Discourse of Excuses, Treatise · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. Excuſes as to Duty.
HAving ſpoken of thoſe Excuſes as to Excuſes as to Duty.Sin, taken from our ſelves and others: I come to ſpeak of thoſe which relate to Duty, whereof the firſt is, Parvulus 1. Childhood.ſum, I am a Child; It was Jeremy's excuſe, when called to Propheſie and Preach, Jer. 1. 6. Ah Lord, ſaith he, I cannot ſpeak, for I am a Child: It is true, he might with more ſhew of reaſon plead this, in relation to ſuch an extraordinary Service, then our Children (or we in their behalf) to be excuſed from ordinary Duties belonging to them. We are apt to ſay, Would you have me teach a Child? Catechiſe a Child? teach a Child to pray, and make him a Hypocrite? They have day and time before them, let them Play, and do as Children; And have they not Death and Hell before them too? Train up a Child, ſaith the Prov. 22. 6.Lord, in the way of his Youth, and he will keep it when he is old. And again, who ſo fit to be taught as theſe, Eſay 28. 9. Whom ſhall he teach Knowledge? and whom ſhall he make to underſtand Doctrine? them that are weaned from the Milk, and drawn from the Breaſt. Gracious Timothy was grounded 2 Tim. 1. 5. & 3. 15.in the Scripture, when a Child, by his religious Mother and Grand-mother. And Solomon tells us, what Leſſons he had given him by his Father and Mother, Prov. 4. 3, 4. Our Saviour bids us to bring our little Children to him, for of ſuch ſo brought up Mark 10. 14.is the Kingdom of Heaven. We read of Children believing in Chriſt, Matth. 18. 6. Of little Children knowing the Father, 1 John 2. 13. Therefore doth that aged Diſciple direct his Epiſtle to his little Children, as well as to the young Men and aged Fathers. Our greateſt care ſhould be of our young Children, they are Spes Gregis, the hope of the next Generation: We break the Colt when young, bend the Twig, and twiſt it while green; We ſwath and ſwaddle the Bodies of our Children, when ſmall and tender, to keep them ſtrait; and then, if ever, is the time to frame and form their Spirits, to prevent ill habits. The lameneſs or crookedneſs in the Cradle (as in Mephiboſheth) is hardly, if ever cured; much leſs are ill Principles to be rooted out, that were ſuckt in when Children. He who had been ſo from a Child, was paſt Diſciples Cure, Mark 9. 21. The young Diſciple uſually wears the Garland, and proves the moſt uſeful and eminent aged Father: My Soul deſireth the firſt Ripe Mic. 7. 1.Fruit, ſaith the Prophet. The moſt eminent Saints and choiceſt Inſtruments in God's Church, have been uſually ſuch as have been trained up in Pious Education, called and ſanctified in their Infancy, or Childhood, as young Samuel, Solomon, Joſiah, Jeremy, John Baptiſt, Timothy, &c. of old: And ſome ſuch Inſtances we have of late, That incomparable Ʋſher for one, of whom it may be ſaid,
Multa tulit, fecit que puer, ſudavit & alſit.
He could ſpeak of his being in Chriſt from ten years of age, then was he converted; and what a bleſſed Inſtrument of much good was he not to many particular Perſons and Congregations where he came and preached; but as a Star of the firſt magnitude his light did ſhine not only all over the Horizon of theſe two great Iſlands of Great Britain and Ireland (his Native Country) to which he was ſo great a glory, but his Name and Memory is pretious to all the Churches in the Europaean World. But above all that example above all examples of our bleſſed Saviour, when but a Child of Twelve years, who was ſo increaſed in Knowledge and Wiſdom, that he was among the Doctors in the Temple, hearing and puting forth his Queſtions to their aſtoniſhment and admiration. And that ſaying of his in anſwer to his Mother, worthy to be printed in the Breaſts of all hopeful Children, and be inſcribed in the Frontiſpiece of all their Books, I muſt now be about my Fathers buſineſs. And he was Luke 2. 49.not yet come into the Teens, was but Twelve years of age then.
