Eighteen Sermons, Sermon 1

Eighteen Sermons · Sermon 1

p. 1SERMON I. VVHITE-HALL. January 27. 1660.

1 PET. IV. 1.

He that hath suffered in the Flesh, hath ceased from Sin.

SO great a flatterer is Man of himself, that from all kind of Events, how various soever, Aever, he will adventure to conclude himself in the right way to Blessedness; and rather than want Argument, contradictions shall conspire to make him happy: If he prosper, then God allows his doings; and the success of actions is his mark and Seal, that they are acceptable and dear to him: And if this Argument be good, The Tribe of Benjamin while it conquer'd (as they did Conquer those that fought aaJudges, 20. 18, 21, 23, 25.Gods Battles; and that by his immediate commission:) yet all that while, those BSodomites and foul Adulterers, the men of Gibeah were Saints; But when calamity does take away this Argument, then on the other side the Gibbet; though the punishment of Villany, is only execution of that Decree, whereby God hath predestined them, To be conform'd to the Image of his Son. As if they Rom. 8.Rom 8died most like Christ, who died with the most Guilt about p. 2them, and they will needs be Martyrs when they suffer for Atheir vices; and, if this Argument be good, AEgypt was blest with all her Plagues, and the consuming fire that ran upon the ground, was the light of Gods countenance upon them. Yet both these Arguments have been made use of lately, by each several party of us, in the variety of Gods dispensations to us: now this each could not do of right. Some parties of us made false and unjust pleas to them both. Now to decide which did so, not à priori, from the cause; though that alone does guild prosperity, and that alone too makes the Martyr, not the sufferings. But men will never be agreed of that, while whatsoever Bhappens (whether their cause prosper or be opprest) still proves them in the right. But I shall do it from a plain notorious effect: nor do I know what else can be more seasonable than while some men seem to stand candidates for sufferings, and choose Sedition and Schism, rather than lose the reputation of not being afflicted with their party; and while others plead the merits of affliction, and Trumpet out their having suffered, as a pretence for the ambition and the covetousness, the luxuries and intemperance, and all the other vices of prosperity, which their late sufferings have before hand expiated; while Cit is thus on each side, to give both a foreign whereby to judge the Case, which my Text here presents; for, He that hath suffered in the Flesh, hath ceased from Sin.

The words make a single Proposition, and therefore cannot well be taken asunder, nor indeed need they; the Terms being very well understood. The Subject every one is willing to assume to himself; no one I believe that hears me, but will say he hath suffer'd in the Flesh. Therefore we have no more to do, but to see whether the other Term agree as universally, which certainly it must, if our Proposition here hold good, Dif He that hath suffered in the Flesh, hath ceased from Sin.

Therefore in order to this, I shall offer at Three things.

First; Discourse of the truth of the Proposition in General, and see if we can discern how necessary, and how effectual this Instrument of Reformation is, whether it be such as may build a confidence of asserting; That He who hath suffered, hath ceased from Sin.

Secondly; Because discoursing in General, is not so practical and usefull, I shall endeavour to discover in particular, By what Artifice of method the Flesh engageth men Einto courses of sin, and how it works them up to the height of it, and then see how sufferings blast that method, and make the Arts of the flesh either unpracticable, or too weak.

p. 3Thirdly, I will attempt to veiw our own concerns in all Athis; propose to consideration, Whether this method hath had this effect on us; or, Whether indeed it be as easy to confute God's Word as to break his Commandements, and contrive that his truth shall no more stand than his will does; but notwithstanding Scriptures bold affirmation here, yet they that have suffered have not ceast from Sin.: and if so, then to propose the danger and inferr Christ's Application that at least we begin to cease, and sin no more least a worse thing come unto us.

