Divine Cordials, Sermons · Sermon 7
Sermon VII.
EZRA 10.2.
Then Shecaniah the ſonne of Jehiel, one of the ſons of Elam anſwered and ſaid unto Ezra, Wee have treſpaſſed againſt our God, &c.
BEfore we fall upon this verſe, wee have a few things more to handle out of the laſt words of the firſt verſe; the words are theſe, [for the people wept very ſore:] that the multitude ſhould come together, which was the firſt fruite of Ezra his humiliation, it was no great matter, for the common rout be apt to aſſemble on the leaſt occaſion; ſaith our Saviour, ſpeaking to the people concerning Iohn Baptiſt, Matth. 11.7.Matth. 11.7. What went yee out into the wilderneſſe to ſee? a reed ſhaken with the winde? as if the ſhaking of a feather, would bring the multitude together:Acts 19.29.32. and in Acts 19.29.32. wee finde that the whole city was full of confuſion, and ruſhed into the theatre with one accord: and yet the text ſaith, The more part knew not wherefore they were come together: but now for the other effect [that they wept, ſore] there was comfort for Ezra: That which I gather from hence is this:
What comfort it pleaſeth God to give his Miniſters here, in that happy fruit of peoples humiliation. So great is the comfort of this kinde, that there cannot be a greater. I doe not thinke, but at this very time, the tears ſtood in Ezra his eyes, yet when he ſaw teares diſtill from the peoples eies, it made him glad at the heart: doe you not think it was a great comfort to Nathan, to ſee David ſo penitent, when hee came from God, to detect and reprove him for his adultery & murder? Marke what the Baptiſt ſaith,Joh 3.29. John 3.29. the friend of the Bridegroome which ſtandeth and heareth him, rejoyceth greatly, becauſe of the Bride groomes voice: the meaning whereof is this, That it is the joy of Gods Miniſters, when the voice of Chriſt our Bridegroome is accepted: See this in Paul, how great was his joy for the good ſucceſſe of his Miniſtery?Rom. 1.8. in Rom. 1 8. there he ſaith, I thanke my God through Jeſus Chriſt for you all, that your faith is ſpoken of throughout the whole world: his joy was, that he had taken paines among the Romanes, to good purpoſe: ſo in the 2 Cor. 2.2.2 Cor. 2.2. If I make you ſorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the ſame which is made ſorry by mee? he knew that by that meanes the old leaven was purged out of them, which muſt needs make him rejoyce:2 Cor. 2.14. and in the 14. Verſe of the ſame Chapter, he ſaith, Thanks be unto God, which alwayes cauſeth us to triumph in Chriſt, and maketh manifeſt the favour of his knowledge by us in every place: Hee thought it worthy Thankeſgiving, that he had not laboured in vaine: the like wee ſee 2 Theſſ. 2.19.2 Theſſ 2.19. What is our Hope, or Ioy, or Crown of Rejoycing? Are not even yee in the preſence of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, at his camming? Yes, you are our glory and joy: and in the 13. Verſe,Verſ. 13. he ſaith, for this cauſe alſo thanke we God without ceaſing, becauſe when ye received the Word of God, which ye heard of us, yee received it not as the word of men, but (as it is the truth) the Word of God, which effectually worketh alſo in you that beleeve: ſo in 2 Cor. 3.7. Wee were comforted over you brethren, 2 Cor 3.7, 9.in all our affliction and diſtreſſe, by your faith: and in the nineth Verſe, hee ſaith, What thanks can wee render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your ſakes before our God? In that good St. Paul ſaw the ſucceſſe of his labours, it gave him infinite ſatisfaction: Nay, he regarded not his ſhackles, ſo long as they neglected not the grace offered them by his Miniſtery: and to Philemon, hee teſtifies his exceeding joy for the converſion of Oneſimus: this was the comfort of that good Biſhop of Neoceſarea, of whom mention is made in the Eccleſiaſticall ſtory, when hee was to dye he comforted himſelf with this, that whereas there were not ſeventeen believers in that City when he came thither, at the time of his death he knew not of ſeventeen unbeleevers in that place; ſuch a bleſſing had God given to his indeavours. And for the further proofe of this poynt, the truth of it will beſt appeare by the contrary, to wit, the great ſorrow which is cauſed to the Miniſters of God, when they ſee no fruits of their labours: what a griefe was it to Iſaiah; that he had laboured in vaine, and ſpent his ſtrength for nothing, Iſa. Iſa. 49.449.4. and Jeremiah was ſo grieved that his labours were ineffectuall, that he reſolves to ſpeak no more in the Name of the Lord, Jerem. 