A ſecond makes the like excuſe when his 2. Unlearned.duty is laid before him, and ſaith, Non ſum Doctus, as he to whom the Book was given and bidden to read, anſwered, I cannot, Eſay 29. 12.for I am not learned; I am a Lay-man, a poor Mechanick, Illiterate, what would you have of me? ſhould I meddle with Scripture matters? Duties of Religion? Would you have me inſtruct my Family, pray, give thanks at Meat? It is for Miniſters, Schollars, and the learned, to deal in ſuch matters, ſaith the ignorant Papiſt and the lazy Proteſtant. But our Saviour biddeth the Laity as well as the learned Prieſts, Search the Scriptures. And St. Paul Joh. 5. 39.exhorteth all Chriſtians, that the Word of Col. 3. 16.God ſhould dwell in them richly in all Wiſdom, teaching and admoniſhing one another, &c. The moſt eminent Saints in God's Acts 4. 13.Calendar were ſometimes illiterate men, Fiſhermen, Publicans, Plebeians, &c. But after they had been converſant with Jeſus, they were taught and inabled of God, and made fit for every good work: They who are not Book-learned, may be Chriſt-learned. Auſtin ſaid in his time, Surgunt Conſ. l. 8. c. 8.indocti & rapiunt Regnum coelorum. The unlearned riſe up and get the ſtart of us, the learned of the World, and break into Heaven with a holy Violence, while we with our learning and diſputes lie weltring in the mire. Think not therefore want of Book-learning may excuſe thee from all common Duties of Chriſtianity. There is not one Heaven for Schollars, and another (or none at all) for the unlearned: In an Army you ſee all are not Commanders and Commiſſion-Officers, but the greater number common Souldiers, upon whoſe hands the great ſhock and brunt of the Battell lies; So in God's Hoſt (the Church-militant) all are not Divines and Paſtors, but the greateſt part of Chriſt's Flock conſiſts of ordinary, and many of them unlearned Chriſtians. In the Catalogue of Martyrs in Queen Maries dayes, the total is ſummed Heywoods. Elizabeth.up to amount to 260, whereof five were Biſhops, one and twenty Doctors, eight Gentlemen, but the greateſt part by far was of the meaner rank; eighty four Artificers, an hundred Husbandmen, Servants and Labourers; fifty five Women, Maids, Wives and Widows.
A third little differing from the former, 3. Want of Parts.is, I want Parts, and ſufficient Abilities. This was Moſes his excuſe, O Lord I pray thee have me excuſed, I am not Vir verborum, Exod. 4. 10.I am not eloquent; I pray let it be done by ſome better hand. So plead ſome Maſters of Families, had I the Gift and Ability of ſome others, I would pray, and ſet up Religious Exerciſes in my Family; but I want expreſſion, and that diſcourageth me. So it may be ſome Miniſters, I ſhould Preach more frequently and more chearfully, had I the gifts and utterance of ſome Paul or Apollos: God's work would not be done negligently, they ſay. True, but if it be done faithfully, ſeriouſly and ſincerely, it is accepted according to what a man hath, and not according to what a man hath not. We find by experience God doth often bleſs the Endeavors of conſcientious Maſters of Families to a great meaſure of promoting and ſpreading Religion all over the Family; and as oft the Labours of ſome his faithful (though leſs eminent) Miniſters, to the converſion and building up of more then ſome of the chief Maſter-Builders: As if the Lord would ſay, Not by Might, nor by Power, Zach. 4. 6.but by my Spirit; And as if he would have us ſay again, Who is Paul? and what is Apollos? It is God alone who gives the 1 Cor. 3.increaſe.