I. He that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceast from Sin: None but He, and He certainly:

When it appear'd that Eden had too much of Garden for innocence to dwell in, and although man were made upright, yet amidst such delights he could not be so a whole day, but of the many inventions he found out the first was to destroy himself immediately, and under the shadow of the Tree of life he wrought out death, and made the Walks of Paradise lead him towards Hell: God saw himself concern'd to take another course: He sets a guard of fire about Eden, about the place of pleasure, as well as in the place of torments; and there was as much need of flame to keep man out of Paradise, as Cflame to fright him from Hell. He makes the Earth not spring with Garden any more, but bring forth thorns and bryars, that might scratch and tear man in the pursuit of things below, which, if the Soul should cleave and cling unto the Earth, might gore and stab it in the embrace; Nothing but sufferings will do us good: The Earth was most accurst to man when it was all Paradise, nothing but the malediction could make it safe and bless it to us; our happiness must be inflicted executed on us, and we must be goaded into blessedness: and therefore God hath put afflictions into every dispensation since the first. D**Deut. 7. 10.Deut 7:10Among the Jews sin did receive immediate punishment by the tenour of the Covenant, and though the retributions of our Covenant be set at distance, as far remote as Hell, yet Christ has drest his very promises in sackcloth and in ashes, tears and trouble: when he would recompense heroick vertue, he says it shall receive an hundred fold with persecution, Mar. 10. 30. and he does grant us sufferings; to you it is given in the behalf of Christ to suffer: Phil. 1. 29. so that the sting of the Serpent is now the tempter; his biteings and his venom moving us to obedience, as much as his lying tongue did our first EParents to rebellion, and when he does fulfill Gods threat and wound the heel, he onelyonly drives us faster away from him, and makes us haste to him that flies to meet us with healing under p. 4his wings. This method God hath alwaies us'd, and the experience Aconfirm'd by the blood of all ages, even from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of this season: of all the Prophets that went before us, and the Apostles that came after them, as if those were men inspir'd for ruine, and what ever Judgment they denounc't it was their own burden; and as if these were men chosen out for, and delegated to persecution, men aa1 Cor. 4. 9.1 Cor 4:9appointed unto death as St. Paul expounds their office, none escap't: and the next succeeding times of Primitive Christianity were but Centuries of Martyrdom, so many years of Fire and Faggot, and worse tortures. This method hath not past by any Grandeur, but of those great ones that have Bbeen eminently good, their afflictions have vy'd with their Majesty, the Calendar hath had as much share of them as the Chronicle, the Martyrology as the Annals, and their bloud, not their Purple put them in the Rubrick. Gods Furnace made Crowns splendid, gave them a Majesty of shine and an Imperial glory, and so all our Crowns indeed must be prepar'd in the Furnace; he that told us we must be Baptiz'd with fire saw there was something in us that the Christians water will not cleanse; Baptism may wash sullays but not dross away, That must be washt in flame, and nothing else but fire will Ctake away our base alloy; And it cannot be otherwise, never was there any other way to Glory: for when God was to bring many Sons to glory, he sanctified the very Captain of our salvation through sufferings. Heb. 2. 10. Who though he were a Son, and that the Son of God, yet learned he obedience by the things that he suffered, Heb. 5. 8. This therefore is the only and most effectual way of teaching it, when God speaks in Judgment: and indeed he counts all other of his voices but as silence in comparison of this; and though he gave his Law in Thunder, and sent his Prophets daily to denounce wrath to Dtransgression, yet he reckons of all this as if he had said nothing till he speak Plagues and commands afflictions; Psal. 50. 21. after a Catalogue of sins he tells the man, these things hast thou done and I kept silence; though my Law did warn thee, and my Messengers call'd to thee, yet I hardly expect that thou shouldst hear those whispers, with all those voyces I did scarce break silence, but now I will reprove thee, and thou shalt bbMicha 6. 9.Mic 6:9hear the rod or hear thy own groans under it: For that we may be sure to hear this voyce, God does by it open the ear, Job 33. 14, 15, 16. God speaks once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth Eit not, in a dream and in a vision, then he opens the ears of men by Chastisements, as it follows in four verses full of them 19, 20, 21, 22. and sealeth his instruction that he may p. 5withdraw Man from his purpose, i. e. that he may make him cease from sin. It seems the place of Dragons is Gods chiefest ASchool of Repentance; and we may have a clearer sight of him in the dimness of anguish, than Vision it self does give. When men did not perceive that, saith Job, yet this open'd the Ear, and so God sealeth the Instruction: And truly when the Soul dissolves in Tears, and when, as David words it, aaPsal. 22. 14.Ps 22:14The heart in the midst of the body is even like melting wax, then onelyonly 'tis susceptible of Impression, then is the time for sealing the Instruction. Nor does Chastisement open the Ear only, but the understanding also; I will give her trouble bbHos. 11. 14. 15.Hos 11:14Hos 11:15foreign, I will take her into the Wilderness foreign saith he, and speak Bunto her Heart; There is convincing Experience of all this. Pharaoh that was an Atheist in Prosperity, does beg for prayers in Adversity; before he suffers, Pharaoh saies, Who is the Lord that I should obey his voyce? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go. Exod. 5. 2. but yet Thunder preaches obedience into him, and Pharaoh sent and called for Moses and Aaron and said, I have sinned, the Lord is righteous, and I and my People are wicked, intreat the Lord that there be no more mighty Thundrings (no more Voices of God, the Hebrew words it) and I will let you go. Exod, 9. 27. And in the Book of Judges Cyou will find that whole Age was nothing but a vicissitude of sinning and suffering, divided betwixt Idolatry and Calamity. When Gods hand was not on them they ran after other Gods, as if to be freed from Oppression had been to be set free from Gods Worship and Service; but when he did return to slay them, then they sought him, and they returned to enquire early after God, and they remembred that God was their Rock, and the high God was their Redeemer. Psal. 78. 34, 35. So that from such induction the Prophet might pronounce, that when Gods Judgments are in the Earth, the Inhabitants of Dthe world will learn righteousness, Esay 26. 9. and S. Peter in the Text, they that have suffered in the flesh, have ceased from sin. Which calls me to my second Task;

