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■■■■1 If II

Die Jovis, 3 1 Jain, 1 645 .

ORdered by the Lords in Par- liament, That Mafter <Bajliei who preached yefterday before the Lords of Parliament in the Ab- bey-Church fFe/Iminfler , it being the day of the Publike Faft , is hereby thanked for the great pains he took in his Sermon 9 and defi- red to print and publifli the fame; which is to be printed by none but fuch as (hall be authorized by the laid Mafter Baylie.

fob Brown, QlerSParliamentomm.

Ids appoint Samuel Gcllibrand to prim my Sermon.'

Robtrt Baylie.

ERROURS

.And

INDURATION,

ARE

The (jreat Sins and the Cjreat

judgements of the Time.

Preached in a

SERMON

Before the Right Honourable

Houfe of P e e r s , in the Abbey- Church at Weftmnjler.^ July go. 1 645. the day of the Monethly Faft :

By Robert Baylie3 MinlftcratG/^*.

2 Theff. 1. 1©, n> 11. Becaufe they received notthe love of the Truthy that they might be faved ; Goijhall fezi them ftrong delufions that theyjhidd believe a Lye ; that they all migbp he da-nnei who believed not the Truth.

Matth. 7. 1 5. Beware of falfe Prophets, which come to you in flyers clothing, but inwardly they are raveniug wolves.

Matth. is. 14. Let them alone, they be blinde Leaders of the Blinde : and if the Blinde lead the Blhde, bob fall fall into the Ditch-

. ■ ;

London 9 Printed b) R.Raworth, for Samuel ' Gellibr -and, at the Brafen-Scrfsn: in Patds Church-yard. 1645.

I

FOR

The Equitable

READER-

OWfoever 1 have not adventured to' offer unt*

the Right Honourable Houfe of Peers any Dc-

dicatorie Epiflle d having taken up alreadiefo

much of their fretious time i tot their patient

andfavourable audience of my (prolix enough}

Sermon : Tet prefuming upon thy courtefie%

who fhalt be willing to reade the fubfequent Notes efthat which

to their Honours was preached, without any variation \ I have

made bold to fpeak^ in thy cares (as the cufiome is) fame wordt

*ef a Preface.

At the frft inft ant of my calling to this fervice , the words of my Text were cafl into my minde, Where they remained without my leaft inclination towards any other y till J had delivered from them What follotyeth 1 have been for a long time in the opinion^ that Err our and Induration are,albeit not the only3yet among the principally both fins andmiferies of this time and place.

A Hard-

The finfulnefs of Induration*

Error no leffe finfullthen

Hardneffc of heart is ever afinne, but then moft finfull, when- moft unfcafionakle. If ever there Was a time to weep J his thuft be ity when not only the mouth of the Lord from his Work is caking, but his hand alfofrom the Heaven is drawing us to it. He is a fiubborn child, from whofe eye the rod of the Father can draW no water: It is a hard ft one which the hammer cannot brcakj It is a piece of unnaturall metall wich the fire cannot diffelve. And jet this is the complaint of the be ft difcerning Chriftians every Where > That though the Lord at this inftant be dealing with us by the rod, the hammer, the fire of his judgements ;. we are fo far fromhean-melting , that in this extraordinaric anduntimom hardnejfe of our hsart , more of the Wrath andjudiciallhandof Cod doth appear, then in any, or in aU our judgements be fide.

This plague of the Lord, on the fpirits not only of the World^ hut of many- his. dear children , ought to be thefubjttt of our deepeft grdar.s, and lowdeft cries to the Heaven^ whence alone the remedie of this our fpirits difeafe can come : For there is but one Father, and one Lord, and one Phyfitian of the fpirits of men* My Weakjndeavours towards this great Cure,muft befruitlefis, till his hand make the application of thefe prefcriptions , which with allthefaithfulnefe and care I Was able for the time, 1 have coll: Bed only out of the beokjfhis oWn method of P by fie k»

As for the ether eviH of Err our ; it hath been the fiudie and wor"kj)f fome here and elfieWhere to extenuate the finfulneffe there* of9 and to arme the confidence of aU they could perfiWade, again ft thefienfie of its burthen 'y as if the confidence ought to be impene- trable and fiecure from all Wounds which vice andflejhly lufts doe not inflitl. Rut I believe, ifErrour and Vice were Well weigh- ed in the ballance of the SanBuarie , though you pat to vice the grofftfl aggravations, whereby the pafiflons of the foul, and aEHons of the bodie make it juftly abominable : yet ifyouWitlalloWto Err our but the grains of its ordinarie circumftances, efpecially that one of our T< xt, Induration, its moft familiar companion ; it will be found to have fuch a Wei gin of malignities that if be* twixt the two any inequality do appear , the finf nine fife of the laft will pra-ponder.

The intoxication of the.fipirit of the minde by the venome cf

Errour^

- N

Errou%, *r ** much contrarie to the Divine Nature and Will, is

as much bate fall to the Spirit of light and truth, and as evidently

damnable, as the corruption of the will, and infer iour affetlions9

or any member of the bodie with Whatfoever vice, or more bodily

tranfgreffion. 1 hope I have proved this by places of Scripture

wander able.

Whence it necefarily followeth^ that it is more, at leafl no lejfe

unlaw full for a Chriftian State to vivc any libertie or toleration Toleratlon ™ t- ; r . & J. . i „ .„ r , . errours, a eric-

to Errours 9 then to fet up in every Citte ana Farijh of their Y0Ug flIU °

Dominions, B or dels for Vncleanntffe, Stages for Playes , and Lifts for Duels* That a libertie for Errours u no lejfe hatefaH t to Cjod, no lejfe hurt fall to men, then a free dome without anypu- mfhment , without any difcouragement, for all men, when and wherefoever they pleafed, to kill, tofteal, to rob, to commit adul- tery, or to do any ofthefe mifchiefs, Which are mofi repugnant to the CivilllaW, and defiruEhive of humane focietie*

But that Which my Text points at in Errours, is notfo much ~, e

their finfulneffe, as their judgement ; That God in his wrath had our tjme 3p. givers over that people to errour. If ever the plague of erring pear to be jw- from the wayes of truth Was fent upon a land, itfeems this day to diciall. ly e upon us. The linger of God in this our judgement, is demon* fir able by divers Char a tiers, imprinted upon the face of our pre* fent Errours, above all that in ordinarie (andnotjudiciall Er- rours) ufeth to appear. 1 point at four eminent Jingular it ies in them: Their various multiplicity ,T heir palpable evidence, Their incredible increafe , and in the midfl ofuniverfaM complaints a* gainfi them, A tot all negleB of their cure.

riety.

fir ft, their variety is prodigious ; I cannot fay that all which ; ^

ft and in the ancient Herefeologies of Philaftrins, Epiphanius, V B? tficir *** or Auguftine, e an be found among us, or Were ever to be found ' upon Earth in any one age : But this may be confidently aver* red9 That more Errours have fet up their head, and fhewed their mif-fha^en countenances lately here, then in any one place of the world this day are knoWn. I adde, that there is not any Errour fpoken of in the places mofi infamous for that evill, whether Am- 'fterdam;<?r Pole, or Tranfilvania^W/fy^ pleafe tojoyn aX the

A z three

three in one, but &U are among mt and divers mote, then in any ofth places mentioned were ever heard of

2* lS *£* / T}f*vld*nce ■ tht" tQ ™*fiems palpable ; that however at grofTeneffe. their frfi appearan:e they did waken a great expeclatio*, by their

T«* n,w ^ PrJifiS °fNe*~L¥r> ofNerv-fwnd-Truths, of New-

\&&«* »^^&™**^^f«K: yetaftera little infrcti:.

Innovators is °" *"* com™™ to un-m gaged and im-prejudicaU mindes\ they

nothing but ff !™"d to bene other, but the very fame dead hare aC€S of old

olddarknefTe. Hcrcfics and Schifmts , which by the happie labours of the

. Reformed Divines in this and other Churches, lay buried in

thnr grave of oblivion and abomination, till their late insult

rejHTretliott. J J

!££££. , TU, "'l^f^ian.Protejtamfme which the other day fo much bewitched the Court And Country, U now fee* L tVt'l "«*"***"»«& 'Popery, but a kid, path-royall

1 "JT'A S.ch»h*tel«n> Herefie, Treachery, L merctltjfe blooilhed. J>

TheAntino. Thefe Gofpell-truths, thefe fweet Sermons of Freer*, thai

— feningupofnakedChriftonhtsThrone, WhL kJfStSl

many thoufands ofWell-meamngfouls,do now appear in their oL

colours and to any common eye may befeen to be nothing but M

groffe Antinomy of the old Libertines. 6

The Anibap- Sfyjfi innocent firup/es of tender confeiences only about th,

..ft, grounds of Pedo-baptifme , whnher have they JwlZ foml

mt/Uons, not of the Worfi of our people ? See we nit, that wiihZ

any leave fi much as asked of the Magnate, very {Zt

Xl;|f ^eeretledby then, if firJall a-JJowed

Tk Lib,r- Thefe fpechm and popular Invectives againil Tjrann-e

and PerficuHon • thoje plauf.ble Harass fit a Kljj only to examine Without prejudice, Mat Was proponed undell name of a Dtv.ne Truth ; Whether, at lift , h*th"Zrrti muhnud-s Wr, efieem themfclves among the ^KSS

A u i uVe thcj n0t °P""d> " tht W of our facets thef Pantheon *f Paganijb Rome; refodtely eZJZTan Solute Freedom fir Turi<S, Jews /p^ /pffJaTd

if

if there he any Worfe Religions , not onely to live in all quiet- ntjfe among us > but to be permitted y Without any Difcou- ra<rernent , to follow their Confciences ; andfo to employ them- fives daily , in the m$ft advantagious places; private or pub- like , With fo mack art anh diligence as they can ufe , to draw all the World toward their Wicked Prbfejfions f

And not to run out upon all the resl of our old renewed The Tndepcn- Errours , that fo much-extolled Independency > Wherein many dents. Relight** fouls for the time do Wander , Which is the chief hand that opened at firfl , and heepeth open to this day the door to all the other Enours that plague us : what is it fife but a Limb, or rather , the large half of the Body of old Brow- Apohget. Nar. nifm t as its own Patrons confejfe, a middle Way betwixt the Reformed Churches and the Brownifls ; the fame Way Whi.h Morellius ( feduced by the Dutch Anabaptifis ) did la- bour to bring into France ; but by B.Z3 and Sadaell, in two Generail Affemblies , it Was fo fully confuted, that to this <L*y all the Churches thre do detefi it : Yet Bolton and BrownWould needs bring it into England.

Thefetwo are the k*own gathers?} English Independen- cy ; men whofe Inventions cannot be much loved , for their authors fake > when they are well known. Among all the Pro* tenant Divines that ever England bred, I doubt if Robinfcnsju- any have been more fcanddous either in life or d^ath y then tht ftif.p.50. two former , as their chit f followers are forced to acknowledge. Few PreUticaR men have gone beyond BoWH in Profani- ty , from his Youth to his Oil-age : And Judas himflf Was no more abominable then Bolton in his d-ath.

2 have oft marvelled how the Invention of fo infamous Authors conld be entertained by men of und^rfi^mdlncr^ e'Jpeci- dfy fincc Gsd didf>!>;xtf brand that their Conception with the Markj of his Disjlezfure , not onely in its Birth, but in ail the p*jf>iges of its Life t Wherever yet it hath fet foot on ground.

The fruits of Bolton and BroWnS*' Independency, at A,n- jfC>cg?t. H*r. ftcrdam have been fo eminently fcandalous , that its own friends can finds no cover of exeufefor tktvt*

A 3 Ihe

Edmrds Aiu The Diviftons and Rents that fp rang from the fame root

tipol. when it was planted infome better ground, at Arnhem andlko-

terdani, have been no lejfe unhappie and bitter.

But that which demon fir at es the Genuine Nature of this Plant , is its fruits% in New-England , Where , without any Incumbrance from without or from within , having all the Ad- vantages Civil and Ecclefiaftick^ which could be wifhed • it got leave to put out its full ftrength : In a fbort time thcre% it brought forth fach a multitude of groffe Herejies andDivifi- ons, 04 did threaten not the Churches alone , but the Civil State alfo with a tot all Ruine.

