? And doe they use the meanes to accomplish their prayers? I am perswaded these bee things scarse thought of, much lesse pra­ctised, but by a few: well, let us observe the true [Page 85]properties of supplication, and wee shall finde to our comfort, that hee is a God hearing prayers, and if hee please not to give us the very individuall things which we beg of him, yet wee shall have something that is as good or bet­ter for us, so as hee shall bee glorified and wee comforted: So much for Ezra his first act. The second act performed by him is his confession, the Text saith, [when hee had confessed.] Augustine saith, confession is twofold, confessio laudis, a con­fession of prayse, and confessio fraudis, a confession of sinne: First, there is confessio laudis, a confession of prayse, such was that of our Saviour Christ, in Matth. 11.25. I thank thee O Father Lord of hea­ven and earth, Matth. 11.25. because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to babes. The second is, confessio fraudis, the confession of a mans sinne, and this is either publike or pri­vate: First, publike, when the Minister goes before in confessing sinne, and all the people follow after him; this is the custome of our and all reformed Churches. Secondly, there is a private confession, and that is of a particular man, and this is foure­fold; First, when hee confesses his sinne to God, as did David, Psal. 32.5. saith hee, Psal 32.5. I confessed my sinne unto the Lord, and my iniquity I have not hid. Secondly▪ when a man confesseth his sinne to the whole Church, this was that which the incestuous Corinthian was driven unto. Thirdly, it is to the Minister in private, and such was that of the peo­ple to Iohn Baptist, Matth. 3.6. It is said, Matth. 3.6. they were baptized of him in Iordan, confessing their [Page 86]sinnes: such also was that of David to Nathan, 2 Sam. 12.13. Lastly, 2 Sam. 12.13. it is to a mans neighbour or brother, as when a man that hath offended his bro­ther goes and confesses his fault, desiring him to bee reconciled to him. This is that which our blessed Saviour aymes at, Matth. 5.24.25. Iam. 5.16. Matth. 5.24.25. and which S. Iames meaneth, Iam. 5.16. Now for con­fession, whether publike or private, first, it is that which is commanded: Numb 5 6.7. Look into Numb. 5 7. See what God saith there, When a man or a woman shall commit any sin, and doe a trespasse against the Lord, and that person bee guilty: then they shall confesse their sinne which they have done. Secondly, forgive­nesse is promised to those that doe confesse their sinnes, Prov. 28.13. 1 Iohn 1.9. Prov. 28.13. Whoso confesseth his sinnes shall have mercy. And in 1 Iohn 1.9. If wee confesse our sinnes, he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sinnes, and to cleanse us from all iniquity. Thirdly, wee have examples of holy penitents going before us in this way; as David, Nehemiah, Daniel, the Pro­digall, and those Converts in Acts 19.18. The Text saith, Acts 19.18. They confessed, and shewed their works: This confession standeth; First, in accusing our selves for our sinnes in generall: but more especi­ally for our particular sinnes; thus did David, 2 Sam. 12. hee accused himselfe for his adultery and murder: 2 Sam 12. and in like manner, Paul that chosen vessell accuses himselfe of being a blasphemer and a persecuter; yea, the chiefe of sinners, 1 Tim. 1.13.15. Secondly, 1 Tim. 1.13.15. it stands in a mans judging himselfe, when hee passeth the sentence of condemnation against himselfe: Thus did David, he confesses [Page 87]that hee had done wickedly, 2 Sam. 24.17. 2 Sam. 24.17. and Daniel acknowledgeth that to him and his people belonged nothing but shame: This is to judge a mans selfe, which if men doe, they shall save God a labour, for hee that judgeth himselfe, shall eseape the judgement of the Lord.

I desire you to practise this second act of Ezra; doe not only pray unto God, Vse. but likewise confesse your sinnes unto him; I doe not charge on you that kinde of confession which our Ad­versaries of the Church of Rome charge upon their people: they tye a man; First, to a par­ticular enumeration and confession of all his sinnes to the Priest. Secondly, they say, if men doe not particularly confesse their sinnes, they cannot obtaine pardon. But thirdly, if a man shall doe so, then hee deserves to bee pardoned. But wee are against them on these grounds. First, there is no precept in the Word of God, which commands a man to make a particular enume­ration and confession of his sins to the Priest. Secondly, there is no promise to encourage us to doe it Thirdly, there is no example for it in the whole Book of God. Nay, I will prove that without this particular enumeration of sinnes, remission hath been granted, as to the woman which was a sinner in the City, Christ pronoun­ceth her pardoned without a particular enume­ration of her sinnes, Luk. 7.48. Luk. 7.48. and thus hee pardoned Zaccheus, who only made a generall confession of his sinnes, and obtained remission. [Page 88]Secondly, wee oppose them herein on this ground, because they charge that on people which is impossible, for as David saith, Psal. 19.12. who can understand his faults? Psal. 19.12. and yet hee was better skilled in this kinde of Arithmetick then any Romanist: and if he could not reckon his sinnes, no man else can. Our sinnes are as the sands upon the Sea-shore for multitude, which no mortall wight can number: And saith Solo­mon, the just man falls seven times a day, Prov. 24.16. Prov. 24.16. Therefore it is impossible for any man to con­fesse all his sinnes particularly. Thirdly, this is the wrack of the soule, for such a man goes away without any plenary remission of his sinnes; for if it bee so, that hee that meanes to obtaine pardon must make a particular enumeration of all his sinnes, then it is certaine that hee must goe away without remission, because it is impos­sible to confesse all his sinnes particularly. Lastly, this is that which the primitive Christians knew not: it was a yoake too heavie for them to beare; and one of their own saith, Tertullian never knew any particular confession, but to the Church. Again, when it grew up in after-times, it was put down wisely; For when a Bishop of Constantinople perceived that a Priest under pretence of confession, did with Eli his Sonnes abuse a woman at the doore of the sanctuary, hee presently put it down. Againe, they of Rome make it the picklock of Kingdomes, for by this particular confession, they unlock all the secrets of Princes I charge not this on people, but I [Page 89]wish them to acknowledge their sinnes in the presence of God: Neither is this so easie as most men think it to bee, for since our fall wee are so prone to conceale our sinnes, that if there bee but one bush in Paradise, wee will finde it to hide our selves in; but let us not hide our sins as Adam hid himselfe, but let us with the prodigall confesse them, and that is the way to have them pardoned: But some will demaund and say, how shall we confesse our sins? To this I answer; First, wee must confesse them, with shame, thus did Iob, Iob 42.6. Iob 42.6. I abhorre my selfe and repent in dust and ashes. And thus did the poore Publican, he confes­seth that hee was not worthy to lift up his eyes unto Heaven. Thus also did the woman which was a sinner in the City, shee was so full of shame for her sinnes, that shee dares not come before our Saviour, but comes behinde his back as hee sat at meat, and washed his feet with her teares. Se­condly, wee must doe it ingenuously, it must not bee extorted from us as it was from Achan, but wee must willingly confesse our iniquities. Third­ly, wee must doe it with sorrow and contrition of soule. Fourthly, with anger. Fifthly, with honest hearts, that is, with an assured purpose to leave our impieties: therefore it is said, Prov. 28.13. Prov. 28.13. Hee that confesseth and forsaketh his sinnes, shall finde mercy. Lastly, wee must confesse our sinnes ful­ly; there must bee no retaining, excusing or ex­tenuating of sinne, for God knowes the depth of our deceitfull hearts: yee know how it is with a begger, if hee have one soare worse [Page 90]then another, hee will bee sute to lay that open, that hee may move passengers to commiserati­on; So wee should not only confesse our les­ser, but our grosse iniquities, which is the next way to have God mercifull to us: Alas, what will it availe us to keep one Achan? when that one is enough to trouble a whole Host; what shall wee gaine by reserving one Ionah, when that one will hazard the losse of the ship, and the lives of all them that saile in it? Let us therefore confesse our sinnes according to the manner prescribed, and then wee may bee confi­dent, that God will forgive our iniquities, and blot out all our offences. Wee come now to the man­ner of Ezra his confession, laid down in these words, [weeping, and casting himselfe down before the house of the Lord.] The first thing in it, is [his weeping] and this hath ever been an usuall con­comitant of prayer. Psal. 6.6. See it in David, Psal. 6.6. I am weary with my groaning, all the night make I my bed to swimme, and water my couch with my teares. Mark, hee made his prayer to God, and teares went along with it. The like wee see in the same Prophet, Psal. 42.3. Psal. 42.3. My teares have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto mee, Where is thy God? The like wee see in the sinner in the City, Luk. 7.38. Luk. 7.38. and wee see it in Ezra in our Text, hee not only prayes but weepes. And there is great reason, why wee should weep in regard of sinne:

Reason 1 First, because of the great good that sin deprives us of; we are apt to grieve for the losse of a father, [Page 91]a wife, or a child, but what great cause have we to mourne especially for our sinnes? though wee lose our friends by death, yet wee may meet them againe in the Kingdome of Hea­ven, if wee live and die in Gods feare: but if we mourn not for sinne, wee shall never see the face of God to our comfort. Micha like a foolish Idolater wept for the losse of his carved image, Iudg. 17.23 shall hee weep for the losse of that which was no God? Iudg. 17 23. and shall not we mourn for sinne, which deprives us of the true God?

Reason 2 Secondly, we have reason to weep for sinne, because of the miseries which it brings on the Sonnes of men: Such a thing is sinne, that it not only exposes them to temperall judgements, but it makes them obnoxious to woes everla­sting, even to hell fire, which is eternall: the af­flictions which befall men here, bee not univer­sall; though a man bee pained in divers parts of his body, yet hee is never pained all over, still hee hath ease in some part or other; but in Hell men are pained in every part: Againe, while wee are here, our torment may bee miti­gated, as if a man have a swelling in any part of his body, by applying a fomentation to it, hee may have ease; or if hee bee lame, he may bee led; but if once hee bee in Hell, hee shall not have so much as one drop of water to coole his tongue; There is no mitigati­on of paine in that place of horror, where their paines bee easelesse, endlesse, remedilesse, where is nothing but weeping, wailing, and [Page 92]gnashing of teeth, to all eternity. Therefore wee have good cause to shed teares; yea, ma­ny teares for our sinnes, both in regard of the good wee lose by them, as also the miseries they bring upon us. But me thinks I heare some say, are teares necessarily required of all those that truly repent? I answer no, for there bee some constitutions which afford no teares; (I have read a story of one that ever laughed) and though such persons cannot burst into teares for sinne, yet they may inwardly as truly mourne for sinne, as hee that sheds rivers of teares. Secondly, though a man bee apt to teares, yet the af­fliction may bee such, that a man cannot weep: I read of one that could not but weep when his friend went to bee executed, but when his two Sonnes went the same way, his sorrow was so great, that hee could not shed a teare: Great sorrowes stupifie men, so that they be as full vessels, which will not runne. Thirdly, wee read in the Scripture, as of teares without re­pentance, as in Esau, Gen. 27.38. Genes. 27.38. Hee shed many teares, but left not his prophanenesse: So in Mal. 2.13. we read of some, Mal. 2.13. that covered the Altar of the Lord with teares: yet at the same time they were impenitent; So also of repentance without teares, Luk. 18.13. as in Luk. 18.13. wee read not of a teare that the poore Pub­lican shed, only hee smote his hand on his breast, saying, O God, bee mercifull to mee a sinner: yet hee went away justified: Acts 2. And in Acts 2. wee read that the new Converts were pricked in their hearts, [Page 93]but not of any teares that fell from their eyes: and the Thiefe upon the Crosse was a true pe­nitent, for hee went to Heaven, but we heare not of a teare which hee shed: but withall give mee leave to tell you, if any bee apt to teares, at first or last God touches their hearts to weep for their sinnes. Secondly, if any can weep for the losse of wife, children, or any other worldly thing, and not for their transgressions, they may question, whether ever their repen­tance were sound or no. Lastly, if a man can weep for his sins, no soule receives such satisfaction, as that soule doth.

It should exhort us to weep and mourne for our sins: Vse. We spend teares in abundance for these secular things, but wee should spare them there, and spend them here; Is it not a foolery to wash a Stable with sweet water? Thy teares be the sweetest water in the world, therefore spend them on thy sinnes, I am sure thou canst not spend them better: but as it is in the times of solemnity, when the Bells ring, all the clocks bee tied up: So I feare it is now adayes, for such is the jovisance of men, that they forget to weep for sinne; but if they would call their wayes to remembrance, they would be sorry and weep, whilst others sing and rejoyce: Every of us have cause to weep, for not a Mothers Son of us, but hath brought the fuell of sinne to kindle Gods wrath among us by sending the Pestilence to destroy us, and it is better to weep here, then hereafter. The second thing in the manner is, [Page 94] [hee cast himselfe down, before the house of the Lord.] This hath been the custome of Gods people, the more to testifie their sorrow: Wee finde ma­ny expressions of sorrow in the Scripture, as fa­sting, weeping, rending the garment, putting on sackcloth, sprinkling ashes on their heads, knock­ing the breast, striking the thigh, and this in our Text, which is casting a mans selfe down before the house of the Lord: Thus did Ioshua, hee fell to the earth on his face, before the Ark of the Lord, Iosh. [...].6. Iosh. 7. 6. That which I gather from hence is this Observation.

Doctrine. Where repentance is true inward, it will put it selfe outward. Where repentance is sincere, it will not only alter a mans judgement, to make him with Paul to think himselfe the worst of sinners: Secondly, it will not only so humble him inwardly, that hee will not care for the re­vilings of wicked men, as wee see in David when Shimei railed on him; but as it will have this inward effect, so it will have outward effects also; it will make him fast, and weep, and smite the breast: it will force him to abstaine from those delights, which otherwise he might lawfully take: Nay, it will turn every thing to him into sor­row; when another man laughes, he will mourn to see him laugh, and holy Bradford the Martyr can­not sit at his meat, but teares trickle down his cheeks: and it is impossible, but where re­pentance is true within, but that it should shew it selfe without.

Those that finde not this in themselves, Vse. may [Page 95]suspect their repentance: I would not have men to use externall expressions of repentance, on purpose to bee seen of men, for repentance ill becomes a Stage; it is said of Peter, that hee went out and wept bitterly; it seemes hee regarded not whether any man saw him, so God took knowledge of him: and as a Father saith truly, oculi virorum basilisci sunt operum bonorum, the eyes of men are the basiliskes of good works. Our bles­sed Saviour would have a man anoint his head And wash his face when he fasted, that hee might not appeare unto men to fast, but unto God: it is a part of Iehu his humour, to doe good works to be seene of men, but Gods childe as hee uses outward expressions of repenting, so these proceed from inward sanctification. [He cast himselfe down before the house of the Lord.] Why so? it was the more to stirre him up to humiliation: hee seemes to say, What? shall thy people enjoy the privi­ledges of thy house? and shall they thus irri­tate and provoke thee? thus the servants of God have been conversant in those courses which might make their prayers most fervent: Dan. 6.10. it is said of Daniel, Dan. 6.10. that hee prayed thrice a day, and when he prayed, hee opened his window toward Hierusalem, which was, instar flabelli devo­tioni, as a paire of bellowes to blow up his devo­tion: and this is a straine of Solomons prayer, 1 King. 8.44. 1 Kings 8.44. If thy people goe out to battell against their enemies whithersoever thou shalt send them, and shall pray unto the Lord, toward the house that I have built for thy name; then heare thou [Page 96]in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintaine their cause: Psal. 5.7. and David saith, Psal. 5.7. In thy feare will I worship toward thine holy Tem­ple: all this was but to inflame the affections of these holy men in that religious duty.

