Englands Unthankfulness Striving with Gods Goodness, Division 2 · Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX.
1. §. ANd so much for Explication, and Confirmation: Now a word or two of Application, (…eserting the principall untill ther conc…usion) for it remaines, that e…ch formal Hypocrite, and civill Iusticiary, lookes himselfe in this Glas…, or tryes himselfe by this Touch-stone. As no Glass can more lively represent your faces, then this Booke does your …... Nor did the Prophet deale more plainly with Hazael, (in shewing him that wickednesse to be in him, which he could not see, nor believe to be in himselfe) then I have dealt with you. So that you can no longer be deceived, except you desire to deceive your selves. You cannot possible after all this, thinke your selves to be Christians, or religious in the least: however you have formerly sancied, or flattered your selves For consider I beseech you, that there are but two sorts of men in the World; Beleevers, or Unbeleevers; regenerate, or unregenerate▪ … of God, or childre… of the Devill; the seed of the Woman, or the seed of the Serpent; there is no meane betwixt them: every soule saith Chyrs…stome, is either the Spouse of Ch…ist; or …e Adul…resse of the Devil. He is either a branch … from Adams stock▪ hi… drawes sap from that cursed root of death; or else he is transplanted into the Vine Christ, and drawes his Sap from him.
2. §. Nor is it hard to know, whether we are the children of God; or the children of the Devill; since there are more differences between them; then there are betweene Men and Beasts: and the rule which the Apostle hath given, Rom. 6. 16. is both plaine and easie: which makes him say, Know yee not? that to whom ye yield your selves as servants to obey; his servants ye are, to whom yee obey; whether of sinne unto death, or of obedience unto righteousnesse. It is likewise St. Peters infallible doctrine, 2 Pet. 2. Of whom a man is overcome, unto him he is in bondage, vers. 19 And St. Ioh …, 1 Ioh. 3. In this are the children of God knowne, and the children of the Devill: whosoever doth not righ…eousnesse, is not of God; but of the Devill, ver. 8. 10. And after this manner, does our Saviour reason with the Iewes, Ioh. 8. Yee are of your Father the Devill, and the lusts of your Father yee will …e. If yee were Abrahams,, if yee were Gods children: yee would doe the works of Abraham, the will of God, vers. 33. to 48. See then whose Commandments, ye doe, Gods or Satans. If Satans, (as I have sufficiently showne, and plentifully proved) then saith St. Iohn, Let no man deceive you through vaine words; for he onelyonly that doth righteousnesse is righteous; and he that doth unrighteousnesse, is of the Devill, 1 Joh. 3. 7, 8.
3. §. Now I have showne you in more then a hundreth particulars, how barren, and unfruitfull you are in the workes of righteousnesse; and how active, and instrumentall you are to serve Satan. And there is scarce one of those signes but might serve as a sufficient evidence, that you are not as yet become the childe of God by regeneration: that the image of God, by faith in Christ; is not yet repaired in you. But to repeat and apply each of them particularly, as it would be endlesse, so it were also needlesse. …ee the Holy Ghost hath given us one signe, that never failes: That is by our L…ve, or hatred …o the Brethren, 1 Ioh. 4. Love is of God, and every one that loves, is horn of God, vers. …. Yea, not onelyonly our selves may know by it, 1 Ioh. 3. We know saith St Iohn, that we are translated from death to life; because we love the the brethren, ver, 14. But others may likewise know. Ioh. 13. By this shall all men know, that ye are my Disciples; saith our Saviour, if ye love one another, ver. 35. that is, if ye love the Godly, because they are godly, even for Christs sake; and because they are like Christ in holinesse: But so doe not you, for you will hate a man meerely for his being holy, as I have proved by many instances, and your owne consciences know: for you could love such a preciseans person wel enough; if he were not conscionable. Yea, thou bearest no good affection to the Ministry, that are the Embassadors of Christ; but hast a spleen against one for being so, especially if he be a godly Minister, much more if he be thine owne Minister, and speakes home to thy conscience, as Michaia dealt by Ahab, and Iohn Baptist with Herod. Or in case he will not admit thee to the Lords Table without tryall, or examination: thou wilt ever after be his enemy, impeach his credit, and de…aine from him his dues, which is enough to prove thee a wicked man. For as when Homer had spent many lines in dispraising the body of Ther…ies; he briefly described his soule thus; That he was an enemy to Ulisses: So we need say no more of a bad man, then he is an enemy to his Pastor, if a godly and conscientious one; that is enough to brand him: and the like …ouching private Christians: for the very first part of conversion, is to love …hem that love God, 1 John 3. 10. as in reason, if the image of God by faith, were repaired in thee: thou couldest not but be delighted with those that …e like thy selfe.