4. The Calling is the fourth excuſe from 4. Our Calling.Duty, of which alſo ſomewhat was ſpoken before, and is that which is alledged in the Parable, which gave us the matter of this Diſcourſe. My Calling, my honeſt Employments muſt be looked after; I muſt go try my Oxen, I muſt go take poſſeſſion of my Land purchaſed: Reaſonable and juſt Excuſes one would think, no contempt, nor defiance. They ſtood not idle in the Market, nor were in Tavern or Ale-houſe tipling: I pray have me excuſed was the worſt Language they gave, yet rejected. The third ſaid, I have married a Wife, and muſt conſummate the Marriage, I cannot come. None ſaid, I will not; yet is their ſlighting recorded, and all three rejected. No Employment, no change of Condition, can priviledge from attending God's Service: One thing is neceſſary ſtands alwayes indiſpenſably true; the other might be done, this muſt not be left undone. There was a Diſpenſation in the Deut. 24. 5.old Law, That if a man had new married a wife, he ſhould not be preſſed to war that year; but no Diſpenſation for omitting the Service of God for one day. The King by his Place, and by reaſon of the weighty Affairs incumbent on his Office, be thought fit to be priviledged above any others (as being Superior to all, and Inferior only to God;) yet muſt is for the King, and ſhall from his Superior: He was commanded by God, that when he ſate Deut. 17. 18, 19.upon the Throne, he ſhall write him a Copy of the Law, and it ſhall be with him, and he ſhall read therein all the dayes of his life, &c. Thus did holy David, who made it his meditation continually, and by his being Pſal. 119, 97, 99.ſo continually verſed therein, he became wiſer then his Teachers: And beſides his many private Devotions, the Pſalms, Hymns and Prayers of his own compoſing, he was a conſtant Student in God's Word. We read of that Renowned Succeſſor of his, Joſiah, that he took the 2 Kings 23. 2.Book of the Law, and himſelf read it to all his People. Luther tells of that pious and valiant Duke of Saxony, that he had ſix of his Gentlemen who attended him, read daily to him ſix hours out of the holy Scripture. And never to be forgotten is the practiſe of one of the Kings of this Nation, King Alfred, who divided the four and twenty hours of the natural day into three parts, allowing himſelf eight hours for his bodily refreſhment by Sleep, Food and Recreation; a ſecond eight hours he ſpent in Reading, Praying and Writing; and the third eight he ſpent in attending Affairs of State, hearing Cauſes, &c. A rare example of a pious Prince, and one that would give account of his time ſpending.
5. But the great and general excuſe is, 5. Hereafter, not yet.Nondum venit hora, I will hereafter; but the time is not yet come. This was not the Anſwer of one ſingle Perſon, but Vox Populi, The People ſaid, The time is not yet come, H…g. 1. 2.the time to build the houſe of the Lord. So generally when we call upon men to repent, and amend their lives, they put us off, and ſay, It is a good work, and muſt be thought upon, and they will wait for a good hour to do it in. Thus in another ſenſe Chriſt may ſay, My time is not yet come; but your John 7. 6.time is alway ready; your time to build your own Houſes is come, is preſent, mine is future, muſt ſtay: But, ſaith the Lord, have I not met with you in your wayes? Ye have ſowen much, and reaped little; I have blown upon it, & what ye had was put into a Bag with holes; and why, becauſe you ran ſo eagerly to build your own Houſes, and my Houſe lies waſt. This is the common and moſt dangerous Excuſe; and too many inſtances we have in our daily experience: Few go to Hell, ſaid a good Divine, for Mr. Calamy.ſaying they will not repent, but many for ſaying they will, but not yet. This was the Sluggard's Plea, Yet a little more ſleep, Prov. 6. 11. Acts 24. 25.a little more ſlumber. This was delaying Felix his Plea, I will take a more convenient ſeaſon, which he never had. This the put-off of Two in one Chapter, called by Chriſt, the one deſired reſpit, till he had diſcharged his laſt office to his aged Father, Lord ſuffer me firſt to bury my Father: The Luke 9. 59, 61.other, Let me go bid my Friends farewel: But for all, we read they both bad Chriſt farewel, and loſt the fair ſeaſon of Grace. Alas, how do many dally with Repentance and Salvation, and ſport themſelves with their own Deceivings. The young man is ready to make large Promiſes, what he will do when he is old: The ſingle, or unſetled, man, what he will do when he is ſetled: The man in Health, what he will do in Sickneſs: And he in Sickneſs, what he will do when reſtored to Health; and all but words. Sick-Bed Purpoſes are deceitful, and Death-Bed Repentance as uncertain: Firſt, Whether it ſhall be granted. Secondly, Whether it ſhall be accepted. The preſent tenſe is the acceptable tenſe, the future is the rejected tenſe: Many ſhall ſeek to enter, and ſhall not be able, Luke 13. 