2. To shew first, by what arts the flesh engages men into courses of sin, and by what methods it does work them up to the heights of it. That I may Secondly declare how sufferings blast those methods, and make all the arts of flesh either unpracticable or too weak.

1. That the carnal appetite should reach after, and give up Eit self to sensual delights is so far from strange, that it is its nature; 'tis the law of the members, the very signature of flesh, an inclination imprinted into it, of which it can no more devest it self, than the heated Deer can restrain it self from thirsting p. 6and panting after water brooks: But when Reason and AReligion have set bounds to this appetite for it to scorn these mounds; for that Law in the members to fight with and prevail against the Law in the mind, those original dictates born in it, and Christian Principles infused into it, this is the Fleshes aim and sin. Now this it does by exciting to ill actions, as being sauc'd with pleasures and contents, and by indisposing to good actions, as being troublesome or not at all delightfull to the sense, and as for all other delights it hath no apprehension of, but indisposeth for them perfectly. So that this it does, it engages too much in Pleasures here, and Bit takes off all cares or thoughts of any joyes hereafter; both these I will shew you, and thus it works;

1. It prevails with us to indulge our selves the fall use of lawful pleasures, and for this the Flesh will urge, it is the end of their Creation, to do otherwise were to evacuate Gods purpose in the making; Did he give us good things not to enjoy them?

Thus every sort of sin insinuates it self at first: Youth will not deny it self converses with temptations, although he have reason to fear they will commit a rape upon his warmer passions, Cwhich are chaf't by such encounters. But God has not forbid him Conversation; and why should he be an Anchoret and recluse in the throngs of Cities and of Courts. Another that would not by any means be luxurious or intemperate, yet goes as near them as he can, and contrives to enjoy all those delights that do indeed but sauce Intemperance, and make Excesse palatable: And truly why should he restrain himself from meats and drinks, and be a Jew again? All these believe they live righteously, soberly, and Godly enough. This resolution works in every recreation, pleasure, honour, and advantage of this World, men are content Dto make as near approaches to the sin as they can; and indeed believe they have no reason to be morose unto themselves; I will deny my self nothing that God hath not denyed me, but enjoy as far as possibly and lawfully I may: But then, by doing thus it

Secondly, does oft take in somewhat of the immoderate and unlawful, which cannot be avoided, both because it is hard to set the exact bounds and limits of what is lawful: The foreign, the Line that meers out Vertue from its neighbour EVice is not so plain in every place as to chalk out exactly to this point thou mayst come, and no farther; hence the man sometimes mistakes himself into a fault; however the extremity of lawful is, we know the confines and very edge of p. 7vice: And then to him that playes upon the brink of sin, it Ais a very easie step into it, and indeed unavoydable, when a man is rusht and hurried on, not onelyonly by his inward stings and incitations, but by the practise of the World, which makes use of that holy Name of Friendship, to bring vice into our acquaintance, and to befriend us into everlasting Death (of such Friends I can have legions in Hell; and the God of this World will serve me, upon this account, to procure for my Sin and my Destruction:) but howsoever when the Appetite is heated, they are not to be denyed.

Thirdly, this happening therefore sometimes proves a Snare and bait still to go on, both as it takes away the horrour and the a versation of the sins which at the first seem uncouth, till a man be experienced in them; and also as it smooths the way, for such beginnings do nurse up an Habit and prepare a Custome, and make vice very easie, which at first it is not, while the Appetite is modest and not able to digest full Doses, till use enlarge and stretch it.

And now the Mind, which by these means tasts diverse Pleasures, and the Degrees of them, and finds a gust in Cthem, yet not being satisfied in any one (as 'tis impossible it should be) stirs up the Appetite to vary and proceed; that that contentment which single pleasures could not afford, diversified might make up; Wretched Nature using that as an Attractive, which should repell; for who would hugg a Cloud? embrace that which does not, cannot satisfie? but onelyonly Flesh which for that very reason, hunts on and follows the scent: And by doing so a while, it brings upon it self,

Fourthly, Something like a necessity of doing so: Thus Continence would be some mens Disease, and the Intemperate Dcannot live without his Vice, but gapes as much as Thirst and Feavour do, and if he have not satisfaction, suffers as many qualms and pangs as his riot used to cause in the Apprentisage of his sin; so that there is a kind of necessity of the practise, and he wisely seeming to make a vertue of necessity, begins to think them the onelyonly happiness, at least of this life, freely without reluctancy embracing them.

