Remains, Part 1 · Section 3
REV. 3.2.
I have not found thy works perfect before God.
THe point of Doctrine is this,Doctrine. God will ſearch whither we be perfect. that the Lord will ſearch whither thoſe that ſeem to be upright be ſo or no; finding preſuppoſeth ſearching; I have not found thy works perfect. Now for the meaning of this ſearching, we muſt know that Gods ſearching and mans ſearching do much differ, and they differ in five reſpects.
Firſt, Mans ſearching may be without finding; though a man ſearch all that ever he can, yet may be he cannot finde out the matter how it ſtands; Laban ſearched in Jacobs tent, and Leabs tent, and the two maids tent, and in Rachels tent for his images, and when he had done all he could not tell where they were; but now when God ſearcheth men, he is ſure to find men out; O Lord thou ſearcheſt me out, ſaith David, Pſal. 139.1. This is the reaſon why men that are ſligh and ſubtil, they care not much though they be ſifted by men, eſpecially if there be none to witneſs againſt them; you ſhall have them ſwear and ſwagger they were never guilty of ſuch a thing, becauſe they are confident it ſhall never come to light; but if God ſearcheth, he will be ſure to find.
Secondly, Mans ſearching hath ever ignorance foregoing, though after ſearch may be he comes to know, yet before ſearching he knows not; Job, 29.16. the caſe I knew not, I ſearched out; he ſearched becauſe he knew not; but God as after ſearching he is ſure to know and find out, ſo he knows before all ſearching; as the Church ſaith, if we be falſe in thy covenant, ſhall not God finde us out? for thou knoweſt the very thoughts of the heart and the reins, Pſal. 44.21. you ſee God ſearcheth becauſe he doth know, man becauſe he doth not.
Thirdly, Mans ſearching is properly ſo called; but when ſearching is ſpoken of God, it is after the manner of men; God doth rather act a kind of ſearching, then ſearch indeed; as he doth act a comming down, whereas properly he doth not come down, for he is everywhere; and ſo he acts a kinde of ignorance, as if he knew not, and yet he knows all things; as he ſpeaks to Abraham concerning Sodom, Gen. 18.21. I will goe down now; there is an horrible noyſe, what horrible ſinners theſe Sodomites be; I will go down now, and ſee whither it be altogether according to the cry that is come up unto me; if not, I will know: He ſpeaks after the manner of men; he need not come down, for he is preſent everywhere, and cannot move from one place to another; and whereas he ſaith, if not, I will know; theſe things are improperly ſpoken after the manner of men.
Fourthly, It is mans duty to ſearch if he know not any particular paſſage of his life, whither it be warrantable or no; ſo Magiſtrates ought to ſearch matters before they determine ſentence, otherwiſe they may judge unrighteous judgement; now God ſearcheth not as though he had any need of ſearching, but to tell us our duty, to give us a good example; this phraſe is given to him, to ſhew us what we ſhould do; as when there was an horrible attempt in the old world among the Builders of Babel, they would build a Tower whoſe top ſhould reach up unto Heaven. Now the Text ſaith, The Lord came down to ſee the Tower and the City that was built; not as if he came down, ſo as taking this phraſe unto himſelfe; but to ſhew what our duty, and Magiſtrates duty is; to ſearch before they paſs ſentence, and to ſee whether reports given out be true or no.
Fifthly, Mans ſearching is for himſelfe, that things may appear to himſelfe; but when God ſearcheth, it is not that it may appear unto him, but to the world, that it may be manifeſt abroad, that a mans ſelfe and other; may ſee it; it is ſpoken onelyonly in regard of the nature of the thing; ſome things are manifeſt, and ſome ſecret. Now God is ſaid to ſearch, when he makes other things that in their own nature are hidden to men, when God brings them abroad, and unveils them, and unmasks them, and openly reveals them. 1 Cor. 4.5. Judge not before the time, till the Lord comes, who will bring to light the hidden things of darkneſs. He ſearcheth them not for himſelfe, but to make them manifeſt; he ſaw them before, but they were not manifeſt abroad; they were under the hatches, no body could tell whether they were ſo or no Now God is ſaid to ſearch to bring them abroad.
Now God is ſaid to ſearch five manner of wayes.