Sermon VI.

VVE come now to the first fruit of Ezra his humiliation, and that is the con­vening of a great Congregation to him; before that he had humbled himselfe, as we have heard, we finde not that any took it to heart, although their sinnes occasioned it; but this com­passion of his, made them congregate, and weepe very sore; so that Ezra hath here the glory of being an example of goodnesse to others; and it is as great a glory as can be in this life, for a man to goe before others in well doing: it was so here with Ezra, he begins, and the rest follow: What a glory was it to Abraham, that among all the men in the world he should be called the friend of God? What a glory was it to Sarah that shee, a­bove all other women, should be called the mother of beleeving women? What a glory was it to Salo­mon, that he should be the first man that should build a Temple to God? What a glory was it to Hezekiah, that he should be made choice of to re­store the Passeover, which for so long a time had [Page 98]been intermitted? What a glory was it to David, that he led the people into the house of God, with the voice of singing and praise? Psal. 42.4. 42 Psal. 4. It is a great commendation which Saint Paul gives to Epene­tus, 16 Rom. 5. hee calls him, Rom. 16.5. the first fruits of Achaia unto Christ. Ye know, the first fruits were ever best pleasing to God, and surely, for a man to be the first in a Countrey, which shall give up his name to Christ, it must needs be a very great honour; Chrysostome saith on that place, if it be such a matter to be great in the world, what is it then, to be eminent for Piety? Nay, saith hee, this good man was not onely the first fruites of Achaia, but he was a door or entrance to all that beleeved in that place: so it was a great glory to Mary Magdalene, that our Blessed Saviour would vouchsafe to appear to her first after his Resurrecti­on: and it was no lesse glory to the people of An­tioch, that they above all others should be first called Christians; it was no small honour to the Thessalonians, which Paul testifieth of them, in the 1 Thess. 1.7. that they were ensamples to all that beleeved in Macedonia and Achaia; 1 Thess. 1 7. and hee saith as much to the honour of the Corinthians, 2 Cor. 9 2. 2 Cor. 9.2. that their zeal had provoked very many.

Ʋſe. It is to stirre us all up to this holy pride, to be the first in good actions: Hee that did first invent Printing, his Name will be famous to the end of the world: so now, to be the first that beleeves in a Towne, to be the first that puts a good law in execution, to lay the first stone in a Pious worke, this is no small, but a very great honour: but on [Page 99]the other side, what a shame is it for a man to be the first that shall break a good Law, to be the first that shall invent a new fashion, to be the first in inventing wicked games, and new wayes of drinking? nay, there have been those that have invented new pleasures, as Sardanapalus; and new torments, as in the Primitive times, the first experiment whereof, was made upon the poore Christians; and in the Rom. 1.30. among the catalogue of sinnes and sinners there spoken of, Rom. 1.30. ye shall finde inventers of evill things, to be of the number: O it is an evill thing to be such, and yet we have such as these in these times; what strange oathes are coyn'd and devised now a­daies? they are such, as I feare once to name them: what strange fashions are invented by o­thers? such as our Fore-fathers never knew nor saw: what strange wayes of drinking have the sons of Belial devised? by the yard, by the dye, by the dosen, by the score: nay, what beginners of strange opinions have wee amongst us? and what strange kindes of cheats are there in the world? they are such, as no warinesse of Laws can take hold of the Authours: wee wonder at new diseases that come amongst us every yeere, but we may cease to wonder, when we consider what new sinnes be every day committed: therefore God sends strange diseases amongst us, because we are guilty of new impieties: in the Name of God, let us affect being first in well-doing; but let us not so much as move to be the last in evill: I will not excuse him that followes an ill exam­ple, [Page 100]but his judgement shall be greatest, that gave an ill example, that digged the pit for another to fall into; for our Saviour hath said it, Woe be unto him by whom the offence comes. But will some say, I could be content to follow any in a good way or worke, but I would faine have others shew me the way: To whom I answere, that if Noah had stood upon this, he had never built the Arke; and if Nehemiah had stood on this, the walls of Hierusalem had not been re-built: had the Leaper in the Gospel stood on this, he had never returned to give thankes, for ten were cleansed, onely one returned to give our Saviour thanks: so if the Sa­maritan had stood on this, the poore man that lay by the high-way side half dead, had died out­right: how can the Kingdome of heaven suffer violence, if men strive not to goe before each o­ther in goodnesse? We say, he is an ill horse that will not lead the way, but only follow; and I will not give a button for that Christian, that will doe no more then he sees others doe: How doe yee in your affaires in the world? if a com­moditie come from beyond the Seas, of which you stand in need, doe you stay till others bid money for it? no, but with all speed, yee get it into your owne hands, and shall there be such a moderation in spirituall things? well, take heed of this, else that may befall you, which befell the Scribes and Pharisees, Publicans and Harlots will goe before you into heaven: be perswaded then to be the first in good actions, and when thou art in a good way, keep in it; for unlesse thou perse­severe [Page 101]in well-doing, it will availe thee nothing, that thou wert once good: it did Judas no good at all to be of the twelve, when once he fell a­way; and it shall not doe man any good, to lay a good foundation, if he build not a good structure upon it; for to begin in the spirit, and to end in the flesh, to set out good Wine at the first, and then that which is worse, is the Devills banquet, and no other. Further, as Ezra had the honour to be an example to others in goodnesse, so now see the effect of it, [a great company of men, women and children assembled together.] And why so? Doubtlesse for no other cause, but to humble themselves, as he had done: So efficacious and powerfull is the example of goodnesse in great ones: see it in Joshua, when he protesteth, that he and his house will serve the Lord, the people presently say, that they also will serve the Lord. Josh. 24.15.18. the like wee see in Nehemiah, Josh. 24.15.18 he no sooner shewed himself willing to reedifie the walls of Hierusalem, but all the people set their heart and hand to the worke: wee see the same in the King of Nineveh, as soone as hee put on sack­cloth, all his Subjects did the like: it is said of Augustus, that in his time Rome was full of Schollers, because he affected Learning: in the time of Commodus, it was full of Fencers, because he loved that exercise; and in Nero his time, it was full of Musitians, for he took great delight in Musick: thus that old verse is verified, Regis ad exemplum totus componitur orbis, all men com­pose their manners to his who is their Gover­nour; [Page 102]the truth is, the example of great ones, is the Load-stone, which drawes inferiours after it; that is the Compasse, by which most men saile: and as it is so with those who be great in the State, so with those which are eminent in the Church, their Godlinesse drawes many to good­nesse: how admirable is that which Nazianzen reports of St. Basil, he saith, he thundered in his Preaching, and lightned in his conversation; hee was like another John Baptist, who was a burning and shining light, Jo [...]n 5.35. Joh. 5.35. hee burned in himself by sincerity, and shined to others by a godly con­versation: and what was the effect of this? wee finde in the same verse, that all men rejoyced in his light: thus it was with Ezra, in our Text, hee weeps and mournes, and that so workes upon the people, that they are presently moved to doe the same.

Ʋse 1 It shall be to all great ones in the world: let them that be high in the State labour to be good, for they be in oculo mundi, in the eye of the world, and if they be not godly, their failings be taken notice of more than others, and though their of­fences be but small, yet they hurt much by reason of their example: a Wem in the backe, is not so much as a Wart in the face, because the one is hid, but the other is obvious to all beholders; and a private mans sinne is nothing so great as the sinne of a publike person, for the errors of great men are observed strangely: as yee see it is with the Sunne, when it is not eclipsed, few look upon it, but when it is in an Eclipse, all mens eyes al­most [Page 103]are fixt upon it: so it is with the sinnes of e­minent persons, their failings, though small, runne into the observation of many, when as great sins of private men are scarce taken notice of. Neither is this all, but by this meanes other men are heart­ned on in sinne, for inferiours take a liberty to sin, when they see their superiours doe the same; ip­si non solum corrumpuntur, sed alios corrumpunt, they are not onely corrupted themselves, but they cor­rupt others by their evill example; they poison many by their vitious life, which is as a canker that frets, and as a gangrene that corrupts, and they doe not more hurt by their sinne, then by their example.

Ʋse 2 In the second place, let it be a Use to those who are eminent in the Church, such as Ezra was▪ let them not onely Preach, but live well; for if Aaron shall have his bells, but not his Pome­granates, he may sound well, but he will sent ill: if a Physitian shall prescribe that Physick to ano­ther in the same disease with himself, to recover him, and yet will refuse to use it himself, what can men say lesse, then that he is an enemie to his owne health? and when Ministers shall Preach that to others, which themselves will not pra­ctise, is the next way for them to be cast-awayes: neither is this all, but by an ill life they infect ma­ny; it is said of Saint Paul, Gal. 2.11.14. Gal. 2.11.14. that when he came to Antioch, hee withstood Peter to the face, because he had compelled the Gentiles to live as the Jewes: we must not thinke, that Peter used any violence to constraine them, but they [Page 104]took boldnesse by his example, and therefore as Paul saith there, hee was to be blamed. Let all such therefore be exhorted, not to binde heavie burdens upon others, which themselves will not touch with one of their fingers; if they doe, I know it will be laid unto them, Medice cura teip­sum, Physitian heal thyself▪ and for you that be the people, not to leave you without an admonition, it will advantage you nothing to say, that your Governours and Ministers have been bad, and therefore you are no better, but remember what our Lord and Master saith, Doe what they say, not as they doe: therefore, when you have holy Pre­cepts and Patterns, make conscience to follow them: but if neither of these will prevaile with you, judge whose fault it is, if ye faile, and fall short of your Salvation, [there assembled a very great company of men, women and children, for the people wept sore:] the sinne was great and generall, therefore all assembled, that they might be hum­bled together: the point of Doctrine which ari­seth hence is this.

Doctrine. Where the sinne is generall and epidemicall, good reason that all should be joyned together in humiliati­tion: in the 1 Sam. 7.6. the people had commit­ted a great sinne, 1 Sam. 7 6. therefore they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and powred it out before the Lord, and fasted on that day, and said, Wee have sinned against the Lord: they were conscious to themselves, that all had sinned, therefore they were all humbled: Neh. 9.1, 2. the like wee see in Neh. 9.1, 2. it is said, All the children of Israel assembled with [Page 105]fasting and sackcloth, and earth upon them, and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their Fa­thers: and Joel calls for this, Joel 1.14. Joel 2.15, 16, Joel 1.14. and 2.15, 16. and this is that which Solomon prescribes as a generall receipt, in time of affliction, 1 King. 31.39. 1 Kings 8.38, saith he, What prayer or supplication soever be made by any men, or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his owne heart, and spread forth his hand toward this House▪ then hear thou in Heaven, thy dwelling place, and forgive, and doe, and give to every man according to his wayes.

When wee shall see that the sinnes of the times doe overflow, Ʋse and be grown up to heaven, as at this time they are; it shall be fit, though a publik humiliation be not prescribed by Authority, to make our humiliation generall by every mans sor­rowing for his own sinnes. (Beloved) were it not for some faithfull Moses that intercedes for us, this ground would not beare us; but as for the ten thousands of Israel, they are so farre from humiliation, that as God complaines, Isa. 22.12, 13. Isa. 22.12, 13. When he called to weeping and mourning, to baldnesse and to girding with sackcloth: they would admit of nothing but joy and gladnesse, slaying Oxen, and killing Sheep, eating flesh, and drinking Wine, saying, Let us eate and drinke, for to morrow we shall die. Which of us is there, but must needs con­fesse, that our sinnes deserve the wrath of God▪ Shall we all cry guilty? and shall wee not all be humble? It is fearfull; The Court complaines of the City, and the City of the Court, and the [Page 106]Countrey of both, when as all are in fault: O say they in the City, Those of the Court are so hor­ribly wicked that we are all like to smart for their prophanenesse: and saith the Court, Such is the cheating of the Citizens, that they will draw downe judgements upon us all: thus one accuses another, but in the mean time, who smites his hand on his breast, and saith, What have I done? Well, every man must have a hand in the gene­rall humiliation, because all have been guilty of provoking God to indignation; therefore he that excepts himself, deceives himself: Great judge­ments are now upon us, and greater are feared and expected, because deserved; therefore let us humble our selves in the presence of Almighty God, that those judgements which are feared, may be recalled, and those which lie heavy up­on us, may be removed from us. But marke the particular numeration which die Spirit of God mak [...]s, [men, women, children.] First men, and good reason men should lead the dance, and goe before the rest in a good way: Abraham went first out of his Countrey, and Sarah followed him: it is said of Elkanah, That he went out of his City yeerely to worship, and to sacrifice to the Lord in Shiloh, and be carried his two wives with him. Men should lead the way to their Wives, for it is a shame un­to men, that women should excell them in good­nesse: it was so with the wife of Phinehas, 1 Sam. 4.21. 1 Sam. 4.21. she was a gracious woman, but hee was a son of Belial: so it was also with Abigail, shee was a vertuous woman, but Nabal her husband [Page 107]was wicked: nay, if a man be good, yet if he be exceeded by his wife, it is a shame to him; Ma­noah the father of Sampson, was a good man, but if wee marke what is recorded of his wife and him, we will say, that his wife was the better of the two: out of doubt, the Shunamite was a good man, but of the two, his wife was the better, for she gave him counsell to make that good provisi­on for the man of God, 2 Kings 4.9, 10. and in the time that our Saviour was on the earth, 2 King. 4.9, 10. there were divers women famous for goodnesse: I presse it no further then thus; you that are men, I confesse, you have more honor put upon you, then women have, and I know, you are apt enough to arrogate as much to your selves; but take heed that whilst you goe before them in honour, that they prevent you not in the best things; if it shall be so, I say no more, and I cannot say lesse to you, then Jacob said to Reuben, Your dignitie is gone. the second sort of people spoken of, are [Wo­men,] and indeed the service of God is charged upon them, as well as upon men, as in the 1. Tim. 2.10.15. 1 Pet. 3, 4. and they ought to joyne in humiliation, as well as men: 1 Tim. 3 10, 15. 1 Pet. 3.4. nay marke in the 2. of Joel; The Bride is charged to come out of her bride-chamber, to mourne; Joel 2. shee that might pleade most exemption, is not excepted: And when the King of Nineveh made that Edict, that all should fast, it were a fond thing to thinke, that women were excluded: Isa. 32.12. in Isa. 32. 11. the Spirit of God saith, Tremble ye women that are at ease, be troubled yee carelesse women: strip ye, and make ye bare, and [Page 108]gird sackcloth on your loines: so that it is charged on that sex, to be humbled, as well as upon men; and ye must know, that the sins of women draw on judgements, as well as the sinnes of men: in Jerem. 7.18. The womens making cakes to the queen of heaven, Jere. 7.28. did provoke God to anger, and hasten­ed his judgements upon the land: and the daugh­ters of men drew on the deluge, as well as the sons of God: It were a poore thing to think, that God hated the perjuries of Troy, and loved the perjuries of Rome, that he hated the sins of men, and loved the sinnes of women; this cannot be imagined of him, who is a God of pure eyes, and hates sin, wheresoever he findes it.