And now the Flesh is Callous, and if you doubt how it could so harden it self, as not to be pervious to any stings of Conscience, but Proof against all Pricks, though Experiment may perswade you; yet I will shew you the Method.

p. 8As all Appetite you know is blind, so the Guides also Aof Carnall appetite; The senses are very short sighted, they cannot look forward to the next Life, to the hopes of Heaven, or the pains of Hell, to bring them into the ballance with the present pleasure, and see which does over weigh: The Flesh onelyonly lives extempore, looks but upon that which is before it, scarce on that: We have sufficient experience of this, for when one vice will not look forwards a year or two to the penury and rottenness some courses do pull down: And when another vice, as if it had learnt to fulfill our Saviours command, and take no care for the morrow, will Bnot think of the next mornings pains and Headach; Nay, when the ambitious Usurper will not look just before him, to see where he does place his steps, on Precipices and Sword points, to note how the Pyramids he does climb are made slippery with blood; Pyramids, did I say? pointed Reeds rather, things that have not strength to bear, but onelyonly sharpnesse to stab; and where the mans own weight makes his Upholders fail and wound him both together, at once sink under him and pierce him thorough. Nay, we see many whose sins inflict themselves, who may be truely said Cto bear their Iniquities, yet choose those sins that bring their Plagues along with them; for we see men with most excessive difficulty practise a vice onelyonly that they may have the vice, swallow sickness, drink Convulsions and dead Paralyses, foaming Epilepfies, onelyonly that all this may be easie to them: And this is but one instance of the many that might be made; just as the King of Pontus, that ate Poyson that so he might be used to it: Strange! that a man should torture himself with all those deadly symptomes that Poyson racks the body with, onelyonly that he might eat Poyson; yet just such is the Sinners DDesign, and all the ease and pleasure he acquires at last in sinning, is but familiarity of Poyson, custome of Danger, and acquaintance of Ruine. Good God! that men should train and exercise themselves so for perdition! that they should go through a discipline of torments to get an Habit of destroying themselves! that they should work out their own condemnation with hardships and agonies! that as if 'twere too easie to goe down the hill to Hell, the descent shall be made craggy, and they force breaches into it, and great headlong Precipices to make the way more painful, and Emore dangerous, to make the fall more wounding and more irrecoverable! And what shall give a check where difficulty does provoke, and torments do ingratiate?

Well: But though Flesh be so short sighted and inconsiderate, p. 9the mind might trash it by suggesting other sorts of punishments that do await transgression. Why truely if Arude unmannerly Conscience do sometimes thrust in the thoughts of Hell, the Flesh, which I told you, is not terrified with any thing but what it feels (now Conscience presents Hell as a thing of hereafter, not till Death be past) it satisfies Conscience with a Repentance of Hereafter, before Death come I will be sorry for my sins, and God is merciful. Conscience being thus quieted, and both Raines and Spur given to the Flesh, it takes its full carier, and leaves behind all thoughts of Repentance, and indeed, of God, or Heaven; the hope and joyes of which, are the onelyonly possible Bmethod that is left to take off the Man from his eager pursuit, or to divert him in his course. But as to that also, that I may shew you the next heat.

