PErlegi has Conciones viri insigniter docti, operarii 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 josiae Shute, aevi sui Chrysostomi; quas impressione dignissimas censeo.  
JA. CRANFORD.   

DIVINE CORDIALS: DELIVERED IN Ten Sermons, UPON Part of the ninth and tenth Chapters of Ezra, in a time of Visitation.  
BY That godly and faithful Preacher of God's Word, JOSIAH SHUTE, B. D. and late Rector of Mary Woolnoths in  London.  
Published by Authority.  HABAKKUK 3.17, 18. 
Although the figtree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the Vine, the labour of the Olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat, the flock shall be cut off from the Fold, and there shall be no Herd in the Stalls: yet will I rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.  
London, Printed for ROBERT BOSTOCK, dwelling in Paul's Churchyard, at the Sign of the King's head, 1644.   

TO THE READER.  
I Have presumed to present to public view, a scantling of those pious and numerous Sermons, preached by that worthy Minister of God and bright Star of our Church while he lived, Mr josiah Shute. I confess ingenuously, they lose much of their native lustre and beauty, by coming under an unskilful Pen; but sure I am, you have their marrow and substance, how defective soever in Quotations and circumstance. I know my attempt will be censured by the Learned, for bringing him abroad in so homely a dress, who was the chrysostom of his time: But I chose rather to be censured by them, then to engross a treasure to myself, which by the blessing of God may enrich many: The benefit I reaped by him, the honour I own unto his memory, and the importunity of friends, are a sufficient Apology for my rash adventure. That which I have brought to light, is but the work of five days; To what a vast volume would it rise, if the elaborate Sermons which he preached for above thirty years together, should come to see the Sun? I am bold to speak it, because I have hundreds to bear me witness; he was as faithful and constant a Labourer in God's Vineyard as any the Kingdom had. What remains then, but our diligence to be bettered by his holy Doctrine and godly Example, considering the end of his conversation? My prayer to the most High is, that this Reverend Author may prove a Bonaerges, a Son of thunder, to rouse and awaken the secure sinner, but a Barnabas, a Son of consolation, to the Mourners in Zion: And if this taste of his Ministry shall produce these good effects in any, I not only have my desire, but if God so please, (not being prevented by others) I shall hereafter assay to give you a deeper draught of his Religious Labours. Thus wishing thee as much comfort in perusing them, as I had in hearing and transcribing them, I leave thee and them to the blessing of God, and bid thee farewell.  
William Reynold's.   

DIVINE CORDIALS,  

Sermon I.  EZRA 9 13, 14, 15. 
And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this; should we again break thy Commandments? etc.  
OUr Text is part of the prayer and confession of Ezra, the occasion whereof was this; That holy man being returned from Babylon to jerusalem, with men, money, and great encouragement, he is welcomed by a sad message from the principal in Israel; they complain, that the people of Israel, the Priests and the Levites, had not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations: the hearing of this caused much sorrow in good Ezra, that he should come so fare, and find Paganism in judea; therefore like a distracted man, he rends his , tears the hair off this head and beard, and sits down astonished: all which is but a fair preface to the prayer he makes; wherein, as if his heart were poured out in devotion, he professeth that he is ashamed to lift up his face to God, and confesseth the iniquities of the people, acknowledging that God had been just in punishing them; And now, O our God, saith he, what shall we say after this? thou hast worthily plagued us, for we have forsaken thy Commandments. These three verses are a part of his prayer, the substance whereof is an argument which he makes for God against themselves, and it stands thus; Those whom thou hast delivered out of servitude and bondage, if they shall again provoke thee by their rebellions, they deserve to be consumed; but this is the state of Israel, thou O Lord hast delivered Israel out of captivity and thraldom, and yet they have rebelled against thee; therefore they deserve to have no more favour shown them, but to be destroyed and utterly consumed. Our course in opening these verses shall be this: In them I propound two things to your consideration; first an Indictment preferred by Ezra against Israel: secondly, his pleading it for God against themselves. In the first he remembers God's mercy, and their rebellion: God's mercy is laid down in the thirteenth verse, and that three ways: first he shows that they were not punished without cause: secondly, that God punished them less than they deserved: thirdly, that he had totally delivered them. Their rebellion is comprised in the fourteenth verse, in which there are two parts; first the sin, secondly the punishment: the sin is laid down, first generally, should we again break thy Commandments? secondly particularly, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? Then follows the punishment; first, God will be angry: secondly there is the degree of his anger, he will not leave consuming till all be destroyed. This is the carriage of the three verses; in the opening of which, we shall see that they suit us in this Land as well as any people under heaven: for considering that God did lately scourge us by the pestilence, and of his mere mercy removed it totally from us; seeing we have revived our sins, and renewed our provocations against his majesty, if he begin again to renew his plagues, and scourge us till he have consumed us, we must justify him in his proceed, who is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. Before we handle the particulars as we laid them down, there be two things in general which offer themselves to be discussed: the first is out of the party, which was Ezra; the second is out of the course he takes, and that is humbling himself in God's presence. First for the party, it is Ezra; ye shall read in this book that he was a man that set his heart to seek the Lord, neither did he this only himself, but sought by all possible means to incite others to follow his godly example. Had all Israel been such as he, they needed not to have feared judgements coming upon them; but they were not, therefore seeing the sins of the Land, he could not forbear, but breaks forth into lamentation and mourning; which affords us this point of Doctrine.  
Doctrine 1 Good men, though they be at peace with God, find cause of sorrow for other men's sins: ye shall see this proved in the Scripture: the Spirit of God calls Lot a righteous man, yet this righteous man's soul was vexed from day to day with the unclean conversation of the Sodomites, 2 Pet. 2.8. The like we see in Moses that good man; 
2 Pet. 2.8.  do ye not think that he was strangely moved at the sin of the people, when he let fall and broke in pieces the two Tables of Stone, in which God had written the Decalogue with his own sacred finger? 
Exod. 32.19.  Exod. 32.19. It was so with the Prophet Samuel, he mourned for the disobedience of Saul, for which God rejected him from reigning over Israel, 
1 Sam. 15.35.  1 Sam. 15.35. the like we see in David, mine eyes, saith he, gush out rivers of tears, because men keep not thy Law, 
Psal. 119.136.  Psal. 119.136. may some man say, what were the sins of the world to David? it is true, they were none of his, yet he thinks himself bound to grieve for them, because he knew they were displeasing to his maker. We see the same in good jeremiah, he wishes his head were waters, and his eyes a fountain of tears, that he might weep day and night for the iniquities of his people, who were all adulterers, and an assembly of treacherous men, 
jer. 9.1.2. jer. 13.17.  jer. 9.1.2. and in jer. 13.17. He professes, that his soul shall weep in secret for their pride: and was it not so with thee O blessed Saviour, thou didst mourn for the hardness of men's hearts, 
Mark. 3.5.  Mark. 3.5. and when thou camest to Jerusalem, thou weptst over it, saying, if thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong to thy peace; but now they are hid from thine eyes, Luk. 19.41, 42. and the same spirit was in S. Paul, 
Luk. 19.41.42. Philip. 3.18.  Philip. 3.18. he tells them, he had told them often, and now speaks it weeping, that there be those among them, who are enemies to the cross of Christ: thus ye see the point sufficiently proved.  
Use 1 It shall be to let us see the stupidity and senselessness of the sons of Belial; though they have most cause to weep and mourn, yet they live in jollity and merriment, and are mere strangers to all sadness: Some of these stick not to say, What hath any man to do to weep for their sins? and that by their impieties, they trouble none but their own souls; But I tell thee O wretch, thou troublest not only thine own house and soul, but thou troublest all Israel, thou givest the Saints of God occasion to be pensive for that which makes thee jocant and glad: and happy is it for thee, that there be such as Noah, Lot, Samuel, and David to mourn for thee; for were it not that some did mourn for thy profaneness, thou shouldst not live again to commit it; did not some bewail thy drunkenness, thou shouldst be taken away with the pot at thy mouth; did not some godly people grieve for thy filthy lust, thou shouldst with Zimri and Cosbi be smitten dead, flagrante crimine, in the very act of uncleanness: but the servants of God pray and mourn, fast and weep, and all to avert judgements from thee, who deservest little at their hands.  
Use 2 In the second place, This may Answer a common Objection which is put to the Saints, because they be sad and dumpish: I would have you know, that it is not holiness which makes them sad, but the profaneness of the world is that for which they are so much dejected: What need the child of God be sad, who is in the love and favour of God? thou that complainest against him for his sadness, know, that therefore he grieves with holy David, because he is constrained to sojourn in Mesech, 
Psal. 120.5.  and to dwell in the Tents of Kedar, Psal. 120.5.  
Use 3 Lastly, according to the practice of Ezra, though we have made our peace with God, let us mourn for the wickedness of others: every one knows what cause there is for this, iniquity having overspread this Land of ours, from Dan to Beersheba, from one corner of it to another: and were these impieties modest, it were not so much, but they be impudent and have a Brazen front, Religion is out of fashion, and none are so esteemed as fashion-mongers, they be your only men now in credit: The case thus standing, there is no way to prevent judgements which be imminent, but by mourning and fasting: Now that ye may be persuaded to practise these so seasonable and necessary duties, remember but these things; First, it is piety to mourn for the sins of others; shall we hear and see God to be dishonoured, and not grieve for it? piety cannot lodge in that breast where such an ill spirit inhabits: a man will and aught to grieve when his friend is wronged; Christ calls us his friends, joh. 15.15. and he is our best friend, 
john 15.15.  therefore we have abundant cause to mourn for the sins of wicked men, whereby he is much dishonoured and the Holy Spirit grieved. Secondly, pity requires this duty at our hands: I read of Marcellus the Roman, that entering a City which he had gained by composition after a long siege, he burst forth into tears; one that stood by him demanded why he wept, saith he, I cannot choose but weep to see so many thousand led into captivity. Shall a Heathen weep for the captivity of men's bodies? and shall not Christians mourn for their sins which are enough to enthrall souls and bodies in Hell for evermore? it should be the grief of our souls, to see thousands and ten thousands that will be damned. Thirdly, if we do not mourn for other men's sins, we make them our own: that of the Father is most true, peccatum quod non displicet, tuum est, that sin is thine, with which thou art not displeased: and that ye may see, I go not without book in this, look that place in 1 Cor. 5.6. there was one in the Church of Corinth that had committed that foul sin of incest, 
1 Cor. 5.6.  and the Corinthians were so fare from grieving for it as they ought to have done, that they gloried in it; S. Paul corrects them for it, telling them that thereby they were become a sour lump. Lastly, we should be moved to this duty, by the blessing which attends it, what saith our blessed Saviour, 
Matth. 5.4  Matth. 5.4? Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted: And in Ezek. 9.4. the Lord gives command to spare them in Jerusalem, 
Ezek. 9.4.  that did sigh and cry for the abominations done in the midst thereof: The next way to escape judgement, is to mourn for the sins of the Nation, and though we should be taken away in a general visitation (as none be exempted) yet that shall be to us, as the fiery Chariot was to Eliah, it shall put us into the possession of Heaven, where all tears shall be wiped away from our eyes.  
The second general is, the course which Ezra takes, and that is humbling himself by confession, weeping and supplication, to let us know thus much.  
Doct. 2 The main receipt in time of affliction, is humiliation: a probatum est, of this will appear in God's people: if a judgement have been threatened or coming, they have humbled themselves before God; 
2 Chro. 20.3.  in the 2 of Chro. 20.3. when that great Army of Ammonites and Moabites came against jehoshaphat, it is said, jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all judah: So when that fatal Decree of Haman was procured, for extirpation of the jews, and a day destinate for their destruction, Hesther commands the jews 10 fast three days, and saith she, I also and my Maidens will fast likewise, Esth. 4.16. and we doubt not, 
Esther 4. ●6.  but they afflicted their souls as well as their bodies: 
jonah. 3.5.  And in jonah 3.5. when the Prophet denounced destruction to Nineveh, saying, yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown; what follows? the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a Fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them: This is in judgements imminent and to come; ye shall see that this also hath been their course, when a judgement hath been inflicted in a time of drought, 
jer. 14.20.  jer. 14.20. We acknowledge O Lord our wickedness, and the iniquity of our fathers, for we have sinned against thee: in a time of dearth and famine, joel 2.12. the prescription is, Turn to the Lord with all your heart, with fasting, 
joel 2.12.  weeping and mourning: The people of God have done the same when the sword hath been amongst them; this we find in Iosh. 7.6. when Israel was discomfited by the men of Ai, joshua rend his , 
Iosh. 7.6.  and fell to the earth upon his face before the Ark of the Lord until eventide, he and the Elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads: So in the judgement of mortality, when David saw that seventy thousand of his subjects were slain by the pestilence for his sin, he betakes himself to God in a humble manner, saying, Lo, I have sinned and done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house, 2 Sam. 24.17. We see it also in David's particular case, 
2 Sam. 24.17. Psal. 30.7.8.  Psal. 30.7.8. Thou O Lord didst hid thy face, and I was troubled: then I cried to thee O Lord, and unto the Lord I made my supplication: So likewise in the case of the whole Church, Hosea 6.1. Come and let us return unto the Lord, for he hath torn, and he will heal us: 
Hosea 6.1.  he bathe smitten, and he will bind us up: The grounds they went upon were these two:  
Reason 1 First, 
Zeph. 2.1.2.  they knew it was God's Commandment; that place in Zeph. 2.1, 2. is notable to this purpose: where the Lord saith, Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O Nation not desired; before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, before the day of the Lords anger come upon you: As when Absolom could not speak with joah by fair means, he knew that if once his corn were on fire he would quickly come unto him; So when the Lord inflicts judgements on his people, it is to humble them in his presence: 
Isa. 22.12.  So in Isa. 22.12. In that day (to wit in the day of their affliction,) did the Lord God of Hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, to baldness and to girding with sackcloth.  
Reason 2 Secondly, the Saints were sure that sin was the cause of all their miseries; that being the Achan which troubled the whole Host, and the jonah endangering the whole Ship; therefore, to look to have the judgement removed, without humiliation and repentance, were to no purpose: who looks to have a wound cured, as long as the weapon that made it sticks in it? and it is in vain to expect the removal of a judgement, till men be humbled and purged: but take away the cause and the effect will cease.  