Firſt, By his own Spirit, 1 Cor. 2.10. So ſaith David, Whither ſhall I fly from thy Spirit? if I goe up into heaven, thou art there, &c. If thou ſhouldſt goe into the Alehouſe, or any bad place, God is there a ſpectator; though the Devil onelyonly, and ſuch as are his Imps, are there keeping company with thee, yet God is there beholding thee; though we ſhould dig never ſo deep, God can trace us, and finde us out; though we ſhould be never ſo cloſely and cleverly wicked, God can dive into us what we are; Come in thou wife of Jeroboam, ſaith the Prophet, why diſſembleſt thou thy ſelfe to be another? The Spirit of God revealed it. When Geheſai wiped his lips, O thy ſervant went no whither; Did not my ſpirit goe with thee, ſaith Eliſha, when the man returned? He ſhewes how the Spirit of God, which he calls his ſpirit, becauſe it dwelt in him, did reveal his wretchedneſs.
Secondly, As the Lord ſearcheth by his own Spirit, ſo alſo by the ſpirit of man; as for example, by the ſpirit of the Magiſtrate, he doth ſearch out ſly offenders; when Solomon had ſaid, The King doth ſcatter the wicked, Prov. 20.27. in the next words he anſwers an Objection, How ſhall he finde out whether ſuch a man be wicked or no? A man may be brought before a Magiſtrate, and yet have all the hands in the Pariſh for his good behaviour: Now how ſhall the Magiſtrate finde it out? ſaith he, The ſpirit of man is the candle of the Lord; that is, as Tremelius expounds it, the Lord helps the Magiſtrate to finde out theſe fellows, though they be never ſo ſubtle; and how doth he help him? by the Magiſtrates own wit and wiſedome; it is the candle of the Lord, the Lord gives him light to ſift things, and bring things to light; and though wicked and ungodly men hang together, though they ſwear and combine themſelves hand in hand together, yet if a Magiſtrate be an able man, and gifted of the Lord, the Lord hath ſet a candle in that mans minde, to light him how to diſcover them: As when the two Harlots came before Solomon, the ſpirit of Solomon was the candle of the Lord that lighted him to diſcover which was the mother of the childe.
Thirdly, God doth ſearch a man by the conſcience in a man himſelfe; ſometimes you ſhall have a childe of God much afraid that he is not ſincere, and calls all into queſtion; anon the Lord diſcovers he is ſincere, and reveals he is upright; how doth he doe it? by his own conſcience; as the caſe was Davids; one time he concluded all was naught, and he had nothing of God in him, and God was gone quite away, and had ſhut up his mercy for evermore; at laſt God revealed David to himſelfe, and that by his own conſcience; My own ſpirit ſearched, ſaith he, Pſal. 77.6. and then he ſaw that it was but his infirmity; his own ſpirit and conſcience, the Lord ſtirred it up to make diligent ſearch, and David perceived himſelfe to be as he was; ſo on the contrary a wicked man may ſeem to have good hopes to be godly, and to have an honeſt & ſincere heart, and be a good Chriſtian, and he profeſſeth himſelfe to be ſo; and if any one ſhould charge him with the contrary, he would ſay they were uncharitable. Now this is a ſecret. Now the Lord ſearcheth him out by his own conſcience; thus it was with Pharaoh; he thought he did well in not letting the children of Iſrael goe, nay he thought Moſes was unreaſonable to demand ſuch a thing; what, to let ſix hundred thouſand of his ſervants to goe out of his Kingdome at once! there was no equity he ſhould let them goe. Now the Lord diſcovered this was nothing but the wretchedneſſe of his own heart, and made his conſcience cry out, The Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. Rightly doth he call for it at my hands, and rightly doth he puniſh me for not doing of it, and I am a wicked man, and have done it out of the wickedneſs of my heart.
Fourthly, The Lord ſearcheth men out by his Word; he doth thereby diſcover men to be what they are, Heb. 4.12. The Word of God is quick and powerful, ſharper then a two-edged ſword, &c. and is a ſearcher and diſcerner of the thoughts and intentions of the hearts; the Word of God doth ſearch and diſcover men; though they be never ſo ſecretly covered, yet notwithſtanding the Word of the Lord finds them out; as you may ſee it diſcovered the woman of Samaria; it made her give over all her wrangling and diſputing the caſe with Chriſt; it made her cry out at the laſt, O come and ſee a man that hath told me all that ever I have done, John 4.29. So the Apoſtle when he would exhort the Corinthians to expound the word in a known tongue, he gives this reaſon; O ſaith he, if you doe thus, it will diſcover people; if a man ſhould come in, he will be judged by you, and the thoughts of his heart will be made manifeſt, 1 Cor. 14.24. The Word of God is a divine thing, and it is a plain ſign that it is the word of an all-ſearching God; for it can meet with mens thoughts, and mens ſecrets. When King Ahaſuerus ſaid, What ſhall be done to the man whom the King delighteth to honour? what man living could tell what Haman thought at that time? yet the Word of God revealed the thought of his heart, Heſt. 6.6. When David was dancing before the Ark, and Michal looked out at the window, what man could tell what ſhe thought in her heart? yet the Word of God ſets it down, She deſpiſed him in her heart, 2 Sam. 6.16. When Foelix was talking privately with St. Paul friendly and kindly, what man or Angel could imagine what Foelix thought at that time? yet the Word of the Lord layes it open, He thought to have a bribe: You will ſay, who could tell that 'tis true? men know not peoples hearts; yet many times the Word meets with them, inſomuch that they are ready to ſay ſometimes, who told the Miniſter of me? certainly he hath ſome blab, how ſhould he come to know this, and ſpeak of this in the Pulpit? the Word of God meets with them.