The Mind that is immerst in body, and hath been long accustomed to tast no pleasure but the carnal ones, its fancy fill'd with those Ideas, it does imbibe such a tincture of sensuality, receives such an infusion of Flesh, and is so impregnated with the fumes of Carnality, which clog the Spirit, that its complexion and temper is quite altered, it is diluted and deprest, and so grown stupid and unactive to all higher Cthings: Heaven and all after things, it may be, are the prejudice of such persons, not their perswasions; some thin conceptions of such things have been thrown into them, but never were improved; for their Mind hath otherwise been employed, and they can have no appetite to them, because they have never had any tast or relish of any thing but sensual: And indeed that both longings after, and thoughts of a better Life should be altogether dead in the carnal man, is but a natural and necessary effect of the verge of his Delights. For what motive is there in Heaven to stir up his Dappetite, to whom Heaven it self would not be a place of Joy? For I am verily perswaded, were the Carnal man in those Eternal Mansions compast with streams of Glory, it were impossible for him to take delight in them, and he would grope for Paradise in the midst of Heaven: As much impossible as for the most unlearned Ideot to satisfie himself with the pleasures of a Mathematical demonstration: Let him have the Hecatombe, and let Pythagor as be an Epicure on the dimensions of a Triangle, the other hath no palate for these pleasures; and indeed how could the unclean lascivious Eperson please himself in the enjoyment of those Felicities that have no Sex, aaMat. 22. 30.Matt 22:30Where they neither Marry, nor are given in Marriage? Or how the Riotous, that Eats to eat, p. 10eats to hunger and provoke, not satisfie; how will he content Ahimself there where their happiness is, they shall neither hunger nor thirst, or the Incendiaries that love to set all on bbRev. 7. 16.Rev 7:16fire, what should they do there where there are no flames but such as kindle Seraphins; so that flesh and blood, not only shall not, but cannot enjoy the Kingdome of God: And why then should they long after, or think of it? Nay, I would this unhappy Age, and an unlucky axiome of Aristotles did not convince that they do think there are no such things; Sensual pleasures, are corruptive of Principles, saith he; and indeed where Damnation is the conclusion, 'tis a much quieter and more easie thing for Men of Wit and Understanding Bto deny the Principles, than granting them, to lye under the torture of being lyable to such an inference; they therefore that resolve to love this Life and all the sinful pleasures of it, at the next step resolve there is no other Life. And now this pamper'd and puft Flesh is got into the Psalmists Chair, the Chair of Scorners; and 'tis one of the ccPsal. 1. 1.Ps 1:1Luxuries of their life to scoff at them who are so foolish as to be Religious, and to deny their flesh its present appetites and pleasures on such thin after-hopes; here their Wit also is an Epicure, and Feasts and Triumphs, distates, Cand professes in that chair; foreign, in the Chair of Pestilences, as the LXX translate, and very truly, for such men shed a Sphere of Contagion about them, and their Discourses are effluvia of the Plague, and the breath of Pestilence: But how to get Flesh down out of this Chair, that's the difficulty; yet that my Text will tell us, for all this progress of the Flesh is trasht and checkt by Sufferings, for, He that hath suffered hath ceast from Sin. Which how, I will briefly shew you.

The Fleshes first art was by immersing it self in the full DLawfull use of Pleasures, and by consequence, in the immoderate; to prevail with the Soul to find a gust in them, and from a continued enjoyment to conclude them necessary; and so from the importunities of a perpetual tem…d an accustomed satisfaction to think of nothing … this life. Now it is plain Affliction made this Art unpracticable, for that it did do so, was every ones complaint; it rob'd them of the immoderate, and even of the lawful use of Pleasures, it took off those customary Delights by which the mind was habituated and glued to them, by not allowing Ethem; and made them so far from being necessary, that they were not acquirable; Thus by denying us even the Lawful use of them, it stabs the Flesh in its first onset: p. 11Indeed it does that for us which every man in every state Aof life in his most plentiful prosperity must sometimes do for himself; that is, Deny himself what he desires, and might enjoy without offence: Which he that does not do, but constantly gives his Appetite every sort and degree of lawful thing it asks, does teach it to crave on, and be importunate, and insolent, and not endure to be resisted, when it did alwayes find him to be so obsequious to it. If David never checkt Adonijah, did not at any time displease him, saying, Why hast thou done so? he easily takes confidence to say I will be King, and step into the Throne. 1 Kings 1. 5. 6. But he that mortifies sometimes, that does Bacquaint even his most innocent desires with a denyal, how can unlawful ones assault him? For can my Appetite hope to betray me into superfluities, who have taught my self not to wish for necessaries? Will he be tempted with Excesses, or hearken to the invitations of Luxury, that will not hear his bowells when they croak for bread? Or he gape for intemperate satisfactions, who will not let thirst call, but shuts his mouth against it? Why should he covet more that hath learnt to give away, and want that which he hath? Now Sufferings inflict this temper on us, and acquaints Cus with the necessity of all this, and in a while with the liking of it, teach us Content without Lawful Delights; yea, by degrees make that content appear better than an assured enjoyment; for were I offered the choice either of an uninterrupted Health, or of a certain Cure in all Diseases, sure I had rather never need a Potion than drink Antidote and Health it self. And even so the lawful good things of this life are at the best but Remedies and Reliefs, never good but upon supposition: Therefore while Affliction taught us to want, it hath destroyed this art Dof the Flesh.

