Full text of "The new covenant, or, The saints portion : a treatise unfolding the all-sufficiencie of God, mans uprightness, and the covenant of grace, delivered in fourteene sermons upon Gen. 17. 1.2. ; Whereunto are adioyned foure sermons upon Eccles. 9. 1.2, 11.12"

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The

r NEvv Covenant, ^

THE SAINTS

PORTION.

zATreatife

Vnfolding the All-fujftcienck of

God, Mans %frigfa*es? and

the Covenant of ' urace.
Delivered

in fourteen Sermons vpon ^,17,1.2

Foiire Sermons vpon 8c clef ^. 1.2,11.12.

By the late faithful! and worthy Minifter
of Ufi* Chfijl,

I O H N P Pv E S T O'N.

Dm'ii Divinkie, ChipWie in ordinary to his
M*iepe a M after of Emmanml Cd ledge in G*»fc
£/*4?'» andfometimes Preacher of Utttolmslmi
The dxth Edition, ccrre&cd.

He bath given 4 portion to them th at fezr shim :B$y»iU
ever temndfulhf his Covenant* Pfal, ui» fi

riiliiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiSiiii M#-'i ,

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jILLVSTRISSIMIS, ET HONOR ATISSIMIS VIRIS,
THEOPHILO COM1TI L1NCOLNIENSI,

I G VLIELMO VICE-COMITI SAY,ET SELE,
DO MINIS SVIS SVBMISSISSIME COLENDIS

HAS
IOHANNISPRESTONI SS.THEOL.DOCT.

ET
COLLEGII IMMANVELIS MAGISTRI
PRIMITIAS
DEVOTISSIMI, T AM AVTHORIS, DVM VIVERET,
QVAM IPSORVM, Qyi SVPERSVNr, OBSEQYII
TESTIMONIVM
L. M. D. D. D.

RICHARDVS SIBS.
IOHANNES DAVENPORT.

the Read

ei\

T had beene much to
baue beene defired(jf
it hadfo pleafed the
Father of Spirits )
that tbir Worthy man
badfurvhedtbepub-
lijbing of thefe,and other his LeUuresfor ]
then.no doubt, they -would baue come forth
more refined, and digefied ) For, thouj
there Was Very little or no miftake in la-
kng them from his mouth, yet preacbino
and writing baue their federal! graces.
Things UDened by the exprefiion of the
ff>ea{er,fometimes ta{e well, which after,
ypon a mature review, feeme either fuper-
fluousyor flat. zAndweoftfeemen, yery

A X able

To The

able to render their concepts in Writing*
jet not the bappiefl fyeakers.

Yet we, confidering ( notfo much what
might haue beene>a$y»hat now may be for
thefervice of the Church thought good ra-
ther to communicate them thus, then that
theyfbouid die with the oAuthor. He was
a man of an ex all judgement-, and quiche
apprehenfion, an acute 1^eafoner t aBiue in
good) choyce in his notions •, one who made
it his chiefe ayme to promote the caufe of
fflrifty andthegoodoftheQhurch, which
moved him tofngle out arguments anjwe-
rable, on which he /pent his bejl thoughts.
He Was honoured of God to be an infiru-
ment of much good ■, whereuntohe had ad-
vantage by thofe eminent places he was
called vnto, <>As he had a fbort race to
run,fo he madefj>eed y and did much in a
little time. Though he was of an higher e-

levation,

_ L

R E A D E R.

legation, andjlraine oJfj>irit then ordina-
ries jet out of hue to doe good ', he could
frame his conceits fo, as might fute with
ordinary ynderftandings. <d little before
his death (as we Were informed by tbt_j>
i Rwbt Honourable the Lord c Vifcount
Say, andSele, inwhofepietie, wifedome,
and fidelities he put great repofe ) he was
defirous that we Jhould peryfe what of his
wasfitforpubli^eyjc^'.

We are not Ignorant, that it is a thing
JubjeU to cenfure, tofeeme bold, and wit-
tie in another mans wor^e, and therefore
as little is altered, as may be. And we de-
fire the T^eader, rather to ta^e in good
tart, that which is intended for publiaue
good, than to catch at imperfeUions, con-
fidering they were but tak^n, as tbejfeU\
from bimfjieakjng.Andwe intreate thofe,
that haue any thing of his in their hands^

that

To The Reader.

that they would not be haftie y for private
refyeBs,to publijb them s till we, whom the
aAuthorput in tru/l y haue pervfed them-
lVeepurpofe( by Gods helpe ) that what
/hall he judged Jit \ Jhall come forth. Wee
\fend forth thefe Sermons of Gods All-
Sufficiencie, Mans Vpnghtnes, and
the Covenant of Grace frft, as being]
frft prepared by him that had the Cop-
pies, and becaufe, the right ynderftandwg
of thefe poynts hath a chief e 'influence into
a Chrijlian life. The Lord giue a blef-
fing anjwerable, and continue jiill to fend
forth fuch Jaithfull Labourers into his
HarDefi,

Richard S

IBS.

Iohn Davenport.

A Briefe Colledion of the Prin-
cipal! heads in the enfuing Treatife.

DOCTRINE i.

DOubt ingof Gods All-fufficiencie, the caufe
of all vnevenneffe in our wayes torvardes

Pag 4
5

10
13

God.
Proved by inflame in three forts of men
REASONS*

1. Fromthedefireofhappineffe.

2. From the nature of finne.

3 . From the nature of fine er hie.

4. From the nature of faith.

VSE.

shewing the nature ^andcaufe of finnc^ in diverge
inflames* 15

DOCT. a.
God is All-fufficicnt.
REASONS.

1. God & the originall and vniverfall caufeofaU
the excellencie, that k found in the Creatures. 2 7

2. God is the onely Author of good and evill that
is done to the Creatures. 2 9

Difference hetmenethe All-fufficiency ^God, 1 *
and that of the creature in two things . 3 6

Gods All- fufficiencie/# himfelfe, proved by fix
things. 40

Gods All-fufficiencie to vs. ibid

1. In keeping vs from evill. 42

2. In filling vs with allgood. 43
The infnfficienee efthe creature to make vs hap-

> ( t ie

The G

ONTENTSi

pie, proved by fix reafons, and dared by Scriptures,
andinjiancer. 44

V S E S.
r. Teaching how to guide our comfort. 61 1

2. To be content with God alone. 6y

3 . To looke onely u God in our wayes. 84

4 . Te comfort <vs in oar imperfeB obedience. 102

5. To per [wade vs to enter into Covenant with
God, wherein is expreffed, Gods All-fufficien-

cie.

1. To forgiue our finnes \

2. Tofan&ifievs.

3 . To provide outward good things for vs.

107
lop
117
126

Two dedu&ions from what had
beene delivered before.

1. Deduft:

There is aninfufficiencie in the creature, proved
by 7. arguments more ,whereof 3. art taken from rea-
fon, and 3. other, out of EcckfaRcs, and the fea-
venth,from Salomons experience. 135

of the vanitie ofwifedome. 147

Offollie. 148

Of outward things , fix /pecified. 149

Seaven inconveniences, in outward things. 151
Two things acknowledged in the Creature by Sa-
lomon- 154

2. Deducfi:

There is All-fufficiencie in God, proved by his
providence. 158

Seaven tryals efbolecving Gods All- fufficien-
cie. 153
DOCT:3,

The G o k 't b h t ••

DOCT. 3.
tMen are more or leffe perfect, as they areperfwa-
ded of Gods All-fufficicncie. 175

REASONS*

1. It is Gods argument toperfwadetoper~
feBneffe. ibid

2. This perfvafionheales inordinate felfe-

loue. 176

VSE.
To labour to beperfwaded. ibid

DOCT. 4.
<^A Chriftians life like a walke. 1 8 1

o^ Chriftians life agreeing with a walke in
fix things. 184

VSE.

1. Tocenftdertheendofottrbeingintbe
world. 195

2. To ponder every ftep* 195
2 . Not to judge men by fome particular actions .210

DOCT. 5.
Whofoever hath interejl in Gods All-fufficien-
cie, muft be a perfect man. 214

REASONS.

1. Elfe the firfi Adam jhould be more power-
full to communicate finne, then thefecondto in-
(lillgrace. ibid

2 . Elfe the workts cf redemption jhould not beper^
feci. 2*5

3 . Elfe Gods commands Jhould be imp f Me. 216

4. Elfe the Covenant were not mntnall betweene
Godandvs. 217

5. Elfe aS that we doe is U inopurpoft. 218

) ( 2 Sinceritie,

2^6

28l

The G on tent*.

Sinceritic, or perfefinejfe, fet forth by fitte ex-
preftions. 119

VSE.
To examine whether we be perfect, or no.
Six Properties efaperfeffheart.
Six effects offnceritie, orperfeBneffe.

DOCT. 6.

God enters into Covenant with all thofe that an

faith full. 317

A three-fold difference betweene the Covenant of

workes, and of grace. 318

Six differences betweene the old and New Tefta.

ment. 326

VSES 4

1 . Shewing the goodneffe of God 3 in entring in-
to Covenant with vs. 330

2. To labour for affurance offorgitteneffe. 333

3 . Shewing that ffirituall things are better then
temper all. 336

4. To know on what ground wee lookeforftlva-
tion. 364

5. Things iirthe Covenant.

1. The Covenant it felfe. 368

2. The conditionof it, namely, Faith, 4. reafons
why it is fo. 371

3 . The confirmation of it in 4. things. 351
4 # The parts of the Covenant, which are 3 . 357
5. The objections againfl it. 382
How to know whether wee be in the Covenant,

three way es. 388

1. By faith. ibid

2 . if we be in Chrifi, andh&uc his fyir'tt. 39 2

3,Wayes

The Cqnten t #,

3. Wayesto know whether weiaue the fpirit

1 , By that which goes before, namely, the (pirit of

bondage. ibid

i.By the things which accopanie it, which are 3 .3^4

3 . By the confequents ofthe fpirit, which are$. 417

The thirdway to know whether we be in the Cove-

nam, by our owne knowledge. 4.26

Two properties offaving knowledge. ibid

t V S E.
To labour for faving knowledge. 444

When the Covenant is broken. 458

Two rules to know whether wee haue broken the
Covenant. V S E. 460

To comfort onrfelnes in the promifes oft he Cove-
nant. 46 7

1. The promifes of juflific at ion. 468

2. Of fan6tif cation. 473

3. The promifes ofthe things of this life. 476
Inflames of applying the promifes. 4 7 §
Difference betwixt the wicked and godly in the

fame try all. 485

DOCT. 7.

It is a hard thing to be per fwaded of "Gods All-

fufficiencie. 488

REASONS.

1. Godtf onelywife, and therefore onely able to
perfwade. 489

2 . God onely knowes the fever all turnings ofthe
heart. 4^0

3. God onely can amend the heart. 4^1
VSE.

shewing why one man trufteth God >w hen another
dethnot. 4P2

The Contents*

DOCL8.

k^U things are in Gods hands. 49 8

In what manner all things are [aid to be in chrifts

hands. ibid

Reafons why all tbingsarc comitted into Chrifts hands.

1. That we might honour the Sonne. Joi

2. That God may diftencehis All-fufficiecy in a

way befeeming himfelfe,&futabletoourfrailtie.ibi

3, That our eft ate might be fnre. ibid

4 . That 'no fiefh pouldrejoyce in itfelfe. 502

VSES.
1 . Not to come to God without Chrift. 503
py To come with confidence in him. 504

3. To teach vsthankefulnejfe. 506

DOCT. '9.
\^ill men divided into two rankes. 507

3. Reafons of it. ibid

VSES.

1 . Shewing that there is no Purgatory *r Lim-
bus. ibid

2. To trie in which ranke we are. 508

3 . Tryals to know in which condition we are .510

DOCT. 10.
Things fallout alike to good & badjn this life. 5 29

REASONS.
1. God will ham it fo to trie men. 534

. 2. T.ofyaremen. 535

3. To hide events from men* 536

4 . T* bring f@rth his treafures of wrath and
mercy. ibid

5 . Becaufe this life is the time offtriving. J $9
God will not diffenft things promifcuoujly al-

rvayes,for four e Reafons.' $40

VSE.

The Gontbnt*.

V SE.
i. Not to be difcouraged in the Churches mife-

2 . Not to Account profperitte and adverjitie true-
ly goody or evill. j j I

3. Not to judge of Gods lone or hatred by out-
ward things, ibid

DOCT. ii.
lAII things vnder the Smne y are fab\e£l
tovanitie. 555

1. Ntfm all things. 556

2. M or all x things y $ .inflamed 'in* ibid

3. Great places. ibid

V S E S 4
i» To fee the change thatfinne hath made in the
world. 558

2. To feetbevanitieofman* jyp

3 . Shewing what an evill c hoi fe it is to loofe hea-
ven y to gaine the creature. 560

4. Nott ode fire outward things over 'much. 561

5. To laboyr to be weaned from them* jg 2

6. Tofeevanitiein all earthly things. 563

DOCT. ia.
OHenofgreatefl abilities often difappointed of
their ends. 561

REASONS.

1. Becaufe w man is ftr0ng in his owne
flrength. 561

2. Becaufe menmiffe their times. 5^4

3 . From the changes appointed by God. J 6y

4. From fuddaine accidents. 567
VS E S.

1. Not to boafl. 569 God

The Co h t e n t $.

God delights to crofje men in carnall confidence,
for three reafins. 2 7

2. Not to be difcottuged in want ef outward pre-
parations, for three Reafons. 5 74

3. Not to joy orforrow over-much for good or ill
fucceffe. J 81

4. Notto make flejh our arme. JS4

DOCT. 13.
There is a time allotted to every attion, 3 .forts of
attions mentioned. 591

REASONS.

1. Things cannot be donein any other time. 593

2. Things are heantifull in their time, ibid

3 . /f is Gods Prerogative to appoint the times. 5 94.

DOCT. 14.

// is hard tofinde out the right times. 5 9 4

7#* ti»« tfre keptfecret . ibid
REASONS.

1 . 7V teach vs watchfulntffe* ibid

2 . To teach vs tofeare, and depend vpon

God. 595

DOCT. x*.

Becaufe men miffe the time, they fall into mi fe-
rie. ibid

Infiances of mi fin? the right time. 596

°VSE.

Tfi watch our times in doing atfions, 1 1 . particu-
lars mentioned. 600

5. Caufes of mi fingthe right time. £05
< z. Direftions tofinde ont theright time. 606

FINIS.

OF GODS

ALL-SVFFICIENGY.

G e n e s i s ly, I.

I amCjO^D oAll-fujficient.

Ecaufc in the perfor-
mance of all the Duties
of San&ification, Since -
ritie is all in all,theref ore
I haucchofen this Text,
that you may not be de-
ceived. It is true j many
things are very excellent
if they be right. There is no queftion but the
Diamond is very precious, if it be a true Dia-
mond, but if it be falfe, it is nothing worth :
If you take a precious Balme, you make no que-
ftion of the thing, and of the cxcellcncie of it in
generall, all the queftion is, whether it be right
or no, and fo in the graces oiGods Spirit, efpeci-
ally,feeing they concerne our faliiation$Ic much
* B con-

Sinceritie is
required in all
Duties.

O D 8

The ground
of iinceritie.

concernes vs, to know whether they be right or
counterfeit • and therefore you fee the condition
that God requires here of Abraham, is, that he be
v fright, and perfect, without hypocri(ie\ (fothe
word fignifieth ) Walke before me without hypocri-
fie. Now we haue rather chofen this Text then
any other, becaufe it fets forth the ground of all
fmceritie, andperfeftwalking with God, which is,
even this apprehenfion well fetlcd in the heart,
that God is Att-fuffiaent-fonhis is the Lords pre-
cept, wdke before me, and be thou perfeB, orvp-
right ,ov fine ere ,let it not be in hypocrifie : and this
is the motiue that he vfeth to perfwade him to it,
IamAll-fttfficienti As if -bee fliould fay, if there
were any defe& in me,if thou didft need or coul-
deft defireany thing that were not to be had in
mee, and thou mighteft haue it elfe-where, per-
haps thy heart might be imperfe& in walking to-
wards me, thou mighteft then ftep out from me
to take in advantages elfe- where ;but feeing lam
Ali-fufficient Smczl haue enough in me to ful-
fill all thy defires, fince I am every way an adae-
quare obje&,that if thou looked about,and con-
fidereft all that thy foulecan wifhfor,thoumaieft
haueitinme, why then fhouldcftnot thou con-
fecrate thy felfe to me alone * Why then fhoul-
deftthoube vneven in thy wayes, ferving mee
fometimes by fits,and fometimes the Creature ?
For there is nothing in the Creature, but thou
maieft finde it in me, lam Athfufficient, I am All-
fuffment, therefore walke before mee ? and be per-
fect.

Yet

All-svfficiency #

Yet thefe words containe foraewhat more,
which you may fee by that which follows,/ will
make my Covenant betweene me and thee, and I mil
multiplie thee exceedingly . The ground of all our
finceritk is the Covenant, that is between God mi
vs. Now thefe words doe the mod briefly that I
finde of any in the Scriptures, expre/TetheCflitf-
***;# betweene GWand vs on both fides, for they
are but the fumme of the Covenat, which in other
places of Scripture is explicated, and fct forth
more at largejfo that the opening of the Covenant
on both fides, is the ground of all the finceritie,
of all that obedience that we yeeld to Cod: And
therfore,Ifay,you fhall not onely haueoccafion
from this Text to examine the graces of Gods fpi-
ritinyou, and the actions that flow from them,
whether they hzfwcere &c perfect, hut likewife we
will fliew you y ground of tKis fine eritie, whence
itarifeth, and how it is wrought in every mans
heart. And thus thefe words containe the Cove-
nant S^yih the Lord to Abraham, I will be thy God.
On the other fiJe, thou fhalt bemim. Now hce
ihewes whatakindeof GWhewill be to him, /
willbeAll-fufficient co thee,which confiits in two
things 5 if you compare this with Gen^. i. 1 will
bethy Buckler to prefer tie thee from all evill : And
againe, 1 will be thy exceeding great reward: that
is,l will nor only be a shield, but I will be a Sunne
to thee • I will both preferue thee from all evill,
& I will fill thee with all good things,/ will com-
paffe thte about with mercy and loving kindneffe :
fo thac thou (halt finde, that / will be an exceeding
B 2 great

Gi*<t%< i.

All fufficien-
cyofGOD,

wherein it
con£3s.

Of Gods

Doubting of
GedsAtt/ufi-
c$ecj,thcca,ufe
ot departure
from GOD,
and of rneven
walking with
him,

great reward.So GodcxpYcfTdh himfelfe to Abra-
ham. And this is the Covenant on GOBS part.
Now that which is required on Abrahams part,is,
that he be the Lords, as the Lord is his,for lb you
fee in the words following* The queflion oncly
is, in what manner ^Abraham fhall be the Lords »
how that fhall be declared £ Say th he,It is not an
empty relation,but thou muft flicw that thou art
mine by walking before me. And yet it muft not be
any kinde of walking before the Lord, but it muft
beaperfeSt walking before himJValke bef§re me,&
he perf e£t,and therefore it is added,/ will make my
Covenant, that is, this is the Covenant, of which
Circumcifion was but a Signe 3 for it was inftituted
prefently, as we fee in the words following.

There are three efpeciall poynts that we will
gather out of the words.

The firft is from the connexion, and wee will
begin with that, becaufc it is a preparation to the
other two : In that the Lord vfeth this as an argu-
ment to Abraham > I am AlLfuficient, therefore
Walke before me, andbethon perf eft $ we may ob-
feruethisj that

The eattfe of all departure from God, of all vn-
evenneffeinourwayes towards God, is from
hence, that wee do not tbinke God to be Altfuf-
ficient.

As on the other fide,the caufe of all omfinceri-
tie and perf effnejfe, arifeth hence, that we doe ap-
prehend him to be All-fuffieicnt. This you fee e-
evidently

LJL-SVFFICIENCY.

vidcntly arifeth from the words *for thence is the
force of the Argument ,/ am All-fufficicnt> there-
fore rvatke before tne>andbeperfett. My Belovedjt
is evident, that the caufe ot every mans keeping
off from God, the caufe of his vnevennefle after
he is come in to him, is from hence, that men
thinke not Cod to be All- faff icient • for if a man
had enough in the Lord, he would never goe out
from him 5 but becaufc he wants fomething, he
defircs fomething that is not in him, or he feares
fomething, that he things hee cannot keepe oft
from him:hence it comes-to paffe that he fteppes
out from Cod, he goeth out of the wayes of his
Commandements. And iherfore I fay ,the caufe
of every mans departure from Cod, the caufe of
his keeping off from God, or of his vnevenaeffe
in the wayes of God, is from hence,that he thinks
not GWto be All-fufficient^nd this you fhall fee
in three forts of men.

Firft, there is a generation of men, that liue as
without God in the world, and that looke not to-
wards God sit all, that makecofcience of nothing,
and whafris the reafon of that i but becaufe they
thinke, theyhauc fufficient of their owne, and
therefore they mike in their owne rvayes.znd ftand
vpon their owne bottome, and they loue them-
felues, & feme themfelues altogether-,and apply
notthemfeluestotheL^atall : and therefore
whenfoeveranyman is brought vnto God, the
worke is,to take him offfrom his owne bottom,
co fhew him his owne infufuiencie in himfelfe,
and theemptineffc ofhimfelfejandofeverycrca-
B 3 ture,

As tit three
forts of men.

Such as pcr-
iitme no <Jj-
tieiteGod.

O D S

Luke ly

Ads 16.
Ads 1.

Ads oi

ture, and the All faff identic that is in God, and
vpon this ground, he comes in to God. As you
know, the Prodi fall Sonne, when he fawthathe
could not fubfift longer, but he muft perifh,if he
flayed where he was . and faw againe, if he went
home to his Fathers houfejhere was me ate enough $
this was that that moved him to goehome : this
courfe the Intakes with all whom hec brings
home to him-as we fee in the Taylor : and in thofe
k^AcI. 2. They were pricked in their hearts \ and in
?<*«/, when xhzlight fhwed about him,and he was
ftriclcen from his horfe,* Alt. p. It wasallbutto
fhew them their vanitie, to rake them off from
their owne bottoms, to fhew them their owne
, infuff identic, and then he difcovered that All-fuf-
Yftiencie that was in himfelfe^ for no man will
change but for the better, he will not deny him-
felfe, and leaue what he hath, till fomething that
is better be propounded vnto him : So, I £ \y , the
caufe why men come not in,is,becau/e they haue
an opinion of fnffitiency in themfelues,and in the
creature, and they apprehend not an AlLfuffici-
ency in GW.-that is 3 an Ml-fufficiency to be in him
alone.

A fecond fort of men are fuch as doe come in,

and performe many things, and bring forth fome

fruit, and become profeflbrs of the feare of God,

and yet they do it not throughly ,btft by halucs ;

the caufe of this is likewife from hehce 3 that they

doe not apprehend God to be AlUfnffidcnt\ for if

they did, they would be per feci with him - y as we

Math. 1 $; j fee thzSecendznd Third Ground ( for that Parable

I ■ doth

Such as doe
femewhat,
butnottho-
rowly-

LL-IYFFICIENCY.

doth but fhew you the kindcs of Profelfors)they
were all fuch as profefled the f care ofthcLord,that
are there fpoken of, for we fee,they brought forth
frnit> They received the Word with Toy. What was
the reafon ihcfecend Ground was notperfeff with
the Lord? Becaufethey thought him not to be a
Buckler ftrong enough to beare off all evills 5 to
beare off all perfecutio. What was the reafon the
Third Ground diditnot < Becaufc they thought
there was fomething in riches, in pleasures , in di-
versities, that they could not haue in the Lord,
fo they departed from him : Onely the Fourth
Ground kept clofe, becaufe they did apprehend
all to be in the Lord that they defired, they did
apprehend him to be ftrong enough to deliver
them frorh all the things they feared.

The third fort of men are fuch as are regene-
rate^which yet are fubjed to many flips and fals 3
to many turnings afide : And the caufe of allthis
is 3 that they apprehend not God to be All-fnffiei-
tnt. As for example, what was the reafon that
Abrahamwhcnhc went downtime* Egypt (being
driven thither by reafon of Famine) faved him-
felfewithalye, faying that Sarah was his Sifter,
and not his wifefbut becaufe he thought God was
not able to keepe him and defend him. If he had
thought him to haue beene ^AlUfufficient^ hee
would not haue done it. What was the reafon
that Mofes when God fent him on a mefTage into
Egypt, was fo backward to performe it i But be-
caufe bethought that the Lord was not All-fuffi-
cient^ox he hath two reafons why he would not
B 4 goe-,

Note*

Such as are
regenerate.

Inftances.

O D S

goe-,One was, he wanted fpeech,he wanted abili-
tie and gifts * He was ofaftammering tongtte •> And
the other was,thofe were aliue, that(he thought)
fought his ///Hfhe had thought that God tvas able
to haue beene with his tongue, to haueftrength-
ned him, and to haue improved his gifts, and to
haue inabled him to ^ fcruice : if he had thought
likewife, that he had been able to haue defended
himfromthokthatfougbt his life, he would ne-
ver haue difobeyed the Commandement of God,
and beene backward to performe it as he was.

And fo likewife Rebecca, What was the rcafon
fhe vfed that wyle & fhift,that inordinate meanes
to bring a good thing to paffc,to obtaine the kief-
\ft*g,whcn laceb and fhe joyned in lying to ifaack,
[but becaufe they thought God was not Sufficient
to performe that Promife?For the blefing belon-
ged co Iacob, & no doubt but he fhould haue had
it in due time. And fo it is in all the faults of the
Saints . which are hencc,becaufe they apprehend
not GWto be All-fuffieient 5 even as it was in the
firft finne o£Adam } and the Angels ; what was the
reafon that Adam fell from God ax. the firftflt was
becaufe he defircd fomcthing that he thought he
could notfindeintheZ^, he defiredto knew
good and evill, which he thought he fhould not
haue in the Ltrd y hee thoaght the Lordhzd kept
it from him, and therefore he ftepped out from
the Lordxo eatexhit Apple ,vfing rfnt as a meanes
to obtaine his defire. And this,iidcede,wasthe
caufe of his falling away.So likewife rhecaufe of
the falling of the Angels, i Tim.^. 6. the Apoftlc

fayth

LL-8YFFICIINCY,

fayth there, that a Miniftcr was not to be a yong
Scholler,Ieaft hebepnjfedvp%nndfall into the con-
demnation of the Dwell : That is, leaft he be puf-
fed vp 5 and fall into the fame (inne,for which the
Devill was condemned, that is, to be puffed vp,
that is, to haue the defnes inlarged beyond the
bounds which cWhath fetthem, to- defire more
then they fbotild haue, to be exalted aboue wea-
fure, that meafuie, that Godhzd appointed them,
that is,they defire more, they looked after more,
they thought there was not an All fufftciencyln
God for them : This was the finne of the Angels
that fell. And as it wasthecaufe of their firft fell,
fo it is the caufe of all the finnes that haue beene
committed fince. And the reafons of it in briefe
arethefe.

Firft,it arifeth from the defire of happines that
is implanted in every mans nature. Happines,you
know, is a compound which confifts of all good
things,fo that none muft be wanting ; there is no
good thing but it muft be an ingredient into it.
Now the nature of man is made by God to defire
happines, every man naturally defires happines,
and may defire it, if there be any fcantne3 in this,
if there be any evill that lies vpon him that is not
removed, or if there be any good that he defires
and wants, that he doth not enjoy ; ( I fay ) his
heart cannot reft, for he defires happines * there-
fore if he find not an All-fnfficiency in GW,fo that
nothing be wanting, that his heart can defire or
looke after,it is impoflible he fhould cleaue clofe
vnto him, but he will be ready to ftep out from
him. C Se-

f Tim. i .6*

The Devi!*
finne, what,

From mans
defire of hap.
pines.

From the na.

ture of finne.

Simile*

From the na-
ture of fincc
ri«e.

Of G o d s

Secondly j this will appcare from the nature of
finne : the definition that the St hook men giue of
finne, ( which we may rcceiue ) is this, that it is
the converfion of a man from God to the Crea-
ture,frora the immutable God to the mutable crea-
ture : In every finne there is fuch a turning of the
foule from God to the Creature* Now, it is cer-
taine,if a man did finde an All-fnjficiemy in God,
he would never turne from him, nor leeke to the
Creature -, even as the Bee, if it did finde hony e-
nough in one flower, would not haften to ano~
ther,butbccaufeitdothnot,itgocs from flower
to flower: And fo is the nature of man(as Salomon
exprelTeth it, fay ing, that ) He haftenedto outward
things '^that is>when he fell vpon one he found not
enough in it,he made haft to another and to ano-
ther^ fo the nature of man 5 if it did finde fweet-
neflfc, and comfort, and contentment enough in
C7^,it would not turne from him to the creature-,
but becaufe, in his fence, the object is too nar-
row, there is foraewhat he would haue more, he
looks over thePale,as it were,he feeth fomething
that he defireth, and that caufeth him to ftcp out,
whereas if he had enough at home, if he had c-
nough in the Lord, hee would not goe out from
him, to turne inordinately to the Creature vpon
any occafion*

Third!y,this will appeare like wife from the na-
ture oifmceritie, and perfeft walking with God, for
to walke perfectly with God, is nothing but this,
whenamanchoofeth6W, fo that he cleaues to
him alone, whereas doubkneffe of minde ftands

. in

LL-IYFFICIlllCy.

who.

in this, when a man is diftra&cd betweenecW
and fome other objeft . I fay, betwecne God and
riches, betvveene CW and credit-, betweene God
and pleafure, and is fometime applying himfelfe
to one, and fometime to another, and lb he goes
a double way.So that when a man hath two prin-
\ cipall ob je&s,& two principal ends,vpon which
hiseyeisfet, when he hath two inward princi-
ples within, that are thecaufe of his motion,this
way and that way, fuch a man is a double minded ] A double
man$\z is a finglc hearted man that-choofcth God f
alone, & though he walke imperfectly with him,
yet he choofeth him .

Now if a man apprehend Gods AIL fufficiency,
he will choofe him alone, if he doe not, it is im-
poffiblehefhotildchoofehim alone^ but he will
joyne fomewhat elfewith him • for if he thinke
there isbut^^rnzW efficiency in God, and that
there is [owe fufficiency in any Creature befides,
it mud needs be that he muft haueaney'e vpon
botb,and then his wayes will be vneven, then his
way is vnflMe ; and,rherefore, I fay, the caufe of
that inftabilitie to which men are fubjeft, is, be-
caufe they doe not apprehend God to be All-fnf-
pcienty for you muft know this by the way, that
there is a double inftabilitie(that word is vfed in
I Am. 1.8.// double minded man is vnftable in all his
rvayes.)One is an inftabilky between two objects
which makes vp all the fufficiency that he defires 3
fo that there is a part of that fufficiency in one,&
part of it in another. The fecond is an inftabilitie
in following one objefit that hee hath cho/en.
C 2 Indeed,

Inftabilitie
double.
Urn i. 8»

muni * .n-n-n g v '. i

O D I

' 4
From the na-
ture of faith.

Hcb. 3. iii,

Gen. if.

I Indeede, the iecond inftabilitie all the Sa^tsarc
fubje<5i vnto,all regenerate men are vnftable thu s
in aB their rvayes, they cannot ftickc faft to God,
and n;*/** perfectly with him. But herein is their
finceritiejhey choofe him, they pitch vpon him.
Now the ground of it is, they apprehend him to
be Aff-fuffitientfhough this apprehe jfion be not
alwayes kept ftrong, it is not alway liuely, and
adiue in their mindes, their perfwafion is not al-
way full and prefent, and therefore they are rea-
dy to ftep out. So the latter inftabilitie befals the
Saints, the former befals hypocrites, and boch
the one and the other inftabilitie ftill proceede
from hence,that we apprehend not GWto be All-
fufficient. Holy men haue that apprehenfion in
the maine, but not in a conftant tenour at all
times •, Hypocrites haue it not fo much as in the
maine.

Fourthly. This truth will likewifeappeare from
the nature of 'faith -that which makes a man righ-
teous, that which ian&ifies a man throughout is
faith: That which is the caufe of all vnrighteouA
neffc in vs is vnbeliefe, for it caufeth a man to de-
fart from the Lord : as tieb. 3 . 12. Take heed lea ft
then be in any of you an evil (heart of vnbeliefe to de-
part from the living God, In this knee faith is faid
to be accounted for righteoufnejfe. Abraham beke-
vedGod. Gen. 15. God indeede made the fame
proppfition that he doth here, for fubftance, he
tels him what he would doc for him, and, fayth
the Ttxx^AbrahambeleevedGod.andit was accoun-
ted to him for righteoufnejfe. Now,?* was accounted

H-IV FFI CIE

GY*

to him for right "eon fm 'j(/* ; chicfly 5 in this fence, as it
is interpreted R$m.$. that his very talcing of the
prowife,and his accepting of the Covenant ,in that
he did receiue that which (7^gaue 3 that put him
within the Covenant, and therefore the Lord rec-
koned him a righteous man, even for that very ac-
ceptation, and beleeving. But that is not all : but
like wife heaccouted/i//^ to him for right eoufnes,
becaufe faith doth fan6rifie,and make a mmrigh-
teom and therefore Beloved, (by the way) won-
der not at this, that we put fo much v^on faith:
for let a man beleeve, thatGW is AlLfuficient,
which is theCovenant, fox justifying faith is but a
beleeving of that part of the Covenant, and ina-
Ming a man to keepe the other part which is re-
quired 5 and, I fay, it makes a man righteous : for
whenamanbeleeves thatGW# All-fufficient y it
will caufe a man to giue vp himfelfe to the Lord
Vigaine, when he belecves the Lord to be all in all
things to him, it irableth him to be all in all
things to the /Wagaine, that is, to be holy to the
Lord in all manner of conversation. It knits his
heart vnto the Lord, h fanffifieth a man through-
out } \t makes him peculiar to the£*n/,it makes him
wholly to hira. This is the nature of faith. Now,
( marke it ) faith could not thus fanftifie, if it did
not beleeve Cods All-fufficiency. Againe, vnbe-
liefe could not caufe our falling or departing from
God, if i were not hence, that wee fayle in belee-
ving fome promife of his, or fome threatnings,
wethinke there is not zvi All fujficiencie in God :
yo;. know his promifescontaineall good things,
C 3 'f

Rom, 4,

O D S

V?inc hopes
and feares
draw 78 from
God,

| if vvc cleaue vnto him,and histhreatnings all evill
S things, if wc depart from him. If this were fully
| bclce vcd 3 our hearts would keepe neare to him :
as farre as it is not belceved/o farre we ftep out.
Now J f ay 3 hence faith pur •iftth the heart: It fanc-
tifieth 5 itisthecaufe of all righteoufnefle that is
wrought by vs : and vnbeliefe is the caufe of all
vnrighteoufnes that is wrought by vs. Hence we
gather then 5 that the perfvvafion of Gods All-fujfi-
ciencie keepes a mans heart perfect with God .-and
as farre as you come fhort of this perfvvafion^ fo
farre you are ready to depart from him.

And the ground of it is, becaufe that which

drawesvs from the Lord, is either vainc feares,

or vaine hopes.Thofe are the two eai es as it were

by which Sathan takes every man, whereby hee

drawes him away, out of the wayes of the Lords

Coromandements. Now if a man did bdeeue

that God were All.fnfficient, he would be fubjeft

to none of thefe falfe fcares> if he did apprehend

him to be a Buckler, that could keepe him from

all ill. Againe,on the other fide 3 if he did beleeue

cWto be an exceeding great reward jAiZX. is 3 fo great

a reward that there can be nothing wanting in

him, that there is a lengthy and breadth, and depth,

and height ; in that reward, that his heart hathla-

j titude enough to walkein, he can defire nothing

out of it : this would free a man from all vaine

I hopes/o that the apprehenfion of it would keepe

his hc&n perfect. Contrariwife 3 as farre as you

fay le in either, fo farre you are fubjeft tothofe

t w o 3 either falfe fcares 3 pr vaine and finfull hopes:

and

LL-SVFFICIINCY.

and that is the caufc of our vneven and vncquali
walking with God, that we are not upright and per-
feff.

Hence you may fee both the nature, of finne, Vfe i
& the caufc of all finne \ for it is profitable for vs !f J^jJ} 8 ^*
Beloved, ( nothing more profitable than) to finde
out the caufc of finne. It is a Rule that Phjfitians
haue,thata difeafe, when it is throughly known,
(that is, when thecaufe of it is fully knowne)it is
halfe cured ^ fo it is in the difeafe of the foulc, to
know the very root and rife,from whence it pro-
ceeds, or commeth, to know the principle from
whence it arifeth, it is a great helpe to vs to pre-
vent it, to heale it. But I fay, this will both fhew
the nature of finne, and the caufe of finne in vs.

Fii ft,it fhewes the nature of finne, how evill a
thing it is, yea worfe, than, for the mod part, we 1
apprehend it to be ^ for if there be no finne com-
mitted, but it comes from hence, that you ap-
prehend not God 10 be All fuff uiem ,then there is
Idolatry {in a manner ) committed in every finne,
that is, you take from God and adde another God\ Motoric in
to him,if y ou thinke him not to be All-fuffi : ciem^\ cmy ^ nc *
whatfoevcr you feek to,and joyne with him,you
make it a God as well as he ; If it be credit, if it be
honour,if it be pleafures,if it be riches,yca what-
foc ver it is, I fay j there is a bitter root ofldolatrie
in the commitfion of every fin, that makes it out
of measure finfnlL This we may confider by the
way, but this I purpofe not to ftand on,the thing
that I would chiefly preflfcis to find out the caufe
of finne, the caiife of that hollowneflc, and that
C 4

im-i

The caufe
of finne.

Smile*

G O D %

imperfe&nefle , and infinceritie that is in the
hearts of men towards God, which, 1 lay, arifeth
from hence, that rhey apprehend notoWiobce
All fufficient, for this ( for the mod part ) is the
cafe of men, if they did not apprehend fome fufr
ficiency in him,they would not fecke him at all s
againc, il they did apprehend him to be All-fnffi-
ciet>xhey would fcrue him perfcftly:b>K this mid-
dle apprehenfion in men, that they hike there
is a fufficiency in the Lord, bur not an All-fufftci-
encie, this is the caufe why the hearts of meaare
hollow towards the Lord. Even as when a man
lookes towards a great man, that is a man of
fome power^able to doe him hurt, and that hath
fomeabilitie to doe him good : this makes him
tofeare, ft makes him carefull to pleafe him 3 and'
toabftaine from what may offend him : yet, be-
caufe he thinkes he is not perfect with him, that
his heart is but hollow towards him, he doth it
not fully. So it is in our walking before God. Be-
caufe we apprehend him not to be All- faff iciext,
therefore it is that our hearts are not per ft ft with
him. >

We fliall beft fhew you this in instances ; for
example ? What is the reaf on, that a man is dif-
couraged in feeking to God, in praying to God, in
depending vpon cWin any great cafe of difficul-
tie, where there is more then ordinary difficulty,
there is moretobefuffercd, there is more to be
done, what is the rcafon of it^becaufe we appre-
hend him not to be All-fufficknt. You know the
turning of men away from CZ^commonly it ari-
feth

All-svfficiency.

feth from this, they meetc with fomc rub 9 fome
croffes, forne barre, fome Lyon in the way, which
they arc not able to grapple with, it is too ftrong
for them rand then they turne out of the way 5
the reafon,I fay, of all finne and departure from
the Lord, is becaufe vvc doe not apprehend him
to be All-fuficient- for if we did, why fliould not
a man in an eafie cafe, turne from him as well as
in the moft difficult 1

As,for example^ 4i//W followed the Lordlong,
yet when Saul grew exceeding ftrong,and he ve-
ry weake, then he ftepped afide, and fayd in his
heart, I jhall per ifh one day ; and fo he goes out of
Qods wayes&nd flyeth to Acbis>to the Philifiines :
This was from hence, that he did not apprehend
the Lord to bee All- faff idem and Almightie, for
the word fignifieth both.

And fo like wife Mofes J$umb.\ i .what was the
reafon that hce ftarted afide, that he did not be-
lecueasat other times f When God fayd to him,
that he would giue them flefli fora moneth toge-
ther ; what fay th Mofes againc f shall fix hundred
thousand men be fed with fefh, Jhall all the Beetles
and Sheepe bejlaine, or Jhall all the fijh in the Sea be
gatheredtogether?He could not beleeue the Lord •
here was a difficulties that Mofes was not able to
reach,that there fliould be fo many fed with flefli
and that in the wilderneffe, and that for a moneth
together : hee thought it impoffible tobs done,
that all the fifhin the Sea fliould be gathered to-
gether,and all little enou gh to ferue fuch a tu rne.
NowmarketheZW*anfwer there, is the Lords

D hand

The caufe
why men
turne from
God.

Inftances 5 of
doubting in
difficult cafcs«

Numb. ii.

Gods

handjhortened? You may know by the medicine,
what the difeafe was.Mtfes ( faith he)thou think-
eft I am not able to doe it,thou thinkeft my hand
isfhortened that I cannot doe it. And the like
was when he came to draw water out of the rock :
you flwll fee Me fits there ftucke : for the cafe was
a cafe of difficulty .If it had been out of the earth,
where there had beene probabilities it had not
beene fo much : but Mefes makes two arguments
againft it,(you know how great the finne was for
the which he loft going into the Land of Canaan,
I fay, he makes theft two arguments againft ir»)
Firft, fayth he,thc people are rebels, and will the
Lord giuc them water, that haue carried them-
felues in fuch a manner 1 that was one thing that
i caufed his infidelitie at that time. Another was ;
What ? fhalllgiuejou water out of the rocke ? As if
he fhould fay,That is a difficult thing.So that put
thele two together, *#* of the rocke, and vnte re.
bels> there his fayth fayled, for it was difficult :
and whence came this ? Becaufe hee thought the
Lord was not All-fufficient .

And fo,likevvife, Martha^nd Mary, when they
came to Chriji for Lazarus, when he was dead,
they were out of hope: the reafon was, becaufe
there was a difficulticnow more then before , fo
that,I (ay,the commo caufe of our turning afide
from thcLord, is, becaufe wee meete with fome
difficulties which our faith is not able to grapple
with,& it arifeth from hencc,that we forget this,
that the Z^fayth to Abraham J am God Almigh-
tieov All-fufficient . I am able to doe whatfoever
I will. BefideSi

LL-SVFFICIENCY.

| Befidesthis : what is the caufe that men feckc
after vaine-glory, that they are fubjecft to envic i
{the fpirit that is in vs isfnbjett to envie ) for every
man envieth another, becaufc he defireth vaiae
glory too much to himfelfe: this arifeth from
hence, that he reckoneth not God to be All-fuffi-
sient. That is. If we did reckon it enough to haue
praife with God, if we thought that hisinowledg
of our vprightnes werefufficientjthough no man
in the world knew it befides, wee would be con-
I tent with that honor that wc haue, which he hath
^allotted to vs within our owne compafTe,bue,be-
caufe we thinke him not to be All-fuffkieM> wee
would haue fomething, likewife, from the Crea-
ture, we would haue honor,toue,& refped from
men 5 which finne arifeth hence, that we appre-
hend not him to be All-fnffieiem ; fo doth that,
likewife,which is contrary to it 5 (for they are fins
of y fame nature,and they arife both fro the fame
! ground) when men are fo fenfible of Jflhame, and
reproach^and difgrace, & difparagement, doth it
not arife hence,that we recko mans day too much
and Gods day too little i Wee apprehend not God
enough in his greatnefTe j as the Apoftle fay th, /
reckon notto he judged by mans day. Asif he fhould
fay. It is but a day, it is but a time that man bath
to judge : there is another day^the Lords day , that
(great day. If a man did apprehend that which is
VmGod, ifhedidfeehisAlLfifficiency, he would
I not regard to be judged by mans day, as long as
j he were not judged by y Lord he would not care
'what his fellow- prisoners thought of him, as

D 2 long

Seeking praife
with men the
caufe of it.

Why we are
fo fenfible of
reproach.

Indire&cour*

fcs taken to
bring enter-
prifcstopaflc.

Xnftanccs of
rfing good
meanes.

O D S

Inftances of
vfiag cvill
meanes.

long as the Iudge, and the Law cleared him.

And fo like wife, what is the rcafon of the vn-

even wayes of men, which they take to bring

their enterprifes topafTe t Is it not hence, that

they apprehend not G^tobe All-fufficient f Da-

vidjNhca he was in a ftrait,when the Kingdomc,

you know, was promifed him, and many oppor-

tunities he had to haue gotten it,if he would hauc

vfed evill meanes, when fometimes the Lord put

Saul into his hand, yet would not touch him,

but committed it to the Lordjiox he thought him

to be Almightity able to bring it to paffe, as alfo

he did bring it to pafle.

And fo like wife, Daniel ; there might haue
beene meanes vfed for him to haue efcaped ^you
I know when he was in danger,when he refufed to
eate of the Kings meatc, he was in danger againe,
when they obtained of the Kingjhatifany man did
make any reqtteft to any God or man, but the King for
thirty dayes,he fhould be put to death :yet he tru-
fiedinGod, he thought him to be AlUfuffieient 7
able to keepe him, and therefore he ftepped not
out of his way .And fo /W,when he faw that Fe-
ftm thought to haue had money given him, yet
doubtlefTe, inthofecircumftances, he thought it
not lawful! to do it,& therefore he tmftedin God -,
though no doubt, hce might haue made friends,
to haue gathered the money : It is likely Fefttts
thought there was a probability for it>bccaufc he
hoped for it,but Paul would not do it,becaufe he
thought the Lord was able to deliver him.
But on the other fide, Jeroboam when he had

LL-SVFFICIENCY.

abufintfre to doc, you know what courfc hee
tookc, he joynes them together, he addes to Re-
ligion, hee corrupts it, that he might keepe his
Kingdome. And fo Saul. ( But I neede not giue
you inftances)! fay,the caufe of all indirect waies
we take to bring our enterprifes to paffe,it comes
from hence, that we truft not in God, wee thinke
him not to be AlLfnffcient^ not able to doe it,ex-
cept we helpe him with wyles,and tricks,and de-
vices of our own. What is the reafon of that lying
& diiTembling, that is vfed hkewife,for the fame
purpofe i Is it not from hence, that men appre-
hend not cWto be All-fufficient ? Peter, when he
denied Chrift, was it not from f care * And from
whence was that fcare, but becaufe he reckoned
not God, to be a Buckler ftrong enough, and fure
enough * And to Sarah, when fliee denied, that
fliec laughed, fay th the Text, forfhee was afraid,
and therefore fhee faid, no, / did not laugh, when
iheedid,and was charged for doing of it.I might
giiic you many other Inftances, but I ihallnot
need. Goc through all varieties of finnes,and you
/hall fee they arife hence, that we reckon not God
to be All-fufficient.

The fatisfying of finfull lufts,doth it not arife
from hence * He that is given to any pleafure, to
any delight, of what kindefoever, if he did be-
leeuc thofc two things>that the! Wis able to ful-
fill him with joy, and comfort fufficient,that the
Lord is able to mortifie thofe l»Jls,8c to heale them
in him, he would keepe clofe to him, and would
net goe out from him : for he need not, the Lord
__ D 3 is

Satii;
finfull hi
whence it

O D «

is Al.l'fitfficte&t.Th'dt is. He is able to farisfie him,
he is able to fill him with/0; and pace through be-
itevingt which fhould be enough to fatisfie his
heart with contentment j hee is able, likewife,
tomorcifiethatluft 3 fothat, as he is forbidden
the fatis(ying of it, fo, likewife, hee fhould haue
no fuch prevailing defire to it. And therefore the
way to keep our hearts perfe<ft with God (for that
is the thing for which I prefle all this, for which
I bring all thefe Inftances) it is to come to this,
to fet downe this concluiion with our felues,that
he is AU-ftifficiem : No man is ever fit to feme
him without this : except a man be content to
I haue God alone for his portion^ if he will joyne
' any thing with him,if he will joyne God, and cre-
dit together, God, and riches together, God, and
' pleafures together, hee will never kecpe clofe to
j hirarfor one time,or other there will fall out a fe-
I paration betweene<7^ 3 and thefc things,& who-
! foever doth not refolue thus with himfelfe,! will
1 be content withGWalone, though he ftrip me of
all things in the world,I fay, he will never keepe
clofe to the Lord> but his wayes will be vneven
towards him.
The yong man 5 in the G^/, would never haue
Apoftlfie the ' gone away fad, if he had thought Cod had becne

ground of it.

All-fnfficient : but he thought, when his riches
were taken away,that fomewhat was taken from
him that belonged to his happines, that he could
not haue beene fo well without it. Againe,/^-
■ham y on the other fide, would never haue beene
willing to haue offred I fack, if he had not thought

that

ALL-SYFFICIENCY.

that God was AIL faff ic tent : as we fee Heb. 1 1 , L 9 .
It is /aid there, that, though Ifack were the fonne
of the promife,yet he willingly offred him«.why?
for he thought God was able to ratfe him from the dead
againefrom whence he alfo after a fort received him :
As he received him from Sarahs dead wombe,fo
he thought he might be raifed againe from the
dead alhes.. What was the rcafon that Paul fer-
ved the Lord with a perfed heart i You fee in
i Tim. 4. 10. that hetrufledin God, and therefore
( fay th he ) we labour, andfaffer reb&ke • thofc are
the two parts of new obedience, ( to doe, and to
fuffer)and tliereforejaith he,we do it, becaufewe
trufi in the living Godithat is. Wee truft in him for
al! thingsrl belceue him to be Almighie,md All-
faff cient, every way, both to defend me from all
evilly and alfo to provide all good things for me,
and therefore I feme him, and labour in his fer-
vice,and fuflfer rebuke. What was thereafon,on
the other fide,that Demos turned from the Lord!
was it not, becaufe he thought there was note-
nough in him i And therefore faith the Text, he
imbraced this pre fent world : the way therefore to
keepe our hearts per fetf with God, is to confider
well the great power of GW,and the great good-
neffe of God, for in thefe two his AlLfafficiencie
towardes vs confifts ; Confider his mightie
power, and fay, thus with thy felfe, he is able to
doe all things for me,confider withal], the great-
neffe of his goodneffe, and mercy, and fay 5 he is
my Father, he is willing to doe all things for me.
Indeede, thatconclufion wee fhould fet downc

with

Hcb.fti. 19.

1 Tim. 4. lo.

The parts of
obedience.

Howtokeepe
our hearts

perfect,

O D S

Our prefent
eftate belt
forv*.

Digrefi

with our felues., ( if any thing be not done, if we
want any thing, if any croffe lie vponvs at any
time,) to be ready to fay, this is not becaufe the
Lord cannot doe it 5 for he is Almightie. Againc,
it is not becaufe the Lord will not doc itjfor he is
as infinite in loue to me, as he is in power 1 What
is the reafon of it then < Becaufe it is not beft for
me.So fhuld every man fay ,if there be any want,
if there be any cro(Te,it is beft for me. It is better
for thee,it may be,to be in a low eftate,tben to be
in a high 1 it is better for thee to be pinched with
povertie, than toliue in abundance, it is better
for thee to lye vnder temptation, ('though it be a
great vexation to thee for the prefent ) then to be
freed from it : it is better for thee, (it may be) to
haue meane gifts,than to haue high gifts:it is bet-
ter for thee, to be in a low place, than to be in e-
minent place : it is better for thee to be crofted in
thy name, in thy eftate, it is better for thee to be
ficke in bodie, it is better for thee to be troubled
( fometime ) in minde, than to be freed from it.
Beloved, this wemuft come to, and yet wemuft
thinke the Lord to be All-fnfficient. For if it be
fo, thou oughteft to fay thus with thy felfe, it is
beft for me to be fo. You will fay, how fliall we
doe to be pcrfwaded of it i There are many cafes,
wherein we are in fuch a condition, which wee
thinke worft for our felues, which many times is
thebeft,nay,alwayesit is beft for every man that
is in covenant with God. For this rule muft be
kept, he is AlLfujFtcient to his children, and they
findehimfo, tie hath performed it, and made it

- S°? d

All-ivfjiciekcy,

good to their cxperiencc,and thercfore 3 whcnfo-
ever they finde any want 5 it is beft for them to be
fo » It is not either defed in the power of God, or
in the loue of God: For example § ^.Abraham
thought it a hard things great croflTe,that he was
put to expel 1 Ijhmae/l his fonne, whom he loved ;
Was it not better for \^haham?had he not ano-
ther tonne that was fitter for him, bome of his
owne Wife t And fo UWofes thought it a hard
thing, to be barred from comming into the land
of daman, but what loft he by it i was he not led
into a better Canaan, into Paradife, into a more
glorious condition f So like wife, when he went
downe into Egypt, if he had had a tongue of elo-
quence giuen him, to his will, that would haue
fatisfied him : but was it not better for CMofes to
haueaftammering tongue, and yet to haue the
worke done as well,u//4?w and he being joyned
together t For by that meanes CMofes was kept
humble , and his loue like wife was incrcafed.
For that mutuall indigence kiits men together,
when they haue need one of another.In like man-
ner^Davidhzd an exceeding great defire to build
the Temple, when it was not y Lords will, that he
fhould doeitjwas he'a loofer by toDavid was at
that time not fit to haue done it, he was not able
tohaucdoneir,ascircumftanceswere: but was
he a loofer by it, had not he a houfe built him, as
well as if he had built the houfe of God. ? had not
he as great a reward, as if he had performed it i
So likewife in the lofTe of his child, it was excee-
ding grievous to him, yet, was it not better that
• E that

Inflances,

Nothing loft
by obeying
Gock

O D f

The meanei
of emptying
man of him-
feif*

thatchilde fliould be taken away, and that ano-
ther, fhould be given him, that was legitimate i
Did not the Lord rceompence it abundantly to
him, when Salomon was given to him in his ftead?
And fo Paul, he was exceeding defirous to be
freed from that temptation, which no doubt was
very grievous to him, that did gall andvexchis
minde continually^ even as a frkkingofthefle(h
doth : yet it was much better for Pad, it was not
becaufe God wzs not AlLfufficunt,z\\hzx in pow-
er, or in loue to him : but hee was an exceeding
great gainer by that meanes, he was emptied of
himfelfe.-for that is the Icope of GW>in the way es
of his providence towards his children, even to
magnifie himfelfe towards thcrn^ which cannot
be without emptying them of themfelues,by dif-
coveringto them their owne infufficiencie : and
that is done partly, by affii&ion,, and partly by
finne, but chiefly by finne, becaufe thatworkes
more immediately vpon man,it makes him to fee
how little excellency 5 and how little worth,there
is in him : it makes him againe to fee the glorie,
and the power, andthepureneife oiGod, to mag-
nifie him,.and to humble himfelfe; this Paul got
by it,and it was better for him,he was in a better
condition by it. Therefore,I fay, this conclufion
muft be fet downe,that the Lerdis AlLfufficiem,
& when we fall fhort of any thing that we defire,
lay it not vpon Go v> that the Lordis fhort of his
performance, of any promife, that be compajfetb*
vs not about mtbmercie, on every fide, as much as
we need, that he delivers vs not from every evill :'■

for

All-ivfficibncy.

for be will make that goodalway, that no good
thing ft all be wanting to them that lead a godly life :
He is aSunneand a shield to thcrn. And whenfoe-
vcr it is otherwife, it is becaufe it is not beft for
them : but this is a digreffion ; the thing we haue
to doe ( for all this is but a preparation) is to per-
fwade you now that the Lord is All-fafficient : as
wc told you, we handle this poynt firft, becaufe
it is apreparatiueto the reft : It flicwes you of
what moment it will be fo to be perfwaded, and
of what evill confequence it is, not to be fo per-
fwaded. Now I will adde a word of thefecoxid
point j that

GOD is K^H-fnfficient.

To prone that he is fo, I will propound to you
but thefttwo reafons -,

FirftjConfider that all that is in the creature, all
the comforts, all the excellencies all the beautie
that is to be found in them, it is but borrowed,,
and derived : cWistheprimitiue,heistheorigi-
na!l, he is the firft, the vniverfall caufe, the gene-
rail caufe of all : hence we gather this, that there
is an AlLfufficiency in him, and in him oncly, he
is All-fnfficient, exciufiuely ; fo that no creature
hath any fufficiencie at all in it felfe; for, you
muft know^that the creature addes nothing at all
to his fufficiencie, but all fufficiencie is compre-
hended in him^for if they be all derived and bor-
rowed things, then they arc in the Creature,but
as farre as it plcafeth him to communicate the
E 2 fame

DoB. 2.
God is AIL

fafficient.

Reaf. I.
Tf e exed en-
cyofthecrca.
ture is bor-
rowed.

O f G

O D S

Icr. i. !$♦

The cemfort
in the Crea-
ture it

1
Deiired.

i
Mixed.

Adcadeom-

fon.

4
A broken

Comfortt

fametothem:nowthatitisfo,fee/o'. 2. 13* My
people ( faith the Lord J &4#* committed two evils,
they haneforfaken me the fountain of living waters,
W(fecondly ) haue digged to them felnes pits that \
hold no water : Where we may briefly obferue :
Fir ft, that God is the fpring, from whom all com-
forts come originally, the pits * you know,haue y
water, but borrowed and derived from the foun-
tain ; fecondIy,there is fomething in this, that he
calleth them pits, that is, the comfort in the crea-
ture is a mixed comfort, it is like water in a pit,
it is muddie,and not pure and cleare,like the wa-
ter in the fountaine : That is, the comfort that
comes meerely from the creature (if you receiue
any comfort in the creature, if Cods hand be not
in it ) it is alway mixed with fome forrow, with
fomecvill,butifitcome from the Lord, it is a
pure comfort: he giues riches, and no forrow with
them. Thirdly, the comfort that is in the crea-
ture, it is but a dead comfort, compared to that
which is in the Lord, and therefore heisfaid to
be a fountain of living water,that is.,running wa-
ter. The comfort that is in the creature, it is able
to doe little, it is quickly fpent, and when it is
fpent,there is no more in it : but the comfort that
is in God, it is like water that comioeth out of the
fpring, which is ftill renewed from day today,
and therefore it is called living water, there is no
end of it, but ftill it flowes more and more. Laft
of all, they are broken pits that cannot hold the
comfort that they haue,though there be comfort
yet it is like liquor in a brittle glaffe, that is not

able

LL-8VFFICIENCY,

able to hold this comfort in the creature, it is but
borrowed comfort,and therfore we fee iTim.6.
1 7. (where an inftance is given of riches. ) charge
thofe that are rich in this world, that they be not high
n$inded,that they trujl not in vncertaine riches , hut
in the living God, thatgiveth all things abundantly
to f#/0y.Marke(you ftiall fee there the difference,)
that they truft not in vncertaine riches, but in the
living God,thzt is,riches are but dead things, God
is the living God : they are able to docbut fome
things for you-/Wgiues)w all things, and giues
abundantly. And againe,if riches doe fomething,
yet the enjoying they are not ablctogiue* but
thcZ^giuesvs all things abundantly to enjoy.
Now, when weconfider, that whatfoever is in
the Creature, it is but a borrowed and derived
comfortjthen the fufficiecy is wholy in the Lord,
he is the God of all comfort • as the Sunne is the
caufe of all light, whatfoever the ayre hath, it is
derived from the Sunne, fo whatfoever, is in the
creature,it is derived from GW:and therefore this
is one ground, why wee fhould perfwade our
felues, that he is All-fufficient.

The fecond, is this,he is All-f#ficient,bccaufe
he onely can be the author of good and evill ;that
(you know) which can doe neither good nore-
vil 3 there is no fuffickney ink at all. Now it is the
propertie of the Lord, to doe both, as we lee let.
1 o . 5. a place worthy our confideration;T^/^?/f
'and vpasa palme-tree,but they ffteake not ; they are
borne, becaufe they cannot goefeare them not, becaufe
they can doe neither good nor evill : This is the ar-
E 3 gument,

1 Tim 6, 17.

Simile. \

Reaf. 2.
God oacly
the Author of
good&eyill.

Ier. io. f.

p I

O D S

Math, % 9
Luk« ii.

Amoi. 3.

gument,whereby the Lord proveth them to be I-
dols,becaufe they can do neither evill nor good :
as if hefhouldfay, if they could doedther evill
or good, they were God, and not Idols.The fame
we may apply to any creature, confidered in it
felfe, without the influence and concourfeof God:
If it were able to doe either good or evill, you
mightworfhipitasCW, for God onely can doe
good and evill of himfelfe. Beloved, if we could
bring our hearts to this perfwafion, that it is the
ZWonely that can do good and evill,we would
then cleaue to him,it could not be that we ihould
depart from him vpon any occafion, for that
which is able to doe neither good nor evill, wee
contemmif your opinions were fuch of the crea-
ture,that it were,without God, neither able to doe
good or evill, you would never turne from God
to any creature, vpon any occafion t for certain-
ly,!^ is able to doe both good and evill,he onely
can make every mans life, comfortable, or vru
comfortables it is his prerogatiue royall, it be-
longs to him alone. In Mat. 5 . it is fayd, a man is
not able to make one //aire white or blacke j fo fmall
a thing he is not able to doe ; and in Luk. 1 1 . it is
fayd more plaineiy, if we be not able to doe the
leaft thing, we be not able to doe the grcateft.
You know that place Amos 3 .Jhall 'there be evill in
tbeCitie y andthe Lord hath not done it ? The Scrip-
ture is plentifu 11 in this ^ I fhould loofe time to
vrge places > I fay 3 there is no creature in heaven
or earth, that is able to be the author of the leaft
good, or the leaft hurt.

But

All-$vfficiincy.

Ob.
The creatures
hau? no power
but fromCW.

Anfrv.
lob. 19. *8s,/y

But you will fay to me, we find it othcrwife in
experience $ we finde that they are able to doe vs
good, and to doe vs hurt.

You haue an anfwer for that>/^. 19. 1 i.when
Pilate faith to our Szviowx ^haue I not fower to cru-
cifre thee, or to loofe thee ? He anf wereth, no : thou
haft none at all of thy felfe : Indeed, thou haft a
power, but it is given thee from abone> thou haft
not a jot more then is diftributed to thee : if you
comparethat with ^/^?.4.28.youftiallfeeit was Afr+ *s.
ibiPilate and Herod joyned together, to do what-
loever GWhad appointed before:they didnot the
leaft evill, but cWhad appointed it : And fo it is
with all the creatures, the principall creatures,
that we haue to doc with, and that we fee before
vs, even men, they doe vs not (without his com-
miflion ) the lead good,nor the leaft hurt. When
Shimei curfed David,you know,what expreflion
hcvfed; the Lord hath bid Shimei curfe, as if he
iliould fay,neither shimei^ nor any man els in the
J world, could moue his tongue, if Gad did not fay
toftichaman,goecurfehim, goeand reproach
him. It is fayd of Pu/I and Tiglah- pile far, Kings of
Jflyriajhzty LordPtiwzd them vp, & they carri-
ed his people away captiue: \iGodhzd not ftirred
vp their fpirits,they had not done the leaft thing.
You know,.oft it is fayd, the King of K^fhur the
fluff ein my hand, and fo Cyrus is fayd to be his fer-
vant, he ftirred him vp a he was his Shepheard,to
doe whatfoever he dt fired to his flieepe. If*. 44. Ifa. 4*
Now if a man be able to doe nothing,but as farre
as God (as him on worke, then much Ieflc can o-

ther

O D $

AliGODS

Coramandc-

th.r things, as riches, and the like, they can doe
no more then men can doe \ for what feme they
for,but to fet mena worke:fo,honour>and credit,
and eftimation, which men fo much efteeme,
they can doc no more then they can doejfor they
fet men on worke to doe good, as reproach fas
them on worke to doe hurt. Now if there be no
man, nor no creature in heauen or earth, that can
doe good or hurt; Why (hould we be fervants to
men * Why (hould wee be fubje& to carnall de-
lights? tocarnallfearcs? to carnall hopes, and
the like furcly it is hence, wee over- value the
Creaturc,wee thinke it is able to doe fomething,
wethinke thatthc'reisfomefufficicncie in that,
and not AlLfufficiency in God i certainely, all the
CommandementsorGo d, are grounded vpon
acnts ground j cleare reafon,if we were able to finde it out : But
<M«n*afoii. now when the Lord requires at our hands, that
we worfliip him altogether 5 th&ujhdt hdtte m o-
ther Gods but me, thou (halt ferue me onely,thou
(halt beftow thy felfe wholly vpon me,thou (halt
be ferfelt with mc, as you fee here : furely, it is
vpon this ground, thou flialt hauc all from mee,
and therefore thou (halt do all to melt any crea-
ture were able to doe good or hurt, without the
Lord, if they had any part or portion with him in
being authors of our good,certainly,they (hould
haue a portion of our feruice : for there is reafon
and equitie in it,that that which doth vs good,in
fuch manner, we fliould feeke vnto it, we (hould
ferue it : and likewife,if it could doe vs hurt ; but
now in that the Lord challenged all to himfelfe,

(Ifay)

LL-SVFFICIENCY,

(I fay) it is vpon this ground,/ am All- faff icient :
there is no creature is able to adde to me more or

leffe : and therefore confider the ground of it 5
andlettheequitieofiteftablifli your hearts to
ht per ftp with God, that he onely is able to make
your Hues comfortable or vncomfortable. Put
the cafe, a man hath a great addition to his e-
ftate.-putthe cafe he hath much credit, ande-
ftecme among men x put the cafe, he haue the fa-
vour of Princes 5 that are moll able and powerfull
among men : if the creature be able alone, to doc
neither good nor hurt, they (hall not make the
lead addition to his happinefle \ and if it bee fo,
why fhould we cftecme it fo much? if on thecon
traryfide, it turne againft vs, it lhall not doc vs
the leaft hurt.

Should not this free vs,frora fearefull perplexi-
ties,from vainc hopes, and vaine feares i Should
itnotkeepe our hems perfeff with God, if wee
were thus perfwaded ! for, what are all the crea-
turescare they not like fervants in the great hou fe
of the world 5 and we as children^and the fervants
are all at the Matters command, to doe whatfoe-
ver he hath appointed : if we want any thing, hee
can appoint them to provide for vsjthere is not a-
ny creature in heaven or earth,that ftirreth with-
out a command,without a warrant from the Ma-
tter of the houfe : if he doe command them, they
goe:theyare ready and nimble to doe vsany fer-
vice:this is the nature of all the creatures we haue
to doe with. Thinke with your felues then, it is
no great matter for them ; if the Mafter of the

F houfe

^Simile.

The creatures
Godsfervsnt*
at his com*

O D $

loci ft.

The Creature
cannot helpe
to eternal!
happincs.

They helpe
bminp*rti«
cular cafes*

houfc be our friend,they arc all at his command •,
you know thofe mcane creatures ,the Caterpillers :
arc they not all the Lords hoft,that goe and come
as he bids them, as loci 2 ? So the meaneft crea-
turcs,the fire, and the ayre, and whatfoever they
are,they are all at the Lords commanded there-
fore thinke not,that the creature is able to doe a-
ny thing for vs.

There are but two things that we need in, one
irour everlafting happinefle $ the other is for the
things of this life : for the firft,there the Creature
by fruition of it felfe, is able to do nothing,there
it is wholly excluded,for it is inferiour to vs.Be-
fides,there is a curfe vpon the creature,there is an
emptinefTc in it : befides,^ is vnder the Stmne, and
therefore it cannot helpe to the happines, that is
aboue the Sunne.Thefc arguments you (hall find
in £^/*/k*/^.Befides,itis tcmporall,whereas we
muft haue an eternall happines,for our foules are
eternall,and therefore,for eternall happines : for
the chick good of man,the creature is nothing at
all, it helpeth but in particulars.

Take credit, it doch but helpe againft ignomi-
ny and obfeuritie : learning doth but helpe a-
gainft ignorance : health is but a remedie againft
ficknefl>v anddiitemperofbodie: riches are but
an helpe againft povertie : and fo goe over all
the creatures in the world. But the Lord is vni-
veifallygood, he giuesvs all things, and there-
fore jW//0tt/>^^ hegiues vs
all things to enjoy : that is, hee fills the foule of
man every way, not Beloved, that fimply an infi-
nite^

All-syfficiency.

nice objedt is neccfTary,as it is vfually vndcrftood
( I fee no ground for that ) I fee it not neceffary,
that a finite facultie, fhould haue an infinite ob-
ject, if that which is proportionable be enough - 3
but this I affirme, withal!, that vnleffe G$d were
infinitc,he could not fatisfie the foule of man,for
this is the nature of the foule, if it finde a bottom
in any particular, it paffeth over that,and hafteth
after more, and,therefore, in all particular Crea-
tures ( you fee ) when we haue had once triall of
them, when we haue had the enjoying and pof-
feffing of them, we leaue them and feek after that
which we want.Now the zWgiues vs fatisfa£ti-
on,becaufe the contentment,the happineffe, that
we haue from him, is without a bottome, it is
without limits, that, when wc haue had never fo
much,ftill there is more to be found in him ; and
hence it is in regard of that vniverfallity that is in
him,hc hath all things in him, he is All-fufficient,
and, in regard of the latitude,for when we enjoy
never fo much, ftill there is more behinde him,
and therefore he onely hath to do in that bu fines,
in making vs eternally happie, in giving vs that
fummumb$mm.

For the fecond, the helpe that the Creature
giues for the things that belong to this life;there,
I confefie, the Creature hath fomewhat to doe,
but it doth it as an inftrument, and if it doth all
as an inftrument, then the creature doth nothing
in a manner -wee tbankenot the hand, but the
minde within that moues the hand to doe a good
turne,much leffe doe we thanke a dead,inanima tc

F 2 in-

No finite
thing, can
fatisfie the
Soulc.

The creatures
Gods inftr u.

ments.

Smilf.

O » G

O D 8

inftrument. Let vslookcvpon every Creature,
and every man as Gods inftrument,when any man
doth you a kindnefTe, when any man doth you a
fauour, or doth you good, fay as the Scripture
phrafe is ; The Lord hath given mee favour in his
fight^heprredvf hisfpirit. And fo^when he doth
vs hurt, fay fuch a man is but a meere vi*ll>*x\ in-
ftrumenr, whereby the Lord hath powred out
fome part of his difpleafure vpon me. This will
caufc your eye to be vpo the Z<vv/altogetber 5
you will over-looke men, not regarding
preferment, or advancement by
them ; nor the contrary 3
for in all thefe things
they are but In-
ftruments.

So much for this time.

F / &qj s.

LL-ITFFICIENCY.

THE

SECOND

SERMON.

G E N E S I S I7. I.

I amCjO'D ddll-fujfieient.

He fccond do&rinc that we haue
delivered out of thefe words,
and are now toinfift vpon,was,
that

Cod is Almightic, or ksM-
fnjficitnt.

I put them both together jfor,the word,in the
original! fignifieth as much, El-Jhaddai, £/ figni-
fieth the ftrong, the mightieGW, and Shaddai,
properly fignifieth,^//-/»//foV/# j when one hath
all in his owne compa(Te,that he needcth not goc
out to fetch in, or borrow any commoditie, any
comfort, or any advancement, oranycxceflen-
cie from any other ; and,theref orc,that is the fit-
ted tranflation^ and moft agreeable to the word,

V 3 in

1J8

O i G

O D 8

Two things
eon&Jcrable

ThatGodii
in himfelfe*

Difference be-
tween the M»
fofftcientie in
GU, and that
which is in the
iCreature,

in thcoriginall^Z/V^^^^Cthough fometran-
flations haue it, the K^ilmightie) and, this is a
poynt that will well fute with the prefent occafi-
on of the Sacramet,ioxj& I told you thefe words
containc the Covenant on both fides, fayrh the
Lord, this is the covenant that I will make on my
part, / will be thy God 5 and I will tell you what a
God I will be vnto you, I will be a God All-fuffici-
ent. That is ; you ftiall haue all things in me that
your hearts can defire.The Covenant, againe,that
I require on your part,is,that you beperfetf with
me, that you be vprigbt, that you be without hy-
focrifietfot fo the word fignifieth in the originall,
that the heart be fingle, fo that though a man be
fubje<a to infirmities,yet,if he haue a fingle heart
an vpright heart, the Zm/accepts it * and there-
fore, when you are to take the feale of the Cove-
nant, how can you be better exercifed, and pre-
pared for the worke, than by confidering the Co-
venant it felfe i that is the poynt then, that God is
\^4lmightie,ot All-fufficient, wherein two things
arc to be confidered •

Firft, that the Lord is fo in himfelfe.
Secondly ,that he is fo in every one of his chil-
dren.

Firft,Iwillfhewthatheisfo in himfelfe $ for
except he haue an All-fujficiencie in himfelfe, hee
cannot communicate it to another.Though this
be a point that we all beleeue, yet the opening of
it will not be vnprofitable to y ou,and,therefore,
you muft know that he is AlLfnffkient, not one-
ly as the creature may be AUJfufficient: for there

J All- SUFFICIENCY.

lis this difference bctweene him and the Crea-
! ture.

I The Angels and bleficd men, and other Crea-
tures, they,in their kinde, may haue an AlLfuffi-
j ciencie, but it is fuch an All-fufficiencie as belongs
to them, in fuch a fpheare,and fuch an order,and
meafure : as the Creature,that hath all things be-
longing to the life that it leads, it hath an All-fuf-
ficiencie futabletoit felfe: abeaft, that hath all
things belonging to the life of a beaft, hath an
I All-fufficieney fit for it,and fo hath every creature
jelfe, when G&d will make it happie, but the All-
\fuff identic that isinCW, is different from it in
this 3 that he hath a fimple All-fajficiency. That is .
Take all things that you can poffibly take, take
them all without coraparifon, take them with-
out all limits, and fo he is All Efficient , that is
one difference.

The fecond difference is this $ that the creature
though it haue an All-fnfficieney within its owne
compaffe, yet,that which it hath it cannot com-
municate to another. The Angels that are bleffed
themfelues, they cannot make others fo. A man
that hath excellent gifts and graces himfelfe 5 hee
cannof convey them to another, but that is the
propertieofGW, that is peculiar to him alone,
that he can make another AlLfujficient^ he can
caufe another to partake of that All-f&jfxienae
j that is in himfelferthis is the difference betweene
| GWand the creature.Now,to make it evident to
| you that he is All-fajfkieM, you Hull know it by
this.

Firft,

Difference, it
is limited in
the creature.

It is incom-
municable.

O D $

Reaf.i.
God is with*
oucmixturct

iloh.l.

Reaf. 2.

He is without

cowpofition.

Reaf^.
He is without
number.

Firft,in that he is moft fimple, without all mix-
ture, as we fay 5 that is, per felt : fox perfection and
^All-fufficiency are all one • Perfc&ion is that,
whereby a thing is made vp, fo that there be no-
thing wanting in it; firft,thcref ore,he is perfeli,in
that he is without all mixture,we fay, that is per-
fe& gold,that hath no mixture of drofTe in itjthat J
is perfe<3 wine,that hath no mixture of any thing
befides • and in that the Lord is fimple and moft
pure of eiTence, it muft needs be that he \%All-
Efficient y that he is mott perfect, as it is i lohn r.
He is light y&ndthere is m durkneffe in him. That is .
There is no mixture of any thing in him.

Secondly. As he is without mixture, fo he is
without compofition,wherefoever there is com-
pofition ( as there is in every Creature ) there is
fome imperfedion:for,where there is compofiti-
on, there are parts, and wherefocver there are
parts, there muft needs be imperfe&ion : for the
part wants fomething of the whole ^ but in the
Lerd there are no parts, he is without compofiti-
on^and therefore he muft needs be moft per f eft,
and moft abfolute, and All-fttffkient in him-
fclfe.

Thirdly. As he is without compofirion, fo he
is without number :for all number,and all multi-
plying, arifeth from imperfe&ion : for if one
would fcrue the turne,what needed more i And,
therefore, he being one, (imply one, muft needs
be^dll'fftfficient, for there is no multiplying in
him,and,thcrefore,therc is no figne of imperfec-
tion.

Fourth-/

All-ivfficiency,

Fourthly. As he is without number, fo he is
without any paffiue power. If he had any paffiue
power in him, ( as every creature hath, ) he were
capable of receiving fomething that he hath not,
but the iWis not To much as capable of it 5 for
if there be no receptiue power, no paffiue power
in him, it is impoffible that any more fhould be
put,or infufed into him,or imprinted,or ftamped
in him, then is in him alreadie. And, therefore,
he is all in a&. There is nothing in poffibilitie in
God.

Fiftly . He is &vr*.ijH>h ( I finde no word to ex-
prefTe it fo well,) that is,whatfocver he i6,he is it
of himfelfe, whatsoever the creature is, it is bor-
rowed, all the excellencie that it hath is borrow-
ed, and derived,and is a participated excellencie,
and therefore there is imperfe&ion: for al way
when one hath any thing from another, there is
an indigence, in the thing, of it felfe, there is a
want : if a man haue enough at home, he will not
goe out to borrow,Now>thc Lord whatfoever he
hath,he hath it of himfelfe,and therfore,in ler. 2 .
hecals himfelfe, % firing of living water, whereas
all the creatures in the world are as Pits, and Ci-
(terns. That is.Such as haue it borrowed, he hath
it of himfelfe, and therefore he is Alifufficient ,
which no Creature is.

Laftly . He is without all caufes, and is himfelfe
the caufe of all things, Rom. 11.36. And what hajl
thou that thou haft not received ? This may be faid
of every creature : and if God haue given to every
creature all that is in it, thatthere is no excellen

G cie,

Reaf. 4,
He is without
pafliic power

Reaf,$.
His excellen-
cy is of him-
felfe.

Ier. 2,

Reaf. 6.

He is without
any caufe.

Simile.

That God is
AU-fufficient)

tO YS.

Which con-
fifts in two
things.
Gen. i j.

To keepers
from evill.

Of Gods

cie,no happinefte,no gift, no comfort,no bleifing
that any Creature hath, but it is from the Lord,
then he himfelfe muft needs haue it in a greater
meafure. As the fire, that makes any thing hot ^
muft needs be hotter it felfe, and thcJSume that
enlightens other things, muft needs be more full
of light it felfe 5 fo is the Lord, fince all that is in
the creature, is taken from him,he himfelfe muft
needs haue an ^4lU(upciency^ he muft be full of
all things, and this fhall be enough to fhew you
that the Lord is in himfelfe All-faff icient.

Now that he is fo tq. vs.Firft we will fhew you
wherein this AlUfafficiency confifts to vs ; then we
will make that goockhat he is to every one of his
childre All-fnffkient. His All-fufficiency towards
vs, confifts in thefetwo things, as you fhall fee
Gen. 15. Feare not Abraham, I mil be thy Buckler,
and thy exceeding great reward.

Firft,in that he is a Buckler, to keepe vs from all
evill, that is one part of his AlUfafficiency, which
he communicates to vs, that he will fuffer no e-
vill to come neare vs, he is a Buckler that com-
pafTeth vs round about : that fpecch is delivered
vpon this occafion, when Abraham had gone out
to warre againft thofe Kings that came out a-
gainft Sodom, the Lord delivered him, and af-
ter this deliverance he tels him, Abraham, fay th
he, as I haue dealt with thee at this time,fo feare
not, when t'hou fallcft into the like diftreffe : for,
lam thy Buckler, I will defend thee from all evill,
as I haue done from :his.Now,he is fuch a Buck-
ler,that no creature can peircc through,he is fuch

a Buck-

All-svfficiency.

Filling vs with
all good.
Pfal> 84.

a Buckler as covers vs over, he is a wall of Braffe,

as it is expreffed in Icr. 1 . 1 8 .and not fo onely ^but j Ier# '♦ ' 8

he is faydtobe 4 wall of fire about his children.

That is. He is not onely a wall that keepes them

fafe, butawalloffiretoconfume all them that

come againft them.-for a fire, you know,doth not

onely defend thofe that are within the campaffe

of it,but it burnes thofe that come neare it : Such

a one is GWto his children; And this is one thing

wherein his AlLfnfficiency confifls>that cWcom-

ftmnicatestothem.

The fecond is, in filling them with all comfort,
which is expreffed in Pfal. 84. The Lord will be a
Sunne,k»d a Shield •> he will be a shield to keepe off
cvill, and a Sunne, to fill them with all comfort.
lam ( fayth he) thy exceeding great reward. As if
he fhould fay, Abraham, whatfoever is in me,all
that I haue 3 al my attributes are thine,for thy vfe 5
my power, my wifdome,my counfell 5 my good-
ncffe,my riches,whatfoeverismine in the whole
world,I will giue it for thy portion,I and all that
I haue are thine. And might he not well fay, hce
was an exceeding great reward ? Who can vnder-
ftand the height, and breadth, and length, and
depth of this reward, lam thy exceeding great re-
ward? Thatis.Thou fhalt haue all kinde of com-
fort in me, & thou fhalt haue them in the higheft
and greateft meafure.And in thefedoth Cods All.
Efficiency confift,that excommunicates and de-
riues to vs from himfclfe.
Now to fhew that he is fo,you muft vnderftand
not onely that the Lord is wholly All-fuffcient to

G 2 his

O f G

O D 8

There is no
fufficiencie in
the Creature.

The Creature
can doe no*

thing of it
relre,tomake
ys happie.
Becaufe
1
It is inferior
to vs.

his children on the one fide/That is. He brings all
comforts with him, but this muft alfo be vnder-
ftood,that in the creature,on the other fide,there ,
is no fufficiency at all. It was the point I began to |
touch vpon the laft day j I will now open it vnto
you more fully.

That in the Creature there is no fnjficiencie at all,
And in the Lord there is all Efficiency .

We will not dif-joync them, but handle both
together^ ( for it would be invaine for mee to
proue the Lord is All-fnfficient ,) but the great de-
ceit, which prevailes with the hearts of men> is
this,that they thinke there is fomething to be had
in the creature of it felfe. And,therefore,we will
fpend thofe Arguments by which we will proue
this chiefly and convince you of it, that there is
nothing in the Creature, no ftabilitic, no fuffici-
encie,it can doe you,of it felfe, neither good,nor
hurt, as we told you the laft day. All the good
and hurt that the creature can be fuppofed to do,
it (lands in one of thefe two things. Either in ma-
king vs happie, or miferable $ Or elfe, fecondly,
in affording vs fubfidiary helpes/uch as wehaue
neede of, vpon occafion. In neither of them the
Creature of it felfe,is able to doe any thing. You
muft remember ( that which we then delivered )
that the Creature is not able to doc any thing in
the matter of our happine/Te.

Firft.Becnufe it is inferior to vs,and that which
is inferior cannot addc to that which is aboue it.

Secondly, 1

All-svfficiency.

I Secondly. Becaufethe Creature is accurfed .
i there is a curie lies vpon the Great ure,t here is an
emptineifc,and a vanitie in it, and that which is
emptic in it feife, can giue no fulneffe to vs.

Thirdly. The Creature is vnder the Strnne, and

therefore you haue that phrafe fo often repeated

\t\EcelefiafltSy All things vnder the Same, areva-

mtie and vexation of ftirit. Now the happineffe

jthatwefeekeforisabouetheSunne, which the

I Creature is not able to reach.

Fourthly. The Creature is corporall, the mind
is fpirituall, it is a fpirit, and therefore it can re-
ceiueno happineffe from intherefore in Heb. 12.
we are fayd to goe to the (pirits off erf eB men, as
if that were a futable converfe for a fpirit.

Fiftly.It is temporary, whereas the foule is im-
mortally it is not able to run the courfe with it to
itsjourneycsend 3 but itleaues it in the middle
way.and therfore it is not able to make it happy.
Be/Ides. As I tolde you then the Creature is
finite, and therefore it is not able to fill the foule-,
God is infinite, and therefore is able to doe it.
That no Creature can doe it, we fee in continuall
experience. Take any comfort that you findein
the Creature,and,when you haue enjoyed it, ftill
you wantfomewhat, and you would haue more :
But when you come vnto the Lord, & enjoy him,
when your hearts are filled>ftill there is fomwhat
j beyond in him, there is no flop, there is no re- j
! ftraint. And, therefore, heonely can make the ;
foule happy .Now the ground of it,why he is on- j
I ly able to doe it, is, becaufe the foule is made for

G 3 him,

It is accurfed.

It is rnder

the Sunne.

4
It is corporal.
Heb si.»£.

It ii tempo-
rary.

It is finite.

4<£

Why nothing
canfatufiethe
foulcbutGwrf.

O f G

O D $

Ssffi*

Anfa.
Thecreaturc
is not able to
doers good,
or hurt.
Ier.io. 5.

God altereth

no law of na-
ture.

him, the fouleis fitted for him, and therefore
there is nothing els anfwerable,there is that con-
ftkution of the minde, that it will not be filled,
with any thing befides.The Lord might haue put
the minde into fuch a frame, hec might haue fo
conftituted the foule of man, that the Creature
might haue filled it,and fatisficd it,& haue becne
an adequate ob jed to it,but he hath not done for
for he made it for himfelfe, and therefore, it is
not filled but with himfelfe. So much for that,
that the creature in the matter of happines is able
to doe nothing.

But you will fay to me^This is a thing of which
we make no doubt $But what doe you fay for or-
dinary vfes, and for the viciffitudes of this life^
is not the creature,in thefe, able to doe good and
hurt tf

Beloved^ I faid to you the laft day,the Crea-
ture is not able,confidered without the influence
of the firft moover, to doe you the leaft good,or
hurtjas the words are Icr. 1 o . 5 . fpeaking oflMs,
they can do neither good, nor hurt ,and therefore feare
them not. As if he fhould fay $ If they could doe
you ,either good, or hurt,y ou might fearc them,
anditiscertaine, if any Creature were able, in
manner aforefaid, to doc you any good,or hurt,
you might feare the creature : for, God 'alters no
Law of nature, that which is in it felfe to be fea-
red, we may feare, that which is to be obferved
and regarded,wemay regard it.Now 5 ifany crea-
ture were able to doe good, or hurt, certainely,
it were to be feared in regard of the hurt it could

doe 5

LL-8VFFICIENCY.

doe,and to be regarded and obferved in regard of
the good it could doe. Then againe, the Law of
the Zm/ fliould be vnequal,if the Zm/ fliould re-
quire all worfbip,that the intention of the minde
be wholly taken vp about him,& that we fliould
hauc an eye to the Creature, if the Creature had
any felfe,part with him in doing vs good or hurt;
for, if the Creature could doe vs hurt,we fliould
not onely looke to Ged, that he fliould be a Buck-
kr,hut we fliould hauc an eye vpon the creature.
If a man fliould fay, I will be a defence to you,
I will keepe you fafe;but I cannot doc it wholly,
fuch a one ftands by , that may reach you a blow,
from which I cannot defend you -,In nature and
rcafon, a m3n will haue an eye to that man too,
and fo wc would to the creature,if it were able to
hurt vs : And fo, likewife,for good, the Lordtt-
ftraines not that,nor fay th,y ou (hall haue a parti-
all happines,you fliall haue no more the is in m£,
though there might be fomethingbefidesinthe
Creature^but he fuifers our foules to be at full li-
bcrtie, to feekc their happines to the vtmoft,and 3
therefore, if the Creature did addc the leaft drop
of happines,or if the leaft beame of happines did
fpring from the Creature, certainly, you might
hauc an eye vpon it, you might fo farre worfhip
it and regard it : but it is wholly from the Lord :
therefore, fayth he, let your heart be onely fixed
vpon mee, let your eye be onely towards mc,let
your affe&rons betaken vp about nothing but
me,you flial fpend all the ftrength of your foules
in obeying mee, and keeping my Commande-

G 4 ments;

Gods com-
mand of fce-
king vnto him
isequall.

Simile.

O f G

O D S

The creature
is fully at
Gods difpo-
fing.
Stnwt*

Men are G*ds
inftrnments
Itodovsgood
! and hurt.

mentsrfor there is none in the world that is able
to doe you good, or hurt but my felfe. Now, to
make this good to y ou,I wil propound but thefe
two things. Firft. That all the Creatures are ab-
folutely at his difpofing.Secondly. That when he
hath difpofed of them, when he hath diftributed
them to vs to afford vs comfort, yet they cannot
a&ually comfort vs, without a fpeciall hand of
his.Thofe two,bcing fully opened,wil make this
poyntgoodtoyou, that the Creature is able to
doe you neither good nor hurt.
Firft,I fay,the Creature is fully at his difpofing 5
that is, all the Creatures in this world ( let a man
caft his eye vpon the whole vniverfe) they are all
but as fo many fervants, which arc in the Lords
houfe, prepared to waite vpon his children, to
convey fuch comforts to them, as he hath ap-
pointed them, fo that there is not one creature in
heaven or earth, ftirres it felfe to do you the leaft
good,but when the Xpr^commands it,and faith,
Goe, comfort fuch a man, goe, refrefli him, doe
him good ; it ftirres not without a warrant, and
without a fpeciall comand from him. The bread
and meate, which you eate, nourifli you not, ex-
cept he fay, goe,and nourifh fuch a man -the fire
warmes you notjand fo of all the Creatures elfc.
Againe,when he doth command them, they doe
it, and they doe it fully.

So all thegoodnefle that wee participate of,
both by good and evill men,all is from the Lord h
either it is from his mercie, or from his provi-
dence- therefore we fhould learne to fan&ifie the

Lard 7

LL-SVFFICIHNCY

Lord, both in our hearts 5 and in our fpecches 5 nor
by faying I haue gotten me favour and friend fhip
of fuch a man, but, the Scriptures expreffion is 3
the Lord hath given me favour in fuch a mans eyes.
So,againe,not by faying I haue procured the ha-
tred of fuch a man againft mc, but fay, the Lord
ftirred vp fuch a mans fpirit againft me 3 and fo
not by faying I haue gotten fuch and fuch things,
but as Jacob ,the Lord of his goodies hath given mee
allthis, not Laban } not my owne labour s if,in any
cnterprife you haue fucceffe,fay not,I haue done
it,but fay as Abrahams fervant faydjhe Lord hath
frofperedmy Tourney .That is.The Lorddoih all in
all,it is he that commands all,it is he that difpo-
feth ali,I fay, that we fhould fan<3ifie the Lord in
our fpeeches, this is the language of the Scrip-
tures jBut,chiefly we (hould fan fiifie him in our
hearts, .That is.Thus we fhould conceiue of him,
and thus we fhould thinke of every Creature j
it will not be vnprofitable,if we draw this a little
neerer into particulars. That all the Creatures
are foat his difpofing, that they ftirre not a jot,
but at his command^ you fhall fee in Ecclef.^tht
generall there fet downe $ J know that whatfoever
God fhall doe, it (hall be forever, to it can no man
adde, nor from it can nomandimimjb, for God hath
done it that men fhould feare before him. (Markc)
I know that what foever God fhall doe, it fhall be for
ever. That isrthe creature cannot alter any courfe
that God hath fet, neither at this time, nor at any
other time, but it fhall run in a conftant courfe,
likeaftrongftreame that cannot be refifted 5 it

fhall

Wc /hcuJdfcc
God in the
good and cvill
men doe ys*

EccIeCj.14.

O D S

The nils of
men guided
by God,

Provao %6,

(hall be for ever, to itfball no man addend from it
can no man diminifh. That is. The creature cannot
onely doe no fubftantiall adtion, but, when the
Lord hath done anything, the Creature cannot
adde the leaft thing to it, and as it cannot adde,
fo it cannot diminifh, nor take away the leaft
thing from any blefling that he beftowcth, nor a-
ny evill that he will doe, the creature addes not a
jottothatevill,tothatcro(Te, to that affli&ion,
nor the creature mittigates notthecroffe in the
leaft degree, though you thinkcit doth : But that
wefhall anfwer afterward.But why is this t This
(fayth he) the Lord hath done, that menjhould feare
before him. As if hee fhould fay j they would not
feare me, but they would feare the creature, and
J looke to the creature, if it were able to adde any
1 thing, or to detract any thing, either to or from
any blefling, or comfort, that we haue, or to or
from any evill, or any crofle that lyes vpon vs.
Now,that it is fo,that the creature is thus guided
and difpofed by him, that it is able to do nothing
without him,we will not inftance in the vnreafo-
nable creatures, w^ 1 you all beleeue well enough
to be at his command, but wee will inftance in
thofe that fceme to beat the greatcft libertic: that
is the wils and vnderftandings of men - certaine-
ly if there be any liberty in the creature it is there,
the will of man is fo free a thing, the devifes of a
mans heart, his turning of himfelfe this way or
that way, who can fet any Rules to it * But in this
the Ztf/v/guidesall : take it in other mens hearts.
Pro, 29. Every wan feekes the face rftke Rtder, but

his\

An*-t

YFFICIBNCY.

his Judgement is from the Zm/.That ismien are de-
ccivcd in this,if they thinke the Ruler,as of him-
fclfc, can doe any thing 3 though he feeme to haue
much power and abilitie,to doe fome good, and
hurt to men,if any elfe can ; therefore, (fay th he)
menfeeke his face, but, he is not able to doe any
thing, but what the Lord di&ates to him, or per-
mits him,what he prefcribes to him to doe,what
he fay th he fhall doe, juft fo farrc he goes and no
farther •, for the whole judgement that a man
hath, it is from him, it is from the Lord* That is.
All the good and evill that he doth, that mind of
his,from whence it proceedeth, is guided and fa-
fhioned by the Lord^on every particular occa-
fion, whenfoever he hath to doe with vs, or wee
with him:but that is for men that are without vs,
for other men.

But, now, for a mans felfe : there is the fame
rcafon, indeed, of the one as there is of the other,
butmanthinkes he hath libertie, he thinkeshe
can goe to fuch a place, or not goe ; he can doe
fuchathing, or not doe it 3 it is very true, and
therefore the AlUmightie power of God is feene
herein, which wee are not able to comprehend,
that when there is fuch a libertie in the foule, in
the will of man, in the devices and thoughts of a
mans heart, yet that they fhould be all fo guided
by him,that there is not theleafl: ftirring of them
this way or that way, without his ordering and
concurrence; even, as you fee, Birds flying,they
feeme to flie at libertie,yet that all fliould be gui-
ded and ordered by an over-ruling hand • Such

are

Gods power
in guiding vs
in our libertie,

Nete.

O D S

Mans ievifes
ruled by G«b
purpofc.

Prov.2^4*«<

PfOV.I&I<

are the wiles of men, & that you (hall fee in thefe
particulars j when a man thinkes with himfelfe,
he confults with himfelfe about a thing that lyes
before him, that is in his owne power to doe, or
not to doe, in this, fayth the Text, Prov. i^. 21.
Many devices are in a mans heart, but the cotmfels of
the Lord fialljland. That is.Though there be fuch
varietie of devices, that he is able to caft things
this way or that way, and to reafon to and fro,
and to thinke with himfelfe, I can doe this, and I
can doe the contrary, yet, fayth he, lookewhat
thezWbyhiscounfell, will hauethat man to
refolue vpon, looke what iflue he hath put to his
deliberations, that counfell (hall ftand, and all
thofe devices (hall be guided and ruled by it,and
notgoeftepoutofit.

Come now to the counfels of a mans heart,
when a man hath thought this with himfelfe, I
j will fpeake or vtter this,or a<5l that,as he hath re-
folved to do,y 011 would think this man hath po-
wer to doe it. Prov .16. There are preparations in a
mans heart, but the an fiver of the mouth is from the
Lord. That is. Even when it is fo neerc, that you
thinke, there is nothing that can come betweene
that a man hath refolved with himfelfc,and fayth
this will I doe,or this will I fpeake, faith the Lord
notwithftanding, this preparation, though you
haue made all thefe ready,thatnowit is vpon the
very poynt,on the aft of executio, yet now,faith
he, the anfwer (hall be given, as I thinke meete :
and that which is fay d of anfvvering, may be ap-
plyed to all kindes of anions when a man hath

thought

A I» L - S V F F I C I I N C Y.

thought with himfelfe, and hath made his heart
I readic, that all the wheeles of his foule arcgui-
( ded, and turned, andcotnpofed to effed fucha,
I bufineffe, yet the Lord comes betweene the cup
and the lip, betweene the preparation and the
execution, and he doth but that which the Lord
would haue done* Thus it is in others, and this
vfe you may make of it by the way ; take a man
that is full of good thoughts towards you, the
Lord cm turne it in an inftant ; take a man that is
full of evil devices towards y ou,if the Lords cou-
fel be other wife,that fhall ftand.Put the cafe that
the Zm/fufFcr him to goe fo farre as to refolue to
fay,I will doe fome hurt,or I wil doefome good
to fuch a man, yet this preparation of the heart
fhall not ftand,vnlefle it be the fame that the Lord
hath appointed • that fhall be fpoken, & that fhall
be a&ed • and therefore, you fhall fee what con-
clufton is gathered vpon it, />/•<?. 20. 2 4. fay th the
wife man there, Thefleps of a man are ruled by the
Lord, bow can then a man vnderfland his owne way ?
That is. A man in the morning, when herifeth,
and thinkes with himfelfe.this and this will I doe
fay th he,deceiue not thy felfe,thy fteppes arc ru-
led by the Lerd, thou takeft not a fteppe into any
a&ion, thou takeft not a fteppe into any good or
evill to thy felft ,thou takeft not a fteppe into pro-
fperitie or adverfitie, bur it is ruled, and over- ru-
led by the Lord, fo that a man cannot vnderftand
his owne way. That is. He cannot fay this, and
thiswillIdoe,butlikethatinD^.5.23.^/>»^/
thou not feared } in rvhofe hands is thy life, and all thy \
_ wayts* I

Gods Coun-
cil (hal ftand.

Ptov.10.24.

Dan.$,*;,

All Creatures
Gods Armies.

I&y+o, t6 4

O D S

rvayes. That is. Every thing that thou doeft, e-
very fteppe that thou takeft, every thing that
befalsthee. This (hall be enough to fhevv you,
that man in his anions is at the difpofing of the
Lord.

As for other creatures,if you will hauea proofe
for it, to make it evident to you, that no creature
ftirres without him, cofider that in Efa.qo.fpzz-
king there ofy armies of the Lord, they are called
y armies of the Lord, becaufe every creature is like
a Souldier that ftands vnder his Generall, readie
to goe, readie to doe, and to execute whatfoever
he commands.In the 1 6. Verfe, Lift vp thine eyes
on high 3 and behold who hsith created thefe things-^
he brings out their Armies by number ,andcals them
all by their names , by the greatneffe of his power, and
his mighty ftrength nothing failes. This is the thing
I would haue you obferue out of this place, that
they are all Cods armies. Now an army confifts of
many particulars^take all the creatures vnder the
cope of heaven, they are not fingle, you know,
there are multitudes of them, there are many
Beafts 3 many Fowles,many Fiflies,faith the Lord
here,I cal them every one by their name.That is.
He knowes every one of them,notwithftanding 5
that infinite number of them, he knowes them
every onc:even as a Mafter knowes every fervant
inhishoufe, and can call them by their names )
So,faith he, every particular creature he knowes
by name.lt is a comfortable confederation, when
ycu cofider that there is not one of thefe 5 but the
Z^knowes them by name, and they are his In-

ftruments

All-svfficiency.

j /humerus to doe either good or hurt, asitplea-
j feth him; the fleepethat you take^the meate that
I you eate 3 the comforts that you haue,whatfcever
is done by any creature,all comforts come from
him : but this is enough for that.But,that where-
in there feems to be the greateft liberty, the grea-
teft varietie,the greateft changeablenes,the minds
of men, we fee alfo are difpofed by him . That is
the firft thing we are to fhew, to make this good,
that the creature can neither doe good nor evill ;
becaufe though it doe both(for that there is fuch
a thing experience fhewes, that the creature doth
good and hurt, and every creature fometimes
comforts, and fometimes hurts and grieues, but
that is at Gods difpofing ) and fince it is an Inftru-
ment, and is in the hands of the Lord^ as an Axe,
or a Sword, or a Staffe, and is not vfed, except it
be at his difpofing • it appeares, that it is perfect-
ly and abfolutely fubjeft to the dominion of
God.

But,now,when the Lord^hath fent fuch a crea- Thc
turetothee, and thou haft it before thee ( that is though » be
the fecond thing ) it is not able to comfort, nor ! JJjkjj* can -
hurt thee,without him. Put the cafe,the creature j hurtof itfcUe,
be pregnant full of comfort, yet it is not able to
giue downethat milke of comfort that is in it,
except the Lord educe and bring it forth, except-
the Lord apply it in particular to thee. And
the fame I may fay of any hurtfull creature 5 be
it never fo pregnant with evill, be it never fo
full of it, yet, it is not able toexercife it, it is
not able to aft that hurt it hath, except the Lord

bring

Comfort ari-
feth from a
firnefleofthe
mindetothe
condition.

Nete.

O D S

bring it forth,cxccpt the Lordkx. it a- worke, and
vfe it for fuch a purpofe : as an Axe if it be never
fo fharpe, yet, if the Carpenter doe not vfe it to
cut fuch aTree,to lop fuch a branch,it is notable
to doe it.

Now the ground of it, why the creature is not
able to doe this, is from hence, that all the com-
fort that arifeth from the crcature,proceeds from
that futablcncfle and that agreeablcnefle which is
betweene the mind and it. That is- when the blef-
fing and the minde are fitted one to another, as
the fword to the fheath,or as the meate to the pa-
late, then the creature comforts , but if there be
an vnfutablene(fe,a difagreement, a difproporti-
on 3 betweene the Creature and the minde, now
thou rcceiveft no comfort from it : for what is it
to thee?for comfort lyes not fimply in any thing:

1 but that is comfortable that agreech with the ap-
petite, and the defire of a man. Whatfoever it is,
let the defire be what it will, if that which thou
haft,fuite with thy defire,it is comfortable, when

| amansheartisfad,luchadlionsasare fu tabic to

! that difpoficion,are pleafant^weeping is pleafant,
and complaints are pleafant ; mufique grieues,
becaufe that is not futable to the prefent difpofi-
tion. And fo in every thing elfe. It is no matter

; what thy condition is, but what futableneffe and
agreeableneffe is betweene thy minde and thy

1 condition^ thou be in never fo good condition,
yet except (J^-Zmake that and thy mind to agree,

j thou (halt receiue no comfort from it , if a man
be in meane condition, if he be in prifon, if he be

All-svfficiency.

if in the lo weft eftate,if he be in bondage, if he be
in exile, whatfoeverheis, if the ZWmake but
that condition and his minde to agree, it will be
comfortable enough, And , therefore , hence
comes thedifcomfort that is in the Creatures,
when a man hath them,and enjoyes them^it may
be, thofe things which thou haft, are fuch as fute
not with thee, fomewhat there is that thou af-
fc&eft, fomething that thou defireft, that thou
haft not, and that thou canft not gee.
As,for inftance,//^^^ had an eftate ful ofcom-
fort,and of all kind of bleflings,yet there was not
a futablenes between his mind & that eftate, one
thing came betweene, M&rdecai fate in the Gate,
and, therefore,this availed him nothing. That is.
Though there were all this together, yet fince
there was not aconjun<3ion of the facultie and
oftheobjeft, this availed him nothing. Why?
becaufe it was not futable to his defire,there was
fomething that he would haue,that his affc&ions
and appetite were fet on,that if he had, he fhould
be well. And therefore, faythhe, all this avayles
menothmg, that is hrsexpreffion. So Amnon, he
was the Kings fon,and had all things that a Kings
fonne might haue, yet all this was not hing,there
was fomething els, that his heart was fet on^that
he had not .Many the like inftances I might giue,
but I ncede not. Therefore, I fay,whcn the Lord
puts an vnfutablenes between thy minde and the
comforts that thou haft, and fuffers thee to haue
an inordinate appetite; as women which haue
good meate to eate, yet fometime doe long after

H allies.

Inftitnces.
Hcftcry. i$.

Simile,

O D •

Inordinate
dcGres make
the life vn-

comfortable.

Theappre-
henfion of the
fnind,maketh
happie cr mi-
serable.

PC j j. I $.14.

aflics and coales, and fuch things • fa when God
giuesa man an eftarc> when hee compaffcth him
abenit with mercies and bteflings on all fides, yet
if he fuflfer fuch an inordinate appetite to take
hold of him, to defire fome odde thing,fome by-
thing that poifeflfeth hisfoule, he may haue the
bieffing,and haue it prcfenc with him, and yet re-
ceiue no comfort from it at all. Now,all this Be-
loved, tends to this purpofe, that you may know
that it is the Lord that giues all good & evil,both
in that the creature is at his difpofing that.doth it,
and,not fo onely, but the efficacy of the creature
(to exercife fuch an z€t of good or evilko vs,that
we fhould receiue a&uall comfort or difcomfort
from it) it is from him, and all 3 1 fay,chicfly ari-
fcth from that dominion that the Lordhzth over
the fpirits of men, it doth not lye fo much in the
Creature, as in framing the apprehenfion of the
minde, and therein is fecne the truth of this point
chiefly that we haue now delivered,that the Lord
onely is the Author of good and hurt.and not the
\ Creature ; becaufe he guides the apprehenfion ■•
for, if it be true as it is moft true a Animus cujnfq^
drf.it is the mind and apprehenfion of every man
that maketh his life pleafant, or it is the minde of
man that maketh him happie, and not the thing,
then the L or d that guides the minde, and that fa-
shions the heart, he hath the onely hand in ma-
king the life pleafant. When thou haft gotten all
thou wouldcft haue, y€t what is that except thy
heart be faftioned to it?This you lhall fee in Ffdl.
33. The Lord looked d^wne from his dwelling? and
1 from

A L I, - • V F F I C I B N G Y #

from his habitation, %pon the men that dwell vpon
the earth, and fafkions their hearts everyone of them.
(Marke ) hefafhims their heart- That is . A man
hath fuch a frame of heart, fuch an apprehenfion
of things, as it pleafcth cWto giuehimrSo that,
take any eftate or condition that a man is in ( as
you know there is a great varietic of conditions,
to be rich, and to be poore, to be in prifon,and to
be at libertie,to be in health,and to be ficke,to be
in honour, and to be in difgrace ) thefe are, as it
were, the fcverall moulds, into which the Lord
cafts men.Now,if he will frame the fpirit to that
I mou!d,like foft clay to the feale(for that is an ex-
prdfion in Uh ) I fay, if he fafhion the fpirit to it,
& make it pliable to the conditio,to that mould ,
a man will beare and indure it well enough, hee
(hall find comfort in it, it will be nothing to him .
And therefore the Saints y the Jpoftles,& Prophets,
when Cod was with them to fafhion their hearts
to pafle through the varietie of troubles, might
&y,ofthcmk\tt£S)Nonpatimsir(!rc.They teemed
to fuffer,but in truth did not fuffer. What was it
to Paul, when he endured that ftatc & condition j
that he did, when his heart was fo fafhioned to it
as it was * Now, I fay, in that the Lordhath this
dominion over the fpirits of men, hence it is that
he makes a mans life comfortable. Put the cafe,
thy hand hath gotten much,thatthou haft gathe-
red much wealth together,yet,y ou know Eartcf.
a. There is no profit to a man, but that he eat e and
drinke • and delight his fettle with profit after his
labour, I fay this alfo,that it was of the hand of God.
H 2 That

Whence it is
thatfaffermgs
are eafie to
the Saints*

Ecdef.s. 14.

guefi.

Anfw.
God is Lord
of theafFe&i-

ons.

Simile,

O D •

Deaths 75*

That is. All this is nothing, except a man delight
in it, except a man enjoy the comfort of it. Well >
but is not that an eafie thing, when the mind and
the ftate are put together i No, (fay th the Wife-
mzn)tbis is of the hand of the Lord.Thzx is. Except
the Ldrd&oz it by a fpeciall hand vpon the Crea-
ture 5 it is not able to doe it, except he fit the mind
to the ftate, except he ftite them together, it can-
not doe it:fo I may fay of all things elfe. A hony-
Combe may be very bitter to a man, his fto-
macke may be fo difpofed, as in a Feaver, ( you
know) that which is fweet feemeth bittcnagaine
that which is bitter may be fweetc to a man % fo
thofe that are the greateft coforts may be bitter,
and. thofe things that may be bitter to other men,
may be fweet to him. It is fayd of cvill men, they
feare where no feare is. That is. When there is no
caufe of feare, yet the zWcanfofaihion their
hearts,and To frame their apprebenfion^that they
fliall feare where there is no caufe of feare* when
they are but Itrufi & fpeftrafaadowes of cvill. A-
gaine, another feares not when there is caufe of
j feare. That is. Though things be put vpon him
| that are terrible, yet the Lord can take away that
feare. And as we fay of that affe<9io,fo I may fay
of any other, of joy,and gladnes, he fafhions the
heart, kzDent. 28. 75. where the Lord threat -
neth many curfes, & this is one amongft the reft,
Yoitftatlgoe into afrange N at ion,and there y nit fo alt
Hue .k man might objecS thus ; Though I Hue in
a ftrange Nation,yet I hope I may haue fome reft
and fome comfort there.No,fayth the Lord,you

raaft

ALL-SYFFICIENCY.

muft know this, that I hauc dominion over the
apprehenfion of your hearts & affe*5iions, when
you come thither./ willgiueyopt, trembling hearts,
andformv ofminde. That is. Though there be
comforts there, yetyoufliail not take comfort
from them •, and the reafon is added,/^* thine eyes
Jballfayle.That is 5 When thou commeft thither,
I will put areftlesvnquietdifpofition into thee,
that thou (halt not content thy felfe with the
comfort thou findeft,but (halt haue a longing de-
fire to returne to thine owne home,and tharthou
fhalt not be able to doe-, fo thou (halt haue a reft-
les minde whilft thou art there. Thus will I fol-
low thee with judgements. I am lorry, I haue
ftaydcfolong in the doftrinall parr, the life of
thispoyntis in the vfe and application of it • I
will adde a little, that I may not wholly difmiffe
you without it.

And firft,this vfe you may make ofit.If the Lord
be Alt-fufficiept; hence we fliould learne how to
guide our comfort,how roguideour joy,how to
guide our affe&ions. That is. Labour to fee that
fulneffe that is in Ged, and that emptinefTe that is
in the creature 5 if the Lord be thus AlLfufficicnt,
Beloved, then let your hearts be fatisfied with
him alone, let them be filled*with him, let them
be fo bottomed vpon him, & Co ftrengthencd by
him, that you nted not to goe out from him to
fetch in any comfort from any creature whatfoe-
ver 5 if the Lord fill the heart, it fliall ftrengthen
youagainftall carnal! joy. What need you goe
out to others, if you haue enough in him : it will

H 3 ftrengthen

<s\

Note*

Vfe.
How to guide
our comfort*

O f G

O D 8

The whole
ftrength of
our fpirit
{hould be be »'
flowed on the
Lord,&why?

£*fft-

We know not
the emptines
of the C tea,
jure-

When a thing
is (ay A to be
emptie.

ftrengthen you againfl: that expence of fpirit,and
of your thoughts,which you beftow vpon vaine
things 5 for, wee haue but a fhort time to liue in
this world, the ftrength of our minde is the mod:
precious thing we haue,the thoughts & affe&ios
that we haue,the bufineffe, the a&iuenefle of our
mindes, we fhould be carefull to improue them,
we fhould be carefull that none of this water run
befides theMill.That is.That it be not beftowed
vpon things that are vnworthy of it. If the Lord
bcJll-fHfftcievtywhy (hould you not beftow it al-
together vpon him?Why ihould youfpend it vp-
on the creature? Why ihould your minde be oc-
cupied about it? Why fliould you be fo inter vp-
on them t Why fliould you be fo fubje<3 to car-
nallgriefes,and feares,and carnall defires?Surely
all thefe fliould be taken vp about the Lord • for
he lookes fbr it at our hands, / am AlLfufficient :
therefore let all thefe be beftowed vpon me.

Andagaine, as wc (hould Jearne to fee this
fulnefle in God, to haue our hearts bottomed and
fixed vpon him, fo we fhould labour to fee the
emptines of the creature. But, you will fay, who j
doth not know that the Creature is emptie f that
is no new thing. Beloved, it is certaine wee doe
not fully know it, if we did, what meane thofe
complaints, & thofe griefes, that we take vp vp-
on every evill accident that fals out ? for nothing
is faid to be empty^but when you looke for a ful-
nefle in it, you fay a Well is emptie of water,be-
caufe you looke for water therec'you doe not fay ,
a Rocke is emptie,f or you do not expeft it there

S01

All-svfficiency.

So we may fay of the creature.-if we thought,and
didbcleeue, that there were an emptinefle ink,
we would never cxped fo much fro it as we doe.
Bur, whenwecomplaineandfay 5 1 thought to
haue found fueh and fuch things^and I find them
not, it is a figne that we looke for a fulnes there $
and therefore let vs labour to corred that con-
ceit, it will helpe vs againft thofe griefes & com-
plaints, to which we are fo much iubjed ; let vs
looke for no more in the Creature then is in it.
All griefe and ftir ring ofaffedion, arifeth from
this cxpedation , this over-weening, this high
prizing ofthe creature : if you finde inconftancie
in men $ why doe you looke for conftancie in
them > they are creatures, if you looke for ftabi-
litie in your eftate, and wonder why a change
fhouldcome (I was heretofore rich, and now I
ampoore, I was honourable, and now I am in
difgrace) why didft thou exped ftabilitie in that
which is fubjed to vanitie i Things would not
trouble vs, if wc did not exped too much from
them,if we knew there were an eraptines in the 5
he that lookes not for much from the Creature,
can never be much deceived ; he that lookes for
much from Ged, fhall be fure tohauehisdefire
anfvveredandfatisfied; he fhall never fall fliort
of his expedacion. And therefore, labour to al-
ter your conceits that way, that whenfoever any
thing fals out, you may not be troubled at it,
you may not feare for that accident, for it arifeth
hence, becaufeyou looked for more in it, then
was in it* It is a faying that wee haue in morall

H4 Phi-

Griefe comes
from expecta-
tion fruftratc

Wecanot ex-
pect too much
from God.

O D $

guefi,

Anfw.

I Cor. 7*

5 o,

The Com-

mandcrachts
ofCWgroun-
ded on reafon.

Philofophy, that after a man is put into expe&a-
tion of any thing, then every affe&ion is ftirred
more vehemently, whereas had he not had that
expe&ation hee would haue beenemorc quiet.
Therefore if we were perfwaded, and convinced
of the vanitie of the creature,and the emptines in
it, we would never expe& much from it • and, if
we did exped nothing 3 our hearts would be qui-
eted within vs, for all varieties of accidents that
fall out^f or,I fay, it arifeth hence, that we thinkc
there is fome fulnefTe,fome ftabilitie in them,we
are not fully perfwaded of the vanitie of the crca-
ture,we thinkc it can doe good or hurt.You will
fay sis not the creature able to doe good or hurt t
1 1 will name but one place, befides that I named
(before, i Cor. 7. 30. Let thofe that weepe be as
thofe that weepe not^ andthole that rejoyce as thofe
that rejoyee not [, and thofe that buy as thofe that pt f-
fejfednot, and they that <vfe this world as they that
vfe it not, for the fafbion of this world goeth away.
When the Z^giues fuch a precept as this, cer-
tainely there is a ground for it ( as we haue often
told you ) that in all the Commandements of
God, if they were open to vs, if wee did fee the
ground of them,we would fee that there were fo
much reafon for them, that if Cod, did not com-
mand therrvyou would fee it beft for you to prac-
tife them,you would fee reafon for it.Now when
the Lord bids them that grieue,to do it as though
they grieved not,and them that rejoyce,to doe it
as though they rejoyced not,I gather this from it
that the creature can do very little good or hurt •

for*

LL-5VFFICIENCY.

for,if the creature could doe much hurt; certain -
ly, then we might grieue to fome purpofe -, but,
fayth he,let the eviil be what it will, yet grieue as
th&ngh you grieved not. That is • Let it be as good
as nothing , that as a man is fayd to heare as
though he heard not, and to fee as he faw not,
when he doth not attend the tale that is told, but
yctbeheares it r fo fayth he, if you haue fome
griefe,let it be fo fmall, fo little ; asif you grieved
not •, And fo likewife for Ioy •, Put the cafe, you
had all the preferments, all the comforts & blef.
fings in this world heaped vpon you,yet rejoyce
| in thefe fo remifly, as if you rejoyced not. Now,
it iscertaine, if they could doevs any /peciall
good, we might rejoyce in a greater meafure
then fo:but 3 when the Ltrdfoy th, rejoyce as if yen
rejoyced net, it is certaine they can doe vs very lit-
tle good. That is > So little as if they did vs no
good at all.

But, you will fay, it fcemes they can doe vs a
little good, whereas it was fayd before, the crea-
ture can doe neither good nor hurt.

We will anfwer that briefly 5 The meaning is
this,that the Lord giues vs lcaue to grieue a little,
and to rejoyce a little, fa that it be in remiffe
manner, fo that it be kept within bounds, but the
creature can doe vs no good, nor no hurt at all of
it fclfe,but as it is difpofed by the Lord,and ther-
forc though it doe fomething,yet that is done by
God 3 md not meercly by the creature.So the rule
holds good, though the creature doe fomething,
yet feeing it is not of it felfe,but as it is an Inftru-

ment,

TheGreature
doth neither
good nor hurt

of itfelfe.

O D 9

guefl.

Anfvt.
TheCreaturc
doth little
comparatitte*

ment, you may trucly fay, it is not the creature
that hath done any thing,but the Z,*>v/hath done
me good and hurt by the Creature.

But, why then is it fayd, it is a little ? for this
takes all away.

I anfwei\,the meaning is this,it can do: a little.

That is 5 All the evill any creature can doe, it is

but a little in regard of the eternall that <7*i in-

flids on the foule, it is as good as nothing in co-

parifonofthofe eternall good things. As ifhee

fliould fay,The things that belong to GWimtne-

diately, the things that belong to the Kingdomc

of God, and to a mans falvation, the things that

are fpirituall and eternall, thefe are good indeed,

and evill indeede, if any of thefe befall you, you

muftgrieueexceedinglyrforyouhaucgreatcaufe:

for that can doe you great hurt, and fo grace can

doc you much good, fork tends toeternitie, it

tends to fet things even, or odde betweene Al-

mightie Cod and you ; and therefore, in thefe

things, let yourrejoycing be very great, and

your griefe very great. But for any thing

that belongs to this prefent life, it

is exceeding fmall, it is as

good as nothing.

So much for this time.

All-s

VFFICIENCY,

ais^w^^^W^^

THE

THIRD

SERMON.

G £ N £ S I S 17, I.

I am (j 01) oAlUfufflcienu

He next Vfe we are to make of
this, that 6Wis i^All-fujfirient,
is, to lcarne to be content with
him alone for our portion/This
is a Vfe both to thofe that are
fir angers t$the life $f God t and
like wife to thofe that are within the Covenant^
To thofe that are Grangers, to bring them in, for
the Lord propounds that but vpon reafonable
conduions.lt is true,hc requires of you abfolute
& perfect obedience, that you ferue him altoge-
ther,but then withall he propounds to you an ab-
folute & full reward. Jam All-fafft$im y yow fhall
neede nothing out of me. As he requires you to
leaue all f& his fake,io he promifeth that he will

Vfe 1.
To be co tent
With GOD
alone, the
ground of it.

For thofe
without the
Covenant,

Heb 4 ii«6.

Luke if.

O D S

2
For thofe
within the
Covenant.

I The ground
of vneven
mlkwg to-
wards God.

be to you in ftead of all things j and therefore let
men confider that in Heb.i i . 6, Whomever comes
to God, mafl beleeue that God is, and that he is are-
warder of them that feme him. That is 5 a man will
never change except it be for the better 5 except a
man thinke his condition will be better, with the
Lord, than it was out of him, he will never come
in,but, when he is once perfwaded of that,he can-
not keepe out, you know, that argument is vfed
by the Prodigal) fonne^mh htjflftay here J /ball
perifh, if I got to my Fathers houfeMsfervants haue
bread enonghfthzt double argument brought him
home.So when a man confiders,out of cWthere
is no fufficieneyatall, there is not any thing in
the creature,as we fhewed to you before at large:
then if you come home to the Lord, there is All-
fufficiencie in him. That is ; All your defires fhall
be fatisfied, there is nothing that you necde, no-
thing that you want, but it fliall be fupplyed.
This, I fay, is that that brings a man to confider
of Gods All-fufficicncyfaut this we doe not meane
to inlarge now,but rather proceede to the other.
Whether a man be come in or not, there will
not be much difference in the application of this
that we are now to dclivcr,to be content to haue
6Walone to be our portion; for that is the caufe
of all our vnevenneffe, and of our vnperfeft wal-
king with GW>we would haue fomwhat befides.
And therefore the Lord taketh this courfe with
his Difciples, he tels them the worft firft, he tels
them they muft part with all 5 that they muft deny J
themfclues throughly & perfedly, & they muft

All-svfficiency #

' _

be cotent with him alone D becaufe the Lord knew >
othcrwifc, they would never haue coftantly fol-
lowed him, and though they might haue gone
far with him, yet when they had met with a rub,
when that, which they would not part with, and
thcfcrviceofGWfhoald come in competition,
furely, they would turne afide, and leauehim.
Now, you muftconfider this, and workc your
heart vnto it, that if you haue him alone, it is
enough-, for if men were perfwaded, that he is
enough,they would be content with him alone.
When the Sunne fhines to you, though there
be never a Starre,is it not day 1 Doe you not call
it fo i Againe, when all the Starres ftiine,and the
Sunne is fct, is not that night * Is it not fo when
you haue the Lord alone ? Suppofe you haue no-
thing but him for your portion,fhall not the Lord
Ibefufficient to make you happie * Is #*not a
Sunne and a shield fay th the Pfalmifi ? Is He not a
' Sunne.That xs^AlLfnffieient.xo fill you with com-
fort of all kindes ? What then though you haue
nothing but him alone? ^gaine,put cafe you had
all thofe creatures, all tnofe Starres to fhine to
you ( for they haue an excellency in them, they
haue a light, and a comfort, though it be a bor-
rowed and derived light, as weeheard 3 fuchas
they receiuc from the Sunne) fuppofe you haue
them, it is but night notwithstanding, you are
but in a ftate of miferie. And therefore, why
Should you not bee content to haue the Lord a-
lone foi your portion i Take all the Creatures,
and you finde, by expcrience,that when they are

injoyed,

tf 9

Simile*

7<>

O D S

SdUmtHt ex-
pert ce fliould
inftruft rsin
thcvaniticof
earthly thingt.

EccieCi;

Simile*

injoyed, you fee an end of their perfe&ion, you
quickly finde a bottom in them^the heart hafteth
after fomewhat elfe, you quickly fuckeoutthe
honey that is in every one of thofe flowers, and,
when you haue donefo,you go to another flow-
er, and to another, and no where doth the foule
finde reft. <7^did purpofely fet forth Salomon,
and gauehim all things that his heart could de-
Are, fo that no man had the like before him, nor
any man fince. And for what end doe you thinke
did the Lord it f Surely, for this purpofe, that he
might be a perpetual! example (as things were
written for our learning, fo all thefe things that
were done in thofe former times, which are the
Rule of thefe lattcr,they were done for our lear-
ning) he had all varietie of bleflings, more then
anyjnan elfe can hope to attaine, yet you know
what verdidt he giues of them j All is vanitie and
vexation of ffirit. That is. He found in them an
emptinefle of that good he looked for 3 they were
emptie Clouds, Wells without water, Againe,
they were a vexation of fpirit.That is.Thcre was
the prefenceof much evill in them that he looked
not for, many flings, many troubles. And there-
fore why (houkl you not be content with God a-
lone Z Take all outward things,beforeyou in joy
them, they fecme to be great^but when you haue
injoyed thcm,& tryedthera 5 you quickly finde a
bottom in them -/or thereis but a falfe luftre that
Sathan and your owne lufts put vpon them,they
haue gilded out-fides, but when they come to
wearing, the gilt weares off,and you finde after a

\vhile,

All-syfficiency,

while, what they arc^ But come to fpirituall
things ; the more you weare them, the more you
finde thebeautie and excellency that is in them •
for there is a duft & a ruft that is caft vpon them,
which likewife the wearing takes off. And there-
fore why fhould you not be content to take God
alone < What is it that man fo feekes after 1 is it
not happines, and comfort ? Alas ' fuppofe that
you had all thefe in the higheft degree that you
can looke for, when all is done, you fhall finde
that but labour loft,y ou fhall finde no ftability in
them. You know what David Tayth in Pfal. 30.
when he thought his mountain was made ftrong
and vnder-propped well on each fide 3 What cau-
fed now an alteration c'He doth not fay,there was
a change in the thing, he doth not fay his moun-
taine waspulled downe,or that there was an alte-
ration in his eftate, that this or that accident fell
out, that the people rebelled againft him now,
which did not before, or, that he had loft fuch
and fuch friends that he had before. But, fayth
he, thou tnrnedftawaythyface>andtbenlwdstr$#-
bkd. The meaning is this, that, if there was a
change in his eftate, the change in God was the
caufe,fo then it was theZwdf that comforted him,
though he faw it not, it was not the mountaine
that held him vp,it was not all thofe bleffings that
he enjoyed in it that refreshed his heart, but it
was the light that fhincd through them,and ther-
forehe found, when this light was withdrawne,
though he injoyed them ftill, his comfort was
gone. So, I fay, if it were from the things they
might

71 1

Note,

Ffal* $0; 7.