Fifthly, the Lord ſearcheth men by his providence; though men carry it out never ſo handſomely and fairly, and can goe in the dark, and under the hatches for a long time; yet the providence of God will have a time to finde them out, as Job ſpeaks, Job 12.22. He diſcovereth the deep things out of darkneſs, &c. That is, he doth it many times by his providence, he reveals things that are otherwiſe ſecret and unknown, and lie hid, yet he brings them out; men may blear the world, and deceive their own ſoules, but the providence of God in the end will ſearch out all ſecret things, and make them as manifeſt as things done on the houſe top; it is a ſtrange thing to ſee how many, that have boyled in their hearts againſt the Saints and Miniſters of God, and they have carried it out ſlyly and fairly, yet God hath diſcovered their malice and ſpight, and their venemous ſpeeches, and the envy they have borne againſt the people of God: What ſtrange things hath the Lord diſcovered? when men have concluded no eye ſhould ſee it, I hope no body ſhall know it; yet the providence of God comes to finde it out either firſt or laſt. Now the providence of God diſcovers mens works that are in ſecret divers wayes.
Firſt, By letting his people to ſuſpect men; 'tis true, we ought not to give way to an humour of ſuſpition, for it is directly againſt charity; for charity thinketh no ill; therefore we ſhould take heed of ſuſpition without juſt cauſe of ſuſpition; for hereby we may wrong perſons, as the Diſciples, though Paul was a true Convert, yet they ſuſpected he was not, and ſo wronged him: It is a dangerous thing to ſuſpect any man without infallible ground; yet many times the providence of God doth diſcover men by this meanes, as you may ſee an example in thoſe falſe-hearted ones Ezra 4. they would come and build with Zerubbabel and Jehoſhua; they made as if they did intend the promotion of the Church and Commonwealth. Now verſe 3. they ſuſpected them. Now when they ſaw that they were ſhy of them, they diſplayed themſelves, and laid themſelves open, and turned to the contrary ſide, and did them all the miſchiefe they could.
Secondly, by letting of good people to injure and wrong them; this is very true, that the children of God ſhould wrong no body, eſpecially none that are Chriſtians, that we may have any hope they are godly; if a child of God ſhould wrong any man in the leaſt degree, he is guilty of all the miſchief that ſhall follow after; therefore we ſhould be marvellous careful that we wrong no man in thought, word, or deed; but yet it will be ſo long as we dwell here in the fleſh; wrongs will be committed by good people ſometimes againſt their wills, ſometimes by corruptions riſing in their hearts contrary to their minds and principles they goe upon. Now when theſe wrongs fall upon thoſe that are not ſound, this diſcovers them; for their venom and madneſſe falls not onelyonly upon them, but upon all Profeſſors; theſe are your Profeſſors, and preciſe fellows! nay let but the children of God be indiſcreet, this by the providence of God doth divers times diſcover men; as Saul a great hypocrite, indeed he had many admirable things in him, he had admirable Government; and though he were not a man that truly loved holineſſe, yet he did abundance of good things, and he hoped he was right. Now the Lord diſcovered him by this, by letting him have ſome indiſcretion ſhewed towards him; as the women in the Song, Saul hath ſlain his thouſands, and David his ten thouſands; it was indiſcreetly ſpoken of them; though it were true, they ought not to have made ſuch a Song of it; though no queſtion the women meant well in what they did, and were honeſt and well-minded people; yet through their indiſcretion Saul ſtomachs David, and grows to be a perſecutor; From this time forward be eyed David.