As for the Second, Then the lulling asleep all sense or thoughts of any Life hereafter, neither minding the fear of one, or hopes of the other; Affliction surely met with this too: For Sufferings bring both the hereafters to remembrance, the Sad one while every Punishment was an Essay and tast of that which is prepared for those that live after the Flesh, and the more insupportable our Firey Tryal was, the more it caution'd us to beware of that Fire which is never quenched. And for the other Life, surely when Eour Condition was such, that if we lookt unto the Earth, behold nothing but Darkness and dimness of Anguish, and darknesse as of the shadow of Death, we could not choose p. 12but turn away our Eyes and lift them up to Heaven. When Athe Soul is thrown down by Oppression, it mounts by a resiliency, and with the force of pressure is crush'd Upwards; or if the Load be heavy, so as to make it grovel and lie prostrate, it is but prest into the posture of Devotion: When she's disseised of all, turn'd out of every possession, then she begins to think of an abiding City, and eternal Mansions. For the Soul that is restless, when it sees nothing here below to stay upon, but all is hurried from her, roams about for some hold to rest on, and being able in that case to find nothing but God, there she does grasp and cling; Band when the storms splits all enjoyments, and devours Friends which make enjoyments comfortable, all perish in one wrack, then she sees she must catch at him that sits above the Water-Floods. I told you out of Job, Affliction did discover better than Revelation, and in the dimnesse of Anguish we might see more than by Vision; and truely of two Visions which our Saviour gave to his most intimate Apostles Peter, James, and John, the one of Glory on Mount Tabor, the other of Sufferings in Gethsemane; shewing in the one Heaven and Himself transfigured, a glimpse of Cbeatificall vision; and in the other Hell transfigured, and a sad Scene of all its Agonies, he thought this a more concerning sight, for when they fell asleep at both, at his Transfiguration, Luke 9. 32. Peter, and they that were with him, were heavy with sleep; yet he does not rouse them up to behold his Glory, when they did awake, indeed they saw a glimpse of it, but straight a Cloud did overshadow it. verse 34. But at his Passion he bids them Watch with him, Mat. 28. 38. and when he findeth them asleep, he sayes, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? v. 40. and bids them watch Dagain, v. 41. and comes again a third time and upbraids their drowsiness, v. 45. So much more necessary vvas it to behold his Agonies, than to see his Felicities: Glory does not discover or invite to Heaven, so much as Sufferings drive to it; and we are more concerned to take a view of that Garden in Gethsemane, than that of Paradise, and the going down from the Mount of Olives does more advantage us in climbing the Eternal hills, than all Mount Tabors height. Nor do Afflictions onelyonly drive us toward heaven, but they beget an hope of it. Knowing that Tribulation worketh Patience, EPatience Experience, and Experience Hope. Rom. 5. 3. 4. And I will give them the Valley of Achor for a door of Hope, Hos. 2. 14. As if Dispaire opprest them into Hope, and that low troublous Valley opened into the highest Firmament. Now p. 13he that rides at Anchor of this Hope though his Anchor lye Aburyed under Waves, yet those rouling Hills of Sea, swell'd by storms of Affliction, and raised too by his Tears, do without Hyperbole mount him to Heaven: He that hath entertained these Expectations in earnest, how will he slight temptations here below? What will he not sacrifice to Christs Command? See, Abraham that did but hope for Canaan, and that far off too, to be possest by the Posterity of his Son Isaack, yet when God commands him to flay Isaack before he had any posterity, and so to dash all his own Promises, and quite cut off the very motive to Abrahams Obedience, Byet he hopes and obeys even to a contradiction, **Rom. 4. 18.Rom 4:18Does both against hope: And had we but the shadow of his hope, as he had but the shadow of our promises, how would we sacrifice a sin at his Command, and think a Fleshly lust a good exchange for the hope of Heaven, which Tribulation worketh? and he that had suffered in the Flesh would certainly cease from sin.

And now my last work is to view our own Concern in this, and surely that must be all Exultation and Triumph, and this not so much that our sufferings are ceast, as that our Csins are so; not that our Enemies are sunk, but that our flesh is vanquisht, that sub hoc signo ninces is thus also come to passe, with the Standard of the Crosse, that Cross on which our selves were Crucified, we have overcome; and with this Christian banner we have put to flight the Armies of our Heathen Vices. For thus it must be, if my Text be true; and sure it is not possible it should be otherwise: For look upon the Muster-roll of these our Foes which S. Paul does produce, Gal. 5. 19. 20, 21. and see which of them could escape; it runs thus, Adultery, Fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, Witchcraft, Hatred, Variance, Emulations, DWrath, Strife, Seditions, Heresies, Envyings, Murder, Drunkenness, Revellings.