Let me presse that which hath bin said upon you of that Sex, Ʋse that ye may humble your selves for your sinnes: there is much cause for it, as your va­nitie in apparell, your going beyond your means and calling, your negligence in Gods Service, your idolizing your children, your froward be­haviour to your husbands; these and many more sinnes whereof you are guilty, call for your repen­tance and teares: and let not the fairest of you all feare that the shedding a few teares will spoile your beautie, but if you should chance to hurt your faces by weeping, I am sure you would doe good to your soules: I read in the Ecclesiasticall Story of one Pambus, who seeing a woman dresse her selfe curiously and lasciviously, he could not forbeare weeping, and being demanded the rea­son, he gave two reasons for it, first, that he was not so carefull for his soule as she was for her ti­ring; [Page 109]secondly, that she wept not for her sinnes, which drew teares from his eyes: and shall others weepe for the sinnes of women, and not they for their owne sinnes? in the name of God humble your selves in his presence, that when he sees you poore in spirit he may exalt you. Thirdly, [The children came,] What? the children joyne in hu­miliation? Yes, why not? for God was offen­ded, and they had reason to be humbled for it. Secondly, though they were not actors in sinne, yet they were guilty of Adams transgression. Thirdly, they could not excuse themselves, for besides their originall sinne, they had committed many actuall sinnes; for I suppose none came to this assembly, but such as were of some under­standing, and such, though little ones, are proud and wanting in duty to parents, and love to bre­thren; and such will speak wickedly and falsely, before they can talke perfectly: there have been excellent vertues found in little ones; Samuel, when he was a child, ministred before the Lord; and in the time of our Blessed Saviour, the chil­dren cryed, Hosanna to the King of Israel: I there­fore direct my speech to little ones, let sinne be detested by you in your younger yeeres, learn the trade of fearing and serving God, when you are young, and it will never be forgotten as long as you live. The second thing set downe in this verse is, [that the people wept very sore.] What was the reason? the Reason shall be the Observa­tion.

Doctrine. Great sinnes must have a great measure of sorrow. [Page 110]In Psal. 6.6. David having committed great sins, Psal. 6.6. made his bed to swim, and watered his couch with his teares: Nay, he made them not onely his Phy­sick, but his meat, [...]sa [...]. 42.3. Psal. 42.3. My teares have been my meat day and night: it was thus with Peter, hee had committed a foul sinne, in denying his Lord and Master, therefore hee went out and wept, [...], bitterly: it was so with Mary Magdalene, she was a great sinner, therefore she shed many teares: and the incestuous Corinthian grieved sore for his foul sinne: the Church saith in the Lamentations, Mine eyes drop down daily; the teares stood still in her eyes, and trickled down her cheeks in great a­bundance, because shee knew her self guilty of many sinnes: This is that which Cyprian subscri­beth to, saith he, as wee are sensible of great sins, which we commit, so let us spend teares in abun­dance for them.

It is to censure the slightnesse of sorrow which men bestow upon their sinnes, Ʋse though great and grievous: but if the heart be a daily fountaine of sinne, as sure I am it is, I know no reason, but our eyes should be Rivers of teares: seeing wee have deserved to be in that place, where is nothing but weeping and wailing, there is good cause wee should weep here for our sins, that we may avoid those eternall flames; Nay, though God have pardoned our sins, yet let us remember them with griefe and sorrow, that we may be the more hum­bled for them: ye lay your flesh in brine, to keep it from putrefying; and there is no better way in the world to humble us, then to call to minde our [Page 111]former iniquities: Yee say, much rain makes the high-wayes foul, and so it is▪ but the more teares we shed, the cleaner will our souls be; for repen­tant teares cleanse better then either Soape or Ni­tre. To conclude this verse, all the people saw Ez­ra mourne, therefore they weepe with him: from whence I collect thus much;

Doct. Sin must have sorrow at one time or other: saith the Wise-man, Prov. 29.6. Prov. 29.6. In the transgression of an evill man, there is a snare: and the trueth is, in the commission of every sin, a ground is laid for sorrow; nay, let me tell you, the sweeter sinnes have been to men, the soarer shall be the remem­brance of them, when God sets them before their eyes. Job 13.26. See it in Job, 13.26 Thou writest bitter things against mee, and makest me possesse the ini­quities of my youth. The sinnes committed in youth, men account the sweetest sinnes, and yet the remembrance of these was most grievous to Iob. Wee see the same in David, when hee had committed that sweet sinne, as men call it, and had layn nine Moneths in it, at last hee calls it to remembrance, and it brought him so much grief, that he thought hee had lost the favour of God, and therefore hee saith, Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation. But it will be said, wee finde it not alwayes thus, for there are some that sinne, and never have sorrow in all their lives, but dye in peace: I wil suppose this, but yet the Doctrine is true, for I say, sinne must have sorrow at one time or other, and if such men have not sorrow here, to be sure, they shall have it hereafter.

Ʋſe. Hearken to this you Epicures of the World, you that swallow downe sinne, as the fish doth water, who straine neither at Gnats nor Ca­mells, but spend your time in eating and drink­ing, in singing and dancing; the time is com­ming, when you shall mourn while others laugh; therefore think on sinne now, that you may sor­row for it, before it be too late; hic mordeant, ne in aeternum excrucient, let thy sinnes bite thee here, lest they torment thee for ever hereafter: teares will doe thee good now, but if once a man be over the threshold of this life, though then hee would weepe a whole Ocean of Teares, they would doe him no good.

Sermon VII.

BEfore we fall upon this verse, wee have a few things more to handle out of the last words of the first verse; the words are these, [for the people wept very sore:] that the multitude should come together, which was the first fruite of Ezra his humiliation, it was no great matter, for the common rout be apt to as­semble on the least occasion; saith our Saviour, speaking to the people concerning Iohn Baptist, Matth. 11.7. Matth. 11.7. What went yee out into the wildernesse to see? a reed shaken with the winde? as if the sha­king of a feather, would bring the multitude to­gether: Acts 19.29.32. and in Acts 19.29.32. wee finde that the whole city was full of confusion, and rushed into the theatre with one accord: and yet the text saith, The more part knew not wherefore they were come toge­ther: but now for the other effect [that they wept, sore] there was comfort for Ezra: That which I gather from hence is this:

Doctrine. What comfort it pleaseth God to give his Mini­sters here, in that happy fruit of peoples humiliati­on. [Page 114] So great is the comfort of this kinde, that there cannot be a greater. I doe not thinke, but at this very time, the tears stood in Ezra his eyes, yet when he saw teares distill from the peoples eies, it made him glad at the heart: doe you not think it was a great comfort to Nathan, to see Da­vid so penitent, when hee came from God, to de­tect and reprove him for his adultery & murder? Marke what the Baptist saith, Joh 3.29. John 3.29. the friend of the Bridegroome which standeth and hear­eth him, rejoyceth greatly, because of the Bride groomes voice: the meaning whereof is this, That it is the joy of Gods Ministers, when the voice of Christ our Bridegroome is accepted: See this in Paul, how great was his joy for the good suc­cesse of his Ministery? Rom. 1.8. in Rom. 1 8. there he saith, I thanke my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world: his joy was, that he had taken paines a­mong the Romanes, to good purpose: so in the 2 Cor. 2.2. 2 Cor. 2.2. If I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by mee? he knew that by that meanes the old lea­ven was purged out of them, which must needs make him rejoyce: 2 Cor. 2.14. and in the 14. Verse of the same Chapter, he saith, Thanks be unto God, which alwayes causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the favour of his knowledge by us in every place: Hee thought it worthy Thankesgiving, that he had not laboured in vaine: the like wee see 2 Thess. 2.19. 2 Thess 2.19. What is our Hope, or Ioy, or Crown of Rejoycing? Are not even yee in the presence of our [Page 115]Lord Iesus Christ, at his camming? Yes, you are our glory and joy: and in the 13. Verse, Vers. 13. he saith, for this cause also thanke we God without ceasing, be­cause when ye received the Word of God, which ye heard of us, yee received it not as the word of men, but (as it is the truth) the Word of God, which ef­fectually worketh also in you that beleeve: so in 2 Cor. 3.7. Wee were comforted over you brethren, 2 Cor 3.7, 9. in all our affliction and distresse, by your faith: and in the nineth Verse, hee saith, What thanks can wee render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God? In that good St. Paul saw the successe of his labours, it gave him infinite satisfaction: Nay, he regarded not his shackles, so long as they neglected not the grace offered them by his Ministery: and to Phi­lemon, hee testifies his exceeding joy for the con­version of Onesimus: this was the comfort of that good Bishop of Neocesarea, of whom mention is made in the Ecclesiasticall story, when hee was to dye he comforted himself with this, that where­as there were not seventeen believers in that City when he came thither, at the time of his death he knew not of seventeen unbeleevers in that place; such a blessing had God given to his indeavours. And for the further proofe of this poynt, the truth of it will best appeare by the contrary, to wit, the great sorrow which is caused to the Ministers of God, when they see no fruits of their labours: what a griefe was it to Isaiah; that he had laboured in vaine, and spent his strength for nothing, Isa. Isa. 49.4 49.4. and Jeremiah was so grieved that his labours [Page 116]were ineffectuall, that he resolves to speak no more in the Name of the Lord, Jerem. 20.9. Ezek. 2.3. Jer. 20.9. In the 2. Ezek. 3. God saith to that Prophet, Son of man, I send thee to a rebellious nation, and thou shalt say to them, thus saith the Lord, but surely they will not heare thee: what a cooling card was this for the Pro­phet? Ezek. 3.14. and in the Ezek. 3.14. he saith, I went in the bitternesse of my Spirit, but the hand of the Lord was strong upon mee: as if hee had said, had I not been swayed by a Divine power, I had not gone▪ this, as it is thought, was the cause that Jonah waved his Commission of going to Nineveh: hee found that hee had been unsuccessefull among his own people, and therefore despaired of do­ing good among the Ninevites: and to speak the trueth, although I know our reward shall be as great as theirs who have wonne many soules, if wee be faithfull in the discharge of our duty; yet when the Minister shall pipe, and the people will not dance, when he shall sowe the Rocks, and plough the sands, and with Peter, shall fish all night, and catch nothing, it cannot but be a great corrosive to his soul, and a vexation to his Spirit: every man desires to see that thrive, which is committed to his charge: the Father joyes to see his Children prosper and doe well, so doth the Master, to see his servant thrive, the nurse her Childe, the Shepherd his flock, and the Mini­ster is a man as well as the rest, therefore hee de­sires that the people committed to his charge, should thrive and prosper in grace and goodnesse: Reason 1 and there is great reason for it; first, because when [Page 117]men grow in grace, under a mans Ministery, it makes much for the glory of God, which every Minister is to preferre before the salvation of his owne soul, as we see in the examples of Moses and Paul. Reason 2 Secondly, when he sees this, hee hath an assurance of his calling, then hee may say as Paul, 1 Cor. 9.2. 1 Cor. 9.2. Yee are the seale of mine Apostle­ship in the Lord. Reason 3 Thirdly, hee that converts men, wins souls to God, and saves them from destru­ction, and that is more then to win a World, for one soul is worth more then the Universe. Reason 4 Last­ly, such a man knowes, that hereby he fits him­self for a Crown, as in Dan. 12.3. Dan. 12.3. They that turne many to righteousnesse, shall shine as the Starres for ever and ever.

Ʋse 1 I shall ever desire it for my selfe, and all those which be called to the Altar, that God would ever keepe it in the purpose of our hearts, not so much to look after the fatnesse and fleece of our flocks, as after their proficiency in goodnesse, and this must be laboured after by preaching soundly and faithfully: and this is done when he indea­vours to bring teares from their eyes, rather than to please their eares: it must also be laboured af­ter by living a godly life and conversation; for this is the next way for a Minister to have his flock prosper.

Ʋse 2 In the second place, let it be a use to people, Is it such a comfort to the Minister to see his people profit by his preaching? then in the name of God afford your Ministers this consolation; for I will he bold to tell you, it is not your common cour­tesie, [Page 118]nor your kind entertainment, neither your liberallity to us, which pleaseth us halfe so well, as to finde the seale of our Ministry upon you, in your godly walking: I therefore say unto you as St. Paul to the Philipians; fulfill yee our joy, by o­beying the truth which we deliver: yee cannot more honour us than in this, and this will make way for your eternall salvation. A second thing I note is this; as God gave Ezra a great deale of comfort, so he addes to his comfort in this, that by his hu­miliation he wrought not onely on the baser sort of people, but on great persons, such as were e­minent among the Jewes: which being so (as app [...]ares in Shecaniah and others) it affords this observation.

Above all comforts this is the greatest, Doctor. When God so blesseth the labours of his Ministers, that they win great persons to God, when they convert those who be as Saul higher by the head than their brethren. I remember what the Lord saith to Isaiah, Isa. 49.7. Isa. 49.7. To him that is despised in soule, Kings shall see and arise. As if God should have said, I will so blesse thy labours, that thou shalt convert Kings unto me; and this was no small comfort to the Prophet. And if Jonah had beene well advised, he would have been glad at the heart that his Message had wrought so effectually on the King and Nobles of Nineveh. How did St. Paul rejoyce in Sergius Paulus the Governour, whom he converted to the faith? [...] [...] 12. Acts 13.12. His joy for his conversion, made him so bitter against Flymaes the Sorcerer, who withstood him, and [Page 119]sought to turne away the Deputy from the faith. Acts 18.8. And in Acts 18.8. it was no small comfort to the same Apostle, that he had caught Crispus the chief Ruler of the Synagogue in the net of the Gospel. And there is great reason why the Minister should be comforted when he wins great men: Reason 1 first, be­cause when such are converted, it removes a scan­dall and imputation from Religion; for it is the common saying of wicked men, that none but a company of poore persons look after Religion: Marke what the Pharisees said (when their Of­ficers, sent to apprehend our Saviour, came without him) Doe any of the Ruers believe in him? but this people which know not the Law are cursed. Joh. 7.48.49. But yet they spake untrue in that; John 7.48, 49. John 12.42. for Joh. 12. 42. Even among the chiefe Rulers many believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confesse him, lest they should be cast out of the Sy­nagogue. Reason 2 Secondly, it must needs be a great com­fort to a Minister, because the evill that is in great persons, is hardly conjured out of them, for great men have great Biasses, and think they may sinne by authority; it is hard to catch them: therefore when they be caught out of Satans snare, they that were the instruments have matter of great re­joycing. Reason 3 Lastly, Ministers know that if great persons be won to God, they will win others by their example. so powerfull is the example of great ones to inferiours.

Ʋſe. It should teach the Ministers of the word, like Ezra, to labour the conversion of great and emi­nent persons, and to doe what they can to bring [Page 120]them to sorrow for their sins; and I shall desire those who be called to speak to those that be high, to rowse them up by sharp reproofes, that they may be drawne out of the snare of the Devill, and be saved: for whilst Ministers shall dawb with untempered Morter, and sowe pillowes under their elbows, by singing placentia, pleasing things unto them, who deserve to be reproved; they are so farre from working on them to conversion, that they more and more harden them in their sinnes.