24. Shall and will ſeek, but have not heretofore, or do not yet. The Sponſalia de praeſenti make the Marriage good, De future ſignifie nothing. In Chriſtianity the more haſt the better ſpeed; yet alas how ſad is it to conſider the moſt of men do delay & delay, adjourn, and put off Repentance and Obedience De die in diem, from day to day, as young Auſtin (then no Saint) did with his Noli modo, Not yet Lord, ſpare me a little: He was afraid, as he ſaid, he ſhould be heard too ſoon. But at length it pleaſed God to awaken him throughly out of this Lethargy, and then he gets him into a private place, under ſuch a Tree, and there he leaves his modo & modo, and cries out with a flood of tears, How long, O Lord! how long! Oh let there be an end of my ſinful courſe; and a new Spirit given me now, now; Cur non modo Domine, non cras, cras, Conf. l. 9. c. 12.ſed hac hora, &c. Lord I do not ſay, nor do thou ſay to morrow, or next day: But Lord, why not now, this very day; yea, this very hour? The great Heroes of the World that are eternized in the Book of Fame, as Caeſar, Alexander, and our Chriſtian Chieftain Scanderbeg, carried all before them by their Celerity and Expedition. Of Caeſar it is ſaid, Omnia confecit celeritate, He brought all his ends about by his continual ſpeed. Of Alexander (whoſe Motto was, foreign, Loſe no time, defer not,) That he was wont to make ſuch long and ſpeedy Marches day and night, that he ſurprized his Enemies, and was upon them before they could make reſiſtance; and the like did Scanderbeg: And the two former fought only for corruptible Crowns, the later for to ſave and deliver his Country. Why ſhould we not uſe the ſame diligence, ſetting aſide all dangerous delays to ſave a Soul, and gain a Crown incorruptible?
6. Others muſt be excuſed, that they 6. Want of Company.are not ſo forward in wayes of holineſs and ſtrictneſs from want of Company, at leaſt ſuch as they moſt deſire ſhould go along with them. This was Barak's excuſe to Jud. 4. 8.Deborah, If thou wilt go with me, I will go; but if thou wilt not go with me, I will not go: It is true, good company is ever good; and it were much to be wiſht, that as the wicked joyn hand-in-hand, ſo the godly did joyn heart-in-heart; As the one aſſemble themſelves by troops in Harlots Houſes, ſo that the godly did flock together as Doves to their Windows. But the World is not yet ſo good (God grant it may mend) that the ſtrait way to Heaven ſhould be over-thronged: Holy Jeremy Jer. 15. 17. 1 Kings 19. 10.was fain to ſit alone: And before him, holy Elias walked alone, not a Prophet or a godly Perſon that he knew of left. But the Saints muſt not look to march and move in a Military poſture, all move, ſtand, ſtir, turn, and go together, as one man, when the Word is given: But muſt be content to move, as the Sun in his own proper Orb, when there is not a Star to be ſeen accompanying it. This made Noah ſo ſhine in the old World, and Lot in Sodom. He that will not be content to go to Heaven alone, will hardly ever come thither.
7. And not a few in ſuch times and 7. Fear of ſufferings.places, where the Church is under Perſecution, deſire to be excuſed, though they think well of Chriſt and his way, from the Diſcouragements they muſt meet with, and fear of Perſecution. And blame us not, if we love not Perſecution, ſay they, Life, Liberty, and Eſtates are ſweet. This was the Sluggards old note, There is a Lyon in the way, Prov. 22. 13.I ſhall be torn in the Streets. But thus did not Daniel ſay, nor thoſe Primitive Chriſtians, when it was no more but ſo, Chriſtianos ad Leones, ad Flammas; Away with theſe Chriſtians, theſe Fanaticks, Contemners of our Laws, Diſturbers of our Peace; for ſo they were then accounted; away with them to the Lyons. They feared not Death, but Hell; not to Burn, but Sin: They feared not loſs of Places, Dignities, Honours or Life, but of Heaven. Jovinian, Valentinian, and ſome others reſigned up their Commiſſions and places of Command, rather then they would comply with that Apoſtate Julian in his Idol-worſhip. Neither were thoſe holy Martyrs in Queen Marie's dayes ſo tender of their Skin, their Eaſe, Liberty, Life and all, when the World began to wander after the Beaſt again; They loved not their life unto the death, that they Rev. 12▪ 11. Heb. 11. 35.might obtain a better Reſurrection. Thoſe words of Chriſt ſounded lowder in their Ears, If any will come after me, Let him take up his Croſs and follow me: He that will Luke 9. 23.ſave his life (by denying, or being aſhamed of me) ſhall loſe it: But he that ſhall loſe his life for my ſake and the Goſpel, the ſame ſhall ſave it. What that noble Ittai the Gittite ſaid once to David in a day of general Revolt, they have ſaid to Chriſt, In what place my Lord the King ſhall be, whether 2 Sam. 15. 21.in life or death, there will we thy Servants be.