If our Hopes of it here may be much better , for any of its fruits which yet we have tafted, wife men will pronounce*

5. By their in- The third Char after wherewith the linger of God hath

crcafc. ftigmatized the Err ours of this place, is , Their Incredible en-

creafe : It can hardly bejbewn Where Err our, in fo fbort a time, hathmade fo great aConquep : For however , as I am infor- med , all the Fowls that yet have made their Nefi in thelafi Branch whereof wedidfpeal^y may e a fly be numbred , being no ways fo many as fome Would make them 3 yet\if yelookjspon the Whole Tree in all its Branches, it will be found to have drawn under its fbadoW a marvellous multitude of Creatures. Thefe lafifouryeers, it feems, more people here have made Apoftacie to me Errour or other , of \ their own accord , without the violence of any Perfection , then in all the Reformed Churches together for an hundred yeers and above. Errour of it felf is of no fnch conquering firength, did not the fuflice of Cod give men over to be captivated by its Delufions*

By mens The fourth Demonftration of a Divine Judgement in our

uegle&ofth«i* Errour s , is this. That though they have been univerfaUy ac- Cure. knowledged and regrated, yet to this day their effetluaU Cure

hath been WeMneer univerfaUy neglected. It is now not Moneths, but Teers , fince upon the faithfull Warning of the Lords Mef- fengers, aH men, every Where, have joynedto acknowledge and to profeffc their diftUafure at the ^reading of Errour over the

face

face of this Land : No Societies more f nil of thefi Corny hint t then the three moft Confiderable , The two Honourable Heu- fes y and The Reverend Affembly ; But yet, after all the fe Re- grates , What r 'tall ft op hath been made to the Current of this oversowing Deluge ?

Thefe are a great part of our Judgements 5 Which the god- Our com fore ly, in the days of Humiliation 9 and When elfe their hearts are and hope. loofedto mourn, do deplore. Yet here is our Comfort , That, in anfwer to our Supplications, the Lord hath ft irred up t he- hearts of thofe Who have power tfetlually to minde that Which We are confident Will prove the Remedy of thefe and many more of outprefent Evils ^ J mean, The fitting up , Without further Delay r of tht Lords Government in his own Houfi , over all the Land.

The Whole Government bein? tranfmittedfrom the Affem- blyy and looked upon by both Houfes With a gracious AJpetJ, and fundry Votes already paft upon the chief parts thereof •> it is certainly expected , that in a very Jhort time the Whole Frame fhall be ere Bed , and not onely be accompanied With the joyfuH Acclamations of this Land, and of all the Churches abroad % but alfo filled With fo much Grace and Power from the prefence of the Lord, as /hall prove an heavenly Attratlive , Without"1 any need of humane violence , to draw the Jpirits of thofe Who for the time do moB dijfent and oppoft, to its admiration and live. Waiting and praying for the fight of that hapfie day y :

lresl,

Thy Servant,

in the Lerd,

<&» B >

A Sermon preached before the Right Ho nourable the Houie of Lords, July 30. 1645.

Ts a 1. 63. 17. Lord^ why baft thou wade ut to err e from thywAjs^ and hardnedour hearts from thy fear f Return for thj fef- vjmtsfake^ the Trtbes of thine Inheritance.

N this and the two next Chaptcn, we rU Vhafm / have a heavenly Conference and Dia- tbcCbqrer.

logHe betwixt 'Chrift and the Church of IrrAel) in the time of her affliction

in Babel.

The Dialogue hath Three or Six parts : Three Queftionscf the Church, and Three Anfwers of- CI ift. In the firft verfe of this Chapter, we have the fir& Que- Thfirjlp,- ftion and Anfwer. The Church, a:ou: that time of the Captivity to which this part of the Prcpheciereiaceth, w:s iriuch eppreftd with many Enemies,Gcd,atter all his wrath, begins to anle, and take order with them who ions hai devoured her ; efpecially with tdam , the ncereft and meft bitter Enemy of Jacob, When the lees t;.eludden and un- expected Vengeance on Edam, admiring who could be the

B author

A Sermon preached be fen the Right Honour able

The Vottrine.

The fecond pttrt $f the Chapter.

ThefirftVe*

Brine.

tbefecmd*

author and worker of it , (he propofes the Queftion , Who he was that had deftroyed Bo^ra , the principall City of the Edomites , and was marching in his great and glorious ftrength from the Land of Ed&m , the fervice there being en- ded, to other of the Enemies Countreys.

Unto the Churches Interrogation, Chrift aniWers , That it was he himfelf, who now , by his works, was demonstra- ting the truth of his ancient promifes , and Viewing the might of his power to fave his people from the Enemies op- preffion.

Obferve , When the Chttrch hath ^r eft led long Vrith her ene- mies, andis ready to faint and give over ; on afudden, Chri/t, tht King and Captain of the Hesl o/Tfrael, comes dow*, and breaks the ftrength of the prevailing enemy 5 to the Church her great admiration.

The fecond part of the Dialogue is in the next five verfes. The Church finding it was her Lord and God who was be- gun to take vengeance on her enemies ; before he go, (he is defirous of more conference with him , and propofes a fe- cond Queftion , Wherefore his Garments were red, as if he had been treading a Prefie of red wine ?

The Lords Anfwcr is , That the kt time of his Venge- ance upon her Enemies was come : That though her ftrength was gone , and among all her friends there was none able to ftand againft her foes ; yet he alone would doit , and by his own Arm had deftroyed already fome of them with fo great a daughter, that ail his glorious Raiment was ftained with the blood of the flain.

Hence obferve, firft, When the condition of the Church u moft defy crate upon earth, then is the day and honr of her certain re- tireffe from heaven*

The Church , defertedof her f elf and aU men wife, hath fine fa ft friend, Who alone is Worth many Ten thoufands9 able to draw her out of all deeps.

In

the titufe of Lords , July 30. 1645. 5

~~" - — — — — — ^— — ^ . ■»

In the day of the Lords Anger , Vco to aS the enemies of ' the ~* ... Church. When the Lord begins to trample them in the Wine- n a -

prefle of his Indignation \ if there were no more but the dafti- ing of their bodies in pieces, the watering of the ground with their blood, and the ftaining of the garments of their killers therewith ; if no more followed, it were well to them : But they mutt drink after death in the Gup of the 'everlafting fary of the Almighty, as fob* comments it, Rev. 14.10. 7 hey fh all he tormented With fire and brtmftone for ever and ever*

In the third part of the Dialogue from the feventh verfe, the Subdmfio* theChurch finding her Deliverance fenfibiy begun , but not °f the tbird ^ accompliflied ( for though Edom was deftroyed , yet Babel fArt' was fitting like a Queen over the Nations, andmoft over the rubbifh of defolate ferufalem ) (he turns her fclf to her prefent Redeemer, and moft humbly fupplicates him to per- recT: what he had begun 9 To deliver her fully from the great burdens both of fin and mifery that yet lay upon her. This Prayer is fetdown in the remnant of this Chapter , and all the next ; whereunto a large and gracious An fwer is retur- ned by Chrift in the 65 Chapter, thcrow the whole.

The firft: part qf the Prayer is Thankfgiving, from the ltsfirfl™mto- feventh to the fifteenth.

To prepare their hearts for petitioning , they lay out before the Lord the great goodneffe which he of old had bellowed On the houfe of lfrael , his wonders in Egypt , his glorious works at the Red Sea and in the Wilderneffr, the conftancy of his kindneffe, notwithftanding their Rebellion and vexing of his Spirit : Though fometime he punilhed them for their fins, yet he never left them , for the glory of his Name , and the Multitude of his mercies : Not onely Mofes6is Shepherd, but the Angel of his Pre fence went before them : He Was afflibled in all their afflictions ; he bare them, and carried them in his arms all tbefe days of old thorow that howling Wildernefie. This is the Churches Preface to her fubfequent Prayer.

Hence obfcrve,firft, Tb*nks&vi*£ * the meeteft ufber Which fo-f/^ Vo*

B a aP€~

A Sermon preached before the Right Honourable

Ikefeccnd.

The thrl

Thtfecdnd member.

The mater of the 1 5 wrft.

4 Petitioner can have to the Throne of Grace, Praifc perfume* the lips of a Supplicant; it fweetens, it fofttns, it opens the heart of a Seeker, and fits it fingularly to receive all its dtfire* from God,

The kinkntfie of God in the days ofMofes^nd the moft ancient times, is the Churches Inheritance to the Worlds end. All the favours of Gcd regiftred in Scripture, all the gracious ex- periments of the Saints in any time, in any place, are our Pa- trimony , ferving as ruled Cafes, to ftrengthen our Faith, Hope and Patience in the days of our adverfity.

The fins of many perfons , remove not the favour of God from an elitl Nation. There is no interruption of the courfeof mercy towards a People, by the deftruclion of many par- ticular perfons. Great Vengeance may be upon Thouiands, tht carcafes of Ten thoufands may fall in the WildernerTe , c- ven of Mofes himfeif , and many of the Shepherds both of Church and State ; and yet the Lord may gracioufly march on before his People, till he have fetled them and his Ark is peace on his holy mountain.

The Prayer confifts of Petitions , Complaints , ConfefliV ons of fin, Profcflionspf faith, inrertexed one with another, as the holy paflions of the Supplicants hearts do mix them.

In the fifteenth verfe,. there is a Petition backed with a Complaint. The Lord for a long time had left his People to- the outrages of their Enemies, he had as it were left the earth , gone up to the heaven, and miskent all that the Enemy had dene to his People : Now therefore they petition that he might be plea fed to look down upon them from his ho- ly and glorious Throne in the heaven. For this is the ftrange faith of the Church , That flie is perfwaded fo far of the power and gocdnelTeof her God, at that very time when he hath left her to fink in rmfery for her ( fences ; that even then, if he would but look back to her, in never fo far a diftance ; if from the very heaven, the place of his retiring, he would behold her on the earth overwhelmed with mifery ^ fiie is hopefcll, if flae come but in the fight of her

gracious

the Heufe of Lerds^ July 30. 1 645 .

gracious Lord 9 he would not fail to take pity upon her, and deliver her.

To this Petition, a Complaint is fubjoyned, of the re- ftraint and withdrawing of Gods ancient favours: Some- times his zeal and ftrength had been employed in her defence, his mercies , the tender bowels of his companions,, had been extended towards her j but now all fenfe of iuch favours were away.

This complaint, left it fhould irritate, is prefently correct- The matt€r CF ed in thefixteenth Verfe, with a fair profeillon of Faith,ibo vq tbs fmeenth- and againft all prefent fenfe, however the beams of Gods loving countenance did not then fhine upon them, as at fome other time; yet they profede their certain pcrfwafion, that God was their Father : Though Abraham and Ifrael , and all their bodily Progenitors flaould caft them away, as unworthy to be counted their. children ; yet they did oeieeve, that their everlafting and unchangeable God would not caft them off, but deal with them as children, notwithstanding of all their > mifdefervings>

As for the words in hand in the feventeenth Verfe , the ?tetin>V*wrf Church goes on topowreout herfpirit before him, whom theTexta fke. beleeves to be her Father, in the midft of all her afflicti- ons, in a new complaint and petition. The complaint hath two parts^ and the petition is backed with a twofold Reafon 1 The firft part o£ the complaint is in thefe words, 0 Lord, why haft thou made userrcfrom thy wayes ? the fecond part h thefe, Why haft thou hardned our heart f from thy fear ? The petition is, that he would return after his long absence. The firG: - reafon, They were hUfervants ; the fecond, They were his inheritance. Let us confider feveraliy ^ the minde and ufc of - every part.

As for the firft part of the complaint , four things is TtjeExpoji it would be exponed ; Firft, What are the wayes of the tftejrfi?f% Lord. Secondly, What it is to erre from his wayes. Third* ly, HowGodmakes men erre from his way. Fourthly, How the Church complains of this divine action* Three of thefe particulars are eafie, and may be difpatched in a ty*xd but iuthe fourth there is no iittledifficuity>

3 3 Fear.

6 ^A Urmon preached before the Right Honourable

What are ike Por the firft ; Gods wayes here, arc his Commandments,

m;esofGod. fa]\ 0f holinefle and rightecufnefle ; they are called Gods wayes, becaufe of their fimiiitadc with his nature, that is, holy, righteous, and true : All his Commandments, and conversion, are according to the ftrait rule of his eternall, and effentiall holinefle, righteoufnefle and truth. Secondly, Becaufe they are his I aw and Prefcription,his will prefcribes them as a way to his creatures to walk in. Thirdly, Becaufe of his prefence therein, in that way he is to be found : He is gracioully prefent, and doth conntenance all that walk intoik Fourthly, Becaulc of their end ; they lead to God, they are the ftrait way, wherein the godly walk, till they come to the glorious palace above. What it U f The fecond point, To erre from thefe wayes, is to fin, as it errefrom tbefe is expreflTed Pjal. I ip. 8, IO. To wander from G*ds Command. wi)eu nants. When we leave Gods way, and run out on the right

hand, or the left, to the wayes of our own blinde minde, and corrupted heart 5 our falfe opinions againft Gods truth ; bur wicked inclinations and actions againft his holy nature, and revealed will ; all of this kinde is our erring from his wayes. WwGod makes But the great difficulty is in the third, How the Lord men to erre. caufts us to erre from his way 2 This Would feem to make God the caufe and author of fin, which is a horrid blaf- phemy againft many Scriptures, and all reafon. Toefchew this huge, great, and intolerable inconvenience , fundry fa- mous interpreters do tranflate the originall other wayes then we read it ; Not , why haft thou made or c unfed us to erre ? y but, Why baft thou fuffered or permitted us to erre? So Juni- us an excellent trarilator : And many hundred yeers before him , the Chaldee Paraphraft did render it , Why haft thou caft us away to errefrom thy wayes f This interpretation is approved by very Learned and Orthodox Divines, who bring this reafon for it , That the Hebrew word here, is not (imply in the aftive form, not in Kal% but, as they fpeak, in Hipbil, whofe fignification oftentimes is not to make or caufe, but to permit.

