The Riches of Mercy, Treatise 1

The Riches of Mercy · Treatise 1

THE RICHES OF MERCIEMERCY. In two Treatises;

1 Lydia's Conversion.

2. A Rescue from death.

By the late learned, and reverend Divine, RICHARD SIBBS, Doctor in Divinitie. Published by the Authors own appointment, and subscribed with his owne hand to prevent imperfect Copies.

1 SAM. 2.6.

The Lord killeth, and maketh alive; hee bringeth downe to the Grave, and bringeth up.

LONDON Printed by I. D. for Francis Eglesfeild, and are to be sold by him at the signe of the Marigold in Pauls Churchyard. 1638.

p. 1LYDIAS Conversion.

ACT. 16.14.

And a certaine woman named Lydia, a seller of Purple, of the Citie of Thyatira, that worshipped God, whose heart the Lord opened, that shee attended to the things that were spoken of Paul. And when, &c.

THE holy Apostle Saint Paula vessell of merciemercy, having found merciemercy himselfe of God, p. 2was a fit instrument to preach mercy to others.

Hereupon he was appointed to be a preacher to the Gentiles. Among the rest of the Gentiles, he was called to preach to them of Macedonia, and it was by a vision, as we see in the former part of the Chapter. A man of Macedonia, Vers. 9…appeared to Paul by night and sayd Come to Macedonia▪ and helpe us. Indeed the state of the people of Macedonia called for help, as now the state of many people doth: though there be not such a vision as a man of Macedonia, yet their wretched estate (being under the Kingdome of Satan) p. 3cries Come and help us, though they doe not crie with their mouthes, yet their estate cries. The Apostle upon this vision, takes his journey to come toward Macedonia, and he stayed there a good while; Hee abode certaine dayes.

Though God called him to Macedonia: yet God did not giuegive him great incouragement for the present. This is the manner of Gods carriage, not to discouer at the present what he wil doe, but leads people on by gentle incouragements: and to humble them the more with little fruit at the first, hee abode there certaine dayes, without any p. 4great fruit. Afterwards he goes out to Philippi (the cheife City in Macedonia, and on the Sabbath day, the people were gathered together: a company of women were resorted together, and there he preached to them: As indeed holy communion is never without a blessing; they met together on a good day, the Sabbath, and for a good end they were met together; Now Paul tooke the advantage of their meeting together on the Sabbath day, he cast his net, and he catcheth one with her family, namely Lydia. The Gospell was a sweete savour of salvation to her.

p. 5Hereupon there is a discourse of Lydia, a short story of Lydia, a story worthy to bee thought of, which is in the words of my text.

A certaine woman named Lydia, &c.

SHee is described First by her person,Parts of the text. and sex, a certaine woman. By her name Lydia. By her calling a seller of purple. By her citie Thiatira. By her pious disposition, shee worshipped God. And then her conversion p. 6is set downe, by the cause of it. God opened her heart. And what followed upon that opening of her heart, shee attended to the things that were spoken by Paul, and likewise shee was baptised with all her household.

And then the sweet fruit that this conversion of her with all her household had presently shee shewed the louelove (that shee felt from God in converting her) to the blessed Apostle and his company, shee besought them saying, If yee hauehave judged mee faithfull to the Lord, Come to my house, &c. which words I shall vnfold as I come to them.

p. 7And a certaine woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, &c.

FIRST here-is a description of her person, and sexe, and name, and calling, and city, and disposition.

God takes notice of all the particulars of those that are his,God takes particular notice of his. he delights to speake of them, those that hauehave their names written in the booke of life, hee knowes their names, and callings, and p. 8persons, they are as Iewels in his eye, they are written on the palmes of his hands, hee takes more speciall notice of them then of the rest of the world: Therefore the Apostle is very punctuall in the description of all particulars.

For her person I will be very short, I will giuegive but a note or two, and so come to that I mainly ayme at, her conversion.

p. 9A certaine woman named Lydia.

FOR her sex, shee, and the rest were women that were gathered together, as wee see in the former verse. In Christ Iesus there is neither male nor female. Sin came in by a woman, and the meanes of salvation was by a woman too, here were a company of women gathered together.

For the most part women hauehave sweet affections to religion,Womens affections to religion strong. and therein p. 10they oft goe beyond men.

Reas. 1.The reason is, Religion is especially seated in the affections: and they hauehave sweet and strong affections.

2Likewise they are subiect to weakenesse, and God delights to shew his strength in weaknesse.

3And thirdly, especially Child bearing-women, bring others into this life with danger of their own, therefore they are forced to a nearer communion with God, because so many children as they bring forth, they are in perill of their liues. Therefore the Apostle here mentions p. 11a company of women that were gathered together, and among the rest, a Certaine woman named Lydia.

What! a woman to bee the foundation of the Church of Macedonia, Great things in religion from small beginningsa poore woman, and then a Gaoler afterward, a rugged rough Gaoler: for these to be the foundation of so famous a Church as Philippi and other Churches in Macedonia! Oh! yes; the Kingdome of heauen is as a graine of mustard seed small in the beginning. It is so in regard of the Church it selfe; and in regard of the grace, that eueryevery particular p. 12member hath, it is little and weake beginnings Christians are not as the Angels were, perfect at the first: The Church growes by little, and little. Therefore we should not be discouraged when the plantation of the Gospell hath poore successe at the beginning: We see in the Church of Macedonia, there was little successe at the first: A woman and a rough Gaoler, a Gaoler that both by calling, and disposition, and custome was a man, hard and hardned too: yet these two were the foundation of a great Church.

Was it not so among p. 13our selues? The Church of latter times, in the time of reformation, how began it? By a child, and a woman, King Edward the sixt, and Queene Elizabeth of famous memory▪ Therfore as the Prophet sayth, Who art thou that despisest the day of little things? despise not little things. There is nothing lesse then grace at the first: But as Christ the stocke of Iesse, rose from the dead and rose up to heaven, and overspreads the world now so eueryevery Christian riseth of meane beginnings: and so doth the Church it selfe. A certaine woman named Lydia, shee was the p. 14foundation of a famous Church.