Itii God that
conforteth
through the
Creatures

O D S

The Creature
without God
as the ayre
without light.

God comforts
his in aa ex*

traordinarie

way , when o-

thermoaaes

fayle.

Inflames.

might continue your comforts to you, bur when
there is a change in heave,then comes the change
vpon earth. And on the other fide 5 if God conti-
nue conftant, if he remainefafe, you need fearc
nothing, the Creature followes him, it is he that
fhines through them.W hat ifa man had the ayre
and no light in it < So, what if we had never fo
much,and no beames flowing from him through
them, who onely is the God of all comfort ,and the
Father of all confolation ?

But, my Beloved, (to be briefe ) Put the cafe a
man were ftnpt of all things, & fuppofc he were
exiled out of his own Country,fuppofe he were
reduced to extreame povertie, or fhut vp clofe
Prifoner, fuppofc all imployments were taken
from him, and he were laid afide like a broken
veffell-jnow for a man to fay, yet God is enough,
and that he is cotent with him alone for his por-
tion.That is the tryall,and this we ought to doe :
and there is great reafon why we fliould doe it *
you fliall fee it was pra&ifed by the Saints; When
Abraham was an exile from his Countrey, and
had not a foote of land,was not the Lord All- fnf-
ficient to hintfdid he not provide for him aboun-
dantly i When Eliah fled, and had no meate, he
had neither money ,nor any body to provide any
thing for him, did not the £t?r*/provide for him?
he fet the Creature a- worke to doe that, to feede
him in an extraordinary way, when the ordinary
fay led. When Paul and Silas were fliu t vp in Pri-
fon,yet the Lord filled them with joy & comfort*
j you know their fcete were faft in the Stockes,

yet

Alx-*yfficisncy,

yet they fang with joy of heart, there was fuch a
flufh of joy,thcir hearts were fo filled with it,that
they could not containe. If a man be brought to
povertic,it cannot be beyond that of lobs h was it
not enough for lob to haue God for his portion <
didhenotfooneturneit? did he not foonetake
away that,and turnc the River another way, as it
were, and fill him with abundance?

Ohjbntyou will fay 3 if I wereafpirit,andcon-
iifted onely of an immateriall foule, & no more,
I Should be content,(it may be ) to haue the Lord
for my portion, but, befides that, I haue a body,
I haue a temporal! life, and therefore I need tem-
poral! comforts, and therefore though I would
haue the Lord! would haue thefe things added,
for, how fhould 1 be without them ?

To this I aafwer. Firft ; that, though thou be
deprived of all thefe temporall bleffings & com-
forts, yet thou flialt finde them all in the Lord,
I fay, though they were all loft,and all Scattered,
i hough thou wert ftript of them al,yet thou flialt
find them all in the Lord, if thou haue him alone.
You will fay, how can that be? This you muft
know.that all that Godhath wrought in the crea-
ture, all the excellence, all thebeautic, and de-
lighted comfort, he hath put into the creature,
into meate,drinke, muficke, flowers 3 yea, into all
creatures of all forts* who is thecaufe of all this ?
Is not the zWthecaufe? It is certaine 3 thcn,that:
whatfoever is in the effeS, is in the cau fe, and in
the caufein a more excellent manner. Thereare
fame cauf es thatproduce but their like, as when

I fire

ot.

/info.

lOb.

Comfort and
excellcEcie is
in God as the
eau(e,in the
Creature as
tfieeifed.

O f G

O D 8

Sgfi-

Anfoe.
The Lord
comumcatss
to bis, thole
comforts that \
are :e him.
Mark, ie. 3j<

fire begets fite, or, when a man begets a man,
here there is anequalitiebetweenethecaufcand
the effe&s : but there are other caufes that are vn-
like their eflfc&s j as the Sunne produceth many
effe&s, that haue a diflimilitude to it, it hardens,
I andfofrens^andheates, anddryes 3 and alt thefe
are in the Sunne, but they arc in a more excellent |
raanneiyhen you fhall fee them in the cfifeft: that
isbinapoorefimilitude, toexpreflc^ I would,
butyetitisthebeftwehaue. Looke now vpon
whatfoever thou haft found in the creature.whar-
foever beautie thou haft feene, whatfoever de-
light thou haft tafted of, whatfoever excellence
thou haft dif covered, and be perfwaded of this,
that all this is in the Lor dm a more excellet man-
ner, than it is in the Creature.

Well,you will fay,I grant this-, but what fol-
lowes on that i what is this to ray comfort ?

Beloved^ It is this to thy comfort -If thou loofe
aIl,makevfeofthatiniV/4^. 10. If thou loo fc fa-
ther, and mother, or brethren, or fibers, or lands, and
ho»fes,and all that yon have ,you fliall find all thefe
in him:fbr if all thefe comforts be in him, if thou
haft him alone,thou fhalt finde all thefe comforts
communicated to thee.That is h Thou fhalt finde
the comfort of them in a greater meafure, in a
more excellent manner, than thou fhouldft inthc
things thtmfelues- 3 whyelfefhouldhe fay, Ton
fhall ham > an hundred-fold with perfection ? And
marke the inftnnee,for you fhall find the promife
repeated againe, and he names them every ORe $
Ifaptyou, there is no man that forfakes father, *r

mother,

LL-IVFFICIENCY,

mother y wif e, and children ,br other, orfijler.or lands,
and houfes,for my fake, andtheGofyels, bathe jhak
receiue an hundreth-feld in this world, and in the
worldto come eternaU life. That is, you (hill finde
comfort in GWalone- if thou be (hut vp alone,
and yet conver left with God, and haft communi-
on with him, and feeft no creature in the world
befides him, thou (halt hauc abundance of fwcet
comfort: take all thofe varieties of comforts that
thefe giue ; as, lands giue one kinde of comfort,
and Parents another, and wiues another j thou
j (halt finde all thefe varieties of comforts in him,
he will fill thy foule with all thefe,for they are in
him alone. Marke that reafon that the Lord vfed
to Mo fes, when he complained of his tongue,that
he was notable to fpeakej^^fayth hefy whom
thot* jhouldefl fend $ (fay th the Lord ) who made the
tongue f who made the dumbe,and the deafe, and
the hearing, and the feeing i Is it not I the Lord f
As if he (hould fay - } Mofesjuvdy I am the maker
of all thcfe,though I haue not y things in me (the
ZWhath no tongue,he hath no eye;yet fayth he
thou (halt finde them all in me.C^comforts him
with this, 1 will be with thee • when Mofes might
haue made this objedion ; Though thou be with
me,yet I (hall want a tongue to fpeake,what will
that helpe i Say th he, I, who made that, haue a
power in me,and if I be with thee,it (hall be Effi-
cient. I will finde out a way for thee,that (hall be
as good asifthou hadft themofteloquet tongue
in rhe world. The fame may I fay of all other co-
forts in the world * who made them < who made
I 2 thofe

The creatures
yeeU different
comforts*

Exod. 4, ii,

GODSpre-
fence fuppjies
oar want of
the creatures

7 6

O D •

I fall the com-
fort thac is in
the Creature
were not in
GOD, the
Saints in hea-
ven feoald be
I ioofcrs.

Rev. »!«*}•

thofe fathers and mothersrwho made thofe bro-
thers and fifters,that thou art deprived of in exile
or vpon any fuch occafion, in povcrtie and dif-
grace ? Is it not he that made them > What if the
Lord will be with thee ? What if he will goe with
thee into banifhment, orinto prifon, as he did
with lofefh ? What if he will be with thee in dif-
grace? What if he will be with thee in povertie *
Is there not enough in him, who is full of all co-
f or t?He can fillthee with all varietie by that im-
mediate communicating of himfelfe.

Beloved,vihat doe you thinkc heaven is? When
you are in heauen,do you thinke your eftate fhall
be worfe then it is here? You fee what varieties of
comforts we now haue here. When we come to
heaven,fhall we haue lefle varieties? No; we fhall
lhaue morejhow fhall wehaueit?forwefhalhaue
nonebut God alone-, we fhall haue fellowfhip only
with him. If there were not that varietie in him
that is in the creature, certainly, we fhall be loo-
fers, the foule fhall not be filled, nor fatisficd :
And therefore,fayth the Text {there Jhdl need no
Same nor Moone : all the creatures that now giue
v5 comfort fhall be taken ttway^whytfortbe Lord
fhall be Sunne & Moone, ht fhall be every thing,he
fhall be all in all things. That is^Thou /halt hndc
them all colle&ed in him ; & doe you thinke,that
the Lord {hall be thus in hcavcn,& will he not be
fo to his fervants vpon eaith?It is certaine,whcr-
focver he pleafeth to communicate himfelfe to a-
ny man, to reveale himfelfe,and to take any man
into fellowfhip with hrmfelf 5 if he plcafc to come

All-svfficiency.

tothcfouleofaman, to dwell with him, to Tup
with him, as he hath promifed To to doand doth
then when all other comforts fayle, at that time
(Wdelightethtocome,then thou (halt findr va-
rietie of comfort enough. And therefore, why
fliouldft thou not be contented to haue GWalone
for thy portion?Thou (halt finde enough in him,
as in an adequate objeft. This is the firft thing I
haue to fhew you, that in your very communion
with hhn,you fhall finde enough, when the Lord
doth this, when thou art filled with the joy o f
the holy Ghoft 5 what will all be to thee? what do
you thinkc all the world was to the Apoftles, if
it fliould haue beene prefentedtothem, if one
fhould haue prefentcd them with a Kingdome,
with all that ever the fons of men could devife <
Doe you thinke they would haue regarded them
much < Surely, they would not, as they did not
regard the contrary. Imprifonment was nothing,
& death was nothing to them;you fee with what
facility they paffed through them. By the rule of
Contraries, outward happinefle had beene no-
thing : for he that grieues much for any outward
loffe, he would much rejoyce in the contrary
contentment: when the Apoftles were thus filled
with the joy of the holy Ghoft, in regard of the
one, certainly they would not haue regarded the
other,if it had beene prefented vnto them ; what
was now the joy in the holy Ghoft * it was but
the Lord communicating himfelfe : They had
but theZ,0rialone,they were but led into a neerer
fello wlhip with him : there was but a little crcvis
I 3 opened,

Pleasures and
terrcur* arc
(mail things
when GOD}
fillcth the
fbule.

The ground
of jay in per-
fection.

7«

O D S

Anf*.

All Gods at«
tribe tcs are
for hii chil-
dren.

Cam. ft. 4*

His power*

His wifedome

opened,asit were, to fee that excellency and ful-
nefle, and that All-fufficientiemGod, and it filled
them iothat they cared for nothing befides.And
this, we would vvorke our hearts to, if we did
looke vpon God as an adequate objed.

But, you will fay, though this be fomething to
haue my foule filled with comfort thusjyet there
are many neceffities, many vfes, that I haue of o-
ther things.

Therefore, I will goe yet further. Doeft thou
confider the Lord, what hcis^goe through all his
attributes,confider his almightie power,confidcr
his great wifedome, his counfcll, and his vnder-
ftanding, confider his great goodneffe, and his
truth, and kindneffe, confider his patience, and
his long fuffering, &c. all thefe are thine. My Be-
\ loved, God is not knowne in the world, we confi-
der not aright what he faith 3 when he fay th,/n>/7/
be thy fort ion, I will be thy God ; for fo he fay th, /
myfelfe am my beloveds, and my rvelbt loved is mwe.
Now to haue thcZWhimfelfe,is more than if he
fhould giue thee all the Kingdomes of the earth •
confider this,the power of God is thine,to worke
all thy workes for thee,to make paffage for thee,
when thou art in a ftraite,to bring thy enterprifes
to pafTe, to deliver thee out when thou art in any
aflh#ion,out of which the creature is not ableto
I deliver thee. Thinke what it is to haue an intercft
in Gods almightie power, and thinke this is one
part of thy portion : the iWhimfelfe is thine,,
and all his power is thine. Confider likewife, his
wifedome,if thou neede counfell in any difficult

cafe*

All-stfficibncy.

cafe, ifchou wouldft be iftftru&ed in things that
beobfcure,ifthou wouldft be led into the my fte-
ries that are revealed in the word,to fee the won-
derful things contained in the Law*, the wifdome
of(W is thine, thou haft intereft in it, it is thy
portion, thou ftialt haue the vfeof it as farreas he
fees it meete for thee. And fotheluftice ofGW
is thine, to deliver thee when thou art oppreffed,
to defend thee in thine innocency, and to vindi-
cate thee from y injuries of men. And fo we may
goe through the reft. Now confider,what a por-
tion it is to haue the Lord alone'tf thou hadft no-
thing but him, thou hadft enough. When a wo-
man marries with a Tradcfman,or with an Artift
that is excellent but in fome one Art,or with one
that is excellent in learning and knowledge, fhee
is content, (it may be) and thinkes it to be a great
portion, as good as iffliee had many thousands
with him, for, fay th fhee, this is as good, it will
bring it in. Thinkethen if thou haft the Lord a-
lone for thy portion, if thou haft nothing clfe,
thou haft fufficient.Thinke of all thefe attributes,
& fay within thine own heart, all thefe are mine ;
And therefore, why fhouldlnot be content to
haue him alone? But if this be not enough, I will
goe yet further with thee,if thy heart be not fatif*
ified withthis,yet confider all things in the world
are thine: for whatfoever is the Lords, is thine.
When a Virgin marries with a man that is rich,
flieelookesvrponall his poifeffions, and fees fo
many thoufandlheepe,fomany fairehoufes,and
fo much land, he hath fo much gold and filver,

I 4 and,

His luftice.

Smile,

O D S

Oh.

Anfvt>.

\ The Lord the

matter of the

great familie

the world.

PfeL is*,
lob 38.

Pfal, 104.18
2$.

and,fhee fiyth thus with her fclfe ; now he is my
husband, all this is mine : I (hall haue my intereft
in them, I fhall haue that that is fit forme. So,
lookenow vponthc Lord 3 confider when thou
haft chofen him to be thy portion : though thou
{houldft be content to haue him alone,yet all this
comes together with him 3 k cannot be feparatcd
from him,fo that even then when thou art depri-
ved of all,yet all is thine:hc hath it ready for thee
to beftow on thce,as there is occafion.

You will fay, thefeare notions, thefeare hard
things to beleeue, to fee thefe -really is another
thing.

Beloved, will you beleeue your fenfes, Ifinde

that the Scriptures take many arguments from

thofe things,that areexpofed to the view of men,

looke on nature & fee what the Lord doth there 5

doe but compare a houfe- keeper on earth with

the Lord, and fee what the difference is betweene

them^Confider how many there are in this houfe

of the Lord, of which he is Mafter, how many

there are at vp-rifing & down-lying from day to

day. Confider how he provides for them all. In

Pfal. 1 04. and in Id $8. you fee the holy Ghoft

reafoning with the fonnes of men,evcn after this

manner; Whyfaythhe, doe you doubt him?

why are you no t content to cofecrate yourfelues

to him, to be to him alone ? Doe but fee how he

dealcs with ally Creatures, in the morning they

know not what to do,but they loeke vp <vnto him f

He inftanceth in the Ravens, and other creatures,

he openeth his hand and giveth themfecde, he jhuts

his

LL-SYFFICIENCY.

his band and they perijh. That is., He feedesthem
all. Confidcr the Treafures in lob 3 8 . Doejl tho-$
( fay th the Lord ) know the treafures of ' fiiow /i%d
haylethatlhaae £/>/? When there is a fnow all the
Land over, thinke what a great treafurc the Lord
hath, from whence it comes : in the mightie
hayles that be,faith he to Iob^dod thou know the
treafures of haylc?When you fee a mighty raine,
fayth hc^who can of en the bottles efheaven,mdwho
can jlmt them f That is 5 Confidcr well, looke on
thefe outward things, and thinke who it is, that
doth this, when the earth is hot, and the clods knit
together, who can of en the earth f Thefe fenfible
things fhould lead vs to fee theZ^riinhisgreat-
nes ; fo fayth he, who is the father of the Raine,wh&
hath begotten the drops of the dew ? Againe, as in a
great houfe, there muft be water to furnifh the
roomes ;fo fayth he^from his chambers he fendeth
firings throughout the world, if the water were all
in one place, if it were all in one River, in one
channcll, what would become of mankinde?
What would become of the Beafts ? But, fayth
David, he fendeth forth his firings to every moun-
taine, and every valley, that the Birds, and Beafls,
and Mankinde might haue water to refrefli them :
for otherwife ( fayth he ) they would perifb. So
againe, fayth he, who is it that enlightens the
earth ? Whence comes the light f and who drawes
the Curtaines of the night ? Againe. who is it
that maintaines all the creatures ? the Lyon when
he runs out of his den in the morning, he kno wes
not where to haue his prey : and not be onely,

but

lob $8.32.

Verf 27,
Verf. 38.

Verf. 28.

Pfal.104.10,

Gods vvoikcs
in nature
fliould teach
vs to <r e his
greatnefic.

Pftl.104.21,

I 8*

Iob|j.

*7*

O D S

Math, 6. %6.

Oh.

Anfrv*
The Children
of God pecrc
and forfaken,
and wicked
mcnfiourifh,
and why?

but all the creatures befides. Confider how he
provides for nil : the ojlridge (lob^g.) God hath
taken vnderftandingy (fayth he) from her, andjhee
leaues her yong ones behinde her , and provides
not for them j how comes it then that they grow
vp, that the fpecies is not extinguished, but con-
tinues? Sayth the Lord, I take care for them.
And fo the Hinde that is in the WildernefTe, as
fhee calues, fhec brufeth her young, and cafts
them forth, and there <hee leaues them, who
fhould provide for them? Is it not I fayth the
Lord?&c. But I will not enlarge my felfe further
in this ^ becaufe I haft to that which remaines.
Onely this Vfeis to be made of it, that when
you looke vpon the Vniverfe : looke vpon all the
parts of it ; fee the workes of 6Win every kinde,
and fee how hee provides for the Ravens, that
haue neither barnes novftore-boufes - y fee how hee
clothes the earth, that (pimes not, that hath no
garments madefor it • fee all that he doth in the
worke of nature, and by this you may learnc to
know God : by this you may know, what he is,
how you may well be content to haue him alone
for your portion.

But this will be objeded ; I but we finde it o-
therwife,thofe that are his children,are they not
poore 1 are they not forfaken many times *

Ianfwerinaword; It is true, while the chil-
dren arc vnder age, they enjoy nothing in com-
parifon of that inheritance, that is provided for
them. The fervant many times hues in a farre bet-
ter condition, andefcapes that corrc<3ion, and

that

All-svfficiency.

thatdifcipline and nurture, which the childc is
fubjed to, and he hath money in his purfe many
times, when the fonne hath none : he hath many
liberties, which the childe is deprived of. The
reafonis, becaufeit is the time of his nurture,
and fo fayth the Lord tolfraell, I could haue
brought you into the land of Canaan at the firft :
Jit was no difficult thing to me, but / ledyouf&rtie
jyearesito what purpofe?Z>#tf. 8 .that I might teach
| thee (fayth he) that J might nurture thee, that thou
j mightft learne to know me,& to know thy felfe :
that I might humble you ,that you might learne by
J that to fee the vanitie and emptinelfe of the crea-
ture. So theZ^deales with his children jBut yet
why fliouldyou not be c Stent to haue him alone
for your portion < He hath all good for you,it is
not for want of good will towards you,that you
haue it not, it is not for want of power, but be-
caufe it is beft for you to want it: Therefore that
alfois anfwered, that the children of (J^want,
& thofe that are his enemies haueabundance,but
they arc but land-flouds of comforcs,that make a
great fbew 5 & haue fome reality in them to com-
fort for the prefcnt,but it is but a Pond,it is buta
land-floud,the fpring of cofort belongs onely to
the Saints, it may be, theirs are but little, but yet
they arc fpringing , they are renewed to them
from day to day, they are fuch fprings as make
glad the heart of all the houfliold of C$d : And
therefore,what \{G§ds enemies haue abundance?
it is but as fummer flowers^though they be fet in
gawdy places, yet they are but flippcry places,
^ though

In this life
Gods chil-
dren are nur-
tured by af-
flictions.
Dcuc 8, a, 5.

Simile.

The comforts
of Gods chil*

drcn fpring-
ing.

O D $

To looke
onely to God
inourwayes.

God can doe
things with
weakmeancs.

2Chro.14.1i-

though they flourish for a time,it is but the flou-
rifhing of a greenc tree,that lafteth not long. And
therefore be not miftaken in that, though Gods
children want, and others haue it, his children
haueit in a better manner. But IwilLnotftand
vpon this any longer.

If the Lcrdbc All-fufficicnt, then learne hence,
to haue your eye onely vpo him,when you haue
any enterprife to doe 5 if there be any croffethat
you would haue prevented, if there be any blef-
fing,that you would obtaine, if there be any af-
fli<5tio 3 out of which you would haue deliverance,
let your eye be to him alone, reft on him alone :
for he is All-fufficient, he is able to bring it to
pafle ; as he iayd here to ^Abraham, (I dm AlL
fufftcient ) fo he will be to all that are within the
Covenant^ well as to him. And therefore,I fay, !
! whatfoever thy cafe be, looke to him onely, and
thou needeft no other helpe, and be readie to fay
thus with thy felfe, thegreateft meanes without
hishelpe, is not able to bring this enterprife to
paflfe, it is not able to deliver me, it is not able to
comfort me, it is notable to worke fuch a worke
for me, and the weakeft with him is able to do it.
You fez A fa was able to fay this in 2Clw0.14.11.
Lord, fayth he, it is all one with thee to fane with
many or with few. And the Lord made it good to
him jf or when he had but a few, and a great mul-
titude came againft him, you fee he was faved
with thofe few 5 and, afterwards, when A fa had
a great multitude, he was not delivered, that he
might learn to know the truth pf that which then

LL-SVFFICIENCY.

he heard? And,tbcrcfore,faith hcjvereft vfonthee

Lor A j it is all me with thee to deliver with many
m with few : 1 fay, fo it is in all things elfe. There-
fore, learnctoconceiucthus indeede of things :
we doe not vfually doe fo, if we did, what is the
reafon, that you provide fo much for your chil-
dren,and all your care is to leaue them portions?

1 would aske you but this Queftio^Whether can
all that portion make thera happie,or make your
fclucsfo, or any one elfe t It cannot muke them
happy,without Gods favounwithout his bleffing.
Put the cafe,againe,they had his favour and bleK
fing without this portion -Is not that enough ? Is
it not I ufficient ? We may run through many in-
ftances,but it is enough to touch vpon this. And
therefore thou wouldft be ready to fay thus with
thy felfe, If I haue never fo much,if I were in the
greateft floate of profperity,what is this without
him?If againe I were in the loweft ebbe 5 is not he
enough ? And therefore in any bufineffe fay this

{ with thy felfe^All my bu fines now is with (Win
! heauen,and not with men 3 nor the Creature, and
i therefore, if I want comfort at any time, if I can-
j not haue it from raen,nor from thecreature,yet I
know where to fetch it;If I want wifdome,coun-
fell, and advice, if I want helpe, I know whither
to goe,if the Cifterne fayle,I can goe to the foun-
taine,I can goe to him, that alone is able to be my
helper in all my needs, to be my counfeller in all
my doubts, & to comfort me in all my diftreffes.
But,the thing I would prcflc is this,to fettle your
eyes vpon God alone.

Nothing
makes happie
without Godi
favour.

O D S

Ob.

Anfa.
Wemuftnot
joyne other
things with
God, in our
trail

We oft fuc-
ceede beft,
when things
arclowcfb

Infiancef.
Of muting
God alone.

It may be,y ou will fay,y ou hauc an eye to God,
but you would hauc other helpes too.

No : All the tryall is in this, to truft in him a-
lone : for if you did thinke him ^yill-fufficient,
] why fhouldyou not doc fo? If he had but a part
of fufficicncic,and the creature had another part,
you might joyne helpe with him ; but fince he is
All-fufficient, you muft be content with him a-
lone. Put the cafe, he giue you no pawne, as he
did not to Abraham, the Text fayth, he had not a
foote of land in all his pofTcflion, and yet he bc-
lceved, for he thought God was fuffi:ient:There-
fore when thou haft any thing to do, truft in him
alone, and thou (halt then findc it the beft done :
' for when we truft in him moft,then we pray beft,
I and when we pray beft, we fpeede beft:and there-
\ fore we commonly finde, when things are in the
loweft condition,then we haue beft fucceffe, be-
caufe, by that meanes we are taught to goeto
him alone. Togiueyouaninftance of this, con-
fider David and Iacob ; I will fhew you but
thefe two cafes, you {hall fee it in David and Ja-
cob*

David did not make haft when the Z^pro-
mifed him the Kingdome,and fent Samuel! to an-
noint him, (though at one time he did, when he
fled into the land of the Philiftines^ yet in thege?
nerall he did not ) if he had made haft, he would
haue taken away Sauls life, when he was put into
his hands, bur,fay th he, I will ftay the Lords lea
fure, I will not meddle with him, mcked#e([ejhall
come from the wicked. What was the iffueofit?

you

All-syfficiency.

you fee how the Lord brought it about without
paine, and labour to hitri, ( as you fliall fee in his
providence,how he wheeled that about 5 to bring
■D^/WtotheKingdowe) youfeefirft he takes
away Saulby the hands of his enemies, Davids
hand was not on him, he tooke him away in
duefeafon. When that was done, then there
waSv4£;wramightieCaptaine 5 you fee, he was
taken away .and that without any fault oi Davids
vpon a quarrell betweene Ioab and him. When
^Abmr was taken away, there was Isbojhetb left
behinde 5 you fee, there were two fet a-worke by
Gods providence ( for thofe things come to paffe
by his providence) to take away his head when
jhe was aflecpe • fothat all the poftcritieof Saul
was gone. He tooke not oncly Sanl away in the
battaile, but all the reft, and there were but two
left, Mephibofheth, that was lame in hislimmes,
and not fittomannagetheKingdome, who like-
wife,afterwards,put himfelfe into Davids hands,
and Isbofhtth, that was lame in his minde, as the
other was in his limmes. And therefore, when
x^ibmr was gone,there was no ftrength in him 5
So theZ ^brought it to paffe without any a&i-
on of his : fo it is when men learne to truft in Cod.
Likcwife, fee it in Nabalsczk: he was making
haft,he was ftepping out to an inordinate way to
helpc himfelfe, burwhen he flayed himfelfe,and
did it not,how did thcLord bring it to paffe with*
outhim i did not GWhimfelfe take away Ndals
Hfe > andgiueA v ^/x wife and goods, as he did
Sauls goods,and his houfe,and his wiuesto him?
& This

Gods provi-
dence in evili
actions.

O D S

1 Inftances of
trufting other
things feefides
G

Math, »o.

This the Lord&Mox he trufted in him^ he made
not haft, but ftayed on him alone. I fay, if we
could learne this in all our cnterprifes,to truft in
him, he would worke our workes fox vs.On the
other fide,wherefoever you fee a man that makes
haft, and that joynes others with the Lord, and is
not content with his All-fufficienck j doih it not
coft him much,when he will do his own works,
and will not lcaueittothelWtoworke it for
him?

Iacohyou know,what it coft him,when he made
haft to get the bleffing by a wrong way a how ma-
ny yeares exile, how much paine, and Reparation
from his friends ? And fo Saal, it coft him the
lofte of hisKingdome, for making hnft when he
offered facrifice,and did breake the Commande-
ment of 6W, becaufe the people were difperfed ;
Andfc ofthe reft. And therefore,2te/*W,what if
there be nothing befides ( for that is the cafe I
prefle ) fuppofe yon were in fucha ftraite, that
there is no more but the £*n/ to reft on, yet, if
you be content to truft in him alone, he will doe
it, as he did for David; if you will needs indent
and bargaine with him, then, I fay, it may be,
ycu fhal hauethe thingyou would haue,bm you
were better be without ir, as we fee in Mrth. 2 o.
when the workemen would not be content with
t*he All-fttfficiency oiGod, ( as we fee in that Para-'
bte ) but would make a bargaine with the Lwd,
we will not ferue thee,fay they,except thou wilt
giue vs fo much wages,if thou wilt we will do it:
fo hebargained with every man for a peny a day

Goc?

LL-SVFFICIENCY.

Math.

»© i£.

Goe then, fayth he, and workein my Vineyard,
and you dial haue a penny ; Well, when he comes
to pay them, he giues them their Penny : they
thought^ was not enough, but they murmured
againfthimj fayth the Lord, did you not bargaine
with me for a Fenny I The meaning of it is this,
it dothmoftconcerne the Labourers in Go d s
Vineyard, but it is appliable to all others. They
will not worke for thezW,they will not reckon
him AlLfnffieient, but they will haue wages,they
will bargaine with him to haue a Penny. That is \
One to haue a Benefice to maintaine him ^ ano-
ther will worke for him,if he may haue fame,and
credir,and efteeme- ; Another will worke for him,
if he may hauefome great place. Sayth the Lord,
I will giue thee that Penny, thou (halt worke in
my Vineyard % I but when a man hath it ( marke G do, they
it ) he murmurs, why < for when the end of the gaine nocon *
day comes, he fees that preferment, that riches,
that credit, are but empcie things, they are but
fmal things when he is to go into another world,
there is nothing left for him, he is naked and de-
ftitute, it is but a Penny, and therefore he mur-
murs and complaines. That is 5 He fees now that
it is but a poore bargaine that he made ; But,
fayth the Lord ,t\\ou wouldft needs bargaine with
me for a penny, and thou haft it* So, I fiy to
thofethat are not content with the Lords AlLfuf-
ficicncic, but will haue prefent wages, they will
bargaine with the Lord : He will giue thee this
particular, thou (halt haue this, but remember
this,that it is fayd in Math. 6. thou haft thy reward. Math. 6 t

K It

When men
looke at other
things befides

tenement,

9°

Luk. i j. is;

G o d •

If thou wilt haue prayfc of men, and w;lt doe it
for that, thou fhak haue it, but that is all thou
fhalt haue. If a man will baue his portion^as that
Sonne had of his Father, Luk. 15. 12. it maybe,
he will giue thee thy portion. The Sonne that
flayed at home, had no portion given him, for,
fayth his Father, / and all that I haue is thine.
But ifa man will haue his portion, and will not
be content with Gods All-fufficienciefe fhall find
that it is not beft for him. My Beloved, Confider
whether it be not better to truft in £0^ alone, to
reft on him alone.Confider that.P/i/. 146.3 .4.5 .
6 . "Truft not in Princes, nor in the fennes of men, for
their breath is in their no fir Us, and their thoughts
perijh, but happie is he that truft s in the God of la-
cob. Andhegiuestworeafonsforit, For he made
heaven, and earth, and the Sea, and fecondly, He
\ keepes Covenant and mercy for ever .There are two
reafons in that place,why we fhould truft in God:
Tw ° r " r °"*i One is, though the enterprifebe never fo great
miftin God, & difficult,though the blefling thou wouldft ob-
taine,be never fo hard to come by • yet confider,
thou haft to doe with him, that made heaven and
earth. As if he fhould fay - 3 Lay thofe two things
together, doft thouthinke it an eafier thing to
make heaven and earth, then to bring that thing
to paffe i If he made heaven and earth, doft thou
not thinkehe is able to do that? You will fay, we
doubt not of his abilitie. Beloved, we doe: We
(hewed this at large before, we will adde that to
it, in Rom. 4. You know Abrahams faith is every
where commended ,and what was his faith&ure-

From the po
wcr q( God*

Rom. 4- s J.

All-syfficiincy,

From the
truth of God,

Ob.

ly a he trufted in God, that he was able to doe />,he be-
ing afliired, and not iveake in faith, but ftrong ; Hee
gaue glory to God^and beleevedthat he that promi fed
"was able to doe it. And though we thinke it not,
there is the flop that we make in belcevingthe
proraifes concerning Gods power, that is one rea-
fon, he made heaven and earth. The fccond is, he
keepes fidelitie for ever. And iiranorher place ( as
it is interpreted;^ keepes covenant and mercy for e-
ver. Marke, fayth he,Iet Crimes doe their beft 3 a-
las,whatcan they doe^They are but weakemen,
their breath is in their noftrils, but Godmade hea-
ven and earth. Secondly, fay th he, their thoughts
perijh, but God keepes Covenant and mercy for ever,
there is no change in him.

Oh,but you will fay,there may be a change in
vs ; all my doubt is of that, of keeping Covenant
on my part ; thus men nre readie to fay.

Beloved, (for this I will be very briefc in)
thou needeft not fcare that thy difobedience., if 1 Gods CoVe-
thou be once within the Covenant ( if thou be
one whofe heart is vpright with him ) fhall caufe
the Lord to depart from thee, he will not be vn-
faitbfull tothce, though thou be weakein thy
carriage to him : for he keepes Covenant for ever.
That is. His Covenant is to keepe thy heart in
his feare,that thing we forget s if the Lord kcepe
Covenant with vs, he doth not fufpendhis pro-
mife of helpe vpon our obedience, and leaue vs
fo j but he promifeth to giue vs a heart and a fpi-
ritto feme him; he hath promiled to circamafe
our hearts to lone him, to plant his f ear e in our hearts,

K 2 that

natis to make
vs faithfuU in
hiiCorcnant.

Ob.

ilfa.4 ' si;
JEzek 34 -i&

Of Gods

that we Jhall not depart from him : and therefore in
£/iy # 4.o.the Lord expreffeth it xhws-JToufoatlknow
me as Sheepe know their Sbepheard, and I will make
a Covenant with you And thus and thus I will deale
with you: And how is that i Why the Covenant
is not thus onely ; As long as you keepe within
bounds, and keepe within the Fould, as long as
you goe along the pathes ofrighteonfneffe, and
walkeinthem, but this is the Covenant, that I
will make,I will driue you according to that you
are able to beare ; if any be great with young, /
will driue them foftly >if 'they be lame,that they are
not able to goe ( fayth he ) / will take them vp in
mine armes, and carry them in my bofome* If you
comparethis with Ezecb.34. you fhall find there
he puts downe all the flips that we are fubje<ft vn-
to ^ ( fpeaking of the time of the Gofpell, when
Chrift fhould be the Shepheard, ) he fhewes the
Covenant that he will make with thofe that are
his 5 fayth hc^ifany thing be left, if a flieepe loofe
itfelfe5thisismyCovcnant3/w/7/y?W^/> : if it be
driven away by any violence of temptation, I will
bring it backe againe : if there be a breach made into
their hearts by any occafion through finne and
luft, / will heale them andbinde them vf . This the
Lord will do,this is the Covenant that he makes.
Now confider thefe Reafons, / made heaven
and earth, and, I keepe Covenant and mercy fore-
ver.

But, you will fay, though I inuft truft in the
Lord,bccaufehc made heaven and earth, and be-
caufc hckeepes Covenant & mercy for ever, yet the

Lord

All-s

V F F I C I E N C Y.

Lord doth it by meanes, he doth it by friends, by
fomemediate inftruments.

Here is the great deceit of mankinde, that wee
thinke 5 that the Z^difpenfeth his comforts ac-
cording to thofe meanes that wehaue. A man
thinkes, if hehaue a great cftate, his comforts
(hall be more,if he haue many friends,he thinkes
i he fliall be fafer - 3 fay th the Lord, Pfal.62. if riches
, irietyafcifet not your hearts vfon them :for,fay th he,
tfoev ar£ablgto doc little good. Fower, andkind-
nejfekiotigi fy me. B 1 then this obj :dion comes
in^thcZ^difpenfeth comforts by fii.ch meancsC
No,fayth the holy G hoft therc,rie revvardes not
men according to their riches, but he rewards e-
very man according tohisrverkes. Arfd therefore
thinke this with thy felfe, thou that haft abun-
dance of outward comforts, if the Lord did re-
ward thee according to them s thou hadft caufe
to rejoyce in them, but he will reward thee ac-
cording to thy workes, and therefore truft in
j him, learnc to reckon him to be ^ILfufficiem,
learne to be to him alone.

But, rciay not a man that trufts not in God, but
lookes a little too much to the creature,profper?
A man againe that withdrawes his heart from
them,and trufts in the Lord,mzy not he whither?

Beloved, ( I will adde but that in briefe : ) feeft
thou amanthatdothnot reckon the Lordtobe
All-fnfficientiXhzK. doth not reft on him alone 5 but
makes flefh his armt, and trufts in any Creature.,
that hath fuch thoughts asthefe, I haue the fa-
vour of high pcrfons,and therefore I am fafe,or I

K 3 haue

Anfvc.
God difpen-
feth not com-
fort alwayes
according to
oar meanes,

Pfal 61 10.

Ot>.

Anfi

iv.

Oh.

Anfw.

Ier 57, s-

O f G

O D •

GodMafteth
meanes when

wetruft in
them*

Icre. I7«

TryaUoftrn.
fting <??<*> ii&'-

jtffiCtiMit.

haue many friends to back me, & to fupport me,
& defend me,& therefore I am fafe,I haue a great
eftate to helpe me againft dangers,to provide for
me againft the time of difficukie,and therefore it 1
(hall goe well enough with me. I fay, be it thine
owne cafe, or feeft thou any man doing fo, be af-
fured that fuch a man (hall certainly wither :cur-
fed (hall that man be that doth this, that w^^
flejh his arme »Againe 3 on the other fide,{eeft thou
a man that is willing to depriue himfelfe of all
thefe things, when it is to keepe a good confei-
ence,when he is put to it?It is an evidence that he
refteth on Cod, that he trufts in him alone, be af-
fured, howfoever f man maybevnderacloud,
and though it may be winter with him for a little
while, yet he (hall fpring againe, his light Jhall
br eake forth, and he (hall profper,fayth the Text,
ler. 1 7 . ( That is the place I haue reference to )
and his leaf e flail begreene. The other man,fay th
the Text there, though Good doe come to him,
and all about him, jet he (hall net fee good, he (hall
haue no part in it, but he (hall furely wither foo-
ner or later.On the ocher fide,Though cvill doe
come vpo this man that trufts in Ged,yct he (hall
not fee cvill. Now,confider ( that we may draw
to a conclufion ) whether you doe this or no,
which you arc here exhorted vnto.
But it may be,a man will be ready to fay J hope
1 do performe this.lt is well,if yon do.Butf I will
fay but one word to you, ) if you doe this, looke
vpo GWas All.fufficient^ if you reckon-him your
portion^doe you walke as one that fees him in his

great-

All-svff

1CI1NCY.

greatncffe and in his alrnightie power ? Remem-
ber that in Prov. jo. when Agar lookes vpon <W
and himfelfe together, fayth he, lam worfethen a
Beafl, 1 hane not the vnderfianding of a man in mie.
And whyCfayth hc y lhaue not the knowledge of the
holy one,he that afcends and he that descends, he that
holds the winds in hisfift, he that gathers the waters
in his lap as into a garment , he that flretcheth forth
the ends of the earth 7 and that fettles it, who knowes
him, fayth he, who can tell his name or hisfonnes
name ? The meaning of it is thisj fayth he when I
confider what G^is, and beginneto thinke how
I haue walked with him, and how fliort I am of
knowing him as I fhould,faith he,I am as a Beaft,
I am confounded and amazed. Now, confider
that,and make it your owne cafe, who walkes with
God.andfceth him that afcends and defcends,(which
hath reference to that vifion that appeared to Ta-
cob> The Lord was on the toppeof the Ladder,
and the Angels defcended and afcended. That
is , All the creatures both in heaven and earth
arc like meffengers that goe to and fro at his
Commandement ) who walkes with God as kno-
wing this providence of his, that fets the Angels
a- worke,all the hoafts,all the particulars of them
in their kinde, to doe this bufineffe and that bufi-
nefle ? Who walkes with God, as feeing him fen-
ding a mefTenger to doe every thing that we fee
done in the World, fending a mefTenger to take
away fuch a mans life, to giue another life and
health, fending a mefTenger to remoue fuch a
difficultie from one man ? Andagaine, flopping

K 4 vp

Prov, jo. %,
14

GoJs hand
muftbefeene
in all events.

Note*

Gods v?orke$
in BSture
ihould leade
rs to fee hit
dealing with
his Church.

Of G o d •

vp another mans paifagec'This you call accident,
when you fee a concurrence or two things toge-
ther, the caufe whereof you know not, but the
Lord knowes both, who walkes with the Lord, as
feeing him doe this or that through the ends of
the earth? Againe, he holds the windes in his fitt ^
who fees him as fuch a God, that is able to hold y
windes in his fift? Who lookes vpon him as fuch
a God ? The breath of a man, that is lefle then the
winde, he holds it in his fift, as a man holds a
thing in his hand, which he keepes there at his
plcafure. Who lookes vpon God, as thus great in
power < And fo againe, breathing the holy Ghoft,
who lookes vpon God, as one that difpenfeth it,
as it pleafeth him to giue it & withdraw it at his
willc Who looks vpon him,as one fending forth
motions,& inje&ing them into the mind,ftirring
it this way, or that way, as the windes, and the
ftormes, and the Creatures i He hath them all in
his hand, & holds them all in his fifbfor by thefc
workes of nature, wemaylearne to know the
greatneffe of God, and to reflect vpon our felucs,
and fee how farre wc are fhort of him.

And fo againe, who lookes vpon him as lap-
ping vp the waters as in a garment t That is^
When the Sea is outragious, yet hec takes it as
you would take a little water in your lap, Tome-
times he containes it , and gathers it vp , and
fometimes he lets it loofe againe. And fo like-
wife, he is able, when the people are vnruly,
| even great Nations that fometimes are readie to
I over-fpread his Church, and to run over it with
' proud

I IP I

An-8ViFH CIBNC

proud waues,yet he is able to kcepe them backe,
he is able to reftraine them, and to ftiut them vp
with barresand doores, as he doth the waters.
He that lappes the waters in a garment, is he not
able to reftraine men^that are violent againft vs in
1 wrath *who can (land' before wrath and erivie? it
is like a violentwatcr, that over-flowes all, and
that carries all before it- Yet he that laps the wa-
ters as a garment, hce is able to reftraine them
wherefoever he findes them. And fo againe,who
walkes with him,, as knowing him ^ eftabliiheth
the ends of the earth. That is; (as the originall
fhewes more clearely ) as one that hath founded
the great and weightie earth vpon nothing 5
Sayth he,that Ged( when a mans fpirit hath infta-
bilitie^and inconftanciein it naturally ) he that e-
ftablifheth the earth vpon nothing , making a
mightie building where there was no foundati-
on, he can eftablifti thy fpirit too. Suppofe there
be nothing tofupport the Church, tofupport a
man when he is falling, or that he hath no friend
to prop him, nothing to vnderlay, yet hee ( that
hath fet the earth vpon nothing, but vpon the
thinne ayre,that,youknow,is not able to fupport
it, onely he fayth to the earth ftand there ) is
he not able to fupport a man in any cafe?See now
the Lord in this greatneffe of his.Bu t who walkes
as feeing him thus in his greatnefle, and. in his
i^All-fufpciencie ? For all thefe doe but exprefle
thcAll-fujfieiencieoiGod. Beloved, if we did it,
why are our hearts difcouraged k Why doe wee
hang downe our heads vpon every occafion,

whenL^

God efiaMi.
iheth mans
fpiric

A figne of
doubting of

GodtM-fttffi
ciencic.

■

O f ; ,G :o

D f

We fliould
not be dif.
may ed in the
Churches
troables.

when troubles come?If we fee the Lord in his ^tf-
fitficiencyMtisabkto ftay our hearts,if we truft
in him alone. What though he fuffer his Church
to be over-runne with enemies for a time i What
though he fuffer men to prevaile againftit, (as
you fee how y Adverfarics now prevaile againft
y Church of cWby their ftrength)yet,if you did
fee him in his All-fnfficicncie, your hearts would
not fay le you a jot. You may either apply it to y
Churches,or to your own particular cafes,(And
to giue you yet an inftancc of thefe fenfible
things.) When the difeafe prevailed far on ffeze-
kiah, &yth the /W,thou {hakkcHezekiab what
I can doe, Irvillmaketbeftddow to get backwards.
Think with thy felfe- though the difeafe be gone
thus far 3 yet I,that made the fhadow to goe back-
wards, am I not able to make thy difeafe tore-
turne i And wee may fay of any trouble, or af-
fli&ion, of any temptation, or croflc that lyes on
you, that you thinke it fo farre gone,that there is
no calling of it againe, yethee that made the
(hadow to goe back ward ,is he not able to reduce
it i And fo againe, when you fee the Church in
fuch a cafe as it is now in, we are readie to caft a-
way all hope, and to fay 3 What (hall \\z doc >

Confider that which was fayd to Gideon (as
we are readie to fay, when we heare the Lord is
All-fufftcicnt, he hath enough, if he be with vs,
we defire no more ) we make the objection with
Gideon thus \ If the Lord be with vs.why is it thus?
Why is //J-^oppreffedfSay th the Lordio Gide-
on, thou malt fee what I am able to doe, when the

Fleece

All

SVFFICIINCY.

Fleece is dry, all the earth (ball be wet, and when the
earth Jballbe dry, the Fleece [ball be rvet.hs if he had
fayd, Though the Church that little Fleece now
be over- flowne,yet I can dry it vp, and lay mife-
ry vpon the cnemies,as they were in peace, when
that was affli&cd.

The like you fee,in Gen. 1 5 .where there is an-
other refemblancc of the Church, when the Sa-
crifices were cut in peeces, & he had divided the
Rammes ,• fayth the Text, the Fowles came and
would haue devoured them. There are twofimili-
tudes of the troubles of the Church, & Gods res-
cuing them. When the Crowes came, Abraham
drone them arv ay .That was one. And the other was
when there was a very fearefull darkenefle, there
came 3 Burning Fornace y and a, Lampe. The mea-
ning is this 5 The Church then was in Egypt $ ( for
that he hath reference to ) it was a dead Sheepe,
cxpofed to Ravens, and you would thinke there
was nothing there to helpe it y but it muft needes j
be devoured. Why yet fayth the Lord> though it
be thus neere, I will driue away the Ravens, and
I will faue my Church. You know, what the
flrengthofP^r^, andof^gy^ was. Againe,
fayth he,the Church was in fearefull darkenefle,
in the valley of the fliadow of death. That is;
They thought they (hould never be recovered,
you know,what wayes Pharaoh tooke,& ar how
low anebbethe Church was, when hee wouldj
haue all the males deftroyed. Who would haue
faid, that this Church fhould haue recovered c*
Yet, as, after this fearefull darkenes, the Fornace

came

The Church
afflicted, re-
fctnbled by
Gideons fleece,
and Akrdhdms
facrifice.
Gen 1 j, 1 o.
li.

TwofimiU*

rude* of the

Churches

troubles.

100

Xfay. 4««

Thegreateft

ftrengthofe*
nemies can-
not prcvaile
againftGod.

Simile.

Note,

O l 70

O D f

came and gauc lighr 3 io,fairh hc,I will fcatter this
darkenes. Beloved, confider jf youbelecue Gods
^ll-fufficiemie^nd confider, if thou cToeft thus
know him in his grcatncs,what though the nati-
ons be exceeding great and ftrong that come a-
gainft the Church, yet in Efay 40 . ( it is to that
purpofe brought in.) What are they to the Lord''.
they Are but at the dnft of the Baflavce, or as the drop
of a Bucket. The Bucket it felfe is no great thing,
but the drops that fall from the Bucket, when it
arifeth out of the Well,they are exceeding final!-
Say th he, the Nations are no more to me, than
the drop of a Bucket,or the duft of the Ballancc,
which doth not fway them cither way.-,So lookc
what I doe,the Nations arc not able to fway me,
be they never fo ftrong,they are not able to tu rne
me,but according as I pitch things they dial (lad.
Now confider whether you be ableto comfort
your felucs thus out of Gods All~[ufficiencie. We j
doe, for the moft part, as Hagw did, when the,
bottle was fpent, fhee falls a crying, fiiee was vn-
done* flies #nd her childe fnould dye, and there
was no more hope, till the Lord opened her eyes
tofee^a Fountakie ncerc her -the Fauntaine was
\ neere her,but fhee fa w it npt 5 when fhe faw it, fhe
was well enough. Is it not fo with vs alfcbccaufe
the Bottle is dry cd vp, becaufe fach a meanes is
taken away,wc thinkc prefently there is no more
hope,when the fountain is neer,the Lord him] 'el 'fe
is the fountain, & he is neere,if he did open your
eyes to fee. C odder whither you walk thus with
I God, as feeing him in his greatnefle. If we did fee
i him

LL-8YFF1CIINCY.

him in his greatneffe, why fhould Torches and

Candles haue fo great a light before vs ?That is •

Why fliould we regard men fo much ? Put the

cafe , many Nations were againfl thee, thou

would ft looke vpon all thofe in comparifon of

G$d, as a drop of the Bucket, or as a little duft on

theBallance. Art thou able todoefo, to fee

and know him thus in his grcatneile ?

if thou be not 5 certainely, thou

art exceeding ihort of

feeing God in his

All-fnffieiency.

So much for this time.

F / &(j s.

iol

Simile*

Whence fee
God in his
greatnefle, all
other things
feeme little*

104

Gods

To comfort
vs in our im-
perfect obcdi

ence.

Aa.i7.i4«*S

THE

FOVRTH

SERMON.

G E N E S I 8 17, I.

I am gOT> zAll-fufficient.

Nother Vfe,and dedu&ionthat vvc
will draw from thispoynt 3 that God
is All-fufficientM, to comfort vs in
\ regard of our imfcrfeB obedience.
We ought not to thinke, becaufe
we are not exa& in keeping all thcCommande-
ments of 6W,becaufe we haue much vncvennefTe
in our wayes, becaufe we are not able to keepe
the Rule Co ftri&ly as we ought, that therefore
God rejects vs:for he is All-fufftcient in himfelfe,
he needes not our righteoufneife, and therefore
he can well beare with the im perfections of our
righteoufnefle. You Avail fee this vfemade of it
Act. 17. 24.25. God 'that made all things, the world,
and all that is therein .feeing he is Lord of heaven &

earth,

A LL-tV FF

ICI5NCY.

earthy he drvels not in Temples made with hands,
neither is he worjhipped with mens hands , as if he
needed anything, (Marke) he gims to all life,
and breath, and all things. Thus the A poftle makes
his argument: if God, fayth he, made the world,
and all things therein, if he giueth to all life,
and breath, and all things $ then when you doe
worfhip him, it is not becaufe he hath any ncede
of your worJhip, or any need of your righteouf-
nefle,or of all that you can doe, he hath enough,
he doth it not as if he needed anything : for he
is All-fnfficient. Andfolikewife in Pfa!.$o. 12.
fayth the Lord there, // 1 be hungry , I will not tell
thee. That is$To (hew how little neede he hath of
Sacrifices>ho w little regard he had to them,when
they were brought in,and how little he was mo-
ved when they fayledinit. For, fayth he, all are
mine, the (heepe vpon a thousand mottntaines are
mine : If I be hungry I will not tell thee. That is $
I may fatisfie my felfe,(I do but apply it by way
ofallufion) If I would haue Sacrifice in abun-
dance,might I not haue it^If I were hungry after
them, who could keepe them from me? We may
fay the fame of the obedience of his children : If
he were hungry. That is $ If he were defirous of
perfe<5i and abfolute obedience,could he not haue
it < Hath he not fpirit enough? Hath he not grace
enough to put into their hearts, that he might
reape the full fruits of righteoufnefTef And there-
fore, I fay, in regard of Gods x^AlUfuftcieneie, he
needs it not 5 and if he need it not,he will be con-
tent with a moreimperfed meafure of it,fince he

105

God hath no
need of our
fetvicc.

PiUjo, at,

If God had
neede of our
obedience, he
could make
vsyeeld per-
fect obedi-
ence.

io4

O D S

lob 35*6.7.

Smne & righ*
teou(nefle,the
two pathes
men mike in*

is no loofer by it, This is to perfwade our hearts
more fully of that truth, which we affent vnto
withfomedifficultie: for we arc fomething dif-
couraged with the impcrfe&ions of our obedi-
ence, whofe faith is not weakened by it i Who
comes not more vnchearfully before GW 3 becaufe
of it ? Now, if that feare were taken away wee
would draw neere more boldly . We fee what lob
fayth in this cafe, lob 35. 6.j.rftbottftnneft,what
dofl then againfi him, yea, when thyftnnes are many,
what do ft thou to him ? if then be righteous what gi-
ve ft thou to him ? or what receiues he at thy hands ?
Marke, you know, finncand righteoufneffe, are
the two pathes that we walke in,thofe are all that
trouble vs 5 thefinnes that we commit, and the
defe&sof our righteoufneffe. Saythhe, if thou
ftnne >\vhat is that to him* It doth him no hurt.
• Againe, if thou fayle in thy righteoufneffe, or in
thy performances^ isall one that way. -for it rea-
chethnottohim.-becaufeheis bleffed forever,
he hath all fuificienciein himfelfe : and therefore
he pleafeth fo to adminifter the world, and fo to
guide the hearts of his children, and to difpenfe
I to them but fuch a meafure of grace, to leaue fin-
; full lufts in them in fuch a meafure vnmortificd:
becaufc himfelfe is neither a gainer, nor a loofer :
therefore let not your faith be weakned at this his
adminiftration of things, let not carnall fcares
poffeffe your hearts,to keepe you off from com-
ming with boldneffe to him : fince he is ^Allfuf-
ficient, fince he needs not your righteoufneffe, he
can be without it.

Moreouer •

I All-svfficiency,

I MoreoverjThis we may draw further from it ;

I if CWbe thus AU-fnfficicnt, that what we doe,

Icomesnotncerehim, then all the Commande-

; ments that GWgiues to the fonnes of men, are

I for their good, and not for his profit. Marke that

that fhould breede in vs a great willingnefTe to

kecpe his Commandements, and a great cheare-

fulnefle to performe them, when we vnderftand

(that it is for our owne good. When a fervant

I knows that all is for his owne good that he doth,

I he will goe about all the bufineffe his Mafter im-

j ployeth him in with more chearefulnes, becaufe

he%ucs himfelfe-this is a principle GWhath put

into nature. Now, if God be All-fafficient y then

he commands nothing for his owne benefit in a-

ny thing-no,not in that,in which he feemes moft

to doe it.

The Sabbath, thar he hath taken for himfclfe.,
and hath called it his day 3 Some may aske,is not
that for his owne fake?No:6W fayth,^ Sabbath
is made for man. As if he {hould fay jlfit had been
made for mine owne fake, I would haue taken
morethen one day from youjBut I haue given it
for your fake, J made it for man : for man could
not be without it,he could not be religious with-
out it,his heart could not keep neere to God with-
out it,it would foone be eftranged from him, it
would be over- gro wne with weeds,if it were not
looked to ever and anon, he would foone be de-
fediue in his knowledge, he would foone forget
thepurpofe that lie takes tohimfelfe: therefore
the Sabbath is made for man. That is one day

L wherein

Mans benefit
(hould encou-
rage him to
Godsfervice-

That Gods
Commands

sre for roans
good,decIarcdi
by Inftances,

I
In the Sab*.
bath.

lo£

Infelfc-dem«
all.

Ifa.48.17*

Satbans fcr»
rice to our

hart.

Wcegiucnoi
thing to God
ir oar obedi-
ence,

Of Gods

wherein the Lord commands him to fet afidc all
other bufines, and to intend his fervice. And that
which is faid of the Sabbath, may be faid of all
other Commandements : for he is All-Efficient.
He bids a man deny himfelfe, and take vp his
croffe. Is it for hira?No,my Beloved, it is for our
felues,and therefore when a man denies himfelfe
in his profit, in his credit, when he denies him-
felfe in the fatisfy ing of his lufts-all this is for his
owne profitras you haue it clearely fet downe in
If ay .^$..ij.Iamthe L ord that teacheth thee to pro-
fit, therefore hearken to my Commandements. As if
he fhould fay ,It is for thy profit that I commShd
thee, & not for my owne:therefore let that caufe
thee the more willingly to doeitrthat is often re-
peated in Bent, the commandements thai I hane
given thee for thy wealth \f or thy good. Beloved, all
the Commandements of Sathan are for our hurt,
wee doe him fervice as bonji-flaucs ferue their
Matters, not for their owne profit, but for their
Matters. But all the fervice, we doe to God, is for
our wealth * for he is All-fufficient.

Laft of all. If God be All-fufficient, then when
you pcrforme any thing, doe not thinke that you
giue any thing to the Lord, and folooke for're-
compence, ( there is that fecret Popery in every
mans heart, that he thinkes when he hach done a-
ny fpeciall fervice 3 to be rewarded for it)Indeede
ifthou ihouldft do 6Wagoodturne,thou mightft
lookefor fomewhat againc at his hands, but it is
done to him that is AH-fufficicnt^ how can you
doe him a good turne?how can you giue to him?

Marke„

All-svfficiency,

Marke,It is the ground which the Apoftle layeth
Rom. 11.34. Who hath given te him y and it {lull be
recompencedto him ? He that is capable of no gift,
there can be nothing done to him, to premcrit a-
ny thing.-For he is AlLfufficient, there can be no
addition made to him, and, faythhe, doft thou
Iooke for any recompencerWhat doeft thou elfe
but giue to him of his owne?Shall a man merit in
giving to the Lord the fruits of his owneVine-
! yard, the Apples of his owne Orchards When as
ail the graces we haue,are but as ftreames fpring-
ing from that fountaine that he hath put into vs,
therfore when thou haft done thy beft, fay with-
in thy felfe vnto thine own heart^I am but an *vn
profitable ferv am, Lean looke for nothing for all
this : for he is All-feficient, and needs it not, I
hauedonehimnogoodturne,Ihaue given him
nothing,he is vncapable of my gifr,and therefore
I look for no rccompence,as by merit from him .
Againe, IF God be AlLfufficient, let vs be ex-
I horted to make a Covenant with him;for(as I told
J you before ) thefe words doe but containe the
I Covenant betweene God and vs. Now, this is the
Covenant .th^t God wi\ make with you^if you will
enter into Covenant with him,that he will be All-
fujficient to you. Now, that which is expreffed
here generally ,1 finde in other places,divided in-
to thefe three particulars,wherein the All-faffici-
ency of GWconfifts,as if they were the three parts
of this Covenant.

Firft. He is All.fnjficim ,to juftifie,and to for-
giuevsourfinnes.

L % Second-

I07

Rom, 11.

Vje T .
GodsAttfufftci-
tntit Should
perfwademo
enter into co-
venae: with
him.

The $.p2tit
of the Cove*
nanr.

loS

O D 8

Icr.*i. $4-
Eack. $6*

Secondly. He is AlLfufficient, to fanftifie vs 3
and to heale our infirmities.

Thirdly. He is AlLfufficient ,\o provide forvs
whatfoe vcr we neede> fo that no good thing fhall
be wanting to vs.
Thefc are the three parts of the Covenant which
we finde fet downe in divers places, in Ier.$ 1.34.
Heb. 8 . 9 . 1 o. 1 6. But mod clearely are they let
downe in Ezek. 36. fayth the Zwrf there $ / will
pure cleane water vpn you, yen jh all be cleane , yea,
from all your filthines, and from all your idols will!
clenfeyou. There is one part of the Covenant 5 that
he will clehfe vs from all our finncs.Thar is^frora
the guilt and the punifhment of them. Secondly.
%^A new heart will Igiueyou^alfo a new ftirit will I
pit into you^ and Twill 'take away your Jlonie hearts
out of your bodies, and I willgiue you a heart offlc(h.
There is the fecond part of the covenant, confu-
ting of San&ification.The third h.To& (hall dwell
in the Land that Igauetoyour fathers, and I will
call for Corm.andl willencreafeit , and I will lay no
more famine vpn you, and I will multiply the fruit
of the tree, and the increafe of the field, that you beare
no more the reproach of famine among the Heathen.
Here are the particulars fet downe • fome are na-
med for the refill will call for Corneand Wine.
That is 1 For whatfoever you want. That is the
third part of 'the Covenant. Thefeare the three
parts of the Covenant, which I ihall fpend this
time in opening,and (hewing you^that Cod is Ef-
ficient in all 3 and to anfwer thofeobje&ions that
mens hearts haue againfthis Ml-foficicncy .-for

the

Ali<-*vfficiengy.

the heart is readie to objeft againft thefe three,
to hauefinnes forgiven, to be fancftified, and to
haue abundance of all good things, belonging to
this prefent life : in all thefe he is All- fuff icient, to
fulfill all the defires of mens hearts. Now,to be-
gin with the firft.

Firft, I fay, He is ^Allfujficlent to take away
all our finnes. It may be, when you heare this j
point, you will fay, it is an eafie thing to belecue
it^ there is no difficultie in this, the Lordis k^AIL
fnjficient to forgiue finnes. Surely, whatfoever
we fay, or pretend, we finde in experience it is
exceeding hard. Who is able fo fully to beleeue
the forgiuenes of his finnes,as he oughts Who is
able to doe it when he is put to it < At the day of
death,at the time of extremity,at that time when
the confeience ftirres vp all his ftrengtb, and.op-
pofeth it felfe againft him, when all his finnes
are prefented vnto him in their colour^who is a-
ble then to beleeue it < therefore we had neede to
finde out the All-fnfficiency of G^in this :for the
greatneffe and exceeding largenefTe of his power
is (hewed in it, in nothing more then in forgiving
of finnes* Hofea 1 1 .^.See there how the Lordex-
prefleth it,Say th he, / will not execute thefercencs
of my wrath, 1 will not returne to deflroy Efhravn^
for lam Godandnot man. Marke it, when we haue
committed any finne againft 6W, we commonly
thinkethus with our felues, if my finnes were
but as other mens, if my finnes wanted thefc and
thefe circumftances,I could beleeue the forgiue-
neffe of them, but fome thing, or other, a man

L 3 hath

GwfrAIl.fuffi.
ciencic in for-
giving our
finnes.

It is hard to
beleeue the
forgiuenefle
o/fianes.

■

Hofea ix,0.

llo

G O D •

(W* forgiue
ncffe without
companion.

Ifay. 55. 7*

hath ftill to object. Now fayth the Lordit is very
truerlf I were as man is,it could not be but that I
fhould execute the fierceneffe of my wrath vpon I
Ephraim, who hath provoked me fo exceedingly '
( for Ephraim was part of Ifraell, and is put for all
I [racily and the Prophet wrote this in the time of
leroboam, the fonne of Ioajh when ifraeH aboun-
ded in finnes,and in Idolatry)but,fay th the Lord,
though their finnes be exceeding great, yet I am
able to forgiue them : for I am God, and not man.
As if he fhould fay -Looke vpon weakeman,and
compare GodSc man together, and fee how farre
God exceeds man : fee how much hee is ftronger
theti man, being infinite and almightie -, fo fayth j
hc,his mercy exceeds the mercy of man $ As if he
fhould fay ^If I were not God, it were impoflible I
fhould forgiue the finnes of Ephraim, which they
haue multiplied againft mee from time to time.
So, likewife, in I/ay 55. 7. the Lord calls them in
there, and vfeth this as an argument: for, fayth
he^ I will forgiue and multif lie my pardons -, fo the
Word fignifies in the originall 5 when a man
makes this obje&ion. But it is more then any
man can belecue, that my finnes that I haue thus
and thus repeated, that the Lord can fo e.ifily put
them away, and multiplie his pardons, as I haue
multiplied my finnes i Sayth he, my thoughts are
not as your thoughts, my rvayes are not as your rvayes,
hut as high as the heaven is ah one the earth, fo are my
thoughts aboueyour thoughts, and my rvayes aboue
yonr rvayes. That is ; As a man lookes to heaven,
and confiders the great diftance betweene the

earth.

A L L - S V

FflCIENCY,

111

earth, and it, fo farre, fayth he,doe my thoughts
exceede your thoughts.That is^ When you think
with your felues, 1 cannot forgiue • bccaufe you
aieafure me,and draw a fcantling of me by your
felues,whenyou haue gone to the vtmoft ofyour
thoughts, my thoughts exceede yours as much
as heaven exceeds the earth. And thcrefore,faith
he, my way es are not as your wayes. That is j When
you could not forgiue, yet I am able to forgiue
in fo great a difpropoi tion. We doe with this as
we doe with all the Attributes of &Mmt arc able j We thinke of
to thinke him powerful! as a man, but to thinke ^t«Vo«pa-
him powerfull as God, there we come fhort. We ntiueiy,
are able to thinke him mercifull as a man, but to
thinke him mercifull as God, there our thoughts
are at an end 5 we can thinke and fee no reafon
why he fhould pardon vs. Now, fayth the Lord,
my thoughts go beyond your thoughts as much
as the diftance is betweene heaven and earth. If
you /ay to me,who doubts of this,that theLord'is
able to forgiue ? My BelovedM vvedid not doubt
of it; what is the reafon, when great fins are com-
mitted, that you fall to queftioning of Gods mer-
cy, when you can more eafily beleeue afmaller
finnetobe forgiven? Therefore certainly, men
doubt of his power, whether he be able to for-
giue: for, if the difference of finne doe caufe in
you vnbdiefe, it cannot be that you pitch vpon
the power of God, and his readineffe to forgiue.
Therfore it is certain", that it is his power that is 1 in doubting
called in queftion, and, therefore, rhe thing wee of forgurawg,
haue to doe,is to make this good to y ou,that the GodSowS

I 4 Lord]

i n

Of G o d *

Ob.

Anfvo.
To forgiue
(fanes, is a
I matter of

j power.

Lord> is able to forgiue.

But you will fay to me : It is true \ If it were a
matter of power, I make no queftion.

You fhall find it a matter of powerrtake a man,
Is it not a matter of frrength in him to forgiue,
to paife by an infirmitiec'If it be ftrength in a man
to be mecke, to forgiue,and to pafle by injuries,
to be kinde to thofe that be vnkinde to him •, Is it
not alfo power in God to doe fo ? Befides,is it not
a power to be rich S Riches giue a man potencie,
and the Lordis faid to be rich in mercy . That is 5
I As a man that is rich, though he giue much, yet
1 he is not cxhaufted ; So, when you hauc made
1 thus much vfe of Gods mercy, yet ftill there is I
! more behinde, ftill there is more and more mer- j
cy for you, there is a fpring of mercy, there is no
end of it.Befides^as there is a power in his wrath,
who knows the power of his wrathfSo likewife there
is a power in his mercy, as we fee Horn. p. 22.23.'
( it is a place worth the confidering for this pur-
^ok)what if God to fherv his wrath, and to make his
fewer knowne , will faff er with long patience, the
veffels of wrath prepared for destruction ? ( And
the next Verfe is thus to be read, otherwife, you
Rosins*!? j cannot make the fenkpevfed:)^ what if he would
\ alfo, to [hew the greatneffe of his power, declare the ri-
ches of his glory vpo the veffels of mercy ^that he hath
preparedteglory?(Maxke)as GWihewes the great-
nelfe of his power in executing wrath vpon evill
men-fo he fliewes the exceeding greatneffe of his
power, and declares his glorious riches. That is-
The riches of his mercy vpon the Saints.

Now,

Rich in met-
ric, what?

r All-svfficiency.

I Now, as it is hard to finde out the depth of the
I onc,fo it is to finde out the depth of the other, to
J confider the height, the length, and bredth, and
! depth of his mercy. When a man confidcrs his
! finnes, and lookes vpon them in the height of
• them, in the bredth, and depth of them, when he
I fees a heape of finnes piled vp together, reaching
I vp to the heavens, and downe againe to the bot-
tom of hell j now to bcleeue. that the mercy of
Godis higher then thefe finnes,and that the depth
of his mercy is deeper then they jThis is to compre-
hendthelength,and bredth^ depth of mercy inhim^
Ephef.%. This is exceeding hard and a great thing
for vs to doe 5 but yet this the Lord is able to doe,
his mercy is able to fwallow them vp 5 and there-
fore,you fhall find this expreflion in Iamesi .Mer-
cy rejoyceth againfi Iudgement%h.s if he fhould fay ;
There is a certaine contention bet weene the fins
that we commit, and the mercy of God^ though
our finnes oppofe his mercy, yet hismercie is
greater, and, at length, it overcomes them, and
rejoyceth ngainftthem, as a man rejoyceth a-
gainft an adverfary that he hath fubdued There-
fore herein we muft labour to fee Gods All- fuffici-
encie^ that although our fins be exceeding great,
yet the largenefie of his mercy ,is able to fwallow
them vp. "

But you will fay to me, we could bele^ie this,
if we were qualified,but all the difficulty is to be-
leeueit, wfitn we want thofe qualifications that
God requires, foftnefTe of heart, godly forrow,
truth -of repentance, &c.

EphcH 5. 10.

lames 2, 13,

Note.

Of.

ii4

O D S

Neither finne
nor emptines,

flioulddifcou-
ragc vsfrom
bdecvingfor-
giuenefie.

When wee
doubt of for-
giueneffe,v?e
forget Chrift.

To this,I anfwer briefly ^that whatfoever thou
feeft, that difcourageththee, that thou feeft in
thine owne heart, when thoii refle&eft vpon it,
it is either finne or emptineffe. That is $ A want
of that righteoufnefle that fhould be in thee. If it
be finne, the grcatnefle of his mercy is able to
fwallow it vp. And if it be emptinefle,know this,
that he is rich in mercy, and All-fufficient, able to
beftow this riches,even vpon nothing:you know
he did beftow all the glory of -the Creature on it
when it was nothing. There was nothing, you
know, when he made the world : when he made
the Angels, what was it he beftowed his riches
vpon { And is he not able to beftow it on thee,
though there be an emptines in thine heart?Ther-
fore, thinke with thy felfe, what is the exceeding
greatnes of his loue. It was a great loue that mo-
j ved him to giue drift to vs •, but after wee are in
J drift, then you muft confider this, that his loue
| hath increafed to a full objeft, his loue is fully
beftowed on him, & is derived from Cbrift to vs.

When we doubt fo much of the forgiuenefife of
our fins, it is becaufe we forget Chrifi, we thinke
Gods loue is pitched immediately vpon vs. I fay,
that will helpe vs,though there be an emptinefle,
yet he isable to beftow all this vpon nothing:but
this will helpe vs much more,whcn the fulnes of
loue, which fals vpon his Sonne, is derived vpon
vs,it is not beftowed vpon vs immediately. Now
thou muft thinke with thy felfe, though there be
nothing in me, why he (hould beftow fo great a
degree of loue on me, as to fwallow vp all my
___^ finncs,

LL-8VFE1CIENCY.

finnes,yca, all the degrees of my finnes, to over-
come them, and fubdue them, yet if the fulnefTc
of his loue, that he loues chrifi with, be derived
on me 5 what neede I make queftion ?

But you will fay againe,What needs this per-
fwafion of Gods All-fufficiencie in forgiving?This
is but to open a doore of libertie, to make men
more loofe <

Beloved, It is not fo, it is the moft profitable
thing you can doe for your ownc foules, to be-
leeue his ^ill-fufficiencie in forgiving finnes, as
well as his All- fufficiencie, in any thing befides:
therefore we fee in 2to?#.6.concerning the aboun-
ding of grace ( for fo the obje&ion ftands) where
fin hath abounded^ there grace hatb abounded much
more. If 'mens finnesbe multiplied,grace and mer-
cy fhall be multiplied much more, and ftill out-
goe,and fwallow them vp.^ hall we therefore fmne
that grace may abound, or becaufe grace hath a-
bounded ? No, fay th the^Apoftle, for the abun-
dance of grace kils finne (.for fo the confcquencc
ftands, ) how/hall we that are dead to finne, Hue any
longer therein? So that hisanfwer ftands thus •
Sayth he, the abundance ofgjjace doth not caufe
men to finne more : for it kils finne. And there-
fore, the more we beleeue this All-fufficiencie in
Cod to forgiue finne,the more finne is killed in vs,
it is not enlarged by it,life is not given to finne by
it, but we are made more dead to finne by it.

You will fay, how can that be i

Becaufe the beleeving of Gods AlUfufficiency in J
forgiving our finnes,increafeth our loue,and our

_ jay-

Ob.

Anfw.
The a durance
offorgiuencs
doth not
make men
carelcfle,

Rom tf<t 5.16

Grace kils
finne } and not
iacreafcthit,

06.

Anjvr*

Belicfe of
Gods Ail f*ffi.
limey to for-
giue increa-
feth loue.

Spiritualllouc
eates out car-
nal! delights*

O D S

A double
feare.

Keepes from
comming in
to God.

From going
out from him,

joy. It increafeth our loue • for, when there is no
fc tuple in our hearts of Gods loue towards vs, it
makes our loue more perfafi towards him. It in-
creafeth our joy alfo>bccaufe when we haue a full
afTurancc of the forgiucneffe of our finnes, that
fils the heart with joy & peace in the holy Ghofi.
Now fpirituall loue eats out of the heart all car-
nail dclights^l! finful lufts,& all inordinate loue
vnto the Creature. And fo Iikewife,fpirituall joy
takes away the vigor of all carnall joy,and finfull
delight : So,the more you fee this All-fujficiencie
of God towards you in loue, the more you are a-
ble to heleeue ir,and the more it kils finne in you,
the more it fandifies you,and the more it drawes
you to GW.Theref ore this is to be confidered,to
help vs againft this obje<5iion,that there is a dou-
ble feare $ the one is that which keepes vs from
comming to <70//.*The other is a feare that keepes
vs from going out from God. We are very apt to
exceede in the firft feare 5 and to come fhortin
the fecond. Now, the feare that keepes vs from
comming in to God, is a feare that he is not ready
to forgiue, that he is not AlLfujficient, thathcc (
hath not power enough of mercy to forgiue our
finnes, and to heale our infirmities $ this makes a
man timorous and fearefull j as a man is fearefull
to come neere a Iudge, to come ncere one that is
terrible: Now the more this feare is taken away,
the neercr we come, the neerer we draw in affu-
ranceoffaithtohim.

On the other fide-there is a feare that keepes vs
from going out from (7ft/, and that is the more

wee

All-jvfficiency.

we beleeue this All-fufficiencie, the more we be-
leeue that happiaefTe is in him , the more we be-
ieeuethe riches of his mercy, and the abundance
of his goodnetfe,thc more we feare to ilcppe out
from him,to haue our hearts eftraged from him 5
to haue our hearts fet loofe. Now, the more we
can bckeue this AlUfufficicncy, the more it takes
away the fii ft feare, and increafeth the fecond,
it takes away the feare that keepes vs from com-
mingintoGW, and it increafeth the feare that
keepes vs from going out from God. So much
(hall feme for this fii ft, the All-fuffkiemie of God
in forgiving finne.

The fecond part of the Covenant M his AlUfuf-
fieiency in healing our finnes,or in fan&ifying vs ;
as you haueit in PfaL 103, That fergiues all our
fmnes and hales all our infirmities. This belon-
geth alfb to his i^dll-fuffkiencie. This is a ne-
cefTary poynt to beleeues Itferucs likewife to
bring vs in to the Lord: for a man is readie to
make this objeftion, when he lookes vpon Gods
wayes, the wayes of righteoufneffc,and then vp-
on the ftrength of his lufts,heis ready to fay with
himfelfe: howfhalllbcableto lcadea holy life,
as I ought to doe ? This is the anfwer to it : God'is
AlLfuffkient.YLz that is able to bid the light fhine
out of darkeneffe,fay th the Apoftle, he is able to
kindle a light in thy darke heart, where there is
not a jot of goodneffe, though thy heart be never
fo a vei fe, he is able to change that heart of thine,
and therefore fay not, I fhall never be able to doe
it : for he is able to take away all that relu&ancy .

Forj

Geds AU'fuffi-
a'fttfiVinfaac-
tifying vs.
Pfol. 103,3.

Note,

O D I

Ob.

Anfr.
God chageth
the nature oi
things.

For hence comes the difficultic : how ftiall the
ftrengthofmy lufts, this crooked and perverfe
heart of mine,and the ftraight wayes of (Wftand
together ?

It is very true.If thy heart continue in that tem-
per, it is impoffible • but the Lerd, that is All-fnf-
jicient, is able to take away that relu&ancifc : for
he doth in the worke of grace, as he doth in the
worke of nature;he doth not as we doe,whcn we
would haue an Arrow goe to the mark,when we
throw a (tone vpward, we are notable to change
the nature of it, but we put it on by force. God
carries all things to their end, by giving them a
nature fuitable to that end . An Archer makes an
* impreflion vpon an Arrow,but it is a violent im-
Godleadsthe^ preffion; {^carries everything to that end, to
which he hath appointed it, but with this diffe-
rence, he makes not a violent impreffion, but a
naturall imprefllon 5 & therefore he doth it not by
an onely immediate hand of his ownc as we doe,
but he caufeth the Creature to goe en of it felfe,
to this or to that pu rpofe,t o this or that end . And
fo he doth in the worke ofgracc,he doth not car-
ry a man on to the wayes of righteoufneffe, lea-
ving him in the ftate of nature, taking him as hee
is, but he takes away that heart of his, and im-
prints the habits c^grace in it, and he changeth a
mans heart, fo that he is carried willingly to the
wayes of God, as the Creature is carried by a na-
turall inftind to its owne place, or to the thing it
defires. So that thou may ft thinke thus with thy
felfe;It is true,if I haue my old heart,my old lufts

ftill,

Creatures to
their end in

a way fitting
their nature,

Note*

When the
heart is chan-
ged, the wayes
of God are
eafie.

All

• YFFICIENCY.

119

ftill, there muft needs be fuch a relu&ancie, as I
(hall not be able to overcome ; but, if the Lord
change this heart of mine, and take away thefc
lufts,if the Lordpnt another imprcflion vpon me
thatisnaturalltome, which is like that inftin<3
he puttcth into the creature,then it is eafie for me
to doe it. And this the Lord out of his All-fujfi-
ciemy is able to doe.

But you will be readie to objc<ft,if the Lordbc
thus All fofftcknt ,ii he be able thus tojcindle light
in the darke heart, to change a mans crooked and
perverfe fpirit, to implanc and ingraft fuch natu-
rall habits,& inftin&s into it, to carry it on with
fuch facilitieand connaturalneflTe to the wayes of
his CommandementSjwhy am I thus? why am I
no more able to overcome my finnes? why doe I
fall backe fo often to the fame finne i Why doe I
come fliort of the performance of fuch purpofes
and defires i Why doe I finde lb many things in
my life contrary to the Rules of Sandiification 5
and fo contrary to this \^i 7£ fujficient power of
God?

To this I anfwdr. Firft $ It may be it is from
hence, that thou obferveft not thofe Rules by
which {^communicates this AlLfnfficiencj ,and
this power of his. What though the L$rdbe wil-
ling to communicate it,yet there are fome Rules
to be obferved, which himfdfe hath given?That
is^thou muft diligently attend vpon his ordinan-
ces, thou muft obferue & keepc them, thou muft
be carefull to abftaine from the oecafions he bids
thee abftaincfromdf thou fayle in either of thefe,

Anfa>.
We haue ma-
ny imperfecti-
ons, though
God be able
to fan^ific vs.

1
Becauie we
obferue not
Gods rules,

110

O D 8

Note,

•

he hath made thee no pt omiie to helpe thee with
his All-fuficieme. Sampfon, as long as the Lard
was with him,y ou know,had great ftrength,you
know, the Lord tels him fo long as he nourifhed
his hayre, fo long he would be with him, which
was but a fymboll of Gods prefence, but it was
fuch a thing, as he would haue him to keepe ex-
a<5Hy, and, if he did not keepe that, hee would
withdraw his prefence, and would not be with
him. Solikewife, the Na&arites were comman-
ded to abftaine from drinking Wine, if they
dranke wine,the Lord would withdraw himfelfe.
And fo it is in this cafe : the Lord hath appointed
vs to keepe his ordinances 5 and fo long he will Ik
with vs, to be ^Atl-fufficientto vs, togiue vs
ftrength toinable vs to doc the duties he com-
mands vs, & to abftaine from the evils he would
not haue vs to doe : but we mu ft keepe his ordi-
nances, and goeby his Rules, and if we fay le in
either of them,that we negle& the meanes,or ad-
venture vpon the occafions, now the Lord is dif-
charged of his promife,as we may fo fay,theZ^^
now withdraws his power fro vs, as he did from
Samp [on. If you mil needs marry with fuch apevple,
fayth the Lord, they jhallturne away your hearts ;
for now I will not keepe you. If you will needs
touch that tree, if you will needs goe into fuch a
company, if you will needs gaze vpon fuch ob-
je<3s : or, if againe, you will negled prayer, and
hearing, and fan&ifying the Sabbath,if you will
ncgleft to obferue the Rules that he hath appoin-
ted, in all thefe cafes, the Lord withdrawes his

All-svfficiency.

I A ll-fufficiericy . And therefore lay the fault where
itisjThatis -Vpon our felues. Doe not fay with
thy felfe, it is becaufe the Lord is not AlLfufficL
tm, but rather thinke that he can giuc power to
goc through the woike he hath appointed me to
doe, but itis becaufe I haue not kept his rules, I
haue negle&ed the meanes, I haue ventured vp-
on fuch occafions.

Secondly, Confider with thy felfe, that the
ZWdoth this to humble thee. It may be he is
willing to beftow a greater meafure of grace,
but he difpenfeth a letter meafure ; it is that the
heart may be kept humble : forhumilitic is the
Nurfe of graces, take away that, and grace wi-
thers in the heart. And therefore when hee is
willing to beftow a mercy or grace on vs,he do;h
as he did with Iacob, he lcaues a lamenefle toge-
ther with it, he will not beftow it on vs, that he
will make vs perfe<ft,but he leaues fome defers,
fome wants, that by that humilitie may bepre-
fcrved, and that may caufe vsto cleaue to him,
and depend vpon him, that hee may keepe vs
from an All-fnfftciencj in our felues,and teach vs
to wake on him : for without that, he doth not
communicate and difpenfe vnto vs that fuffici*
encie that is in himfelfe.

Moreover - 3 Confider with thy felfe, that the
Lord many times fuffereth vs to fee changes in
our Hues & conventions, that by them we may
learne to know him better, and oar felues alfo •
ifwe were able to doe it by our felues, the Lord
would fpare vs \ but who is able to doe it i It is

M faid

1*1

Anfw.
2
To humble
vs.

Ham i li tie the
nurfcof Gra«

CCf.

Anfa.

3
That we may
knov/GOD
and our felues -
better.

Ill

The Saints
arcgaiaersby
their fals*
SimUe* -

O D 8

faid in the Pfalmcs, that therefore the wicked feare
not God, becanfe they hane no changes ,and truely, e-
vcn the godly men, if they had no changes, they
vyouldfcare him lefle-jfo that every change in a
{ mans ftatethe falling into finne, and the rifing
againe, leades a man to fome new knowledge of
God, and of himfelfe alfo,to a new experimental!
knowledge, and that knowledge leades him to a
new degree of feare : fo that ftill by their fins the
Saints get advantage, that they ftull find in their
fpirituall eftate : for even as we fee the Sun 5 when
it breakes out of a thicke Cloud of darkenefle, it
fhines the brighter ; fo grace when it breakes out
of a thicke cloud of finnes or of temptations, it
fhines the brighter, we are ftill gainers by thofe
changes . I fay, we learne to know God, and our
felues alfo the better, and for thefe caufes, hee
leauesvs to thofe changes, that we maybe gai-
ners by then*, and fo we arc. Therefore, fay not
with thy felfe, becaufe I finde fome defers, and
fome vnevenneffc in my fan&ification,therefore
theZpr</isnotfufficient : for it is for thy advan-
tage, it is not for want of fufficiencie in the Lord,
nor of williagnefTe in him to communicate it
to \ thee, but it is for thy advantage, that thou
fhouldeft finde thefe changes, and this vneven-
nefTe in thy wayes. Therefore, build vpon this,
that he is All-fujfteient, It may be when thou go-
eft about a worke thy fclfe, thou findeft it a diffi-
cult thing to overcome fuchalufUwt that which
is impoffible with men, is eafie with God. Thofe
that rowed all night, and did no good, a word

from

All-svfficiency.

I from his mouth brought them to fhoreprefcntly.
Theffirii that is in vs lufleth after envie, lames 4.
but the Scriptures offer more grace. That is ; G race
is able to healethefe naturall hereditary diftafes 3
there is an Alt-fufftciency in him, he is able to doe
it; He that can ftiil the Sea, and command the
Windes, that at his word they are quiet, can he
not frill ftrong lufts^Heis able to reftraine them:
therefore labour to fee his AlLfttfftciency in this,
as well as in all things els. Thinke with thy fclfe,
he hath a foveraignty over all thy affe&ions, o-
ver all thy lufts:for what is it that troubles vs, &
interrupts vs in our way, but fome temptations
of the flefh,or the world? is not the Lord the ma-
iler of them? As Paul faith, 2 Cor. 12. though
Satan were the chiefe buffetter, & the lufts of the
flefhthe meffengers 3 yet the Lord fent that mef-
fengcr,(markeit) therefore he goes not to Sa-
tan, he wrangles not with the meiTenger, but he
immediately fought the Lord, he befeecheshim
I to recall it. So thinke with thy felfe, when
thou art fet on with a ftrong luft, with a tempta-
tionthat feemes too h:.rd for thee, fay with thy
I felfe,this is a melftnger from GW,and I muft goe
to God, and befeech him to take it off, and rebuke
it : for he is able to doe it, he is ^All-faff iciem>
thcyareallathiscommand^ as the maftiue is at
the Matters command, he is able to rate him,
j but a ftranger is not able to doe it, and when he
I hath done what his Maftcr would haue him,
he cals him in j So the Shepheard fets his Dogge
vpon his Sheepe to bring them in, but when they

M 2 are

lam, 4, f,6.

Lufts arc at
Gods com-
mand,

a Cor. is.

Note,

Simile.

i&4

Why GOD

fuffers luft,s
and temptati-
ons ia his
children.

O f G

O D S

Wttftandin

Godsftrcngtli

asweraayfee,

I
In other?.

are brought in,he rates his Dog ; and fo doth the
Lord with lufts, and finne, and temptations, he
fcts them on his owne Shcepe 3 his own children,
bat for this end,, to bring thena in, it is not in
their owne power to rate thefc temptations, and
lufts, nor in the power of a ftranger, but oneljr
in the Lords, who is matter of them, whofemef-
fengerstheyare,heis able to rebuke and recall
them, they are at his command, as it is faidof
the difeafes of the body, they are like the C>»ta-
raw fervants, if he bid one got, he goeth ;if "he bid
| another come, he commeth • fo it is true of the dif-
I cafes of the foule- if he fay to fuch a meffenger
I asPWhad,tofuchaluft,tofuch a temptation,
goeandfeaze vpon fuch a man, goe and vexe
him foratime, it fliall goe v if againe, he call it
backeand reftraineit, fhallit not be reftrained f
Labour thus tofec Gods All-fnffieiencie.

Belovedjfyou looke vpon other men,or your
fclues,youfhallfee experience enough of this.
Looke vpon David, vpon Paul, vpon Salomon,
L§t } and Noah, and all the Saints, fo long as God
was with them, how ftrong were they i Their
ftrength was like Sampfons t but when xhcLord
withdrew himfelfe, we fee what bafe lufts they
fell into ; what lufls was David given vp vnto i
alfo Salomon, and Peter, & Lot. All this the Lord
hath done,even for this purpofe,that they might
learnetoknowthat^//-)?///V/V^is in him, and
not in them. Therefore when thou lookeft on
any Saint of God that excels in grace, and goes
beyond thee, thinke thus with thy fclfe j it is

not

All-svfficiencyo

not bccaufc this man is ftrongerthenl, but be-
caufe the Lord hath done more for him, he hath
beftowed more grace on him : he that hath done
this to him, is he not able to doe it to thee i Hee
that is fo ftrong, if the Lord withdraw his hand,
thou fceft what he is. And therefore comfort thy
felfe with this, that he is able to ftrcngthen thee.
Think sgaine with thy felfchow thou haft found
him at other times. My Beloved, there is great
ftrength in this, even when thou art at the worft,
to keepe life in the roote of grace ; in the Winter
time it is a mightie power of God ? if we looke on
the workes of Nature,to keepe life in the Plants,
when they feeme to be dead, that the hardneffe,
and coldncs of Winter take not away the life of
them. So it is no leflTe All- faff iciency >%rA almigh-
tie power of God, to keepe the life of grace in our
greateft fals and temptations y to keepe life in Da-
vid and Salomon , that it fhould fpring againe
when the Spring-time was come.
Again, who is it that reftrainedthy lufts before?
who is it that hath given thee any ability to think
thofe good thoughts, to doe thofe good things <
thou hadft not thy power in thy felfe,all was fro
the iW.Therefore if he haue an All-faff ciemy in
him, as he is All-fujfment to forgiuc fins, fo like-
wife, he is All-faff idem to fan&ifie thee. Be not
difcouraged then. Let not a man think with him-
felf e^oh,! flial never overcome it, I fliall never be
able to be fo exaft in the wayes of righteoufnes,
as I ought tobe s Remember, Godis All- faff teient.
Our endeuor muft be to make our hearts perfect,

M 3 to

12$

In ocrfekct

Note*

Ddptire of
vidory over
lufts, is for
want of be
UcvingGods
AU-fuffickucy.

\%6

When the
heart is not
p erfca,lufts
prevailc«

O D •

Gods AU-fngi-
iitncj in pro*
viding out-
ward good
things.

Proa. a$.

All outward
good things
are Gods.

to refolue to feme him with a perfedi heart. But
for the power & performance of it, this belongs
to Cod. Therefore hence comes all the difficul-
ties that our hearts arc not fo perfect : for when
amanisreadictoobjed:, I, butlfinde no expe-
rience of this Almightie power * See that the
caufebe not in thy felfe > he hath made a promife
vnto thofe whofe hearts areperfed with him ; it
maybe 3 thy heart is imperfeft, it maybe, there
hath bcene hypocrifie in thy heart, thou haft ne-
ver beene willing to part with all, to ferue him
with a perfedi: heart, and with a willing minde all
thy dayes. But, when once thy heart is brought
to fincerity,doubt not that he will performe that j
thou lookeft for on his part I for it belongs to his
part to giue thee power, and ftrength to doe that
which thou defireft to doe. So much likewife,
for the fecond part of the Covenant.

The third part of the Covenant, is to provide
all good things for vs, belonging to this prefent
life: herein the Lord is JlLfttfficient to all thofe
that are in Covenant with him. Ineede not fay
much to make this good vnto you. All things are
his,whatfoever a man needs- Riches are his,they
are his creatures ; in Pro. 23 . they come and goe
at his command : Honor is his $ / will honour thofe
that honor me, he takes it to himfelfe, to beftow it
as he pleafeth : Health and life is his • the ijfues of
life and death belong to him • Friendfhip is his, for
he puts our acquaintance farre from vs, and drawes
them ncere to vs. Goe through all the varietie of
things that your heart can defire, and they are]all

his

All-syfficibncy.

his, he is the governor, and the difpofer of them
as he pleafeth ; and therefore, certainly, he is All.
fifficicnti he is able to provide all things for thee
that thy heart can defire, fo that no good thing
fhall be wanting to thee. I will not ftand to in-
large this, but rather anfwer the obje&ions : for
here we are ready to objed 5

If the Lordbe All-fcffkientywhy is it thus then
with me? why doe I want fo many things which
I haue need of,and defire to haue < tfCodbe AlL
fufficient, why are there fo many defe&s in my e-
ftate, in my health, this way and that way i
' To this I anfwer:Thou muft confider with thy
felfe,if thofe defires of thine be not vnnatural dc-
fires,whether they be not finfull defires^the Lord
hath promifed to be All-fujficient to the narurall
defires,to the right defires of the foule.but not to
thofe that are vnnaturall and inordinate. There
is a double defire in the heart of manias there is a
doublcthirfbrhcre is a narurall thirft,you know,
which is eafily fatisfied with a little, there is an
vnnaturall thirft, as the thirftof a dropfieman,
who defires exceeding much, and the more you
giue him, (till the more he defires, and is never
fatisfied. So it is with the foule ; there is a natu-
rall heal h and defire, which defires fo much cre-
dit, and fo much wealth, as is needfull, there is
befides this, an vnnaturall defire of the foule,
when a man doth long after abundance:now doe
not looke that the Lord fhould fatisfie this,
nay, thebeft way, in this cafe, is not to fatisfie,
but to take from our defires •, as wee fay of the

M4 Bode-

127

Anfy.
Why the
Saints mac
good things
of this life
that they de-
fire.

A doable de-
fire in the
foule.

Natural,

2
Vftnatarall,

1*8

Evil! defires
are to be pur-
ged, and not
frtis&di

Ecde£ p io«

When God
fatiifieth evill
defires, it is a
token of hit
wrath.
Simile*

Of G o d •

Soulemia,thdZ difcafe wherein a man cates much,
that is called Caninus appetites > & like wife, in the
dropfie, the oneexceflmely eates, and the other
exceiTiuely drinkes j and the rule ofPhyficiam is,
Opus h^bentfnrgatione y non impletionetfuch a man
hath need of purging and emptyings and not of
filling ^fo I may fay of all thefe, fuchmen haue
neede of purging and emptying, which is to be
defired in this cafe : that wherein God (hewes his
All-fujfteiencie now, is not in fupplying thy de-
feds, in adding that which thou defireft, but in
purging the hearty & taking away thofe defires :
that is the way to heale thee. Therefore confidcr
ferioiifly what that is that thou defireft,if it be an
inordinate defire, if it be a worke of fancy , know
that thou canft not looke for this All-fnfficiencie
of God to fatisfie this 3 but to heale it. You fhall fee
Ecclef. 5.10. He that lovethfiher 3 JhaBnot be fatif
fed with fiver, and he that kveth riches >jhdl be
without the fruit thereof. You fee what the Lord
hath fet downe concerning this cafe : now a man
may feeke for a competency, but when he comes
once to riches, that he feekes for them, the Lord
faith, fuch a man fliall not be fatisfied, or, if he
be, it fhall be in wrath : for it is in wrath given to
fuch a man.lt is the deftru&ion of a Dropfie man
to haue much drinke given him,or to giue a man
much meate that is ficke of the difeafe wee fpake
of before.And therefore, faith he,he (hall not be
fatisfied, or, if he be, it fhall be in Iudgcmcnt :
Such are thefe defires,and therefore examine thy
felfe, whether thy defires be not fuch as proceed

from

All-syfficiency*

from fancy ,fuch as proceed not from the health,
but the weakneffe of the foule.Thei fore it is faid
in i Tim. 6. that godlineffe is great gdine with con-
tentment. How doth godlineffe giue content-
mem? After that manner that Phy ficke giues fa-
tisfadion. A dropfic man after he is brought in-
to health, you know, he is contented with leffe
drinke,for now he is in healthjfogodlincs brings
the foule to a good temper, it takes away the di-
ftemper, the luftfull humors, that were there .be-
fore, and brings him into a right temper, it giues
him now the content that before he wanted.

Againe, another objedion is 5 IfcWbc K^ilL
fufficiet for thefe outward things, why am I thus
croffed i why doe I fuffer thefe afflidions ? why
are they not removed from me?

To this I anfwer briefly :Thou maieft be decei-
ved in them, that which thou makeft account is
fo great an evill to thee, it maybe for thy great
good, as we fee Ur. 42. that whole Chapter, the
Captaine there, and the reft of the people, they
reckoned it an exceeding great mifery, a very
great affli&ion to continue in Ierufalem, they had
agreatdefiretogoe downe into Egypt, but the
Lord tels them, they were very much deceived :
for this mifery (hall be for your good, faith he,
but if you will needs goe downe into Egyft, when
you thinke to haue abundance of all things there,
you (hall mecte with the Sword, and withFa-
mine,and with the Peftilence, and with vtter dc-
ftru&ion.So I fay, in this cafe, we are oftentimes
deceived, we thinke that to be good for vs which

1 Tim. 6.6.

Simile.

Oh.

Anfiv m
That is not
alway good
for vs 5 that
wedefire 9 nor
that alway e-
villy that we
would be
freed from,
Ier. 4*

1*0

O D 9

We were bet.
cer want com*

fbrts,chen en»
i oy them with-
out our Fa-
thers good
will.

is not.Certainly,theZWis All-fHjficicntJievrill
with-hold no good thing, but it is not Slwayes
good to haue fuch an affli&ion removed,perhaps
it were better for thee to bcarc it, it were better
for thee to lye vnder it, then that it fliou Id be re-
moved : we doe in this cafe,many times with the
Lord, as the children of the Prophets dealt with
Elijba ? they would needs goe to feeke the body of
Eliab^Elifha forbad them,but ftill they were im-
portunate i faith he, if you will needs goe, goe 5
but they loft their labour, they had better haue
taken his counfcll at the firft 5 And fo in this cafe,
many times when the Lord would haue vs to doe
fuch a thing, and to be content with the want of
fuch a comfort, to be content to fuffer fuch a de-
fect in our eftate, in our bodies^ in our bufinefle,
we are ftill importunate with him, fomctimes he
1 hearkens to vs, he fuffers the thing to be done,
\ but we were as good to want it. I would ask thee
f in this cafe,wouldft thou hau^it without thyFa-
, thers good will?Ifthou haue it, it wil 1 do thee no
I good : the beft way is this, to confider with thy
1 felfe,that he is Ail-fnfficient $ though this affli&i-
; on feeme to be exceeding bitter, yet it is a cup of
' thy Fathers providing, it is that which the Lord,
that loues thec^hath ordained>it is thar which the
Lord that wants nothing, who is able enough to
take it from thee, & to fupply it, it is that which
he'hathfeenemeetetodifpence touiee : there-
fore it is not for want of fuffiaency in him,but it
is better for thee to fuffcrthe wan of this com-
fort, or to lye vnder this cr ofte or aifli&ion .

But

A&L-SVFFICI EN C Y.

But laftly,fome will fay,if the Lord be All-fuffi-
r/>/tf 5 andImuftbe fubje<51 to his will, why is it
not his will to put me into a higher condition *
why hath hce given meebut fuch ameafureof
gifts,but fuch a meane place,but fuch a quantitie
of healthy of wealth, of vnderftanding ? A mans
heart will goe further, if there be fuch riches in
GodJi\c\\ mAl-fnfficieey in him,why is it not bet-
ter with me? why am I not in a higher condition ?

To this I anfwer : Firft, That he that entreth
into Covenant with God, he Ihould be content
with theloweft place in all the family, & be glad
that he is within the doorc ; as wee fee the Prodi.
gaSdid • and fo the Apoftle Paul, lam theleafi of
all the Saints, and he was content to be the leaft.
A man that hath beene truely humbled, and
brought home to God, that hath tafied and [eene
how gracious the Lord is, that hath had experi-
ence of his ownc finne, and of Gods goodneffe,
hewill be content with the leaft meafu re, if he
be put into theloweft place, if he be made the
leaft of all Saints, he will not exalt himfelfe a-
bouethatmeafure, and that place that the Lord
hath allotted him. '

But befides this, Confider, fecondly, further
with thy felfe, that if thou haue a lower place ? or
conditio, in this or that thing,yet it may be thou
haft a higher condition in fomewhat elie, and
know this, that God glues no man all things, but
hath mingled his comforts, heehath difpenfed
them diverfly, as we fee in 1 Sam. in that cafe
betweenc Hannah and Peninnah - 3 Hannah had the

loue

151

Ob*

Anfre.
A Cbriflia*
(houid be co.
tent with a
mean place in
Godshoufe.

Thofe that are
mean in fome
things, may
excel! in o*
there.

xSara.i 1,

*5*

Goddifpen.
fcth bis gifts
differently,
no one man
hath all.

God can fat if-
fie the defires
ofa low con-
dition,

•

O D t

louc pf her husband,but the Lord hath made her
barren : on the other fide, Peninnah had children,
but fhe wanted the loue of her husband : it is pur-
pofely noted there, that you may fee how the
Lord difpenfeth his comforts : and fo it was with
Leah & Rachel, the one,you know, had children,
and wanted her Husbands loue, the other had a
greater abundance of louc, butfhec was barren.
As it was with thcfe,fo generally the X^difpe-
fethgood and evill together. There is no man
that hath all things. You fee CMtfes, he wanted
eloquence, that Aaron had> as Mofes againe had
the wifedome that Aaron wanted : fo Paul and
Barnabas, xhzy had different excellencies, the one
had that the other wanted, and fo it is generally.
Therefore thinke with thy fclfe, there is no man
that hath all, and why fliould I defireit i there
muft bca mingling of fome defeats.

Againe,Thirdly,Confider with thy felfe, that
the varieties of the fufficiencies that GWgiues to
men,that he placeth fome in a higher degree, and
fome in a lower, to fome he giues greater gifts,
to fome lefler •, fome he makes rich, and fome
poore, fome honorable, and fome bafe ^ this va-
riety in all the works of God takes not away from
the perfection of eachonerevery man in his place
may haue a perfe&ion, he may haue it within his
fpheare, fo that there fhail be ho want at all: for
the Lord, out of his almightie power, is able to
| doe it, that the defire may be fatisfied as much,
they may be filled in a lower condition as well as
in a greater, thou fhafc feele no more want, but

haue

All-syfficiency*

haue as great a degree of happineffe as the other ;
you know, there are fundry expreffions in that
cafe. A little Bottle is as well filled as a greater.
What can a man defire more but to be fatisfi-
ed < And therein God is All-fufficient, there is in
him an AlLfufpciencieio fill every creature in his
own fphcare, and compaffe, when he hath made
veflels of glory, they be not all of one fort, but
of divers forts, fome of one forr, fome of ano-
ther fort, but they are all veflels of glory, they
haue all experience of his riches, and of his mer-
cies, fo that none haue caufe to complaine.

Laftly • Confider (inthatmeannefle of place,
gifts, or condition thou art in,) thou maieft be as
fakhfull in a little, as another may be in much.
Confider, -that he that hath much, yet there is
nothing his, but the finceritie wherewith a man
hath vfed that which he hath, wherewith he pcr-
formes all he doth : he that hath the gifts that £-
//^and/Whad, that exccllencie of gifts, it is
not his but the Churches, all that is his, is but
his faithfulneife in difpenfing thofc gifts,they arc
not his owne,but they are beftowed on him ^and
he that hath the lefTer meafure of gifts, he that
hath the lower part given him to aft, while he is
on theftage of this world, is accepted according
to his faithfulnefle, every man fhall be rewarded
according to his faithfulnes & finceritiertherfore
content thy felfe with a lower condition, fay
not that God is notAll-fuficienthccauk thou haft
not a higher degree : for thou feed here is
All-fuffickmy in God, to preferue thee in all com-
fort,

Simile.

4
A Chriftians
faithfulnefle
is accepted in
a meane con-
dition.

A mans gifts
are not his,
but the faith-
fulnes where*
with he hath
difpenfed
them.

O D S

fort, and to defend thee from all evill. It may

(land with a great difference of condition •

though thou be not fo high as another, though

thou haue not fo much grace, though thou haue

not fo high a Calling as another, yet even to

theealfo GWis All-fufficient m So we hauerunne

through all thefe three parts of the Covenant 5

He is All-fufficient in forgiving \ He is Ail-fnf-

ficicntivifanciifyingws ^ And he is v^*7/-

fufficient in providing for vs

whatfoever wee

want.

So much for this time.

f I &(j s.

All-itfficiency.

liSsooSo www!

THE

FIFTH

SERMON.

Genesis 17, I.

I amgOTy oAll-fufficienu

OV know where wee left; Wee
proceede to that which remaines,
that wee may finifh the poynt at
this time. There remaincbut thefe
two Dedu&ions from this/that
God is Att-fufficiem.

Firft 5 This fhould leade as to a further know-
ledge of the infufficiencie of the Creature,
(That wee will firft doe, and after it wee will
adde but a tryall to all that wc haue faid, to fee
whether wee be indeede perfwaded of that AlL
fef-ficicnej, that is in God, and of that vanitie, and
emptineffe that is in the Creature . And this
will be our bufinefle at this time. ) If God be
y^ilLfaffkimzxA thatexclufiuely, as Ifliewed
before, then there is an emptineffe, a vanitie,

and

Deductions,

Theinfuffici.
encie of the
Creature pro-
ved*

|_n£

It if made by
another*

The end and
perfe&ionof
the Creature
without it
feife.

O D S

Note,

and indigence in the Creature, there is nothing
in it : and to make this good to you •> Confider,

Firft, that the Creature is made by fomething
clfe without it. It is ccrtaine,no Creature is able
to make it felfe: for that which makes another,
muft be before another* if a creature could make
it felfe, it muft be before it felfe, and therefore
all things are made by cod, b/this All-fufjicient
God. Now then, if that which makes the Crea-
ture be fomc thing without it felfe, then the end
of the Creature muft be fome thing alfo with-
out it felfe: for it is the maker that is the effi-
cient caufe of all things, and in all things that
propounds an end to it felfe, and the end of e-
vcry thing, you know, is the peifedion of the
thing ; fo that hence we gather, that all the per-
fedion of the Creature is without it felfe • for if
the end be the perfedion, and the end to which
erery Creature is carried, is without it felfe, it
muft needes be, that, it hath no perfedion nor
excellency within it felfe : hence it is, that every
creature is bound to doe fome thing for another,
the inanimate &viireafonable creature for man,
and man for God-, becaufeall are made for a fur-
ther end. The Almightk GW himfelfe, xheAll-
fnfficiem G^that hath no efficient caufc,and,by
j confequent, no end without himfelfe, hee may
j doe all for himfelfe, and for his owne fake, and
| his owne glory jif he will difpence with the crea-
fure, and doe good or ill to the creature, and
make himfelfe the end of all that hedoth. I fay,
he may well doe it : for he hath no higher end 5

but

—

All-ivfficiency,

But if any Creature fliall fay, I will feekc no fur-
ther end, buttohaue ahappinefle and perfecti-
on within mine ownc compaffe, it is all one, as
if the hearbe ihould fay, I will not be beholding
to theSunnc,but I will Hue of my felfe,or I will
not be beholding to theraine,&c. This Creature
muft needs perifh,becaufe his end and perfe&ion
is without himfelfe altogether ; It i$ gs if the
hand fliould fay, I will feeke a perfedion in my |
owne fphcare, as I am fuch a part, as I am fuch a
member, without looking to the foule,that giues
life,or without looking to the reft of the body it
fubfiftsin, thisisthewaytodeftroyit: So it is
with every creaturejif it feeke a perfe&ion with
in it felfe, it is the vndoing of it felfe. On the o-
ther fide, when it denies it felfe, when it empti-
eth it felfe, whea it lookes for nothing within its
owne compaffe, but goes out of it felfe, and out
of every Creature be fides, to the Ocean of hap.
pines, from whence it muft rcceiue all the perfe-
ction it hath, I fay, therein confifts the beatitude
and blefledaeflfe of the Creature.

Secondly : As that is one argument, to fliew
the emptines of thecreawejthat the happines of
it is without it felfe altogether, and therefore it
muft nee4s be emptie, fo this is another Reafon,
which you (hall finde in Eccle.z. Every creature,
naming divers of them, the Sun and the Waters,
and the winded kvenllgenerathns of the crea-
tures, whereof onegocth, and amthtr fttsceedcth,
thus the Wifeman concludes, fay th he, all things
areftUlofld^t^an cannot vtter it. And he proues

N it

Simile.

Wherein the
happitit fle of
the Creature
conffltt.

It is in cont&»
nualJ motion.

Ecclef

1*8

O D •

| The end of
motion) vwbit.

It hath all by

[participation,

it by this>The Sunner*feth,andfets, and is never
at quiet, the Clouds goe about by their circuits, and
never remaine (till in their places,?/* water is ftill
running to and fro, flme Rivers are running to the
Sea, fome running out of it, fo that all things are full
of labour. Now what is the end of a!lmotion,and
I of all labor? When any man,or an)7 thing raoues
| it fclfe from one place to another, it is out of
! a defire 5 out of an appetite to be there rather
I then in the place where it is, there is no appetite
j or defire but of fomething that is wanting-.for, if j
it had the thing,it would haue no defire to it, and
therefore it is carried to fomething without it
fclfe : fo that the motion of the creature is a figne
of the imperfection of it. Befides, whatfoever
moues, it moueth to get that which it hath not,
yet it is impoffibilitic to haue it, & it hath it not r
for,ifit had it, the Creature would reft there, it
would remaine in that terme, it would ftand ftill
vpon that Center^but becaufe it wants fomthing
it hath nor, therefore it moues it felfe, and there-
fore it labours. Now when yon fee this is the
condition of every Creature vnder the Sunne,
all things are full of labour } and forrow, and man
that is the Lord of them ( you know what is faid
to him, that in labour he Jhouldeate his bread, And
all his life fhouUbe full of labour) it is an argument
oftheimperftftiorv,andofthevanitie and indi-
gence of the Creature, and that what it hath, it
muft haue elfe- where.

Laftofall,you (hall know it by this,that what-
foever the creature hach, it hath it but by partici-

AL'L-8YFFICI1KCY,,

patioiyt hath nothing of it felfq as in things that
arc made hot, fome things are more hot,& Tome
things leiTc hot, it is an argument they haue not
homes in thcmfelucs,but there is fome thing elfe
thatisperfe<3Iyhot; for that which hath but a
part, ir prefuppofeth that there is fome thing elfe
that is the whole, of which that is but thepart ;
If you looke vpon all the goodnetfl ., excellency,
and beautie in the Creatures,you fee fome Crea-
tures haue it more,and fome lefle,which js an ar-
gument that there is fome thing elfe without the
Creature that hath a fea of perfedion,that is full
ofgoodnefTe, full of excellency, astheSunneis
full of light, and as the Sea is full of water, and
this is not within, but without the Creature.
Now the Creature being thus imperfefl in it
felfe, it hath fomthing communicated to it from
day to day : for if there be a continuall neede,
there is a daily fupply that it muft haue,& if that
feyle, or be not fo good as it needs, the Creature
languifheth. This is fo in every kinde : if it be in
matter of life,if meate,or drinke, or Phyficke,o;
i^yrc be wanting,the creature dies for want of it :
for it hath it not in it felf, it is comunicated from
another. And fo likewife, if it be con?entmrnt,if
it be refreshing, if it be joy, without which no
Creature is able to Hue, if it be wanting, if God
withhold his hand, that there is not an influence
into it, the creature languifheth according to the
proportion of that clfed : if it be in matters that
belong to eternall life; i'f the Lord with-holdhis
hand, if he iliut vp his hand, they perifli eter-

N 2 nally.

ij9

Simile,

Ifthe^ooJ
that God
commu:?i.
cates to the
creature fsylt
the creature
pnifhetb.

No Creature
liucs without
hy.

i4©

O f G

O D 8

Ricfcei *f two
(ores.

I
Naturall.

2
Artificial!,

E m aour of
> forti.
pry glory,

nally, And fo wc may fay of all things clfc.

So that this is the condition of every creature,
it is exceeding emprie 5 Man himfclfe is emptie,
and fo all other creatures befides are, there is no
happines to be found in them, there is no fatis-
faftion, there is no contentment to the fouleof
a man. If I fhouldgoe through the particulars,
you would finde it fo. If you aske, where this
happines is to be found? Whether in riches, or in
matter of eftate fc Surely, it is not there : for
riches a re but of two forts, either they are natu-
rall riches, fuchasmeate, drinke, and clothes;
or els they are artificial! riches,tbings that confift
inexchange,thatareinventedbyArt, to be the
me&fure of them for commutation $ it cannot
confift in the naturall, for what ferue they to,but
to maintaine the body^and what doth the body
ferue for,but for the foule ? And if this were all,
what fhould become of the principall part of
man, that which is indeede the man himfelfe?
Befides,it cannot confift in credit, in eftimation,
in honor,for that is in the power of another, and
is not in a mans owne power, and the happineffe
and bleflednefle of any thing, the contentment
which confifts in the power of another, and that
in the power of the Creature, it cannot make a
man happie, it can ghie little contentment to
him.

Befides ; As we {aid of riches, fo we may fay
of honour, and glory, it is cither emptie glory,
as the Scripture often cals it 5 That is, glory that
is gathered from vaine things, as apparell, or

houfesj

AkL-SVFFICIENCY.

houfes, or learning, or knowledge

for there is
nothing that brings true praifc, but grace onely, Onely grace
as nothing dravves fhame properly after it, but ^Jl 11 ^
j finne,it is not in this, for there is adeceiueablej&amer
! thing, it is as a fliadow, that hath no fubftance
j to aniwer it, or elfe it is true honor & credit, and j 2
if it be that, that is but the fliadow that followcs j Truehoncilf
thefubftance. And therefore ourblelfednes, our
contentedncfle,. and fatisfa&ion, refts rather in
the thing from whence this credit is gathered,
, then in the credit it felfe : for that is but a fliadow
j that fomctimes followes it,and fomtimes it doth
! not, fomctimes it is a larger fliadow, and fomc-
times a fhorter, though the body be the fame.

Imightgoe through many others, but I will
j rather confirme all this to you,that I haue faid of
I the cmptinelfe of the creature, by that teftimony
I that is without all exception, that is, by the te-
ftimony of GWhimfcIfe, even the teftimony of
the Scriptures, in Ecclefli.i. where the fcope of
the Wifeman is to fet out this poynt, that we are
now vpon ; That is,The emptineffe of the Crea-
ture.

Firft 5 fay th he, vanitie ofvamties.aUu vanitie.
That is • There js in the Creature anexceffeofj friyfuiiofv*
vanitie, as you know, this is the height of thc\*™l r ^ k
Hebrew Superlatiue,t^#/>/> of "vanities. Befides,
1 it fignificth a heape of vanities, a neft of vanities,
a wondrous exceeding great vanitie, fuchas he
knew not how to exprefle what that vanitie is
thatis in the Creature. It is a vainc thing, wee l
fay, that cannot profit, and therefore wee fee in vnpro&able,
_____ N 3 the

Simile*

Theemptinei
of the Oca*
tare proved,
firft by argu.
ir.tms>

t.Jri

14* 1

Gods

It is brittle

Ifa,4<>, 6

Rom, *i

Itisvnablcto
bring enter*
prizes to

pafle.

the 2. verfe, Whatremaines to a man of nil his tra-
vels, or what availcs it, or what profits it, accor-
ding to that in the Gofpcll, which is the beft ex-
preflion of it i Sayth our Saviour, Put the cafe 1
thou hadfl: all the good things in the world, that
all the glory of the world,that al the riches in the
world were in thy poifeflion, yet,fay th he,when
thou (halt lofe thy foule,what is all this V It can-
not helpe thee to faue thy foule, what will it p refit
thee ? That is. It is an vnprofitable thing to make
vs happy. Befides 3 in this the vanitie of the Crea-
ture is feene, that it is of a raouldring, vanifhing
nature. Ifa./^o. Row.%. thofe two places expreffe
it: l[a..$o.6.Allfle(h is grajfe, and all the glory of it
as the fewer of the grafle. That is ; As it is expref-
fed in the next Verfe, as the grafle is of a fading
nature, fo is the Creature it fclfe, and as the
Flower of the grafle, fets out all the excellency,
all the gifts andbeautic of the Creature that is
found in it- 3 Thc fpirit of GWblowes vpon :t,and
I the grafle withers, and the Flower fades away :
\ So in Horn. 8. the Creature is [abject to vanitie.
That is, It is of no abiding condition,it withers,
and wafts,and hath nothing in it,to maintaine it.
Befides, it is called vaine : becaufe it is not able
to bring any enterprize to pafle. You would
thinke the Creature were able to doe much, but
you fee what the Z^faith , A man thinkes he is
able to build ahoufe, or he thinkes hee is able to
watch a Citie. No, fayth the Lord, if I withdraw
my felfe, thou (halt be able to doe nothing, nor
any Creature whatfoever. What is faidofthat,
ma£

All-svfficiency.

may bcfaid of any thing clfe. A man thinkcs a
Horfe is a Creature that will (land him in much
ftead in the day of Battel!, but a Horfe is but a
vaine thing. And fo it is in all other Creatures,
1 they arc not able to bring any enterprize to
pafle, herein is the vanitie of them.

But now this is but the fimple expreffion of va-
nitie - Let vs confider ( for what can we doe bet-
ter fince we arc vpon this argument ) what argu-
ments the holy Ghojl vfeth to perfwade vs of this
truth, that there is nothing but emptinefTe in the
Creature. Ibefeechyou,hcarkentoit:forweall
tbiokc there is too much in the Creature, we
fhould not feeke it as we doe, ourthoughts and
affe&ions fliould notbefo much ftirred about it
as they are, if wee did not thinke there were
fomething in it, I fay, confider the arguments
which the holy Ghoft vfcrh, I will but name the
places in briefc to you, you may reade them in
thefe two Chapters at your leafurc, it will much
helpe to bring them to your memory .Firft/ayth
the Wife.ww, there is nothing but vanitie : for,
fayth he,when I looke vpon the whole Vniverfe,
vpon the whole frame of things, this I find,firft,
a great inftabiiitie in them, one generation com-
ma h, and another goethjhe Same rifetbj and the
Sttnne fettetb, there is nothing conftant vnder the
£#/wz<r.Nowthe happineffe of a man,that which
wil giue content to a man,it muft be fome (table
thing:for a man cannot reft but vpon fome Cen-
ter, vpon fome place, wher his fbule may finde
fome quiet, and therefore an vnftable thing, that

N 4 is

P45

The Creature

vnflable,

2. ArgH,
Nothing nevr
in the Crca.
turc.

G o

D S

All knowledg
gained by the
eye and the
tare.

Ob.

is in concinuall paflagc, is not able to giue the
foule reft.

Secondly ; fayth he J here is no new thing vnder
the Sunne 5 ( Marke it ) for, fayth he, if you goe
through the whole courfe of things, you fhall
finde nothing new, one generation comes, and
another generation fucceedes like it. And fo f or-
ward,that as in the wanes of the Sca,one follows
another, till they be all broken vpon the fhore;
fo it is in the fucceflion of generation, and there
is nothing in one generation,but what was in an-
other, becaufe, fayth he, the Sunne rifeth andfets,
the winds goe to and fro, they goe about by their Cir-
cuits. And fo the waters in the fprings, and in the
Rivers , they goe and come, and there is no new
thing vnder the Sunne ; What fhall wee gather
from that? Why this,that there is no iatisfadion
to the foule of a man. And therefore, fayth he,
the eye is not fatisjiedwith feeing, nor theeare with
hearing.Thok two are the onely difciplinall fen-
fes we haue ; you know, all the knowledge you
haue,is gathered by the eye and the eare. No w if
there be no new thing vnder the Sunne, but all
things are the fame j hence it is that the nainde of
man,when it lookes about ix^ can find nothing to
giue it fatisfadioifor there muft be fome newnes,
fome vanitie, fome thing that we haue not here,
that the foule feekes after. But,faith he 3 y ou fhall
find nothing but the fame, nothing but Identitie.

But, if it be obje&ed, there is fomething new,
that was not before, and there were fome things
before that are not now.

The

All-svfeiciency.

Anfw.
Things done
in former ages
forgotten.
Ne7?nefTe in
no:hing 3 bac

ThctVifewan anfwcrs thus, thofe things that
were done then, they are f "or gott m ,they are not had
in remembrance $ And/i likewife the things that
Are now mil be forgotten. And therefore there is
no new thing. Indeede, in grace there is forne jilTgr"ce, 3
thing new, there is a new Creature, there are all
things new within and without, there is a new
Iudgemenr, a new Confcience, new affe&ions,
every thing is new \all things Are become new there.
Let him that hath grace, looke about him, and
there is fome thing new, hee comes into a new
Company, he is brought into anew world, his
eye fees things, hiseare heares things that never
entred into any mans heart : That is, into any
naturall mans heart, which onely hath to doe
with naturall things,Iet him looke into the word
ofGed, there is a newneffc : for the more you
reade it, the more you defire ftill to reade it, the
more you heare it, ftill you find fome new thing
difcovered : Looke on the depth of thofe myfte-
ries 3 looke on the confolations of the Spirit, ftill
there is fomething new in all the wayes of God^
that belong to the new Creature, ftill thou fhalt
haue a frefh renewed vigor in every thing, that
fatisficth the foule of a man, and there the eye is
fatisfied with feeing, andtheeare with hearing.
In all the workes of Nature, there is nothing
new.

The third and laft reafon that he vfeth to fhew
the emptineffe of all things vnder the Sunne, is.,
becaufe that which is crooked cannot be made
ftraighr, and that which is defedliue can none

fupply

l.Argti.
The Creature
cannot fet
things smuTe
flraight.

>m. | i ui.w ' j»uw i . ■ - i

•

i4tf

God*

fupply 5 That is, There are many things in the
Creature 3 that are erode to vs, that fall thwart
vpon vs, there are many ils that we findc in our
felues,and in all things that we haue to doe with,
Butjfayth he, if you looke vpon the Creature,
there is nothing that is able to make ftraight that
which is crooked: the daughter of Abraham that
was crooked, all the Creatures both in Heaven
and earth, were not able to make her ftraight.
Aperverfe and crooked minde, who can make
ftraight i Crooked children,who can make them
ftraight i Crooked affedions, inordinate feares,
and inordinate griefes, who can re&ific them ;
And fo, likewife, who can fupply that which is
wanting > When he lookes vpon all this 5 and fees
it in the nature of the Creature,he concludes vp-
on all this, that all is vanitie.

When he hath done all this, he goes further,
By his cxperi. and confirmes all this by experience of his own ^
«** and now there were two things wherein Salomon

did exccll,which all men would defire on earth.
That is, Greatneffe of Wifedome -, and fecond-
ly, Greatneffe of eftate- And, fayth he^firft, be-
fore I come to the particulars, let me fay this to
you concerning my experience, and fee whether
the arguments that are takm from thence, be not
ftrong arguments to expreiTe the vanitie of all
things vndcrthcSte/Hw jSaythhe, I was a King
in lerufalem, amightie man, and therefore able
to haue experience of thofe things that other
men had not, I had opportunitie that other men
had not. Secondly • As I was a King, fo I

fuch

Two things

Saiemsn excel-
led in.

An*-SVFFICIENCY.

147

fuch a King as exceeded in all kinde of wealth,
J and abundance of all things^as never any before,
! or any that came after ; fo he faith of himfelfe,
! and therefore he had more lihertie,and more ex-
perience then any of the fonncs of men befides.
Moreover, hec had better meanes to finde our
good and cvill vnder the Sunne, becaufe of the
largeneffe of his Wifedome.

Laft of all, faith he, / gam myfelfe to this, Ifet
my (elf c to fearch and finde out, what is good and e-
<vill to the fumes of >»f#.Now,if 'you would know
what Salomon found, fayth he, there are but two
things wherein this experience confiits 5 that is,
to know what is in wifedome and folly 5 fecond-
ly, to know what is in great eftate.

Firft, for matter of wifedome, hee concludes
thus, He that increafeth in wifedome, increafeth in
grief e. That is \ Let a man goe either way, fayth
the Wifeman 2 (fpcaking of morall and civill wife-
dome, not of fanftified wifedome, for that is an-
other thing. ) Now the queftion is this, among
the Creatures wherein vanitie is feene, fayth he,
He that increafeth knowledge ' 9 increafeth forrow :
for when a man is a wife man, hee findes many
defeds, he fees all the miferies a-far off, that are
comming vpon him, he Iookes to all the corners
ofhisvnhappines, which are hid from another
that is foolifh. And therefore fayth he,the more
thatamanfeeth, the more mifery hefeeth, and
the more mifery he feeth, the more his griefe is
increafedand multiplied. Befides, he that increa-
feth wifedome, increafeth griefe : for he fees many

defe&s,

Wherein $4lo>
wmt experi.
ence con.

lifted..

Of the rani,
tie of morall
wifedome.

In feeing mi-
fery it cannot
prevent,

Seeing difor -
da»,it cannot]
amend*

148

O f G

O D S

Becaufc tine
things kricnn
giue not con*
tcntmcnt.

of.