20.9. Ezek. 2.3.Jer. 20.9. In the 2. Ezek. 3. God ſaith to that Prophet, Son of man, I ſend thee to a rebellious nation, and thou ſhalt ſay to them, thus ſaith the Lord, but ſurely they will not heare thee: what a cooling card was this for the Prophet?Ezek. 3.14. and in the Ezek. 3.14. he ſaith, I went in the bitterneſſe of my Spirit, but the hand of the Lord was ſtrong upon mee: as if hee had ſaid, had I not been ſwayed by a Divine power, I had not gone▪ this, as it is thought, was the cauſe that Jonah waved his Commiſſion of going to Nineveh: hee found that hee had been unſucceſſefull among his own people, and therefore deſpaired of doing good among the Ninevites: and to ſpeak the trueth, although I know our reward ſhall be as great as theirs who have wonne many ſoules, if wee be faithfull in the diſcharge of our duty; yet when the Miniſter ſhall pipe, and the people will not dance, when he ſhall ſowe the Rocks, and plough the ſands, and with Peter, ſhall fiſh all night, and catch nothing, it cannot but be a great corroſive to his ſoul, and a vexation to his Spirit: every man deſires to ſee that thrive, which is committed to his charge: the Father joyes to ſee his Children proſper and doe well, ſo doth the Maſter, to ſee his ſervant thrive, the nurſe her Childe, the Shepherd his flock, and the Miniſter is a man as well as the reſt, therefore hee deſires that the people committed to his charge, ſhould thrive and proſper in grace and goodneſſe: Reaſon 1 and there is great reaſon for it; firſt, becauſe when men grow in grace, under a mans Miniſtery, it makes much for the glory of God, which every Miniſter is to preferre before the ſalvation of his owne ſoul, as we ſee in the examples of Moſes and Paul. Reaſon 2 Secondly, when he ſees this, hee hath an aſſurance of his calling, then hee may ſay as Paul, 1 Cor. 9.2.1 Cor. 9.2. Yee are the ſeale of mine Apoſtleſhip in the Lord. Reaſon 3 Thirdly, hee that converts men, wins ſouls to God, and ſaves them from deſtruction, and that is more then to win a World, for one ſoul is worth more then the Univerſe. Reaſon 4 Laſtly, ſuch a man knowes, that hereby he fits himſelf for a Crown, as in Dan. 12.3.Dan. 12.3. They that turne many to righteouſneſſe, ſhall ſhine as the Starres for ever and ever.
Ʋſe 1 I ſhall ever deſire it for my ſelfe, and all thoſe which be called to the Altar, that God would ever keepe it in the purpoſe of our hearts, not ſo much to look after the fatneſſe and fleece of our flocks, as after their proficiency in goodneſſe, and this muſt be laboured after by preaching ſoundly and faithfully: and this is done when he indeavours to bring teares from their eyes, rather than to pleaſe their eares: it muſt alſo be laboured after by living a godly life and converſation; for this is the next way for a Miniſter to have his flock proſper.
Ʋſe 2 In the ſecond place, let it be a uſe to people, Is it ſuch a comfort to the Miniſter to ſee his people profit by his preaching? then in the name of God afford your Miniſters this conſolation; for I will he bold to tell you, it is not your common courteſie, nor your kind entertainment, neither your liberallity to us, which pleaſeth us halfe ſo well, as to finde the ſeale of our Miniſtry upon you, in your godly walking: I therefore ſay unto you as St. Paul to the Philipians; fulfill yee our joy, by obeying the truth which we deliver: yee cannot more honour us than in this, and this will make way for your eternall ſalvation. A ſecond thing I note is this; as God gave Ezra a great deale of comfort, ſo he addes to his comfort in this, that by his humiliation he wrought not onelyonly on the baſer ſort of people, but on great perſons, ſuch as were eminent among the Jewes: which being ſo (as app…ares in Shecaniah and others) it affords this obſervation.