8. Some other haply may be deterred 8. Terms of Honour.from relinquiſhing his former wayes, upon point of Reputation, and little Punctillices of Honour; his name ſhould now be blaſted. This was Zedekiah's excuſe, when Jeremy did ſo earneſtly obteſt and preſs him to ſubmit to the Caldean, and ſo ſave Life, City, Kingdom, and all; Obey, I beſeech Jer. 38. 17, 19.thee the Voice of the Lord, and thou ſhalt ſurely live, and thy Houſe and this City ſhall not be burnt, &c. Oh, ſaith he, I cannot do it in point of Honour, for I fear the Jews, which are fallen away to the Caldeans, that they will mock me. Thus, in a Bravado, he choſe rather to perſiſt in his obſtinacy and periſh, then ſave himſelf by any ſhew of relenting and ſubmiſſion. And a much better man then he tells us what it was that ſtuck with him, when he was ſo backward to engage in that Service the Lord put him upon, viz. Jonah the Prophet, Jonah 4. 2.Was not this my ſaying, ſaid he, when I fled to Tarſhiſh? for I knew thee to be a gratious God, and merciful, ſlow to anger, and ready to forgive, and repenteſt of the evil, q. d. I muſt go and tell the Ninevites, God will deſtroy them, and may be they may repent, and then be ſpared; what ſhall then become of my Honour? I ſhall be branded for a falſe Prophet: Therefore Lord deſtroy either them or me; them, that my Honour may be ſalved; or me, that I may not out-live my own Reputation. Poor paſſionate Jonah! that couldſt be more content that God ſhould loſe the Glory of his Mercy, then thou the Honour of thy Miniſtery. But whoſoever thou art, that canſt not be content to lay thine Honour in the duſt, and break in pieces this golden Calf, ſtamping it to powder, know, thou art not one whoſe deſerveſt thy name to be liſted among Chriſt's Schollars, whoſe very firſt Leſſon they muſt learn, is Humility and Self-denial.
9. Again, there is that think themſelves 9. They are well already.excuſed from any further purſuit of holineſs, upon this ſuppoſition, that they are well already. Such was the young man's caſe, who ſaid to our Saviour, All theſe Mat. 19. 20.have I kept from my youth; that was …his conceit of himſelf, who knew but a little of the out-ſide of the Law, and nothing of the in-ſide of his own Heart. Thus the Phariſee juſtified himſelf for his external Luke 18. 11, 1….Performances, condemning the Publican, notwithſtanding his inward Contrition. Laodicea was ſick of this Diſeaſe, Who Rev. 3. 17.reckoned her ſelf Rich, increaſed with Goods, and wanting nothing; when indeed ſhe was poor, miſerable, blind and naked. This is as dangerous a caſe as any, Ʋbi dixti ſufficit, periiſti, ſaid St. Auſtin, When thou ſayeſt I am well enough, thou art gone: There is more hope of a Fool then of this man, ſo wiſe in his own conceit, Prov. 26. 12.