Then shee is set downe by her calling.

A Seller of Purple.

Callings allowed by God.GOD allowes callings.

The calling of Christianity is shewed in particular callings, which are sanctified by God to subdue the excesse of corruptions. Men without callings are exceeding vicious, as some Gentlemen, and beggars, in this I may ranke them p. 15together: those that hauehave no callings, nor fit themselues for a calling, and that are out of a calling lawfull.

Callings are lawfull.Commerce lawfull. And so this calling of commerce, and trade, A seller of purple: Though for the most part men gather a great deale of soile, and corruption, by commixture of manners with those they deale with: yet there must be commerce, and this particular commerce of selling of Purple.

The body of man needs many callings, there is not a part of mans body, not one member, but it sets a p. 16particular calling on work Therefore this life is a life of many necessities? and there must be callings and trading, and this particular trading, selling of purple. It may seeme superfluous, but it is not altogether: for Garments are for 3. ends.

For

Vse of garments.Necessity.

Ornament.

Distinction.

Now purple, howeuer it be not for necessity, it is for ornament, and distinction, for Magistrats, and the like, persons of great quality. How-ever the pride of the times hath p. 17bred a confusion, that one will goe as well as another yet God that allowes distinction of callings, and persons, allowes distinction of habit, and attire Therefore selling of purple is lawfull and the wearing of rich attire.The selling and wearing rich attire lawfull. Kings daughters went in such, as it is sayd of Davids daughters.

So there bee not over much delicacie:Object, for delicacie in this, in these times is fatall as there be many in the City, and in the countries that are given to over-much nicitie, and sumptuousnes in this kind; it is a fore runner of ruine.

Otherwise it is lawfull p. 18(for those that may,) to weare purple, as it is lawfull to sell Purple, so that (as he sayd to the great Emperour) they doe not consider the purple so much, as that the purple couers dust, and base flesh that must turne to dust and ashes, and rottennesse ere long, so that people bee not lift up in that, that is borrowed from the poore creature, from wormes. It is a strange thing that men should be so sicke in their fancie, as to thinke themselues the better for that they beg of the poor creature: so a man take heed of fancie and pride, it is lawfull to use purple, Shee was p. 19a seller of Purple, So much for her calling.

Shee worshipped God.

SHEE was perhaps a Iew, and looked for a Messias. There were 3. sorts of people before Christ.3. Sorts of people before Christ The Iewes and those that we call prose lites; and Religious persons fearing God. Shee might be one of the three it is not certaine what shee was. Certainely shee was one that feared God▪ She had some religion in her, p. 20though yet shee was not ripened in the true Religion, shee was a woman that feared God.

From such kind of places as this, we hauehave occasion to speake of workes of preparation. Saint Paul was sent to her, shee was a woman that feared God. To speak a little of works of preparation.

Workes of preparation necessary to conversion.It is true, God usually prepares those that hee meanes to convert: as we plow before we sow, wee doe not sow among the thornes, and we dig deep to lay a foundation, wee purge before Cordialls. It is usuall in nature, and in grace preparations: therfore p. 21preparations are necessary. There is such a distance betweene the nature, and corruption of man, and grace, that there must be a great deale of preparation, many degrees to rise by before a man come to that condition hee should bee in, therefore preparations we allow, and the necessity of them.

But we allow this,Preparations are from God. that all preparations are from God, wee cannot prepare our selues, or deserue future things by our preparations; for the preparations themselues are of God.

And thirdly, though we grant preparations yet we p. 22grant no force of a meritorious cause in preparations to produce such an effect as conversion is: No; only preparation is to remooue the hindrances,Preparations remooue hindrances. and to fit the soule for conversion that there may not be so great a distance beetweene the soule, and conversion, as without preparation there would be.

Quest.But when is preparation sufficient?

Answ.When the soul is so farre cast downe, as it sets a high price on Christ, and on grace aboue all things in the world, it accounts grace the onelyonly p. 23pearle, and the Gospel to be the Kingdome of heaven: when a man sets a high price on grace more then all the world besides then a man is sufficiently prepared,

Some poore soules think they are neuer prepared enough: but let them looke to the end that God will hauehave preparation for that is, that a high price be set upon the best things, and value all things but grace meanely in their owne ranke, when a man is brought to that pitch that by the light of the spirit, hee esteemes all nothing but Christ, and that hee must be had, and he must p. 24hauehave sauing grace let him neuer talke whether hee bee prepared or no. This disposition shewes that he is prepared enough, at least to bring him to conversion.

Progresse of preparation.Now, God in preparation for the most part Civilizeth people, and then Christianizeth them as I may say: for the spirit of GOD will not be effectuall in a rude wild, and barbarous soule, in men that are not men; Therefore they must bee brought to Civilitie, and not only to civilitie, but there must be a worke of the law, to cast them downe, and then they are p. 25brought to Christianitie thereupon.

Therefore they take a good course that labour to breake them from their naturall rudenesse, and feircenesse: as by nature every man is like a wild asse-Colt, there cannot be more significant words a Colt, an asse Colt, and wild. Now ther is no sowing in the sand or on the water: there is no forcing of grace on a soule so farre indisposed that is not brought to Civilitie, rude, and barbarous soules therefore Gods manner is to bring them in the compasse of Civilitie, and then seeing what their estate is in the corruption of nature p. 26to deject them and then to bring them to Christianity as we see here in Lydia.

For howeuer there is no force of a meritorious cause in preparations to grace, to raise up the soule to grace: for alas that cannot be! it is not in it, to produce such a blessed effect: yet notwithstanding it brings a man to a lesse distance then other wild creatures that come not within the compasse of the means. Therefore vsually to those that use the talents of their vnderstanding and will, that they hauehave well, God after discovers himselfe more, and more.