Thirdly, By guiding of his Miniſters to home-preaching; this diſcovers people what they are; if they be godly and upright, when the word of God meets with any corruption of theirs, then it ſhews they are of God; for then they fall down before God, and acknowledge their ſin, and repent of it, and part with it, and loath it, and cry to Heaven for the pardon of it, and labour to have it rooted out of their ſoules and conſciences, and ſo they are diſcovered to be ſound; but when this meets with an unſound heart, and comes to diſplay his ſecret luſts, and vile courſes, not being able to ſtoop to this, it ſhewes what it is; as when Chriſt preached ſomething ſharply, John 6.55▪ 60. O ſay they, It is hard hard ſaying, who can bear it? And from that time many of his Diſciples forſook him. It fares with Gods Church in this caſe, as with Iſhboſheth; Abner ſeemed to be his dear friend, and ſtuck cloſe to him; yet when Iſhboſheth told him of his faults,2 Sam. 3.8. of his whoredome, and lying with his Fathers Concubines, then he was mad, and was not able to brook him; preſently he falls off from Iſhboſheth, becauſe of this away he goes, and turns his enemy: So it fares with the Saints of God, many ſeem to be their dear friends, and keep cloſe to them, and joyn with them; but when they are dealt withal about things amiſſe in them, they diſcover what they are, they do not like ſuch men, they care not how little they come in their company, they fall off, and ſo are made manifeſt what they are.
Fourthly, By their own luſts and corruptions; for you ſhall have men many times hear the Word, and being wrought upon in their conſciences by the Word, or by Gods judgements, that ſtartles them, they give over their ſins upon this, and reform, and will have good orders in their Families, and take up good duties; and not having a ſound, but a falſe heart, a covetous heart, in the end this worldlineſſe, or any other luſt that is unmortified, the Lord doth uſe it as an inſtrument to diſcover that all theſe Reformations of theirs were never ſound; in the end they come to count this a burden, and ſuch a burden as they are not able to bear, and ſo grow to be ſomething weary of their ſtrict courſes, and give over by degrees not to be ſo careful in their Families to pray morning and evening, and ſometimes omit it, and not to be ſo forward for God and goodneſſe; and at the laſt they come to ſhew plainly that there was never any ſoundneſſe in them; thus the Lord doth many times lead them forth among evil doers, Pſa. 125.5. and ſo ſuch as have kept company among good doers, are diſcovered to be evil doers, thus Demas was diſcovered; for a time he followed St. Paul, but having a worldly heart, the Lord diſcovered him by it in the end, it made him weary of Pauls company, and he fell to embrace this preſent world, 2 Tim. 4.10.
Laſtly, By the times, by perſecutions that ariſe againſt the Church of God; and this knocks off all that were but meer hangbyes; it knocks them off from the good courſe they ſeemed to follow before, and they follow the contrary; as Chriſt notes, Matth. 13.20, 21. They that received the ſeed into ſtony ground, when perſecution aroſe, they f…ll off. When perſecution and trouble did ariſe, they were offended; this diſcovered them; as if there be any rift or unſound place in the houſe, a ſharp tempeſt will diſcover it, and ſhew where is a flaw in the building; ſo if there be a flaw in a mans faith or profeſſion; if a man be not right towards God, the times will diſcover this.
The Reaſons of this are,Reaſon. 1. Firſt, becauſe it is Gods Prerogative thus to doe, becauſe the perfection of mens works; though men may give a gueſſe at it, yet it is a ſecret. Now it is Gods Prerogative Royal to reveale ſecrets, Jer. 17.10. I the Lord ſearch the heart, &c. The heart is deceitfull above all things, who can know it? 'Tis true, but I the Lord ſearch the heart, and try the reins. So you ſee God takes it to himſelfe as his own Prerogative Royal, to ſearch men out what they are: And indeed the Lord ſometimes in Scripture is deſcribed by this very thing, the ſearching of the heart. Rom. 8.27. He that ſearcheth the heart. Who is that? The Apoſtle doth not tell us who it is, but you may gueſſe who it is by the Epithite he gives him. So that God, I ſay, is known by this, and will be known by this, by ſearching mens hearts, and diſcovering what men are, and aym at, and intend; what men hate, and what they love; what things they doe, and how they doe them.