10. Another excuſeth himſelf from performing 10. It is no part of my Calling.ſome part of his Duty, alledging, It is no part of his Calling: And if it be ſo indeed, it is a juſt Excuſe. It was Cain's plea once, Am I my Brothers Keeper? So Gen. 4 9.do others, when, in their company, they hear others ſwear, curſe, rail, or do any other evil act, and never reprove them for it, ſay, Am I my Brothers Keeper? It is enough for me to look to my ſelf; I am no Preacher; it is no part of my Calling. I pray whoſe Calling is it, if an Ox or Aſſe fall into a Pit to lift it out? It is thine, it is every mans; and is the eternal life of a Man of leſs value, then of a Sheep appointed to the Shambles? He that goes not about to hinder, is a partaker. Remember he that diſclaimed himſelf to be his Brothers Keeper, in that proclaimed himſelf his Brothers Murderer. Have no fellowſhip Eph. 5. 11.in the unfruitful works of darkneſs, but rather reprove them: There is thy Calling to be thy Brothers Keeper; Thou ſhalt not hate thy Brother in thy Lev. 19. 17.heart, thou ſhalt in any wiſe rebuke him, and not ſuffer Sin upon him: There is thy Calling again to be thy Brothers Keeper.
11. Anothers excuſe is, Deſpair of ſucceſs: 11. Deſpair of ſucceſs.And as I ſaid of the former, if thou couldſt make this out, thou mighteſt be excuſed. But ſo it is not, nor can be, if thou wilt not wilfully caſt away thy ſelf, holding faſt thy ſin, and forſaking thy own mercy, Tonah 2. 8.refuſing to come to Chriſt, who is able and ready to ſave to the utmoſt all that come Heb. 7. 25.to God for mercy through him: Yet was this the lazy Servants excuſe, I preſumed thee to be a hard Maſter, I might ſow and Mat. 25. 24.not reap, uſe my Indeavours, yet loſe my labour; I therefore feared, and hid my Talent. I may ſay to ſuch, as Chriſt to the Phariſees, Full well ye reject the Commands of God, to hold faſt your own Traditions; So do theſe reject the Grace of God, to ſtick faſt to their own Prejudice. But theſe take the ready to make ſure their own Condemnation in a moſt irrational way. When was it ever known that any Malefactor, deſirous to preſerve his life, would ſtand mute? or wilfully caſt away himſelf by flying out againſt the Law or Judge? But will make his plea to obtain favour, caſt himſelf upon God and his Country, and ſue and intreat that he may have the benefit of any clauſe in the Law, or former Preſidents in like caſe, and ſo he comes of ſafe. But theſe, as it were, in contempt of God's mercy ſtand mute, will not plead, nor pray the benefit of the Law (the Goſpel of Chriſt I mean) nor deſire they may have the ſame favour that former Preſidents have had, the greateſt Offenders pardoned upon ſubmiſſion; but wilfully caſt away themſelves, as if God, the Father of Mercies, were inexorable, and their Condemnation peremptorily, and irrevocably determined. Thus ſometimes have ſome right godly Chriſtians behaved themſelves under their ſpiritual diſtreſs, by reaſon of extreme melancholy, dreadful aſſaults of Satan, and ſad deſertion for a time, &c. concluding there was no hope, when yet all was ſafe. Famous is the Story of Mrs. Anne Honywood, who was in that diſtreſs of Spirit, and ſo poſſeſſed with an immoveable perſwaſion of her eternal Damnation, that ſhe ſaid to a worthy Miniſter who was with her, endeavouring to comfort her, That it was no more poſſible for her to eſcape damnation, then for that Venice-Glaſs, which ſhe had then in her hand, not to be broken, if it fell to the ground; ſhe let it fall, it rebounded to the Wall, and was taken up whole. The Lord might have left her in her ſad miſapprehenſions, but to confirm her, and warn others by her example, was pleaſed, in that miraculous manner, to confute her fears. Somewhat like to this is the ſtory of Mrs. Katherine Bretterg, a pious Gentlewoman, who for ſome time was under ſuch diſtreſs, In the lives of Mr. S. C. I I. Part.doubting of her Salvation, that ſhe often wiſht, She had never been born, or, that ſhe been any other Creature then a Woman, crying out often, Woe is me a miſerable, woful, forſaken Creature, with abundance of Tears: She ſometimes durſt not pray, but ſaid, I may not pray, I may not pray; but it pleaſed God at laſt not only to bring her out of her fears and diſtreſs, but