Therfore let all be incouraged p. 27to grow more, and more to courses of civility, and Religion, and wait the good time, till God shine on them in mercy: For though those courses can neuer produce religion, yet it brings men to a proximity, and nearenesse to God, and Christ, more then those that stand further off. But I will not force this point further at this time-Shee was a woman that feared, and worshipped God. Shee was faithfull in that light shee had, and to him that hath shal be given.

p. 28Shee worspipped God.

NOT in any sight of her owne, she had the grace of God from the spirit of God. All feare comes from the spirit of God, initiall feare, and ripened feare, all feare is from God, but I will not conflict with adversaries at this time. You see the person, a woman, her calling; A seller of purple, and her pious disposition, shee was such a one as worshipped God; And she heard Paul.

p. 29The sweete providence of God, brings those that belong to Election, vnderunder the compasse of the means at one time or other.God brings his elect under means. Let the divell, and the instruments of the Divell, rage and oppose, and doe what they can; those that belong to God, God will hauehave a time to bring them within the compasse of his calling, and effectually call them by his spirit. As here Lydia, there was a sweete preventing providence that shee never thought of, God brought an Apostle for the saluation of her soule, shee heard Paul and was converted. To come to the description p. 30of her conversion in the next words.

Whose heart the Lord opened to attend to the things that were spoken of Paul.

GOD opened her heart. To what purpose? To attend to the things spoken of Paul.

God by the word preached opens the heart; to attend to the word: by the word, we are fitted to the word. The spirit and the word draw us to themselues: The spirit, and the p. 31word draw us to regard the word, by the word her heart was opened to attend to the word.

First I will speake of the opening her heart: And then of her attending upon the word preached by Paul. God opened her heart. Shee was a religious woman yet her heart was shut before God opened it. Shee was religious in her kind, yet her heart must be further opened before shee could bee saved. There is no staying in preparations in this or that degree:Preparations not to be rested in. as many abortiues in our times that make many offers; they hauehave the spirit of bondage, and are p. 32cast downe: but there they stick and neuer come to proofe. But those that will attaine to salvation, must not rest in religious dispositions, in good affections, and gracious offers, they must goe on further and further, as wee see here, God opened her heart.

Obserue then in the opening of the heart these things.God opens the heart.

11The heart naturally shut.First the heart is naturally shut, and closed up as indeed it is to spirituall things: it is open enough to the world, and to base contentments here, but it is shut to heauen and heauenly things, naturally p. 33it is cleane locked up.

Partly in its owne nature, being corrupt, and earthly, partly because Sathan he beseigeth all the senses, and shuts up all. There is a spirit of deafenesse, and blindnesse, and a spirit of darknes, and deafnesse in people, before God hath brought them by the powerfull worke of the Gospell, from the Kingdome of Satan, that poffesseth every man naturally. Naturally therefore our hearts are not open, but locked and shut up (that is supposed here) so that except God be mercifull to breake the prison as it were, whereby by p. 34vnbeleife, and the wickednesse of our nature we are shutt up, there is no hope of salvation at all.

God opens the heart.

The second thing is this, that as our hearts are shut and closed up naturally:22God alone opens the heart. so God, and God alone opens the heart, by his spirit in the use of the means, God opened Lydia's heart.

God hath many keyes, he hath the key of heauen, to cōmand the raine to come downe, he hath the key of the wombe, the key of hell, and the graue, and the key of the heart, especially, He opens, and no p. 35man shuts, and shuts and no men opens. He hath the key of the heart, to open the vnderstanding, the memory, the will, and affections. God, and God only hath the key of the heart to open that, it is his prerogatiue. He made the heart, and he onelyonly hath to doe with the heart, he can vnmake it, and make it new againe, as those that make locks can doe. And if the heart be in ill temper, hee can take it in peices, and bring it to nothing as it were (as it must be before conversion) and he can make it a new heart againe. It is God that opens the heart, and God p. 36only. All the Angels in heauen cannot giuegive one grace, not the least grace; Grace comes meerly from God: it is meerly from God: All the creatures in the world cannot open the heart, but God only by his holy spirit: For nature cannot doe aboue its sphere (as we say) aboue its owne power. Naturall things can doe but naturall things. For nature to raise it selfe up to beleeue heavenly things it cannot be. Therefore as you see vapours goe as high as the sunne drawes them up and no higher: so the soule of man is lift up to heauenly th…ngs by the power of p. 37Gods spirit: God drawes us and then we follow: God I say onelyonly openeth the heart.

Because there is not only want of strength in the soule,11There is want of ability in the soule. to open it selfe: but likewise there is enmity, and poyson in the heart, …o shut it selfe, and shut out all goodnesse. A man hath no senses to spirituall things; no eyes, no eares, no taft, no life. Nay there is an opposition to all.22There is an opposition. A naturall man perceiveth not the things of God, neither can he, he wants senses: and those senses hee hath are set against goodnesse, as the Apostle saith he esteemeth them foolishnesse. I p. 38need not bee much in so easie an argument, that you are well enough acquainted with. Naturally the heart is shut, and God only must open it.

Vse Patience to others.This should teach us patience, when we can do little good with those that are under us by all our instructions, and corrections wait the due time. Grace is not of thy giving, the heart is not of thy opening, or of any mans opening:2 Tim. 2.2 Tim 2 therefore as it is 2 Tim. 2. waite, and beare with patience men of contrarie minds, waiting when God in due time giuegive them grace to repent. Grace is Gods creature it is none of p. 39our owne. Therefore take heed that we be not short, & angry spirited, if we cannot hauehave all we would hauehave of those that are under us, children, or servants, let us waite Gods time, he opens the heart in his time.

And if wee find not grace wrought in our owne hearts at the first, or second or third sermon Let us doe as hee at the Poole of Bethesda, lie there till the Angell stirre the water, till God bee effectuall by his spirit. God doth it and he only doth it, only we must waite, he will doe it in his good time, be not ouer short-spirited. This we ought to obserue p. 40out of these words God opened the heart of Lydia.Thankfulnesse.