Indeed,

the fltufeef Lords, July 30. 1645,

Indeed, this transition dees efchew fully the difficulty.; The Grammari- yet we dare not venture upon it; for as itieems it were to ^folmimtf make too bold with the Scripture. The Septttagens, the an- ^ff^/^ cient LatiHy the French, the Dutchy the Italian 9 and many more, reads it juft as our Englijhy why baft thou made us to errefrom thy ftayes t The Grammaticall reafon alleaged, hath no ftrength in this place ; for be it fo, that Hebrew Verbs in Hiphil, fometime have a permiffive, and not an active fenfe ; though this in any word is very rare, and the examples al- leaged, are very queftionabie ; yet for the Hiphil of the word in hand, we deny that ever it can be fo exponed. A number of places of Scripture may be produced where Hithah mud be actively exponed, as here our tranflators read it; but not one, if it be not this in queftion , can be brought where it maybe exponed of a meer permifllon, without fome agency and operation upon the erring and feduced perfon, Wc dare not truft the folving of fo weighty a difficulty upon fuch a meer Grammatication.

Holding therefore to our vulgar tranflation , How does f& matter of a Cod caufe us to erre , and yet is not the Author of our er- finfaff *8'™ touts I For the undemanding hereof, we mud diftinguifli ™fa?/jr£tJ fin, and the adions of God about fin. In fin there are two forrTU things, albeit infeparably joyned, yeteffentially diitinc"r ; The matter and form, the atl and its pravity ; the one is naturally good, the other morally evill : This is vifitL- in two aftions whofe matter is the fame, but the forms much different; For example, the ftoningof Naboth, and the ftoning of A- chan* thefubftanceof theaftions, the cafting of the ftones at both,was the fame ; but the forms was much different : The cafting at an innocent man , and at a man condemned by God, and all Ifrael; the one form makes the ftoning of Na= both an ad of unjuft murder, the other form makes the fto-. nkig of Acharty an acl: of juft puniihment.

The ads, not of Gods will and decrees, for fuch con- rhree tfisof cern not the words in hand, but of his aduall providence Gods efeffua 2 about the matter and form of fin, are many : The mod providence at &* confiderable of thefe to us,for opening of our Tcxt^are three 1 f*.

Hi»

g A Semen prtac fad hefcre the Right B$n$uraile

His concourfe, his efficacious permiflion, his judicial! tradition, fotofpeak. i. Jnatlive For the firft , the Lord hath an actual!, yea, an active

concourfe in the concourfe ; and if you will, an efficiency in every act of fm% fubflance of the fo far as concerns the fuhftance or matter of the finfull action, action ; for m him we live, We move, and have all our being , in

the moil: finfull action , the matter of the ad being a pofi- tive entity, it mull be a naturally- good thing, and have its exiftence from the firft and univerfall mover, the fountain of all Being : Without this kinde of efficiency and concourfe, Shimei could not have moved his tongue to curfe David, nor Dotg drawn his fwprd to have killed the Pritfts : When God denies this kinde of concourfe , (in is neceiTanly (topped : When he removes the life of the two Captains, they cannot Oppreflfe Eliah. When God leaves the life, but takes away the fight from the Sodomites at Lots door, and the power from the arm of Jeroboam, their fin is impedite. When by fufpending of his operation, he takes away the will from David to Will N aba/, though both life and power remained, the fin is marred But for fuch kinde of working in the (inner, and cooperation with the finfull act , Sin ufes not to be afcribed to God, more then the generation of living Crea- tures, to the motion and influence of the Heavens 5 for effects are denominate from the fecond and particular caufes, not from the firft and univerfall, though their efficiency and concourie be never fo neceffary and certain. 1. An'ffita- The next action of God about fin is, his efficacious per- ms permifpon of miffion ; This for its object, hath not onely the matter and thefmfulneffeof fubftance of the finfull ad , but its very form, its pravity, its the £it, anomy, its finfulnefle : This malignant quality is a morall

evill, and fo cannot be of God, who is goodnefle it felf ; its a privation and defect, and fo the caufe of it is not efficient, but deficient. If we would render the caufe of a lame mans crooked walking, we behoved to diftingutfh betwixt the walking, . and its crookedneffe : The walking we would afcribe to the motive power of the mans foul, and to the inftrurrients of motion in his body; butthecrookedneffeof

it.

the Houfe of Lords , July go. 1 645,

if, to the defect and hart of fome inftrument of motion, not to the fool, or to the faculty, or to the inltrument of moti- . on, butonely to fome defecl: of the inftrument. So thefin- fulneflfe of fin is to be afcribed not to any efficiency of God, but to the deficiency of mans will, which now is finfull , and before fin, was weak, as being made of nothing, and fo able to change it felf from good to evill ; but however, the finfulnefle of fin cannot be charged on Gods either . efficiency or deficiency , yet it maft exift by his free per- miflion ; for nothing can hdve any exiftence in the world, any being in the dominion of God, without the leave and permiflion of the great Lord and Matter of the World.

Thatadtionof God which in refpedfc of fin is called a This is really permiflion, in regard of the (inner is a defertion : This con- one thing with fidered, will help to clear that which is the hardeft knot in defertion. this matter j the efficacy that is faidtebe in the permiflion, and yet without all efficiency of the permitter, in the finful- nefle permitted.

This matter which naturally is exceeding dark, will be bed: feen in fimilitudes : When the Sun. goes down, the dark- nefle of the night neceflarily doth follow; when the Sun declines towards the Southern fignes of the Ztdiack , the Winter blafts certainly do come on; the Sun the fountain of light and heat, in propriety of fpeech, cannot be called the caufe of the nights darknefle, or of the Winters cold ; yet thefe, as ordinary and neceffary confequents, are ufually afcribed to the Suns removal!. Hot water removed from the fire, becomes incontinent cold : A ruinous Wall, when its props are removed, falls quickly to the ground : The coldnefTe of the water flows not from the fire, but from its own nature ; the falling of the Wall comes from the natural! heavinefle of the (tones, which, without the impediment of afupporter, makes them to tall downward. It is fo with God and man ; when he withdraws, we become dark as midnight, cold like Ice, we fall to tke ground.

Thefe ertl&s neceflarily follow his defertion, but not as efflclsjonelyasconfequents; their proper oau^ii neither

C, in

io A Sermon prucbed bef$rc the Right Hon$urablc

in God,nor hi6 removall ; but in our nature, which of it felf* fince the fall, is full of thefe malign qualities.

This kinde of providence about our (ins , is expreffed in words of the active form, of blinding the eyes, and hard- ning the heart : Not that the Lord infufes any dark nefle or hardnefle in the heart, which is not its own ; but becaufe up- on the removing of his illuminating and ioftning Spirit , the naturaii blindnefle and hardnelfe of mans fpirit , lurking be- fore, doth then appear. Gods third The third adtion of (Sod about fin, is that which I did call,

aa;on,is,a Ju- a Judiciall Tradition, when God, asajuft Judge, punifhes diciall Tradi- {in by fin; when he gives over mennotonely to their own tion. heart, but to the devil and his inftruments to be tempted, fe-

duced and drawn away to commit wickednefie withgreedi- neffe. However all the finfull actions be immediately the works of the (inner alone, and the upftirring to thefe actions be from the devil and his inftruments, laying argument^ ob- jects and eccafions , as baits and fnares, in the way of the (inner ; yet God, as a juft Judge, (ending out Satan and men as his executioncrs,and making way for mens own lufts to break out on the objects fet before them-.For thefe acts or Judgment, both in our Text , and of it elfe where in Scripture , the caufc of mens fins, not as they are fins, but as punifhments or fin, is afcribed to him, 2 Thejf.2. 10. Becaufe they received not the love of the truth , God /bait fend them ftrong dclufions to be- lieve a lye. He was to fend on them The Man of fin , *>hofe coming is after the Working of Satan, ^oith all power 3 and With all deceive ablenejfe. The committing of the fin is afcribed to the (inner, who believes the lye ; the tempting to it, is afcri- bed to Satan and his Antichriftian Inftruments ; the fending out both of Satan and Antichrift, the giving over to deiufion, is afcribed to God the righteous Judge^by thefe means punifh- ing former fins. Row. I. 18, 21, 24, 26, 28. 1 he wrath of God is revealed againjt all unrighteoufneffe of men ; becaufey When they knew God, they glorified him not as G#d : therefore God gave them up alfo to uncle annexe. For this caufe God gave them up 1 9 vile ajfetlions. God gave them tver to a reprobate

minde*

the ffoufe of Lords D July 30, 1 645. n

\mnd*. The finfuli acls flow from the reprobate mindes and vile affedions of the finners 5 yet God the Jndgeis thrice faid to give them up to thefe their own fins. Rom.ii.8. god hath given them the fpirit of flumber , eyes that they fhould not feey and ears that they /box Id not hear to this day. Let their Ta- ble be a fnare, a ftumbling-blocJ^, and a recommence to them : Let their eyes be darkled, that'they may not fee, 2 Chron. 18,22. The Lord hath put a lying fpirit in the mouth of thefe thy Pro- phets'. Many fuch places there are , where God, as a righte- ous Judge, is made to give over finners to the devil, to other wicked men,to themfelves, to be led in more and greater fins, as punifhments of the former.

Thus far Proteftant Divines do go ; and all the a#s which Proteftams are any of them afcribe to God about the caufation of fin, may unjuftly accu- be referred to one of the three named : All which (lands £d '°* ,makinS well with the holinefle of his Nature, and extreme contrarie- thor Jf fa"" ty to fin. The Papists and Arminians do (lander us mod unjuftly , as if we did blafpheme the holj? Lord , in making him the author of fin : All of us ever hare abhorred fu .h Do- ctrine : We never afcribed to God more ads of providence about fin , then the moft clamorous of our cnemks them- felves exprefly have done. The three forenameda&s, by Bellarmine and Arminius are attributed to God , in as ample and unadvifed expn (lions as ever fell froaa the Pen. of any of our-approved Divines.

I grant, the Libertines of old , and their children the Anti- This is the * nomiars this day, do caft out on this fubjeft many abomina- blafphemy of bleBlafphemies : but thefe were ever detefted by all Ortho- the Libertines, dox Proteftants, as the vomit of the father of all lyes and blaf- l^tsbook^' phemies ; which makes us the more to marvel what thefe juftiy burnt men can mean, who lately here, under the name of M. Archer therefore, a famous Independent in his time, have printed the word and gro&ft of thtfe Bkfphemies, SurelyB if fuch kirideof Dodrine be entertained by any of that Party, our Deputati- ons will not-ftand long at Church-Government 5 but the world will be confirmed in that opinion which fomewife men long ago have given out, That Independency was not

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12

A Sermon preached before the Right Honourable

Why doth the Church com- plain of thefc aftsof God about her fins ?

The godly poer ouc all their com- fhinzs in Gods bofom=

fo much loved for itfclf, as for fomwhat elfe, A liberty, without cenfure , to vent fuch Doctrines as the confeience of Oithedpx Divines will never be able to hear with patience* But in this I will not enjer : The zeal of the whole Aflem- biy and. both the Honourable Houfes againft the blafphemous Hercilcsof that infamous. Book3 doth.quiet and fecure ouc mindes herein..

The fourth, word to be exponed , is the Interrogation and Complaint, JVhj kaslthots made m to crre ?. The Church being now before God, and laying hold on his fatherly compaffions „ pours out befora him the troubles of her heait. That which troubled them moft , was their fins and obftinacie in Rebellion, which they complain to the Lord had befallen them in his great wrath , through his deferring of them , and giving them over to be led away by theic own lufts, and Satans tentations, This part of Gods wrath upon them, in punifhing their fins with more blindoefTe. and making them erre farther from his ways , was their greatest mifery,the true caufe of all their out ward plagues, and a grea- ter plague then all the reft ; as we may fee in the fixth of this Prophecie, where the Lord , for contempt of the Prophets- Miniftery, doth puniila the body of that people with Spinta- all. Judgements, and makes their heart fatter, their minde blinder then before ; And from this Spiritual evil, he makes all their Temporal! defolati©n to flow, as out of its proper. Fountain. Of this u-iiiery the people here complain to God, net to lay their fins o§ ihemfelves, on the Lord ; but to witntfletfceir deep ki) fe of them5&s coming on them through Gods jn't defctti&b and deferved judgement : Not to upbraid- the Lo. d with their miferies , but to fpread them out before his 'eer, as their oiiely hope from whofe hand alone they ex- pected a remedy.