Anfa.

l
Ofthevanitie
of folly.
ItruriSa man
to Kiifchicfc
vnknovvne.

defers, he feeth many things out of order,many
things in his own foule, many things in his owne
Family, many things in the Common-wealth,
many things in the Church, many things in the
courfe of nature, but all a mans wifedome will
not remedy it $ now when a man fees ill, and is
vnable to helpe, in fuch a cafe, fayth he, he that
inereafeth rvijedome, inereafeth griefe. Bcfides, if
the things themfelues that are knowne, cannot
giue any filling, any contentment to the foule of
a man i certainly, the knowledge of them cannot
doe it j for the knowledge cannot goe beyond
the thing, there is more in the thing then in the
knowledge of it.But there is a vanitie,and a curfe
lyes vpon all the creatures,and therefore, he that
inereafeth wifdomc,takes much paines, and hath
little for his labour, itcofts him much paines,
much wearineffe in reading, andfearching, and
when he hath done all this, as there is a vanitie in
the creature, which is knowne • fo there is in the
knowledge it felfe.

But, you will fay, on the other fide, there is
fome thing then in folly ; if a man be ignorant,
if a man know not that which a wifeman feeth.

No j there is a madneffe in that, there is no
happincfTe or contentment there s far fuch a man
I multiplies griefe, but it is of another kinder for
cvillscome vpon him, and he cannot&e how to
prevent them,they lye vpon him, and vndoe him
before he is a- ware, he is fullef ^grayJjAyres y and
knowesitnet, zskis hy dot Ephraim. Thefe are
the fruits of folly 5 he is precipitate, and runs into

raif-

- — -

LL-SVFFICIENCY.

mifchicfe he ials into quick- fands 3 and hath not
eyes todi/cerne it. So hethatincreafethfolly^
on the other fide, likewife, he increafeth gricfe.
This, faith Salomon, I haue found our, therefore
it is not in follie,nor in wifedome, Igaue wyfetfe
to know wifedome, and madmffe, andfoolijhnejfe,
I know alfo, that this is vanitie and vexation of
fffirit. That is, both wifedome and folly. Folly,
becaufe k is madndfe $ and Wifcdome, becaufe
itincreafethgriefe.

Now for the other/or thesnatter of his cftate,
I will be very briefe in it, you fhall finde there,
that he proues a vanitiein that, by an indu&ion,
going through all the particulars almoft that the
fonnes of men enjoy vnder the Sunne. And firft
he begins with Laughter and To ffitie, that which
commonly every man feekes after, faith hee, I
thought I would endevour my felfe to fee if there
were any contentment to he found in that, but it is
not there,fiyth hc^lfaidof Laughter thou art mad,
and ofloy, what is this that thou doe ft ? Thcfe three
things he faith concerning Iollitie, concerning
that carnall mirth wherewith men refrefh them-
felues.

Firft jfayth he, I findc it a madneffe : becaufe
it fets a man a-worke vpon trifles, when he hath
greater things in hand, madnes,y ou know,is hu-
morous, exulting and rejoycing in vaine things,
and intending of idle things, and letting goe
things tending to our profit, as a mad man cares
for nothing belonging to his health, or his
wealth y but beftowes himfclfe in picking of

flowers,

149

O/thevanitfe
of outward
things.

Laughter.

Irismadnes*

An effect of

madnefleo

It it Folly.
Folly what,

G O D •

It pafieth
fooneaway.

Wine.
Great workes

flowers, or in doing fome idle things, fay th he,
there is a madnefTe in this to confider, that in the
middeft of finne, and of danger, and in the midft
of fo many great bufinefTes and employments,
inthemidftof that labour that God hath given
to the fonnes of men,for them to be full of mirth
and jollitie, this is madnefTe. That is one of his
cenfuresofit.

The fecond is, it is Folly ; Folly is a ftupiditie,
when ftupiditie poflTefTeth the foule of a man,
that it is not able to judge of things that are pre-
fentedtohim,thatis follie, fo faith he, I found
this in jollitie and carnall mirth,it breeds ftupor,
and takes away alltafte and reliih from me, that
I as a man that tafts fwcete things, is not able to
finde the relifh of his Beere or Meat, fo, faith he,
| when I had tafted of jollitie, and carnall mirth,
it caufed me to difrelifli all things : for that is the
difpofitio of folly, it takes away the fenfe that we
(hould haue of other things, it ftupifietha man $
ftupidity and folly we exprefle one by another.
Laftofall-Whatdothk? That is • itpafleth
away like as muficke 3 there is nothing left,it goes
and leaues nothing behinde it 3 yea, it leaues fad-
nefle, if any thing,and finne behinde it, the thing
pafTeth away in a moment,but the finne remaines
and continues. This is his cenfure of that part,
namely, carnall mirth and jollitie.

Then he comes to the reft, which I will but
name; T^/fayth hc 9 Tgauemyfelfe t$Wine, to
fee if it were in that. After this, I gaue my felfe
to great mrkes^o makeftateiybuildings,to fhew

my/

LL-1 YFFICIEN C Y.

my magnificence. After this, to get great ftore
offervants, great pofTeffion of$heepe,and Beeies,
& to get a great retinue, to Hue in much pompe.
' After this, I thought all pleafing things ; I made
my felfe Paradifes ; that is, Orchards, and Vine-
yards, rndGardens. Likewife, I fought Singing
wen and Jinging women. Ml thefe things,fayth he,
I fought for. And this is the verdift h: giucs vp-
on all this, this I found :

Firft, that in doing this, / totkc hold offollie,
though my vvifedome, in fomemeafurc, reftrai-
ned mc,yet Itooke hold of follie-That is the na-
ture of thefe things, when a man is converfant
with them, they depriuc him of wifedome, they
leade him on to follie 3 that is j they draw a man
ontofenfibleand outward things, to corporal!
things, theyabftrad and with-draw his minde
from God, and from wifedome,and from fpiritu-
all things y this I found, fayth he, that the more
I had to doe with them, the more my wifedome
forfookeme, the more I tooke hold of folly, the
more it grew vpon me, the worfe I was by med-
ling.with them, and by being converfant with
them.

Secondly ; Sayth he, I found an emptineffe in
all 5 1 found them emptie Cifternes, I looked for
contentment in them, but I found none.

Thirdly -not fo onely,but I found a vexation
offpirit, for that which is faid of Riches, that
they are Themes, ( they are fuch Thornes as doe
not onely choake the good feede,but they pricke
and gall vs ) fo it may be faid of thefe, they haue

Thornes

151

4 2

Stoic of (er~
varus.

5
Paradifes, $. e.
plcafant Or-
chards.

6
Singing men,
&c.

In all thefe he
found :

Folly.

Eraptinefle.

3
Vexation,

tit

RcJHeffecare.

O D •

Sore trauell.

Outward
things yceld
racertaifie
comforts, but

certaine trou-
ble.

God hath not
fowedcotnfort
in the creature
and therefore
cannot rcape
it there.

Thornes in them, there is a vexation of Spirit in
them.

Fourthly, fayth he, I found they gaucmeno
reft neither day nor night 5 That is jAli the while
I was converfant in them, I was full of care, and
trouble, and thoughts •, whereas thofc that are
vacant from fuch things, arc at reft, they haue|
reft in the night,and in the day, but I haue none • j
Asifhefhould fay, he will be occupied in alii
things of this nature, he fhall finde a reftlefncs in
his foulc.

Fiftly, faith he, I found that I had my labour
for my travel!; this fin traveil I had, and that
was all that I had. As if he fhould fay • I found
no comfort to anfwer it, I found no fruit from
them, I found certaine labour, but vncertaine
refreshments from thera .-This I found, that they
coft me much trouble, and paincs, but when I
came to enjoy the fruit of them, to receiuc com-
fort from them, then they fay led mec, then they
deceived mee. Moreover, fayth he, I found no
happinefTeinthem, no reft: fori was weary of
my fclfe, and of my life, and of all my labours,
that I had wrought vnder the Sunne : for how
could he finde that there, which was not there i
for if God had ever fowneany happinefle in the
Creature,he might haue reaped it from the crea-
ture, but in all thefc things it was never fowne:
the Creature may giue as much as is in it, but to
giuc more is impoffible. And therefore, faith he„
I fought diligently, to fee if there were fuch*
thing there, but I found it not.

Againc}

A LX -SUFFICIENCY.

Againe * Sayth he,moreover, when I had got-
ten all this, yet I found this, that I was not able
to take comfort in it : for I fa vv that was the gift
of God sThat is ; Further then he gaue me power
to receiue any comfort from all the things that
my hand had gotten, further I could not : for,
fayth he, Who hafied after outward things mores
then I? The meaning is this,I indevoured,to the
vttcrmoft of my power, to finde out content-
ment in the Creature, who could doe it more,
with more diligence, who could haft after out-
ward things more,and with more intention feeke
for all the contentments that are to be found in
the Creature then I d And yet, fayth he, I found
it was not in me, but ff^difpenleth that accor-
ding to his owne pleafure*

The laft argument he hath againft it,is,he muft
kaue all, I muft leaue it.

But then comes an obje&ion, I, but I fhall
leaue it to my Sonne?

True, fayth he, there is alfo a vanitie in this,
for, fayth he, fn&^Itookepaines in equine, and in
wife dome, and honefie, but I fhall leaue it to him
that hath not taken paines for all this. As if hee
fhould fay, I (hall leaue them the eftate that I
haue gotten by wifedome, but I cannot leaue
them my wifdome to guide the eftate when they
haue it. This, fayth he, I found in my fonne for
the prefent, this I fee in Rehoboam.

But whereas it may be faid,who knowes what
he may be t

Sayth he,this is a mifery,that I know not what
O he

No comfort.

The Creature
cannot com-
fort withoct a
power from
God.

we muft leaue

them,
OB.

Anfw.

A man cannot
Icauc his child
grace to ma-
nage the tee
helc3u?$hi;n,

OB.
Anfa 9

The creatures
abide on the
Center where
God hath fet
ithem,

Gods blef-
fings tarrie
not long with
evUi men.

We muft giue
I the Creature

[its wie.

Of G o d t

he will proue •, or,put cafe I could know what he
would proue, who knowes what his fonne may
prouc t So that all this eftate that I haue gotten,
it fliail not ftay with them, it may be : for this is
the nature oiGods bleflings, (marke it) that they
abide not butvpon that Center where GWhath
fet them ,• if they come to a man that is wicked
in his fight, they are vpon a Center, they are in a
place where they will not reft, they will not a-
bidejfireif it be out of its place,water,if it be out
of its place,it is ftill wraftling,(though for a time
j it may be kept there ) till it returneto its owne
! place -, So it is with all thofc outward bleffings •,
I It is true, evill men they haue them, and perhaps
their heircs may haue them, but, if they be not
| right in Gods fight, thefe things will roale from
them, they will not be at reft, as it were, they
will not be eftabliftied thereout they will goe to
their proper Center. This he expreffcth in the
laft Verfe; This is a vanitit ( fay th he ) that a man
muft gather, and heapevp, Ugiue vntohim that is
good before God, this is alfo vamtie. So that, if he
hadknownewhataone his Sonne would haue
proved, yet he kiew not what his other fonne
would haue proved,and that all his eftate Ihould
} abide with him. Now, in all this, yet,fayth he,
| two things I haue obferved. And^Behvea^hzt
fhall I fay more? What can I fay more than^4-
lomon fay d in this poynt, to teach vs the vanitie,
and theemptineffe of the Creature; yet we muft
not take from the creature more then we fhould,
wee muft giue its due to it, yet, fayth he, two

things

A L L - S

VFFICIENCY.

things hauc I founds One is, that rvifed&me is bet-
ter then fdlys As if he fhould fay^Looke vpon the
whole Vniverfe, and fee the varietie of the Crea-
tures vnder the Sunne y both the Creatures and
the workes of the Creatures, this I finde, that
wifedomeis beft of all$ though vvifedome be a
vanitie, though it be vaine, becaufe it cannot
helpe vs to true happines, it fals fliort there, yet,
faythhe, it is thebeft thing vnder the Sunne,
4s the light is better theaddrknej/e, and the fight
{better then blindneffe: for, faythhe, wifedome
j teacheth a man to dired: his way , it guides a man,
J when another man knowes not how to goe to
| his journeyesend: Wifedome teacheth a man
how to avoyde mifchiefe, when a man that is in
the darke, ftumbleth vpon it, and cannot fee it ;
That is the reafon hegiues. And yet, faythhe,
there is a vanitie in it-fayth he,if you looke vpon
the wifeft man, and the moft foolifh, the fame e-
vent befals them, the fame fickneffe, the fame
troubles, and vexation, the fame death, as dyes
the one,fo dyes the other 5 That is • for the out-
ward appearance of their condition there is no
difference s Againe, there is a forgetfulneffe of
both, both are fwept away, bothpafle, and are
blowne over, and they are even alike, the wife-
man as well as the foole 5 But, fay th he, there is
this difference, Wifedome is the beft of all vaine
things vndcr the Sunne.

The.fccond thing, that he hath found, is, that
to enjoy them, to take the comfort, the profit,
j the benefit, and refreshment, that may be had
O 2 from

1$$

Turo things
Sdhymn ac-
knowledged
in the Crea.
rare.

I
That Wife-
dome is bet-
ter theafollie,

It dire&s a
mans way.

Both wife and
foolifh dis.

To take com-
fort in Gods
bleili ngSj be&
ter then to
heapevpftill.

\%6

O D i

Wfyeswetoo
mufch aftcft
the Creature*
we commit
Idolatries,

Ifwefindlefle
vanitie and
. more content
I in outward
things then
SxhmiH, we
either

I
Make Idols
of them, or

fromallthebkffingsofGWj that he hath given
vnder theSunne, it is a better way, and there is
leflfc vanicie in it, then to heape vp ftill, and not
to enjoy it. This I found,fayth he,that this is the
beft way for a man, to take the prefent benefit,
this is the wifeft way, fo that this be remembred,
that you enjoy them with weaned affe<5Hons>that
you doe not fo enjoy them as to commit Idolatry
with them : for, if you doe fo,indeede then there
is a vanitie in them ^ for then the zWlookes vp-
on you with a jealous eye,asthat he will deftroy
both the things, and the man, as a jealous man
will deftroy the Adulterer and the AdulterefTc,
There is a vanitie in them then, but to enjoy
I them with weaned affe&ions, this, fayth he, 1
found to be the wifeft thing vnder the Sunne,ra-
jtherthen to heape vp, andincreafc pofteflions,
and not to enjoy them. This is that which Salo-
mon fayth. If a man fay now % But I finde con-
tentment and fatisfadion,though Salomon found
none, I finde I haue fweetnefle in enjoying plea-
fure, and mirth, and a high cftate : Why, confi-
der,if thou doe,I will fay but this to thee, it is an
argument, that thou committeft Idolatry with
them, and therefore God hath made thee like to
the very things themfelues. Youfhall finde the
Pfalmifi fpeaking of idols, fay • They haue eyes and
fee not, they haue hands and handle not 5 and hee
addes this, they that trnft in them are like to them.
That isfThisisthecurfeofG^ vponthofe that
worihip idols, the Lordgiues them vp to as much
ltupiditie, as is mthz Idols, that, they haue eyes

and

All-svfficibncy.

and fee nor, that they haue eares and heare not.
So, I fay, when a man will fo enjoy thefc things,
that he can finde contentment in them, that hee
can terminate his comfort in them -let him know
this, that it is an argument that he is made like to
them, that the curie otGodis come vpon him.

Or elfe, it may be, becaufe thou haft not fum-
med vp thy accounts,thou haft not looked backe
vpon them, as Salomon did,thou haft not yet run
through thecourfeofthem,if thou hadft full ex-
perience of them, and of the end of them, as he
had, thou wouldft finde them vanitie, and vexa-
tion offpirit. So much for the firft, the emptines
and vanitie of the Creature.

I fay this, if God be All-fufficient\i fhould lead
vs vnto a further knowledge of the Creature,and
fo likewife it (hould leade vs to a further know-
ledge of Almighty God : that is,to fee a contrary
fulneffe in him ; I muft runne briefly through
this. Labour to fee him in his greatneffe, labour
to fee him in all his Attributes, to fee him in his
vnchangeablenefle, to fee him in his eternitie, in
his power, in his providence. You fhall fee in
PfaL 1 02 . 24. what vfe the Pfalmift there makes
of the Attributes of God: Ifaido my God,takeme
not away in the midft of my dayes, thy ye ares endure
from generationto generation .then haft before times
laid the foundation of the Earth, and the Heavens
are the worke of thy hand, theyjhallperifh, hut thou
jhalt endure, even they fhall all waxe olde as a Gar-
ment. The meaning is this, when a man hath
proceeded to this, that he fees the vanitie of the

O 3 Crea-

«S7

Haue not full
experience of
them.

Deductions.
Thereitaful-^
nefle in God.

Pfal.ioa. fc^

1*8

Simile.

Pfai. $©.

O D t

GOs&Mi*
tiitttie proved

bjr his provi-
dence.

Creatures, he lookes vpon them all, as they that
will all weare and wax old as a Garment. A Gar-
ment that is new at the firft, with long wearing,
you know, will be fpent, and will breake into
holes, and at length be fie for nothing, but to be
caft away. So,fayth he, (hall the whole body of
the Creatures be. Now, when we consider this,
that it is a mans owne cafe, and every Creatures,
let a man helpe himfelfe with this, thatGWise-
ternall, and remaincs for ever • and therefore, if
a man can get to be ingrafted into him, to dwell
with him, that will helpe him out of that weake-
ned, and mutabilitie, and changeablenefle, that
is in the Creature^ and therefore in Pfd.goSzkh
he. Lord thou art our habitation from generation to
generation. As if he Ihould fay •, When a man
dwels with God,he hath a fafe houfc,a caftle,that
when generations come and goe, and times over
our heads,when there is a change of althings,yet
he is aRocke,he is a CaftleMc is a Habitation, there
is no change in him. So that,when you find thefe
defers in the Creature, goe home to him, and
labour to fee his immutabilitie,& etcrnitie. And
fo, like wife, when thou fceft thy inabjlitie to doe
any thing, when thou feeft that weakenes in the
Creature, that it is not able to bring any enter-
prize topa(Te,then looke vpon his providence,
& his almighty power, in that he doth allthings
that belong to him, in guiding the Creature.

My Belovedyihe ferious fetting of our felues to
confider the providence of God i and hisahnigh-
tie power, willdifcovertovshis All.fxjficiencie

LL-SVFFICI1NCY.

15*

more then any thing befides. In briefe, confider
this (to perfwade you a little of the neceffitie of
it, that you may be fully convinced of it, that e-
very particular, and every common thing muft
needs be guided by him, and dire&ed by him;
I would aske but this queftion ) Firft, are not all
made by him? You will grant that, that every
Creature, even the fmalleft, are from him, there
is no entitie but from him : Certainly, then there
is an end of it : for he made nothing but for fome
end j and, if there be an end of it, he muft guide
it, and lcade it to the end, otherwife, he fhould [
leaucthc building impcrfedljOthcrwifehefhould J
but begin a worke, and leauc it in the middle^ o-
therwife the Creature fhould be loft,and perifli,
and that through a default of his. But there can-
not be faid to be any default, any want of good-
; neflein him, in the great builder of things, and
I therefore it muft needs be, that he guides every I
[ Creature vnder the Sunne, even the fmalleft of
the Creatures, he guides and dire&s them to
their ends. Providence is nothing elfe, but to
guide, gouernc, and direft every Creature to
their fcverali ends, and bufinefles, to which he
hath appointed them.

Befidcs,how is it that you fee things fitted one
to another as they are?Is it not the providence of
j Ge d? When you fee the wheels of a Watch fitted
one to another, when you fee the fheath fitted to
the fword,you fay,this is done by fome Art,this
is not by accident. Even fo it is in nature,you fee
a fitting of one thing to another, in the body, in
O 4 the

Gods provi-
dence proved,
I

BytaeCrea-
tioo*

Providence
What.

By thcfutablc- 1
nefle of things }
one to sno.
thcr.
Simile.

I6*o

G O D •

The conftan-
d&e of things.

iThcncceffitie
or* oaegoucr-
nour and dif-
,pofcrof
j things.

Diaifion
breeds differ
lution.

Note.

the Creatures, in every thing, in all the fenfes, in
the Sun with theayre, in the eye with the light
and the colours, with the tranfparcnt medium.
The fetting of one thing to another fhewes that
there is an Art that doth it, which is the provi-
dence of God.

Befidcs, the conftancy of things ; we fee* they
goc their courfe. Thofe things that come by ac-
cident, that come by chance, and not by provi-
dence, they fall out vncertaincly, now one way,
and then another, but, we fay, all the workes of
nature goe in a ccrtainc conftant courfe.

And, laftly -•> Looke but vpon a houfe, or a fa-
mily 5 if there be not a providence, it will quick-
ly be diffolved ; there is not a Family, but it will
be fo • and therefore, there is a nccde of gouern-
ment alfo in the great Family of the world : and
if there be a government, it muft needs be by
him : for by man it cannot be governed : for the
prefcrvation of every thing is in the vnitie of it,
and therefore, you fee, any thing that is divided,
that is the diflblution of it, as when the foule is
divided from the body,and when the body is di-
vided from it felfe 5 So, likewife, in a Family, or
in a Common-wealth, when it is divided, lookc
how farre it goes from vnitie, fo neere it comes
to perifliing, and the more peace and vnitie, the
more fafetie. Now if there were not oneguider
of all thefe,if there fliould be many guiders,there
would be different ftreams,there would be divers
well heads,and if there were divers principles of
things,that fliould fwerue this way .there would

LL-SVFFICIINCY,

Irfl

be a divifion in the nature of things, there would
1 not be a vnitie,and by confcquencc, it would be
j the definition of them. And therefore of necef-
| fiiy,firft there mutt be a gouernment,or els how
i could the family (land t and if there be agouern-
| ment, it muft not be by man ; and if it be not by
| man, it muft be by one that is Cod.

Now the objedions in briefer Wee fee many #£
things arc cafuall, and you may ftrengthen the
objeftions out oFEcdcf.9.11. Ifee(Fayth hejtbat J Eccltf. $. i
the race is not to thefrvift,mr the battle to thejlrong,
nor yet riches to a man of vnderflanding, but time
and chance befals every thing.

To this, I anfwerj, in a word, that it is true, j n r r
there arc chances that fall out in all thefe things,
that we call properly cafuall or accidentall,when
fomething comes betweene a caufe and the ef-
fect, and binders it. As when a man is going a
journey , and an Axe-head fall off, and either
[ rounds him, or kils him, it comes betweene the
effc& and the caufe, betweene his doing and
that which he intended 5 if the fire be burning,
and water caft vpon ir, and hinders it, that is ca-
fuall, becaufe it takes off the caufe from its in-
tention 5 So it is in this, wherein the Wifeman in-
ftanceth, when a man isftrong, and fome acci-
dent comes betwcene,and hinders him from ob-
taining the battell $ when a man hath wifedome,
and fome accident comes betweene, and hinders
him from obtaining favour $ This is that ivhich
we properly call chance. Now it is true, thereis
fuch a chance in the nature of the thing, but yet,

confidcr

When a thing

is (aid to be
cafuall.

The provi-
dence of 6od
fccaein cafu»
all things*

\4t

O f G

O D •

I Providence
moft feene in
thiagstbat we

Why GOD

bringt things
topaffebyca-
foaJl things.

confider this, though this chance be contrary to
the particular caufes, yet it hath a caufe, and it
rifeth from the vniverfall caufe $ fo that it is cal-
led chance, becaufe it thwarts, and comes be-
tweene the intention of the particular caufe, but
it doth not differ from the intention of the vni-
verfall : for thofe accidentall things haue a caufe,
as well as the things that we intend haue a caufe:
fomewhat there is that is the Author of all cau-
fes, that is the firft of all caufes, and therefore it
is impoflible that any thing fliould be totally by
accident. And therefore, I fay, whenfoever you
finde this, it is fo far re from being cafuall,if you
looke into it exadly , that then the providence of
Godis moft feene in it of all othcrs>fo farit is from
commingby chance ^ becaufe thofe things that
are done by particular caufes, according to their
intention,we vfually afcribe it to themjbut when
there is an intercurrent a&ion comes, that wee
call chance, that belongs to the vniverfall caufe,
and is to be afcribed to him, and hence it is that
the L$rd vfually, in the difpenfing and admini-
ftring of contingent things, he turnes things ra-
ther by accidentall caufes 3 by cafuall things 5 then
by thofe caufes that haue influence into their
cffe&s ; becaufe his owne hand is moft feene in
it,he gets the greateft glory by it, when he turnes
greateft matters by a fraall accident, as we turne
a great Ship by a little Rudder,therein his power
and his glory is feene. And therefore,I fay, when
you fee fuch a vanity and emptineffc in the Crea-
tures, labour to fee the more fulneffe in(W$ if

there

ALL-8VFFICIBNCY.

there be fuch a mutabilitic, fuch an inftabilitic
in the Creature, lookevpon his immutabilitie,
and his eternity, and labour to be partakers of it.
When you fee fuch an inftabilitie in the creature
to bring its enterprizes to pafTe, labour to fee his
almighty providence, and to be perfwaded of it,
to think with thy felfe there is not the leaft thing
without this providence, there is not the leaft
Creature that makes a motion, this way, or that
way, but as it is guided and directed by him,

I would willingly adde one word concerning
the tryall, now we haue fayd fo much of the AH.
fujfmcncieofGod, and of the emptineffe of the
Creature j All the queftion is now, how far we
pr^&icc this. Let every man examine his owne
heart, and aske himfelfe thefe queftions.

Firft, if a man beleeue that All-fufficiemy that
is in God, why doth he terminate his afte&ions
in the Creature? If there be nothing in the Crea-
ture,but emptine/Te,why do you lone the Crea-
ture^why doe you fearc the Creature? Why doe
you rejoycein the Creature immediately as you
aoctBebvedyifthetc be nothing in the Creature*
but all be in him,we fliould fee through the crea-
ture,we fliould looke beyond it. It is that which
is faid ofshifack, 2 cbron. 1 2 .he was but the viall
through which G$ds wrath was powred vpon
Ifrael-yCo it was true of Cyrus, he was but the viall
through which G$ds goodnefle was powred vp-
on IfraeL If you did looke vpon every man, vp-
on every friend, and every enemie, vpon every
Creature, as an inftrument of good or hurt to
; you J

\6\

TryaUofour

beliefcofG^
dlt'f»ffick»iy.

Whether wee

terminate oar
affeftions m
God, or the
Creature.

aChron.ii*

i*4

G o d *

Looking to
God, will
make vs quiet
in injuries
from men*

you, as an empcie <vUU in ic felfe, through which
G^powrcs either his goodnes and mercy,or els
his wrath, ic would caufe you not to fticke vpon
the Creature, not to wrangle with men, not to
hate men,or to be angry with them : for they are
but the viaffs ; It would caufe you againe not to
be proud of the friendship of men, not to be fe-
cureinthem, not to truft in them, nottothinke
your felues fafe in them ; for they are but via/Is,
through which GWpowres his mercy, & good-
neffe towards you.

Confider whether you be able to doe this.
Looke on Ddvid, when Nabal fent him a rough
anfwer,an vntoward anfwer,hc was exceedingly
moved at it. When Shtmti did the fame,yea,5nd
to his face, in a farre greater meafure,he was not
moved, what was the reafon of it, but becaufe
when he looked to Nabal, he forgat God, he faw
not Cod fetting Nabal a-worke to giue fuch an
anfwer, he looked not to Nabal as a viall, but
as if hebadbcene the principall intheadion in
hand? And therefore he was ready to fly vpo him
with impatiencc(asyou know how angry he was
with him) but when Shcmti did cururhira, hee
had reafon, ( he thought ) to be quiet, and not in
the other cafe : becaufe he looked on Shemeias
a viall : God( fay th he ) hath bid him doe it, and
therefore he goes to God , and not to shemei .
| If thou doe beleeue this All-fufficiency in God,
and this emptineife in the Creature, why are
I you not able to doe this, not to loue the Crea-
ture, nor to terminate, I fay, your aflfeftionsin
them,

All-svfficiency.

them, but to vfe this world as though yon % fed it
not. That is ; All things in the wbrld, all the
men in the world 5 for indeede you would vfe
them, as if you did not vfe them, if you did fee
I an emptineffe in them, and a fulnefie and an All-
\fnffkiencie in God.

j Secondly « ifwedoebeleeue there is mAlL
fnficiency in God, why doe we goe out from him,
|to take in prefent commodities, to avoyde pre-
fent dangers ? Why doe wee not ferue him with
the loffe of all thefe i For if he be All-fufficient,
it is no matter what thou loofeft, thou haft e-
nough, if thou haft him. You may fee it in Paul
(to refcmbleit to you,to fhewyou what I would
haue fayd) fayth he, wefertte the living God, wee
take much paines in our Miniftery, wee fuffer
much, but haue nothing but imprisonment, no-
thing but faftings, and whippings, and ftonings >
and why doe we it? for we trufi in the living God,
and we thinke him to be All-fufficient : when he
fayth, we truft in him,that is imply ed.I fay,now
looketothy felfe 3 art thou able to ferue him,
without looking to prefent commodities Art
thou able to doe as the Difdples did, when they
were fent emptie, and yet were willing to do the
worke, and were content to haue no wages gi-
ven them,becaufe they trufted in G od,8c thought
he was fufficient? You fee,our Saviour put them
vpon it 5 it is true, they lacked nothing, but yet
that was the try all. Mofes, when he might haue
had prefent commoditie, he left all, he left the
Court of Pharaoh, he left Egypt, and went emptie

away,

If wee Icaae
hire for pre-
fent coramo.

ditie.

O D •

What makes

Chriftiansin-
dure har4ihip
in this world.

Whether vtee
looke much
to particular
meanes.

away, he did not turne afide to thefe prcfent
Commodities, why 1 becaufe he thought the
Lord was All-fufficient, And fo Abraham, he left
his Fathers houfe, and came into a Land, where
he had not a foot 5 becaufehe thought God was
All-fufficient $ <7^fpeakesto him, vpon that oc-
cafion,/&*r* not Abraham, thou art in a ftrange
Countrey, where thou haft no body to provide
for thee, yet / will be All-fufficient. Thofe that
wandered vp and downe in jhecpes-skinnes, and in
Goats-skinnes 5 no queftion, they might haue had
outward coforts as well as others,if they would
haue tooke that courfe that others did, but they
were willing to leaue all prefent commodities :
becaufe they trufted in God, that he was All-fuf-
ficient. Theyfuffered ( faith the ApoftleJfr6.il.)
the (poyling of their goods, they loft all, and wan-
dered vp, and downe, and had nothing but dens
to lye in, in ftead of houfes, and jheepes-skinnes,
in ftead of clothes. This they did, becaufe they
thought him to be All-fufficient. Confider whe-
ther thou be able to doe this, to let goe prefent
wages, prefent comforts, and commodities, and
not to turne afide to them : for, if G*dbe All-fuf-
ficient, what neede is there of them ? If there
be enough in him, why fhould youftcp out to
them?

Moreover, if God be All-fufficient, why doe
we flick fo much vpon particular meanes,to fay,
if fuch meanes be not vfed, I fliall be vndone t if
he be ^ll-fufficient, it is no matter what the
meanes be,he is able to brine it to paife. It is vfu-

— all/

All-itfficibncy.

all with men to fay ,if fuch a thing fayle me,I am
vndone,& if fuch an evill be not removed. What
arc thefe but particulars i this flicking vpon par-
ticulars is a figne we thinke him notAll-fufficient.
Ifa. 50. 10. See what an exprcflion there is for
matter of meanes. He that rvalkes in darkneffe, and
fees no light, let him trnft in the Lord God^ he that
walkes in dai kneffe,and hath no light, yet, if G$d
be All-fnfficient, put the calc,there be no meanes
at all, put the cafe, there be vtter emptinefle 3 that
there be not a fparke of light , but that thou
walkeft in darkeneflc, and feefl: nothing to helpe
thee, if he be All-fufficient, truftinhim,lethim
that hath no light,but walks in darknefle,truft in
the/W.-for he is then able to helpe him.There-
fSre, if wc thinke him to be All-fufficient > when
we loofe any particular meanes, it is but the fcat-
tering of a beame,it is but the breaking of a Buc-
ket, when the Sunne and the Fountaine is the
fame. Why fliouldwebc troubled at it < If we
did thinke him to be All-fufficient , when one
meanes is broken, cannot he finde out another,
if he be All-fufficient?When he fayd to iW,that
all the foules with him fhould be fafc, you fee,
there were divers meanes, all were not able to
fwim to the fliore, and the fhip was not able to
bring them to fhore,but y et^by broken boards,
and by one meanes, and another, all got to the
Shore 5 So the Lord brings things to pafTe in a
ftrange manner, fometimes one way, fometimes
another, hee breakes inpeeces many times the
Ship, that, we thinke, fhould bring vs tofhore,

but

1^7

Ifa. jo. 10.

Simile,

idS

GOD vfeth
meanss that
we thinke not
offometimeSf

O D S

Whether wee
feeourfelues
vile.

Pror. $o»

but cafts vs on fuch bords as wc did not expeft ;
fo he doth in the raeanes both good andevill,
fomewhat comes in, and brings vs helpe that wc
never thought of. An enemic conies in and doth
vshurt, that we never dreamed of, and thofe,
that we had our eye fixed vpon, it may be, doe
neither of them.

And folikewife, if Codbz All. fafficient h iFht
be thus exceeding great, confider, if thou fee
thine owne vileneffe, thy ignorance, thy empti-
ncfle, in comparifon of him. When Agur looked
vpon God.and faw hisgreatnefle.Prf.jo.hecryes
out, that he had not the vnder (landing of a man in
him. When lob faw him in his greatnes, he abhor-
red him felfe in drift andajhes, he had fpoken once
andtmce, but he would fpeake no more. And fo*^-
braham y when Cod appeared to him, fayd, I Am
but duft and afhes : whether art thou able to fay
thus when thou looked vpo God in his greatnes?
Firft, art thou able to fay, I bane not thevnder-
ftandingofamanin me 5 That is ; Canft thou fee
the emptineffe, and vanitie of thy owne know-
ledge? Canft thou lcarnc,notto murmur againft
Aii-fufixie»w' God, in any of his waves i Canft thou learne to
br alf gods captiuatc,and bring vnder thy thoughts to the
wayesof Cods providence? Canft thou doe, as
lob did, faying^ I haue heretofore taken excepri
ons, and muimured, and was difcontented, and I
wondered at the waves of CW ; and the works of;
his hands, I haue done this once, or twice, but
now I will doe fo no more?/*? knew GWas well
as we know him, but when G^fpake out of the

whirle-

AfightofGoif

dealings

All-stfficiency.

whirlc-mnde, and made knowne his greatneffe to
I him,this was the fruit of it to lob, though he had
[fpokenonce or twice, that is, before that time,
yet now he would doe it no more. Canft thou
be content to fee the Lord going all the wayes
that he doth, fetting vp evill men, and putting
downe good men, caufing the Churches to wi-
thered the enemies to profper ? Canft thou fee
all this, and yet fanftifie him in thine heart ? Art
thou able to fay, that he is holy in all his wayes,
J and in this to fee the greatneffe of (7^, and thy
owne folly and weakneflfe t Canft thou fay , that
thou art but dnfi andafhes, and to fay it in good
earneft?Canft thou looke on thy felfe as on a vile
I Creature, as Peter did, faying, Coefromme :. for
lam afinfttllman f Then I will belceue,that thou
haft feene God in his greatnes, I will beleeue that
thou haftfeene him in his All-fufficiencie> that he
hath prefented himfelfe by his fpirit vnto thy
foulc, infome meafure, when thou feeft thefe
effefts in thy foule, when thou feeft thy igno-
rance, and thy vilenes, when thou feeft what an
emprie Creature thou art, furc this is another
thing,by which thou may ft judge,whether thou
haft experience, whether thou haft pra&ifed this
do&rine, that we haue delivered ofthcjdll-fkffi-
ciency of God, and of the eraptineffe of the Crea-
ture.

Moreover, if God be All-fafficient > why are
we then fo readic to knocke at other mens dores?
Why are wee then fo readie to goe to the Crea-
ture, to feekehelpe, and comfort, and counfell j

P from

**9

Note.

Whether we
ok feeke to
him ?

170

Whether m
be content
vfirhGotb
provifionfor
vs?
Simile,

7
Whether we
looke to e-
vrnts in do-
ing our du-
tie?

Of Gods

from it, and to knockc fo little at his doore by
prayer, and fecking to him?for, if thou bcleevcft
him to be All-fufficient , thou wouldeft be abun-
dant in praycr,thou wouldeft take a little time to
looke to others, thy chicfe bufines would be to
looke to him,not oncly in praying to him, but in
ferving him,and pleafing him : We knockeat his
dore as wel by the d uties of obedi ece,as by pray-
er,and feeking to him ; if thou thinkeft him to be
\*4ll-(»fficient, why doeft thou not doc this ?

Againe, if thou thinke him to be All-fnffici-

tm, why art thou not content to be at his imme-

j diate finding «* Put the cafe he depriue thee of all

things clfe, and doe with thee, as parents doe

with their Children, who giue them not a pen-

ny in their purfe, but tell them they will provide

for them, why art thou not content that God

fhoulddoefo i What if he ftrip thee of all thy

wealth,of thy liberty,of thy friends,fo that thou

canft looke for nothing but immediately at his

hands, to feedethee ashefeedsthe2?*xw.r,and

the Lymsy if he be All-fuffkiem, why doft thou

not truft in him, in fuch a cafe, and reft vpon

him?

Againe ; laftly, if thou thinkeft God to be All-
fuffieient, when thou haft any fervice, or dutie
to doe, either belonging to God, or man, why
doft thou not refolue vpon the doing of it with-
out lookingtotheconfequem whatsoever k be?
For if he be K^ll-Juficient, then all our care
/hould be to doe our dutie, and to leaue the fuc-
ceffe to hinu

LL-8VFFICIENCY.

A fcrvant that thinks his Matter is able, and
willing to giue him wages, and provide for him
fufficiently at the end of the day, or the yeare,
or at the end of his fervice, he will be carefull to
doe his worke, without looking to his wages,
without making provifion for him felfe, and fo,
if thon bckcue God to bt All-sufficient , thou wilt
feeke no more but to finde out what thy du tic is,
what rule thou oughteft to walk by,what fervice
thouoweft to man in fuch a cafe, how tokeepc
a good confeience in fuch a bufinefle, in fuch a
ftraight, in fuch adifficultie, thou wilt fet thy
wits a- workc to finde out this $ but when thy wit
is over-running thy dutie, and thou looked to
theconfeqvence (if I doe this and this, this will
befall me) that is a figne thou thinkeft not God co
be AlLfufficient, thou thinkeft thy Matter can-
not provide for thee, but thou thinkeft I fhallbc
poore, when I hauc done his fervice, and there-
fore I will provide for my felfe J (hall want com-
forts, Ifliall haue enemies come in vponme$if
thy Matter be ^Sunne^ a shield, and a Buckler,
and an exceeding great reward, and thou beleeveft
him to be fo, thou wouldeft finde out onely thy
dutie, and it is no matter what the confequence
is i So you fee the three men did, wee hauc re-
folvedthat wee will not worfhip thine Image, and
whereas you threaten to call vs into a burning
fiery Fornace, that we care not for, God is able to
deliver vs, they did fee Gods AlUfnfftciencie,zwA
therefore they did the dutie. Certainely, Belo-
ved, in any difficult cafe, no man will doe hisdu-

P 2 tie,

— 7 "

171

Infii

nnces %

The three
Children.

17*

No man can
perforate a

dutiethatis
difficiltjWitb-
out beleevjng

GoJsAUfuft'
| t untie.

Darnell.

O D S

Mordecai.

tie, except he be perfwaded that Godis All-frffi-
cientfThok three men would never haue refufed
to worfhip the Idoll, except they could haue
faid, and thought in their htzxts^God is able to de-
liver vs oai of thy hands, O King. This they fayd,
andrefolvedtodoe.

And fo Daniell refolved to doe his dutie, and
nottogoe afteppe out of the path, befidesthe
Rule,Well j he fhall be caft into the Lyons deme^ I
yet he keepes his refolution firme; it was enough
for him to doe his dutie, for the cojifequence of
it, he left it to God ? for he knew he was All-fuffi~
cient. You fee, God watched over them,and deli-
vered them all. And fo likewife,in refufing toeat
of the Kings meate, Daniell would not pollute
himfelfe, it was not lawfull for him being a lew,
it might haue coft him his lifefor ought he knew,
if he had looked on the confequence, but he re-
folved to doe it. Sayth the Text, he refolved in
his heart to doe it, and committed it to God. And
wc fee in all thefe cafes,<7&rffhewed himfelfe fuf-
ficient. So he doth, when wee looke to our dutie
fincerely 5 & faithfully 3 whcn we doe it,and looke
not to the confequence, he is then All-fuffkient,
and will fhew himfelfe to be fo. And the like we
fee in the cafe of Mordecai, he thought it was a
finnztobowio Ham an, who was an Amalekite,
he would not doe it ; Well •, but they (hall all be
deftroyed,he, and all the Iemes -, I but God was a-
ble to deliver them . And fo he tels Hejler confi-
dently, the Church fhould be delivered, but he
knew not how, but, fay th he, if it be not by thy

hands

ALL-IVFFlCIiNCY,

hands, thoufhalt faretheworfefor it, but ccr-
tainely, fayth he, deliverance Jhall come to the
Church, one way,or other, God is All-fufficient ^
Hcrevpon flie refol vcth,fay ing in effc<ft whatfoe-
ver be theconfequence,! will doe it, it is ray du-
tie. And you know,GWfliewed himfelfe All-fuf-
ficient in delivering her, and hira,and all the peo-
ple of the/*JW:So,,Ifay,if thou wouldeftfinde
out whether thy heart beleeue all this,that is de-
livered, whether thou doe pra&ife it or no:Con-
fidcr, if thou canft doe this or tforConfider what
thy duty is vpon every occafion,and never looke
to theconfequence, either to thelofle of prefer-
ments, of riches,or favour : for God is AlLfuffici-
ent, he can bring it in. Be it againe, oil the other
fide, fuch crolfes,andioffes are like to follow
vpon it, yet he is ^All-fufficient^
fo that thou doft it more or
lefle according to thy
opiniohof his All-
fufficiencic^f.

So much for this time.

F I &(J S.

THE

SIXTH

SERMON.

G E N I « I S I7, I.

Walfy before me& be thou perfeB.

E haucakeadie finifhed the firft
part of thefe words. Cod is All-
fnffieient.

Which words containc the
Covenant on Gods part, / will
be k_All jnfficient) which here is
exprefTcd in the general l,but in other places more
particularly >as 1 flicwed you then when we hand-
led the words.

The other -parr of the words containethe co-
venant, or condition required on our $d.n;Walke
before me, and be t Imperfect. God mil be All-fuffi-
citnrvrtto vsl that is his promife 3 and he requires
of vs, that we fliould keperfeel with him,hc will
be AlLfnfficient to them that depend vpon him.,
1 he

VP&X. GHTNBS.

he will be wholly theirs that will be wholly
his.

So the maine poynt that we haue to handle, is
that which (Wjrequires on our parts, without
which we haue no intereft in his covenant ,name-
ly,that we btfincere &cperfec7, but before I come
to handle this poynt which is the maine, I will
touch an obfervation or two by the way.

And firft from the Connexion, / am God AIL
fufficientjherefore walke before me> and be thottper*
feet, (I will but touch it,becaufe I handled thd ne-
gatiue part of it at large. ) This we may obferue,
that

Every man is more or lejfe perfect, as he is more
or leffeperfwaded of Gods Cdll-fuffcieneie.

You fee,that is made the ground of om perfect
walking with God, that we foeleeue him to be All.
fufficient, and therefore, I fay, asourperfwafion
of that is more or lefle,fo every man more or lefs
is perfect with God jThat is k , Looke how a mans
faith in Gods promifes, and in his providence, rs
moreorlefle, looke how he hath found, by his
experience, God to be more fufficient to him, or
leife, fo is every mans walking with CW more or
lefle perfect.

The reafon of which is, partly, becaufe it is
Gods argument: when God vfeth any argument,
looke how far that takes place in the heart, looke
howfarrethevnderftanding is convinced of it, !
fo farre it prevailes alfo with the-will and affe&i^
_ P 4 ons,

DoB.
Mea are more
or Iefle perfect
as they are
perfwaded of
GxLsjtiLfuffi* \

Reaf.j.
It is Gods
argument to
perfvwde to
perfe&neflc.

i 7 *

O f Mans

Reaf. 2.
This perfvta-
fion heaks
ftlfe lone-

TolabouHor
this per (Vvafi-
co.

ons, andfofarreitprevailesinthepra&ife, and
converfation of a mans life : Now when God ma-
kcth this the ground of our f erf etineffs So farre,I
fay, as a man is convinced of it, fo farre as he is
perfwaded of it, fo farre it will produce this ef-
fect, to make him prfett, and (incere in his wal-
king with God.

Againe, partly, the reafon of it, is, becaufeit
heales that which is thecaufcof allourvnper-
fedneffe, and vnevenneffe, which is felfe-loue.
The reafon why men walke not conftantly, and
perfedly withGW, is becaufe theyloue them-
felues inordinately, they thinke to provide better
for themfe lucsrwhen a man is fully perfwaded of
Gods All-fttjficicnctiSx. anfwers all thofe falfc rea-
fonings, all thofe deceitfull arguments that felfe-
loue is ready to bring to vs,vpon every occafion-
there is no man departs from GW,but he thinkes,
at that time* it is better for him fo to doe: when
it {hall be anfwered him J3ed is JlLfufficient^ it is
better for thee to keepe in the rtraite way, if thou
feekethyfelfebydifobeying of him, it (hall be
worfe for thee^ when all the falfe reafotiings of
felfe-loue are anfwered, the heart mull needs be
perfect.

The Vfecf it in briefc is,that we ihould labour
to be perfwaded of this truth, and apply it, and
makevfeofit,vpon every occafion: when any
command is prefented vnro vs, when any thing
is to be done, run to this principle,to be perfwa-
ded of Gods K^ill-fujficiency, that (k:ll helpe thee
i to doe cveiy dutic, that (hall prefer ue thee from

every

VPRIGHTNES.

every finne : for example, God hath commanded
vs to deny our felucs in our profit, in our credit,
and our pleafures .-and many times it comes that
we are to performe this dutiein particular cafes,
cofider feriou fly then of the ftrength of this prin-
ciple that God is AlLfufficient ; it will make thee
able to doe the dutie throughly. What though
thou be aloofer in thy credit ^If Godhe All-fnffi-
cient,hz is able to make it vp. What though thou
be a loofer in thy profit as Amaziah was ? Is not
he able to giue theefourefcorc talents, fayth the
Prophet to him < What though thou be a loofer
in thy pleafures,that thou loofe or want the plea-
litres offwnefor a feafon? Is not he able to make it
vp vtithpeace ofeonfeience, ejr joy in the holy Ghofl?
Andfoagaine -, Wee are commanded to takevp
onr daily croffe y & not to take bafe & finfull cour-
fes to avoid crofles, and troublcs,and affiidiions,
when wee meete with them in right and ftraigbt
wayes, and furely, the way to performe this du-
tie, is to be perfwaded of Gods All.fufficiency , let
a man thinke that God is able to defend and carrie
him thorow, that he is able to keepe him in the
time of thofe fufferings, that it is he that keepes
thekeyes of the prifon doore, that opens and
fhuts/when hepleafeth,it is he that makes whole,
and makes ficke . the iffnes of life and death, belong
to him: Every mans judgement ', though hefeeke the
face of the Ruler : yet it is from him: let men consi-
der, that it is not the Creature that inflifts any
crofle, or affli&ion, or punifhment vpon vs, but
h is he that doth it by the Creature,and that wil I

inable

177

Note.

i 7 8

Why men

* feekethem-
felaes ever-
much in their
callings.

Note.

A N t

inable a man to bearc any croffe,to pafTe through
all varietie of conditions, and not to divert from
a ftraight way, but to goe through the ftorme
when he meets with it.

And fo we may fay of every other dutie,to ex-
crcifethedutiesofour particular cdlings,not for
our owne good,but for the good of others : Beh-
ind, this is a fpeciall thing men Ioofe their liues,
they loofe that blefled opportunitie they haue to
grow rich ingoodWerkcs,thzt whereas every day
they might adde much to their treafure, to their'
reckoning againft the day of Iudgement, whileft
they ferue themfelues,and feeke thcmfelues alto-
gether^ is but time loft. Now,I fay,\vhat is the
reafon that men in the exercife of their callings,
haue fuch an eye to their own profit,& not to the
profit of others,whom they deale with,that they
haue fuch an eye to their owne credited ad van-
tage, and not to others good ? It is becaufethey
thinkc they muft be carefull to provide for their
own eftate,to looke to themfelues, they haue no
I body elfe to doe it:Now let a man be perfwaded
! that God takes care for him, that riches are as the
I fhadow that follows the fubftance of a minsfer-
feft walking with GW,that it is God that giues the,
it is he that difpenfeth them,it is he that giues the
reward,the wages belongs to him,the care of the
worke onely belongs to vs ; If a man would deny
himfelfe, & be a loofermany times in hiscalling^
and be content to doe many things for the pro-
fit of others,to vfe thofe talents that cWhath gi-
ven him, not for his owne, but for his Matters

t advantage 5

VPRIGHTNEf.

- - «■ ■

advantage ; I fay, if he would doc this 3 he fliould
iinde God AlLfufficientyznd the perfwafion of his
AlLfufficiency is that that ftrengthens a man, and
makes him conftant in the performance of it.
This you may take for a fure rule,there is no one
dutie that fhall coft a man any peril!, that fhall
coft him any labour, any loffe that a man will be
willing to doe, without the perfwafion of Gods
K^U-fufficicme, he never doth it without this
perfwafion, he never fayles in it, but as farre
as he fayles in the beliefe of this. For exam-
ple.

Abraham when he was put on the hardeft taske,
to leaue his Country y and his Fathers houfe, hee
was perfwaded that God would be with him,and
would blcfle him : for God had made him a pro-
mile to doe it, it was eafie then to performe it,
but aftcrwards,when he began to fhrinke, and to
doubt of this., that God might fayle him* that he
would not be GodAll-fefficient tohim^as when
he went downcinto Egypt, he denied Sarah to
be his wife, what was the caufe of this finne?
But becaufe he was afraid that God could not
defend him. And fo David, how many hard
taskes* went he through, with all chearefulnefle,
and conftahcie i but when he began to fayle of
th<sperfwafion,that God was able to deliver him
from sW,and to bring him into the Kingdome,
thenhebeginncstofteppeout from that dutie,
and way of obedience, that he fhould haue wal-
ked in, toflieto^te, &c. Therefore the my y
I fay, to make our hearts perfeft with God, is to

increafe

179

Note.

Inftance,

i8o

The Sacra-
mem fealeth
both pares
of the Cove.
nant.

What God
offers vs in
the Sacra,
merit.

AN*

incrcafethis pcrfwafion of Cods ■^All-fafficiencie.
Now this we fhould do efpecially at thefe times*
when we are to receiue the Sacrament : for what
is the Sacrament, but the feale of the Covenant,
on both parts C It is the feale to the Covenant,
on Gods part, hee promifeth to be All- faff scient,
and the Sacrament feales this to you 5 when it
is fayd to you 3 take, andeate, this is my body, the
meaning is this, lefus cbrift giues himfelfe, and
God the Father giues him, and fayth,take him^
That is ; Take Cbrift, with all his : It is certaine,
he is a Husband,that is AlLfnfficient, he is a field
that is full of treafurc,& fo you muft thinke with
you rfelues, when you come to receiue the Sacra-
ment, that lefus Chrift himfelfe is given to you ^
I That is, lefus chrifl with all his riches> and trea-
\ fure, with all his benefits and priviledges.Now,
when you haue taken Cbrift, ( as it is a free gift )
then confider all thofe particular benefits,labour
to dig that field,and to fee ail the varietie of trea-
fures in it,you (hall -find that thereis nothing that
you can defire, but you fliall finde it in him, you
I fhall finde an All-fufficiencie in him.both for this
life, and the life to come.

Againe^ As this is tht Covenant ,6x1 Gods part,
that is fealed to vs in the Sacrament, fo you muft
remember that you put to your feale likewife,
toconfirraethe Condition of the Covenant, on
your part.-for fo haue you promifed 3 there is a fti-
pulation, an engagement, remember that you
keepe Covenant, and Condition with him, (for
it is reciprocall: ) for all Covenants muft bee

mutualL

PRIGHTHE 8.

1S1

mutual!, they muft be bctweenc two parties^and
remember,that thou put thy feale to it 3 that thou re-
new with Godtht Covenant,thatthou haft made
1 to tvalke before him perfectly. Now, the end of the
Sacrament, is to remember this, Doe this, fayth
Chrifts in remembrance of me $ As if he fhould fay,
you will be ever and anon readie to forget this
Covenant*

Another point, that I defire to obferue,bcfore
I come to handle the maine 5 is from thefc words,
Walke before me (jrclt is a Metaphor I findc very
frequently vfed in Scripture, and therefore wee
will not pafle it ovzxjvalke before met, and be thou
perfett. Whence we will therefore obferue, that

There is a great fimilitude betweene a Chriftiam
life, and walking from place to place.

I find not any metaphor in the Scriptures vfed
more frequently, and therefore it fhould teach
vs fome thing:for a metaphor,you know,is but a
fimilitude that iscontradtcd to one word,it is but
a fhort fimilitude,folded vp in a word,and fome-
whatistobe taught vs, fome refemblance there
is that we will labour to expreffe,and make fome
fhort vfe of it.

When the Lord fay th to ^Abraham, lam AlU
fnfficient ; therefore walke perfectly before me, it is
as if he had fayd, Abraham ,1 meane to be a good
Matter to thee, I meane to giue thee fufficient,
wages, thou fbalt want nothing thou needeft •
now be thou carcfull to doe thy worke,be not i-

dle,

BoB.
A Cbriftiani
life like a
walke.

l8*

AMI

What meant

by walking.

Particular aci
tion*, are Co
many fteps in
our journey.

die, fit not ftill, but be working ( for that is inti-
mated by walking ) to rvalkc is ft ill to be a&ing in
fome thing, ftill to be workmg,to be in employ-
ment, and not fit ftill, fo that this is intimated to
vs,when he fayth, walke before me, that the whole
courfc of this life is like a journey from one place
to another. And againe every particular a&ion,
is like fo many fteps taken to that journeys end,
and ( marke it, I fay,) looke what the rounds are
in aLadder,that goc from the bottom to the top,
looke what the paces in a journey are, fo many
paces goe to make vp the j ourney , fo doth every
particular ad goe to make vp ^ Chriftian courfe
that every man is to fulfill : fo then, as every ftep
a man takes, tends to fome fcope,or other, either
Eaft,or Weft,or North,or Somh,in generalland
in particulars fome particular place,neare fome
Citie, fome Towne, or fome Roome, fo every
a&ion in a mans life, it either tends in generall to
Eaft,or Weftjthat is-to good or evill, it tends to
the fervice of God y or to the fervice of Sdt6a*,and
likewife,in particular,it tends either to this good
dutie, or to avoyd this particular finne,to this or
that particular fervice otGed&lSathanw of our
felues.

So that not onely the greater a(5iions(markc it)
but even the lefler, every one of them, it is like a
pace in a journey, which that I may make plaine
to you,y ou muft know, that all the a&ios we do
either be anions that belong to our generall, or
to our particular calling,or fuch as fit vs to them.
Now take the Ioweft and the meaneft a&ion,

your

VpUghtibi,

your eating and drinking, your fleepe &recrea.
tion, they are all ftcpsthat tend to this Iourney,
that tend to this fcopc, every one of them is a
ftep nearer to God,and to hea ven,if they be right-
ly vfed* and from him, if they be not vfed as
they ought; Whether yon eate or drinke y or what foe-
very $tt doe Joe it to the glory ofGodJNhzx. ever you
doe, mai ke that fuprcame fcope, fo that all acti-
ons tend to one or other ofthefe 5 now you need
make ho queftion, but even thofe common ani-
ons are fteps that lead to the journey seven as you
fee, a fervantthat is fet to worke, or to goe a
Iourney ,that is to mowe,or to driue a Cart,even 1
the whetting of the fithe,is a part of his workers J
well as the mowingof the grafle^the provendring
of his horfe,is a difpatching of his Iourney,a go-
ingoninit, as well as when he rides, and fothe
oyling of the wheele, is a drawing on, as well as
every ftep he takes : So, I fay, it is in thefc com-
mon adions, that we make leife account of, our
deeping, our eating>our drinking,our recreation,
every one of them, is afteppe in the Iourney.
I fpeake it for this end, that wee may not negled
any a&ion, that wee may not defpife the leaft of
our a&ions: for there isnot one of them, but it is
a pace,or a ftepperfo that this you muft make ac-
count of -every day you finifh a great part ofyour
fpjtce:foryou do many adions.Now looke what
acfiionsyou doe,fee what they be,examine them
at night ^ for every adion is a ftep,and either you
ftep towards GWin it,or you ftep fro him ; either
you ftep towards heaven, or towards helkhere-

fore

18;

A&ions that
At vs to our
callings, are
fteps in our
Iourney.

Simile*

The meancft

action, not to
be negleclcd.

184

A M S

Flue things
in a mike or
Iourncy

That which a
man goes to.

I
Grace*

2
Gods glory.

Salvation.

fore looke to every action. But this is in general!.

No win particular (to bring this fimilitudea
little nearer ) you muftconfiderina»^/fofrom
one place to anothcr,when you go in a Iourney,
K you haue thefe particulars.

Firft, There rauft be a place,a terme to which
you walke, fome whither, whither a man goes.

Againe; There rauft be a place,or terme from
which a man comes.

Againe ; There is a diftance : for in a point, or
a little fpace a man cannot walke.

Againe ♦ There muft be a ground to walke vp-
on.

And there muft be a path : for in particular
j Iourneys, as from Thebes to Athens, there is a
ftraight path- way to walke to it,&c. Thefe par-
ticulars we will expreffe to you in this courfe of
a Chriftian life.

Firftjl fay,there muft be a place to which a man
gocsjermwfts dd quern, as wecall it,and that is to
grace, we travaile to grace,wetravaileto the fer-
viee, and glory of God,at\d wetravailetop/?^/-
on, thefclfindeinthe Scripture to be the ends,
and the aymes,and the fcopc,and mark,at which
every man is to look in his journey ,in the courfe
of his life. Labour to grow in grace, which ena-
bleth vs to ferue Ged, withoutwhich we can doe
nothing: Labour alfo, when you haue it,tocome
to the fruits, and operations, and effeds of itj
that is, to fpend your time in doing fome thing
that may tend to <7<vfc glory, and fer vice. And laft
of all, looke at the reward, lobke at falvation,

which

P R I G H T N E 8.

which is the end of that Journey,there is no que-
ftion of the two former, that the end isgrace, and
righteoufnes, there is more queftion of the latter,
whether a man may make falvation, and the re-
compence of reward,an end, a marke,and fcope,
to which he travaiies : but all thefc are our ends
you(hallfee^?.2<5.i3. Paul is fent to preach to
the people ^and this is the fcope of his preaching,
he was lent to open their eyes, that they might turne
from darkneffe to light, from the power of 'Sathan to
God, that they might receine the forgiuenes offinnes,
and inheritance among them that are fanBified by
faith in chrifi .Marke it,that they may turne from
darknes to light, there you fee the fcope is lights
becaufc without light, a man cannot fee his way,
Grace belies a man in his Iourney, as light doth :
the next thing is, from the power ofSathan vnto
God\ That is, from living in bondage to Sathan,
toferue6W>to do that which ftands with hisglo-
rie, and advancement, and then laftly : that they
may receine forgiuenes, & inheritance among (I them
that are fanBified by faith in mee\ there is the re-
ward: for a mans ay me is likewife that he might
receiue the inheritance, that he might be fa ved,
and haue heaven in the end. So likewife you find
itexpreffedM^.j. 14. Paul, faythhe, pre '(fed
hardtorvardthe marke, for whatpurpofe < for the
price of the high calling of God in Chrifi, there you
fee that the ayme that Paul had in following hard
to the marke, was a marke that he ay med at, and
that he had expreffed before to bee found in the
righteoufneffe that is in Chrift, and, favth he, that

Q~ ' 1

185

A#.a6. 18,

PhiL j. 14,

18£

Op Mans

Hek ll.

That he goes
from.
I
Sinae*

1
Sathans fcr-
vice.

Damnation*
The pathes
of fin many,
the journeys

end one.

Smile.

I might obtaine the price of the high caUing.xhc price
( that is ) the wages • as a man that runnes a race^
there is a price propounded to him 5 and when he
hath finifhed the race, he obtaines it, fayth he 5
this is one of my ends to obtaine the price : fo it
is faid of tJHofcs, Heb. u.be hadrefpefi to the re-
commence of reward. So, my Beloved, in this jour-
ney you rauft make this account,y ou travaile to-
wards grace y that is the fcope that you ayme at 5
againe, your end is to ferue God, to feeke his gto-
ry,that all your aftions may tend to it,and laftly,
that you might be faved.that you might haue the
inheritance with the Saints.
Now the terme from which we travaile is from
fwne, from the fervice of Satbdv, and our felues,
andlikewife it is from damtfAtbmfo that you fhal
finde this difference in it, that all men, though
they haue but one Journeys end, yet there are
different places, from which every of them tra-
vaile* according to the different finnes,to which
they are inclined, fomc men had need to travaile
from covetoufnes,fome men againe,from prodi-
galitie, thefcicemetogoc contrary wayes, yet
both ayme at the fame journeys end, as two men '
that intend to come to London* one comes out of
Kent, another comes out of the North, thefe men
fteme to goe contrary,one goes North } mi the o-
ther Sonth, yet both agree in their Iourneys end,
foit is in this travaile, fomc men are fubje& to be
timorous,and difcouraged,and cowardly in their
anions, fomc menagainetobe rafh,and bold,
tfiefe men haue contrary courfes, yet they both

travaile

VPRlGHTNEi.

I travaile to thefame mediocrity, to the fame grace,
I to the fame way of righteoufneffe : fo, I fay,the
I termes from which we come are exceeding diffe-
i rent, though the Iourney send be the fame to e-
veryman. Looke what the feverall inclinations
of men are^even therein to part from himfelfe,to
deny himfelfe,to refift his perfonal,and particular
lufts, that is the tcrme, from which he is to goe •
and fo likewifc it is to be confidered,that we tra-
vaile from damnation, that every fteppe that a
man takes in the way of righteoufneffe, it is fo
many fteps from death to lift, he is fo much nea-
rer his Iourneys end: for falvation is now neerer
thtn tvhenyof* klecved,fzy th the Apoftlc ; that is,
looke as you travaile fafter in the way of righte-
oufneffe, fo your reward is neercr,your comfort
is neerer 3 and fo you are farther from judgement,
farther from definition.

Now, on the other fide,it is to be confidered,
that as this is the ay me of the godly man,tolook
to grace, andattheferviceof God, and at falva-
tion,that is the way that they travaile,So there is
another way that othennen travaile, that looke
at finne, at dcftru&ion. I doe but fet one by ano-
her, that you may Icarne to know the difference :
there is alcopethat every man hath,whatfoever a
man doth,though he confider it not, yet he takes
every fteppe by vertue of that vtmoft end that he
hath. There is a generation of men that ay me ar
dcftru&ion,that ay me at finne,at thofe wayes that
leaddowne to the Chambers of death.

And if you objeft, and fay, I but no man pro-
Qjl pounds

187

Ob*

188

A N 3

Anfitv.
Hellistheend
of the ccurfc
of wicked me,
though they

tien

Nete.

pounds fuch an end to hfmfelfe, there is no man
intends the deftru&ion of himfelfe.

I anfwer^It is true,it is not the end of the man,
but it is the end of the courfe, as we fay, it is not
finis opermtis, but it is finis operis • as a theefe, that
fteales ; his end is noc that he fhould come to the
2"Sek^«^ i gallo wes, but his end is to get profit to himfelfe,
but yet it is the fcope of the worke.though not of
the workman^fo I lay in this cafe,a man that hath
not his ayme to feme GW 3 to walke toward him,
though he obferue it not,his ayme is deftrudion,
that is the end of his worke, that way he walkes
in Jtcads dorvne to the chambers of death .So you fee^
Firft,there is an end, a terme to which every man
goesj And,fecondly,there is a terme from which
every man comes.

Thirdly $ in every Iourney there is adiftance^
That is ; that diffimilitude betweene gr^, & vs,
and betweene God, and vs.Looke what diftance,
and difference there fs betweene grace,and finne-
betweene righteoufneffe and wickednefle, that is
the fpace that every man is to goe, that is the di-
ftanee that he is to paffe through i fo that even as
in a journy you caft fome part of the way behind
you 3 and another part you are to paffevnro-, fo
you are to thinke in this Ioufney : Locke how
much vidory thou getteft over any fin, fo much
of thy way thou haft paffed. Againe* Looke in
what meafure any finne remaines vnmortrficd,
anyluftis not fully overcome/fo much of thy
way thou art yet to goe : fo likewife, it is in the
defed of graces 5 that is the diftancc that thou haft

The diftance
in it.

The diffimili-
tude betweene
God and vs,

PRIGHTNBS.

to fulfill. So in every mans particular cailing 3 that
courfc that Gedh&th fixed to every man, that he
hath prefcribed to every particular man(tofome
j longer, to fome ftiorter, ) this is the diftance of
j a mans journey/^ Baptijl had a fhorter courfe,
he fulfilled his cenrfe, he preached not aboue three
or foure yeares./W fulfilled his courfe likewife,
a longer race, but ic was that which God had ap-
pointed him-fo the difltmilitude betweene grace J
andfinne;and againe, the courfe thatcWhath
appointed every man to fulfill, & ferae God in his
time, this is the difhnce and the fpace of this
Iourney.

Againe ; the next to this is the ground: ford
man muft haue fomething to hold him vp 5 when
he walkes, the ground vpon which he walkes, is
the time of this life in this worlds the latitude of
this life ? that Gto/hath afforded to every man,that
is the field,as it were,that he walkes in ; we fee in
(the world great varietie of men, and varietie of
i courfe, that is the ground, the fpace allotted to
I; him,hc rtiay walke whither he will,he may walk
. : which way he plcafeth.

I But laftly, as there muft be a terme to which,
; another f rom,which,as there muft be a diftance,
I and a grdund,fo chiefly he that walkes muft haue
i a certaine path, a certaine way to walke in. In 3
; wildcrnes,there is ground enough,but there is no
j path,but when you goe to a certaine place,there
j muft be al vvayes a certaine way, a certaine high-
j way, a path that leades to it : now the path that
! we haue to walke in,you haue it diverfly exprtf

QL3 fed

I89

2
The courfe
that God ap.
poyntcth rs
tofuIfilL

The ground
is the rime of
this lite,

The path.

190

A N f

Chaift.

t
The fpirit.

3
OcdsCom.

mandemems*

Chrift the
way how ?

Thcfpirit the
way how?

Hote.

fed in the Scriptures : cbrift is faid to be the way,
we are faid to tvalke in the fpirit, if you be led by the
fpirit, walke inthefyirit, and the way of Gods Com.
mandements 3 / will runne the way of thy Comman-
dements, fayth David, when thoufjjalt inlargemy
heart -and ofZachary,znd Elizabeth ,ii is faid they
walked in the way of Gods Commandemets without
refroafe. Thefe are (aydtobe the wayes, or th&
paths that wee walke in, they all come to one :
Chrift is faid to be the way: becaufe as a man can-
not come to a place, except he go in the way that
leads to it,fo no man can come to God the Father
without Chrift 5 that is • without his interceffion,
without his guidance, and dire&ion, except he
kad you to the Father, that you come as fprink-
led with his bloud,as clothed with his righreouf-
neffe, except you come as being made accepted
by his incercelfion,. you cannot be accepted, and
befides, except you goethe way that he direfts
you : for he is the Day-ftarre, fringing from on
high, that guides ourfeetein the way of peace 9 with-
out him you cannot come to heaven, you can-
not come to the throne of ^ grace .-fo he is faid to be
the way. Againe, the fpirit is faid to be the way,
walke in the fpirit ; That is • walke according to
the guidance of the fpirir,follow the dirc&ion of
the fpirit 5 andfo the way of Gods Commande-
ments, they are fayd to be the way j becaufe they
are the rules we ought to walke by : So that the
way is, whcn,in the name of Chrift, when, out of
refpe&tohim, we walke by the dire&ion of the
fpirit, in the wayes of Gods Commandemcnts,

when

Anfw.

How to finde
the path in
this journey.

I
By the Word,

By the exai«j
pie of the
Saints.

V'-P ft I G H T N B 8, 1^1

when we obferue this rule. This is the way,this
is the path.

Now, if you aske, how one fiiould finde this
way ?

You muft know, that though this be the way
in general!, yet, in particular, that which muft
teach it thee,is to confider,firft,there is a certaine
trad that God hath made for vs to walke in,a cer-
tain path that he hath chalked out, that which he
hath defciibed in his Word, that which all the
Saints haue trodden before vs,both thofe that li-
ved in former times, whofe examples are related
to vs,and thofe that line among vs j Firft,there is
a trad that G^himfelf hath made,the way of his
judgements zxzfim veftigi/s, &c. but the way of
his Commandements are as a beaten traft, as a
beaten roade ; A way that himfelfe hath made
plainc-,by many dire<£Hons,by many way-markes
that he hath fet,that men might know them, and
likewiie by the courfe of all the Saints, which is
like a beaten way that is trodden by many thou-
fands, from generation to generation, this is one
thing that you are to look to,fee,if you be in that
way,in the old way,in the way that theLaw leads
to, in the way that all the Saints haue gone in.

Now further if the queftion be, well^but how gaeft<
fliall I keepe it?I may be ready to miflTe this trad.
I anfwer 5 there is a certaine fagacitie that
GWgiuestoaman, by which hefindesoutthis
way : for though the way be plaine in it felfe,
yet, it is not fo to every man, it is hard to finde
o:.t this particular way. Thefe fteppes of Gods
__ Q^4 Com-

The Saints
haue a fecrct
gift to find
out Gods,
wayes.

Smile*

Of Man*

Dothz*

| A Chriftian

\hk is a con »

jiikc a journey.

Coramandements, I fay, it is hard to finde them
out, except there be a particular gift given him,
even as you fee,therc is a gift given to the Dogge
to finde out the Hare,to follow her fteppes, there
is a certaine fagacitie given to that Creature,that
another wants, by which it followes the fteps of
the Hare, which way focver flic goes : ( I may vfe
it for a fimilitude,a farre-offexpreffion) So,I fay,
there is a fagacitie given to the Saints, a certaine
new qualitie,that others want,by which they arc
able to finde out the fteppes of Gods way 5 fo that
they are able to trad him : When they are at a
lolfe, they will not run on vpon a falfe fent, but
caft about, ( as fometimes they loofe God, fome-
times they know not which way they muft fol-
low him.) This gift wee muft labour to haue.
Therefore David prayes fo oft that Cod would
teach him thefe wayes, that he would make his
way ]>Uine before him, that he would diredi him,
&c. As acknowledging that he was not able of
hirafelfe, to finde it out, except God had guided
him, and dire&ed him to it.
One thing more is to be added,rhere is this fimi-
litude in this metaphor,that as, when a man goes
a journey,it is a conftant continued pace,it is not
I a little ftepping to & fro, and walking for recrea-
tion, a walking as a man doth in a Gallery ,but it
is a conftant courfe,he walkes on • So likewife
7 he courfe of a Chriftiap lifejt is a conftant conti-
nuedtcrme of action.
When a man doth not good by a fit or t wo,but
when he continues in well doing, when it is the
ordinary conftant trad of his life. Now

PRIGHTNBf.

Now we will briefly make fome vfe of if, and
the vfes fhall be but thefe two, according to this
fimilitude,& the agreement of this walking with
aChriftianlife.

If a Chriftian life, be of this nature, that it is
like a walking in a Iourney, that every aft is a
fteppe, then it lhould ftirre vs vp to confider
ferioufly,what a bufines we haue in hand,to co-
fider for what purpofe we came into the world,
namely, togoe a Iourney, not to fit ftill, not to
be idle, we are to travaile a part of this Iourney
every day, and therefore the firft thing wee are
to doe,is to choofe a right way : you muft know
therefore,that thereare many thoufands(it is the
common condition of men in the Church ) that
thinkc they are in a right way, and fo goe on
in it without examination,whereas indeed every
man by nature is fet in a wrong way as foone as
he comes into the world, wherein he travaileth,
a way that leads to definition j fo that, till a
manbeginne to fee his error, till he beginne to
come ferioufly to confider, this is not the way I
fhould follow, and to choofe a contrary, he tra-
vailes not toward heaven, no man is in ctufu, as
we fay , no man is in this Iourney till then: David
fayth, he chofe the way ofGeds Commandements.
There muft be a choice rand this muft be vpon
f peciall confidcration,for no man hath this with-
out choice: now in choice there is not onely a ta^
king a thing into confideratio,(which is naturall)
but then a man is faid to chufe,when he piccheth
vpon it,when his refolution is fixed,when he de-
termines

*95

Vfe £
The end of

theworlf isto
goe a journey.

Everyman by
nature, in a
wrong way*

194

A N S

How to know
Vfhithcr wee

ihauechofen
Godswayes.

tcrmines vponthis way. Therefore, when you
heare that there is fuch a walke, make that vfe of
it, choofe the way of Gods Commandcments.
That isjwillingly take that way,go it refolutely,
fware within thy felfe,asZ)4w/ faith,/ ham from
that I mil feme thee, and walke in thy way. I fay,
this we fhould bring our hearts to, and you fhall
know by this whether you doe fo or no : A man,
that choofeth a way, that refolues to goe that
way, if he be out of it at any time, and be told,
Sir you are out of the way, he is glad of the ad-
monition, he is willing togoeintoicagainerSo
that, I fay,thou mairt know,whether thou choo-
feft the way of Gods Commandements, or no,by
this,what doefttbou when any fuggeftion comes
from the holy Gheftjhzt tels thce,this duty ought
to be done, this fin ought to be abftained from,
arc thou obedient to it? When thou art admoni-
fhed by thy friend, that tels thee, this is not the
way,this is an error,this is an obliquicic,art thou
ready to turne out of it i art thou glad of fuch an
advertifement i When thou heareft rules given
thee out of the word,from day to day,from Sab-
bath to Sabbath,art thou willing to praciicc thf,
when thy error is difcovered to thee i It is a figne
thou choofeft the way. Let a man refolue on the
way to a Coaft, to a "Citie, when it is difcovered
to him,that he is out of the way,certainly ,if it be
tjie way that he hath chofen,he will eafily be rea-
died willing to turne to it. Indeed,thisis a figne
a man hath chofen the way .David chok to feme
the Lorded therefore, when Nathan told him of j

his!

V P R I G H T N E «.

his adultery ,and murther,he quickly returned a-
gaine-jSo it is with all the Saints, it is not fo with
other men,vvhen they are told of going out, they
goe on ftill, becaufe in truth, they haue not cho-
fen the way of Gods Commandements.

Secondly • It is not enough to choofe it in ge-
neralljbut likewife,you rauft looke to every ftep
you take, take hecde to every fteppe in this way*
My Beloved, (as you heard before,)there is not an
action, but it is a ftep, it is a pace in the way that
leads, either on the one fide, or on the other, ei-
ther towards hell, or towards heaven,and there-
fore it is not enough to looke that you walke in
the way in gencrall,but likewife>you muft poder
your fteppes.You fee that expreffion /V^.fayth
the Wife-man. Fonder thy wayes y and order thy
fteppes aright; ponder thy wayes, that is, a man
is to confider every fteppe he takes,is this right ?
Doth this tend towards fuch a journey or not?
This pondering of our wayes,is exceeding necef-
fary, it is that which David conftantly pra&ifed
Pfal.119.36. I confideredmy wayes, that I might
turne my feete to thy teftimonie. I confidered my
wayes . implying that j Except a man looke nar-
rowly to it, except he confider his fteppes,from
time to time, except he refleft vpon them, and
looke which way they tend, he will not be able
to keepe the wayes of Gods Commandements,

Why -but it is necefTary that a man muft think
vpon every a&ion what his end is, when a man
is bufie in his ftudie,when he is bufie in his trade>
when he is bufied in his particular calling, it is

neceflary

195

Vfe 2l
We muft pon-
der eveiyiicp,

Pror; 4,

ft&li>;6

19*

How fare it
is neceflary in
every a&ion
to ihinke of
the end.

Of Man*

Simile.

ncccfTary that every particular aftion fhould be
looked vpon, that he fhould haue this a&uall
thought, whither doth this ftedtend?

I anfwer ; It is not neceffarie, that it fhould \
be done vpon every a&ion, but that it fhould be
fo fane done, as isneceflarie, to keepe vs in the
right path,evcn as you fee,it is in a journey ,when
a man refoJucs to go from one towne to another,
hcthinkes not every ftep he takes, I am going to
fuch a towne : for,by vertue of his firft intention
he takes thefe fteppes : fo that the marke and the
ayme that he hath, is the caufe of every fteppe j
though he thinke not of it in every ftep he takes ;
So in the adHons that we doe J fay, if the ay me be
right, though we thinke not vpon every a<5Hon,
we do,yet it is done by vertue of the firft intenti-
on. And fo GWaccepts of it. As,wefec,an Arrow
when it flyes to the marke, or a Bowie, when it
runs,there is not a new putting on, but by vertue
of the firft ftrcngth,by which it was thrown out,
or by which it was fhot,it paffeth, & goes on to-
wards the marke;fo it is in a mans life \ by vertue
of the firft aimcthata man hath,though he think
not of it 5 vpon every particular occafio^is heart
goes on, he travailes towards the marke : there-
fore J fay,it is not neceflary in every a^ion.Not-
wkhftanding, it is neceflary that it be very fre-
quently done-.becaufe wearefo ready to goe out
6f the way. There is a ftraight way.that GWhath
chalked out tdvs, r.nd we are ready ever and a-
non, to turne out, we haue ftill fome byas, or o-
I ther^ vpon vs^that drawes vs out from that way

Ei-

PRIGHTN E$.

| Either fomefalfe feares, or fomc vaine hopes, or
fome fancy, and inordinateappetite,fome thing,
or other drawes vs our, that except a man looke
very narrowly to it, except he be ever and anon
refleding vpon his wayes 3 he will not keepe the
way,therefore it is neceffary ,that we be ftill con-
fidering, and pondering our wayes, and fo much
therather^becaufe^stheApoftlefaythjiT^n?^
not y that many run in a race ? As if he fhould fay,
all the world travailes toward heaven 5 every man
goes fomething that way:therefore 3 faith he 5 takc
heede; there aire but a few notwithftanding, that
get the goaIe,that get the pricc,few that obtains
few that overcome:therefore,faith he,take heede
how you runne. So, I fay, there is much heed to
be taken in this race, many goc out of Egypt ,vcul.
nythatgoefromfinneacertaine way, but they
never come to Canaan,they walke a certaine way
in the Wilderneffe, but they come not home.
| Therforetodire# you in it,you muft know this,
that there is a length in this way, there is a re<3i-
tnde, and a ftraightneflein this way,and thirdly^
b there is a certaine breadth in this way. There isa
length in this way, and therefore you muft got
haftijy in it,you muft run the way of Gods Cemman-
dements $s David fay th:for there is a length in it •
that is j it will not be difpatched with an eafic
pace: G o J> requires every man tojmke haft in
it, he muft quicken his pace in tK?Way to hea-
ven. Now the caufe why men g<& erri flowly in
this way jis from halting-,becaufe they halt in this
way:In other paces fdmetimes we grow flow by

wea-

197

Note.

A length in
Gods wayes.

A If •

The c^fe of wearine(fe,but in the waycs of Gods Commande-

Halting <tou-

fal*

GodlVayct. nients,ftill our flacknes comes from halting, and
therefore you haue that vfed often in the Scrip-
tures } men are fayd toMt between* two opinions -,
that is one kinde of halting betvveene two Rcligi-
ons,he goes (lowly forward in cither of the, that
halts between two,he profits little,hegoes (low-
ly on. As there is a halting betweenc two opini-
ons, fo there is a halting bet weene two obje&s,
God and the world. A man defires to feme God,
and yet he defires to haue vaine-glory, or defires
to make vp an eftatc,&c. I fay, thefe divers af-
fe&ions, thefe divers refpe&s to divers obje&s,
when a man hangs too much vpon the world,
when he hath an eye too much vpon vaine-glory,
when he is tooke vp too much with pleafures, &
divers lufts,this caufeth men to halt in the wayes
oiGods Commandcments.-halting, you know, is
either when one leg is found, and another lame,
orwhen wegoe with oneleg in a higher way >and
another in a lower way, it comes all to one : that
is 5 when the heart doth not wholly looke vpon
God,but lookes much to the world,thereforc you
fee men muchdreched in worldly bufinefles,that
arc overcome with them, that are drowned in
them, they goe (lowly on in the wayes of Gods
Commandements, that goe with one leg in Gods
wayes, and another out of them: And fo likewifc
when oneaffc&ion, andoncdefire (hallbegood,
and another fl^ll be lame, this caufeth a halting
in the wayes of God. And therefore,if you would
run,you muft haueboth fcetc wholc^nd found,

with-

I Halting, the
1 ground of it*

PRIGHTNE S.

without lamenefle, and both fcete muft be in the
way. When a man is thus difpofed, he runs the
wayes of Gods Commandemcnts • Labour to
finde what is the caufe of thy halting, and of thy
flacknefTc, if it be worldly mindedneflTe, the way
to quicken thee in thy pace,isto weane thy heart
from the world • if this be the caufe that makes
thee flackc, and dull, and heavie, and indi/pofed
to prayer, and to other holy duties, (fomething
thou doeft,& thou goeft in thy way , but flowly,
and dully, ) that is the way to heale it : And fo a-
gaine, if it be fome ftrong luft, be it what it will
be,that caufeth thee to halt,& to goc flowly on,
heale that, & thou fhalt be able to run the wayes
of cW/Comandements. D avid cals it a ftraight-
ning,whenhe could not run.Therefore,faythhe,
/ [hall run the wayes of thy Commandemcnts, when
thou haft inlargedmy heart. That is*Every luft is a
ftraightning, the removing of it giveth a libertic
to the heart, every luft is as fetters, and fhackles
thatftraiten thefpirit, that are a bondage tothc
fpirir, that take away the libertic of the fpirit:
Therefore the removing of thcluft, whatfocver
it is,that fets thee free,(asit werc)and when thou
art freehand at libertie, when there is no impedi-
ment^thou an able to run the waies of Gods com-
mandements.

Thefecondis, there is a ftraightneffe in this
way > there is no way that leads to any place, but
it is ftraight : for if it were crooked, it would not
lead to that place.So that every walke,e very cer-
taine walke, is ftraight, fo are the wayes of Gods

Com-

199

Luft* like
fecterte

Gods wayes

ftraigbc*

zoo

Ob Mans

Aft

Stepping oat

Commandcments,they areftraight^now ftraight
is a relatiuc word ; that is, it is bet weene two cx-
treames, as we fay,a Line is ftraight when it runs
betweene two poy nts,and goes not out, from ci-
ther of them, that we call ftraightnes, if there be
any exorbitatio of the lyne,now it is not ftraight
but crooked, now the way is faid to be ftraight
in regard of thefe two tejrnaes. A man indeede
goes from miferie to happinefTe, and the way es
of GW* Commandements,arethe ftraight way es
that lead to thatjif y ou walk crooked in the way,
you ftep out to one of the two extrcames-that is,
you fteppe out from the way that leads to happi-
of G ob s nefle, you ftep out to fome trouble,to fotne mif-
w mTfeiy? S ! chtefe, to fome e vill, to fome punifliment, when
1 you ftep out from the way of bmh Commande-
ments. So that that is to be obferved, that this is
a ftraight way 5 And therefore, feeing this leads
ftraight to happinefife, and every declination is a
ftcpping out to mifery^You haue reafo to take it,
for it is the fliorteft way, that is one condition :
you haue two motiues to take this way.

One is, it is the fliorteft way, the other is, it
istheplaineft way. Wee haue a rule in the -Ma*
tbematicks : Alwayes the ffraightefl: line is the
fliorteft,looke how much bcnding.and crooked-
I nefle there is, fo much the more length there is
in it, theftraighteft way is the fliorteft : So, if
thou wouldeft go the fliorteft way to happiueffe,
kcepe the way ofGods Comraandcmets,(if thou
doft not,thou goeft about,thou art a loofer by it)
that is the ncereft way* For example $ that I may

a little

Gods wayes
neareft.

P R I G H T N E «•

alittlecxprdfcittoyou, Iaeob when hee would
goeabout,& not kccpe the ftraight way, when he
would make haft to get the blefitng, it was a go-
ing out ftora Gods wayes. ; was it not a going a-
bouttohishappinefrcf You know, how many
yeares trouble k coft him. So David when hee
would goc out of the way, in his Adultery, and
murther, did he not goe about towards his hap-
pines i Was he not an exceeding great loofer by
it ? You know how much it coft him,what great
affii&ions he had, the ftv&rd never departed from
J)i$ houfe-^hzt great trouble, being caft out of his
Kingdorae by Abfalom f &c : that was a going a-
bour to his happines*So this is a fure rule,if there j
be any crookednefle in a mans wayes cowards
God, itis a going about to happineffe. And fo A*
fa, his heart was perfect all his day es. But when he
was out of the waies of Cod, when he ftepped out
of thefe wayes, and made to his fecte crooked
_paths r did he not goe about for his owne happi-
ncs * The Prophet comes, and tels him, A fa, be-
caufe thou haft done this from hence thottfhalt
bant wane i the cafe was this, A fa would needs
feck to the King otAffyria, & the King ofDawaf
cus for helped was a finfull pollicy in him,it was
a going about, hee fliould haue kept the ftraight
way, and haue trufted 6W with it, but when he
would do this, when he was crooked in his waies,
it was a leading about to his happines, the Pro-
phet comes & tels him,thehoft of the King of A-
ram f hould efcape out of his hands, and likewife
he fhould haue warre all his time, and fo he had

£01

Inftances of
flapping out
of Gods
Wayes.

much

202

A M 8

It is the phi
aeft*

lCor 4 £.

much trouble at home, and warre abroad, and at
length he was given vp to afore difeafe that was
his death. Thus he went about, and fo doth eve-
ry man when hee finneth : for the other is the
ftraightway.

Secondly $ As it is the neareft way,fo likewife
it is the plaineft way. When a man will go out of
it,he meets with fnares,there are vanities in thofe
was % as it is fayd, he catcheth the era/tie in his
owne deceit y or in his owne a&ions, and entcrpri-
fes, 1 Cor, 3. he catcheth the craftie * that is/if a
man wil goc out of the way of Gods Commande-i
ments by any carnall pollicy and wifedome, it is
not a plaine way , it is a way wherein he ihall meet
j with one trouble or other, hee (hall meete with
1 fome fnares there,he (hall not goc fafely in it. So
Hofafetieout that, you may take that for afurcrule, when a
man goes out ofcods waies>he is not fafe,he is fub
je& to fome fnare, to fome net or other, wherein
he may be taken.therfore let vs keepe the ftraight
way,it is the beft,and it is the neereft. As it is faid
of AhymAaz,, he ran the way of the plaine, and fo
though Cufhi went out before him, yet Ahymatz*
came to his journeys end much before Cufhi ;be-
caufe he went the way of the plaine : So he that
goes through the plaine way,though he feeme to
haueprefent difadvantage,and trouble, yet when
all is fummed vp, that will bring him fooneft to
his journeys end, he (hall come fooneft to hap-
pines and quiet that way, he that takes the faireft
courfe, by probabilitie in carnall wifedome, and
pollicic,and fteppes out hfGods waies,though he

thinke

of GODS
wayes

PRIGHTNE 8.

thinke that the neareft way, yet he (hall find that
he goes about. Let a man thinke with himfelfe,
by declining^ may efcape fuch a trouble,, fuch a
ftraite, fuch a difadvantage,that will befall other
men : perhaps thou maieft,hut yet,I fay,thou go-
eft about 3 thou art no gainer by this, it fliall be
paid thee home in arrerages,thou (halt loofe it in
the long race,thou (halt find that he that goes the
plaine way, (hall come before thee to thy jour-
neys end, to happineffe that we all ay me at ; that
is certaine ftill, he that keepes the right way, he
takes the (hortcft way to happines, he that thinks
he takes awifer courfe then God, and therefore
will decline thofe troubles, by winded wayes,
that another brings vpo himfelfeby keeping the
plaine way, I fay,he (hall find himfelfe deceived,
he goes about towards his happineffe.

Laftly ; as there is a length in this way, and a
ftraightneife in it, fo there is a breadth in this
way, there is a latitude, a certaine proportio-
nal! breadth. The way to fome man is broader
then to others, and to the fame man the way
in fome places is broader, in fome narrower.
The lews way was narrower,then ours, there is
aChriftian liberty that hath inlarged this way,&
made it fome what broader to walke inrfor, as the
Chriftian libertie is more, fo likewife is the way
broader : Wee haue more libertie then the lewes
had in many things, wee arc freed from ihttyeke
of bondage, that ftrid obfervation of Mofaicall
Ceremonies. And foagaine, I fay, one Chrifti-
an hath a narrower way then another * that as, a

R 2 man

40J

Note.

A breadth in
Gods wayes.

The way
broader to Vs,
then to the
Iewcs.

4o4

AM*

Lawful things
toheforborn,
when they be
occaGons of
finne.

Mat* 7»

man is fubjeft to more temptations, to more oc-
cafions of fin>fo mud he make his way narrower,
he may not walke in fo broad a path as another.
Againe, the fame man in fome part of his way
rauft choofe a narrower way, in fome he needes
not • As, for example,a man that is fubjed: to run
out in fuch a recreation,another man may walke
in a broader path in the vfe of that rccreati5 then
he may • for to him it is an occafion of evill,he is
readie to be fnared,and to be tranfported with it:
one man is apt to be carried to drunkenneffe, if
he fee but the Wine, if he come but neere it, he
muft not looke on the Wine in the Cup -, one man is
quickly fet on fire with incentiues of luft with an !
j ob je<3, he may not come fo neere, nor be fo bold
I with them as another man may, one man is apt,
\ if he come to fuch a company 3 to receiue fome
hurt, to be intangled with them,he is apt to learn
their wayes, to goe along with them,fuch a man
may not be fo bold to come neere that company
as another may, that is not fubjed: to that temp-
tation, fo that there is a breadth and a narro wnes
in thefc wayes .

Now onr c^re muft be not to goe beyond this
breadth : for it is a narrow way, there are few that
findeit,Mat.y. Therefore J fay,we haue themore
need to looke to it-that we ftep not afide, that wc
loofe not our way . Beloved jx. concernes vs much
to looke to it sbecaufe,ivhen we goe out o&Gods
paths, we are ftill cxpofed to fome ha^ard,and to
fome danger,we fhould looke to it,not onely for
obedience to God, but for our owne fakes : if a

mativ 1

V F. ft I G H T N B J.

mail be found out of the breadth of this way,thac
is ;rf he take more libenie then he ought ( for it
is profitable for vs to know both our libtitic,and
ourreQraint,) hee fhall finde /till fome miferie,
i or other come vponhim • takeheede therefore,
' Icaft God meete thee out of the way at any time ^
as he fayd to Eli ah, What doft thou here t What
makcft thou here Eliah f indeede it was his fault,
( when Godh&d beene with him fo mightily and
had given ray neat hisdefire, and wrought fuch
miracles, to fend fire from Heaven to confume
the facrifices, and after to .flay fo many Pro-
phets of Baal: ) for a word of lez^hell, a weake
Woman, to runne from her fo many miles, as
.farre as his feete could carry torn, it proceeded
from timoroufneflc,andfearc : GWmeetes with
him, and feith. What deft thou here Eliah i What
makeft thou here i Asif he fhould fay 5 thou art
-put of jtheway. Though the Lerddc&h merciful-
ly with him., yet k was his faulty he was out of
thejvay/onaetfanes feare puts vs out of the way,
and fomedmes againe other paflions, as Hagar
went out of her way from her mifliis(as we fee in
the Chapter before the Tcxt)H agar Sarahs maid,
whence cvmvcefl thou? And whither goeft thou?
Gen % 16. iS. Where we fee heputsherinminde
of that dune (hee did owe to Sarah, of thatparti-
cular calling fhe was in 5 As if he fhould fay 0a-
gar doft thou jemembcr what th-ou art?doft thou
remebcr what particular calling thou art in ? Arc
thounoti^r^ maid ?Thou fhouldft be about Sa
rahs bufines,what doft thou here iny Wildemes,

R 3 run-

Our care mafi
be to be found
in GW/waycs-

Gen. i6\ 18,

xo6

A N •

The danger
of being oot
ofGodj
waye*.

running from thy mi(tris?If thou be Sarahs maid,
whence commeft thou ? And whither goefl thou ? As
if hefhould fay • thou art out of thy cal!ing,tlvou
art out of thy way.

So you muft tlunke with your fehies,when any
man goes out of his calling, when he goes out o(
the duties of either of his callings, if GWlhouId
mcetehim, if an Angell (hould meete him, and
fliould fay, What doft thou hercc'Thou that art a
Minifter,what doft thou doing the thing that be-
longs not to fuch a one to doe i Thou that art a
Tradefman,a Lawyer,a Studcnt,whatfocver the
calling and bufines'bc,that Cod hath fet thee in,
when thou art ftepping out to by-wayes,that are
not futablc to fuch a calling,^ may fay to thee
and thou maicft fay to thy felfe,as the Angel faid
to htvjvhat dofl thou here Hagar Sarahs maid ? He
puts her in minde of her calling, fo muft wc,and
J fo much the rather 3 bccaufe wee are never out of
our way 5 but at that time we are from vnder Gods
protedion, we are from within the pale,we haue
no promife of fafety,it makes vs expofed to fome
hazard,or other, and,therefore > Iet vs be carcfull
of this. Asthe Jfraelites in the wildernes went not
a ftep,but as far as they faw the Cloud going be-
fore them, fo, I fay, goe not a ftep but as farre as
you haue a warrant,as farre as you fee cWgoing
before you, and this fhall be for your comfort.

But you will fay,it may be,GW will lead me by
thefeftraire rules to prifon, toloftes, tocrofTes,
to difgrace, to lofle of preferment, to lofTe of
friends?

Beloved,

PfclGHTN-ES,

Beloved, know this, that the Cloud, as it was a
direction to them, fo it was a prote&io likewife,
they never followed the Cloud, but they were
fafe, the Cloud was a defence to them wherefbe-
ver they went : As we fee, Efay 45. The Lord will
create vpon everyplace of Mount Sion, and vpon the
affemblies thereof, a cloud of [moke by day. and a (hi-
ring flame of fire by night for vpon all the glory there
Jhallbe a defence.ln theVerfes before he had faid,
he would lead them by the Spirit,this leading of
thefpirit he compares to the leading of Ifraell in
the Wildcrnes,as they were led with the Cloud,
fo fhallyou,and if you follow the Cloud,it (hall
be a defence toyou : .fo,I fay, walke with God,and
he will be a defence to you : it is no matter what
the waies are,he is able tobeare you out.-for fafe-
tie is apart of your wages,therefore that belongs
to him, your bufines is nothing, but to finde out
what your way is,& to walke in icthecare of the
worke belongs to you, and the other is not your
care : therefore (to fhutvp this exhortation)!
learne to doe this, to pray, that God would (hew
youhiswayes, that he will incline your hearts,
that he will teach you,as he doth the Ants, & th-
Bees, and not onely fliew you the wayes you are
I to walke, but giue you a "fecret inftigation, & in-
clination to them,and if you feeke him, and your
! hearts be vpright and depend vponhim, he will
j fliew you the path that you are to walke in: vpon
that condition, that your hearts be fincere, and
i vpright. Againe,let vs depend vpon him,that we
; may feeke to him, and truft in him, and he will
ftcwvstheway. R 4 And

207

Anfvo.
God will be
a Cloud for
dcfzAcc and
dire&i'on to
them that fol-
low him.

Safetie a part
•four wages*

208

teavingfouhd
the way, vtee
muftruniie.

Oar pace fri
Godswayes
frml? anfwcr
feurmcancs.

Simile.

Of Mams

N*'*

And, as we are to feeke the way, foivee fnuft
run it, and not be flow,and flacke in it, but vmnt
the iv^y */ <W* Cern7H0dcfncnt$ • that is ; goe a-
pace. Now every mans pace is according to his
ffleanes, and his abilities accoidifig to the might
; th&t Gadhmh given himrfor that may decdtie vs 5
A fiiaft.may. thitike he goes faft,when he goes but
flo\frly i bec&ife it is not according to his abilkie.
As,you know,a tal man when he doth but walk,
he goes much fefter then a child when he runnes,
and yet he goes but flowly ; becaufc it is not ac-
cording to his abilftie. BeUved, our walking is
fafter or floWer 9 according to the feveral naearies,
andftrength that God hath given to everyone of
vs : fome man hath a larger vnderftanding* hatfc
more grace, more experience, better education
then another • he muft runne fafter, he muft doe
much more good in his owne perfon, he muft be
more frequent & fervent in holy; duties, hemtfft •
be more diiigeftt in drawing others to Gtd 1 fcno*
ther, that hath received Me, though he goe a
, flower pace, yet it may be running to him, when
the former doth but walke : So ; in every parti-
cular ; A rich man that giues fo rfiucb^ it is but a
flow pace to him, when another, thatispoore>
giues lelfe 3 and that is a quickc pace to him. And
fo in like cafes.Thereforc,I fay,let vs choofe out
the right way, let vs pray to God to direft vs, to
{hew it to v$, vpon every occafion 5 that wee may
not mifTe it. And let vsnot onely walkc,but let vs
walke apace, and run the way oiGods Comman-
dements. So much for this firft Vfe.

THE

PRIGHTKES.

THE

SEVENTH

SERMON.

G B N I S I S I7, I,

Wdke before me& be thou perfeB.

EB proceede to the fecond Vie
which rertiaiiifls - 1 cold you the
fimilitudeliesitKhefe a. things.
Firft,inthe manner of the jour-
ney, there is a Terme to which
wee goe, there is another, from
which there is a dtftence, there is a path. Sec,

The fecond Similitude was in the conftancie,
and eontinuedneffe. Now our fecond Confe-
quence, Or Corolhrie, we muft draw from the
fecohd Similitude, betweene a Chriftian life,
.and a journey from place to placed fay, it agrees
with it in this, that they arc conftant, there is a
continued tenor of anions in a Chriftian mans
courfe : from Whence Jfay^wedraw this : If it be

No man to
bt judged by
foine particu-
lar aftioas.

*IO

Vfe 2.
No man to
beiudgedby
fome particu-
lar adion.

Of Ma

N •

Iudgingof
[menfcy one
I or two actions
condcmneth
the righteous
and iuftifieth
the wicked

fo, if there be this Similitude betwecne them 5
why,thei> let no man judge of himfelfe, or of o-
thers,by a ftep,or two 5 iet him nor judge of him-
felfe, 1 fay,by a few aftions, but let a man confi- »
der,what his wzikc Is^alke before mc, avdbeper- '
ftff ; Let a man confider what the ordinary, and
vfuall courfe of his life is:if y ou fliould do other-
wife,ifyou judge amanby an a£ion,ortwo.you
(hall fee, the beft of the Saints hauebecne fub-
jed to divers faylings,you fliall fee Noah drunke,
and you (hall fee Let committing inceft,you fliall
£cc Mtfes fpe2king vnadvifedly with his lippes,
you fliall fee David committing murther, and a-
dulterie, and making Friah drunke, many fuch
faylings you fliall fee in all the Saints, you fliall
fceHezekiah boafting of his treafure,y ou fliall fee
David numbring his people, &c. So that, if you
judge of men by a few anions, and not by their
conftant courfe, you fliall condemne the genera-
tion of the juft.

Againe, it is as true on the other fide, if you
will judge a wicked man by a few fteps, and not
by his ordinary courfe, you fliall be as ready, to
juftifiey wicked; you fliall find Cain facrificing,
you fliall findc Sanl among the Prophets, you
fliall fee Indas among the Difciples, you fliall fee
/foWentertaining John Baftift> you fliall fee him
heare him gladly ,doing many things at his Prea-
ching 3 and admonition,this you feefrequent,and
vfuall : Therefore, I fay,weare not to be judged
by a few a<5Hons,and a few paces,but by the con-
ftant tenor of our life, by what we doe in ordina-
ls

V P » I G H t X B I,

ry,and vfuall courfe:for there is no man fo good,
but he may haue fomefwaruings>though he haue
c'hofen the way oiGods Comandemcnts, yet oft
he may miffc that way Jie may be oft e drawn out
of y way, he may often be tranfported with fome
ftrong temptation. Againe, on the other fide,
there is fcarce any man fo bad,-but fometimes he
may come into the way. You haue men that haue
no conftant place to travaile to,yet,for a fit, they
may goe into the high way, as a theefe, or a rob-
ber may doe. Therefore, let vs learne hence, not
to judge our owne cftatc, or other mens, or cen-
furc either our felues,or others by a few anions :
And I haue this ground for it, that you may fee
the reafon ofthe rule. A mans coftant courfe pro-
ceeds from the inward root, and frame of his dif-
pofition,frora thofe principles,that are ingrafted
in him, I fay, his conftant courfe proceeds from
it. Thofe fame by-fcapings out,whether they be
to good,or evill, they doe not procecde from the
frame ofthe heart,but from the evill thatjs in the
good, and from thofe good things that maybe
in the evill. You {hall fee it fo in nature.-Tafce a ri-
ver, let it be dammed,<and flopped vp, yet if the
courfe of it be natural!, if the vent, and ftreame
ofitbetogoedowncward, atthelength, it will
over-beare the damme, and will runnc over it $
or let water that is fweete, be made brackifh by
thecomming in of Salt-water, yet^if naturally it
be fweete, at the length,it will woi keit out-fo, I
fay,it is with every man^looke what the conftant
ftreame of his difpofitio is,looke what the frame

of)

til

Note;

The conftant
courfe of life
comes from

inwardprin.
ciples,

Note.

Simile*

O * Man*

Why aChri-
fliin counties
notin the evil
be doth^and a
wicked man
in the good
he doth*

J Dtoward oc-
catfons Forci-
ble to ipod
andevilljbut
theybetttaiM
fitory.

Inftances,

of it IS) that which is mod natural!, and inward
to a man, though it may be dammed vp, and
flopped in fuch acourie, foratime, yetitwill
breake through all impediments. Though there
be fomebrackifh,fomeevill,and finfuUdifpofiti-
ons, that may breake in vpon him, yet hee will
weare them out^So it is as true on the otheriide •,
lcta wicked man ftcp into a good courfeby fome
trouble he is fallen into,or by fome .good femili-
aritie 3 or good educatk)n 5 or forae good Minifter 3
yet long he will not hold in it, he will breake
through that impediment : becaufe his naturall
difpofition, the ftreame of his h<&rt runs another
way.

Befides this ground of it : there is another
caafc of it j Becaufe the outward occafionsboth
for good and evill, I fay, they are both forcible,
and yet tranfitory .Evill men haue fome^outward
things,fomeoutwardfaelpes,\Vhich put them on
to a good courfe, they are foeffe&uall ;>and yet
C^fuffers them not -alwayes to hauethem, but
takes them away, they are but tranfitoric;There-
fore a* man may walkc in a good courfe, whofe
heart is ftot y ettight, and yet long he ihall not
dpe it : becawfe t'hofc outward occafions (hall be
to.okc froitrhim: As,for example, Uajh walked in
tfyewaies of GodjiW the while that IehMada lived,,
! hcrthvasfhe, omwa'rdocc^ion, he wasdrawne
with another ^maris fyncwes 3 hee was^heated
wit'h another rrians'heate |; and when that man
wastooke away, you iee, he fell to his owne
rourFe, and byas again^; theoutwaixi'Occafioh

was

VPRIGHTNM.

I was ftrong,but it was but for a time,and fo he re-
turned to his old courfc.

The like in the cafe of F&zidbM was hemmed
in for a time, with Zafhmah the Prophet, but,
fay th the text,after his dayes,his heart was lifted
vp to definition. And fo Herod, he kept within
compaffe, he was flirred vp to doe many things
at the Preaching of John Baptijl, but he did nor al-
wayes continue : for God fo difpofeth it, in his
providence, he will not fuffer evill men alwayes
to haue thefe outward occasions of goodj As it is
as true, on the other fide, good men may haue
ftrong temptations, that may tranfport them for
a fit, but Cod will not fuffer them alwayes to lye
vpon the godly,he will not fuffer a temptation of
affli&ion, he will not fuffer the rod of the wicked to
lie dlwayes vponhim 7 \t may for a time,and he may
for a fit,p/*f out his hmdto mckednes> he may vp.
on fome exigent, vpon a fudden, when he is pftt
to it, vpo fome outward trouble,or croffe,when
his heart is fliaken, and diftempered, when he is
not himfelfc,but God to difpofeth of it in his pro-
vidence, that they fhall not alway lye vpon him,
but they fhall be removed in due feafon, as well
*s the helpes to good fhall be taken from the wic-
ked. So,you fce,that may come to pafTe for a few
fteps, for part of the Iourney, an evill man may
goe right, and a good man may fwerue from the
ftraight way : Thcrefore,let vs neither judge our
felues >nor others by it.for if we fhould,wefh ould
juftifie the wicked,and condemne the generation
of the jrtft. So much fhall ferue for this Vfe, and
for this poynt. The

Note,

DoB.
None but
perfect men
haue jmereft
in GodsAlU
fuffuknek.

Of Mans

Reaf.i.
Elfe there
would bee
more power
in old Ad Am,
to communi-
cate fin, then
in the new te
inftill grace*

The next, and mainc poynr, that we intended,
was this ; That

Whofoever hath inter e(i in G$ds ^ill-fuffL
cienck, muft be a f erf eft man.

That is ; He muft be fincere, he mud haue in-
tegritie of heart -, though he maybe fubjed to
many infirmities, yet Cod requires this of him;
If I be All-fuffkient fzyth he,to any man ( that is
the fcope of it ) he muft be perfeft with me : 1 am
AlLfnjfkknt, therefore be thouperfetl, otherwife
thou haft no intereft in this i^U-frfftcicncie of
mine. The poynt is cleare, and it is a poynt well
knowne to you,I fhall not need to confirme it by
any other places of Scripture,but rather fped the
time firft in giuing you thegrounds ofit: And fe-
condly, infhewing to you what this intirenefTe,
and perfe&ionand finceritie of heart is.

Firft, I will (hew the grounds why no man
fhall be faved, nor ever haue part in this \^AlL
fufficiencie of God, except he beperfecJ, except he
haue integritie of heart.

Firft jbecaufe the new Adam fhould otherwife
notbefo effe&uall as the old j the newt^dam
fhouldnotbefo powerfulltocomunicate grace
and life, as the old Adam is to inftill corruption
and finne j for the finne, that hath becne convey-
ed to vs by the firft Adam, hath no integritie in it,
it hath gone over y whole foule, there is a whole
body of death, that hath pofleflcd vs^ Now if there
fhould not be in thofe redeeming adios by chrijl
a contrarie integritie, and perfection, a through-
out holines, (as"l may call it. ) The plaifter then

fhould

PRIGHTN E 8.

J fhould be narrower then the fore,and the remedy
fhould be inferior to the difeafe. Boloyed, you
know, a leprofie is gene all over,except the holi-
neffe went all over too from toppc to toe, I fey,
there would notbeananfwerableneflein thefe-
cond Adam,ht fhould not be able to doe as much
good, as the firft was able to doe hurt.

Secondly ; the worke of Redemption fhould
be done but by halues,if the ZW fhould difpenfe
with imperfed holinefle. The workes of Creati-
on, you know, were/^r/^?, (J^lookcd vpon all
his works, and he faw that they were very good.
Now doe you thinke the workes of Redemption
come fhort of the workes of Creation ? Are not
they likewife perfed ? when the Lerdfhall looke
on that worke,fhall he not fay likewife, it is very
jWMfyoudoemarke the parts of it, hath not
chrift redeemed vs from our vaine converfation?
The holy G 'he ft, doth not he mortifie every finfull
luftc'The bloud ofchrijl, doth it not wafh every
finnc?The Word, and meanes of grace, doe they
not ftrike at every rebellion i It is certaine, they
doe,and therefore, there is an intcgritie required
in all : otherwife, I fey, there fhould be an imper-
fection.

If you obje&, notwithftanding this, though
Cbrift hath redeemed vs, yet, you fee, There are
many imperfe&ions left in men ; and therefore,
how can you fay the workes of Redemption are
perfed *

I anfwer • They are not pcrfe& in degrees : for
they muft haue a time of ripening,but that which

wants

zi$

Reaf.i.
ElfeRcdemp.
tion ihould
notbepcrfed.

Anfiv.
The worlds
ofredemptio
per feet in part*

i\6

though not

in degrees in
this life*

O v Mans

Elfc Gods
Commands

fbouldbfim-
poiliblc.

wants any pare of perfe&ion,though it be ripened
when it wants the roote, and principle, when the
frame, & firfi: difpofition is not right, let it grow
vp never fo faft, it will never be perfeft : So this
is true of the workes of Rcdemptio,of the works
of Gtd'm a mans hearty of deflroying the workes
of Sathan, and fetting vp anew building, which
is the workc of Iefus cbrift> & the end, for which
he came •, I fay, this is true of it, it is perfe&,it
wants onely growth : As you may fay, it is a per-
fect feede,when it is ripe it will be a perfe<5i flow- -
erjoritisaperftflplant, whenitgrowesvp, it
will be a perfeft tree, it is perfe& in all refpe&s.
Such a perfection is in the workes of Redempti-
on, and, if the heart of man be not entire, if the
workc ofgracebe not throughout, if there bea
defeft in the principle, & conftitution of k, there
{hould be a defed in the workes of Redemption,
which indeed cannot be.

Thirdlyjifthere were not a perfe&nes of heart
Wrought in all thofe that fhould be faved, the
commands of the Gofpell (hould be commands
of impoffibilitie : for the Gofpell requires at our
hands, that we ftouMhaueri$tf#/0 *ll theC$m-
mandcments 3 t\\w: wc fhould keepe the whole Law
in an Evangelicall manner ; that is in a :rue indc-
vour 7 the Gofpell requires that wee fhould loue
the Lord om God with all Mr ht*rts> for the truth
ttfft;ftiieqmrcs,(in a word) that we fhould keepe
the whole Law, in that fence, fo as to fquare our
liuesto it j to keepe it in all truth, and finecritie,
though we cannot reach the higheft top, and de-

_^ gr ee

HIGHTNE f.

zlj

grecofit» Now if the heart were not perfe<5Hy
holy,that is,throughout, there could be no pro-
portion betweene the Commandements,and the
fecilitie and abilitie vpon which the Comman-
dement lyes: for it is ccrtainc, except the heart
werepcrfe&Iy holy 5 it could not keepc the whole
Law,there were an impoffibilitie, we fhould not
reach every Commandement. And therefore,
there muft be integritie and intirenefTe in the
heart, that we may be able to keepe them, at the
leaft inanEvangelicall fincere manner, though
wee cannot pcrfe&ly keepe the whole Law of
God.

Fourthly ,it is requ ircd:becau fe otherwife there
fliouldnotbeacorrcfpondencie, and agreement
betweene the Covenant on Gods parr,and on ours :
CWhath fayd,he will be All-fufficient ,but he re-
quires this againe, on our part,that we be altoge-
ther his- My Beloved is mine, and I am his ^ and
Pjal. 1 8. / willwalkcpirfetfly with them that walke
perfcBly with me • there are the termes of the Co-
venant, fat Lord will haue it thus farre vpon even
termes, there ftiall be an integritie on both fides,
and therefore if a man be holy but by halucs,that
makes not the matctyt makes not the agreement
betweene the Lord 2nd vs : for all and halfe isnot
a match, but all, and all is that which makes the
match, the agreement and futableneffe betweene
God and vs - f and this is another reafon why it is
required.

Now laft of all, this perfe&ion, and integritie
is required : becaufe otherwife, all that we doe is

S nothing j

There is a

proportion

betweene a

perfedheart,

and GODS

CommoRde-

mene

Elfe the Co-
venant were
not mataall
betweene
God and vs.

Pfal. z8.

Rctf.f.

All is nothing
that wee dee
without this.

zi8

Op Mans

Math, 6,

Note.

nothing,it is to no purpofe : for except you fecke
theZ^and ferae the Lord with a perfed heart,
you ferue him not at all, you cannot ferue him as
God, you cannot ferue him as a Matter, you can-
not ferue him as a Lord^s a foveraigne comman-
der,cxcept your hearts bepcrfefi with hina:This
reafon I take out of Math. 6 .z place well knowne,
No man can ferue two M afters. That is ; It is true,
a woman may loue many as friends, but iTiec can
loue but one as a husband : A man may looke to
many fubordinate ends, but he can haue but one
vltimate end: A man may haue refpe<9s, he may
affed many things in a remiffe manner, but to af-
fe& many things in the higheft degree, it is im-
pofTible,it can be beftowed but vpon one.There-
fore, I fay, to ferue him as God, it cannot be, ex-
cept the heart be wholly beftowed on him $ if
you will take in any thing with him*either credit,
or profit,or pleafure,nowyou make <7^an Idol,
and you make that as God 5 fo that whatfocver a
man loues, and rcfpe&s or obeyes : I would aske
him but this queftion $ Either it commands the
fame thing with <W, when it commands vnder
him, and fo, in yeelding to that, you obey God
himfelfe, or elfe, it commands fomewhatdiffe-
renr,and if you yeeld to that,and not to the L ord,
you rejed him,and take that for Cod. Therefore,
I fay, the heart muft be perfe&,or elfe the obedi-
ence is nothing at all.So much (hall ferue to flievv
you the grounds of this, why fuch a perfe&ion,
andfinccritieandintegritie of heart, is required,
in all thofe that (hall be faved.

PRfGHTNES,

But the chiefeft bufineflc will be here * to (hew
you what this integritie is : the beft way to finde
it out, is to open to you alithofeexpreffions in
the Scriptures,by which it is prefented so vs,and
you fhall finde them to be thefe fiue : And in the
opening of them, we (hall fufficiently (hew you,
what this finceritie or perfe&ion of heart is,

Firft, you (hall finde it often cxprefied, by pu-
ritie, and foundneffe, Blejfed arethe pure in heart,
and God is good to ifrael, even to them that are of a
pure heart. Now what is ic to bepure?That ispure
which is full of it felfe, and hath no other Hete-
rogeneall thing mingled with it 5 So, that heart is
^pure, which hath no finne in it, which is holy,
which hath a renewed qualitie of grace, which
hath an inward regenerate man, that will mingle
with no fin, that is full of it felfe, and admits not
the mixture of any finne. My Beloved^ I muft be
warily vnderftood here, I fay, it admits not the
mixture of any fin. It is true, fin may cleaue, and
adhere to a raan,as drofTe doth to the filvcr,but it
mingles not with the regenerate part, nor that
mingles not with it ; that is, it enters not into the
frame and constitution of a mans heart, it is not
wcaved into the texture of his heart $ it is no in-
grcdient into the very frame, and fabric ke of ir 5
but though finne be there, yet the heart (till cafts
it out of it felfe, it refills it, and rejeds it,and pu-
rificth andcleanfeth it felfe from it,this properly
is a pure heart: As in other things,you fay,a thing
is pure, when it isfolid, and cleare^nd vnmixed,
, though it may haue fomc drofTe, and fome mud t

S a cleaving :

« — ™ .7 ' ^.^..i.^^. — _^„

219

What ftneeri*
tic & vpright*
ne$ it.

Sinceritiefct
forth by fiac
cxprcffioni.

I
Puritie and

foandnefo.

Puritie what

Note.

zzo

O V M A N S

A pure heart

cafisoutfin,

as
doihfcumme.

cleaving to it, you fay, it is pure gold, when it is
digged out of the mineral,though there be much
droffe in it, and we fay, it is a pure ayre,though,
for a time, there be many fogges andmifts, and
; advent ious vapours within it. So, we fay, it is
pure water ,though there be many inundations of
mud caft into it, or that come from the fpring,or
Channell from whence it runnes • So a man may
be faid to haue a pure beart,that is^pcrfeft heart,
though there be an adheflon of much droffe,
many evil thoughts that cleaue to him,yet,I fay,
they mingle not with him, that is, Beloved, it is
certainc,that the holieft menhauea fountaine of
originall corruption in them, & from this foun-
taine finnes arife continually, as the fcunimein
. | the pot, but yet, if the liquor be pure, and good,
fhlclmml | ^ xt be ri S ht wine,or right hony, whatfoevcr the
liquor is,though the fcummearife,ftill itpurifies
it felfe, and cafts it out ; this is the propertie of a
pure heart : with the impure it is quite contrary,
the fcumme arifeth as in the other, but it is fod-
den in, it is mingled and confounded with it,
there is not fuch a fegregating, fuch a cleanfing
difpofition in it, but there is a mixing of them
togethenthis fimilitude you (hall finde Ezek. 24.
1 2 .whence I take itjhee wearied her felfe with lyes>
&c. And her great fcumme went not out ofherjlhtxz
is a fimilitude going before oh hy ling pot, into
which much flefh was put.to which he compares
the children of Ifraelof chat time, but this is the
concfufion that CWmakes, her great fenmme went
HQt&M$fher; As if he Ihould fay, it is very true,

the

Ezek.** Ift«

VPRIGHTNE*.

the holteft men hauc their fcummerifing in their
hearts, as well as the wickedeft men, but, faith
the Prophet, here is the difference, her great fcum
went not out of her : That is, though it arofe, and
might haue beene caft out, it was not f b,but was
fodden in, and mingled together. And therefore
fayth hc^her fcum fhall be confumed with fire. That
is,God will deale with her,as wc do with pottage,
when the fcum is fodden into them,we caft them
in the fire, and thereafonis given in the words
following ; for I would hane purged thee, but thou
wouldefi not be purged, therefore thou fhalt mt be
purged from thy f.lthines Jill I haue can fed my wrath
to light vpon thee : As if hce fhould fay, I put
my Word to thee, which is as fire, I vfed fuch
ordinances, and meanes, I withheld none of
them,and with thofe I would haue purged thee,
not by the inward purifying workeofthc fpi-
rit : for that could not efficacioufly be refitted ;
but I would haue purged thee,that is, nty Word is
as fire fix is a fegregating thing, that differencetb,
and puts a feparation between the fcum, and the
liquor, as that indcede was the end of the Pro-
phets, to feparate thepreciottsfrom the vile. Now;
faith the Lord, when thefe meanes were vfed,
when thou hadft the Prophets that would haue
feparated the precious from the vile, in thy heart
as well as to doe it in the companies of men : See-
ing this had no fruit 3 nor effedt vpon thee,but /Trill
I thy fcum 5 & filthines continued in thee, and thou
waft not purged : therefore, I will deftroy thee,
! thou (halt never be purged, but my wrath fhall
i S 3 light

Note.

2££

! It is not ha-
jving impuri-
ties rifing in
(the heart that
I makes it im-
perfc&,but
the abiding
ofthesi;

Of M a k •

Mat. 25.

light on thee : So,my Beloved^ is not the having
impurities in the heart, that makes the heart im-
perfeft, ( that is the conclufion 1 grow to ) but it
is the differing of them tobe nuaglcd,even with
the inward frame of the heart.

Thus you (hail finde, if you would know the
true difference betweene a pure and perfed, and
an impure and vnperfed hearr, it ftands onely in
this •, he that hath a pure heart, there is in him a
clenfing,and purifying, a fegregating difpofition
that cafts out whatfoeverevill comes, though it
be continually rifing,. yet ftill hee cafts it out,
though he be ftill falling into fome finne,yct ftill
he is repenting,though many times he be mired, \
yet ftill he wafhethhimfclfeagaine, hee cannot 1
endure it, he doth nor,as the fwine, delight in it •
but he hath another, a contrary difpofition^ he
ftill clenfcth himfclfe from it : That I take tobe
the meaning of that, Mat.i 5. where it is &\&>Tbat
which comes from within the man } as adultery form-
cdtien>&c.they defile the mm. The meanihg is this,
\ when finne rifeth in a man from day to day, if he
cherifh finne, andentertaineit, and fufferfinnes
00 dwell,and abide in his heart quietly, without
difturbance, if he fuffer them to be foddenin, as
it were,now they defile the heart : But if finnes a-
rife in the heart, and hee continually refift them •
he continually caft them forth, he continually
clenfeth, and purifieth himfelfe from them, fuch
a man is not defiled with them ; nor is his minde
defiled, nor his confeience defiled > but notwith-
ftanding this continualf Ebullition ofevils ( that

PRI-GHTNBf.

I may fo call it ) he is a man of a pure heart, and
with GW.-and this, I fay, is one of the expreflions
oiftirenejfe^.

And fo likewifc/i#W#tt,when a man is found
at the hearr, that is another expneflion of this
perfcdincs.Now a thing is laid to befound(as an
Apple, you know, isfaidtobe found, when it is
not rotten at the core, though there bee many
fpecks in it $ and a Ship is faid to be found, when
there is no leake in it, though it may haue fome
other flavves and defe&s j And a VeiTell is faid to
be found, when there is no cliftin the bottom,
though it may otherwifebe bruifed & battered,
yet, you fay, it is a found Veffell) I fay,fo it is in
this cafe, when the bottom of the heart, and the
inward frame of the heart is right and found:
Though a man be fubjed to many fay lings, yet
this is a perfc<3 man, he hath a found hearty
whereas on the other fide, take a man, my Be-
lived, (that wee may fliewyou what this rot-
tenneifeatheartis) who doth admit a conftant
negled of any dutie, or an ordinary commiflion
of any linne/fuch a man may properly be faid to
hauea leake in the bottom of his heart, to bee
rotten- hearted, to be vnfound at the bottom .
But a man, that,though he be fubjeft to infirmi-
ties,yet had rather die then omit aknowne dutie,
or to be in a knowne fin, I fay, this man, though
he haue many infirmities, yet he hath a found
heart : And the reafon of it is this,becaufe fuch a
man although he haue fome weaknes, fomefick-
nefle, and infirmitie hanging vpon him, yet hce

S 4 _____ will

Zl$

SoundnefTe, ;

SoundnefTe,
what.

Vnfound hear
ted s who.

a*4

Hypocrific
commonly
difcovered be-
fore death*

Of M a n «

)

Simplicities

will grow it out, as one that is found in his bow-
els will weare out his ficknefle, and diftemp:r,as
it is [i\&jf the infide beckdne,thz outfide will fol-
low: And that is true, on the other fide, let the
infide be rotten, though there be a faire & a gol-
den outfide, as in an Apoftleoft times,that faire-
nes doth not continue long, but rottenneffe will
poffeffe the outfide alfo- That we fee often in ex-
\ perience, & you fhall fcldome fee it otherwife 5 (l
thinke there is fcarce an example of it)bu t that an
hy pocrke,a man of an vnfound heart, though he
may carrie a faire (lie w long,yet,ia the end, even
the outfide fhall be tooke away, that fhall vanifh
alfo,and rottenneffe fhall feize vpon it : for that is
the nature of things, that are vnfound, they ftay
not there, but they putrifie, & corrupt more and
morejSo that,you fee throughout the Scriptures
ft ill thofe that were of imperfedi hearts-, that is,
that had vnfound hearts, they were difcovered
before their death -as AmAzUh was, he held out
long, and fo was ioajh, and divers others s It is a
rule, I thinke, thatfeldomefailes : becaufe God
hath faid,he will curie the name of the mcked^nd
it [ball rot. Now except their hypocrify fhould be
difcovered in time, and that their outfide were
removed, and made as rotten as the infide, how
fhould his name rot? So much fhall feme for this
firft expreffion, that it is expreffed by furtnejfe
dXi&fottndne[Je.