Use 1 What shall we think of a number of desperate wretches in the world, who when they should be humbled under God's afflicting hand, sin more and more, and more against him? this was the sin of Abaz, for which the Spirit of God stigmatises him to all posterity, in the 2 Chro. 28.22. saying, 
2 Chro. 28.22.  and in the time of this distress (that is when the Philistimes had invaded his Land) did he trespass yet more against the Lord; this is that King Ahaz: This also we find charged on Israel, 
Isa. 57.17.  Isa. 57.17. For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wrath and smote him, saith the Lord: I hide me and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart; They ' were so fare from being better, that they were the worse for Gods afflicting them: and are they better, that when the plague of God is gone out against a place (as at this time it is against this City) yet can swear, lie, cheat, and be drunk? they know not, but that the destroying Angel may smite them next, and yet they dare provoke God by these and many other sins: woe is me, that people should be thus unprepared for death; will nothing teach these but bare feeling? will they take no warning till God touch them and set the bloody cross upon their bodies? let these know, that although God spare them a while, he will not spare them for ever, and to be sure, he will put all into the last draught, which shall be as bitter as gall or wormwood.  
Use 2 In the second place, seeing the Lords wrath is at this present gone out against us for our iniquities; let us all I beseech you with Ezra, address ourselves to God by Prayer and fasting: what is it for us to fast in private, though Authority have not commanded it? when it is done by the command of the Magistrate, we seem to fast of necessity; but when we take it up voluntarily, it argues ingenuity, nay there cannot be a more pregnant sign of sincerity: Is it such a matter to forbear one meal in a week? Well, however we think of this duty, if it be performed as it ought, (with supplication and humiliation) there is no such way to prevent or remove a judgement: I hope there is none so wicked amongst us, but will confess that we have great cause to humble ourselves before God, for who can be ignorant but that we ourselves are the cause of the plague which is now among us? it is true, sometimes it increases, at other times it decreases, so that it keeps at no stay; but if we shall therefore neglect to humble our souls and bodies in the presence of God, we shall so incense him, as to increase this plague among us without measure; but if we shall turn to him that smites us, by unfeigned repentance and amendment of life; he will not only take this grievous sickness from us, but he will leave a blessing behind him. So much for the two generals: We now descend to the particulars, as they were laid down: We begin with the indictment preferred by Ezra against Israel, in which is remembered God's mercy, and their rebellion: God's mercy is laid down in the thirteenth verse, and that three ways: First, he shows that they were not punished without cause: Secondly, that God punished them less than they deserved: Thirdly, that he had totally delivered them.  
First, for the first particular in the gradation of God's mercy, (thou our God hast punished us,) that is, thou hast punished us deservedly: Tyrants will and do punish men without cause, nay, they desire to pick holes in men's coats that they may punish them; but the Judge of all the world never proceeds to punish, but when he is provoked. In that Ezra saith (seeing that thou our God hast punished us) take notice in the first place of this observation.  
Doct. 3 Whatsoever is the instrument, 
Isa. 45.7.  God is the Author of the punishment. This is proved in Isa. 45.7. where the Lord saith, I make peace and create evil: I the Lord do all these things: so in Amos 3.6. Shall there be evil in a City, 
Amos 3.6.  and the Lord hath not done it? ye must understand these places, not of the evil of sin, but of punishment; for, Deus non author, sed ultor peccati, God is not the author, but revenger of sin: it was he that opened the bottles of heaven, and sent the deluge on the earths it was he that reigned that igneum imbrem, shower of fire and brimstone from heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah; it was he that shut up the wombs in Abimeleches house, and that plagued Egypt with those successions of plagues: the Magicians could not, or would not see, digitum Dei, the finger of God in them; but had they not been blind, they might have seen ambas manus, his ten fingers, in those ten judgements which he inflicted on them: It was he that offered David his choice of three plagues, and upon his choice sent the pestilence; and in 1 Cor. 11.32. S. Paul there labours to persuade the Corinthians, 
1 Cor. ●●. ●●.  that God chastened them; 
Psal. ●9. 9.  and David saith, Psal. 39.9. I was dumb, and opened not my mouth, because thou didst it: mistake me not, I know that sometimes God makes use of instruments for the execution of his wrath: he made use of the earth, to swallow up Corah, Dathan, and Abiram; he made use of the water, to drown Pharaoh and his Host; he made use of the fire to slay the Captains, and their fifties which came to apprehend Eliah; he made use of a Lion, to kill the disobedient Prophet; and of Bears to destroy two and forty children, that called Elisha baldpate; and he used Serpents, to sting to death the rebellious Israelites: but the primus motor, the chief efficient is God, who is the Lord of Hosts, and hath all creatures at his beck. joseph was not ignorant, that his brethren had a hand in selling of him into Egypt, yet he tells them that God had sent him thither: and job knew well enough that the Sabeans and Chaldeans had taken away his goods, yet he saith, The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away, and blessed be the name of the Lord: though men were the instruments, yet he knew God to be Author of what he suffered.  
Use 1 This may inform us, what is the ground of all the impatience in the world; there be a number which repine and murmur when God's hand is upon them; what is the reason? they stick in the second causes, and look so much on the lower links of the chain, that they forget him that hath the top of it in his hand; one complains of his brother, another of the air he lives in, a third of the meat he eats, and hence it is that they repine: whereas if a man looked up to God in what he suffers, he would say as Eli, It is the Lord let him do what he will, and with job, The Lord gives and takes, and blessed be his Name: Nay, if a man would do this, it would not only make him patiented, but to profit by his affliction; for no man sees himself so clearly and truly as in the glass of adversity; every affliction that God lays upon us seems to say as Ehud to Eglon, I have a message to thee from God, which if a man would consider, it would make his affliction a Bethesda, to cure him of his spiritual infirmities, and by so doing, he would come out of that furnace, clear gold, purged from the dross of his corruptions.  
Use 2 Secondly, here is a Use of admonition; ever look up to God in all thy afflictions: look to him in thy Fever, in thy Ague, in the Plague; I know there may be an infected air, there may be ill humours in the body which may help forward infection, I know also that a man may be infected by being conversant with infected persons; these be second causes, but God is the chief and principal. The Heathens call the plague, a judgement sent from God, and surely there is something more divine in it then in other punishments, and a man may say of those that die of the Pestilence, as Moses said of the death of Korah and his Complices, they die not the common death of men: for as there is something in this disease for the Physician to look on, so something for the Divine.  
Use 3 Lastly, when the Lords hand is upon us, and that we would have it removed, the nearest way we can take, is to have recourse to God by prayer: for as our Saviour told Pilate that he had no power but what was given him from above, so afflictions could not seize upon us, without Gods giving them a commission; a man may spend all that he hath to be cured of his disease, as did the woman in the Gospel that had the bloody issue, and yet unless God please, all shall do him no good; Saul may go to the Witch of Endor for help, and Amaziah to the god of Ekron to be healed, but except the God of heaven work the cure, it shall never be effected: let us therefore in all our afflictions seek to God and to him alone, for he that is the inflicter must be the restorer. I now proceed to the point which even now I named, Ezra saith, (God punished them not without cause,) which guides me to this Observation.  
Doct. 4 God doth never punish any without desert. 
Gen. 18.25.  Saith Abraham, Gen. 18.25. Shall not the judge of all the world do right? Nay, let me tell you, it is not trivial, but gross sins, which cause God to punish men: mark it in his dealing with the old world, did he take advantage at every petty impiety? No, but he stayed till all flesh had corrupted their ways, and then, and not till then brought he the deluge, 
Gen. 6.12.  Gen. 6.12. so before ever he punished Sodom and Gomorrah, their sins were exceeding grievous, 
Gen. 18.20. Psal. 78. ●8.  Gen. 18.20. It is said in Psal. 78.38. he being merciful, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not, but ofttimes called back his anger, and did not stir up all his wrath. Another pregnant place to prove this, 
2 Chro. 36 16.  is 2 Chro. 36.16. where the Spirit of God saith, They mocked the Messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused the Prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, and till there was no remedy: Mark, he must of necessity punish them, unless he would have his justice, truth and providence trodden under foot: and when he saith, he is pressed under men as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves, 
Amos 2.13.  Amos 2.13. it shows evidently, that God doth not punish for every small sin; he is propense to mercy, but loath to punish: hence it is that he calls opus judicii, the work of judgement, opus alienum, a strange work, Isa. 28.21. 
Isa. 28.21.  and when he must needs punish his people, he saith he will shave them with a Razor that is hired, 
Isa. 7.20.  Isa. 7.20. as if he had none of his own, but was feign to borrow; so prone is God to mercy, that he would ever think thoughts of peace towards us, but we will not suffer him.  
Use 1 We should ever justify God, in all the judgements he brings upon us: the Saints of God have done this in all times; thus did David, 
Psal. 119.75.  Psa. 119.75. I know O Lord that thy judgements are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me: it was so also with Nehemiah, 
Nehem. 9.33.  Chap. 9.33. Thou O Lord art just in all that is brought upon us, for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly: the like we see in Daniel, 
Dan. 9.7.  Chap. 9.7. O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but to us confusion of faces, as at this day; and the poor Thief on the cross tells his fellow when be reviled our blessed Saviour, Luk. 23.41. We indeed suffer justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds, but this man hath done nothing amiss: in Matth. 16.27. when our blessed Lord called the woman of Canaan, 
Matth 15.26.27  dog, she digests it, saying, Truth Lord, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their Master's Table: and let wicked men dispute and plead as long as they are able, it shall never be found, but that God punishes deservedly. But if it shall come into the minds of any to say as those in jerem. 16.10. Wherefore hath the Lord pronounced all this great evil against us? 
jerem. 16.10.  or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we have committed against the Lord our God? I tell these as the Prophet told them, you are plagued for your swearing, lying, Sabbath-breaking, hypocrisy, drunkenness, lusting, oppression: these and other sins be the procreant causes of all plagues, these be the traitors which open the gates to all judgements.  
Use 2 In the second place, seeing God punishes none without cause, let it teach us patience under his afflicting hand. And the truth is, why should men be impatient under the cross, when as he punishes not till he be provoked? neither is it every patience which will serve the turn; there is asinina patientia, an ass' patience, when a man is not sensible, though never so much load be laid upon him: Secondly, there is canina patientia, a doggish patience, when like a snarling dog tied up in a chain, we endure what is inflicted upon us, against our will: Neither of these will stand us in stead, but Christianlike with all submission, we must take thankfully the hand of God upon us, saying with holy Bernard, Lord, that which thou layest upon us, is durum pro viribus, hard to be born, in regard of our poor strength, sed dignum pro meritis, but just in regard of our iniquities: Let us be as the good corn, which when it is winnowed falls at the winnowers feet, not like the chaff which flies in his face; and let us say with David, 2 Sam. 15.26. Behold here I am, 
2 Sam. 15.26.  let him do unto me, as seemeth good unto him. Further, we may observe, that Ezra speaks not only of sin in general, but of (a great trespass;) what was it? it was the people's mingling themselves with the Heathen, which was a foul transgression: the Doctrine arising from hence is thus much.  
Doct. 5 When God arises to judgement, he ever sets himself against the foul sins of men. Will some man say, which be the foul sins for which God is so much offended? They be these, The first, is pride; what was it that put on David to number his people, but the pride of his heart? for which you know he smarted shrewdly, 2 Sam. 24. A second, 
2 Sam. 24.  is Idolatry; this is a grievous sin, and for this God is exceeding angry wherever it is practised or countenanced, Exod. 20.5. A third, is lust, 
Exod. 20.5.  especially when it grows impudent, as was that of Zimri and Cosbi. A fourth, is blasphemy; wherefore was Senacharib that proud monster and a hundred fourscore and five thousand of his Army slain, but for blaspheming the God of Israel? Isa. 37. A fifth, is murder; this is that sin for which God hath a quarrel with a Land, 
Hosea 4 2.  Hosea 4.2. The sixth, is oppression, the Lord is very wroth where this is committed, therefore we find him saying, Psal. 12.5. For the oppression of the poor, 
Psal. 1●. 5.  and the sighing of the needy, I will arise and set him in safety, from him that puffeth at him: And elsewhere he threatens to make his arrows drunk in the blood of oppressors. The last sin (that I will name) causing God to rise to judgement, is the profanation of his Ordinances: Moses knew this, which made him request Pharaoh to let them go three day's journey into the Desert, and sacrifice to the Lord their God, lest he fall upon them with the Pestilence or sword, 
Exod. 5.3. 1 Cor. 11.33.  a Exod. 5.3. and S. Paul saith in 1 Cor. 11.30. for this cause (to wit, for profaning God's Ordinance) many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.  
Use 1 It shall be a use of examination to us, to search whether or no these sins be among us; which if we do as we ought, we will soon conclude that God plague's us for these very sins. First, for Idolatry, is not that among us? and though Dagon have been thrown down, yet is he not set up again? So for uncleanness, is it not to be found (shall I say in the skirts?) nay, in the more noble parts of the City? and I wish it were a slander to say there were professed brothel houses both without and within the walls of London: and for pride, if ever it rid in triumph in any generation, than now it is; how near doth the toe of the Citizen come to the heel of the Gentleman? This smoke contains not itself in palaces, but gets into mean habitations: the back and the belly, two daughters of the horseleech, cry, Give, give, and the men of the times are so indulgent to them, that they will deny them nothing, insomuch that by this means many brave Estates are brought to nothing. Fourthly, for blasphemy, who can with patience pass along and hear the volleys of oaths which are sent out against heaven daily? nay, so common is this sin, that children can no sooner speak, but they can swear and blaspheme: And for murder, you have scarce a bill comes out, but some or other are slain; nay, sometimes blood toucheth blood: and for oppression, what complaining is there in our Streets, against such as grind the face of the poor? and for profanation of God's ordinances, I grieve to declare how frequent this is: men are grown so profane, that they will excommunicate themselves from the Congregation, and save the Minister a labour: and for those that do come hither, the greatest number of them stand but for cyphers, for, dum corpus in choro, animus in foro, while their bodies be in the Church, their minds are in the Marketplace. Now seeing these sins are found among us, may not the Lord say justly of us as he said of the Jews, 
jerem 5.29.  jerem. 5.29. Shall I not visit for these things? shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this? he may say, I will no longer suffer their iniquity to outbrave me, but I will up and make them smoke, I will root them from under heaven, as I did the Inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah. Lastly, in Ezra his practice we may see a true form of confession, he confesses their (great trespass:) teaching us thereby, that as we must confess all sin in gross, so especially, our main and master sin; that Saul which is higher by the head, than the rest of his brethren: we want not examples of this in Scripture, David confesses his murder, Paul his persecution, and Daniel confesses the great sin of his people: A great many confess their sins, but they do it as Nabuchadnezzar told his dream, he tells his wisemen that he had a dream, but never tells them what it was: So these men say they are sinners, but they will not confess their gross transgressions. Wilt thou deal otherwise with God Almighty then with thy Physician? when he comes to thee in thy sickness, thou wilt conceal nothing from him, but tell him how it is with thee in every particular: and yet when thou comest to confess thy sins to thy God, thou concealest those capital sins which have most offended him. Well, let my counsel be acceptable to thee, get thee up to the beam of thine own conscience, and judge thyself: and in judging thyself, do not think it enough to censure thyself for thy lesser sins, but especialiy judge thyself for thy great offences, if thou do not, God will judge thee; mince not then thy sins by labouring to extenuate them, but confess them ingenuously, for the more severe thou art against thyself, the more merciful shalt thou find God unto thee.   