Vse 2 Secondly, I would desire those that be great, so far to gratifie their Ministers as to be converted by them; and if it shall please God to convert them, (be they who they will) let them know that by countenancing the truth, they credit not the truth, but the truth credits them. Theodo­sius that good Emperour thanked God more, quòd Christianus crat, that he was a Christian, quam ca­put imperii; than for being an Emperour: and though St. Paul could have boasted of many ex­ternall priviledges, yet he accounts it his chiefest honour, to stile himselfe servus Jesu Christi, the servant of Jesus Christ: and Jude that stood in a neare relation to our blessed Lord, puts this first in his Epistle, Jude a servant of Jesus Christ. And to say the truth, such as these be Excelsi, these, and these onely be the stately ones. And you who are the people, I would have you rejoyce at the con­version of great men, and to pray to God dayly that such may be converted, who may advantage the truth of Christ. A third thing which I note out [Page 121]of the last clause of the first verse, is this, the suc­cesse which God gave to Ezra, was so much the more, because he dealt roundly with the people; for the Prayer hee made was very tart and inve­ctive against them, it touched them to the quick, by discovering their grosse sinnes: some hot spi­rits, if they had been present, would have reply­ed, and said as Korah and his Confederates, All the Lords people are holy; but here is none of this, but they are humble, and sorry, and weep very sore; which affords us this observation: Doctrine. A pe­nitent, good, and honest heart, is so farre from hating him that reproves him, that hee is sorry for that, for which he is reproved, Prov. 9.8. Solomon Saith, Prov. 9.8. Rebuke a wise man, and hee will love thee: And it is thought, that David loved Na­than better after he had reproved him, then he did before: In Iohn 4. it is apparent, John 4. that after our Saviour had toucht the woman of Samaria home, shee became very full of respect towards him, whereas before, she had answered him sawcily; and in Acts 2.37. Acts 2.37. those men that said the Apo­stles were full of new Wine, as soone as their hearts were pricked, they gave much respect unto them, saying, Men and brethren, what shall we doe? so in the 1 Cor. 14.24.25. saith the Apostle there, 1 Cor. 14.24.25 If all prophesie, and there come in one that beleeveth not, or unlearned, hee is rebuked of all men, and is judged of all men; and so are the secrets of his heart made manifest, and so he will fall downe on his face, and worship God, and say plainly, That God is in you indeed. Now the ground of it is this; Doctrine. First, the [Page 122] Reason 1 good soul thinkes,when hee is reproved by the Minister, that he comes not in his own name, nor upon his own, but Gods errand; and therefore he takes the reproof well: Reason 2 Secondly, he knowes that God loves him,because hee reproves him, Revel. 3.19. and yet it is an evidence of Gods hatred sometimes, when hee will not have men reproved and punished, Hos [...]a 4.14. Hosea 4.14. God saith there, I will not punish your Daughters when they commit Whoredome, nor your Spouses, when they commit adultery. Reason 3 Thirdly, the Lord smites the penitent soule with such a sense of his owne un­worthinesse,that he will endure any thing that is spoken against him. Ʋse 1 Among many signes of a good heart, this is one, to indure a quick and re­proving Ministery: I feare there bee but few of this gracious disposition now adaies, for the most of men cannot brook a tart Minister, nay, they rise against such, as the Sodomites did against Lot, saying, Hee came to sojourne with us, and shall hee rule over us? They say, as the Hebrew to Moses, Who made thee a Ruler and a Judge? and with A­hab, they call such Ministers the Troublers of Isra­el. And the Conscience of such a one tells him, That though he seeme to love such a Minister, yet in his heart hee hates him; Herodias hates John at the heart, because he met with dilectum delictum, her darling sinne. But let such a one know, whosoever hee or shee be, that there can­not be a more evident signe of a desperate estate, then this; David had committed two great sins, adultery, and murder, but because hee took the [Page 123]reproof of Nathan well, (which appeared by his confession & submission) he was presently pardo­ned: but he that hates reproof, goes up into the chair of the Scorner, which is the next degree to hell.

Ʋse 2 Secondly,let us all labour for a meek spirit, then which nothing pleaseth God better; let us be as the good corn, which when it is fanned, falls at the feet of him that fannes it; and let us pray to God for such a Minister, as may tell us home of our sinnes; and let us thanke God for such a one, when we have him: what would we give for a Chirurgion, who would not onely skin, but heale our wound? And when the Mi­nister shall be plainest with thee, and touch thee most to the quick, finde nor fault with him, but with thy self: Not hee that soothes men up in their sins, but hee that pricks them to the heart, is the onely spirituall Physician to be valued. Wee proceed now to the second verse, which hath two parts, First, the person speaking, [She­caniah:] Secondly, his speech, [ wee have sinned against our God, &c.] I begin with the party spea­king, which is Shecaniah; Ezra had done his part; and loe here is a man sets to his hand, and seconds him: from whence I note this brief conclusion.

Doctrine. How comfortable it is in good Actions, to have an Assistant. When Moses is praying in the mount, and Joshua fighting in the valley, Israel is like to prevaile against Amalek: and when Deborah and Barak joyne together▪ they soon conquer the Midianites. Daniel, having undertaken a great businesse, hee comes to his three Associates, de­siring [Page 124]them to joyne with him in Prayer to God, and it pleased God to heare their Petition, and to reveale the Kings dreame unto him: Thus Nico­demus and Joseph joyne together for the Inter­ment of our Saviour; and Paul and Barnabas gave each other the right hand of fellowship, and Saint Paul calls Aquila and Priscilla, his helpers in Christ Jesus, Rom. 16.3. Rom. 16.3.

Ʋſe. Is it not lamentable, that men should set good businesses on foot, and have none to joyne with them? On the contrary, if an ill businesse be but in agitation, there be enough, and too many that will give their helping hand, though it but to the upholding of a rotten Ale-house; a man that goes about to doe good, may complaine as Da­vid, that he is as a Pelican in the Desart, it shall be long enough ere any come to assist him: well it should be otherwise; let us therefore, as we ten­der Gods honour, joyne together in promoting goodnesse; Pilate and Herod, though they were enemies to each other, yet they can agree to per­secute the Lord of life: and though the Jesuites, and the secular Priests, be at daggers drawing a­mongst themselves, yet they can agree together to set Kingdomes in a combustion: and why should wee be backward, nay, why should we not be forward, to helpe forward good Actions? Further, it may be observed, that this Shecaniah was a great man; surely, hee was no lesse then a Magistrate, & if so, it yeelds us this observation.

Doctrine. It is a happy thing, when the. Priest and Magi­strate, the word and the sword, goe hand in hand [Page 125]together: when Moses and Aaron kisse each other, when David the King, and Abiathar the Priest, when Joash the King, and Jehoiada the Priest, a­gree in the same thing, then it is a signe that sin & Satan will fall like lightning from heaven.

Ʋſe. It is to be lamented that these two goe not toge­ther: wee Ministers can goe no further than the sword of the Word gives us leave; but if when we have started the prey, the Magistrate will not pursue it, judge whose fault it is if sinne abounds: we the Ministers of God complaine of blasphe­mers, of uncleane persons, and places where they haunt: we complaine of unlawfull gaming, and recreations; if the Magistrate followed this by his sword, it could not be that men should bee so wicked as they are. (Beloved) if we should be called to our reckoning presently, we can say with a safe conscience, that we have faithfully dischar­ged our duty, and done what we could to the bea­ting downe of sin: but there will be no reforma­tion till the word of Ezra, and the sword of Sheca­niah goe together. But now what is it which She­caniah saith? (which is the second thing in the verse) he speaketh that in a few words, which Ezra had delivered more largely; hee confesses that he and the people had trespassed against God: He blaunches not their sinne, but saith, [We have trespassed against our God:] Doct. teaching us thus much for our instruction: That the penitent soule is more-severe against it selfe, than the most slande­rous tongue in the world. There be three things in which a good Christian can never satisfie him­selfe [Page 126]enough: the first is insufficient sorrow for his sinnes: the second is in the assurance of Gods love in pardoning them: the third is in his obedi­ence to Gods Commandements: but it is quite o­therwise with the wicked in all these; for first: he thinks he hath sorrowed enough, if hee have shed a few teares for his sinnes: secondly, for the re­mission of his sinnes, and the assurance of Gods favour, if you will take his owne word for it, no man is surer of that than himselfe; and for a godly life, he is farre enough from that, for he is afraid of being too holy. But I passe by that, and fall upon another observation, which naturally springs from Shecaniah's words, and it is this.

Above all other griefes, Doctr. this to a good soule is the chiefest, that he hath offended God. See it in David, Psal. 51 4. in Psalme 51.4. Against thee, thee only have I sinned. All the world knew that he had wronged Uriah and Bathsheba, and doubtlesse he was much troubled at it; but in the day of his humiliation, he pitcheth on this especially, that he had offended God. 1 Sam. 2.25. Eli saith to his sons, 1 Sam. 2.25. If one man sinne against another, the Judge shall judge him; but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall intreat for him? Intimating to us, that no offence done a­gainst man should grieve us so much, as that we have grieved God. The like we see in the Pro­digall, he saith, Father, I have sinned against hea­ven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to bee called thy sonne. It was not his penury and mise­ry (which now lay heavy upon him) that grie­ved [Page 127]him so much, as the sinne against his Father; and therefore he goes over it again, saying, Fa­ther I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, Luke 15.18.21. St. Paul speaking of true Repen­tance, Luk. 15.18.21. which ever hath sorrow for its companion, 2 Cor. 7.9. in the tenth verse hee comes to speak of worldly sorrow: and it is possible for a Cain, 2 Cor. 7.9, 10. an Esau, a Saul to be sorry after a worldly manner, which kind of sorrow is poenitentia poenitenda, a repentance to be repented of: but there is a godly sor­row, never to be sorrowed for. I deny not but shame and feare may make way for this, as the needle makes way for the thread; but yet at last Gods child comes to this, that he grieves above all for that he hath grieved God: and if there were no hell, he would not willingly sin against God any more: his heart-breaking is that he hath so much abused his bounty, who hath been his best friend.

Ʋſe. Let us above all things labour to mourn for sin­ning against God; no doubt an unsound heart may sorrow for sin, thus did Judas; I am perswa­ded, he was so sorry that he had betrayed his Mr. that if he had had all the world, he would have given it to undoe what he had done: and so I may sorrow for my sins; but yet if I finde in my selfe such a disposition to the same sins, (that if occa­sion were offered, and men saw me not, and that I were sure to escape Gods judgements) then I would commit them againe, this is the Spirit of bondage, and not the Spirit of adoption: but on the contrary, if I finde that I grieve above all things for offending God, this is not so much a [Page 128]feare to burne with the devill, as to displease my God, and this is a true filiall feare. But I tender weak consciences, and therefore I will endeavour to give them satisfaction. Objection. O say they, we feare to sin, but it is for feare of shame and hell: to whom I answer, Solution. this is not to be disliked altogether, for when I am prone to sin, I wish that the conside­ration of hell may deter me from sinning: and to such a soule I say, God may work in it a hatred to sin, when as he discovers it not. Secondly, such a soule must labour to grieve and abstaine from, and for sin, because it displeaseth God. But saith the poore soule, how shall I attain to this? First, by earnest and constant prayer to God. Secondly, by considering the nature of sin, which is a filthy thing, and very displeasing to God; a childe that loves his Father, will forbeare to doe what may displease him; and I make no doubt but God will so work in his children, that they shall abstaine from sin, and weep for it; not onely for feare of hell, but because thereby his holy Majesty is dis­honoured. Thirdly, I would have such to consi­der the mercies of God, which he hath bestowed upon themselves and this land, which if they doe, they will grieve and be severe against themselves, for neglecting so great expressions of bounty: such a one wil say, What? hath God made me? hath he redeemed me? hath he spared me hitherto? and shall I displease him? I could not subsist one hour without him; therefore let me mourn and grieve for offending so good a God, and so gracious a Fa­ther.

Sermon VIII.

WEE descend now to another fruit of Ezra his humiliation: Shecaniah con­fesseth the sinne of the people, which was of the first magnitude, to wit, their joyning themselves in marriage with Heathens; yet hee despaires not of forgivenesse from God, but saith, [Yet there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.] From whence I ground this Ob­servation.

The greatnesse of a sin, if there be repentance, Doctr. is no impediment▪ to the forgivenesse of it. So saith Shecaniah here, though wee have committed a great trespasse against our God by taking heathe­nish women to be our wives, yet there is hope in Israel even concerning this. I will take some paines in proving this point, because it may be of speciall use for tender consciences.

Reason 1 First, it may appeare to be true, by the charge that God gives men to repent, Isa. 1.16. as in Isaiah 1.16. Wash you, make you cleane, put away the evill of your [Page 130]doings from before mine eyes, cease to doe evill. So Jerem. Jer. 3.12. 3.12. Returne thou back-sliding Israel, saith the Lord, and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you. The like wee see in the new Testa­ment, Matth. Matth. 3.2. 3.2. Repent yee, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand. Acts 17.30. So in Acts 17.30. God now commandeth all men every where to repent. Now I reason thus, if God commands that men should repent of their sinnes, then surely there is pardon to be obtained upon repentance for the foulest sins: but God commands the greatest sinners to repent, therefore upon their repentance they shall be pardoned. Nay, we shall finde in Scripture, that the Lord threatens to plague those that repent not: and saith Tertullian, God would never threaten the man that repents not, if hee meant not to pardon him upon his repentance. Nay, to adde more weight to that reason, we may observe the incouragements which God af­fords sinners, thereby to move them to repent, which are so many arguments to assure them, that there is pardon for the greatest sinnes: as that in Isaiah 1.18. Isa. 2.13. Though your sinnes be as-Scarlet, they shall he as white as Snow. The word there for Scarlet, in the original is [...] which in the Latin is iterare, a thing twice dipt: The Lords meaning is this, though your sinnes be of a deep dye and tincture, yet my mercy shall expunge them, if yee repent: Mi [...]. 7.19. and in Micah 7.9. it is said, He will cast all their sinnes into the depths of the sea: Now yee know the sea is of that vastnesse, that it will swallow up, not onely Mole-hills, but the grea­test [Page 131]mountaines: and so it is with the mercy of God, it is so infinite and bottomlesse, that it shall pardon the grossest sinners, if they re­pent.

Reason 2 The second Reason is drawne from the ex­amples of those great sinners, on whom God hath shewed mercy: our first Parents committed a most grievous sinne, by which they over­threw all their posterity, (and though, some wan­ton wits question their salvation) yet we say God had mercy on them. Aaron committed a notori­ous sinne against God in making a golden Calse for the Israelites to worship, (when their com­ming out of Egypt was not above a moneth old, and when his brother Moses was gone up into the Mount to receive the Law of God for them) it was a sinne of a horrid representation, yet for that he found mercy and forgivenesse. They were foule sinnes in which David was ingaged, and sometimes they put him shrewdly to it, causing him to complain and say, They were a burthen too heavie for him; yet, God be thanked, he had re­mission of them. A fouler sinner cannot be ima­gined than Manasseh was, who was an Idolater, a shedder of innocent bloud in great abundance, one that made his sonne passe through the fire, and dealt with familiar spirits, yet there was hope in Israel for him, for upon his repentance hee was received to mercy. Look upon Matthew and Zaccheus, they were Publicans; and Publicans in those dayes were notorious sinners: for in the Gospell yee shall finde Publicans and sinners [Page 132]rankt together, yet two maine, ones of these were converted. Shall I tell you of Peter, who deny­ed, nay forswore his Lord and Master? yet hee obtained mercy. Or shall I tell you of the wo­man which was a sinner in the City, out of whom was cast seven devills? yet Christ had mercy upon her, and forgave, her. Shall I tell you of Paul, who with his owne tongue confesseth that he was a persecuter, a blasphemer, nay the chief of sinners? yet he obtained mercy & pardon. And when God would extend mercy to such a finner as hee, what doth he but proclaime to the world that none should despaire? Againe, shall I tell you of the incestuous Corinthian, who was a notable sinner? yet upon his repentance hee was absolved. Or shall I tell you of the Corin­thians themselves, of whom some had been Ido­laters, Adulterers, Covetous, Drunkards? yet they were washed, sanctified, and justified, when they had truely repented. Let us therefore be perswaded and assured, that every sinne is re­missible, if we can but repent.