Above all comforts this is the greateſt,Doctor. When God ſo bleſſeth the labours of his Miniſters, that they win great perſons to God, when they convert thoſe who be as Saul higher by the head than their brethren. I remember what the Lord ſaith to Iſaiah, Iſa. 49.7.Iſa. 49.7. To him that is deſpiſed in ſoule, Kings ſhall ſee and ariſe. As if God ſhould have ſaid, I will ſo bleſſe thy labours, that thou ſhalt convert Kings unto me; and this was no ſmall comfort to the Prophet. And if Jonah had beene well adviſed, he would have been glad at the heart that his Meſſage had wrought ſo effectually on the King and Nobles of Nineveh. How did St. Paul rejoyce in Sergius Paulus the Governour, whom he converted to the faith?… … 12. Acts 13.12. His joy for his converſion, made him ſo bitter againſt Flymaes the Sorcerer, who withſtood him, and ſought to turne away the Deputy from the faith.Acts 18.8. And in Acts 18.8. it was no ſmall comfort to the ſame Apoſtle, that he had caught Criſpus the chief Ruler of the Synagogue in the net of the Goſpel. And there is great reaſon why the Miniſter ſhould be comforted when he wins great men: Reaſon 1 firſt, becauſe when ſuch are converted, it removes a ſcandall and imputation from Religion; for it is the common ſaying of wicked men, that none but a company of poore perſons look after Religion: Marke what the Phariſees ſaid (when their Officers, ſent to apprehend our Saviour, came without him) Doe any of the Ruers believe in him? but this people which know not the Law are curſed. Joh. 7.48.49. But yet they ſpake untrue in that;John 7.48, 49. John 12.42. for Joh. 12. 42. Even among the chiefe Rulers many believed in him, but becauſe of the Phariſees they did not confeſſe him, leſt they ſhould be caſt out of the Synagogue. Reaſon 2 Secondly, it muſt needs be a great comfort to a Miniſter, becauſe the evill that is in great perſons, is hardly conjured out of them, for great men have great Biaſſes, and think they may ſinne by authority; it is hard to catch them: therefore when they be caught out of Satans ſnare, they that were the inſtruments have matter of great rejoycing. Reaſon 3 Laſtly, Miniſters know that if great perſons be won to God, they will win others by their example. ſo powerfull is the example of great ones to inferiours.
It ſhould teach the Miniſters of the word, like Ezra, to labour the converſion of great and eminent perſons, and to doe what they can to bring them to ſorrow for their ſins; and I ſhall deſire thoſe who be called to ſpeak to thoſe that be high, to rowſe them up by ſharp reproofes, that they may be drawne out of the ſnare of the Devill, and be ſaved: for whilſt Miniſters ſhall dawb with untempered Morter, and ſowe pillowes under their elbows, by ſinging placentia, pleaſing things unto them, who deſerve to be reproved; they are ſo farre from working on them to converſion, that they more and more harden them in their ſinnes.