• From the words thus exponed, obferve, Gift, The children-- of Godyin their Worft eft ate, are fo familiar With their heavenif- Father , a4 to pour out in hu bofom the complaints of Whatever- mifery lies upon them0 At this time, as appears by the words* besth before and after , the peoples condition was exceeding*

hard,

the Uoufe of Lords ^ July 30, 1 645. 15

hard. We are aft as- an unclean thing ; our iniquities ,as the wind?, have taken us aw.ij* Thou hast hid thy face from us , and eon- ■ fumed us, bee aufe of our iniquities. His zeal , ftrength and mercifull bowels feemed to be retrained towards th/rn ; yet they come before him : and that which troubled them mod, their wandring from his ways , they Spread it out before his feet, as tke matter of their chicfeft complaint..

m

The truth of the Doctrine may be feen, Lam. 4. i. Re- The Proof member , 0 Lord, what is come upon ns ; confider and behold our hereof, reproach. In all the Chapter, and the whole Book3 there is a familiar complaining to the Lord of all their miferies. Mo- fes and Aaron, in ail their tribulation, run to the door of the Tabernacle. Jacob, at the fide of the foord fabbuk^, in his great fray for Efatr, betook himfelf to w.eep and pray. Da- vid, in his prefent danger of (toning by his own men , com- forted himfelf in God. Hezekiah fpread out before the Lord the railing of Rabfhakeh ; and , after his defperate fickneffe; turned himfelf to the wall to pour out his heart to God. The examples of this practice are innumerable.

The Reafon of it is, The Saints interest in Cftd : He is TbeReafsi; their Father. Poor children in diftreiTe, whither (hall they go, but to their father ? Neither fin nor mifery will annul! that more then naturall relation, that fupernaturall Paterni* ty and Filiation. Though God clothe himfelf with a cloud in his anger ; yetfaith will make the foul, with Mofcs , run thorow the tire and darkiivfie to him. The Prodigall,ih the midft of his mifery , refolves to return to his father. The Spirit of Adoption; in our harden; times , will make us cry , Abba, father. This reafon is ufed in the fame place, ver. 1 6> Doubtlrjfe thsuart our -Father 9 though Abraham be ignorant of us. Verf, ip j&£ are thine ; thou never bearefi. rule over them. The next Chapter, verf. 8. But now, 0 Lord, thou art our Fa- ther ; behold, fee. we befeech thee, we are all thy people.

TheUfeis for our Encouragement to continue thi3 pra- The't clice with allearneftneflfe and perseverance. If there be any- means to draw- down a bleffing from the heavens on a diftrek

C i ted

14 u* Sermoft preached before the Right Honour die

fed Nation, it is the prayer of the Saints: This is the hand that hath drawn up this finking Land from the pit of i uine ; that hath fet our feet on that Rock of fafety whereon now we ftand. Whatever difficulties arc yet before us, by this means, or none elfe, will they be gotten overcome ; Though all other fhould give over this holy exercifc of Fading and Praying, or turn it in a finrull and provoking formality ; yet it behoves us to keep it on foot, remembring both the expreffe command of the Lord , Call on me in the day of thy trouble I /ball deliver thee9Vkl. 50. Lam. 2. Ip. Arife, cry out in the nighty in the beginning of the rvatches four out your hearts like watery before the face of the Lord; Lift uf your hands toWards him. And your own vifible experience : As no people havs fown mote plentifully this previous feed; fo no hc have al- ready reaped more evident fruits thereof: Be not weary of this good work, untillall our defires be accomplifhed.

ThefeccniVo- In tiie next P*aCe OD^erve » Tilat tJle chie^ Part of the

ftrine. Sins Saints complaint to God, is of dieir wandrings from his

are heavier wayes. Their fins Are heavier to them , then all thslr a/fli~

then affli&i- tlions.

rb'p f This is proved from divers Scriptures, Pfal.%%. When

the Prophets trouble was great, Nothing found in his p/b , The Arrows of the Lord flicking in him% Gods hundfrefftng him fore 1 yet the chief burden whereof he complains, was his fins, verfe 4. Mine iniquities are gone over my head as art heavy burdt?t§ they are too heavy for me. Pfal.40, 12. Innumer* able evils have compared me about, but mine iniquities have taken hold on me ; for them he was not able to lookjouty his heart failed him : Daniel c.9. complains ef the heavy wrath and curfe that was po wrcd out on ferufalem , and of fo great af- flictions as had befaln to no Nation under Heaven ; yet the rlrft, chief, and longeft part of his complaint is, of the fins of their Kings, of their Princes, of their Priefts, and whole Land.

TbeHeafcnl The reafen of the Doctrine, Sin is the greatefl evill, its

the fountain of afflictions-. Afflitlion cometh not out of the duffi ; trouble f^ringeth not out of the ground: Sin is the root

of

wznwjcoj i^orasy juiy ^u. 1045. 15

of it. Alfo fin is moft contrary to the nature of God : Wrath and trouble, €ven the greateft, the very torments of Hell, are not (o ; for they are according to his juftice. Tru godly there- fore, who weigh things aright in the juft ballance of the Sanctuary, efteem their fins much heavier, and more grievous evils, then any they can fuffer for them.

The ufe is for our inftruftion :Let our complaints be rightly The Vfi* ordered,and eur forrows rightly placed : Beware to fpend the moft, or beft of thy fenfe, on thy fufTerings: Beware to pour out the vehemency of thy pafilon, the bitterefl: of thy iorraws on calamities, either private or publike. The firft fruits, the flower, the firft-born of thy grief, muft be refcrved for the chief evill. The naturali and kindeiy children of God, will have more forrow at their heart for the fins of the Land, then for the denotations thereof: What ever poverty, difgrace, pain, can befall their perfon , the very wrath of God , fuppofe the torments of Hell, will not be fo heavy, fo bitter, fo troublefome to them, as their fins, the caufe of all thefe evils*

The third obfervation , Gods pusijhing and judicial/ hand The third Ta- in our Jiufyis their aggravation y andincreafe of their bit tern* ffe : tlrine. Gods £or this is the head of the Churches complaint, That God ]imd in our had caufed them to erre from his way es. ™J e™^fa

,. 1 rs - • <- • j c ^ p their bitternes.

It is true, the Saints in Scripture draw comfort from An Obje&ioa forne acts of Gods mercy about fin, as frem his gracious anfwercd. directing of its ad to a good end. Upon this ground Jofeph comforts his Brethren , that not they, but God had fent him down to Egypt : That their felling of him, which they in- tended for evill , God had ordered it fo, that it did become the mean of all their prefervation. Alfo Gods prediction of fin in fundry Scriptures, is made a ground of contentment s AH this was done9 that the Scriptures might be fulfilled) is a common place of comfort againu the treafon of /W<#, and the wickedncflfe of the Jews, Like wife the Apoftles, Alls 4. quiet their minde on this meditation , That God in hi* eter- na/l comfell , had determined What Herod and Pilate in tirne had font in crucifying of Chfift. Of fuch afts of Gods* mercy

about :

16 A Semen preached befere the Right tfwmdU

about our fins, we fpeak not, be they temporally be they eter- nall ; but of the acTs of his juftice and wrath, pumfhing fin . by (in. From thefe actions of God, we can draw no com- fort ; but they aggravate the weight of our fins, aadincreafe

our grief.

The mifcarriage of Abfolon, his rebellion and inceft, ctuld the Proof. nQt bm grjeve p^y . but t© increafe his grief, 2 Saw. 2. 10. God tells him, 1 Wr# do this thing before all Jfrael, and before the Sun, in that terrible virion, lfa'%. 6. the Lord, to demon- ftrate his wrath againft that people, fendeth to them a mcflage full of anger ^ Make the heart of this people fat9 and their ears heavy. Their excavation was in it felf a grievous eviil ; but it was more grievous, when it came as a plague from an angry God. John 12. 3p. Gods blinding of their eyes, that they could not bcleeve Chrifts Word, is brought as an aggravation of their.fin, and of the anger of Chrift againft them, fofar,- as hi wentfrom them, and hid himfelf. TbeKeafcn. The reafonof this is, That thefe afts of God proceed

from wrath and ju&ice, punifking former fins. Again, they are the means to make fin more finfull, theperfon being gi- ven over to be carried headlong by his own lufts, and Satans tentatiens. Thirdly, Thepunifhment of fin in this degree, is much forer, then if it had been a fimple fin , as in the fixth of Ifaiah, and elfewhere it appears. No marveli therefore, that men of awakened confidences make it a chief part of their complaint and grief, That God had caufed them to erre : This being a figne of wrath, and incrafe of guiltinefle, and a forerunner of greater punifhment. 1 Vfe for Cau- The ufe is firft for Caution, To beware of that dangerous tion. errour of taking comfort and eBCouragement from Gods

judiciall hand in our fins, that is, to glory in our {hame, and to joy for what we (hould be fad. It is to caft off our felf the burden of our fin, to whom alone it belong*, on God, Whofe eyes are purer, then to behold iniquity. Wf?f<x Secondly, It ferves for Councell, to make it burchirf

CouitLl. grief irj our mourning , That we have fain under lo heavy difpleafure, as to be fcourged with the worft of Gods Rods s

ihtHwftof LerJs, July 30. 1645. 17

Of all the Arrows in Gods Quiver , this is themoft vene- mous, To be given over by God to fin; this comes from a fpeciall wrath, and is a prefagc of very great mifery follow- ing. When Gods fpirit ftirred up David to number the people, it came from his anger againft Ifrae /, and was a fore- runner of the deftroying Angell : The blinding of the peo- ples eyes, Ifaiah 6. and John 1 2. is made an antecedent of a national! ruine. When ever we feel this to be our condition, it fiiouid be the matter of our molt mournfull com- plaint.

The fourth obfervation will clear the third ; it is th;$ , The fourth D9~ The godly, when their eyes are opened to fee their wandrings, they Brine, Judi* J are {ivgularlj afetled with their jttdiciall erronrs , As*here the ^emoTlT-* Church mourning and praying to God , for fin and mifery, tenable. J begins her complaint for thefe errours, into which, by Gods anger and judgement, fhe bad fain.

Old Ifrael by Gods judgement, had fain in tht grievous ikt Pwf. errour of civili difcord, which coft in two dayes, the eleven Tribes, the lives of fourty thoufandmen; and in the third, proceeded very near to the extirpation of the twelfth Tribe. When the hand of God was lifted off them, and they began to look back upon their actions, fudges zi. 2. they weeped fore before the Lord, and complained to him of the great mif- chief wherein they had fain : Though the injuftice and ob- ftinacy of Benjamin had been the immediate caufe of thedif- fention • yet they pittied their Brethren, feeing it was the Lords judgement upon them all, that had made that breach in Ifrael, Verfe 15. Ephraim in his pride would needs rebell againft the houfe of David, and have a King among them- felves, and Altars of their own making at Dan and Bethel; God in jufticegave them over to thefe fins of continuall fedi- tion and idolatry, till they were totally ruined : He gave them a number of Kings in his anger : Hof 8. 11. Becaufi Ephraim hath made many *s4ltars tofiny Altars fb all be mf him to fin. But when the Lord gave repentance to Ephraim^ fee how much they are grieved, afhamed, and confounded, for their madnefie, wherein by the judgement of God, they

D were

1 8 A Sermon preached before the Right Honourable

were made long to go on, fere . 31 18. 1 have heard Ephraim bemoaning himfclf thus ; Surely, after IVpoj turned, 1 repented; and after I Wo* inflrucied9l [mote upon my thigh; IV? as afhamed9 yea, even confounded, becaufe 1 bore the reproach of my ymth. 'The Jews were plagued of God with a horrible blindneffe of minde, and obftinacy of heart , fo that they rejected the Gofpt-L crucified the Lord of Life, and remain in Rebellion to this day ; But when the Lord fhall take off the vail of their eyes, and they begin to fee their judiciall errours, their madneffe againft Chriftand theGofpcl, wherewith God in jultice did plague them ; their grief for it will be extraor- dinary, as it is fet down, Zacb. 12. 10. They fb all lookjn him whom they have peirccd, and they fhall mourn for him, as one moumethfer his ontly [on \ andfball be in bitterneffefir him9 as crte is in bit term [fe for his firft-bom. 2Thcf. 2. The Churches of the Gentiles are in Gods juftice, many of them given over toftrongdeluflons, to beleeve Antichriftian Lyes ; but when God begins to open their eyes to fee thefe . del ufions, their grief and indignation for them is fo great, Revel. 17. 16. That they hate the whore, who did feduce and bewitch them ; They make her de folate, and naked : They eat her flejh, and burn her Veith pre.