The heart is put for the whole soule,What ment by heart. he opened her understanding to conceiue: for all things beegin with heauenly light of the understanding all grace comes into the soule by the understanding.

There is no sanctifying grace in the affections but it comes by enlightning the understanding, we see the grounds of it in the understanding first: God opens the understanding, and then he opens the memory to retaine. That the memory may bee as the pot of Mannah to hold heauenly things: he opens p. 41and strengthens it with retention to keepe them, and he opens the will to close with holy things, and the affections to joy and delight in them. So the heart is the whole inward man, he not only enlightens the understanding, but infuseth grace into the will, and affections, into the whole inward man. We must take it in that extent for else if God should only open the understanding, and not through the understanding flow into the will by the power of his spirit, the will would alway rebell: as indeed it is a poysonfull thing; there is nothing so malicious p. 42next the divell, as the will of man. God will hauehave one way, and it will hauehave another: Therefore God doth not only open the vnderstanding to conceiue, but he opens the will to close with, and to imbrace that that is good; or else it will take head, and take armes against the understanding in that that is good, and neuer come to the worke of grace: Therefore take it so, he opened the will and affections as well as the understanding: though what-soeuer is in the will, and affections, comes through the understāding, as well as heate comes through light. God opened p. 43her heart, to what end?

To attend to the things that were spoken of Paul.

THe word signifies, to applie, and set her mind to the things that Paul said, to joyne and fasten the mind, to what Paul sayd.

First you see then, here is the opening of the heart before there is attending, before there can bee any attending,The mind must bee sanctified to attend to the word. and applying p. 44of the mind, the mind must be sanctified, and strengthened: the soule must be sanctified before it can attend.

The reason is; nothing can flow but from a sutable facultie, and ability to attend is a power and act of the soule, it must come from a sanctified power of the soule, the heart must first bee opened, and then the heart attends. God sayth, he will circumcise the heart, and then we shall louelove him, he sanctifies the heart, and then it loues him. God changeth and altereth the frame of the soule, and then holy actions come p. 45from it. First, grace begins with the abilities and powers of the soule, the heart is opened, and then come holy actions sutable. There is no proportion betweene holy actions, and an vnsanctified soule, the heart must first be opened, and then it attends.

Whose heart the Lord opened that shee attended, &c.

YOU see then in the next place, that God opening the heart of any Christian, it is to p. 46carrie the attention to the word.God opens the heart to attend. God by grace carries the heart to the word, shee attended to what Paul spake. Where true grace is wrought it carries not to speculation or to practise this or that idle dreame, but where the heart is open, grace carries to attend to the word, especially to the good word the Gospell of Christ. As grace is wrought by the word: so it carries the soule to the word.

Vse. Triall whether our hearts be opened.And therefore it may be a use of tryall to know whether wee hauehave our hearts wrought on by the grace of God or no, whether GOD by his spirit p. 47hauehave opened our hearts or no? if our hearts be carried to the blessed word of God to rellish that. If they be, God hath opened our hearts to attend to the word. And there is no better evidence of a child of God, then that that is fetched from the affection that hee carries to the word and blessed truth of God: Oh! he rellisheth it as his appointed food, he cannot be without it, take away that, and you take away his life. My Sheepe heare my voyce, you are none of mine because you heare not my word. A delight in the blessed truth of God is an argument that God hath p. 48first opened the heart.

Therefore poore soules when they want good evidence, when they doubt whether their estate be good or no? Let them consider what rellish they have of diuine truths. Whether it be connaturall to the word or no? whether it be savourie or no? whether they could be without the meanes of salvation or no? and let them judge of themselves by their delight in Gods truth, her heart was opened to attend to the word.

p. 49Shee attended to the things which were spoken of Paul.

WHich were the blessed truths of salvation. The forgiuenesse of sinnes, The free mercy of God in Christ. The particulars are not set downe, but it was the Gospell, and shee beleeued upon it, therefore it must needes be the word of faith: We see heere then, that p. 50The Gospell the Ground of faith:The seed and ground of faith is the Gospell.

Her heart was opened to attend to that, that Paul spake which was the Gospell. And indeed so it is. The foundation of faith, the word of faith is the Gospell: nothing can breed faith but the word of God: for how can wee hope for heauen, and happinesse, but by the mind of God discovered? Can we looke for any thing but GOD must discover his mind to bestow it? and where hauehave wee the mind and bosome of God opened to us, is it not from p. 51the scriptures the word of God, from the good word especially? It is called the word of grace, and the word of the Kingdome, and of glory; The word of life: because by it all these blessed things are conveyed to us.

Now it is not the word simply here,The word preached the usuall meanes of faith. but the word spoken by Paul, that is, the word preached by an authorized minister, is the usuall meanes of faith, her heart was opened to attend to what was spoken by Paul an authorized minister, so the word preached is the ordinary though not the sole foundation of faith. Therefore p. 52the Apostle saith, that God by that converted the world, by the foolishnesse of preaching, And in the ladder of heauen in Rom. 10.Rom. 10.Rom 10 How shall they call on him of whom they hauehave not heard and how shall they preach except they bee sent: so there is no faith without teaching. The point is playne, you heare it oft: The word is the ground of faith, and the word especially as it is preached by a Paul, by a Minister unfolding it.

Vse. To pray …or labou…ers in Gods har…est.Therefore be stirred up as yee fauour the soules of Gods people, to pray to God to send labourers into his harvest, and to pray that p. 53the Gospell and the preaching of it may hauehave a free passage, that God would set vp lights in all the darke corners of the kingdome, and every where to those that are in darkenesse, and in the shadow of death: And blessed are their indeauour that labour, that the Gospell may be preached in eueryevery part of the Kingdom. For we see here, it is the word unfolded, the unsearchable riches of Christ spread open, the Tapestry laid open, that usually beget faith. The mine must be digged: people must see it familiarly layd open.

Therfore saith he here, Lydia's heart was opened, p. 54and shee attended to the word spoken by Paul.