Reason 3 The third Reason is drawne from the at­tributes of God; First, from his power; there is no sinne whatsoever, but hee can forgive it, therefore the Prophet Micah saith, Micah. 7.18. Who is a God like unto thee, Mi [...]. 7.18. that pardoneth iniquity? hee is not as man, who can pardon a few offences, but hee can pardon all sinnes, as well the great as the small. Secondly, wee may reason from the justice of God; saith the beloved Disciple, 1 Joh. 1.9. 1. John 1.9. If we confesse our sinnes, hee is faith full and [Page 133]just to forgive us our sinnes, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse. Thirdly, we may reason from the mercy of God; that bottomlesse Ocean which can never be exhausted and drawne dry; O the depth, the breadth, the length, the height of the mercy of God! the depth of it is such, as it cannot be imagined, for it is infinite: and such is the breadth of it, that it reacheth over all the earth; and for the length of it, it is of a large extension, for it is everlasting, Psal. 117.2. Psal. 117.2. and for the height of it, it is of such an altitude, that it reacheth above the clouds, Psal. 108.4. Again, Psal. 108.4. if ye speak of the greatest gift that ever God bestowed on the world, it was this, he gave his Sonne Jesus Christ to die for sinners: and when our Saviour came in­to the World, he did converse with sinners, at which, though the Scribes and Pharisees snuffed, saying, He was a companion of Publicans and sinners, yet we must know, that hee no more con­tracted pollution from them, then the Sunne doth when it shines on a stinking dunghill, and yet some of those went into heaven before those lear­ned Rabbies: And for the death of our Blessed Lord, which was the end of his comming, the ef­ficacy of it was such, that it was not onely of force to forgive pence, but talents: and it is the unanimous consent of all the holy Fathers, that no sinne is unpardonable, if men doe but re­pent; Tertullian saith, hee that threatens sinne, grants pardon to men upon their repentance: and saith Cyprian, It is impossible that the whole burnt offering of a contrite spirit should be repelled: and [Page 134]Saint Bernard saith, The plaister is bigger then the soare, and where sin abounded, grace hath much more abounded. Enough then hath been said for the proof of the point: I will onely answer one Objection, and so I will come to apply it.

Will some man say, Objection. Is the greatnesse of the sin no impediment to the forgivenesse of it? What say ye then to the sinne against the holy Ghost? those that commit that, are never like to obtaine pardon.

I answer, Solution. this is no impeachment to the truth, which I have delivered, for I said, and say again, If men doe repent, though their sins were never so grear, they shall be pardoned; but the sin against the holy Ghost admits of no repentance; there­fore if ever thou didst sigh for sinne, that was not the sinne against the holy Ghost, for such as are guilty of chat transgression, are without all sor­row & remorse: and that sin is not irremissible, be­cause God cannot pardon it, but because that wick­ed man cannot performe the condition which God requires of him, and that is Repentance: as it is with a Patient, who spits in the Physicians face, and throwes away all good potions prescribed him for his recovery: of such a one we say, hee is incurable; so we say of the sinne against the holy Spirit, he that commits it, because hee despights the Spirit of God, and because hee repells grace, being offered him, therefore he becomes so ob­durated in sinne, that hee cannot repent. So that notwithstanding this Objection, the truth of the point remaines unshaken, that the greatnesse of a [Page 135]sinne, if there be repentance, is no impediment to the remission of it.

Ʋse 1 It meets with the old and false position of the Novatian Hereticks, who said, That men falling into sinne after conversion, there was no place for their repentance: Cyprian calls the author of that Heresy, the enemy of Gods Mercy, and the slayer of repentance: but they held not constant to this, for afterwards they said, There was no place for Repentance to him that sinned after Baptisme: and not long after they came to mollifie this also, saying, That a man might repent of small sinnes after Baptisme, but if hee fell into great transgres­sions, then there was a falling away utterly: but the Fathers of the Church did all fight against these, affirming, That although men committed great sinnes after Conversion, yet Repentance was ut tabula post naufragium, as a planck to car­ry men to land, after they had suffered ship­wrack. Will yee heare some of their arguments? First, they bring that place in Hebr. 6.4. Hebr. 6.4. where it is said, It is impossible for those who were once en­lightned, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, if they shall fall away, to renew them again to repentance. This place hath much troubled the learned, and for resolving it, some have said, impossible, im­possible, is no more than difficile, hard or diffi­cult: others say, that such persons could not re­pent after this life, which indeed is impossible; but the best exposition is, that the place is meant of the sinne against the Holy Ghost; now whoso­ever commits that, despights the Spirit of grace, [Page 136]and so it comes about, that it is impossible hee should be renewed againe by repentance. The second Argument they bring is this, If God should forgive men grosse sins, upon the breach of their Covenant, hee should be mutable; Not so, for it is peremptory with God, that men should repent and be pardoned; when therefore God pardons a great sinner upon his repentance, hee changes not, neither is there the least shadow of change in him, but the sinner is changed by re­pentance and amendment. Thirdly, say they, the recovery of great sinners is very questionable in Scripture; [...]od. 32. as Exod. 32. It is a matter very doubtfull, whether God forgave the Israelites their sinne of making a Calf: So Jonah 3.9. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, [...]nah; [...] and turn from his fierce anger that we perish not? and Peter saith to Simon Magus, Acts 8 22. Acts 8.22. Repent therefore of thy wickednesse, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee. To which I an­swer, That which is chiefly meant in those places, is corporall judgements. Secondly, all those places tend to the aggravation of their sinnes, and not to shut the doore of repentance upon them: the last place they urge, Hebr. 12.17. is Hebr. 12.17. For yee know that afterward, when hee would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected; for he found no place of re­pentance, though he sought it carefully with tears: the meaning of that place is easie, it is meant of Isaacs Repentance, that he could never be perswaded to alter what he had done, when once he had blessed Jacob, notwithstanding Esau sought it with tears: [Page 137]But secondly, suppose it is meant of Esaus re­pentance, yet it would not make for them, be­cause it was no true repentance, for at the same time he resolved to kill his brother Jacob; his re­pentance was for somewhat he had lost, not for what he had done.

Ʋse 2 In the second place, let it be for the cheering of all drooping spirits, and distressed consciences; it is the voice of too many in the world, what we finde some saying, Jerem. 18.12. There is no hope. Jerem. 18.12. But I say there is hope: Hast thou been an Adul­terer? there is hope in Israel concerning this, if thou repent and forsake that sinne: Hast thou been a Covetous person, a Drunkard, a Swearer? there is hope in Israel for these, if thou from thy heart repent thee of them: Hast thou been a fraudulent person, and a deceiver of thy brother? repent of this sinne, and make him satisfaction, and thou shalt be pardoned, for there is hope in Israel even concerning this. (Beloved) the Lord hath this day sent the greatest of sinners to tell you; That there was never any perished for want of mercy. Therefore, doe your sinnes grieve you? repent of them; lie down at the foot of Gods Mercy-seat, and sue for pardon in the Name, and for the Merits of Jesus Christ: In any kinde, despaire not, for yet there is hope of Mercy: and to this purpose remember these things which I shall now tell thee; First, as it was a sinne in the Israelites, to limit Gods Power, so it is a sinne to limit his Mercy: what sinne can be imagined or committed too great for God to pardon? Cain [Page 138]did lie, when he said, his sinne was greater then could be forgiven: I read of one, that being told by the Devill, That his sinnes were more then could be pardoned, and that he could not be sa­ved, thinking thereby to make him despaire: saith he, thou unclean spirit, thou art a lyer, for if thou couldest repent, thou mightest be pardoned. Se­condly, think upon the infinite satisfaction, which our blessed Saviour hath made for sinners; and he came not onely to cure green and smaller wounds, but great and inveterate soares, some eight, some twelve, some thirty eight yeeres old. Thirdly, think upon what kinde of Persons God hath shewed mercy; as Adam and Eve, David, Manasseh, Zaccheus, Mary Magdalene, Paul, and many others, who found mercy. Fourthly, think of this, that despaire is the greatest sinne in the world, for that wrongeth God in the chiefest of his attributes; to wit, his mercy, therefore the learned say, that Cain and Jidas sinned more in despairing, then the one did in killing his Brother, or the other in betraying his Master. Lastly, re­member this, that if thou despairest, and diest in that condition, thou shuttest the doore of mercy upon thy selfe, and thou maist be sure of Hell for thy portion; therefore despaire not in any case: but withall remember, that all this is promised thee upon the condition of thy repentance; be sure therefore to repent seriously, and speedily: First, doe it seriously, God doth not love that thou shouldest only hang down thy head for a time like a bull rush, but thou must be rent within, by ha­ving [Page 139]a broken and contrite spirit. Secondly, re­pent speedily, it must not be to day for thee, and to morrow for God; I know God may and can pardon him that repents at the last houre: but if men deferre their repentance, out of hope of par­don, let them know, that hee that hath promised mercy to him that repents, doth not say, a man may repent when he will: and you that have ne­ver felt these breakings of soul, and horrours of conscience, you will finde one day, that there is a wide difference between the Devills tempting you to sinne, and his afflicting you for sinne; for when he tempts men to sin, he tells them that the gate of mercy is ever open, and that though their sins be never so great, yet they may repent for them at pleasure; but when a man is in affliction and anguish of soul, then he multiplies his lashes, and layes on load, telling him, That God wll shew mercy to none such as he is; hee will tell him, that his sinnes are more then can be forgiven, and with Jobs wife, hee will bid him curse God, and die: therefore think of this now in time, for the Devill is never so sweet in his temptations to sin, as he is bitter at last in putting men on to despaire for sinne.

Ʋse 3 In the third place, is God so mercifull as to for­give men the greatest sins upon their repentance? Let us then be mercifull to our brethren, as our hea­venly father is mercifull to us: What offence can a man commit against another, that the party offen­ded should not forgive? Let our displeasure be as just as may be, yet there is no reason but wee [Page 140]should forgive our Brother, because God is so proclive and ready to forgive us: but there be some such, who by no means will be reconciled to their Brother, who harh offended them: but I fear not to tell such, that they are not sensible of Gods mercy in forgiving them; God forgives them pounds, nay talents, and shall not they for­give their brother pence? Neither tell me, hee is a base and unworthy fellow, for there is not that distance betweene him and thee, be hee never so base, as between thee and God: O but it is a grosse wrong which he hath done mee; is it worse then the sins which thou hast committed against thy God? O but hee hath done it often: What of that? yet not so often as thou hast offended thy Maker. O but it stands not with my credit to pardon him: thy pride at once eats out both thy Piety and Charity, and let me tell thee, looke to obtain that from God, which thou art willing to doe for thy brother: Christ Jesus, the Sun of righ­teousnesse, would not set in a cloud, though hee was put to death without cause, but hee prayes for his persecutours, Pater ignosce, nesciunt quid faci­unt, Father forgive them, they know not what they doe: If thou follow not the example of our Bles­sed Lord, take heed, lest he stop his eares to thy Prayers, because thou refusest to be reconciled to thy Brother. Before wee leave this clause, ano­ther observation offers it self to be handled; [there is hope in Israel concerning this] that is, in the Church; and the point, which I hence infer, is this;

There is no remission of sinnes out of the Church. Doctr. Remission of sins is not a flower that growes wild, it onely growes in the Garden of Zion. For proof of this, look that pregnant place Psalme 128.5. The Lord shall blesse thee out of Zion: or as another translation renders it, The Lord shall blesse thee out of Zion from heaven; Mark, he doth not say, the Lord in heaven shall blesse thee from heaven, but the Lord from hea­ven shall blesse thee out of Zion: indeed the Church is a heaven; for where the holy people of God be, there is a heaven, and there is a bles­sing, which though primarily it come from God, yet secondarily it comes from the Church: and though I doe not say with some Philoso­phers, that all influences come from the Moon to the Starres; yet I will say it of the Church, thither hath God conveyed his bles­sings to bee transmitted to the sonnes of men. I would have you to marke one thing, which it may be you never yet took notice of; the Pro­pitiatory was joyned to the Arke, so as it could not be removed from it, to shew that he that would have his sinnes forgiven him, must hold close to the Arke: and this is according to that ancient rule of Divines; he that will have God to be his father, must have the Church to be his mother. Our blessed Lord was named Jesus, because saith the Angel, He shall save his people from their sinnes: and in the end of the Creed we say, I believe the holy Catholike Church, the for­givenesse of sinnes, by the conjunction of which [Page 142]two Articles together, is intimated to us, that out of the Church there is no forgivenesse of sins. This is also proved in the 87. Psalme last verse, [...]s [...]. 87.7. Isa. 33.24. All my-springs are in thee, and Isa. 33.24. The peo­ple that dwell therein shall be forgiven all their ini­quity.

Ʋse 1 It is to let us see the miserable estate of those without the Church; they being without the pale of the Church, what shall become of them? As Christ told the Jewes, John 8.24. John 8.24. They shall dye in their sinnes: And what is it to dye in sin? it is immediately to goe to hell, there to be tor­mented with the devill and his Angels for ever. Heathens are here said to be without the Church; and to be sure, if they live and die such, they shall be excluded heaven hereafter: for as in Rev. 22.15. without shall be dogs. Rev 22.15.