TheReafcns. The Reafons of this Doctrine, are the fame which of the

former, efpecially the fecond. The lingular and extraordinary guiltineffe, that is in thefe judiciall errours, the blinded foul fees them not, whileGod in mercy remove the clcud, and fend in his light ; but then the lightned foul beholding the horrible wayes wherein it hath be^n wandring 9 fuch where- in it would never have walked , had it not been led by a powerfullDivell, fetonby thepermiffion and commitfion of a ;uft God j Seeing in thefe fins a ju{t God, a wicked Di- vell, and a heart ftirredup by extraordinary temptations ; by this horrible back-fight is affrighted and amazed , till Faith in the infinite mercies of God, doth calm and fet- tle it.

lUVfi. The Ufe is for admonition : Beware of judiciall errours ;

very often they are never pardoned , but bring on dcftru&ion

botb

tbeticufe of Lords, July 30. 1645. Ip

both temporall and etermll : 2 Thef. 2. u. They to whom God fends ftrong dtlufions, are damned : Ifau 6. 1 1 When God (hut the peoples eyes, and made their heart fat the Cities were wafted, and the Land made defolate: Before Efhraim and Juda recovered them felves from thatfnare ofj rebellion , and came to the repentance fpoken of How many hundred thoufands and millions of them did penfh both temporally and eternally? And thefe ft w whom the Lord bringeth to fee, and mourn for their judiciail er- tours ; How great is their grief? How much do they with to have feen in time their madnefle, that they mi°ht not fo much have been plagued therewith ?

But what are thefe judiciail errours which we would beware of? Search the Scriptures, they will make you wife m this very necefory point of knowledge.

■. For your ufe, I fliall point at fome TFirft, Civil/ Difiord Civill difcord is a fin, and a great judgement; a fin to the authors and fo aJudici^ menters ; a judgement to all, a^ well the innocent as nocent €rrour* party. Ifau 19. 2. God puniflieth the flmof the Egyptians With his plague , Iwillfet the Egyptians againft the Egyptians And thef (ball fight every one again fi hi* brother^ and ever j one Againft his neighbour ; City again ft City, and Kingdom against Kingdom 1 and the f^irit of Egypt {haH fail in the midfi thereof \ And £ Will dtftroy the counfel thereof. The fame is the Judge- ment of Ifrael, Zech. 11.6. I Will no more pity the inhabitants of the Land> but 1 Will deliver the men everj one into hu neigh' hours hands, and into the hands of his King , and they jh all finite the Land : and out of their hand 1 Will not deliver them. This is the great Judgement that long hath lien upon us ; the re- moyall whereof, hath been one chief end of all our late Hu- miliations : The longer it lieth on , it is the heavier ; and all good men have the more reafon to cry , with'tfW to Joab, upon a leffe occasion ; Shall the Sword devour former ? Know- eft thou not that it Will be bitternejfe in the later end ? How Ion* fhaH it be ere thou bid the petple return from following their bre- thren ? Our Malignant enemies , the onely authors of our prefent D 2 Difcord,

20

A Sermon preached before the Ri&bt Hon durable

Difcord , have to this day denied us Peace in any juft and fife terms. If obftinately they will go on in their refufall , we mult proceed in our nectfiary defence , and crave from the God of Peace, that which thefe children of Difcord do deny unto us ; and exped from the heaven fucha Bklfing upon our Armies, as may force them to permit us to live in quietneffei when they afe no more able to caufe troubles. In the mean time, allfnould continue their prayers to God foto frame the hearts of all men, that the weary and fainting Kingdoms may be delivered,. fo foon a<s is pofllble , from our deftroying Difcord s. ■Re&fons why The e^ate °* ^e wor^ abroad , doth much call us to

Peace is to be thefe thoughts. The Defolations of Germany , farther from wi/hed. any appearance of remedy this hour then Six and twenty

yeersago, fhould be exemplary unto us.

If our mindes be fo large as to look jfo far abroad, we may fee the whole Weftern Kingdoms in a greater danger to be fwallowed up with the great Turk ifh Leviathan^ then they have been at any by-gone time : We know his head this day is bent towards Chriftendom. The Bulwarks which were wont to keep him out on both hands , upon our Eaft in Cjer~ many and Hungary , upon our South in Italy and Spain , arc fo much brangled with Inteftine and irreconcileable Divifi- ons , that we have juft ground to fear what this his Weftern Enterprife may produce. England ©fctimes hath felt the htavie ftreke of the Conftantinopolitan Arms, wken they were in much weaker and far lefle terrible hands then at this day they are.

If thefe feem far-fetched fears>look over to the condition of our neereft Neighbours. While we are fleeping , and fo foon as awakened, fallen a deftroying our feives, the French King hath ingroffed a greater and more formidable power then any of his Anceftors for fome hundred yeers did enjoy. No wife man of this Iflewillclofe his eyes at the extraordinary and difproportionate encreafe of that Eftate.

If there were no other reafons , I believe convincing De- monftrations might be. drawn front the prefent eftate of the

world

the tiouft of Lords \ July 3c. 1645, 21

world abroad , why we fhould continue to make it one of our fpeciall prayers in all thcfe meetings, That we might be fo happie as quickly to fee in a 1 the three Kingdoms ajuft and well-grounded Peace, But if the fatall obftinacy of our enemies will force us to fight it out ; with all chearfulneffc let us go on, till they be brought fo low, as not to be willing anymoreto reject the equitable Offers of both Parliaments.

Onely let this Judiciall Difcord be extended to as narrow Mofi of all, bounds as is poflible : Let all our Divifions be with the ene- pcace am°ng , my ; among our felves let the bond of brotherly Union con- °uor (^V"f , - tinue and encreafe. All that are for God, and the welfare of ^th care. *** theKingdoms in the three Nations, arc united together by the Covenant and Band of God. All Ages (hall call t hern Gurfed, who, for any imaginable advantage, private or pub- like,(hal labour to put alunder whatGod hath conjoyned. The greattft advantages cannot make up the lofTe which unavoid- ably will follow uoon fuch a Breach. We know the Prince of Difcord , that reftleffe Spirit , will always be ftirring up in the humours both of evil and of good men the fparklcs of that fire of jealoufie, en vie,malice,divi(ion, wherewith he en- flamed the nature of all men , in the breft of our old father the firft Adam : But aO the members of the fecond Adam fhould make it not fo much their profeflion, as their reall care and confcience, to fmother thefe fmokes, whenever they ap- pear. I am fure,the wifedom,the piety, the peace of minde,the love to his Countrey, of that man is greateft, wh© with the greateft fedulity employs himfelf tocaft water on every be- ginnings every the leaft appearance of any Di virion which Satan may be working in the Parliament, in the Aflfembly, in the City, in the Army, and, above all, betwixt the Covenant ted Nations.

The fecond Judiciall Erroar I point at, is, Our Ecclcfiafit- Eccfcfiafek rail Anarchy : How great a fin and how great a judgement Anarchy i$a this is , a little confi deration will clear. By this wofull A- Judicial error, narchy , Chrift is robbed of a great part of his Kingdom in this Land* That in all the Charcheshe hath in Englan^thQVt fhould be no Government at all, no execution of Difciplinei

Ds That.

22 k^A Strmon preached before the Right Honourable

That not one of his Officers fhould have liberty to keep from his Table , to caft out of his Houfe thofe that are molt grie- vous to him : That for fo long a time he fhould be hindered to keep fo much as one Court in any of his approved Chur- ches in England-, it is very Grange. . The nbfurdity Which or you would not take it foragrievous offence , if thereof. any would offer to hinder the fitting of the high Court of

Parliament at Weftminfter , or wherever elfe they pleafe to fit ? Yea , it would be taken for a haincus crime, if any in the Citie or Countrey fhould ftop the leaft Committee , or meaneft Officer whom either of the Houfes would fend out in their name to execute any of their Orders. What man in the Kingdom would not take it for an intolerable affront , if his fervant were hindred to clofe his doors, and keep out of his houfe his enemies , or any whom he difcharged his pre- fence ? What grief would it be to any of us, to be forced to fee daily, not onely walking in our houfe, but fitting at our Table, thofe whom leaft we defire ? We may judge, by what we feel in our own brefts when fuch offences are offered to us, what fenfe Chnft will have of them, when his Spirit fo long hath been pierced with them. That Chrift, by whofe power alone this Parliament hath fitten fo long time , in de- fpite of their enemies ; by whofe goodneffe i: is that their Sentences get any where obedience; who makes their wills in their private States and Families to be regarded ; That he fhould not be fuffered to keep any Court in his own Church, That his Orders fiiould not be regarded in his own Houfe, it is very ftrange.

Can any man fay that ever before it was thus in England thefe* Fourteen 'hundred yeers, or if it be longer fince there were any Churches in this Land ? Was ever a totall Anar- chy heard of in any Churches, before thefe late times ? Is it any where elfe this day to be feen in the world ? Doth the Pagan, the Turkifli , the Popifti Princes or States , refufe or delay to grant Ecclefiaftick Government to the Churches that live in their Dominions ? Have the Independents, the Brownifts, or the Anabaptifts, or any of the Hetorodox So- cieties

the titufe ef Lords^ July 30. 1 645. "25

cieties among us, wanted their own Government, fincethe firft hour of their felf-ere&ion ? The Judgement of this Errour appeareth in three Circum- it ,-s demon-

fonces. ftratetobe*

Firft, That it is evident to all. Judgement

Secondly, That it were mod eafiiy amended. and PlaSue-

Thirdly, That it is Angularly hurtfull.

The Evidence of it may be C^n in the confeflion of all. The greattft and moft unreafonable Se&aries , will not deny but every true Church fhould be without all delay inverted with Government : And if you will fpeak with the men who moft have and do retard the ereaior^ of the Govern- ment dc fired, they will profdTe their true intention and de- fire to fee the Ghurch-Difcipline eftablifhed. For this evil Anarchy hath been fo oft,by fo many ofGods faithfjl fervants witntfTed againft , that now its defended by none.

Concerning the fecond , The facility of its erection , it is as clear: For, T pray, who are the men that will take it up- on them to impede it ? Can we at this prefent , or could we for fomeyeers complain of the violence of afecrucedCourt?1 Can the blame be caft on any Popifh or Prelaticall Faction * Will either Brownifts or Anabaptifts profeffe their deniall to us of what they long ago have taken to themfelves ? Who then niuft anfwer to God for our fhamefull Anarchy for fo lonq a time? r • &

The hnrt of it is too too perfpicuou?. Whofoever will lay the Sword, the Pcftilence, and all the Calamities that de- stroy the Land , on our delay to build the Houfe of the Lord, ftull have for him the Prophet Zecbariahs. direft Warrant, ZecL 8. 10. Before thtfe days , there Wtm no peace to him that "tocnt ont or came m> becaufe of affiicliort : For J fet all men eve. ry on? main ft hlsneighhur. And if we indeed believe, It is not the ftrength of men, but the Lord Chrtft whofetleth troubled Kingdoms ; What hope can we have , that he will ever fettle our State , fo long as his Church lies neglected, in to wofull a confufion > Befide outward Judgements , this Errour is the eairfe of

thfi:

24 A Strmn preached before the Right Honourable

the greateft fpirituali Mifchiefs. The hedge of Difcipline ly- ing level with the ground, makes open doors, yea, invites and- calls for all the devouring beads to prey on the Flock of Chi ift. From this it is, that fo many thoufand fouls are per- mitted to perifh eternally in ignorance, in profaneneffe , in Herefies, in damnable Seels , without the ieaft controll, or any mans endeavour to reclaim them* So long as the Law permits no Paftor in England to exercife his Paftorall charge on any perfon , he may well weep and mourn when the devil in his fight plucks away numbers of his Sheep : but with his Shepherds Crook , with the Ordinance of Chrifts Difcipline, to hold off that Lion it is not in his power.