Sermon II.  EZRA 9 the latter part of Verse 13. 
Seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this.  
We come now to the second amplification of God's mercy, Ezra had said that God had dealt mercifully with them, how proves he the mercy of God? he proves it thus, because that when he punished them, it was less than they deserved, (thou our God hast punished us, less than our iniquities deserve:) Here is one word joined with punishing, which I would have you take notice of, he saith [thou our God hast punished us:] Herein he is a pattern to us, when at any time we come to confess our sins before God: [Our God] intimates a strong relation and affection; certainly when he saith thus, be knew there was hope of Gods being reconciled to them again, giving us thereby to understand what is required of men in the confession of sin; a man must not only as David, water his couch with his tears, 
Psal. 6.6. Matth. 26.75.  Psal. 6.6. nor with Peter, go out and weep bitterly, Matth. 26.75. nor with the woman which was a sinner in the City, wash Christ's feet with our tears, 
Luke 7.38.  Luk. 7.38. nor secondly, must he only with a great deal of self shame confess his sin, as did Ezra in this chapter, and the poor Publican, Luk. 18.13. Thirdly, nor must he only confess his sins with anger, 
Luke 18.13. joh 42.6. Hosea 14.8.  as did joh 42. chapter, 6. v. and Ephraim in Hosea 14 8. But lastly, he must confess them with faith and confidence; that is, so to aggravate his sins before God, as not to let go his hold in God: We see the Church taking this course in Hosea 6.1. Come, 
Hosea 6.1.  let us return unto the Lord, for he hath torn, and he will heal us: he hath smitten, and he will bind us up: Mark, they had a confidence in God's mercy, though they knew their sins were foul and criminal: So Daniel confesseth and aggravateth the sins of the people, yet he lets not go his hold, but saith, To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him, 
Dan. 9.9.  Dan. 9.9. The like we see in the Prodigal, he had gone into a fare Country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living: afterwards being pinched with want and coming to himself, he saith, I will arise and go to my Father, and say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy Son, 
Luk. 15.13.17.18.  Luk. 15.13.17.18. Though he knew he had grievously offended God, yet he will make use of that name [Father] and not let go the staff of his confidence: and to say the truth, God doth make known to us in his word, that he is our Father, intimating thereby the duration of his affection: a husband may cease to be a husband by reason of a lewd wife which is divorced from him; and a master may cease to be a master, for want of a servant; but a father can never cease to be a father, though his child be never so wicked and contumacious, because he is full of bowels and compassion: Therefore when a man comes to confess his sins before God, he must not confess them with assurance to die, as Achan did, but he must confess them with hope to obtain mercy and pardon: and if ye look into sacred Writ, you shall find that when God's children have come to confess their sins, they have still done it with hope of forgiveness; therefore sometimes they urge him by his Covenant, Nehem. 9.32. sometimes for his mercy sake, 
Nehem. 9.32. Psal 6.4. Psal. 25.11.  Psal. 6.4. and sometimes for his name sake, Psal. 25.11. as if they had said, O Lord, we know we for our sins deserve not to be heard, yet Lord find matter in thyself of being merciful unto us, and for thy goodness sake reject us not, the depths of whose misery call for the depths of thy mercy.  
Let the consideration of this, 
Use.  teach us to take out this needful lesson: some there be that confess their sins, but it is with despair, thus did Cain and judas; and of Francis Spira we read, that being near unto death, he could not be persuaded of God's mercies, but died despairing: But for ourselves, let us confess our sins with hope that God will pardon us, and with the servants of Benhadad let us address ourselves to him, and say, we have heard that thou who art the King of Israel, art a merciful King; let us never despair, but still come in hope of mercy, though we know that God hath just cause to damn us, because the sharp grapes of our sins have soured his countenance with indignation: Let us not for all that cast away the staff of our confidence, but look up to heaven and say with job, Though thou killest me, yet will I trust in thee. [thou our God hast punished us.] Doth he call him their God, and yet doth he punish them? he seems to impropriate God unto them, and yet he saith, he punished them: by the conjunction of these together, I lay down this as a firm conclusion.  
God may love, and yet punish. I will make it plain unto you; sometimes God punishes unwillingly, Lam. 3.33. He doth not punish willingly, 
Lamen 3.33.  nor grieve the children of men: And when he is forced to punish, 
Isa. 1.24.  it is with Ah and alas: Isa. 1.24. Secondly, it appears thus, because he desires to be stopped in his way of punishing; ye see on what fair terms he would have been taken off from punishing Sodom and Gomorrah; if there had been but ten righteous persons in those Cities, he would have spared them for ten sake, Gen. 18.32. nay, 
Gen. 18.32. Ezek. 22.30.  in Ezek. 22.30. the Lord saith, if he could but have found one man to stand in the gap before him for the land, he would not destroy it: and in jerem. 5.1. he saith, 
jerem. 5.1.  Run to and fro thorough the streets of jerusalem, and see now and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgement, or that seeketh the truth, and I will pardon it: God would have been glad if one could have been found, to avert his indignation: Nay, when he finds no such intercessors, than he tells men beforehand what he will do, that by their repentance they may keep him out of the way of his justice, 
Amos 4.12.  Amos 4.12. Therefore thus will I do unto thee O Israel: and because I will do thus unto thee, prepare to meet thy God O Israel: it is the saying of Seneca, and it is a true one, a man that professeth hatred to another, is thereby prevented of doing him the mischief he intended: Hence it was that Absolom forbore to speak either good or bad to his brother Ammon, for three years together, for fear he should suspect some mischief towards him: and when God tells men plainly beforehand what he will do unto them, it is a clear demonstration that be desires to be stopped in the way of his fury. Thirdly, this shows it, because that when his hand of punishment is upon them, it shall be removed if they repent: This we find often made good to Israel, on their performance of the condition; and it is a sign we have not repent under God's hand, if we have not found it true in our own experience. Lastly, it appears to be true by this, he punishes men because he loves them, this is plain, 
Prov. 3.12. Revel. 3.19.  Prov. 3.12. cited in Rev. 3.19. whom the Lord loveth he correcteth: He sees punishment as necessary for his children as meat, and when he lays it on, it shall not be so much penal as medicinal, therefore there must needs be love in it.  
Use 1 I desire from my soul that people would be persuaded of this; I confess it is durus sermo, a hard saying, and men will hardly be drawn to believe it, especially when the affliction is smart: How often did job think God his enemy, when his hand was heavy upon him? I knew it was in his paroxysm and hot blood, for in his cool blood he retracts whatsoever he had said before: the like we see in the Jews, because God did not presently settle them in the Land of Canaan, therefore they say, because the Lord hated us, he hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us, 
Deut. 1.27.  Deut. 1.27. And as a man is apt of himself to think so, so the World and the Devil are prone to suggest such thoughts unto him; the World saith, as Moses supposeth the Enemies of God would say, if he should destroy his people, 
Deut 9.28.  Deut. 9.28. the Lord lays this affliction upon thee because he hates thee: and the friends of job were conceitd that God punished him because he hated him; and his wife doubtless thought no other, therefore she bids him curse God and die. The Devil also is busy at this, when he seethe God's hand heavy upon a man, What, saith he? is this the God ye serve, that thus lays load upon you? assure yourselves, he would never punish you in this manner if he loved you, this is but a draught of that cup, the dregs whereof ye shall suck out in Hell: thus he lays an assault to our souls to hinder our eternal good, wronging God's mercy like a liar as he hath been from the beginning: Why should we think it strange, that God should love and punish? see it in joseph, the time was when he took his brethren to be spies and felons; all this while joseph offered violence to his own heart, cruciat & amat, he torments them and loves them, for when he handled them most roughly, he could not forbear but he must go out and weep: shall he do all this, and yet love his brethren? and may not God much more punish his children, and yet at the same time love them? So in David, all men knew that he loved his Absolom well, but yet when he turns Rebel, he must take up arms against him, yet at the same time he bids his men entreat the young man Absolom kindly: now can man punish, and yet love? and shall not God do the same, who is fuller of mercy, than the Sea is of water? all the mercy which is in all the men upon earth, is not as the drop of a bucket to that Ocean of mercy that is in the Almighty. Come to our own experience, thou art the Father of a child, and he offending thee, thou correctest him; shall a man say, thou hatest him because thou chastifest him? no wise man but will say thou lovest him, and therefore thou punishest him, that he may grow better again; thy child hath a disease growing upon him, which if it be not prevented in time, will be his death, and thou tendering his good, givest money to a Surgeon to cure him, though it be to his great pain; is it because thou hatest him? O no, it rather appears, that therefore thou lovest him, else thou wouldst not be at charge with him: So God finds cause to punish us for our sins; shall we dare to say, he doth it because he hates us? God forbidden. Saith Augustine, I know the Physician is irksome to a man in a frenzy, because he ties and binds him: doth he use him thus because he hates him? no, but desire to cure him, constrains him to take that violent course with him. Again, thou sometimes walkest into thy garden, and findest occasion to prune thy trees, is it because thou hatest them? no, but therefore thou dost it, to make them grow better: now if all this be true in thine own experience, why should not God love, and yet punish?  
Use 2 In the second place, it should teach every man to take heed of censuring any to he such as God hates, on whom God lays his afflicting hand: This was the humour of the Jews spoken of in Luk. 13.2.3.4.5. they thought those Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices; 
Luk. 13.2, 3, 4, 5  and those eighteen on whom the Tower in Silo fell, to be greater sinners than any in jerusalem: our blessed Lord corrects this, and tells them it was not so, but that except they repent, they should likewise perish: This was also the misprision of them of Melita, 
Acts 28.4.  Acts 28.4. When they saw a Viper come out of the fire and fasten on Paul's hand, they presently judge him to be a murderer. O take heed of this, for all these things fall out alike, both to good and bad, and in so doing a man may censure the generation of the righteous, 
Psal. 73.15.  Psal. 73.15. Nay, he may be guilty of censuring our Saviour jesus Christ, for he was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief, Isa. 53.3. yet at the same time he was the Son of his Father's love, 
Isa. 53.3.  one in whom he took an everlasting complacency: josephs' cup may be found in Benjamins' sack; and God's child may be punished, yet in his love and favour, for God may love and yet punish. [thou hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve:] The point is plain.  
Doct. 2 God doth not punish any of his so much as they deserve. In jerem. 10.24. the Prophet prays thus, 
jerem. 10.24.  O Lord correct me, but with judgement, not in thine anger; lest thou bring me to nothing: as if he had said, correct me moderately, and not according to my demerits; and ye shall find it to be Gods own promise in jerem. 30.11. I will not make a full end of thee, 
jerem. 30.11.  but will correct thee in measure: the same also is the confession of the Church, 
Psal. 103.10.  Psal. 103.10. He hath not dealt with us after our sins: nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. And Zophar jobs friend tells him, 
job 11.6.  job 11.6. that God exacted less of him then his iniquity deserved. It is a good observation that is made by some of the Learned, that as God still rewards, ultra merita, beyond men's deserts, so he ever punishes, citra, less than they deserve: that he is always beyond our merits in rewarding us, is evident in Luk. 17.10. where our Saviour saith, 
Luk. 17.10.  When ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants, we have done that which was our duty: but he is ever on this side in punishing us: See this in Gods dealing with Adam, what deserved he at God's hand but hell? yet be punished him only with temporal death. So, when Cain had committed that great sin against God, he might have sent him presently to his own place, but he spared him, and suffered him to live a long time on the earth, waiting for his repentance; and when the Israelites deserved to be destroyed, and that he was forced to punish them, yet he let not his whole displeasure rise against them, 
Psal. 78.38.  Psal. 78.38.  
Use 1 Is it so? let us then in all the judgements which God inflicts upon us, lay our hand upon our mouth, and conclude, that it is less than we deserve: Hast thou a disease upon thee? know that it is less than thou deservest, though it be sharp and irksome: O but will some say, my disease is so grievous, that I wish I were out of my life: what of that? he could yet lay more grievous upon thee, he might send terrors into thy soul if he would, which be, tempestates mentis, the tempests of the mind, and fare worse than any corporal disease; judge then if God do not punish thee less than thou deservest. O but saith another, when God sends a man to Hell, doth he punish him less than his desert? I answer, in regard of the extension of time, that which God inflicts on the damned in hell, is as much as they can deserve or he can inflict upon them, because it is for ever: but in regard of the intention of the punishment, they be not punished as they deserve, God could make the pains of those in everlasting chains much more intensive, but that all his ways are interveined with mercy: let us therefore be patiented in suffering what God lays upon us, knowing that whatsoever the punishment is, it is less then, and on this side our demerit.  