To prize the ordinance of preaching.Let this teach us to set a price upon the ordinance of God: doth God set up an ordinance; and will he not giuegive vertue, and power to it? Yes: there is a majesty, and a power in the word of God to pul people out of the Kingdome of Sathan, to the blessed light of Gods Kingdome. It was the word, and the word opened by the ministery of Paul.

Attention necessarie.But it was the word, and the word opened, and attended to, shee mixed it with her attention and her heart closed with it. There are these 3. goe together. p. 55The word, and the word preached, and then attending to the word preachedth at was the ground of her faith, these 3. meeting together.

There are these foure things must alwayes be in the senses of our body.44Things requisite to …ight. If wee will see there must be an object to see, we must see something; and a facultie to see, our eye; and then a light whereby wee see we cannot see in the dark And then there must bee an application of the eye to see the object by that light. So in spirituall things there is the blessed truth of God, the merciemercy of God in Iesus Christ: that wee p. 56may see these things, wee must hauehave a light by which we may see them. And there must be a power to see which is the sanctified opened understanding, when the understanding is opened, then there is an application of the soule to attend to the word of God, by the light of the word. So that there must be application, and attention to the word: before the word can doe us good, it must be applyed to the object, the tast to the thing tasted, and so in all the other senses.

Attention is a speciall thing: how many sermons are lost in this Citie, that p. 57are as seed drowned, that never come to fruite? I thinke there is no place in the world where there is so much preaching, and no place, where there are so many sermons lost; why; because people want a retaining power, and facultie to attend, and retaine and keepe what wee heare shee attended to the word preached.

To giuegive a little direction in this poynt of attending,Directions to attend on the word. and applying the mind, not to speake much I will name two or three principall things that I thinke fit at this time.

If we would come,11Search our wants. as we should, to the word p. 58preached: let us search our wants before wee come, and all the occasions wee shall have to encounter with, all temptations, that we are like to encounter with, let us fore-cast by presenting to our soules. I am weake in knowledge, and I want such graces. I am like to encounter with such temptations, I am too weake for it; I shall meete with such adversaries, I know not how to answer them, I am plunged in such businesses, I shall be lost in them without grace: then the soule comes with a mind to be supplied, and then it will attend, and wll pray for p. 59the preacher! Oh Lord direct him that he may speak fitly to me, somewhat for my understanding, somewhat for my affections, somewhat to helpe me against such, & such a temptation: this is wanting, and therfore we profit no more by the word then we doe.

Then when we come to heare the word,22Come with subjection. let us heare it with all spirituall subjection, as that Word that hath power to Command the conscience. This is the word of God: the Minister of God speaks in the place of God to me. I must give an account of it. I will subject my conscience to it: It is spoken with p. 60evidence, and proved, I will stoupe to it. Thus we should come with subjection of soule and conscience to whatsoever is taught; and not come to judge, and censure, or to delight in it as musique, as if wee came to a play, to heare some prettie sentences: but come to heare God, as to the ordinance of God, come as to that Word that shall judge our soules at the latter day; that is the way to attend.

Then againe, if we would attend, when we have heard the word of God,33To get the word ingrafted. let us labour by all meanes to bring it neare to us; that it may be an ingrafted p. 61Word, that the soule may be leavened by it, that it may be so ingrafted in the understanding, and affections that we may thinke the better, in the vertue of it, and love, and speake, and doe the better as a Sience savours of the pla… it is put into. Let us labour that the word of God may be written in our soules in the tables of our hearts: that the truth of God may be neare us, as any temptation shall be neare us, or any corruption neare us. What is the reason wee yeeld to corruptions and temptations? They are neare, and the Word is p. 62farre off, We never attended to the Word to bring it neare home. If the word were as neare as corruptions, and temptations, that it were ingrafted, and in vested into the soule, we should have the word readie for every temptation: there should not …e a temptation offered, nor a corruption arise, but wee should subdue it, and beat it downe with the blessed truth of God, accompanied with the spirit. Let us labour to get it neare us; that the reasons of the word and our reason, that the judgment of God, and our iudgement, that the wil of God, & our own wil p. 63may be all one: and so to have it incorporated, and naturalized into our hearts, that we may speake and thinke, and doe nothing but that which is Divine: that is, to have the word written in our hearts, our attention should be to that end. Therefore when we heare, we should doe as nature doth with the meate we eate, it suckes out a strength sutable for every part, every part hath a power to draw out nourishment what is sutable to it selfe: so when wee heare the word of God, we should be able to say this is good for such, and p. 64such an end, and never leave thinking of the word of God when wee have heard it, till we have turned the word into our soules, till we have it fixed in our understandings, that we can say, Now I know it; till we have subdued our hearts to it, and we be molded, and delivered up to it, that we can say, Now I have it; now the word is mine. Let us never leave the truth wee heare till we be brought to that: alas to what purpose is it to heare except we make it our owne, as nature makes the meate our owne that we eate! There is a second or third p. 65digestion, that goes before digestion be perfectly made, and the meate turned into it. It is ruminating, and meditating, and altering of that wee heare, and working on it that makes spirituall nourishment: thus wee should doe to attend to purpose.

And that we may doe it let us adde some meditations to these practises.44Meditation. Consider first of all whose word it is. It is the word of the great God, and the word of God for my good It is the good word of God, and the word of God that brings me much good, eternall salvation if I obey it, it is the word of p. 66God that brings eternall damnation if I obey it not.