Secondly, As this is Gods Prerogative Royal, ſo of all things in the world he will bring that which is ſecret out, whether men be ſincere or no. Men make a ſhew, O they are baptized, and come to Church, and take paines in their places and callings; and what can you alledge againſt me? Now of all things in the world, God will diſcover this, if men be not as they ſeem to be; if men have malice in their hearts, and pride; if they ſeek the world, and be ambitious, and ſeek to pleaſe men, and make as if they would pleaſe God; if they be falſe-hearted, God will diſcover this; he will diſcover all things, but ſpecially Hypocriſie; if any will be Adulterers, and will not be known to be ſuch; if any will be proud, or ſcoffers of Religion, and will not be known to be ſuch, God will bring this to light; as Job ſaith, If you ſecretly accept perſons, God will ſurely reprove you, Job 13.10. God will bring all the world, and all their doings to light; but of all things, if men have ſecret haunts, and back-doors to doe evill; if men have devices and colours to put off their actions, if men can dawb up wretched and filthy caſes as if they were good; if men will goe about in this faſhion to dawb with untempered morter, ſuch ſins and ſinners as theſe, God will lay before him, as Moſes ſaith, Pſal. 90.8. As who ſhould ſay, thou layeſt all our ſins before us; but if we have any ſecret ſins, thou layeſt them upon a rock in the open Sun, the Lord eſpecially ayms at them; there be many perſons in the world, that are godly and honeſt, and yet are covered by the ſcoffs and reproaches of the world, as if they had no good, nor did any good; and there are others again that are boulſtered up in the world, as if they were good men, and better then thoſe that keep ſuch a pudder. Now the Lord, as he will bring every thing abroad, ſo ſpecially this.
Thirdly, Becauſe it is for the glory of God to ſearch men out; as Solomon ſaith of a King, Prov. 25.2. It is the glory of a King to ſearch out a matter; as when the two Harlots were brought before Solomon concerning the child whoſe it was, there was no way in the world to know it, there was nothing but their own aſſeverations; the one ſaid it was hers, and the other ſaid it was hers; the one affirmed, the other denied it before the King; now we ſhall ſee what a glory it was to Solomon to ſearch out who was the mother of the child; the Text ſaith, all Iſrael feared King Solomon becauſe of this thing, 1 Kings 3.28. They trembled before him, they ſaw he could ſearch out ſecrets and hidden things, therefore they durſt not do wickedneſs in ſecret for fear he ſhould finde them out; ſo it is the glory of God to ſearch out ſecret matters and bring them on the ſtage; if a man be upright, and this man is ſpawl'd and ſpit upon, and born down in the world, if the Lord ſhould not ſearch it out, what a diſhonour would it be to God? and if a man ſhould goe for a good Chriſtian, and is not, and God ſhould not finde them out, what a diſhonour would it be to him? it is the glory of God to ſearch out ſecret matters.
Fourthly, It is for the truth of God; he hath ſaid he will ſearch every one out, as you may ſee Job 34.22. So he hath ſaid, He that hideth his ſins ſhall not proſper, Prov. 28.13. So he hath ſaid, He that walketh uprightly walketh ſurely, but he that perverteth his wayes ſhall be known. If God hath ſaid thus, certainly it concerns his truth to ſee it made good; and therefore he muſt ſearch them out.
Fifthly, This is for the Juſtice of God, that God ſhould ſearch out every one what he is, and what his works be, how ſhould God judge the world elſe? therefore when God ſaid he would judge Judah, and puniſh them becauſe they had forgotten him; he gives this as the reaſon of it; Therefore ſaith he, I will diſcover thy skirts upon thy face, that thy ſhame may appear. So when God means to glorifie his Saints, and beſtow the Kingdome of Heaven upon them, therefore he will diſcover their honeſty, and lay open their godly courſes, and reward them for all the taunts and vile reproaches of the wicked.