Use 2 Secondly, let us learn of our heavenly Father, to be merciful as he is merciful: he doth not deal with us after our deserts, why should we deal otherwise with our brother? you see Solomon spared Shimei his life, though for reviling his Father, he had deserved death; only he confined him to jerusalem, which when he violated, then and not before, he took away his life: The jews ever had a desire to be more holy than the Law of God required, therefore when the Lord had set and appointed when the Sabbath should begin and when it should end, they would begin it an hour before, and conclude it an hour after the time limited by God: So the Lord commanded them to have no familiarity with the Heathen, and they were so strict, that they would not so much as speak to one uncircumcised: So for the matter of punishment, which is to our purpose, God commanded them not to exceed forty stripes, therefore they would inflict but thirty and nine upon offenders: Thus S. Paul saith, 2 Cor. 11.24. Of the jews five times I received forty stripes save one: 
2 Cor. 11.24.  I do not applaud their superstition, in doing more than God commanded, but yet it argues mercifulness towards Delinquents: so when a man had deserved death, if the Lord had not expressed in his word, what death he should die, they would put him to that which was most esie: I wish that this practice of theirs rise not up in judgement against us Christians; how many be there among us, that for petty matters seek to crush and undo men? they are so fare from punishing men less than they deserve, that they inflict ten times more upon them than is meet: this is the fault of Masters and Mistresses, they will so beat their servants for trivials, that they be scarf their own men and women ever after: doth this argue bowels of mercy? or doth God deal so with your souls? remember the parable of the two servants, one whereof owed his master ten thousand talents, and because he had not to pay, his Lord commanded him, his wife and children, and all that he had to be sold, and payment to be made: the servant therefore fell down and worshipped him, saying, 
Luk. 1●.  Lord have patience with me and I will pay thee all: Then the Lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt: No sooner had his Lord forgiven him, but he goes out and found one of his fellow servants which ought him an hundred pence; and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest: and his fellow servant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all: and he would not, but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt: When his Lord heard of it, he calls him to account again, (for it seems he had forgiven him upon condition that he should forgive his brother) and saith unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: shouldst not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee? and his Lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him: Call this parable often to remembrance, and seeing God is so merciful to thee, deal not to extremity with others; let those that be superiors think of this, let them remember what they expect from God, and let them be merciful as he is merciful. Another Exposition of these words, [thou hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve,] is this, the words in the Original are, [thou hast held us from being beneath by our iniquities.] As if he had said, thou hast kept us from being pressed down to hell by our transgressions: in this phrase of speech, the Spirit of God intimates to us of what weight and load sin is: saith David, mine iniquities are as an heavy burden, they are too heavy for me, Psal. 38.4. and in Isa. 1.4. God calls Israel, a people laden with iniquity: 
Psal. 38.4. Isa. 1.4. Matth. 11.28. Heb. 21.1.  and our Saviour Christ calls to him all that are heavy laden, Matt. 11.28. and in Heb. 21.1. we are called upon to lay aside every weight: and our Saviour saith to his Disciples, in Luk. 21.34. Take heed to yourselves lest at any time your hearts be overcome or pressed down with surfeiting and drunkenness. 
Luk 21.34.  Now that sin is weighty and of a ponderous nature, appears thus. First, one sin presseth upon another, and they all press down to hell. Secondly, sin hinders us from doing whatsoever good is, it makes us dull and heavy in the performance of good actions: above all remember how heavy Christ our Redeemer found our sins: though he was but a sinner by imputation, yet he found the burden of our sins so weighty on his sacred shoulders, that they made him sweat drops of blood in a cold night; and to cry out on the Cross, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?  
Use 1 Doth sin press us down? then ye may see the folly and stupidity of people, that go on in sin, and never find it burdensome; but let me tell these, if ever God shall awake their drowsy conscience, they shall find that one jonah is too much for a whole Ship: the Devil is cunning, and to the end he may engage men in sin, he will not represent it to them in its own hue (which is most ugly,) but he shows it in a false glass, either of profit or pleasure; and hence it is that he ensnares so many souls: he tells them that sin is no burden, and that hell is not so hot as the Minister makes it to be; but herein he plays the liar, which hath been his trade from the beginning.  
Use 2 In the second place, let us find sin a burden; there is no better argument of grace then to be sensible of the weight of sin: and that man that doth not find it ponderous, happily he may complain of the stone in the kidney or the bladder, but he hath most cause to cry out of the stone in his heart; for were not his heart harder than the nether millstone, he would feel sin a burden too heavy for him to bear.  
Use 3 Thirdly, if God have freed us from this burden, let us take heed of being engaged in it again; for every sin is a weight, the least is enough to press us to hell, but many will press us down to the bottom of hell.  
Use 4 Fourthly, is sin a burden? let us then labour all we can to ease men of it, by giving them good and wholesome counsel; but the times be wretched, and it is a wonder the world stands so long; some laugh at the sins of men, others labour to engage them in sin, and take pleasure in loading them; there be too many that make men drink drunk, and provoke them to swear: these are desperate wretches, and most unchristianlike, for instead of keeping their brethren from, they put them on to sin.  
Use 5 Lastly, is sin such a burden? how are we bound to thee O blessed Saviour, for easing us of this pressure? of thy infinite and unspeakable love thou tookest to thee a load, which would have pressed us to the pit of hell; make us we beseech thee ever mindful of it and thankful for it: The last amplification of God's mercy is, that he had delivered them: [thou hast given us such a diliverance as this:] Will some man say, what deliverance was that? it was the delivering of Israel from the Babylonish captivity, which lasted seventy years, and was a very great deliverance; for in Babylon they hanged their harps on the willows, and sat down by the rivers, and wept when they remembered Zion, Psal. 137.1.2. therefore the Spirit of God sets a special character on this, terming it [such a deliverance as this:] 
Psal. 137 1.2.  the point is perspicuous.  
There be certain deliverances which God bestows on men, for which they are to be more thankful then for others. It is true, God is so great in the greatest, that he is not little in the least, yet some are greater than others; some of God's works are written in greater, some in smaller characters: it was not every deliverance that made Noah build an Altar to the Lord, but Gods sparing of him and his from perishing with the old world: it was not every deliverance which caused Hezekiah to pen a song, but it was Gods adding a lease of fifteen years to his life, when he thought himself past recovery: they were great deliverances that made the jews keep their Anniverssaries, as the Feast of the Passeover, of Tabernacles and of Trumpets. And when joshua commanded a man of every Tribe in Israel to take a stone out of the midst of jordan, it was in remembrance of a special mercy, that when their posterity should see that pile of stones, and ask them the meaning of them, than they should answer, that the waters of jordan were cut off and stood on heaps until they passed over on foot: and it was no small, but a grand deliverance which caused the jews to keep the days of Purim, it was for the reversing of the fatal decree Haman had got out against them: and when jehoshaphat and his people assembled themselves in the Valley of Berachah, it was to bless the Lord for a great Victory which he gave them over their great Adversaries, 
2 Chron. 20.26.  2 Chron. 20.26.  

Use.  Let me call upon you, to reflect inwards upon yourselves, and to say with Ezra, [God hath given us such a deliverance as this.] What a deliverance did God give unto us in this land at the entrance of Queen Elizabeth of ever blessed memory, who restored true Religion among us, and broke the heavy yoke of Antichrist from off our necks? what a deliverance was that which our God vouchsafed us in eighty eight, when he overthrew our enemies to their perpetual shame? their strength at that time was so great, that if God had not subdued them for us, we had never been able to make resistance: what a deliverance was that which God afforded to King and People in one thousand six hundred and five from that damnable and hideous Popish powder treason, which was hatched & forged in hell, and should have been executed à primogenitis Diaboli, by the first borne of Satan? what a deliverance was that which he gave us five years since from the raging Pestilence, when there died in one week five thousand two hundred and five? God was then pleased to cause it to cease on a sudden, till it came to a paucity, nay to a nullity. And to come to our own particulars, may not many of us say, that our next neighbours were visited, and we were preserved? may we not say that some in the same house, nay some that lay with us in the same bed, were smitten and died, and we escaped? see then how God hath magnified his mercy towards us, in giving us such a deliverance as this: O let us remember what the deliverance was, and what the blessing is, he snatched us as brands out of the fire; as therefore our sorrow was the greater then, so let our Songs be the more now: shall God's mercy be to us in a fire, and our thankfulness to him in a frost? God forbidden. As therefore at that time of need, his mercy was great towards us, so let it appear in our lives that we are sensible of his extraordinary favour, by living holily and righteously all the days of our life.   

Sermon III.  EZRA 9.14 for. 
Should we return to break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldst thou not be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant, nor escaping?  
IN this verse we may take knowledge how Ezra justifies God's severity, upon the precedency of man's sin; the verse divides itself into two parts: First, the sin; Secondly, the punishment. The sin is laid down: First, generally, shall we return to break thy Commandments? Secondly, particularly, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? Then follows the punishment; first, God will be angry; secondly, there is the degree of his anger, he will not leave consuming till all be destroyed. We begin with the sin in general, [Should we return to break thy Commandments?] in the Original it is, should we return again to commit iniquities? which intimates to us, that when God's hand was upon them, it wrought them to amendment: from whence I note thus much.  
That is sound repentance, when a man so sorrows for his sin, that he forsakes it. In the three special languages, the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, the words which signify repentance intimate as much: the Hebrew words are two, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the one signifies grieving, the other turning: the Greeks have likewise two words, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, one is an after grief when a thing is done, the other is an after wisdom to fly from it for time to come: the Latins also set it out by two words, the one is poenitentia, which is a grief for sin, the other is resipiscentia, which signifies a turning from that for which he sorrows: and the phrases in Scripture intimate as much, as in 2 Cor. 12.21. there the Apostle saith, 
2 Cor. 12.21.  I fear lest when I come again my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repent of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed. So in Rev. 9.21. they repent not of their murders, sorceries, fornication, 
Revel. 9.21.  nor of their thefts: That is, they neither sorrowed for, nor repent them of these horrible sins: It is the counsel of Saint Peter to Simon Magus, 
Acts 8.22.  Act. 8.22. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee: So in Heb. 6.1. the Apostle saith, 
Heb. 6.1.  Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith towards God: The former of these is to grieve for their ignorance, the other is to turn from it: and ye shall find the same in those places where repentance is described: as in 2 Chro. 7.14. If my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray, 
2 Chro. 7.14.  and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways: then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and heal their land. 
joel 2.12.  So in joel 2.12. Turn unto me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning; there is compunction of soul, and amendment of life: And saith Saint james, Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts ye double minded, 
james 4.8.  jam. 4.8.  
Use 1 This lets us see the vanity of those who say they have repent of, and yet have not turned from their evil ways: it may be while God's hand was on them they repent, and said they would forsake all sin, but no sooner is the rod off their backs, but they renew their unsanctified Olims, turning with the dog to the vomit, and with the sow that was washed, to wallow in the mire; what repentance do men call this, when as they have neither cleansed their hands, nor purged their hearts? darest thou say thou art cured of the lee prosie, when it appears white in thy forehead? I know thou darest not; and dare any be so impudent as to say they have repent of their sins, when as they daily renew them? this is so fare from deserving the name of true repentance, that it is, poenitentia poenitenda, repentance to be repent of.  
Use 2 Secondly, as we say, we repent of our sins, so let us turn from them; this was the savoury counsel of Daniel to Nabuchadnezzar, O King break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; it is possible for a man to turn from sin and yet be never the better, if he grieve not for it; and it is possible for a man to grieve for sin, and yet far enough from true repentance, if he turn not from it: if any of us should have a servant that grieved for his offence, promising no more to commit the like, and yet as soon as our back is turned should run into the same again, we would presently conclude that he did but dissemble: what then shall we think of ourselves when we say we disclaim sin, and yet our lives testify the quite contrary? let us in the fear of God sorrow for sin, and turn from it, else God shall be just in consuming us. [Should we return to break thy Commandments?] The manner of Ezra his speaking intimates to us, that it is possible for a man to be engaged in sin, when he hath had a taste of God's mercy; and if so, give me leave from hence to gather this Observation.  
After the receipt of great mercies, Gods children are apt to be engaged in great sins: See it made good in some instances; was there ever a greater deliverance bestowed on any then that which the Lord afforded Noah, when he out-rid that storm of the Deluge in the Ark, when all the World besides him and his were drowned? It is true, for the present, he was so affected with it that he built an Altar to the Lord, and offered burnt offerings on it; but soon after he forgot this great favour, and was over-taken with intemperance: could there be a greater deliverance than Lots? he was snatched by the Angel out of Sodom as a brand out of the fire, and in his flight God gave him his hearts desire, and that was to escape to Zoar, yet after his going to live in the Mountains, he made the Mountain where he lived a Sodom, for there he committed incest with his two daughters: the like we see in wicked Pharaoh, he is very passionate with Moses and Aaron to have the judgements of God removed, and when he hath his desire, he is so fare from being better, that he is worse than he was before; just like Iron, which is soft as long as it is in the fire, but being cool, returns to its former hardness: he got strength by his fall. So in the children of Israel, what a deliverance did God vouchsafe them when he freed them from Egyptian bondage? while their necks were under the yoke of that oppressor, they were in as great distress as ever people were; well, it pleased God to ease them of that servitude, and to give them a miraculous passage thorough the red Sea; would any man have thought that ever they would have forgotten this transcendent blessing, yet with in a few weeks, Moses being but gone up to the Mount to receive the Law of God for them, they make a golden Calf and worship it: how soon was this forgotten? So in the book of judges, we find the same people often guilty of the same fault: they provoke God, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies, sometimes for eight years, sometimes for eighteen, sometimes for forty years; but no sooner are they delivered, but they run their old bias, and are engaged in foul transgressions: as if they had been redeemed to dishonour their benefactor. The like we see in Hezekiah, the Lord bestowed upon him a strange deliverance; for when Senacherib came against him with a puissant Army, thinking to destroy jerusalem, the Lord for his insolence and blasphemy, put a hook into his nostrils, and slew of his Army in one night, an hundred fourscore and five thousand, and so delivered him out of his hands: after this the Lord smore him with the plague, (as most Interpreters think) and yet he recovered; no sooner was this done, but the Babylonish Ambassadors coming from their Master to congratulate his recovery; he was so taken with it, that he shown them the house of his precious things, which was a bait to that King to come and destroy his Land; and it fell out accordingly: for when Isaiah had asked him from whence those men came, and that Hezekiah had told him, adding withal, that he had showed them all his treasures; he saith, the Lord of Hosts saith, Behold the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy Fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: as if the Prophet had said, thou hast made thy will O Hezekiah, and the King of Babylon shall be thy Executor: and so it fell out afterwards, for the King of Babylon made war against him, and took and carried away all the Treasure which formerly had been showed to his Ambassadors. And when our blessed Saviour saith to the man whom he had restored to his limbs, Sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee, job. 5.14. it intimates to us, 
john 5.16.  that men are apt to run into sin, when they have had the sweetest relish of God's mercy. What may be the reason of this?  
Reason 1 First, it is from the corruption of our nature since the fall of Adam, which is so depraved thereby, that we are apt to forget the mercy of God, even then, when we have most cause to remember it.  