It is the word of the great King, a Proclamation, a Law whereby I shall be judged, and perhaps that word that I shall not heare another time, perhaps the spirit may worke more now then at another time: therefore I will be wise, & give way to the spirit of God, and not beate it backe, perhaps I shal never have such a gale of the spirit offered againe, it may be the last Sermon I shall heare while I live: we should have such meditatiōs, we that speak; as if it were the last time we should speake; and you p. 67that heare, as if they should be the last things that ever you should heare: for how doe wee know but it may be so? It is another manner of matter to heare, then we take it. Take heed how yee heare saith our blessed Saviour: We heare nothing but it sets us forward in the way of Grace to heaven, or forward to hell, we are helped by it to heaven, or else hardened by it further to hell. We had need to take heed how we heare, we must be judged by that wee heare: and that that wee heare now negligently, and carelesly, God will make good at the day of p. 68judgement. We may shake off (as prophane spirits doe) the Ministers exhortations: but will you shake off depart ye Cursed at the latter day? Will you shake off that sentence, you would not heare me, and I will not heare you? Oh! no: Therefore shake not that off now, that will be made good then. If thou entertaine the Gospell now, God will make it good then; if thou receive merciemercy now, he will shew that thou art acquitted then before Divels, and Angells, and Men. Let us regard this, and let it make us heare the word with attention as this good p. 69woman here. God opened her heart, and shee attended to the things that were spoken of Paul.

But you will aske,Quest. how shall I know a man whose heart is opened,How to know we attend aright. and attends better then another man doth?

I will give two or three briefe rules of discerning.Answ. He that by the spirit of God attends to the good word of God to purpose,11When wee know not the word, but the things. with an opened underding, he not only knowes the words, and the shell in preaching the word of God, but the things: he knowes not only what p. 70faith and repentance is in the words: but he hath a spirituall light to know what the things are, what repentance is, and faith, and love, and hope, and patience, hee knowes the things. And likewise he that hath attended to purpose he can do the things: he not only knowes what he should doe: but by the grace of the spirit, and attending upon the word of God, he knowes how to doe them. Grace teacheth him not onelyonly that hee should denie himselfe, and live soberly, and righteously, and Godly, but it teacheth him how to live soberly and righteously, and p. 71Godly. Grace, when we attend upon the word as wee should, teacheth us to doe the things; not only that we should repent, and pray &c. but to doe them it opens the things, and gives abilitie to doe them.

And in the next place,22The soule ecchoes to the word. those that attend as they should doe, there is a spirituall eccho in their soules to every thing that is taught: that is, when they are exhorted to beleeve, they answer, Lord I will beleeve; Lord I will heare, I will repent, and I will take heed of such sins by thy grace; when God saith seeke my face; Lord thy face will I seeke. This is p. 72the answer of a good conscience, this eccho, where there is attention to the word of God by the spirit, there is an eccho to that the spirit speaks, Lord it is good, and it is good for me, if I yeeld to this, if I doe not, it is naught for me to put off repentance till another day; I desire to yeeld now, and oh! that my heart were directed; if it be rebellious, and not yeelding, there is a desire that the heart may be brought into subjection to every truth revealed, there is a gracious eccho in them that attend to purpose.

Then againe those that p. 73doe attend from a sanctifing grace,33They see things in their owne light. they see things by another light, by a spirit of their owne, by a heauenly light, by a species in their owne kind, spirituall things with a spirituall light. Many come, and heare sermons, and can discourse, and wrangle, and maintaine janglings of their owne, and all this out of naturall parts, and out of pride of heart: but a gracious holy man, sees spirituall things by a spirituall light, in their owne kind.

A man that is borne in a dungeon, and neuer saw the light, when he heares discourse of the Sun, and p. 74stars, and earth, and flowers, and plants, he that Imaginations what they should be, but he fancies other things: so a man that neuer had spirituall eye-sight, to see spirituall things in their kinde; he fancies them to bee this and that, but he sees them not by their owne light, many speake and talke of good things, but it is by the spirit of other men, out of books, and hearing and not by a spirit of their owne. He that attends by grace speakes out of a spirit of his owne, and not out of other mens spirits, he sees spirituall things in their owne colours. Thus p. 75wee see how to discerne spirituall attention.

And he that knowes what this meanes,They judge according to their profit. what is it to hauehave his heart opened to attend, when he goes from hearing the word, he judgeth of his profiting by it not by what he can say by heart; but by how much the meeker hee is, how much more patient, how much more able to beare the crosse, to resist temptations, and to hauehave communion with God, so hee values his attending upon the meanes and hearing the word by the growth of his grace, and the decay of his corruptions. Shee attended to the things that p. 76were spoken of Paul.

And shee was baptized, and her houshold.

Baptisme the seale of salvation.SHEE had the meanes of salvation, and shee had the seale likewise, which is baptisme. We hauehave all need of seales, wee hauehave need to hane our faith strengthened: God knowes it betthen wee our selues, We thinke Baptisme, and the Communion small matters but God knowes how prone wee are to stagger, p. 77hee knowes that all seales are little enough; therefore it is sayd here, shee was baptized, and all her houshold. Baptisme is a solemne thing, it is the seale of the Covenant of grace: you are well enough acquainted, I imagine, with the thing, therfore I will not enter into the common place, it is needlesse. As the whole trinitie was at the Baptisme of Christ, so eueryevery infant that is baptized, is the Child of Christ. And it is a speciall thing that we should meditate of.

We slight our baptisme and thinke it needlesse you see the holy woman p. 78here would bee baptized presently; shee would hauehave the seale of the covenant. There are many that are not booke-learned, that cannot read, at least they hauehave no leasure to read; I would they would read their booke in their Baptisme: and if they would consider what it ministers to them upon all ocasions they would be farre better Christians then they are.How to thinke of our Baptisme.