Ʋse 2 Secondly, as wee must deplore the miserable condition of those which be without the Church, so let us magnifie God for our own happy con­dition; God hath entred us into his Church, blessed bee his name for it; wee are in the way where his blessings be, and where the heavenly Manna falls daily: but this is not all, that we be in the visible Church, for tares grow in the field, as well as good corne; it is true all that were without the Ark perished, but yet a Cham was saved alive in the Arke, so that it is not all to be externall members of the Church, but as we be admitted into it by Baptisme, so we must be­lieve and repent, else we are but Tares in the field of the Church, which though for a time they [Page 143]may grow up with the good corne, yet at last they shall bee but fuell for the fire of hell: A mans water in Baptisme is but a cold proofe of Gods love, unlesse hee hath faith and repen­tance, (I speak not of Infants, which never com­mitted actuall sinne) for unlesse there be a heart to believe and repent, he may be damned for all his Baptisme, as some of the Jewes were, for all they were circumcised. As therefore we glory in this, that wee are within the pale of Gods Church; so let us not content our selves with it, but let us labour to be within the Covenant, by getting faith and Repentance, that so in Gods good time we may attain the end of our faith, the salvation of our sinfull soules in Jesus Christ. Shecaniah now goes on and saith [Let us make a Covenant with our God:] It appears by this good man that as hee had heard Ezra to confesse his sins, amongst the rest, so he desired not onely to be pardoned for what hee had done amisse, but he resolves on a new course of life, saying [Now therefore let us make a Covenant with our God.] And indeed these be the two maine stones in the building of repentance; first, when a man desires to be better; secondly, when hee resolves to bee better. First, when a man desires to bee better; it is a good part of health, wee say, to desire health: our blessed Lord faith to the impotent man, Wilt thou bee made whole? he would not heale him against his will: even so we must de­sire to bee cured of our spirituall maladies. It was so with the Iaylor, Acts 16.30. in Acts 16.30. he saith to [Page 144] Paul and Silas, Sirs, what shall I do to be saved? and this, where it is, supposeth a sense of miserie: and we see it in holy David, Psal. 142.2. Psa. 142.2. I powred out my complaint before him: J shewed before him my trou­ble. And Saint Paul saith, O miserable man that J am, who shall deliver me from this body of death? Rom. 7.25. Thus sure it was with Manasseh, Rom. 7.25. and with those Converts in Acts 2.37. who being pricked in their hearts, Acts 2.37 say to Peter and the other Apostles, Men and brethren, what shall wee doe?

Ʋſe. I feare a great many doe not truely desire to be freed from their sinnes: it was the sin of Augu­stine when time was, saith he, I prayed to God to extinguish lust in me; but I had rather it should have been satisfied than extinguished: and many be of his mind, such a spirit of slumber seises on men, that their consciences bee seared, and they take pleasure in sinne; tell these, that sinne is a burthen, they say they feele no such matter: but he that hopes for mercy must labour to feele sin to be a pressure; the man that desires to live in a prison, it is pity the Key should ever bee turn'd for his inlargement: and who will pitie him that desires not to be eased of his sinnes? Our blessed Redeemer calls none to him, but those who are heavy laden; and till men come to this, they will never be earnest for the pardon of their sinnes. Secondly, there is a resolving a­gainst sin: wee must not onely say we are sorrie for our sins, (which everie one can doe) but we must leave them: this is the disposition of a good and penitent soule: See it in David, [Page 145]Psal. 17.3. Hee not only desired pardon of God, Psal. 17.3. but he saith, I am purposed, that my mouth shall not transgresse: and Ephraim saith, Hos. 14.4. Hosea 14.4. What have I to doe any more with Idolls? and Saint Paul saith, Lord, what wilt thou have me to doe? Now when a man comes to this, it is a good step toward Heaven; for if hee should be taken away suddenly, and want time to repent, as he desired, the Lord would as well accept of his good purpose and resolution, as if hee had li­ved to repent to the full: and in the course of Sanctification, it is a great comfort to a man, when he can say, hee fell against his purpose.

Ʋſe. It is to be feared, that the Repentance of these times is unsound, for though men desire to leave sinne, yet they resolve not against it: A man saith, I desire no more to be drunke, and yet hee resolves not against it, when as the one without the other, is not worth a Rush; There is much difference between him that saith, I would leave sinne, and another that saith, I will leave it; if once thy heart say, I will doe it, then thou wilt indeavour to doe those things which conduce to that end: In our Prayers wee desire this and that blessing of God, and yet one resolves to goe on in Adultery, ano­ther in his way of Revenge; O take heed of mocking the Almighty: Besides, Is this a time to mock God? Dost thou thinke God will heare such a one as thou art? No, hee will never heare the Prayer of fained lippes; I [Page 146]tell thee one thing, and the child of God finds it true in himselfe, hee doth as earnestly desire grace, to restraine him from sinne, as he doth the pardon of his sinnes: Now, when thou wilt pray for the one, and not for the other, never expect to be heard of God; for if the Devill be cast out by a desire, and no further, hee will returne with seven spirits worse then himself.

Sermon IX.

SHECANIAH is not onely resolved to doe as he saith, but he is willing to make a Covenant with God, both in his own, and the Peoples behalf, which Covenant was an Oath, as ye may read in the succeeding Verses of the Chapter: Now an Oath is the most sacred bond of all others, and when he ingageth him­selfe this way, it is a signe hee meant to per­forme what he promised: which being so, I can­not but observe from thence, this conclu­sion;

Doctrine. The true penitent is desirous to tye himself by all possible bonds, to keep that which God commands; marke it in some proofs: In Genes. 28.20. when Jacob had got a nap on that hard pillow of the stone, Gen. 28.20. in his journey to Padan-Aram, hee vowed this vow of his own accord; If God will be with me, and will keep me in the way that I goe, and will give me bread to eat, and rayment to put on, so that I come again to my Fathers house in peace: then shall the Lord be my God. There is no doubt, but Jacob [Page 146] [...] [Page 147] [...] [Page 146] [...] [Page 137] [...] [Page 148]knew he was tyed to God, not onely by the bond of nature, but as he was a member of the Church; but yet he is willing to tie himself more strictly to God, if it were possible, because hee knew the thing that he desired of God, Jo [...]. 24.25, 26. was of great conse­quence. So in Josh. 24.25, 26. the people of Is­rael had revolted from God, and Joshua knew they would be flinching again, therefore before he was to die, hee makes rhem enter into a Cove­nant with God, to serve him and no other, and set up a great stone under an Oake, that was by the Sanctuary, that when they revolted, that stone might be a witnesse against them: Marke, hee ties them as fast as he can, that they might cleave unto the Lord: Psal. 119.106. the like wee see in David, Psal. 119.106. I have sworn, and will performe it, that I will keep thy righteous judgements: and in Psalme 132.2, 3, 4. there he vowes to the mighty God of Jacob, Psa [...]. 132.2, [...], [...] saying, I will not come into the Taber­nacle of my house, nor goe up into my bed, nor suffer my eyes to slumber, till I finde out a place for the Lord, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob: and 2 Chro. 15.12. it is said, 2 Chro. 15.12. that Asa and the people entred into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers, with all their heart, and with all their soule. And in the 14. verse, we find, that they swore to the Lord with a loud voyce; as who should say, they were willing that any body should heare how strictly they had tyed themselves to God. The like we see in the mariners, [...] Jon [...]h, 16 1 Jonah, 16. the text saith, they offered a sacrifice to the Lord, and made vowes. It is not set downe what they vowed [Page 149]to doe, but it is likely they performed what they vowed. If ye require a reason of this, it is easily rendred.

Reason 1 First, the childe of God knowes that the service of God is a matter of special consequence, he knowes it is as much as the salvation of his soule; and therefore he conceives he cannot per­forme it too strictly. A man that hath much busi­nesse to doe in the morning, is very strict to him­self; in which regard he will either sit up all night, or lye downe in his cloathes, that hee may goe a­bout his affaires early, and compasse them before night: and the childe of God considers what a weighty businesse the service of God is, there­fore he is willing to oblige himself as sure as may be, to performe what God commands.

Reason 2 Secondly, there is a desire in Gods childe to shew how willing he is to obey God; as wee therefore, when we would shew how willing we are to pleasure a man, in assurance thereof wee give him our hand; so the child of God is willing to make vowes to God, to testifie with what a willing mind he goes about his service.

Ʋse 2 It meets with those which are afraid of these Bonds; there be those that will not come to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, (I speak what I know) because they say it is a sacred thing; and if they come there, they must enter into a solemne Covenant with God, which they know they cannot keep, and therefore they forbeare to come: I commend the reverent esteem which these people have of that sacred Institution; but [Page 150]I cannot but mourne for this, that they are afraid to tye themselves to God: Doth David desire and beg of God, To knit his heart unto him, Psal. 86.11. And doth Saint James say, Psal. 86.11. Draw neere unto God, and he will draw neere unto you, and doe these feare being tyed too close to God? Again, I cannot but mourne to see the Devill transfor­med into an Angel of light in this matter; I con­fesse a man that comes to Gods Table ought se­riously to bethink himselfe what he goes about; but yet let me advise you, not to runne into one sinne, under a pretence of avoyding another: for what knowest thou, but if thou come prepared, that in thy receiving those sacred mysteries, God may give thee strength to doe all that thou pro­misest.

Ʋse. 2 In the second place, let us ever be willing to be tied to God as close as may be; yea if wee know any way in the world to tye our selves faster to him, let us put it in practise: let us tye this Cor fugitivum, fugitive heart of ours to its good be­haviour: let us binde the Sacrifice with cords unto the horns of the Altar; and if a man shall serve God with some reluctation of Spirit, (fol­lowing the motions of the Spirit, to the distast­ing of the flesh) out of doubt God will be very gracious to such a man: for when he sees with what violence his servants strive to enter heaven, it gives him great contentment: in the 2 Chron. 15.15. it is said, [...] Chr [...]. [...]5.15. All Judah rejoyced at the oath, for they had sworne with all their heart. And it is most acceptable to God, when hee perceives his [Page 151]children willing to tye themselves to him in the most strict and sacred bonds. Now wee are to examine the matter of this Covenant: first, it was [to put away their strange wives.] Out of doubt was to flesh and bloud was a hard and grievous thing, for out of their affection to them, they had marryed them: besides, they had lived long with them, and their love was confirmed by the children they had by them: for saith the Philosopher, good minds bee reunited by chil­dren: now to put away wives, and wives who had long continued with them, and by whom they had children, this must needs bee very irk­some to them: but the truth is, their sinne lay in this, and it being so, therefore they are willing to put them away. The point which grounds it selfe from hence is this:

When the soule is truely penitent, Doctr. whatsoever it be that is pleasing to a man, if it displease God, he will forgoe it. In every mans body there is a mixture of the four humours, bloud, flegme, and the two cholers; but in every person some one of these is more predominant than the rest, from whence a man hath his denomination: thus one is called a flegmatick, another is called a sanguine, and third a cholerick man: even so it is in the soule, there is in every mans soule a seed-plot of corruption, which is originall sinne: all sins are in all men, in regard of the root, but yet some one is more predominant in the soule than the rest: in some it is pride, in another it is lust, in a third it is cove­tousnesse, in others it is envie: as it is in a field [Page 152]of weeds, though many weeds spring up at the same time, yet some one springs up more than any other; so some lusts will beare a greater sway in the soule than any lust besides: and from this many a man is denominated: it is am­bition in some, contention in others, excesse in others; and for this we say a man is libidinosus, contentiosus, malitiosus, ambitiosus: and the learned observe, that these and the like words which end in osus, doe make an increment to their sinne: everie David will have his Bathsheba, and every Herod his Herodias. David saith in Psalme 18.23. I kept my selfe from mine iniquitie: [...]s [...]. 18.23. Surely, he meant the sinne to which he was most incli­ned: and he is a great stranger at home, who finds not one sinne to exercise the chiefe regency in him. Now this beloved darling sinne, if a man be truely repentant, he will forsake that; and so I come to prove the poynt. Isa. 1.16. In Isa. 1.16. the Lord saith, Wash you, make you cleane, put away the evill of your doings from before mine eyes. If ye observe the scope or tenor of the place, ye shall soone perceive, that the Lord meant those sinnes to which he saw them most proclive and prone. And in the 33. Ezek. when the Lord chargeth his people to abstaine from all sinne, [...] [...]3. doe you not think that he meant those especially, which were their beloved sinnes? see it in some instances: in Hos. 14.8. though Ephraims Idols were former­ly contenting, [...]s. 14.8 yet when he comes to be truely pe­nitent, he saith, What have I to doe any more with Idolls? The like wee see in the repentance of Ni­neveh, [Page 153]Jonah 3.8. the King gives command, Jonah 3.8. that every man should turne from his evill way, and from the violence that was in their hands. It seems oppression and offering violence was the speciall sinne for which that City was notorious, there­fore the Kings charge is, that they should bid a­dieu to that. We see the same in Matthew, he had a profitable place, for gaine came in apace; and doubtlesse when our Saviour called him from the receipt of custome, he was at the first much troubled at it; but the call of Christ was so prevalent, that hee forsakes all and followes him. Was it not so with Mary Magdalen▪ though her sinne of Lust was sweet unto her, yet having obtained repentance and pardon of her Saviour, she forsakes that sin, and becomes a new woman. And in Luke 19.8. when God had touched the heart of Zaccheus, Luke 19.8. he resolves not onely to leave his oppression, but he offers to make a foure-fold restitution to whomsoever he had wronged. Reaſon. And there is good reason for this, for it is unlawfull for a man to dispense with himselfe in the least sinne: but to dispense with himselfe in those which sway him most, this is most unlawfull of all. There is much consequence in forsaking these darling corruptions; for many other sinnes are retainers to them: it was the counsell and command of the King of Syria to his Captains and souldiers, to fight neither against great nor small, but onely against the King of Israel: and it was good counsell: for as soone as they had slaine the King, the day was presently their [Page 154]own: and when a man hath been victorious over his Master sin, hee will easily conquer his lesser corruptions.

Ʋſe. It serves to stirre us up to this hard task; I call it a hard taske, because a man will be content to part with many sinnes, rather than he will leave his beloved corruption: as it is in fleaing a skin of a dead body, it comes off with ease till yee come to the head, but there it sticks, and comes not off without difficulty: so a man peradven­ture will forsake many iniquities, but not dilect­um delictum, his beloved transgression. See it in Augustine, hee was very unwilling to leave his unsanctified Olims and wicked acquaintance, when at first God opened his eyes; his lusts then said unto him, nonne tecum erimus in aeternum? shall not wee be with thee for ever, who have been with thee so long? but yet when God fur­nished him with his grace, he cast them all off, though he had taken never so much complacency in them before. And this must be done by us▪ take it in some instances: Come to a licentious man, and presse on him the practise of divers things, and he will be content to admit of them, but if you touch his sin of uncleannesse, ye touch him to the quick, and he will no longer beare with you; as in Herod, He heard John gladly, and did many things which he spake: but if he offer to meddle with his Herodias, his life must pay for his errour: so that say what man will or can, such a one will not leave his filthy, yet beloved sin: nay, some have protested, they could not [Page 155]leave their uncleannesse. In like manner come to an excessive person, bid him doe this or that, he will subscribe unto it; but if ye strike at his sin of excesse, then he stormes and fumes, saying, Take away my cup, and take the club out of Hercules hand; take away my liquour, and take away my life: he saith with the Vine, Judges 9.13. Should I leave my wine, which cheareth God and man? Come to the covetous man, and he will easily be perswaded to avoyd prodigality, here you shall finde him as tractable as may be; but yet all that you can say or doe, shall not worke upon him to forsake his covetousnes. But notwithstanding all this, as men take knowledge of those sinnes which domi­neere most in them, so they must forsake and leave them, yea though they be as deare unto them as Shechaniahs wife was unto him. And tell me not that this is difficult, but hearken to what our Saviour Christ saith, If thy right hand offend thee cut it off, for it is better to enter maimed into heaven, then having two hands to be cast into hell fire. And what dost thou telling me that they be profitable sins? is not Godlines the best, nay the only gaine? and what dost thou tell me of thy sweet sin of licentiousnes? I tell thee, Mo­mentaneum quod delectat, aeternum quod cruciat, it is a momentary pleasure, and unlesse thou for­sake it, will bring thee into eternall torments, to the utter ruine of thy soule & body. And say not to me as Naaman to Elisha, God be mercifull to me in this or that sin; for as one leak is enough to sink a ship, so one sin will damn a soul; and thou art far [Page 156]from mercy, if thou preferrest a profitable or plea­surable sinne to thy God. I will come home to thee in a familiar resemblance; if thou shouldest harbour a Rebell in thy house, and when the King sent unto thee upon paine of death to deliver him, thou shouldest refuse to doe it, couldst thou expect any favour, though hee were never so neare or deare unto thee? even so, thy sinnes be Rebells a­gainst the King of heaven, no such Rebells against his Majestie as they; if now at his command thou wilt not renounce them, and cast them from thee, how canst thou hope for mercy? there remains nothing for thee, but a fearfull expectation of wrath and vengeance to light upon thee: Away then with the bond-woman and her-sonne, away with this Jonah, for which the whole ship fares the worse: though thy sins be as deare unto thee as thy right eye, yet cast them from thee, because they displease God: doe not love thy sinne, and hate thy soul, if thou dost, what then wilt thou doe in the end thereof? Secondly, [they put away the children borne of them.] What was the cause of this? Carthusian gives the reason, and it is a ve­ry good one, which will yeeld us the ground of an observation; saith hee, They cast out the children with their mothers, lest the wives ha­ving lest their children behinde them, should take occasion to returne againe to fetch them: so that you see they cut off all occasion of being again in­gaged in that transgression: the point then is this;

Doctrine. He that would avoyd sin, must make conscience of avoyding all the occasions of sin.