Reason 2 Secondly, it proceeds from the malice of the Devil, for when he sees God to bestow great mercies on men, he than labours especially to engage them in transgression: and why so? that the mercies of God may be obscured by their unthankfulness, who but even now were the objects of his bounty: and not only so, but he doth it likewise to vex and afflict Gods children, for when God shall open their eyes, he knows it will grieve their spirits for slighting God's mercy as they have done; therefore it is that he steps in then, when God hath been most gracious to men, and puts them on to commit sin, that thereby he might draw black lines over the legible characters of God's mercy.  
Let me persuade you, 
Use.  that as ye be sensible of God's mercies, so to watch over yourselves upon the receipt of them, that ye may be thankful for them: the Saints of God have been careless this way, notwithstanding God hath bestowed abundant favours upon them; they have been wanting in payment of that tribute of praise which God expected and deserved at their hands: when God looked for sweet, they have brought forth wild and sour grapes; like as it was with the Heathen of old, who coming to the Temples of their gods to give thanks for their health, went home drunk; and as the Devil doth labour then to step in when God hath done men most good, so above all times labour at that time to be most thankful and obedient, that God may have his glory, and you a sweet relish of his mercy. [shall we break thy Commandments?] How shall we understand this? break his Commandments? how could it be otherwise? doth any man live and not sin? and yet shall they for this be exposed to God's judgements? who knows not but as long as we live in this world, and spin out the thread of our life, that we cannot but break Gods Commandments? were we as faithful as ever Abraham was, yet we could not but we must be guilty sometimes of breaking Gods Commandments: and doth not Saint james say, in many things we sinne all? and what saith the Apostle john? he that saith he hath no sin, is a liar, and there is no truth in him: As it is in the Fable which was told the mother of Achilles, that if she dipped her Son into such a River, so fare as the water wet him, so fare he should be invulnerable, therefore she drenched him over head and ears, and wet every part of him, save only the tip of his heel, by which she held him, and in that part he received his death's wound: So let a man be never so much sanctified, be he as holy as ever any Saint was, I will not except the Virgin Mary, yet as long as he dwells here below, he will be guilty of breaking Gods Commandments: how then must we understand what Ezra saith, when he saith, [shall we again break thy Commandments?] His meaning is, that if after so great mercy, as God had vouchsafed them, they should fall into gross sins, than God should be just in punishing them; for though a man cannot shun peccata quotidiana, sins of infirmity, yet he may refrain from committing foul and scandalous sins. 
Luk. 1.6.  In Luk. 1.6. it is said of Zachary and Elizabeth, That they were righteous before God, walking in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless: and it is possible for a man to live sine scandalo, without scandal, though not sine querela, without being guilty of lesser iniquities: or secondly, he may be understood thus, though they be sins which be less, yet if men shall wilfully commit them, it shall be just with God to punish them for the same; if they be of industry and not of infirmity, if they be less than the first, and yet shall be run into against knowledge and conscience, they shall for these be exposed to God's judgements, as well as for greater sins. From the words thus opened, note thus much in way of application.  
Use 1 In the first place, let us deplore the misrerable corruption of our nature since our fall; there is now a necessity of sinning, waking, sleeping, solitary, in company, at home and in God's Temple: were it so that a man were living, yet if he were always sick, we would say, it were a poor life; what is it then to be always prone to sin? yet this is our unhappiness while we are clothed with flesh; have we not cause then to be weary of this sinful life? and aught we not with Saint Paul, to sigh while we are burdened with this body of clay, desiring to be clothed upon with immortality, that mortality might be swallowed of life? Is there not just cause for us to say, with the same Apostle in the sorrow of our souls, Cupio dissolvi, & esse cum Christo, I desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ?  
Use 2 Secondly, because Ezra would have them avoid foul sins; in the name of God let our care be to abandon such; Which be they? Swearing, whoredom, oppression, murder, drunkenness, Sabbath— breaking; these do vastare conscientiam, wast the conscience, and endanger the soul more than other sins: a ship may live at Sea, that hath a leak sprung, if the Mariners bestir themselves in pumping; but when it is shot thorough and thorough by wind and water, it is hardly kept from sinking: So a man that sins of infirmity, if he repent, he shall obtain pardon; but the soul that sins wilfully is scarce kept from sinking.  
Lastly, he would have them avoid smaller sins; and so ought we; for a little sin committed with purpose, is greater in God's account, than a great sin committed against a man's will: as therefore a man should avoid great sins, so also all lesser impieties: the heart of man should be against all sin, and he should have respect to all God's Commandments, that if he chance to fall, it may not be presumptuously, but by infirmity, and then he may expect mercy from God, who knows whereof we are made, and remembers that we are but dust. [Shall we join in affinity with the people of these abominations?] It is an Hebraisme, the Spirit of God calls them people of such abominations, in stead of abominable people: it is more to be called people of such abominations, then abominable people; thus when Antichrist is called the man of sin, it is more than if he were called a sinful man: Here I could observe how hateful the Heathen and all their do be unto God, as also how odious all gross sinners are in his pure eyes; he loathes and abhors them: in the Scripture ye shall find, if the godly be compared to gold, they are termed dross; if the godly be compared to wheat, the wicked to chaff: Nay, the ungodly man is resembled to the dirt in the street, which you know is filthy and noisome: Again, if the godly be termed sheep, the wicked are called goats; nay, in our Text, they be abominable: As it was said of Naaman, he was an honourable man and a brave soldier, but a leper; So we may say of the wicked man, be he never so rich and honourable, if he be a gross sinner, he is hateful to God; yea, I will be bold to say, he is more loathsome to him, in peccato, quamvis non persona, in his sin, though not in his person; then a toad is or can be in our eyes: But I cannot stay here. [Shall we join in affinity with the people of such abominations?] The Holy Ghost makes it a foul sin to join in affinity with the Heathen; and indeed so it is, for God charges the contrary, 
Exod. 34.15.16.  Exod. 34.15.16. And ye shall find that God hath followed those with punishments that have joined themselves to Heathens: Esau married strange Wives to the great grief of his Father and Mother, and he was made the more profane by it: The like we see in Solomon, he married the King of Egypt's Daughter, and she brought him to Idolatry, for which God plagued both him and his posterity: it was so with Samson, he would needs have the Daughter of a Philistim to wife; what followed upon it? she proved his bane: so in Ahab, he took to wife jezabel, the Daughter of the King of Zidonia, which was the filling up of his iniquity, and brought the curse of God on him and his progeny: it is said in 1 Cor. 7.39. A woman, 
1 Cor. 7.39.  if her Husband be dead, is at liberty to be married to whom she will, only in the Lord: That is, saith Gregory, to a Christian, and saith Augustine, she must still remain a Christian, though married to a Heathen: And the same Apostle saith, 2 Cor. 6.14. Be not unequally yoked with Infidels, 
2 Cor. 6.14.  for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? What is the meaning of that? Gregory saith, S. Paul means that Christians should marry with Christians; and chrysostom saith, To do otherwise is to make the members of Christ, the members of a Harlot.  
Let us take heed of intimate familiarity with Heathens; 
Use.  and in this case I say to you as Sampsons' Father said to him, Is there never a daughter in Israel to please thee? Nay, I will spread it further, Eat not only familiarity with Heathens, but make no league with gross sinners, for there is much danger in it: First, the danger of suspicion; let a man be never so good, yet if he associate himself with those that be bad, he will be thought as bad as they; for what will men say? birds of a feather fly together. Secondly, he runs the hazard of infection; all the Rivers in the World run into the Sea, but yet they cannot sweeten it, but are made brackish by it: and a wicked man is ten times more apt to corrupt a good man, than he is to be wrought on by the conversation of a good man. Thirdly, there is a danger of a curse by consorting with wicked men; for as many ill men far the better for one good man; thus the household of Potipher was blest for one joseph, and all in the ship fared the better for Paul's presence: so many good men may sometimes far the worse for one wicked person: thus for one Achan, the whole Host of Israel is discomfited: and this made john the Evangelist to hasten out of the bath as soon as he saw Cerinthus there, for saith he, I fear lest the house should fall upon my head for being in company with such a wicked heretic as thou art: This also was that which caused Moses to command the Israelites to departed from the Tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram: and the Spirit of God saith, Come out of Babylon my people, lest by partaking in her sins, ye partake of her plagues: Besides, when a good man maintains inward familiarity with the wicked: First, he seems to approve and applaud their wickedness: Secondly, it is a scandal to Religion, and doth greatly prejudice weak Christians: Thirdly, it is a great means to keep the wicked from repenting; for too much intimacy with them, hardens them in their sin: take heed therefore of intimate acquaintance with wicked men, and let our affection be to the Saints that be in the earth, and to those that excel in virtue. We now come to the punishment: [wouldst thou not be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping?] First, here is God's anger, in the first clause: [wouldst thou not be angry with us?] Secondly, we have the degree of his anger, in the last words: [so that there should be no escaping.] We begin with God's anger, [wouldst thou not be angry with us?] We must know that anger is not a passion in God, as it is in man, but in speaking thus, the Spirit of God stoops to us, to raise us up to him: as the Nurse stammers to the child in its own dialect, so our weakness makes God condescend unto us: certain it is that anger is in God, as zeal, not as vice. Out of this first clause I note two things for our instruction: The first is this.  
Great sins, after the receipt of great favours, are usually inherited by great judgements. I'm was freed from being drowned with the old World, which was a great deliverance; if after this he shall not be sensible of God's mercy, and shall mock his Father, no marvel if he be made servus servorum, a servant of servants. Nay, Noah himself, if he shall no more remember the favour of God, then to be excessive, it is no wonder if he be mocked by his own child, and this was no small judgement. So for Lot, if after so great a deliverance vouchsafed him, he shall be guilty of Incest; no marvel if his two Sons begotten of his Daughters, prove the fatal enemies of Israel: So for Pharaoh, the deliverances which God gave him were admirable, but for the contempt of them, they are succeeded with great plagues: it was a notable mercy which God afforded Nineveh, in keeping off that judgement which jonah had denounced against it: when Nineveh sins again, see what God saith, Nah. 1.9. I will make an utter end; 
Nah●m 1.9.  affliction shall not rise up the second time: that is, he will so set on the stroke, that he need not smite twice: it is like that speech of God to Samuel concerning Eli and his household, When I begin, I will also make an end, 1 Sam. 3.12. and that caution of our blessed Saviour, 
1 Sam. 3 1●.  to the man that was cured at the Pool of Bethesda, [Sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee,] What doth it intimate to us, but that great sins after great favours, are inherited by great plagues? The Magdeburgenses observe, that these three things go together; great mercies have been bestowed, great sins have ensued, and great judgements have followed both: And wonder not at this, for it is a great dishonour to God that his favours should be slighted; 
Rom. 2.4.  as in Rom. 2.4. Knowest not thou O man, that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? That is, it should lead thee to repentance: Therefore beware of abusing the mercies of God, else they shall be seconded by fearful judgements. The second observation arising from that clause, [wouldst thou not be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us?] is this:  
There be degrees of God's wrath, it rises by little and little till it consume: 
Levit. 26.  This is proved in Levit. 26. there we find that as men's sins increase, so God's plagues shall increase; and if they persist to sin, he will plague them, seven times more, and seven times more: So in Psal. 78.38. He, that is, the Lord, 
Psal 78.38.  being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity and destroyed them not; yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath: So in Psal. 2.12. if his wrath be kindled but a little, 
Psal. 2.12.  blessed are all they that put their trust in him: If therefore the Lords wrath be turned to fire, all the World will be consumed: So in Revel. 6.17. The great day of his wrath is come, and who can stand? 
Revel. 6.17.  The Prophet David makes it an imprecation against his enemies, That God would render seven times into their bosoms their reproach, 
Psal. 9.12.  Psal. 79.12. as if he had said, O Lord, I know thou dost punish them now, but I am sure, thou canst punish them much more: It was so with Eli, one brings him word that Israel was discomfited, another that his Sons were slain, a third that the Ark of God was taken, the hearing whereof caused him to fall backwards, and it is a question whether his neck or his heart broke first: So it was with job, one brings him word that his cattles were taken away by the Sabeans, another that his sheep and servants were burnt with fire from heaven, a third that his sons and daughters were slain with the fall of a house, which was the most woeful news of all: Thus the wrath of God rise higher and higher. Can Rehoboam make his little singer as heavy as his Father's loins? and could Nabuchadnezzar make his Oven seven times hotter than it was before? and shall not God increase his wrath? Yes he can at pleasure.  
Use 1 It meets with a great number, who if they have been freed from an ague, of which they had four or five fits, they presently say, with Agag, the bitterness is past, and they shall no more have it: What thinkest thou? is not God able to visit thee again? or thinkest thou that thou deservest no more at God's hand? God's manner is, first to shake the 10d at his child, if that will not deter him, than he gives him two or three stripes, if that will not work him to obedience, than he lays on more; and no wonder if new judgements succeed new sins, and if great sins be inherited by great judgements.  
Use 2 In the second place, whensoever God's hand is upon us, let us know, that he could lay much more upon us if he would; and though his hand lie heavy on us, yet there is something beyond that, and that is to give us up to our own lusts, and that is as bad or worse then to be given up to the Devil: when God gave David up to adultery and murder, it was much worse, then that the sword should never departed from his house: spiritual judgements do fare exceed corporal and temporal; Why? the one drives men to, the other drives men from God. Again, there be some judgements beyond these, and they be troublers of soul; saith Solomon, A wounded spirit who can bear? these be so great, that none can express them but those who have felt them; those lashes of soul are insupportable: and yet there is that which is beyond all this, if men repent not; and that is hell; Tophet is prepared of old; yea, for the King it is ordained, he hath made it deep and large; the pile thereof is fire and much wood, the breath of the Lord like a stream of brimstone doth kindle it: 
Isa 30.33.  Isa. 30.33. all the strappadoes in the world are but flea-bite to this: Nebuchadnezars banishment, was but for seven years, but the pains of hell be eternal: when a man hath been punished there ten thousand millions of years, he is never the nearer coming out of that Pit, for he must go them over again and again, world without end. The miseries of this present life be compared to waters, which ebb and flow, but hell is called stagnum, a standing peole; saith john, Rev. 20.15. 
Revel. 20.15.  Whosoever was not found written in the book of life, was cast into the lake of fire: There is nothing in that place but sorrow, and that for ever: So that God can plague thee corporally, spiritually, and eternally. Hath he begun to fleece thee? he could flay thee: hath he begun to bond thee? he could break thee; doth he punish thee in thy body? he could plague thee in thy soul; nay, he could send thee to Hell, and that is the dregs of the Vial: Therefore stand in awe and sin not: Hath he begun to plague thee? Repent; if thou dost not, he can plague thee ten times more, and ten times more; And it is fearful to fall into the hands of the living God.   