It is not onely the paffionate defire of all the Reformed Churches abroad , of all the godly and Orthodox Party at home ; but alfo their confident expectation , That the Ho- norable Houfes, without further delay, will at laft fet up the walls of the Houfe of God, who now is going on apace, by fo many Succeffes , to mine their enemies , and to fettle the ftate of their affairs , much according to their hearts defire. The negled of this piece of Thankfulneffe may provoke the Lord to repent him of his favours, and to call back in one day, what he had been giving in many, Falfe Do&rine I point but at one other Judicial! wandering., that which isajudiciall ufually and properly goeth under the name of Errour , the Krrour. word of our Text ; falfeDoftrine, contraryhothe ^ ays of

Gods Truth. That Errour is a fin , and a Judiciall one, infli- flicled by God as a punishment of former fins, we may fee . in divers Scriptures : iThefi.io.ii. Becaufe they received not the love of the Truth , for this caufe God gave them over f firong delufions to believe a lye. Here Errours are Judgements which God puts Satan to bring on men, for their coldrife en- tertaining of the truth. And how grievous a Judgment Error i$9 this and other Scriptures clear : Here it is made a caufe of damnation f That they might all be damned Who believed not the Truth. *

The Socino-Remonftrantt have taught our new Matters to extenuate much, and at laft to deny the finfulneffe and danger

of

the Houfe of Lords , July 30.. 1645. 25

of Errour. They would hide the Vipers fting, till the pret- ty and beautifull worm be once taken into the bofotn, where a little warmed, it makes it quickly appear how innocent and harmlefTe a creature it is.

They tell us, that all fin is in the Will,but the feat of errour Errour is 'a is the minde : Is not the minde themoft high and divinefa- dangerous evU cultieof the foul? Is not the corruption of thebefl; things andthecaufe truely worft ? The mindes pollution with the darknefle of °*" <**»«*"«• errour, is eminently contrary to the light and truth of the divine nature,

Againft this greater!: of errours, the excufing of all errours, we fhould minde the truth of God, who cannot lye : In the place cited, errour is made the caufe of damnation ; elfe- where the Apoftle tells us , That falfe Doctrine eats up and kills the foul, as a Canker, Gangrene or Peft doth the body. zTimJi. 17. Alfo falfe Teachers are called R averting Woolfs, who tear and rentinpeeces the fouls of the feduced , Acls

The Apoftle Peter is in the fame minde, 2. Epiftle 2. He tells us the condition of falfe Teachers, They bring in damnable Her e fie s, their wayes are fermciom9 their difkruUion is fat ft, their damnation flumbcreth not : It is as certain, as was the damnation of the Devils, of the old world drowned in ths deluge, of the Sodomites : All this is Peters Doctrine.

And this he had from his Matter Chrift, Matth.j. 15 . Be* ware of falfe Prophets. When they have the faireft {hew of piety % he that knows the heart pronounceth, They are but ravening Woolfs. Matth. 15. 1 4. If the blinde lead the blinde3 . both Jhall jail in the ditch : If we beleeve the Lord, a falfe Teacher doth not onely deftroy himfelf, but draws with him all his blinded Scholers into the ditch of the fame perdition.

I Cor. 12. 25, 27. The Apoftle tells m, That the Church** The nature of theBody of Chrift, and that Schifmaticks make aSchifmm Shifm. Chrift s Body : that is, they rent his Body in peeces : they who crucified him would not rent his feamlefle Goat ; but Schifmaticks can tear his skin, cuthisfieflb, rent his Joynts and Members in peeces.

E Under-

2 6 A Sermon preached before the Right honour Me

rows,

What is meant Underftand the Language of them who plead for liberty by liberty of of errours • If youbeleeveChrift, or the Doctrine of Paul confeience, atttfted by Peter, and the reft both Prophets and Apoftles, a^ wb7l$C whom I have not time to cite; they invite you to permit ofVhdr Ian- ravening Woolfs freely to enter your ftreets,and tear in peeces guagc who all they meet with ; to come into your Houfes and Chambers, require a tole- to devour the fouls of your beft beloved Wives, Sons, Daugh- **t.!°nofEr"* ters, Servants, andrriends; to lead them all eut to a ditch, and drown them ; yea, which is infinitely worfe,to caft them all in the pit of damnation. Thefe were hard expreflions if they were our own, and not our betters, I mean Chrift, and his Apoftles.

Would you permit any whom you were able to hinder, to rent the Coat of Chrift, to tear his Skin, to cut his Hefti, to pull his Arm from his Shoulder ? Thefe are the things which too long have been done in our eyes : It were good that fuch impious actions, fo grievous to God, fohurtfull to the fouls of men, atlaft were Hopped.

Would you count him a gracious parent, who fhould wink at any who brought into his houfe Vipers and Ser- pents, Woolfs and Tigers, to deftroy his Children ? who brought in Boxes of Peftiferous Goaths, and boldly fpread them on the Beds, and about the Table where himfelf and hmilyweretofit and lie? This is the office and onely exer- cife of all our Hereticks and Patrons of errour.

All Chriftians arc obliged to the uttermoft of their power to quench the fire of Herefieand Schifm ; but above all other, we have a fpeciall obligation for this duty 5 we have lifted up our hands to the moft high God, vowing to him, in the fight of all the Neighbour-Nations , our endeavours in the finccrityof our hearts, to extirpate Herefie and Schifm, and whatfoever fiiail befound contrary to found Doctrine, with- out refpect of perfons. If herein we fliouki be negligent, would not God avenge our folemn Perjury ? If refped to any perfonihould make us ever think of breaking that Bond, and expreffely contrary thereto to begin once to tamper about the toleration of errours contrary to found Dectrine ;

what

the tiouft of Lords D July 30. 1 645. 27

what might we and the pofterity expeft from the hand of

the-God of Juftice and Truth? '

Let none obje&the example of the States of Holland to Theeximple

us in this point : °f Ho/W an-

Forfirft, Where the Will of God is evident, thQ con- fwered'

trary example of men is not to be regarded.

Secondly, Theevill example of one State, is not to be

followed againft the good example of all other Proteftant

Churches.

Thirdly, Thefe States were never bound to God by fuch a Covenant as we are.

Fourthly, In thefe States there hath been a connivance at Errours by particular Magiftrates for their private gain ; but to this hour, was ever any Seel among them, fo impu- dent, as to offer a Petition for a Toleration by Law , when lately fome aflayed to do it, they repented ever finceof that folly.

Laftly, Hath not the Magiftrates connivance without any Legali Toleration , fo much multiplied Seels among them , that for this one thing ( though for many other their renown be great) they have become infamous in the Chrifti- an World ? The godly among them have been more grieved with this fcandalous fin, then with an£ other ; and thofe of them who are wife, do fee their State this day in greater civill danger by this peece of impious policy, and from it apprehend greater hazards of commotion and ruine to their State, then from any other ground ; However, the conni- vence there at Sedte, and the multiplication of Sefts by con- nivence, is no wayes comparable to what is among us : but we truft that this kinde of our erring from the wayes of God, is near a period, and (hall fliortly be remedied.

So much forthefirft part of the Churches complaint, Thefecoad followeth thefecond* And hardned our heart from thy fear, part of the Not onely they had wanderd out of the wayes of God in Complaint divers by-paths of (in 5 but in thefe fins they were obftinate, exPoned* their hearts had been hard, the fear of God moved them not

E 2 to

2 8 A Semon preached before the Right Honourable

to repentance : This was. a worfe evill then the firft ; fo they acknowledge the hand of God, and his fore punilhment into itj and of this make a heavy regrate to him. Wh t is hard- ^he originall word that here is turned harden, is but once neffeof heart, elfe in Scripture, fob^i6. fpokenof the Oftridgey Sheis hardncd again ft her young ones, or is removed from her young ones ; (he leaveth them alone. It fignifies two things, To harden, or to remove. Some of the btft Latin Interpreters translate it here,Why removed thou our heart from thy fear ? The Chaldcc Par aphr aft takes it foalib : butthe Sept u agin t^ and the moft of other Interpreters old and late, tranflate it as we have it : The words will bear both; but f©r{hort» neffe I fhali hold with our own tranflation onely.

Hardnefleof heart is a metaphor, importing the wiifuil, obfrinater and rebellious difpofition of the Spirit agaiaft the fear and counfells of God ; As hard Wax refufeth the (lamp, while the foft receives the imprelTion : A hard Wall puts, back the Bali, which the foft Ayr letteth pafle through ; A Corflet of Iron holds out the Bullet, which the foftneffe o£ the flc(h receivetfu f°d Ghdhc The way how Godhardneth tfe heart againft his fear, is ten"" l ° not ty m^on °f anyhardnefle, or any evill difpofition in- to the heart , but by three other actions.

Firft , By withdrawing of his gracious fpirtt , whofe operation it is that foftens the heart, and makes it ply able to- the Counfells of God, and fubje&to his fear iDeut. 2p.o„. The Lord hath not given jom a heart to perceive, eyes^tofee, and. ears to hear y to thU day u That all they hadfeenin Egypt and in the Wildernefle, had not pierced their heart withthelove snd fear of God. Of this wonderfull hardneffe of the peo- ples heart , this rcafon is rendered by Mofes*. God had not given them a heart to perceive.

Befide this negative action of God in hardning the hearr& he hath two pofitive ; He gives over the heart to its own naturall hardneffe, that it may be more and more hardened : Thus, the' Lord hardened Pharaohs heart : He not onely with- hddiil the gracious motions of his fpirit from him 9 but let .

ki*

the Hot* fe of Lords D July 30. 1645. 29

his naturall obftmacy work it /elf to an acquired habit of hardnefle : And fo, what was before naturall, became habitu- all and judiciall. This is the judgement fpoken of, the twelfth of fohn9 from the fixth of Jfaiah : Make the heart of this peo~ pie fat; for their rejecting of my former counfels, let their rebellious heart become worfe and worfe ,. fo that thy mini- fiery do them no more good.

Thirdly, God gives over the heart judicially hardned by it feif, to Satans tentations, whereby it becomes morebRnde,. dead, and hard, then of it felf alone it could be : Befentevill jingeb among the Egyptians , for this evill among others, PfaL 7P. 49. t Thef. 2. He fends out Satan to work with Antichrift ; for to blinde the eye, and harden the heart with ftrong deluixons..

By all this you underftancT, why the Church regrates it here to God , That he had hardened her heart from his fear z Hardneffe was naturall to her heart , yet they found Gods judgement, caufing in juft ice that naturall evilLto increafe up- on them*.

From this part of the Complaint, obferve, Judiciall The Do&rins hardtejfe of heart, from the fear of God, in the times of trouble, Judicial hard- kthegodlies chiefefi grief , and complaint to god. The trou- ne*je. is the bles and calamities of the Jews were great at this time, their f£ g^f.8^ fins alfo were great 1 But beheld, here they complain to God more then for either their calamities, or other Cms , that God had hardened their heart from his fear, in the, midft of all. their fins and judgements.

This was it that made the Prophet Jeremy -amazed, Jere, theF 'roof. : 5-3« O' Lord> thou hafl flricken them, but%hey have not grieved *y thou hafi confumed themy but they have refufed to receive cor- tetlion ; they have made their faces harder then a ree7^

TheReafon why, this condition of a people is m oft la- -rue ajt-»r. \ mentable, is firft, It is a prefage of deftruclion : When ™W*W«»- ftrokes humble not a people, andfoften not their heart to thefear and obedience of God, then it cometh to this , why,

E 3 Should

go ^yi Strmon preached before the Right Honour Me

fhouldje befiricken any more. After correction is obftinately refufed, then cometh rejection. 2 Kings ij.1%. God is very a$gry with the ten Tribes, and removes them out of his fight; the great caufewe have, Verfei^. They hardned their rteckj, tike the necks of their fathers^ that did not beleeve in the Lord their God. This fame was the caufe of the ruine of Jew* falemy fere* 19. 1 5. / will bring upon this City all the evil that I have -pronounced againft it, becaufe they have hardned their neck*, that they might not hear my words. Jere. 26. 29. The Lord hath rejected andforfaken the generation of hi* nrath, becaufe they had hardned their necks, and did worfe then their fathers. Thefecond Another Reafon. This is fuch an evill as drawethon

Reapm. eternal! perdition after temporall ruine. Rom, 2,5. After

thy hardnefie and impenitent heart , thou treafuresl up to thy felf Verath against the day of Wrath. There is a treafure and heap of everlafting wrath from this hardntflV. Eeb.3.7. To - day if ye Will hear his voice, harden not your hearts as in the pre vocation: wherefore I Was grieved With that (feneration , and [ware in my wrtth , They fhall not enter into my refl ; Meaning fuch grief and anger in God againft this evil, as holds out of heaven. the third Kw- Thirdly * This fin hath extraordinary malignancy in it, fin. though neither eternall nor temporall wrath followed on it :

The hand of an angry God , of a working devil , and high degree of corruption, are into it ; in its production, all thefe three have place. Before any be hardned in fin,and become ob- ftinate, the corruption of the heart muft be great, and highly advanced :' Alfo Satans hand is in the blinding of the eye^ and fearing with the hot-iron, in ftupifying and making fenf- leffe the confeience of -the hardned perfon : and God, as a juft Judge, putting on the executioner , muft be alfo about this * a&ion. So that this hardning is very oft the figne of a Re- probate to whom God fhews no mercy : whom he will he hardens , andfbeweth mercy in whom he will fhew mercy ; albeit its not ever fo , as in our Text and etfewhere. God hardens the hearts of fome for a time, whom thereafter he foftens,

ancj

thttiwfeef Lords s July 30. 1645. 31

and to them fheweth mercy : Yet oft , being the cafe of Re- probates, and ever very like to it,and in it fclf a degree to that Wofull condition ; it affrighteth the godly, when they fee it in themfelves or others, andbecometha great part of their complaint to God.