Thinke of thy Baptisme when thou goest to God, especially when hee seemes angrie, it is the seale of the covenant; bring the promise, Lord it is the seale of thy Covenant, p. 79thou hast prevented mee by thy grace, thou brough test mee into the Covenant before I knew my right hand from my left. So when we goe to Church to offer our seruice to God, thinke, by baptisme wee were consecrated, and dedicated to God, we not only receiue grace from God but we giuegive our selues to God. Therefore it is sacriledge for persons baptized to yeeld to temptations to sinne, we are dedicated to God in baptisme. When we are tempted to despaire, let us thinke of our baptisme: wee are in the Covenant of Grace, and hauehave receiued the p. 80seale of the Covenant, baptisme. The divell is an vncircumcised, damned, cursed spirit, hee is out of the Covenant: but I am in the Covenant: Christ is mine, the holy Ghost is mine, and God is mine, therefore let us stand against all the temptations of that vncircumcised, vnbaptized damned spirit. The thinking of our baptisme thus, will help us to resist the Devill, he is a coward, if hee bee resisted he will flee: and what will better resist him then the Covenant of grace, and the seale of it? When we are tempted to sinne, let us thinke, what p. 81hauehave I to doe with sinne? by baptisme I hauehave union with the death of Christ; he died to take away sin, and my end must be his. I must abolish sin in my nature? Shall I yeild to that: that in baptisme I hauehave sworne against? And then if we bee tempted to despaire for sin let us call to mind the promises of grace, and forgiuenesse of sins, and the seale of forgiuenesse of sinnes, which is baptisme: For as water in baptisme washeth the body, so the blood of Christ washeth the soule: Let us make that use of our baptisme in temptations not to despaire for sin. p. 82And in conversing among men; let us labor to maintaine the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace, to live peaceably. Christians must not fall to jarre, why? There is one faith, and one Baptisme, have wee not all one father? one inheritance, one baptisme, one Religion, and shall wee breake one with another for trifles, they forget their Baptisme that are so in quarrells. Thus if wee would thinke of it, it is such a booke as would be readie at hand for all services.

And then for our children▪ those that God hath p. 83committed to us, let us make use of baptisme, do they die in their infancie? make this use of it, I have assured hope that my child is gone to God, he was borne in the Covenant, and had the seale of the Covenant, baptisme, why should I doubt of the salvation of my child? If they live to yeares of discretion, then be of good comfort, he is Gods Child more then mine, I have dedicate him to God, and to Christ, he was baptized in the name of Christ, Christ will care for him as well, as for me. If I leave my Children behind me they p. 84are Gods, and Christs children, they have received, the seale of the Covenant; baptisme, Christ will provide for them: and he that provides heaven for them, will provide all things in the way to heaven necessarie. God hath said, I will be the God of thee, and of thy children, they are in Covenant, thine they were Lord. A man may commit his Children to God on his death-bed; thou gavest them me, and I commit them to thee againe, as before I did by baptisme. All this wee have by thinking of our baptisme. If we looke p. 85no further (as prophane spirits doe not) then the water, and the elements, we can have no comfort by these things: but wee should consider Gods blessed institution, and ordinance, to strengthen our faith. And to our children when they come to yeares, baptisme is an obligation to beleeve; because they have received the seale before hand, and it is a meanes to beleeve. Shee was Baptized

p. 86And her houshold.

Honour of good governours of families.SO good is God where the governour of the familie is good, he gives all the familie good: because he makes conscience in governing, and instructing them; God crownes their indeavours with successe that they shall be all good. As we see Abraham, and his houshold; the Gaoler, and his houshold, Zacheus, and his houshold. Oh! it is a a blessed thing to be a p. 87good governour in a familie; he brings a blessing upon his house: the Church of God is in his house. There cannot be a more honorable title to any house, then to say it is the Church of God: that the Governour of the familie brings all in subjection to God; that as he will have all serve him, so he will have all serve God; that he will not have a servant but he shall be the servant of God, nor a child but he shall be the child of God; and he labours to make his wife the Spouse of Christ. Thus it should be said of every Christian familie, and p. 88then they are Churches.

Alas! in many places now they are hells because there is little regard had of instructing of them. Beloved, many poore soules have had occasion to blesse God forever, that they hauehave bin grafted into such good families. And put case sometimes,Good instructions may be effectuall long after. thou hast instructed them, and taken paines and there is no good done. When thou art dead; & twenty yeares after, it may come to their minds, all those instructions, when they are in worse families. Oh! in such a place, with such a Master I had such instructions, p. 89but I had no grace to take good by them: but now I call them to mind: so the seed that was sowen long before may take effect then. This should incourage those that are Governours of families to be good. Lydia was baptized, and her houshold.

p. 90And she besought them saying, if you have judged me faithfull to the Lord come to my house and abide there.

HEre is the fruit of Lydia's conversion, when shee was converted, and baptized, shee intreated the Apostles to come to her house, and abide there, and she prevailed, shee constrained them by a morrall kind of violence they suffered themselves to be overcome.

p. 91If you have judged mee faithfull &c. Come to my house and abide there.

Here is her invitation; and the argument that she forceth it by. If you have judged me faithfull to Christ, then come to my house.

To speake a little of her argument, whereby shee forced the blessed Apostle, and the rest to her house.

p. 92If yee have judged me faithfull.

IT is a most binding argument. If you judge me faithfull, you must judge me a child of God, an heire of heaven, the Spouse of Christ, you must judge mee all these, and the like. If you have judged mee faithfull come to my house. And if you judge me so, can you denie me this courtesie. It is a conjuring, wondrous forcible argument. If you p. 93have judged mee faithfull.

It implies that S. Paul, and holy men would be more strange else. And so there should not be intimate familiaritie (converse there may be, but not familaritie) with those that are not faithfull. Indifferent carriage to all alike shewes a rotten heart: those that make no difference betweene good Christians and formall hypocrites, No; but if you have judged me faithfull come to my house. As if she had said, I know your spirits are such, that except you judge me faithfull, you will not p. 94take this courtesie at my hands.

Christians easie to be intreated.Againe she supposed if Paul judged her faithfull he would not denie her that courtesie. Those that upon good grounds wee judge faithfull, we should be gentle to them, and easie to be intreated. The wisedome that is from above is so. Grace Sweetnes the Carriage, and alters a mans disposition. Those that have felt pittie from God, are mercifull to others. Therefore if you have judged mee faithfull, &c.

It was an argument of a great-deale of sinceritie, to appeale to their knowledge p. 95and judgement, If you have judged me faithfull.