Secondly j you fhall haue it expreffed by fim-
plicitie> and finglenes of heart ; he, whofe heart is
per felt before God,heis faid,3//tf . 6. to haue zfingle

0«*

PRIGHTNBS.

zzt

eye >, and Tam.i. he that is knperfeft is /aid to be a
\donble minded man, contrary to which is &wx£s,
a man that hath afimplehcarr, a heart without
guile, a fingle heart. Now, if wee can findc out
what this fingleneffe of heart is, this finglenes of
jeye,and of heart,you will finde out this perfecti-
on, that is here fpoken of -JYalke before me, and be
thottperfeft. Now a fingle heart is fo called from
the finglencfTe of the obje<ft, that is a fingle eye,
that lookes but vpon one obje#,and that is a fin-
gle hcart,that lookes but vpon one thing:Iike wife
that is a double eye, and a double heart, that lookes
vpon two obje&s, and is divided betweene two,
and knowes not which to choofe-, like a man that
is in bivio, in a double way,he ftands,and lookes
on both, and know#not which to take-fo an im-
perfefi hearted man, an vnfound hearted man,he
ftands,and lookes vpon cW>and vpon the world,
and he knowes not well which to choofe, fome-
timeshe is following the one, fometimestheo-
thcr, this is his Condition, he is diftradied be-
tvveene both • fuch a man hath a double eye, and
therefore,fayth the Text,4 wicked eye : for fo it is
called, if the eye be fingle, all the bmy is light, but
if the eye be wicked: (for fo it muft be interpreted )
if the eie be double,which is a wicked eie.So,my
Beloved,zn vnfound hearted man is not defcribed
to you by any thing fo plainely, and perfpicu-
oufly, as by this, that his heart is not pitched vp-
on God alone ^ buthehathaneye vponCW, and
an eye vpon credit, he hath an eye vpon God, and
an eye vpon his wealth, vpon his pleafures, or

what-

lam, a.

Heart fingle
and double

A figneof an
vnibtwd heart

Zl&

A N •

K*e.

A figne of a
perfed heart,

whatfocver it is,when there arc two objc&s : for
in that regard a man is faid to haue a heart and a
hem, not as commonly it is taken to make a Ihew
of one thing,and haueanother within 5 But it is a
heart & a hearty when there arc two obje&s, vp-
on which the heart is fet, that the heart is divi-
ded between two,and fo it is cloven afunder,as it
were:& fo it is a double heart,by way of divifion
and not by having one thing in (hew, & another
within. Now then, if you will findc out what a
perfed man is, I fay, it is he that hath a fixed re*
folution to clcaueto God alone, that hath his eye
vpon him, and vpon nothing befides. This is a
fingle heart, when a man (hall refolue(for inftan-
ces, willbeft make it cleare to you ) when a man
(hall fay, tsUfbuah did, W^, faith he, I fee you
are ready to take divers wayes, but I am refolved
for my part, for me and my houfe, wet mllferue
the Lord, that I am refolved on. So Davidjhane
ehefen the way of his commandements \ / hauefworne
to keepethem, and that I mil doe : When a man is
once refolved throughly, when he is grounded,
and hath a fetled refolution, an vnchanged refo-
lution, that pitcheth him vpon one,he is no lon-
ger in doubt bctweene two , this is a pcrfeft
hearted mznSo Mo fes takes this refolution,I will
fujfer affliction with the people of God $ as if hee
(hould fay, I haue chofen it, whatfoevcr become
of me, though I bea bani(hed man, though I liue
a poore life, though I turne from being Phara-
ohs fonnc in Law to keepc fhcepe in the Wil-
dernefle, yet this is my refolution: here I haue

fixed

VPRIGHTNES.

fixed my ftaife, this will I doe. Herein the per-
fection and intcgritic of his heart was feene*
So the three men, Sidrach, CMefech^ni^bed-
nego. This, fay they, wee are refolved vpon,
whether wee be delivered, or not delivered,
whether wee die or Hue, whatfoever come vpon
vs 5 wee will feme the Lardy me.mllnet worfhip
thine idolL Ahd fo lob, though hee kill mee, yet
xvillltruftinhim^ That is; though he multiply
miferies vpon me, even to the very death 5 yet
I am refolved to ferue him, my heart is there
pitched, his, will I be. This is to haue a fin-
gleeye, and a fingle heart •, When the heart is
divided, it is imperfeft, fuch a man is vnconjlant
in all his way es, fay th lames: Such a one was Saul,
and fuch a one wasAmaziab : that indeed is the
cafe of all hypocrites. And to this, I adde, that
which isfaid Matthew 8. the fourth ground is
fayd to haue an honejl heart $ an honeft heart
ftands in this, that a man refolues to ferue the
Lord with patience, and with abftinence, that is
the definition, that I will giue of it, hee that
hath an honeft heart, hee refolues to ferue God,
in all things with patience, and abftinence, one
of them is expreft in theText,£<f brings forth fruit
with patience, the other I adde, for a more full
explication of it. The meaning is this, hee hath
an vpright, and honeft heart, that fo pitcheth
vpon God, that hee will not be drawne afide for
anything : Now there are but two things that
draw vs afide • that is, either perfecution,affli<5ti-
on, and trouble. And for this the honeft heart

hath

zz^

An honeft
heart,vfhat*

Two things, i
draw ?s from I
God.

zzS

Integritie

which con-
fifts in three
things,
Icrera. so. j.

A N 9

The Integrity
ofthc fubje&,

hath patience, he rcfolucs to fuftcrthcm,whatfo-
ever they be, and therefore he is ableto goe on :
or, on the orher fide, pleafures, and divers lufts,
that drew away the third ground, as perfecution
did the (econd:here the honeft heart bath a refol-
ved abftinence, he is content to part with them,
and to be without themrtherfore he brings forth
fruit when another doth not •, that is, another
may haue a faire blade,but either perfccution,or
e!fe pleafures, and divers lufts comebetweene,
and intercept his msturitie, that he never comes
to any bearing of fruit, to any purpofe -, This ex-
preffion I put together with finglencfle of heart,
a heart without guile, and without mixture, be-
caufc there is a fimilitude betweene them. So
much for that expreffion likewife.

A third Expreffion there is in the Scripture,
which you (hall finde in thefe words, Iere.3. 1 o.
7 hey did not turne to me with their -whole heart, bttt
feignedly. And very oft, thou Jhalt ferue the Lord
thy God with all thy heart .So that the wholcnes of
the heart, the integritie ofthc heart, he that hath
this is a perfeft man, hce, that wants it is an vn-
found hearted man. Now what is this Integrity,
and wholnes of hearr 5 you fliall fee in thefe three,
the integritie of thefubjed, the integritie of the
objed 3 and the integritie of the meancs, whereby
the fubje&,and the objed are joyned together.

The Integritie of the fubjed, that is the heart
of a man, that I call thefuhjedh The Integrity of
the objed I call the Commandements, when he
hath refped to all of them ; The Integritie of the

meanes

PRIGHTN Ef #

meaneslcallthat, which brings the heart, and
' the Comraandcraent together ; that is, the vfe of
all holy Ordinances, and the abftinence from all
occafions, that may draw vs another way. So
now he is a perfect man with God, that firft hath a
whole heart % that is ; fuch a heart whereof every
part,andfacultieis fan&ified: There is no part
of it, but it is fcafoned with grace, there is no
wheele in all the loule, but it is turned the right
way, according to that, i Thef. y. Heisfmtiified
throughout^ in body,foule, andfpirit, I fay, when a
man (hall finde every thing within hinji readie to
pray fc the Lord, and to looke toward the Lord,
all that is within him. There is not any thing
within him, of which he can fay, the bent of it is
another way. I fay, fuch a man hath an intcgritie
of heart : Another man,you fhall finde it thus al-
way with him, that, though in many things hee
wifliwcll, and hath a good meaning, and good
purpofes, yet there is fomething or other, hath
ftollcn away fomething in his heart, fomething
within him is not right, it may be in his feare, he
cannot fay he feares Cod, and nothing elfe : for
there are many things that he feares more then
God, fo he cannot fay of his loue to God, that that
isright,itraaybe,itismifplaced, though many
other things may be right in him,he loues riches,
he loues credit, he loues reputation, he loues his
eafe, and conveniency, his pradtife, andimploy.
mcnt^Sothat, if God and thefefliould come in
competition, he would be readie to violate his
confeience towards him,rather then to part with

thefe:

12?

A whole heart:
what.

1 Thef, i ■

N#e 9

*}0

Integritie in
tkc objed.

lam. 5. it

lam, i. i&

A K •

Integritie of
the meanes.

thefe: Andfo hisgriefe, that is not principally
for finne, there is fomewhat, or other, that you
(hall finde hira fay ling in, there is not an integri-
tie in the fubjeft.

Andfecondly, there is as little in the objeft.
he hath not an eye to all the commandements, wher-
as the perfe<3 hearted man 3 there is no dude but
he giues vp his heart to it : And againc, there is
nothing forbidden, no finne, but his heart is a-
verfe from it, and herefiftsittothc vttcrmoft.
You (hall fee this exprcffion,/^w.3 .2 .He that can
guide his tongue is aperfett man, in many things we
finne all, if any man finne not in word, he is a per f eft
man : Compare this with lames 1. 26. If any
man among you feemes to he religious, andrefrai-
nethnot his tongue, hut deceiues his owne heart •
this mans religion is in vmne. I fay, you may take
but this one inftancc, that this is the judgement
of the holy ohofl : fhould a man hauean eye to e-
very Commandement, and fhould he but fayle
in this one thing, not bridling his tongue, but
giue vp his tongue to evill fpeeches, to let it
walke loofe 3 vp and downe, whither it will,if he
doe but negledl this one particular,yer,fay th the
Text, all the reft of his Religion is but vainc j
Why * Becaufc there is not an Integritie in the
obje<3, he hath not an eye to the whole Law, fo
that, if a man fayle in this, hce is not a perfc<a
man, if either it be in the fubjeft, or in the ob-
je<».

Or thirdly, if it be in the meanes, that knits
thefe together, that is, take a man that will not

vfe

VPRIGHTNE 8.

vfe alleys Ordinances confeionably, & in their i
feafon^ that he doth not pray, and receiue the J
Sacrament, and vfe the Communion ofSaints >
and fading, and every one in their fcafon : I fay,
if he doe not vfe all themeanes : And againe, if
he doe not abftaine from all the occafions, but if
he venture vpon evill occafions, and incentiues
to luft, vpon fuch obje&s, as are readie to worke
vpon him, I fay, if there be adefc&inthefe, he
is an vnperfed, and vnfound hearted man • as
you may fay of a mans body,if y ou fee he faile in
any of thofc things that are effentially to a mans
health, that hee will not drinke, nor hee will f
not eate, nor hee doth not fleepe, he faylcs in |
the meanes that fhould make him found • or elfe
if hee adventure vpon the occafions that may
corrupt him, he venters vpon poyfoning, and
infedling dyet, infe&ed, and peftilentayre,&c.
he cannot haue a found body,* no more can fuch
a one haue a found fouk:So,I fay,that the whol-
nefTe,andintegritieof the heart, it lyesinthefe
three put together. Firft, the heart muft be alJ
fan&ified : If you fay, how fliall we know that t
Thus:he hath refpe<3 to every Commandement,
he fay les not in any thing, he fay les not in look-
ing to his thoughts, nor in looking to his fpee-
ches,hc doth not negled any affe&ion that rifeth
in him, at any time*

But how fliall a man know, whether he. haue
donethiSjOrno?

They hang fo onevpon another, that you may
knowthefirltbythefecond, and thefecond by

the

*3I

Simile*

O V - M A M •

4
Vprightncs or

ftraightntt.

•Pfal $7-

Theayraeof
an vpright
man.

The rule of a

pcrfcft man.

the third, you may know whether a man haue an
eye to every Commandement, if he vfe all the
meanes, and abftaine from all occafions of finne :
for ifthou doe not this, pretend what thou wilt,
thy heart is falfe. So much for this third.

The fourth expreffion, that I findein Scrip-
ture, is vprightncjfcz or ftraightneffe of heartrthc
word, in the originall anfwers ( Rec?it#do)and an
vpright man, in the originall is as much as ( <vir
retttu) aftraightman : Markethe way of the vp-
right, and perfe<S man, bis latter end is goody it is
| peace, Pfal. 37. That is jof a ftraight man : So the
ftraightnes of the heart,if we can find what it is •
we (hall know what it is to haue a perfe& heart
with God, Now the ftraightnefle of a man (for fo
1 will rather cxprefTe it in the Concrete ) is feene
in thif , whether he hath ftraight & vpright ends :
An vpright man you fhallknow by hisaymes^
he hath a right end •, the ayme, and fcopc, and
marke, that his eye is vpon, is Gods glory, and his
I owne falvation,to doe,and fuffer the will of God,
\ whatfocveritisj thatistobefaithfnll and dili-
gent in his calling, to be ferviceableand profita-
ble to others, rhefeare the things that are in his
heart, thefe are the right ends ; and he is fay d to
haue a right heart,whofe ends are right, that pit-
cheth vpon right,and ftraight ends,and likewife,
he that goes by a ftraight rule: for a right end ne-
ver hath a crooked rule leading to it.But if a man
would know whether he hath a right end : thou
(halt know it by this,there needs not any oblique
J way to lead to fuch an end, but thou wilt go by a

ftraight

PRIGHTNE S.

ftraight rule ; that is the way of Gods Comman-
dements is the rule that thou wilt walke by j
Therefore if thou finde this in thy heart, that
there are devices,and plottings,& windings, and
turning waies,thatthou proje&eft to thy felfe to
bring any enterprifeto pafle, now thou goeft not
by a ftraight rule, but by a leaden Lesbian rule,
by a bended rule : whereas a right man,his eye is
ftill vpon the rule, he confiders not fo much this,
and this will I bring to pafle, as hee confiders
with himfelfcj what is the rule I ought to walke
by : For indeede every man hath fome certaine
rule, and principle in his heart, and all the a<fti- j :
ons that hee doth, proceedefrom thofefecrot
rules, though himfelfe takenot notice of them.
Now this is planted in the heart of an vpright
man, that ftill he goes by a ftraight rule, though
he could defire many things might be brought
to paffe, yet if the rule will not hold, he will not
fceke it. This you fhall finde Gal. 6. Peace on the
ifraelofGod, as many as walke bf this rule. They
are the true Ifrael, that keepe the right rule 5 fo I
will commend this to defcribe to you a right-,
and ftraight man, when his end is right, and his
rule is iight:That is,when his heart is not a croo-
ked heart : for it hangs all vpon a ftring, crooked
ends, and crooked wayes, and a crooked heart.
He that hath a right heart & thatis,not a perverfe,
and fro ward heart > as we fee ?rov. ij.iS.Afro-
rvardheart (as the tranflation is, that is a croo
ked heart) itfndes no good. A man is then laid
to haue a crooked heart, when if you will lay to

T him

Note.

Gal. 6,

Pro. 17. «8 #

**4

A crooked
heart hon

difcovcrcd,

O V M A N •

PfaLiay.

Approyinga
mans felfe to
Gods fight.

i Co*, a*

him any ftraight rule 5 that is, giae him any right
precepts, tell him this you ought to doe, this is
the juft courfcthis is the way you ought to hold,
you (hall never bring a crooked heart, and a
ftraight line together, his heart will ftill be dar-
ting afide from it, it will notcleauetoit, it will
not accommodate it felfe to that: for his heart
is crooked. Therefore, when wcgiue ftraight
Counfells to them that haue crooked hearts,
we doe but loofe our labour. If it were a ft raigto
heart, ftraight Counfell, and it would (bone a-
gree: fuch an expreffion you fee Pfal. 125. He
that fee kes him felfe mcrookedwdyes, I will lead him
forth with the workers of iniqttitie • That is, when
the inward bent of a mans heart is crooked,
when it will not entertainc ftraight , or right
Counfells, but is ftill jarring, and difagreeing
with them, fuch a man God reje&s : Therefore
( fay th he) he will leadc him forth with the wor-
kers of Iniquities That is, he will reckon him as
aworkeroflniquitic, and fo will he deale with
him.

The laft Expreffion, that I finde in Scripture,
to fet forth this perfe&ion of heart is to docc-
very thing in Gods fight ; When thou haft an eye
vponthelW, as well as hee hath aneyevpon
thee. So you fhall finde, 1 dr. 2. Asoffinceritie
in the fight of Gad, where the fecond is an expli-
cation of the firft, and fo here, Walke before mee,
and be f erf eft : That is, if a man walke before God,
and approue himfelfe to him,he is a pcrfea man,
for that fhewes the difference betweene pcrfefii-

PRIGHTNES.

*3*

onandfoundnefle of /heart, and vnfoundnetfe :
the one is truely fuch as will endure the vtmoft
tryall, fuch as will endure even the eye of God
himfclfe, when that which is feigned, and coun-
terfeit, will not endure it : fo he is faid to haue an
vnfound heart, that, like adrugge, carries the
name, and the (hew of a true drugge, but it is
not fuch as it is taken for, it hath a (hew of a Dia-
mond, or Pearle, and is not fuch ; but he is faid |
to haue a found heart,that will endure the touch-
ftone to the vtmoft tryall i that is able to lay to
God, Lord thou knoweft mine Innocencie, as David
did, and Lord, Ibefeechthce, fearch my reynes,
and my heart $ when one can fay, as Hezekiab,
Lord, thouknoweft, that I haue walked with auvp-
right heart.

Now,I fay,when a man is fo entire,when there
is fuch truth in him, that bring him to what
touch-ftone you will, let him be brought to the
light, hee knowes hisworkes aright, he is not
afraid, let GodhimkWe looke into his heart, that
hath pure eyes, that can fearch every cranie of
it, to whom everything is naked, yet hee fliall
finde him true : that is, hee doth every thing,
( if GOD looke to the moft inward retired
thoughts,)in Gods fight, he approues himfelfe to
him, fuch a one hath a perfed heart. So much
fliall ferue for the opening of this to you, what
it is to bee a perfe<& man $ 1 will apply it very
briefly.

You haue feene the ground why God re-
quires perfe&ion, and that no man can bee no!

T 2 faved'

A found heart
will indare the
tryall in Gods
%ht.

Vfe i.
To examine
our felaes
whether we
beperfeftor

zyZ

A M •

faved without it. Ice vs make this vfe of it, to try
our fclucs j let a man examine himfelfe whether
he be a pei fed man, or no : you will fay, how
(hall we doe it i Indccde, Iconfeffe it is a hard
| thing to doe : for men are children in vnder fan-
ding *and, as children are apt to be deceived with
guilded things, they fee the outfides to be faire,
they fee a faire peece of gold, but they are not a-
ble to finde out the bafe mettall , that is hid
within^ So it is our cafe, for the moft part wee
are not able to finde out this truth, whether our
hearts be imperfeft, and vnfound, and rotten, or
no.-Therefore we had neede of helpe,I will name
one or two.

1" i. Property And this is one rule ( I take but fuchasl
A do*SfiS( ^ n ^ e * n Scripture) that our Saviour giues, by
f« anything* ; which you may try your felues • fayth he to the
young man, whenhecomestoprofefTeto him,
that he had done thus and thus from his youth,
fayth he ,* ft be u wilt be f erf eft, goe (ell all that then
baft • Aiif hefhould fay •, wouldeft thou know
now if thou be perfed, that is, whether thou
haue a found heart, or no, goe fell all tbat then
haft : As if hee fhould fay ; thou fhalc know it,
by this, that is the meaning of the Rule, Goe fell,
&c. Let a man looke round about him, if there
be any thing in the world, any evill,any calami-
I tie,that he is not willing to fuffcr 5 if againe,there
be any blefling 5 any comfort, that he is not wil-
ling to part with, I dare boldly affirme it, that
fuch a man is an vnfound hearted man: for exam-
ple, put the cafe that fuch a thing befall him, as

im-

that God co-
ntend*.

VPKIGHTNES. *

whether it be thus broad, that is ( that I may ex-
preflc it fully to you ) whether you walke ib'ex-
j a#Jy,that you haue not onely an eye to the main
poynts of every Commandement but you ob-
ferue the leaft particle of every Commandement,
the leaft Iota,the leaft pricke^ahd poynt,that you
findein every Commandement.Except you doe
this, I fay, your hearts are not perfeft : the fcopc
of that Chapter is to require the exa& keeping
of every Commandement,to the leaft,and to the
fmalleft things. And thercare thefe threereafons
put together, to confirme it.

One is this, ( fayth he, ) every jot of the Law,
is of fo much worth,though you thinke it a fmal
thing, That it were fatter that heaven and earth
fhQuldperifhtthcn that it fhould. It is of greater
price then the whole world.Therefore the Lord,
will not haue the leaft jotc of the Law to pe-
rifli.

Againcjfayth hcjhc Pharifies would keepe the
great Commandements, the principall poynr,
and part of every Commandement -,but the par-
ticles of it,the nicer poynts of it, they would not
keepe; And,fayth hejxcept your righteettfneffe gee
beyond their s y except ym get 'further then they >, ym
Jhall never be faved,

Thenthelaftis, that I named to you before,
you nmf be f erf eft, &c. There rauft be fuch a la-
titude, for the extenfion of your perfe&ion,
though not for the intention, and degrees of it,
as is in your heavenly Father, you cannot be fa-
ved elfe. Therefore, I£ you fay, this is a hard

con-

241

Three reafont
why we ft oul d
fee exaft in
keeping the
Command-
metits,

I *4*

A N S

Simile*

CQnd\tior\- y Belovcd y yQ\i muft know this,that /<?/*#
Chrifi hath given to all thofe that (hall be faved
grace for grace^that even as he requires perfe&ion
of obedience, in a latitude anfwerable to all the
CommandementSj to all the particles of them,
even a perfe&ion anfwerable to his ownc per-
fection ; fo he hath given vs grace for grace, that
is, he hath given vs an inward abilitic of graces
which anfwer every Comraandement, hee hath
given vs grace for grace,as the Father giues limb
for limb, part for part, there is not a little finger,
not a toe, but the Father giues it the Sonne, fo
the Sonne of God giues to vs, UMofes brought the
Latv,fat Grace comes by him ; and when he would
(hew what grace it is, it is grace of fuch a lati-
tude, that it enables you to be hoi), *s he is holy,
in all manner of converfation, there is another ex-
preffion like that, to be f erf eft as your heavenly
father is f erf eft. Therefore, if you would haue
the teftimony of finceritie, and perfc&ion to
your felucs, take hcede you negieft not the
fmalleft things* I know how vfually it is found
fault with, when men are fo curious to looke to
every moate (it is to be more nice then wife)
it is too much ftraightnefle, and too much prc-
eifeneffe, and exa&neflc : but I befeech you,
confider the ground, I will be bold to fay this ;
that man that neglc&sthc fmalleft thing, fay it
bevaine fpeech vpon the Sabbath day, fay it be
theneglc &,or overly perform ace of prayer from
day to day, though he will not omit the maine
dutie , though it be but a vaine fpeech, or vaine

thoughts,!

V P R I G H T Nil,

thoughts,, though it be that which the beftare
continually fubje<3 vnto, yer, if it be fo that hce
/ hauenotcontinuaileyeto them, fothatheneg-
I led not the fmalleft of thefe things,or if you can
f nameanylefTerCommandement, I fay, let any
mans heart be of this conftitution, that he neg-
leds them, that he hath not a fpeciall eye to the
obfervance of them, a fpeciall care to keep them,
heisvnfound, and rotten at the heart, heiliall
never be faved continuing fuch,for the confirma-
tion of it,I will name but that one place^r#v.xp .
1 6. Hethat keepes the Commandements, keepes his
etvnefoule, but he that defpifeth his way, [halt aye for
it : That is,he that keepes the Commandements
every way, that lookes to all the Comraande-
ments,and every particle of them,& kes how far
they reach as they are particles of the Comande-
mcnt.The Comandement faith jbmjhalt not kill, \
but to be angry with thy brother, to admit an in-
ward diftemper of malice and envie in thy heart,
this fmall thing, though it be but a tranfient paf-
fion, yet thou muft make a fpeciall confeience of
it. And fo, thoHJhalt not commit adulterie 5 That is
the main of the Comandement, yet,if thou haue
an adulterous eyc,an adulterous tongue,or adul-
terous thoughts in theq, thefe are the touches of
vncleannefTc,the tin&ures of it,I fay,except thou
makeft conference of thefe, andkeepe the com-
mand thus farrc in this extent, and thus exa&ly,
thou doeft not keepe thine ewne foule,for he that
thus keepes the Commandements, keepes his foule,
but, fay th he, he that defpifeth his way, that isthe

word

NegleAing
the lead of
our wayes a
note of vn.
foandfiefle.
Prov.jj.i6.

*44

Note.

Of Mans

word I meanr to vrge, he [hull dye for it ; that is,
he that thinkes thus with himfelfe : Alas/thcfe
are poore,and fraali things,they are things of lit-
tle moment, and therefore hee defpifeth them ;
Well, fayth he, he that defpifeth the leaft thing,
he that defpifeth any of his wayes ; that is, the
leaft particle of any Commandement, you fee,
what he faith>hedoth not fay,he (hall be affli&ed
for it, but he fhalldyeforit. Therefore I pro-
nounce this out of that place as well as the reft,
that he that defpifeth any of his wayes, any part
of Gods Commandement, feemethedutieto be
of never fo little moment, vnleflfc he repent, and
amend, he fhall dye for it •, for now he defpifeth
fome of his vtfayes : Beloved^ godly man though
hefayle much, yet this is aninfeparabie proper-
tic of a perfe<a heart, ftill he hath an eye vpon
every thing, he doth not defpife the leaft
of his wayes, the leaft ftep, the leaft
particle, the leaft tincture of
the Commandement, but /
hehathrefpe&toall.

So much for this time.

F / wji s.

VpRig ht n esse.

[««sm

:2s

THE EIGHTH

SERMON.

Genes ! S 17. I.

Wdke before me , mdhee$houperftB.

Eenow proccede to the reft of
the properties of this perfecti-
on, that you may trye your
felves by them . And we will
hold the fame courfe wee did,
in opening to you the nature
of this perfection : thatis, wee will opento
you thofe places of Scripture, wherein are
exprefifed the proper effe&s of a perfect heart :
And therefore, to that fecond we will adt'e this
asathirdthac will keepe you from mif under-
ftandingic: thatis, wcmu&be perfitf, as our
heavenly Father is perfeS $ thac proper ry of per-
fe&ion you fhali finde, i Ioh. 3.3. Hee that hath
this hope in him^purifiethhimfelfe^ even as hee ii
pure. So likewile, 2 C0/.7. Stnce wee have fuch
_ F promfesj

I *■

5. Property,
He purifiech
hidUlte*

1 Car. 7, i«

^ m. . «

Of Mans

S^uscii.

Aaunfotmd
heart cannot

but re la pie.

promifes, let vs clenfe ourfelves from all pollution
ofjlefb andfpirit : That is, thofe that have thcfe
promifes and belecvc them, will bcc ftill clean-
ling of themfelves : Contrary to which is that
generation fpokcn of, Prov. 30,1a. Tbtreisa
generation that are pure in their orvne eyes, but yet
they clesnfe not thetnfelvesfrom their fithyneJfe.So
that,my belovcd,to have a purified difpoiition,
to have a heart and a fpirit ready to cleanfeit
felfc, this is to have a perfed heart : So that a
godly man,he may bee many times defiled with
finne and uncleanncffe, hce may have hisheart
many times muddy and impure, he may have
it clouded and overcaftwith paiCons and unruly
affedions,but yet it cleares up againe, and hee
comes out of them all with more brightnefle 5
and with more clcareneflc and purcnefTe of
heart. Thefubftaaceofitisthis: we deny not
that a godly man may fall into many finnes, in-
to many impurities, into many defilcments,but
yet he arifeth out of them againe by an affiduous
and daily repentance,and ftil he growes up dai-
ly to more and more perfe&ion • as David, and
Hezekias and the reft,whcras, on the other fide
a man that hath an imperfed & unfound hearty
though hee bee recovered out of a finne againe,
and againe, yet he returnes to ir, as it is laid, 2
P n 2.1 4. men that have eyes full of adult eryjhat
cun^vt ceafe to finne : that which is faid of that
nne rh?ie ( they cannot ceafe to finne : that is,
h • hey make many Covenants wirh God,
u> e^vc their imw ot uncleanntfle, yet they

have

Vprightnessi. I

have eyes full of adultery , that cannot ceaf e to
finne, Ifay )it is true of any other finne, to which
jan unfound hearted man is given up, he cannot
Jceafeto finne,as Pn.19.19. A tnanof much anger
fb*Ufujferpunijbment though he be delivered^ bu
anger j hall come againe: that is, though hee bee
joften punifhed tor his anger, for his diftem-
pered anger and paffion, though he finde many
evill effe&s of it,and fo be delivered from it by
many purpo{es to returne to it no more • yet,
faith he, his anger will come againe and againj
So that it is true which is faid in the generall,
Let thefoole bee beaten in a morter, yet he will re-
turne againe to his folly & wickcdnes,it cannot
bee beaten out of him : it is the nature of an un~
found-hearted man, though he be often delive-
red, he will returne againe and againe. Ferobo-
am y though he were admonifhed, yet dill hee
will returne : the lfraeliter y though they were
often quieted, and fatisfied, yet being a ftiffe-
flecked people, they ftill rebelled and murmw«
red again ft God j fodid Pharaoh : fo that you
may take this for a fure rule, that, take a man
whofe heart is not found, all the miracles in
the world, all the preaching, all the admoni-
tions, all the mercy es,all the affii&ions, all the
cxp ^rience that he can gaine by all the pafTages
oicods providence towards him, and about
1 him, will not keepe him from returning to his
I finne, but ftill hee fals backe to it againe and a-
I gaine it gets ftrength ftill •, but with a man that
I hath a found heart, that is perfed, it is not fo,
V 2 * he

feou.19.19.

AH Godsdea-
Jings will not
k«cpe an un-
found heart
from finne.

ObjeA.

A holy man
mayrclapfe
intofinne.

^Differences
bctwccne *Uc

Iielapfesof
found and un-
found-beartcd
men.

i. Difference.
A holy man
get* ground
•ffinncbyit.

hedothnoteafily rcturne againe, but though
he doth fall for a time ( as I deny not but he is
many times overtaken with the fame infirmity)
yet he ftill cleanfeth himfelfe.

But, you will object, take the holyeftman,
may he not relapfe many times into finne, may
heenot fall into the famefinne againe and a-
gaine 5 yea, even into grofle, and great tranf-
greflions ?

Beloved, 1 cannot deny but he may, ( for we
muft not takeaway the righteoufnes from thofe
that are perfed, whileft wee feeke to exclude
thofe that are hypocrites and unfound-hearted-
and therefore I fay ) I deny not that there may
bee many relapfes into the fame finne, though
the heart be perfect and fincere-and therefore,
to fhew you plainely the difference, wee muft
fpend a little time in this point.There arc thefe
foure differences betweene the turning againe
of a man whofe heart isunfound, and the relap-
fes that are incident to a man whofe heart isp?r-
fe8 with God.

Firft, you fhall findethis difference between
them, that a man whofe heart isp;rfe<ft with
God y though he doe re ! apfe intofinne, yet ftill
hee gets ground of his finne, even by every re-
lap(e,(markc it)l fay, he gets ground of fin,and
grace gathers ftrength by it • whereas on the o-
therfide, anunfound-heancd man, theofrncr
he fals the more finne gathers ftrength, ande-
venthegoodneffr he feemed to have had, is
leffened more and more,till at length it be quite

abolilhed

RIGHTNESSE.

\ m

abolifhed. This is a point much tebe obfervcd.
The ground of it is this • becaufe any grace
where it is a proper grace, where it is a 'right
grace, let it bee wounded by any relapfe, by
any tranfgreffion, I fay, it gathers ftrength e-
ven by that relapfe, it is the nature of true grace
fo co doe V It gathers ftrength, even from the
contrary, as fire doth when it is compafled a-
bout with coldnefle, by an Antiperiftafis, fo it
is with grace : It is a common faying that you
have,and true(as you commonly underftand it)
that venue growes ftronger when a man falls
intoaffii&ron: but more true, if thus taken,
chat Qrace gathers ftrength, when it felfe hath
received a wound, when the Grace it felfe is
weakried, as thou thinkeft, it gathers more
I ftrength. As, for example, let a found-hearted
man,whofe grace is rrue,and right and genuine,
andnotcounterfeit, let him fall into any tranf
greffion that gives a wound to his graces, fay he
fell into any ad ot intemperance, of anger and
paffion, hee gathers more ftrength by it, thefe
contrary graces they grow brighter by it : Ic is
not fo with other men, the more they fall the
weaker they grow : j David, when once he had
committed the finne of cutting off the lappe of
Sauls garment, none was more careful! rhan
he was, afterward, hee would not offer him
the leaft violence: And fo Peter, when fihe
grace of courage and boldneffe for the Truth
had once received a wound by his denying of
Chrifts you fee what ftrength hce gathered by

iii Y $ j - ■**

Simki

l^otf.

Inflames*

%%%

O f Mans

A&4*"«

xCbro.3i.1f,

Corruptions
difcevered in
idapfe%thac
lay hid before
in Gods chil-
dren^

it, he grew afterwards the boldeft of a!! the A*
poftles, As you fee, ABs 4. So it is generall
with all the Saintsreven thofe words, by which
it is expreffed in the Scripture,difcover as much
untous-HrcdhiA, whenhewasfalne into the
fin of pride and boafting of his Treafure, faith
the Text, he humbled hmfelfe : you fhall finde,
2 chrm. 32.15. the jjrords there ufed, are, the
Lord tryed He&kiakjhe Lord left him, that hee
might try him, and know all that was in his
heart: The like phrafeisufed of Peters fal-
ling, Satan defires to rpinmw thee y bm /have
prayed for thee , that thy faith doe not faile: Now
marke it, when they doe fall into any finne, it
is to them as a try all to the Gold, and a win-
nowing to the Corne • every finne«,every temp-
tation, every fall, though Satan intend to burne
out the good metall, yet the iflue ftill is this,
they Iofe nothing by their fals^ but their drofle,
the Chaffe is all winnowed out 5 every finne
thev fall into, difcovers that corruption that
befote^hey tooke no notice of. ss Hezekiah
knew not the pride, before, that was in his
heart,but that a&ion difcovcred it to him . fo it
was thereby cleanfed and emptied forth z So
likewifeP^m cowardlineiflb and fearefulnefle
wasdifcoveredbythata&, hee knew it more,
and therefore was more watchfull againft it,
hee gathered more ftrength againft it : fo that
this is the nature of the relapfes of the §odIy 3
that ftill they empty their hearts more and
more of thofe finnes that they fallinto : againe^
++ . - — =_ the

BRIGHTNESS E.

25*

the graces to which they give a Wound, ftill
gather more ftrengtiij but with others it is not!
(6, ftill they are weakned by their relapfes, the I
good things they feeraed to have, are ftill lef-1
fcned, and fuffer diminution, till at length they \
be quite abolished. That is one difference.

The fecond is , though a godly man fall
backe t© finne againe and againe, yet he never
falsbacke to the allowance ot any finne: there
is a great difference,my belovedpetWQene thefc
two, betweene returning to the a£t of a finne,
and the allowance of it : Another man doth
not onelyreturne to the finne, buthee returnes
likewife to the continuance in it, fcc is ready, in
the end,either toexcufe the finne, to finde out
fomedeviccandexcufeforir, orelfc he is rea-
dy to fay, I fee it is impoffible for me to over-
come it, I fee there is no remedy, I muft give
up my felfe to it : This you (hall fee in the re-
lapfesof sauly Saul tooke a refolution more
than once, that he would perfecute David no
more ; and no doubt this refolution was ex-
ceeding hearty for the time - y but, you lee, he
did not onely returne to the aft, but to a conti-
nuance in it, and an allowance of himfelfe in it.
So likewife did pharoah , hee refolved many
times that hee would let the people goe, and
made that promife to Mofes and to the LORD ,
that hee would let them goe* but, you fee, he
returned againe, not onely to the finne, but to
iuch an allowance of it, that hee excufed him-
felfe in it, hee thought rather, he had erred in
__ V4 his

1. Difference,
A godly vwl*
allowcs him-~
felfe in no fin,
the wicked do.

Infiancest

M4- 1

O f Mans

3. Difference,
In their man-
ner of rifing.

Similes*
How a found
heart refiHeth
finne.

Gal. J. I7«

his purpofc of letting them goe, and fo conti-
nued ftill to retaine then* This you fliall findc
in all the fals of Hypocrites, in all their relap-.
fes, that in the end ( how-ever for a time they
may refume their purpofes againe) they weare
them out, and they fteppc backe to a retolution
to continue in that finne . they thinke thus with
■themfelves, I fee it is a finne that prevailes a-
gainft mee, I am not able to refitt it 5 it is too
ftrong for me,and therefore I will goe no more
about it.

Thirdly* as there is a difference in this -
fo there is a difference in their manner of over-
comming, and in their manner of returning,
when they arife out of a finne, when theypre-
ferve themfelves from it after a relapfe, by
which you may judge likewife • for you may
judge the one by the other : A man whofe
heart is unfound, may take to himfelfe a ftrong
and fixed refolution, by which hee may refill
the finne, and yet this banke may bee borne
downe by the violence of Temptation : But
in a godly man the refiftance is otherwife, and
accordingly the relapfe is of a different nature :
for the refiftance is after this manner, it is as
when you fee one ftreame refift another, as you
fee in Rivers that are fubjeft to ebbing and
flowing, there runnes a contrary ftreame that
over-beares it • fo it is in thofe that are found-
hearted, there is a ftrong inclination that car-
ries them another way, fiichaswas expreffed,
Gal. 5.17. The Spirit lujteth againjt thejiejh : fo]

Ypr

IGHTNESSE

that, if you marke the manner of their over-
comming, the manner of their

rifing

out of

their relapfes, you ihall finde them to bee in
this manner ^ put the cafe the flefh, for fome
brunt, for fbme fit, have gotten the better,
notwithftaBding, faith he, the Spirit luftsa-
gainft it^ and fuffers not the flefh to doe what
it would; that is, there is a contrary ftreame
within him, which refifts thofe defires of the
ftefh, that bindes them againe,and leades them
captive, as before the Spirit was led captive :
In others it is not fo • there may bee a certaine
fixed refolution , which may refift a ftrong
temptation, as a banke or a rocke refifteth a
ftroag billow : but there is a great deale of dif-
ference between this,and thofe rifings out of re-
lapfes that are done by a contrary ftreame, by
the lulling of the Spirit: for they have no fuch
fpirit in them,to luft againft the flefh, and foto
bindeit^asitwere, to overcome it, that they
returne no more to thofe finnes, to which be-
fore they were given up.

Laft of all, there is this difference betweene j
them ; hee that hath a perfed heart, he that
is found-hearted , while hee is himfelfe ,
hee never relapfeth into any finne* marke it,
while hee is himfelfe- which note I take
out of Romanes 7, a place which you know :
It is no longer /, but finne th&t dwelktb in me :
thacis, asifheethouldfay, I, while I am my
felfe 3 never fall into any finne- but when I am
diftempercd, when I am overcome, and ouer-

ruled

25?

4 » Difference.
A godly man,
when he is

himfelfcjuns
not.

R,om.7, i©;

15 6

Ioh.4^i

Simile.

Of Mans

When the re-
generate part
is overcome.

ruled by finne, that dwelleth in mc,then I finne
and fall backc : but, otherwife s I fey, a godly
man,while he is himfelfe, never relapfeth into
any finne,he cannot finne, becaufehe is borne
of G o d, he keepes hitnfelfe that the evill one
, couch him not • the ground of which is, be-
caufe while he is liimfelfe,he that is in him, is
ftronger than all the world: i Ioh. 4.4. He that
is inyQujsfironger} &e. That is, if hee be upon
even termes , ftill hee gets the vi$ory. But
now let there bee an inequality, let him not
behimfelfe, let there bee fome violent trans-
portation from the flefli, fo that he is led cap-
tive by it, now he is overcome : for hee is not
himfelfe in fuch a cafe ^ it is, as Paul faith of
himfelfe, the good I would doe^ that doe I not y and
the evill that I would not doe y that doe 1 : that, as
youfeeinaCombate betweene two, fuppofe
that one that were the ftronger,and were it up-
on equall termes, would carry the vi&ory . not-
withrtanding, when his adverfarie gets the hill,
and hath the wind of him, he overcomes him,
and feades him captive : fo it is in this cafe ;
the Spirir,the regenerate part, though it might
and would alwaies get the better, were it upon
equall termes with the flefh 5 yet, when the
fleih (hall get the hill, as it were, get upon the
hill of temptation,and fhall have wind to drive
the (moke upon the face and eyes of the Com-
batant, tbatisjtoblindehini; in fuch a cafe,
upon i«ch a dtfadvantage, he is overcome, and
fals into finne : And therefore you fee how the
J Apoftle

PRIGHTNE SSR.

Apoftlc cxpreffeth it, Rem, 7. 22. / delight
(laithhejmtheLawtfGod) according to the in~
ward man : as if he fhould fay, That is my.con-
ftant courfe -, might I doe what I would, Thar
would I alwaies be doing •, that is my inclinati-
on, there is my delight^ but yet (faith he) / fee
a Law of my members , rebelling againft the Law
tfmymwde, leading me captive to the Law of
finne 5 thatis, there is a ftrong power within
me,that fometimes diftempers me,and puts me
out of my felfe : that he cals a Law • becaufe it
is commanding and powerfull like a Law- # and
the Law of my members, (whereas the other is
called the Law of the mind) becaufe, though it
be through the whole foule, yet principally the
force and vigour of it is feene in the members,
that is, in the inferiour parts of the foule : faith
the Apoftle,whenIamthus diftempered, and
put befides my felfe, when there is fuch a Law
rebelling againft the Law of my minde, in fuch
a cafe, lam overcome, and led captive- but
when I am my felfe, Ifinnenot, itisthefinne
that dwels in me. So much fhall ferve to hive
fhewed you the difference betweene thofe re-
lapfes which godly men are fubjeft to,and thofe
turnings and fallings backe into a continuance
in finne, to which other men are fubjeft : For,
my beloved, it muft not feeme ftrange to us • for
botli are alike fubje& to infirmities, both are
fubje& to returne-as you fee, a (hecpe may fall

into the myre as foone as a fwine, for the com-
million of (inland fo likewifc for the omiffion of

duties ;

**7

Kom.7, JX,

Simijtl

3658

Of Mans

4. Property,
He preileth to
the mark that

Phii.3.ii>X*.

I dutiesran Applctree may have a fit of barf etaes
and uufruitfulncs 3 as well as a Crab tree, or any
other jbut the difference is great in the manner
ofthem,as wefhewed: But ftill the maine dif-
ference is to be remembred, that he that hath a
perfect hearths ftill clenfing and purifying him-
felfe-- the other doe not that, but fo fall backe
to finne, that they wallow in it,as a Swine doth
in the myre. So much fhall ferve for this.

A fourth property of a perfect heart, you fhall
findeexprefled, />/#/. 3. if you take the words
hbe7orehim. j together, from the 12. verfe to the 15. (fori
fay, the courfe we will hold, fhall bee, to open
to you thole places, where the Scripture fets
downe the characters and properties of Aper-
fe& hewt:) not as though 1 had already attained it,
or were already perfeB • but I follow after, if I may
comprehend that, for which I amalfo comprehen-
ded by Itfus chrijl , &c. I prejfe hard to the
marke, for the price of the high Calling of G O D
in chrifi Iefits : Let therefore as many as bee per-
feB^ be thus minded. The meaning of it is this,
faith the Apoftle, this is my courfe : I have not
yet attained to perfe&ion - 3 bur, faith he, this I
doe,I ayme at the utmoft,even at the price of the
high Calling- of God in Iefus chrift: I ayme at
the ucmoii, even at the toppe of perfeftion : and
againe 5 faith he, Ifoltowhardtoit: And, faith
he,not only I,but as many as are perfeB^ let them
be thus minded: where,by the^r/£#,he meanes,
you fee,noc one that hath already a perfeft ho-
linefTe, but one that is found-hearted : for, he

had

—

PKI GHTNSSSIi-

259

had faid before, not as if 1 were already perfctt ±
and yet here hee faith. Let us as many as beper-
feBje thus minded: fo you {hall findheere thefe
two properties of a perfe&man, ofonewhofe
heart is perfeB with God.

Firft, he aymes at the higheft degree ofho-
linefle,hee lookes at the very marke it felfe, hee
ookes at the toppe at the ftandard, atthe ut-
moft exa& line of holinefle, and hee labours to.
fquare himfelfe t© it, though hee cannot rea ch
it, yet it is his endevouf, hee propounds not to
himfelfe a fhorter journ|(eyes end than he fhoti Id
doe, buthisayme is even at the very toppeof
perfe&ion, at a perfeft conformity to tful-
mage ofchrift $ for that is it the Apoftie here
fpeakcsof, that wee may bee conformable to the
Death and Refurreftion cj • leftts Christ, this was
his ayme : whereas on the other fide, another,
doth not fo but hee fetsa certainecompafle, a
certaine limit to himfelfe, there hee fixethhis
ftaffe, hee doth not intend to goe any further
hee doth not intend to grow up to full holintjfe,
as it is expreffed, 2 Cor. 7. 1 • hee doth noi in.
tend to be holy as the Lord u holy ', in all manner
tfconuerfatien^ this is not his intent, this is not
the thing hee aymes ar. So herein they differ
bee that hath a perft St heart, hee followes hard
alter the marke, heeaymes at the verytrppc
ofperfe&ion • and the ground of this diffe-
rence is, partly ,beca life a man that is unfound-
hearted will not bee at fo much cofl and pames
j for heaven, as to ayme at the top of pcrfe&ion,

Which cSfiits,

1. In ayming
at [the higheft
degree ot ho|
lincfle,

Ananfound
heart aymes
not at perfect
holineflc.

% Cor,7.i.

He will not be
at the coil and
paines,

2<5© I

Of Mans

hcc thinks thus with himfelfe, that to bee fo
ftraitlaccd, that he muft be exaft in every thing
to obferve all his fpecches, that hee m*y not
fpeake freely • and to give an account of all his
time, and ot all his anions, that he may not
walke in many things according to his ownc
phantafies, according to his owne delight and
pleafure, he thinks, it hee mud bee tyed to this,
that he may not, at any time, give the bridle to
his hnmour and to his inordinate appetite, but
dill hee muft befo reftraincd and fettered, acd
pinioned, as it were, to walke by an exad rule,
that all his anions, and all his fteps may bee
pondered ; he thinks with hinafclfe, it is more
than hee fhall ever be able to doe 5 hee doth not
indeed prize chrijl and heaven at fuch a rate,
that he will be thus exa& and perfe&.and ther-
fore he aimes not at it, he never goes about it :
And partly againe • becaufe God indcede is not
his aymebut his owne fafcty, his owne happi-
nefle and fecurity, his owne efcaping of Hell
and Iudgment : therefore hee doth notfeekc
fimply to plcafe GO D, and to keepc his Com-
mandements, but hefeekesfomuch perfection
as will ferve his ownc turne • a .d therefore hee
doth with it, cuenasalaziefchollcrdorh, that
intends not fimply to excell in learning, but
would have fo much learning as fhouldpaflfe
through examination, and get a degree- or as
a man that labours not fimply to get an excel-
lency in the Art of Arithmeticke, but would j
have fo much only as wouid keepe a Marchants 1
, .„ booke.

He iymet not
atGod,but

kirolcfte.

Slmik.

PRIGHTNESSI.

z6i

books ; or as a Lawyer that would have fa
much Law oncly as will fcrvc his turne, as will
fervehispra&icc : I fay, when a man aymes;
ac this, you doc not fay knowledge is his ay me.
Gar were it fo, hee would defire to know what-
foeveris knowable, hee would fet no limits to
himfelfc, were knowledge his ayme fimply :
butwcemayfaytruelyoffuch a man, it is not
learning, but it is his trade,his degree, or fome
fuch particular thing,that is his ayme : So it is
with a man whofe heart is unfound, and not
ferfeS with God : GtdhimCclfe is not his ayrae,
and therefore hee doth not defire to keepe his
Commandements perfc&ly and exa&ly : for
did he fo,hee would fet no limits to himfclfe^he
would doe as pauldoth here,hce wouldayme at
the utmoft degree of pcrfe&ion • but fuch mens
ayme is their ownc profit, their owne advan-
tage, their fecurity and deliverance from Hell
and from Iudgements : that is, they doe not
care for holinefle fimply confidered, bur fo far
as it may fervefucha turne, as it may deliver
them from fuch a Iudgcmcnt,as it is a bridge to
lead them over to fuch a benefit to themfelves.
And the laft ground of this difference be-
tween them,that they ayme not at the utmoft
degree, is, becaufe an unfound-hearted man
hath not fo much light in him,as to difcover to
him to fhew to him the utmoft degree of per- j
fe&ion. A man that hath but a moral! lighr, a
naturall, common lighr, is able to fee grc.flc
Evils, and common duties that are contrary to

them .

Hcwantilighs
to difcover ex-
a& bolincffe.

Of Mans

i hem •, but the exa&nefie of perfe&ion that is
required, he fees not •, or if hee doe difcerne it,
pra&ifed by others, yet in his judgement hee
Jifallowes it, he thinks it is a thing more than
needs. Whereas a man that is found-hearted,
one that is pcrfe&, hee approves it, he fees an
excellency init, hee admires it in others, and
would faine imitate it himfelfe : and hen.e is
the difference, thofe that are unfound, they
aymenotat perfe&ion $ it is not their fcope,
theydefire nottheutmoft, i he higheft degree
ofholinefle; whereas a man that hatha found
heart, ftill he labours to adde to that which is
wanting, in his faith, in his love, in his obedi-
ence: And this is one difference, that hee that
is perfed f faith he ) is thm minded.

The fecond is 5 hee followes hard, hee doth
dot onely make the marke his utmoft ayme,
but hee followes after it hard; that is, it is
the property ofamanthatisperfed, that hee
doth not loyter in the way, but hee followes
hard to the marke though hee bee fubje<3 to
many decayes, to many fwervings anddecli-
nings, yet ftill hee makes them up againe, {[ill
hee rcpaires rhofc breaches in his heart ; and
tho ugh many times he ftep out of the way, ftill
hee recovers himfelfe againe . io that his con-
ftant and ordinary worke is, every day to make
his heart perfeft ; where he finds any crooked-
nelTe to fee it ftraight againe * where hee finds |
anydefed, hee labours to lupply it-, this is I
his ordinary and conftant courfe : So, ,be-\

loved '

t A petfeft
heart followes
bard to the
marke.

Vprig h t n esse.

z6\

loved flow {hall finde this difference betweene a
man that is imperfe<5t,and another that is found'
hearted,that the one ftill amends his heart, hee
(kill makes it up,he ftill brings it to a good tern-
per, that is his worke from day to day, that hee
fets it right and ft raight before tf^inall things:
and you fliall fee fuch an expreffion,^taM 8.1.
there the Difciples aske chrift this queftion •
Majler y ((ay they) who fly all he the great eft in
the Kingdome of God £ Our Saviour takes a little
childe y and fet shim up amongst them y and faith,
Except you be converted as one ofthefe little chiL
dren 9 youjballnot enter into the Kingdome of God.
The meaning is this^I fee there is a pride arifing
in your hearts , you are looking after great
things for your felves, this arifeth of a felfe-
conceipt you have j I tell you (faith hee) Ex-
cept you convert from this evill , except you
turne your felves from it, except you become
as this childe, and empty your felves of this
pride, and become humble, as this childe, be-
come little in your owne eyes, as this childe is,
you fhall notenter into the Kingdome of Hea-
ven, So that the meaning of it is this • that a
man who is found-hearted, he is ftill following
hard, hee is ftill making his heart perfeft from
day to day>he is ftill turning to God againe and
againe, asitisfaid, Lam. 3.40. Letmfearch
and try our wayes , and turne againe to the Lord:
that is, it is his conftant worke ; My beloved,
this is the nature of a mans heart, ftill there is
f bmething or other arifing amifle in it, as you

Xv fee

A Chriftians
daily woike to
reforms his
heart.

Mat&iji;;.

Lam.3.4Gi

16+ \

Simile.

1 I oh. 8.

Rev.3.11,

Of Mans

fee weedes in a Field. As it is in a Corne field,
except you weed it , and till it, and plow it, and
manure it, and never give it over, it will bee
overgrowne with weedes, and wax Fallow a-
gaine, and not be fit to beare Corne with any
conftancy j lb it is with our hearts, except Wee
ftil! plow them, and weede them, and watch
outrfhem, they will be ready to grow fallow,
they will be ready to bee overgrowne : there*
fore I 'fay, it is the property of a man that is
perfect, he is ftill returning, and making up the
breaches and defe&s h as wee fee, 2 I oh. 8. Let
wlooketoourfelves, that wee lofenotthe things
that wee have wrought , but that wee may receive a
full reward: Marke,lec uslobketo our felves,
that we lole not the things wee have wrought .
as if he ftiould lay, even thofe that are perfeB,
that are found-hearted, there is this property
in them,(though he deliver it by way of exhor-
tation,yet it is a property that is never ftparate
j from them) they ftill looke to themfelves, 'that
they lofe not the things they have wrought:
I and fee, my beloved, there is great reafon for it :
for a man may lofe all that he hath wroughr,he
may lofe his reward altogether,as you fee. Rev.
3 . 1 1 . Take heed, hold that thou haft, left another
take thy Crowne. You know, loafb went farre
and fo did Ithu, and lb did thofe lfraelites in the
Wilderneffe • and yet they loft their reward
for not looking to themfelves: but this is for
thofe that may fall quite away : But for the fi-
led, that can never fall quire away, this dili-
*-««________ gence

Vpr ig h tnesse.

zdy

lofe a part of
his reward,

*C©r.3,ia.

gence is required, and is proper to them ^ rh<sy
ftill looke to thcmfelves , left rhey loic rhar
which they have wrought, left they fhouid not
receive a full reward: for, though they can a wicked m^
net lofe their reward altogether, yet they may j chriftianmay
lofe a part of their reward, as, you fee, DavlJ.
did, becaufe he did not looke narrowly co hifri-
felfe, he did not follow hard to the marke (for
in fome things they may faile, though it bee
their property to looke to themf elves, that I
expreffe to you by the way : I fay, part of their
reward they may lofe,for) the Sword departed
not from his Houfe : if, like thofe builders, 2
Cor. 3. yotibuildhay and Jlubble, you fhall bee
faved, (if your hearts be upright) yet as by fire :
that is,you fliallbe fcorched by the fire, it fhall
have fome impreflion upon you, form-thing or
other upon your name, or fome other judge-
mentjfomwhat you fliall have 5 but this is their
property, They looke to themselves, that they kfe
not the things they have wrought, but that they
may receive a full reward: For (till they are apt
to fall backe from the degree they have attai-
ned: And agaiuc, the fintull lulls they thoughc
they had mortified, are ready to returne ; now
he that is per feB, is thus minded, hee not onely
aymesatthcutmoft, but from day to day, he
makes up the defeats that he finds in his heart,
and againe, labours to bring downe , and to
mortifie thofe lufts that are renewed, and be-
gintogathcranewftrength,and to bud for»h
againe ; this is their property : fo, I iky. if thou

1. Reafon*
2*Rea[on»

wouldeft

166 \

Of Mans

Epb.5.if,x*.

5. property,
Zeis a whole
heart.
Ier.3.1*

Hof.7.r4,

wouldeft know whether thow be perfe<3, marke
what thy ayme is, whether thou ayme at the
utmoft degree of holinefle, or whether thou fet
limits to thy felfe ; and like wife, whether thy
conftantcourfebe, to make thy heart perfeft
with God from day to day,and to walke exa&ly j
with him- whether thou bee carefull to huf-
band thy time,that thou mayeft have leafure to
doe it : for, my beloved, a man cannot doe a
tbing exa&ly, except hee have time to doe it
in : And therefore, Eph. 5 . walke exaBly, mt as
fooles, but as wife, redeemingthe time : As if hee
ftiould fay,ifyou would walke exa&Iy,redceme
the time, it is your wifdome ; for elfe your lofc
all your labounwalke exa&Iy,and not as f ooles.
for elfe you had as good doe nothing at all • be
fo farre wife, that you doe not lofe the things
youworke-andtodoe this, redeeme the time
that you may have leafure to doe it : I fay, con»
fider whether you bee willing fo to husband
time, to gaine fo much leafure from your other
1 calling and affaires, that you can fpend time to
! ftarch your hearts, in trying your wayes, in fet-
ting all things ftraight within you, that you
may walke perfe&ly with God from day to
jday. So much for this property likewife- So
many as areperfeftjet them be like-minded.

The next property of this perfc&nefle of
heart,youfliallfind inthofetwo places compa-
red together,/£r. 3.10, They have not returned to
me with their whole heart, but fninedly : if you
compare that with Hofea 7. 14. the zW there
com-

Vprightnessb,

, '\

**7

complaincs , though they did returne and fan-
difie a Faft 3 and did fecke him very devoutly 3
faith hee, you returned not to the moB High , but
agatnftrnez have you rebelled. The meaning of
both places is this ; They have not fought mee
with their whole heart, but feynedly- the word
Feynedly , fhewes, that by whole heart, hee
meanes there j a true heart: So that, as you
would judge now of an unfoundhearted friend,
you fay,he is not perfect, hee is not found,heis
hot true,when his adions carry a fiiew and ap-
pearance of love 5 and his heart doth not anfwcr
it. There is a diflbnancy betweene the appea-
rance hee makes , and his heart : His heart is
knowen by this, hee loves not the perfon of his
friend 9 Hee may obferve him , for fome other
refpeds, but his perfon hee doth not inwardly
refped: So, if a man would know whether his
heart be perfed with G O D,let him confider
whether hee doe not as falfe-hearted men are
wont to doe, that obferve other men out of re-
fpeds, becaufe they fee thofe parties have po-
wer to doe them good or hurt , therefore they
are diligent to obferve them, astheApoftlc
faith, They have the perfinf 'of tnin in admira-
tion y becaufe of advantage : That is, they have
them in admiration , they are very obfequious
to them , ready to doe them offices of friend-
fhip; But it is for thdr owne advantage,
not becaufe they love their friends, they are
not affeded to their perfons. Contrarie to
this is fingleneffe of heart , when wee love not
X 3 in

Whole heart
what it is;

itfS

Of Mans

Vnfound raen
fceke not God
for himfelfe.

x Tioiol.ii*

f» ffo nw^ only^ but indeed and in m^fowhcn we
love wirh a pure love,fuch a man,wefay,comes
to be pencd with his friend : and (b it is in this
cafe, when a man lookes en God, as one that
hath power to doe him good or evil!, as one
that hath power to advance him, or to call him
downe and out of thefe refpedb he fcrves him,
and obeyes him, and will doe many things for
his fake . but yet he doth not ferve him with a
fingle heart 5 that is,he doth not inwardly leve
the perfonof God, he doth notlooke on him as
he is feparate from al punifhments and rewards^
as he is fequeftred from all fuch refpe£b 5 - fo as
to be hearty to him.

This was the fault of the Icwes.faith he,they
returned againe,buttowhomwasit5 to their
corne, to r heir oy le, and not to the moft High :
they returned, and were very devout to keepe
the Faft, ready to heare. But againft mee they re-
belled. The meaning of it is this- the lewes retur-
ned to the £0^, they were carefull to pleafe
hior, but it was becaufe they defiredfreedome
from the famine and war 3 and other calamities,
and therefore they ferved the Lordfiut they did
not lay hold. on God himfelfe, apon the graces
and comforts of the Spirit, upon Eternal i life,
thefe were not the things they did inwardly re-
fge& • and therefore God himfelfe they loved
not, to him they did not returne > ( as you fhall
fee, becaufe I will Life that expreffion of laying
hold on God, and on EternailHfe, 1. Tim.6.)
when the Apoftle had fpoke there of divers
„__. men'

PRIGHTNESSI.

Z69

men that are contentious, hee puts thefe two.
properties together ♦, they are exceeding con-
tentious and covetous, they reckon gaine godlines^
but thou, faith hee,doe not fo • but fight the good
fight effaifh: doe not contend with iuch akinde
ofcontemion,and in fuch a manner as they doe:
andagaine, faith hee, when they lay hold on
wealth and preferment, and fuch ad vantages, do
thou lay hold upon eter nail life. I fay, this was
the cafe of the Iewes,they layd hold on fuch be-
neHts as a carnal! man is capable of, fuch as in-
deed they conceived to come from the Lords
hands only,and therfore they returned unto him
but they did not lay hold upon God himielfe
upon eternal life,upon the fpirkual priviledges,
&promifesof grace,and therfore they returned
tohimbutfainedly ; that is, they did not feck
the face of Gorf,that which is required, %chron
7. 1 4 Jf my people humble themfehes •, andfeeke my
face: thatis,feekemy prefence: this they did
not.

Now with thofe that have found hearts,it is
not fo, but they feeke the Lordh\mk\te • they
are thus minded,thatif they may have the Lord
himfelfe, though they bee ftripped of all things
elfe, they doe not much heed it ; though thev
pafle through evil report,though they loie their
eftates, let them bee put intotirhat condition
they can bee, yet they are content to have the
Lerd alone for their portion > for they looke on
him as an exceeding great reward : as J^ongas
they may have his love, as long as. they may
X 4 have

1 Chron.7.14,

A fonnd hear-
ted iran fecks
ihe Lord hlm-

(clfc

Of Mans

Hofu 7»io«

have him, though alone, they care for nothing
elfe : thus they are affected. When GOD puts
them to it , as you fee, Naomi put Ruth and her
other daughter to it. faith fhee, Wilt thou goe
with me ? I have nothing for thee, Gods hand is
gone out againft me , I have no more fonnes in
my wombe • or, if I had,thou wouldeft never
ftay till they were of age : When they were
put to it thus,one daughter forlboke her,name-
ly \Orphab , and returned backe to her people •
But Ruth gave her this anfwer 5 Bee it fo, yet
whither thou goeft , I will goe , I will dwell
where thou dwelleft , 1 will never forfake thee
So it is with the Saints , they choofe the Lord,
though alone,they cleave to him alone , they
reckon it reward enough,if they may have him,
as you lee Abraham did^asGod faid to him,I my
felte wiU be thy exceedinggreat reward^he would
not fo much as take any thing from the King of
Sodome,\Nhy ? Becaufe,faith hee,it fhall never
bee faid that he hath made Abrahamrkh : God
alone fhall make me rich,he is reward enough,
hee is Alifufficient , I will not take any of thefe
things in with him : All the Saints are thus
minded,they are contented with 60^ alone,be-
caufethey looke on him as an AUfujficient re^
ward, they have agood opinion of him, and
therefore they forfake him not-, whereas others
have been in admiration of him,but for advan-
tage,when they have gotten what they would
have 3% and are delivered from what they feare,
ihey Jlart a(ide y like a broken Bow, Hofea 7. the

place|

Vpr I

GHTNESSE.

/ *7

place before named, as you fee leroboam^. chr.
2 2.i.Saichthe Text 3 the Lord helped him till
he was ftrong 5 and when hee wasftrongjoee and all
Ifrael departed from followingthe Lord.

And foTzziah ,2 chronic .2 6. It isfaid 3 the
I Lord helped him till hee wasmightie,and what
J then ? When hee had gotten what hee would
have 3 bis heart was lifted up to his dejlrutfion;
That is 3 hee ferved God, as it were, a flippery
tricke. then he departed from him,when he had
gotten what hee defired,which was a figne hee
did not returne to the zW,or that he did ferve
him with his whole heart,but feynediy^he did
not fceke the Lord himfelfe, hee did not feeke
his face and prefence.

And the ground of all this is , becaufe they
have no conftant fixed good opinion ofcodjou t
they thinke well of Godiox fits and for times,
as we fee the Israelites did . They would follow
tf^forfuch a time in the WildernefTe , after
hee had rcfrefhed them , /and delivered them .
but as fooneas new trouble came , when they
wanted bread, and water, and flefh , prefently
they murmured againe,and grew difcontented.
And fo lor am King of ifrael^when he was pref-
fed with famine, faith he,I will way t no longer
upon the Lordjaut he would needes take away
£/*/]ta\fhead, the Man of God, that exhorted
him to way t on G O D. Thus ut is with men,
they have no conftant good opinion of GOD;
But it is not fo with the Saints-, They have
knowne the LORD himfelfe , hee hath Shewed

his

aChron^i.i

* Chron.16.7,

Vnfound men
thinke well of

God by fits.

*7*

Of Mans

hisowne felfe to them y that good opinion they
have of him, is fixed andeftablithed • it is the
^Whimfelfe that hath taught it them - 3 and
chat which they have beene confirmed in by
>ong experience, and therefore they will never
forfake him, nor part from him ; it is hee him-
felfe whom they have chofen. And this is the
next difference betweene an unlound-hearted
man, and he that hath a perfeft heart, that he
feekesthe Lord himfelfe, his heart is perfect
with him, when another returnes not to the
mod High,but retnaines to ferve him for other
ends, and for oiher refpe&s 5 butagainft the
Lord himfelfe, when he hath fervedhis turne,
heisreadytorebell.

The next property you fhall find, 1 Cor. 2 . 6.
Howbeit hpefjpeake wifdome to thofe that areperfeB^
not the wifdome of this world^ or of the Princes of
this world) but the wifedome of God in a mifterie,
even the hidden wifedome that GOD hath
ordained before the world to out glory :
Here is another property the Holy Ghoftfets
downeofa perfed-hearted man . the Apoftle,
when he had faid,I come not among you with
the excellency of wifedome, or the words of
man, but my ayme is, my defire is 3 as to know
Chrift crucified alone,fo to teach nothing elfe
to you, and to preach to you in the plaine evi-
dence of the Spirit, and of power j whereas it
might bee obje<5Wd, I but, Paul, every man
thinkes not <o, many men th?nke you would
doe better, if you would preach as other men

doe.

^.Poverty.
He accoun-
ted the Gof-
pell wifdome*
1 Cor.*.£.

PRIGHTNESSE,

1*75

d . rvl be curious and quaint of Oratory.-faith
Ik , rfiefc things,as I deliver them,whatfoever
they may feeme to other men, yet to thofe that
ar perfect, they feeme wifdome. though others
may deipiu' it, and reckon it foolifhflefic, yet
to theper^ft ic is wifedome. So that I gather
hence s a perfeft man in this is diftinguifted
from another that is not found hearted,that hee \
hath eyes to fee the wifdome of the Holy Ghoft
he knowes wifdome.

Now a perfed man is there fo called, in op-
pofition to him that is only animate, that hath
only a reafonable foule and no more j for that
is the word, the fame word that is ufed in ano-
ther place of this Chapter, the naturall man, it
is tranflated^but the word in the Original figni-
fies a man that hath only naturall abilities,and
endowments^ and naturall perfe&ions, fuch a
man is reckoned an imperfect man, a man that
is not found : But faith the Apoftleto a man
that is perfed, that is, to a man that hath, be-
fidesthe ftrength of naturall gifts, the fan&ify-
ing Spirit that enlightneth hina,that the Spirit
of G o d pofleflethand informes his foule, it
joyneswith his foule, it is dwelling in him- fuch
a one is a perfe& man, faith hee, and you fhall
know him by this, heedifcernes the wifedome
of G o a, hee judgeth aright of it : fo that> my
falovedjihe meaning of it is this, there is a cer-
taine wifedome of GW,there are certain things,
that no naturall man in the world reaches or re-
li(hes:take the hypocrite, that goes thefurtheft

A man mecrly
natural! is an
itapeifc^man

74-

Of Mans

Hcb.#.4,Ji

in the profeffion of holinefle ,evcn a s farre as

the iecond or third ground , even as farre as

thofc,Hebr.6. that were much enlightned ,and

had tdjicd of the power of the world to come , yet

this wildorae that we f peake of here(we fpeake

the wifedomc of (7^)confiftsof fuch things

asthey never knew- Certaine things that the

mod knowing Man that lives in the Church of

God, that is not regenerate, can never know

them 5 ashe faith^cr. 9 Juch as eye never faw^c.

iignify ing thus much , the eye and the eare are

the fenfes by which knowledge is gathered 5 yec

Mans eye never (aw, and his eare never heard,

&c. and his heart, that is more a&ive than ey-

ther of them jOever underftood them.

You will fay, What arethefe things ? They
are exprefled by divers names in this Chapter^
They are called the wifedome of G O D , they
are called thewifedome of GOD hid in a My-
fterie,the deepe things of Gedjhc things of the
fpirit of God,the things that are given us of God
for our glory : Beloved, thefe are things that no
un found-hearted Man did ever found; And
therefore I will be bold to fay to you,if ever you
knew thefe things, if ever you reckoned thefe
things wifdome,certaine]y your hearrs are per-
fe&,you are not mecre naturall men , but you
have received the Spirit of God, that is,the fan-
<5tifying and enlightning Spirit of God.

But you will fay,How can it be,that a natu-
rall man fhould never know thefe things?
Beloved^ I fay, it may bee very well: for they

are

' ' *"' ' " I 111 1^,

VPRIGHTNESSI, I 2JJ

are things that no Minifter in the World can
teach you 5 wee may propound them to you,
and you may heare them feven yeeres and fe-
vcn 3 you may read the very fame things in the
Scriptures, and in other Bookes, a thoufand
times overhand yet, for all this, not underftand
them : It is the wifedome of GOD in a Myfierie •
and they are the deepe things of GO D : As a
manmayloskeonaTrade, and never fee the
myftery of it,he may looke on artificial! things,
pi&ures, or any thing elfe, and yet not fee the
Art by which they are made, as a man may
looke on a Letter, andytt not underftand the
fenfe,fomething there is that he fees,and fom*.
thing that he fees not, nor it enters not into his
heart < (and therefore it is faid, feeing, they fee
not-, which argueth that there is foraething*
that they fee.) Thus there are fome things ,
there is a wifedome of G o d, that an vnfound*
hearted man can never know, it can never en-
ter into his heart : which wifedome tkerefore
if thou haft,certaine]y thou art a perfeft man.

You will fay, How fhall a man know whe-
ther he know this wifedome or no, whether he
thus judge of the wayes of G o d ?

I anfwer • You fhall know whether the wife-
dome you have, be fuch as belongs to perfed
men,or no,by thefe foure things, which I will
deliver diftin&ly unto you,

Firft, you fhall finde this, that when this
knowledge is difcovered to a man,it exceeding-
ly humbles him, all other knowledge doth not

Thcnaturall
manfknoweth
a©t the things
oiGod.

Anffrl
Foure markes
whereby to
knew this
wifedomeo
i.lthumbletb'
aChriftian,

176

Oe Mans

a.He knowes
things as he
ought.

to, it rather puffes him up : But this brings a
man exceedingly out of conceit with himfelfe,
ic makes him to ftand amazed at himfelfe. that
is the property of this wifedome,which fhewes
i c (elfe to be perfeft : and the reafon is, becaule
it is a fan&ifyed difcovering wifedome • a wife-
dome, which that Spirit that gives it, enables
him to make this ufe of, that hee ufeth it as a
Lanthorne to his feet, asalighttodifcover the
crookednefle of his wayes, to finde out the de-
feds, to which he is fubjed, both in his heart,
and in his converfation - y therefore this wife-
dome difcovers him, and opens him to him-
felfe; whereas the knowledge of any naturall
man, or that any hypocrite hath in the World
befides, opens him not to himfelfe properly,
but rather lifts him up, he ufcthit to reprove
others, he ufeth it for other purpofes, hee holds
it as a light to other mens feet, hee makes not
this ufe of it, tofearchthe infide of his owne
heart^he fearcheth not every defe& and cranny
ofhisfoulewith it, and he finds not out him-
felfe what he is. Therefore,you fee, as foone as
they have been enlightned with this vvifdome,
(Paul and others) how they were confounded
in themfelves, how unworthily they thought
of themfelves. That is the firft property of this
wifedome, to humble.

Another property is, He that bath that wif-
dome revealed ro him,that is proper only to the
pcrf&s thofe things that he knowes, he knowes
them as he ought to know them- whereas an-
other

Vpr

IGHTNE SSE.

other man, though he kijow exceeding much
yet hee knowes nothing as he ought to know,
as we fee, i Cor.S. 2. Be that thinkes he knowes
any things knowes nothingyet as he ought to know
it, faith the Apoftle • liee knowes not fame as
he ought to know it, he knowes not the promi-
fes of grace, he knowes not eternall life, hee
knowes not thefe as hee ought to know them:
for, did hee* hee would be wrought upon by
them • if he did know G o d as he ought, hee
would feare God with all his heart, and with
all his foule, and with all his ftrength . fo, if he
did know finne as he ought, he would make it
his chiefeft forrow, he would abhorre it, hee
would not come neere it , hee would clcanfe
himfelfefrom it,he would flye from it, as from
a Serpent, upon all occafions : So, did he know
remiffionoffinnes, hee would noc efteeme fo
lightly of it as he doth, but hee would feeke it
earnestly, even as a condemned man doth his
Pardon. So that is the difference^ they know
not thefe things as they ought to know them j
fot, beloved, this is to be obTerved, when any
man is converted to God by the revelation of
this wifedome, he doth not alwaies know new
things, hehathnot new things revealed unto
him, more than he knew before, but the fame
things he knowes now as hee ought to know .
whereas before, though hee kaew them, hee
knew them not as he ought to knowthem : hee
never knew finne what ic was, hee never knew
what grace was, all thofe promifes and threat-

nings

*77

1 C*r. 8. »•

An unfound
raan,though
he know
mucbjknow-
eth it not as
he ought.

ConVerfionis
wrought by
knowing
things other-
wife than v/e
did before.

178

Of Mans

g.Hedifcernes
things that
differ.

Simile*

*i&*t*&ak

Inings, all that wifedome of God revealed in the
Booke of GoD,in the holy Scriptures, he never
knew it as he ought, therefore it is not profita-
ble to him, to bring him home, and worke a
change. This is the fecond difference*

Thirdly 5 Wifedome to the perfed, is fuch
wifedome, as enables him to diftinguifti of
things that differ,he is able to difcerne between
good and evill,as you (hall fee an expreffion of
it, Heb. ^.butfirong meate belongs to thofe that
areperfeB; (for fo it ought to bee tranflated,
and fo it is in the Originall)the oldTranflation,
byreafonofcuftotne^ and the new, by reafon of
ufe : but neither is fo full as the originally rea-
fon of habit, in refped that they have their fenfes
exercifed to difcerne both good and evill: that is,
hee that hath this true wifedome,he hath fuch a
diftinguifhing facultie, that, as the tafte dif-
ccrnes of meate, or, as a man that is accufto-
med to tafte Wine, can eafily difcerne between
good and bad, fo, (not by mecre cuftorae, as
other men have it, but) by a certaine wife-
dome that is infufed into you, you are able
to difcerne betweene good and evill , even
as the fenfes doe : (for that is the fcope of the
place.) As the fenfes difcerne betweene colour
and colour,betweene tafte and tafte, fo (here is
an ability in thofe that are perfeft, ro difcerne
betweene good and evill: fothar, take fuch a
man ro whom this wifedome is revealed, you
fhall finde fuch an aptneflein him to difcerne
betweene good and evill j that is 3 hee knowes

the

Vprightnesse.

zyp^

the voice of the Shepheard, hee knowes and
difcernes between that which is good, and that
which is counterfeit ; face knowes morall
goods and evils,what is tobechofen,and what 1
toberefufed - 3 this hee knowes, fuchadiftin-
guifhing faculty he hath>this is proper to thofe
that are perfect; the like you fhall haveexpref-
fed, Rom.iz.be renewedin thefpiritofyourmindy
that yon may difcerne the good will of God : that
is,tht>t you may diftinguifh between the good
will that is truely perfec1:,and that which is not
his will - This property will follow a minde
that is renewed, hee will bee able to difcerne
what another cannot,

Laftly, that I may conclude 5 Hee to whom
this wifdome is revealed,he that isperfeBjhete
is a wondrous change in his judgement • that
whichbefore feerned foolifhnefle to him, now
hee reckons it to bee true w ifedome • and that
which before was the greateft wifedome, now
it appeares to be foolilhnefTe-as a Child,when
hee is growne to yeeres, and is perfect the
things that before he magnified, now he difre-
gards them ;& the things that before he made
no account of, now they are prized and eftee-
med ; fueh a difference there is, fuch a change
in the judgement, when once this wifedome is
revealed. S o it is in other things ; take a yong
beginner in anything, a young Scholler, liee
judgetlrotherwife of the exercife of what hee
Jearnes, than when hee is growne to maturity <,
as wee fee v , a man that is unacquainted with
Y Muficke,

Rflm.ulu

4.H1S higc''
mentis chan-
ged;

Smile*

Simile?*

Of Mans

Muficke, that hath noskill ink, thecommon
tunes like him bed 5 but when hee growesa
skilfull Mufitian, he cares not for them, thofe
that have more perfed Muficke in them, thofe
he regards when hee hath a more skilful! eare :
fo, that is the meaning of the Apoftle, wejpeafo
tvifedome to thofe that flreperfeft • as if hee fhould
fay,they are able to difcern things, their judge-
ment is another kind of judgement than yours
is,or than their owne was before; that which
they could findeno relifliin, notafte, when
they are perfed once, they finde a more excel-
lent ufe in it than others : fo that this change
of judgement, judging otherwife both of the
perfons and of the things, argues they are per-
fe&. And this is the Iaft figne that I will now
name to you, of this property heere fpoken
of, Wefpeafo vpifedome to thofe that are per.
feB : that is,it is the property of thofe
that are perfeft, to reckon that
wifdome to be wifedome
indeed.

So much flhall fcr ve for this time.

FIWJS.

THE

■ '»■

Vpr ig h t ne sse.

2.U

THE NINTH

S ERMON.

Genesi s 17. !• *
Walke before me y andbeethouperfeB.

j^Efore wee delivered to you cer
jtainc properties or adiun&s
^ which are not disjoyned from
this fincerity or integrity of
heart: That which wee have
now to doe, is to {hew you the
effe&s of it, what operation it hath in the
hearr.

Firft, you fhall finde this to bee one proper
effeft of it, that it teacheth a man to exalt God
in all his w^ies, to lift up G o d in all his waies,
above himffclfe, above his owne ends, above
any thing that tends to his owne happineffe :
for indeede herein is fincerity otheart feene,
when a man prefers God before htmfelfe in all
things : for hollownefle and unfoundnefle of
Y 2 heart

Effcas"ot fin-;

cerity*

i. It exalc^th

God*

O f Ma ns

PfaU3'.*3'

Proves*

I.ln matter
ofprofit.

heart is in this, when one prefers himfelfe be-
fore God: it is a fnre rule, and it is pra&ifed by
all the Saints, which you have, Pfil. 1^8.13'.
Thy Name O Lord, ( faith the Prophet there ) is
onely to be exalted. The meaning is this, when
a man hath any bufinefle to doe, when he hath
any defigne or project in his thoughts,he is no t
tothinke how hee iliall advance himfelfe, or
any end of his owne, but ( faith hee ) O L o r d
thy Name only, thy Name onely is to bee exal-
ted. Suchancxpreffionyou ftiallfrnde, Prov.
4.8.fpeakingof wifedomeand defcribing the
fincerity of their hearts that fought it j it is cx-
prefled by this phrafe, Exalt hsr^ mdfhefhaU
exalt thee ; that is, looke not to thy felfe, to the
way that thine own heart iliall fuggeft to thee ;
but what way wifedomeand godlinefle fliaJi
propound, exalt and prefer thofe wayes before
thine owne, and let wifdome alone forexalting
of thee, take thou no care for that, exalt her :
And it is a phrafe frequently ufed in the Scrip-
tures,that God is to be exalted , to be lift up:
themeaning of it is this * as when 2 man take s
another and fets him upon his thoulders, ihar,
he onely might be preheminene, that he onely
mightappeare,andbeeexpofedto view, and
himfelfe ftand in the crowd, and not be feene •
fo when a man exalts GoD^n all his wayes,thar
lie may have advancement, and honour, and
prehcminence,ihough himfelfe appeare to bee
no body • this is to exalt God, and this is the
proper efte<5i of fincerity and integrity of hearr D J

Another

VPRIQHTNESSE,

Another man whole heart is not found, how-,
foe ver hee may exalt God in many things, h ee
may exalt him in many Commandements, he
may feeme to feeke him, and to feeke him dili-
gently 3 yet hedothall infuch a manner } that he
may exalt himfelfe, and his owne ends, above
the" Lord : you fhall beft fee it in particulars.

ThePharifesdid many good workes, (faith
the Text) they did them to be feene of men; that
is, they hadaneyecothemfclves, that them-
selves might be exalted in what they did, that
they might be feene, that they might be heard:
And lb Itht j though he were imployed in an
honourable fervice, and hee did it diligently,
which was to avenge the quarrell of God againft
the Houfe otAch&hjmA ib did it, that he went
through with his worke,yet hee had an eye up-
on himfelfe all the while : Come and fee^ ( faith
he ) my zeale for the LordofHofis> (frc. as if hee
fnould fay, indeed I doe all this for God j but
hee fecretly intimates in his fpeech, before hee
was aware^hat it was the appearance and pt£-
heminence ofhimfelfe,thathe might have rhe
praife of the zeale and diligence that he flaw-
ed in the worke, he exalted himfelfe.

Look upon the Saints now,and you fhail fee
a quite contrary difpofition. John Baptift&kes
this relolution to himfelfe ,faith he,let mc even
decreafe,/ that is my condition, lam cpntettt
to doe fo, and let itfas chriftmttsjfe ; fo he be
exalted & honoured, I am content to decreafe*
I am content to wither in my honour and
Y 3 repu-

Manxes of
men exalting
themfelvcs.

Of men cxal«
tingled.

]

Of Mans

iC»r, 4 ;j,

reputation which I have had, fothe Lordmay
receive advantage by it : So likewife Paulk an
excellent example, a £07.4. 5 . faith he, / doe not
preach myfelfe^ but the Lordlefta^and myfelfeyeur
fervantfor hisfake.l doe not preach my felfe^the
meaning is this j faith he, in my preaching 3 my
ayme is not that I might fet forth my felfe,that
men might lookeon mce, on my wit, on my
learning, on my eloquence v no, faith hee, I
defire that I might be concealed,as it werc,thac
I might bee obfeured and hidden in the world,
mdthatfefiuCbriJl might onely appeare, that
hee might be feene, that thofe that heare me,
may have their thoughts and affe&ions carryed
to him alone j I am but a fpokefman, but the
friend of the Bridegroome, I would have your
affe&ions beftowed on him, therefore I fee
out him altogether 5 for his fake I am your fer-
vant,and I carry my felfe as a fervant, that ft ill
my Matter may havehoneur, This Paul did,
and thus he exalted the Lord. And fo Mofes^
wien the Spirit of God was powred.upon ma^y
of the people, that they grew up to fome ripe-
nefe ofgifts,and fo feemed to bee more equall
with him, Mofis feemed to bee obfeured by
thisineanes, in the opinion of Iofuab, who
comes and tels him, Doeft thou not fee whar
thefenendoe ? ^/^/anfwered againe, hee
was very well contented, So God might have
honoin, tharjiimfelfe fhould be fomewhat ob-
feured and lefTeped • Doeji thou envy for fny
fakei And this is the difpofition of-ail the

Saints

Yfr

IGHTNESSE,

Saints, that looke what loab did in the cafe of,
i^&s&theCitie, when heebefieged it, and
was ready to take it, he fent to David, faying,
come thou and befiege it, left the Victory bee
attributed unto mee . the fame the Saints a re
exceeding careful of,that God might ftill have
the prehcminence, that ftill, whatfoever vifto-
ry they have, whatfoever worke they doe, it
might be attributed to G o d, and not to them-
felves, thi s is their conftant difpofition to exalt
him : Therefore you fee how jealous the A-
poftles were of it, ABs 4. 1 2 . when the people
were ready to exalt them for the Miracle they
had wrought, fay they, in fome indignation,
why Uokeyou on us, as if wee by ourgodlineffe had
done the worke, to make this man whole? Ko,(ay
they, the Lord hath done it , thathee might exalt
his Sonne. They were carefull to preferre, and
to exalt him : and hcerein indeed our fincerity
confifts. This is aninftancefor matter of ho-
nour, that in any matter of credit, it is the dif-
pofition of thofe whofe hearts are upright , who
walke before Cod perfectly , to exalt the Lord, and
to fet him above themfelves.

Solikewifeitis in all matters of advantage,
and profit : the heart of an upright man faith
thus j fo God and the Church may be gainers,
it is no matter though I be a lofer 5 fo God may
have honour, and his people be favqd, and the
worke goe on, and the Gofpell may have free
paflage, it is no matter what becomes of mee.
You fee, this difpofition was in Mofes, and in

Y4 Paul:

A&.4.US

»Jn matter of

profit*

zte

Of Mans

A^i6»Z4«

3. In matter of
pleasure.

Paul: faith Mofes, Let my name bee blotted out of
theBookc of life , let me lofeall my reward and
recompence, fo the Church of G o d may bee
fafe : and fo Paul, though I bttfeparatefrom
chrifijctjo the Church of the lewes may bee
fafe, io chyijl may bee honoured in their wor-
fhippingof him, and cleaving faft to him, it is
no matter • there is that fcope in it. So likewife
Ali* 20. 24. there is an excellent expreflion,
faith the Apoftle, Jp^JJe not, my life is not deare
lomeyfo the jniniflration be fulfilled, that I have
received, to tejlife the $race of God : that is,
though I bee alofer every way , though my
life be in danger and in hazard, though many
other afflictions may befall me of divers kinds,
I paffenot for them , fo the miniftration may
be fulfilled, fo the Lordmay be exalted, fo the
grace ^of God may bee testified, I paffe not, I
heecjitnot, I regard it not : Whereas another
man \vho(e,hearc is not found and upright with
GW, faith thus within himfe!fe 3 It is no mat-
ter though iuch a Church, though fuch a Peo-
ple, though fuch a Kingdom?, or fuch a Nati-
on pcrifh,(oI may be fate, lb I may enjoy my
comforts, my ca'e, my profit, my lit^rty^ this
is in the hearc of every natural! man: but a man
whofe heartis perfect with Gfd&il exalts him.,
both in piatters of credit, andiilvewife in mat-
ter of profit and advantage.

Laft ofal^in any matter of pleafure: He finds
his heart difpofed after the fame manner [ hee
faith thus with himfelfe 1 I care' not though

PRIGHTNESSI.

g 7

my ownedefire of pleaiureand cafe be croflld
f o men may bee pleafed in that which is good
for edification 5 a* wee ieethat difpoiltionjn
Paul^X Cor. 10/33. faith he 3 I pleafe all men in\
all things. Saith hee, / have liberty to eate fltjh,
and I defire to ufe that; lijberty^ it is acceptable
to me as to any other- notwithstanding, I will
even deprive my fclfe of that liberty, to pleafe
men:and not in this only, but inall things elfe •
and why? for, faith hec 3 Ifeeke.not my felfe,
and my owne profit ^ but the profit of many y that
they might befaved j and that is the reafon of it :
And why did he feekethe profit of many? We
fee in the 3 1 .Verfe hee gives this rule,, whether
you eate or drinke^ &c>doe all to the glory ofG o d
forthiscaule, faith hee, I doe not pleafe my
felfe 5 but others • I pleafe other men in all
things., becaufe I would glorifie G o Dithat is 3
in pleafing them, GWisadvanced,he is prefer-
red and exalted : therefore, faith hee, 1 pleafe
not my felfe, but I pleafe others in all things.
So, I fay, that is one effecT:, and the firft that I
name to you, that it is the property of fincerity
and integrity of heart, to fee amanaworke to
exdpG o d, to prefer God before himfelfeinal
occafions.

A fecond effect arifing from fincerity of
heart, from this perfe&ncffe of heart,is this, he
whofe heart is perfect with <W, you fhallfind
in him this difpofition,that he is not moved to
his maine anions ordinarily, but by vertue of
I fome command from G o d 3 if hee have not

fome

tiEffcft;
Nothing
moves a fin-
cere man but
Godscoac
rnand* '

*8$

O f Mans

Ere*y natu-
rall man fecks
hiaalelfe;

Simile

C*lt+iii

fomc fuch motive, he ftands ftill,and ftirs nor.

The ground of this is, becaufe while a man
feekes himfelfe, while a man is unfound-hear-
ted,while he is full of himfelfe, ( as every man
is till he bee regenerated, till his heart is chan-
get) come and tell fuch a man, informehim,
and fay to him, Sir, this will make for your
profit, or this is for your credit, this will bee
tor your advantage, it prefently raooves him,
andfetshimaworkc : for his end is to fecke
himfelfe, but let his heart bee changed, and
be perfeft with God, tofeekehim, now mo-
tives drawne from thefe refpc&s, doe not fo
much worke upon him •, but let a Commande-
ment come from G o D,let it be thus prefented
to him, This is the will of God, this is for Gods
glory, this hee will have performed by thee;
thefe are the motives that worke upon him in
the generall faftiion and courfe of his life •
other refpc&s, that are more prevalent with
him before, they moove him not now • but
when they are fugg^fted, as in former time,he
ftands (till, as it were, as a Ship that is becal-
med, that hath no wind to move it : but when
a Commandement comes from God,that Com-
mand fills the Sailes, it fills the faculties of the
foulc, that moves it to and fro, that indeede is
the ground that fers this man aworke • in all
the anions, and in all the courfes of his life,
you fhall fee that metaphor ufed CW.4.1 2.(it is
Epapbras prayer for the people, that Paulherc
expxefTeth) Epapbras afervant of Chrijl, one of

■ J°2

BRIGHTNESS!.

zSp

youfalutethyM> andalway ftrivesfirybuinpray-,
er, that you may flandperfeB and be filled with ail
the will of the Lord • Marke, this is the thing hee
prayesfor,that they might ftand perfeB : Why,
howfhoulditbeknowne they were perfedt?
Saith he, this is the effed it will produce, you
fhall be filled in all the will of the Lord, that is,
aj thrword fignifies in the Originall, when a
man is filled with theCommandement,even as
the fayle of a Ship is fiilerj with wind, fo when
a man findes this difpofition in himfelfe, that
the principall motive, that which lets hima-
worlcc upon all occafions, is fome Commande-
ment from God, and not felfe-refpc&s, it is an
argument that hecisperfeB, that he is filled with
the will of the Lord : otherwife hee would ftand
ftillas a Ship, when the Sailes have no wind
to drive them : this is an argument of perfeft-
nefle and integrity of heart. The likeexpreffi*
on you (hall finde, Pfal. u$.6. Then fhall I not
be confounded^ faith David, when I have refpeB
(marke the phrafe ; for iti is the phrafe that hee
choofeth to cxprefle hfe fincerity by ) when I
have refpeB to thy Commandements. That is,
faich hee, the time was, and it is fo with other
men, that when a Commandemcnt of God
comes, they little heedeit, they little regard
it : if other motives come, which propound
honour, credit, and advancement,and profit to
themfelves, thofc things they refpeft^ but faith
he,heerein is my fincerity feene, and upon tha t
ground I defire I may not bee co-founded, tha

To be filled
with the will
of God what.

PfaLix*.*.'

I have

ZpO

O f Ma ns

SimiU.

Torefpeft
Gods Com'*

jnaRsi*\*hac

A^i3<^;

I have now refpeft to thy Comraandements :
even as you fee,a man that hath fbme principal 1
friend, that he regards above all the world be-
fidcs,it may bee, when many others come and
fpeake to him, and make ftrit to him to have
fomething done, hee regards them not, bur 3 if
fuch a friend fpeakes, heehathrefpe&tohim :
or as a fervarir,if -another man bid him gob^nd
bid him doe,he ftands ftill • but if his Matters
command come once, he goes about it prefent-
Jy: for he hath refpeft unto him : this is Da-
"vids meaning: for, faith he,L o RD,Ihavere-
fped to thy Commandemcnts - s other things
move mee not fo much • but, it any Comraan-
dement come from thee, I have refpeft unto it
and I prefently goe and execute it : and in this
regard hee is laid to bee a man after Gods owne
hearty as wee fee in the A8. 1 3 .2 2 . / have founds
faith the Lord^aman after mine owne heart : that
is a man of fincere, of an upright heart, a man
in whofe heart is integrity and fincerity,a man
without guilc»,& he proves it by this 3 faith hee,
He will doe whatfoever I will : that is, if my will
be known to him,that wil he do,that is the mo-
tive that leads him, that is the thing that ftirs
htm upon all occafions: for that is the effect
by which he is described to be a man after Gods
owneheart,he will doe whatfoever I will.

Now, beloved J you may examine yovr felves
by this 3 whetheryou may have thofeeffr&s that
arife from fincerity and integrity of heart 3
confider what mobves yon to every aftion!

Certainly

Vpriqhtnesse.

w * p^.. : ' — "

Certainly there is no man that goes about any
bufines, but there is fome motive that lets him
aworke : It is by vertue of the Commande-
ment that thou goeft about all thy occasions ?
Is it that that moves thee ? Haft thou that re-
aped to G o d s Commandement • that when
other commandements come, thou regarded
them little > but thou haft ftillan eye to that?as
D avid faith,(which is an other expreflion of his
fincerity,) M-ineey.es wake on thee, as the -eyes
of the handmaidwaite on her Miflris ; that is,
lam ftill looking to tbee y to thy VVord 3 to thy
Commandement, anybecke or nod from thee
moves me, as the Maid waitcs on her Miftris,
to fee what her will is. This is the difpofition
ofall the Saints • and therefore take heed of
being deceived in this- beloved, it falls out
oft-times that you fhall finde them both impli-
cated and involved together,(and therein com-
monly we are deceived * ) a Commandement
comes from God, andrefpe&sofourowne con-
curre : ( raarkeitwell, that I may take away
this deccipt)as for example ; perhaps there
afervicewhichthe Lord himfelfe commands,
a man may bee very diligent in this worke;
bur, it may bee, there is not onely a Com-
mandement of G O D to moove him, but
there is much applaufe, there is a certaine
luftre, and fplendour that followes diligence
in a good a&ion, in fome great bufineffe. Here
now is a double motive •, here is a Commande-
ment from God, and withall thpreis credit

and 1

| hi \

IS'

Pfal.131.aj

Gods com-
mand and our
ownc refpecls
come toge-
ther in many
aftions.

%9 h

Snefi.

Of Mans

How to know
when wc are
moved to acti-
ons by Gods
command.

andeftcemc from men. As I fay of doing, fo
likewife of fuffering • it maybe a man is to luf-
fer, and it is G o d s will to have him fuffer,and
heefuffers for keeping of a good confidence j
but withall, there is fomewhat more mingled
with it,there is efteeme from men : and fofor
other anions • diligence in a manscalling 3 it is
true, is the Commandement of God, and the
worke is the L o r d s, he doth it for him, hee
oughttobediligent-, but withall there is pro.
fit and reputation followes it, there is advan-
tage comes to himfelfe 5 hecre, you fee, there
| are more refpe&s than one ^ here is the Com-
mandement of G o d 5 and other rcfpe&slike-
I wife* & fo for the hearing the Word, it is true,
it is G o d % Commandement to heare, and a
man comes it may be, out of fomerefpe&to
that Commandement • but withall, there may
be other refpe&s mingled • a man may come
to fcede his underftanding with new notions,
with novelty hee may come to fee wit and lear-
ning, or to know the humour and fpirit of the
Preacher,otherrefpe&s maybe mingled.

Now ( you will fay ) how thenfhali a man
know whether it bee the Commandement of
God that moves him, if that be the proper ef-
fe&offincerity ?

Beloved, it is eafie to know it by this $ take
a man whofe heart is not found, whofe heart is
impure,who is impure towards the Lord, and
take out the other refpe&s,and leave the naked
Commandement alone, and he will ftand ftill,

PR IQHTNE SSE.

I &j

A try afl of
fincerity.

he moves not ; let other refpe&s bee tooke a-
way, let the worfce want the outward glory,
and he ftands ftill, hee goes not about it fo dili-
gently: let the fuffering bee fequeftred from
thepraifeofmen, which accompanies it 3 let
there be nothing but a barecommand,yea,fup -
pofe fometimes they inenrre difcredit with
men,as fometimes they doe, in fuffering, the re
is only a naked Commandement to encourage
thena'toitj I fay, if the heart bee unfound, it
ftands ftilland moves not : but when the heart
is upright, take away the Commandement,
and leave the other refpe&s, and it ftands ftill
on the other fide ; by which you may know,
that it is not refped to mens Commandements
that moves a man, becaufe when that is tooke
out, when there is not the will of God fignified
in it, when he thinks with himfelfe, this is not j
for Gods glory, I have no warrant from God
to doe it, though there be other refpe&s to my
owne credit and profit, the heart ftands ftill y
as a Mill doth, when it hath no water nor no
wind to drive it. This is an argument of fince-
rity, when ftill the Commandement moves

But this ob je&ion may be made '. May not a
man be moved with other refpe&s, may he not
bee moved with regard to credit and advance-
ment that may follow upon the performance of
good duties >

I anfwer,he may in the fecond place,he may
not primarily be moved with it, it is the Com- \™£(£Zm

mandement

Ohje&;

How other
relpeft* be-
fide Gods conaj

move us,

Of Mans

Qgfi-

How to know
whether we
are moved
principally
With Gods
Command,

mandement that rauft fethim on worke^but !
when hee is upon the way, thefe refpe&smay
carry him on with more facility and alacrity :
asafervantthat is commanded cogoc a jour-
ney, if there bee concurrence of other things,
if he have a good way, and good weather, and
good company, and money in his purfe, it is
his advantage, he doth it the more willingly &
cherefully ; but if there be none of thefe, it is
enough that it is his Mafters bufinefle, that is
enough to fethim on work. You know, Paul had
many hard taskes, when he went to Macedonia,
and upon other occafions, you know what his
enrertainement was, and yet it was his Mafters
worke, it was his Commandemen t : for it is a
fure rule, that as we ought to ufe all Gods Ordi-
nances, fo alfo we may ufe all Gods Arguments.
Ic is an argument that himfelfe ufeth,that wee
may have refpe& to the recompence,T^mpW
of the f ear e of 'God , and humility , is riches, andhe-
nour % andlife$c.

If you aske,But how fhal a man know when
hee doth it thus in the firft place, when hee is
moved with the Commandemcnt ?

Ianfwcr- you {hall kno a/ it by this: A fer-
vent that feekes his Mafters profit altogether,
with the negteft oi his owne,it is an argument
that he ferves him not out of felfe.refpevfts,but
that which hee is primarily moved with, is re-
gard of his Mafter. Indeed, here is thediffe-
| rente : A fervsnt that trufts not his Mafter, fo
fmannagethhisbufineffe, asaFa&or thatftill
I hath

M-I.H ■■MTU ll — ll— llll Ill*

<» m

VPR IGHTNE5 SE #

i %>>9

hath an eye upon himfelfe ; For hce trufts not
his Matter : Another , that trufts him , that
thiokes thus with him(elfe , my Mafter is wife
to obferve , and is willing and able to recom-
pence mee, That fervant lookes not to himfelfe
and his owne ends, but he doth his Matters bu~
finefle faithfully ,and he cares not fo it may bee
for his Matters advantage : For hee loves his
Mafter ,and hee thinkcs his owne good and pro-
fperitie confifts more in his Mafters 3 than in his
owne j This is that that moves him, and there-
fore,without refpeft to himfclfe,hc ferves him,
he doth his bufinefle faithfully, he lookes what
may be for his Matters advantage , and not for
his owne. So much for this fecond effect.

A third efle& that arifethfrom this finccrity
or integrity of heart, is to fcrve the Lordjio doc
his will with all a Mans might,to doc it excee-
ding diligently ,not onely to have refpe& to
his Commandement , but to doe it with all a
Mans might and ttrength : when a Man doth it
remiflcly,it is a figne hee doth it feinedly^whcn
he doth it diligently 3 it is a figne he doth it with
aperfiB heart. A fervant,whcn hce (lubbers o-
vcr his woirke, and doth but eye-fervice, it is an
argument that hee doth it not with his whole
heartjbut feinedly : For when hee doth it hear-
tily ,he doth it painefully ,he doth it throughly,
andexa&ly^ and with all his ttrength. The
ground of it is this ,becaufe when a Man doth
any thing truely ,and in good earneft,when hee
doth it for it fclfe, hee doth it alway exceeding
Z diligently,

1. Effcft. Hce
fcrvethGod

with all hii
might.

ip6

i Pet.ii.

Looking to

God in that
we doe,makes

us diligent.

Of Mans

diligently, they arc never difioyrcd. When a
Man doth a thing for a refped^hec doth itfo
farrc as that refpeft requires,fo much diligence
heeufeth,andno more:You may feeit in other
things •, If a Man have money bur for his ufe ,
he will feekc fomuch as will ferve fuch a turnc,
and no more . Bat if hce doe it for money it
felfe ,if hce love riches, hce will doe it with all
his might, hee fets himielfe to it with all his
ftrengch. You have an excellent place for
jthe exprefilon of this in i Pet. 1.22. Saith the
Apoftie^Seeingyour hearts are purified to love one
another without feyning ,fee that you love one Ano-
ther with a pure heart , fervently. The meaning
is this,If a mans love bee fincere^ without fey.
ning ^ If it bee with a pure heart \ without re-
fpe&s,withoutdifiimulation , this propertie it
will have, you will love one another fervent-

ly. Beloved, thefe cannot bee difioyned,when
one ferves the Lord with a perfect heart, when
his eye is upon him 5 whcn he doth truft to him,
without any other by-refpeds , hee will doc it
exceeding diligently. Therefore that exprefTi-
on you finde fo oft in the Scriptures, Thor: [halt
love the Lord thy God^ with all thy Soule \ with ah
thy hearty and. with all thy ftrcngth , it is not an
expreffion of the degrees of love 5 That is not
the iole icopeof that place, but it is an expref-
fion of the finceritie of a Mans love; as if hec
fnould lay, heerein is the finceritie of a Mans
love,thisisan argument that aManloves God.
truely,and not for refpedts, when he loves him

with

VPRIGHTN ESSE.

J. z 97

with all his heart?, and with all his might : It is
fo in all things ; when you doe any thing for it
lelfe 5 you will doe it with all your might.

Befides, there is this further ground of it;
you (hall jfinde this, that when a Man doth
a thing remiffely, and overly, and perfun-
ftorily, it argues alway a divided intention,
it is an argument that the whole minde is [not
Cet on it , but that the intention is diftra&ed ,
andbeftowed on other things: Whence that
common faying is y Hee that will bee excellent
in every thing,is fo in nothing; Becaufe his in-
tentions are divided. So, beloved, you know,
this is the property of finceritie,tohave afin-
gle^eyejLO have the heart fet upon one objed,to
looketo GOD alone- If a Man doe fo, the
heart is fincere, and hee that lookes upon God
alone,|hee muft needs doe it with all diligence:
whenfoever a Man mindes one thing ,hee will
doe it with all his might, becaufe all the facul-
ties,the intentions,the thoughts,andaffe&ions
of the foule,they are then conccntricall,& uni-
ted, and drawne together into one point, they
are ftill running in one channell: And therefore
a Man that hath a fincere heart , that choofeth
God aloae,that faith thus with himfelfe,! have
but one Mafter to (erve,I have but one to feare,
I have GOD alone to looke to, my bufinefle is
with him in Heaven , I thinke him to bee All- 1
efficient y and an exceedingly -eat reward: I fay,
this refolution will alway accompany fuch a
heartjthat hee ferveshim with all diligence: If

Z 2 there

The intention
is divided,
when thin gg
are done re*
mUTely.

■w*

Of Mans

rfalv.71**,

Intention in a
mans owne af
fairei,andrc-
miflcncffe in
G»ds,afigne
of impurity;

Holincifcttc
element o fan
wprightjman*

there bee any worke of his to be done,hee will
doe it with all his might : For that is the difpo-
fition of a Mansminde,whenonceheisabIeto
fay as DavidfoithyPfalw. 72 .4. One thin^have I
defired of the Lordy and that mil I feeke ^ to fee the
beautieof the Lordy to live in his Temple , &c.
One thing have I defired , and that will I
feeke with all diligence : When a Man defires
but one thing.his mindc will bee exceeding in-
tent upon it- And therefore if you would finde
out now what is a proper effed of finceritie,
you ftiall finde this alway to be in thofc,whofe
hearts are upright with GOD, that they give
themfelves up to his fervice « I lay , they give
themfelves up to do it with all di!igence:Ther-
fore a Man that faith thus , I hope my heart is
upright with God y and yet you lee him excee-
ding bufie with other thin^, the worke of God
he doth not overly, he (lubbers icover,hee doth
it negligently^asa fervant that doth eyefervice-
but for bufineflcs of his owne,hee is exceeding
intent upon them , hee is overwhelmed with
them, in following pleafiires , and divers lufts,
his mindc is exceeding much taken up in things
of that kinde • I fay , hee doth but diflemble ,
when he faith he hath prepared his whole heart
to feeke the Lordy that hee walkes before him
pcrfe&Iy, it cannot bee : a Man whofe heart is
upright , hath this difpofition in him, that his
fpeeehes, his thoughts and his a&ions are (till
bufied about things that belong to the King-
dome of G tf^holineffe in the element hee lives

in,

VPR IGHTNESSE.

in,he would ftii be doing fomething that tends
chat way,by his good will he would bee doir,g
nothing elfe : I fay, thus hee ferves the LORD y
with all his might,and that is an argument hee
hath a fincere and upright heart. You have a
common faying, when aMandoth athingex
ceeding diligently ,he doth it for his life : Now
a Man whole heart is upright, his ©pinion is
changed of his owne happineffe,of his life and
fafety- Whereas, before, hee conceived it to
confift in other things, now he knowes it whol.
ly confiftsin the favour of Godjn plcafinghim,
and in enjoying of him -, And therefore when
hee-reckons his life to confift therein, hee doth
I exceeding diligently whatfoever worke tends
to him , and to his glory. This is the third ef-
fect thatarifeth from finceritie,and perfe&ion
of heart.

A fourth effe& is this- a Man whofe heart is
entire and upright, and perfeft with God , you
(hall finde him thus difpofed, hee fuffers every
grace to have its perfcft worke : That is a figne
the heart is found 3 and entire ,and perfe<a,when
the graces of Gedare not retrained, when they
are not dammed and barred up,but are fuifered
to have their perfeft worke : as it is faid of Pa-
tiencc,you (hall fee that expreflion, Iam.i. Let
! Patience have herperfetl worke. Rejoyce ( faith the
I Apoftle ihcve)whenyou fill i*to troubles of divers
I forts , rejoyce, knowing that the trying of your Faith
[brings forth Patience , and let Patience have her
\perfctl worke, that you may bee perfect and entire ,
1 ; Z 3 wanting

Every Grace
hath its per-
fect worke.

i; Patience.
lanM«*,3j4«

300

Of Mans

Patience its
perfect vveike,
what.

An unfound
Man flirinkes

in fume try a)s

wantingnotbiug. Where you fee , that this x s
put downe , as an effed that arifeth irom per-
feftnefle andintegritie of heart 3 when wee iiif-
ter the graces ote0d,(aspauence in particular)
co have their perfed worke.Now patience is
faid to have its pcrfeft worke, when it endures
all kindes of try alls ,for that is the fcope of the
Apoftle. Rejojce ( faith the Apoftle) when you
fall into trials of divers forts: That is,tryals that
concerne you in Soule, in Body ,in name,and in
ftate, tryalls of every fort^andeverie kinde: If
Patience be perfe& 3 ( & it will be perfeft, if it
bee in a heart that is perfe£t,and entire , it will
have a perfect worke ) it will make us ftay no
where : So that patience hath then its perfed
worke 3 when it will fuffer any thing , bee it
death, bee it difgrace, bee it jimprifonment,&r
poverty ,be it Ioffe of friends ,bee it what it will
bee,affii<5i:ions of any kinde ; Name all forts of
trouble that you can devife,if Patience have a
perfedi worke 3 it willbeare all of them. When
the heart is found 3 then this Grace or a-
ny other hath a perfed worke : Therefore you
fee , [men whofe hearts are not found , Nature
will make a ftand fomewherc : A Man perhaps
willbeare many thiugs for Religion, but if it
come to death, there hee fhrinkes : A Man will
endure much,but if it come to difgrace s o dif-
credit,to Ioffe of reputation,there his patience
hath not a perfect worke : And therefore hee
gives over , As Patience its perfeft worke
is feene in fuffering 3 fo like wife it is feene in
__ doing,

Vprightnesse. ] ^o 1

doing. So you ice chat expreffion 5 #e£r.i2.i.
Seeing wee have fuch acloudofwitnejJes,(iaith the
Apottle) let us runne the race with patience that is
fetbefereus. The meaning of it is this: It Pa-
tience have a perfect worke , it will carry vou
through the whole race to the journeys end;
but if otherwife 3 a Man will runne fo farre,or (6
farre- Bat when hee meets with fucha rub, with
fuch abarre by the way, there hee will make
a ftand , when hee comes to thicke way , or to
thorny way * or to rough way , there hee will
not runne- And why? Becaufe patience hath
not a perfed worke. Therefore 3 faith he,runne
with patience the race that is fet before you.
So , a Mans heart is then entire , when everie
grace, ( I inftance now ia this) hath his .perfed
worke.

If youobjed; But you fee fometimes Pa-
tience , even in thebeft of the Saints 5 hath not
a perfed worke , [but is fometimes inter-
rupted ? You fee it was fo in lob - y though
hee were a Man of an upright heart ,(GOD
bearesthat witnefle to him, hee was ajuft
Man , one that feared GOD ) and likewife this
grace was perfed in him, (as that witnefle is
given him , lames 5 . 1 1 . rouknwv the patience cf
/0b ) yet notwithftanding this,tt feemed to bee
interrupted, it feemed not to have its perfed
worke*

To this I < anfwer : That it did not rife from
the hollowneffe of his heart, ortheimper-
.fedion of the grace, but it arifeth many times

Z 4 from

HeM^o*

Objeft*

Interruption
in the Saints
graces ariietk
noctromun-jj

foundnefle*

^Ol

Of Mans

Simile*

1 a; Faith hath
iti pcrfcft
wcxkc.

Jnftances,.

*Chron.2$<

7,8,9.

from fome other impediment, fome other acci-
dent,from fome diftemperthat may ariie in the
Soule^that fometimes may hinder even aper-
fe& grace frcm having a perfect worke-as you
fee in the workes of nature, there may be a per-
feft Spring, and yet fometimes it may be hin-
dred from running , by fome outward impedi-
ment^ may fome way or other bee dammed
up : So it may bee a perfeft Drug 3 fit and apt e-
<nough to worke,& yet fome impediment there
^nay be,that may hinder it, and choake ir 3 and
dead the venue of it for a time,but it is but for
a fit , ordinarily, and in ordinary courfe, every
grace will have its perfect worke.

And as I fay of Patience,fo like wife you fee,
in all other Graces , ( to give you another in-
iiance , the fame the Apoftlc gives there of
Faith) Faith,when it arifeth,when it dwels in a
heart that is entire,that is perfe<a,it hath a per-
fed worke : When it is otherwife, it workes
butimperfe<5Hy 3 and but by halfes, I will give
yon an experiment of it- You fhall fee two nota-
ble examples of it, one in Amaz>iah y z chronic.
a 5. You ftiall find there what worke Faith had
in him, You fee in the 8 ,9 , 1 o.Verfes, Amaziah
was to goe to warre againft the Edomitesjte hy-
red one hundred thoufand ofjfrael^ which was
halfe his Army, to goe and affift him in battle:
there comes a Prophet from the Lord^nd tells
him^Amaziah know this, the Lord is not with
Ifrael, and therefore fcparate thefe men , and
(end them home,if thou doe not,thou flialt fall

before

VPRI GHT NESSE.

3°3

before the enemy : For in the Lord there is po-
wer to helpe,or to caft dowpe 5 Atnaziah*
beleeved the Prophet : So that you fee, Faith
had a great worke in him • But, faith hee, I am
not able to hyre any more. That is no matter ,
(faid the Prophet ) goe with thofe thou haft •
and hee was content to doe fo , hee went on
to the Battle ; And in the next Verfe, hee was
encouraged to goe on : It was a great worke
of Faith,to fendbacke halfe his Army, and to
goe onfo much encouraged notwithftanding ,
yetafter,in the fame Chapter, you fhall finde,
though Faith went thus farre in him, and car-
ried him through fo difficult a cafe, yet it had
not its perfeft worke : For immediately after
hee had overcome the Edomites > heefetup
their Gods, and a Prophet comes and tells
him 3 Amaziah ^ art thou fo foolifh , to fet up
the GODS of the Edomhes , that were not
Me to deliver their owne people ? Saiththe
Text, Hee would not hearken to the Prophet 3
but bade him ceafe , and the Prophet ceafed. So
you fee Faith had a worke in him, and a great
worke , but herein hee had an unfound heart,
as it is faid*5 Verfe 2. Hee walked before the
LORD , in the way of his Fathers , but not
with aperfeB heart. And you fhall finde
this very ftory , that I have now named,
brought in as an evidence that his heart
was not found , that his Faith had not a
perfed worke: So farre his Faith went, thus
farre he did by vertue of thatFaith that he had,

but

Men may doc
much, and yet
want laving
gracs.

VcrW/

;04

Of Mans

i Chioiuu.

Wicked men

may follow
Go4 ioi a time

Rom.4.1^.

but a perte& workc his Faith had not. Another
example is in Rehoboam , 2 chronic. 1 1 . W hen
theKingdome was divided, and given to Jero-
boam 3 and the tenne Tribes had made that de-
fe&ion from Rehoboam , hee gathered together
ninefcore thoufand fighting men, to goe up a-
gainft ifrael: But , faith the Text , The -word, of
the Lord came to Shemaiah, a man of God, faying,
Speake to Rehoboam , the fonne of Salomon , King
of Iudah, and to all Ifrael, and ludah, and Eenjar
min,faying : Thus faith the LORD, Tou fhall not
goe up to fight againjl your brethren, returne everie
Man to his houfe : (For this thing is done by mee „
They obeyed therefore the word if the Lord , and
returned from going against Jeroboam^ You (ee
he ere a very great worke of Faith, that caufed
him to give over,to fit downe, to be content to
Iofe fo great a part of his Kingdome , and to
lookeno more after it : That 3 when he had an
Army ready of valiant men , yet hee was con-
tent to fit downc , though hee were a Man that
was not found-hearted , yet Faith had thus far
a worke in him : And not onely for this time,
but for three yeares after hee cleaved to the
LORD, and fcrved him in all things : And yet
forallthis^ithadnotitsperfed worke 3 it ca-
ryedhimnot thorow: For afterwards hee de-
parted from the L OR D. This is a figne of an
unfound heart , when Faith fhall goe fo farre,
when it fhall enable aMan todoemany things^
and yet for al this^it hath not its perfed worke.!
Wee fee the contrary in Abraham^ Rom.^i^\

when

VPRIGHTWfc SSE

when he was put to it ,when God had made him
a promife,that hee flionld be the Father of ma-
ny Nations, faith the Text, hee was not weake in
the Faith.lhe meaning is,hee was not unfound,
but was perfeft in theFaith.What did he doe?
How did that appeare ? Saith hee , hee went
thorow , when the Lord c&me with fnch a pro-
mife , hee considered not his owne body , that was
dead h ( tor hee was an hundred yeares old ) nor
hee considered pot the deadnejfe of Sarahs womhe :
but ( faith hee) hee beleeved that hee was able that
hadprewifed This is given as an evidence of the
truth ©f his Faith; heemadenotaftandinfuch
a difficult cafe.-For hee was not unfound,but he
was perfe& in rhe Faith • So likewife,when he
came to offer Ais-fonnc j herein the perfe&ion
of his Faith was feene. And by this you may
know whether your hearts bee right 5 if you fuf r
fer every grace to have its perfect worke,when
your Faith doth not picke and choofe,and take
heere a promife,and leave there another- Here
I tobeleevea threatning,anothernottobeleeve-
! Here to take hold on aConimandement,to be-
j leeve that this is the will of GOD, in another
\ cafe not to beleeve; For fo doing is a figne of an
funfound heart.

Ifyou obje&,but faith many times hath not
aperfed worke in the Saints , asMofesatthe
waters of ftrife^ faith the Text Jheefayled through
unbeleefe ; And againe , David , when hee fled
from Sauho Achis % wee fee his Faith there had
not its perfeft worke : So likewife Peter , when

305 I

Chufingin,

Gods waves
note of uri
foundnciiV

the

$otf

Of Mans

\ True grace
I may bee inter
! tuptedjhow*

Simile.

I the waves beganne to arife, to fwcll , and hce
beganne to finke , his Faith had not aperfed
worke.

To this I anfwer,that Faith may have a per-
fe& workc, that is, there may be an aptncffe ia
it,that ordinarily it goes through the worke .
though by fome accident, it may bee hindred :
for ( marke the Faith of thofe) wee fee David>
though he failed at this time,yet at other times
hee did not. No more did Mofes , nor Peter •, •
which is an argument that it rofe not from un-
foundneffe, from hollownefie of the grace , or
of their hearts, but from fomeintcrveniall im-
pediment,fome pafSon ^ As it was a paffion in
Mofesjnz was diftempered«and fo i t was a f care,
a mift: that was caft before the eyes of Peter at
that time. Now you know aManmaybefaid
tohaveaperfe£teye,andyet, for alltbat 3 in a
mift he may not be able to fee as at other times-
and a Man may be faid to have a perfed; hand,
and yet a fit of a Palfie may make it flbakc,and
make it unfit for any thing : So a man may have
a perfect tafte , able to diftinguifh one thing
from another , yet when hee is in an Ague, in
fuch a fit he takes things amifiqthings that arc
wholfome, feeme bitter to him ; So in the gra-
ces of the Spiritjthcrcmaybefometimcsmuch
imperfe&ion admitted , when a Man is in the
mift :, when hee is in the fit, when fome diftem-
per fome paflion or affe&ion,hath overcaft and
overclouded the Soule,as it were,and polTeffed
the palate ^ Thefe defects may bee, and yet the

grace

*-!=

Mfe

PRIQHTNE $SE,

3O7

3 Knowledge
of the truth

fed nearc»

Rohm .18 ♦

grace may bee perfe&.But you fhall know it by
this,ordinarily it is not fo 3 tt is but by accident;
and ttierfore it comes to paiTe but now & then.
And as wee fay of the grace of Faith, fo ( to
give you another inftancc) Truth or the know-
ledge of the truth : this great grace 3 if the heart | hatl j it ?perfcc^
bee found , will have a perfeft worke •, It will
goe thorow , it will not make aftandheere
and there , as it doth in thofe that are unfound,
as youfee 3 ^0/«.i.i8. it is given there as a figne
of an unrighteous Man, when they withhold the
truth in unrighteoufnejfe • that is,when the truth
is not fuffered tohave a perfed workej When
there is truth , and they fuffer it perhaps to in-
forme their underftandings,but they fufFer it to
goe no further j When they fuffer it not to
walke abroad into all the corners of the Soule,
into all the inward roomes of it^Or^if they doe
that,yet they fufFer it not to come into the out-
ward Courts of their converfation, it isa figne
that this grace hath not a pcrfed worke, but is
reftrained: And fuch an expreffionyou fhali '
finde, 2 Peter 3.5. This they -willingly know rtdi*
( marke) that the Heavens were of old, &c. Hec
fpcakes there of certaine Atheifts, that were
mockers , and defpifers,that were readie to fay,
where is the promife of his comming I Doe not all
things continue alike ^xnce the time of our Fathers >
The Apoftle anfwers them thus^Saith he,they
have truth in them, there is light enough , God
hath borne wkneffeto himfelfe in their owne
■ conlciences ^ There arc many things that they
migtit

iP«ecr3«7«

$o8

Of Mans

Maub,

I|.I«

might objeft hgainft thefe temptations of A-
theifme : But,iaith hee, they willingly will not
\ know them 5 That is , they will not take them
into confideration , as if hee (hould fay , their
will , becaufe they will not be troubled^becaufe
they willlive loofely, it fufters them not to un-
derftand , and to enquire into thefe things ,
that they might know them; Theft things they
willingly know not. So, beloved , it is an argu-
ment that the knowledge of 6#d,and the know-
ledge of the Truth hath not a perfe& workc ,
when there is fomething that a Man willingly
will not know , when a Man (hall winke with
his eyes,as it is hid>M.nth 13. 15, They winke
with their eyes ,that they might not understand
with their hearts , and bee convert cd, that I fhould
healethem. They winke with their eyes : That is,
when the light ftiines to them, they will not fee
it; When the confidence fuggefts fomething,
when there is fomewhat intimated , and whif-
pered to the hearts of men,theirwillrunnes a
loofe courfe ^ Therefore they will not fuflfcr
their underftandings to be informed, they will
not fee all the light : Whereas a Man whofe
heart is perfe& 3 if the light begin to appeare ,
if he fee it thorow a crevis,hee opens the win-
dowes of his Soule , and lets it in , even into
every corner of it; And the ground is,becaufe ,
his heart is found,hee defires to make his heart
perf eft 5 he is not w tiling to fpare it in;any thing,
hce defires not there fhould bee any exempt I
place in his heart , or in his life , or any of his *

courfes.

VPRIGHTNESSE.

3°P

'ods will, He defires not that the
light fhould oee kept off. This is another in-.
ftance. Patience will have her perfect worke,
and the knowledge of the truth will have its
perfed worke: Sol may fay of all other graces,
Temperance will have its perfeft workcyf the
heart bee fincere and found j That is, it will re-
ftraine every inordinate appetite, it will caufe a
Man to forbeare every inordinate delight, eve-
ry inordinate pleafure, It will make him with-
draw himfelfe from excefle in every thing , in
dyet 3 in fports,in eafe 3 &c. Solikewife Cba-
ftitie, holineffe and pnrenefle 3 itcleanfeth the
heart from all kinde of uncleannefTe,if it have
its perfeft worke 5 It fuffers none of that leaven
to remaine in Soule or Body eyther-ney ther in
the eye,nor in the thought. This is another ef-
fect of an upright heart 3 of one that is perfeft
with G O D 3 that every grace hath its perfevf!
worke : And by this thou may ft know,whethcr
thy heart be founder no.

I will adde but one more exceeding briefly ,
and fo conclude. This is a fifth effedt that ari-
feth from integrity ,and fincfcritie of heart -.It
breedes in us a peaceablenefTe and quietnefie

Iob.^.*!,

courfes , for hee fees 3 Hee that doth evilly comes,
not to the light i Ioha'}. 2 1. but here that loves
the tructh,hee whole heart is found- that is not
an hypocrite,he comes to the Iight,he comes to
bee enlightned in what he dothjsee coma to the
light ^that his deedes might bee ?nade wmifcfbp hat
is,that it might bee evident that his workes are
according to

Spirit is
quieted?

JlO

Of Ma n s

Frawardnefie
?«acfFcft of
J impurity.

of ipirir, as you may fee James 3 .ultimo , But the
wifedome that is from above y is fir ft pure, and then
peaceable ,gentle,eafie to bee intreated> full of met-
cie ^ full if good fruit. The wifedome is firftpure y
and then peaceable: As if hee (houidfay, The
purity ofwifdome,the perfe&nefle,the entire-
nefle,the finccritie which holy wifdome brings
forth,it is feene in this effeft , it will make the
hcaTtpeaceablejtisfirftpurey and then peaceable.
His meaning is,that peaceableneffe is an eflFe&
of the purcnefle and entirenefle of the heart :
So that, when any Mans heart is perfe& with
G OD,you (hall finde this effed rifing from it
that his heart is quiet, and humble,and gentle 3
and peaceable towards men ; fuffoi love , and
*f mercy and of good fruits , and of good a&ions,
and workes : but when the heart is impure,and
unfound, and hollow, it is awkward, and fro-
ward 3 and contentious, and implacable towards
raen 5 they arc not full of mercy , but ful of wrath-
they are not fulLof good fruits,and good works
and a&ions , but they are like the raging Sea, that
cafis up mire and dirt upon thofe with whom
they have to doe.

So that this is theeffe&of a pure heart, it
breedes a quietneffe,a peaceableneffe of fpirit-
whereas the other brings forth tumult & turbu-
lent difpofition : they are eajie to be intreated, (to
be handled)faith theText- Whereas the others
whofe hearts are unfound,as David faith of the
wicked , they are as thornes , that they cannot
eafily bee handled , a Man cannot eafily dcale

with

RIGHTNESSE.

/ J««

vvich them, they are not eafily intrcated. So,
my belovedjhis frowardneffe,this wafhpifhnes
of fpirir, this implacableneffe, is a figne of an
unfound heart, of an impure heart, of a heart
that is not perfedt with the Lord: as you fee,
the Devils are the moft impure (Spirits of any
other,the moft full of malice, and of envy, and
revenge of any other. lefits Cbrift, on the other
fide, as he had the moft pure heart, lb hee was
the moft gentle of all others : hee returned not
rebuke for rebuke, but hee was as a jheepe bef$re
the {bearers, &c. Vfe a Wolfe or a Tiger never
fokindely, they wilibee ftill implacable and
greedy : vfe Sheepe never fo roughly, they
will bee meeke and gentle ; fo it is with the
Saints, becaufe their hearts are pure : I fay,the
ground of it is this, becaufe an unfound heart
breeds in it continually ftrong lufts, and eager
defircs ; and eager defires are unyeelding, and
unruly,and that is thecaufeof contention, and
implacablenefle with men : whereas when the
heart is cleanfed, when it is pure and perfed, |
it is emptied of thefe ftrong and domineering
luftSjitgrowestoaquietnefTeoffpirit, to bee
quiet within, and when it is quiet within, it
will bee peaceable towards others without.
When it is quiet thus, the Spirit is ready to
fee G O D, and to yeeld to G O D in his pro-
vidence, in all unkindnefles, and in all the
evill dealings of men, a man is neither ready
to murmur againft GOD, nor to fret againft
men : for quietnefle followes a pure heart, as
A a unquf-

Notel

Simile*

Lufti the
caufc of un-
qwetnefle.

n 2 -

Of Th e

unqutetneflc,and awkwardnefTe, and froward-
ncffe followes impurity and imperfection
of heart. So much fbali ferve
for this.