Sermon IU.  Ezra 9 the last Verse. 
O Lord God of Israel, thou art righteous, for we remain yet escaped as it is this day: Behold we are before thee in our trespasses; for we cannot stand before thee, because of this.  
IN this verse Ezra pleads guilty to the indictment, acknowledging God to be just, though he should renew his judgements afresh upon them: There be two things in it; First, his justifying God, in these words, [O Lord God of Israel, thou art righteous.] Secondly, the reason which he gives for it; first on God's part, he had used all possible means to bring them to Reformation: [We remain yet escaped as at this day:] secondly on their part, [they were still in their trespasses.] And therefore they were the fresh fuel of God's indignation. Before we come to these particulars, give me leave to speak a word or two of the stile he gives God; he calls him, [Lord God of Israel.] The title [Lord,] signifies his greatness, [the God of Israel,] his goodness: A fit Preface for a prayer: for the word [Lord,] it is a term well befitting God; in the holy Scripture he is said to be strong in power, and wonderful in working: Nay, so powerful he is, that nothing whatsoever is impossible to him: The Scripture demonstrates further, That he doth what he pleaseth, in heaven and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places, Psal. 135.6. And what he will do, 
Psa. 135.6.  all the world cannot hinder. Secondly, the holy Scripture sets out God's power by this, that whatsoever he doth, he doth without difficulty: he knows how to sit still and work, and to work and sit still; Yea, so fare is his power extended, that his will is his power, as appears in the creation; he said the word, and all things were created: and though some Atheistical spirits have asked with what ladders and engines, God built the Fabric of heaven; if they had but consulted, Gen. 1. they should have been resolved; 
Genes. 1.  for that shows them, that by his word speaking all things were made: and it is worth our observation in the Book of God, where he is said to effect things by means; we shall find that he hath done the greatest things by the smallest means: Thus by Moses and Aaron, a couple of poor men, he delivered his people Israel out of Egyptian bondage, in spite of Pharaoh that great Potentate; and by Gideon and his three hundred men, he conquered that great Army of the Midianites which lay as as Grasshoppers on the earth for multitude: So he ruined the Walls of jericho by the sound of rams horns; and he wrought those great wonders in Egypt by Moses his rod, which was a contemptible thing: This also by Shamgars' goad he laid the Philistims heaps upon heaps: and by a jawbone of an Ass in the hand of Samson, he slew a thousand men; and by little David overcame and slew that great Goliath: When he would work redemption for the Sons of men, he brought it to pass by him who was, novissimus hominum, the meanest of men: who was poor in his birth, obscure in his education, poorly attended when he came to the execution of his Ministry, and poorest of all in his death, for qui in vita non domicilium, in morte non sepulchrum, he that in his life had not a house to hid his head in, when he died, was buried in another man's Tomb: and when he will dispense the Gospel, he makes choice of Fishermen, to publish those glad tidings to the World. Thirdly, God is said to be powerful, because he can do more than he will: he could of stones have raised children to Abraham, but he would not; and when our blessed Lord was apprehended, he tells Peter, that he could have obtained of his Father, more than twelve legions of Angels to help him, but he would not: He can do more than he will, but he will not do all that he can.  
Use 1 It meets with those that deny this to God: Plinius secundus saith, God is not Almighty, because he cannot lie nor deceive: Lodovicus Vives wonders at this, saying, I admire that a man so wise should cavil at God's power; but Saint Augustine answers him well, and saith, therefore is God ommipotent, because he cannot he nor deceive, for these argue impotency. Secondly, it confutes others, who say God is not so powerful as the Scripture makes him to be, because he cannot make a thing to be against its nature, as to be, and not to be: to whom I answer, things which in their nature are simply impossible (with reverence be it spoken) God cannot do; but all other things, though impossible to created nature, God can do; therefore this vain objection doth not disparage God's power.  
Use 2 In the second place, let it comfort God's people; God is the Lord Almighty in power, what then shall be obstaculous to him to perform with them? where humane help fails, there God puts in with his power, and makes man's extremity his opportunity: he comes not to Sarah, till it had ceased to be with her after the manner of women: he comes not to deliver Israel, till they were upon the brink of the red sea; and than Moses said, Fear ye not, but stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord; he came not to deliver the three children, till they were cast into the fiery furnace; nor to Daniel till he was among the Lions: there can be no falsehood in what he saith, for nothing is too hard for him to effect.  
Use 3 Lastly, it should teach us to stand in awe, and not sin against God, for he is able to grind the greatest Prince to powder, if he be rebellious: nay, he can make the flies, the louse, the locusts, the aunts, those contemptible creatures to destroy man, if he continue refractory: therefore let us stand in awe of this great Lord, that his mighty power may be armed to our preservation, not to our destruction. So we come to the second, which is, that he is, [the God of Israel.] And if in the first he was maximus, the greatest, then in this he is optimus, the best. l know he is the God of all the earth, 
Psal. 24.1.  Psal. 24.1. but more especially he is the God of Israel: First, secundum specialem cultum, by a special and peculiar worship: to them above other people, he revealed how he would be worshipped; they were scriniarii legis, the treasurers of the Law: God dealt not with the Heathen, as he dealt with Israel; they are described by calling on the Lord, as if no people called upon God but they. Secondly, he is the God of Israel, secundum specialem curam, in regard of that special care he had of them: he was a wall of fire round about them, to preserve them from their enemies: God is said to carry his people, as an Eagle carrieth her young ones on her wings, 
Deut. 32.11.  Deut. 32.11. it is a sweet comparison, the Eagle fears nothing from above to hurt her young ones, because she soars higher than any other bird; and if there come any danger from beneath, her body is between it and her young, she will be hurt, rather than they shall: So God interposes between his people and their enemies, so that no mischief shall befall them, but by his permission. Thirdly, he is the God of Israel, secundum speciale praemium, by a special reward which he hath promised them: he saith to Abraham, I am thy exceeding great reward; and that God that told him he would give the land of Canaan to him and his seed for a possession, doth not only provide for his people a temporal Canaan here, but an eternal Canaan hereafter, of which the other is but a Type: they be called, segullam, his chief treasure: and Saint Peter calls them, a chosen generation, a royal Priesthood, a holy Nation, a peculiar people, 2. Pet. 2.9. 
2 Pet. 2.9.  And to spread it a little further, it is not only now, Deus notus in jehuda, God is known in judah, but notus inter Gentes, he is known among the Gentiles; for wheresoever the Gospel is preached, they be the Israel of God: they be the piece of ground culled out of the whole world, to be a garden for the Lord; they be his enclosure, and are tied to him by the strictest relations in the world; he is their Master, and they be his servants; yet more, he is their Father, and they be his children; yet more, he is their Husband, and they be his Spouse, for he hath married them to himself, 
jerem. 3.4.  jerem. 3.14.  
Use 1 This that hath been said, may assure God's children of his affection towards them: be they his? then they may be sure that he will have a care of them; relation hath ever been a ground of affection: a man loves not his Country so much, quia magnam, because it is great, as quia suam, because it is his: Therefore if God entitle his people to himself, they may be sure he will care for them: and what can be more for God's people to triumph in, then that the Lord is their God? This high Privilege exceeds all things whatsoever; for he that hath honour and riches, may go to hell with them; but he that hath God to be his God, is sure to be everlastingly happy. I read of one in S. Augustine, that passing by a stately house, which had fair demeanes about it, he asked one that he met, to whom that house and land belonged, he answered to such a one; O saith he, that is a happy man: no, saith the Father, he is not happy, that hath that house and land, but he is happy that hath the Lord to be his God.  
Use 2 Secondly, me thinks this should take off the edge of all Persecutors; Is God the God of his people? and dare they touch that which is hallowed unto God? will they meddle with the apple of his eye? God is said to be blasphemed, when Rabshekah that railing Orator reviled the Host of Israel: and Christ saith to Saul when he was going to Damascus, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? It is well known that there was an infinite distance between our Saviour and he; but it was in his members that he was persecuted. Zeresh the wife of Haman gave good counsel to her Husband, had he taken it in time, she tells him, 
Esth. 6.13.  Esth. 6.13. If Mordecai be of the seed of the jews before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shall not prevail against him, but surely falI before him. I know that oftentimes God gives Persecutors power to hurt his people, but it is not ad extirpationem, to root them up, sed ad exercitationem, but to exercise and try them; Therefore the enemies of God's Church, are compared to Bees, that have honey, as well as a sting: God makes the wicked as useful to his children, as the fire is to the gold: as Ignatius that holy Martyr said, when he was threatened, that he should be eaten up of wild beasts; saith he, By passing thorough the teeth of wild beasts, I shall be the purer manchet for the table of God my Master.  
Use 3 Thirdly, me thinks it should teach all Persecutors, and all wicked men to love the people of God: how are we affected with earthly things? If we know a man whom the King favours, how do we seek to get into his favour? we will do him any service to obtain it: and are not the Saints of God his Favourites? Yes, they are those whom God highly honours; Why do we not then endear ourselves unto them? if the wicked were wise, they would keep in with God's people above all others; one Moses will more prevail with God to turn away his wrath, than a thousand other men: 
Acts 27.  and in the Acts 27. all in the ship are beholding to Saint Paul for their lives: I know the wicked mis-use the godly, and think meanly of them; but were it not for them, they should quickly be made as Sodom and Gomorrah, for they stand in the breach interceding with God for them, in so much that he saith, let me alone: but though ungodly men malign them, we who are led by a better spirit, should do the Saints of God all the good we can: And they that do it shall not go unrewarded, for it is a Sacrifice well pleasing to God, 
Phil. 4.18.  Phil. 4.18. And saith the same Apostle, 
Heb. 6.10.  Heb. 6.10. God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye shown towards his name, in that ye have ministered unto the Saints, and yet minister: and Christ himself saith, Matth. 10.42. 
Matth. 10.42.  Whosoever giveth a cup of cold water only to the least of these, in the name of a Disciple, verily he shall not lose his reward.  
Use 4 Lastly, is the Lord the God of Israel? let Israel then behave themselves as God's people: what saith the spirit of God in Deut. 26.18? 
Deut. 26.18.  The Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, that thou shouldst keep all his Commandments: So in 1 Cor. 6.20. 
1 Cor. 6.20.  Ye are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are Gods: 
Titus 2.14.  and in Titus 2.14. Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works: and Saint Peter calls the people of God lively stones, and a holy Priesthood: Why so? it follows in the next words, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, 
1 Pet. 2.5.  acceptable to God by jesus Christ, 1 Pet. 2.5. Therefore as many of you as lay claim to God, be not companions to wicked men; though they swear, lie, deceive, oppress, vos autem non sic, yet must not you do so: Though judah play the harlot, let not Israel sin; let your chief care be, to live as the people of God: and if ye would be known to be such, Let your conversation be according to the Gospel: and as many as walk after that rule, peace shall be upon them, and upon the whole Israel of God: Now we come to the particulars in the Text, as we laid them down: First, for his justifying of God, [thou art righteous.] This hath been ever the practice of God's people, they have still confessed God to be just in what he hath brought upon them. Thus doth David, Psal. 51.4. 
Psal. 51.4  Against thee, thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight, that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest: As if he had said, though thou punish me severely, yet I cannot but confess that it is justly: 
Psal. 119.137.  So in Psal. 119.137. Righteous art thou O Lord, and upright are thy judgements: The like we see in Eli, when Samuel told him that sad Message from God, concerning the extirpation of his house, he saith, It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good, 
1 Sam. 3.18.  1 Sam. 3.18. which calls to my mind that of Hezekiah, when he had showed the Ambassadors of the King of Babylon his Treasurers, and that the Lord had sent Isaiah to tell him, that for his vainglory, he would give them into the hands of that King; all that he saith, is, bonum est verbum jehovae, good is the word of the Lord, Isa. 39.8. 
Isa. 39.8.  The like we see in Daniel, Dan. 9.7. 
Dan. 9.7.  O Lord righteousness belongeth to thee, but unto us confusion of faces as at this day: The same was the practice of good Nehemiah, Neh. 9.33. 
Nehem. 9.33.  Thou art just in all that is brought upon us, for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly: As if he had said, we know we lie under a great judgement, and we hope thou our God dost not think it small, but be it what it will, we are sure thou art just in inflicting it upon us; and because contraries do best appear when they are brought together, ye shall see how contrary the wicked be to the godly in this: Cain cries out, that his punishment is greater than he could bear: he complains not of his sin, but of his punishment, as if God punished him more than he deserved: and Saul takes it ill that Samuel should charge him with disobedience, though it were gross and palpable; and ye shall find in Scripture that God exposes his actions to scanning, 
jerem. 5.19. jerem. 10.16.  that it may appear to all the world, how just he is. In jerem. 5.19. and in Chap. 10.16. the wicked are not ashamed to question God, why he punished them, as if he had done it without cause: 
Ezek. 18.25.  So in Ezek. 18.25. They say, the Lords ways were not equal: as if he had punished the children for their Father's sins; when as the same sins were found in the children: 
Mal. 3.8.  So in Mal. 3.8. when God challengeth and plagueth them for their transgressions, they reply, What have we done? As if God punished them without desert: and this humour of turning again, will not leave the wicked at the last day: for when Christ shall say unto them on his left hand departed ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his angels, for I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: then shall they answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or a thirst?  
Use 1 This lets us see, how the world fails in this particular; when God lays his hand on men, how apt are they to dispute with God, and say, why doth he deal thus and thus with us? and by this means they are so fare from mitigating, that they increase his hand upon them: Nay, there be those presumptuous ones that in argumentation will ask, why God elected some, and reprobated others? but take heed of this, is it not enough to knock at the door, but we must break it open? Who art thou O man, that repliest to thy Maker?  
Use 2 Secondly, let us always be persuaded of the justice of God in all his proceed; for though we see not the reason, why he doth this or that, yet there is good reason for it: Voluntas Dei secreta sit, nunquam injusta; the cause why God punisheth, may be hid, but it is never unjust: Therefore when thy tumultuous flesh shall say with Rebeckah, Why am I thus? know that it is for thy excess, thy Sabbath-breaking, thy hypocrisy, thy lewd conversation: Therefore change thy note, and say with the Church, Mich. 7.9. 