The Ufe is for Exhortation, That wc be car efull to grieve TfceVfe* [ and complain to the Lord for this great evil , wherever we fee it , in our felves or others. Not onely the mod faith- full of Gods Watch-men in all the three Kingdoms, but alfo thole of the people who by the anointing of God have the eyes of their minde opened to fee the Spintuall eftate of their own or their neighbours fouls, bear witneffe with an unanimous teftimony, that notwithftanding all the Judge- ments which lie on the Land , yet this hardnelTe of heart is greater and more univerfali then ever they have feen it. This cannot be but the hand of God , adding this Spirkuall Plague , as the word and greateft of all our evils : For this -We have great reafon to mourn, andincreat the remb vail of it above all our Woes.

Motives to the Duty we need no other , then the Reafons of the Do&rine.

If thou finde this evil crept in thy heart , as I doubt not but it Iodgeth fenfibly in fome hearts that hear me $ or though the Lord had blefled thee with the tender heart of fofiab , to mourn for the fins and calamities that are already, and to tremble for what further is coming • yet if thou fee this Mifchief proclaiming it felf in the countenances and lives of the moll: of thy neighbours , as truely an obferving aid confcientious eye will remark too much of it, when- ever he will look, even in the days and places of mod fo- lemn Humiliation, when hardneffe of heart fhouldbeba- nifhed fartheft away ; this evil, I fay, wherever found, in thy felf or others, fliouid be complained of to God : For ha- ving in it (o much of an angry God, a bufie devil , and of a high degree of humane corruption 5. it being alfo a prefage and certain forerunner, if not remedied, of greater Temporal judgements then yet we have feen, albeit we have feen and

heard

32 A Sermm preached before the Right Bmurdle

heard of as much wo as our fathers in thefe Kingdoms have felt fur fome hundred yeers , though all their fufterings were put together : Yet the hard nefle o? our hearts, if it conti- nue, will make all we have fuft'ered but the beginning of evils ; yea, thishardneffe of heart poifons and envenoms ail our fufferings with a curfed quality. Pcftilence , wounds, Spoi- ling of goods; death, are all fan&ifled and fweetned to a fort- ned heart; but to a hardned heart they are thefirft ads of a wofuli Tragedie ; there is a. treafure of wrath, and lake of fire and brimftone at their end attending them.

If we were able, on thefe days fet apartfor this end, above all other, to attain the blefling of a foft heart , and the Judge- ment of aheart hardned by God removed , we would -quickly befecure of dam nation, we would becom certain of the remo- vali of all thefe Judgements which have very long fo heavily lien both on the Church and State, and on the backs , if not of our perfens, yet of many in whom our intereft is great : we ftiouldbe affured of heavenly confolations againtt alle- vils that for the time were on,or hereafter might befall us. Let it therefore be our earneft endeavour to finde this blefling by the Word, by the Sacraments, by publike by private Prayer, by Reading, by Conference , by Meditation. At this time I will point atlome Scripturall helps towards it. The £rfl cure Firft , believe the Word of the Lord. Gods Word is the of hardneffe means thatfoftneth the heart, like the Sun that melteth the is, The embra- wax ^ likethe Hammer that breaketh the ftone , the Fire that wofdbyfaith. ^°ftnetn the Iron,the watry cloud that moiftneth the dry and parched ground. With all care and confeience, fet thy heart under.the beams of that Sun, the ftrokeof that Hammer, before the heat of that fire, under the droppings of that cloud. The contempt, the neglect, the misbelief of this ho- ly inftrument of the Spirit, is a great caufe of all the hardneflfe of heart we fpeak of. Heb. 3 . Today if ye WiS hear hu voice , harden not jour heart. Take heed there be not in any of yon an evil heart of misbelief. Who will not hear the voice,or doth hear, butwith an evil heart of misbelief, they harden their heart. J he Word, which feould melc them as the Sun doth Wax,

hard-

the Houfe of Lords > July 30. 1645. 33

haFdneth them, as the Sun doth Clay : that Word which to the believer is the loud voice of the Trumpet of God, to wa- ken them when flceping , to quicken them when dead ; be- ' comes , to the unbeliever and careleffe hearer , the fong of a pleafant voice to fing them afleep, and to keep them flceping. To fuch, the moft powerfull Miniftery of a Prophet , of an Apoftle,of Chrifthimfelf, ferveth to make the heart more hard, and fat, and dead then it was before ; as from the fixth of lfai. and twelfth of John it is manifeft. That which to the faithfull is a quickning Spirit , to the misbeliever is a kil- ling letter : What to the one is the power of God to falvati- en, to the other is but as founding Braflc and a tinkling Cym- bal. Let it therefore be your earncft endeavour, in all holy exercifes about the Word, private or publike,be it preaching, or reading, or conference, to embrace it with an honeft heart, with all attention, reverence and faith.

Particularly, embrace and lay up in thy heart thepremife Efpecially of a feft heart, as it is fet down, Ez>ek. 36. 26. there the peo- tfae promife of pie of God were in a worfe condition then we yet : The fu- "heart, ry of the Lord wasfo far kindled againft them for their fins, that they were caft out of their Land, they ttw fwaBowed up on every Jidey as it is in the third verfe : They Veere taken up in the lips of talkers , they Were an infamy of the people , and the reproach of the Nations, and for all that were not refor- med, but continued to profane the Name of God, and to cn- creafe their provocations , in the midft of all their Judge- ments : Yet, even then , the Lord doth promife, For my own Name; fake, not for your fake, Wilt I do-thv : A new heart Will 1 give you, and a new fpiritWill 1 put Within you : IVeiH take away theflony heart out of your flejh, and Veill give you an heart of flejb. Let this Word, as a pickle ©f good feed, be laid up in the heart , it will in time break up to good fruit. This is a part of the new Covenant , as appeareth from Jer. 3 1 and 32. and/W. 8. which belongs to us, as to any other, which we would embrace,humbly waiting till the Lord per- form it to us.

A fecond help'to foftnefle of heart, will be a Catalogue of

V fins

34 A Sermon preached before the Rtght Hww$k

The fecond fins for which we ought to mourn ; for- foftnefTe of heart is Cure of hard- ^her the fame thing, or proceeds in a great part from grief n,e5e lrlt c and for row for tin ; as hardneffe of heart and impenitency £a, are the fame, or are always conjoyned. Thou from thy

hardnep or Impenitent heart* The tendernefTe and meltiag of frfiahs heart , was his mourning for the Lands fin : The loa- ning of the Jews heart from their long Plague of induration-, is, when they are weeping and in bitterneffe for their fins , at one for hi* firft-barn. The clear fight of Cm being a help to grief, forrow and repentance., muft be fo towards the foft- neffi of heart. The fpeciall end of thefe foiemn Humiliate ons is for regiftrating, in clear and legible letters, in the hearts of the godly ,the fins both of the Land,and of their own per- fons. The Tables of our confeience have been fo oft im- preffed with thefe Types , that I need no more but to remit every one to the books of their brefts : There you may read In capitall letters the caufe of our Woes , the matter of our Mourning. What ate the While the Lords Candle did fhine over our head, and &e Wtf- fmsof the fhedour fteps in butter ; while to all the Neigbour- Nations kand, for a great number of yeers we were a wonder of Profperi-

ty ; and with abundance of allTemporall bleflings, we had like wife plenty of the Gofpel ; How did we meet the Lord ? Great numbers of all ranks and eftates, were obftinate ia Idolatry, and known Papifts. Of them who profeffed the Truth, how many were altogether void of knowledge, void of fear, without any confeience of God ? The moft did pol- lute the Service and Church of God with manifold Super- ftitions, and Prelaticall Tyranny 9 perfecuting all who had the lead zeal to oppofe their Corruptions: True Piety" was mocked. The Sabbath, by publike Authority, profaned. Co- yetoufheffe, Pride, Oppreflion, Pampering of tbefMh', Un- cieannefle, like a flood, did overflow the Land. In thefe ve- xy times, when the Lords patience is brokea off, and he from heaven is revealing his wrath againft our wickednefle ; yet . where is our Repentance ? How many have an. ear to hear aaere what the prefent Rods of. God do (peak, then what

his-.

% iht H$u[e of LerJs, July jo. I 645. 3 ? '

— ■ — ■ 11 >■

his former Favours ? How many Popifli and Prelaticali fpirits have yet mourned for their old ways ? Howman^ upon confaence have left any of the named abominations? How great an addition have we made to our old heap of fin ? How mu:h have we put to our old treafure of wrath ? Ra- ther then to be reclaimed from their ways , Hath not a great part run to the Sword, and covered the Land with more in- nocent blood9 more Rapines and Ravifoments then this Iflc did fee for many Apes together ?

Many whom Gods mercy hath feparate to the right hand, Epifcopscy How do they ftill provoke theLord, continuing without grief and Indepca- ] for their old ways? And fundry of them who profeffemoft Pi- jjency flow ety advancing the old unhappie way of this Land,an affeftati- f^tain? ^ on offingularity and difference from all the Reformed : Tfae bitter Potions of Gods Judgements, have not yet purged out this very evil humourof many ftomacks. The vain fpirits of this Land made that the peculiar glory of ii^/W, which was truely her peculiar infamy , and proper unhappineffe, and the fperiall grief of the moft godly in the Land : Thegloria- tionof thefelight fpirits was, That England-did excell all other Reformed Churches in their Epifcopacy and. Service- book : alf© , That the moderation of their King and Prelats was fuch, that Romane Gatholikes might enjoy a fober liber- ty among them , without all hazard of perfecution. Is this humour diminished to this day ? Or, with a little change, idothitnotpredomineyetinmany ? We mutt ftill excell all other Churches in our Government : In place of Epifcopa-. cie , we will have a new Popularity : Jufttheold Brow- nifm of the rigid Separatifts, covered with the new name *){ Independency : For after triall it will be found , that this new and Middle Way (as it is called) is really the ex- tremity of the moft rigid Separation : That it is not zfemi? i)uta/^#/-Separation ; That for the fmaller crotchets of Indepenaeac/ the Brownifts which they lay afidc , they adde moreerrors, is nocayfoy . of a worlc ftamp, which the old Separatifts were wont much but a fefa^H todeteft. *"woa*

But to fwesten our nsw emmency above other Protectants,

Fa it

5 6 ^A Sirwon preached before the Right Honour Ale

it muft be mixed with a Liberty of Confcience * not that, for which the King, Court and Bifhops were lately fo much cryed out upon , The toleration ondy of Papifts, or any one falfe Religion ; but a full and Catholike Liberty for all imagi- nablekiudes of falfe rleligion;much moretheri to this day was ever required, either in AmfterAam, or Pott, or TranfilvanU, or any where elfe where the licentidufnefle of erring , in the great wrath of God , hath been permitted to dwell. Upon thefe things the godly would look, not as upon a fubjtd: of talking, or an incentive of wrath and indignation againft the pcrfonsof any ; but to be matter of heart-grief, and mour- ning to the Lord in our fecret places*

In the end of this Catalogue or pebltke fins, thon wouldft have annexed a Regifter of thy perfonall provocations : When thou haft brought the Candle of Gods Word and Spi- rit within thy own houfe, and within the Cabinet of thy own breft ; doubtleffe thou wilt behold fo many abominati- ons, both flefhly and fpir small, that will be juft caufe cf wa- tering thy Couch with thy tears , and pouring but thy heart before the face of the Lord, if thou wer able, in tears of blood.