Vſe 2 Secondly, I would deſire thoſe that be great, ſo far to gratifie their Miniſters as to be converted by them; and if it ſhall pleaſe God to convert them, (be they who they will) let them know that by countenancing the truth, they credit not the truth, but the truth credits them. Theodoſius that good Emperour thanked God more, quòd Chriſtianus crat, that he was a Chriſtian, quam caput imperii; than for being an Emperour: and though St. Paul could have boaſted of many externall priviledges, yet he accounts it his chiefeſt honour, to ſtile himſelfe ſervus Jeſu Chriſti, the ſervant of Jeſus Chriſt: and Jude that ſtood in a neare relation to our bleſſed Lord, puts this firſt in his Epiſtle, Jude a ſervant of Jeſus Chriſt. And to ſay the truth, ſuch as theſe be Excelſi, theſe, and theſe onelyonly be the ſtately ones. And you who are the people, I would have you rejoyce at the converſion of great men, and to pray to God dayly that ſuch may be converted, who may advantage the truth of Chriſt. A third thing which I note out of the laſt clauſe of the firſt verſe, is this, the ſucceſſe which God gave to Ezra, was ſo much the more, becauſe he dealt roundly with the people; for the Prayer hee made was very tart and invective againſt them, it touched them to the quick, by diſcovering their groſſe ſinnes: ſome hot ſpirits, if they had been preſent, would have replyed, and ſaid as Korah and his Confederates, All the Lords people are holy; but here is none of this, but they are humble, and ſorry, and weep very ſore; which affords us this obſervation: A penitent, good, and honeſt heart, is ſo farre from hating him that reproves him, that hee is ſorry for that, for which he is reproved, Prov. 9.8.Solomon Saith, Prov. 9.8. Rebuke a wiſe man, and hee will love thee: And it is thought, that David loved Nathan better after he had reproved him, then he did before: In Iohn 4. it is apparent,John 4. that after our Saviour had toucht the woman of Samaria home, ſhee became very full of reſpect towards him, whereas before, ſhe had anſwered him ſawcily; and in Acts 2.37.Acts 2.37. thoſe men that ſaid the Apoſtles were full of new Wine, as ſoone as their hearts were pricked, they gave much reſpect unto them, ſaying, Men and brethren, what ſhall we doe? ſo in the 1 Cor. 14.24.25. ſaith the Apoſtle there,1 Cor. 14.24.25 If all propheſie, and there come in one that beleeveth not, or unlearned, hee is rebuked of all men, and is judged of all men; and ſo are the ſecrets of his heart made manifeſt, and ſo he will fall downe on his face, and worſhip God, and ſay plainly, That God is in you indeed. Now the ground of it is this; Firſt, the Reaſon 1 good ſoul thinkes,when hee is reproved by the Miniſter, that he comes not in his own name, nor upon his own, but Gods errand; and therefore he takes the reproof well: Reaſon 2 Secondly, he knowes that God loves him,becauſe hee reproves him, Revel. 3.19. and yet it is an evidence of Gods hatred ſometimes, when hee will not have men reproved and puniſhed,Hoſ…a 4.14. Hoſea 4.14. God ſaith there, I will not puniſh your Daughters when they commit Whoredome, nor your Spouſes, when they commit adultery. Reaſon 3 Thirdly, the Lord ſmites the penitent ſoule with ſuch a ſenſe of his owne unworthineſſe,that he will endure any thing that is ſpoken againſt him. Ʋſe 1 Among many ſignes of a good heart, this is one, to indure a quick and reproving Miniſtery: I feare there bee but few of this gracious diſpoſition now adaies, for the moſt of men cannot brook a tart Miniſter, nay, they riſe againſt ſuch, as the Sodomites did againſt Lot, ſaying, Hee came to ſojourne with us, and ſhall hee rule over us? They ſay, as the Hebrew to Moſes, Who made thee a Ruler and a Judge? and with Ahab, they call ſuch Miniſters the Troublers of Iſrael. And the Conſcience of ſuch a one tells him, That though he ſeeme to love ſuch a Miniſter, yet in his heart hee hates him; Herodias hates John at the heart, becauſe he met with dilectum delictum, her darling ſinne. But let ſuch a one know, whoſoever hee or ſhee be, that there cannot be a more evident ſigne of a deſperate eſtate, then this; David had committed two great ſins, adultery, and murder, but becauſe hee took the reproof of Nathan well, (which appeared by his confeſſion & ſubmiſſion) he was preſently pardoned: but he that hates reproof, goes up into the chair of the Scorner, which is the next degree to hell.
Ʋſe 2 Secondly,let us all labour for a meek ſpirit, then which nothing pleaſeth God better; let us be as the good corn, which when it is fanned, falls at the feet of him that fannes it; and let us pray to God for ſuch a Miniſter, as may tell us home of our ſinnes; and let us thanke God for ſuch a one, when we have him: what would we give for a Chirurgion, who would not onelyonly skin, but heale our wound? And when the Miniſter ſhall be plaineſt with thee, and touch thee moſt to the quick, finde nor fault with him, but with thy ſelf: Not hee that ſoothes men up in their ſins, but hee that pricks them to the heart, is the onelyonly ſpirituall Phyſician to be valued. Wee proceed now to the ſecond verſe, which hath two parts, Firſt, the perſon ſpeaking, [Shecaniah:] Secondly, his ſpeech, [wee have ſinned againſt our God, &c.] I begin with the party ſpeaking, which is Shecaniah; Ezra had done his part; and loe here is a man ſets to his hand, and ſeconds him: from whence I note this brief concluſion.