The firſt Uſe may ſerve to reprove moſt men generally; we do not conſider that God will ſearch us; what a company of pleas are there to doe evil? what a company of put offs to doe good duties? If men can but find any ſtarting hole, glad are they; and if they can but finde any ſilly pretence, then they are made, then a man can never get them to doe that which is good. When Moſes was loth to goe to Pharaoh, what abundance of pretences had he to put it off? O, ſaith he, I am unworthy, who am I that I ſhould goe before Pharaoh? and another time, I am not eloquent. He made as if it had been his modeſty, he was not fit for the office; he did not conſider that he was to deal with God, that could ſearch him out; Moſes, ſaith he, goe before Pharaoh, for they are dead that ſought thy life. As if he had ſaid, I know thy thoughts, thou haſt killed a man in Egypt, and thou art afraid that Pharaoh will kill thee; but that Pharaoh is dead, therefore goe. So when a man is unwilling to doe a duty, he will have a thouſand excuſes; bid men have prayers in their Family, they will ſay they are not book-learned, and cannot pray; and how prove you it to be a duty? any thing God bids them doe, they are willing to doe; if you ſhew them but a place of Scripture for it, they make this the reaſon; but this is hypocriſie, the reaſon is, they care not for God, nor for the Family; they care not whether they be ſaved or damned; they care not that the fear of God may be in their children and ſervants, they care not for this; but they will not believe this is the cauſe. Again, bid another be diligent in his Office, alas what ſhall a man doe? I ſhall doe no good, he is a peaceable man, and he ſeeth all the Pariſh bandy themſelves together; if he ſaw there were any hope of doing good, he would doe it; as if he had a very good heart to doe what God would have him, in the end God diſcovers his hypocriſie, it was becauſe he cared not for God, he did not hate ſin, he had no zeal to Gods glory, he is a lover of men more then God, he loves his owne eaſe more then holineſſe, or piety, or good order; therefore let us know what a dangerous thing it is for a man to dally and double with God, when we doe not conſider that God will ſearch our hearts; the Lord knows whether thou art loth to have ſuch a thing to be a duty, or whether thou doſt ſecretly deſire it may not be impoſed upon thee; the Lord knows it, therefore doe not put off God in this faſhion, for God will ſearch thee out; it is but a folly for us not to conſider that God will ſearch us out; as Solomon ſaith, Prov. 10.18. He that covereth hatred with lying lips, is a foole; that is, if a man doe bear ſecret malice againſt a man, doe not love a man, and is not in ſincere charity with him, may be the man covers it with lying lips, O 'tis not for this reaſon and that reaſon, God forbid I ſhould hate him, whereas indeed he doth not love him; ſaith Solomon, this man is a foole; as who ſhould ſay, God will finde him, and diſcover him; therefore what a folly is it not to lay this to heart.
The ſecond Uſe is to bid us take heed how we hide our ſins from others, or from our ſelves.
Firſt, From others, you ſhall have children, ſo they can hide their faults from their parents, that is all they care for; and ſo ſervants, if they can but hide their faults from their Maſters and Miſtreſſes, they care not how bad they be, or how falſe; ſo it is with many, you ſhall have many a man his own boſome knows what an hard heart he hath, what a dead heart, how careleſſe he is of God, how that he hath no delight in good duties; yet if he can but cover it from the Saints, that when he comes to pray before them, he may carry it off ſomething handſomely, this is all he cares for, or look after; what an horrible thing is this, that people ſhould have no more conſideration that God will ſearch us out? we had as good that all the world ſhould know it, as that God ſhould know it; if we do iniquity, and be careleſſe of his commandements; if we do evil, though never ſo ſecretly, it were better all the world ſhould know it then God; now God will ſearch it out. Jer. 23.24. Prov. 5.21. Therefore we ſhould ever take heed that we may not have this humour in us, to venture to do evil, ſo we can hide it from men; for what though no man knows it? yet we ſhall finde that God knows it, and will bring it to light one day.
Secondly, We ſhould take heed how we hide our ſins from our ſelves; this is fearful, and in ſome ſenſe a great deal more fearful then the other; for many times when a man hides his ſins from others, he knows them himſelfe; but when a man hath a deceitful heart, that he hides them from his own eyes, how can he repent? a man cannot repent without the ſight of his ſins; yet, as a Divine ſaith, men deſire to hide their ſins from God, and from others, but moſt of all from themſelves: Now what a madneſs is this, though a man do hide his ſins from himſelf, he cannot hide them from God, God will ſearch it out; though a man hath never ſo many colours for his ſins, he will not believe it is a ſin; alas poor creature, God will finde thee out; as a pluraliſt, he will think it lawful to have two livings, but what doſt thou get by hiding it from thy ſelfe, God will finde it out; ſo for jeſting, they think it is lawful to do it; Eliſha jeſted; and did not Ariſtotle account it a vertue? and the like; I deny not but men may have jeſting if it be convenient, but when men are exceſſive in this, and have no meetings without jeſting, and will ſtand for it, God will find them out; ſo men that will not believe that a man ſhould be ſo ſtrict and preciſe, God forbid that none ſhould be ſaved but ſuch; thus they hide it from themſelves; but when they have done all they cannot hide it from God; but God will diſcover them at the laſt day, may be in this world: ſo a man that was never converted, nor never had faith, he thinks he is converted and hath faith, and is religious, and a good Chriſtian. Thus he hides his woful and vile eſtate from his own eyes; but canſt thou hide it from God? aſſure thy ſelfe God will ſearch thee out.