FI WJ S,

THE

New Covenant. / 31$

«^r«

&&a

THE

TEN T H

S ERMON.

Genesis 17. i 3 2.
W^tte fo/bre ^ and bee thouperfeB. And I wi/t
make my Covenant betweem mte and thee.

Will not repeat what hath been
delivered^ but come to that
which remaines 5 and fo proceed
to thefecondVerfe.The lafi: ef-
fect therefore of this fincerity,
or integrity of heart, is that
which wee find exprefled, Mat.^&.Blejfedare
the pure inbeart/ortheyfhallfee G od .That is,this
ariieth alway as an infeparable effeft of purenes
, of hearty that it is able to fee God ; to fee him
, here, and it fhall fee him face to face hereafter
! When the heart is yet unfound and impure 3 it

Aa2 is

Lafl; effe& o£
fincerity, To
fee God,

Mat.j.S.

Of The

ijnhisattri*
butcs.

sjnfcis works
of providence

is not able to fee him -, but when a mans fpiric
is cleanfed from thatdro(Te,from that corrupti-
on^ man is growne pure and entire, and faith- f
full, he is able then to fee GW, which before he
could not doe ± that is, he is able to fee G o d in
his attributes,as Mofesfaw him that was inviji-
ble • that is, hee faw in him more than he could
fee in Pharaoh , hee faw him in his power to rc-
compence him • he faw him in his wrath, and
territ>Iene(Te,if he had difobeyed him -hee faw
him in his goodnefle and mercy, and therefore
hee chofe him rather than pharaeb or his fa-
vour.

Againe,they are able to fee him in his works
as lacob did • it is faid of him, hee was aplaine
man, and he was able to fee the Lord, hee was
able to fee him in the workes of his providence
he was able to fee him when he got the goods
oiLaban-, faith hee, God hath tooke the goods
from your Father, and bath given them to mee :
it is h is fpeech to his Wives : hee did fee him,
when he met with £j&»,f(aith-th.e Text) he faw
t'lefweofGod, when hee faw the face of Efau^
he faw him in his.cattell,&in his children that
he had gotten : thefc are the cattell, and thefe
a e the wives, and the children, and the bands
rhat God ofhisgoodnejje hath given mee : he was
abletofee CWinallthcfe-, heefawhimin all
his workes of providence and goodneffe : fo
likewife in all his chaftifements, David faw
G o d in the curfing of sHmei : Ir is the Lord
that bids him doe it : Andfo Job, hee faw

God

New Covenant.

5»5

God) it is hee that hathgiven y and be that hath ta~
ken awayfie overlooked thofe thatwere theim-
| mediate inftruments.

Thirdly , they faw him in his guidance and
dire dion, they are able to fee the fiery cloudy
Piller, which way they are led by him ^ they
areable'to ice which way he would have them
goe, upon all occafions, when others walke in
darkeneffe, and they fee not the way that God
would lead them.

Laftly, they fee him in his Ordinances,they
fee God in the preaching of the Word,they re-
ceive it not as the wordofman^but^as it is indeed,
the Word of God : they fee him in the Sacra-
ments,for they are able to di&ern the Lords bo-
dy, that is,they are able to fee chriji crucified,
to efteeme him, and to fet that price upon him
as they ought,and fo they come prepared $ this
they are able to doe,becaufe they are pure : but
when the heart is yet unfound and impure,they
arenorabletofee<j0^cleerely • a fight, and a
knowledge they have, but it is another kind of
knowledge. So much fhall ferve for this point.

And I mil make my Covenantee.

Thefe words containe a further and a greater
favour expreffed to Abraham^than the former
words doe : it was a great tfiercy to him,to ex-
preffe thus much to him, / am AlfufjjcientJ am
able to hdpe thee, lam thy exceeding great re-
ward, I am able to be a Sunne and a fhield unto

Aa3 thee,

g .In his gui-
dance and
(UlgCUojh

4-Inhis Ordi-
nances*

<GetM7.7'

Of Th e

chee,to fill thee with all comfort,, and to deli-
ver thee from all evill : but yet that which is
here added : is a mercy of a much higher nature
(faith the Lord) J mil malt my covenant be
tweene me and thee • that is, I wiil not endy tell
thee what I am able todoe,l will not oiielycx-
preffe to thee in generall, that I will deaie weli
with rhee,that 1 have a willingneiTe and abili-
ty torecompence thee,if thou walk betore mc;
and fervemce,and be perfc <5h but I am willing
to enter into Covenant with the e 5 that is, I wii j
bindmyfelfr, I will ingage my ielie, I will
enter intobond, as it were, 1 wiii not be at li-
berty any more, but lam willing even to make
a Covcnar,a compact & agreement wkh thee
I wili make my Covenant bttrveene mee and thee :
that is the general!. You fhall finde it exprei
fed more at large, Verf .7. Moreover ^ I mil ejla-
blifh my Covenant bttvpeene mee and thee> and thy
feed after the f, in their generations for an ever la.
fling Covenant^ to bee aG O D to thee^ and to thy
feed after thee:that is, as if hee ihculd iay 3 Firft,
I am willing, not only to make ic with thee,but
with thy feed.

Sicond!y,I will not make a temporary Co-
venant,butan everlafting Covenant,there flial
be a mutuall ingagement betweene us 3 and it
fhall continue forever, both to thy felfc and to
thy pofteriry : in particular, it is added, / will
mdtiplythee exceedingly j that is but a branch of
the Covenant,/ will make thee a Father of many
Nations , thou fnalc have a Sonne, and km

chi ! ci". n j

New Covenant.

cmiuren fnail grow in number as the ffarres of
heaven, md as the daft of *the earth - y that is but a
particular : whence, this is the point that wee-
have to obferve.

God enters into Covenant with allthofe that are j

faithfdl.

Fpr it was not with Abraham, as he was A-

braham, butashee wasafaithfiiil man : and

therfore all the faithful! are reckoned to be the

feedo? Abraham. For the opening of this to

you, which is one of the maine points in Divi-

nity • I will {hew you thefe five things :

Firft, what this Covenant is.

Secondly, With whom it is made.

Thirdly,How we lhall know whether we be
in this Covenantor no.

Fourthly, What the breach of this Covenant
is.

Laftly, Thereafonswhy Godns willing to
make a Covenant with men. W

i. what this Covenant is. You mud know,
that there is a double Covenant, there is a Cove-
nant of Works 3 and a Covenantor Grace : The
Covenant of Workes runs in thefe termes, Doe
this, and thou fhalt live, and I will bee thy God.
This is the covenant that was made with Adam
and the Covenant that is exprefiedbyiHo/h'
intheMorall Law, Doe this, and live. The
fecondis the Covenant of Grace, and that
runnesin thefe tearmes, Thou flialt beleeve,

A a 4 thou

Go <* e*cets in. I
to Covenant
w" 1 * allthofe
taatare faith
fuU.

Twofold Co-
vcnant,i.of
w «rke 5> *.of
Grace,

The condition
of both Cove- j
nants+

3l8 I

Of The

A threefold
difference be
tweenctbera.
i. Difference.
The firft Co-
venant ihc
mimftatio n
of the letter.

». Difference,
It breed* en-
mity,

thou {halt take my Son for thy Lord, and thy
Saviour,and thou (halt likewife receive thegiit
of righteoufnefTe, which was wrought by him,
for an ablolution for thy finnes, for a reconcili-
ation with me, and thereupon thou fhalt grow
up in love and obedience towards mee, then
I will be thy Gotland thou fhalt bee my peop!e. I
This is the Covenant of Grace, Tk$k fhalt be-
leeve, and take my Sonne > and accept of x the vtft of
rightcoufnes^and I mil be thy God. The difference
between them you fnal find,* Cor.3 .where you
fhall fee 3. differences ,to reduce them to thofe
heads, I will not trouble you with particular
places, left I ftay to long upon them.

The firft Covenant wslssl Miniflration of the
Letter ; that is,in the firft Covenant, there was
no more heard nor feene, but the naked Com-
mandement, it was written in Tables of ftone
and prefentcd to them j there went with it no
aptncfle, nodifpofition to keepe it; they heard
what the Law«va% they faw what God rcqui-
red,but there^as no more,and thofe that were
declarers of it,were but the Minijiers of the Let-
ter^and not of the Spirit*

Secondly, this Covenant, it brings onely a
fervilefeare, and an enmity • for when a man
lookes upon the Author of this Covenant, and
he hearesno more but the Law,aod what it re-
quires • he lookes upon God as a hard Maftcr,
as an enc my : againe,he lookes upon his Law
as a hard and cruell Law, as a heavy yokc,as an
unfupportablebopdage^nd therefore he hates

it.

New Covenant. /

319

it, and wiflies there were no fuch Law s he runs
from it,as a Bondflave runnes from his Mafter,
as far as it is in his power. This is that which is
hid % GAl.^>Hayar gendmh to bondage: that is,the Ga U 2 ».
Covenant of Workes begets bond-men, and
flaves, and not fonnes arid freemen: and like-
wiie that, Heb. 12.18. faith the Apoftle. Tou Hc b,i
are not come to Mount Sinai, to the burning of
fire^ to clouds, todarkenejje^ totempeft, to the
found of a Trumpet , fo that Mofes himfdfe did
quake and tremble. That is> when a man lookes
upon thisCovenant of workes,it caufeth in him
afeare and an enmity :that is the 2. difference.

The third is, *That his a minif ration of death
as it is called, 2 0.3. a miniftration of death,
that is J^>ropounds acurfe to all thofe that do
notkeepejt,anditfhewes nomeanes to avoid
it 5 and therefore a man is affe&ed to it ; and to
Gedthe Author ofit^as one is to an enemy that ^
feeks his deftrudion s & therefore the miniftra-
tion of it is faid to be the miniftration of death.
The reafon of this is, not becaufe there is any
ill in the Law, it fc a mimftration of the letter,
it begets feare & enmity, it is a miniftration of
death- I fay, this arifeth not from hence, that
the Law of God is a cruell deadly Law:(for the
Law is good)but it arifeth from theweakenefle
and the infirmity of the flefh: As for example,
'if you would take a Potters Veflell. and dafh it
againft a firme Wall^the reafon why the Wall smik\
is the deftru&ion of the vefTell,is not any infir-
mity or weakeneffe in the Waf,for it is the ex-
cellency

3. Difference.
The miniftra-
tion of death.
iCor.3.'

}lO f

ThcCovenant
ofGrace,the

miniftration

Of the Spirit.

2.
OfLoYC.

5«

•Of Lite

Of The

cellency and vcrtue of the Wall to bee hard, u k
ihould be fo,but it is the weaknefle and fragi-
lity, and brittlenefle of the VcflTell/and thence
comes it t® be broken a funder : and fo in this
cafe,the reafon why this Law, or Covenant of
workes(is a miniftration of death 3 and of enmi-
ty, it is notbecaufe there isany imperfection
in the Law,it arifeth rather from the pert e £tion
ofit,but it) is from the weakenefieof the flefti^
that is not able to keepe the Law y it is the ex-
cellency of the Law, that it is fo perfect hat a
man is not able to keepe it^it arifeth,! fay,from
the weakenefleand infirmity of the flefh, that
is not able to obferve this Law.

Now, on the other fide, as the Covenant of
Workes is thus/o you fhall find that|[^ Cove-
nant of Grace,

Firft, is a miniftration of the Spirit, and not of
the letter.

Secondly, aminijlration of love, not of enmi-
ty ; offreedeme, not of bondage • it is a mini-
ftration of righteoufnefle, as it is there called
the miniftration of righteoufnefle $ fir if the
minijlratien of condemnation were glorious, much
more floall the miniftration of righteoufnejfe exceed
invlory.

Thirdly, a miniftration of life and juftificati-
on, and not a miniftration of death and con-
demnation. The ground of this, and how it is
thus, we fhall fhew you, by cxprefling to you
the order how thefe depend, and follow one
upon the other : when a man hath looked upon

the

NEW tOVHWAN T.

the Covenant ofWorkcs, and fees death in ir,
fees a (hid Law that hee is not able to keepe .
then comes the Covenant of Grace, and fhewes
to him arightcoufnes tofatisfiethat Law 5 that
himfelfe never wrought, fhewes him a way of
obtaining pardon and remiffion for the finn.es
that hee hath committed againft this Law,, by
thedeath^nd fatisfa&ion of another . when
hee feef this, he fees withall the goodnefTe and
mercy of God, giving this te him lor his falva-
tion,out of his iree grace and mercy^ and when
he fees it, the opinion of a (inner is changed:
marke . I fay , his opinion, his difpofltion and
affe&ion is altered : hee lookes not on Godnow
as upon a hard and cruell Matter,. but he lookes
upon him now as a GWexccedingfull of mercy
and companion • whence this followes, that
his heart melts toward the Lord, it relents, it
comes to be a lbftheart,that is eafie and trada-
ble, it is not haled now to the Commande-
ment,but out of an ingenuity and willingncife,
hec comes and ferves the Lord with alacrity
andcheerefulnefle; the difpofition is wrought
in him, becaufe now hee fees another way,
hisapprehenfion is altered, even as a fervant
when it is revealed to him that he is afon, and Stm&c*
that thofe hard taskes that are laid on him, are
the beft way to lead him to happinefle, they
are but rules of direction, for his owne wealth,
and for his owne advantage,he doth them now
withall wilhngnefTe, the cafe [is altered, hee
lookes not now upon the Law of God as an

enemy,

lit

Note*

Heb'S.ttfyio

2, Cor.3«2,2,

ThcMctaphor
ot writing the
Lawmmans
heart explai-
ned 3.waie^

There is an

cxpreflion of
every com-
mand in she
heat*.

Of Tm e

enecny,or as a hard bondage, but he lookes up-
on all the Law otGod, as a wholfome and pro-
fitable rule of dire&ion, that hee is willing to
keepe for his owne comfort : now, when the
heart is thus foftned, then the Spirit of God is
feat into his heart, and writes the Law of God
in his inward parts,as you fhall fee,if you com-
pare thefe two places together, #^«8.8,?,io.
Behold; faith the Lord, I will make a flew Cove-
nant, and this is the Testament that I will make
with the Ho ufe oflfrael : After thoje dales, faith
the Lord, I will put my Lawes into their mindes
and in their hearts will I write them, and I will bee
there God and they fhall be my people ; Ifyou com-
pare it with that z Cor.%. 2.3. TouareourE-
piftle written in our hearts, which is under fiood and
read of all men, in that you are manifejl to bee the
Epijlle of Chrijl, manifeft by vs, and written ,
not with Inke,but with the spirit of the living God±
not in Tables ofjlonejtut in the fteffyy Table? of the
heart. The meaning of it is this • when the
heart is once foftned, God fends his Spirit to
write his Lawes in ^the heart : which Meta-
phor will bee expreffed to you in thefe three
things.

Firft, the meaning of it is this, looke what
there is in the outward Law 3 as it is writr en^and
laid before you,there fhall be a difpofition put
into their heart,that fhal antwer it in all things
there fhall bee a writing within, anfwerable to
the writing without, that, even as you fee in a
fcale^ when you have put the feale upon the

wax.

New CovtwANT,

wax, and take it away againe, you finde in the
wax the fame impreflion that was upon the
fealc i you (hall lee in it, ftampe aufwering to
ftampe, chara&er to character, print to print- j
fo it is tin the hearts of the faithfully after they
are once thusfoftned, the Spirit of God writes
the Lawesin their hearts , fo that there is a Law
within,anfwerable to the Law without, that is
an inward aptneffe,anfwering every particular
of the Law- an inward difpofition whereby a
man is inclined to keep the Law in all points - 3
which Law within is called the law of the mind;
therefore, if you adde to this, that Rom. 7 J fee
a law in my members y rebelling again fi the law of
mymindy fbthereisaLawin the mind within,
anfwerable to the Law of God without ; it an-
fwers it,as lead anfwers the mould, after it is
caftintoit; it anfwers it, as Tallic anfwers to
Tallie, as Indenture anfwers to Indenture, fo
it agrees withit in all things j that is, there is
an aptneffe put intorheminde, that is able,
and willing, and difpofedinfomemeafureto
kcepe every Commandemerit, thatanfweretfa
to all the particular Commanderaents of the
Law of G o n • this is to have the Law of God
written in the minde : and this is that which
is firft meant by it, there is a Law within an-
fwerable to the Law without in all things.

The 2 . thing meant by it is, that it is not on-
ly put into the mind,as acquifit habits are, but
it is fo ingrafted as any naturall difpofition is,
, it is fo rooted in the heart, it is fo riuettcd in,
' as

Rom^.'

It
It is t firme

5*4 I

Of The

manner

The

of writing the

Law in the

heart.

as when letters are ingrayed in Marble, you
know, they continue there,? they are not cafily
worne out, and that is meant by it, I will plant
my Law in thy heart,it fliall never out againe,
there will I write it,there fliall it continue.-this
is the fecond thing that is meant by it, it (hall
be natnrall to you , for that is meant by this,
when it is faid, it fliall bee printed . it fhall bee
graven and written in the heart, and likewife it
ftiall be perpetuall, it fhall never weare out a-
gaine,as things that are written in the duft^but
it fhall be written fo as it (hall never againe be
obliterated/

The third thing to be exprefled^is the man-
ner of the writing of it 5 the Apoftle here com-
pares himfclfe and all other Minifters to the
Pen 3 but it is chrijl that writes the Epiftle,' the
Epiftle is his, for thefe works he doth in it,it is
he that takes the Pen, it is he that handles it 3 &
ufeth it,it is he that puts Inke into the Pcn,it is
he that applies it 3 fo that though the Minifter
be the immediate writer of thele Lawes in the
heart, yet the Inke is the Holy Ghoft, and it
comes originally from Chrift s andbefides,
they are not left to themfelves, but the L o r D
muft concurre with them immediately, we are
but co-workers with him % he holds our hands 3 as
it were 3 when we write the Epiftle in any mans
hearr 3 it is he that guides thePenne, as it is he
that puts Inke into it, it comes originally from
him 3 and therefore the Epiftleis his. Be/ides,
this is a further to be confidcred in this Meta-
phor,

N e yv Covenant.

515

•The writing

oi the La. v

vifiblc.

phor, that God will write his Law in our
hearts, that we may fee thefe Lawes, wc m ay
reade them, and underftandthem, as whea a
thing is written, Cod may fecit, and man may j
fee it : amanhimfclfe may fee it, and others
alfo may reade it : <?0^fees ithimfelfe, for he |
hath written it : man fees it, for hec is able to \
fee the Law in his minde, hee is able to fee that
habituall difpofition that is infufed into him:
and others are able to fee it: for, (aith Paul, you
areourEpiftle, evident to all men- that is>
as you may fee letters graven in (lone, fothcy
fee the fruites and effe&s of this Law writ-
ten in your hearts. So you fee now what
this Covenant of Grace is, and how it differs
from the Covenant of Workes : it is the mini,
ftration, not of the Letter, but of theSpirir,
becaufe it doth not onely prefent the outward
letter of the Commandement, but there is a
Law written within, that is done by vertue of
the Spirit. So that the order is this 5 firft it
reveales righteoufneflejfecondly,it foftens the
heart 5 it is the miniftration of the Spirit^ fand
thirdly,it is a miniftration of love, it is a mini-
ftration of freedome, and not of bondage anil
enmity: for when the Law is thus written,
aman is not haled to it : he comes not to it, as
ia Bondilave to doe his worke, but hee comes
willing!y,he finds he hath fome ability to doe
it,he finds a delight in it,as Paul faith,/ delight
in the Law of God according to the inward man.
So you fee the difference betweene the Cove-

Thc order of
writing the
Lav? in the

heart.

nant

^6 I

Covcnautof
Grace twofold

Sixdifferences
betwecne the
Old and New
Teftament.

I.
The New is
larger.

It is clearer.

Gal<4<

OfThi

nant 01 Grace, and the Covenant of W oikct,
Now the Covenant of Grace is twofold, it is f
eyther the Old Teftament or the New : they
both agree in fubftancc, they differ only in the
manner of the miniftration • that, which is
called the new Teftament, Heb. 7 '.8,9. which
is oppofed to the Old Teftament for fubftance
is the fame Covenant, they are both the Cove-
nant of Grace, only they differ in the manner •
and youfhall find thefe 6 differences between
them.

Firft, the New Teftament or the New Co-
venant, is larger than the 01d,it extends to the
Gentiles, where as the firft was confined onely
to the Jewes, it was onely kept within the wals
of that people,and extended no further.

Secondly, the Old was expreffed in types
and fhaddowes, and figures, as for example,
they had the bloud of Bulls and Goats, they
had the wafhings of the body in cleane water,
they had offerings of Incenfe, &c. by which
things, other things are meant ; as namely , the
death otcbriji^md the fatisfa&ion hee gave to
his Father by his death,and iikwife the inward
fan&ificatio of the fpirit,fignifiedby the wafh-
ing of watcr 3 and alfo the work<*sand ihc pray-
ers of the Saints, that are fweet as Incenfe;now f
( faith the Text, Gal. 4. ) thefe were elements
and rudiments that Cod ufed to them as chil-
dren, that is, as children have their A,B, C,
their firft elements, fo God did fhew to the
lewes thefe principall my ftcries, not in them-

felves

E VV

Gov

ENANT,

ielves,but in thefe types and (haddowes,as they
were able to fee them from day to day:for ther-
in was their weakneffe, they were not fo able as
to conceive fpirituall things without a mediate
view; they law the blood fhed, « and againe,
they faw the wafhings and the rites, thefe were
in their eye. whereas now in the time of the
Go!pelI,thefe things are taught tous, thefe we
comprehend in our mindes, weferve the Lord
in fpirit & in truth, but there is not that vifible
fight which was a.helpe to tkeir weakenefle 5 fo
that thefediffer as the image and the iubftance
it felfe, even as you fee things in profpe&ive
fhewes, and in painting, that are different from
the things themfelves, when you come to fee
Countries, and Citties, and Mountaines, and
Woods themfelves, it is another thing. And
this is the fecond difference between the Testa-
ments, the one was expreffed but in types and
fhaddows,the other hath the fubftance it feife.
Thirdly, they differ in this, the Old Tefta-
mentinit felfeis but weake and unprofitable,
(as you (hall feelikewife in the fame place,/fr£.
8.18.) for the Commandement that went be-
fore was difannulled,becaufe of the weakenefle
and unprofitablenefle thereof : for the Laroe
made nothing perfeB^ but the bringing in of a
better hope makes perfiB 5 by which wee draw
neere to God 5 that is, this was able of it felfe
to doe nothing, further than as it did lead to
that which was effe&uall, therefore it waxed
old, and vanifhed away ^ fohe puts them toge-
B b ther,

?>7

It is ftronger,
Heb.8.18.

3*8

It is more

Exod,24.

It gives more
knowledge.

Heb,8.io.

Of Th b

thermic was weake and unprofitable, and there-
fore it continued not, it had an end, as you
know the fecond proved effe&ual to take away
finne, andto fan&ifie us,and therefore it is an e-
verlafting Covenant, the Teftament that conti-
nues for ever.

Fourthly D they differ in the confirmation^this
fecond Teftament, the New Teftament, was
confirmed by an Oath, and confirmed by the
blood of the Teftator^by thebloodof G h r ist 3
whereas the other was confirmed by the blood
of Goats, as we fee,£W.24.it is called the blood
of the Covenant , wherewith the Booke of the
Covenant was fprinkled, that is, the (bedding
of the blood of beafts, confirmed the Cove-
nantrbut this is confirmed by the death ofchrisl
himfelfe,and accordingly 5 it hath new fealcs put
| to k y Baptifme and the Loxds Supper > when the
OldTeftament had other kA^Circumcifion and
the Pafeover.

Fifthly, they differ in this . in the New Te-
ftament there is a more cleere perfpicuous
knowledge of things, there are better promi-
fes, a larger infufion of the fpirir, there is
morecleerenefTeaswee fee 5 Heb .8.10. After
thofe dates ,faith the Lord, I will put myLawes
into their mindes^ &c. And thcyfliall not teach e-
very man his neighbour ^and every one his< brother ^
faying^ know the Lord; for all (hall know me^ from
we leaji to the greatejl of them. That is 3 they {hall
know much more, and that which they dee
know they fnall know in another manner :
" they J

New Covenant,

5*9

they (hall know ic more diftin&ly, more parti-
cularly. Moreover, as the knowledge is grea-
ter, fo the promifes are better promifes, #*>£. 8.
6. But now our bi/h Prieji hath obtained a more
excellent office, in as much as be is the Mediator of
a better Tefiament, efiablifhed upon better promi-
fts. The meaning of* it is this, the promifes
which were made in the Old Teftament,
( though the promife of falvation was not ex-
cluded- yet ) the maine of them, the moft ap-
pearing and infifted on,were,they jfhould have
the land of 'Canaan ,& they ftiould have an out-
ward profperity ,you fee the old teftamet much
infills upon that; the New meddles little with
them,but with promifes of falvation,remiffion
of fins,{an&ification by the fpirit : therefore,
faith the Apoftle here, it is cftabliflhed upon
better promifes. And againe, there is a larger
effufion of the Spirit, the fpirit is now powred
onus in a greater meafure, then it wasdi-
ftilledbydrop*, now the Lord hath difpenfed
it in a greater abundance to the fons of men, in
the time of the Gofpell,there is a greater mea-
fure of grace, and it followes upon the other,
G race and truth comes by lefus chriji ^ that is, be-
caufe there was more truth & more knowledge
there went likewifc more gr%e with it • there
is a greater revelation, fo likewifc, there goes
more grace • thatisafurerule, that all know-
ledge, when it is increafed, when it is faving
knowledge taught by God ? it carries grace pro-
portionally with it.This is the firft difference.

Bb 2 The

Heb.8.tf.

Better promi,
fes in the New
Teftament.

The Spirit gi«
venmorea-
bondantly in'
the New Te-
ftament*

*PV

Ithath a bet-
ter Mediator.

Vfe.l.
The goodncs
of God, to
maVe a Cove-
nant with
man.

OfThe

The lad difference is in the Mediator ^ Mq -
fes was the Mediator of the01dTeftament 3 that
is, it was he that declared it, it was hce againe
that was the executioner of it • but wee ha\e a
High Prieji that hath obtained a more excellent
office ^in as much as he is the Mediator of a bttter
Tejlament • that is, now cBriJi is the Mediator of
the Covenant, it is he thatdelcares the Covenant
and, fecondly, it is he that by the interventi-
on of a cercaine Compaft, of certaine Articles
ofagreemenr^ hath reconciled the difagreeing
parties^ he hath gone between them,as it were,
and hath undertaken for both fides ; hee hath
undertaken on Gods part, thefe and thefe things
fliall be done, allhispromifes are Tea, and Amen^
in him :and againe, hce hathfr undertaken on our
part to give fatisfa&ion by his death, and like-
wife to make us obedient to his Father : This
he doth, this is to be a Mediator of the Cove-
nant. I will ftand no longer on this : I come
briefly to make fome life of it, and leave the o-
ther 4 things(that is, With who this Covenant
is made^ How a man fhall know whether he be
within the Covenant 5 When this Covenant is
broken • and The reafon why God wiil make
this Covenant wuh-men ) to another occafion.
Now this ufe we will make of it : Firft 5 wee
may confider hence the great goodnes ofGW,
that hee is willing to enter into Covenant with
mortallmen. My beloved^ itisa thing that is
not fufficiently confidered of us 3 how great a
mercy it is, that the glorious God of Heaven

and

New Covenant.

and earth fhould be willing to enter into Cove-
nant > that hee fhould be willing to indent with
us, as it were,that he fhuld be willing to make
jiimfelfeadebtortous. If we confider it, it is
an exceeding great mercy, when wee thinke
thus with our felves, hee is inheaven,andwe
are on earth 5 hee the glorious God, weeduft
andafhes - y he the Creator, and wee but crea-
tures .5 and yet hee is willing to enter into Co-
venant, which implies in a kinde of equality be-
tweene us ^ as when Jonathan and David made
a Covenant, though thfcre was a difference,the
one was a Kings Sonne • yet notwithftandiag,
when the Covenant of friendfhip was made,
there did rife a kind of equality between them.
foitis betweene the L$rd and us, when hee
is once willing to enter into Covenant with us.
This fliould teach us to magnifie the mercy
ofGOD, and to bee ready to fay, as David
did,What am I, or what is my Fathers houfe,
that I fhould be raifed hitherto, that I fliould
enter into Covenant with the great God, that
he fliould come to a Compact and agreement
with me, that he fliould tye himfelfe,and bind
himfelfe to become a debtor tomee ? Yon
know, it is called an abafing, hee abafeth him-
felfe, to fee and to view the things below, but
how much greater abafing is it, tor him to en-
ter into Covenant with man ? It is not a fmall
thing, as David faid to another cafe . scemes
it tojou a fmall thing to bee the Sonne or Daugh-
ter to a King i So,I fay, it is not a Small thing
Bb 3 to

Nctel

Ged? mercy
in ending in-
to Covenant
with us.

Pfal.13,

Of The

By the Cove-
nant wc have
intereft in all
Godsattii*
butcs.

to enter into Covenant with G OD 3 to bee
in Covenant with the King of Kings : we com-
monly reckon it a great advantage to haveal-
lyance, to bee in confederation with ftrong
Princes. You fee what a Covenant there was
betweene Iehofyaphat and Ahab y fee how feho-
fhaphat exprefieth himfelfc . Truely, faith hee,
there is a League betweene us^ (What then? )
therefore my Horfes are thy Horfes, and my people
are thy people j and lb it is betweene GOD
and us, when there is a Covenant betweene
us, then his ftrength is our ftrcngth 3 and his
Armies are our Armies,we have intereft in all-
there is an offenfive and defenfive League .
and wh(!-n we feek to him, and put him in mind
of it, he cannot deny us. The People of Rome
had other parts and Nations, that were ailyes
with them, and if they were to fight, at any
time, the Romans wee bound to honour, to de-
fend them, and toaffift them, and they did ir
with as much diligence as they defended their
owneCitty oi'Rome. If we doe implore Gods
aide, doe you thinke that God will breaiehis
Covenant} Will hee not ftirre up himfelfe to
fca' ter his and our enemies ? Certainly hee
will. This igreat benefit you have • therefore
youhavecaufeto magnifie your felves in this
Condition and toblelte the Lord> to magnifie
him for his great goodnefie, that he would en-
ter into Covenant with you, this was the grea^
teft favour that ever hee fhewed to Abraham,
and it is the very icope of this place 5 Abraham ^

lam

New Covenant.

55 5

I am willing to enter into Covenant, totyemy
felfe, to enter into bond • and therefore, fince
the L&rdis not afhamedro make us his people,
let us not bee afhamed to call him our God, to
profeffe it,and make it good upon all occafions.
ThisisthefirftVfe.

Secondly , from this difference of the Ceve-
nmts, you have thefc two things to obferve :
Firft, in that the Covenant of Grace onely, is
the mini H rati on of the [pint* when the other is
but the minijlration of the letter , it fhould teach
us thus much, to labour to grow to aflurance
of the forgiveneffe of our iinnes. If a man
would defire to change his courfe, to have his
heart renewed, to bee made a new creature, to
bee tranflated from death to life; the way is
not to confider prefently the Commandement
for a man to thinke with himfelfe, this I ought
to doe, and I will fet about it, I have made a
Covenant,I have refolved with my felfe to doe
it 5 but the way is, to labour to get aflurance of
forgivene(Te,to labour to apprehend the Cove-
nant of Grace : for by thatmeanes thy heart
(hall be foftned,there fhall be an infufion of the
Spirit, that fhall write the Law of God in his in-
wardparts : all thofe places of Scripture make
it good, wherein it is faid, faith purifieth the
heart: and, bythepromifeswe are made partakers
ofthe godly nature, as,iPet m i.$. andlikewife
Heb.9. 14. How much more foall the blood of
Chrifi, which, through the et email Spirit, offered
himfelfe without fault to God, purge your conscience

B b 4. from

rfct.

To get a(Tu«
ranee of for-
giveneflc.

How to gee
the hearts re-
newed*

i Pet, 1.4.
Hcb.£ 14.

Of The

<3al. 3 ;
Gal.$,

from dead workes^ tejerve the living GOV. The
meaning is this, if a man would have his con-
feience purged from dead workes, let him la-
bour for faith, Whereby hee may bee juftificd,
let him labour to be fprinckled wich the blood
of cbrijl) to have affurancc of the forgivenes &
pardon of his finnes through his blood, then
he fhal hive that Spirit put into his heart,that
eternall Spirit, that {hall purge and cleanfe his
confeience from dead workes. So likewile,
Gal. 3 . Didyett receive the Sprit by the workes
of the Law? Did you not rather receive it by
the hearingof faith preached ? And fo, Gal. 5,
Faith that workes by love$ that is, it is faith that
brings forth love, and lovefets us on worker
All thefe {hew thus much unto U5, that the beft
way tohealeanyftrong luft, the beft way to
change our hearts, to get victory over any fin,
that it may not have dominion over us,to have
our confeience cleanfed from dead workes, to
bee made partakers of the divine nature, is to
grow up in the afliirance of the love of G O D
tous in C h r 1 s t, to get afiurance of pardon
and forgiveneffe : for, know this, if the heart
doe no more but looke to the Commande-
ment, if you heare only that there are fuch
duties to be done, and confider them, and you
compare your owne heart and the Comman-
dement together, there growes a quarrell be-
tweene the heart and the Commandement, an
exacerbation betweene them, and an enmity
they looke one upon another as enemies 3 but

when

NevvCovena^t.

335 |

when the heart is fofrned, and reconciled to
Godjt clofeth with the Conimandemenr,as the
foft clay doth with the mould, andis ready to
receive any impreffion ; but, till then 5 it rebels
againft the Commandement.,and ftands out as
a hard ftone^ that receives no impreffion 5 and
therefore the way is not to go about to reforme
our lives as morall men to think with thy felfe,
there are thefe duties, Imuft take a courfe to
perfbrme them,and enter into vows in particu-
lar courfes with my felfe to doe them : no, my
be!oved,the way is to get afTurance of forgive-
nes, to labour to be partaker of the Covenant of
Grace : your hearts will then be foftned, when
you have received the fpirit,that hath wrought
in your hearts a difpofitionanfwerable to the
Law without, when the Law is put into your
minds. And that is the firft difference.

The fecond is, in regard of thedifference of
the two Teftaments, the fecond Teftament be-
ing ftablifhedupon letter fromifis.W/hatis the
reafon that the New Teftament is faid to bee
ftablithed upon better promifcs ? Beloved,
this is the condition of the New Tefta-
ment, you (hall finde it very little expref-
fion of the promifcs of this life ^ looke ia all
the Epiftles of Paul, and the other Epiftles,
looke to all theDo&rinc of the Gofpell, and
you (hall fee the things that areiterate^ftill
they are thefe. You (hall beefaved,you ikall
have your finnes forgiven, you flaall be jufti-
fied^youfhallbeefandified^ you flaall receive

the

Note.

From the 2.
difference of
the Covenacs
gveft.

Why the New
Teftamentis
ftablj&cdon
6ettcr promi-
fcs.

Spirituall
things better
than tempo-
rail;

$36 OfThe

the adoption of fonnes, you fhall receive the
high price of your calling, &c. Thefe arc the
things that Paulcvexy where magnifies, as the
condition that exceeds, and goes beyond the
conditiens of our forefathers times : Now this
great Myftery is revealed, now thefe great
riches are opened, that before were hid.
Whence you may gather thus much 3 that grace
& fpirituall things/pirituall priviledges,things
belonging to the Kingdome of God, and of I u.
$vs Christ, exceed mudi all outward & tcm-
porall happinefle: Why are they otherwifc cal-
led better promifes?There are many other pla-
ces I know, to (hew the vanity of outward
things, and to preferrrc fpirituall things before
them; but let this bee added to the reft • this
Covenant is eftablifhed on better promifes • la-
bour then to worke your hearts fully to that
perfwafion, namely ,to thinke with your felvcs,
it is better to be rich in Grace, better to have
tbepriviledgesof/^ chrift, then too bee rich
in this world, Rev. 2. I knew thy poverty, but
thou art rich. You muft thinke with your fclves,
this is the great riches . and therefore the Apo-
ftle exhorts rich men, that they change thefe
other riches they enjoy, to fpirituall riches.
Now a man will never bee exhorted to change,
except it bee for the better. Charge thofe that
an rich in the world, that they bee rich in good
workes : let them fo ufe their riches, fo difpence
them, fo manage them, that they may turne
to other riches. When a man is rich in know-
,,, ledge,

NewCovenamt.

337

icd^e, as it is faid of the Corinthians > that they
were rich in all knowledge,and in every grace.
Thcfe are the better promifevhis 1S c ^ e better
and more glorious condition. So that, if there
fhould be a Cenfa of men, as one may Co fay, if
there fhould be an eftimation ofrnenj as there
was wont to bee amongft the Romans, they
were put in leverall conditions, and one was
worth thus much,and another fo much^Indeed
if God fhould make fuch a Cenfm - as every man
is richer in grace, as hee excels in thefe better
priviledges,as he hath had thefe better promi-
fes fulfilled more or lefle to him, io hee fhould
be reckoned a more excellent man 3 and fo
fhould every man efteeme both of himfelf and
others : and there is very great reafon for it •
becaufc when a man is rich in grace, rich in fpi-
rituall bleffings, when hee hath the fpirimall
promifes,hchath Gods image renued in him,he
hath God to be his friend, who is the Governor
of the World, and he is rich (as I faid ) whom
God favours^ hath grace that heales his foule,
which is that that makes his happinefTe : It is
that, which is the inward fafhioning of every
mans apprehefion,that makes him happy ,that
brings comfort to him. Now they are thefe
better promifes, they are the graces,the confo-
lations of the Spirit- the worke of the Holy
Qhoft, the vertue of regeneration . I fay, it is
that that fafhions theheart,and the inward a p-
prchenfioft ; it is that that heales the foule, and
adorned it, it is that that puts into it another, a

fitter

Menftiould
beefteemed
according to
their graces.

Gods favour
malediiich.

«8

Of Tm e

Not to take
fcandall at
[ low eftate of
the Church.

fitter condition, tend it farre goes beyond all o-
thertemporall felicity -, thatreacheth notto
the inward man, it makes not him that is the
Governour of the world to be his friend-, other
frinds he may have,that may make him potent
upon the Earth, but G O D, in yphofeband is
his life, and alibis wyes, it makes not him his
friend. Learne thus 'to judge of the condition
of the C hurch. You thinke the Church is in a
miferable eftate, when you fee it a little under
hatches, when you fee it downe, when you
fee it harrowed and plowed by the enemies ^
the condition* of the Church in the new Te-
ftament is to be fo ; they have a poore outfide 3
yttmakingmany rich • they have a fbrrowfull
outfide, thou ghalway rej eyeing, as Christ
himfelfe, and all the Apoftles were herein ex-
emplary for after- Ages of the Church, yet we
muft not thinke, becaufe the Church is downe
a little,becaufe it wants that outward profperi-
ty that before itenjoyed, .that therefore it is the
worfe : , It is a true obfervation of one . When
there were but woodden Chalices, then there
weregoIdenPriefts; and in after time, when
there were golden Chalices,they had woodden
Priefts : fo it is y when the Church is in a lower
condition, cotnmonly it profpers beft j and in-
deede properly the profperity of the Church
con fills in thefe better promifes, the outward
peace is not fo proper and peculiar to it.

And as of the Church, fol may fay of eve-
ry particular man : Thinke not with your

felvts

New Coven a nt.

539

felves when your outward condition is bafe
and low, that it is more miferable • your happi- J
neffe ftands in better promifes : when a man |
hath Gaius prosperity: that is, when his foule • j
profpers, that is his beft condition ^ and com-
monly his foule profpers beft,when his outward
eftate fares the worft- the winter of his outward
condition is ufuall y the fpring time of his foule
we {houldlearne to judge thus. You know, it
is an obfervable thing, that the promifes of out-
ward profperity were made to the Church of
God, whiles it was yet in its infancy, while it
was weake 5 fo that this you may obferve from
it, that it is a figne ofchildiftmefleand weake-
nefle, and infirmity, that a man is not growne
perfed, that hec is not growne to maturity, to
thinke outward profperity to be the better con-
dition. The Iewes had thefe promifes, but in
regard of their infancy, and when the Church
grew up to a greater height, when it grew to
manhood, as it were, we have little mention of
any fuch promifes as thefe . the promifes are
quite of another nature 5 and therefore when
you are able to outgrow thofe opinions, when
you are able to lookeupon things with another
eye, when you thinke this outward profperity
to bee but a trifle in comparifon of the better
promifes, it is a figne you are growne up to
moreftrength. You fee Salomon, when hee
camehimfelfe, when his wifedome returned
to him(as I may fo fay ) you feehow he looked
on all outward things, how he goes thorow all

the

The foule
fares beft fore-
times in a tow
condition,

A figne of
weaknefle loo-
king much to
outward
things.

5<J-°

Twofold wife.

dome inSah"

tntn*

I Of The

the particulars, theyJare vanity \and vexation of
fpiriu Salomon, when he was old., when he had
the wifdorae of experience joyned together
with that infufed wifedome that hee had from
the Holy Ghoft, made this thefumme of all,
that outward profperity is meere vanity, & ex
treme vanity, a vanity that hee could not e
nough exprefle, and only be magnifies thefc
better promifes -this hee magnifies as
the better condition, to ftare Ged
anikeepehis Commands
ments$c.

THE,

i i m i i w

Nexv Covenant.

34.1

m.m^mkm

THE

ELEVENTH

SERMON.

Genes i 9 17. 2.

And, twill tnake my Covenant between* mee and.
thee.

He third Vfe ( which we did
but touch upon the laft day,
and meane at this time fom-
whatto enlarge) is, that if
the Covenant of the Law,
and likewife the Old Tefta-
mentj as it confifts in types
and fhaddowes,be but a miniftrauon of the let-
ter^ miniftration of bondage, and a mniftrati-
on of enmity •, But this New Covenant, this
Covenant of grace, is the miniftration of the
Spirit, the miniftration of love, the miniftrati-
on of freedome, the miniftration of righteouf-

nefle.

i¥

Difficulties in
Gods com-
mands kecpc
men frcm
holineue.

Of The

— ■ .»M^a>a ■!■ ■ ■ .i . ■ i . n i

neffe, andtheminiftrationoflife: then, belo-
ved,we may gather this from it, that if a man
will obtaine the Spirir,and therby mortifie the
deeds of the body, if hee would bee delivered
from the bondage of finne and death • then
let him make ule of, and apply to himfelfe the
Covenant of Grace, the free promifes of the
pardon and remiffion of finnes, let him apply
them, that is the way to get the Spirit, that is
the way to mortifie the deeds of the flefh, that
is the way to get his heart changed, that is the
way to be made a new creature. For the better
understanding of which, this is to be obferved,
that that which keeps every man off 3 that which
keepes men in a condition of flrangenefTe from
the life of God, is, becaufe they" fee fuch diffi-
culties in the Command: ments of God, as they
are notable to keepe, when they looke upon
the Commandement,and on the ftubbornncfTe
of their owne hearts, and the indif position that
is in them toyeeld obcdience,they thinke there
is no hope, and therefore they never goe about
it : for they lee the Commanckracnt, and they
finde in their owne heart no diipofition to keep
it, but an aptneffe to rife in rebellion againft ir-
I fay this keepes men off from the lite of God.
But, on the other fide,when a man lookes upon
the promifes, he begins to fee the Covenant that
his finnes fhall be put away, hee beginns rofee
the goodneffe, and the mercy, and the tender
compaffion of God towards him • hee begins to
fee a poflibility of fulfilling the Law • in fuch a

manner

New Covenant,

manner as GOD now requires- Then his hcarn
melreth,»hec becomes not onely applyableto
the Commandement,but is ready to delight in
ir- this a Man gets by applying his heart to the
Covenant of Grace,or by applying the Cove-
nant of Grace to himfelfe 5 That very applying
of the promifes of forgivencfle, I fay, it begets
a difpofition in the heart,which the Scriptures
call a new life . that even as you fee the Sunne,
when it applyes its beames to a fitly difpoftd
matter, and ftayes upon it,when it pitchethits
beanies upon it with any continuance,it begins
to beget life and motion in it,and makefiNt a li-
ving creature :fo doth the Covenant of Grace,
when it is applyed to the heart of a Man,it be-
gins to beget life in him , and to make him a
new creature,it makes him another Manrthere
is that power in the Covenant of Grace,in the
promifes of the pardon and forgivenefle of fins,
that it begets another life in a man,it makes him
a new creature, it makes him a living creature
to GW,which before he was not.

The ground of which you {hall fee, 2 Coy. 3.
S.Hee hath made m able Ministers of the New Te-
fiament^not of the letter ^but ofthefprit:for the let-
terkilsj?ut the ft irit gives ///%.Marke it,the mea-
ning of it is this,when the Covenant of works
is delivered to you,that is, when you heare the
Law,theCommands,the duty you cannot per-
forme , there is no more delivered to you but
the bare Letter, that is,you know the duty^and
no more. And what doth this duty doe? What

Cc doe

Simile*

* Cor. p6*

344

Of Thi

Aft comity be*
tweenc the

heart and the
coBStsandr

doe thefe Commandcmf nts and precepts doe,
when they are applyed to the heart of a Man ?
Saithhee , they kill. Now that which kils,
fights before it kils,and that which fights muft
needes be an enemy : So then the Commande-
ment is an enemy, that is, every Man cfteemes
it as an enemie to himfelfe , and therefore hath
an enemy-like affe&ion to it againe-That is,he
hates it,he would be rid of it, he wiflieth there
were no fuch Law or Commandemenr,hce de-
sires it lhouldbee dealt with as hee would have
an enemy dealt with,bce would have it utterly
takcril&ray -When they grow in enmity one
with another , as indeede they doe , the naked
Commandemcnt and the heart are atenmitie :
For the Commandemcnt would have one-
thing, and the heart would have another, there
are contrarie wils , and there is a driving bc-
twecne them , the one ftriving this way t the
other that way, the one refitting the other, and
in the end 3 the Law and the Commandemcnt
gets the vi&ory • Becaufe the fting of the Law
is finne: Now the Law is thecaufe of finne,as
isthc % caufe"o"t j a ftraight Rule is the canfe ofcrookedncfle-For
fianc. I without the Law there fliould bee no fin : Now

it caufeth finne : For if there were no Law,you
know 3 there could bee no offence, no tranfgref-
fion - 3 Becaufe there could bee nothing againft
which the tranfgrcflion could come- This
finne is the death of a Man : So now the letter
kils : But come now to the Covenant of Grace,
Dith the Text, it is aminiffratienef the Sprite

and

How the Law

■ ■.« . . - ■ . *> ■ ... t , ._ jJ a J i ,_ UL _ a e -

New Covenant. J 345

and the Spirit gives life^ That is, when a Man j
lookes on the Covenant of Grace,he lookes not
on it now as an enemy, as hee did before upon
the Commandement, but hee fees in it much
Iove,and much friendftiip towards him^he fees
sWintendsnotany hurt, anyevilltohim,a5
hee apprehended before- he fees Ged exceeding
kinde and mercifull , and willing to put away
all his finnes ,and willing to accept the fincerity
of his obedience, though therebe not a perfc- j
&ion of obedience, now hee begins to change
hisopinion,bothot GWandof allhisLawes,
and precepts j When he fees (7f*£f kindnefle to-
wards him, and his compaflion and readinefle
to forgive him, then his heart begins to relent
towards the £ w/againe,he begins to magnifie
Gods goodnefle , and to condemne himfelfe,
hee beleeves thofe promifes , and thence hee
growes up in love towards GOD-I fay, hee j Motel
growes up in Faith and Love,andin this aft of
Faith is the Spirit infufed into his heart ., This
Spirit being thus infufed , writes the Law in
his inward parts, that is it that breedes in him
aholydifpofition, that enables him in tome
mcafure to keepe the Law, it prints in him all
thofe graces that give him ftrength to obfervc
the Commandements that GO D hath given
him : fo that,if a Man will goe about this great
! worke , to change his heart, and to change his
life,let him not goe about it as amorallMan*
That is, let him not onely confiderwbat Com- ]
mandements there are, what the re&itudcis
Cd that

Fattkrnr$etli

Heb.<?.i*

Galat.3^,

O F Th S

that the LORD requires, and how to bring his
heart to it 3 but let him goe about it as a Chri-
ftian, that is , let him beleeve the promifes of
pardon in the bloud of chri ft >and the very be-
leeving of thofe promifes will be able to cleanfe
and purge the heart from dead workes ; ( In that
place wee then named 3 and wee could doe no
more but name it ) you (hall finde it^Heb.?.!^
How much more [ball the bloud of Chrift 5 which
by the eternall Spirit offered himfelft without fault
to God,purgeyour conference from dead workes 3 to
fervethe living GOD. The meaning of it is this,
when a Man hath once applyed the bloud of
chrift fox his juftification,this effe<ft will follow
upon it, there will accompany it a certaine vi-
gour, a certaine vertue , a certaine power aad
ftrength, which will alfo purge his confeience
from dead workes » That is , there fhall goe a
power of the Holy Ghoft together with this
bloud 3 that fhall not onely forbid him 3 and
fhew him that hee ought not to doe fudrand
fuchevill things, but it fhall cleanfe his con-
feience from thofe rootes of dead workes,thofe
corrupt lufts, and finfullaffe&ions, that are in
him,that difpofe him to that evill-he fhall find
j this power growing upon him, if hee doebut
apply thebloudjthat is,if he apply the promife
ot pardon and forgivenefle through the bloud
of lefm Chrift. The like you {hall [ce^Gal. 3.5.
Hee that mini ftreth to you the Spirit , andworketh
m'wacles amongft yeu^ doth hee dee it through the
workts of the Law^or through the hearing of Faith
' '•"* . preached}

New Covenant.

preached ? That is 3 faith the Apoftle ,if I ftiould
onely deliver to you the Commandements,and
the Precepts 3 and the Rules, by which you
ought to walkej might preach long enough to
yoUjbutyou fhould never have ability tokeepe
any of thefe , faith hee 3 you may obferve thofe
that preach the Law to you ,did you receive
the Spirit then? No , but when I preached to
you the promifes of pardon and forgivenefle,
then you received the Spirit , it was conveyed
into your hearts.

Now ,1 take it,there is a double meaning of
this infufion of the Spirit here : In the time of
the Apoftles, there was a miraculous infufion
and giving of the Holy Ghoft 3 that when they
preached to them,asP wr to Cornelius fund faul
to others , and layd their hands on them , the
Holy Ghoft fell on them j That is, they were fil-
led prefently with an immediate infufion of
knowledgCjthcy had,fome the gift of tongues 3
fome extraordinary manifeftation of the Spi-
rit , faith the Apoftle, when this was done,was
it done by the preaching of the Law ? Was it
not done by the preaching of ckriji, and by of-
fering to you the pardon and forgivenefle of
finnes through him ? Therefore you fee how he
exprefleth it, He therefore that miniftreth the
Spirit to you,and workes miracles among you,
how dothhec worke thefe miracles ? Hee doth
them not by the workes of the Law,
but by the hearing of Faith preached • that
is, by our preaching of it,and your hearing it:
.A: , - Cc 3 Now

A double infu-
fion of the fpi.
lie.

3+8

O F T H E

A man by his
owne ftrength
cannot prc-
vaile againfU
luft.

i Paten.*

N ow looke how the fpiric was thence conveyed
t o men,after the fame manner it muft now bee
c onveyed to us ; So tbatbeleeving the promi-
ses is the way to get the heart healed ^ When a
Man hath any ftrong luft to conflid withall,he
muft not thinke , that fetting himfelfe with
ftrong vowes and refolutions to refift it, is
the way to kill it : No , the way is to gee
afliirance of pardon , to get aflurancc of Cods
r love to himfelfe in chri&^to labour to get com-
munion betweene CHRIST and himfelfe,to
labour to delight in God^s hee will when there
once are termes of ' reconciliation betweene
them,and when this is done,his heart wil grow
to an application of the Commandement, it
will clofe with the Commandement: Where-
as before it refifted it , and rebelled againft it,
it will cleave to it, and love it,and delight in it,
and will receive an impreffion from it: This I
take likewifc to be the meaning of that 2 Pet.x.
4. Hereby (faith he) we have tnojl gracious promi-
fes^and are thereby made partakers of the .Divine
nature : that by them we (hall bee partakers of
the godly nature j That is, by beleeving the
promifes of pardon ,wee are thereby made par-
takers of the godly nature^ there is a renewing
there is a change of the nature, a Man is made
another creature , even while hee is looking on
the promife of pardon and remiffion, the pro-
iaifes of theNewC0W2/z/tf,that offer lefuschrift,
and the gift of righteoufneffe through him, e-
ven by beleeving thofc promifes it is wrought.

You

New Covenant.

l\9

You may compare this with that Romanes 6.
where this obje&ion is made , If there bee a
a promife of pardon 3 and of Grace, through
Chrifi, then belike we may live as we lift > No,
faith the Apoftle, doe you butbeleeve thofe
promifes of grace,and the care is eafie for the
reft- In the 1,2,3 Verfes, What jhaU we fay then}
shall we continue injinne that grace may abound }
God forbid: shall wee that are dead to]inne y live
yet therein} Knowyounoty that as many as are
haptized into lefm Christ , are baptized into his
death} The meaning is this, if once you re-
ceive lefus Chrift ,and the pardon and remiffion
of finnes through him, you cannot be fo bapti-
zed into him,but you muft be baptized into his
deathjThat is,of neceffitieiiqne muft beecru->
cified in you,you muft bee dead tofinne,as hee
was dead- you cannot be baptized into him for
juftification,but you muft be baptized likewife
for mortification of the fleflr, and for refurre-
<9;ion to newneffe of life - 3 Know you notjhat all
that are baptized into lefus CHRIST ,that is,that
are baptized into him for reconciliation with
<W,ofneceflitie they muft bee alfo baptized in-
to his death } Therefore, faith hee, you are dead
to finne,by being thus baptized withCH£AS7*,
it is impoffible you fhould live in it. So,
I fay , hee that hath the ftrongeft Faith , hee
thatbeleeves in the greateft degree the pro-
mifes of pardon and remiffion , I dare boldly
fay , hee hath the holieft heart , and the holieft
life : For that is the roote of it, it arifeth from
C c 4 . that

Ronn^i,*,},

He thathath
the ftrongeft
Faitb,haththe
holieft life.

350

O F Th E

A double po«
werin Chrifts
bloud*

To know on
what ground
wclookefor
Jfalvatioa.

that roote, fan&ification arifeth from juftifica.
tion 3 the bloud oichriH hath in it a power,now
onely to wafh us from the guilt of finne,but
to cleanfe , and to purge us likewife from the
power and ftaincof finnc : And therefore,! fay,
the beft way to get a great degree of fan&ifica-
tion 3 and of mortification of finfull lufts 3 the
bed way to get a greater meafure of the graces
of the Spiric,to grow up to greater holinefTe of
conversation , is to labour to grow in Faith, in
thebeliefeof thofe promifes of the Gofpcll:
For there is no other reafon Jin the world , w hy
intheKew Teftament there is an infufion of
the Spirit that gives life,butbecaufe now there
are more evident promifes of pardon,and for-
giveneflfe, and reconciliation with God which
by the Covenant of workes could not bee. And
fo much ftiall ferve for this.

The fourth and raaine Vfe , that wee are to
make of this 3 froimhis defcription of the Co-
venant, istolearneto know the ground upon
which we expeft fa!vation 3 and the fulfilling of
all the promifes 5 The ground of all is this Co-
venant. My beloved, it is the greateft point
that everwee had yet opportunirie to deliverto
you ^ Yea , it is the maine point that the Mini-
fies of the Gofpell can deliver at any time
neythercan they deliver a point of greater mo 5 -
ment,nor can you heare any 3 than the defcrip-
tion of the Covenant of Grace : This is that
you muft lay up for the foundation of all your
comforts , it hath becne the corner ftone upon
- which

Gov

ENANT.

which the Saints have becne builr 3 from the be-
ginning of the world 3 ,unto this day : There is
no ground you have to beleeve you (hall bee fa-
vedjthere is no ground tobeleeve.that any pro-
mifc of God ftiall bee made good to you,to be-
leeve that you fhall have the price of the high
calling of G O D in Iefus ChriJi, and thofe glo-
rious riches of the inheritance prepared for us
in him; I fay, there is no other gronnd at all,but
upon this Covenant- all that wee teach you,
from day to day , are but conclufions drawne
from this Covenant they are all built upon
this :Therefore,if ever you had caufe to attend
any thing 5 you have reafon to attend to this* • I
(ay,this Covenant betweene GOD and us.
And therefore wee will labour to open to you
now more cleerely and diftin&ly this Cove-
nant- though a difficult thing it is, to deliver to
you cleerely what it island thofe that belong to
it : Yet you muft know it, for it is the ground
of all you hope for,it is that that every Man is
built upon, you have no other ground but this,
G O D hath made a Covenant with you, and
you are in Covenant with him : therefore D that
I may fhew it to you,we will proceed from the
very firft preaching of the Covenant to Adam.
When the Serpent had overcome the Woman
and fupplanted her and the Man-, and had
throwne them from their happinefle,(Whim-
felfe firft preached the Gofpell to them , and
that in thefe termes^after he had charged them
with their finne % and had humbled them, (for

that

A hard thing
to unfold the
Covenantof

Grace.

35*

Godfirfthusn-
bleth , &"thcn
comforted).

The Serpents
feede^who.

Of Th e

that method hceufech) hce (hcwesEve what
fhec had done,and faith to Adam^H^H thou ea-
ten efthe Tree of which I [aid thou fhalt not eate I
hee fhewes them their finne, and after that the
curfe- then hee begins to tell them hee will not
leave them without hope . It is true, faith hec 3
the Serpent is your enemie,and hath overcome j
you : But , faith hee, you fhall not bee Haves to (
him and captivated to him for ever . But you
(hall red ft him , and bee enemies to bim, / will
put enmitie betweene the Serpent and the Wo-
man 3 and you fhall fight together,there fhall be
a warre betweene you , and this fhall bee the
ifTue of the warre,the Serpent fhall afflift you,
and hurt you fomething , but thou fhalt over-
come him, and bruife his head , thou fhalt bee
the death of him, thou fhalt have the vi&orie
over him. The Woman might aske. But how
can this bee ? Alas , lam weake , I finde my
felfe too weake already in the Battle, hee is too
ftrong for mee ? Saith hee, I will give thee a
certaine feede,one that fhall bee borne of thee,
and hee fhall be an enemie to the Serpent and
his feede 5 that is, to all e vill men, that are cal-
led his feede, becaufe they are like him : there
fhall be enmity betweene them two,& he fhall
fight the Battle for thee : And in rhat Battle
between him and the Serpent, this fhall be the
i fluc,the Serpent (hall bruife his heelejhat is,he
fhall prevay le fo farre as to caufe men to cfaci-
fie him , which is but as the bruiilngof the
heele<But 3 faith hee,hee fhall breakehisheadjnc

(hall

New Gov ENANT.

fhall utterly deftroy him, and overcome him J
for thee : So fhalt thou prevaileagaine, and be
fet in the place 3 and enjoy all the promifes.
The Church continued in the vertue of this
promife,this preaching of the Gofpell 3 qntill
Abrahams time, and then God begins to mani-
feft his Covenant againe 5 hee cals forth Abra- j
ham,at\d teJs him,hee meanes to make a Cove- 1
nant with him,hee tels him that hee will blefle
him,and that all the Nations of the World
fliould bee blefled in him : one while it is faid
thus 3 another while, all the Nations of the earth
fhall beblejfed in thyfeede.

There are many difficulties in this, how the
promifefhould bee made to the feede • how a-
gaine it fhould bee made to Abraham himfelfe?
( for it is faid to be made to both) how all Na-
tions are blefled in Abraham, and yet it is {aid,
they fhall be blefled in thy (cede.

Againe, the Condition of the Covenant ,
which hee requires of Abraham , is the fame
thing that Cod makes a part likewife of his own
Covenant.

Befides , G O D S Covenant feemes not to
bee the giving of the Mejjiah , but the giving
of the promifed Land , giving him a Sonne,
and making him a great Nation • many diffi-
culties there are in this : Therefore , that you
may underftand them diftin&ly, I will deliver
it thus to you- not in the method wherein
it is fet downe , but fo as I fhall make it much
clearer and perfpicuous to you, and beft

353

Difficulties in
the (Covenant
io*4brabam.

1 V*

I. The Cove*

nan t made
with Abraham.

Allbleffings
inChnft the
promifedfecd-

Of Th e

to bee underftood by you : Therefore you fhall
obferve in GODS preaching the Gofpell to
Abraham.
Firft,the Covenant.
Secondly, the condition of it.
Thirdly, theconfirmation of it.
Fourthly, the parts of the Covenant.
Fifthly ,the objections the Jewes might bee
ready to make againft it. And fhe wing [ thofc
five,wee will open it fully unto (you.

Firft, The Covenant that GOD made with
Abraham ^ was after this manner : Abraham,
faith the L O R D, I will give thee a feede,and
in that feede, both thou thy felfe , and Sail the
Nations of theEarth (hall bee blefledj And the
queftionis,how this (hall bee done ? Saith the
Lm/,hee (hall blefle thee,hee fhall have power
in his hands to blefle thee 5 for I will make him
a Prophet, a Prieft , and a King. All the blef-
(ings that the people ever had, they were con-
veyed to them by thefe three, by their Priefts,
by their Prophets, and by their Kings : Saith
he,this promife I have made to that feede,that
he (hall be aProphet,a Prieft,and a King; Yea,
faith hee , that feede of mine that I (hall fend,
that fhall be borne of thee , hee (hall bee my
Sonne,and my hcyre,andin him likewife thou
(halt bee made an heire and a fonnej An heyre
of all the World,ashee is a Sonne , as he is en-
dowed with all fpiritual priviledges belonging
to him • yea , thou (halt not onely have this ,
but, faith he,thou (halt even have the Spirit of
I the

New Covenant.

the Sonne, and be made like to him , thou (halt
be made a Prophet, as he is a Prophet,he fhall
teach thee ib,by infufing of the fame fpiric that
dwells in himielfe, hee fhall teach thee fuch
knowledgc,that thou {halt be a Prophet,as hee
is s yea 3 hefhal make thee a Prieft,as himfelfe is,
thine owne perfon fhall bee accepted afwell as
what thou doeft : Yea , hee fhall make thee a
King, as hee is a King^That is,thou {halt have
thefpirit of a King , to rule overall thy finfull
lufts,and difpofitions,thou {halt have the peace
of /a King, the joy, the comfort,the riches of a
K ng,and thevi&ory of a King , I will deliver
thee from all thine enemies: And for a Type
of this,(for the Covenant was made after Mel-
chifedech came to him, as wee may fee , Chapr.
14.) thou {halt fee a refemblance of it, in that
Melchifedech hath done to thee 3 hee came to
thee, and blefled thee, and hee wasaKing 3 a
Prieft, and a Prophet- Hee was the King of
peace^and the Prieft of the mod high GOD j
and what was the bleffing that Melchifedech
brought to Abraham > Saith hee , the L OR D
blefle thee 5 He blefled him • That is,hee bade
him goe on , and profper i hee wiflied that all
bleflings might come upon him, that he might
overcome his enemies , &c. That hee might
j have bleflings of all forts,they are not fct down
I ^particularly^ And ( in a word ) hee made him
^hejre of all things: For (faith he) lam the Prieft
;0f the mod high GOD rfojfejfir of Heaven and
.Earth : An d heere I have brought thee Bread

and

555

Chrifti offices
communica-
ted to every

Chriftian.

GeneC 14.7.

Melchifedech
his bit fling of
Abraham. J

Of Th e

Holy men
cavefoU to
give God the
glory of His
bidding**

iT^the tfigne
t of homage.

Iand Wine , that is , an earned , a little for the
whole, to fhew this to thee , that GOD hath
made thee heyre of all things : And thereupon
when the King of Sodeme ptefently offered
him the riches that he had taken,when he came
backe from the jvi&ory , No , faith Abraham ,
I will not take them • For it is the LORD that
blefleth me, it is he that (hall make me rich , tt
is he that is my exceeding greatreward,it is he
that hath entred into Covenant with mee j And
therefore,faith he,it (hal never be faid,that the
King ofSedome bath made Abraham rich % I have
received all from him , and I will reftore all to
him : Therefore, you fee , hee payd Tythes to
Melchifedech, he gave him the tenth of all that
hee had : So , ( faith GOD) that Meffuib,
that promifed feede, is a Prieft after the order
of Melchifedech: Hee is a King , Hee (hall J
come and blefife thee, after that manner hee
fhali make thee heyre of all things ,oneIy thou
(halt doe him homage 3 faith hee, as thou didft
to Melchifedech. What was that homage ?
That thou (halt give him the tenth of all thou
haft, that is, by that thou (halt fhew thine ho-
mage , thou (halt (hew that thou art bound to
(hev him obedience, thou (halt (hew upon
what tenure thou holdeft all that thou haft :
Thou giveft him that as a Rent,acknowledging
him to bee the LORD ,of whom thou haft re-
ceived all things , and to whom thou oweftall
things : Therefore Abraham would take no-
thing of anyelfe,bce would take nothing of

the

I New Covenant.

| the King oisodotnej\ox hee would doenothin g
jfor the King ofsodome^ that is 5 not for him, nor
any Man, but as from G-od^ as a racanes under
him • This is the great Covenant that the Lord
made with Abraham : So you fee how the pro-
mife is made to the feede : For the promife was
made thus to the feede 3 <j0^hath promifed that'
he (houldbee aKing,aPrieft,and a Prophet,
/ have fworne faith hc^ythou art a Priejlfor ever^
after the order of Melchifedech : Againe , / will
give unto him the Kingdome of David. Thus the
promifes come after in the Old Teftament: So
the promife is made to thefeede,and againe,it
is the feede that bleffeth him. This is the pro-
mife.

Now for theCondition that GOD required
of Abraham , it was this , Thou fhalt belceve
this,thou (halt beleeve that fueh a Mtfftah fliall
bee fent into the World : Art thou able to be-
leeve this , Abraham > Hee anfwers,Yes.Well.>
faith the Z,<?r^, I will put thee to the tryall, I
! will fee whether thou canft beleeve this or no h
| and withall,I will give thee a figne orevidence
J that I am able toperforme it : Saith he , 1 will
! give thee a Sonne : It is true,thou art as a dead
I Man, thou art almoft a hundred yeers old,and
the Wombe of Sarah is dead : I will promife
thee a Sonne , Arc thouable to beleeve it ? A-
\ gaine,thou feeft the Land of Canaan , thou haft
I notonefootinit,I will give this Land in the
length and breadth of it, for thy pofieflion:
Art thou able to beleeve this ? Saith the Texr,

Abraham

357

i.Thc condi*
tionoftheco-
venant which

Gcncf.:^4«

Vcrf.*.

55S O F T H E

Abraham did belceve , and G od accounted that
Faith of his for righteoufne{fe,that is heaccep-
ced him for it- For thatFaith he reckoned him
a Man fie to make a Covenant withall , hee ac-
counted him a righteous pcrfon-,that is,he was
willing to enter intoc ovenant with him,becaufe
hee beleeved him. Beloved , this was not di-
rc&Iy the beleeving of the Mejftab ( hee did
intend theMeJJixh)but it was the beleeving that
hee fliould have a fonne. You fee, the Text is
pMne,Gen.i 5. when God had faid to Abraham,
that hee would bee his exceeding great reward,
faith Abraham, Igoe childlefje,and the Steward of
my houfe will bee mine heyre.Saith the LORD to
him,Verfe 4. This Man JhaU not bee thine heyre,
but one that fyall come out of thine owne bowels jh all
be thine heyre. Goe looke upon the Starres, if
thou bee able to number them, then thou (halt
number the feede that thou {halt have, Saith
the Text,Vejf.£. Abraham beleeved, and hee ac-
counted that to him for righteoufnejfe. S o like-
wife hee faid in the Verfes following, againe
hee faid,/ am the Lord that brought thee out of
Vr of the chaldees ,to give thee this Land to inherit
it. So J?doved,this was the gromife. Now,when
Abraham had beleeved this, faith the LORD
to him . This Faith of thine, that is to fay,not
this particular a&,by which thou beleeveft that
thou {halt have a fonne, that fhall be thine im-
mediate heyre , but. that habit , that Grace of
faith,that beleeving difpofition in thee,where- ,
by thou are able to beleeve this promife , faith!

he,'

.jM I . TJI

Ne w Covenant.

3*9

hee 3 with the fame Fail h thou alfo beleevcit the
promife of the Mejjiab 3 that a certaine f eede
fhall be given thee 3 m whom all the Kations of
die Earth (hall bcebiefled. Saith be 3 this Faith
of thine I take for the condition of the Covenant
on thy part, I will for this reckon thee righte
oiis, I will account thee as a Man fit to b^e en-
tred into Covenant withall. Againe, the- Lord
tryed him afterward 3 when Ifaac was grownc 3
ver.a2 .Goe 3 faith he 3 and kill thy fonne : wc fee
Abraham was able to keepe it , hee went, and
meant to have done it in good earned; fo there
was the fame ground for beleeving now. that
there was before : For 3 faith hee 3 GOD could
have raifed him from the dead 3 when I had kil-
led him 3 afwell as make mee 3 when I was dead 3
and Sarahs wombe 3 when that was dead 3 to
bring forth a fonne : G o d can afwell ray fe him
from the dead 3 as hee could give him mee from
a dead wombe at firft. Wee fee that God upon
this renewes the Covenant againe 3 and renewes
it with an Oath, Sure 3 faith he 3 1 will performe
my covenant fince I fee that thou beleeveft 3 and
feareft mee 3 and preferred me before thine one-
Iy forme : Thefe are but the Concomitants of
his Faith. So that it was this ^Qioi Abraham,
by which hee did beleeve the promife of God,
that made him partaker of the Covenant.
And if you aske now what is the conditi-
on that makes everie Man partaker of this Co-
venant of Grace ? It is nothing but onely I
Faith 3 abilitie to beleeve it 3 that GOD would I

Dd fendl

The ground of

Abraham iiiih.

5<5o

O F Th E

All other pro-

m ;es are ac-
complished in
Chrift.

fend fuch a Mejsiah , before the Law 3 and
that hec hath exhibited, andfenthimfince:
Foryoumuft know this 3 that all the promifes,
the very giving of Jfaac,ihe giving of the pro-
mifed Land,all thefe were but fhaddowes,as it
were, of the great promife, of themaineCo-
venant in CHRIST. So likewife 3 thata& of
Abrahams faith 3 whereby hee beleeved that hee
fhould have a Sonne 3 and beleeved that G O D
would give his Children pofleffion of that land
where hee had not a foote 3 but was likewife a
branch , and a fhaddow 3 and a pledge 3 as it
were,of the maine ad of Faith^whereby he be-
leeved the promifedfeed (houldbc given him^
in whom hinifelfe D and all the Nations of the
Earth fhould beeblefTed. So when wee have
found out this 3 what the condition is y that God
requires of every man to bee made partaker of
his Covenant , It is nothing but to beleevc in
GOD; that is y God faith 3 1 will give my Sonne
to you ■ To us afdnneisgi<ven y &c. that fliall bee
the prornifed feed 3 and i will make him a King,
aPrieft, and aProphet, to blefleyou- Hee
fhall give you remiflion of finnes 3 &c. He fhall
teach you and inftruft you to mortifie your
lufts 3 and fhall make you partakers of his
Kingdome ; Hee fhall make you heyres 5 and
fonnes- This is a very great promife 3 Can you
beleeve this > If a Man will but beleeve
GOD now 3 it makes him partaker of the
Covenanr 3 this puts him within the Covenant:
You will fay 3 this is very ftrange j How /ran it

bc 5

Note*

EVV

VINANT,

?<5l

bee 3 that fo fraall a condition as this , that to
beleeve, fhould make a Man partaker of the
Covenant ? That upon which all the promifes
hang initially , is nothing but beleeving. You
lee Abraham did no more but beleeve GOD,
when hee told him hee fhould have a Sonne,
you fee how much God made of that : So it is
wnh us,if wee doe but beleeve this, God will
make as much of it,hee will make good all the
promifes of the Covenant to us : But, I fay, this
hath ncede of a reafon,why it is fufpended one-
ly upon Faith , and belicfe ; The reafon is this,
marke it well, it is a point of exceeding great
moment.

Firft, though there werfc nothing but Faith,
yet that beleevicg , brings with it, and workes
fan£tification, and holinefle of life: For where-
as yon might objeft , May a Man beleeve this
promife,and yet walke according to the lufts of
his owne ignorance, and fo to bee made parta-
ker of the Covenant i Let him, if hee can be-
leeve truly,and doe this- but it is impoflible,lct
him belceve,and the other will follow. Behold
Abraham hirafelfe , (to give you an inftance
of it ) hee belee ved God, and it was accoun-
ted to him for righteoufnefle^ I fay, it was
enough for him to beleeve GOD : For that
drawes after it inherent righteoufnefle of (an-
difieation, and holineffe of life : For , (aith the
Text, Rom. 4. Abraham is faid to beleeve
G o D,whcn hee faid hee fhould have a fonne,
hee gave him glory , that is the ground,which
D d 2 drawes

Why Faith is
the condition
of the Cove-

nane.

T.'Rztfon.
Faith dravreth
holmes with it

%6i

^ ow faith
drawcs other
graces.

lam. a.

Of T

H E

drawes with it all other graces after this man-
ner -Hee thatbelceves GOD 3 hath a good
opinion of him 3 hee loves him- Hee that loves
him,muft needes bee full of good workes, Be-
fidcs 3 hee that beleeves him, when GOD fhall
lay to him, / am thy exceedinggreat regard 3 fee
that thou keepe clofe to mee 3 thou (halt have
an eye upon mee 3 and walke with mee from
day to day. Let a Man beleeve that God is Al-
{ufydent^ that hee will bee zSunneand a shield
to him 3 and his exceedinggreat reward>he will be
ready to doe it. Abraham did fo 3 when GOB
called him from his Fathers Houfe 3 and from
his kindred 3 hee was ready to doe fb- when God
would have him to offer up his onely fonne 3 he
was ready to doe it:For he beleeved Godjkic be-
leeved his promife 3 and his ability and willing-
nefle to helpehim* hee beleeved his Almighty
power , and therefore whatfoever Ged bid him
doe 3 hee would doe it ; he preferred God before
his owne eafe, before his owne profit 3 before
his onely fonne whom hee loved : Let any Man
beleeve as Abraham : did 3 and of ncceflity it will
produce good workes- Let a Man beleeve true-
ly 3 and truth of beliefe will bring forth truth
of holinefle: And therefore wee hearewhat
Saint lames faithjam. 2 . Abraham was justified
by Faith ; It is true : But , faith hee 3 Abrahams
Eaith had workes joyned with it : For it was
not a dead 3 a counterfeit Faith 3 buta true Faith,
and being atrueFaith 3 youfce 3 Abrahamhad
workes afwell as Faith: For when GOD bade

him

Nev/ Covenant.

56?

him offer his fonne, heedidic : Was not that
an exceeding great worke ? Saith the Apoftlei
there: So lay I, no wonder that it is by Faith,
that the LORD requires no more buttobe-
Jeeve : For when a Man beleeves 3 workes will
follow, it will breede holinefle of life , let him
beleeve GOD tp bee an exceeding g*eat re-
ward ,that hee is a Sunne and a Shield,hee will
follow GOD wherefoever hee leades him^Let-
him beleeve the promife of G O D,whenhee
defcribes himfelfe , hee muft needes have a
good opinion of him, and love him , and bee
exceeding fruitfull in good workes , and obe-
dience to him 5 therefore that is one reafon for
it.

A fecond reafon of it is,becaufe it could not
bee done by obedience to the Law 5 it was
impoflibleto have made the fonnesof men
partakers of the Covenant chat way : For if it
could have beene done by the Law , and by
the Commandement , it fhould have beene •
but the LORD tryedthatin Adam\ hee
gave Adam a Commandement , and abilitieto
keepe it ( for hee made him perfe&ly righteous
and innocent ) yet Adam did not keepe it.
Put the cafe that GOD fhould have tryed him
the fecond time , and have given him a Com-
mandement againe, and not have required the
Condition of Faith , but of obedience 5 hee
would have broken it, as hee did before • and
therefore it could not bee by the Law ; There-
fore it muft needes bee by Faith , and the pro-

D d 3 mifes

Nothing but
Faith could be
the condition
o( the Cove-
nant.

O F Th S

Faith waVes
I the premifes
lure to us.

Galau3.11.

%.Reafon.
Faith beft an-
swers Gods
Covenant.

mifes 9 othciwife it cculd never have beene
lure. ^<fci» brake it , furely,if hce brake
it 3 wee fiiould have broken it,if ithadbeene
any other way but by Faith : And therefore
wee fee what the Apoftle faith , Calat. 4 }. 2 1.
Is the Law then again ft the prcmife $f COD}
GOD forbid : For if there had beene a Law
given that could have given life , furely righteouf-
nejje had beene by the Law: If Adam had ftood,
s and had kept the Law, and if men could have
entred into Covenant, and have kept it, chrili
had beene fparcd , the Covenant of Grace
had beene fpared • if rightcoufnefle had beene
by the Law 3 therehad needed no Meffiah y
there had needed no Covenant of Grace $
and therefore , through the infrmitie of thejiefh^
( Adams flefti, that would not keepe the Law,
and ours 3 that is not able to keepe it) there
was no other way to make mankinde partaker
of the Covenant of Grace,but onely by Faith,
bybeleevingG*?^ and by taking the promife,
and the gift of Righteoufnefie , through Iefus
Chrijl : for it could never elfe in likelihood have
beene fure to thefeede* This is the way to make
it fure, when there is no more but an acceptati-
on required, and not exa<5t obedience to the
Commandemenr.

Thirdly , it is by Faith : Becaufe nothing
elfe can anfwer the Covenant, but Faith :You
fee, the Covenant is not a Comraandemenr 3
Doe this and live, but the Covenant is a pro- j
mife , I will give thee, it runnes all upon pro- {

tnife$, *

New Covenant. j 365

mifcs, I will give thee afeede, and. in that feede\
thou {halt bee blejfed. I will give thee this goo d
Land^&c. So that the Covenant of Grace
ftandr on G O D S part all in promifes : Now,
you know that it is Faith that anfwers the pro-
mife : For the promife is to be beleeved- if the
Covenant had flood in precepts , and Comman-
dernents , and rules of the Law , then it muft
have beene anfwered by workes , and obedi-
ence, and therefore it could not bee by obedi-
ence : For that holds aot proportion, there is
not agreement betweene them* But fince
the Covenant confifts of promifes , that
muft needes bee by beleeving , and not by
workes.

Fourthly and laftly , it is by Faith ,becaufe
the Lord would have it by free Grace, and not
of debt: For, if the LORD (hould give a
Law and rules to men , and promife them life
upon it, when they had performed the worke,
they would challenge it of debt: No, faith
the L O R D, it is an inheritance, I doe not ufe
to deale with my Children, as men doe with
their fervants , that I (hould give them worke
to doe , and when they havedqpe it , I fhould
give them wages, then they would come and
challenge it at my hands by way of debt; No,
faith the LORD, this is an inheritance,and you
are my fonnes , and you (hall have it given you
freely ,and given you as it becomes a Father
to give it ,ib you (hall take ir . Therefore that
it might bee of free grace,and not of debt, it

Dd 4 is

Trc Covcna»c
on Gods pa^t

Uf^romifcs,

4.7tiafon.
Faith receives
ita>afreegift

Of T

H fi

boafUng.

is by Faith , and nor b) workts. Ard that
is added 3 like wife , if it had beene by workcs,
men would have beene re^dy tobo*ft, and 1
Faithcxcludcj h ave f a id 5 I have done this , I am able to
keepe the Law , therefore the promife of eter-
nall life {hall bee made good unto mee, I fhall
receive has wages, men would boaft in them-
felves : No, faith the Lor d, no creature fhall
boaft in it felfc:For that puts every Man iurther
v from the L o r d, the more a Man ft joyceth in
Jiinifelfe , the more hce (lands upon his owne
bottome,the more heeis divorced from God,
and feparated from him : But , faith hee ^Hee
I that rejoycetbjethim rejoyce in theL O RD : For I
j that fits a Man for the L O R D, and therefore j
I will have it by Faith , it ("hall not bee by j
workes. So you fee now what is the Condi- l
tion e Surely ,looke how Abraham was made
partaker of the Covenant , fo every one of us
muftbee; Abraham was made partaker of it
by Faith,fo fhall every Man bee made partaker
of it by Faith, and no otherwife. Abraham be-
L eved God when hee had a promife , and be-
caufe hee beleevcd him 5 (i ot that particular aft
of Faith 5 bur)thar grace of faith, whereby hebe-
lecvcd this, and the other promifes of the jidef
Jiah, was counted to him for righteoufnefle :
And fo for this caufe , becaufe wee beleevethe
promifes ,and the Covenant of Grace 3 therefore
the L o » o accepts us, and accounts us rightel
tus, Ard becaufe this feemes ftrange to the
fonncs of men,therefore we fee with how much

adoe

New Covenant.

3 d 7

TheConfirma-
tion of the |
Covenant.

adoe Paul labours to make it gocd,what ftrong
obje&ions were againft it in all times. I have
flic-wed the reafon : Now when you reade Rom.
3 . and 4. and Gal. 3 . and 4. you may know the
better the meaning of thofe places. Well, you
fee the Covenant ,you heare that there is fiich a
C^f^^ 5 feeondly 3 youfeethe Condition of
this Covenant.

The third thing is the confirmation of the
..Covenant ; when a Man heares that God will
vouchfafc ib much favour unto mankinde , a
Man is ready to fay as Gedeon did 3 alas^myfami-
j ly is pore in ManajJ'es^ I am the leaft in all my
j Fathers Houfe. And who am I , thatfhould
1 bee rayfed uphirherto? That fuch a promife as
. this fhou!d bee made to mee,that I fhould goe
; and favcljrael? &c. I fay, after the fame man-
1 ner a Man might bee ready to obje&. Alas,
what are wee the formes of men, that the great
G O D of Heaven and Earth fhould enrer into
fuch a Covenant with us,that hce fhould make
us fuch promifes as thefe, that he fhould make
us heyres of the World, that hee fhould bk-fle
us in that manner , to make us fonnes, to make
us Kings and Priefts : Saith the L o r'd , I con-
j fefle it is a Covenant that needes confirmation :
j therefore the L o r d hath confirmed it all thefe
j wayes. The L o r d hath confirmed it, firft, by
[ his promifc.faith hee^you have my fure Word
for it-, If that bee not enough , I will confirme
it by an Oath, and becaufe he had no greater to
fweare by,hee faith,by my felfe have I fworne, \ By hif oath.

that'

TheCovcnant
confirmed.

By Gods pro-
mife.

}<*&

By the bloud

ofChrift.

Galat.3»ij.

Hebr.?.*

By feales*

Oreumcifion.

PaffaoYcr.

Of Th e

that I will make it good: This is not enough,
butheconfirmes it by the bloud of chrift him-
fclfe 3 the Mediator ,fhall come , andconfirme
chisTeftament, and when the Teftament is
confirmed by the death of the Teftator , there
is no more altering of that • faith hee, Galat.$.
A mans Tejtament no man changeth , after once it
is confirmed : and when the Teftator is dead,
Heb. 1 ). then theTeftament is confirmed : So ic
is confirmed by the bloud, by the death of the
Teftator. This is not enough , but hee hath
added fealcs unto it , hee hath confirmed it
likewifeby them : Saith hee , I -will adde the
feale of Circutncifion ,and of the Pafleover. Con-
cerning Circutncifion, faith the Z,0rd,Goe,and
circumcife your felves , and when I fee the
Circutncifion, I will remember my Covenant,
and make it good to you • that , as hee faid of
the Bow,hee fettheBow in the Cloud , faith
hee, I will make my Covenant , that I will
never deftroy the Earth againe with Raine,
this Bow fhallbe the witneffe of the Covenant,
and when I looke upon it, I will remember my
Covenant-after this manner are the fignes and
feales of the Covenant j Saith hee,Circumcife
your felves, and when I fee that, I will remem-
ber my Covenant, and will fpareyou , and I
will make good to you all the promifes of it:
So likewife the Pafleover , faith hee , See that
you keepe it,take theLambe,and fprinckle the
bloud, &c. Saith hee, when I fee it, I will re-
member my Covenant, Where , Behvedyil&s

-a= -B i j.. .

New Covenant.

\«9

is to be obferved, that thefe fignes or fcales of
the Covenant,not onely confirme the promifcs
on Gods part^but they fignifie that Faith., that
condition which is required on onr part : For
when the L O RD comes and lookes into his
Church, and fees a great company in it , fees
his Houle full,and he comes , and askes,What
doe you in my Houfe ? What doe a number of
thofe that profefle themlelves to bee within
thecompafTe of the Covenant there ? Their
anfweris,zW,wee beleeve, wee are among
thofe that keepe the Condition. If you be-
leeve, where is your Circumcifion ? h may
bee you have the outward Circumcifion of the
flefh, but where is the Circumcifion of the
heart I For , if they did beleeve indeede , it
would worke a change in the heart,as Faith, I
told you, that is indeede a lively Faith, workes
a change, it cuts off finfull lufts,it makes a Man
denie himfelfe , and cleave to God, and ferve
him with a perfe<ft heart. So againe,after that
manner doth the fecond figne of the Covenant^
which is the P ajfewer >whcn the L O R D fhall
aske , Doe you beleeve ? Yes , here is the
fprinckling of the bloud of the Lambe,But
where is the true fprinckling upon the heart &
confidence? Heereisthe outward Pafleover,
the outward profeflion , you come and take
the figne and the feale,but where is the inward
fprinckling? Therefore you fee what was re-
quired in the PaiTeover-, Saithhee , when you
eatethe Lambe , &c. Have you tafted of the

fweet

The fcales of
the Covenant
arc figncs of
our faith.

Circumcifion
inward.

What is meant

By fprinckling
in the Pafle-
over,

*?o

By eating the
Lambc.

By going out
of Egypt.

By lowre
hearbs.

Rom.a.

By cleaning
cut kaven.

O F Th E

fweet of the Lambe,have you ever tafted of the
iweetnefTe that is in Iefm Cbrift, lo that you can
ovehim y and delight in him? Are you clad
like thofe that went out of Egypt, with their
itaves in their hands >and their feet fhod -, that
is,are you ready to goe out of Egypt, that is,
from finne and wickednefle ? iromthcftate
of unrcgeneracie. wherein you were before ? I
Againe, have your Soules tafted of thefowrej
hearbes of that bondage 3 that now you are j
weary of all the bondage of finneandSathanJ
that you defire exceedingly to goe from ir,
that you reckon the contrarie condition a condi-
tion of freedome > wherein you are willing and
defirous to continue ? Saith thcL OR D 3 when
I Igoke upon thefe fignes, I will remember my
Covenant > onely fee that your Circumcifion be
not in the Letter 5 as wee fee 3 £0/».2.but fee that
you bee circumcifed in your hearts y that there
not onely be a PafFeover, but fee that you keepe
the PaJJeover withjinceritie 3 fee that all Leaven
bee cleanfed out of your hearts y that is 3 that
your hearts be emptie of the dominion of eve-
ry finne y fee that you have tafted of the fowre-
ncfleof that bondage, that you bee willing to
bee rid of ir 3 fee that you bee willing to travell
out of Egyptjo another^to a further Countrey,
fee that this be reall 3 not in profeflion and fhew J
bur in deede; And/aith the L O R D,l will re-
member my Covenant 3 and thefe are the con-
firmations of the Covenant 3 faith the LoRD 3 you
fhall not neede to doubt it , I have fworne 3 it is

repeated j

New Covenant.

57 "

repeated //e£r.6.Befides , it is confirmed with
bloud 5 with the death of the Teftator 3 and
there is none that alters the will of the dead 3
when hee is dead they adde nothing to it 3 nor
take nothing from it: BefidesJ have confir-
med it with feales 3 and therefore it
ftands unalterable. Thefe three
things wee have obferved
now in this Covenant.

Hebr,6»

';/5

THE

TWELFTH

S ERMON.

Genesis 17. t.

And 1 mil make my Covenant between* mee and
thee.

Ou have heard what the Cove-
nant is in the general!.

The fourth thing is , What
the particular branches 5 and
parts 3 or gifts 3 and privilcdges of
this Covenant are 3 and thofe wee
will redace to thefe three heads.

Kow the three parts of the Covenant are an-
fwerable to the three Offices of C h r t s t. For 3
wee told you^it is C h r i s t him r elfe <) to whom
thepromifes are immediately made; hee is a
Priefl^a King 5 and aProphet } it is he that makes

good

The parts of
1 he Co vena at
three.

^^^.j,

*7+

The excellen-
ce of Chrifo
Pricfihood,

Hebr.is.5i.

Nete\

Of T h e

good all the parts of the Covenanted he doth ;
it according to all his three Offices 5 Remiflion |
of finnes 5 he gives as a Prieft : the other Priefts I
were but afnaddow of this Priefthood of I
ChriftJiCQ is the great HighPrieft,that is bely y j
and harmelejfe^and unde filed , that is higher than I
the Heavens y the great High Prieft , that is en- \
tred (faith the Text) into. the very Heavens them-
felves^ hee that fits at the right hand of Cod , and j
is now prefent with him • hee that is not cntred
in by the blond of Bulls , and of Goats , but by his \
ovpne bloud. This.is fuch a high Prieft as is able
indeede to give remiflion of finnes, and there-
fore faith the Apoftle, Hebr. 10.22. Seeing wee
have fuch a high Prieft, doubt not, but now come
withfullaffuranceof Faith , when you fee fuch
an High Prieft as this : If they were able to be-
leeve, that had but aweake Man to bee their
Prieft^before the comtning of chrift, that offe-
red for his owne finnes, afwell as for the finnes
of others , that often repeated his Sacrifice,
that had but the bloud of Buls and Goats,that
did but enter into the Tabernacle- faith hee,
when you fee lefm chrisJ hirafelfe come 3 that
hath no finne of his owne,that offered one per-
fed Sacrifice that hee needes not to repeate,
that entred not into the Tabernacle y but into
the Heaven itfelfe, that did this with his owne
bloud, andnot with the bloud of Beafts , faith
hee, drawneere now , with ajjurance of Faith:
that is , Why ftiould you make queftion now ?
you have great ground of affuring your felves,

that

New Coven ant.

a. Part.

The excellen-
cy of Chrifts
Prophetical^
Office.

that your finnes fhalibee forgiven • Now you
may tru ft perfectly to the grace revealed through
him. This is the firft.

The (econd is , I will teach you knowledge,
and that hee doth as a Prophet- you fhaU n Knowiedg^
more teach every Man his Brother Jout aUJhaHbee
taught of mee. Beloved, it is another kinde of
teaching , when the Lord teacheth us know-
ledge, than that is that wee can have from the
hands of men- chrift is another kinde of Pro-
phet , you come not to heare him fpeake , to
heare him teaching, as a man heares other Le-
ctures , where his undcrftanding is informed .,
but hee is fuch a Prophet , as enlightens everie
Man within , that comes into the world 5 that
iSj every Man that is enlightned , is enligutned
by him,hee is fuch a Prophet , as baptizethy&u
mtk the Holy Ghoft) hee is fuch a Prophet that
makes mens hearts to burne within them when
hee fpeakes to them- fuch a Prophet as faith to
Matthew , Follow mee^ and hee doth it : Sach a
Prophet as faith to his Minifters , Goe teach all
Nations^ and I will bee with you^ndi will make
you able Minifiers^ not of the Letter , but of the
spirit^ there is no Man, in the world can fay
this 5 bnt this great Prophet,and this is the Pro-
phet that the Lord hath rayled up, the Prophet
that he promifed hee would rayfe another like
MofeSy that great Prophet, that fhould teach
men after another fafhion than all the Prophets
before were ever able to doe. And that is the
fecond part of the Covenant.

Ee * We

| — ■ ' ■■ ii in ii » ii . m i i»« m mu ■ ■ium ii i^ .mi, m i m *«*m*»m , 1 4 11 w wnu.

H S

2 C©r.S»

Chrifta^a
Prophet tea'
cheib us.

To know £11
aright.

To knowGcd
aright.

Wee aiay knew many ihirgs ,but it is a
hard thing to know as wee oi-ght te know. It is
faid of an unregenerate Man, 2 Corinth. 8. Hee
knowes nothing M hee ought to hew. For exam-
plcyhou mayftknowfinne, andknowit mod
exa&ly^butif this doenotworke upon thy
heart , if the fin lye not exceeding heavy upon
thee^it it breed not in thee godly ibrrow tor it,
if it doth not amaze thee , as it were, with the
filthineflc and vilenefle of it,it is, becaufe tkou
doft not yet know it as thou oughteft to know
it : And how fhall a Man doe then? Goe to
Christ, hee is the Prophet, that is, hee teach-
eth a Man to fee things fo , that his heart , his
will and affe&ion fhall likewife be moved with
it : You are to confider the Covenant when you
goe to the Lord: and therefore that Man
that faith D I can looke upon my fiane With dry
cyes,Ican looke upon it,and never bee affe Qed
with it 3 this is^becaufe he is taught but with the
teaching of men -, hee muft remember that this
is a part of the Covenant , and God hath bound
himfelfe by an Oath to performe ir. hsvs
chrift&s he is a Prophet of God hath fent him to
teach thee all things belonging to falvation 3
and fo to teach thee,that thou (halt be in a right
manner affe&ed with ir.

And fo likewife put the cafe thou know God,
thou feeft him in his attributes ^thou hearft him
often ddcribed, and art able to defcribe him to
others ,but for all this,thou findeft not thy heart
affecltoned toward him 3 thou feeft not that ex-
__ cellcncy

New Covenant.

ccllency and beautie that is in him , fo chat thy
heart is got enamoured with him, thoucanrt
not fay thou loveft himwith all thy heart ^with al
thy fide $ with all thy ftrength.VS/ 'hat wilt thou
doe in this cafepGoe toC^ni? 3 the Prophet,and
befeech him that he would teach thee to know
the zW^this is his promife> if thou pray to him,,
and he doe not doe k 3 urge him with this,it is a
part of his Covenant jhat he hath confirmed by
Oath,and muft doe it, and be aflured of this 3 if
we feeke,and be earneft with him,he will teach
us to know the L O R D, and to know him fo,
that wee fhall love himwith all our Soule,and
with all our ftrength. The like may I fay of any
thing elfe.

Put the cafe affii&ions come upon thee,and
thou bee not able to bee patient under fiich af-
flictions ,fuppofe it be a matter of dilgrace and
difcredir, that fo wounds thee , that thy heart
cannot bee at reft, what is the reafon of this ?
Thou called to minde,it may be,all the rules of
patience, that fhould teach thee to beare affli-
J d:ions; well,and yet thou art not able to doe it:
thecaufcis,becaufethoudoeft not yet know
thefe outward temptations 3 thefe outward e-
vills , as thou oughteft to know them , if thou |
diddeft,they would fcemefmallto thine eyes
finne would bee an exceeding great grief e , but
thefe would bee but trifles and flea-bitings , in
comparifon of the other : Goe to Ch rist now,
and befeech him to (hew thee what is the na-
ture of thefe outward croffes and loffes , that

Ee2

thou

To know affli-
#ions aright.

378

Of The

Tokaowplea-
fures aright*

3. Part of the
Covenant.
Ghrifts Kingly
0ffiee 3 in three
thing?.
I.
Jo fubdue fin-
full lufts.

thou may ft bee taught of him once : Hee is the
great Prophet that teachcth aManfo,hcefo
prefents things in their owne colours to the
under ftanding, that the will and affe&ions fol-
low and apprehend them aright- goetohim,
andbefeech him that thou maift know them as
thou oughteft, and thou fhalt finde that thou
{halt be able to .beare the greateft crofle with
patience > it (hall bee nothing then to thee 3 it
will appeare to bee a fmall matter, when hee
hath taught thee to judge aright,thou fhalt not
be deceived in it.

So likewifc,<for pleafure, when a man findes
his heart fo wedded to any finfull luft,to any e-
vill haunt, wherein his heart is held inordinate-
ly , that it canr*ot divorce it felfe from it, goe to
Chrift) hee is the great Prophet. Thus we may
doe with the reft. This is the fecond part of the
Covenant.

The third part of the Covenant is,that which
hee will performe to us, as hee is a King, and it
confifts in thefe three things.

You know the Office of a King is to guide
and rule - 9 Kow, if thou finde thy heart unruly,
if thou finde thy feife fubjedt to unruly affefii-
ons,to finfull inordinate lufts,which thou can ft
not mafter,it is a part of his Kingdome now to
kt up his owne government in thy heart, to put
his Law in thy minde , and to write it in thy in-
ward parts,thatfo thou may ft bee indeede Tub-
led to the Kingdome of chrift in a willing
manner. When a Man fees nothing (as wee

faid.

— — — — . ■ ■

New Covenant. | yjy

faid before) but the outward letter of the Law 3
hee will never bee fub je^hee will never yeeld j
obedience^but Christ coaies as a king now
and puts an inward difpofition into the tninde,
that (hall anfwer the letter withour^and fo hee
makes a man fubje& to his government. Belo-
ved 3 that Phrafe is to be marked 3 #^,8. i o.faith
the Lord, I will put my Law into their mi ndes •
there are Lawes out of mens raindes , Lawes
without that every man may fee- but it is ano-
ther thing to have the Law put into a mans
minderFor example,this is theLaw without.
Thou fhalt love theLord thy Godjvith all thy hearty
with all thyfoule, andwithall thy ftrengtkTo an-
fwer which^you ftiall fee,De#*.jo,£. 1 will cir-
cumcife thy heartland then thou fhalt be able to love
the Lord thy God with all thy heartland with all
thySoule, and with all thy jtrength : That is, I
will put this affe&ion , or this Grace of Love
within thy heart , it (hall not bee without one-
Iy 3 but I will put it within , that there (hall bee
a grace within , a habit of Love within^anfwe^
rable to the Commandement without : This
is to put the Law into the minde : You know
Xhis is the Commandement of the L O R D ,
Toufballfeare the LO RD > andkeepehis Or.
dt nances, and his Statutes 3 and hisCommande-
ments to doe them. Well 3 faith the L O R D ler.
32 .40. I will make a Covenant with you: And
what will I doe ? / will put my feare into your
hearts. I will not onely give you this precept 3
thauhou(haltlooke of without , Thou fhalt
E e % far*

Hcbr*8,xo.

TheLaw with-
out and within
the minde*

Dcur^o* rf.

Iorom.3^0;

m*m

? 8o \

To giveaVun*

dance of pea* c

Spiritual*
peace a part of
God>CoYc-

O f The

feare mee , and keepe my Cemmandtments :tm
I will put the affedhons oi feare into thy
heart , there it {"hall bee , and then thou fhalt
eafily feare mte , and keepe my Commande-
mentsjthou (halt feare to difobey mee, thou
(halt feare and tremble at my Word , and take
hcede how thou doeft any thing contrary to
my minde : And beloved , when this is done
indeede , hee makes us Kings, as hee makes us
Prkfts and Prophets : For when a Man is thus
taught , hee is a Prophet , other men neede not
to teach him , for hee is a fpirituall man then,
and is Me to judge of all things - 3 1 (ay,when this
government is let tip , and the Law is put into
his minde,when it is put into his inward parts,
then hee makes us Kings : For when men have
fo much ltrength within them(elves,that they
can guide and rule themlelves , and walke in
the way of righreoufnefle, now they are made
Kifcgs,and fuch K ; ngs the Lord makes all thofe
that come to him* This is the fir ft part .of his
Kingdom e.

The fecond part is , to give us abundance of
all things , to give us peace : For the Office of
a King 3 ( you know ) is to keepe his people in
peace, as it is (aid of Saul y hee clothed them
with Scarlet : That is,hee made his people to a-
botird with wealth, and peace, and ^uietntfle :
this il e /fr^dothiikewife, and it is a part of
his fpmtuali Kingdome. Now his Kingdome
is fpinruallj therefore the niaine worke of it is
to give us inward pe^ce and joy. You may

have

EVV

Cov

E N A N T.

)8l I

have troubles in the World , but my Kingdeme.
is not of this world, and therefore wee are not
Co much to expeft an outward worldly peace
though we have like wife a promife of that,but
in mee you fhall have inward peace , faith hee,
the Kingdome of GO D is in righteoufnejfe , that
is the firft part, when God workes righteouf-
nefTe , as I have named before. The fecond is
Peace and joy, fo that that is a part of the Cove-
I nant,GW promifed inward peace and j oy,when
you want it,know,tbat it is a part of his Cove-
nant,you may goe coGod, and befeech him
to fill your hearts with thtepeacetbjtpajfeth un-
derstanding , and with this joy which is unfearch-
able andglortow 5 Goe and befeech him to en-
rich your hearts with thofe fpirituall riches
that belong to falvation. This is a part of his
Kingdome ,and that which heehatn promifed
tous : now this is not all, buthe hath promifed
likewife an outward peace , hee hath promifed
wee fhall be hey res of all things • all things are
yours : hee hath promifed outward riches, wt e
are hcyres of all the world : So that it is like-
wiie a part of his Covenant , when a Man wants
any outward comfort, any outward helpe, any
bit {Tings, or delivera ce,he may goe to chriji,
that is the King of ail Kings, as hte is Lord or
all things 3 as hee himfelfe is heyre of all 1 hings,
and beleech him to grant it unto him : For it is
part of his Covenant.

And the third and laft is, that we fna! 1 over-
come our enemies , that is the third branch o\
Ee4 thi»

Outward
peace a part of
Codi, Cove-
nant,

1 c give vi&e-
jyocr aliour
enemies.

J»» \

Luke 1.74-

Chrift as King

O F Th E

this Kingdome • And that which was promi-
sed to Abraham , thou Jbak fojftjfe the Gates ef
thine enemies , when hee renewed his Covenant ,
upon the offering of his fonne , and you fhall
Rndeit^Luke 1. 74. repeated againe, this is the ,
great promife that God hath made, that being
delivered from the hands of all our enemies , wee
might fewe him in righteoufneJJ'e and holinejfeall
the dayes of our life. Now as this Kingdome is
Ipirituall,fo theehiefe part of this kingdome
eyercommctbl I ftands in overcomming our fpirituall enemies*
*• and therefore you may challenge this Covenant

Spintttdl ene- at his hands ^ whcn you arc tQ wreftle with Sa-

than 3 or any temptation or luft , L O R D, haft
thou not laid that thou wilt deliver mee out of
the hands of all mine enemies ? Is it not a part
of thy Covenant ? But , beloved , that is not
all neyther,there is a promife,and that is a part
of the Covenant like wife, that wee (hall over-
come our outward enemies, thou (halt pofleffe
the gates of thine enemics-fo farre as it is good
for us,asfarre as GWfees it meet,hee difpofeth
thefe in a different manner^butyet it is a part of
the Covenant , and therefore a man may goe
and challenge it at G OD S hands- LoRD,if it
be goodjif it be fir,and meet for me to have it,
thou haft promifed ir, I fhall have vi&ory over
themalfo. Sonowyou fee what the Covenant
is : But now there is one mainegenerall,tbat
likewife is a branch of this Covenant , that is ge-
neral! to all the three , t hat is the giving of the
Spirir^it is a branch of the Covenant^ wee fee

Ioel

Outward ene-
mies,

Navv Covenant.

38?

E%44'*»

Aa.i;

Udi. which is repeated ABs z. I willpowre\ Iocl *.
out myfpirit upon allfefh in thefe dayes , and jour l ^* x *
young men [ball fee vifans , &c. Beloved, kno w,
that this was a part of the Covenant that was
made with Abraham. It was exprefled to^-
braham in generally / willblejje thee : afterwards
there were feverall branches of it , now one
thing was exprefled as a. part of the Covenant,
and then another, Among the branches , this
waf one , / willpowre out my spirit upon allflejh,
which is that which you have likewife Efay 44.
3. I willpowre out my Spirit as water upon the
drie ground j and youfhall grow as thegrajfe , and
as the Willow by the Rivers of water. Whereof
that this is the meaning, Peter makes it good,
AH. i. And fo likewife the great promife that
our Saviour chrijt made to them was,/ willbap-
tizeyouwhh the Holy choft , this promife was
made before hee departed in the flefh , but it
was fulfilled after , when hee powred forth his
Spirit. Beloved,this is that great part of the
Covenant, that which comprehends the life of
all the other three, that which makes us to doe
all the reft , that which makes us Kings , and
Priefts , and Prophets, this powring out of the
Spirit upon us, even as chrift himfelfe was an-
oynted with the fpirit without meafure , that
he might be able to teach us,that hee might be
a Prophet, a King, and a Prieft,that which en-
abled him to performe all thele Offices,was
the effufion of the Spirit upon him without
meafure : That which makes us able to bee

partakers

The giving of
the Spirit a
pact©f Go«J$
Covenant,

f.Gbjedions
agamlt it.

uObjcSti

Of Th e

Ihc prcDoifes
are rot tc the
cbtdience et
tkcLaw*
I*
The Law was
attcr the prc-

j Bceaufe wee
cannot keepe
the taw.

partakers of thofe three parts of the Covenant ;
i3 likewife the fame Spirit,where with wee are
anoyntcd according to ourmeafure. So much
i hall ferve for this, namely what the particular
j ranches ,and parts and priviledges ot the Co-
venant are.

The firth and laft is, the Obje&ioas that arc
made againft this Covenant. There were two
great Objections that Paul every where met
with (for our fcope is,that when we put all this
together, that wee have delivered about this
Covenant ,you may rcadeat leafure,£0/«.3.& 4.
and Gal. 3 . and 4. and all the promiies made to
Abraham^ and when you have this, before you,
you will bee able then to underftand it ) I lay,
there are two great Obje&ions thai Paulevery
where met with.

The one is from the Law . Is it not faid eve-
ry where ,thofe that obey the Commandement
fnalllive , and everie promise is made ftill to
them that feare the LORD, and keepe his
Commandemcnts ? And therefore it is by.tke
Law.

Nay, faith the Apoftle 9 Galat. 3. it is impof-
fible that it fhould be by the Law : for the Law
was given 430. yeares after- the promife and
Covenant was eftablifhed with Abraham long
before it; It cannot bee now, that that which
ccmes after, can difanull that which went be-
fore . But belides there is another great reafon,
and that is this • faith the Apoftle , you were
never able to keepc ihe Law, you could never

bee

New Covenant.

*fc

bee faved, if you would have it by the Law , to
what end is the Law given then? By reafon of
tranfirreffion , that you might learne to know
how impoffiDle it is for you to come to God, to
bee partaker of the Covenant any other way
than by Faith . Saith hee , you might remem-
ber that AdamjN\itn hie was in innocency and
perfe&ion , was much ftronger than you , yet
did not keepe che Law y but , becaufe that was
eafie for people to forget , the Law was given
againe by Mofes upon Mount Sinai , that the
L o r d by that meanes might re-minde you of
the Commandement , and of your finnes,and
of the curfe belonging to you , and therefore ,
faith hee , when the Law was delivered, it was
fo terrible , that Mofes himfelfe did tremble-
and therefore faid the People, LO RD^doe not
thou fpeake to m any more , deliver not the Law
to us any more , but let Mofes come , and bee
as a Mediator betweene us, let him lpeake : For
we are not able to fee thefe fires,theie burnings
wee are not able to fee this and live. The mea-
ning of it is this,the Lawjf any man bcke on
it,it is fo terrible , when Go d comes to fpeake
to a Man in his Law , and in his Commande-
mentSjthat there is nothingtobeexpc&edbut
death : That fame fcarefnlnefle at Mount Sinai y
was but onely an exprefifion of that feare which
the Law of God puts upon every Mans confer-
ence. And therefore when the People then de-
fi red a Mediator, that might fpeake, and that
GOD might fpeake no more , another thing

was

The end of gi«
ving the Law.

What the'terS
routs at che gi-
ving of the

Law,Jdid %ni=

0b}e8.

ThcCovenant

of grace dea-
th ed with tht

Ccrca oniaU
Law.

Simile*

Of Th e

was fignifiedby it, that no man is able to come
lO God by yeelding obedience to the Law , but
heemuft needes have a Mediator to goe be-
tweenetfodfandhim.

The other obje&ion is from the Ceremo-
nies of the Law; they were ready to fay , We
have aPrieft,wee have Sacrifices,wce have di-
vers wafhings andRites,&c. Wee were wonc
to bee laved by them , Why may wee not fo
(till?

The anfwer to it h , That thefe were but the
oldncfleof the letter- for indeede all thefe did
but cloath the Covenant of Grace • the Cove-
nant of Grace was delivered to the Jewes- , the
Ceremonies didindcede butfet it out, they
were but Types and fhaddowes y by which it
was exprefled to the Jewes : the Jewes, by rea-
fon of their ignorance, were not able to fee the
bodie for the clothes , they were not able to fee
the fignificationof the fpirit for the Ietter,they
were not able to fee the Sword for the (heath,
the kernell for the ihell- that is, they could not
fee Christ himfelfc^ the inward promifes, but
ftucke in the outward barke andrinde of Cere-
monies 3 in the {hell of thera,and fo they became
unprofitable -, but indeede thofe Rites did no-
thing but cloathe the Covenant of Grace, and
let it forth to them. So much (hall ferve for the
difpatching of thefe five things.

Now hence you fee how thofe difficulties
may bee anlwered , that I mentioned before.
For example, it is faid, thefromife is made to the

feede,

Nevy.Covenant,

3 87 }

feede , yet the promife is made to us , and yec a-
gaine the*Covenant is made with Abraham:
How can all thefeftand together ? The pro-
mifes that are made to the feed 3 that is to cbrift
himfelfe , thofe are thefe promifes : Thoufhalt
bee a Priejlfor ever^andl mil give thee the King-
dome of David, thou fhalt fit in that Throne^
thoufhalt bee a Prince of P eace^and the govern-
ment fhalbe upon thyfhoulder^ likewife thou fhalt
be a Prophet to my People , thou fhalt open the
prifon to the Captivejhou fhalt be anoynted ? &c.
and then fhalt goe and preach to them : Theft
are the promifes that are made unto the
leede.

The promifes that are made to us , though
they bee of the fame Covenant, yet they differ
in this j the a&ive part is committed to the
Mefiiah ,to the feed it felfe- but the paffive part,
thofe are the promifes that are made to us- Tott
fhall be taught , you (hall bee made Prophets ,
likewife you fhall have yourfinnes forgiven,
you {hall have the erTe& ef his priefthood made
good unto you, you fhall bee fub je& to his go-
vernment^ an inherent righteoufneffe that he
(hall worke in you,for you ftialbe made Kings :
So the promife is made to us,

H ow is the promife made to Abraham > For
it is laid, In thee all the Nations of the Earth fhall
be blejfed.

The meaning of it is, they are derivative
promifes,the primitive & Ori'ginall was made
tola s v s Christ : But why it is faid then,

that

What promi.
fes are made
toChrjft;

The promifes
made to us
pa (five*

Ndte.

Of The

Child of Aba-
ta,\vhat f

a1 that partake
of Chnft, deri-
ved trom 3 or
grafted into

Rom.n.17.
How the Gen-
tiles receiv;-
the promil$in

that in Abraham all tht Nations of the Earth fhall
beebleffedl The meaning of it is this 3 there
was none that ever was partaker of the promi-
fes^but the children of ^^k^and therefore |
they were derived from Abraham to all the men I
in the world befides,that ever have becne fince.
Now what it is to bee a Childe of Abraham Z \
Not to bee borne of Abraham according to the
flefh, but to bee like Abraham : You are the chil-
dren of the Devill: Why ? You are like him.
So that ill that have Faith,are the Children of
Abraham : but more is meant than that ; I fay,
all that doe partake of this promifed Mejliah,
are derived from Abraham^ ther derived from
him^or ingrafted intohim,one ofthefe two* all
that were faved before the comming oFchriff
were eyther fuch as defcended from him 3 or
were ingrafted into the fame Nation. But what
doe you fay of the Gentiles, that are now come
in? How doe they receive from AbrahamtHow
can it bee faid 3 in Abraham fhall all the Nations
of the Earth be blejfed ?

Youknow,itisfaid,£o;8. n. that the natu-
rall branches were broken ojf 3 and the wilde Olive
is ingrafted in ; That is the reafon like wife why
the Law comes from 57"<w, the Lord will have
the Gentiles to be ingrafted into the ftocke, as
it were, hee will have the Law proceede from
lerufalemjie will have them put into that fami-
ly as theProfelytes ,and fo were all Nations :
for they received it from Ierufalem : For they
hadthe Oracles of God committed to them,

all

New Covenant.

all the Nations in the World received them
from them 3 they drew the fap of knowledge
from them 5 fo that they were grafted in : Thus
all the Nations of the World we are blefled in
Abraham ,and Abraham was blefled in the feede
it felfe.

But yet one obje£Hon is yetbehinde, that is 3
how comes it to paffe 2 that to bee renewed in
the fpirit of our mindes , and to walke in the
wayes of the Lord^ in the way of regeneration^
fhouldbe a part of the Covenant on ourpart^
you flia*ll repent and bcleeve, and bee renewed
and then you (hall bee forgiven 3 &c. You fliall
have the kingdome 5 and yet/or jail this 3 you fee,
it is a part of the Covenant on G ods part/aith
the L O R D 3 Ezek. 36.26. I will give you a new
heartland a new fpirit , there is an expreflionof
the Covenant 3 and yet it is aconditionthatis
required on our part.

To this I anfwer briefly j The Condition
that is required of us 5 as part of the Cove-
nant is the doiag of this 3 the action , the per-
formance of thefe things 5 it is to repent 3 to
ferve the Lord in newnefle of life 3 but the a-
bilitie by which we are able to performe thefe,
is a part of the Covenant on the L o a d s part,
to have new hearts, and new fpirits, whereby
wee are able to repent, and to brin% forth fruhe
worthy rf amendment of life •, I fay, the inward
abilkie 3 the change of the heart,the renewing
of us in the fpirit of our mindes r the writing of
the Law in the inward parts 3 that is a branch

3*P

Obje&.
Repentance a
partoftheCo-
venanton
Gods part and
ours coo, how,

Ezek.3^26,

The afiions of
Faith* and Re--
pentanceours,
the power of
doing them
Gods.

?p°

%#<

tAnfw.
How to knew
whether we be
in the Cove-
na^fe-or no.

By Faith?

Galat.*. 1 *

OfThe

Ml. ^M^fc II ... ■ - ^

of G^ Covenant , but the doing of this, the
bringing forth the fruite of thefe inward abili-
ties,of thefe inward habits and graces that are
planted in us by the power of Chrijljhat thing
is required in us. As for example,the very ha-
bit of Faith,the very grace and power of be-
leeving, that God hath promiied to give , it be-
longs to him,but to beleeve,to take the promi-
fes,to accept oilefut chriH find to receive him 5
and the gift of righteoufnefie by him,this is re-
quired as a condition on our part. And fo much
fhall ferve for the opening of this, and for this
point.

The next qneftion wee had to propound to
you 3 was this :How a Man fhouldknow whe-
ther hee bee within the Covenant, or no ? You
(hall know it by this, How did Abraham know
whether hee was in the Covenant, or how will
you know whether Abraham , or any other
were ? Saith the Text, Abrahambdceved
God find therefore (^reckoned him as a Man
that was righteous, and accepted him to bee a
partaker of the Covenant : And fo , if thou be-
leeve , it is certaine then 5 thou art within the
Covenant : But how fhall a Man know chat ?
Gal. 5 . 5 .Neyther circumcifion avayleth any things
nor uncircumcijion , but Faith which worketh love.
If thou canft finde this now,that thou art able
totake Iisvs Christ, totakehimasa
Lord and Saviour , thou art able to beleeve all
the Covenant of Grace,thou art by that put in-
to the Covenant.

But

New Covenant.

B 01

Simile*

True faith is
operative.

But how fhall a man know whether his faith
be right or no ? For,youknow 5 thereis a falfe,
dcad 3 and counterfeit Faith : if it be right,:hou I
fnalt finde it to bee of a working and lively na. %Z"JlbZ
cure^but many times wee may bee deceived in [ true,
that. A woman many times thinkes flie is with |
childe 3 but if fhee finde no motion or ftirring, I
it is an argument fhee was deceived : So when
a man thinkes that hee hath Faith in his hearty
but yet hee finds no life, no motion,no ftirring,
there is noworke proceeding from his Faith,
it is an argument hee was miftaken, he was de-
ceived in it : For,if it be a right Faith , it will
worke, there will bee life and motion in it. As
Abrahams Faith, you fee,it enabled him to doe
whatfoever GWappointed him,to offer his fon,
ro excommunicate Ifmael ,whea God bid him
caR. him out , though hee loved Ifmael excee-
ding dearely, yet hee did it, and did it readily-
So 5 whatfoeverelfe <?<?^bade him doe,here was
a worke of Faith.

But yet a little further, a man may bee yet
deceived in this, a mans Faith may wqjke,and
an Hypocrite may doe many workes , if it bee
but bare workings a Man may bee decei-
ved 5 and therefore this is added further, it
workes by love. A Man may doe exceeding
many duties , hee may fuffer Martyrdome,
hee may give all to k the poore, hee may bee
a very diligent Minifter of the Gofpell : For
Paul faith , I may Jpeake with the tongue of
Men and Angels ^L may give my goods to the poor e>

F f I may

An hypecrite
may doe much
without faith.

$9*

O F Th E

Doing duties
with love, a
fignc efFaith

I may five my body tc bee burned>and yet if thefe
great workes bee done , without Uve they are no-
thing. But, on the other fide,if you finde this,
that you doe but the leaft worke,if it be but to
give a cup of cold water,anddoe it out of love 3
j if you abftaine from one finne,if you overcome
any one luft whatfoever,thatis neereand deare
to you,becaufe you love Jefia ChriH, if you fet
your felves upon any worke^upon any imploy-
mentandendevour,andthy heart witnefleth
this to thee , It is becaufe I love the L»rd , and
defire exceedingly to pleafehim,he is one that
I would fainehave communion with , my de-
light is in him , therefore I doe thefe workes .
for it is my meate and drinke to doe his will •
now thou art on a fure ground ,now thou may ft
know thou art within the Covenant : For thou
beleeveft as Abraham did 3 and therefore thou
art within the Covenant, as hee was^thou may ft
know it, becaufe thy Faith workes, and then
thou mayft know that it workes right , becaufe
it is done by love.
Well, yet there is another way to know this,
By being graft | that is, in thy fade ( faith the Text )JbnffaS the
into Chtift. | Nations tfthe world bee blejjtd' L a Man be then
ingrafted into this feed, into iheMefiiah once,
then hee fhall bee blefTed,if once hee belong to
hinie Well, how fhall a Man know that ?

If thou have received the Spirit of the Sor?.
forwhofocveris in Christ , hath received the
Spirit of chriftjf he have not received the (pi-
ricofdW/^hecisnotinhim. Confider whe-
ther

How to know
weare jpgiaft
intoCbrift,

Nevst Covenant.

ther you have received the Spirit of theSonne
the (pint of the promifed feed,that is,whether
thou arc made like Cbrijl by the Spirit : for the
fpiric will affimulate thee, & renew this Image
in thee,he makes thee fuch another in fome de-
gree as hee is, yea, hee will not onely doe this,
but he will witnefle to thee,that hee is thy God,
and that thou art of thofe that are partakers of
the Covenant • and therefore that is the way to
finde it out , that is the thing I intend to infill:
upon,to finde out whether you have this fpirir,
you (hall finde it, this is the great marke that
the Apoftle Pad infifts upon , ftill in all his £-
piftles,by which a Man may know whether he
be within the Covenant or no, ftill it is this, we
have received the Jpir i*,and, the Spirit feales m to
the day of * redemption , we are ejtablifbed and fealed
by thefpirit efpromife^ and we have received the
fpirit y which is an earneft , &c.

Now to know whether you jhave the Spirit,
I will commend thefe two places of Scripture
to you to confider : one is, Rom.%. 1 5. Tou have
not received the Spirit of bondage to feare againe^
but the Spirit of Adoption , whereby you crie Ab-
ba Father : The fame Spirit beareth witnejje with
ourfpirits , that wee are the fonnes of God. The
other you (ball finde, 1 John 5.8. And there
are three that beare record in Earthy the Spirit , the
water ^andthe Blonde and thefe three agree in one.
If you would finde out whether you have the
Spirit of the Sonne , or no , you (hall know it
by thefe three ;

Ffs In

An evidence
of being in
the Covenant

Rom,8. if.

1 Iohn i*%s

394- J

Of The

Tri all whether
wee have the
fpirit;
I.
By that which
goes before ,
Namely the
fpirit of bon-
dage.

TheLawwor-
fceth not with-
out the fpirit

'of bondage.

I A&a.

Affiiaions, &
judgement*
the execution
of^theLaw.

1Sam.12.x8,

^zra 20. <?»

In the Antecedents, the Concomitants 3 and
the Confequents.

The Antecedent is the Spirit of hondage y
for that of neceffitie muft goe before 3 fothat
if thou never hadft the Spirit of bondage 3 cer~
tainely, thou haft not yet received the ipiritof
the Sonne : For the Apoftle fpeakesof it here
as the common condition to all Chriftians^they
doe not receive the Spirit of bondage againe .
you had it once^but now you have the Spirit of
Adoption : I fay 5 every man muft have this fpi-
rit of bondage^ and the ground of it is this 3 be-
caufe no map can come to chrijl 3 except the
Law be aSchoolemafter to bring him to ehrifi-
Now the Law is not a SchooIemafter 3 it teach,
eth no man ^except the fpirit of bondage worke
feare, except the fpirit of bondage put an edge
upon the Law 5 put a Sword into the hand of the
Law 5 to pricke the heart,to wound the hearths
it is (kid^Bs 2. this is the spirit ofbondage:You.
may heare the Law , and the threatnings and
curfes appiyed to you^tenne thoufand times
over 3 and yet no feare bee bred in you 3 except
the fpirit of bondage joyne with it 3 that makes
it effe&uall. Now in the Law are included
judgements and affli&ions 3 which are but the
execution of thcLaw, fometimes it goes with j
the Law it felfe- fomtimes with the judgement
andaffli&ionsj it is the Spirit of bondage that
muft goe with both , As for example, when it
thundredand rained in Wheat-barveft 3 i .Sam.
12 .the people feared exceedingly^ Ezr. 1 o. ? .

when

Nev/ Covenant.

5P5

when there was an exceeding great Raine , the
people did exceedingly tremble , and, youknoWjin
chac Earthquake, though all werefafe^af. 1 6 K
and there was no caufe why hee fhould bf e fo
unquiet,yet we fee how thegoaler was amazed,
his heart was wounded , this was not for thefe
particular Judgemems,there might bee a great
Raine,there might bee a great Earthquake and
thunder in Wheat-harveft,and yet mens hearts
litde moved^but there went a fpirit of bondage,
that bred a feare in theirf, this is that, I iay^no
man can come to cbrili , without the Law,ey-
ther in it felfe, or in affli&ions , which are but
the executioners of it,and thefe are not effectu-
al! without the fpirit of bondage.

And there is a very great reafon for it- be-
canfe otherwife we fhould never know the love
of cbrili , hee that hath not knowne what the
meaning of this fpirit bf bondage is,what thefe
feares are, what thefe terrors of confeience are
in fome meafure , knowes not what cbriH hath
fuffered for him, or what deliverance hee hath
had by him;befides,vhe will not be appliable to
cbrili: But I will not (land more upon this.
Haft thou not had the fpirit of bondage ? I fay ;
furely,if thou haft not tafted ohhis y chrift hath
not fowne the feede of grace in thy heart : doth
any man low before he hath plowed? Doth any
man make a new impreflion before there bee
an obliteration of the old ? Before the heart bee
melted with the fpirit of bondage , there is no
fenfe of a new Ipirit, to make a new impreflion
F f 3 upon

hfait.