Mich. 7.9.  I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him: I know it is a hard thing to suppress the tumultuous thoughts which arise in men in times of trouble; but these must be laboured aghast with all our power, for no man gets by contending with his Maker, but multiplies his strokes: We proceed now to the reason which he gives for justifying God: [for we remain yet escaped, as it is this day.] As if he had said, thy goodness is demonstrate, he that runs may read it, thou hast been abundantly more merciful to us, then to thousands of our brethren who perished in the captivity; for lo, we remain even to this day: That which I collect from hence is this.  
In general judgements which God brings upon the World, there is still some escaping. When God sent the Deluge upon the world, Noah and his Family perished not; in the fiery shower which God reigned on Sodom, and Gomorrah, Lot, and his Daughters perished not; nay, a whole City (to wit Zoar) is spared at Lot's entreaty: When Pharaoh commanded all the male children of the jews to be drowned, Moses was preserved: and when jericho was destroyed, Rahab and her Family were spared: and when for David's pride, seventy thousand were consumed by the Pestilence, many thousands in Israel escaped: and when the last great Plague was among us, thousands and ten thousands had their life for a prey. What is the ground of this?  
Reason 1 First, all God's ways are intervened with mercy.  
Reason 2 Secondly, God still spares some to bring them to repentance, that they may turn out of the crooked, into the strait path.  
Use 1 Let me advise them that have tasted of God's mercy in this way, never to forget it: and for this let me stir up my own soul to praise God with you: when my next neighbour was smitten dead, why was not I smitten also? it was only God's mercy: when some in the same house with us were infected, and died of the plague; why were we spared? it was of God's mere mercy, and it ought to be marvellous in our eyes.  
Use 2 Secondly, let us be fare from censuring any that died in the last visitation, as if they were greater sinners than others; fare be it from us to be of this wicked humour: for many a good soul went to Heaven then, and many a Cham was spared: We are bound to praise him for ourselves, for why did he spare us? was it not that we should be better? God's sparing men, is either to harden them, or to amend them; therefore, except we repent, we shall likewise perish. The reason which he gives on their part, is, that though God had spared them, [yet they were before him in their trespasses:] as if he had said, O Lord thou hast to the full performed thy counterpart with us, but we are yet in our sins, for we are as bad or worse than we were before. Here take notice of thus much:  
What a fearful judgement it is, not to profit by afflictions: It is that for which God finds great fault with his people in Deut. 29.2.3.4. his hand had been heavy upon their Enemies in their sight and view, 
Deut 29.2.3, 4.  yet they were never the better. So in lsa. 1.5. there the Lord saith to Israel, 
Isa. 1.5.  why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: 
jerem. 12.13.  The like also we see in jerem. 12.13. They were sick and had no profit: This was the sin of Cain, he was stigmatised for a wretch, yet he was as wicked as he was before: It was also the sin of Pharaoh, Ahab and Ahaz; they were all the worse for coming under the rod, and are therefore branded by the spirit of God to all posterity. There is a great deal of difference between Gods afflicting the godly and the wicked, 
Isa. 27.7.  as may appear Isa. 27.7. Hath he smitten them, as he smote those that smote him? What is the reason? the godly profit by affliction, but the wicked are the worse for being afflicted: Every thing works together for the best to God's people, but every thing turns into sin to the wicked, according to that strange speech, 
jerem. 4.11.  jerem. 4.11. saith God, I will cause a dry wind of the high places in the wilderness, to blow toward the Daughter of my people, not to fan, nor to cleanse: That is, I will bring a great judgement upon them, but such is their obstinacy, that they will not be bettered by it.  
Use 1 May we not think without breach of charity, that this is the case of many in these days? Hath not the Lord punished some of you, for pride, excess, adultery, oppression? and yet ye are as proud, excessive, lustful, and oppressive as before: What? do you mean to outbrave God? do you long to be made the instances of his displeasure? beware of this, for ye cannot provoke him, but to your own hurt.  
Use 2 In the second place, let us labour to profit by affliction; (it is a lesson worth our learning, for affliction is not good in itself) and then we profit by it: First, when it urgeth us to examination and confession of our sins. Secondly, when it works us to humiliation for our sins, when we have the melting heart of josiah, and the contrite heart of David. Thirdly, when we pour out our souls to God in prayer, when his chastning hand is on us, as the people of God did, Isa. 26.16. 
Isa. 26.16.  Lastly, when we not only vow amendment of life in our affliction, but when we reform our ways, and so follow our vows with endeavours: This is the true end of affliction, when like gold we come purified out of the fire, and when it is as a file to clear us from our rust, and becomes a Bethesda, to cure us of our spiritual infirmities; but when men are the worse for being afflicted, they may well expect a worse thing to befall them. The last clause is, [neither can we stand before thee, because of this.] As if he had said, we cannot come before thee with any confidence, while we be in our sins unrepented of: which yields us this Observation.  
That man that comes before God in his sins without repentance, cannot come with any confidence or hope of mercy. 
Prov. 28.13.  In Prov. 28.13. mercy is promised to him that confesseth and forsaketh his sins, but wrath is pronounced against him that hideth them: Such a man may come into the Courts of God; such a man may offer sacrifice to God, but it is an abomination to him, 
Prov 1●. 8. Isa. 1.15.  Prov. 15.8. and he tells such, in Isa. 1.15. When ye spread forth your hands, I will hid mine eyes from you; yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: Why s; o? your hands are full of blood: And this is the meaning of those words in john 9.31. [God heareth not sinners: 
Io● 9.31. ] That is, not such as are obstinate and impenitent sinners.  
It should teach us to abhor sin; 
Use.  if we know a man to be infected, we will be sure to avoid his company: and shall we not cast away sin, which makes us unable to stand before God? Therefore abandon thy wicked lusts, and wash away all sin by the tears of true repentance, and then in the name of God come into his Courts: though thou canst not be an innocent, yet come in penitence, and thou shalt find that God is as well pleased with penitents as innocents'. And now that I have done with this Text; give me leave to go over the three verses again by Application, and to spread them on you, as Elisha spread himself on the Shunamitish woman's child: we have right to them all three; it is said in the first, that God punished them, but less than they deserved, and that he had delivered them: was not this our case five years since? for our sin's God punished us, by turning our waters into blood, and he punished us less than we deserved; but withal he magnified his mercy towards us in taking that judgement off, the pestilence wholly from us in a short space. Then for the next verse, did not we say, as these jews, O Lord, now that thou hast delivered us, if we shall return to our sins again, it shall be just with thee to punish us most severely? Which of our souls did not say thus? And for the last verse, we may say also with Ezra, We are before thee in our trespasses, therefore O Lord it may stand with thy justice utterly to consume us. (Beloved) I have ever been free and bold with you, and I will not now begin to discolour: Is not London as full of pride, excess and adultery as ever? doth not sacrilege and usury keep as high a room in the City as ever it did? Surely those sins must be of a deep tincture, which all this scouring will not cleanse; well, God hath begun with us again, and he shall be just, if he should not leave a man of us alive: What shall we now do? every man to his prayers, let every one amend one, and then all will be amended: Let every one sweep his own door, and the Street will soon be cleansed. Here we be now, but God only knows whether we shall have so much leave as to come into his house again; while therefore we have time, while the arrows of God fly beyond us, and beside us, round about us, and yet not touch us, let us seek his face by true repentance; and I will be bold to say, if he find us penitent, he will remove his judgement: but if we stand before him still in our sins, no marvel then, that he renew and increase our plagues.   

Sermon V.  EZRA 10. Vers. 1. 
Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God; there assembled unto him out of Israel, a very great Congregation of men, and women, and children: for the people wept very sore.  
THe former Chapter did set down the humiliation of Ezra, this demonstrates the fruit and effect, that it produced: when the people saw that he was so affected and afflicted, and that not so much for his own sins, as for the sins of the people, they take it to heart; and first, there is a very great Assembly gathered together. Secondly, they weep sore. Thirdly, one particular person, Shecaniah by name, confesseth the sins of the people. Fourthly, they conceive hope of remission. Fifthly, they resolve to put away their strange Wives. Lastly, they put their late resolution into execution: That which gives occasion to all these, is laid down in the first words of the Chapter, which contains; First, the actions of Ezra, and they be two: [praying and weeping.] Secondly, his manner of confessing, [he cast himself down before the house of the Lord:] upon this follows the coming together of a great assembly of men, women and children. We begin with his actions, and first for his praying, [when Ezra had prayed.] As I told you in the former chapter, this good man was come from Babylon, with a great deal of comfort, and with a happy message of good news to Israel; no sooner is he come to Jerusalem, but he is welcomed with a sad relation, there is a complaint made to him that the Princes, Priests, Levites and people, had mingled themselves with the people of the land, doing according to their abominations: Ezra hearing this, knows no other way to appease God's wrath, but by pouring out his soul to him in prayer; and if ye look into the sacred Scripture, ye shall find, that this hath ever been the practice of God's people in time of affliction, they have still betaken themselves to prayer: The commandment of God is for it, Psal. 50.15. Call upon me in the day of trouble: 
Psal. 50.15. jam. 5.13.  So in james 5.13. Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. And as God commanded it, so his children have practised it: in almost all the pages of holy Writ, ye shall find the Saints of God exercising prayer: this was the weapon that jacob took up, when he expected nothing but hostility from his brother Esau; the Text saith, He prayed to the Lord to deliver him from the hand of Esau his brother, Gen. 32.11. This also was that which Moses took up, 
Gen 32.11.  when that Pharaoh and his Host were at the heels of Israel, and the red Sea before them, he betook himself to God by prayer, 
Exod 14.15.  Exod. 14.15. And this was the weapon which he used, when Israel conquered Amalek, Exod. 17.11, 12. 
Exod. 17.11, 12.  How often do we find David practised in this duty? as few of the Saints had more crosses, so none oftener in prayer than he: This is that which the three Children make use of in the fiery Oven; Daniel in the Lion's Den; and jonah in the Whale's belly: instances hereof are so obvious in the Scripture that I spare to name any more: and from proving the point, I come to answer some Objections which are made against that which I have said, and they be these.  
First, 
Objection.  say some (being in affliction) God knows our desires and wants before we ask, what need we then pray to him?  
I answer to this with Saint Jerome, 
Solution.  we pray not to God, to acquaint him with what he knows not, but that we may the more incline him to mercy: as that Father saith well, non narratores, sed oratores sumus, we come not to inform him of what he is ignorant, but we are humble suitors that he may be facilitated unto mercy.  
O but say they, 
Objection.  God hath determined how it shall be, and let me pour out never so many prayers, it is impossible for me either to hasten or foreslow his pace.  
The Answer to this, 
Solution.  shall be that of Daniel, he knew by reading the Prophecy of jeremiah, how long the captivity of Babylon should last, yet he addresses himself to God by prayer, Dan. 9.19. The Prophet knew, 
Dan ●. 19.  that as God had ordained the end, so also the means, and amongst those, prayer is the chief.  
But thirdly, they reply and say, Why should we pray? 
Objection.  are we not commanded to be patiented in tribulation?  
I answer, 
Solution.  these two be not incompatible: as for instance, David was as patiented a man as ever lived, as we may see 2 Sam. 15.26. where he saith, 
2 Sam 15.26.  If the Lord have no delight in me, behold here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him: and yet David was frequent in prayer to God: the like we see in our blessed Lord and Saviour, who is an example without exception, all the world knows that he was patiented to the death, yet he prayed, Father if it be thy will, let this cup pass from me: it is true, a man must be patiented when God's hand is upon him, and not have so much as the least rising thought against God; but yet he may at the same time, without offence, implore God to have mercy upon him.  
Use 1 If it be thus, it meets with those that wave this course, who being in affliction seek not to God: Ahaziah goes to the god of Ekron, and Saul to the Witch at Endor; and a company among us in time of trouble, seek to Negromancers and Wizards, which is no other, then to cast out the Devil by Belzebub: to such I say▪ as the Prophet Elijah said to the Messengers of Ahaziah, is it because there is no God in Israel, that ye go to inquire of Baalzebub the God of Ekron? cannot God help ye, but you must go to such as these? This is the highest degree of irreligion, even mere Atheism. Secondly, it meets with others who are sullen and pettish when God's hand is upon them; they are so sensible of the stroke, that it drives all piety out of them; they had rather sullenly die, then seriously pray unto God for ease and release; but let these know and be assured, that God will either bend or break them.  
Use 2 In the second place, whensoever the hand of God is upon us, let us in the first place address ourselves to God by prayer, and to this end remember these things: First, pray sensibly, be sensible of what thou sufferest; God loves not that men should be as so many Stoics, insensible of what they suffer; nay, he hates indolence, 
jerem. 5.3.  and finds fault with them for it, in jerem. 5.3. Because they grieved not, though he had stricken them. Secondly, a man must pray, as feelingly, so fervently; saith james, the prayer of a righteous man avails much, if it be fervent, jam. 5.15. Moses his prayer is called a cry, 
jam. 5 15. Exod 14.15. Gen. 32.24. Hosca 12.4.  Exod. 14.15. and jacob is said to wrestle with God, Genes. 32.24. which was by prayer and supplication, as is evident in Hosea 12.4. and Saint Paul desires some to whom he wrote, to strive with him by prayer to God: Augustine saith, this was the reason why the Egyptian Monks made short prayers, lest they should lose their fervency by praying long: And here under this will come in, intention in prayer, which is when a man minds what he prays; and though Bellarmine say, that a virtual intention is enough, without an actual; yet Gregory, and I, ask him or any such, this question, why seeks he to be heard of God, when he hears not himself? when a man doth perfunctorily slubber over his prayers, how should he look for a comfortable return of his petitions? the bullet can fly no further than the quantity of powder, wherewith the piece was charged, can carry it: and it is impossible our prayers should reach heaven, unless fervency go along with them. Thirdly, we must pray faithfully, that is, believing we shall receive what we implore God for, if it be according to his will: 
jam. 1.5.6.7.  saith S. james, jam. 1.5.6.7. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and it shall be given him: but let him ask in faith, nothing wavering, for he that wavereth, is like a wave of the Sea, driven with the wind and tossed: neither let that man think, that he shall receive any thing of the Lord: And in Chap. 5. 1●. The prayer of faith shall save the sick, 
jam. 5.15.  and the Lord shall raise him up: and if he have committed sins they shall be forgiven him. Fourthly, we must pray constantly; this is that which our Saviour commends to us from the importunity of the poor women, who would not cease troubling the unjust judge, till he had granted her request and done her justice: this also is that which the Apostle Paul means, when he saith, continue in prayer, Colos. 4.2. to wit, that men should be importunate with God in prayer, 
Coloss. 4.2.  and if any man think it ill manners to be solicitous in pressing God by prayer, Gregory tells him, it is a good violence, and affects God, who loves that his servants should take the Kingdom of heaven by force. Further, there be two other things to be observed in our prayers; First, We must aim at the glory of God in all the prayers we make: This our blessed Lord teacheth us in that absolute form of prayer, which he hath left us, the first petition whereof is, [hallowed by thy name.] The glory of God must be preferred before all things; yea, before the salvation of our souls, as we see in the examples of Moses and Paul, who chose rather to have their names razed out of God's book, then that he should lose his glory in the salvation of his people. Therefore when a man is in affliction, he ought to pray to God to deliver him, but for this end, that he may live to glorify him: This was the end of good Hezekiahs' request, when God sent him word by Isaiah that he had added fifteen years to his life, saith he, What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord? 