How comfortable it is in good Actions, to have an Aſsiſtant. When Moſes is praying in the mount, and Joſhua fighting in the valley, Iſrael is like to prevaile againſt Amalek: and when Deborah and Barak joyne together▪ they ſoon conquer the Midianites. Daniel, having undertaken a great buſineſſe, hee comes to his three Aſſociates, deſiring them to joyne with him in Prayer to God, and it pleaſed God to heare their Petition, and to reveale the Kings dreame unto him: Thus Nicodemus and Joſeph joyne together for the Interment of our Saviour; and Paul and Barnabas gave each other the right hand of fellowſhip, and Saint Paul calls Aquila and Priſcilla, his helpers in Chriſt Jeſus,Rom. 16.3. Rom. 16.3.
Is it not lamentable, that men ſhould ſet good buſineſſes on foot, and have none to joyne with them? On the contrary, if an ill buſineſſe be but in agitation, there be enough, and too many that will give their helping hand, though it but to the upholding of a rotten Ale-houſe; a man that goes about to doe good, may complaine as David, that he is as a Pelican in the Deſart, it ſhall be long enough ere any come to aſſiſt him: well it ſhould be otherwiſe; let us therefore, as we tender Gods honour, joyne together in promoting goodneſſe; Pilate and Herod, though they were enemies to each other, yet they can agree to perſecute the Lord of life: and though the Jeſuites, and the ſecular Prieſts, be at daggers drawing amongſt themſelves, yet they can agree together to ſet Kingdomes in a combuſtion: and why ſhould wee be backward, nay, why ſhould we not be forward, to helpe forward good Actions? Further, it may be obſerved, that this Shecaniah was a great man; ſurely, hee was no leſſe then a Magiſtrate, & if ſo, it yeelds us this obſervation.
It is a happy thing, when the. Prieſt and Magiſtrate, the word and the ſword, goe hand in hand together: when Moſes and Aaron kiſſe each other, when David the King, and Abiathar the Prieſt, when Joaſh the King, and Jehoiada the Prieſt, agree in the ſame thing, then it is a ſigne that ſin & Satan will fall like lightning from heaven.
It is to be lamented that theſe two goe not together: wee Miniſters can goe no further than the ſword of the Word gives us leave; but if when we have ſtarted the prey, the Magiſtrate will not purſue it, judge whoſe fault it is if ſinne abounds: we the Miniſters of God complaine of blaſphemers, of uncleane perſons, and places where they haunt: we complaine of unlawfull gaming, and recreations; if the Magiſtrate followed this by his ſword, it could not be that men ſhould bee ſo wicked as they are. (Beloved) if we ſhould be called to our reckoning preſently, we can ſay with a ſafe conſcience, that we have faithfully diſcharged our duty, and done what we could to the beating downe of ſin: but there will be no reformation till the word of Ezra, and the ſword of Shecaniah goe together. But now what is it which Shecaniah ſaith? (which is the ſecond thing in the verſe) he ſpeaketh that in a few words, which Ezra had delivered more largely; hee confeſſes that he and the people had treſpaſſed againſt God: He blaunches not their ſinne, but ſaith, [We have treſpaſſed againſt our God:] teaching us thus much for our inſtruction: That the penitent ſoule is more-ſevere againſt it ſelfe, than the moſt ſlanderous tongue in the world. There be three things in which a good Chriſtian can never ſatisfie himſelfe enough: the firſt is inſufficient ſorrow for his ſinnes: the ſecond is in the aſſurance of Gods love in pardoning them: the third is in his obedience to Gods Commandements: but it is quite otherwiſe with the wicked in all theſe; for firſt: he thinks he hath ſorrowed enough, if hee have ſhed a few teares for his ſinnes: ſecondly, for the remiſſion of his ſinnes, and the aſſurance of Gods favour, if you will take his owne word for it, no man is ſurer of that than himſelfe; and for a godly life, he is farre enough from that, for he is afraid of being too holy. But I paſſe by that, and fall upon another obſervation, which naturally ſprings from Shecaniah's words, and it is this.