AfHi&ionsnot
effe&ual with«
oat the. fpirit
ofbondage*

The fpirit of
bondage tea-
chethus to
know Chrifts
love,.

\9&

Of Th

The fpirit of
bondage in a

different mea»
fare or men.

3. Things goe
together with
the fpiri*.

The tcftimo-
ny of the
blcudofChrift

upon it- 1 confefle it is different,it is fometimes
more, iomerimes lefle, but all have it , more or
lefTe^fcmtimes the Medicine goes foclofe with
the revealing of fin,and of Judgement,that it is
not fo much difcerned : fometimes againe, Cod j
meancs to beftow upon fomemen a greater!
measure of grace^and therefore hee gives them
a greater meafure of the fpirit of bondage, be-
caufe GOD meanes to teach them more to
prize CHRIST, hee meanes more to bap-
tize them with the Baptifme of the holy Ghoji^
and therefore hee baptizeth them with a grea-
ter meafure of the fpirit of bondage,they fliall
drinke deeper of that fpirit, becaufe his inten-
tion is 3 that they fhall drinke deeper of the fpi-
rit of Adoption : and therefore Christ takes
it for an Argument, concerning the Woman.,
when he faw ihe loved exceeding much/urely
fhe had a great meafure of the fpirit of boa-
dage,fhe was much wounded for her fms,there
had beene exceeding much forgiven her.in her
apprehenfion 5 and fo was Paul exceedingly
wounded. This muft goe before.

The things which goe together with it, are
thefethree,theteftimonyof the Bloud^o{ the
Water^nd of cur oyvne Spirits*

Firft,belovcd,thereisinthetefiimony of the
Bloud , There are three that beare record in the
Earth, the fpirit ^the water , and the bloud, though
fpirit bee put firft , asitisufuallamongft the
Hebrevres , and in the Scriprures^to put the laft
firft j Now if a Man would know whether hee

Nevy Covenant.

197

be in chrift y whether he have received the pro-
mifed feede,or no, let him confider ftrft, whe-
tber hee hath beleeved in the Bloud , that is ,
there is a word of promife , that faith thus to
us : There is a Sacrifice that is offered , there is
the blood of theLambe (hed from the begin-
ning of the World , and this Bloud fhall wafh
thee from all thy finnes, when a Man ftands to
confider this promife, this promife hath two
things in it 3 there is the truth of it, & thegood-
nefTe of it , a Man doth,with Abraham^ beleeve
the truth ofit,heebeleeves6W,and iaith jit is
true, I beleeve it ; but withall, there is a good-
neffe in it, and therefore, as the underftandiug
(aith,it is true, fo the will faith,it is good , and
he takesit, and embraceth it,and is exceeding
greedy of it : For when the Spirit of bondage
makes a Man feare,it empties a man of all righ-
teoufhefle, as a Man empties a caske^that there
is nothing left in it , it puis away all other
props and ftayes from him 3 Sit leaves a Man in
this cafe, that hee fees nothing in the world to
fave him , but the Bloud of Chris T^when a
Man lees this, he takes fafthold of that,he will
not let it goe for any things, and though it bee
told him , you fhall have many troubles and
croffes 3 you muft part with all you have , you
(hall have fomewhat hereafter, but you fhall
have little for the prefent . he cares not though
it coft him his life,if he may have this bloud to
wafh away his finnes, it is eaough,this he layes \
fafthold upon.

Ff 4 When

Two things in
the promifes
ofGode

Nttel

?ps

H E

When a man
is faid ^o enter
into the Co-
venant.

i.Tbe u.limo-
cycf wa,ter f

Ephef.?.

\Vhen a man doth this , at that very houre
j he is entred into Covenant} he is tranflated from
' death to life,hee hath now received the prcmi-
i fed feedc,and he fhallbebleffed ; For tfe^hath
1 faidit,andfworne it, and it cannot bee other-
wife • and this is the teftimony of the Bloud,
when a Man can fay , I know I have taken and
applyed the bloud of cbrijlj reft upon it, I be-
leeve that my finnes areforgiven, I grafpe it, I
receive it, this is theteftimony of the bloud.

Now when a Man hath rooke the Bloud,

What? Shall he continue in fiithineffe ltill,and

walke after the lufts of his former ignorance ?

No, the Lord comes not by bloud onely , but

by Water alio , that is , by fanftification , he

j fends the Spirit of fan&ification that clean -

I feth and wafheth his fervants , that wafheth a-

way not onely the outward fi]thineife 5 but the

evillnature,the fwinifn nature, that they defire

no more to wallow in themyre,as before : For

the L ord will not have a iluttifh Church , and

therefore,, Epbef. j.Heewjfhctb the Church , and

dearth /^hewaiheth every man in theChurch

from top to toe : There is not one place in the

Soule , not one place in the converfation , but

it is rinfed in this Water- And then, when a

Man comes to finde this 3 that he hath not onely

found the bloud of chriH applyed to him by

E$ith,but hath found that face hathbeene able

to putuire himfdie,and by the worke ofcbrijts

Spirit joyning withJhim , when hee goes about

to purge himfelfe, thathelpcsto cleanfehis

con

£ VV

Gov

ENANT.

confcience from dead wcrkes. This is the fe-
ccmd teftiraoriy.

Now followes the teftimony of our owne
Spirits 3 which gathers conclufions from both
thefe and faith thus: Seeing I have received the
bloud 3 and feeing I am able to purifie my felfe 3
I conc!ude 3 1 am in a goodeftatej am partaker
of the Covenanted a man could argue thus true-
Iy 3 it is faid 3 whofiever beleeves (haliefavedjdut I
beleevc 3 tbat is the teftimony of the bloud one-
Iy;but when a Man can fay 3 1 doe labour to pu-
rifie my felie 3 1 defire nothing in the world io
much 3 Idoeingood earneft 3 :his is the teftimo-
ny of the water to this figne 3 and teftimony of
thcbloud 3 which fhew ?s that it is true 3 thatit is
a lively hope : for hee that hath a lively hogefae
purifies himfelfe, 1 1 eh. 3 •

But fbme Man may fay /This teftimony of a
mans owne fpirit may deceive him.

I an(wer 3 it cannot 3 becaufe though it be cal-
led the teftimony of our owne fpirit 3 yetitisa
Spirit enlightned 3 a fpirit fan&ified with the
fpirit of chrift&nd then that rule istrue 3 i Ioh.
3 . // our oivne hearts eondemm m not • that is 3 if
the heart of a man enlightned 3 ii the heart of a
man 3 with which the Holy Ghoft joynes 3 if the
J heart of a Man fan&ified doe not condemne
I him 3 if he have the teftimony of this fpirit 3 that
he fhalbe laved ^he needes not doubt it 3 he hath
boldneffe towards God 3 then againe hee muft
confider 3 thisworke is theteftimoiiyof the
fpirit 3 thewater 3 and thebloud ^and thefe three

agree

199

3. The tefti-
mony of our
ownefpirits.

1 Iohn 3.3*
Objefr.

An fa.
The teftimo-
ny ©f ourfpi-
rits enlighc
ned,cannoc
deceives
1 Ishnj.

/J.QO

The teftimo-
ny of Gods
fpirit.
Ephef.j.r3.

The teftimo*
ny <yfthcfpi»
ric whac.

Of Ihe

agree in one- ? it is not the tcftimony of the Spirit
alone^but it is the teftimony of the Water joy-
ned with it s if it were but the tcftimony of one
indecde the ground were not good 5 buc they
all agree in one : and therefore if thou have one
furc to thee,it is enough. Thefe are the things
which goe before and accompany iu

Now folio wes the tcftimony of Gods Spirit-
which we fnall fee defcribed 3 befides the places
I named to you 3 Mphef. i . Wherein after you klee-
ved youwere fealed with the Spirit of promt 'fe.
When aManhathbeleeved 5 andtooke Iesvs
C/jn/^fecondlyjWhenheehath wafhed and pu-
rified himfelfe, that is 3 hee hath gone about his
worke,& fo his own fpirit gathers a teftimony
hence,that he is in a good eftate- after hee hath
thus beleevedj then , faith hee, comes the Holy
Ghojl, andfeales the fame things unto you, that
is 3 the L o r d leaves a Man alone a while^as it
were,to champe upon ? the bridle 3 as I may fay
iie lets a Man alone to fome doubts andfeares
that fo he may purge himfelf the more careful-
ly ;but after a time,when a man hath put to his
feale that God is true;, then the zWfeales him
againe with the fpirit of promife 3 that is, the
Lord fends the fpirit into his heart,&that fpirit
gives witneffc to him,and when he hath put to
his feale that God is true 9 then the Ion/ puts to
his feale,and affures him that hee hath received
him to mercie. You will fay,What is the feale
or witneffe of the Spirit ? My beloved, it is a
thing that wee cannot exprefTe, it is a certaine

divine

New Covenant.

divine expreffion of light, a certaine unexpref-
fible afliirance that wee are the fonnes of God^a \
certaine fecret manifeftation, that Godlmih re-
ceivedus,and put away our finnes : 1 fay , it is
fuch a thing,that no man knowes,but they that
have ir 5 you fhall finde it exprefled by all thefe
places of Scripture,/^?/. 3 .If any man will open
to mee y I will come in and [up with him : that is,
when the Lord enters into a kinde of familiarity
with a Man,when hee vouchfafes him fo much
favourastocomeand fup and dine with him,
as it were,and to dwell with him : And fo , Re-
vel. z.ij.To him that overcommeth^ will I give of
the hidden Mannah y I will give him a white J; one
with a new name written in ttjhat no man knowes
\ but he that hath it-, that is,there fhall bee a fecret
privy token ( as it [were ) of love given him 3 a
fecret marke of it, that there is no Man in the
world knowesbefides. So , John 14,21. // any
man loveme^ndkeepemyCommandements^ I will
fhew myfelfe to him 5 that is , hee fhall have an
extraordinary manifeftation of myfelfe, hee
fhall have fuch an expreffion of love & peace,
that fhall fill his heart with peace and joy,fuch
athingthat no man knowes but himfelfe. Be-
loved, this is the teftimony of the Spirit.I con-
fefle,k is a wondrous thing , and if there were
not fome Chriftians that did feele it, and know
it 5 y on might beleeve there were no fuch thing,
that it were but a fancie or enthufiafme 5 but it
is certaine, there are a generation of men that
know what this feale of the Lord is- indeed you

muft

Revd.3. zo »

ReveU;i7«

Iohn 14/21*

The teftimo-
ny of Gods
fpirit iskettcr
felt than ex*^
pre&d,

4-oz

Tkewitncfle
of Gcdsfpirit
is after the to
flimony of

blo w 4 anti wa
ter.

Of T

H E

mud remember this , to diftinguifh it from all
fancies and delufions 3 this Spirit comes after
you have the Water and the Bloud , after you
arebeleevers, after you have purged your
felves^and therefore if any man have flafhes of
light and joy 3 that witnefle that hee hath recei-
ved the promife 3 and that he is in the Covenant >
and for all this he have not the things that goe
before it , hee may well take it for a ddufion y
faith Christ, I will come and [up with him ;But
with whom? With him that firft openeth to
mee. If thou open thy heart to the Lord^when-
foever he knockes 3 and comes to th£e. And fb 3
71? him that overcomes 5 / will five of the hidden
lAannah. If thou be one that'arr able to over-
come temptations, and unruly affe&ions , and
finfull lufts 3 thou mayft condiide,it is a truete-
ftimony that thou art not deceived 5 but if thou
bee one that art overcome with every bafe luft 3
with every temptation 3 thou art deceived \ if
thou art perfwaded thou art in good eftate;
Thisisnotthewitnefieof the Spirit 3 ^ox^itis
to him that overcomes. So againe 3 To him that
loves wee, and keepes my Cemmandements^&c.
Now if thou be one that breakft the Comman-
dements of God, that findft not that holy fire in !
thy breft,that findeft nor thy heart affedioned |
to him 5 and yet thou haft thefe great flaihes of ■
aflurance 3 and rhinkeft thy ftate good^thou de~
eeifeft thy felfe 3 the Lord Lath not fhewed him- j
felfe to thee 3 but it is a delufion- and Therefore I
fay 3 confider itj and this is the confequcu&of it y

that

I ■■ . T . I ■ II ' • -

New Gove ha nt. "| 4.0$

that hee that hath it is able to pray. So I will
conclude all, hee is able to cry Abba Father. Vt
thou have fuch an afiiirance of a good eftate 3 and
yet art not able to pray, thou art deceived like-
wife : for that is the property of the Spirit^ it
makes a man cry to God^and call him Father.

You will fay ,Is it fuch a matter ? Every man
can pray.

Beloved, it is another thing than the world
imagines it to bee^ hee that hath this Spirit, is
mighty in prayer,faeis able to wreftle with Ged>
(as Iacob did)by the fpirit of Adoption^ he had
power with God, as it is faid there, hee is able to
prevaile with the Lord , and why ? Becaufe he
can fpeake to him 3 as to a Father,hee can conti-
nue in prayer , andwatch thereunto with all pet fe-
verance - y hee can fpeake to him as one that hee
is well acquainted with- he can not only fpeake
remiffely , but hee can crie Abba Father 3 that
fhewes fervencie in his prayer^ there is no man
in the world that is able to doe it befides.Wee
fee adefcription of other men,£p.3 3.i4.when
they are troubled, they are not able to pray in-
deed,they may have formes of praier,that they
may ufe in times of peace , but let any great
trouble come upon them* let them be put to it 3
and you {ball finde they are not able to doe it 5
but they runne a way from G O D as faft as they
can at that time , they are not able to come
and fay; Thou art my Father y I befeechthee
heare mee 3 ,I befeech thee pitty me and forgive
mee : No , but they tremble at Gods prcfence,

\ How to know j
J whether wc« i

have the wit, I
,nefleofthe

fpirit.

A fpirit of
prayer a grea-
ter thing than
men thinks

Efay33.i 4 .

None bold
with God,but
his children.

4-°*

Wicked men
run from God
trouble.

Ioht»7 t $.9.i« (

Note.

Op The

as the Thicfe doth at the prefence of the Iudge-
thefinnersin S ion are afraid in that day when
God comes, at the day of vifitation, the finners
in Sion arc afraid, &c. for who fhaU deale with de-
vouringfirc I that is,they tremble at fuch a day,
when the day of death comes,when God begins
to (hew himfelfe to them 3 in the fiercenefle of
his wrath, when he begins to come neere them
in the day of vifitation, then they fly from him
as one would fly from devouring fire ,they fly
not to hifir, as one would fly to a mercifull Fa-
ther , that is ready to heare them, and helpe
them,but they fly from him as faft as they can
as one would fly from everlafting burning/The
like place you have ^lob 27.8,9,10. For what
hope hath the Hypocrite when hee hath heaped up
riches ^when GodjhaUcome and pull away his foulel
will Go d heare his prayer when he cries ^&c\? Will
bee call upon God at all times 2 A wicked Man
may make fome fhew of prayer to God in time
of health,and in timeofpeace^butat that time,
faith hee , when hee hath fpent his time in ga-
thering riches 3 in heaping them upland GOD
comes upon him (liddenly, and fhall pull away
his fouIe,hee teares and rends it from him, (for
fo the word fignifies in the Originalljthat is,he
is not willing to refigne it into Gods hands , as
the righteous Man doth 3 but hee isbufie about
his wealth , and God furprizeth him , and rends
his Soulefrom him : What will hee doe in this
cafe ? Will bee pray ? faith lob : No, hee gives
two reafons 3 Hee hAth no delight in theLerd 9 hec

never

i L Jl.«» ^ » ■ ■

New Covenant.

405

never loved the Lord , there is no fuch love be,
tweene the Lord and him 3 as there is betweene
the Father and the Childe, betweene the Huf-
band and the wife 3 he never had the fpirit of a
fon 3 he cannot pray, for hee delights not in'God.

Buthe doth pray fometimes ?

Yea 3 for fome fit 3 it may be 3 infomecxtremi-
tie 3 he may cry as a Thiefe at the Barre may cry
to the Iudge 3 (as he doth fometimes exceeding
hard) not becaufe he loves the Iudge 3 but it is a
cry that comes from extremity, and it is but in
extremity 3 and by that the falfenefle and hypo-
crite of them is knowne : So an hypocrite may
cry in the time ofextremity 3 but it is acry 3 it is
not a prayer 3 and it is but in the time of extre-
mity 3 it is not at all times that hee doth it 3 he is
not able to doe it 5 For the Lord is a ftranger to
him 3 heJk>okes upon the Lord^s upon a terrible
Iudge^ And therefore if thou wouldeft know
whether thou haft the fpirit of the fbnne 3 firft
thou {halt know it by that which went before 3
fecondly 3 thou {halt know it by that which goes
together with it, theteftimonyof the Bloud,
the teftimony of the Water 3 and of thine owne
Spirit.

Thirdly 5 thou may ft know it by this 3 by the
Confequcnt 3 it makes thee able to pray, and in
the time of extremity it makes thee able to goe
to Godja& to a Father, when another flyes away
fromhim 3 as fromeverlafting burnings.
So much fhall ferve for this time.
FINIS.

Objeft.
t/4n[w.
Wicked aien
come not to
God out of
love to h.m,
bur are forced
by their ownc
extremity.

THE

THIRTEENTH

S ERMON .

Genes i s 17. 2.
And I mil make my Covenant beweene mee and
thee.

TT . . - - - I How to know

He point which wee were in whether wc
handling, was this, How a arc in the Co-
man may know whether hee
be in the Covenant, or no > I
told you, there are 3 • wayes
to know it. Let a man con-
'fider how Abraham came
into the Covenant ; Abraham beleeved God, and
it was imputed to him for righteoufmjfi. If thou
beleeve,then thou art within the Covenantjbut
it muft be \aith that wroketh by love 5 if it bee a
faith which workes not, it is but a dead faith,

Gg and

4o 6

Of The

I and if it dot vvorke, yet if it workenot by love
' thczWregardethitnot : it is true^ it is faith
that Iayes hold upon the Covenant ^out it works
by love -, faith is the point of the Compafle,
that faftcnsaipon the Covenant y but love is the
other parr, that goes about, that doth all the
bufineiTe,it is that which keeps the Comman-
dements, it is that which quickens us to every

If we have ta-
ken the proiiii-
fed feed.

Rom.S.1 s .

good worke.

The fecond way to know whether wee are in
the Covenant^ or no, isj to confider whether we
have taken the promifed feed- for in him fhall
all the Nations in the world bee bleflfed. How
fhall we know that ? If wee have the fpirit of
the Sonne 3 that is knowne by the Spirit it felfc
the spirit beares witnejfe $ the witnefle of the
Spirit,as I told you,it is knowne by that which
goes before it, by that which accompanies ir 3
and by that which followes after. This is the
point that we were in handling, and we were
broken off in the middeft of it ^ wee will recall
it a little, and deliver it fomewhat more di-
ftin&Iy unto you, than wee could doe than for
hafte.

Firft,I fay.whofoever hath the Spirit of the
Sonne^he muft have, before it, the fpirit of ion-
dige; Rom. 8. 15. Ton have not received the
fpirit of bondage againe to fear e 3 but you have re-
ceived the fpirit of adoption. As if hce fhould
I fay,there are none^but firft they receive the fpi-
j rit of bondage : for there is no man can come
1 to cbrijl, except the Law bee his Schoolema.
I ftcr

New Covenant.

4.07

fter,and the Law is not effe&uall without the
i'pirit ot bondage,neither the Law in the threat
nings, nor in the judgemenis,which are the ex-
ecutioners of thole threatnings : you may heare
the Law opened to you a hundred and a hun-
dred times ; that is, the particular finnes of
which a man is guilty ,defcribed • yea, the par*
ticular judgements ♦, yea, the Lord may fol-
low you with affli&ions andcrofles,yet except
there be a fpirit of bondage to worke together
with thefe, it will never mollifie an obdurate
heart.

And therefore, my beloved, yon muft make
this accouut, if you have never beene affrighted
with the terrours of God, if you have never
beene put into any feare by the fpirit of bon-
dage, be aflured that you have not yet the $/-
rit of Adoption. If men would have looked
to the brazen Serpent , without being ftung of
the fiery Serpents, God would have fpared
the fpirit of bondage j but who doth it? or
who is able to doe it ? Wee bee all in a dead
fleep,and except we be wakened with the ter-
rours of the Almighty s there is no man would
feeke after lefits Chriff ; wee may preach the
Gofpell long enough^ and men, for the moil
part turne the deafe eare to us,till the Lord open
their eares by afflictions, and especially, by the
fpirit of bondage-^ it cannot be 5 buu here muft be

feme precedent worke, wee wili not come
I home to the Lord without it. VVec doe all as

the Woman that had the bloody ifTiie, as long
1 Gf 2 as

He that neve?
had the fpirit
ot bondage,
hath not the
fpirit of Adop
tieo.

40S

H E

Simile*

None come t«
Chnft, till all
other aneanes
faile.

Smile*

as fhe had mony in her purfc,or that there were
Phyficians to goe to, that fhee had ability to
have them, {Tie would not come to GuiisT-but
when fhe had fpent all,when fhe law there was
no more hope, thenflie comes to chrifi^ and
was healed of her bloody iflbe : fo doe wee 3 fo
long as we can liveinfinne, wee confidernot
the greatnefle nor thedarkenefTe of the difeafe,
but if wee can but fubfift with it, wee goe on
we come not to chriji ; but when wee are
fpoiled of all by the fpirit of bondage, when
wee are put into feare of death, that is it that
brings us home to Iefus Chrift> and therefore
wee muft make account of it as a generall rule,
there niuft be fuch a fpirit of bondage to bring
us home : wee doe in this cafe as I&ab did with
Abfolon^ when hee lived in the Court in
eafe and pleafure, hee would not come at Jlb-
folon, hee might fend againe and againe, but
hee would not come at him, till his Corne
was fet on fire, and that brought him : So,
unlefle there bee fome fuch crofle as may
make an impreffion upon us, fuch a crofle
as hath the fpirit of bondage joyned with it,
tocaufek to wound our fpirits, (as it isfaid^
they were pricked in their hearts when they heard
Peter) I (ay, wee would not come home unto
the LORD, wee muft have fuch an aven-
ger of bloody to purfue us, before wee feeke
to the chit of refuge^ And therefore confi-
der, whether thou haft tafted of this fpirit ;
and withall, you may obferve this by the

way,

'-.*■

Neyv Covenant.

4.00

way, that when God doth write bitter things
againft a man, it is not a juftcaufe of deje&ion;
for this is a figne that God is beginning a good
worke in thee. Seeke not to put it off, and to
thinkc it is a miferable thing to be under luch a
bondage as this: no, but make this Life of it, let
it bring thee home to I ejus Chrijl. And heere,by
the way, that men may not be deceived in this
andfay, Alas, I have not had this fpiritof ban-
dage and ieare, and therefore I feare I am not
right.

Beloved, you muft know for what end the
Lord iends it : hee fends it for thefe two ends,
andbythatyoufhall know whether you have
it or no - y for if thou haft the^nd once, if the
effe<5t bee wrought no doubt but thou haft had
the caufe that produceth that effed.

One end is to bring us home to chrijl-, if
thou finde thou haft tooke lefm chrijl, it is
eertaine there hath beene a worke of the fpirit
of bondage upon thy heart, if thou finde thou
art willing to take him upon any conditions,
that thou art willing to deny thy felfe, thou art
willing to fervehim^ to love him, and to obey
him.

And a fecond end is, GOD fends his
Spirit of bondage, that thou mighteft know
the bitterneffe of finne, and learne to ab-
ftaine from it : that thou mayeft learne to
tremble at his Word, for the time to come,
/ looh to him that is of a contrite fpirit)
and that trembleth at my word : that even
/ G g 3 £2

Note.

Objeft.

How to know
we have had
the fpirit of
bondage.

By our taking
•fChiift.

By our appre-
heniionetche
bitternefle of

finne.

4-iQ

The fpirit oi
bondage i •
noitoiathfir
iorfinns paft
buttoprevcnt
fins to come.

That which
accompanies
die fpirit.

Of Th e

as parents doe with their children., they would
never affli<5t and corred their children for that
which is paft, but their end is for the time to
come 3 thac they may not commit the fame faulr
againe s otherwiie, I fay, the parent wi uld not
:ay any afflift ion upon the chiHe^ fo the Lord
hach this very end in fending the fpirit of bon-
dage 3 thou muft not thinke it is for thy finnes
paft, that there may bee a kinde of fatisfaftion
made for them, that is not the end, but the end
is, that thou mighteft know the bitternefle of
finneforthe time to come, that thou being
fcorched once with it. thou mighteft not ealily
meddle with it againe, and therefore if thou
findeft this to bee thy cafe, thou haft fo farre
tailed the terrours of the Almighty , that
thou dareft not adventure upon finne,thou (lan-
ded in awe of the Lord, that thou dareft not
be fo bold with finne as thou haft beene, thou
dareft not meddle with theoccafionofit, that
thou dareft not come neere it . I fay, if thou
finde fuch a tendernefle of conference in thy
felfe, if thou finde that that finne is made terri-
ble tothee,tha t thou diddeft defpifc before, (for
it is the property of a carnal man to defpife his
waies)Ifay,if this be wrought in thee 3 defer not,
make not dainty of applying the prcmifes, be-
came thou haft mot received the fpirit of bon-
dage : for thou haft, theeffeft, therefore thou
needeft not doubt 3 but that thou haft the thing.
This is it that goes before.

That which goes together with it, I ihewed

you

New Covenant.

411

you, chen is the witneffe of the bloody and of
the water and of onr owne fpirit j there bee
three that beare witneffe inearth, 1 loh.q.tbe
fpirit, and the water, and the blood : by fpirit
there, is meant our owne fpirit enlightcned,oy
blood is meant juftification, by water is meant
fan&ification 5 fo that thefe goe together with
the witneife ot the Spirit,

The firft is the witneffe of the blood s that is,
when a man is humbled, when a man is broken
with 1 he fpirit of bondage, then hee beginnes
to make out for a pardon : when hee fees he is
arretted, as it were, when he is fhut up, as that
phrafe is uf d. Gal. 3 . and fees what a debt is re-
quired of him 3 apd he is not able to pay the lcaft
farthing, now hee beginnes to looke out for a
furety, now hee beginnes to hunger and thirft
exceedingly after cbrijlfiovr hee is not content
onely to watch with him, to ferve him, and to
obey him, but hee is willing to part with his
life, and all that he hath, upon that condition.
Now when a man is in this cafe, when the Lord
beginnes to (hew him the blood of his Sonne,
he begins to open a little crevis of light, and to
fhew him the new Teftament in hisblood,that
is,theNew Teftament confirmed in his blood-
fhedfor many for theremiffonofjinnes. I fay, hee
begins then tolcrke upon the promifes 3 to con-
iider fuch promifes as thefe. Come to mee^ allyee
that are weary^&c.and, If any manfxnne, wee have
an Advocate, and let whofoeverwill , come
and take of the water of life freely : and, Goe,

Gg 4 and

1 Ioh.4.

t.Thewrtucs
of blood.

4>?*

Of The

Wclookeon
the promifes,

I.
Ascruc.

Gal.3,

As good.

and preach to every creature vnder heaven^ and
tell them, if they will beleeve, and take my
Sonne, they fhall be faved. I fay, thefe are all
promitcs made in the blond of Iefiu chriii %
Now he begins to confider thefe promifes, and
he begins firft to thinke,What ? are thefe pro- 1
mifes true ? Yes, furely they are moft true,
they areconfirmed with an oath, they arc eon-
firmed with the bloud, with the death of the
Teftator : a mans Covenant, after it is once
made, and the Teftator is dead, Gal. 3 . no man
addes to it, or takes from it. Now when a man
considers this. Are thefe the promifes of the
Lord ? hath hee confirmed them with an
Oath ? are they confirmed with the bloud of
the Teftator ? Certainly, they are moft true,
I Cannot doubt of them : but when he begins to
confider 3 Asthey are true, how fitare theyfor
me ? what is the goodneflc of them ? They are
alfo exceeding good, there is nothing in the
World fo excellent, fo precious, fo fweet, and
fo comfortable, as thefe promifes bee: I fay,
when he hath done thefe two., when the under-
ftandingfaith they are true,and bclceves them,
arid when the will faith they are good,and em-
braced them, at that very inftant, fdvation is
come to thy h$ufe y and to thy heart ; I fay,
Chriji It fa is come to thee, at that very iuftar.c
he hath made a Covenant with thee,, through
perhaps thou fee him not atthattime,(as Mary
could not fee him,but tookc him for the Gar-
diner ) but, I fay, at that time thou art tranf

lared

Nevy Covenant.

4.1)

lared irom the Covenant of Workes to the Cove-
nant o£ Grace.

But you will fay, How comes this blood to
be a witneilc?

It is a witneiTe in this manner : when a

To whom the
promifes arc
made*

mans fpirit fhall confider the promifes, and ^wiheHood
ponder them well, and fhall fay thus with witne^ 1 '
himfclfe. Well, I have applyedthefe promi-
ses, but upon what warrant, upon what
ground have I done it 5 every body will bee
ready to apply the promifes of mercy and for-
givenefle, but what warrant have I to apply
them ? to know upon what good ground I
lay hold of thefe promifes ? Then a man con-
siders with himfelfe the promifes, they are
fure, they are clecrely and diftin&ly fct downe
in the Word • lice confiders, to whom thefe
promifes are offered ,,tothofe that are unrighte-
ous ; The LORD juflifieth the vnrighteom^
even to Publicans and Harlots , to jinners^ fuch
they were that came to C h r i s t, to fuch
the promifes were offered. Well, I know, I
am an unrighteous man, and therefore the
want of forrowand contrition, and the want
of holinefle, and the want of tendernefle of
heart in the beginning, fhall not exclude mee :
for they are promifes that are made to the un-
righteous, to the uncleane and polluted,to the
hard-harted,fuch they are at the firft, to whom
the promifes are made.But what doth the Lord
require of thofe? That they thirft: All that,
tbirtficome ; Now I finde an extreme thirft

I would

Thirftingafrer (
Cbrift rcqui'
red.

4*4-

Of The

iXXhe witnes
ot the water.

1 would dye that I might have cbrijt and his
righteouinefle. Is this all? No, it is required
further, that when thou art come in, thou take
this refolution, now I will fcrve him, now I
will love him, now I will obey him, I will bee
content to take Jefm Cbriji^for better^forworfe^
I will bee content to deny my felfe, to take up
myCrofTc, to follow him in all his wayes.
When a mans fpirit hath pondered this well,
when hee hath looked on the blood of I e s v s
Christ, and the promifes, and fees himfelfe
qualified upon this ,he faith, iurely 5 thefe pro-
mifes belpng to mee, this is the witneffe of the
blood.

Then followes the witneffe of the water . for
the blood hath a double vertue in it,ithath not
onely the vertue to deliver us from the guilt of
finne, to caufe the Lord to paffe over us^ when
hee fees the fprinckling of the blood upon
our hearts, and upon our perfons, but there is
more, it hath a cleanfing vertue in it,itclenfeth
the confeience from dead workes • and fo hath
faith, it hath not onely vertue in it to receive,
andtodigeftand to take the promifes, but it
hath an ability to worke • as the hand, you
know, hath tw® offices, it hath an office tore-
ceive, and to take, and likewife it hath ability
to worke : Beloved, thele are never disjoyned,
the blood never waiTieth from fin, but likewife
it clenfeth the confeience from dead workes •,
faith never receives the promiie, but ir workes
likewife : indeed for the receiving part j wee re-
ceive

New Coven ant.

4*5

ceive all alike precious faith -, but for the wor-
king pare, there is much difference : you know a
weake hand is able to receive as well as a ftron-
ger, but a ftronger can doe more worke : there-
fore as faith growes more, foit workes more.
Some men have a more working faith thano-
thers, though, as it is a receiving faith, he hath
it alike: therefore thou mayeft confider this
with thy felfe. It I have the teftimony of the
bloody I have alfo the teftimony of the water,
that isfan&ification juyned with juftification .
Christ came not by blood onely, but by water
alio : ifthefpirkofa man lookeon this now,
and can fay, I fee I am renewedin the fpirit of my
minde- y I fee I am wafhed from my filthinefle,I
Tee my confeience is in fome meafurecleanfed
from dead workes, then he may conclude with
himfelfe, furely Tarn in the ftate ofgrace, I am
in the Covenant. And this is the witnefTe of
our owne fpirit, and the witnefleof the water,
and of the blood. But when this is done, it
may be the L^f continues 3 yet, at fome fits,!
to write bitter things againft thee, he feemes to I
cad thee off, hee feemes to wound thee fome-
times with the wounds of an enemy > This
the Lord many times doth, that he may put
us to it- hee turnes the deafe eare,. that hee
may try what wee will doe: when the fpirit of
a man hath now thefe testimonies, and yet
hath not reft, though it have them on good
1 ground, ( for I mean? not the naked fpirit of a
man, but his fpirit enlightened and fan&ified
< i^ b y

Faitb,as *i
receives, isa-
like in al 1.

WhytkeLord
fpeakesnot
peace alwaies
tothofethac
are in Cove*
nanc witfe
him*

^\6

Wc muft truft
Gods proraifc
though wcc

want^eace.

Thefealeef
Gods fjnric.

Eph.i.i^,

Ioh.14.11.

Of Th e

by the Holy Ghoji ) yet when hce hath good
ground, and faith thus with himfelfe, Yet for
ail this, I will truft him, I have his fu re Word
for it, I have his promiie, I know that Heaven
and earth fhallpajfe, rather than anypromifeof
his (hall paffe. Now when the Lordfecih a
man beleeving thus, and milling him upon
his bare Word, then the zWgoes a ftep fur-
ther with him, andfealesthe fame things to
him with the fpirit ofpromije, ( as I fhewed be-
fore out of Epbef 1 . 1 3 . In whom after you, be-
leeved,you were fealed with the fpirit of promt fe)
when you put to your feale that God is true, God
then comes and puts to his feale, hce gives you
thefpiritofpromife, and allures you that it is
fo . that is, he doth by his owne Spirit fay to a
mans foule, / am thy falvation. My beloved,
this is a certains expreffion of the Holy Ghojl
to the foule of a man,that we know not how to
,exprefletoyou: therefore it is called the hid-
den Aiannah:\t is called a white stone, with a new
name written in it, that no man knowes but bee that
hath it, a certaine manifeftation oichrijl to the J
foule, a certaine divine light, a certaine fecret
token of his love, whereby chrift manifefts
himfelfeto the foule of man, that which the
Scriptures call fuppingwith him j / will come
andfupwitbhim • Rev. 3.8c lob. 14.2 1. / and my
Father will come to him, and I will manifeji my
owne felfevnto him-, this is the witneffe of the
Spirit, that when the witnefTe of our owne
fpirit is fomewhat obfeure, wee may than fay,
' Lord]

New Covenant.

¥7

Lord, thou now fpeahjl pUinely, now there '
isnoqueftion. My beloved, this is the wit-
nefle of the Spirit- thatthou becnotmiftaken
in it, ftill remember this, that it is given to thefe
that overcome ; if thou bee overcome of every
thing, of every ftnall temptation, if thou bee
overcome with a blaft of praife, with a little
pelfe and wealth, doft thou thinke now thou
haft got the white-fane, that chrift gives as the
witnefle of his Spirit $ No, it is to thofethat
overcome, andfo it is to thofe that open; if thou
be a ftubbornefervant, that Christ may come
a gaine and againe,and knocke at the doore,and
tell thee of fuch a finne, that thou lieft in, and
of luch a duty that thou negle&eft, and yet thou
carrieft thy felfe like a ftubborne fervant, that
will not hcarehim, or if thou doe, thou wilt
not goe about the worke that hee hath appoin-
ted thee . doft thou thinke hee will come in and
fup with thee, when thou wilt not open to him
No, it is not C h r i s t that lups with thee, but
it is a delufion of Satan. But how fhall we know
this ? Thefe are the things that accompany the
Spirit: but now for the Confequents of it,they
are thefe fixe,

Firft there followes a fpirit of prayer, that
goes together with it, prayer in theperfe&ion
of it is not a lip-labour, no, it is not a puting up
of petitions onely, bee they never fo excellent,
it is not a crying to the L o r d : for other men
may doe fo, but it is when a man can come to
God with confidence, becaufe hee knowes him

Who tr.ey be
chat have the
witnefle of the
Spirit.

Six t ©nfe*

quents of the

Spirit.

i.A fpiritof *

prayer*

4>«?

i. Love to
God&Chrift.

Love com- ;

From know*
kdge.

Of Th e

to bee his Father, becaufe hee hath beene ac-
quainted with him, becaufe hec hath received
the Spirit of the Sonne, that tels him in plaine
termes he is his Father: when a man can' come
with holy affe&ions to the Lord, this is the fpi-
rit of prayer • a wicked man, as we (hewed out
of/^27. when GW comes to him, and rends
and teares his foule from him ^ that is, he parts
with his foule unwillingly, when God puis on
the one fide, and hee on the other, when God
puis away his foule, faith he, will the LORD
heare him, when hee cries to the Almigh-
ty ? No : for hee doth not pray, it is in-
deede a cry, a man in extremity may cry hard,
as a theefe at the Barre, he cryes hard, not be-
caufe he loves theIudge,or hath any confidence
in him if it were not for the extremity, hee
would not doe it at alljfaith he 3 he prayeth not ;
he doth not delight in the Almighty, hee goes
not to him as to a father, and it appeares hence
that were there not fiich an extremity, hee
would not pray : for hee will not pray at all
times,

Secondly,it breedes love • wherefoever the
witneffcof'thc Spirir is,alwaies there follower
it love towards God, and I ejus chrijl : forir
cannot bee otherwise, all love comes from
knowledge - y now when a man hath feene Iefiu
Chrijl indeed, that is, when the Lord hath
fhewed his owne felfe unto him, f \ hen he hath
drawne neere to a man in the witneflfe of his
Spirit, when he hath manifefted himfelfe, it

can-

New Covenant.

¥9

cannoc bee put a man muft Jove him. What is
the reafon that wee fhall love him perfe&ly in
heaven, but becaufe we {hall know him fully ?
any man that knows him in part here,loves him
in part j and therefore if you have ever knowne
theZW, ifhee have thus fhewed himfelfc, it
cannot be but thou (halt love him.

Befides, love comes from kindnes and good-
nefle of one that hath fhewed love to us, love
begets love, as fire begets fire. Now when
this was thy cafe, when thou waft a man expe-
cting nothing but death and hel,and the wrath
oEGod, and the Lard hath come, and fpoken
kindely unto thee, as it were, the Lord hath
come and fpoken to thee, when thou waft to
die,and hath faid, thoujbalt Iwe^when he hath
overcome thee with kindnes, as it were, it can-
not be now but that thy heart fhoiild be affe&i-
oned towards him,as David faith,PfaL i8.Lord
I hve thee dearely ^ for, wbenl was in dijirejfe,
thou didjl heart me \ fo 3 when a man hath tele
the rerrours of the Almighty, when hee hath
lyen under the fpirit of bondage, for a time,
when he expected nothing but death, and con-
demnation, and the Lord hath fhewed mercy
and loving kindnefTe unto him, love will fol-
low.

Thirdly, thou fhalt finde this follow upon
it 3 likewife 5 if thou have the fpirit of Adopti-
on, it will fet thee on worke^to clenfe thy felfe
as, a Cor. 7. 1. fee a notable place for this pur-
pofej faith hee 5 if you haue fuch promt fes^ that

is,

From kindnes

PJalrt.

3.CJenfinga
Hianshcarr,

a Cor.7«j.

4-j.o

A tryall of ha-
iling the fpirit

rlob.ji

.Heb.xe«n.

Falfe comfort
[breeds finfull
ieciirity#

Of Th e

is, the promife of grace, and of forgiveneiTe
and of the pardon of finne, if you have apply ed
hem indeed by the Spirit of Adoption, then
you will cleanfe your felues from all pollution of
flefh and fpirit. So, by this thou maift know
whether thou haft the Spirit of adoption, whe-
ther thou haft applyed the Covenantor Grace,
and the promifes of it, indeede, and in good
earneft,orno: this- will certainly follow, thou
wilt cleanfe thy ;felfe : butifthtfu finde now,
that thou walloweft inthylufts, in thy filthy-
neffe, that thou art not yet wafhed from thy
finnes, and from thy fwinifh nature, be afliitect
thou haft not yet applyed the promifes, thou
haft not yet the Spirit of Adoption, be alTured
if thou haft any hope 5 it is not a true and lively
hope, it is but a falfe and dead hope : for, if it
were a true and lively hope, i loh.$. it would
fet thee aworke to purge thy felfe, and therfore
Heb. i a. 22. you fee the difference there be-
tweene the aflurance of faith,and of preempti-
on, Draw mere in full ajfurance of faith: What
then } havin/jour hearts fprinkled from an evill
eonfeience^ and your bodies wafhed in pure water.
If it bee afftirance of faith, it hath alwayes this
following with it, the heart is fprinkled from
an evill confeience; but if it be a prefumptuous,
a falfe aiTurance, upon falfe grounds, there fol-
lowes no fuch clean fing, no fuch watchful-
nefle. This is a fuch rule, that will not de-
ceive you, thofe that have but falle flafties of
comfort, they grow fecure after them, thefe

breed

New Covenant.

4,i

breedc carelefnefle 3 they are more bold to com-
mie finne, they walke loofely , and are apt and
ready to lay , 1 doubt not but it fhall bee well
enough with mee j But thofe that have aflu-
rance indeede, it makes them much more dili-
gent 3 andfollicitous,andcarefull to pleafe the
Lord in all things - y For it is as a feaft to him ,
when chriH leades them into his Cellar, as it
werc,and makes a mans heart glad with Flag-
gons of wine , that is , with the confolations of
the Spirit j I fay , it quickens him , and makes
him zealous,and readie to every good worke •
When hee harh once taftedof this Wine, his
cafe is like Elibues 3 hee cannot hold in, but hee
muft breake forth into good workes , into holi-
nefTe of life. A man walkes in theftrengthof
fuch a testimony of the Spirit for many dayes,
for many yeares , fo farre it is from making a
ManremifTeinthewayes of God.

Fourthly,that which accompanies it js peace
and joy , Rom. 1 5 . 1 3 . the Apoftle pray es that
they may befiUed with peace and joy , through be-
leevingi as if he fhould fay,if thou beleeve once
indeede , joy will follow 5 And therefore you
know it is called the joy of 'the holyGhofl^ that is,
when once a Man receives, the witneflfe of the
Spirit, there followcs a wondrous quiet, and
peaceablenefle 3 and calmenefle in the heart.
Beloved, it is with every fonne of Adam^as
it was with Adam-, When hee had loft the I-
mage of G O D , there followed trouble and
horrourof his confidence, till thatlmage was
H h recovered.

4. Peace aa4
joy.

4 Z

Of The

Pfalm.3.

Note,

recovered , Ins heart was never fully at peace -
butaflboneas that was recovered, the heart
recovers the former joy that Adam had , that
former quiet 3 and peace , and comfort, that
Adam had in that innocencie , hee hath it in a
meafure : So 3 when the LORD returnes
againe to a mans fpirit, (if it be his returning,
and no delufion ) I fay 3 there arifeth a certaine
peace in the SouIe 5 and joy that fc no worldly
man ever tafted of,that they never underftood^
nor knew the meaning of- a certaine peace
and joy that goes beyond all worldly joy
whatfoever , that which David called the /hi-,
ningof Gods countenance^ Pfilm^. and,beloved,
one good looke from Cod is worth more than
all the wealth in the world , yea 3 than the verie
corporall prcfence of Iesvs Christ- and
therefore Christ tells his Difciples, that they
fliould be great gayners by lofing of him ; for,
faith hce^you fhallget this by it, I will fend the
Comforter ,the Holy Gbojl , and hee fhall fill you
with peace , and joy , this fhall bee much
better for you, than if I fhotild bee with you
ftill- It is better thatC hr is t fhould dwell
in our hearts 5 than in our houfes- It is bet-
ter the L o r d fliould bee with us in his Spi-
ritual! comforts , than with his corporall prc-
fence • And this comfort , I fay, every man re-
ceives 3 aflbone as hee receives the Spirit, hee
receives Peace that paJJ'eth all undcrjtandvig.
But now , when a Man hath received this joy 3
and this peace 3 when hee is lift up into the

third

New Covenant.

4*?

j/Humility;

The befi men
worft in their
owne^ves.

Ezek.3^ 5 r.

third Heaven,as it were. What followes upon
this ? Will hee bee lift up 3 and puffed up with
all this ^ Oh no, itisimpoflible; and there-
fore in the fife place, this accompanies it,there
followes an exceeding great humility , a man is
never fo humble as after hee hathreceived the
fpirit of promife » It is very exceeding cer-
taine that no men in the world are fo vile in
their owne eyes , as thofc to whom the Holy
Ghost hath borne this witnefle : there is a place
forit, that puts this out of all doubt, Ez,ek.$6.
31. when the Lord faith, hee wilt pome out his
Spirit upon them jind give them [a new heart , and
a new fpirit 5 then , faith hee , then at thatftime,
when you have received the fpirit of adoption,
and I have made my Covenant with you 5 , then
youfhatfeonjider your owne deedes that were not
good , andyoufhati 'acknowledge your f elves worthy
to bee dejtroyedforyour iniquities and tranfgreffi-
ons y The new Tranflation,j0# jhall loath your
felves y that is , a man (hall bee exceeding vile
in his ownc eyes. Preemption alwayes
puffes up a man,it brings him into a better con-
ceit with himfelfe^ But this puts him quite
out of conceit with bimfelfe^ theneerer the
Z<Wdrawes to any man 3 the more rottcnnefiTe
heefindes in his bones s As, wee fee, when the
Lord came neere unto Iohjthen he abhorred him-
felfe in daft andajhes : Becaufe the Lord comes
alwayes with a bright light,as the Sunne doth, I makeVgood
that thewes 2 man the corruptions that beein ! men; vile in
hinijthat he never fawlDefore, that he wonders
Hh2 at^

Nete,

What it is that

theit ownc
eyes.

4 2 4

Of Th

£.Not to re-
ceive the fpirit
of bondage a-
gaine.
Roni.8.x6.

at h imlelte,that he hath lived io long with hitu-
felfc,and yet knowes himfelfe no better : this is
the cafe of every man, when the LORD comes
home to him , ithumbleth him exceedingly ;
and therefore confider, whether thou bee thus
vile in thine owne eyes , whether the fpirit of
humility have gone together with it.

And laft of all 5 to end this point , this will
follow upon it, though it bee a negative, thofe
that have the fpirit of Adoption, they never re-
ceive the fpirit of bondage againe, A<^. 8. \6.
Ton have not received the fpirit of bondage againe
to fear e: as if hee fhould lay , this is the condi-
tion of all the Saints, you have tafted of it, that
is the common condition, and that youmuft
looke for j and faith hee y t his teftimonie you
have, (for it is the Apoftlcs fcope to give them
a teftimony oftheir good eftate,that they were
within the Covenant 3 that they were under
grace, faith hee ) by this you {hall know it 3 you
have not received the fpirit of bondage againe^
as ii he fhould fay, fhould you ever receive the
fpirit of bondage againe , you were not under
grace rforit is impoflible. So likewifc you fee
an excellent place for this, Gal. 3.25. wherefore
the Law is a SchooU-mafker tobringm to ChriH^
that wee might bee made righteom by Faith: But
after Faith comes ^ we arenolonger under aSchoole-
HowtheLaw*' mafier. There is no man comes to chrijl , but
the fpirit of bondage is firft a Schoolemafter to
bring him, that is, the Law rnuft fet him hard
taskes,that he is not able to performe,and the n

hee

Galat.3.15.

is a Schools
matter.

New Covenant.

+*5

hee fues to chrijl> as a weake Scholler doth to a
Schoolemafter ,and defires him to performe it
for him 3 this brings him to c^njj s buc,faith hee,
when you are once come to chrifi , when Faith
comes , we are no more under a Schoolemafter,
a Man never comes under the Law againe.

But 3 you will objeft , Was it not lobs cafe >
did not the Lord write bitter things againft him,
and he was a juft Man 5 and one that feared God?
WasitnotX>4W/caie? Were not his bones
broken 3 as he complaines, after the committing
of the fin of Adultery ? Doc not many findeby
experience 3 that God hath wounded them fome-
times with the wounds of an enemy, and hath
feemed to caft themoflF.,even after they have re-
ceived the fpirit of Adoption?

BeIoved,to this I anfwer 3 it is very true 3 there
are fomeawakings that a man may have 3 a Man
may be put into a great feare after hee hath re-
ceived the fpirit of Adoption, he may tremble
exceedingly at the wrath of G O D . J fay 3
all this hee may doe 3 yet hee never receives the
fpirit of bondage againe, that is, hee never
comes to this,to bee to Ged as a fervant is to a
hard Mafter 3 but alwayes this perfwafion is in
him 3 that(7^is his Father, and ftill hee hath
the affection of a fonne, and ftill he hath that o-
pinion^that GWis his Father, that affe&ion ne-
ver weares out of him, hee never comes againe
tolookeontf^j astheTheefe lookes on the
Iudge , hee never comes to bee iuch a ftranger
to the Lord Jo as to flye from him : for the fpirit
I Hh 3 of

Quefl.

Though the
Saints may
have fearcs&
terrours after
conversion ,
yet they re-
ceive not the
fpirit of bon»
dage againe*

4*<5

The fpirit of
bondage^what

Of Th e

Heb.S.

of bondage is nothing but this 9 when it makes
a Man to ieare the Lord, and to tremble at him
exceedingly, as a Man doth at the wrath of a
Iudge that hee thinkes will condemnehim-
though hce may in extremitie fay , Lord, why
haft thou forfaken me ? Yet there goes a fecret
fpirit of Adoption, that never leaves him alto-
gether, though there bee fome mixture with
this,to awaken, him, and to quicken him , and
to caufe him to come home to chriH : for that
is the end (till , even as a Man is brought home
by the fpirit of bondage at the firfl: . So, when
a Man fteps out from Christ, and begins
to grow wanton , when hee will runne out from
the Lord Ii s v s, and will not keepeclofe,
the Lord fends the fame Spirit againe to bring
him m^ the Spirit doth its worke againe^but as
hee was never wholly our 3 fo hee never hath the
full worke of the fpirit of bondage. So you
fee,this is the fecond meanes to know whether
we be in the Covenant.

Now followes the third meanes of knowing
whether we be in the Covenanted thacjs this 5
yon (ee^thisis a partof the Covenant, Heb.S.Tou
fljall know me from the great eft to the lea ft, and I !
willteachyou,youjhaUnomore teach one another'
his neighboured it fhall bee fuch a knowledge,
thatwithall «, you fhall have my Law written in

The third way
of ^knowing

whetherwe.be | y 0ur hearts : and in another place, / wiUdrinfn

intheCovc- r r/ . l.^_- -o^r . j .u- *u„_ * .r j-

Kan\ y isbyc\xi\ c i[ e purhcans. Beloved, this then is the third
way, and the laft, by which we may knew, that
wee are within the Covenant , Is there fuch a

know-

knowlepge,
which hath 1
properties*

New Covenant.

knowledge of G O D wrought i» you ? Hath
C h u i s t fo taught you > Marke it well/rom
that knowledge thefe two things follow s one is,
that your heart is circumcifed, that the lufts of
your former ignorance , that raigned in you
before, bee diflblved: Secondly , it is fuch a
knowledge, as breedes in you a forwardnefle
and willingncfle to ferve the Lord in all things?
Is the Law of God thus written in your hearts ?
Have you had experience of this.* Then cer-
tainelyyou are within the Covenant. There is
a double knowledge, there is a knowledge that
men have,that know much^but are not affe&ed
according to the things they know , nor doe
they pra&ife according to the things they
know s this is a knowledge that the Minifter
may teach them , but it is not the knowledge
that lefiu ChriH teacheth.

But there is a fecond knowledge,that which
cbriji teacheth as hee is a Prophet , when hee
teacheth a Man fo to know finne 3 and everie
thing el(e , that withall, the Iuft, the dominion
of finne is difTolved by that knowledge 5 that
this knowledge circumcifeth the heart , it cuts
off thofc lufts that did cleave to us before. If
thou finde this efFecl of thy knowledge 3 now
I ejus chrijl hath taught thee this knowledge.
You know j The old Man is corrupt , Efhefq* 2 2 .
through lufts, that come fromerrour, and the
new Man is renewed through holinejfe, that comes
from truth. There are certaine lufts in the old
Man , that proceede from errour : Now thofe
H h 4 lufts

Knowledge
double* ,

1. Property of
true knew.
lcdgc,Ic cir-
cumcifeth the
heart.

EpheC4.11.

4*8

The roote*f
lufti* errour.

All lufts refer-
red to 3. heads.
1. Liift of the
Eyes*

Ecdcfiaft. ?.

Of The

lufts wee fee what they are,i John 2. all Iufts are
referred to thofe three heads, the lujis of the Eye y
the lufts of the Flefh, and the f ride of Life. Now if
thou wouldeft know whether Christ hath
caught thee or no , whether thou haft this evi-
dence of being in the Covenant with him , confi-
der whether the truth bee fo farre taught thee 3
that thefe lufts are diflblved by it : For lefus
chrift came into the world to dijfohe lufts • as the
lufts arifc from errour , fo they are diflblved by j
truth : Beloved , the roote from which everie i
luft growes,is fome errour ^fome miftake - now
takeaway the foundation of it > and the luft
dyes. So that , when chrifi teacheth the right
knowIedge,whenhee rcveales his truth to us,
as a Prophet, hee takes away the roote, the.
bottome and foundation of a luft, and when
the foundation is taken away , the worke of
the Devil! is diflblved in us, itfalles to the
ground.

As for example, to give you an inftance of
itin thofe three lufts ,to which all the lufts in.
the world ar£ referred : The luft of the Eyes y
that is 3 when a Man lookes upon wealth , and
riches , and whatfoevcr a Man lookes upon ,.
it is but the fight of the Eye 5 Ecclcfiaft.^.
What is the reafon that men love riches ? That
they feeke them , and heape them up above
meaftue ? It is becaufe a Man is deceived ; hee
rhinkes there is Rich a worth in riches, andj
that they will ftand him in fuch a ftead , hee
hath an high opinion of them , and thence

comes

Nevy Covenant.

4-ip

comes a Man to defire them fo much, from
hence arifeth this luftiof the Eyes : Npw,when
C h k i $ t teacheth a Man that there is no fuch
thing in riches 3 that hee is but deceived , when
hee teacheth him to looke on them as Paul did,
heethinkes they are but drojfe and dung+ but
emptie withering Flowers , lames i, As the
Flowers y fo doth the rich Mam fade in all his
wayes: Riches are no better -, hee teacheth a
Man that they are nothing ; Why wilt thou fet
thy heart upon that which is nothing } Proverb. 2 3 .
kll the men in the world are not able to teach
this, till chrifilefus hath taught it to aman, but
when hee hath taught it him, I fay , the luft is
difToIvedjthere is an end of it,hee doth no more
feeke wealth in that manner as he did 3 he fets no
imore that price upon it as hee did, hee thinkes
Jiow hee may doe good with it, how hee may
make good ufe of it 3 how hee may rcdeeme
time now from worldly things to better things:
for now hee needes them not , as Paul. What
doe you tell mee of money ? I heede it not, but
to further your reckoning - r I rejoyce that I may
further your reckoning againft the Day of Judge-
ment. "

And fo for pride of Life , that is \ honour , and
dignitie , and cfteeme , and place of prefer-
ment, and applaufe of men, all things of that
nature- What is the reafon that this luft rules
and captivates aMan^It is becaufe hee thinkes
that there is an excellencie in thefe things , but
when CHRIST hath taught him , when hee

hath

lam.

Provexb;»>
None can
teach to know
the vanity of
•archly things?
butChrift.

*.PrWc«!life^

4*°

?♦
The lufts of
the flcOi.

i.'Property, ; A
readinefle to
obey God.

Of Th e

hath written the New Covenant within him,
when hae hath written his Law in his heart,
when hee hath taught him with his owne tea-
ching , hee beginnes to fee a vanitic in all
thefe things,as the Apoftle faith s the praffe of
men is emptie glorie,the applaufe of men,that
pleafedhim before, heenowlookes upon it,
asaBubbieblowne with the breath of men,
an emptie thing •, hee efteemes it a thing that
quickeJy lives and dies,and vani(heth,he ieekes
no more after it : And fo for the lufts of the
flefh) whereas a Man before thought it the one-
ly life for a Man tofatisfie the fletTi,and the dc-
fires of it s now hee begins to looke on it after
another manner,hee begins to fee the filthinefle
and the bitterneffe of thofe finnes, hee begins
to fee , that Jiefhly lujls figbp againfi the Soule ,
as enemies , hee Iookes upon them as things
more bitter than death • more fharpe than a
two-edged Sword. Now when GOD hath
enlightned a Man thus, and hath written his
Law in his heart, and hath taught him fo,
that hee Judgeth thus of his finnes , and lufts,
now his finnes and lufts are diflblved in him ,
his heart is Circumciftd, now they are cut off}
now the building of Sathan is pulled downe,
and yct Beloved y this is but one part of this Co-
venant.

There is not onely this , but Iikewife there
followes this , further , when Chrijl hath writ-
ten his Law in the heart , that a Man hath not
onely his heart weaned from all the finfull

lufts

N E VV Co V E N A M T.

4*i

luits chat before hee delighted in 3 but there fol.
lowes a wondrous forwardnefle and propenfe-
nefletotheLawof God, to keepe it 5 there is
a wondrous defire to grow in Grace , to doe
the duties of new obedience, that by his good
will hee would live in no other Element , but
in doing the duties , and ufing the meanes , by
which hee may receive ftrength to doe them.
When that Law is out of the heart, when
wee looke upon the letter of the Law , there
is no fuch matter 5 but when it is put into the
heart 5 when it is , written within 3 there is an
inward difpofition and proncnefle put into
the heart. If you looke upon the Law with-
out , Thoufhah love the Lord thy God, andfhalt
feare him^ &c. It is a hard Law,who can keepe
it? But when thou haft put it into thy heart,
that is the grace of love, ( for that is to put the
Law into the heart , when there is fuch a habit
planted in the heart , a habit of feare , and of.
everie good Grace) then there is a great
pronenefle and aptnefle in a Man,and willing-
nefle to keepe the Law ; and therefore in that
place , i Tim.i. 9* The Law is not given to the
righteom, they are a Law to themfelves. If thou
findeft this to bee thy cafe, that thou needeft
not the Law to fet thee on with terrours ,
and the threatnings of it , but thou art now a
Lawtothyfelfe s that is, thou findeft in thy
felfe fuch an inward aptnefle and propenfe-
nefle to keepe the Law of God j.h&i$ thou were
put to thy choyfe , if there were no neceffitie

layd l

What it is to
put the law in-
to the hearc

x Tiw.x.*.

Note*

Simile*

Note,

Duties perfor-
med out of*
feare.

4;* / OfTme

• r . - 1 k i ii 1 ■ 1 ' ' ' ' " '

layd upon thee , if there were no threaming 3
no Hell , yet thou delighteft in GOD 3 and
defireft exceedingly to have communion with
him • There is nothing feemes to bee (o beau.
tifull as Grace, as the Image of GOD re.
newed in thy Sonle 5 I fay , this will bee thy
difpofition, and this is for a Man to bee a Law
to himfelfe : For you know this common Na-
ture is betweene the Image of the old Adam>
and the Image of the new, betweene the flefh
and the Spirit , betweene thofe lufts that re-
maine in thee , when thou art under the Cove-
nant of workds, and betweene this Covenant of
Grace,and fervency in well doings I (ay,com-
mon nature is betweene thefe two , as a Bowie
betweene two Byafles : Now the L or A , when
he comes to write hisLawin the heart,hc doth
not onely knock off theoldByas of finfull lufts,
that carryed it out, but he fets a new Byas up-
on the foule,that bowes and bends thee to the
wayes of God, that ftill there is a ftrong inclina-
tion that carries thee oh that way 5 befides the
Gommandement 3 that thou doeft not everie
thing as of neceflitie : a man before this time,it
may bee,prayed,it may bee he was conftant in
praycr,he would not let a Morning nor an Eve.
ning goe without it 3 it may bee hec would doe
every other duty,but hee did it as a taske, as a
Man that dares not omit it , there is a natural]
conference in him,that will be upon him if he
doe- Hee feares God will become his enemie,
heefhalltafleof fearefull Iudgements,if hee
1 ■■..', ,,. neglefl

evv Covenant.

negle& it,all this while he doth it ouc of f ear e .
but one that hath the Law written in his heart
that is a law to himfelfe , that hath a new Byas
put upon his heart; I fay , it ftill bends and in-
clines him to it, hee cannot doe otherwise hee
longs after it exceedingly, he is exceeding for
ward to it, the inward inclination of his miride
Hands to it. This is the third way, whereby
you may know whether you be in the Covenant
orno,if youfinde that chrifthath thus taught
yon, and hath written his Law in your hearts
if you bee thus enlightned with knowledge 5
that both the lulls of the former ignorance are
diflblved ; and likewife there comes in the
roomeof them, a wondrous pronenefTe and
propenfenefTe to well-doing, when there is a
certaineconnaturalneflebetweene good duties
and thy heart, when thou canft fay indeede' as
Paul, 1 delight in the Law of God in the inward
man: and it I might have my defire if Ced
wouldgjive me my wift as hee did to Salomon,
that which I would wifh before all things in the
world,is, that I may have a greater meafure of
the fpmtjthat my finfull lulls may be more and
more mortified,that J may excell more in grace
and hohnefie, that his Image may be renewed
in me, and that it may fhine more bright in all
the parts of it : I fay,whenthou findeft this be
allured thou art in the Covenant So much for
that point.

I will add- a fecond,whtch is this, from this
difference; whereas this is one of the diffe-
_i rences

4-H

A propenfneflc
to holy duties
in a Chriftianr

2«

43 +

Of Th

Take tbc pre-
fenc opportu
niue.

rences betweenc the old Covenant and the new,
the Old Teftament was made with the Icwes
onely , it was fliut np within the compaffe of
that Nation , the New Covenant is enlarged to
the Gentiles , there is now an open Doore for
them to come in, there are now better promi-
fes , more knowledge , a larger infufion of the
Spirit, both for intention , and for the extent
of it,it is to many more • and beloved , were
it not for this Covenant , all you that now heare
this Covenant of grace preached unto y ou,and
have heard it often ,you had never heard it,
but this benefit you have by the New Tefta-
ment , that now this good newes is come to
your eares : Beloved, this e^brings home to
the Gentiles,and they had their feverall times,
and this is the feafon that God hath brought it
home to yon , even when you heare thefe pro-
mifesof Grace made. And what ufe fhould
you make of it ? Surely this.

Take heede of refufing the acceptable time,
take heede of not comming in when the
Dcore of Grace is open ; take heede of doing
as the foolifh 5 Virgins did , they would come,
and came, but they tarryed till the Doore was
(hut upon them : Beloved , there is acertaine
acceptable time , when GOD offers Grace ,
and after that hee offers it no more , as wee
told you,the time of this life is the time that we
can propound , wee know no other 5 but there
are certaine fecrer times , that God referves to
himfelfe, that none knowes but himfelfe* and

when

_ »!—»—- i - ,

New Covenant.

435

when that time is paftover, hee offers it no
more. You know , thofe in the WildernefTe 3
they lived many yeares after, and therefore it
was not the time of this life to diem , after
GOD had fworne in his wrath : therefore 3 1
fay 9 take heede of deferring , It is an excee-
ding dangerous things Delay in all things is
dangerous ,but procraftination in taking the
offer of Grace , is the mod dangerous thing
in the world : wee know not what wee doe 3
when wee doe it. I befeech you confider itferi-
oufly,itis that that deceives all the world,they
thinke to doe it to morrow,tomorrow 3 though
they bee not come in 3 yet they will doe it, and
doe it fpeedily : Take heede you be not decei-
ved in this, I will doe it now , and now , Modo
& modi 3 dfc. The Chariot jwheelcs ? when
they runne, the fecondrunnes neerethe firft
all the day long,but never overtakes it • As in a
Clocke 3 the fecond minute followes the firft,
but it never overtakes it • So it is with us , this
doing of it now , and now , and to morrow ,
and to morrow , thefe little di fiances deceive
ns 3 and delude us; we thinke to doe it in a fhort
time 3 and by reafon of the neerenefTe and vici-
nitie of the time,we thinke we fhall doe it eafi-
ly 5 that we can take hold of that time- but it is
not fo,we are deceived and deluded with it 3 as
Grafie- hoppers and Butterflies deceive Chil-
drcn^when they thinke to lay their hand upon
them, they hoppe a little further , and a little
further, that in the conclufion, they take them

not

Simile.

Simile *\

45*

O F Th E

The Lord will
notwayte fo
long now for
men as hereto-
fore.

Motives to lay
hold on pre-
fent opportu

nicies of grace

not at all- fo it is with us,wee coozen our felves
in that manner,we lofe our lifc,we lo(c our op-
portunitie of taking grace,becaufe we thinke it
to bee fo necre , wee thinke wee can take it the
next weeke,or the next moncth,and out of this
wee are confident it is in our power 3 wee may
take ir. No, my beloved^for the raoft part wee
aredeceived,when wee thinke it is fo neere , it
may fly away,fo that thou fhalt never have part
in it. You fee how God dealt with men in the
firft Covenant , I meane in the time of the Old
Teftament, yon fee, when they would not take
the offer, how God [ware in his wrath that they
foould not enter into his reft:& I am fully perfwa-
ded,that in this New Teftament s in thefe daies
of Grace, the Lord is much more quickc and
peremptory in reje&ing men,and calling theal
off,the time is fliorter,he will not wayt fo long
as hee was wont to doe in thofe times,hee will
fooner fweare in his wrath now 3 that you ftiall
not enter into his reft: I fpeake this upon this
ground, faith hee, if the Lord would doe this
for the Law of Mofes ,how much more, if wee
negleB fo great falvation as was preached by the
Sonne himfelfe t As the mercie is much greater ,
now in the New Covenant , then it was then,fo
the wrath and danger is greater in refufing :
therefore when we eonfider what a hazard it is,
me thinkes the frailtie and brittlcnefle of this
life 3 the unfearchablenefle,and uncertaintie of
Gods feafons and times , that hee hath put into
his ownc power , the libertie of the Spirit,that

breatheth

New Covenant.

\VJ

breatheth where and when it lifteth, the excee-
ding danger that wee precipitate our felves into
when wee lofe the oportunity once,me thinkes
thefe fhonld move us to come in , and to take
heed of refufing the offer at any time-thole ex-
prcflions that you iliall finde ib often in the
Scripture, that Godjlands andknockes jthat hee
waytes^andjiretcheth forth his hands ,that hee will
gather us,<tf the Hengathereth her chikens-, fignifie
thefe two things unto us : Firft, how exceeding
readie God is to receive us,if we come in while
the acceptable time lafteth.

Againe^ithall, how dangerous it is to refufe
itrfor who knows how long the L$rd will wait/
whoknowes when hee will ceafe way ting,, and
fhut up the doore of grace to uspand then,when
the day of peace is gone, it is no more to be re-
covered,when the acceptable time is paft it can
not bee recalled. I befcech you therefore con-
fider and apply it, takeheede of refufing,when
you heare yet this Covenant of grace is offered,
the doore is now open 5 you may come in 3 if you
will j take heede of flaying till the acceptable
time is paft 3 Ieft the Lordfweare in his wrath> (at
a time when you thinkenot>W thoitfhalt never
enter into his reft. So much for this.

That which I intended moft was this , the
reafon why this Covenant is made , why God
makes a Covenant with Man- which was chief-
ly, that we might have ftrong confolatior^that
wee might know his good will towards us^that
hee might not onely doe us good, but that hee

I i might

The accepta-
ble time once
paft, unreccu
verable.

4?8

Of Th

covenant

The
renewed inthc
Sacrament.

I might make it manifeft to us. Of this alfo wee
fhould have made iome ufe 3 which is the laying
hold of the Covenant y the promifes of free jufti-
fication,the promifes of San£tification 3 and the
promifes of fuch bleffings as belong to this pre- 1
fent life,thofe are the three parrs of the Cove-
nant : We {hould have Chewed how we fhould |
lay hold of them,that when the Lordhaih pro-
mifed once 3 when Faith hath a promife to clofc
withjwhen it hath fuch a ground to fet footing
upon 3 then to apply them 5 and if the Lord defer j
I to performe them, then to put him to it,for the )
' fulfilling of them , And fo wee fhould doe for
the promife of Iuftification,the promife of for-
giveneffe of finnes,tha£ you have caufe to make
ufe of at this time when you receive the Sacra-
ment : For what doe you ? You come to renew
the Covenant with God, that wee have now
fpoken of: For it is the feale of the Covenant^
there is a Covenant that God makes with you,
and a Covenant that you make with him:when
you confider this , you fhould ftrengthen your
Faith, goe to him 5 and fay. Lord, thou haft pro-
mifed to forgive mec my finnes 3 and to remem-
ber them no more ; Lord^it is a part of thy Co-
venant : Lord , it is thy Covenant that thou hall:
put thy feale to , ( for the feale is put to it for
that very purpofe, that when you fee the Bread
j and Wine,you might thinkeofthefefeales, as
! fignes of the Covenant ) you have Gods owne
j Word , as you have his Word that the Rainc
| (hall no more drowne the Emh>GOD hath fet

his

eyv Covenant.

'4*9

his Bow in the Cloud,that when hee lookes,he
may remember the Covenant : So , likewiie 3
yon (hall fprinckle the Doore-pofts with the
bloud of the Lambe,and when the deftroying
Angell ihallcome and fee the bloud, hee may
pafle you over : After the fame manner 3 for the
fame end God hath appointed the Sacrament ,
now when you receive thofe elements of Bread
and Winejrake^eatejbis if my body , and drinke 5
this is my bloud \whlch was fhedforyou^andfor ma-
ny : you may goe to God upon the fame ground,
& fay to hitn,l0r J 5 thou haft made a Covenant
with me, to forgive mee, to receive mee to thy
mercie - z,*rd,thefeare the fealesof thy Cove-
nant,that if thou forget them , thou haft faid
that if we doe but fhew thee thofe fignes,(for it
is the feale that GWhfrnlelfe hath put to it) thou
wilt remember thy Covenant , & make it good :
therefore it is an exceeding great confirming to
you,when you looke upon them,when you can
fay to the Lord^LordfiQere is thy feale that thy
felfe hath put, I befeech thee looke upon it,and
remember thy Covenant that thou haft made.

And as wee fhould doe thus for the promises
of Iuftification, fo for the promifes of San&i-
fieation , fuppole there bee a ftrong luft hang
upon thee , an hereditary difeafe , a luft that
is natnrall to thee,that thou thinkeft thou (halt
never bee able to overcome , yet God hath pro-
mifed to breake the dominion of everie finne,
that hee will crucifie tbeFlefh, with the affeftions
of *>,that he will fan&ifie thee throughout.Be-

I i 2 loved,

Gcd can healc
the ftrongeft
luft.

44°

Of The

loved 3 youmuft beleeve thofc promifes of
San&ification; afwell as of Iuftification : For
certainely, where the Scripture hath a mouth to
fpeake, Faith hath an eare to heare, and a hand
to receive : Therefore when you grapple with a
ftrong luft,goe to theLord^nd iky to him,I am
not able to keepe this Commandement, 1 feele
this temptation is too ftrong for me,I find fnch
ftrong naturall inclinations , that I am not able
to out-wreftle,L0rd,it is a part of thy Covenant ,
thou haft faid thou wilt circumcife my heart,
thou haft faid,thou wilt put thy Law into my in-
ward farts , thou haft laid thou wilt diffblve
thefe lufts, I befeech thee to doe it^ L ord j thou
art able to doe it,as Chrift was able to heale he-
reditary difeafes , fo the Spirit is able to heale
the hereditary difeafes of the Soule,thofe that
are moft naturall to us, thofe that are bred and
borne with us : and therefore truft him.

And fo likewife for any other bleffing,goe to
him whatfoever bleffing thou needeft,it is part
of Gods Covenant y hee faith to Abraham , / will
blejfe thee^and I willbe thy God- y that is,Iet a Man
looke round about, and fee what bleffings hee
needes,what evill he would be delivered from,
and let htm goe to the Lord^nd iay^Lord^t is a
part of thy Covenant >to give me fuch a bleffing,
to guide mee,to deliver mee from fuch a crofle
and calamine . urge the Lord , and tell him it is
his C&venant.Vor example,if a Man be in forne
great trouble , that hee hath fome foredifeafc ,
fome fore affii&icm , as imprifonment , or evill [

report

Beflowing of
outward blef-
fings a part of
Gods Cove-
nant.

Nev^ Covenant. J 4.41

report,feare of death 3 or whatfoevcr^goe to the
Lord^nd fay 3 L w/,thou haft faid that the rod of
tbeivickedfyaUnot rejiujion the lot oftherighteotts,
thou wilt afflid but in meafure , thou wilt not
breake my bones : as a Father, though hee eha-
ften his chi!de 5 hee will not breake the bones of
his childe, the rod of the wicked to fome men,
is the breaking of the bones, they know not
what to doe,thou haft faid thou wilt ehaften us
according to our ftrength , and thou wilt cha-
ftife us for our good : when it is too rauch,thou
wilt ftay thy hand. As for eyill report , a Man
may goe to the Lord , and fay/, Lord > thou haft
faid thou wiltblefife the name of the righteous,
thou wilt honour them that honour thee. And
fo for every other particular cafe , be it what ft
will bee, lay hold on the promife , and comfort
thy felfe with it : It is a great matter , Beloved ,
when you confider this, that God is entred into
Covenant with you,when you have the promi-
fes once : therefore if thou finde a promife from
God, build upon this ground , bee affured that
thou art one within the Covenant: Secondly,
thou finde a promife in Scripture,never let thy
hold goe,but bee affured of this, that the Lord
will furely doe it,thongh he deferre long,yet
hee will doe it,it cannot be but he will
performeit,&c. So much {hall
ferve for this time.

FINIS.

Ii?

"■wit i 1 1 ,'ri-ji

New Covenant.

4-4}

Wkmwi

THE

FOVRTEENTH

S ERMON.

Genesis 17. 2#

And l mil make my Covenant hetmene wee and
thee.

r\ O V remember how Farre wee
are proceeded in this point :
for mypurpofe is not to re-
peate any thing of that which
hath beene delivered : Onely
this wee muft call to remem-
brance j that the maine difference which is be-
tweenetheOldTeflament and the New 3 it
(lands in this, that the Old Teftament was hid
with fhaddowes, and Types • in the New Te-

I (lament , there is a more cleere revelation
of all things ^ The things that were bid, (kith
I i 4 Paul)

444

Of Th

Hebr.8,]

Hcbr.8.<T.

Ffei
To labour for
knowledge.

Paul) frem the beginning of the world 3 are mre
revealed unto us , ( that is ) the great difference
betweene them, it lyes in this, that there is a
greater abundance of knowledge difcoveredto
the fonnes of men , now , in the time of the
Gofpell,then there was inthe time of the Old
Teftament 3 and from hence it is , that now God
makes a Covenant with us , and wee doe not
breake it • but, faith Iiqq ^Hebr.S. I made a Cove-

Vimtwith your Fathers , when I tooke them by the
hand^and led them out of the Land of Egypt • but
they broke rny Covenant : And what was the rea-
fon?Becaufe their knowledge was exceeding
(lender, and therefore their grace andftrength

; was exceeding little, and therefore they were
not able to keepe the Covenant ,there is no other
reafon and ground, why the Covenant is better
now,as it is faid to be a better Covenant^ Heb.S.
6. Jlablifhed upon better promt fes ; I fay, there
is no other ground for it^but this^the difference
of knowledge betweene the two Covenants fox,
for fubftance they are the fame 5 onely in the ad-

j miniftration of them, the glorious myfteries of
the Gofpell are more openly and more cleerely
revealed to us in the New Teftament , than in
the Old.

Whence wee will onely make this ufe, that,
if wee would have the benefit of the New Co-
venant 3 weemutl labour to get the knowledge
of it^othcrwifeit is no advantage to you at all,
that you are borne in the time of the New co-
venantyin the time of the Gofpell,except koow-
__ ledge^

New Covenant,

445

ledge abound , except you take the benefit of,
it,except you labour to nnderftand the un-
[earcheable riches a/Christ , that are unfoulded
tousintheGovenanc of Grace. What is the
reafon why the Apoftle , Galat. 4. cals the Old
Teftament,thofe teachings that the people had
then , impotent and beggarly Rudiments d The
reafon is , becaufe their knowledge was excee-
ding little, therefore it brought little profit to
them,they were beggarly ,they had little riches
in them, and they were impotent , they could
communicate little power , and ftrength , and
efficacie to the inward Man : On the other fide
now, the New Covenant is ftrong , and rich ,
; andlively,and effectuall •, and the reafon is,be-
caufe there is more knowledge in it , wee are
I taught to know G o'd better , and to know the
whole myfterie of the Gofpell better.

Therefore I fay , if you would bee ftrength-

ned in grace,if you would be enabled to keepe

the Covenant more than they were , labour to

growinknowledge,let it not bee unufefullunto

you,whatfoever is delivered, but make benefit

1 of it. You fee what riches of knowledge are

i delivered to us in Pauls Epiftles, let none of

i this bee loft ,it is thy benefit , that this is now

I difcoveredtothee, that was hid from all the

! world aforetimes. It is that benefit that the A*

\ poiilcPauKo exceedingly magnifies, that £020

I this my fiery is revealedjhzt wee have this grace,

J to make knowneto Principalities and Powers the

j manifold mfedome of Ged^the unsearchable riches

Galat. 4. 9.
Note.

Growing in
knowledge in,
c eafeth grac «

44*

Wantofgraee
and firength
is from want
ot knowledge.

i Pet. 3:17.

There may be
knowledge"!
without grace,
but not grace
withoutknow-
ledgc.

Simile*

Note*

Of Th e

of Chrijt : make this ufe of it, grow in know-
ledge 3 and thou {halt grow in Grace , by that
meanes , the ftrength thou getteft in Grace 3
it is from the abundance of knowledge;
this is an exceeding ufefull point. The com-
plaints ordinarie amongft Men , are 3 they
would faine doe otherwife , they would ab-
ftaine from fuch finnes, and they would, ob-
ferve fuch duties , they intend it , and defire it,
and pnrpofe it , but they are not able to per-
forme it. What is the reafon of that ? Becaufe
they want grace and ftrength,that is the imme-
diate caufe : But what is the caufe they want
Grace ? Becaufe they take no paines to grow
in knowledge. In 2 Pet.$ . 1 7-fee how they are
put together y Takeheede you bee not plucked a-
way with the err out of the wicked , but grow in
Grace. How fhall wee doe that? Grow in the
knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Iefus Chrift.
Idenienotbut a Man may have much know-
ledge,and want Grace ^ but, on the other fide,
looke how much Grace a Man hath , fo much
knowledge hee muft have of neceflity. Though
there may bee much wood that is not kindled^
yet looke how much fire there is 3 fo much fuell
there muft needes bee.Knowledge is the Oyle,
as it were, wherein the flame of the Spirit lives,
and you cannot have more Grace than you
have knowledge , though you may have abun-
dance of emptieand unprofitable knowledge,
without Grace. Therefore 5 if you would have
the fruite of this Covenant , labour to grow in
: knowledge.

447

Note*

m * ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ iii ii

New Covenant,

knowledge./^ 1. 17. that place is excellent
for this purpofe : The Law continued till Iohn
Bapift y The Law came by Mofes , but Grace and
Trutfocame by lefus chrift. Marke it, Grace and
Truth. What is the reafon there was more
Grace difperfed by lefus ohrijtfhan by Mofes I
The reafon is, becaufe there was more Truth
revealed to the fonnes of men by C H R I S T,
than there was by M*fes:Truth was hid in Mo-
fes time under veyles, and (haddowes, but was
manifefl: in the time of lefus Chrift. Now,be-
caufe truth was more revealed by him,hence it
was, that there was a greater communication
of Grace , a larger cffuii on of the Spirit, But
that place comes as necre to this purpofe, that
you (hall finde , 2 Cor. 3 .There is an exprelli-
onof the difference beiweene the two Cove,
nants : Nevertheleffe when their hearts {hall bee
turned to the Lord , the veyle fha 11 bee taken from
before their eyes. Hce faid before, To this day,
when Mofes is read , there is a veyle layd over their
hearts, but when their hearts jhall bee turned to the
Lord , the veyle (hall bee taken away : And what
then ? They Jhall behold, as in a G la ffe, the glory of
God, with open face, and bee transformed and chan-
ged into the fame I mage from glory to glory , as by
the Spirit of the Lord. The meaning is this - y
faith he,in the time of the 01dTeftament,there
was a vey!e,that covered their hearts ,and their morcd*
eyes, that they were notable to fee the Truth
clecrely , but new, faith hee^that veyle is taken
away , and we fee the truth with openface,even

iCor.5.1^.

The vevle re

+ +8

Of Th e

I#bn 17.17,

as you fee an Image in a GlaflTe. But what is the
benefit of this knowledge ? Now the veyle is
taken away, we know much more,faith hee,by
feeing with open face,we are transformed into
che fame Image ; that is, by the knowing of it,
by looking upon it , by viewing thofe truths
that are delivered in the Gofpeli, by feeing the
wayes of G OD,andthe Image of GOD,there
described, and f et forth unto us ; by this know-
ledge we are transformed and changed into the
fame Image, from glory to glorie 5 that is ,
from one glorious degree of that Image to an-
other ; not that the very knowledge fhall doe
it, but it pleafeth the L O R/D to accompany
that knowledge by the Spirit- this is done,faith
hee , as by the Spirit of the L O R D. So,the
way to grow in Grace , and in ftrength , to re-
ceive that immediate benefit of the Covenaot,
is to grow in knowledge, Iehn 17. it is apart
of chriUs prayer, verf. ij.SanBifie them with
thy truth jhy word is truth. The meaning is this*
as if he fhould have faid. Oh Lord, I know that
the way to fan£fcifie them , the way to increafe
grace and holinefle in their hearts, is to reveale
more truth to them ; now^Lord, I befeech thee
reveale thy Word to them . For thy Word is
that truth, teach them to know thy Word, ac-
quaint them with it more and more ^ For by
that meancs they (hall get grace and fan<3ifica-
tion. So then,if you would receive the benefi t
of the Covenant, you muft labour to grow in
knowledge , labour to underftand it more and

New Covenant.

449 1

more: For , this is averie furerule, there is
not a new notion that a Man gets , there is
not a beame of new truth y there not a
further enlagement of knowledge and illu-
mination , but it brings tome riches of Grace
with i t , it comes not emptie , but k comes loa-
ded with fomething , it hath fome power and
ftrength 5 and it gives a new vigour to the in-
ward man : And therefore if thou wouldeft a.
bound in Grace ftudy the Scriptures, much at-
tend to them j much meditate in them day and
night, labour ftill to get fome new fparke of
knowledge 5 fome new light out of them , and
thou fhalt finde this , that grace will follow, as
it is the Apoftles exhortation to Timothy faith
hee, Give attendance to readings and to learning^
fhalt thoufave thyfelfe, and fhalt be able alfo tofave
others. The meaning is , the way to get that
Grace that will fave a man , is to give much at-
tendance to reading and to learning : For , be-
loved , whatfoever it is that begets a Man , the
increafe of that likewife edifies and builds him
upfurther. Fixft>wee are begotten by thewordof
truth : It is the revelation ofc the truth of God
to a Man at the firft,that reneweshim in thejpirit
of his minde^k changeth his judgement,it makes
him tjiinke of things in acleane other fafhion
then hee was wont to doe : Thus hee is begot-
ten to God, and made a new Man , a new crea-
ture : Now the increafe of the fame truth
is it that builds us up further: For whatfoever
begets , the 4 increafe of that alfo edifies , and

hence

Note.

J"he word be-
gets \ & builds
up Chriftians.

4-50

Why wifdome

is fo magnified
by Salomon,

I Iohn 4,
Ioh© 8,

Epftef. J, 14,

Note*

% Peter 1.10,

Of Th e

hence it is that Salomon fo exceedingly magni-
fies wifedome and knowledge: above all 'getting^
faith hee, get that. There are many things that
are precious in the World ^Pearle 3 Go'd , and
Silver 3 but this is beyond them all. Why doe
you thinke the wifeman would magnifie wife-
dome fo much ? Becaufe this wifedome brings
grace with it,and therefore when chrijl isfaid
to bee the light oftheworld^he is faid likewife to
I be the life : the light hee was, 1 Iohn 4. and loh.
8. Hee is the true light , that lightens everie man.
And what is that light > Why, it is that light
that brings life together with ir. Therefore,
Epkef. i*i^.Arifethm that Jleepeft , &c. and
chrijijhaffgive thee light. >3ow,you know,Iife
is contrary to death, but the Apoftle exprefleth
it thus .-Christ (hall give the light, becaufe
when a man hath much light, hee fhall withali
have much life and grace : ; and 'therefore this I
will commend to you , as one of the principall
meanesof all other togrowftrong in Grace,
and in the inward man,to grow much in know-
ledge. Beloved 3 it is another thing than wee
are aware of : if wee were fully perfwaded that
it were a thing fo excellent,that it would bring
fo much grace with it , certainely wee would
ftudy it more than wee doe : 2 Peter 2.2o.faith
hee , Teuhave efiapedthefilthinejfe of the World,
through the knowledge of chr iff : That is that,
that delivers you from the bondage of finne,
that which enables you to efiape the filthinejje
that is in the world, when other men are yet
tangled

New Covenant,

4.S1

tangled with it , it is becaufe you know that
that other men are ignorant of,it is through the
knowledge of cbriftjf you have efcaped 9 and,
2 Peter i,a .Grace be multiply ed through the know-
ledge of God^and ofhisfonne Iefm Chrijl. Grace
be multiplyed through that knowledge's if he
jfhouldfay 5 multiply you that knowledge , and
this is the meanes whereby Grace fliall be mul-
tiplyed to you.

That you may fee the ground ofall this,there
is no grace that any man hath, but it pafTeth
in through the Vnderftanding: For example,
What is the reafon that any man loves GOD
more than another,but becaufe (Wisprefented
to his underftanding in another manner than
hee is to another? Hee knowes God better than
others , and fo for other Graces : Why is one
man patient, when another is not , but becaufe
his underftanding is enlightned to judge other-
wife of the evill hee fufrers,than another doth?'
Hee reckons them not fo great and intolerable
evils, hee fees another hand of providence, hee
fees another end in it. And fo. What is the rea-
fon one is ; temperate , and fober , and meeke ,
when another is not,but becaufe hee hath ano-
ther Judgement of pleafuresand delights? Hee
Iookes upon them, as on things that are ene-
mies to his Soule, hee fees vanitie and empty-
nefle in them , that another doth not : I fay, all '
the Grace that a Man hath , it pafTeth through
the Vnderftanding : And therefore , if a Man
would be ftrong in Grace,let him labour to get

much

2 Peter i 3 a.

All our grace
comes'in
through the
underftan-
diBg,as 3 Lovc.

Patience 5

Temperance j

45*

Whence the

difference in
theftatureof
Chriftians is.

Iohn 1 6.

Of Tm e

I much light , to get much truth i much know-
ledge in his minde : For certainely all the dif-
ference betweene Chriftians , the difference of
ftature betweene men in Chrirtianitie. the dif?
ference of degrees, ( as one Man hath a higher
degree of Faith , aud another a lower degree)
it followes from hence, that one is more
enlightned, hee hath more knowledge, hee
hath more truth revealed to him, which
truth carries Grace with it. What is the
reafon that Paul exceeded other men in
Grace ? Becaufe there was more truth re-
vealed to him than to other men : but ftill
remember that I deny not , but that there
may bee much knowledge without Grace $
but it is a fure rule , there cannot bee much
Grace without knowledge : The reafon why
any Man is ftrong in Grace , and able to doe
that which another is not able to doe , that
hee is able to goe through thofe troubles,
and thofe croflfes that another fhrinkes at.
hee is able to overcome thofe lufts that another
is not able to grapple with,it is ftill the ftrength
of his knowledge, that hee hath more unaer-
ftanding of things,that hee is better and more
enlightned. In Iohn 16. when the Apoftles
were come into the World , and Christ
telsthem what entertainement they fhould
have, they begin to bee exceeding fearefull,
alas,what ftiali wee doe in the world, when we
have fuch things to doe? Wee have men to
wreftle with , that fhall thinkc they (hall doe I

God*

New Covenant.

God fervice when they put us inprifon, iaith
he, feare not, I will fend my Spirit along with
you, and he ihall helpeyou to worke, heefball
convince the world ofjinne t ofrighteoufnejfe^and
of judgement. As if he (hould have faid,it is true
when you come into the world, you (hall finde
mens opinions exceeding falfe, you fhall finde
Satan building upjtrong holds in their deceipts,
anderrours, and their evill imaginations that
they have of things^and, faith he, if you fliould
goe alone without my Spirit, truely you might
befiege the City s you might ufe your fpintuall
Armour, but you (hould doe no good 5 but I
will (end my Spirit, that ftiall convince y ( the
word in the Originall figntfies the refuting of
an opinion that men had before drunke in,
and were poffefled of) the end of the Spirit is
to fan&ifie men,now what is that way that the
Spirit ufeth to fan&ifie men? It is to weare out
thofc old opinions, tocoafute them, to let men
know they were exceedingly deceived. Alas,
they did not know that they werefo excee-
dingly finfull as they bee, but when the Spirit
comeSjhe (hewes them what natures they have
and what lives they have lived, they know they
are other creatures than they imagined them
felves to bee : for the Holy Gkoft refutes that o-
ninion, and convinceth them offinne, and of judge-
mem: That is, the Spirit (hall ihcw men the
beauty and the glory of fandification, offpi-
rituall priviledges, and fhall make men in love
with it : ( fo judgement is to bee taken ) as you

The courTe
that the Spi-
ne cake » to
fan&ifie us.

have)

45f I O f Th e

hath it taken inthat place, where it is faid of
Cbrift y hee fyall not breake the brufed Reede, nor j
quench the fmoking Flax, till hee bring forth
judgetnentto vitlory : for it (hall not ceaie till
hee have brought forth Iudgement to vi&ory :
where 3 by lodgement 3 is meant holincffe,and the
beginning of grace or fan&ification, thefirft
part that doth begin to fmoke, hee cals Judge-
ment : faith he, the L o r d will not put ic out,
but fhall blow that fparke,hee fhall put new fu-
el! to that fparke till it overcome, till bee hath
brought forth this beginning of judgement, or
integrity, orfandlification, tovi&ory: that is
to get the victory over finfulllufts : now this
is doneby convincing, by dealing with the uq.
derftanding, it is the worke of the Holy Ghojl,
withthemindes of men. Now, beloved, ihej
ufe you may make of it is this • Jf this bee the
way by which the Holy GfojZfancUfies, andin-
fufeth, and communicates to the hearts of men
the graces of his New Covenant, if it bee by the
altering of the opinions of mens underftan-
ding,the way then that thou muft take to grow
excellent, to grow ftrong in grace, is to grow
much in knowledge, to ftudy the Scriptures
much ^ and therefore let not this exhortation
beinvainetoyou, make this ufe of it, ftiJl to
meditate in the Law of God day and night ; ftil! to
do fomewhat therein, to be trading therein, to
be buficd in fpeaking, or in reading, cr in thin-

king on it.
Beloved

if you doe but take any piece of

this

New Covenant.

4-5 5

this Word, and ftay upon ic as the Bee doth
upon the Flower, and will not offtill you have! simtle *.
got fomewhat out of it • if you bee ftill digging
in this Mine, ( here is enough,it is a large, it is a i
deepe Mine) this would make you rich in
knowledge, and if you be rich in knowledge, it
will make you rich in grace likewife : it is the
expreffion that isufed, 1 Cor.i. Therefore bee li
allured of this, we have many bufinefles to doe
in this world, and every man beftowes hirafelfe
on fome thing, he fpends his time, and placcth
his intentions fome where : now there is no-
thing in the world that you can beftow it fo
profitably on, as to get new light daily , get
new truths : if a man gather knowledge of other
things, they are but trifles- and yet that is a
thoulaod times beyond the gathering of wealthy
but yet that is nothing to the other knowledge,
it is beggarly, and impotent, and poore/as
the Apoftle jfaith : for the things themfelves
(are poore* Is there any thing in the world
canhelpeaman to happinefieto anypurpofe?
if the things cannot doe it, the knowledge can i
not : for the knowledge cannot bee better than
the thing. I fay, the beft naturall thing you can
doe, is to gather wifedome that will ferve but
for this prefent life, but to get that wifedome
that will build you up in grace, that will make
you ftrong in Chrifi^ that is farre more to bee
chofen 5 remember thatwhich Salomon faith,
that/* is above VcarltSy and that is not enough
toexpreffeitj but, ( (kith he) goe through all

I. k 2 the

Morallknow
ledge better
than wealth*

4*<*

O F Th E

The benefit of
faving know-
ledge.

Hcb,S,

Nett*

the precious things in the world, it goes be-
yond them ; Why ? becaufe it exceedingly in-
creafeth grace : And what is the profit of it >
It makes God to fet an high efteeme of you, it
makes the mighty God, who is able onely to
doe thee good," to delight in thee, it makes
him ready to doe thee much good ; which I
gather out of that Heb. 8. faith the Lord there,
when I tooke your Fathers by the hand, and led
them out of Egypt, faith hee, they brake my Cove-
nant, and I re garded them not, faith the Lord^
marke it - y but I will make another kinde of Cove-
nant with you. Kow, by the rule of contraries,
thefe men had little knowledge, and by that
meanes they had no ftrength, and therefore
they broke the Covenant of the Lord, and
therefore the Lord regarded them not, butcaft
themaway^as you do refufe thingsron the other
fide now,there is much knowledge, that brings
men much grace, that makes men keepe the
Covenant of Godin greater meafure ; if hee re-
garded not them that brake the Covenant, cer-
tainely now he will regard them that keepe the
Covenant, thole that are his peculiar people,the
men of his delight, the men whom he loves,
upon whom hee raeanes to beftow all his fa-
vours, that are Favourites to the Court of Hea-
ven* ihis you fhallbave, ifyouexcell in grace,
there are many other benefits, but ftill, I fay,
remember this, if thou wouldeft have much
grace, reade the Scriptures exceeding much 3
make it thy chiefeft ftudy from day to day,

enquire

New Covenant.

¥7

enquire into them, if thoucanft live under a
good Minifter, that is lively, and powerfull,
andenlightning, let a higher price upon him, j
than thou haft done- if thou haftaneftate
fpare nothing for thy foules good : for if wife;,
dome bee better than Gold, and Silver, why
fhouldnotyou part with them for it ? andfbj
by conference bee doing fomething. Wee fee,
PfiL i, what they are that are pronounced blef- pf a i tI ;
fidy that meditate in the L aw of God day and night,
itisupofl this ground, when a man meditates,
that is, when he delights in it,( he will not me-
ditate in it elfe ) grace will follow : for there
is no manble(Ted,unlefle he hath grace,and the
propofition fhould not bee fure, except a man
do fettle himfelf to meditate day & night.Now
this brings ability to keepe the Law- and there-
fore, I of. i .8. you fhall find it fo exprefled s faith
the Lord to lofuah. Let not the Law depart out of
thy mouth, but meditate in it day and night >that
thou maifiobferve & doe itjhatfo thou maijb make
thy wayes to grower, then thou [halt have good fuc-
cejfe. Marke, if a man be ftill taken up in doing
fomething, in the things that belong to the
Kingdome of God, that he make that the ele-
ment that hee lives in, as it were, that hee
make it his chiefe and principall ftudy, that he
bufie himfelfe about it from time to time, as
much as poffiblyhe can get leafure, that he
preferreit before all things elfe 5 doe it both
day and night j by this hee fhall bee more
able to keepe the Law,hee lhallbe more able to
[ Kk i obferve

iof.i.8.

Meditation
of the Law, a
helpc to keep
it.

When the Co

venautis bro-
ken.

Whtt makes
the Covenant*

O? The

obterveir, and when it is obferved, it makes
way for profperity, then God will bleflethec,
and give thee good fuccefle. So much (hall
ferve for this.

The next thing to be confidered, which wee
propounded, is, W hen the Covenant is difibl-
ved.

You muft know j that the Covenant is then
diflblved, when that is difiblved that did make
the Covenant. Looke what it is that purs a man
into the Covenant ol grace at the firft^when that
is taken away, then the covenant is difannulk d
betweenc Cod and us, but till then the Covenant
remaines fare. Now, what is it that makes the
Covenant t Marke it. This is that that makes
the Covenant, when Iefus Chrijl offers hirafelfc
to vs, and makes knowne his confent, hee is the
promifed feed, in whom all the Nations of the
Earth fljall be bltffed^ when we again come and
take the promiied ietde, and give ourconfent
to make him our Lord^ and wee fubje&our
felves to him to be his ^ when we fay to the pro-
mised fecde, hee fhallbee my God and my Go-
vernour, and I will bee among his people, and
be f ubjed to him , I fay, when the heart gives
afullconicnttothis, when the heart hath thus
tcokethe promifed leed, and received him,
andlookesfor all from him, now the Cove-
nant and contra& is made betweene them.
Now, beloved, as long as this union continues
berweene Christ and us, the Covenant is
nor difannulled, fo that, in a word, the Cove-
nant

B VV COVENANT.

4-5P

nam is never nullified, untill thou haft chofen
to thy felfe another husband, till thou haft ta-
ken to thy felfc another Lord. In a marriage,
there may be many failings of a Wife towards
her Husband ,many negle&s, manydifobedien^
ces- 7 many fits of paffion, many offences ftice
may give him, but till (he commit adultery,the
bond continues fure,there is no divorce between
them 5 the Covenant of C70^ftill remaines be-
tweene them, there is no diffolution of the Co*
venant : Beloved, fo it is heere, thou commit-
left many tranfgreffions, thou offendeft God
| oft, thou faileft much in the fervice thou oweft
him, but till thou fhalt commit fpirituall adul-
tery, till thou leave him, as it were, and fhalt
feled and choofe to thy felfe another Ma-
tter, another Lord, another Husband, the Co-
venant remaines fure betweencyou, there is no
diflblution of the Covenant. Beloved, this is
a point exceeding full of comfort : thou muft
notthinke, that upon every finnc the Cove-
nant is overthrowne betweene God and thee :
no, the Covenant remaines fure, the bond is
not untyed as yet, though thou faile exceeding
much, though thou fall into many a&uall re-
bellions againft him, yet the Covenant is not
diffolved.

But you will fay to me,Ifthts be to break the
Covenant, to chuic another Husband, I hope
there is none of us that are breakers of the Co-
venant then, wee have not chofen another God,
we are willing enough to ferve the Lord.

fc Kk4 Beloved,

Note,

Simile.

4<fo

Of Th e

Two rules to
know whether
we bare bro-
ken the Co-
venant.
I Rule.
When the
heart is adul*
teroufly knit
to any thing
below.

Iam$4,

Que ft.

How to know
our love of the
creature is
finfull.

Beloved, the rule is exceeding tme, if then
deceive not thy felfe in applying n : therefore I
fay this to thee, take heed thou deceive not thy
felfe: it is certaine, the Covenant rcmaincs fure
not withftarding all infirmities, as long as thy
heart cleaves to thine Husband, as long as thou
takeft not another in his ftead: therefore if thou I
' wilt not be deceived(as many do deceive them-
felves ) I will give thee but thefe two rules to
know it by.

The firftis an immediate examination of
thine owne . heart, looke narrowly to this if
there be any creature in the World, any plea-
fure,any profit, any matter of credit or honour, I
or whatsoever the thing be, any delight, or!
fport, orinclination, or luft, wherewuh thy j
heart commits adultery, certainely thou haft
chofen another Husband, whatfoever thou pre-
tended : If there bee any finne that thou art in
league with, wherewith thou artentred into
Covenant, as I may fo fay, thou haft broken the
Covenant with thy firft Husband,, as you fhall
fee an exprcflion thereof, lam. 4. Tee adulterers
and adult ercjjis, if you love the world , you love not
God. That is, if there be any thing in the world
that you love in that manner, it is enmity to
God> the Covenant^ broken.
You will fay , How fhall we know this >
You (hall know it by this, if it divert, and
put out, and quench the love to your Huf-
band, You fhall fee a Wife oftentimes, her
heart is ftolne from her Husband, fhe comes to

N E VY GOV E N A NT.

^6l

be in kis prefence from day to day, to doe all
fervice to him, fhe performes, it may be, every
duty as carefully, and as diligently asthebeft
Wife in the world,and yet for al this her heart |
is gone, here is but a (foadow of performance, ]
fhe doth them, but not with love and delight,
fhe doth them not with cheerefulnefie and wil-
lingnefTe^ fhe would be free : if thou finde this
thy cafe that thou art fo in love, that thy heart
is ft olne away with any thing in the World,
with matter of eftate, pleafures, or whatfoever
it is, any outward excellency that thy heart is
(etupon, any haunt, any delight, any luft that
hath dominion in thy foule,that thou haft made
a league withit, fo that thou commeft indeed
to performe holy duties from day to. day, but
they have no taft, no relifh,thou doft them not
with livelynefle and quickenes, thou doft them
as onethatdoth themoutot neceflity, and by
force j but thou delighteft not in thy Husbandy
thou comeft before him,but thou delighteft not
in his company ; thou delighteft not inhispre-
fence,bu£ the love of other things,worldly min-
dednefle,»quencheth that delight, it is certaine
thou haft committed adultery, thou haft chofen
another husband.

You muft know this beloved, that a godly
man that is once entred into the Covenant,
though hee faile exceedingly in many things
yet his delight is ftill in the I, O R D, hee de-
fires exceedingly to pleafe him, hee had ra-
ther be in his company, hee had rather have

com-

Simile*

Note.

AChriflians
delight is in
God.

O F Th E

Nctc.

AChrifttan
would notbe
frcef oan
Gods fei vice
i£ he might.

communion with him, than with any other in
the World befides j hce had rather bee doing
fervicetohimthan to any other • he had rather
be employed in any thing that tends to him, for
that if it could be, ( I make that (uppofition ) if

^ there were fuch a propofition as there was in
the old Law,every feventh yeere,that thofe.that
hadfervedan Apprentifhip, that were bond-
flaves,they might goe free, yet wee fee fbme fo
loved their Matters, that they would not goe
free, but would be their (ervants for eve r, and
they werebored thorow the eare, and were
their fervants: for, faith the Text, they loved
their Mafters, and would (lay with them. So it
is in thi s caf e 5 take a man that commits adultry
with any thing in the world,let him have fuch a

/ Proclamation that he may goe free from Gods

Mervice, he would, were it not for the lofle of
heaven, and for going to hell, (butlfuppofe
it were free to him) hee would goe free with all
his heart, he would choofe another mafter,and
would bee free from that bondage^ ( for fo hee
accounts it; ) but he that loves the Lord, will
not goe free if hee might: for hee reckons that
fervice the greateft freedome and delight, hee
had rather live in His Family, than in any fer-
vice in the world-, it is not a fervice,but a friend,
fbip ; it is a marriage, he lives as a fonne in the
Family 3 and therefore hee is willing to conti-
nue: for, this is the ground of it, as fooneas
man is gotten into the Covenant once, there
is fuch a difpofition put into his heart, there is

fuch

EV/

Co V

ENANT.

46?

Inch a difpofition grafted in him 5 and rooted in
his inward parts, that hee longs after the Lord,
lookewhat difpofition and inclination there
isintheLoadftone, inlingring after thelron,
if yon pull it from itathoufard times, ftill it
lookes after it, and it cannot chooie, it is the
difpofition of the Iron : fo, fuch a difpofition
1 here is in the fervants of the Lord, to chufe him
for their Lord and Husband; and it is not an
empty choyce, thatconfiftsonelyin affection,
or in the naked refolution ofthe minde,but it is
fuch a choice as hath ftrong affe&ions running
together with it, a ftrong inclination carrying
the ioule to him, fo that though he be hindred
many times, and often in his life, unruly lufts
come, and make a feparation between the
Lord and him, yet heecannot abide to bee
long from him, it is the Lord that hee loves,
he cannot for his heart choofe another matter,
hee cannot chooie another Husband, another
Lord, another friend, but it is hee with whom
hee will dwell, live,and dye : if this be thy cafe,
know, that thy continuall failings make not a
breach of the Covenant : for thou knoweft that
thy heart harh not chofen another Husband :
for though thou be forced fometimes, through
the violence of temptauo >,to ferve another,yet
I thy heart cleaves to thy right Matter, it cleaves
to him, it inclines ro him, it bends that way :
this is one way to finde it, looke to thy heart
immediately.

If j hou canft not doe it by this, if this bee too

obfeure

Simile,

A difpofiticn
in the Saints
(to long after
the Lord,

Ioh,8.

a.Pct.2:

4.64- OfThe

jobfcurea rule for thee, (I wilLaddebut this
Rule. f° r c h e asking of it plaine.) Looke to the ef-

By the'eflfca. fe&s. Thou pretended, 1 have not chofen ano-
ther Husband, I have chofen the Lord for my
God, and him will I ferve, it is well, it is a
good profeflion, but take heed you be on a fure
ground. Saith our Saviour, IohnS. You pre-
tend that you are the children of Abraham,
that you have him for your Father, and not the
Deviil: but I fay unto you, he that committeth
finne, is the fervant of finne : and fo likewife^
Knew you not, that to whomfoever you obey y bisfer-
vantsyouare, to whom yoit obey lRom.6. And
againe, 2 Pet. 2. Of whomsoever a man is over-
come, to that hee is in bondage. Looke to it now,
art thou overcome with finne ? doft thou obey
finne, when it comes with a command upon
thee ? doft thou commit finne ? Certainejy
thou haft chofen another Husband, thou doeft
deceive thy felfe.

Alas, you will fay, is it every committing of
finne that breaketh the Covenant.

No, beloved, that is not the meaning of it,
but take heede of this, when a finne is drawne
out as a thread in the courfe of thy life, now in
trut^i thou obeyeft it, now thou art overcome
of ir„ how it hath dominion whenfoever it com-
mands thee • when there is, I fay, a trad: of
I finne, when a man is ftill given to fuch a way,
to fuch an infirmity, ( I cannot properly call it
j an infirmity ) that you may fay it is fuch a mans
j trade, he walkes in it, now a man obeyes finne, J

Quefi.

tsfnf

A conftant

courieinfinja

/lgne.ofchoo-

tfngaaother

husband then

God.

New Covenant.

4^5

he is overcome ot it, it hath gotten the viftory
over him, as we life to fay of men 5 fuch a one, he
is a world'y-nr nded man, go to him when you
will, you fhall finde him fodifpofed, you fhall
finde him in all his carriage to fhew himfelfe to
be fuch a man, this finne it runnes as a thred
through his whole life, ftill he mindes earthly
things,hee is taken up about them, hee difreli-
fheth rhe Word, he doth not minde it,hedoth
not delight to reade it, or to heare it, hee doth
not love the company of the Saints, and the
like ; and fo for any other finne.

If this will not lerve the turne, thoumayeft
judge it by one fin, but that is fomewhat more
difficult : I will give you three Examples, you
fhall fee Aiam, and Balaam, and Saul, you fhall
fee every one ot them in one finne breake the
Covenant, and if you can finde yours *he fame
cafe, you fhall know whether you have broken
it by one mifcarriage. Take saulRrA, hee was
commanded to goe and kill the Atnalekitesjmd
God would have him deftroy them utterly^ Saul
goes about his Commandement, hee feemes to
keepe. it exceeding well, and where he failed in
it, hee feemed to have a fatre excufe 5 faith he,
Ididbutfave the King, the whole body of the
people was deftroyed;again, he faved but a few
of the fatteft of the cattle, & for what purpofe ?
not for his owne profit,to make him rich,but to
offer Sacrifice to the Lwd y and he hoped there
was no fay ling in this. Well, faith Samuel, Thoa
baji cajt away the Lord, thou haft chofen another

G&d

Instances of
breaking the
Covenant by
one finne.

South

4.66

Of The

When a man
isfaidtocaft
away God.

God. Samuel charged him with nolefle • tor,
faith he, thy fwne is as witchcraft) it is as Idola-
try, that is, thou haft caft God quite away, thou
haft chofen to thy felfe another Lok D,another
Husband to obey. How (hall this bee made
good? Thus: When a man receives a Com-
mandement from G od, ( marke it ) when a man
knowes itis the Lords wil, that I fhouldwalke
thus and thus before him,that Iftiould abftaine
from fuch and fuch finnes., I cannot deny but
this is his Commandement j well, when a man
comes to the keeping of ir 3 & his heart finds out
excufes 3 and faith in ilich and fuch a cafe 5 I hope
I may befomewhat excufed from aftrid perfor-
mance of it ; I fay, when the heart at any
time deliberates, and yet that word is not iiiffi-
cient to expreffe it, but when the heart workes
according to it owne proper inclination, and
then difobeyes the Lord in any Commande-
ment, certainely then it cafts God away. Belo-
ved, it is not fuch difobedience, as when a man
is tr^nfported with a ftrong affr&ion 3 a ftrong
temptation,when he is not himfelfe for a time,
for then if his finnebe difcovered^hee eafiiy re-
turnes, and will bee the fame man he was 5 butl
fay, when aman deliberately commits fin,when
a manconfiders himfeifc well, and heeisnot
tranfportedwith the ftrengthof a temptation,
but his heart works at liberty, fo that heeadis
himfelfe, in this cafe hee doth as Saul did, hee
cafts God away, and God fent him word that
he had caft him away*

The

£ VV

O YEN A NT,

carried

Vi 11 give

The like was the a
it exceeding feireiy,/ will
me his ho ufefuii of 'gold , en : I ca i; not

do that which God hadi no laid ro me-yet Ba-
laam defired much to doe it, hee thought hee
would make triall, hee would goe as farrt as he
could- God faw it, and fQund itout,and yon fee
what judgement was given upon him, arid this
he prefently difcovered, hee gave advice to Ba-
laac, to put aflumbling blocke before the children of
Ifracll: that is, by offering with the Maabites,
and committing fornication with their women,
andfo, faithhee, Ifballbeeabletocurfethem
when they have committed finneonce, then I
may curie them to purpofe.I fay, there was the
naturall,the proper inclination of Balaams heart
it was not a thing that hee was drawne to, but
when his heart was left to it felfe, to goe which
way it would , that way it went : it is not fo of
with a man that is in the Covenant : for grace
ftillprevailes, and hath power over him, it is
that which hathdominion and poiJeffion, it is
that which is the Lord of the Houfe,and when-
I foever he is left limply to himfelf,that his heart
workes which w ay it would 3 certainely then he j
pleafeth God 3 hee cannot fin, he doth not fin a-
gainft him.I cannot ftay to prefle it furthcr 3 but
rather come to make fome me of it • but this re-
member;, fo long as a man doth not choofe ano-
ther Husband, fo long the Covenant is not bro-
ken,though the failings be exceeding many.
The Vie we are t<p make of it is this, If ihere

bee

407

'Balaam*

Vfi,

To comfort
ourfelvesin
applying the
promiies of
the Covenant

\6%

P*©miefs

threefold.

Ofiuftificati-
onj

Heb.ie.

Of The

j be this comfort,that though a man doc commit
m any finnes,yet, fo long as he hath the Lord for
his husband,as long as he is not willing to chufe
another mafter,fUil the Covenant is lure. Then
comfort your felves with thefe words, and make ufe
of the Covenant, and apply the promifes of the
Covenant/ay this with thy felfe,it is very true,
I am finfull, 1 provoke God from day to day , yet
for all this, I am not out of the Covenant, and
therefore the promifes of the Covenant belong
tome, therefore, notwithstanding my finnes,!
will^e boldly totbeTbrom of Grace^ and I will
lay claime to the promifes, and to all the parts
of the Covenant, for they belong to me. This
ufe you fhould make of it, when you finde the
Covenant is not broken.

Now the promifes of the Covenant are of 3.
forts^the promifes of juftification, the promifes
offan&ification, and the promifes of bleffings
of all forts, that belong to this life, and to the
life to come. This threefold ufe then thou
fhouldft make of it, firft, put the cafe there lyes
upon thy heart the confeience of any finne that
thou haft committed, that troubles thee, thou
art afraid that this finne fhould make afeparation
betweene Godandtbee, thou haft yet no a durance
of the forgivenefTe of it,but the confeience of the
finne lyes upon thee,as thatexpreflion you have
Heb. 1 o. what wilt thou doe in fuch a cafe?Goe
to the Lord) and fay to him^LoRE , notwithstan-
ding this, I know I am in Covenant with thee, \
and Lord) this is one part of thy Covenant, that

thou '

m i ... I* ■ ■■ > ' ' '■' 'i M I ■ ■ »■ —

Nev/ Covenant.

47*

Faith feizeth
on Chrtfteru*
cified,

thou wilt remember mrfinnes no more , but when)
they are fought y they fhall not bee found. My belo-
ved ,as you have heard before,they are the verie
words of the Covenant. I fay 3 tf thou come to
the L<?^ thus, and bring d?n/Hn thine armes,
(for that is the nature of Faith, faith firft feizeth
upon the deadbodie, as the Vultures and as the
Eagles doe firft feize upon the bodie . So Faith
firft feizeth upon chrik) I fay,if thou canft goe
tohim, and lay , Lordl have thy Sonne,he hath
offered himfelfe to mee, he is freely offered,and
I have taken him, and all thy promifes in him are
Yea and Amen ^ndthis hone of thy promifes,
that thou wilt ;f orgivemee : If onepleade the
Covenant hard with God^nd tell him it is a part
of his Covenant, and he muft be juft,he cannot
be a Covenant-breaker jdoeft thou thinke that God
willbreake his Covenant with thee,or any Man ?
He cannot denie thee, he $ill put away thy fins:
ftrengthen thy felfe with this : for this Cove-
nant is continual,ltheMediator of this Covenant
is IesysCmrist, who is fuch*« high Priejt,
that is able perfectly to fave thofe that come unto
him^whcn a Man hath committed the greateft
finne, and fees but the bloud of Buls andGoates^
hee might thinke thus with himfelfe, alas, what
can this poore and beggerly Ccremonie doe, to
deliver meefrom the confcienceof my finne?
Well,faith the Apoftk, wee have another kinde
of facrifice,and another kinde of Prieft,£fr£r.7.
tree have fuch ankighPrieJl^as is able perfectly to
fave thofe that come to him : And why ? Fer 9 faith
L 1 hee,

tfcbrji

47*

Of Th

Hebr.io.t»v

Drawneere

with full afifc-
rancc.

Sit*il< >

he, hee it gone y not into the Tabernacle , as the other
triefts; buthee is entred into the very Heavens, Be-
fides/aith hee, he goes not once ayeare,as they did,
but hee lives for ever to make inter cejtion for us, he is
not gone with thebloudof Buls and Goat esjbut with
his owne blond, he is a high Prieftjooly , harmeleffe,
undefiledjeparated from jiuners, higher than the he a-
vens^nd therefore doubt not but heis ableperfiFf-
ly to fave thofethat come unto him.

Beloved , confider this,k is the vcrie life that
the Apoftle makes, Hebr. 10.21. faith he,fceing
thefe things are fo , fince wee have fuch an High
Priejl as wee have delcribed , fince it is the very
Sacrifice of hisbloud it felfe , Let m draw neere
infullaffurance of Faith; that is, if the confeience
of any iinnelyeuponus,letusnotgoetoG od
with a quarter winde,or with a haltc winde ,but
with a full afluranc^of Faith , let us make no
queftion , but truji perfectly to the grace that is re-
vealed. You muft thinke fo oilefus Chrift, hee
would have you thinke fo , and conceive of him
that hee is now in heaven, that hee is able f erf ff-
ly to fave you, that there is nothing you have
committed, that can doe you hurt ; hee i like a
friend in the Court; if a Man were fure that hoc
had one that were never from the King , that
hathhiseare continually , that is alway in his
prefence,thatis fuch a Favouritr^f fuch pow-
er with him , that certainely hee can deny him
nothing, a Mau would bee fecure: put the cafe
there were fame whifpering fellows thai would
bee ready toinfonneagainft him, yet , faith he,

Ituve

N e v / Covenant*

47*

L have one there that will be ready to take care
for niee. My belovcd,this is thy very cafe, cbrijl
lefus is gone to Heaven , it is a thoufand times
better for thee that he fhould be thcrc,than that
hee fhould be here in this world ftill,there he is
thy Attorney, as it were, he takes care for thee,
hee fees all the accufadons that are brought a-
gainft thee, and he is ready to anfwer for thee,
faith the Text, hee makes mterceflion , if there
come any thing that tends to make a breach be-
tween God and thee 3 he is the Mediator for thee,
he dwels there for that end, if there bee any of-
fence, any breach comes y that hee may make it
upbetweeneG^andthee; confidcr this, and
when thou haft committed a fin,goe to this high
Prieft, that is able to fave thee perfe6Uy,and re-
member that it is a part of his Covenant,and fo
labour to grow up in full affurance of Faith,that
no confeience of fin may lye upon thee, to make
a feparation betweene GWand thee: For,beIo.
ved,you ought to truftperfeBly to the grace that is
revealed through him.

And a$ I fay of the guilt of finne,fo in the fe*
cond place you arc to make u(e of the Covenant,
againft the power of finne,as put the cafe there
bee fome ftrong luft , fome violent temptation,
that thoa art not able to outwreftle, it is too
ftrongjbr thee,thou wouldeft faine be rid of it,
but thftuart not able,why what (halt thou do in
this ca(e?Remember that it is a part of the Lords
Covenant, that he will deliver thee from all thine
tbtt thonmayfi fervehim in righmufnefje I
L 1 2 and

It is better for
us that Chrift
is in Heaven,
than if he
were ou Earth

».Of fanaifi-
cation,

enemies,

474-

H £

Sar.ftificatien
a part of Gods
Covenant*

Tbewa^to

overcome

lufts.

and helinejfe all the dans of thy life. It is a part o^
his Covenant toiemember it,hc hath fworne to
remember it,he hath laid he will write his Law
in thy heart ,& that can never bee,withouthe obli-
terate all oidwritingjhee hath iaidhee will give
the holy Gkojl, hee hath promised to give thee a |
mw hearted a mwf^irit^ow confider this,it is
a part of his Covenant, goe to thcLord, and be-
feech him to make good his Covenant , this is
the way for thee to overcome it - If thou goe a-
bou t it any other way , thon {halt never bee able
toout-wreftleit. For a Man to thinke this with
himfelfe , 1 have received grace , 1 hope I have
fomeftrength,thereforeI will be bold to adven-
ture on fuch a temptation • or, at leaft,I hope by
my promifes,by my vowes,and prayers^and rea-
ding one way or other,to mailer and overcome
it- this is not the way , thou muft goe to God^nd
make ufe of this Covenant, and befeech him to
give thee ftrength : For , markc it , God would
not take this upon him , to give us new hearts ,
and new fpirits to fan£U£eus, to make us new
creatures,to crucifie the flefh,to weaken the do-
minion of finne, hee would not take this upon
him, and make a promife, if wee were able to
doe it : But hee knowes it is in his owne power,
and hee muft doe it for us, and therefore in fuch
a cafe wee muft goe to him , and befeech him
to doe it : For know this , when a Man is in
chrifi once , when hee is in the Covenant 3 hee
lives by a principle without himfelfe 5 and not by
one within himi<;ifc,as7W faith , I live bylefus
chrifi^

Nev/ Covenant.

475

Why the Lord
will have our
ftrength out
of our fejvcs.

chriftftiit is, he is without me, and it is hec ftill
that gives me ftrength, therefore g;oe to him.

If you aske the reafon , Why will the L o r d
have it fo ? Why may not a Man have afufficient
habituall ftrength in himfelfe,by which heemay
bee able to out-wrcftle lufts , and to overcome
temptations ? The realon is , becaufe no fiefh
(hall rejoyce in it felfe . and therefore Christ
it made fan8ification y that is , you derive it from
him , from day to day , from time to time , that
ybu might not rejoyce in your felves , but in
him : Therefore let no Man goe about fnch a bu-
fineflcin his owne ftrength: for a Man tothinke,
beloved , by vcrtue of that habituall Grace hec
hath received , to bee able to overcome finne,
and to worke rightdoufnefle , it is all one as if a
Manftiould fay thus with himfelfe, I fee my
houfe is full of light , now I will (hut up my
Doores and Windowes ,. I hope to have light
enough • when hee hath done fo , you know , the
light periiheth prefently,bccaufe the Sun is fhut
out , that which gives light : I fay, fo it is when
a man thinkes,now I am fomebody, I have now ,
gotten (omc ftrength, now, I hope, I may walke
with fome confidence more than before. This'
is to (hut up the windowes, as it were. No 5 thou
mnft have continuall dependance upon Christ,
otherwife,if thou goe to overcome any {inne 3 and
thinke to doe it with thy owne ftrength , it fhall
bee too ftrong for thee : for you wreftle with fpi-
rituall things , and without a ftrength from one
without thee, they will bee too ftrong for thee :
LI 3 goe

Simile.

47*

H £

goc to the Lord find fay, Lord, I confcfle I am able
to doe nothing of my ielfe,but I bring my heart
to thee, as an empty Caske , befeeching tnec to
fill it with grace j Lord} want much grace •, lefm
chrijt is full ot grace, and hath filled himfelfe for
that purpofe, that hee might communicate it to
us : I fay , in fuch a cafe now, if thou goe to the
L*rrf,andbefeechhim to make good his Cove-
nant, tell him thou refteft upon his ftrength,thou
goeftagainftfinae,as /t/fozwent againftthec*-
naanites y not becaufe hee was able tp overcome
them : for they were Giants and had Cities walled
up to Heaven, but hee went in the Lords ftrength;
I fay , if thou goe in this manaer, be affured that
the Lord will not fay le thee, hee will give^thee
abilitie to overcome.

The third cafe is , when any outward trouble
lyes upon a Man, let him goe and remember it is
a part of Gods Covenant to bleffe him : T« blefTe
him with what ? With all kinde of bleffings 3 and
to bee a Buckler to him, there is no cvill in the
world , but God hath promifed to bee a Buckler
tofhieIdhim,and todefend him from it ; ; Put
the cafe thou lye under any preflure , any cala-
mitie 3 any eroffe,any difeafe, any affli&ionof
minde , or of body, or eftate , or of name , why
goetocWnow,and tell him it is a part of his
Covenant to deliver thee ,and labour to finde out
if thou canft,befide the generall Covenant, fome
particular. The LORD hath faid , if thou bee
in trouble, call upon mee and J will deliver thee • if
thoubeeinaftrait,inextremitie,the Lord hath

faid 3

j.Thepromi-
fes that con*
lerne the
things of this
life.

New Covenant.