If she had not beene sincere she would not have done so: but sinceritie makes a man bold to appeale to God himselfe. Lord thou knowest that I love thee saith S. Peter, and If there be any iniquitie in my heart saith David, they dare appeale to God and to Gods people, if yee have judged me faithfull.

In this speech likewise shee desires to have confirmation of her estate from the Apostles.Approbation of strong Christians confirmes the weake. And indeed it is a great confirmation of weake Christians to have the judgement p. 96of strong Christians that they are good, If you have judged mee faithfull, doe me this courtesie. And would it not comfort her soule to have the judgement of so strong a man as Paul?

It is a great strengthening not onelyonly to have the spirit of God witnesse for us, but the spirit of God in others. And sometimes in temptations, the judgment of others will doe us more good then our owne, in a darke state: Therefore wee should appeale to those that feare God to judge us faithfull; though we be in a mist, and in p. 97darkenesse sometimes: that we are not able to judge of our owne condition.

And indeed when we judge the people to be truly good,To judge well of Christians. and true hearted to God, we owe them this dutie? to thinke them good people, and to shew it, it is a debt: we wrong good persons, when wee take wrong conceits of them. Shall wee not affect and louelove them that God loues? It is as if shee had sayd, God hath taken me into his family, and will admit mee to heauen, and will not you come to my house? when Christ shall take p. 98men to be members of his body, shall not we take them into our company. It is a wrong to good people to be strange to them: sometimes there may by way of censure, in some sin, be a little strangenesse: but ordinary stangnesse becomes not Christians, it becomes not that sweet bond the Communion of Saints. If you hauehave judged me faithfull. That is the bond. Her invitation is,

p. 99Come to my house, and and abide there.

YOU see many sweet graces presently after shee beleived,Lydias invitation. here is a loving heart? Why did shee desire them to come to her house?To shew her louelove. To expresse the louelove she did beare to them for their works sake, shee felt the louelove of Christ by their ministery and now she desired to expresse the fruit of her louelove in maintaining them.

And not onelyonly so but p. 100she desired to be edified by them:To be further inst… cted. shee was yongly planted, and shee desired to bee watered from them. Shee knew Paul would drop heauenly things, and giuegive her that that might stablish her, therefore she desired that they would stay at her house, that she might hauehave benefit by their heauenly discourse, and be built vp, and edified further, and further.

So you see these two graces especially upon beleeuing, a bountifull louing heart, shee intreated them not onelyonly to come to her house, but to abide there a good while, as p. 101they did. And here was her desire to bee edified. And a boldnesse to appeare to owne Christ, and his ministers in dangerous times: for in those times it was a dangerous thing to appeare to be a Christian; they were worse hated then the Iewes were, though both were hated: yet Christians were, aboue all: Therefore false Christians would be circumcised, they would be Iewes,Faith fruitfull. to auoid the Crosse that they might not bee accounted Christians.

You see in Generall, true faith that works louelove and workes by louelove: It workes louelove in the heart, p. 102and by louelove it works all duties of hospitallity, and bounty by louelove. When it hath wrought that holy affection, it works by that holy affection? You see here it is neuer without fruit, presently faith brings forth fruit, as soone as shee was baptized. shee shewes her louelove, to the Apostles, and their company, and her bounty and her boldnesse in the cause of Christ.

We say of a graft, it is grafted to purpose, if it take, and bring forth fruite, so shee being a new sience graft into Christ, shee tooke presently as soone as she was baptized p. 103into Christ, here is the fruite of louelove and bounty, and boldnesse in the cause of Christ. Zacheus as soone as euer he beleeved, halfe my goods I giuegive to the poore. So wee see the Gaoler afterwards presently upon beleeving, he entertained the Apostles with a feast and washed their wounds.

Take heed of a barren dead faith, it is a false faith if thou beleeue indeed faith will worke louelove, and worke by louelove, as it did in this blessed woman, her faith knit her to Christ in heauen, her louelove was as the branches of the tree, her faith knit her to the p. 104roote: but louelove as the branches reached to others, her branches reached fruit to the Apostle and his company. So it is the nature of faith that knits us to Christ, the same spirit of louelove knits us to others, and reacheth forth fruit to all wee converse with.

Triall of faith by loveAs wee desire to hauehave evidence of the soundnes of our faith, let us see what spirit of louelove we hauehave, especially louelove to these three things,11To Christ. louelove to Christ to whom wee are ingrafted, and louelove to the ministers of Christ. We cannot shew kindnesse to Christ, he is in heauen: p. 105but his ministers,22To his members. and his poore are upon the earth when wee can buy ointment to poure on Christs feete his poore members, and his Ministers; and louelove to the word of God, 33To his Word.they are the three issues of a gracious beleeuing heart, and where they are not, there is no faith at all.

I beseech you let us imitate this blessed woman. You see here the name of Lydia, is precious in the Church: the name of Lydia, (as it is sayd of Iosiah) it is as a boxe of oyntment powred out: the name of Lydia cannot bee named in the p. 106Church, but there is a sweete sauour with it. As soone as shee beleeued; the Holy Ghost, the spirit of GOD blowing upon the garden of her heart, where the spice of Grace was sowed, stirred vp a sweete sent of faith and of bountie and liberalitie in the cause of Christ.

Let not this bee in vaine to us: but eueryevery one of us labour to bee like Lydia: you see what loadestone drew PAVL heere to goe unto her house: shee had Faith, and shee expressed it in louelove.

Let us labour to hauehave p. 107faith, and to expresse it in louelove to GOD vntounto CHRIST, to his people, and word, and ordinances that hauehave his stampe on them, and let us boldly owne the cause of CHRIST: let us not regard the censures of vaine men that say thus and thus. Faith and louelove forget danger, it is bold. Shee forgot all the danger that shee was in by countenancing Paul and such men.

Let us labour for faith and louelove and wee shall not say this and that.

There is a Lion in the way, but wee shall goe on boldly vntill wee doe p. 108receiue the end of our faith and louelove, the salvation of our soules.

FINIS.