4. § But this is a small matter with thee, for thou art a traytor to God, and …st up Armes against all that worship him in spirit, and in tru…h. Nor dost th… onelyonly serve Satan, but he worketh his pleasure in thee, Ephe. 2. 2. 3. He selleth thy heart, Joh. 13, 2. stretcheth forth thine hands, Revel. 2. 10. and …pens thy m…uth, Mat. 16. 23. for he speakes in, and by thee, as he did by the Serpen…, Gen. …. 1. 4. and it is but his mind, in thy mouth, his heart, in thy lips: when thou scoffest, or scornest any of Christs little ones, Mat. 16. 23 Joh. 8. 34. 44. and 12. 31. and 14. 30. 2 Cor. 4. 4. 2 Tim. 2 26. Ephe. 2. 2. 3. Nor can the Devill, put you upon any worke, or service like this: For herchy, viz. in making Religion contemptible: you detain many, from entring into a religious course: stagger many, who have made some progresse in the way: keep many, from doing the good which they would; or appearing the same which they are: beat many off from their profession: harden many, and make them resolve against goodnesse: intentionally slay many, with death eternall: and so advance his Kingdome exceedingly, and as much as in you lyes, both block up the way to Heaven; … open a flood-gate to all manner of prophanesse.
5. §. I grant that you know it not … as those four hundred of Ahabs Prophets, in whom this ev…ll spirit spake; did not know that Satan spake by them 1 King. 22. 22 Neither did Iudas know, when he eat the sop, that Satan …nt ed…o him, and put it in…o his heart to b…tray Christ, Ioh. 13. 2. Neither do Magistrates (when they cast the servan…s of God into prison) once imagine, that the Devill makes them his Iaylors: but he doth so; whence that phrase of the Holy Ghost; The Devill shall cast some of you into prison, Revel. 2. 10. They are his instruments, but he is the principall Au…r. Neither did Aranias, and Saphira once thinke that Satan had filled their hearts, or put that lie into their mouthes; which they were strucken dead for, Act, 5. Yet the Holy Ghost tells us plainly, that he did so, vers. 3. Nor our Grand mother Eve in Paradise, had not the least suspition, that it was Satan which spake to her by the Serpent. Nor Adam, that it was the Devils min…e in her mouth, his heart in her lips, when tempted to eat the forbidden fruit. Nor did Dav…d once dreame, that it was Satan which moved him to number the people, 1 Chron. 21. 1. Much lesse did Peter, who so dearly loved Christ imagine, that he was set on by Satan, to temp… his owne Lord and Master with those affectionate words; Master pitty… thy selfe: For if Christ had pittied himselfe▪ Peter and all the … … perished. Yet he was so, which occasioned Christ to answer him; Get thee▪ behind me Sata…, Mat. 16. 22. 23. Yea, poore ignorant …, you are so far from knowing it, or being acquainted with Satans …iles, Ephe. 6. 1…. … though you fight under Satans Banner, against Go…s people, ye… y… … your selves to be (no… Sata…s, but) Gods servants. Ye…, you think… you do…. God good service in it as the Holy Ghost … Iob. 16. 2. Gal 1. 13. 14. Phil. 3. 6.
6 §. Yea, worse then that: you shall never know it, but goe on i… thinking your selves … … goo… …; w…ile you are indeed very A…ists, and Devils. You …, and persecu…e the conscion…ble; an… … the… …o the death, eve… for the grac…s of Gods spirit which shines in them; and yet cou… your selves Relig…ous: untill you he…rken more to wh… Go… speakes in his W…d, … to the …ter. Untill you are led by a be…er guide; … cust…, or example, or carnall reason, or good inuentions, or the dictates of your deceitfull heares. For all these will deceive you, untill you have th… …, a… grace to apply to your selves, what is delivered unto you out of the word: For till then, as a Childe when he beholds his owne face …n a Glass; he think… he sees another Chil… face, and not his owne: so will it fa…e with you, touching what I have hitherto said. Yea, the whole B…ble, all the Sermons you here, the check… of your ow…e consciences, and the m…ions of God spirit, will be altogether ineffectuall; as you know they have proved hitherto, which is the reason that you trust your selfe so m…h, an… know your selfe so little.