{diidjhee willworkethyworkes for thee , afidfo you
may goe to him in particulars. But when Faith
hath once gotten a promife , bee fure that thou
keepe thy hold,pleade , hard with the Lord, and
tell him it is a part of the Covenant, and it is
impoffible that hee ftiould deny thee; doe as the
Woman of Canaan , when thou art on a fure
ground, take no denyall, though the Lord may
dcferre long,yet hee will doe it,her cannot chufe-
for it is a part of his Covenant. Beloved , there-
fore in this cafe, doe, as you fee two Metaphors
ufed in Scripture, they are excellent for this
purpofe, Efay 66.11. there is a Commandemcnt
of the Lord for the Children of iflraal, that they
ftiould//^ and beefatisfied with the breads of con-
folathn, &c. The words are obfcure , as they are
readetoyou,buttheOriginall makes them ex-
ceeding cleare^ there are two Metaphors ufed,
one is to milke confolation out of the promifes ,
the meaning is this , that the promifes are full
of comfort , as a Dugge is full of milke 5 now,if
thou bee ready to faint, goe and milke out con-
folation out of the promifes, that will relieve
thce,that will flay thy hearty goe,faith hee,and
fucke, draw out confolation from theDugges,
from the promifes , (for that is the meaning)
which hee cals the breafts of confolation, ( for he
repeates the promife pref ently after ) thus fay th
the LORD ; behold, I wiU extend peace otier her like
a Flood, &c. The other Metaphor is to extort,
to oppreffe the promifes , that as a rich Man
opprefleth a poore Man budgets out of him all
I L 1 4 that i

477 I

Efaytf&ix*

■j i

Simile*

Wefosuldop-

preffethepro-
miles,

47^

Of Th

Inftaaccs of
applying tke
piemilcs.

that hce is worth,hee leaves him worth nothing,
hccplayesthe extortioner with him -after that
manner deale thou with the promifes, for they
are rich , there is a price in them, bee thou as an
extortioner to them 3 take out wbatfoever thou
needed, or wring it out of the promifes, as it
were. Now when a Man is poore and needy ,
let him goe to the rich promifes , and bee as an
oppreffor to them, that is, confider the promifes
totheiumoft, fee the utmoft riches that is con^
tayned in them, and they will make thee rich, A-
gaine,draw out the utmoft of that milke that is
in them, and it will exceedingly revive and com-
fort thee : for example/ that I may a little open
it to you ) Jacob when Efau met him , and his
heart began to faint , (for, faith the Text, bee fea-
red exceedingly) i § his heart began to faile him now,
and what did hee ? Hee did goe and fuckeconfo-
lationoutof the promifes: for thus hee reafons
with the Lord, Lord thou baft faid thou wilt dee
meegood 5 now hee ftayes himfelfe up with this,
and hee got fo much ftrength with this milke ,
that hee was able to wreftle with the L O R D all
night,and would not let him goe without a blef-
fing,this promife fuftaincd him , from whence
hce fucked confolation and ftrength, for thou baft
faid thou wilt doe me goodjhzrdote I amrefolved,
I am fare I am upon good ground, / will not kt
thee goe without a hieing. And fo Abraham , when
hce was to offer his onely fonne,what fhould hee
doe now i Here he was delolate, poore, and nee.
dy, certainely his heatt could not but bee rcadie

to-

New Covenant,

to failc,& what fhould fuftaine him in this cafe ?
There was a promife, you fee, He br. 1 1 . hec was
fure GWhad made apromife, and had faid unto
him j this is tfaac, and this Ifaac I will multiply 3
andwithhimlwilleftablifti my Covenant, and
bis feed? {hall bee as the Stars of Heaven foith Abra-
hamfi O D promifed it,and though I fhould kil
hira,G^can put a new life into him • hee. went,
you know how farre from his houfe where hee
dwelt • furcly hee fuftained himfelfe by the pro-
mife,hee rcfted upon this promife 3 hee drew con-
folation from it, and hee drew it to the full,there
was muchmilke in that promifc,and that fuftay-
ned and comforted him. I might give you ma-
ny inftanccs. So David , when hee comforted
himfelfe at Ziglag , what was it that hee comfor-
ted himfelfe in ? Surely David remembred this,
the Lord hath anoynted mee King over lfrael,
hee hath faid that I (hall bee King, and fhall fit in
the Throne of saul^ it is true, I have loft all
that I have , and the Souldiers that fliould bee
my ftrength,are now at this inftant readie to
ftone mee . yet hee remembred this promife^nd
comforted himfelfe in the L o r d, that is, in the
promife that the Lord had made to him, where-
of this was the maine tfeat hee had to comfort
himfelfe with.

Beloved , learnc to doe this when you are in
any ftrait, if there bee any thing that you neede,.
remember this, if thou can but get a promife, if
Faith can but get this footing, the L O R D hath
made it a part of his Covenant, and there is

his

\19

Hcbr.ii,

The mifcry of
thofe[that are
out of the Co*
venanc.

Ephef.2.

He hath "no
right in Gods
promises.

Of The

his hand and fealc to it, the Sacrament that thou
receivcft from time to time, is but a fcale of that
Covenanted if hee leeme to forget it for a time,
hec will remcmb er it, hee cannot forget it- long,
bee allured hee will pefforme it ', it is inipoffibie
but hee (h ould,let not) your hearts fay lc, iff < thou
have apromifc , hee will doe it irt due fcaYoi^al-
though not in thy feafon , yet hee will doe it in
thebeft manner, though not in that manner as
thou iraagineft.

Beloved one thing more wee fhould have ad-
ded , that is , to exhort men to enter into Cove-
nant ; this I fhould have prefled to you, the mi-
fcrable condition of a Man that is without it ,
andthehappineiTeof the Man that is within it,
with this wee fhould have concluded the point.
Beloved, confider this, in what a miferable con-
dition men are without the Covenant, it is
enough that I faid, Efbef.2 . without COD fa the
world 3 and without the Covenant ■, they are put to-
gcther , they are Aliens and fir angers from the Cove-
| nant, without the Covenant, without G ODin the
world; Is it a fmall thing to be without Godi and
without the Covenant ? When thou confidereft
this Booke , and the many precious promifes in
it , that wee fpake of before , and thou haft not
right to one of thefe promifes,if thou be without
the Covenant, when thou art in a ftrait,- if thou
bee a ftranger to God, if thou be out of the Cove-
nantwiih him,what wilt thou doe? Whither will
thou goe ? We are fub je& to a thoufand ftraits ,
you know what a weake creature Man is ,what

neede

New Covenant.

needehee hath of affiftance^What wilt thou
doe in the time of extremitic ? Thou canft not
goe to God , thou art not in the Covenant with
him j but thy cafe is as that of Zedekiahs, tAicau
ah tells himjboufhattgoe from chamber to chamber*^
So thou (halt goe from place to place , GOD
will not receive thee, for thou art not in Cove-
nant with him. But is that all, that thou (halt
want the comfort of Godi No,know 5 if thou bee
not in Covenant with God , hee is thine enemie ;
if thou come ^neere to him for refuge and com-
fort,hee will bee to thee as a devouring fire , and
when thou commeft to him, thou {halt bee as
foft Waxe to the fcorching flame , as ftubble to
the fire ; and not onely fo , but thou (halt cgbjjc
toeverlafting burnings, fuch fires as (hall never
goe out : Such the Lord (hall bee to thee, if thou
bee not in Covenant with him. You will fay, to
mee,thisistocome,if it may bee well for the
prefenty I (hall bcare ft the better. I will goe one
ftcp further therefore. If thou be out olCovtmnt
with G O D,all the creatures areatenmitie with
thee , there is not a creatyre in Heaven or Earth,
but it hath libertie to doe thee hurt : For if thou
bee out of League with GOD, thou art out
of the prote&ionof the Law,if any creature doe
thee mifchiefe, it (hall never bee required at his
hands , but there is a libertie given them,Sathan
may hurt thee, Men may hurt thee, Bcaftsmay
hurt thee, all the infenfible creatures may hurt ,
thee h for there is no prohibition. Befides , thou
haftnoftueld nor buckler to defend thee from

them;

4.81

Goais hi$

cncB °y»

Similft

The creatures
are his cne-»
mie„a*d have
power jtojhuri; ,
him.

4 n

Of The

The creatures
at peace with
Saints,

thcrcn for thou art not in Covenant with God, hce
is not Buckler to thee : ail this is the cafe of every
man that is out of the Covenanted this is not a
fmaIlthing,tobcoutofthc pales of GW/prote-
6Hon,tohave everie creature ready to doe a man
a fhrewd turne, and he to have no imm unity 3 no.
thing to deliver him • it is not fo with the Saints,
all the creatures are at peace with them.

To draw this alittleneerer,if there bee any
thing in thebodie, or out of the bodie that trou-
bles you 5 if there be imaginations in the minde,
that are to the Soule,as the Gout is to the bodie,
if thou bee in Covenant with G od, all thefe are at
peace with thee : For all thefe are at Gods com-
mand , it is a part of his Covenant • when thou
art in Covenant and league with him , thou art
in league with them , and therefore they fhall
never doe thee hurt. Bee allured of that,when
thou art within the Covenant , there is no crea-
ture in Heaven or Earth can doe thee hurt : For
thou art at peace with it, it is not an enemic , and
that which is not an enemie , it never doth hurt •
but if thou bee not in Covenant with God, now
thefe have a power to hurt thee , there is no pro-
hibition upon them, there is noreftraint, but
they may doc thee hurt , they are enemies to
thee , both thofe things , and whatfoever elfe is
in Heaven or Earth j Sathan, and every creature
hath power to doe thee hurt; When thou wal-
ked in the way, when thoufitteft in thy houfc,
wherefocver thou art, thouwalkeflinthemidft
of a thoufand dangers , becaufe thou art not in

Cove.

New Covenant.

+8?

Objetf.

Anfif.
Holy Bleu may
be cxereifed,
they cannot
be hurt by the
creature.

Covenant with God, therefore thou art expofed
totheenmitie of all the creatures.

But this obje&ion will be made,Yea,but ma-
ny of thofe that are within the Covenant re-
ceive hurt from the creatures,and many of thofe
that are out of the Covenantee peaceable and
quiet lives.

I will anfwer it in a word- It is very true they

may be exercifed^though all thehoft of Heaven

and Earth bee at peace with them, and there is

not any creature can doe them the leaft hurt-

No , they neyther will nor can goe about it 3 to

lift up their hand againft them, yet they may be

exercifedwith many affii&ions , but there is a

very great difference betweene thefe two b the

fame difeafe , the fame grief e \ the fame appre-

henfion lyes on the hearr, and wounds thefpi-

rfts of the one Man ,but to the other that is in

Covenant^ it is a rod in the hand of a Father^en-

abling him to keepe his Covenant the better^ it

is as a Medicine in the hand of aPhyfitian to

| heale him , to comfort him, to doe him good .

| that very difeafe to another is as a Sword in the

; hand of an cnemie 5 as poyfon in the hand of the

j deftroyer to hurt him. As y for example , the

Devill had power to vexe Saul, and to vexe lob,

? here was the fame inftrument 3 the Devill had

f power over both, but there was a great deale of

difference 3 you know hee had power over Saul as

an enemie , hee had power over lob as a friend 5

and fo likewife ludas had a meflenser of Satan 3

to-fiH his hearty andp^/hadameffenger of Sa-

DifFerence in
the fame try all
to godly and
wicked.;

tan

Of The

Inthei r cri<J.

I n their
ftra'mc.

rc<

Simile*

ran too , to follicitehim,and to trouble him 3 and
to joyae with his lufts, to make them as prickes
in his fides,but there is much difference • to the
one hec had a rcftraint, the Lord faid to the De-
vill,What haft thou to doe with /^?Thou ihalt
goe thus farre 5 and no further,thcu fualt not hurt
Idh To Paul there was reftrain;: too , thou fhalt
goe thus farre,for what purpole ? As there was a
rcftraint, fo there was another end likewife , fo
ferrc it (hall gqe,as tillit hath humbled him ; /*£
aid -ml were bumbled by it, a jot further it
cannot goe: ForiheDevill, in truth, though he
bee houiie co f^iem in affe&ion, yet cannot hurt
them ia a&ion..becaufe God ufeth them onely to
doe them gped, and to humble them . lob was
the better, and Paul was an exceeding gayner
by it , But SauUnd ludas were great lolers 5 fo
there is a great difference betweene thefe two.
The fhepheard fets his dog upon the fheepe to
bring them in, another Man fets his maftifteon
another creature to worry it, and to deftroy it - y
the Lord fets the creature upon hisowne fervants
but as the fhepheard lends out his dogge , to
bring them in ; afToone as they are brought in,
hee rates the dog^and will not fuffer him to doe
them the lead hurt. A Man will not have his
fervants nor Children ? nor his friends hurt,but
hee will rate the dog whenhee fals upon them •
So the Lord doth with evcric creature whatfo-
evef,when it comes to hurt them, he rebukes it,
as he <3id the ftormes and windes : on the other
fide,y/hen a Man is out of Covenant with God>

then

N*VV GOVENANT.

485

then GWunloofeth the coller of the creature, as
it werc,and fetshim upon fuch a Mcn,and faith
unto him,Goeand worry fuch a Man, wound
himc be an enemy to him, hurt him. This obje-
ction is fo to bee anfwered 2 that thofc that are
within the Covenant >they are often mC ^ed and
troubled , th: 1 creatures feeme to hurt thetii ,
though they bte in League and at peace wit**
them,andcandoe "hem no hurt.

Secondly it is objc&ed , that others that 1 c
out of the Covcnant,ihcy live at peace.

Beloved, I befcech you c ^nftdcr this, ind it is
profitable to confider,that he ttat belong* no
the Covenant fe may live in his Fathers houfe,he
may fit at Table with the Children,he may have
the fame maintenance, the fame cioathfng, the
fame ufage, the fame libertic 3 the fame privt-
ledgesof the family as the children have, and
yet for all this,this is one that belongs not to the
Covenant ^ux. one whom God intends to caft out.
Jfmael^ you know , lived in the family, afwell as
Ifiac, and was aiwell ufed as Ifaac> till the time
that God would have him caft out, and therefore
deceive not thy felfe with outward peace,to fay,
God and thecreaiure are at peace with me : for I
have profperitie in all that I doe.No^it may be,
the time of caftingout is not yet come , but in
due time,when the right feafon fhall come,then
J [mad fhalbe caft out, arid every one with whom
the Covenant indeede is not eftablifhed.

Cain remained for a time,but he was caft out,
and made a vajabondu^on the Earth. Saul remai-
ned

Note*

Objeft.

Wicked men
may have
peace for
a time.

4«* 1

Of The

Dcucjx,

tied for a time in the houfe,but in due fealon God
caft him off: So,I fay,C70^may nourifh 5 and ehe-
rifh,and defend thee,as if thou wert one of bis
owne Children, but hee will caft thee off in the
end. Wee have a notable example for ir 5 in his
dealing with the children of Ifrael, they were
fuch as belonged not to the Covenant , a great
part of thera,and yet fee how he ufed thole ve-
ry men ; Deut. 3 2 . it is faid , Hee carried them on
E^es wings 5 that is the expreffion > that is, the
Lord carried them fafely,asthe Eagle carries
her yong.on the top of her wings,that no Fowle
can reach them ^but flie is above all Fowles,and
ftifcngcr than all Fowles^ flyes higher,fo they
wereftfe as on Eagles wings , nothing could
reach themj After that manner I carried you out
of Egypt} I kept you fofafe : befides, I did not
onely defend you , but fed you with the fineft
Wbeat,with the pureft Oyle,with the liquor of
the Grape 5 and yet notwithftanding all this,
thefe men were fuch as God hated, fuch as were
not in league, as belonged not to the Covenant:
Deceive not thy felfe, God may doe all this, and
yet caft thee out ; hee may feed thee with riches
in abundance,and yet if thou bee not a fonne,if
the Covenant bee not eftablifhed with thee,
thou fhalt be caft out- the fonne abides for ever,
but he with whom the Covenant is not made,
though hee may continue in the family
for a while,hee fhall not abide long,
but ftiall be caft forth.
FINIS.

4»5

^^cfecfe^afe^^s^^^i

FOVRE

SERMONS,

WHEREIN,

Ccrtaine Obiections againflTthe
point of Gods All-svff i c i ency,

( handled in the five firft fermons of
the former TreatifeJ are anfwered.

EeCLESIAJT!S9. 1,2, 3,4.

J have fur ely fet my heart to all this Jo declarethisjhat
the )ufi,andthe rvife^ and their workes , are in the
handofGod,andno man knorveth either love, or ha.
t red by all that is before him: for all things come a.
like to all } and the fame condition is to thejujl, as to
the wicked, and to the good, and to the pur e and to
the polluted ,and to him that facrificeth, and to him
that facrificeth not^as is thegood y fo is thefnner,he
that fweareth, as he that fear eth an oath,&c.

E have purpofely chofen this text,

that we might anfwer fome obje-l

<Sions, which might be made 2-

gainft the ^ll-fupciency ot God,

which wee fpake of lately to you-

for this might be obje&ed :

If God be Ml- Efficient, what is the reafon of this

Aa dif-

objeff.

436

Jt is hard to beleeVe

[ ^infw.

Ecc!cf8i<\

difpcnfation of things that we fee in the world.
That there be righteous men, to whom it is according
to the tvorke of the wicked,, and there be wicked men
againe y to whom it is according to the worke oft he righ-
teous ?

Here you have this anfwer made , That for a
time all things come alike to all, there is the fame
condition to the one, as to the other : The reafon
of which you (hall fee,when we come to the han-
dling of the words. But inbrieteto open them
to you,you fliall findc,that this was the occafion
of them. In the i6.vcrfeoftheformer Chapter,
faith the Wifeman, I have appljed my heart unto
w/fedome, and to behold the bufiiejp that is done upon
the earth jn which I had no reft, either day or night •
I was fo intent upon them. Well, what is the
conclufion? Saith he, I found this,I was not able
to finde out the reafon of Go d s w orkes : / beheld
the workes of God , that man cannot fnde out the
wcrkes that are wrought under the Sunne , y;a though
a wife man thinke to know it , hec cannot finde it :
That is, when I fee how Go d difpenfeth things,
I am not able to finde out the realon^ and not I
onely,but no man is able ro finde it : no, faith he,
though he be a wife manjno,-although he fearch
never fo diligcntly,he cannor-find out the reafon
of God s vvayes,the reafon of his providence, of
his difpenfing of profperi y to the wicked , and
adverfityro the godly: yet thefc two Conclusi-
ons notwithftanding he found, which heexpref-
fethinthefirfi verfe.

Fiift, that thejujl^andthc wf^and their workes,

are

Cods Allfufficiency.

487

are in the hand of the Lord : That is, although I fee
not the reafon why God doth it, yet this I finde,
it is the Lord that difpofeth all things , both to
men,and all their workes • All the events that fall
out, both good and evill, I finde this, that they
are in the hands of God.

The fecond thing to be found is,That all thirds
come alike to all: There is the fame condition to the
gcod y and to the evill* to him that pier ifceth, and to
him that facrifceth not. Thefe be the two things,
that the Wifeman profelTeth he found out , and
from hence hesatherethtwo Confechries.

One is, That there is no man able to know love, or i.Confe£hry
hatred^ by all that is before him : That is,by all that
he feeth done to himfelfe, or by all that he feeth
God doe to other men-he is notable to judge by
that, who it is that God loves, or who it is hee
hates.

A fecond Confe<ftary from it , is exprefled in % Con{eaar
the third verfe : faith hee. This is an evill I have E C cknp.
feene vnder the Sunne > that there is one condition to
all: Thatis,thelonncs of men, when they have
feene this carriage of things , this adminiftration,
and difpenfation of good and evill thus promif-
cuoufly, to men of all forts : Therefore faith hee,
The hearts of men are full of evilly and madnefje is in
their hearts while they live : That is,thcrefore they
fcek not Go D,but the creature-therefore they doc
not depend upon him 3 but feeke to fecondary
meanesrWhat is the iflue of it < Thereforethey got
downetothedead : Thatis, they perifh for even
So much briefly for the meaning of the words.
Aa2 Now

4 88

Jttshardtohdeeye

Dot*.
It Is a hard
thing to bee
perfwadcd-of
Gods Allfuffi-
cieiicy.

Now before he comes to deliucrthefe twocon-
clufions, he makes this Vtczmbk-J have given my
bedrtj faith he 5 to all this, or I bend my felfe with
all my might to this,even to declare thefetwo
th!ngs 5 that all things are in the hands of GW 3 &c.
Whence we will gather this,(in that Salomon faith
that he bent himfelfe, with all his might , to de-
clare both to himfelfe , and to others , that all
things are in the hands of <SW,)that.

It is a very hard thing to be perfoaded of Gods

K^ill-fafficiency.
It is a very hard thing to be perfwaded,thatall
things are in the hands o(God y it is a hard thing to
perfwade our felves,it is a hard thing to perfwade
others,that is,I fliall not deliver the point fully to
you, except God himfelfe teach y ou,except God
himfelfe declare it5 it is fo hard for a man to fee al
t hings in the hands of 6W,to know that he is able
to doe all,that, except God teach it to a man, he is
notable to know it, that is, heeis not able to
know it to purpofe, he is not able to know it fo
as to have the ufe-of it,he is not able to know it in
a pradlicall manner, except God teach it him.

The ground of which is, becaufe it belongs to
the holy Ghofl to perfwade , it belongs to God to
perfwadc,not onely to peiiwade this truth to the
hearts of men, but alfo to perfwade allfaving
truthes of what nature foever. And therefore we
fee when Chrift fends out his Difciplcs, his Apo-
ftles,he bids them,,Goe,preach the Word to the
Iewes,and Gentiles:and whereas they might ob-
jeft in that cafe,ho w Hull we be able to perfwade

men,.

The holy
Ghoft muft
perfwade.

Objefi.

GodsM-fujficien cy.

486

men , that bring a ftrange do&rine , and ftrange
ncwcs to them , a ftrange thing that was never
heard of?

. Chrift anfwers them thus,I will fend my Spi-
rit with you j and hefhallcovince the mrldoffwne,
°f right eotifnes , and of judgment: As if ;'hee fliould
fay, I confeflc you are notable to doe it, that is a
worke that only belongs to the holy Ghofi^and he
fliall convince men of their miferable eflate out
of Chrift, he fliall convince them of that righte-
oufneffe that they are to have by Chrift, he (hall
alfo convince them of holineffe ^ and fan&ifica-
tion,under Chrifts Governcment.Thus,faith he,
the holy choft fliall doe $ you are not able to per-
forme it* And fo when the Lord makes the pro-
mife, that th? people fliould ferve him, and feare
him : The queftion is,how they fliould be able to
doe k; fliall the Prophets be able to perfwade
them i fliall the Apoftles in their times be able
to perfwade them { No, faith hee,T^ [hall all be
taught of God : As if he fliould fay, without his
teaching it will be all in vaine 5 but if the Lord
teach them once,they fliall be perfwaded effe&u-
ally , they fliall not onely know what their duty
is, but they fliall bee ready to performe it.
The renfon of which is,

Firft,becaufe God onely is the generall,and uni-
verfall worker , he onely is univerfally wife, he
onely knowes all things,& therefore he only is a-
ble to teach al things : men know but in panyind
therefore they are able to teach but in part: (now
he that is perfwaded of a thing but in parr,though

Aa 3 he

Iohn*s.

Reafin . 1

God only wife
and therefore
able to per-
fwade.

■»»**•

49°

Jt is hard to beleeVe

Reafonz.

God oncly
knowes thefe-
|Ver.ill timings
of the heart.
Ierm.17 o.

he may acknowledge the thing to be good , yet
his heart is not wrought to pra&ife ir*for there is
fomething yet behind , fome obje<5Hons 5 thatare
not yctanfwered.JItis only God that hath an u-
niverfall lighr,that is a general worker s and therc-
I fore hee is {aid to be onely wife ; for a man is not
jfaidtobewife, except he know all things that
belong to fuch a bufinefTe,If there be any part or
cornet of it hid from him, he is not wife • that is,
he is not able to proceed aright , he is fubjeft to
erronbut God who hath abundance of light, God,
that knowes all things,is only wife 5 and therefore
he is onely able to perfwade. Hence it is that men
are able to perfwade, that fuch graces are good,
that fuch wayes are excellent in themfelves , that
it is good to take fuch courfes j but yet to anfwer
all the fecret obje&ions of the heart, to perfwade
fully, to turne all the wheelcs of the foule, this is
that which a man is not able to doe, to enlighten
all the corners of the heart, he is not able 10 con-
vince fully.

Secondly, GWis onely able to doe it-becaufe
he onely knowes all the windings and turnings of
the heart of man : It is faid in let. 17.9. that the
hem of man is exceeding deceitfully who can know it?
That is,no man in the world can know his owne
heart, much Ieffe can any man elfe know it^ there
are fo may windings, fo many turnings in it,
there is fuch a labyrinth in the heart,fuch a depth
in ir,that no n an is able to fearch hisowne heart,
to finde out the bottome of it:oh but who is able
to doe it 1 Saith he, in the next words , it is God

that

▼?■

Cods Alljufftciency.

491

Simile.

that fearcheth the heart and tryeth the r eyries : That
is,he only knowes the feverall inclinations of the
will, and therefore he only is able to perfwade.

You know if a man make a key to undoe fuch
a Iocke,he muft know all the wards of it , or elfc
he may make a key that will not undoe it, he may
endeavour, and not be able to turne the locke:So
the Lord that onely knowes all the wards., all the
fecret paflages , all the windings and turnings of
the heart of man^he onely is able to fute ir,and to
fit it with fuch arguments,as fliall be effe&uall to
perfwade, You fee when he would perfwade Mo-
fes to goe downe into Egift, there was a fecret
objedion that CMofes had in his hearr,if he went
thither, that hefliouldlofehislife^^that knew
CMofes heart, knew where that objection lay,
where it ftucke with him , he was able to bring
arguments to perfwade him $ Goe thy way (faid the
Lord) for they are dead that fought thy life.

Laft of all, Godis onely able to doe it, becaufe 1
hee is able to amend the heart where it is amide : I Go ^^ r 3 \
A man perhaps may be able to (hew an object, j amendrfic C
and to bring it to light : but what if the eye be a- hc4rti
miflec'themanis not able to fee and to difcerne
for all that: If a mans eye beblind,if there beany
weft in it, he is not able to remove it : So a man
ii>ay propound arguments, but to make the heart
capable of thole arguments ^ hee may propound
reafonsand perflations, but to make the heart
apprehenfi ve ofthem,it is above th? power of the
Creature. And therefore it is God onely that re-
neweth us mthejpirit ofoarmindes: he that hath
Aa 4 made

Simile.

4pZ

Jt is hard to beleeve

Ffe.

Why cne man
trufterh God,
and not ano-
ther.

made the eye, and fo he that made the will, and
the underftanding , he onely can heale the brea-
ches of chem,hc onely can elevate them , and put
a fupematurall light into them, and make them
fit to apperhendthofe fpirituall rcafons, of any
sinde, that he objects & propounds to the hearts
of men: So that God onely is able to perfwade,
as of all other trurhes, fo of this , that all things
are in his hands, that he is ^All-fuff>cient.

We may make this ufe of itrwejfee the reafon,
why one man is able to fee and trnfl: to this o^//-
fufficiency of 6W, and another is not. The reafon
is, becaufe Chrijl hath revealed it to one man and
not to another : God hath taught it to one man and
not to another.-We fee it in common experience.
A wife,learned,wittie,and able man,thatcan dif-
courfe more then many others of the vanity of
outward things, of the J All.fufficienc] and fulnes
that is in God y yet when he comes to the pra&ife
of it, he is able to doe nothingrOn the other fide
wee fliall finde in experience , that many poore
Chriftians that are able to fay little , yet when
they come to pra&ife,they are able to part with
their libertie with their credir, with their goods,
and with their lives, that they may cleaue to God
and keep a cleare Confcience: what is the reafon
of it : becaufe they be taught of GW, they are per-
fwaded by him, & therefore they are able to pra-
Aiie it; As for the other they are taught by men,
they are taught by themfelves,and therefore they
are not taught indeede , they arc not fully con-
vinced of it^and therefor though they know fuch

thing s

Gods All- faff kiency.

49?

things , though they be floating in their mindcs,
yet they have not the life & thepra&ifeofthem.
Wherein you fhall obferve this difference^that a
man may know a truth , and yet not be led into
thar rruch^as you fee Ioh.\6. 13 Whenhe (halt come
which is thef (f>irit of truth y heejhall lead you into all
truth : (marke it ) hee fhall lead you into all truth.
It is one thing to preach the truth, and another
thing to be led into the truth. The holy Ghoft fhall I
lead you into all truth,as a man is led by the hand
into a place : for we are not onely blind 3 but lame
too , wee are not onely unable to fee fpirituail
truthes, but when we fee them, we are not able to
follow the guidance of the holy Ghojl: Therefore,
faith he, the Spirit (hall not onely fhew you fuch
& fuch things,but (hall lead you into thofe truths,
he fhall lead you into the pra&ife of them.

Many men they know what temperance , what
fobriety and patience are, who are notable to
pradife them : they are not led into the truth of
thefe points rbecaufe that is proper to the holy
Ghofi^ it is hee onely that leades us into them,it is
he only that enableth us to fee them,as to be ful-
ly convinced , Co r as to refolve upon the pradiie
of them : and therefore you (hall finde the Apo-
ftle S. Paul,Ephef i .when he revealeth there thofe
fpirituail bleflings,that we have in Chrifl, when
he had declared many of thofe glorious priviled-
j ges, in the 1 8 . verfe he prayes,that the eyes oft here
under Handings might bee opened, to fee the hope of
their callings and the riches of that glorious inheri-
tance prepared for the Saints,andthe exceeding great -

nejje

Iohn 16.13.

Leading into
the truth*

Knowledge
without pra-
£tife 3 whenee

it is.

Ephef.i.18,

494

JtislardtobeleeVe

nejfe of his power towards them that beleeve. The
meaning of it is this • whenPWhad difccvcrcd
all this, faich hee, this labour of mine will be but
m vaine , except the Lord open the eyes of your
under (landing. So it is when we preach to you of
the Aft-fijf'C/eucyofGod, when weedifcoverto
you thofe glorious privilcdges , that we hauc by
Chnft^cxccpt the zWopen mens eyes, except he
(end the fpirit of revelation into mens hearts to
difceme thofe things , except he preach to the
heai t >as well as we do to the eare, it is but loft la-
bour^faith the Apoftlcif he would open your tyes to
fee the hope of your Calling, to fee thofe great hopes
that you have by reaibn of your c3lling,to fee the
riches of that glorious inheritance prepared for
the Saints,it is not only rich,but abundant richeSc
Againe, (faith he,) to fee the exceeding great-
neffe of his power: A man is able to fee fome-
thing, that God is able to doe this , and to doc
that • but to fee the exceeding greatnefleof his
power , how farre it reacheth, this none is able
to doe, unleffe he have the fpirit of revelation, to
open his eyes to fee it $ That, even as Elijha faid
to Gebczi, There ar e more with m than again si us.
But how came Gehezi to know that? Elijha prayes
the Lord to open his eyes,and when his eyes were
opened, he faw it vifibly. After this manner the
£*r//deaies with his children- when fuch truths as
thefe are propounded to them,that GWis All-fuf
fcient, yet all this is nothing,except God wil open
their eyes,except he will be with themes he was
with lob, all that his friends faid to him would not

perfwade

Cods allfujfickncy-

! 495

perfwade him 3 till God himfelfe fpake to him out
of the whirlevvindc. When GW himfelfe will fay
to a man as hee did to Abraham J am all- fufficient,
then he perfwades him and not before.

And this,Beloved,is the office of the holy Ghosh
it is he that jhewes the Father,andtfa Sonne , to the
fons of men,it is he that glorifies the Father,and
the Sonne. And in this fenfe he is faid to fill them
with joy upon all occafions: for thecaufe why a ioy,thecaufc
man rcjoyceth is 3 becaufe he is informed of fome ° rit:
good newes , fomething he is perfwaded of, and ^ Au
when he heareth of it,there followes fudden joy:
So when the Apoftles were in diftrefle>in prifon,
when they were in danger,the hob) GhoH brought
good newes to them , he revealed to them fuch
and fuch things 5 upon this revelation, upon this
good newes that was brought to them, it is oft
laid they were filled with joyrwhich is therefore
called thzjcy of the holy Ghojl^hkhthcholy Ghofi
workes in men by periwafion,by revealing to th e
the hope of their Calling, and the riches of their glori-
ous inheritance y and the exceeding greatnejje of his
power, working in thofe that beleeve. And therefore
this you rauft confider,that though we preach to
you, and you heare all thefe truthes of Gods ^A\t-
Efficiency , yet you are able to pra&ife nothing,
till Christ revcale it to you. If he come to a man,
when he is in a ftrair, and fay to him, as he did to
/Wupon feverall occafions, Fearemt Fauljwill
be with thee:] fay,if he himfelfe would come thus
and fpeake to the heart of a man • that is , if hee
would revcale it by his Spirit, we fhould be able

Jt is hard to beleeVe

Outward
things how to
negleft rhcm.

WhyChriftf-

ans hold out in
all conditions,

to pra&ife it, we fhould be able to flay our felves
upon him, we fhould be able to truft him in his
CdlLfufficicncie , and would venture vpon any
thing ; wee fliould be able to doe our dutie , wee
fhould be able to fuffer perfecution, as the Apo-
ftle fpeakes , becaufe we trufi in the living God.lt is
a certaine and true rule, no man is able to guide
his life aright, his riches,his credit, his liberty a-
righr, except he be able to ncgleft them . and no
man is able to neglcft them,except he have fome
thing that is better in ftead ofthem, except he fee
thefe two things:

An emptineffe in them :

And a fulnefle fomewhere elfe
But now who is able to perfwade men of this?
Surely he that perfuaded Salomon that all was va-
nity 5 it is he that muft perfwade us, without him
it cannot be done. What was the reafon elfe that
Peter , Andrew, Iohn, and the reft of the Apoftles,
were able to for fake all things,when others were
not $ Doubtleffe, becaufe they were perfwaded
they fhould findeitagainein Chrift, when others
were not fo perfwaded t Flefh and blood did not
teach them, but the holy Ghofi revealed it to them,
chat though they had loft al,yet they fhould find
all, yea,they fliould finde an hundred fold more.
What was the reafon that Demos , and others,
when they met with perfection, and temperall
preferments in the world, were notable to kecpe
on their courfe, but turned afide, when Paul who
had the fame temptations did not? The reafon
was, becaufe it was not revealed to Bemas^ but it

was

Gods AU-fujfidency.

497

was to Patd^ A window was opened to him in |
heaven, as it were, to looke into Gods Allfnfft.
ciencyj.0 fee the treafures :herc,to fee Gods power,
and eternity and bleflednes : and when he walked
in a conrinuall fight af this , ^All-fujfiaency, Paul
eared not whither he went, nor what became of
him • it was nothing then far him to paflTe from
prifon to prifon, from affli&ion to affliftion. So,
as long as a man walkes in a continuall fight of
Gods All-fufficiency, as long as he fees him thdt is
invifibk, fo long he is full of comfort, fo long he
is able to doe any thing • but when once his fight
is taken from him ^ when once he is left in darke-
ne(Te,that Torches and Candles begin to appeare
great lights unto* him,, (as you know it is in the
darke night,) that is a figne that a man is in darke-
nefle, when the feare of men , and the favour of
men , feeme great unto him : So it will be when
C^dothbutleay.eusalittle, when he doth but
cloud us, when he withdrawes from us that light
of his K^ilLfufficienc] ; then we are ready to finke,
and to faile in our duty , and to turae afide, to
balke the wayesofrightcoufneffc. And therefore
if you would have the ufe of this i^ll-fufficency^
if you would be perfwaded that all things are in
Gods hands, befecchhim tateach you to depend
upon him. /

Beloved, it is certaine, that the holicft men that
are,have as much love of themfelves as others,
they defire their fafety,as well as others,they de^-
fire to have liberty ,and life,as well as othersibut
here is all the difference > they are perfwaded that

God

Holy men love
themfelves as
well as others.

*»—■¥■

4?8 \

J\\ things are in Gods hands.

Doci.2.
j All things are
!i n Gods hands.

God\s All-fuflicicnt^ to reftoreall thcfcto them,
when they lofethem for his fake, when other
men are notfo perfwaded:they have a new judg-
ment of things, they have another judgment of
heavenly things, and of earthly, they fee another
vanity in the Greatures,and another Al-fuffichnc)
in (70*, than other men fee 5 or tha they themfelvcs 1
ever law before; And this isithereafon they
are able to doe that which other men are not a-
ble to doe. And therefore the way to have the
ufe of all this knowledge , is to feeke to G o D,to
befeech him to enlighten you, that he would de-
clare this to you, that he would leade you into
this truth,and when he hath taught you,y ou fhall
be able to know all this , and to know it to pur-
p&fe, So much for this point.
As wetould you,thete are here thefe two Con-
clufions:

Firft, That the )uft, andthe wife, and their rvorkes,
are in the hands of God,

And fecondly, That all things come alike to all:
we will take the firft as it lies, and deliver to you
the fame point/which is this$

That all things, all men,all their wayes,all the
Creatures, with the feverall workes of them, are
in the hands of God : for it is thus methodically
fetdowne • The wife arc in the hands of God,
and their woi kes,and fo arc the \vicked,and their
workes, and fo are all the Creatures in his hands,
with all the effefts that proceede from them:
This then is the point:
That all things are in Gods hands.

Now

Ml things are in Godi hands.

499

All things in
the hinds of

Now how all things are in Gods hands in gene.
rall 3 we have declared to you before : bur we will
now deliver it a little more diftin&ly, that I may
adde fomething to that which I have formerly
taught. They are all in the hands of Go D,that is,
originally in the hands of the Farher, and In the
hands of all the perlons of the Trinity , as they
joyne in the Deity ,as they are God.-buz yet,if you
compare this place with fome other,y ou (hall fee
more diftindly in what manner they are in the
hands of God : They are, I fay, originally in the
hands of the Father r but yet they are more im-
mediately put into the hands of the Sonne, as he JhcSawr
is Mediator. Therefore compare this place with Matth,i x.27.
(JWat-th. 1 1 . 2 7. K^dll things (lakh he are given mt
of my Father, and none k nerves the Sonne, but the Fa-
ther: Andfolikewifewith/0^3. i^.TheFathcr | **»$.*£
loves the Sonne , and hath given all things into his
hands: And with that, 1 Cor. 15.24. youfliallfee
there this expreffion-fai hthe Apofti? ^Therejhall
he an end, rvhm ChriH [hall give ftp the Kingdeme
into the hands of the Father. The meaning of it is
this,that though al things be in the hands of God,
yet they are all put into the hands oichrisl,z% he
is Mediator: And .therefore Pfal. 2. it isfaid^4*ta
of me, and I mil give thee the Heathen for thine inhe~
ritance , and the utmofl part of the earth for thy pof
fepon.'That is, he will give th; a m into, his hands
to doe with them what he pleafeth.: fo that (to
adde this to that which we have before delivered
it wil be a profitable point for us to conlider,that
though GWbe Ls4ll-fufficient,md hath all things

x Cor. 15.14-

Pftl.i t 8.

500

Jt is hard to beleeVe

£*fft-

God hath put
all into Chrifts
hands, that wc
might be more
confident.

| in his hands, yet hee hath put all this into the
hands of his Sonne.

You will fay, what comfort is there in that? or
to what end is it ufefull for us to know, that they
are in the hands of the Sonne, more than that
they are in the hands of the Father?

. It is to thispurpofe 5 that you may be more
confident in comming to GW, to aske any thing
at his hands : for therefore hath the Lord done it,
that you might come with the more boldnes. For
Chrijl hath taken our nature, our flefh $ he is nea-
rer to us, than God the Father , who dwells in light
waccepble : hee is one whome we have knowne,
he dwelt among us, hee is of the fame kindred,as
it were, we are flefliofhis flefh, and bone of his
bone. Nowwhenwefhallheare, that all things
are put into his hands, as he is Mediator, as hee is
the Angel of the Covenant,wee may go with the
moreboldnefle, wee may haue the more confi-
dence, that as we have need and ufe of any thing,
it fhall not be denied us: for we know all is in the
hands of him, whom we love,whom we feare.

When one heareth that his Prince hath put
all that he hath into the hands of a friend, with
whom hee is well acquainted , it muft needes
glad his heart , and fill him with hope of ob-
taining any thing that is fitting for him : As
it was with Tacob , when lofeph faid to him 5 All
this I have in mine hands, &c. It was a great
comfort to Jacob ^ that one whom hee knewfo
well , that was flefh of his flefh, had all things in
his hands. Now this is the comfort we have by

it.

«£?

'*§

Mlthtngs are in Gods hands.

it, That the Father hath put all things into the
hands of the Sonne, into the hands of Chrift, as
he is Mediatour , and this he hath done for thefc
reafons :

Firft, that men might glorifie the Sonne , that
men might honour the Sonne , as they honour
the Father b for therefore was it that hee would
not keepe all in his owne hands, but gave them
up into the hands of the Sonne.

Secondly, he hath done it , that he might dif-
penfe that Allfufficiency , that is in himfelfe, in a
way befeeming himfelfe , with that indulgenee,
and that mercy that is futable to himfelfe, and fu-
table likewife to our frailty. And therefore Exo-
dtx 33.3. the Lord&id , I will not goe up with thee,
for thou art a flijjene eked people^ therefore I will not
goeup with thee, lefilconfume thee ^but I will fend
Ufore thee the Angel of my pre fence , and he fhall goe
up with thee : As if he fbould fay , I have pure
eyes, I am not able to fee that which I fhall fee in
thee,but I fhall be ready to confume thee 3 but he
is more indulgent, hee is more mercifull , hee is
more able to beare, becaufe he is made the Me-
diator:therefore(faithhe)he fhall goe along with
thee, even the ^Jngelofmj prefence : Whereby
you may fee, that the Lordhzxh put all power in-
to the hands of the Mediatour, that he might dif-'
penfe it the better to the fonnes of men.

Thirdly, he hath done it, that it might befure
to us: for if the Lord had made an immediate Co-
venant with the fonnes of men, there had beene
little hope for us : We fbould have broken it, as

B b ^Adam

501

Reajon 1 #

Thatwe might
honour the
Sonne*

Reafon 2.

To difpenfc his
Ail-fufFiciency.

ixcd,£3j.

Reafon % t
That our eftate
might be fure.

502

Ml things are in Gods hands.

ChriftthcMcf*
fengerofthe
Covenant,
w!y.

Thatnoflcfli
fliould reioyce
in it fclfe.

Dcut8.i&

^Ad<xm did, when the Covenant was made with
him;btit he hath put it into the hands of a Mcdia-
tour^whom he hath made the AngeJ,or the Mef-
fenger of his Couenant, that it might befure to
us,that is,that the ZW might perform al his pro-
mifes to us,and that we might keepc likewife the
Condition on our part : for therforc chr/Jl is {aid
to be the MeflTenger of the Couenant,to difpenfe
to us that which GWhath put into his hands-part -
ly,bccauf e he is able to reconcile the Father to us,
(and therefore he is the Prieft, that is entred into
the holy of holieft, that isjnta the very heavens,to
make interceffion for us)partly aifo,becaufe he is
able to bring us in , as a Prophet to enlighten us
in the knowledge of hira, and as a King , to fub-
duc the ftubbornnefie of our hearts , and enable
us to obey him : So that the Covenanus imme-
diately made with him, and not with us $ there-
foresail things being put into his hands,he being
the Meffenger of the Covenant , it is made fure
to us, that otherwife had not beene.

Laft of all, the Father hath done it, thatnofejh
might rejoyce in itfe/feSotehh the ApoflIe,he hath
made the Sonne to us wifedeme , righteoufoes,fan-
ttificAtionjfr redsmptionjhAt he that rejoyceth wight
r^we in the Sonne- And therefore wefeeDr*/.
8.18. How carcfull he was to teach the ifrAelites
this , (hewing them , that they were not brought
into that good land for their owne righteouines,
but for his Covenants fakc,that is,for the Cove-
nanthee made both with them and us in ChriH^
which was manifefted to Abraham and Iacab^ but
was in the Sonne. The

Mlthings are in Gods hands.

50J

The ufe that we are briefly to make of it is this,
that we fhould take heede of cotnrning to God (ox
any part of his Lsfll-fifficiency, except it be in the
name of his Sonne, When youhearethat<7*^is
^All-fujf;cicnt , you muft not thinke now to goe
to God immediately, to fay, L W,beftow on me
•fuchand fuch a thing, as I want; for in doing fo,
what doe we elfe but draw neere to (W, as the
ftubblc, or the waxefhould draw neere to the
fi re? Who is able to dwell with cverUfling burnings?
He is a confuming fire to the fonnesofmen 3 if
they come to him immediately. But if you come
to him in the name of the Son,into whofe hands
he hath put all things, he is ready to accept you,
& to grant you whatfoever you aske in his name.
Lev. 17.5. it was deathfor a man, though Iris fa-
crifice was never fo good , to offer it without a
Priefl: 5 and it is no leffe than death to any man to
come to God without Chrift, that is 5 the Lord doih
not give life to that man, he doth not raife him
from nature, which is death enough. When we
come toGWwithouttheSon, what doc we elfe
in fo doing,but dishonour the Son? We give him
not that honour which his Father would have
him to have.What doe we elfe but robbe him of
that which he hath purchafed at a deare rate? For
even for this very caufe did he fuffcr : Therefore,
( faith he ) hct hath given him a name above all
names, What do we fclfc but rejoyce in our fclves.,
and forget to give all the glory to Chrijli There-
fore whenfoever you come to GW,ftil take heed,
that you forget not Chrift , but that you come in
his name. Bb2 Se-

Vfe.

Not to come to
God without
Christ

LcvitJ7.f«

: %

Ml things are in Gods bands

Vft* 2

'.acciu
him.

Why God doth
not' great
things for us.

T^on.

Wny there is a
1 fulneiTein
Chriftt

Secondly, as we muft not come without him,
fo wee muft come with confidence and much
boldneffc, if we come in his name • and that is an
cfpcciall ufe to be made of iy o come with bold-
nefle to partake of his Alkfufftcjeno$ • for it is in
the hands of the Sonne, it is in the hands of a
Mediarour.

The reafon why great things are not done for
us, notwitwftanding God is All-Cujficient^ is,be-
caufe we come not with great faith; If we were a-
ble to bejeeve much,it would be to us according
to our faith. And what is the reafon that we come
not with great faith, but becaufe we come not in
the name of Chrift i We are difcouraged in the
fight of our owne weaknes,orimpcrfed:ions and
fraikies-but if we did looke on Chnft^nd behold
him,and come in his name, we would come with
a ftrong faith 5 and if we did fo,it would be accor-
dingtoour faith. When we come timoroufly and
fearefully to GW 5 when we come doubting whe-
ther we (hall receive it or no 5 it is a figne we come
in our owne name : When we come boldly and
confidently, and make no queftion, but the thing
we aske fhall be granted,it is a fign that we come
in the name of Chrift : and if we doe fo, doe you
thinke hee will deny us i To what end hath
the Father given him all things into his hands ?
Why is hee made rich with all treafures f Is it
that he might kecpeit, and hoard it up i No,
but it is to beftow on thofe that his Father hath
given him amongft men: when a man hath ri-
chest is a vanity under the Sunne faith Salomon 5 to

keepe

All things are in Gods hands.

I 505

fceepe them, and hoard them up,hewereas good
not to have them : as not to life them : and doe
1 you thinke that Chrijt will have all things given
into his hands for nothing? Is knot to beftowon
us? Doe you thinke,that he will purchafea thing
at fo deare a rate , and when he hath done , make
no ufe of it i It is faid PhiLz .8 .9 . That, becaufe
He tooke upon him the forme of a fervant, and was 0.
bedient to the death of the Crojfe^ therefore his Father
gahje him a name above aU names ; And therefore he
did thus and thus unto him. Hath he purchafed
this for himfelfe, for his owne fake? Certainely 5
it was not for himfelfe, for he had no need of ix y
but he bought it for us : and will he not make ufe
of it when he hath done i Therefore doubt not
when you come in his name, you (hall receive,
and that abundantly too ; when wee come in the
name of his Sonne,he is able to deny us nothing.
Onely remember this,that you come with bold-
neffe. Iris faid Ephefi .u . that we have this be-
nefit by Chrift, we come with boldnejfe and con-
fidence though faith in him.

If a man through the apprehenfion and fight of
his owne righteoufnefle , of his owne fan&ifica-
tion , that meafure of it that hee hath obtained,
think thus with himfelfej have thus walked with
God) I have beene thus perfeft , I have thus farre
kept the way, I have thus farre denied my felfe,
and therefore I (hall be heard: li he goe this way
to worke, he {hall finde many objections, much
falfneflein his heart, much unevenneffe in his
wayes, that will difcourage him 5 therefore fo, a
Bb 3 man

Philip. 4.8,9. •

EpHcf3.11.

Why wee can-
not be bold if
we come to
God ia our J
owne name.

506

Ml men divided into Vtoo ^ankes.

?■

Vfe<
To teach us
thankfulneffe.

man cannot come with boldncflc. Bur, faith he,
voifliall come boldly: through whom! through
frth'm C$rifi:i\at is, if you come in Chrift,con-
fider th % you arc in covenant with him, that you
t&fai in his name, that is hee whom you prefent
to the Farher, when you aske any thing at his
hands. Aid thus you may cam? with boldneflTe,
what objections loever there can be made , they
will b^ all cafily anfweredin Chrift.

Then lift of all, ifitbeinChrifl;, if it be put
into his hands immediatly 5 then whenfoever you
receive any thing, let him have the facrifice of
praife , let it adde f omc new love, and fomc new
ingagement, and thankefulneffe to the Sonne.
The Father hath done it for that purpofc,that the
Sonne might be honoured, that the Sonne might
be nragnified, that wee might learne to love the
Sonne, to ferve the Sonne, as we doe the Father^
and therefore whenfoever we obtaine any thing
at his hands, let us be thankfull to the Sonne: La-
bour to fee his grace abounding towards us, and
our hearts abounding to him in thankfulneffe,
and in all the fruites of obedience.. So much (lull
ferve for this point-.

Now wee come to the next Conclufion , All
things come alike to alt • The fame condition is to the
juftas-to the wicked, and to the good and pure , and to
the polluted, and to him that facrijiceth , and to him
tbatfacrificeth not j as is the good \ ft is the firmer, hee
that fwearttb, as hee that fearetkan oath. Hence I
gather thusmuch(before I come to fpeake of the
application of thefe events to the fonnes of men,)

That

Ml men divided into Ctoo ^ankes.

5°7

That ^A 11 men are divided into thefe two Rankes,
either they are good or bad y either they are polluted or
cleane, either they are fuch asfacrifice, or fuch asfa-
crifice not : There is no middle fort of men in the
world , all are either flieepe or goates, all are ei-
ther within the Covenant, or without the Cove-
nant, all are either elect, or reprobates : GWhath
divided all the world into thefe two, either they
are the Lords portion, or the Bivels portion.
There are fomeReafons of it.

One is, that Go d hath made all men to be vef-
fels of honour , or of dijhonom, there is no veffell
of an indifferent or middle vfe.

Againe, who are they that divide the world *
GodandSathan: Either you belong to God, and
are his portion, ( as Deut. 3 2.9. His people are his
portion,) or you are the Divels portion.

And io likewife may we reafon from the two
principles , either a man is borne of theflejh, or of
thejpirityifhc be borne of the Spirit , he is fpiri-
tuall, and if he be borne of the flefb, he is flefhly.
And therefore in one of thefe two conditions he
muft needs be, which I obferve for this purpofe.
Firft,you fee hence then,that there are but two
places hereafter]for men ,* as there arc but two
rankesofmen- there is no middle place, as the
Paptfts affirme, there is no Purgatme, or Lirnbm,
either for the Fathers before Chrifl y or for Chil-
dren now : As they are all in one of thefe two
rankes, in one of thefe two conditions, fo there
are but two places into which all men are divi-
ded,fome to the one, and fome to the other.

Bb 4 But

Daft.;. \

Allmendivi- '■

ded into two t

Rankcs. !

Reafon 1
All,arc veflcls
of honour or
di (honour.

Reafon 2.

God and the
Divcl! divide
all the world
Deut 3 2,9.
Reafon 3.
All arc borne
of thefleflior
the fpirit.

Vfe,
There is no
Purgatory or
Li mbus,

« T W

5 o 8 A 11 men di<vided into two ${anhs.

Vfe.

To try in
which conditi-
on we arc

Ephcf.f.tf.

Themiieryof

(thofe that try
not their con-
dition.

But fccond y, the cheifeft ufe that wee are to
make of it, is this : If it be fo, if a mans condition
muftbe oneofthefetwo,thathc is either within
the dore of the Kingdome of God, or without,'
that though fome are come neere the Kingdome
of (W,fome are farther off among thofe that are
withoutjand agame , among thofe that are with-
in thedoore, fome are farther income are not fo
farrcjfome have proceeded farther into the Tem-
p e, fome a Me wayjyet there are none in a mid-
die way but all are eyther within or without 5 let
us then learne to confider,what our condition is,
et not our perfwafion and opinion of ourfelves
hang betweene both, but let us come to this con-
|Cluuon,to this difiundiue proportion. Either I
lammthenumber of thofe thataregood, orthat

Z £f ther }! m With L in the C °venat/or with-
out: & fo confider in Which of thefe two condi-

S,?? ^k* M r? 2re exceedi "g ^t in this cafe
;4l?hlfh m r lveS:a ? d therefore whenthe A-
?f u t , , CCafion to f P cake of th 'S he premi-
fcth that ftilj Be not deceive dfuch and fuch fall not
inherit the Kingdome of God /^d fo in Ephef. s . 6 .
Let no man deceive you with vaine words 'for , far
fuck things comes the wrath of God uf on the children
ofdifobedience: That is,men are exceeding apt to
deceive themfelves ,to be pure in their owne I y es
wh e they are not yet clenfed from their filthines,
to think their eftate good,when it is not:& there-'

a man hath beene at the painestofetupalarge

building,

dll men divided into two %ankei

5°9

building, heefliould thenlofe all his labour for
want of a good foundation : that a man fhould do
as the foolifh Virgins, get oyle in their Lampes,
and make a great blaze for a time, and when they
come to the very point to the doore, to the gate,
then to bepccluded < Nay 5 what a folly is it for a
man to deceive himfelfein this/It may be, a man
out of the corruption of his nature , may be wil-
ling to deceive an othcr,but for a man to deceive
himfelfe, it is exceeding great folly. Andtruely,
as it is faid of flattery,none can be flattered by an
other, till firft he flatter himfelfe.So no man can
be deceived by another, till firft he be willing to
deceive himfelfe. Therefor take heede of decei-
ving your felves.

There is a great backwardnefle in us to come
to a tryall , as a crazie body will not indure
the try all of the weather 5 as a weake eye will
not induree the light, for it is offenfive to it : So
when the heart is not found, this tryall, this fear-
ching, this examining of the hearty it is tedious,
grievous , and burthenfome : but yet it is profi-
table, it is that which make us found in the faith,
wee muft come to it fooner or latter; and it is beft
for us to come to it, while we have time to helpe
it, if we finde things amifle. To have a great
fraight, and to make fhipwracke in the Haven,
were a great folly: and therefore we fhould look-
to the Barkc, and fee whether it be found or no :
To fee in what eft ate wee are.; in* which of thefe
conditions vve are.

You will fay to me, how fliallwe know*

Thegreateft
folly to de-
ceive our fclvcs

Why we arc
loath to come
to the tryall.

Simile.

5t*

Oilmen divided into two %4nkes.

Fouretrial!s,to
know in which
rankcwearc.

I Trial! .
Goodnefle,
vrh'ch confifb
in fourc things

Z
The tree rauft
be good.

Simile.

I will name you but thefe foure vvayes of tri-
all, that are named here : the Wifeman makes this
difference of men, fomc zxtgoed, andfomeare
evilly fome are cleane^and fome are polluted ' 5 fome
facrifice,oihetsfacrifce not, fome are carelejjeofan
oath, others feare an oath. Wouldcft thou know
then in which of thefe tworankes of men thou
art? Confider then whether thou be zgood man
or an eviil man, that is one diftin&ion. Goodnes
confifts in thefe foure things.

Vx&^The tree mutt be good \ as you have it in
Math. j. 16.17. that is, a man is thenfaid to be a
good man,when there is a good fap in him,when
there is fomething in him that is good , when
there are fome fupernaturall graces wrought in
him 5 he that is not empty of thefe, he is a good
man : as it is faid of Barnabas, be was a good man ;
and how was that proved? he wasfulloffaith^ and
the holy Ghofi. See then whether thou haft an emp-
ty heart or no. You fay a thing is good for no-
thing, when it is empty of that excellency , that
fhould bee in it : When wine hath not that in it
that belongs to Wine, you fay it is naught j and J
fo wc fay of all things elfe : When a man there-
fore hath not that in him that belongs to a man,
that is, to a man as he was created in innocency,
he is wicked and naught,a fon of Belial: but when
he hath a bleffing in him ^ as grapes have wine in
:hcm,when he hath fupernaturall grace wrought
in his heart, when he hath the new Adam putting
into his heart the fapp of grace and life , theu hee
is good. Therefore fee whether there be fome-

what

■MwowfM hi iMa—0**ii^

Alt men divided into t too ^tnfas*

what put iato thee , more then is in thee by na-
ture, fee whether thou findeche new i^Sdam ef-
fectually to communicate new ftp to thee , new
grace and new light, as the old Adam hath com-
municated corruption^fee whether thou be made
agoodtreeorno^for it is the tree that makes the
fruit good : and not the fruit, that makes the tree
good : So it isthe man , that juftifiech his worke 3
and not the wprke , that juftifieth the man : and
therefore thou muft Hrft fee, whether thou be in
the Covenant,, whether thou haft this feale, that
thoufeeft fomechingput into thee, which thou
haft not by nature- Every man by nature is emp-
ty : when grace is put into him, then he is faid to
be good. As it is good wine, when it is full of fpi-
rit, when it hath that in it, that belongs to wine$
So he is a good man that hath that in hira, which
belongs to him, in his regenerate eftate,

Secondly > Confides whetherthou bring forth
good fruit, that is, not onely whether thou doeft
good a&ions.but whether they flow from thee,
whether they grow in thine heart as naturally as
fruic growes on the tree,that flowes from the fap
within. When a man not only doth good works,
but when he is zealous of them, /; is his meat and
drink to doe them^ when they flow from him , as
water from the fountainc,theahe isagood man:
for if the tree be good , that is , if the heart be
good,^man will be as ready, and will as naturally
bring, forth good f ruite,.as the Tree,the Yine,or
the Fig-tree bring forth their fruite.

The third thing you (hall feeia the iTim. 2.

veflels

T \

The fruit muft
be good.

2:
i Tim* x; **.

c i z \ Ml men divided into ftoo ^ankes.

Thcremuft be veflels are faid to ye good,to be veflels of honor,
ateadineffeto w h en they are prepared to every good worke .• So
docgo ° when a man is good, he brings forth good fruir$

and not onely brings it forth , but if there be any
occafions to put forth the goodnefle that is in
him, he is prepared for it, as a veflell is prepared
for fuch a turne, for fuch a fervice. The word in
the originall fignifieth , when a man is fafho-
ned , as a veflell is fafhoned ; and the mea-
ning of the holy Ghoftisfhzx when a man is good,
when his heart is fitted to good workes , when
he knowes how to goe about them 5 whereas an
other bungles at them , and knowes not how to ]
doe them, hee is prepared for t^emrand there-
fore there needs no more, but to put bun and the
good worke together , and hee is ready to per-
forme it.

The laft is,When there is not only a readines,
but pra&ife upon all occafions, when a man doth
goody as it is faid, that lefts ChriH went about do^ng
good. And therefore he is a good man that is a ufe-
full man,fuch a man that every one fares the bet-
ter for 5 fuch a man is fery iccable to GW,and pro-
fitable to men.Beforeregeneration,when a man
is aftrangertothis goodnefle, hee onely ferves
himfelfe, he is full of felfe-love , all his ends are
to looke to himfelfe, that he may be kept fafe 5 he
cares not what becomes of any thing elfe, fo it be
well with him : but when once goodneffe comes
into his heart, it h*th this fruit,he goes about do-
ing good j becaufe gra ce brings that principle in-
to the heart that never grew there before, th at is,

the

There muft be
pra&ife of
good.
Ads io. 1 8.

Ml men divided into two %ankes. 57?

i the love of God and man • whereas before there
I was nothing but fclfe-Iovein him: which plant
growes naturally in the garden of nature", when
grace com?s, ir brings love with it, and that love
makers us ufefull and 1 erviceablc both to God and
man : So that whatfocver a man hath, what gifts,
i what knowledge, whar authority he hath, he is
ready to ufe it for the good of others. As the A-
poftle faith of Ontfimm in the Epiftle to Phile-
mon : Now is he profitable to thee and mee^ whereas
before, he was unprofitable : So k may be faid of all
Saints, when once this goodnes is put into them,
now they are profitable to GWand man, they do
ferve God and man with their fatnefle , and with
their fweetneffe 5 before they were unprofitable
toothers, but now they are profitable both to
themfelves and'others.

This is the fir ft note,by which you may know
yourfelves: Art thou a good and ufefull man,
doeft thou goe about doing good, doe thofe fare
the better for thee,with whom thou haft to doe ,
doft thou fpend the fatnefle , and the fweetneffe
that God hath given thee, to ferve Godmd man
with it ? then conclude,thou art in the ranke
of thofe that are the Lerds portion , other-
wife thou art yet without the Cove-
nant , thou art yet in the gall of
bitternejfe. The other three
I muft deferre till the
afternoone

THE

Love makes us

fmiceableto

Godandn»an,

514

2 Try All.
Purity.
i Cor 6. it.
What it is to
bccleaneor
Pure,

~ 1

THE SECOND

SERMON.

ECCLESIASTES9. 1,2,3,4.

I havefurely fet my heart to all this Jo declarethisjhat
the )ufl,andthe wife^ and their workes , are in the
handofGod,andno man knoweth either love, or ha.
trtdby alithat is before him: for all things cornea,
like to all, and the fame condition is to thejuji, as to
the wicked, and to the good, and to the pure and to
the polluted \and to him that facrificeth, and to him
thatftcrifceth not^as is the good, fo is thefmner, he
that fwearcth, as he that fear eth an oath, &c.

EE will now pro cecde tothefe-
cond difference which remaineth •
and that is this:

Confider whether thou be cleane
and pure in heart , or polluted :
There is the fame condition to the pure, and to thepoU
luted. •

Now what it is to be cleane, or to be wafhed,
you fhall fee i Cor. 6 . 1 1 .Andfuch were f owe of you,-
That is, you were polluted with thofe fins 3 there
named, But now ( faith he ) yon are wafhed. And
wherein (lands this wafhing? He tells us it (lands
in thefe two things: Now youareytflifcd, now you (
arefmclifed; Tw are jufifed through the name of]

Christ A

AM men divided into t&o ^jnkes. | 5 1 £

Chrifi : and fantfijied through the Spirit of God,
So then he is a pure man,or a cleane man, that is,
firft wafhed from the guilt of his finnes,thatis,
that hath no finne lying upon his Confcience,
that hath not a polluted Conference , which is a
phrafe ufed Titus i . Whofe mindes and confcience
are defiled. Now defilement,or pollution is in the
Conscience, ( Divines fay ) as a thing that is
knovvne is in the faculty , or underftanding that
knovvesitj and therefore the man that hath com-
mitted any finnc , which yet continues upon his
owne fcore,which his confeience is yet guilty of,
and far which he hath not yet gotten an acquit-
tance from Almighty GoJ^be is an impure man,
he is yet uncleane, for he is not yet wajhed from his
f Mines. A man againe that hath gotten any af-
furance of forgiveneffe, fo that all his finnes are
put upon the reckoning of Iefus chrijl, and there
are none that lye upon his owne fcore , a man
who hath made all his reckonings eaven with
God y and hath fomc affisrance thereof,fuch a man
is wafhed from his fikhineffe. Such a phrafe you
havelikewife in Ezteh. $6.2$. I will cleanfe you
(otwa(hyou)fromallyour idols: That is, from
all your Idolatry, from all the finnes that you
have committed,! will waftvyou, that is , with
imputation, or fprinkling of the blood oichrijl.
The fecond cleanefle is 3 when a man is not
onely wafhed with the imputation of the bloud
of Chrift, and the aflfurance of pardon , but alfo
when he is wafhed from the ftaine of finne,when
he is fanftified through the Spirit, when finne is

mortified

To be wafhed
from the guilt
offina

Titus i,

F2ech.3tf.1j*

From the ftain
ofiinne.

5 ,6 1

Ml men divided into rtoo %ankes.

Atrialloffan-
dification*

Simile.

mortified in him, when it is as well healed,as for
given. And therefore if thou wouldft know whe-
ther thou art a cleane man or polluted 9 confider
alfo this, whether thou haft a cleane heart or no,
that is , whether thou haft fuch an habituall dif-
pofition of purity and.cleanneffe, that thou eanft
not endure to look upon any finne, no more than
a man,that is of a neat and cleane difpofition, can
endure to fee filthinefle $ whether thou haft fuch
a difpofition, as that although thou be fprinkled
with finnefrom day today, though thou bee
fowled and fpotted with it, yet thou fuflfereft it
I not to abide in thy heart 5 thy heart workes it
1 out, as we faid to you before.

So that this you are to obferve^tofindeoutthe
cleanneffe of a mans difpofition , whether he can
looke upon finnc, as an uncleanc thing, as a thing
from which his foule hath an averfion, as a thing
that he abhorres • that is,although there be fome
thing in him,that loves it, that delights in it, that
likes it, yet the prevailing part of the foule ab-
horres it. Both the cleane and polluted may for-
fake finne , and may turne away from finne, and
therefore in that the difference is not feen^but the
difference is in this,thar thou art able to hate and
abhoire fin, to looke on it as a thing that is filthy
I and uncleane. A Merchant, you know, will caft
J out his goods, when hee is in danger of his life,
but he hates not his goods: So a man may caft a-
way finne, when it puts him in danger of finking
into hell, or of the judgements of men. It is one
hing to part with finne,and another thing to hate

finne.

dlltnen divided into two <I{anfos.

5*7

A man may withdraw himfelfcfrom finne,he<
may give it over, he may feeme to be divorced
from it, and yet he may have a months mind af-
ter it, he may doe with it ftill , as the husband of
CMichael did, when ihe was taken from him., yet
faith the Text, He came weeping after her a fane ejf,
\ belonged after her ftill,and loved her (till 5 So a
man may part with his finne after fuch a manner,
that ftill he goes weeping after it, he would have
it againe, he would faine enioy k, if it were not
for fome greater danger,or fome greater trouble
diat he expofech himfelfe unto ^as you fee in fhdL
tiet-xx was not for want of love to his wife,that he
purred with her, but it was out of a defire he had
to five himfeJf,to efcape the danger of the Kings
wrath, imprifonment,and death,that would have
followed upon it.Thereforeconfider what hatred
you have of iinne , and by that you muft judge
whether you have a clcane difpofition or no.
You muft not thinkc any man is perfectly cleane,
and pure , but he is a cleane man, that fuffers not
any impurity to take quiet poffeffion of his heart
although he have uncleane thoughts & uncleane
affedtions, ( as all finfull thoughts and affe&ions
are) though finne may paffe through his heart, as
they pallid through the temple, ycthefuffereth
it not to fet up Tables in the Temple, to fet up an
Idol in his heart , he fuffereth it not to make any
breach of Covenant with Godjio be adulterous a-
gainft him ; though there may be many glances,
fome adulterous and uncleane anions , that is
not the thing that breakes the Covenant, when
Cc the

ItisnotIea?ing
but hating of
finne thatfhew-
cth purity.

A pure rcaa

woo*

5 .3

All men divided into Wo %ankes.

An impure
man who.

Itti purity an
effect of it.

the heart is ft ill wedded to 6W,and choofeth God
and no other. And therefore, I fay, in that it is
not feene, but confider what thy difpofition is,
whether, chou hate that finne all the while.

A man that is of an impure fpiric,of an impure
h :art, when he is with impure company , when
be delights himfclfc in impure thoughts, then he
is where he would be, he. is then in his owne ele-
ment, ani when he is other wife, he is where hee
would not be. O-i the other fide, he that hath
an habitual! difpofi ion of purenefle and clean-
lies, though he may be tranfported to thofe a&es
of finne and pollution, yet his heart hates ir^he is
not where he wjuld be ill the while, he is not
upon \\\% owne cerRcr ? his.hsart ft II fights againft
it, and refiftsit s thereforeconfider with thy Lelfe,.
what thy heart is in this afe y whether thou have
a hears that hates uncleannelfe, or whether thou
haft yetafwinifly. difpoiiuon, that thou ly eft in
the mud, and delighted to lye in it.

A man may fall into, the rnud,but he delighteth
not to be there-no more will a cleane difpofition
delight in finne. And you may know ic by this
effed:, where the difpofition is uncleane, there
fi :ne abides, till it ftaine the heart, till it makes a
mmfyoieloftbervorld, that is, it caufeth. him to
keejp a ; rrad jnfinne , that a man may fay, this is
the path hee walketh in, it caufeth him to weare
the livery of fin,that he may be knowne by it fro
day today, it caufeth the fpot fo to fink into the
fouje?, that, a man may fee he is fuch man. This is
to have aa uncleane difpofition , when; unclcan-

nefle

All men divided into ftoo ^ankes.

5*9

i. lohn

1 1 ope double.

i.Pct.1.3.

nefle fo cleaves to his foulest they agree togc-
therjwhereas in a manthat hath a pure difpofiti-
on , it is not fo s as i John 33. He that hath this hope
furifeth himfclje. T he meaning is this 5 there is
double hope ; there is the hope of the Hypocrite.
that is a dead hope , that doth not fct a man on
workcto cleanfe himfelfe horn fikhineffc: There
is againea//^)' hope^ fpoken of in 1 Pet. 1,3 . that
fe^s a man on works to cleanfe himfelfe • that is,
when a man hath a true hopc 3 arcaii hope to have
that undefiled inheritance; he con fid is this with
himfelfe, that an impure heart , and an undefined
inheritance will not ftandtog<:tru?r$ and becauie
he hopes for kingoodeaineft , ( it is not afalfe
hope,>t is.not a dead hope) therefore he fers him-
felfe on worke indeed to parifie himfelfe: He that
hath that hope , pun fieth hirrfelfe, he cleanfeth him-
felfe. Who ever therefore doth not purifie him-
fe]fe,itis an argume; that his hope is dead which
he hath of being faved , it is but the hope of an
hy pocritc,a hope that will ft and him in no deed;
for it brings forth no endevounthat is the fecond
thing. I mull: be briefe in this, becaufe this is not
the point I intend, but that which follows.

The third expreffion here ukd^s^Hethatfacri-
ficeth , and he that facrificeth not. This is but a Sy-
necdoche^ wher ~ one particular is put for all other
kindes of holy duties: But the meaning is this 5 j Whatmearit
you fhalknowamanby this,in which of the two j b >' facntK
conditions he is • he whofe heart is upright wit h
GoA, he dares not omit any holy ordinance, hec
dares not omit any facrihee , hee dares not per-

C c 2 forme

DencJ hope
what

4 Try all

Sacrificing.

520

Jll men di<vidded into two Q(ankes.

lames z.io.

Objeti.

A wicked man
may performe
duties out-
wardly.

t Simile.

forme them in a flight and negligent manner. He
ngaine whofe heart is falfe , facrificeth not , that
is, cicher he omits the duty, orelfe he omits the
fubftance and life of the duty. You know in lam.
2.10 he faith there, Bee that abideth in ally that
keepes all the Commandements , and yet failesinone,
heis guiltie of all: and fo you may fay of the ordi-
nances , he that keepes them , he that obferveth
them,but yet failes in one 5 it is argument enough,
that he makes no confeience of any. You fhall
finde this true, that whofoever he is that facrifi-
ceth not, that is , he that prayesnot constantly,
he that hcares not > he that reades not the Scrip-
tures, he that fan&ifieth not Go d s Sabbath, he
that partaketh not of the Sacraments,&c. he that
ufeth not holy conference,and fafting, and pray-
er in its feafon, fuch a man is in an evill conditi-
on : It is given here as a note of an evill man ,
he facrificeth not.

But you will fay to me, May not a man whofe
heart is unfound,keepe a conftant co^rfe in facri-
ficing to the ZW,that is,in praying to the Lordi
May he not keepe thofe ordinances constantly <

Beloved, I anfwer, Hee may keepe them con-
ftantly,that is,he may doe the outfide of the du-
ty, he may performe the dutie in a formall man-
ner,and many times men are deceived with this,
it is an ufuall cafe , ( nothing more ufuall in the
Church oiGod) for a man to content himfelfe
with a peifundory , ordinary performance, a cu-
ftomary performance of good duties : but herein
Sathan deceives men, as wee deceive children,

whea

All men divided into ftoo <^ankes.

521

when we take from them gold and filver, that is
truely precious^and give them Counters, things
that have no worth in them $ onely they have a
good glofle upon them, which quiets them , be-
caufe they be children, becaufc they cannot put a
difference betweene things of (hew,and things of
true worth j for even thus Sathanufually quiets
the Confcicnces of men , with thefe bare formes
of piety , becaufe they are not able to difcerne,
not able to diftinguifli betweene the precious
duties, and the right performance of them , and
betweene the formal! and empty performance,
which hath an outward fplcndour and glittring
fhew of performance -'but in truth he cozens and
deceives men with iu Therefore, I fay., a man
may do thefe duties, he may be conftant in pray-
er, from day to day, hee may be conftant in hea-
ring , and performing all the ordinances of GW D
in facrificing ( as the Wifeman fpcakes here, ) yet
for all this, not to be one of thefe good men, ac-
cording to this note , becaufc hee doth not per-
forme them in an holy and fpirituall manner.

You will fay to me,how (hall I know that?

You (hall-know it thus ; when the ordinances
of GW,are fpiritually performed, when holy du-
ties are performed in an holy manner , you fliall
finde thefe effe&s in them.

Firft,They are afire to heat the heart, as in
Itr. 2 3 . CM j word is ^fire.

Againe , they quicken the heart • when it is
dead, heavie and dull 3 and indifpofed to any
good duty, they raife and quicken it.

Cc 3 Againe

ggffi.

Anfw.

How to know-
when wee ufe
Gods Ordi-
nances

They areas

fire.

Ier:ij,49.

1
They quicl^n.

5**

All men divided into ftoo ^jtnkes,

They ediHc,
Iuac 2o»

Mark 4 *f-

4
Thef heale the
foulc.

Againe, They build us up ; we arc gainers by
them , wee grow more rich both in grace and
knowledge; Iude 20 verfe , Edtfie your fdves in
yotir rnojl holy faith, praying in the holy ghojl : As \i
he (hould fay,that will cdifie yourand you know
whatChrift fayes, Takeheede horv y»uheare : for
to himthat hath,rmre frail be given .• that is^he that
heares as he ought to heare , every time that hee
heares he growes fomething more rich,he gaines
fome more faving knowledge j fome greater de-
gree of faring grace.

Againe,The ordinances of GWheale the foulej
they heale the diftempers of it, they compofc it
and put it into a good frame of grace: as in lob,
15.3 ,4. faith Eliphaz, there to lob, Deft thou dilute
with words not comely ,&c with talke that is not
profitable ! Surely faith he, thou reftraineft prayer
from the Almighty : As ifhefhouki fay,/0£,if thou
diddeft pray,th6u wouldeft not faj intothcfcdi-
ftcmp-red fpeechcs , as thou doeft $ thy heart
would not befodifordercdjthou wouldeftnot.be
fo paffionate apd froward as thou art 5 therefore
furely thotireftraineft prayer. Whence I gather,
that duties performed as they (hould be, com-
pofe the heart, and heale thofe diftempers.

Againe, They make the heart fruitfull: and
therefore they are compared to raine , that falls
upon theearth, and comes not in vaine..

Againe, They teach us to diftinguifc betwecne
good and evil! , to divide the fefh andfpirit ; ft ill
a irtan fees fomewhat more than he did in his
owne heart; he fees the good that is in it, and the
corruption that is in it. I-aftIy 3

They make the
heart fruitfull.

They teach us
ro difcerne be-
tween;! good
1 And evili.

All men divided into Vtoo <I(ankes. $2$

Laft ly ,T hey clcanfc the heart,y ea the heart of
a young man, where luftsare ftrong, where the
ftaineis dcepe, and will not out without Fullers
fofCiDavid Pfal.i 19.9. faith,that the word clen-
feth the heart, &c. Wherervithjhalla young man
clenfe his -heart? By taking heed to thy word,

Now then examine thy felfe, whether thou fo
performed thefe Ordinances , and holy duties,
that God commands thee , that thou finde thefe
cffe<fis of therlf thou doeft, then thou art one that
facrificeth, if other wife-, then thou art one that fa-
crifictth not : and therefore confider whether thy
heart be warmed by them • If they be to thee as
painted fire, fuch as hath no heate,thou doft not
facrificc, it is but an outward forme : confider if
they quicken thy heart,or if it be as dead , and as
backward, and as indifpofed to good duties, and
as prone to things that are evill, after thou haft
performed them as before : If fo, though thou
fecme tofacrifice, yet thou art in the number of
thole that facrifice not: doeft th&Jfind that they
doe not divide the flcfli and the fjpflit, that they
are as a fword without an edge, that they are fait
that biteth not,which doth not clcanfc the heart?
It is an argument thou doeft not performc them
as thou fhouldeft : for there is a ftarpnefle in
holy Ordinances , that makes us found in the
Faith, becaufe they difcover to us the fecret cor-
ruption ofthe heart. Doeft thou finde thy lufts
as ftrong as they were < Are they not ckanfed
out? It is afigne thou doeft not ufe the fcow-
ring as thou fbouldeft : and fo we may fay of all
the reft. Doeft thou finde the word to fall upon
Cc 4 thy

They clcanfc
the heart.
Pfal 119.9.

5*4

Allmen divided into ftoo ^ankes.

4 Try all

Fearing of fin.

thy heart, as the rainc falls upon the earth, or as
upon'a (tone ,that it finkes uot into, that makes it
not more fruitfully Doeft thou finde that thou
doeft heare from day to day , & yet art not rich-
er in grace,and in knowledge . That it cannot be
faid to thee , that thou haft fo much more , as
thou haft heard more i Doeft thou finde that
prayer builds thee not up, that thou getteft not
fome ftrength, fome ftrong refolution, that thou
confirmed not thy Covenant with GW.»thy pur-
pofe of abftaining from finne , and the like, that
there is not foraevvh3t added to that fpirituall
building i Thou art in the number ofthofethat
facrifice not, though thou keep a conftant courfe
in performing religious duties. So much like wife
fhallferve for this.

The laft expreflion is, Hee that frveareth,andhe
that fear eth an oath. That which is faid of this fin,
may be applied likewife to all others,and fo here
is a fourth difference betwixt the good and bad.
A man who is within the Covenant, hath this
propertie, that he feares finne,and dare not med-
dle with it, that is, hee will not negle<5i looking
to his heart , he will not be negligent in keeping
a watch over his heart, and over his wayes , but
hath acontinuall eye upon finne^as we hy^Timor
figcnsQcttlos^&c. What a man feares , hee will be
fure to have a continuall eye unto it.

If a man be about a bufineffe, and there be any
thing that he feares, he will neglecft his worke to
have an eye upon that, whatsoever it be. If a man
feare finne , he will be very diligent in watching

hinu

oilmen divided into two Qfjnkes.

525 I

himfelfe , in taking heed that finne come not up-
on him by the by , with fome by-blow, that he
looked not for • fuch a man hath a continuall eye
upon finne, he is exceeding diligent in looking to
h is heart and way cs, when another man ncglefts
it, and therefore eafily flips into finne ; now into
an oath, now into Sabbath-breaking • fometimes
to the omiffion of prayer , fometimes to the luft
of uncleannefie , fometimes to lying and deflem-
bling,fometimes to one finne, fometimes to ano-
ther: and thereafon is, becaufe he is negligent.
The foolijh goes $n y and is careleffe P thzt is,he feares
not finne,and therefore he neglefts having an eye
to finne.

Now that you may finde out more diftin&ly,
what this feare is,confider this, he that feares , he
doth not onely feare the fin it felfe, but he feares
j any thing that he hath fufpition of, he feares any
! thing that is doubtful- if it be fuch a thing, as may
} be evill to him,hc feares it : So a man that feares
j finne , though it be not cleare to him, though he
be not fully convinced that fuch and fuch a thing
is a finne, yet if hee be one that feares finne , hee
will not meddle with it. Put the cafe hee doubt
whether the Sabbath fliould be fo ftrisftly kept,
not with (landing , becaufe he isdoubtfull of it, he
will not take liberty in it. Put the cafe he doubt
whether gaming is to be ufed, if he fears, he dares
not meddle with it. As if there (hould be intima-
tion given to a man, that fuch a cup or fuch a difli
were p oy foned , hee would not meddle with it,
becaufe he feareth vu he fear eth death, he feareth

fick-

tfe that fearetti [
fiane will not
adventure up-
on doubtful!
things*

Simile*

Hethatfeareth

(Inne,(hunnes

theoccafions.

ExodtZj.xo.

Hethatfeareth
fimne,feareth it
conftancly

All men divided into f JVo %ankes.

ficknefle , fo a man that feareth finne , if there be
but a fufpition of it, though others fwallow it
without making any bones of it,yet he dares not;
and therefore confider what thou doeft in that
cafe,

Befides,when a man feares,he not onely feares
the thing,but that which may make way to it: for
feare,y ou know, fets the heart to prevent evill to
come- the obj?6l of it is, hlalumfuturum, where-
as the ob/e<a of griefe, is prefent evilhfo it is alfo
with thofe that feare finne. Put the cafe finne be
f arre off from a man, yet if he feare it, he will not
come neere the occafions , that might leade him
to it,but keeps himfelfe farre from it,(as in Excel.
2 3 . we are commanded, Kcepethy felfe farre from
an evill matter, )\\z dares notfuflfer his thoughts to
wander,he dare not gaze upon unlawfull ob jeds,
hee dares not come into company with them
that will infedl him, he dares not come neere the
traine , though he be farre ofFthe blow. Thus a
man is affe&qd that feares.

And againe,when a man is poffeffed with a dif-
pofitionof feare,he doth not onely feare for a fit,
but if it be a thing that he naturally feares , it is a
conftant feare, he feares it at all times. You fliall
find evill men may feare by f\\s,Ahab feared whe
Ehah brought aterrible meffage to him,he feared
andhumbkd kimfelfe.So P/w^feared,when Mo-
fes brought upon him thofe heavie judgements
& plagues^but thefe feares of theirs were as mifts
which cleared up againe,that continued not: and
therefore you have that exprcfTion in Prov. 28.

Blejfed

dll men divided into two 1{ankes.

5*7

Blejfedis the man that feares alwayes.-as if he fliould
fay j by this we (hew the fincerity of our feare,
that wee doe not feare by fits , but feare al-
wayes.

The ground of it is this 5 heethat fcarethnot
conftantly, feares only the wrath of GW,he feares
only the evill,and therefore when that is taken a-
way, he feares no more : but with the godly man
it is quite contrary fe feares the Lord & his goodnes
#0/73.5. and thcrf ore when there is an end of evil
and afflictons, when the feare of that is blowne
over , when goodneffe comes in the roome of it 3
when God begins to fhew mercy to him , to give
him health,and peace,and quietneffe -when he is
rid of his ficknefie,of histroubleSjCrofles, & ca-
Iamities,his feare doth not ceafe, (as the feare of
Ahah did)but he feares GWftill,yeahe feares him
now more than ever. The moreGods goodneffe is
increafed towards him,the more he fears-becaufe
the more his love is increafed , the more his ten-
derncfle ofConfcience is increafed ,. the more
fweetnes he findes in GW 5 and therefore the more
he is afraid to lofe it,the more he is afraid of any
breaches betweene GWand him. This you (hall
finde in thofe that feare.

Againe,You fliall finde a difference in the ob-
ject, the thing that rhey feare. When the feare of
God y and the feare of men fliall come in competi-
tion, there is the tryall ; When a man fliall be
threatnedby man with death, whenhefhallbc
threatned with the lo(Te of his goods, the loffe of
libercie,the loife of any thing that is precious un-
to

Prov,»8,M.

Why mens fear
of finncisnot
conftant»

Ho£ 3 .5.

Tryal of feare,

when the feare
ofGcd and
men come
together.

528

Ml men divided into tfto <l{ankes.

Hethatfctrcth
finncmoftjfca-
reth other
things lcaft.

c6 him ^ and on the other fide, God fliall threaten 1
cternall death. The queftion now is, whether of \
thefe he wil feare moft?mortall man jvbofc breath
is in his nojlrills, or the eternall God, whether fliall
fway him moft < The feare of man^whichis afnare
on the one fide, or the feare of God,znddi{ obedi-
ence to him on the other fide. When thou art put
upon fuch a ftrait,fuch a tryall,that thou muft of-
fend one of them, confider what thou doeft in
this cafe. You know what Chriji faith, Feare not
men, the utmoft that they can doe , is but to take
away life,'but jO^re God for he can caji thee into hell.
Now therefore examine thy felfe,whether thou
feare men in fuch a cafe, when a good confeience
is to be kept, and thererby fome evill is to be un-
dergone from men, whether thou wilt rather ad-
venture that, or the wrath and vengeance of Al-
mighty God^crc.

And, (which is of the fame nature J whether
a man feares the doing of evill of the futfering of
evill moft , whether a man feare finne or crofles
more, when they come in competition, you fliall
findethis, he that is moft fearefull in finne, he is
moft bolde in all things clfe: And on the contra-
ry , hee that feares other things moft, hee feares
finne leaft. And the reafon of it is this 3 becaufe a
godly man lookes upon finne asthemaine evill,
hee knowes that toucheth him in themaine, it
touchcth him in his free-hold $ and therefore , if
he be to undergoe povertic, difgrace , imprifon-
ment, if it be death, any of thefe things, he feares
them not, ( for,faith he, thefe are lefle evills,thefe

touch

J a this life things come alike to all. I 520

touch me not in the raaine, ) but if it be finne, he
lookes on that as the greateft evill, and therefore
he feares it above al things. So now by this thou
/halt know what thy feare is, whether thou fearc
the doing of evill, or the fuffering of cvill-.
Laft of al, confider whether thou feare the word
of GW,whe there is nothing but the mecre word,
when there is nothing but meere threatnings, as
i n Ifai 66.2. I mil looke to them that tremble at my
word. If thou feare onely the a&uall affli&ion ,
the judgemeut, the crofle, when it pincheth thee,
and is upon thee, any naturall man is e ble to doe
that 5 but the wife man fees it before he beleeves
the threatning,he fees it in the cloud,before it be
Hied do wne in the ftorme, he feares the word of
Go d, and trembles at it,becaufe he beleeveth it,
when others belceve it not.Therfore confider by
this, whether thou be fuch a one as feares finne,
whether thou haft all thefe properties of true
feare, or whether on the other fide thou art care-
lefle of finnc,whether thou be one thatfweares, or
one that feares an oath. So much (ball fcrve for
this poinr $ All things come alike to all, and the fame I
condition is to thejujl as to the wicked, &c.

The next point that we have to obferve out of
thefe words is this -> For the time of this life there
are the like events to the good men, as to the wicked ;
That is, chough God he k_A ll-fujjicient, though he
make good his <^dll-fufficiency to the Saints , fo
that hee is a Sunneana alhield unto them , and no
good thing is wanting to them, nor any evill thing
can c ome neere thcm$ yet for all this,f or the time

True fearc
makes a man
feaic the word.

Ifa.<fc.i.

Doti.4.

Things fail
out a like to
good and bad
in this life., i

Jn this life, things come alike to all

Eccicc9.11,

Chap<8,2,iO'

of this life, in this world,there are the like events
to botb,he deaks with the one,as with the other.
This is his common courfe, as the Wjfcman ex-
prcfleth it both here and in 01 her places. In the
1 1 .verfe of this Chapter, I cbferve, faith he and
I fee, That the Face is not alwayes to thefvifi 3 nor the
BattaiU to the jlrcng . nor Riches to a man cfunder-
fl&nding, nor favour to men of knowledge \&c. but h*
that is weake gets the batraile,and he that is more
unwifegets favour, &c. So he that deferves the
beft, miflech it , and hee that deferves the worft
obtainesit. So likewife in the s. Chapter you
(hall fee this fully , if you compare that arid the
latter end of this ninth Chaprer together : There
# ,faith he, a man that rules to his owne hurt and to
the hurt of others 5 yet, faith he, this man'conti-
nues in it, yea, he continues in it in fcace 3 evcn to
his grave j and not foorcly, but when heeis
gone , and is come fom the holy place , that is the
place ot Magiftracy ( which is there called' the
holy y\*cc)it is all forgone* . though he had done
evill, yet hee continued in peace , and dyed in
peace, and after alfo there was no bJcmi/h caft
upon him , but it is forgotten; this I havefeene
faith Salomon. -. '

Aqaine,y ou fhall firide it as true on the contra
ry fide ilhavefeene, faith he, foreman that was
wife, that hat* delivered a Citty,whe»a*reatKinr
had made forts agamftit : Thau's, though he were
a poore man, yet through his vvifedome, he deli-
vered it from a great King • But, faith he' this alfo
was forgotten; The poore man was forgotten,and

jnthii Uf\thin?s comewltfoto all.

5?i

Co the g iler was forgottcn,:-nd the evil Ru-

ler wit fofg Kteft. A id 36 ic is faid of die Ruler,
fo ic is (aid of the ewrour which comes from the
face of the ilcler- / bavefeemt fakhi Salomon^ a va-
nity und:r the S 7/7 ,;.% r a:; drifilkfremthefdU of the
Ruler, that is, from the errour of the Ruler.
Whan is that? Folly if fit in great excellency & tin
jiebfet in low place, 1 hxvtfantfitvinti o.i her [back,
and Princes walking as ft r v t H I j o n tb: ground. Cap.
io.(5 3 7. That is, thole that were holy and good,
they were rich, how poore focver they feemed
to be 5 they vv ;re wife, ho wioever the world ac-
counted of them 5 though the world rccko led
them as fervants : And on the other hie , thofe
that were evill,they were poore,though they ap-
peared to be never fo -rich- they were bafe,though
they feemed to bee never fo noble- they were
foo!iih, though thevfeemed to have the repute
of vfiftdomo. Now, faith he, I have feene thefe
fervants onhorfe-backe, fitting in great excel-
lency , when others, though they were Princes,
jhavc bcenefet in low places., and have walked
like fervants on foot. Thus youfee,/^ all things
com? alike to all ^ fo the Lord difpofeth i: : If you
looke to :he condition of things, you (hall fee,
| that all baftards efcape not affl iftions, and againe
thacramy fanncs have but little afflictions: You
ihillf:e againe, that not all evillmenhav^pro-
fperity, nor all good men are followed with ad-
verfiae ; but Goidifpofcth thefe things promif-
cuoufly.

Yoa lliall fee lofiab a good King,flaine with an

arrow.

Chap:io.£,7.

Inflances*

5*2

■- ■ _ ...».-_.■■■-

Jn this life, things come alike to all.

2Chro.jj.i3

Od ufeth a li-

1 >l'ltWO

.■*:.

Ifiele&ioij.

• I

arrow,when he changed his clothes,and covered
himfelfe, and dilfembled his perfon even as well
as ^ylhab was , you (hall fee no difference in the
cafe as it is defcribed, 2 Chron. 3 5 . the fame con-
dition fell to them both , they both defguifed
themfelves , the Archers both (hot at randome,
GWdire&ed the Arrowes to both of them, both
were fickeand wounded in their Chariots, both
were carried out of the Battaile, yet the one a ve-
ry good King , and the other a wicked King.

You fee againe , lofeph was put in prifon for
innocency, as well as Pharaohs Butler and Baker
were for their offences.

You fee UMofes and Aaron were excluded out
of the land of promife, as well as murmuring re-
bellious Jjrael : the fame condition was to the
one as to the other.

If agairifc you looke upon the good fuccefTe of
men, you flialifindeit thefame : You lhall finde
Nebuchadnezzar prevailing], and reigning forty
yeares in profperity, as well as you fee King Da-
*>/Vreigned forty yeares , and Gods hand was with
him&o bleffehim in all this: All this you fee under
the Sunne.Ondy this you are to obferve, that it is
but for a time, that the Z*>v/ doth this $ he doth it
not all way es , this is not the conftant condition
either of the one , or of the other : And therefore
you muft know , ( that this truth may bee clearc
to you ) that God ufeth a libertic in thefe two
things :

Firft,hc ufeth a liberty in ele<5Hon,he choofeth
one and refufcth another ,and that for no other

reafon,

* — ■■-■ — ■■

Jn this life things come alike to <tll.

511

t
Inpunifliment
ana rrwartf*i,
intwothiiigf.

refon, becaufe it pleafcth him.

Secondly,In his punifhing and rewarding the
fonnes of men, eleft and reprobate, he ufeth a li-
berty in two things.

Firft, In the time of their affli&ions and re-
wards.

And fecondly , in the manner and qualitie of
their rewardsand p'unifhments.

In the fubftance it felfe heufcth no liberty at
all j but this is an infallible rule , that will be al-
vvay cs true, Thar he rewards every man according to
his worke , he rewards the good according to his
worke, and he rewards the evill according to bis
worke: but yet, I fay, with this difference, in the
tim: he ufeth a liberty,it may be, he defcrreth the
rewaidingotfuchaman aiongtimejhedeferres
likewife the puniflimenc of fuch a one a long time;
with others he deales quite contrary , hee fends
punishments upon them prefently after the finne
is committed , he gives a reward prefently after
the good deed is done.

And fo likewife in the manner of the punifli-
rnent.-therearepunifhmcms of divers forts,fome ]
are more fecret puni(hments,fome are more fcan-
dalous, fomeare taken out for examples, that o-
thers may feare ; others be let alone, and makes
them not examples. Thislibertie hcufechinthe
difpenfing of his punifhments- and the like hee
doth in his rewards.Somc he rewards openly for
their well doing, that others might be encoura-
ged. Some men he fuffers ro wait a long time,
and there comes no prefent reward : they (hall 1

D d have

534 I J n rf' 1 * ^f e > &*& come dike tc all

Not to be of-
fended at Gods
dealing,

Why God for

atimedifpen-
feth things pro-
milcuoufly.

Reafon U
To try men;

have a reward according ta their workes,but yet
this liberty God ufeth in the difpenfation of ir. If
this be f o 3 then let us not be offended , let us not
thinke , that God is not therefore All-fufftcientjoQ-
caufe he deales fometimes with the righteous accor-
ding to the werkes oft he wicked, fometimes with the
wicked according to theworkes of the righteous -for
you fee he will be All-fufficient^ he will keepe the
fubftance of this rule,/* will reward every man ac-
cording to his worke , he will make good his o^//- 1
fufficiency in performing his promifes unto them, |
that belong to him ; and againe , hee will make
good all his threatnings to thofe that are ene-
myestohim.

But now for the time of his difpenfation, and
adminiftrationofthings, itistrue, be takes a li-
berty to himfelfe. And to make this the eleerer
to you I will doethefetwo things,

Firft, I will (hew you the reafons , why God
doth thus for a time , why thus hee difpofeth all
things for a feafon.

And fecondly , I will fhew you this , that
though he doth thus for a feafon, yetcertainely,
he is K^ill-fufftcent to the good, itjhaMgoe well with
them, and it pall got ill with thejinners.

Fir ft I fay, (7^doth thus for a time: And why i
one teafon is, That God may try the faith and fin-
cerity of men: for if when men have finned, Cod
(hould fmite prefently, if whe they doe well,(7o/
fhoukl reward them prefently , they would bee
drawnc to well-doing^and from evill-doing, not
by fincerity and by f aith^ but by fence. Now the

Lord,

> .. ■ . . .. — — .. . ■ ■ _ -■

Jn this life things come alike to alL

Lord therefore deferres it, he puts it offjhat thoft
that are proved, maj bekncr»ne y that what men doe
out of finceritie may appeare to be fo, that men
may Hue by faith , and not byfenfe, that men might
bedrawnctolive by right refpe&s, and not by
fenfuall and carnall refpe&s, as they would doe ,
if either his punishments were prefently , or his
reward.

Secondly,The Lord doth it to fpare mankind;
for if the Lord (hould punifli prefently , men
(hould p^rifli f roip the earth. And therefore hee
doth in this cafe,as Generals are wont to do with
their Souldiers when there is a generall fault
committed, they caft lots, and pick out two or
three, and put them to death, that the whole Ar-
my may be fave&Sothe Lorddoth,hc takes here
and there onc,whom(it may be)hefollowes with
open and great judgements for open finnes : But
for others againe , the generality, he fuffers and
lets them alone,becaufe he would ipare mankind.
This reafon I finde ufed, Gen*6.i . the Lard faid
there, when he was about to deftroy man from
the earth , MyfpiritJhaUno hrtgtrftrive with man,
for he is but ficfr : That is, if I (hould continually
deale with men , as I doc now , if I (hould take
them, and fweepe them away with thebefomc
of deftru6\ion , as I doe thefe , there would re-
maine no flefh upon the earth $ and therefore,
faith he, Iwillnotftrive with them i but beare with
them patiently, though their finnes are great and
many.

Againe,the Lord doth it , that he might keepe
Dd 2 from

5*5

ReafoHi.

Tofparcmcn.

Simile.

GcnXjN

,1 II r ^^^ m ^^^^^^_^^^,.,

536 j Jn this life, things come alike toall'

To hide events
from men,

Rora.ix33«

A&SI.7.

Reafon $ 4 j from us the events of things : It is his good plea-
fure to referve them to him{clfe,and therefore he
goes not in a conftant courfe. When men finne,
he doth not prefently punifh, neither when a man
doth well, doth he prefently reward him, that is,
he goes not in one traft, as it were, but fomtimes
he doth the one, and fometiflfcsthe other, pro-
mifcuoufly 5 and for this end, faith the Wifeman,
he hath made this contrary to that, that no man might
finde any thing after him: That is, that he might
leave no footfteps behind him ; as we have that
phrafe v£cd y Rom. 11.33. &<w wfearchablc are thy
tvayes , and thy judgements fast finding out ! The
wordintheoriginall figniheth, that when God
goeth,hc leaves no vefligia,not print behind him,
fo that a man cannot fay, he will goethis way,he
goes it not fo of t,as to make a path of ir- ( I fpeake
of thefe particular thingsjhe doth not fo diipenfe
good and evill, punifliments or rewards , that a
man can fay, the XW will doe this. Andthe rea-
fon of this is, becaufe future things , theeventof
things , it is his good pleafure to keepe to him-
felfe : as he faith, Jfits 1.7. It is not for you to know
the event of things \ which the Father hath hep to
himfelfc: and therefore he ufeth this promifcuous
difpenfation of punifhment and reward , that
he might hide thefe things from the fonnes of
men.

Fourthly ,he doth it likewife, that he may bring
forth the treafures, both of his wrath, and of his
mercy.
You will lay, how fliall that be done?

Saith

Reafon 4.

To bring forth
his treafurcs

Jn this life things come alike to all.

5*7

Saith God^Wl (hould prefently cut oft a finncr,

and {hould not f orbcare him , his wickedncfle

fliould not be full, I will let the ^yimerites alone,

Gen. 15. 15. that the meafekre of their ferine might be

fullflled: That is^God purpofdy forbeares them,

with great patiencc,/frw. 9.22. He leaves them,

and heapes mercyes and kindreffes upon them,

that they continuing in their finnes , and abu-

fing his patience , rccompenfing him evill for

good,he might then draw outthc treafures of his

wrath. If he fliould take them fuddenly and cut

them off , there might be but fome of his wrath

manifested upon the fonnesofmen 5 but when

they runnealongcourfc in finning, when they

makeaheapcoffinne, then GWdrawcsoutthc

treafures of his wrath and power,that is the very

reafon ufed, Rom* \\.%z. and likewife Rm.z. 4.

The Lord hathcertaine treafures of wrath,as we

fce,Df*f,3 2. 33,34,35. Where fpeaking of the

children of/fraeljic faith, that hefujfered them to

grow(thix is the meaning of that place ) as a man

Offers a vine to grow , I fujj'aed you to bring forth

jgfAfes , I did not trouble you, nor interrupt you,

but whe you fhould have had good wine in your

grapes to refit fb GodandmAn , faith he , jour mne

was as the pojfon tof Dragons, and as the galj of

Afpes . infteede of doing good , and being fer-

viceable to men , when I gave you fo much reft

and peace.The wine you brought forth was hurt-

full to man, as poy fon, and as the gall and bitter-

nefle of Afpes , whkh is the moft hurtfull thing

in the world.

Dd 3 Now

K^infrv.

How God
drawes out the
treafures of his
wrath to {in-
ner*

Gen if. 1 6.
Rom, 9.x J.

Rono.4.
Rom. 1 1. n,
Deut.31.33,
$4>3f«

How God
drawes forth
the treasures
of mercy to the

godly

lames x

iVath«j % xe>

5 5 S Jn this life, things come alike to ail.

Now, liitli 'he Lord) all this I have done,that
I might lay it up , / have fealed it up among my
treafures : for vengeance and recommence is mint :
That is 3 therefore have I fuffered all this, that I
might draw forth al my treafures of wrath,which
otherwife would be hidden , and never opened
and manifefted to the world.

The like he doth to the godly, he fuffers them
'o goe on, he fuffers them to doe well,and yet for
all this y hee gives them no prefenr reward , but
leaves them to the malice of men, to the hand of
the enemy , and fuffers them to prevaile againft
them, he fuffers them to be in poverty ,.in pcrfe-
cution,in prifon, to betaken away by death,&c.
And why doth hee fuffer fuch variety of Temp^
rations to come to them? Lim.i. becaufe their
grace, and their pa:ience,and their faith might be
moretryed, that they might have a larger Rec-
koning. CMath. s.io.BleJfed arethofe that fuffer
for nghteoufuffe fake : and by this meanes hee
drawes forth the ueafures of his mercy .If the re-
ward fhould be prefendy ,it (hould not be f© great
a reward,but when he fuffers any man to do weh
■md then lets him wake, by that meanes hcetskes
occafion to be the more bountifully as he lakh to
them,#?£.io. ib.When you have aone his will, jm
have neede of patience : That is, the Lord Ml de-
ferres, that you might (hew your patience , that
you might have the honour to fuffer , as weil as
to doe,and fo he might fbew forth on you, the ri-
ches and the Treafans of his mercy.

Laftly another reafon why GWdoth it, is, be-
i caufe

Hcb.10 3*.

Reafin 5

time of dri-
ving-
Iara»x.U.

i ■ i ■ '- I, I,. - -■

Jn this life things come 4ifo to all. \ 539

caufe the time of this life is the time of ftriving,\ . .
of running, of a<5Hng , it is not the time of being
rewarded, as lam. 1 . 1 2 . Blejfedi* he that indurcth
th< time oftryall. GWputs a man for the time of
this life to many trials,he puts a good man to fuf-
fer many crofles and affli<5tions , to fee whether
he will bearc them or no, hegiveshimnot pre-
fent liberty , prefent profperity , nor prefent re-
wards,&c. Saith he, When he is try >ed y he flail re-
ceive the crorvne of glory , which hee hathpromifedto
them that love £/w,then,and not before 5 fo I fay,
the time of this life is the time of driving.

You know men do not give the reward till the
wraftling be done j they are not knighted till the
bartaile be ended . they give not the garland, till
there be an end of the combate : Therefore Rom.
2.5 . the laft day h called the manifeftation,or de-
claration of bis jnft judgement. So that till then,
there is no declaration of the juft judgement of
God, one way or other. There is not a declaration
of wrath till then, nor a declaration of mercy till
then; for a time therefore the Lord fuffers them to
goe on, he difpenfeth the event of good and evil,
of punifhments and rewards promifcuoufly, that
the fonnes of men might be try cd 5 but when the
race is done, then he will make good his promife
to the one, and his threatnings unto the other.

But now, though the Lord doth this for a time,
as you fee hee doth forafcafon,yet remember
this againe for your comfort, that it is but for
a feafon, it {hall not allwaycs be fo 3 as the V/ifc-.
man refolves in the Chapter before my Text:
Dd 4 Saith

Rom.i,f.
The day of
Iudgement the
time of reward

54° 3 n *&*■ lt f C} ^ n & s cme a ^e toa M'

Itfhallnoc al-
wayesgocweii
with the wick-
cd,nor ill with
the godly,

BccaufeGodis

a raft God.

2
Heisioimtf-
table.

Saith hce, howfoevcrit fall out , Ikttowitjbdlbe
rv ell with the r 'ghteotu j a vd itjhall be&vill with the
wicked: It is ccTtaine that every mw fhallbe re-
warded ac:ordengto his workes : Godlineffehath the
fromife of this life ^ and of the life to come. Anda-
gainCjUngodliaeflc hath the curfes of this life,and
of that which is to come • and certainely they
fliall be both fulfilled. And that it may be made
clearetoyou, confider this ground for it, that
though the wicked profper a while , and good
men fuffer affii&ion for a while,yct it muft needs
be that this muft be the iflue of it.

Firft ,becaufe the Iudge of all the world muft needs
be righteous, as faith Abraham : Asifheihould
fay,The firft ftandard of Iuftice,the firft rule,the
firft meafurc, either that muft be right, or elfe
there can be no reditude in the world. Now that
cannot be • you fee there is a re&itude amongft
men , there is a Iuftice amongft men , there is a
kindeofeven carriage among the Creatures,and
therefore the Iudge of all the world that gives all
thefe rules, that fets all thefe meafures, all things
in this evennes,& that keeps up that which other-
wife would fall in funder/urety he muft needs be
righteous 5 and therefore he muft needs doc well
to the righteous, and reward evill to the wicked.

Secondly,this is clearc from his immutabilitie r
looke what Cod hath done in former times , hee
muft needs doe the fame: Goe through all the
Scriptures , and you fhall finde that ftill the evill
in the end were puni(hed,and the good in the end
were rewarded $ he is the fame G*/ftilI, he is ftill

W— _-^»--— -_-——■■— —-—- ■ ■ i ii... . — _-__—_p— — ■ — «i M

Jn this life things come alike to all. J 54 1 I

*- - ' _____———-_______—— — _______ _______

as holy as he was, ft ill his eyes cannot abide intquL
tie^ ftill he is powcrfull as he was , there is no
change in him , norjhadow of turning. And there-
fore thinke with thy felfe, he that was fo fevere
againft Saul for breaking the Commandcment,
he that was fo fevere againft Balaam for loving the
wages ofunrighteoufnejje ; he that was fo fevere a-
gainft Fzziah for touching the Ark, for medling
with holy things, for drawing neere in an unholy
manner to him- he that confumed Ntdab and Abi-
hu with fire from heaven , becaufe tl ey came with
Jtrangefire , (fo doe we when we coim with car-
nail affe&ions to performe holy duties) he is the
fame, and though he doe it not to thee oq the fo-
daine,as he did to them,(for he did it to them for
exaplc, that they might be rules for future times ;
that he might not onely deliver precepts , but
might fecond them with examples )yet being the
fame God) he will doe it to thee at length > if thou
fall into the fame finne 5 hec that ftrucke Ananias
and Saphira with death forfpeaking againft the
truth, and againft their Confciences* he will doe
the fame to thee,though he doe it not in the fame
man_ier 3 ( becaufe it was extraordinary, heedrew
them out for examples, ) and fo I may fay of re-
wards, it is certaine he will doe the fame.

Moreover , it muft needesbe fo , becaufe Gods
blefTednefle ftands in the execution of his owne
Law, in proceeding according to it.

Take all the Creatures under the Smne, and
their happineffe ftandes in keeping clofe to that
rule,that God hath given them : The fire is well,as

long

Gods bleflect-
neffe confift*
in executing
hi* ownclan'.

54*

Jn this life ■, things come alike to all

long as it followes that rule, the water, and fo c-
very Creature 5 Man to whom the Law was gi-
ven, his hapines is to keepe the Law , In doing it
thoujlult live i The great G^hath made a Law to
himfelfe^thatis, he hath exprefTed himfelfejhis
bleffedneflTe confifts in keeping it - and therefore
be afTured , that whatfoever his Law is, it fhall
cerrainely be performed. The Law you know, is
this, Either thou fhalt keepe thefe things, or thou
flialtdyefbrit* Now a difiunftive proportion
is true, we fay , if either part be true ; that is, if a
'?ty** man doe not keepe the Law, of neceffitie he muft
be punifhed, or elfe Gods Law fhould be broken;
but if either be fulljilled ., the Law is kept : So I
fay , it muft needes bee, that! the X^muft doe
that, wherein his bleffedftesconfifts.T/^^^j?^-
ntr prolong his dayes, and though his punijhment bee
long deferred, andfentencehe not fpeedily executed,
yet cert3it1ejy.it muftneedes be executed,for the
Lord mu& needes a£ according cojhat role hee
hathfettojiimfelfe. r
God wilinot Laft of all, if the Lordfaould notdoe it, he
Iofehisgiory. fhould lofe his glory ; If wicked men fliould. all
wayes prqfper, if good menihould alwayes fare
ill, men would fay, there wereno God in fteaven,
to rule things, to adminifter things by his provi-
dence : therefore^ faith he, I will bring it to paffe,
that y#u may know thatlamt fa Lard. So then, feeit
thou a wicked man doing wickedly , and yet not
punifhed? Hee cannot continue long , tiieZ^
fhould lofe hisglory if hee fhould. Seeftthou
a soou m<i\\ that continuesin his jighteoufneflc,

_and
— - — . " ■ '

Jn this life things come alike to all.

54?

and ycrhe fuffer.s adverfitie and affliction, he is
fct in alow place, be w alkes on foot. &c. he cannot
continue fo long; for the Lord fliould lofc his
glory, and the Lord mil not lofe his glone, he is
exceeding tender of his glory. And therefore
this Conclufiqnmuftbcfetdowne, that though
for a time atlthings come alike to good & had jhough
(Wdi'penfc them pvomifcuoufly for a feafbn,yet
ccrtaiiiely the iflue {hall be , it (lull be well with the
righteous ^and ill with the wicked.

Therefore (to proceede a little further,) letYiot
holy men be difcouraged,becaufe they fee thiugs
goc ill with the Churcher- be not difcouraged at
it, fori t, (kail be well with them indue feafon.
You fliaUfec^/. 12-9, j. that the ZWiufferse-
vill men 1 9 />/<?£££ the Church, and to make long
furrowei on tjic backe of it^but yet, faith he, in the
fourth verfe-T^ Lor d will cut the cor des of the wick-
ed s Hee will cut their traces, .they plow long,,
and make deepe furrowes.j.butyet the Z^ at
length cuts the cords of the wicked. The horfes
that draw the plow, as long as the traces hold,
they draw, but when they are cut they caadraw
no longer: Sothe ZW will doe,, hefuffers the
Church to be plowed , when they doe not judge
tfcmfelvesiW hen they doe not plowthemfelves,
when they doe not humble themfelves, then hee
fos the enemy es of the Church to plow them,
and to humble their foulesj and this he doth for a
certaine feafon : but when he hath done , he cuts
their traces, he cuts their cordes , and that in due
| feafon.

Vfe,

Not to bedif-
couragcd 3 bc-
caufe of the
miferiesofthc
Churches.
Pfal, 1*9.5.

544

Jn this life, things come alike to all.

Inftmcesof
I the wicked ptr
niflied in dne
feafon.

Ifa.»8.»4.

As for example 5 He fuffered Pharaoh a lone

t u Une i?i I ? , ? rthe Church > you know how Ion!
heafflifted it, you know what long furrowes he
made upon itjbut yet when the period was come
the period that Go/bad fet, the fit time, then God
cut his traces , that is , fuffered him to plow no
longer, but deftroyed him. *

r£r£° H r M } n x the u? r ' K of// <>'> plowed
the Church a while,till it came to the very point

to the exigent , that he mould have fwallowed it
up, and then he was taken off from plowing anv
longer then the Lord cut his cordes, and fit his
Church at hbertic.

And fo he did with the MidUnites., They plow-
ed the Church for a time, fas through the whole
ftory of the lodges we feejtbey plowed them for
a certaine feafon , till they were plowed enough .
and when they were humbled, repented,& crved'

r° u t £ 6 ~ * ( * y° u mal1 fee ever 7 where, ) then
faith the Text, the Urdbntd them, andcutthe
cords of the wicked,he fuffered them to plow no
longer. But thefc places will be the clearer if vou
compare the with Ifiz 8 . 24 .faith the ZWthere
Beththe Plow-man plow all the day ? Rather, faith
hee, when bee hath plowed enough, (markein
fen bee hath broken tie clods , then hee calls £ ,£ '
Mfh. And who hathcaufed the plow-man*
doe this: Is tt not I the Lord? If the Whath rut
this wifdome into the plow-man,that he plowes
not all day, but when he hath plowed the ground
enough, he ftayes the plowe, and fowes the feed
will not the Wdoefo with his Churchfthere!

fore

Jn this life things come alike to all. | 5 45T

fore, be not difcouraged, let not yourlieas

faik,thogh you fee him plo wing of the Church

though he fuffer the enemy rd prevaile againft

i t • for in due time the Lord will cut their cordes .

Youhaveacleareplacefork,Z)^f.3 2.3 5 .where! i

fpeaking of the enemyes of the Churchy faich he, J

Hit foot i frail flide m d<*e time : ( that is the ex- '

preflion there) that is 3 perhapsyou may com- ; Godstime Ua

plaine , and thinfce it too long ,- but it is not too (

long.if it were any fooner,it would be too foone:

In due time, faith the Lord\ it (hall -be , indue time

his foote {hail (lide. Yet a little while, tndhethat (ha/l Heb.10.57.

come y will co'me^ and will not tarrie^ it is but a little,

a little time indeed. You know that is too long,

that tarries beyond the appointed time , beyond

thatmeafure, that fliould be fet to it: when the

Lord doth it in due time , it is not too long. Hee

th.it (hall come, that i$,hee th&t fhall furely come,

will come , and will not tarrie^ that is, hee will not

tarry a jot beyortd the due time and fexifon , that

fcaf on, that is fitteft for the Church, and for the

enemyes of the Church;

Andaslfayforthe enemyes of the Church,
fo I may lifcevtf ife fay for the righteous man , The
Utter end of the righteous Jhall be peace . hee may
have trouble for a time, but his end frail be peace.
Be not therefore difcouraged, howfoever God
may dcale with thee by the Way , yet jw know
what end hemadt with lob : Thatexpreffion you
have in lam.$ .it. You fc now the cafe of Iob^nd }
y$u know what end the Lord made with him: fo I may
fay of every righteous mam

Yo\>

Inftancesof

the godly re-
warded in due
fcafon.

54*

J n this life, things come alike to all.

have troubles
in the way.

You know lacob had many troubles, troubles
when he was with Laban, troubles with the She-
chemttes, troubles with his owne fonnes • yet his
latter end was peace.

David had many troubles,when he was young,
when he was under Sauls government , hee was
htnttdisa Ftea^ox Partridge^ after he come to the
Kingdome himfelfe, you know he was a man
troubled a great while, there was Civill Warres,
after them he was troubled with his children, af-
godiX'S Krthat with «hc rebellion of his people: and yet
though they ' | faith the Text, he dyzdfull of riches, full of honour,
and full of day es: The Lord made a good end with
him:7 he latter endof the righteous is peace :^x is, a
man that truftetfa in the God of peace, heefhall bee
fureto have peace in the end , $man thatisfub-
je£ to- the Kingdome of peace , that is fubjeft to
the governement oichrifi , the Prince of peace y it
muft needesbe, that he muft have peace in the
end 3 for tie Kingdome ofGodis in righteoufres and
peace^znd the government oichrifi is the govern-
ment of peace , and therefore it {ball be peace in
the end of him, whgtfoeveris in the way. There-
fore, fct no man bedifcouraged, but let this com-
fort him.

On the other fide,another man may have peace
by the way , he may have profperity for a time,
he mzyf oxrijh likeagreene bay-tree , but his latcer
end fhall be miferable . As it is PfaL 37.37 .Marke
the end of the righteous man, itjhatl be peace .- but the
tranjgrejjours pall be dejlroyedrogetherfhe end of the
wicked (hall be cut of ^Vnd therefore you fee w hat

Pfal 37.37;

Jn this life things come alike to all

l 4'-

hefayes of them inthc verfcb?-bre, /
fayes he, and he was not to be four. \\ \\ 'eric . $c> . / Ls
he fboul J fay : I fought him on canh, and there life w\ .
was not,I fought him in heaven,and there tit was ' ';;; { ' u
not to be found, but in hell he was, there he was by t**ft*
to be found , other wile there is no rcmcmDrancc
of them. So I fay, evillmen, though they have
peace for a time , though they have prof perity
for a time, though they fpread thcmfelves.as a
greene bay-tree, yet their latter end fhall not bee
peace, but mifery . Thctefore , let us not be dif-
couraged-Nor on the other fide,let not evill men
be fecure, let them not be incouraged to evill do-
ing, for though the Lord fpare them for a time,
yet certainely they fhall be punifhed. As Luke 1 3 . Luke 13.4.
4. fit is an excellent place for that purpofe ) our
Saviour faith there , Thtnke not thofe eighttene
npon whom the Tower of Silottm fell ,mre greater fin-
ners^ than others^ that it did not fall upomOut ex-
cept yourepef^^ouJhallaJllikewifeperriJh.Thcmca'
ningoficis this, when you fee ftrange judge-
ments come upon the workers of iniquity ,t hough
you that are (landers by have had peace and pro-
fperity all your time -and have never beene ac-
quainted with any of thefe ftrange judgements of
GW,have never taftedof them, fay not that your
condition is better than theirs $ for, faith our Sa-
viour, you are no lefife finners than they, perhaps
you are greater, ("though the Tower fell on them
and not on you, J therefore, (aith he , Youfial/pe.
rijh. But becaufe it is not prefemly done , there-
fore faith xhzWifemm, The hearts of men are fett

■ \*m

54 8

' " ■ ■ ■ —.. . ' - ' J ' ■ !■

jn this life, things come alike to all.

PfaLjo.il.

men.

in them to doe evilly that is becaufe there is noti
prefenc execution , therefore either men thinkei
there is no GW, or clfc they doe thinke God is like
theraf elves:/ held mj peace^nd thou thought ft I was
like thyfelfe y P/dL 50.21. Ether they thinke that
there is no God y or elfe that he is not fo juft a God,
as wee declare him to be. So, either they thinke
finnes not to be finnes, or elfe they thinke them
not fo hainous,that they doc not draw fo fearfull
judgement after them. Thus men .-becaufe the
fame events are tp all alike , have therefore their
hearts fct in them to doe evill.

Now for anfwer to that, faith theWtfemdn,
though execution be defcred , the fentence is not
deferred; Thefemcnccisfajldgainjl An evill worke,
though it be not fpeedily executed,. As if hee
fhould fay , it is a little comfort to thee when thou
haft provoked God to anger, that thou art not
prefently punifhed ♦ for the fentence is gone out
againftthee, thou art an accurfed man , thou art
condemned and fhuc up in Prifon , it is onely the
execution that is deferred^and therefore it is that
hefaith, becaufe the fentence againft evilldocrs is
not fpeedily executed y therefore thinke with thy
felfe, whofoever thou art that imboldeneft thy
felfe in thy prefent faf ety , it is but a deferring of
the execution, thou art not in abetter condition
than others, onely the judgement is executed on
the one fooner,on the other later.

See it in the finne of loab , you know hecom-
mittedthefinneofmurther, when he killed Abr

The execution
notthe^n-
tcace is defer-
red of wicked

Injtances

ner^ it lay a fleepc many yeares. The fentence

went

fn tins iife things mne alike to all.

54-9

went out from Gods Law, God and his owne
Confcicnce was a gainft him , but yet it was not
executed,rill he was full of gray haires • tits gray
haires wemdowne to the grave, not in peace, but in
bloud.

Solikewifeiathe finne of Saul, when hex
brake the oath with the Gibeo/ims^xksz finne con-
tinued forty yeares unpunifhed , the Lord fuffl-
red ir-the fentence went out againft him as foone
as it was committed, but yet it lay aflecpe . The
Lord did not execute the fentence til forty .yeares
aker,as we fee by computation : for it was all the
reigne ot David to the latter end, andmoft part
of Sauls reigne.

And io the finne of Shimeijhc finne was com-
mitted long before, (yet all the time of Davids
reigne after hisreftoring, though the fentence
went out againft him 3 for he was an accurfed
man,the ZWbrought thatcurfe upon him which
he had pronounced againft David) yet it Was not
executed till a fit fcaf on. So,Ifay,itis with fin
the execution is deferred, though the fentence be
not deferred. Therefore faith Salomon^ceiuinely
the wicked fhall not prolong his day es. '

It is a place worth confidering , Bclef.%^ z . Ecdctt-i*
Though a [inner doe evill an hundred times , and God
frolonghts dayes,yit I knorsitjhall goe will with them
that feare the Lord, and doe reverence be fire him •
but it (hall not be well with the wicked \ neither fjmll
heeprolenghisdayes, heefhall be like a foaddow] be-
came he fear es not before God. This conclufion he
comes to : Although , faith hee, the Zm/deferre

^ e QXC-

55°

Objetit.

' Wicked men
die fuddenly,
though tbey
live long.

Simile.

God takes not
away holy
men till they
be ripe;

rfi

C 2,

I I I! ■ — ^^— » — i» » > I —————— —

In this life things come aHke to all.

execution, yet it {hall not be well with the wkk-
ed,he fhall not prolong his his dayes.

But it will be objected, That many evill men
doe prolong their dayes, they livelong, they
live till they be old, and they live in peace.

To this Ianfwer, That though they doc live
long, ycr indeede properly they are not faid to
prolong their dayes , becaufethat all that while
they are unripe, they are not fit for death:So that
they are taken before they arc fitted to go hence,
fo they are cutoff for fubftance indeede in the
middeft of their dayes. As an Apple, though it
hang on the tree long, yet if it be taken before it
be full ripe , it may be faid not to hang long on
the tree, that is, it hangs not fo long as to ripen it,
ic is taken away in an untimely manner,it is taken
away before the feafon of it.* So it is here, though
a wicked man doe prolong his dayes,. yet ftill he
is taken away before he be ripe, before the time
of gathering.

And it is true on the other fidc,that holy men,
though they be taken away betimes, yet they are
taken away when they have finilhed their dayes,
he doth prolong his dayes , though he die when
he is young, becaufe he is ripe before he is taken
from the tree : he is now in a fit feafon. And this
is the meaning of that , when he faith, Ctrtawely
it fial/goe ill with him thatfearss not God^ though
hce doe prolong his dayes, though execution
fhouldbedefercd. Ifhouldadde more, as this
for another j but I will but name it.

Doth one condition fall to all, both good and

bad?

Jn this life things come alike to all.

55*

bade' Then you may gather hence, that all the
good things, and all the evill things that befall
us in this life, they are neither truly good, nor
truly evill,thcy are but fhadowes of both : for if
the Lord knd adverfitie upon good men , if hee
fend profperitie to evill men 5 If there were true
evill in adverfitic 3 <7^ would never doe ir-if there
were any true goodneffe in profperity, he would
never doe it: but when he difpenfeth thefe things
fo promifcuoufly, it is an argument they are not
fuch as men account them, they arc but fhadowes
of good things,and of evill, Larva &JpeffrA,&c,
that is,they are not the fubftance of good things,
neither of good nor evill. Let not righteous men
therefore fay they are raiferable, when they fall
into any kinde of outward miferie, whatsoever
the condition be,it is not evill,if it were,it fliould
never befall thee. Againe, let not a wicked man
fay, he is happy, becaufe of his outward conditi-
oner if it were truly good, thou fhouldeft ne-
ver enjoy it; When God difpenfeth thofe things
fo promifcuoufly, it is an argument that they are
neither good nor evill, that is, that there is no
fubftance of true good or evill in them.

And fo againe,if they fall out fo promifcuouf-
ly, then you can judge neither of love^ nor of ha-
tredbythem; that is, a man is notto thinke,that
becaufe the LordzftMSts him, therefore hee with-
drawes himfelfe from him ; or becaufe he gives
outward profperity to another, that therefore his
hand, and his favour is with him; for you fee
he difpenfeth thefe things diverfly, he difpenfeth
Ee2 them

Adverfity and
profperity, not
truly good,nor
evill.

Not to iudgc
of Gods love
or hatred by
outward
things.

r: 1

$5*

In this life things come alike to all.

Simile.

in]

them to all in fuch a promifcuous manner , that
you cannot fay , this is propet to the one , or to
the other.

An Hoaft may entertaine a ftranger with bet-
ter foode thenhee gives hischildren, with the
daintcft of that hee "hath , yet hee keepesthe beft
\ portion for his children : and Godm^y doe much
for thofe that are (hangers to him , but hee gives
better profperitie to his children 5 though they
fare hard here , though theytafte no good thing
a long time, yet the portion hee refcrveth for
them 5 which portion and bkfled inheritance,
he of his great mercy refcrve for every one
of us, and conferre upon us, for the
meditation of his deare Sonne,
Iesvs Christ-
the Righteous.

(V)

So much for this time*

'I '

FINIS.

yy^^ytP M i ' ' ■ ■' !- ■ ! > i i mni i .m i i i . li

THE

555

THE

THIRD

SERMON

EcC LE S1ASTES9,II)I2,

I returned and faw under the Sunne, that the race is

not to the fwi ft , mr the ban ell to the ftrong, nor

yet bread to the wife^ nor riches to wen t rf under*

ftanding, nor yet favor to men of skill, buttime

and chance commethto all.