For proofe hereof, see that place, Gen. 39.10. Gen. 39.10. Joseph was so resolute in goodnes, that he not on­ly repells his mistresse her unlawfull request, but saith the text, though she spake to him day by day, yet he hearkned not unto her to lye by her, or to he with her. Exod. 12.15. In the 12 Exod. 15. the Lord gives his peo­ple charge, that when they keep the Passeover, they should eate no leavened bread for seaven dayes: and because he would be sure they should observe it, he commands them on the first day of the seaven, to put away all leaven out of their houses. So Job 31.1. saith he, Joh 31.1. I made a covenant with mine eyes, why then should I think upon a maid? and it is Davids prayer, Psal. 119. 37. Psal. 119.37. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity: and when Solo­mon gives the young man counsell against the strumpet, he saith, Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the doore of her house. Pro. 5.8. Pro. 15.8. The ground of this is double; Reason 1 First, if it be a sin that a man hath repented of before, then he must be so much the more carefull to avoyd not only the sin it selfe, but all occasions tending to it, that he may shew forth the truth of his repentance: for it repents not him seriously of his sinne, who doth not avoyd all occasions of committing the same for the future. Reason 2 Secondly, if it be an evill that a man was never ingaged in before, yet he must a­voyd the occasion; for there is great need that our prayers strengthen our works, and that our works give vigour to our prayers: nothing is truer than that proverb, Occasion makes a thiefe; and it is as true, that occasion oft times doth make a sinner.

Ʋſe. Let us in the name of God practise this duty; as the Apostle Paul saith, Flie all occasions of evill. It hath been paid them home with much losse, who have presumed too much of their owne strength, by throwing them selves into places of temptation: If therefore we desire to overcome our lusts, let us avoyd all the occasions of sinne, which are as so many pandars waiting upon it. As for example, thou art an excessive person, and wouldest conquer that sin: First, get a hatred to this sin; secondly, avoyd all occasions which tend this way, sit not long at wine, and beware of idle­nesse and ill company. Thou art a contentious person, and desirest strength against that sin; take heed of heat in holding Arguments with others; Secondly, contest not with thy brother; and if this will not doe, avoid company altogether: so, for lust, thou art addicted to that sin, and wouldst faine be rid of it; first, take heed of idlenesse: when David was walking on his palace, then the Devill laid a baite for him, presenting Bathsheba to his view, and so ingaged him in that foul sinne of Adultery: and the truth is, the Devill will hew any sinner out of idlenesse, that is his Cushion, on which he lulls the poore sinner asleep: the sins of Sodome were great, and the ground of them was idlenesse: a second occasion to be avoided, as being a hand maid to lust, is intemperance in eating and drinking; for when men feed and drink free­ly, then they are apt to neigh after their neighbors wives; Saint Paul speaks of wanton widowes, Tim. 1.5.11. doubtlesse they were such as gave [...] [Page 159]their lusts the reines, and that made them wanton. Thirdly, if thou wouldest master thy lust, take heed of thy lust, take heed of thy eyes, for death oft enters by those windowes; our grandmother Eve, by looking on the forbidden fruit, undid her self, and all her posterity; and saith our Blessed Lord, Hee that lusls after a woman, hath committed adultery with her in his heart: And to this end look not on lascivious Pictures, nor on the Creatures in their mixtures, for these occasions further this filthy sin: beware of thy eares, shut them to all obscene and lascivious discourses and songs, which are notable promovers of lust in the heart; avoid also the company of lust full persons, and if before thou art aware, thou fall into the company of such, then beware of unchast dalliance, for this is a great incentive to uncleannesse: and as thou must avoide these, so all other occasions that I have not named; remember what I tell thee, and lock it as a jewell in thy heart; pray as long as thou wilt or canst, if thou dost not withall indea­vor to avoide the occasions which promove these sinnes, God will never grant thy request; dost thou pray to God to doe that for thee, which is not in thy power? And wilt not thou doe that which is in thine own power? This is a madnesse indeed, thou must doe the one, if ever thou lookest that God should doe the other. Well, when Shecaniah and the rest had done this, what rule will they then walk by? [according to the Counsell of my Lord,] Some of the learned demand here, who is meant by Lord? and these are of opinion [Page 160]that Shecaniah meanes not Ezra; but I am verily perswaded he meanes Ezra, and no other: and the Septuagint inclines to this interpretation, for thus they render that clause [as is judged fit by thee.] Now if it were so that Shecaniah, who was a Prince, said thus to Ezra the Priest: take knowledge then of thus much:

What respect in times past was given to those whom God called so neere unto him, Doctr. as to be his Friests. 1 Sam. 1.15.26. In the 1 Sam. 1.15. when Eli mis-judg­ing Hannah, told her shee was drunke, shee an­sweres, No my Lord, I am a woman of a sorrowfull Spirit: and in the 26. verse, when shee came to present Samuel before the Lord, shee saith to him againe, O my Lord, as thy soul liveth, my Lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the Lord: 2 Kings 4.16. the like wee see in 2 Kings 4.16. when Elisha told the Shunamitish woman, that shee should have a sonne, she saith, Nay, my Lord, thou man of God, doe not lie unto thine hand-maid: and in the 2 Kings 13.14. Joash, 2 Kings 13.14. that wicked king, comming to visite Elisha on his death-bed, hee wept over him, and said, O my Father, my father, the chariot of Ifrael, and the horsemen thereof: and it was more then sociall respect, that Cornelius gave Peter, which he would by no meanes admit, Acts 10.25. And we read of Alexander the Great, Acts. 10.25. that he entring Jerusalem, with an intent to sack it, as soon as he beheld Jaddus the High Priest in his formalities comming to meet him, in honour of him, he alight, and met him, and desisted from him wicked purpose.

Ʋſe. It is to be deplored in these days, when every base fellow thinks himself better than the Mini­ster: I deny not but Ministers themselves may be the cause of this in part: it may be they are unfit for that function: or if they have gifts, it may be they be idle and will not imploy them: or else it may be they preach constantly, and live vitious­ly; but there be many causes in the people: first, they consider not the necessity of their Ministerie, that though God have made them without us, yet he will not save them without us. Secondly, it may be it is from the abundance of preaching now a dayes: in the 1 Sam. 3.1: we finde there, 1 Sam. 3.7. that the word of the Lord was precious in those dayes, there was no open vision. The raritie of vision made the word of God precious then; and I feare the plenty of preaching and preachers makes that Or­dinance to be slighted now. But let us take heed of vilifying Gods Messengers: God hath a con­troversie with this land for many things, and a­mongst the rest, I think this is one: therefore let his Ministers bee honourable in out eyes; O let their feet be beautifull that bring unto us the glad tidings of salvation: but if we shall despise them, it is just with God to send us a famine of his word, which is the greatest judgement on this side hell.

But suppose that by [Lord] is meant God, yet because Ezra was Gods Messenger, the words he spake were Gods words; and what be spake from God, Shecaniah counts it as Gods voyce: teaching us, that whatsoever Gods Ministers doe faithfully deliver out of his word, must be received as God's [Page 162]voice. Luke 1.70. This is proved Luk. 1.70. As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets, which have been since the world began. Luke 10.16. So in Luk. 10.16. He that heareth you, heareth me. And Paul affirmeth of the Thessalenias, 1 Thes. 2.13. That they received his Word, 1 Thes. 2.13. not as the word of men, but (as it is in truth) the word of God. And in 2 Cor. 5.20. he intreats the Corinthians in Christs stead, to be reconciled to God. 2 Cor. 5.20. So that if it be the counsell of God, if it be Gods Commissi­on, it is Gods word: and till we be perswaded of this, wee shall never reap any benefit by Gods Word: Jer. 1.9. The Lord saith to Jeremiah, Jer. 1.9. J have put my words in thy mouth. Christ is called The Sun of righteousnesse, Mal. 4.2. and the Mini­sters be starres in his hand; Mal. 4.2. from him they have and borrow their light and influence. Therefore let men be perswaded of this: I inveigh against such a mans pride; what faith he? I thinke hee loves to heare himselfe talk; and thus because he is not perswaded we speake Gods word, like Noah's unclean beasts, hither he comes, and from hence he departs unclean and polluted; whereas if men replyed, it was God that put this invective into his Ministers mouth, to meet with my corruption, they would say as the people of Israel said, Deu. 5.27. Whatsoever the Lord saith, Deut. 5.27. that wee will doe. Therefore pray unto the Lord, that yee may bee perswaded, that what his Ministers faithfully de­liver, he himselfe speaks in them; and till you come to this perswasion, in the care will be no at­tendance, in the outward man no reverence, in the heart no credence, and in the conversation no obe­dience.

Sermon X.

IT should seeme that there were others besides Ezra, which advised the people to put away their strange wives, and they such as are said to tremble at the word of God: and here observe the power of Gods word.

The power of Gods word is such, Doctr. that if makes mem tremble. Jer. 23.29. To prove this, looke Jer. 23.29. Is not my word like a fire, saith the Lord? and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? it is a fire to melt the relenting heart, and a hammer to break in pieces the heart that is obdurate. See it in some instances, when Josiah heard the Law read, his heart was tender and melted, 2 Kings 22.18 Psal. 119. 2 Kings 22.18. there Gods word was a fire: and in Psal. 119. David saith, sHe was afraid because of Gods Word. There it was a hammer, Hab. 3.16. and Hab. 3.16. the Prophet saith, Whon I heard, my bellytrembled, my lips qui­vered at the voyce; rottennesse entred into my bones, and I trembled in my selfe. Here also it was a [Page 164]hammer. See it in the wicked themselves, when Samuel told Saul, that God had rejected him for his disobedience, 1 Sam. 15. 1 Sam. 15. he was exceding­ly terrified and amazed. The like wee see in Ahab, when God sent Elijah to challenge him for killing innocent Naboth, and taking possessi­on of his Vineyard, the word of God in that Prophets mouth made him quake and tremble, 1 Kings 21.27. So wee read of Belshazzar, 1 Kings 21.2 [...]. when he saw the hand writing on the Wall (which yee must suppose to be the Word of God) His countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joynts of his loynes were loosed, and his knees smote one against another; and all his Concubines, Wine, and Copes-mates, could not bring colour into his face, Dan. 5.6. Daniel 5.6. And it is said Acts 14.15. As Paul reasoned of righ­teousnesse, temperance, Acts 24.25. and judgement to come, Felix trembled. Now that this effect of Gods Word may not seeme strange unto you, see the causes thereof; one cause whereof is in the word it self; therefore it is said to be the power of God to sal­vation, Rom. 1.16. Romans 1.16. And in Hebrewes 4.12. it is said; Heb. 4.12. to bee quick and powerfull, shar­per than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soule and spirit, and of the joynts and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart: and in the 2 Cor. 10.4, 5. the weapons of our warfare are not carnall, 2 Cor. 10.4, 5. but mighty through God, to the pulling down of strong holds: casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts it self against the know­ledge [Page 165]of God: mistake me not, I doe not make this power to be in it, as it is consisting of syllables, but as it is Gods Ordinance, and hath the Spirit of God going along with it. The second cause is from the application of it, when it is not onely generally delivered, but particularly applyed; when the Word of God meets with a mans par­ticular sin, then the conscience takes part with the Word against himself, and makes him tremble; so it was with Saul, the Prophet Samuel fell so pat upon his finne, that be became afraid, and took part with Gods Word against himself, say­ing, I have sinned, and have transgressed the com­mandement of the Lord: the like wee see in Ahab, he was very briske when Elijah first met him, saying, Hast thou found me, O my enemy? but the Prophet knowing him to be guilty of Naboths blood, tells him home of it, and before hee left him, brought him upon his knees: and when Fe­lix trembled at Pauls Sermon of Righteousnesse, Temperance and Iudgement to come; some are of opinion, that he trembled at the consideration of the last judgement; and it cannot be de­nied, but that is matter of such terrour, as to make the fairest Lady look pale, if shee be not painted: but I rather conceive that there was something more which made him tremble, for Saint Paul discoursed of Righteousnesse and Tem­perance; now hee was a wicked man, and defe­ctive in both these, for hee was an unrighteous Iudge, and abused the power committed to him, however Tertullus flatter him in the contrary: a­gain [Page 166]gain hee was guilty of intemperance, for he kept Drusilla another mans wife: Now when a man that was a stranger to him, should thus directly fall upon the sinnes which he knew himself guilty of, it could not but make him tremble: It was so with David, the parable of the poor mans sheep, came so home to him, that he presently confesses, that hee had sinned against the Lord: as it is with a man that is smitten in a sound part of his body, though you smite him hard, hee can indure it; but if he be but touched in a fore place, he starts presently; so when a man is met with in his sins, hee will quake and tremble, if any grace be in him.

Vse 1 Is the word of God of such power? then it meets not onely with Anabaptists, who contemn the Word of God, but with many profane ones among us, who vilifie the same, saying, it is an invention of man, and hath no force in it, al­though in my conscience I am perswaded, that they speak against their consciences; for out of doubt the Word of God hath at one time or other met with their corruptions: hath not the drun­ken person been met withall in his sinne? and hath not the Adulterer, the proud Person, the swearer, the hypocrite been met withall in their transgressions? and if so, let them take heed of vi­lifying that which hath convinced them in their own consciences: but if it were so, that Gods Word hath not made them tremble, if it have not yet broken them in pieces, yet the time will come, when it shall batter and bruise them: And [Page 167]if thou hast not found this by thy selfe already, thou art worse than either Ahab or Felix: for Gods word made the one humble, and the other tremble. If fire be cryed in the street, it amazes everie one, but if the Ministers of God cry out a­gainst sin, scarse any tremble; but let such as these know, that this stupidity is the fore-runner of e­ternall miserie.