Thirdly, This may be for comfort to good people. Firſt, It may be a comfort againſt others that ſhall judge them. Secondly, againſt themſelves.
Firſt, Againſt others that judge them; may be others are harſh towards them, and think all manner of evil of them, and may be ſpeak it too. Now this is a great comfort, that God will ſearch them out; as they be true and upright, and as they doe from the bottome of their hearts ſet themſelves to pleaſe God, ſo they ſhall not be judged by mens conceits, but by the Lord; this is that which comforted Paul againſt the cenſures of the Corinths, 1 Cor. 4.3, 4. I count it a ſmall matter to be judged by you, 'tis the Lord that judgeth me. As who ſhould ſay, I ſhall not ſtand or fall at your ſentence what you think of me; no, the Lord judgeth me; this is a great comfort. So this comforted Peter when Chriſt put that triple query to him, Simon thou ſon of Jonah, loveſt thou me? As who ſhould ſay, thou ſayſt thou loveſt me, but how can I think it? haſt thou not denied me thrice? therefore I ask thee thrice doſt thou love me; what ſaith he now? Lord, thou knoweſt all things, thou knoweſt that I love thee. This was his comfort, that God that ſearcheth the heart knew it was his weakneſſe, and he loved him unfeignedly; as who ſhould ſay, men may judge me to be a wretch and an Apoſtate, and that I love my life and my liberty more then thee; they may juſtly judge thus; but thou knoweſt how I have grieved for it, and have been aſhamed of it, and it hath been as a dagger to my heart; Thou knoweſt all things, and thou knoweſ… … ▪ I love thee.
Secondly, This may be a comfort againſt their own ſelves; as a mans Conſcience many times may have ſhrewd things againſt the people of God▪ for the conſcience by nature is legal and by nature a man is borne under▪ the Covenant of works, and conſcience is apt to be very ſtrict and ſevere againſt the children of God, and to have ſhrewd things againſt them, that they can hardly tell how to anſwer. Now what a comfort is …his to them, though their conſciences be unquiet many timespunc; to think that God will ſearch them out, they ſhall not be judged by their con…ciences altogether, but the Lord ſhall judge them! As Paul did not onelyonly ſet do…n a comfort againſt the cenſures of the Corinth, but againſt his own conſcience, I am not my own judge. Many times conſcience may be abuſed and cry out, there is nothing good, nothing ſounds no true good in my ſoul▪ Now a m…n ſhould ſay, I muſt not judge my ſelfe, but the Lord muſt judge me and ſearch me out; ſo that this is a great comfort to the people of God, that God will ſearch every man.
Thirdly, This may ſtir us up to be able to ſtand out Gods ſearch, when he ſhall come and ſearch.
Firſt, That we may be able to ſtand when offences come. When offences come, the Lord ſearcheth whether people love themſelves, or love his commandements, and love his ſervants; there be ſuch horrible offences ſometimes, that if he doe not love God indeed, he will ſtumble; the commandements of God, and his pure worſhip and ſervice may be ſo derided and oppoſed, a man may be offended at it that profeſſed it before▪ if he love it not indeed, therefore M…tt…. 18 10▪ our Saviour ſaith, …oe to the World, becauſe of offences. As if he had ſaid, when offences ſhall come, they ſhall diſcover thouſands in the world to be naught: woe to the world when they come, for theſe be ſearching things: therefore let us labour when offences come, that we may not be offended, as Chriſt ſaith Matth. 11.5. Bleſſed is the man that is not offended in me. That man is a bleſſed man, that when all off…nces ariſe, nothing can make him offended at Jeſus Chriſt: This doth pla…nl… ſhew that a man hath the grace of God in him, when nothing can offend him▪ not the means of Chriſt in the world in his members, not the croſſe that doth accom…any Religion, not the multitudes of evil men, not perſecu…ions, revilin…s▪ nick-names, poverty, and diſgrace, nothing in the world can offend him▪ but he will love God, and feare him, and keep cloſe to his commandements; this is a ſign we ſhall ſtand when God ſearcheth us.