A third Cure A ^^ n*lp to foftneffe of heart, is Motives to fear • for

©t hardreffe is this hardnefle of heart proceedeth as horn misbelief and im«

Motives to pemtency ; f© alfo from fecarity : wherefore in our Text it

fear. j$ oppofite to fear ; whj hafl thon hardned our heartt from

thy fear f And fofiab 9 fo fo©n as tendernefle of heart came

upon him , began to fear and tremble. So Motives to fear,

are helps to foftneffe , and cures for hardnefle of heart : Of

thefe, I point fhortly but at three : The Judgements of God

on others: His Mercies to us: And, if thefe affect not, The

Wrath yet to come on us.

i, Judgements For the flrft,we would oft remember the examples given us

ca ethers* by God*: Who ever thou art, thou haft thy patern from

God : Be thou a Church-man , a Citiaen, a Knight, an Earl,

a Duke, a Prince 5 how hath the Lord fcourged divers of thy

Coat lately before thy eyes ? weunded, killed; impoverished,

difgraced

the Fttufe ef Lords, July 30. 1645. 37

disgraced many,and put others to ftand this day on the brink of mine and worldly mi fery ? If ere they the greatefi finners vn Vehom the Tower of Siloamfell f Or they Vrhofe blood Pilate mingled tyith their Sacrifice ? The Lords remark on thefe Judgements was, That except ttv repent > ^cfhallall Hkemfe prijh. The late Judgements which God hath inflicted on many of thy quality ., are loud words to thee , that thou mayeft fear and tremble ; that thy heart may melt within thee for thy fins , left tfae Lord make thee a fpe&acle of Judgement to others, who by the miferies of others wouldft not be taught to repent.

Again, Remember the great mercies of the Lord: For 2. Merci«> there is mercy Vvith God ,. that he may be feared* The fpeciali ©n us. means whereby Nathan foftned the heart of David, after it had been long hardned in fin with Bathfbeba , was a Cata- logue of Gods mercies towards him, 2 Sam. 2. / dlivered thee out of the hand of Saul ; I made thee King over Jfrael ; 1 gave thee thy mafters hottfe ; and if that had been too little s / V? oh Id have given thee more ; why haft thou defy ifed my Com- mandment f The ointment of mercy is mod foftning of a gracious heart, when it groweth into hardneffe : Its good to have a Regiftcr of Gods favours both to the publike and thy perion. Confider all that the Lord hath done lately for the Church and Kingdom. If the Malignant party had prevailed, ( as once they were too like to have done ) if their Tyranny in Church and State had been eftablifhed by the overthrow of the gracious party in the whole Ifle ; what wofull days fhould have come upon us and the pofterity ? That the ^ord hath heard our Prayers, and from the heaven hath done fo many and fo great things for us 1 That we are info fair a way to have both Church and State fetled according to Truth and Juftice : That for ourperfons, we have been guided a- right in the common Caufe ; that when fo many greater^ wi- fer, better then we , have been given over to the counfds cf their own hearts , to joyn with the enemy, for their own difgrace and wrack : That the Lord (hould have kept thy iieart ftrait,and heldeii thee on that fide wherein was juftice,

f 3 "Truth.

8

A Sermon f reached before the Right Honourable

Truth, and the blefling cf God s That in that party the Lord hath taken any fcrviceat thy hand, when many , more able, and as willing, have been unferviceable ; That thy life, thy limbs, thy eftate, are preferved , when this fervice hath coft many their life, fome their limbs, Tome their cftates. Thefc and the like favours would be remembrcd, for the (oftning of our heart. *. Greater In ^e third place, if neither Judgements on others, nor judgements mercies on thy (elf , will move j confider what retitedikffe yet coming. evjis mav fhortly be the reward of fo great a contempt. When Ntbals heart grew like a ftone within him , the hand of God did in a little time cut him off by death. When nei- ther Judgements nor mercies bring a heart to fear , the Lord ufually pours out the full Vials of his heavieft wrath. It is a fearfull thing to foil into the hand of that confirming fire. We would do well to be lifting up our eyes to that invifiblfl Spirit whom the world cannot fee ; To behold his hand gui- ding all the wheels of publike and private af&irg. Were our State much better fetled then yet for a long time ic can be ; if hebemiskent, hecancaft down in a moment more then men can build in many yeers. If he be not feared and fought to, he will fo croffe and confound the guides of Church and State , that when they are at the end of the Wilderneffe , on the very borders of Canaan , he can bring them back to toil in the Wilderneffe till they die, without fo much as a fight of that Canaan , though oace they had come very neer unto it. Albeit the publike did profper, yet the fearfuli wrath of . God, for thy hardneffe of heart , may light on thy perfon. Jcffan may be (toned to death in the valley of Acker , in the midft of Ifraels triumph. The misbelieving Prince in Sa* mari* may fee the Plenty, but be cruflaed, before he tafte thereof. Thy hardneffe of heart , if it remain , will ruine thee : What the fury and curfe of anangry God hath ever brought on a miferable (inner in this life, think upon it$ forfliortlyitmay be thy portion ; and, which is infinitely worfe, the whole treafures of the wrath to come , a greater *hc n ordinary condefl^nation^or thy impcnite*cy & hardnes

ef

theUcufeif Lords, July 3c. 1645.

of heart , if thou remain as thou art , cannot but fall upon thee.

The lad help I propone, is Earncft Prayer. Sometimes A r L r all the former helps will not doit ; for the heart is de(p*> £ hiMu ratdy kicked ^ and incredibly hard , like that of Leviathan, Prayer, fob. 41-, 24. His heart is- firm as a ft one , as hard as the nether milslone. When we findc it thus , fhall we give over in d> fpair? Not ib : For there is yet mercy and power in God to make the rocks flow down , to mdt the mountains , to diffdive the Adamant-ftoces. There is a Warrant, Nek 9. once and again proponed , for the* people of God to hy hold on Gods mercy and power, in theinidft of their greateCfc Rebellion and Induration, verfei6. Our fathers dealt proud- ly , and hardned their neks 9 andhea-kned not t a thy Command" ments : But thou art a Gid ready to pardon, gracious andmer* cifuM; thou forfeit them not. Alfo in the 29 verfe, They dealt proudly , and Withdrew the {boulder , and hardned their nec^fy and Would not hear. Yet in the 3 1 verfe , Neverthileffe thou didft not for fake them 5 for thou art a gracious andmerci" full God.

What heart can be more hard and blinde then Pauls ,' when hemadehavockof the Church .> yet the Lord made the fcales to fall from his eyes, -and put in his breft, in place of the ftone, a moft gracious, foft and fpkituall piece ef flcfa. The fpe&acleof the greateft induration , the Jews-, when the Spirit comes on them , -their moft obdured hearts fall to the greateft mourning, Zee!:. 12. Let it therefore be our cafe, in cur greateft hardnefle, to Vie at the Throne of Grace, to cry on frill for this mercy of a foft heart ; who knowerh how fobn the Lord may hear and anfwer ? When nothing elfecan help us , if he himfelf come down , all will yeeld to his power. Whenthe King of Glory comes to aflauit the moftftiff and befkclofed heart, all doors are cat open to him , Pfal.24,9. He breadth the gates of braffe , andfmitetb the bars of iKon in J under , Pial. 1 07. 16. When he puts his finger in the We of the door, the bowels of the fecure Spouie Will Ihortly bemoved for hiov3 Cant. 5. 4, It muitbc our

COft" -

ao A Sermon preached before the Right Honourable

continuall prayer , that the Lord would come to put away

the hardnefle of our heart, to enlighten it with faith, to melt

it with repentance, to break it with fear ; that fo it may be a

fitted San&uary for his perpetuall inhabitation.

The laft part if time were not paft > there are in the fecond part of the

of the verfe* Text , the Churches petition for the Lords return , fundry

exponed. things ufefull for the prefent occafion. Look in a little upon

the meaning of the words.

The returning of the Lord, is a metaphor taken from finite creatures, that go and come : But properly the Lord cannot move from place to place ; for his Eflence is infinite ; he is eflfcntially <w»x-prefent $ God is every where, in the heaven, intheearth,intheSea. Pfal.itf. If I afeend up unto heaven^ thou art thereof 1 make mj bed in hell, thou art there: neither fo onely, but he fills the heaven and the earth,^r.2$ 24, Bo not I fill the heaven and the earthyfaith the Lord ? But not fo, as if when he filled ail things; he could be within the circle of the higheft heavens : I Kings 8,27. Behold, the heavens, and the heaven of heavens, could not contain thee. We have the reafon in Job 1 1 .8. The perfeftion of God is fuch , that it is m high ds heaven, deeper then helly longer then the earthy and brtader then the Sea.

But beware to conceive of this infinite and immenfe Ef-

fence of God, which is in all places, and without all places,

as of a bodily fubftance ; for God is a Spirit,and that of an in*

finite fimplicity : take heed of all groffe imaginations of him,

left thou turn him to an idol of thine own making.

The «al of Not long ago, Vorfiitu and fome of the Armenians in Uol-

the Court of land , began firft to brangle with their Problems , and there-

En^niagainft after> todeny with their pofitive affertions, thefe ground-

£*f where- ftones of Religion. At that time, the zeal of England brake

out , to the joy of all the Churches : Then the care of the

King, and the very Prelats, was great, not onely to keep He-

refies, as heiliQi vapours, out of England-, but to have them

fuppreffed among their neighbours in Holland^ with all fpeed/

We hope it (hall never be told to pofterity , that the zeal of

this Parliament was leffc againllErroursathome., then the

Courts

;-v 3 j j * - ---tj~ TO

ftrong one. We tempt God , when we ne^left to ufe the means for doing of that work wherein he hath the princi- pal! hand. Becaufe we live in God , Shall we not eat , and drink , and keep our ftlves from feen dangers ? It is tho Lord that fubdues our enemies under us ; therefore fliall not our Souldiers fight ? The Lords Spirit is the fubduer of the fpirit of Errour • therefore Affemblies and Parliaments need to have no care of this matter ? When Satan reafoncd thus with Chrift , He hath given his Angels charge over thee ; therefore cjfl thy felf down, headlong : he replieth wifely, Thoufbah not tempt the Lord thy god.

Seventhly , Godwill return for his ferv ants fake, in the moft J

defperate times : When Cahmities have wracked~the Statey when Err our and Obftinacy (and thefejudiciall ) lie on the ft ir its of a people ; the faithfuH expetl, believe , pray for favour , upon the ground of their relation to God fi ill remaining in the mids both of fins and miferies ; they are his fervants , and he their Lord, The confeience of a defire to ferve the Lord, is a Ground of hope in our hardtft condition?.

Eighthly, No hope of a deliverance by God in mercy from a

any Judgement , unit ft we be willing to fcrve him as an abfolate Matter. The greateft enemies or a State, arethofe, who would evert or enervate the Relation of mafter and fcrvanr, between God-and a people ; for this Relation is the ground- ftone of all the Protection , of all the Deliverance we may expccl: or pray for from God. Popes, Kings, Bifhops, have been driving to be lords overGois Flock ; that ambition * hathcoft all the three dear. Let Chrift alone (by his own Laws , his own Officers , and his own Courts) have tie full Spiritual and EeclefiaftkkGovernment of his Churches: The taking of this from him, may fpoil us of his protection. Thofe men that are moft carefull to vindicate the right of Chrift, arc bell: fervants to the State ; for they lay a fure foundation of Chrifts favour and orottftion to that State wherein they fettle Chrift as the onely King, Lord and Mafter of the Church.

Ninthly , Con^der the ssnexpreJpbU benignity of God,

G V ' chafing

\

chttfng cut among the children of Jinfull and miferM' men, fame to be hu own inheritance : That the Infinite and Ali-fufficient God, who hath need of nothing , and to whom all creatures can adde no perfection • in all Ages fliould delight to have a poff.flion and inheritance among men, as his peculiar trea- sure , they to be his , and he to be theirs ; its a wonderfuil loveto men. I0 Tenthly, Gods Inheritance , his peculiar People, his dcareU

Children, if they will venture on /in, they jh all be fur c of Plagues both Spirituall and Temporally rather then any other people of the world : For their (Ins are greateft, being againft a moft loving Father : It concerns him in honour and glory not to let them go with their fcandalous trefpalTes : He would be blafphc- med, if they went unpunifaed. Thee onely have I known of all the families of the earth, therefore Imlipunijb thee for all thy tranfgrcjfions* jp Eleventhly, The Spirit of Adoption , under great fns , and

grievous punifhments therefore amoves the children of Cod to lay hid on their priv Hedges for the melting of their heart, and bring- ing them to Repentance. 1 2 Finally , ThefiVeetesl exercifc of a Chriftian, Is the impro-

ving of the priviledge in handy The making ufe daily of this mu- tuall Relation, We are Gods Inheritance, and God U our Portion. A foul truely religious , mull: give it felf up fully to be polTeft and filled by God , to be replenilhed in minde , will, aflbfti- ons, memory, confidence, and every faculty, with the whole ^ fulntfle of God, as an inhabitant, as a due, proper and onely heritor : On the other part, it will claim and lay hold by faith, on tfee power, the glory, the truth, the mercy , and all that is in God, as its own peculiar portion , as the onely he* ritage which either in earth or heavea it defireth to enjoy.

But being cut off by time from enlarging thefe things , I commend them and thereft to your meditation , and the bltf- fing of God.

FINIS.