To begin with the great Commanders, those that lead the Van and bring up the Reare, Uncleannesse, and Revellings; They that consider how they not onelyonly suffered for, but by these Vices, which did misplace mens watches and attendances; sins that were not onelyonly like Achans in our Army, and ruin'd it by bringing the accursed thing into it, but were like Hannibal's Numidians in the Roman Army, that did at once Ebetray to, and inflict Ruine; sins that did merit and effect Destruction, and made as well as provok'd, overthrows; and sins that by Gods goodnesse did cut off themselves, whilethey did bring men into a condition that would not p. 14bear such Vices: These are the guilts of Wealth and Splendor, Athat do attend Felicity and Pomp; it is not onelyonly hopeful that men did resolve to be reveng'd on these great workers of their mischief, and will no more resett such traitors in their bosoms; but sure these sins are ceast that did put out themselves.

Then for Seditions; They who consider when they broke the Scepter, they left us nothing but the Rod of God instead of it; a Rod that turned straight into a Serpent, that changed our Seas into Blood, or rather made new Seas of our own blood; that brought Locusts over the Earth, and Frogs into Bthe Temple also, to croak there; that struck Lights here worse than Egyptian Darkness, and destroyed all the first born of the Nation, all the Nobles of the Land, these will easily believe that we have felt this Rod too much to seize upon it hastily again; the Scepter is restored, and this Rod like to that in Israel, laid up, I hope, within the Ark together with the Tables of the Law, never to be disjoyn'd from Gods Commands, nor taken thence against them.

Next for Heresies; Truely we have left us none to revive, Cor to make new; the mischief both of them and their Cause, the want of Government in the Church, is now discerned and remedied: And for Divisions and Schismes, they who reflect on the sad issues of them, how well meaning soever all their Causes were, will certainly avoid them: To see how while we quarelled for the Fringes of Religion, we tore the seameless Coat of Christ to pieces; yea, and the body too: How when we first dislikt a Liturgy, the daily Sacrifice of Prayer was made to cease, and then the House of Prayer was demolisht; next, Christs, our Lords Prayer was rejected, that Liturgy of his own framing, thrown away Din the Rubbish of his Temple, and then it was a sin to pray at all. His Table we must have remov'd, and then his Supper was so too; and that Great Mystery of our Religion, the Sacrament of our Redemption, was buryed in the Ruines of his Altar. To see how thus out of heats of Religion we destroyed all Religion, because that some adjacent Circumstances did not please us, and fetcht a Coal from the Altar to set fire to and burn down the Temple, because the building of some out-court was, we thought, irregular; is EDocument enough not to attempt this any more for Religions sake: For now it would be in despite of Christ, who hath almost verified the Jewish accusation of him, Destroy this Temple also, and in three dayes he will build it up again; p. 15and hath built it up we hope, as he did that of his own Body, never to fall again by us: Surely we will not kill this ABody of his out of Love to him, and make his Temple his burnt Offering. When God hath set our sins in order thus before our eyes, shewed them us in their sad effects, there is no fear that we should fall in love with them.

But where it is not thus, where Gods last and most working Method hath been able to produce no good, I must, to keep my word,

Apply the Danger: In that case what remains but the Curse of the ground, Heb. 6. 8. which, if after all the Husband-mans methods of Care and Art, it bring forth only thorns Band briars, it is rejected by him, he will bestow no more labour on it, but can hardly forbear cursing such an ill piece of ground, and its end is to be burnt: So we after Gods Husbandry of Afflictions, when the aaPsal. 129. 3.Ps 129:3Plowers plowed upon our backs and made long furrows, and the Iron teeth of Oppressors as it were harrowed us; if we bring forth onelyonly the fruits of the Flesh, we are rejected, reprobated, God will bestow no more arts on us, we are not far from his curse, and there remains onelyonly a fearfull looking for of Judgment and ficry Indignation. If any did continue refractory to the CRod, sinn'd under and against Judgment, and did commit with an high hand even while the Lords hand was stretcht out against them, what shall reform, what can express their guilt? To have beheld that tragical iniquity we read of Lyons, where when the City was so visited with the Pestilence that scarce any were free, that the Dead without a figure buried their dead, falling down one upon another, each being at once a Carcass and a grave; the Souldiers of the Cittadel would daily issue forth and deflour Virgins now giving up the ghost, defile Matrons even already dead, Dcommitting with the dust, warming the grave with sinful heats, and coupling with the Plague and Death; would not this have seemed the Landskip of Hell to us, when they suffer and sin together? yet when a Church and State were on their death-beds, Gods tokens on them, visited with the treasures of his Plagues, and our selves sinking in that our Ruine, if any went a whoreing after their own flesh, still fulfilling the lusts thereof, and in the midst of Deaths searching for sins; what was this but to do the same things whose story Edoes affright us, while the actions please? and in this case what method will be useful? do we think our selves of that generous kind that will do nothing by compulsion, but will for kindness, and though we would not be chained, yet we will p. 16be drawn to Vertue by the cords of Love; and now God Ahath shewn mercy on us, we will return him service out of gratitude. Truely I make no question but most of us have promised some such things to God, how if he would but save us from our Enemies that we might serve him without fear, that we would do it in holinesse and Righteousness before him: And if he would restore his opportunities of Worship, how we would use them. Thus we did labour to tempt God, and draw him in to have compassion; and this was Ephraims Imagination just, I heard Ephraim bemoaning himself, saith the **Jer. 31. 18.Jer 31:18Prophet as a Bullock unaccustomed to the yoke, turn thou Bme and I shall be turned; turn my Captivity, and I will turn my life: But this was as a Bullock unaccustomed to the yoke, that did not like the straitness and pressure of it, and would promise any thing to get it off, thought it more easie to reform than bear Affliction: But is this hopeful think you? The Souldiers of Lyons that would ravish Death, and break into the Grave for Lust, it may be would have been modest, and retired from the fair Palaces that are prepared to tempt and entertain that vice: Cold and insensible of all those heats that Health and Beauty kindle; but remember it was the taking off Gods Hand that hardned Pharaohs heart, and a Crelease from punishment was his Reprobation.