Again, Let us be able to ſtand out againſt afflictions and perſecutions; theſe ſearch men: as it is ſaid of Joſeph, when he was laid in priſon becauſe he would not yield to his Miſtris, the Text ſaith. The word of the Lord tryed him, Pſal. …05. If he had not been ſincere, when he ſaw how the times went, he would have been afraid, and yielded to the temptation; but the Word of the Lord tryed him, and he was found to be ſincere and godly indeed. So when God afflicted Job, Job 10. he ſaith, Thou ſearch…ſt for my ſins. When God afflict… us, or perſecutes us, or ſuffers any evil to fall upon us▪ then he ſearcheth us, and then if we be hypocrites, and have onelyonly a forme of godlineſſe, and are not ſound at the bottome, then God will finde it out, it will appear; when croſſes and afflictions come, it will lay a man open; therefore let us be able to ſtand in afflictions to be dead to the world and worldly things, to be able to deny our lives and livings, and forgoe all the world rather then any of Gods commandements, that when we come to be tryed, we may be found to have faith more precious then gold.
Thirdly, Labour to ſtand in time of difficult commandements; ſometimes God calls a man to difficult commandements, that he cannot doe except he cut off his right hand, and pull out his right eye, except he will loſe his life, except he will be driven up and down like a vagrant Traitor, and caſt into priſon; ſometimes may be God puts a man upon commandements that he muſt loſe all that he hath if he doth them. Now know, God comes to ſearch whether we love him beſt, whether we will rather obey him or the world, whether we love profits, or credit, or any thing more th…n him▪ So when the young man in the Goſpel made as if he were well-minded to enter into eternal life, he was an obſerver of the commandements …f God: Now when Chriſt would ſearch him, he doth it with a di…ficult commandement; the man was rich, and he bids him goe and ſell and give it to the poore; this was a very difficult commandement, and this diſcovered him to be a very wretch, he was not able to doe it, nay he went away ſorrowful; this commandement could not ſink down into his heart: It is ſo many …imes, the Lord puts a man upon difficult commandements; ſuch commandements, that if he doe them, the world will think him mad; ſuch commandements, that if he doe them, he muſt part with his living, and all that he hath. Now if we be not able to doe this, we ſhall be diſcovered not to be good.
Laſtly, Let us be able to ſtand out againſt judgement, for then God ſearcheth people moſt of all; there may be ſomething left after all the other ſearchings; a man hath ſtood out perſecutions, and yet hath turned Apoſtate; but when the pan…s of death, and the day of Judgment comes, nothing ſhall be hid then; therefore let us labour to ſtand then, when the King of terrours ſhall appeare before us; nay, when the Judge of quick and dead ſhall ſtand before us.
The laſt Uſe is for exhortation. Will God ſearch us out? then we ſhould ſearch our ſelves what our works are, whether good or evil; as the Apoſtle ſaith, 2 Cor. 13.5. Examine your ſelves whether you be in the faith.
Firſt, Con…ider, we can never repen… of what is amiſſe in our ſelves, or in our works, except we ſearch our ſelves. Let us ſearch our ſelves, and turne unto the Lord, …am. 1.43. If there be hypocriſie or hollow-heartedneſſe in us, if we doe not ſearch it out, we cannot bewaile it, and ſhake it off.
Secondly, Conſider it is a character and mark of the childe of God that he doth deſire, and is one that doth ſearch himſelfe; nay, he doth not onelyonly uſe all the meanes he can to doe it, but he doth cry and groan to God to help him▪ as David ſaith, Pſalm 139 23. Search me, O Lord, &c. As who ſhould ſay, Lord, help me to ſearch my heart, I have looked into it, and turned it topſy turvy, and I cannot finde but I am upright, but I feare my ſelfe ſtill; O help me; if there be any way of wickedneſſe in me, ſhew it me. A childe of God is one▪ that doth indeed de…ire to know himſelf, and to know the worſt of himſelf.
Thirdly, Conſider, if we doe not ſearch our ſelves, it will be the worſe for us, for God will ſearch us; and if we doe ſearch our ſelves, we ſhall ſcape well when he comes to ſearch us; but if we neglect this duty, what ſaith Job, Chap. 13.10. So I may ſay, Is it good that God ſhould ſearch us o…t? is it good for us to leave all this work to him? to neglect our owne ſoules, to lay aſide our lives, and conſciences, and boſomes, and never to …anſ…ck them from day to day, never to enquire into our owne boſomes, that we may reforme our ſelves, but leave all to God to ſearch us? doe you think this will doe well, ſaith Job? Then when afflictions, and death, and judgement shall come, that then God ſhould ſearch you, and lay before you your works; therefore as you deſire when God ſhall ſearch you you may be found upright, be careful to ſearch your ſelves.
FINIS.