For man alfo knorveth not his time : as the fijhes that
are taken in an evill net , and as the birds thdtare
caught in the fn are 5 fo are thefonnes ofmenfnared
in an ev ill time^ when it falkth fuddenly upon
them.

fr©§ll|js§ H b laft time wee fpake to you 3 we
IK handled the firft andfecond verfejs
of this Chapter ; whence there may
bee this objection m?de agaioft
Cods ^All-fujficiency 5 All things come
alike to all^ totbe]utt y andtothe mckd^&c. And in-
Ee 3 deed

554

Of the Vanity of earthly things.

object.

Naturall
ftrength or
weakncsdi^
pofcth not
maninchee-
L vent of things

deed when men lee this conclufion,^ // is to the
wicked According to the work of the juft, and to thejutt
according to the workc of the wicked, itmuftneedes
ftand asaftrong obje&ion againft the do&rine
of Gods ^dtl-fuftciency .How that objection is an-
fwered, hath beene fully declared to you t Now
there comes another obje&ion like the former.

Becaufe all things come alike to all, faith the Wife-
ntan y (but there he names onely the good and the
bad, the holy and the unholy ) men will be ready
to fay,(as every man is)howfocver holineffe and
unholineffe makes not this difference in the event
of things, yet the naturall ftrength of men , their
naturall weaknefle, their naturall ability,or their
unability, their wifedome or their folly, that dif-
pofeth or indifpofeth men in the event of things.
And therefore the Wifeman> when he had finilhed
that former conclufion whereof we fpake r (that
there is one event to the good and had)hee falls
upon the fecond vanity thathee fav; under the
Sunne, that all things come alike to all, that is, not
oncly to the hoi y. and unholy , but likewife to
thofe that have n&rall ftrength , and thofe that
are fubjc<ft to naturall weakneiTc, even in this cafe
alfo, faith he, all things come alike to alL

For / have feene that the race is not alwayes to the
fmfi, but fometimes to him that is not fvvift ±the
battaile is not alwayes to theftrong, but fometimes
to him that is ^tzV^andbread^and favour y andrich.
es,arenotd\wz)KS towenofunderfianding and skill,
but fometimes to men that are wcake, and foo-
liili, and want skill, &c.

OJ the Vanity of earthly things.

555

I have chofen this Text , that I may adde this
to the other , that even in thofe things alio, ^4 11
things ccme alike to all.

Then there is another caution to bcufed,and to
betaken heed of in this doftrinc o( Gods All- fuffi.
^/wKy.Though GWdifpcnfe his comforts to them
that fcrve him with a pcrfeft heart, yet there arc
certaine times tobe obfervedby the Tons of men,
and if you miffe of thofe times that are allotted to
every purpofe and ac7ion,ii 'thefe be hid from men,if
men take not their opportunity , though God be
ready to difpenfe his bleffings,to thole that feeke
him, yet that occafion makes men miffe of them:
therefore it is that hee faith in the twelfth verfe,
CM an knorves not his time, that is, there is a time for
every purpofe^ and aftion, and it he take that time,
he fliall be fucceflfcfull- but if that be hidden from
him, and he take it not, evi II times fall upon him^ as
the fnare upon the birds, and as the net upon the fijhes.
Now for the particular opening of thefe wotds:
Fh ftjWC arc to confider the phrafe here ufed in
the beginning, I returned and faw^ faith he, under
the Sun, that the race is not to thefmft^&c. T hat is,
as if he fhould fay , when I looked about mc,and
turned my felfc every way, and looked upon the
whole frame of the creatures,I faw a vanicy even
in every cornerjn every placcjfaw a vanity even
in the things that feemeleaft tobe fubjed to va-
nity. Whence we will gather this point,thar,

\^ 11 things under the Sunne> even the best ^ are
fubj echo vanity.
Let a man turnc himfelfe which way hee will,
Ee 4 he;

Werrraftob-
ferve God»
timci-

Doth.

All things un-
der the banc
are fubiett to
taniry.

55*

Natural things

They are reft*
leffe,

Z
There is no»
thing new.

Mort ( all thinks
Wifedorne,

Oftht rvtnityofeartblj things.

heflnlliinde vanitie and vexation offpiritin eve-
ry creature , and in every condition and ftate,in
all the purpofes , in all the aftiens and affaires of
men : I returned, faith he, and which way foever
I looked, which way foever I turned mee, I ftill
faw vanity. So it was with Salomon^nd foit muft
needesbe with us all, if our judgements be gui-
ded as his was by the Spirit o?God.

If you looke upon the courfe of naturall things,
you (hall fee a vanity in them : faith the Wiftman,
The Rivers come andgoe , and the windes pajfe and
come about by their circuits, and one generation goeth,
and another cometh .-That is 5 in all thefe workes of
God, in thefe workes of nature , which feeme not
to be fubjed to vanitie , yet if you looke upon
them., you (hall finde a vanitie in them, they have
no reft nor quiet , they are all fub jed: to corrup-
tion, One generation goes, and another comes \

Againe , there is no new thing in them, that if
a man ftudie to finde out fomething to fatiffie his
minde, hee (hall foone come to a bottome , and
nothing will give him fatiffa&ion -, and therefore
there is a vanity : for that which is reftlefle can
never give us reft, that which is fubjed to cor-
ruption can never give us that happines which is
immortall and eternall ; in thefe things there is no
newnefle • The eye is mtfatisjied with feeing,nor tbe
eare with hearing.

If you goe from that , and looke upon other
things chat feeme to be leaft fubjeft to vanitie, as
wifedorne and knowledge : It is true, thefe feeme
to be leaft iubjeft to vanity , and the Wifeman ac-

know-

0/ the Vanity of earthly things*

knowledgeth it; for , faith he, Wifedome is better
t fan fill)) as light is better than darkneffe: yet t here
is 3 vanity inthatrforfirft^thereisaweaiincfie in
getting ic : Againc, there is a griefe in having, in
uiing and enjoying it : forawifeman fees much
amiffe, but that which is crooked hee cannot make
ftraight. To fee evillunder the Sunne , and not to
be able to amend it , it doth but increafe a mans
forrow^and that is the vvifemans miferie.

Againe, faith hee, The fime condition is to the
wife, as to thefoolijh) as the one dyes^fo dyes the other ^
as the one is fubjevfi to ficknefle , fo is the other,
as the one is fubjeft to croffes , affli&ions, and
changes, fo is the other: and therefore there is a
vanity in that.

Now for the perfection ofworkes, for the
doing of thofe things that are indeede commen-
dable, good, and praife-worthy, is this alfo f ub-
jedt to vanity $ Yes 3 faith Salomon, Erie C 4. 4.
/ looked, and beheld the travailes of men in the perfe-
ct on oftvorkes , andJfinde this alfo to be the envie
of a man againH his neighbour : That is, this vanity
it hath in it , that a man fhall not have praife and
loveanfwerable to the perfection of hisworke,
but he fhall find the contrary,he fhall have much
envie for it : it fhall caufe the envie of a man a-
gainft his neighbour.

But take places of great aothority, wherein a
man hath much opportunity to doe good , as
Princes, Magiftrates,and Rulers^T/;^ alfo is a va-
nity: I have feene men wiling one oner another ,fayes
the Wiftrnanjo their hurt^o the hurt of the Ruler,

and

There is a vvea.
rincfTe in oet-

Griefeinu-
fing it.

It freeth not
from mifcry

Commendable

a&ions.

Ecdef.4,4.

Arc envkd.

Great places.

553

Of the aanity of earthly things

Vfei.

To fee the
change fin ae
hath made in
the world.

and to the hurt of them that are ruled. So that all
things under the Sun,looke which way you will,
they arefubjc&to vanitie, as thefc which here
he names, for a man to make himfelfe ftrong, for
a man to get wifedome , and skill, and to bee di-
ligent in his bufineffe, &c. For let a man ufe the
likelieft meanes to bring his enterprifes to pafle,
yet, faith Salomon , / havefeene^ that the battaile is
not to the fit -ongjm favour to men of knowledge , nor
bread to the wife , nor riches to men oj "undet -/landing.
So that which way foever hec turned himfelfe,
ftill there is a vanity. We will make fome briefe
ufe of ic, and fo come to the next point.

If there befo much vanity under the Sunne,
that even the beft things, (thofe that fceme to be
raoft free from k) are fubjed to vanity ,then,

Firft, let us confider hence, what a change fin
hath made in the world: The time was, when the
Lord looked upon all things,and he faw,that they
mere all exceeding good: but now when the Lord
looketh upon them , and the Wifeman looketh
upon them with the fome eye, they arc zWfub-
]eci to vanity. And whence hath this proceeded,
but be-caufe finne hath blowne upon the Crea-
tures,, as it were, it hath blafted them, it hath ta-
ken away the vigour, the vertue, the beauty ,the
excellency of them < Ana if finne hath made this
change, then confider, that the more finne there
is, the more thefc things are fubjed to vanity.

In every mans particular ufe, you fliali finde
this true; as in riches, a roan thatisfinfull fhall

not have comfort from them, but vexation of fpl

r:t

Of the Vanity if archly things.

559

rit , hec (hall finde a vanity and eraptinefTc in
them. And fo for wifdome,learning, knowledge,
and skill j the more finne, the more vanity is in
them: Every man (hall finde this in all the crea-
tures under the Sunne.

As on the other fide, the more gracc,the more
fubftance you (hall finde in them , and the lefie
vanity.-for that which immediatly brings the va-
nity is the curfe, and finne the immediate caufe
of every curfe: I fay the immediate caufc of va-
nity is the curfeof God. When (7<^ bids fuch a
thing wither , when hee bids it not profper with
fuch a man , when hee bids it doe him no good,
(as he bade the fig-tree witherjthat makes every
thing vaine to a man, even the curfe that lyes
upon the creature , and finne is the caufe of every
curfe.

Againe, that which gives a fubftance , that
which gives a filling to the creatuer , that which
caufeth it to give downe that milke of comfort
which is in it, is the blcffing of God upon it,when
God {liall fay to fuch a creature, goe and doe fuch
a man good ; it is the blcffing which doth it im-
mediatly, but grace is the caufe of the bleffing.
Therefore let us looke on finne, as the caufe of
all this vanity , and on grace , as the caufe of the
contrary^let us labour to excell in the one, and to
refift the other. So much for this firft ufe.

Secondly,if there be fuch a vanity in all things
under the Sun, then furely hee that hath brought
this vanity upon them muft ncedes bee much
more vaine. For what caufeth this vanity that

lyeth

Sin the caufe of
every curfe.

Vfe 2.

To fee the va.

nity of man.

Pfal/l.*

Why greatmen
arc n:ore vainc
than others.

560' \ Of the vanity of earthly things

llyeth upon the whole face of the creature i is it
r not man ? It came not upon the creature/ as you
know ) for its ovvne fake,butby man : why then,
finely man, who hath beene the caufc of all this !
vanity, rnuft needs be himfelfe much more vaine.
Therefore if a man looke upon himfelfe, let him
confider this,that he (hall never finde any happi-
neflTe within his owne compaffe or circle h If hee
will needs build himfelfe upon his owne bottom,
he is fub jed to vanitie , and more than any other
creature be fides: Therefore let uslcarne togoe
out of our felves,and feek it elfewhcre.

Againe,if you feck for any comfort from man,
from friends, from great men, remember they
are vaine, and more vaine than any other crea- 1
ture : as in Pfal. 61. 9. oilmen are vaine , and
great men arelyers , if they bee laid in theballance^
they are lighter than vanitie : that is, in all the fons
of men there is a vanitie,and the greater they are,
the more vanity is in them $ not that they are in
themfelvcs more vaine, butbecaufe wee expeel
more from great men , therefore to us they are
lighter than vanity, they are more vaine than all
other men. T herefore let us neither feeke that in
our fdves, nor in other'men ; for they that caufc
the vanity upon the creatures , themfelvesmuft
needes be much more fubjeft to vanitie.

Thirdly , if the creature befubjeCi to vanity,
then confider what an evill choice wee make , to
lofc heaven to lofe grace, to lofethe opportu-
nity of growing ricli in good workes , for any
tiling underjthe Sunne, either for riches, or vain-
glory

It is an ill
choice to Icfe

heaven to gain
tne creature.

Of the Vanity ofwthly things.

5 6,

gloric and praife of men, for plcafures, or what-
soever men reckon precious , and pkafant to
them unper the Sunne. For it they be all vanity,
i what a change doe wee make i doe wee not givx-
gold away for drofle? as our Saviour expreficth
xi^Lukc r 6. 26. Put the cafe aman had all the world,
andlofehlsfoulc , that is if he neglcd the things
that belong to his falvation , andforthenegleft
of them (ball have in rccompence whatfoevcr
the world cm afford him, fo that hce wants no-
thing that the world hach, yet,faith he. What jhall
it profit him ? that is, there is a vanity in it, it will
be altogether unprofitable to him. For to bee
vaine,and to be unprofitable,is all onc.Confider
then what a foolifh change men make, when they
draw fin on with curt ropes , that is, when theyufe
their utmoft ftrength to get thefe vaine things to
them , with the loffe of better things : what a
change doe they make, although they ihould get
the whole world, feeing all would beunprofi-
table,that is,they fhould find nothing but vanity
and emptineffe, and vexation of fpirit in it.

Aaine, if all things be fubjeft to vanity, learne
we then, firft not to covet after earthly things,
not to fet our heart upon it, nor to defi re it over
much when wee wantit.Andfecondly,when we
have it,not to be confident,nor to truft too much
to it,not to rejoyce in it too inordinarily.For it is
but vanitie,there is an emptineffe in i^it will de-
ceive us as a broken reede. Thirdly, if God doe
,take from us any of thofe earthly things,as riches
credit , health , or friends , let us be content to

part

Lnke 16.26,

VfeA'-
Nottodefirc
them or er-
much.

2
Not to truft j
them over,
much

Not t« grieve
overmuch a:
thcloiFeof
them*

6 2 \ Of the <vanity ofemhly things

Ffe 5 .

Labour to be
weaned from
them, and to
feare God^and
kecpehiscom-
mandements.

Men content
to fcrvc God
in part.

part with them : For even the beft of them are
vaniticjfubje&toemptinefie, fuch as will not
performe that which they promife , fuch as will
deceive us when we come to ufe them.

Lad of all, (becaufe this is not the point I in-
tend to ftand upon) if all things underthe Sunne,
be fubjeft to vanitie,(even thofe that feeme to be
lead fubjeft unto it)then let us labour to have our
hearts weaned from the world,and whatfocver is
in the world, to make it our whole bufineffe to
feare Goi^andkeefe his Commandements.YouVriovr
thatisthemaine ufe that the wife man makes of
this whole booke 5 it is all but an explication of
the particular vanities which he found under the
Sun,and the ufe that he makes of it is this- There-
fore, faith he , The whole dutie of man is to feare
God y and keefe his commandements. I befecch you
marke that expieflion , for therein wee are ex-
ceeding apt to deceive our felves : A man is
content to doe fomething that tends to Gods
worfhip , and to the Salvation of his foule,but to
make it his whole worke , to have all the water
to runne in that channell, to have his minde alto-
gether intent upon it, he is not willing to doe fo,
but he joy nes other things with it , becaufe there
is a fecret leaning of the heart, and an unvveaned
lingering after fome other vanity. It is certainc,
that when the heart is weaned from all things,##-
der the $un,a. man will make it then his whole bu-
fineffe to feare God^andhefehis Commandements:
but becaufe the heart is falfe in this, it hath fome
thing elfe that it is fet upon. Some men thinkc

that

0/ the Vanity of earthly things ;

5 6 S 1

that wifcdorae and knowIedge,increafe of skill in
fuch a particular Science , Trade and profeffion,
chat that is not fubjeft to vanity, and fo it may be
his heart is fet upon that ; and this is enough to
kcepc a man from rmking it his whole dutie to
fcare God, and keepe his Commandements.

Another man perhaps negk&s this,but to ga-
ther in an eftate,to ftrcngthen himfelfc that way,
to bottome himfelfe well upon a good eftate,this
hec thinkes is notfubjeft to vanitie, as other
things , and this therefore his heart is fet upon •
though hec fee vanitie in fome other things , yet
this his heart is fet upon : and this is enough to
keepe him from making it his whole dutie to
feare God, and keepe his Commandements. And
thus wee might goc through many inftances.Let
every man therefore (earch his ownc heart 5 (for
when a man takes not this whole dutie , fome
thing or other deceives him, a vanitie that hee
y ee feeth not. ) I fay, the beft things be fubje6\ to
vanitie ; if which way foever the Wifemav tur-
ncch himfelfe, they were fubjeft to vanitie , it is
fit wee fliould learnethen to make it our whole
dutie to fet all our thoughts and affeftions upon
this, how wee may grow in grace, how wee may
\ feare God, and keepe his Commandements.
I Laftly, a man may by this try himfelfe , whe-
ther he hath done it, or no: For as Salomon, when
he grew wife,aftcr his repentancc,he faw a vanity
in all things nnder the Sun-So a man,whcn his heart
is once changed,he will fee a vanitie in all things.
If there be anything wherein thou feeft not a

vanitie

Vfe 6.

OftryaU.
To fee vamry
inallcartbly^
things.

5<H

Of the rvanity of earthly things

e , it is an argument thou art not yet a new
creature. Paul faith, Now knew we no nun after the
flefl) : fir whofoever ts in Chrtf^is a new creature ; as
if hefhould fay, when any man is a new creature,
he looketh upon all things under theSunne with
another eye , hee judgethof them with another
judgement , and therefore if thou finde it other-
wife, if thou looke upon the world, or upon any
thing in the world, as upon things that are preci-
ous , that is a figne that Satan hath bewitched
thee. You know it was one of the witcheries
that he attempted upon our Saviour , Hee Jhewed
him all the world the Kingdomes andthegloneefit :
and fo hee doth to every man more or lcffe,
hee fheA\es him fome thing or other , and if a
man doe not fee the emptineffe and vanity of
them , but fees a glorie in them,he hath y eelded
to Satan who hath bewitched him , and prevai-
led ouer him : and therefore when you looke on
every thing under the Sunne,riches,credit, wife-
dome, skill, knowledge, if you looke on all as on
flowers, if you fee a vanity and an emptines in
them, that is a figne you are now changed, that
you are now turned to God by unfained repen-
tance , that you fie a vanity in all things under the
Sunne. So much for this point.

Jreurned and f\w under the Sunne, faith he, that
the race is not to thefwift, nor the battellto thefrong,
nor jet bread to the wife 3 nor riches 10 men of under -
ft andi tig* nor yet favor to men of knowledge 7 but time
and chance comrneth to all.

The

The mejl ablctnenCrc.

5 6 5

The next point that wee are to obfervc in theft
words, is this^that

cMen of the greatcfi Abilities, men of the greates!
fifficiencies y are often d/fappointed of their hofes and
ends. T bis is a vanity under the Sunne, and not fo
onely, but men that are more weake, and infufli-
cienr, doe obtaine their ends and hopes. For you
1 mud under ftand it reciprocally ,the battell is not
alwayes to the ftrong , therefore it is fometimes
to the weake •> riches are not alwayes to men of
undemanding, therefore they are often to men
that have no underftanding.

The opening of this point will be beft done in
fliewing the reafons and grounds of it , why it
comes to paflethat men of the greateft abilities,
have not alwayes fuccefle anfwerable to that fuf-

Ificiency rhat is in them.
And fir ft, one caufe of it is,becaufe there is no
creature, that is, or ever fhall bee ftrong in his
owne ftrength : In hk wnefirengtb Jha/lno wan be
Jlrong,i.Sam.2.9* A creature in it ielle hath not
fo much abilitie , although it be never fo well
furniihed, as to bring any entcrprife to parte.
There is more required than the Ample ftrength
of the creature , be it never fo ftrong, becaufe in
every enterprise there are many wheeles, many
things that muft concurreto bring it to paile.
No w a creature is not able to fee all the wheeles,
that are in every bufinefle , or if he doe Ice them,
he is not able to turne every wheele, but this be-
longs to God. And therefore without his con-
curring with the creatine, be the creature never
Ff fo

Doff. 2

Men o* greater
abilities difap
pointed of
their ends.

Rtafin I
No man
itrong in his
owne ftrength
i Sam.x.fc.

$66

Ibemofiablemen

t Sam. 2 l.

The Creature
is ignorantj

2
lUsweake.
Pfal.j3.i6.

fo ftrong > he fliall not bee able to get the battell,
be he never fo fwift, be fliall not be able to winne
the race -, bee hee never fo great in skill and un-
demanding, hee fliall notgetfavour,norriches,
This you may fee, i Sam. z. 3. where Hannah
gives this counfell in her fong, Speake no more pre-
fuwPtitouJly , neither let arrogancy come out of jour
mouth ifer the Lord is a God of knowledge, by him
enterprises are eftabified : As if- (hee had faid, if a-
ny man fay heels able to bring an entcrprife to
paflc , hee fpeakes prefumptuoufly , hee takes
morctohimfelfe, than hee is able to performer
The Lordls onely a God of knowledge,that is the
reafon of it ; and therefore by him onely,and not
by any mansftrength,cnterprifes are eftabliflied.
The Lord is a God of knowledge t Asif fliee had faid*
men have not fo much knowledge and wifdome,
as to looke through a bufineffe, to fee ailthe cir-
cumftances of it y to beheld all the ingredients in
it, all thewheeles that muftconcurre to bring it
to paffe: The Lord onely is a God of ~ knowledge ^ and
therefore by him enterfrifes are efabl/fhed. And
this was that I faid , that the creatures ineffici-
ency, was partly, becaufe they are not able to fee
all : And partly againe it is,becaufe though they
doe fee all the wheeles that goe to make up an
enter prife , yet they are not able to turne them:
As youmay fee Pfal. 33-16. The king isnotfaved
by the multitude of an hoaft , neither is a mighty man {
deliueredby his great firength : 0/ Horfe is a vaine.
thing tofaveamanyhefialmt deliver any by his great \
firength. Though a man doe fee, and though he
1 can

often dij appointed

567

lean fay,fuch a whecle is neceffary,yet it is not in
jhis ownc power to ufe it.

An hoft is a great meanes to get a battaile 5 yct,
faith he, bean hoft never foftrong, that is not
enough. But what if hee have valiant men and
jfouldiers f Yet that will nor doe it,a mighty man
is not delivered by his great ftrength. I,but what
if hee have horfes and chariots? &c. Let the ia-
ft rument be what it will be,^ horfe is a vaih helpc,
that is, except the Zojv/concurrc with that hoft,
and turne that great wheele, except hee be with
thofe valiant men , except hee concurre with the
ftrength of the horfe and of the chariot, all this
is not able to doe it. Therefore, I fay, this is one
reafon,why thebattaileisnottotheftrong, nor
riches to men of underftajidingybccaufe the crea-
ture of himfclfc is not able to doe it , in itsowne
ilrength, excluding G^/rhelpe, he is not able to
bring an enterprife to pafie.

Thislikewife may bee added to that, that, ! Godcantake
though the creature ftiould have a ftrength, |^£2j&
though a man fliotild have all thing ready , that they have. &
hee fiiould bee fbmifhed with preparations of all j
forts, fo that nothing fhould be wanting to bring
an enterprife to paffe, yet at the very time, at the
very inftant>whenthethingistobedone,itis not
in his power to make ufe of them, becaufe at that
very time , God oft en takes rvifedomefrom tftewife,
and courage from them that areothcrwife vali-
ant , hee takes from them their abilities, even at
that time hee takes off the chariot wheeles, even
when they are driving of them j which phine-
Ff z ly

Ibemofi able men

Amos.*«i4jif

Reafin'z

Men mi fie
their time*.

lyproveth, that the Creature ofhimfelfeis not
able to doe it : As we kc^Amos 2. 14,1 5 ,i(5. faith
hee 3 J he flight fiall perijhfrom the fwift , and the
ftrong ft) all net ftrengthen his forces , neither fia/t the
mighty five his life , heethat handleth the low fh all
not ft and, andhethu ufwiftoffootjball not deliver
himfelfe^ neither frail he that rideth the horfe deliver
himfelfe^ and he of mighty courage amongt he ftrong
men Jh&ll fly away naked tn that day : That is, Be
they never fo ftrong, be they never fo fwift, ne-
ver fo full of courage,at the very time when they
have occafion to ufc it , the Lord will takeaway
that fwiftnefle^hee will take away that courage,
he will takeaway that wifedome,and fuggeft it 5 it
may be,to the adverfary, and how then fhall they
prevaile < So that though a man were never fo
well prepared to bring an cnterprifc to paffe, as
when a man purpofeth in his heart, and hath laid
all things ready, this will I fpeake, yet the anfwtr
of the mouth comes from God, whatfoever his pre-
parations and purpofesbe. So in the anions and
affaires of men, though he make his preparations
never fo ftrong, yet at the very inftant God often
takes courage from thofe that are moft valiant,
and fuggefteth it to thofe that are moft coward-
ly ; hee takes away wifedorac , when they have
moft occafion to ufe it, and gives it to the adver-
faries, that otherwife are more foolifh than they.
This is the firft caufe of it.

A fecond caufe is this-becaufe there is acer-
taine time and opportunity, that a man muft take
to bring an enterprise to paffe $ and though a man

often dtfappointed*

569

be never fo ftrong, and never fo wife, yet he may
mifTe ofthofe opportunities , and fo he lofcththe
battaile, he lofeth the bringing to pafle of his en-
terprife. And this vvc fee is thereafon that is ren-
drcd, Ecclefs . 5 ,6. The heart of the wife is to know
the time >and judgement ^ becaufe to every furpofe there

\is a time and a judgement • therefore the miferic of
mm is great upon him .• That is,to every a&ion 3 and
to every purpofe,therc is a certaine opportunity-
and be a man never fo well fitted , yet if he mifle
of that oppoi tunity , he (hall not bring his enrer-
prife to pafle; Therefore faith he, the. mtferie of man
is great upon him : for hee neither knowes him-
felfe what that opportunity is , neither can a-
ny man tell him, as it is in verfe 7. And becaufe it
is not within the power of a man, it is not within
his compaffe to find out thefefeafons and oppor-
tunities for every purpofe and adiion ; hence it is,
that though they bee never fo well prepared,
though they have never fo much fufficiency,and
abilicy to bring fuchan enterprife to pafl'e, yet
they mifle of it, becaufe they difcerne not of the
time.

Thirdly, this comes to pafle 3 bccaufe GWhath
appointed a certaine variety and change of con-
dition to the fonnes of menj and there is no mans
wifedome, riches, or ftrength, that is able to de-
fend him from Gods appointment. I fay, God hath
appointed a certaine change of condition to all
the fonnes of men, he hath appoimed fuch erodes
and afflictions , he hath appointed fuch times 3 (as
the holy Ghojl fpeakesj to paffeover their heads,

Ff 3 and

Ecclcf,8.j/.

Reafon 3.
From the chan.
ges appointed
by God.

57°

Ihem&ft able men

pfai.31.1j.

and all the wife dome, and ftrcngth, thataman
hath, is not able to turnc God from his purpofe, it
is noc able to evacuate, & to fruftrate his decrees,
but they (hall come to parte. And that is the
meaning of this inthetexsCforluke thisreafon
out of the Text. ) The tranflacion is y But time and
chance cometh to all:Iz were, I fuppofe,better trans-
lated, (and agrees with the originall 3 )>F^r//>^ and
chance commeth ^4//.Now by time in the Text is
meant that variety of condition, that Gcdhzth
appointed to every maa under the Sunne, as Da-
vid ufeth the liotagfik 3 1 • 1 5 • *Mj times are in
thy hands : My times, that is, the variety of con-
ditions, the changes of my life, the good and e-
v ill, the profperity and adverfitie that befalls me,
faith he, they are not in the hands of my enemies,
nor in my owne hands,but they are in thy hands.
I fay, there the wordis fo ufed , and fo we are to
under ftand it in this place 5 for time comes to all,
faith he-, that is, when GWhath appointed fuch
changes to the ftates of men,if riches, if ftrength,
if wifdome,diligence,or skiH, were able to turne
che counfells of God another way , if it were able
to anticipate them, or to divert them, then the
battaile mightbetotheftrong,&c. butfaithhe,
it is not [o$ What GWhath appointed, they can-
not alter, you (hall fee it in many examples.
Instances. Saul was well eftabliflied, but when God had
appointed a change of his Kingdome, that it
(houid go from him to David 7 y ou fee he brought^
it to pa(fe:Though he were as ftrong as a Lyon^zs
David teftifieth of him, though he had many

chil-

often difappointed

57'

children to inherit the Crownc, though the peo-
ple clave faft to him, (you doe not finde that ever
theyrofeupin rebellion againft him) yet when
God hid appointed fuchatimetopafleovcrbira
and his houfc, all that ftrength, all that fitnes and
preparation that was in him , and his family , to
continue the Kingdome to his pofterity, it could
not turnc afide Gods Counfell , but it came to
patfe.

Ely had a great family,there were many Priefts
of his line ; yet when (Whadfaidhee would cut
off from Ely his whole family , and would turnc
the Priefthood to another, you fee how he found
out meanes to bring it to paffc-how many Priefts
were kild in one day by Dotg in the time of Saul?
And afterwards, when Abiathar , one of that po-
fterity, was tooke in by David, yet he was caft
out by Salomon, through an accident that fell out
in his adherence to Adon'yah:

Abab , the Lord had [aid he would cut him off
and his pofterity , though he had feventy fonncs^
you might wonder how it fhould come to pafTe,
that none of thefe fonncs ihould inherit the
Crownc, and yet all were cut ofE, and not a man
left,by the hand of Ithu. When GW,I fay,hath ap-
pointed variety of changes,times,and conditions
to the fonncs of men, mans ftrcngt h is not able to
divert his Counfell 5 and therefore the battaile is
not to theftrong^&c.

The lad veaibn is likewife here ufed,and chance
commcth to them all: That is, though a man be ne-
ver f o able, never fo fufficient 3 never fo well pre-
Ff 4 paved

Reafen. 4

From fodaine
accidents.

572

The mo(l able men

paved to bring an enterprife to paffe,yet fome ac-
cident may turne it fome other way, an accident
that hce can neither forefee nor prevent; There-
fore faith the holy GhoH , though hee be never fo
wife, chance may happen to him, he can neither!
forefee all the accidents that come to paffe , or,if j
he fliould,he knowes not howto prevent them.

K^ihab^ for ought we fee, went well enough to
the battaile, lehojhdfhat ,and he$yet,faith the tQxt y
a man drew a bow at adventure,&c. (which acci-
dent he could not forefee, ) the man aymed no
more at <^£hab , nor underftood it no more than
the arrow that he fliot , but it was a meere acci-
dent directed by God y that he could not forefee.

Haman thought hee had made his preparation
ftrong enough to bring his enterprife to parte, to
overthrow the lewes 5 there camean accident bc-
tweene,the King could not fkepe,he calls for the
boofce of the Chronicles^and turnes to that place
where CMdrdectu's difcovery of a treaf on was re-
corded,and fo 'JMordecaivfzs advanced 5 &c.This
was a chance that befell him j although he were
never fo wel fitted to bring his enterprife to pafle,
yet this he could neither forefee, nor prevent*
Many fuch inftances we might give.

So you fee now the reafon of this^hat men of
the greateft fufficiency and ability, men that have
made their preparations raoft perfed,yer they do
not alwayesattaineto their hopes and ends : And
contrariwtfe, men that are more weake and una-
ble, which have not made fuch j reparations,they
obtaine their hopes and ends.

The

often dij appointed

57?

The ufc wee make of it, is:

Firft let men learne from hence, not to boafl
of any outward ftrength, of any wifedome, in
that their foundation is made ftrong under them,
that they are well bottomed, that they are thus
compared about with friends, and cftare, &c.
For you fee , though a man intends to get by all
things , yet the event and fuccefie comes not to
pafle accordingly , but oft they faile and difap-
point him. Therefore let not men boaft of them,
be a man never fo ftrong, never fo wife , yet hec
may as foone faile as he that is weake , and moft
foolifh.

See an example of it in Jfa^z C^w. 14.6,7,8.
You may fee there how he built the Cittics , he
had made him ftrong Bulwarkes : There was not
a King of luiah that wee reade of, that had
ftrengthened himfelfe more than he . he had five
hundred and fourefcore thoufand valiant men,
all well armed and appointed to bare the fhield
and fpeare : (the text fets it downe very particu-
larly, that wee might fee Afas fafty,his ftrength,
and his fecurity, if you lookc upon the creature,)
yet, feith the Text, the Ethiopians cameagainft
him with ten hundred thoufand men. Whence
I gather this; That there is no man fo fafeand fo
ftrong, but he is ftill fubjeft to danger 5 and that
partly by reafon of the vanity of che creature.
For all the ftrength that a man hath , it is but the
ftrength ot the creature ; and the creature is made
offuch brirtle ingredients, that of it felfe it is
ready to moulder away and taile. There is not

Vfe.

Not to boaft
of outward

things.

iChron.14,

574

The moft able men

N fafety
fromoutwara

things*

in the creature it fclfe any (lability, they are but
houfes of clay , the beft of the creatures $ that is,
they are made of mouldring mcttal, they are rea-
dy to vanifh of themfelves, and if they were not,
yet there is fomething ftronger. Let a man be
never fo ftrong, ( who is the beft of all the crea-
tures, J yet man is but as the grade , and as the
flower ofthegrafTe.Thegrafle of it felfeofttimes
fades, though no fithe come neere it , but if it
doe not fadeofitfelfe, yet it iscutdowne : fo
there is none fo ftrong , but there may be ftron-
ger. ex(/4 was ftrong, but he met with onethat
was ftronger than he, the Lubims andEtbiofians $
and yet as ftrong as they were, they met with
one that was ftronger than they, becaufe God did
helpe him,and affift him;fo then let no man boaft
ofhimfelfe*

If wifedome would keepe a man fafe , Salomon
had never fallen as he did. If poffeflions would
keepe a man fafe, Iereboam zndAkab had never
been ruined, as they were. If the favour of Prin-
ces could keepe a man fafe , Haman had not had
that miferablc end that he had. If courage,forti-
tude and valour could keepe a man fafe, loth and
Abner had continued fafe : but you know how
they both fell. So that you fee nothing under the
Sunne is able to keepe a man fafe. T herefore let
iiot a man boaft in any thing that he hath 5 be he
never fo well appointed,let him have all the crea-
tures agree together, to make a hedge about him>
yetuffli&ionSj crofles and troubles will findc
fome gap or other into that hedge , to brcake in

upon

often difappointed

575

upon him. All things that he hath arc fubje& to
mutability j Riches take thcmfclves wings,and
flyaway : that is, though a man thinkc they are
fure, hce cannot fee how he could eafilybedif-
poflcfledofthemjyet, faith hee, they are as a
flockc of birds, that fit in a mans ground, he can-
not promifehimfelfe any certainty of them , be-
caufe they have wings, and will fly away^fuch are
riches. And fo credit-be a man never fo innocent,
let him give no occafion at all, Jet him keepc
himfelfe never fo blamleffe , and unfpotedrftbt
world , yet his credit is not in his owne keeping,
Honor eft inpoteftate bonorantis, ^.Honour is not
in a mans owne power- You know though lofepb
was very innocent , yet he was blamed , and fo
David and Cbrijl. And as it is faid of honbur,fo it
may bee of all the reft, wealth, and friends, and
whatfoeveraman hath- 3 let no man boaft him-
felfe becaufe he is a ftrong man, becaufe he is of
underftanding,bccaufe he itf rich,bccaufc he is of
ability in his bufines, becaufe he is a man of skill,
for by thefe things he (hall not obtainc his hopes
and ends.

Nay,my Beloved,lct mc be bolde to addc this.
If a man begin to thinkehim felfefafc for thefe,
and to grow Confident upon them, and fay thus
with himfelfe and his owne heart,well, now I am
thus and thus rooted, I am now compafled about
with thefc and thefe helpes, I fee not now how I
flaould be remo ved-let him know this,that Codwil
fo much the rather blow upon him,that he will fo
much the rather difiettle him , and take him off,

that

Simile.

57 6

Ihtmofi able men

Godcic 1 .ighrs
to cro(Te men
in carnall con-
fidence.

To maintaine
bis owne right

I Sam.17.47.

2
To fhew his

power.

char he will fo rpuch the rather turnearvay hisface,
andhejhallbe troubled.

1 fay,GW will doe it fo much the rather,partly,
becaufe that fucccfle of things is his, and when a
man will begin to challenge it to himfelfe, God
will begin then to looke to his owne right , and
challenge his ownepriviledge. You (hall findein
1 Sam. 17.47. Drfi^gives this reafon, why hee
(hould prevaile againft Goltah, it is not I, but the
battel!, faith hee,# the Lords : As if he fhould fay,
it the battaile were mine, or thine, it may be,C7<?-
luh , thou mighteft prevaile againft mee 5 it may
be thou mighteft overcome mee^ but the battaile
is the Lords. So we may fay in this caferThe event
and fuccefle of things, the good and evill that
comes to a man , upon that preparation and en-
deavour that he makes, it is the Lords, and not a-
ny mans, nor any creatures. Therefore when a-
man challengeth it to himfelfe , and boafls of it,
and thinkes I will doe this , the Lordwill not do
it , the battaile is his : and as it is faid of the bar-
caile , fo ail things elfe are his ; and therefore he
will not difpofe them according to mans prepa-
ration , but difpofeth of them according to his
owncpurpofe.

Againe, God will doe it the rather,that he might
fhew forth his own power 5 &difcoverthe Crea-
tures weaknefle, efpeciall when a Creature fhall
pride it felfein any of thefe outward things , as
Jj'akl did in hisfwiftnefle, it wasthecaufeofhis
overthrow • and indeed God ufua 1 ly takes men in
fuch things,whcn chey begin to boaft,I (hall now

have

often dif appointed

577 1

have the battaile, bedanfclam ftrong. ThcTe
things, I fay, are commonly their ruine.Thc po-
licie of Acbitophd , the hzwe of Abfehm -, and fo
many a mans wealth, many a mans wit,that thing
wherein their ftrcngth lyes, wherein they boaft
themfclves, G^caufeth to be the meanes of their
mine; hee takes them in thefe things, that hee
might difcover his owne power , and the vanity
and weaknefle of the Creature.

Againe, The zWdoth it fomuch the rather,
when men grow in confidence of their owne
ftrength, that he might manifeft his owne provi-
dence j and therefore he puts in many accidents,
which turne things another way. It is true,when
men goe well prepared to the battaile, and doe
overcome , there is a providence of GWin that,
as well as when they get the battaile by fome
chance or accident -, but by reafon of the infirmi-
tie of man, by reafon of the injudicioufneffe that
he is fub jc& unto, they doe not fo much acknow-
ledge this providence in an ordinary courfe, as
they doe in accidentall things, that are done by
occafion, by fodaine intercurrent canfes, that we
tre not able to forefee. Therefore, I fay,GWde-
lights to doe it fo much the rather,when men are
prepared and fay with themfclves, Whatihould
hinder i what ftiould keepe mee from bringing
fuch an enterprife to paffe t God therefore puts
in fome accident, and turncs it another way,that
his providence might bee feene and acknowled-
ged. Therefore let none boaft themfelves, that
this and this will I doe, becaufe I am ftrong •

for

Tfcctl

i;no$

menboaltof
areofrthe
caufeofthcir
ruinc.

To flicw his
providence.

57§

Tbemofiable men

rfcz.

Not to bedif
couraged in
want of prepa*

ration.

Becaufeweak-
nefle cannot
fruftratc Gods
purpofe.

for God will turne all a contrary way, So much
forthefirft ufe.

Secondly ,as men are not to boaft thcmfelves,
when they are ftrong* fo likewife if the battaile
be not alwayes to the ftrong , but at fome times
alfo to the weake, let no man be difcouraged be-
caufe he is weake, becaufe he is unprepared, be-
caufe hee is not fo well furnifhed to bring fuch an
enterprife to pafle.For as there are certaine times^
that God will have to paffe over men for their e-
Villf ('thatbeamanneverfoftrong, ashehath
appointed his change and condition > fo it fhall
come to patfejfo alfo there is a certaine time that
God hath appointed for other mens good and ad-
vancement.: when a man is weake and low, his
weakneffe and folly, and inability, fhall no more
fruftrate, turne afide 5 and prevent his advance-
ment, when God will bring it upon him, than the
ftrength or wifedome of the other fhall turne a-
way Gods decree, and prevent the counfell of God

Gods hand is
thenmoftfeen.

3
God hath more
glory in that
cafe.

againft him,

Befides, when man is weake , GWputs in an
accidentjthat he may have the praife of of his pro-
vidence,that men may fay he hath done it-where-
as if things went in ordinary courfe, they might
afcribe it to the fecund caufes.

Againe , the Lord rather delights to doe it)
even when menarerweake, becaufe therein his
glory is mod feai , hee delights to manifest his
power in oxr rveaknejje. And therefore Paul, when
hee few this, he faith,he will rejoyce in his infirmi-
ties ; That is^hethouglxt his infirmities would be

often dif appointed

a very great advantage to him , partly , becaufe
they would keepc him humble,that is one rcafon.
And partly, becaufe he thought that God would
the rather put forth his power , becaufe hce was
wcake, that he fhould the rather have Gods power
t3 uphold him. Therefore, I fay, letnotmen be
difcouraged for theirweakneffe , be the adverfa-
ries never Co ftrong , and their rcfolutions never
fofixed, yet they (hall not prcvaile, ifGWhr.ve
purpofed otherwife.

You fee how peremptory Iezebels fpecch was
'God doe foe andfo^&c. if I make not Eliah as as one of
Prophets of Bad by to morrow this time .-yet you fee
he was fife notwithstanding this.

Thuswasitalfo when the lews had vowed
with themfclves the death of Paulfie was in great
danger,thcre was forty to one,and their ref oluti-
on wasfo ftrong, as it could not be altered; yet ;
Godkept him fafc, hee prevailed , and they were
disappointed.

So Eli]ha> when the King thought to have ta-
ken off his head ,.. though hee had the power of a

579

■God deflates

m.Tnj purpofe

King 3 and his purpofe was firme, that it fhould
come to paffe,to a full hcight,there was no doubt
made of ir,yet GWkept him fafe.

Therefore let us bcincouragedontheorher
fide that areweake, God is able to hide us , he is
able toftrengthen us, to give us advantage and
fuccefTe, when we are unable to helpe our felves :
for as it is truc^hat the hattaile is not al way es to the
prong , nor favour to the wife^c. So it is true on

the

n * i: * *»*•!» ~ i ij w^i

580

Themtft die men

the other fide, that many times when men are

notftrong, when men are not wife, whenthcy

mannage not their bufinefle with that prudence,

warineflTe , and circumfpedion that they

fhould doe , yet oftentimes they

have fucceffe, when the

other want it,

(V)

»r, ... . ,.i t ■ ;*wi f i i , w mm ■

FINIS.

;

THE

oftendijappomted

581 '

:• ■■ rfc/*\^ 'j^ ■ » fc/%\fco . : v±/ggvfc- .;r otre\a6 " : dtryoir a c fc/*\x> . i-u ;
TTJC

FO VRTH

SERMON

ECC LE SIAST E 59,11)12.

/ returned and jaw under the Sunne , that the race is
not to thefrvift, ?;or the batteilte theftrong,&c.

Ou know where we left,we proceed
to that which remaines.

In the thiid place, limen of the
greateB Efficiency and ability may of-
ten be disappointed^ that the battatle is
not alwayes to theflrong, nor the race to the ftvift :
This fhould teach us then not to be lifted up, but
to be thankefull in oui beft fuccefle ; and on the
contrary , not to be overmuch cteje&ed, but to
beare it patiently 5 when things fpeed ill. If any
man have good fuccefle in any buiinefle and en-
terpnfe, hee is d lb* to at^tibirce it to his owne
ftreng h,to his owne wifedonuybce that,as you
fee 3 to often faile-:.

G z The

Not to be over
ioyfuliorfcr-
rowfull for
good or ill fuc-
cefle.

582

The mofl able men

The Lord muft,
be acknowled-
ged in good
fucceflc.
Why wee are
more forward
in prayer,than
inpraifc

T he creature hath not power enough in it fdfc to
bring an enterprife to paffe , it can neither fee all
the wheeles that tend to make up an enterprife 5
or though it fee them, it is not able to turne them
all. And therefore, if it be done, it is the Lord
that doth it, and the praife is onely to be given to
him.

This is a neceffary point. It is ufeuall with us
to be very earned: with GW, when a bufindfe is
to bee done; but wee forget to praife him after-
wards. And whence proceedes this , but from a
fecret attribution of what is dona to our own wit,
to our owne ftrength, to our owne pollicy, to o-
ther occafions i Whereas if it were acknowled-
ged, wee (hould be ready to give him the praife
of all that we doe.

David was a wife man, yet you fhall finde,
iSam.iz. heedidnot therefore carry himfelfc
wifely in all his affaires 3 becaufehe hadahabi-
tuall gift of wifedome,but, faith the text, Becaufe
the Lord was mthhim.^Xit Lordyizs with him,to
guide him in every a&ion, todire&him what to
doe upon every particular occafion ; and thence
it was, that he carried himfelfe wifely in all his
affaires.

Cyrus was a valiant man,and a potent, yet the
Scripture attributes it not to his ftrength,ihat he
prevailed as he did, but faith, that hee was Cods
Shepheard^ he was his inftrument, it was C^that
ufed him, ic was GWthat wrought this worke for
him.

Nebtich ladmzztr was a mighty potent Prince,

and

1 Sam* 1 8.

often dijappointed*

5*1

and prevailed which way focver he turned him- j
fclfc, yet God tells him,it Was he xYfrtgdvchim do-
minion md victory wherefocver hee went.

And as it is true on this hand, foh is likewife
on the other, when a man hath ill fucceffe in any
bufines, let him not fay, it wasbecaufe he did not
mannageit wifely, becaufe he had fuch an enemy
to oppofehim, or becaufe fuch an accident fell
out to erode him: no, that is not thccauicrThe
reafon is here rendrcd 5 Tor time dnd chxncc hup.
pens to every man : That is, if there be any fuch
accident, if there be any crofle event falls out to
hinder him in his cnterprife at that time , it is in
Gp^difpofing, it is (Wt hat hath done it. And
therefore you fc, in the evill events that have up-
on any occ^fion befallen the Churh , if you ob-
fervethe phrafe of Scripture , it is not attributed
to them , but to God. When the fpirit of P#/,and
TigUpcl/ezer , were ftirredup againft the people
or ' Ifraet foiih the Text,i Chron.$ .The Lord Jiirred
them up againft the people . it was not they that
did it, buc it Was the iW^that ftirred them up.

So likewife he poured forth his wrath by the
hands ofsh/jhak : And as David cap reflet h it in
his owne cz:c>Godhath bidden Shimeicurfe DaVid.
So it is in many other places* Therefore let not
menfitdownedifcounged, vexing themfelves,
and eating up their hearts with griefe. Let not
men lay, If fuch an accident had not beenc,I had
prevailed; for it is this time And thance^ that (tiroes
the event of hufincfics, which is from the Lord^
and not from man, therefore labour to be thank-
Gg 2 full

The Lord mufti
be acknowled-
ged in cvill
(accede

xCHran.j 16.

5 8 4

The moft able men

Vfe. 4

Not to make
flefli our arrae«

Selfconfidcnce
makes things
fucceed ill*

IeMM

full to him in the bed fuccefle , and not to facri -
fice to your owne wits, or to give him thankes in
a fo rmall manner , but heartily to acknowledge
him : And likewife to be patient in all the crofles
and troubles that bcf 1 us. So much for this third
ufe.

^ Fourthly, and laftly , ifmenofthcgreatefta-
bilities be fo of :en difappointed, that thebattaik
is not te iheftrong 7 nor the race to the fwift,&c .Then
learne wee hence,not to mtkeflejh ourarmc.not to
truft in any ftrength of our owne 5 in any wifdome
of our owne, or other men - for if this would doe
it, if the ftrength of any man,il : che policy of any
man were able to bring any enterprifr to pafle, it
would alwayes doe it : If ir were the fwiftnefle
of him that runs, that could get the race,if it were
the ftrength of him that fighteth that could ob-
tainethebattaile 5 I fay it would alwayes doe it j
And therefore feeing it falls not out fo, but the
events are turned a contrary way, thatisafi^ne
it is not in them,but in fomethingelfe.Therefore
I fay , take wee heed of making flelfa ourarme,
of laying thus with our felves , becaufe wee have
thefe preparations, becaufe we have thefe meanes
therefore our worke fliall fucccedeifor that'is not
fo. For we fee often in experience , when a man
comes to a bufineffe with much confidence, out
of a refle&ion upon his owne ability to doek for
the moft part it fucceedes ill : As on the other
fide, when a mancomes with feare and diffidence
in himfelfe, for the moft part he profpereth beft
And you have a rule for it, Ier. i 7 . 5 . curfedis hee

that

. /

often dif appointed

585

that makes flefl) his arme.-Curfedis he 5 thac is to fay,
God hath ingaged himfelfc,whcn a man wil make
flcfli bis armc, to blow upon his cntcrprifes, and
to caufe them to wither.

Againc, Blejjed is bee that truffs in the Lprd: \
that is,GWis tycd by his promifc to give fucceflc
in fuch a cafe. Therefore that ufe we Ihould make
of it, not totruft to our owne ftrength 5 to our .
owne wifedome, nor to other mens. For, what
is it, when wee have other men that arc ftrong,
and wife, and potent to reft upon? Are they ;
able to bring it to pafle i You fhall finde that
exprcflion , Pfal. 3 1 . a place that I touched in the
morning upon another occafion; Davidzclls us
there , that great men [ate and ffake against bim^
and confultcd together to take away his life^but,
faith hc^mj times are in thy hands : As if he mould
fay, my times, & the difpofing of all my affaires,
good&evill fucceflc to me,they are not in their
hands 5 bcthcy never fo potent,theyarcnotinthe;Prai.^r.
hands of Saul^ they are not in the hands otDoeg, 1 Men have not
they arc not in the hands of all mine enemies, 'oftimesVaf
but Lord, my times are in thy hands. So then, if wee affaires, but
could learnc this leflbn aright, wefhouldnotbe | God
difcouraged,whcn the raoft potent men are fet a-
gainft us, nor be much incouraged when they arc
for us. That in //S.5 i.i2.isexccllent for this pur- 1ty.51.fc
pofc; Who art thou faith hee, that fear est mortally
man^ whofe breath is in his nojlrills , and who Jh all he
made as thegraffe,T hat is, if fuch a man be never
fo potent, yct,iaith hee,confider his breath is in
his noftril-ls. and hee (hall be made as the grade;
<jg 3 th?t

5b6

Ihemoft able men

ForgctfJulneflfe
of the Lord
makes us (care
men*

Theaffc£lors
of .ran unccr
ceitainc, •

Similt

that ts,in truth he is of no power. But rhe reaion
now why men doefeare,why men arc diicoura-
gedinfuchcafes^you (halt finde in the verfefol-
| lowing: Who art thou, faith he, that doeft this,
; andjorgettefi the Lord thy Maker , rvho made heaven
^ and earth, who ftretcheth forth the heavens, and laid
| the foundations oft he earth? 'You never finde a man
I that feares a great man, a potent man,but the true
ground of it is, becaule he far gets the Lord his Ma-
ker : if he did remember the mighty God, hcthat
ftrecheth fourth the heavens, and that Iayes the
foundations of the earth, man would appearea
mortall man. You may take it for a certaine ge-
nerall rule, a mans heart is never poffefied with
feare upon fuch an occafion, but when he forgets
G*d, the great God ; he would never elfe feare a
great man. On the other fide, he would never be
confident in fuch occafion, but when he remem-
bers not the Lord. Therefore learne we neither to
feare them, when they are againflus,nortotruft
them when they are for us.

Wetffually pittythecafeofMerchants,for,fay
we, their goods hang on ropes,they depeend up-
on uncercaine windes ^ but certaincly hee that
trufls.inman,is in a worfe conditiou • for he refts
upontheaffc&ions ofa nun, that are more un-
cercaine than the wind. What fo brittle,and fo in-
ccr.ftant *• We fee that for the moft part they are
carried to doe us good or.cvill with hy.-relpe#s,
with fomething touching themfelves , they arc
turned to and fro, as the Weather-coks & Mills
are j that when the windeccafah, and when the

waters

often dtf appointed.

587

Waters failc, (land ftill-thcyarcdrivcntodoefor
us fo long as fuch refpcfts lead them,and no Ion-'
gcr. And therefore to truft in men 3 it is nor the fa-'
teft, it is not the wifeft way . See this in fomc few
examples. David, hew inconftant did he find the I
people,and apt to rcbell againft him < 2nd fo Mo-
fes.-yci Vivid himfelfe , though he was an holy
man, yet how inconftant was hee , inconftant to
OWepbiCcfieth 3 one that was innocent 3 one that
had never done him any wrong, one that had ne-
ver given him occafion < How inconftant was he
to /<?<*£ 3 when he had prevailed in the battaile a.
gainft Abfo!om?Ho\v quickly was he out of grace
and placc,when he had faved Davids life 3 and re-
covered the Kingdome, and ^Amafah^ that was
but a reconciled enemy, put into his roomed
Thefe and many fuch like examples you fhal find.
Abner, how inconftant was hee to Ijhbojheth? even
for a word fpoken againft him, & a word that he
gave him occafion enough to fpeake, a word that
he need not have beene lb much offended at, hee
falls off from him fork : and this is to truft in!
man • I fay,eithcr in a mans cvvnc wifedome or!
ftrength, or in any other mans. This place flicwes
what; a great folly it is. The laitaUeisrotto the
ffro/fg :Thzt is,lct a man be never fo well compaf-
fed about with ftrength 3 and wifdome ofmcn 5 tct
him put himfelfe and his friends into the number,'
yet he is not fafe • but let him truft in GW, and
he is fafe in midft of dangers. Samtfon and jjhbo-
/fo^,whethcy were in the midft ot their friends,
when they were a flcep,they were circumvented .
Gg 4 David

Instances.

Oftheincon-

ftancyofrr.ens

affc&ions.

A tnanisnot
fafe among
friends with-
cut God 5 ar.d
nuftingin god
he is fafe ia
dangers*

538

There is a Jet time for e^ery AElion.

God wcrke*
ourworkes
ns when we
trnft hia^

David on the other fide , when he was a fleepe in
the midfl: of his enemies, when there was an hoaft
pitched againfl: him, yet, frith he, llaidmedowne
and flept : Why < Becaufe the Lord fnfained me.
So that both for our faky when wee are in dan-
ger,and likewife to have our workes wroug ht for
us, to truft in (70<s/, and not to truft either in our
owne wifedome, or in the wifedome, or ftrength
of man, that we (hall finde conftantly to be the
beft way*

When X>4^/Vabftained from going up to bat-
tell againfl: Nabal, when he tooke the counfell of
his wife, and when he abftained from putting vi-
olent hands upon Saul, you fee how Cod wrought
it for him - y he gave him Nazals wife, hegave him
Sauls wives , and his houfts , and his Kingdome into
his hands • this he got by trufting him. But when
men will take their owne wayes, when they will
goe about enterprifes with their owne wifedome^
In hU owne wifedome and jlrength Jhall no man bee
pong : GWhath faid it, and he will make it good
upon all occafions. the conclufion therefore is,
if the battel! be not to the ftrong, nor the race to
the fwifr, &c If men ofthegreatefl ability are often
difaf pointed of their hopes and ends \ then wee fliould
not make fkih our Arme , but truft in God, both
for fafty in danger, and to bring our enterprifes
to paffe. And fo much for this point. We now
proceede.

Nether dolb man knor* his time * ..

This is added ,p<*r ly as a fecond vanity which
Sdor^'ifaw under the Sunne^ and partly as a res-
Ton

1 here is a fet time for e<vtry di Elton

fon of the former : For, faith he, though men be
{hong, and wife, yet there is a ccrtaine fcafon to
doe things, that they may miftake , which cau-
fcth them tofaile: For man knorves not his time:
and from hence he drawes his Ccnfequence, be-
caufe men know not their tm\es,Therefere they are
fnaredtnan evilltime, becaufcthey know not the
good time, when good anions fliould bcclone,
therefore cvill times come upoivshcm fuddenly,
that is, they take them unawares r and this he illu-
ftratcsby two fimilitudc's 5 They comevpon them^
faith hee , as an will net comes uponffhes^anda^s the
fnareupon thefotvles. So that in thefe three pro-
pofitions,you fliall have the full meaning of thefe
words: and thefe therefore wee will handle di-
stinctly.

Firft,that there is a time allotted to every pur-
pofe, and to every bufines.

Secondly, that it is very hard to finde out that
time-,

And thirdly, becaufe men cannot finde this
time , but miftake it , therefore evill times come,
upon them fuddenly • that is, erodes, afflictions I
and deftrucftion comes upon them fuddenly, even 1
as the fii are upon the fowle, and as the net upon the
fjhes. And that this is the meaning of this place,
and that thefe three points are included in it, you
may fee belt by comparing it with another ol the
like fenfe, Eclefl.^s&rf. Where the word of tl/e
Kingti , there is power , and who fl?a/I fay to him ,
what doe ft then? 1 hat is, it is a dangerous thing to
admonifli Princes ; who fliall fay to a pnno ,

5 8 P

vvh

Ecdef.8.4>!
4*

■~ j - *y » \ - v

« - ■ » .-«B-"

5po

There is a Jet time to every Aclion.

guett.
i^dnfw.

what doeft thou, laith the wifeman t There is a
time wherein we may admonifh Princes fafely,
although they be exceeding powcriulI,although
they have it in their owne power to take away the
(hirit,&c. as hee faith aftrwards, yet there is a
time.

Bat how (lull a man know that time?
Saith he, Hethat keepesthe Commandement^ frail
know no evell th'wg, And the heart ofthewifejhall
know the time and the judgement : That is , he (hall
know when to give a feafonablc admonition to a
Prince, or to a great man : For, faith he , to every
purpofe there is a time and a judgement .-That is, there
is a time and a difcretion, (that is the meaning of
the word in the originall) when any a&ionisto
be done,there is a ccrtaine exad time : If you goe
before it , or if you come after it , there is much
d mgei in it } if you hit upon the juft time, you are
like to be fucceffcfuJl in it: far to every purpofe
there is a time and a judgement, Becaufe the mifery
of man is great upon him ■: That is , it is the Lords
pleafure to appoint fuch a certaine time to every
purpofe , and to every aSion, that hee mightdif-
cover to men that vanity to which they are fub-
jed, and likewife that he might inflift his judge-
ments upon themrThe mifery of man is great up-
on him, becaufe every purpofe hath a time.
But how (hall this be proved?
He proves it by this ; for, faith hee, Hee knowes
notwhatjhallbe : for who can tell him what fball
be ! As if hee fhould fay , If a man did know
this time, hee were fafe enough , hee were free e-

nough.

There is a Jet thnt to every AcliQ n. 591

nough from mifcry -buc fince hee neither kiiuwes
it himfclfe,nor is there any that can rel him ^.there-
fore the mifery of man is great upon him. Thus
you fee that in both thefe places thefc three points
are included, and thefe I will runne over, and fo
makeufeofthem..

Firft , There isacertaine time that God bath al- \p ro p r ,
lotted to every purpofe , and to every bufincff'cj If There is arimc
you take that time, you may fuceeede in ir, if you ' al,o «cd toe-

* ' * J very Action

mi/Teir, it is exceeding dangerous. As you (hall i

ke^Ecclef. 3. To all things there is an appointed jtcdcfj;

time , to every purpofe under heaven : There is a

time to he borne 3 and a time to die , a time to plant ?

and a t'nne toplucke up 5 at /me to fay , and a time to

heale, eye. k^ time to xveepe, and a time to laugh. All

thefe particulars mentioned by Salomon, may be

be divided into thefc three rankes^for all natural!

a&ions , as well as thofe that are voluntary, and i To a11 na < uraI1

donebyconfukacion,thercisatimethat Godhzxh a

fer.

Againc, for all lighter anions, as well as for
a<fiions of moment, there is a time,

Againc, for all private aftions , as well as for
thofe that are publike, there is a time • that is, not Forprivatc
a time which man in prudence will chufc out,but aai °?
a time which oWhath appointed, a time which
God hath fct downe : If a man hit upon that time
which God hath allotted, he (hall fuceeede in ir,
othcrvvife heefailcs. So you fee, Acts ]j.i6.
Hce hath made of orvnt blood all manhnde to dwell
upon the face of the earth , and hath affgfled the
tsmes that were ordained before , and the hounds

• For lefle ani-
ons.

A&tn.it.

-1

59*

There h afet time for every ARton.

The changes
of mcn,Citties
and Common-
wealths, ap-
pointed by
God.*
Iob.14.1,6,

Simile.

A£bij.3?.

of their habitations : That is to fay 3 the times of
every man, the times for every mans fbte and
condition , the times for the feverall changesto ]
which every man , every Common-wealth, and I
every Citty is fubje«5i, thefe times Godh&th a (fig- j
ned, he hath ordained them before, and they arej
as bounds that cannot be pafled. The like you fee'
lob 14. 5,6. ^yire not hti day es determined, and the\
number of his moneths with thee , thou haft appoin-\
ted his bonds that he cannot pa (ft ; (Marke itj As
if hefliould fay; there is not a man comes into
the world , but God hath appointed him cer-
taine bounds , he cannot paffe the number of his
moneths : That even as a man deales with an
hireling, for that fimilitude hee ufeth prefently
after in the nextverfe^J hee agrees with him for
fuch a time • So long you fliall worke and no lon-
ger: So,faith hee,GW hath appointed every man
fo many moneths , fo many yeares he muft doe
himfervice^forae ten yeares, fome twenty yeares,
fome forty yeares: As you fee it is faid oiDavid^
K^Ails 13. 35. When he hadferved his time by the
CounfelHf God. As if hee fhould fay, There is an
appointed time that David had to do him fcrvicc
in, hee did him ferviceasa King. And fo in the
fame G hapter it is faid , John BaptiH, when he had
finifljed his courfe^ &c. That is , T here was a cer-
taine race that he was to run, he could not come
fhort of it, nor he could not go beyond it. So that
both to the a&ions of men, to every purpofe, to j
every a&ion & biifiqcfle that is done in the life of
a man, there is a certaine time appointed, there is

acer-

There is afet time for e<x>ery ABion.

5£3

a ccrtaine time that God hath allotted, and as a;
man obferves this time, foit is better or woric
with him.

But before I come to the fecond , let me (hew
you the reafons in a word,why God hath appoin-
ted thefe tuiies, GWhath fetthefc times : Th . is,
GWhatli apppinled fich times fax btjfincflc s, for
every purpofe 5 partly , becaufc. they cannot be
done in another time rand therefore it is fa id to be
an alottedtime^Iiyoutakcanothextime,you may
labour, aqd &Baur in vaine : As you fee Ecricf.^ .
9. after he had faid,7^re is atime for every purpofe^
headdes this,Ls4»d what profit htithheethat workes
ofthe thing wherein he travai/es f Asifhee fhould
fay, if a man ..miflc of thefc times, what profit is
there oFhis worke, though he travaile never fo
diligently in it,if he mifle- his time,if he pitch not
right upon his time, God worses not with him,
there is no concourfe with him ^fo heelabours in
vaine.

Secondly, there is an allotted time, becaufe
God in his providence, in all his workes,he doth,
what he doth in meafure,in number, he wcighes
every thing and makes it beautifull: now every
thing is beautiful! in its feafon • out of its feafon it
is notbeautifull. And that is another reafon that
hclilcewifehererenders,verfe 11. He bath made e-
very thing bcanufull in his */>»£: therefore there is a
time allotted to every aftion, and to every pur-
pofc:becaufe if it niifte of this iime,it is not beau-
tifull,therc is a deformity,there is an obliquity in
it, the beautie, the precioufnefle, and the come-
linefle of it is loft. Thirdly

Rfafen. 1 f

Things can notk
bedoneinan-\
other time.

Eccef}.?,

Reafon tl

Tilings are
beauti'fullin
their time

594 I ^ ;e m l fi' m % °f ttm h'M&> et b m fe r y-

Rtdfim. 3

It is Gods pie"
rogarivc to ap-
point the time.

Atfsi.7

Propcf. 1.
It is hard to
fi ride out the
time.

j Th« Lord kre-
i peth rimes fe-
I crcttohknfclfv

To teach us
watchfullnes.

Thirdly, God hath appointed a ccrtaine time,
he hath allotted a time to cvety a<5tion,out of his
owne royall prerogative , hee will not have men
to know the times 5 but the times muftbeofhis
allo:ting,he hath appointed a time to every thing
wherein his great foveraignty over the creatures^
and over all things appeares:and therefore you
(hall feCjO^fifr 1.7. ft is not for you , faith hee,r<?
know the times andfeafons , neither ro know them,
nor appoint them : tor, faith hee , thoit the Lord
keepes in his owne power : and therefore it is hee
th&t hath allotted a time to every thing. It is hee
alfo that concealeth and hideth them fiom the
fonnes of men. And this is the firft point; Thut
to every a&iort there is a time appointed.

Secondly, to finde out this time :$ exceeding
hard, becaufe it is not in thr power of any man to
know it, except G^guide him to fee it, there are
not principles in man , there is not in him fuffi-
ciency of wifedome , to ficde out the fitneffe of
time , except £Wguide him to pitch upon that
time.

Now if the lord were pleafcd to revealeto
men thefe feverall times, allotted to a&ions, it
were aneafie thing to finde i: out: but hechath
kept them to himfelfe, and that for thefe two
Caufes*

One is. That men might watch 5 for if men
khevV the times, they would be loofe, and ne^lcdt
till the time came .-Therefore, faith hee, Seeing
tbou kneweft not the time when hee will con c^
whether at night, or at what time of the nig- \

whcthei

The miffing oj time bringet hmiferie.

595

whether at the dawning, or at the Cocke-crow-
ing, whether at the firft watch, or at the fecond 5
therefore watch: As if hefhould fay,If men knew
the time certaincly , they would fleepe cill that
time , and then they would be awake 5 but God
will have men watch.

SccondIy,(7^hath appointed thefe times,and
rcferved them tohimfclfe,thatmen might learne
tofearehim, that they might learne to keepca
continuall dependancc upon him^for if the times
were in our-owne hands, we might mannage our
bufinefTe with our owne ftrength-but when they
are in Go As hands , Wee know not what to morrow
will bring forth : Therefore I Ames faith , Say nor,
I will doe fnch a thing 1 will got to fuch aplace^and
/lay thereayeare , and buy andfetl^ot, faith he, it is
not in your hands, your life is not in your owne
hands to effed this bufineflerif you doe live, it is
not in your hands $ and therefore yon ought to fay ,
if the Lord will. And therefore to keep men in this
dependencie upon him, Cod hath rcferved thefe
times unto himielfe.

The third,and lad proportion is,That becaufe
men miffe of thefe times, therefore their mtferie is
great up» them : partly,becaufe they do not effeft
the thing they go about,when they mifle of their
time , for the Lord workes not with thcm,whcn
they hit upon a wrong time : partly alfo becaufe
they failing in their duty, not taking the good
time that God hath appointed, he in his moil ruft
judgement fends upon them evill times, iharfud-
dcnly come upon them y even <ts afnare upon the birds.

Rcaf«nz %
That men may
learne to fearc
the Lord, and
depend upon
him.

lamest g

3 Propofit.
Becauierr.cn
milTe the time,
they fall into
milcry.

59*

The miffing of time hringeth miferie.

Instances.

Of miffing the
right time.
Gebez,i.

Haggai l.

As you fee when birds arc feeding quietly , and
fearing nothing 5 thenanevill ftiare comesand
takes them : So it is with men , when they have
miffed their times, when they thinke they are (a-
feft, when they fpeiake peace. to themfelves,when
they thinke that danger is fartheft off, then eviB
times come fudderdy upon them. This you fhall fee
beft in examples.

Gehezi, when he tooke a gift ofNaaman ; The
Prophet his Matter reproves him in thefe words-
Gehezi^ faith he. Is this a time to receive gifts ? As
if he fliould fay , To take a gift in it felfe is not a-
mifTe,but this is not a time for it:for Naamanvtas
but a ftranger, Againe,he was butabeginerin
beleeving ifr the true God, and therefore to take a
gift of him, that was not a time. It was the man-
ner (you know) to bring gifts to the olde Pro-
phets, not for reward of their Prophefies,but for
the maintenance oftheireftaterfo ^/brought
toSaniueligtfi: and therefore in fbme cafes it
might have beene feafonable. But, faith hce, is
this a time to take a gift offuchaman,uponfuch
an occafion, at fuchafeafon ? And what miftry
came upon Geheziiox miffing- his rime 1 Saith his
Matter, The lepro fie of ^Tiaaman the i^dffyri an fhall
cleave to thee {hat mifery came upon him,

So you (hall fee Haggai i .The people did a law-
full adion, but theymifled of the thncyThus faith
the Lord ofHoHs , This people fay, the time is not yet,
when the Lords houfe jhouldhc (milt : Then came the
word of the Lord by the i: biihi$efy of the Prophet
Haggai,y4jf.v*£, It is a time for your f elves to dwell in

feeld

The mtjjxn^ of time bringeth mferie. 5 97

Iacob.

fetled houfes , and this honfe lie watte f Therefore now 1
faith the Lot d of 'hosts 3 you havefowne much, but you \
have brought in tittli $ you eate , but yott have not e-
noughyou drink , b ut ) ou arc notfi/!ed$ou cloath yoi: ,
bur you are not warmed ^ andhee that earneth wages ^
he f tits it into a hroken hgge. It was a lawfull thing
for them to luuld h oufes to dwell in, and enjoy 5
but, fai h he , Is this a time to dwell in your fee leu
houfes? Asifheihouldfay, You have mifHd oi
the rime. An J w h at then? You fee therefore thei>
mifeiy wasgv.-aron them: You have fowne much,
bu \qu b*<vt brought in tittle^ &c.

Uohl a asl wfull for him to have fought the
kkfE _: s bin becaufe he miffed of the time, you
fee his o f;;ry was great upon him 5 How many
fore y c\. vs of travell had he under his uncle La-
ban? A id thib was becaufe he miffed of his time.
On the other fide 5 Z>4*W,tha; did hit upon his
ti:ne, Go/'promifed him a Kingdome,and he flay-
ed hts rime,you fee he had it with good fuccefl'e,
he had it in fuch a manner, as was fie for him$fbr
he ftayed his time.

Rchoboam is another example,when he conful- 1 Rchoboam
ted with the oide men- They told c him, that if he
V/ould firvc the people at that t me J hey fhould be hi %
"ervAnts forever: but he followed ci;e counfeli o
the young men, and you fee what fell out ppor
this, the miffing or his time-, for that was the
counfell that the olde men gave him, if thou will
krvc thtm at this time^&c. As if tney h^d (ai ,
Rehoboamjhou thinkeft it will be difadvar) ige k
thee, ifthoulettheraincsloofe upon them, and
¥ H h nor

* « l^M^— ■" ~ I ■ ■ ■ .

5 5?8 The miffing of time hingetb miferie.

IfraditcL

not reftraine and curbe them in the beginning,
but thou miffeft of thy time: Thercisatinigrfor
meekneflfe, and a time for roughnefle , there is a
time for clcmencie , there is a time againe lor fc-
veritie h but this is not a time for Rehoboam to ufe
feveritiein the beginning of his lleigne : There-
fore you fee his mifery was great upon him , he loft
ten Tribes by this meanes.

Solikewife, the people of Tfrael, when they
foughta King for themfelres, it was lawful! for
the m to feek a King,for God had appointed from
all eternity David to be their King -and if Saul
had not beene their King^Bavid had becne King
at the fame feafonthat he wasrbut their error was
in the time, they would have a King 5 when Samu^
*/ reigned over them, when God was pleafed to
judge them by the hand of the Prophets more
immediately than by the hand of the King : for
hee faith, that hirnfelfe ruled over them : and
therefore God tells them, beca&fe they would
needes have a King now,becaufc i hey would an-
ticipate him (they would have a King before God
had appointed them a King ) therefore this curfe
fhould goe with their King, hee, faith hee , fhaH
doe thus and thus to you, He jball take your fonnes^
and put them unto his Chariots > hee frail take four
daughters, and make them apothecaries £e pall take
jour Vineyards, and your Olive trees. Thus your
King (hall doe to you, becaufe you have mif-
fed your time , your miferie pall be great upon
you.

The like you fball fee in the Children of ifrael,

Num*

The rnijfing of time bringeik miferie.

599

?{uw e 1 4 % thc people might lawfully fight againft j
the punaanites , you know, they were brought
forth for that purpofe^yetbecaufc they mifled of
their time , they would doe it at that time when
they were not appoyntedjiv/^j tells thcm,if they
woilld needes goe up,they fhould fall before their
enemies, & accordingly it fel out fo ; for they mif-
fed of their time. I need not runne through more
examples, Iofiaband Vavid y if you lay thefc two
examples together, you fhall finde,2>4f/'^wem
not out to warre when he fhould , and the other
went when he fhould not, and fo miffed of their
times ; and you fee what miferie it brought upon
them : upon David it brought the greateft miferie
of all other, which was the giving of him up to
fuch finnes as that of murrher and adultery , that
brought all the evill that he fuffered afterwards.
And Iofiah y it coft hira his life : for hee went out
unfeafonably, miftaking the time which G$d had
allotted for fuch an enterprife. Soyoufeenow
there is a time allotted to every purpofe, to eve-
ry bufineffe. And it is heard to know it y for Goa
keepes it to himfelfe, he revcafes it when it plea-
fech him, he pitcheth one man by his providence
by the fecret guidance of his Spirit,upon a right
time , when another miffeth it 5 I meane not that
it is alwayes done in mccry, but in the ordinarie
difpofition of time, to them that know him not:
for when a man pitcheth upon the time , it is hee
that guides him. Thivdly^Becaup menmiffi tf their
time , the mifery is great upon them , it comes up-
on them: that is, fome evill times come upon
Hh 2 them

Num.i 4«

Iofiab.

Dayii.

^ote.

6oo

The miffing of time bringeth miferie.

Vfe.

Notonelyto
lookctoout.
a&ionsjbus
the time of
them*

Actions not
done in their
time have a
deformity in
them.

Watch our
times in »he
things Sod #
commandethj
as,
Admonition*

Thankfulflfs.

them fuddenly , it comes upon them like a fnare.

Now briefly, the uie wee (houldmakeofrtis
this, That wee bee carefull not onely to doe the
adions that belong to our Callings, either our
generall Callings we are Chriftians,orourpar.
ticuhr Calling, rh our ordinary bufines, it is not
enough to due rnrm, but to look narrowly to the
time. It is a Rule among Divines, that an a&ion
is not good,except it have all the Circumftances
good. An a&ion may be evill upon miffing any
one , therefore the time is an ingredient into the
gocdnefle of the adion, were the aftion never fo
good, ifthenme be nulled, it makes the aftion
l vill, when we doe k out of its feafon , when we
doe it not in his time. As it is faidbf words,when
they are infeafor^they are beaut i full: So it is true of
every a&ion , when it is done in its owne feafon,
it is beautifull j if k be nor,there is fome deformi-
ty in it, fome obliquity, and by confequenr, fome
finfulneffe , if it be a mortall adion, or fomewhat
that brings evill after it , if it be an a&ion of ano-
ther nature. Now the adhon wherein wee are
to looke fo narrowly to our times 9 are of three
forts.

Some are the aftions that God hath comman-
ded us ro doe: Wherein , it is noc enough lor us
co do the workes,but we muft obferve the times.
Toadmonifh is a good adhon,and it is Comman-
ded us, bit to do it man unfe^fonable time, ei-
ther unfeafonably to him that admonifheth, or to
him th3t is admonifhed, it fpoiles the a&ion.To
be thankefull for mercies, and to pay our vo wes,

The miffing of time bringetb m'ferie. 60

it is a good a&ion^but yerifche timebemifled,
and we give not thankes in due feafon,if ycu pay
not your vowcs, but defcire them, hethatde-
ferres hi* vow , though the aftion be good in ir
felfe,yct if the time be miffed, he provokes God
to anger, and finnes againft him. It is alawfull
thing tor us to doe the workes of our Calling ,
and to doe them diligently 5 yet if wee doe them
unfeafonably, and incroach upon the time allot-
ted to prayer, wherein we ought to renew our re-
pentance , and to fet our hearts ftraight and right
before GW,now it is not done in feafon,it difplea-
&ih God, it is an aftion done out of its time. To
mourne and rejoyce, are botft good anions, but
if they be done out of their feafon, they are hoth
exceed ingevill and finfullrwee fee how carefully
T{ehemiah tells them,they fhould not have mour-
ned 3 for (faith hejthis is a time of rejoycing, for
this time to rejoyc,(it is your flrength) yir the joy
ofths Lord isyourjlrength , therefore now weepe
not, mourne not, but rejoyce. Againe, at another
time to le joyee,is as great a fin,as then to mourn,
aswefeCj/p. 22.12,13. When the Lordcalls to
mourning, if now you give your felves xohllin?
of Jhecpe^andjlaying of oxen,drcy our finnefhall not
be purged from you till you die. I need nqc give
you inftances in this cafe. Thefe are one fort of
anions. All the duties of our Calling muft bee
doneinfealbn.

The fecond fort of a#ions,that wee are to ob-
ferve this time in , they are fuch as belong too-
thers, that tend to the good of others, the good
Hh 3 of

VoyfCt*

Workes of our

calling.

Mourning and
reioycing.

Ifa.iWJ

Warcfi oppor-
tunities in a&i- >
onsthatcon-
cctncothcis.

60 z \ 1 he miffing of time brirtgeth miferie.

By fpcaking
for them.

By belecving
ofthcm*

of the C hurchjthc good of the Common-wealth
chegood of particular men:There is a time when
fit may be ) a mans voyce, or fuffrage would
have turned the fcale of abufincfle , that concer-
ned much the Camnion- wealth , or the focietic
where he livesrbut when that opportunity is paft,
it can be recalled no more. There is a time when
a mans fpeaking~may doe much good, and his fi-
lence is finfull, and doth much hurt, by the lofle
it brings. Such times and fcafons are to be obfer-
ved, fuch opportunities there be. There is an op-
portunity of preventing a mifchiefe to a Com-
mon-wealth, ortoaKingdome, when wencg-
ledi that opportunity, it caufeth the m'tfery of man
to be great upon him, as we heard before. So for
particular Cafes : There is a time and a feafon,
and an oppor tunity of comforting the bowels of
the Saints , of releeving and entertaining ftran-
gers, of doing good to parents, oi educating and
bringing to God Children and fcrvants, fuch as
are committed to our charge : This is but a fhort
J time and opportunity, which when it is part, can
be recalled no more. The miffing of rhefe times
and opponunities,is that which caufeth the mife-
rie of man to begreat upon him. You know, at
the day of judgement, becaufe men did not fuch
and fuch actions, b:caufe the loft their opportu-
nitie,they did not vifit the prifoners,they did not
cloathe the naked,nor feede the hungry,therfore
this eternall mifery falls upon them • Much more
temporall miferies,upon a man, a Kingdome, or
a King.

The

The miffing of time brlngetb m'tferie.

The lad fort of anions wherein vvc are to ob-
fer ve a time, they are fuch as belong to our ownc
fafety: There is a time that if a man fpcake 3 hee
makes himfelfe a prey to the wrath of men. And
therefore the prudent , at fuch a time, Jhall keepefi-
lence y faith Amos. And there is a time wherein if
a man doe not fpeake, hee makes himfelfe a prey
to the wrath of God. And not to hit upon a right
feafon in fuch an a&ion of fpcaking and fhewing
himfelfe, or not doing it, it brings mifcrie either
from CW, or man.

Time is 4 time for a man to give and to fpend^and

a time againc^for him to /pare and 'gather i if he mifle

of this time, if hee will not give when he ought,

Jif he fpare when he ought to give, i: brings a mi-

fery upon him, he fliall be a lofer by it.

In all particular a&ions,often times God opens
a doore to us of advantage to our felves, to our
children, to thofe that depend upon us > if it bee
taken. You have the opportunity, if you ftay till
it beftutup againe, there is a miferie that fol-
lowesit, ids a thing that-coneerhes your ovvne
fafety, but thefe are but lefler matters. There are
times of greater Confequence than thefe,

There is a time when God offers §race to a -man.
Nov/ to rcf ufc it, to miffe of that time , ttcauftth
the mifery to be great, yea to be eternal! upon him:
Luke 19. 12. Oh lerufalem, if thou hadfi known:
the things belonging to thy peace in this thy day , but
now they aye hid from thine ey<s : As if hee fhouid
fay, Tiiis is the time,, Ierufalcm, when if thou wilt
take the offer thou maift, if thou didft know thy
1 Hh 4 time,

Watch in ccli-
onsconccrning
our ownc fafc-
tic.

Speaking for
God;

Sparing and
giving.

Entertaining
offers of grace,

Luke 1 9,4a-

604

Making our E-
lc&ion lure.

Swsmi&ff

for miffing
histime.

Ihe Miffing of time kingetb miferie.

time, if GodvtovXd revealc It to thee, thou flioul-
deft befafeendugh, thou mighteft efcape this
mifery-but(Whathhidit, that thou feeftnot
this time, therefore thou and thy children fllall
pcriftu

The time of mans heahh,and of his peace, of
his life, quiet, and reft,i$ the time of making fure
his Ele&ibn, a time dlgroftitfg iH grace ana I know-
ledge ,and oigrotowgrkhingoodMrkesXlt whofe
eyes God opens to fee this time, he makes ufeofit,
he layes out thofe talants hee hath to fuch a pur-
pofe- but when dWhides it from a man, it is his
undoing, c^ n evill tim , the time of death comes
fuddehly upon him 7 as afnarejwon tfofotvle.

The time ofyouth,the time of education is the
feede-time of bur lifeafter s he whom God hath in-
lightned to fee this time, and to confider it, he is
not negligent in it, hee layes up the ground and
foundation of his future life in it,Such like times
there be.

You fball fee an example of them fn Saul, and
in the people of ifrael - y Saul had a time to make
fiM the kingdome to himfelfe,and the kingdome
of heaven to himfdfjbutbecaufe he loft his time,,
(T^ would give hiiti ntftirore, he had opportuni-
ty no longer, but it wfe ctitofTfrom him. You
know hee loft the Kingdome, by not flaying the
time that Samuel appointed him, he flayed to the
very point of the time, but he flayed it not out.
The feaventh day itinuel came according to his
promife^but he thought he would not have come
becaufe he flayed fo late,btitthis was the loffe of

the

The mijftngo} time bringeth miferie. J 605 I

the Kingdomc to him. God intimates thus much
to him there, that if he had difcerned his time,
he might have faved his Kingdomc, but bccaufe
he did not fee it, that mifery came upon him , hec
loft the Kingdome from himfclfe , and from his
pofterity forever.

Thc/<r»wlikewife,there was a time when God
would have received thcm,and averted that fear-
full judgement that came upon the whole Nati-
on, when they were carried away captive 5 but
when they had patted that time, we fceGWis re-
folvedto deftroy them ; there is no more hope
then. Ierem. 1 1 . 14. Thou ft ah not pray for this
people , I will not heart their cry in the day of their
trouble : Thou (halt not pray for them,thou lhalt
not lift up a cry, a prayer for them. It is twice re-
peated, becaufe the Lord was refolved, the time
wxs paft,and they faw it not y Therefore their mife-
ry was great.

But you will fay to me,(to conclude with that)
How (hall a man doe to know that time,to know
the time, and the fcaf on, that God hath allotted to
every a&ion, fincc it is of fo much raomem-, and
the miffing of it brings fo much mifery upon
men?

I will runne through fomc dire&ions very
briefly. Confider what the caufeis, that men
mi(Te of their time, and you fhall find by that the
meanes,how tofinde k out. Thecaufe why men
mifle it, is:

Firft, Inability to difcerne, man himfclfe
knowesitnot , and nomanelfe can tell it him.

lcr.11.14,'

SgfBk

Anfv.
How to know
the time that
God hath allot
ted to anions,
Thccaufcsof *
miffing the
time.

Vnabili
know

606 \ T/;f mifing of time bringetb mifery.

Dirc£Honsto
iinde it.

Notlcaneto
our owne wif-
dome.

Prov.j.f.

Walking in
Godswaycs

So then it is in Gods owne power to rcveale it.
Therefore to finde out this time , let a man doe .
thefe two things, to have ability to difcerne the ■
times*

Firftjkt him not leane to his owne wifedome
but truft in GW, that is, let him goe andaske
counfell of <3$d: Even as David did, 5 hall I goe up
to Hebron , or pall I not f So in all fuch doubtful 1
Cafes goe to <7^,{hall I doe fuch a thing,or fhall
I not^Shalll doe it in fuch a feafon,or fhall I ftay
another? We fee what Salomon tiith,Prov.2.$.
TruBin the Lord with all thy heart, and leane not to
thine owne wifedome y in all thy wayes acknowledge
him 3 and he fhall direii thy way ; The meaning is
this, let a man in his heart reft upon <W,and truft
in him, and fay thus to hinu Lord, Iconfefie,I
know not the times, I know not whether this be
a fit feafon, or another,Z<W,I leane on thee,I be-
feech thee difcover the times to mee. When the
heart indeede refts on him , there is a promife,
Truft in theLerdwithallfhy hearty ('that is) truft in
him ingood earneH ! , and hee pall direii thy way:
That is, there (hall be a fecret guidance from his
Spirit , that fhall pitch thee upon a right time.
There (hall a fecret thought come in thy heart,
(which fhall be as if a man flood behinde thee,)
that fliall whifper to thee, and fay , This is the way^
this isthc time, turne this way, and not that : So
GWdircvis us,i£ we truft in him, aud reft on him }
If weegoe tohim,andprayhim,andbefeech him
to guidejus.

Secondly, it is not enough onely to pray to

him,

The mijpng of time bring tb miferie. J 607

him, but there is another thing added to ic, to
walkeinhu wayes, not to fteppe out of his wayes,
but to keep the Commandements,when \vc have
any bufineffe to doe^goe to the ftraight path,ftcp
not out to any inordinate courfe , but keepe the
Commandements , and the Commandernents
will keepe thee : This you (hall finde, Ecclef$,$.
He that keepe s the Commandernent Jh all know no evill
things and the heart of the wife [hall know the time^
and the judgement \fir to every purpofe there is a
time and a judgement. You fee though it be very
hard to find,and a manknowes it not of himfelfc,
nor can any tell him, yet this promifeismade,
He that keeps the Commandernent ^and the heart of the
wife, that is,the godly man, He (hall know the time*
andtheJHdgment.lt is a fure rule,lf we be obedient
to Chrift as a King, we (hall frnde him to be to us
as a Prophetrlf you will refigne up your felves to
keep his Commandements, that Propheticall of-
fice of his, (which is to guide us in the way,)hec
will perforate to us. So I take that place to be un-
deftood, AHs 2. 1 willpower out my fpirit upon all
flefy^ and 'your young men jhall fee vipons , and your
oleic men (ball dreame dreamas^&c.li begunnc to be
fullfilledinthat extraordinary gift ofProphefic
that was powred upon the A poftles,but y et,faith
he, I will powre it upon all fle(h:that is,it (hall be
fuchaSpirir,as (hall teach you to feethofemy-
ftericsthat were hid from the beginning of the
world,and fuch a Spirit as fhall guide you and di-
re& you , it fhall teach you what you ought to
doCjWhat way you ought to choofe.This, I fay,

the

Chrift teacheth
thofcasPro-
pher, that arc
fubicft to him
as a King.

Aft.*.

* * • ■ ■

608 \ The mifing of time bringeth mfery.

PfaUM).

2 Caufe.

Paflion* and

diftcmpcn.

the Lord will doe , if wee walke in his wayes.
If wee will be ftepping out of his wayes , wee
fhall get many knockes, and many falls too, ma-
ny troubles, many affii&ions fhall fticke by us,
while wee live. You know the Children of Ifratt
went not a foote,but as they were guided by the
Cloud.

Jacob, in his journey, would neither goe to La.
ban without warrant, nor come from him with-
out it. David in all that he did, he asked counfell
of the 2W;Shall I ftay in fuch a Citty , or fhall
I not ftay? Shall I goe up to warre to fuch a place
or fhall I not goe i As I faidbefore)S/^# /^^
t§ Hebron or jhaU I not goe at this time f This
walking in the wayes of God , is that which the
promife is made unto. You fhall find, PfaLz $ . i a .
Whatman is hee that fear e$ the Lord * Him will hee
teach the way that hee Jhall choofe : As the promife
is made totrufting in him 5 for then he willdircft
him in his wayes: So,What man is hee that feares
the Lord, andkeepes his Commandements ? Him will
he teach the wayes thathefrould choofe. And this is
the firfl diredlion.The firft caufe why men miffe
is , Inability to difcerne the time and the feafon:
therefore let them take this courfe , and GWwill
revealeit to them.

A fecond caufe why men miffe of thef e times
that God hath allotted to every adion & purpofe
is, fome paflion and diftemper to which they are
fub jeft/or paflion caufeth indifcrefion, in the or.
dinary courfe of things : you fee, paflion makes a
man miffe of his time, it makes a man docthinps
\ un-

■ ' » I — — —

The miffingof time bringeth miferie. { 609

unieafonably -whereas were the heart quicr, the
judgement would be cleare too,to fee what were
fir, and what unfit.

As it is in the common Converfe with men .
fo it is in thefe great anions , tochoofe the time
that GWhath allotted to every adion,and pur-
pofe. If there beany carnall, worldly ,finfu:l di-
ftemper in the heart , you arc apt to inifTe of i!k»
time 5 for every pillion and diftemper is like
drunkenneflTcjttcaftsaman afleepe. Now,hethat
obferves the times , muft watch and warch dili-
gently, and a man that is diftempered, is not fir to
watch, and to obierve. Andtherfore Chrift faith
Luke 21. 34. Take hecde that your hearts be noto-
verchargedwith Jurfetiug artddi wkennejfe , and the
cares ofthit world , leB that day come uyen you at
uxawares; As if he fhould fay , the reafon why
you mifle of the times, why that great day comes
upon you unawares, why you doe not that dutie
that you ought within the compafle of the time
that God hath appointed : it comes from hence,
fome exceffe in the ufe of lawfull Comforts : So
you have two Caufes given there:

Either , when men inebriate themfelves too
much with the prefent Comforts of this world,
when they exceed in them, when they take more
than they ought,though the things in themlelves
be lawfull.

* Or fecondly, they take fo much care for world-
ly things, that it breedes a diftemper in themjthat
is, it diftra&s their mindcs,for by that a nun may
know when his cares are inordinate, when they

breede

Pn (Hon like
drunkennetfe.

Luke xi, 3 4.

How to know

when cares arc/
inordinate.

6 1 o \ The mifling of time bringeth mifery.

3 Caufe.

Doing imper-
tinent things

i Cor.7,

Worldly mas-
ters imperti-
nent in com-
panion «f hea-
ven.

breed diftraftions in the minde : as wjee fee in
Martha, chr'tli found not fault, becaufe fliee was
carefull to provide -but becaufe her care went fo
farre that it troubled her , that fhe could not at-
tend upon fpirituall duties , there was the fault,
Marthas thoughts were troubled about many things :
when fuch diftempers grow on us , it caufethus
to miffe the time. If wee would then keepe our
times, if weecwould know the times allotted us,
t«akeheede ofexceffe, take heed wecaffe&not
too much outward comforts, that our hearts bee
not too much fet upon any outward bleflings, be
it what it will be.

Take hecde againe , that wee take not too
much care forany thing, that mee minde not
too imentively worldly bufineffes , they 'will
caufe us to mine our times,. This is thefecond
Caufe.

Thirdly,to do impertinen tthings,is that which
caufeth men to mifie the time, that is allotted to
eyery purpofe,and to every bufines.Whenaman
is occupied about things that he ought not, hee
miiTes doing of thofe bufinefles that he ought to
doe. Therefore, iCor. 7. the Apoftlc gives this
I Rule-faith he, whatfoever you have to do,if you
\bc to £#7, doe it at if you bought wfjifyou beto
mirry^ doe it as ifyoudidit not: And generally ufe
this world, as if you uftdtt not : That is,all the ani-
ons belonging to this .world, be not too much
occupied about fuch impertinent things as they
be: Impertinent things to the maine bufinclTe,for
which you came into the world: Forjwouldh^ve

you

The niijfing of time bringeth miferie. J 611

you, faith lie, with out care . for he that is unmarri-
ed cares for the things of the Lord, and I would have
you cleave to the Lord without fcparation t The mea-
ning is this: The icafon why men miflc their
times that GWhath appointed them , is , becaufe
men are too intent upon impertinent things,
which interrupts their care to ferve the Lord.
And therefore wee are to parte by them, and
not to put our full intention to every world-
ly bufinefle , but referve the maine intention
of our thoughts for the things of the Spirit y far
not to take over-much care for them is that
which will make us carefull to doe things in th eir
time. '■ ■ J *— "

Thene^t impediment is Iclte-ConfidenCjwhen
a man trufts himfi?ffe,and will &e his own Coun-
cellour: And therefore the way to hit of a right
time is, to take Counfell with others/;? the multi-
tude of Conn fellers there is peace.

Laftly, the caufe of the miffing of the time, is,
negligence, when men are idle, flacke, and indili-
gent in doing thofe things that belong to them,
that is the caufe of miffing their^ime. And there-
fore you have that counfell in th^words next be-
fore my text ( fince thcjtirxje is fhclrt, there is but a
day for you to'workcm, and the night comes,
when no man can woYk:)that is,fa the grave >ther\
is neither worke ner invcntion 3 &c w^ind therefore dot
with all thy might that which thou has! to doe. Thd
doing what wee have to doe with all our might,
and with all our diligence,is that which quickens,

us,

4 Caufe.

Selfc-confi-
dence*

5 C**&*

Negligence,

!■*

H1W. I

6 1 z \ The mi/fin^ of time hringeth mifery.

us , and kecpes our hearts in a holy preparation

to take the times , and not to over-flippc and

overpaffe them. Thefe things I fliould

have inlarged > but I hod rather

fhorren them thus, than

holde yon longer

fee*

FINIS.

Ahifa.
Here flnne abidtiitk the heart,

itisuniound.
Abraham.
The try all of Abrahams iaith* 3*7

The ground *i Abraham faith* 3 59
Child of Abraham what. 38*

The Gentiles receive the promifein

AbrahamM"' ^ d%

the meaneft dtion of our life mutt
notbenegieftcd* i*3

No man to bee judge by a particular
afkm. %1Q

Sudden atddenti difappoint men of their

end*. „ *"

jiduerfity.

Ad-erfi) is not trucly evil).
isfffeftions.
The Lord guideth the ajj'edi'wnu
^{fettions pitched on thecrcaturcywhar
udifcovers. ( **3

The affection of man inconfhnr. 586
Inftancd of the iaconflancy Qfajfetli-

t/iffli&iottSiJtlffli&ed.
Gods children <#c7^,whcn the wicked
flouri(h,wby. M 8i

jiffli&em nurture Godi children. ¥3

J5i

Page,

^tf^thecxeoirionofthclaw. 294

nt of bondage. f a <

Stcfiatutatt. w

AU-fngUmc, of God,whercinit conflri .
caufc of our unevennetfe I

G l ? ngf / ^^ » ***** « £

Difference between- ^» &«.,•. J - 8

God and the creature **"">.£

Tryaho f o U ttr uflingGodwir/ ^

A%neofdo„bti ngofG od s J.^/
God S ^&#;«^ tof • fi 57

g:i s ^ff'4toraS/ n - j*

Itnabard thing to bee ,;,rr j '/*
HcGodd^pencetnii,^^

YITetI^BLe.

*53

Allow.
A pdly man dfow* WmTctfe in jio
finne.

The ground of ^Jtyjr.
Anm**

All the Creatures arc Gods ^rwitf. 54

Jfurance.
Draw necrc with'tull <#*'*»"> why.47*

v4rrr/taffr.
The *tfr*-/« of God arc for the good of

Ibisc-'iUren. 7 *

Wc thinkc ef Gods attributes compara
tivciy. .. J"

A p.ritS heart fcethGod in his attri-
butes. . | 14
By what roeanes wee have lntcretun

Gods */&*&*"*. 33 x

An un(bund man djw«fc not at God,
buthmfelfe. %6 °

See Hpriibiiend,degreeM 6H *&

AH things come alike to good and bad
in this life. 5**

'BUtfedneffe.
1/dfoforfiolGod, wheiein it confifts.

541

Cods*fc0?»« tarry not long with evill

■KB. £ »*4

To take comfort' of Gcds bLftngs, bet-
ter than to heapc up. M5
..lltocjfogiinChiift. $54
SccmjmmmJ.

By oi Chrift bath a double power

35©

©fCbnft. 16*

The tcftrmoy of the bloci oi Chrift $96

Boafi,boaJh»g*

Boaf'mg excluded by faith. 366"

Not to bo*lt of outward things, 5 7 J

Men often froft vfthat which is their

ruinc. 575

Bold.

None can bee bo'd with God in roifery, )

buth s children. 40 1 j

None arc bold with God in affiidioua,'

but Saints. 403

*Bond*ge.
The fpitit of bondage goes before recei-
ving of the fpirit. 304
The Law doth not worke without the
fpirit o£ bondage, ibid.
The fpirit of bondage makes afflictions
effcftuall. 3**
The fpirit of bsndage teacbeth to know
Chrifblove. ibid..
The fpirit eibonddge in a different reca-
fureonmen,auctwhy. 396*
He tha t never had the fpirit ef bondage,
bath not the fpirit ot adoption 407.
! The fpirit elbondag, bow to know wee
have had it. A°9
The fpirit of bondage fent to prevent
finnes to come. 4 ! °
The fpirit of bondage returncsnot after
conversion. 4*<
The ipirit of bondage, what. 416
Breadth .fee Kates.

•BMiti.

The World WWmpChriftiam. /440

Csrvx.

THE TABLE.

Cares.
Cora, Howtoknovy when they are in-
ordinate. 609
CffmalL
The providence of G O D in cofuaU
things. 6i
God crteds things by ccfuaU, things,
why. 161
Sec pr$v:deace.

Ceremonies,

The Ceremonies of the Jewes doached the

Covenant of Grace. }?*

Change.

Sianc hath made a great t£<z*£t in the

world f 58

God hath appointed ctafgej to men.

ffc-w^j of Citties, men, Common-
wealths. 55a
(TiHfe y Choice.

An dl c!)«f to lofc bearer* for the crea-
te 5*0
Chritf.

Offices of cbrijl communicated to eve*
ry Chnltun. 3 c j

All premiics accomplished in Cfcrij?.

Pronnics made totrfor//?, what. 3 J; 7

How to know whether wee bee inCbiifi
or not. 39?

Wen come not unto (brift, till other
meanes faile. 4- 8

Wee muft not come to God without
Chil 503

Wt*en wee doubt of forgivenclfc, wee
io. get Cbnfl. 114

; Church.

Thcmifcrics of the Cbmtb icUmbkd.

Wee fnou.'d not be difinaid at the trou-
- bles or (he Church. ^8, 143

Circumcifc*
Ctrcumcifion inward what. s,fo

Saving knowledge cimmeifeth the

heart. 4x7!

Command.
Gods Commandsnoi jmpoiltblc, n£
lntegrny of the Co*nmandtment i what

130
Gods Commands fhould bee kept exactly

tor three reafons. 241

Nothing mooves a perfect man, but

Gods Command- iif

God* Command joyncd with our ownc

rcfpe&softc n. «ji

How to know when Gods Command mo.

reth to actions. 291

How to know when his Command aso-

teth us principally. 294

Enmity betweene a carnall heart and

GeiiCommsntL 334-3 5&

Comfort.
Whence fttt^rr ariu th. < 4

WhatmakctMen hfe withoutfWw/Jrf.jB
How to guide our comfort. 61

God conycici comfort by the creatures

GOD a& forts extraordinarily when

meanes fade 7s

GOD communicates comfort to the

Saint*. 74

Di tie rent coir font in the creatures. 7 5
Ihccw/affofChriftiansipunging. 83
God gives notalway comfint according

to the meanes. 93

Comfoit from outward things unccr-

taine. 15a

Comfort not fowed in the ; nature by

God. ft 6

CounfrllfagOD*
Covenant.
Gods Ceicnfri to make uj faithful!. «p i
1 i a An

THE TABLE.

611

277

An exhortation to enter into Covenant . we might be confident. e 00

The parts or the Covenant, 3 7$ through Chrift. 702

God enters into Covenant with all that • confident* for three reafons. 576

. are faithlull. 517! Confidence in our (elves makes things fuc-

Cvvinantiviotu\d. ibid.\ ceedeill. 584

The condition of both Covenants, ibid, j Confidence in our felvejs makes us mifTc
A threefold difference bctweene the
twoC 01 enants. 318

We have intei eft in all Gods attributes
by the Covenant. 332

Covenant of Grace hard to unfold. 351
The Covenant made with Abraham. 3 54
The Covenant confirmed by 4. things.

r *' 7

Repentance and Faith a part of Gods

Covenant^ and ours too. 389

How to know whether we be in the Co-

venant. 390-405

An evidence of being in the Covenant.

393
When a man may be faid to enter into

the Covenant. 3 $8

Covenant, when it is broken. 458, 460
What it is that makes the Covenant. 458
Inftancesof breakingfhc Coiemnt. 4^5
The miferie of thole that arc not in the

Covenant. 480

See Goodnejle/pirhjiftjcvc.

Content %
Ghrittlans mould be content with meane

place. 131

Belccving of GOD 5 All fnfficiency

breeds content. 16$

To bee content with Gods provifion for

us. 170

§eeG0J>.

Continue.
Why good men continue not in the evill

they doe, nor eviUmen in the good

they doe* 21 2

Confidence*
All things are put in Chriftshands^that

the right time,

Converfiow

Hqy/ converfionii wrought,

Condition.

Nothing but faith can bee the condition

of the Covenant* 363

We (hould try in what condition of men

wcare. $08

See faith.

Corruption, fee T{elaf[e.

Courfc.

The conftant courfe of a man comes from

inward principles* 211

A conftant cenrje in finne, a figne of

breaking the Covenant. 464

frookedjec Heart.
Creature.
The excellency of the creature borrow-
ed. 27
The comfort in the creature. 28
The power of the creature from God. 3 1
The creature cannot helpe to eternall
happinefie. 34
The creatures Godsfervanrs. 33
The creature helpes but in particular
things. 34
The creatures Gods lnftruments. 3 $
There is not fufficiency in the creature,
proved by many things. 44. 13 %
Thec^/tfreatGodsdifpofing. 43
The creature^ though prefenr, helpes
notofitfelfe. %6
Wee know not the emptincfle of the
creatine. 61
The creature can doe butlittle compara-
tively. 66

THE TABLE.

The creature what it is without Cod. 71

The creature cannot amend that which

isamiflc. 14 f

Two things acknowledged in thecrea-

ture. 15J

The creature hath power to hurt wicked

men. 481

Thccmture cannot hurt the Saints^tfo'

I he cr"atu)c ignorant. $66

I The creature weake» ibid.

See wr/5.

Crucified.
Faitfc lci2cth o«Chnftcr^c/jfc/

Acftr/2 upon the creature.
Sinnc the caufc of every curfr,

471

D.
B tttmiAtion*

'Divide, Divificm,
Dtvijian brceds^difiblution. ]*«

The intention cbiided doth things re-
miflely. 179

Allmcndiiided'mtotvtorincks. 507
God and ihc Deril rf/ti<fe the worlAfM,
Devtces, fee G OD.
Difference,
difference inCbnitians whence iti$, 451

Duties <fi^fc#f& cannor be done without

belecving Gods All luffiucncy, 171

Diligent.

What makes a Chriitian<fc%»f. 295

Difmaycd, fee Church.

ftifappotnt.

Men of gr eatefl ability often difif feinted.

Devill.

A Chriftian his journey iravaileth from Tbe firft fin of lhc D(vH J whar ,
damnation. i%6 ^ Q divide.

Dw/^, fee r»yi*»«*. zW/* fee, *zW,

Death.

The Law is the nainiitration of death.
how. 310

See bypecrifie.

Deceive.
Todeceivi a mans ielfc, the greateft fol-
ly. f°*

A ChrifUan aymes~at the higheit </<rw
ofholinefle* »j«

Delight.
The deflate of aChnflian is in God- 4*1

Dejire.
7)efhe of the Soule double. 1 17

Drj5r«cvill 3 to bee purged, notfatisficd.

118

Dfj£vjerill when they beefatisficd, a

figne of Hods wraah. ibid.

That which we defire not alwaics good

foru5 4 n$

Doubting.
Inftances of doubting in difficult cafes* 7
Dounkenneffe, fee Vaffion*
"Dutie.
Some men performc no dniiei to God .6
Dtttiei performed rcmiffely, Hid.

Chriitian 5 re aJy 10 good ditties. 43 3
Duties way bee performed outwardly by
wicked men* $ 10

Dutiet difficult, what required to per-
formc them. i 71

Eafie.

The wayes of GOl> eajie to a renewed
heart. 1x8

Slefthn

THE TABLE.

Eleliion*
God ufcth a Ibcrty of tMm>

Element.
Holincfle ihc cto»* of a Chriftian. i? 8

Empty,
When a thing is faid to be empty
Sec creuute.

Enemy*
SpirituaU and tcm^orall enemas fubducd
DyCbnftai'Kmg. 380

Hell the wrf of evil! mens courfe. 188.

How farre itis needfull to thinke of the

eni in every ftep of our life, 196

End of the godly and wicked. 54«-547

Enmtty.
Bnmity betweenc a cat nail heart and
Gods Command- 334* 344

I hw fa& covenant breeds wwty. 3 18

Ene*Jt*
Godshandsmuftbc!eeneinew«/J. 95
Liking 10 eooftsin doing duties, an

evillfignc. ^

B^Hfs hid from men; 53*

£z/e»/$notdifpofed according to mens

ftrength or weakeneffe. J?4

Bv.nts not alway according to naturall

flicngth <-»r weakeneffe. 5 5 b

Execution.

Th&exfiCHthn ofc wicked men deferred.

54°
Excelled, Excellency.
Excellency different in God and the crea*
ture. 73

I Salomon «i«W in two things. 14*

Exalt.
Inftances of men exelting therofelves.

18 j
Of men exalting God. 'bid.

Evill.
God* Ml-fufncitncy to keepe us from
evill 4*

Adverfity not truely euU. j f x

E quail.
GodsC6mand otfcekinghimff(wi/. 4 7

Eye.
Thcluftsofthceye. 418

Vaith.
Faith the nature of it. x %

F#fHn the promifes purge the heart.

3*o

Faith the condition of rhe Covenant.

Faitb drawes other graces, how. 3 £1
Fd«b on akes the promiie to us 3 64.

Faith beft 3nfwers the C ovcraant. ibid.
Faitb receives the Covenant as a gifc.365
F4rtfe,howtoknowic istruc. 391

True Fai/& is operative. ibid.

Fait by as it receiyeth,is alike in all, 41 5
See irucfteJoolneffe t li(e/iibte9m.

Yaithfuii.
Faithfttttm accepted in mean thing$43 *
Nothing ours in ufing God* bleflings,
but ouxfaitbfufoejfre. 133

God enters into Covenant with the
faitbfull. 3x7

SecCwettfflf.

Faff.
The Saints gaine by their falls. if o

family.
The World Gods Family. 80

Favour.

Nothing can make us happy without

Gods favour, 8*

We were better want, than have thn^s

without Ltod&favo.'U i$o

Feare %

Feam vaine draw us from God. 14

Feare double no*

Dutie performed ontof/eir*. 43*

He that/Mrxrfr, will not meddle with

th:n

dungs doubtfuJL

He th iftamb, will ffcun occafom s * rro **rd; fee Imyuniy.

He that fear </J> fane, fc arc th conflant. _, Vnlmffe.

Whj/^c/finncin maily l a ft cl h not. , " h > lhcrc W*WeinCbrift. ,^

Hcethat/^r^finmeit, fearcthoiher ^ #

things lcaft. Jt g ~ .

Feme of man whence it is. < 2 a The Sainr. ,„• -j 74 '?*'.

EvcntshU ft., men, ,hat thcr mayj Thc Sa,at *f^b > thcirflip.; ,, c

Cod d^nrcth hi, ^e/,, different I3l

FctterjfccLttfts.
Fit.

Fhfh.
5/r/&,rheIutWit.

Floxnfl, Sec u4 fflia e <l
Foiiy.

1S°
43®

Godwdlnotlofcfcfe.fc, • J*«

9 ci>.

57«

148 ^•"'•ymenturne from him

Fotythevani-y

F«xfc,«ffioffuMh.,d robelccre. 10, I ^'^^•'"loo.Mchfiii!
Cod/o^/tawi.hout companion. 1,0 Goi weAr, uu *J

*»"# °» fi»nci a matcer of power W CenteW wi,h ««■ »•

Howtog«.ff U ra„ceof/ir^ fTO . "* G ^> bis ****« %>!>« a]J wa n ''

A^of/^^brccd.notca"!; *"'""'* beel «">l«d toeia ourwa £

leineiTc. '-.-, «

F.^^olYxnne apart of the Cov/. 1 him"" '* Can l»«* fit*

G^fc n6 hcforh 1 W tlftcfurfc »7

2*8

Fw/cc Service.

thiTtTBLE'

^e^Wby.Haccrc heart. iSi
Goa> w^cn* is caft away by aman. *6

good, Goodnejfe.
<5*<Lthe Author of it only God: x$
God* all-fufficiency to fill us with^.

Thccrcamrc can doc neither hart nor j

Gods command for mans g##^5 jnftan - ,
ccsin. ; n t0 [\

Gtubujji of God to make a Covenant )
with mam t X*°i

Wee ieoke upon the promtfesofGcd

asgwrf. 4I2

Goodotjk of aman wherein it confifts

4 f IO

TrecgW.

Fruit good*

Readineffctoj<w£

Pra&icetogooi

Profperity not trucly gfcrf.

SccUa\defirc.

Gmlt*

To bee waifaed from the {pit of finne,
what. SiS

I9«

bid.

Gw« cannot bee left as an inheritance

Grace is that a Chriftian travelled unto

Grace powerfully comunicatedby Chrifr

z 4
Grace, wicked men may doe much with-
outit. ' JU . 3°J

Gr^men (hould be valued by it 337
Grace incrcafed by knowledge.
Grace whence the want of it is.
$ztmterr»?tMn*

griefc*
0r;^>whenceitarifcth.

qrefitneffeM^QD.

Guiding,
A perfea heart lookes to God guid'mg

44?
44*

Halting*
Hating double.
HflJ/w&the caMfc of it

H*nd.

All things in Gads tofc. 49 *

All things in the hawk of the Mediator,

how. 499

Hand of God, when it isfecne m«u\ f 7*

Happineffe.
Happinefe defired l>y every man. 9

Htppmtfie, the creature cannot hclpe to
it. 34

See/ivw.

Hating,Hatred.

Harwg of finne a fignc of purky. J 17

H**^ or love notknowne by outward

things. S5*

He ape, fee Blejpng,

Hell, ice End.
Helpe 9 (ee Creature*
Heart.
Hcartjaow to keepcit^e.rfeft. 13

HMrf of a Chriftian proportionable to
the command. 2 *7

Heart unfound,what. a-*3

Heart untie and double. i^J

gfrfj pefteft,a fignc of it. ^f

Hf.^honeftvrhat "7

Hurt whole,\\hat. 1*9

Heart crooked, how difcovcred. 234
Heart, a Chriftians daily care to re.
forme it 2 *3

Heart renewed, how. 333

Heart, God onely knowes the fcverall
turoingsofic. A9°

He A rt>God only can amend it. 471

Hw*imperrca,feefo/fi.

Hypacnte

>♦-*■

THE TABLE,

Hypocrite, Hrpocrtfie.
Hypocnfiz commonly difcovcrcd before
dentli. 214

An Hyfcritt may do mnch without faith

Holwejfe.
H^UwJfr ihc clement of aChriirian, l<;8
Whit hinders men from Hohneflr, 341
HoUnc[fe { ol t o w es fa i t h . 3 4 f

Hope.
H«(vj vaine draw men from God, yj 4
/■/•p* double, 519

H^f dead, what, Ibid

Honour.
Honour Chrifr,why, Joi

Honour oftw o forts, I40

Chriftians exalt God in their honours^ %

Humble, Humihy.
God leave* impcrfc&ion to bumble us.

in
Humility the nurfe of graces, Ibid

God fii'ft humblech & then comfci tcth

Humility } 2 confequent of the Spirit. 4* 3

Hurt.
The Creatures have power to hurt evill
men, 481

The creatures cannot hurt the Saints. 4 8 3

Idol a try.

Idolatry i n even' ll n nc committed. X f

Idohtrj to overknee the creature, X56

Itrnorancefee Creature,

Impertinent*

Doing things impertinent, makes us

nvfle our time. 610

Impcrfettionjmperfett.

Imperfections^.' by they be left in us x 19

Imperfections left to Humble US, 111

A natural! man imperfect. 27 3

See abide lutts,

Impofible.
GODS commands not inapoCble, i\6

Immu table.
God is immutable.

Imp urc, Impurity .
Forward ncfTe a fruit of impurity; 3 1 o
Impure man, who. 718

Impurity an efTe&ofit. Ibid

I nft ability
Liability double, if

Inftrument.
The Creatures GODS instruments, 3 ?
Men GODS inftruments. 48

Integrity.
Integrity. 1x8

Integrity of the heart, axo

Integrity of the command, Ibid

Integrity of the mcanes. 230

Interruption.
Interruption in the graces of the Saints*

3 ox
True grace interrupted, how. 306

I^Vjthcgroundofitinpcrfircufion, 77
Icv,the caufe of ir, 495

7<»j,theauthourofit, Ibid

Sec Peace.

Iourney.
1-uroey, aChriftians life like it in five

things. 184

Theend of being here, istogoe aiour=

ncy, 19l

Iudge.
God isaiuftludge, 540

Jec Action,

Judgement.
ludgement of a perfect man changed.

27 6"

Iuflifie y I unification.

The wicked iuftified by menjhow* 2lo

Promifc* of iuftifkation a pait of the

Covenant, 4 68

Kk K

THE TABLE.

King*
Chrifh as Ki«£. what hee dotlw 375

Know, Knowledge.

Knowledge of God and our fclvcs, one

meancsofit, 111

Knowledge gained by the eye and by the

eare, 144

Knov/ things aright a propertic of per-

fednefTe. a 7 6

Knowledge of the truth its perfect workc

207
KnowIedge,the giving of it, a part of the
Covenant, *7 %

Knowledge, afigneofbemg in the Cor
venant, « 4* 6

Knowledge double. 4*7

Knowledge faving, two properties of it.

Ibid
Knowledge, an exhortation to it. 4 44
Knowkdgcrcquifite wheretherc is grace

466

Knowledg mortal better than wealth4f ?

Knowledge faving^he benefit of it. 4<6

Knowledge without pra£fcife,thc ground

of it. A91

Laughter.
Laughter the vanity of it, t+9

Law.
Lawjhowitijthecaufeoffinne, 544
law put into the heart what, 43 1

L.3W without and within thcminde,37p
The promife not made to the obedience of
the Law for three reafons 384

Terroursat giving oftheIaw,what tl»ey
fignificd Ibid.

lAWi the end of giving it, 3 8 f

Lawfttllfez Occajlan*
Leading SccTrutb.
Letter.
The firft covenant, the miniftf ation of

the Letter.

318

Liberty,

Thepower-af God in mans liberty, $1

GOD ufcth a liberty m tr/o things, 53 a

See EleElion.

Life.

The Covenant of grace the miniitratfon

of life. 320

Li fe holy comes from faith, 340

Light.

An vnfound heart wants light, %&i

Lo9ke y kz God.

Love.

L»ve to God incrcafed by beleeving for-

givenefTe. 1 1 6

Uyt fpirituall eatesout carnall delights.

Ibid.

The Covenant of grace the miniftration

oilorr $20

Duties performed with Uvr afignc of

faith.

?9*

Wicked men come not to God out of

love, 40 f

Lore to God and Chrift a confequcnt of

the Spirit 418

I*^e,whenceitarifeth. Ibid.

Lore of the creature finfull, how W know

iu a6o

The Saints&>£ themlelvcs as well aso*

there. 497

Ure makes fervkeablc to Godandman

5»3
See Bondage,

Low.

Things many times fucceede befl when

weare»W. 86

GodcanfatisfieinaW condition. 132

Lup.

2>/?;,fatiffyingofthcm the ground of
it. * 1

Luffs at Gods command. 123

I«^j,why they are fuffered to reaiaine in
Gods children. **4

Lujls why men d^irc of OTcrcommine ,
them, lz &\

L«h preraiJcovcran imperfect heart,, x*
l-ufts compared to fetters, lQQ

^thecaufcofunquietnefle. zi,

%sr bcc ovcrcomc br ™ n ~ s

^/ubdwcdbyChriir,asKing,

/.^(Iirrootcofthem,

preferred to three heads,

** God ean h «lc the ftrongeft . 4 , g
^cccyc.

r#JE TAELE,

176
4.8

Ibid'

Afinde*
Doublcrmfnded man, who.
Miferj&c Tim.

i 4 «

Afadneffe.
M'farje, an effect ofir,

MutetiM ufed to bring things topaft.io

Mtdnes good u fed, jbid'

God can doe great things by we.lce

t*c*net, * g

j AWi blafted by COD when wee truft
J them,

M«»es ufed by G D that wee thinke not

l<5s

^^/, Ioofeingmitehatthem, afignc

wccbelecve not GO D S All-fufnciency

AW, our pace in G0Z>S wayes miift
anfwerthem, 8

Scecomforr,inregrity,

Meditation.
MtdiutUn of die La w,a helpe to kcepe if,

MZLCHlzeDECK. * ?5

*W*f vMhis blcffing of ^r<W . , ,
^rff fee Covenant.
Meffenger.
Clint the j^ cVr f t h e Covenant,

^wafciofc god with all his

?{*!«>•<>, TftturalL

G0Da!<ersnoLawofN.u«r*. i 46?

The workes of G D in ».</*rr,what thev

mould teach us. p6

N«t*rf of things changed by G0D. x 18
Ihe creatures Jeadc aniwerablc to their

tf«»rw. lbid

MCMMff man knowcth not ipirituall

things.
Sec Imperfect.

I^eere ^ fee Wayes.
K£gl'tt,?{e<{ligencc.

tftffe? or the leafl actions a noteofunr
foundnefTe, l4 -

^/^ncfMufethus to miiTc the rioht
time, % u

Nothing new but grace. 14?

Oath.
The New Covenant confirmeJ by an

Obedience.
OW/^^thc pa -ts of it. 23

oytdieme to G O D, nothing loft by it.a ?
Cbcdtt* c imperfect, comfort in it, 10a
Obtdttmt^ God can make us yeeld it per*
fcdly, ifhfrwilfc IO j

Ohdirme, we girc nothing to COD by it, 1

106
0*c4emc 3 2n effect of faring knowledge,

4>0

Occafton.
La* full things to bee forborne, when
they berheoccp.fionsoff'., ic 104
Occasions ourwa d,fort,bIc t , .

K k * Office.

THE TABLE.

ling*

Offence,
Offence muft not be taken at Godsdea-

Office.

The excellency of Chrifts prieftly office,

*74
The excellency of kis propheticall office.

Office ofChrift as King 378

Seeperfwadc.

Opportunity.
Opportunity prefentmuftbe taken» 434
Opportunity prcfenr,motivcs to lay hold

onit. 4 1 6

Oppreffefee Promife*
Ordinances.
Ordinances, a perfect heart feeth God in

them, $if

Ordinances, how to know when we ufe

them aright by feaven things, $21
O fit ward.
Outward good things are the Lord?, 1 16
Outward things, feaven inconveniences

in them, 151

Outward enemies, victory overtherrya

part of the covenant, 379

Outward bleffings a part of the Cove-
nant, 440,476
Outward things hovr to neg'ecT: them. 496
Outward things, not to iudgc men by

them, 551

Outw" rd thi ngs, not to ioy or grieve over

much for them, 56*1

Outward things wee fhouU beweantd

from, 56a

Paffion.
Paffion caufeth men to mifle the right
time. 6e8

Paffion like drunkennefle. 6 op

Patience.
Patience its perfect workc,what, 300

rpath,
Pathes that men walk in,(jnne,an J righ-
teoufneffe. 104

Path in a Chriftians iourney threefold,

190
Chrift the path how, Ibid.

The Spirit the path how, / Ibid.

Path how to findeit,two wsyes. x 92

Peace.
Peace, Chrift gives it as King. 578

Peace fpiritaall a part of the Covenant,

Peace outward a part of the Covenant.

381
Pcace,Godfpcakesnotalway,to his peo-
ple, and why, 41$
Peace a confequentofthc Spirit, 4x1
The creature at peace with Gods children

484
Peace wicked men may have for a time.

Peace the end of the god I v, 54 6*

Perfett t PerfeElneffe.
Perfe&nes more or leffc from whence it is

rerfeftnes God perfwadesuntoit,and by
what argument, Ibid

^erfeft men have inter eft in Gods All fuf*
ficienn. 2 '4

Pcrfr £tnetfe a figne of it, 226

Perfect man his rule, 232

Z J erfea'u{Te,howtotryit, 2$?

Pcrfeanes, fixe- properties of it. 2 $6

Perfevere.
Why Chriftians pcrleverc in all conditi-
ons, 49 6
Perfwade.
The office of the holy Ghoft to perfwade.

488
God oneiy able to perfwade. 489

^ee AlfurTiriency,

PlainefcsWajes.

TUfc

THE TABLE

Place.
The creatures continue where GOP hath
place J them. 154

Sec content,

Pleafure*
Chriftianscxalr GOD in their pleafures

a8<

Power.
Tower ofGGD queftioned in doubting of
forgivneflfc, I * »

Vt>xrer of GOD to forgive finncs, 1 1 2

Prajfe.
Prsy/e, fecking it from men , the caufe of

it.

*9
I 4 s

III

40^417

Frdjftj grace brings it,

Thatlife.
Praftifeofgocd,
See knowledge,

'Prayer.
Spiritofprayer.

We arc more ready to prayer,than to give
thankes, and whv. 582

Preffe.
PrfJ/c hard to the marke, a property of
pcrfcoknelTe, 258,162

Preparation.
Preparations out ward net to bedifcoura-
gcd for want of them, 578

Principle Sec Courfe.
Pride.
Pride of life, 420

Promtfe.
Promifes of tie new Teftamcnt better
than oft! cold, 319

Promilc to /^/\*forw,d : fricultiesin it,3f $
Promifes all aceonylifhed in Chrift,j4o
Prom fes made furetousby faith, 364
The covenant on Gods part is a promife,

The covenant confirmed bypromife.367
Promife trade to Chrift, what, 387

Promifes made to us arc pafive. Ibid

Vromife of GOD two things in it, 397
Pron.ife how wee Iookc on it, 4 1 »

Promijes who they arc made to, 413

Premtfes wee fliould apply them to com -
fort us, 467

Vromijes of the covenant threefold, 4^8
Fromifej fliould be expe&ed by us, 47^
P™m/#/ 3 in (ranees of applying thcm,47 8
See £krift.

Profit.
Holy men exalt GOD in their profit„i 4 c

Pr'teflhood.
Prhpbood of Chri it, the excellency of it,

Prophet.
Whom Chrift teacheth as a proprieties
What Chrift teacheth us to know asProl
phct, i 74

Pormtfcuoujly.
GOD difpenfeth things here promifcuouf-
ly for foure rea fons, $34

Profperity, fee Cjcod.
Providence.
Providence of GOD proved by his Allfuf-
fieiency, 158

Providence of God proved by four things

*59

Providence of GOD feen in cafuall things

16!

Providence of GOD obferved by upright
men, 3x4

Pttrgeth.

Faith purgeth the heart, 346

'Purpofe.

Purpose of God fir me, 77 8

Purpofe of man defeated by GGD\ 579

'Purgatory.

Purgatory refuted, 507

PurtfiejPuritie,

Puritv what. Pure

Pui c hearr carts out finne, 2 10

A perfect heart purifies it felfe, 147

Kk 3 Tg

THE T ABLE.

To purific a mans felfc, a consequent of ',

ths bpirit. 4 * 9

* o be pure what, 5*4

Pure man who, 5*7

guietnefre*
Quictneflc of fpint an effect of fincerity «

l°9
Lufts hinder quietueffe, 3 f x

Rankest Divide.

ReaCon*

Gods t cemrnands arc grounded on reafon,

32.64

Regenerate.

Regenerate roen,thecaufe of their une-

venneflc* 7

Refroches.

Reproches,why we are (o fenfib'e of them

Rejoyce.
Reioyce in our f elves we muft not, jo i

Repentance.

Repenta