to give her ſtrong aſſurance of her Salvation, that ſhe dyed in much peace, and full of Joys unſpeakable and glorious. I may add to theſe two (to ſpare more inſtances in this kind) the example of Mr. John Glover, of whom Mr. Fox in his Martyrology ſpeaks, who was perſwaded he had ſinned againſt the Holy Ghoſt; and was in that Diſtreſs for five years, that had he been in Hell he could not have deſpaired more; he was ſo macerated and worn away, that he neither in that time took quiet reſt, nor could brook Meat or Drink, or any outward comfort: But after all this was delivered, and ſuch a frame of holineſs and meaſure of comfort was wrought in him, that he ſeemed to live altogether a celeſtial life. This may call to our minds that of the Apoſtle, If the Righteous be ſcarcely ſaved, where ſhall the Ʋngodly 1 Pet. 4: 18.and Sinner appear? And that of St. Paul, Rom. 11. 32. God hath ſhut up all in Unbelief, that he may have mercy upon all. Where you may obſerve two ſtrange Doctrines backed with a more ſtrange Reaſon; 1. That not one here and there, but all are ſhut up in Ʋnbelief. This is the common caſe of all Chriſtians (one time or other) to be ſhut up in this Dungeon. This poor tempred Creatures think ſtrange; the next is ſtranger. 2. That God ſhuts them up in unbelief; God is their Keeper all this while, and not Satan, as they are apt to conclude: God ſhuts them up, as Joſeph did Simeon, for their Humiliation and Tryal: Unbelief is God's Priſon (I may ſay in this ſenſe) Preſumption is Satans. 3. The reaſon is ſtrangeſt of all, That he may have mercy upon all ſuch, viz. That they may ſee their need of Mercy, fly to it, caſt themſelves upon it; as did holy Mr. Perkins dying, cry, Mercy, mercy is all I want; and God may have the whole glory of it, and they may the more admire the Wiſdom of God in this diſpenſation, when he ſhall enlarge them; as Joſephs Brethren did, when he ſpake no more roughly to them as formerly, but declared his relation to them, and teſtified his brotherly love. But all this while, there is no place for deſpair to all ſuch as wait upon God, and rely on his mercy.
The laſt excuſe I ſhall mention in this kind, is, of ſome whoſe meaning is better then their underſtanding, an exceſs of Humility, Exceſs of humility.who, when invited, hold off from their duty by a voluntary (but no wayes commendable) humility. Thus did the Centurion excuſe himſelf from a receiving of Chriſt, I am not worthy thou ſhouldſt come Mat. 8. 8.under my Roof. This is the caſe of many a gracious Soul, who, by reaſon of ſome ſcruples, keep off from receiving Chriſt in his Sacrament, when thou art the perſon Chriſt calls; Ho every one that thirſteth, come Eſay 55. 1, 2.to the Waters, buy Wine and Milk without money, and without price: Thou thinkeſt thy money, preparation, and price of condignity would make thee more welcome, but it is not ſo. Thou ſayeſt, I dare not come, I have not the purification of the Sanctuary; I ſhall eat and drink my damnation, if I eat unworthily. Know therefore, there is a legal worthineſs, this thou canſt not have, and an Evangelical worthineſs, which may conſiſt with the legal unworthineſs. Do in this caſe as the Levites of old, when they came to the Paſsover, they were aſhamed, and ſanctified themſelves, 2 Chron. 30. 15.(the more aſhamed, the better ſanctified; and the more ſanctified, the more aſhamed ever) and came with this Prayer, The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to ſeek the Lord, though he be not prepared according to the purification of the Sanctuary. And there never was a more ſolemn and happy Paſsover kept for many Ages, it is ſaid. Remember thou worthleſs Sinner, Chriſt was wont to eat and drink with Publicans and Sinners; Humility is the beſt part of the Wedding Garment: Thou couldſt not be at all worthy, if thou thoughteſt thy ſelf ſo. Our beſt dreſs in ſelf-preparation and ſelf-worthineſs, Zach. 3. 1.would be like Joſhua's Robes, filthy Garments, and Satan might then be at thy right hand. Thy beſt worthineſs is ſelf-unworthineſs and ſelf-abhorrence, no welcomer Gueſt to Chriſt, then a weeping and mourning Mary Magdalene, ſuch ſhall ſup with Chriſt, and he with them; And he will ſay to ſuch, as to her, Go in peace, thy Sins are forgiven thee.