Vse 2 In the second place, let us labour for this holy disposition of soule to tremble at Gods Word: God himselfe calls for it, Isa. 66.5. Isa. 66.5. and to such he hath promised to have respect, as in the second verse of that Chapter: and such a man is most capable of comfort from God: for our Lord Christ saith, Hee came not to call the righte­ous, but sinners to repentance; as also such as are weary and heavy laden: therefore se: vile fear is of good use, it keepeth the heart supple for the impressions of grace, and makes way for filiall feare, as the needle makes way for the thread. But because the wicked men may tremble at Gods word, as wel as the child of God, therefore I will direct you how you shal know whether ye tremble at Gods word as ye ought: First, the man that trembles aright at Gods Word, hee reflects on that sinne which is the cause thereof; this wee see in Josephs brethren, the Governour handling them roundly, makes them reflect on their sin against him, causing them to say, Verily we have sinned against our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soule, when he besought us, and we would not heare him; G [...]n 42.21. therefore is this trouble [Page 168]come upon us, Gen. 42.21. so that no sooner was the word spoken to them, Gen. 42.21. but they reflect on their in­humanitie. And a godly man when he is repro­ved of a sin which he knowes himselfe culpable of, he immediately reflects upon his transgression, and saith, My sinne is the cause why I tremble when I am met withall. Secondly, the true trembling at Gods word is joyned not only with a reflection upon a mans sin, but with contrition for his sin, Isa. 66.2. these goe together, as in Isay 66.2. where God saith, To him will I looke that is of a contrite spirit, and trembles at my word. It is said of Ahab, that he rent his clothes, but he rent not his heart; therefore his humiliation was unsound. Thirdly, if a man doe truly tremble at Gods word, then he will at the same time finde in him­selfe a resolution to amend that for which he knowes he is justly reproved. It is said, Acts 2.37. they which heard Peter preach, Acts 2.3 [...]. were pricked in their hearts and what then? Men and brethren what shall we doe? Marke; they being touched to the quick, labour to get out of their sinfull e­state, in which till that time they had continued. And in Acts 9. when it pleased God to convert Paul, Ac [...]s 9. he was strangely terrified at the words which God spake unto him, and the first word he saith, is, Lord, what wilt thou have me to doe? Lastly, in such a one as trembles truly at Gods word, there will be seene an indeavour and stri­ving to put in practise what he resolves upon: for Gods word works in a regenerate man, not only a feare to displease God, but a care for time [Page 169]to come to practise all possible obedience, in the whole course of his life and conversation. And so much for chat point. But now, who were these that trembled at Gods word? some ex­positors suppose they were such as had been in­gaged in the forementioned sinne, and hearing Gods word, were smitten with feare, because of the strange wives which they had maried: and if so, they were fit men to advise others who had committed the same sinne, but had not repented of it: and the truth is, which shall be my ob­servation,

A man that hath been exercised with the terrours of God, Doctr. such a man is most fit to advise and counsell others. Moses was a man that was exercised with the terrours of God, not onely when hee saw the bush to burne and not consume, but when the angell of God met him, and would have slaine him: and this did coapt and fit him, to speake comfor­tably to others that were in distresse. In the 51 Psal. 12.13. David begs of God to restore to him the joy of his salvation: and what then? Psal. 51.12, 13. then will I teach transgresours thy wayes, and sinners shall be converted unto thee. Luk. 22.31.32. In the Luke 22.31.32. our blessed Lord saith to Peter; Simon, Simon, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may winnow you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee that thy faith faile not, and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. Feter had had experience of Gods mercy to him, and what man more fit than he to comfort others in distresse? and St. Paul saith, 2 Cor. 5.11. Knowing therefore the terrour of the 2 Cor. 5.11. [Page 170] Lord, we perswade men. I know he especially aimes there at the last judgement; but yet I am perswaded thar withall he meant that hee was most fit to advise them who had been exercised with the terrours of God. As for example, we believe him that hath been in the same case with us, before we will believe any other. It was well said by one, that one thing among the rest that makes a good preacher, is temptation: such a man as hath been tossed in chese billowes, is most fit to advise and comfort others. A man that knows a Countrey by the Map, may be able to speak something of it, but it is nothing in comparison of what a Traveller can say, which hath been there: so a man that hath never felt the terrours of God, may be able in part to advise and com­fort those in such distresses; but not like him that hath been exercised with the same ter­rour.

Ʋſe. Let it teach those that be tearchers of others, to lay things to their own hearts, and to make triall of them there, before they preseribe them to others▪ Wilt thou teach the people how to con­quer such a lust? Hast thou made triall of it thy selfe? If thou hast, thou maist safely commend it to thy hearers: And you that be people, if a man shall come unto you, (suppose hee be your brother▪ and say, It was once with mee, as it is with you▪ I was thus and thus wicked; but it pleased God after a while, to bring mee to see my miserable condition, and to draw me out of the Devills snare, therefore learne by mee; be [Page 171]perswaded by mee, to leave such and such cour­ses, give not your self up to the service of sinne, for I tell you out of experience, sinne was never so sweet in the temptation and commission, as it will prove bitter in the conclusion: now that man that hath thus trembled at Gods Word, it is good to hear him, for none more fit to advise thee, then such a one. But I goe another way, and think, that by those who trembled at Gods Word, is meant such as had not been ingaged in that common abomination, of marrying strange wives; and if so. I cannot but note thus much:

Doctrine. When the times are most wicked, God reserves some to himselfe.

This wee see in the old World; when God brought the Deluge to destroy it, hee reserved a Noah to himselfe, who was a holy man: so when Sodom was destroyed, God had his Lot, and to him he shewed mercy: and though Israel was ve­ry rebellious in the Wildernesse, yet God had a Caleb and Joshuah, whose hearts were upright: and God himself tells Elijah (when he knew of none that served God besides himself) that hee had reserved Seven thousand to himselfe in Israel, which had not bowed their knee to Baal: and though all men, for the most part, bowed to Nebuchad­nezzars Image, yet the Three Children chose to die, rather then they would fall downe to that Idoll: and in Ezek. 9.4. though the generality of men was wicked, yet some were found, Ezek. 9.4. Who mourned for the abominations of the Land: and in the time while our Saviour converst with men, [Page 172]though the times were depraved, yet God had his number; as Hannah, Simeon, Mary Magda­lene, &c. And for Rome, that cage of uncleane Birds, I perswade my self, that in that heape of Chaffe, God hath some good Corne. Saint Paul salutes the Saints that were in Neroes house, we all know what Nero was; he was the monster of Mankinde for his wickednesse; yet in his Court, God hath his followers. God hath his in all times, in these times wherein wee live, though they be very wicked, yet God hath some that belong to him: though there be a great number that make no conscience of an Oath, yet there be many that feare to swear; though some be ex­cessive, yet there be others that detest that sinne: though there be many covetous persons, yet there be others who be mercifully minded, and distri­bute to the necessities of the Saints: and though very many be profane, yet God be thanked, there be those that will not. run with them to the same excesse of ryot.

Ʋse 1, It is to take away the common excuse of the men in the world, who thinke they may take a liberty to sin, because they see most men follow that fashion: it was not so with these in our text, for they abstain'd from those abominations, in which most among them were ingaged: S. Peters exhortation to the Jews, Acts 2.40 Acts. 2.40. is, Save your­selves from this untoward generation. and S. Paul saith, Redeeme the time, because the dayes ara evill, Ephes. 5.16. Shall we say, Ephes. 5.16. that because the disease is epidemicall, therefore we may run our selves [Page 173]into the infection? we will not reason thus in regard of our bodies, and dare any man be so desperate as to reason thus in regard of fin, which is the bane of the soule? Besides, it is not the place that makes thee bad, but it is thy wicked heart, that is a cage full of uncleane birds, from thence proceeds all villany: and if thou have an ill heart, thou wilt be wicked in the most holy place: it is said of some, Isa. 26.10. Isay 26.10. that in the land of uprightnesse they did unjustly: Thus the Angels fell in heaven, our first parents in para­dise, and Judas in Christs colledge.

Vse 2 Secondly, let us labour to keep our selves from the corruptions of the times; when all o­thers doe that which is evill, doe it not then; and that thou maist doe so; remember these things: First, David makes it a blessed thing not to walk in the way of sinners, Psal. 1.1. Psalme 1.1. And cer­tainely there is no greater ground of comfort ei­ther in life or death. Secondly, the purity of a mans Religion stands in this, to keep himselfe unspotted of the World, James 1.27. Thirdly, J [...]m [...]s. 1.27. remember for what end Christ dyed, hee gave himselfe for our sinnes, That hee might deliver us from this present evill world, Gal. 1.4. Gal. 1.4. O blessed Saviour, was this the end for which thou didst shed thy precious bloud? and shall they for whom it was shed, set no more by it? a con­scionable man will say, Did my Blessed Lord re­deeme mee to bee holy, and shall I take licence to sinne against him? no, I will not: for if I doe, in so doing, I sinne against the end of [Page 174]my Redemption. Fourthly, I would have a man to consider what a glory it is to God, when hee is good amidst a froward generation: to bee as the fish which retaines its freshnesse in the salt Sea: and to come into the High Priests Hall, and neither to bee burnt by the fire, nor blackt by the smoak; this makes much for the glory of God. Fiftly, marke what a confusion it is to Satan, when a man goes on in a good way, where most men goe wrong; the Devill was more confounded in one Job, than in all the men of the East besides. Lastly, if wee sort our selves with the sinners of the time, wee hinder the conversion of the World: whereas, when a man shall shunne such a wic­ked mans company, hee will begin to say with himselfe, Surely such a man sees something a­misse in mee, which makes him refraine my societie; and by this meanes hee may bee re­claimed. Therefore sort not your selves with these Korah's, but depart from their Tents. A second thing I note from that clause is this; may some man say, what was the cause that these men abstain'd from such abominations as o­thers committed? I answer, their trembling at Gods word was the ground of it: from whence I note this short observation;

The feare of God is the restraint of all sinne. Doctr. This is proved sufficiently. [...] 16.6. Proverbs 16.6. By the feare of God men depart from evill. Mark it in some instances, What was the reason that Jo­seph refused to fulfill his Mistresse her unchaste [Page 175]request? but because the feare of God swayed him. And it is faid of Job, that hee feared God and eschewed evill. Marke, the feare of God made him eschew evill. This was that which kept David from killing Saul, when hee had him in his power: and to this hee exhorts o­thers, Psalme 4.4. where hee saith, Psal. 4.4. Stand in awe and sinne not. And this so swayed in the three Children, that they durst not bow down to Nebuch adnezzars Image: the feare of God wrought in them to make them obey God rather than man.

Ʋſe. Would any man know the reason why sinne reignes so much in the world as it doth? it is because there is no feare of God before mens eyes. What saith the Psalmist, Psal. 36 1. Psalme 36.1. The transgression of the wicked man saith with­in my heart, that there is no feare of God before his eyes. And Saint Paul having dissected the sinner, and ript him up to the bottome, Rom. 3.18. Ro­mans Chapt. 3. Verse 18. hee gives this as the reason of all the enormities there spoken of, Non est timor Dei coram oculis corum, There is no feare of God before his eyes. When A­braham came to Abimelechs Court, and to save his life said, his wife was his sister: the truth of the matter comming to Abimelechs hea­ring, hee askes him why hee had dealt so with, him? Saith Abraham, I thought the feare of God was not in this place: See, he did conclude▪ that there might bee Adulterie and murther there, because they wanted the feare [Page 176]of GOD. The feare of GOD is, Janitor animae, The Porter of the soule, it stands Sentinell, and will tell of dangers that bee approaching; but if that be removed, then the heart becomes a cage of uncleane Birds; and such a man will not stick at any sin. There­fore I wonder not, that the unjust Judge did refuse to doe the poore woman justice; for it is said, Hee feared neither GOD nor Man. Wouldest thou then bee kept from offending GOD? above all thy getting, get the fear of GOD; which if once thou hast, thou shalt bee kept from committing those sinnes which else thou wilt runne into every day. Thirdly, these that take upon them to ad­vise the rest, were such as were not guilty of the same sinne, and the truth is;

That man is most fit to advise others, Doctr. who is not ingaged in the same transgression.

The hand that must wash a thing cleane, except it bee cleane, will but adde to its pollution: if it be not thus, men will turne upon him that usurps this Office, and say, Medice cura teipsum, Physitian heale thy selfe; and, first pull the Beame out of thine owne eye, and then thou shalt see clearely to cast out the Meat out of thy brothers eye: Nay it will bee said to such a one as our Saviour said to the Pharisees, You lay heavie burthens on others, but will not touch them with one of your fin­gers.

When therefore wee take upon us to reprove others, let us be sure wee be innocent of that for which wee reprove them, and that is the way to be successefull.

The last clause is; [And let it be done according to the Law.]

What Law? The Law of GOD; they intend a Humiliation, and they will have it according to the Law of GOD: Heere I cannot but observe the ingenuity of these Peo­ple, they are not onely carefull for the mat­ter, but the manner of their Humiliation, it must be according to GODS owne prescrip­tion.

Cain offered sacrifice as well as Abel, he fail­ed not in the matter, but in the manner; there­fore God had no regard neither to him nor to his offering.

So Herod heard Jobn Baptist gladly, and went beyond many professours in these dayes; but yet, because hee failed in the manner, it being not according to the Law, therefore God re­jected him.

And the ground of this, is that old rule of Luther, God loves Adverbs better then Adjectives, he lookes not so much to the factum, the do­ing of a thing, as to the bene factum, that it be well done, that is, that it be done according to the law.

Ʋſe. Let me advise you, and my self to this neces­sary duty; let us not onely looke to the matter, but the manner how wee doe things in Gods ser­vice: I am verily perswaded, that at the day of Iudgement, as many shall be condemned for doing things in a wrong manner, as for not doing them at al: as many for bad hearing, as for not hea­ring Gods word; as many for careles praying, as for not praying; as many for unworthy receiving, as for not receiving the Sacrament at all. What saith God for hearing? Hee commands the mat­ter, but withall the manner, which must be with Reverence and Attention, together with a purpose to Practise what wee heare. So for Prayer: God not onely commands us to Pray; but he pre­scribes the manner how; wee must pray Fer­vently, Faithfully, and Constantly. Look wee to both these, to the matter, to the manner of Gods Worship; Isa. 58. [...]. else God will fay to us, as hee saith to the Jewes of Fasting, Isaiah 58.5. Is this the Hearing, the Praying, the Re­ceiving which I have chosen? is this the gi­ving of Almes that I have commanded, to blow a trumpet when yee give it, as if yee were af­fraid to trust God without a Witnesse? God lookes that wee should be right in the man­ner, as well as in the matter of his Wor­ship, for he will not be pleased with opus opera­tum, the thing done, which though it be the Papists Latine, yet it is bad Divinity: God is, Deus Cordis, non corticis, the God of the heart, not of the barke; he hath respect to the [Page 179]manner how a thing is done, as well as that it be done; and if wee doe not persorme his ser­vice with a heart full of sincerity, wee had as good cut off a Dogges neck. I presse this the more, because most of the Religion of this land is formality; men come to Church, give Almes, and receive the Sacrament, I can te­stifie with them, that they are not defective in the matter, but they exceedingly faile in the manner of GODS Worship, for they doe not things according to the Law.