And as for those that were humbled under the Rod, and when God had retrencht from their enjoyments, did put restraints upon themselves, gave over sinning; I have a word of Caution for them, that they examine well and take a care it be a ceasing from fin like that in the Text, a dying to it, that they no longer live the rest of their time in the flesh to the lusts of men: For if this Old Man be onelyonly cold and stiff, not mortified by the calm and sunshine of peace, likely to be warm'd into a recovery, if thou owe all thy Innocence Dto thy Pressure, wert onelyonly plunder'd of thy sins, and thy Vertue and Poverty hand in hand as they were born, so they will dye together, thy Vices and Revenues come in at once: What is this but to invite new Desolations, which God in kindness must send to take away the opportunities and foments of our ruining sins? 'tis true, when God has wrought such most astonishing miracles of mercy for us, when he did make Calamity contribute to our Happinesse; when we were Shipwrackt to the Haven and the Shore; when rains did advance us and we fell upwards; it is an hopeful Eargument God would not do such mighty works on purpose to undo them, we have good ground of confidence that he will preserve his own mercies, and will not throw away the p. 17issues of his goodness in which his bounty hath so great an Ainterest and share. But yet if we debauch Salvation, and make it serve our undoing, if we order these opportunities of mercy so, that they onelyonly help us to fill up the measure of our sins, if we teach Gods long suffering onelyonly to work out our eternal sufferings, these Mercies will prove very cruel to us, and far from giving any colour for our hopes: When the aaLuc. 15.Luke 15Prodigal was received into his Fathers house and arms, had a Ring put on him, and the fatted Calf killed for him, if he should strait have invited the companions of his former riot to that fatted Calf, and joyn'd his Harlot to Bhim with that Ring, he had deserved then to be disinheritated both from his Fathers house and pitty, who would have had no farther entertainment, nor no bowells for him. To prevent such a fate, let us make no relapses, but quite cease from sin; which if we do not do, a little Logick will draw an unhappy inference from this Text; if he that hath suffered hath ceast from sin, then he that hath not ceast from sinning hath not suffered, and then what is all this that we have felt and so layn under? what is it if it be not suffering? If this be but preparative, then what is the full potion, the Cup of CIndignation, when all his Violls shall be poured into it? If such have been the beginnings of sufferings, what shall the issues be? If the morning dew of the day of punishment have been so full of blood, what shall the Storm and Tempest be? the deluge and inundation of Fury? Take heed of making God relapse, 'tis in your power to prevent it, your Reformation will be his preservative and Antidote: That is the way to keep all whole; to settle Government and Religion both; at once to establish the Kings Throne and Christs: For notwithstanding mens pretensions, these Thrones are not at all inconsistent: For that there must be Dno King but Christ, that there cannot be a Kingdome here of this world, because there is a Kingdome that is not of this world is such another Argument, as that there cannot be an Earth because there is an Heaven. Indeed if we fulfill my Text, then we shall reconcile these Kingdoms, and bring down Heaven into us; for that's a state where there is neither sin, nor suffering, where there shall be no tears because no guilt to merit them, and no calamity to make them: Now Reformation does work this here in some degree, and afterwards Eour comforts that are checker'd with some sufferings, and our piety which is soiled with spots, shall change into Immortal and unsullied Glories; to the Throne of which Glories, he prepare us all Who washt us from our sins in p. 18his own Blood, and by his sufferings hath made us Kings Aand Priests to God and his Father, to whom be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever,

Amen.