Above all other griefes, Doctr.this to a good ſoule is the chiefeſt, that he hath offended God. See it in David, Pſal. 51 4.in Pſalme 51.4. Againſt thee, thee only have I ſinned. All the world knew that he had wronged Uriah and Bathſheba, and doubtleſſe he was much troubled at it; but in the day of his humiliation, he pitcheth on this eſpecially, that he had offended God.1 Sam. 2.25. Eli ſaith to his ſons, 1 Sam. 2.25. If one man ſinne againſt another, the Judge ſhall judge him; but if a man ſin againſt the Lord, who ſhall intreat for him? Intimating to us, that no offence done againſt man ſhould grieve us ſo much, as that we have grieved God. The like we ſee in the Prodigall, he ſaith, Father, I have ſinned againſt heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to bee called thy ſonne. It was not his penury and miſery (which now lay heavy upon him) that grieved him ſo much, as the ſinne againſt his Father; and therefore he goes over it again, ſaying, Father I have ſinned againſt heaven, and in thy ſight, Luke 15.18.21. St. Paul ſpeaking of true Repentance,Luk. 15.18.21. which ever hath ſorrow for its companion, 2 Cor. 7.9. in the tenth verſe hee comes to ſpeak of worldly ſorrow: and it is poſſible for a Cain, 2 Cor. 7.9, 10.an Eſau, a Saul to be ſorry after a worldly manner, which kind of ſorrow is poenitentia poenitenda, a repentance to be repented of: but there is a godly ſorrow, never to be ſorrowed for. I deny not but ſhame and feare may make way for this, as the needle makes way for the thread; but yet at laſt Gods child comes to this, that he grieves above all for that he hath grieved God: and if there were no hell, he would not willingly ſin againſt God any more: his heart-breaking is that he hath ſo much abuſed his bounty, who hath been his beſt friend.
Let us above all things labour to mourn for ſinning againſt God; no doubt an unſound heart may ſorrow for ſin, thus did Judas; I am perſwaded, he was ſo ſorry that he had betrayed his Mr. that if he had had all the world, he would have given it to undoe what he had done: and ſo I may ſorrow for my ſins; but yet if I finde in my ſelfe ſuch a diſpoſition to the ſame ſins, (that if occaſion were offered, and men ſaw me not, and that I were ſure to eſcape Gods judgements) then I would commit them againe, this is the Spirit of bondage, and not the Spirit of adoption: but on the contrary, if I finde that I grieve above all things for offending God, this is not ſo much a feare to burne with the devill, as to diſpleaſe my God, and this is a true filiall feare. But I tender weak conſciences, and therefore I will endeavour to give them ſatisfaction.Objection. O ſay they, we feare to ſin, but it is for feare of ſhame and hell: to whom I anſwer,Solution. this is not to be diſliked altogether, for when I am prone to ſin, I wiſh that the conſideration of hell may deter me from ſinning: and to ſuch a ſoule I ſay, God may work in it a hatred to ſin, when as he diſcovers it not. Secondly, ſuch a ſoule muſt labour to grieve and abſtaine from, and for ſin, becauſe it diſpleaſeth God. But ſaith the poore ſoule, how ſhall I attain to this? Firſt, by earneſt and conſtant prayer to God. Secondly, by conſidering the nature of ſin, which is a filthy thing, and very diſpleaſing to God; a childe that loves his Father, will forbeare to doe what may diſpleaſe him; and I make no doubt but God will ſo work in his children, that they ſhall abſtaine from ſin, and weep for it; not onelyonly for feare of hell, but becauſe thereby his holy Majeſty is diſhonoured. Thirdly, I would have ſuch to conſider the mercies of God, which he hath beſtowed upon themſelves and this land, which if they doe, they will grieve and be ſevere againſt themſelves, for neglecting ſo great expreſſions of bounty: ſuch a one wil ſay, What? hath God made me? hath he redeemed me? hath he ſpared me hitherto? and ſhall I diſpleaſe him? I could not ſubſiſt one hour without him; therefore let me mourn and grieve for offending ſo good a God, and ſo gracious a Father.