Isa. 38.22.  Isa. 38.22. as if he desired health upon no other condition, but that he might glorify God in his Sanctuary. Secondly, a man must so pray to God, that withal he use means to accomplish his desires: This is the advice of Solomon, Prov. 2.3.4.5. If thou criest after knowledge, 
Prov. 2 4.3.5.  and liftest up thy voice for understanding: if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid Treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God: There ye see that crying and calling, seeking and searching, must go together: and in vain dost thou pray to God, if thou follow not thy prayers with thy endeavours, for the attaining of that for which thou art a petitioner: as for example, thou prayest to be delivered from thy filthy excess, but unless thou strive to forsake it, thou wilt never be rid of that filthy vice: to do otherwise is to be like the man in the Apologue, who when his Cart stuck in the mire, prayed to Hercules for help, but never set to his shoulder to lift it out.  
If we lay the men of these days to this square, 
Use.  we shall find them to fall very short of what we have said; do the pray sensibly? Alas, when they pray, their hearts like Nabals, be as dead in them as stones. Secondly, do the pray fervently? alas no, for their prayers be even keycold. Thirdly, pray they constantly? O no, they desist and are soon weary, they would have God presently to hear them, but they will not stay his leisure. Fourthly, do they pray in faith? Alas, they have no promises to lay hold on. Again, do men aim at God's glory in their prayers? And do they use the means to accomplish their prayers? I am persuaded these be things scarce thought of, much less practised, but by a few: well, let us observe the true properties of supplication, and we shall find to our comfort, that he is a God hearing prayers, and if he please not to give us the very individual things which we beg of him, yet we shall have something that is as good or better for us, so as he shall be glorified and we comforted: So much for Ezra his first act. The second act performed by him is his confession, the Text saith, [when he had confessed.] Augustine saith, confession is twofold, confessio laudis, a confession of praise, and confessio fraudis, a confession of sin: First, there is confessio laudis, a confession of praise, such was that of our Saviour Christ, in Matth. 11.25. I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth, 
Matth. 11.25.  because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to babes. The second is, confessio fraudis, the confession of a man's sin, and this is either public or private: First, public, when the Minister goes before in confessing sin, and all the people follow after him; this is the custom of our and all reformed Churches. Secondly, there is a private confession, and that is of a particular man, and this is fourfold; First, when he confesses his sin to God, as did David, Psal. 32.5. saith he, 
Psal 32.5.  I confessed my sin unto the Lord, and my iniquity I have not hid. Secondly▪ when a man confesseth his sin to the whole Church, this was that which the incestuous Corinthian was driven unto. Thirdly, it is to the Minister in private, and such was that of the people to john Baptist, Matth. 3.6. It is said, 
Matth. 3.6.  they were baptised of him in jordan, confessing their sins: such also was that of David to Nathan, 2 Sam. 12.13. Lastly, 
2 Sam. 12.13.  it is to a man's neighbour or brother, as when a man that hath offended his brother goes and confesses his fault, desiring him to be reconciled to him. This is that which our blessed Saviour aims at, 
Matth. 5.24.25. jam. 5.16.  Matth. 5.24.25. and which S. james meaneth, jam. 5.16. Now for confession, whether public or private, first, it is that which is commanded: 
Numb 5 6.7.  Look into Numb. 5 7. See what God saith there, When a man or a woman shall commit any sin, and do a trespass against the Lord, and that person be guilty: then they shall confess their sin which they have done. Secondly, forgiveness is promised to those that do confess their sins, 
Prov. 28.13. 1 john 1.9.  Prov. 28.13. Whoso confesseth his sins shall have mercy. And in 1 john 1.9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all iniquity. Thirdly, we have examples of holy penitents going before us in this way; as David, Nehemiah, Daniel, the Prodigal, and those Converts in Acts 19.18. The Text saith, 
Acts 19.18.  They confessed, and shown their works: This confession standeth; First, in accusing ourselves for our sins in general: but more especially for our particular sins; thus did David, 2 Sam. 12. he accused himself for his adultery and murder: 
2 Sam 12.  and in like manner, Paul that chosen vessel accuses himself of being a blasphemer and a persecuter; yea, the chief of sinners, 1 Tim. 1.13.15. Secondly, 
1 Tim. 1.13.15.  it stands in a man's judging himself, when he passeth the sentence of condemnation against himself: Thus did David, he confesses that he had done wickedly, 
2 Sam. 24.17.  2 Sam. 24.17. and Daniel acknowledgeth that to him and his people belonged nothing but shame: This is to judge a man's self, which if men do, they shall save God a labour, for he that judgeth himself, shall eseape the judgement of the Lord.  
I desire you to practise this second act of Ezra; do not only pray unto God, 
Use.  but likewise confess your sins unto him; I do not charge on you that kind of confession which our Adversaries of the Church of Rome charge upon their people: they tie a man; First, to a particular enumeration and confession of all his sins to the Priest. Secondly, they say, if men do not particularly confess their sins, they cannot obtain pardon. But thirdly, if a man shall do so, than he deserves to be pardoned. But we are against them on these grounds. First, there is no precept in the Word of God, which commands a man to make a particular enumeration and confession of his sins to the Priest. Secondly, there is no promise to encourage us to do it Thirdly, there is no example for it in the whole Book of God. Nay, I will prove that without this particular enumeration of sins, remission hath been granted, as to the woman which was a sinner in the City, Christ pronounceth her pardoned without a particular enumeration of her sins, 
Luk. 7.48.  Luk. 7.48. and thus he pardoned Zaccheus, who only made a general confession of his sins, and obtained remission. Secondly, we oppose them herein on this ground, because they charge that on people which is impossible, for as David saith, Psal. 19.12. who can understand his faults? 
Psal. 19.12.  and yet he was better skilled in this kind of Arithmetic than any Romanist: and if he could not reckon his sins, no man else can. Our sins are as the sands upon the Seashore for multitude, which no mortal wight can number: And saith Solomon, the just man falls seven times a day, 
Prov. 24.16.  Prov. 24.16. Therefore it is impossible for any man to confess all his sins particularly. Thirdly, this is the wrack of the soul, for such a man goes away without any plenary remission of his sins; for if it be so, that he that means to obtain pardon must make a particular enumeration of all his sins, than it is certain that he must go away without remission, because it is impossible to confess all his sins particularly. Lastly, this is that which the primitive Christians knew not: it was a yoke too heavy for them to bear; and one of their own saith, Tertullian never knew any particular confession, but to the Church. Again, when it grew up in aftertimes, it was put down wisely; For when a Bishop of Constantinople perceived that a Priest under pretence of confession, did with Eli his Sons abuse a woman at the door of the sanctuary, he presently put it down. Again, they of Rome make it the picklock of Kingdoms, for by this particular confession, they unlock all the secrets of Princes I charge not this on people, but I wish them to acknowledge their sins in the presence of God: Neither is this so easy as most men think it to be, for since our fall we are so prone to conceal our sins, that if there be but one bush in Paradise, we will find it to hid ourselves in; but let us not hid our sins as Adam hide himself, but let us with the prodigal confess them, and that is the way to have them pardoned: But some will demand and say, how shall we confess our sins? To this I answer; First, we must confess them, with shame, thus did job, 
job 42.6.  job 42.6. I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes. And thus did the poor Publican, he confesseth that he was not worthy to lift up his eyes unto Heaven. Thus also did the woman which was a sinner in the City, she was so full of shame for her sins, that she dares not come before our Saviour, but comes behind his back as he sat at meat, and washed his feet with her tears. Secondly, we must do it ingenuously, it must not be extorted from us as it was from Achan, but we must willingly confess our iniquities. Thirdly, we must do it with sorrow and contrition of soul. Fourthly, with anger. Fifthly, with honest hearts, that is, with an assured purpose to leave our impieties: therefore it is said, 
Prov. 28.13.  Prov. 28.13. He that confesseth and forsaketh his sins, shall find mercy. Lastly, we must confess our sins fully; there must be no retaining, excusing or extenuating of sin, for God knows the depth of our deceitful hearts: ye know how it is with a beggar, if he have one soar worse than another, he will be suit to lay that open, that he may move passengers to commiseration; So we should not only confess our lesser, but our gross iniquities, which is the next way to have God merciful to us: Alas, what will it avail us to keep one Achan? when that one is enough to trouble a whole Host; what shall we gain by reserving one jonah, when that one will hazard the loss of the ship, and the lives of all them that sail in it? Let us therefore confess our sins according to the manner prescribed, and then we may be confident, that God will forgive our iniquities, and blot out all our offences. We come now to the manner of Ezra his confession, laid down in these words, [weeping, and casting himself down before the house of the lord] The first thing in it, is [his weeping] and this hath ever been an usual concomitant of prayer. 
Psal. 6.6.  See it in David, Psal. 6.6. I am weary with my groaning, all the night make I my bed to swim, and water my couch with my tears. Mark, he made his prayer to God, and tears went along with it. The like we see in the same Prophet, 
Psal. 42.3.  Psal. 42.3. My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? The like we see in the sinner in the City, 
Luk. 7.38.  Luk. 7.38. and we see it in Ezra in our Text, he not only prays but weeps. And there is great reason, why we should weep in regard of sin:  
Reason 1 First, because of the great good that sin deprives us of; we are apt to grieve for the loss of a father, a wife, or a child, but what great cause have we to mourn especially for our sins? though we lose our friends by death, yet we may meet them again in the Kingdom of Heaven, if we live and die in God's fear: but if we mourn not for sin, we shall never see the face of God to our comfort. Micha like a foolish Idolater wept for the loss of his carved image, judg. 17.23 shall he weep for the loss of that which was no God? 
judg. 17 23.  and shall not we mourn for sin, which deprives us of the true God?  
Reason 2 Secondly, we have reason to weep for sin, because of the miseries which it brings on the Sons of men: Such a thing is sin, that it not only exposes them to temporal judgements, but it makes them obnoxious to woes everlasting, even to hell fire, which is eternal: the afflictions which befall men here, be not universal; though a man be pained in divers parts of his body, yet he is never pained all over, still he hath ease in some part or other; but in Hell men are pained in every part: Again, while we are here, our torment may be mitigated, as if a man have a swelling in any part of his body, by applying a fomentation to it, he may have ease; or if he be lame, he may be led; but if once he be in Hell, he shall not have so much as one drop of water to cool his tongue; There is no mitigation of pain in that place of horror, where their pains be easeless, endless, remediless, where is nothing but weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth, to all eternity. Therefore we have good cause to shed tears; yea, many tears for our sins, both in regard of the good we lose by them, as also the miseries they bring upon us. But me thinks I hear some say, are tears necessarily required of all those that truly repent? I answer no, for there be some constitutions which afford no tears; (I have read a story of one that ever laughed) and though such persons cannot burst into tears for sin, yet they may inwardly as truly mourn for sin, as he that sheds rivers of tears. Secondly, though a man be apt to tears, yet the affliction may be such, that a man cannot weep: I read of one that could not but weep when his friend went to be executed, but when his two Sons went the same way, his sorrow was so great, that he could not shed a tear: Great sorrows stupefy men, so that they be as full vessels, which will not run. Thirdly, we read in the Scripture, as of tears without repentance, as in Esau, 
Gen. 27.38.  Genes. 27.38. He shed many tears, but left not his profaneness: So in Mal. 2.13. we read of some, 
Mal. 2.13.  that covered the Altar of the Lord with tears: yet at the same time they were impenitent; So also of repentance without tears, 
Luk. 18.13.  as in Luk. 18.13. we read not of a tear that the poor Publican shed, only he smote his hand on his breast, saying, O God, be merciful to me a sinner: yet he went away justified: 
Acts 2.  And in Acts 2. we read that the new Converts were pricked in their hearts, but not of any tears that fell from their eyes: and the Thief upon the Cross was a true penitent, for he went to Heaven, but we hear not of a tear which he shed: but withal give me leave to tell you, if any be apt to tears, at first or last God touches their hearts to weep for their sins. Secondly, if any can weep for the loss of wife, children, or any other worldly thing, and not for their transgressions, they may question, whether ever their repentance were sound or no. Lastly, if a man can weep for his sins, no soul receives such satisfaction, as that soul doth.  
It should exhort us to weep and mourn for our sins: 
Use.  We spend tears in abundance for these secular things, but we should spare them there, and spend them here; Is it not a foolery to wash a Stable with sweet water? Thy tears be the sweetest water in the world, therefore spend them on thy sins, I am sure thou canst not spend them better: but as it is in the times of solemnity, when the Bells ring, all the clocks be tied up: So I fear it is now adays, for such is the jovisance of men, that they forget to weep for sin; but if they would call their ways to remembrance, they would be sorry and weep, whilst others sing and rejoice: Every of us have cause to weep, for not a Mother's Son of us, but hath brought the fuel of sin to kindle God's wrath among us by sending the Pestilence to destroy us, and it is better to weep here, then hereafter. The second thing in the manner is, [he cast himself down, before the house of the lord] This hath been the custom of God's people, the more to testify their sorrow: We find many expressions of sorrow in the Scripture, as fasting, weeping, rending the garment, putting on sackcloth, sprinkling ashes on their heads, knocking the breast, striking the thigh, and this in our Text, which is casting a man's self down before the house of the Lord: Thus did joshua, he fell to the earth on his face, before the Ark of the Lord, 
Iosh. ●. 6.  Iosh. 7. 6. That which I gather from hence is this Observation.  
Where repentance is true inward, it will put itself outward. Where repentance is sincere, it will not only alter a man's judgement, to make him with Paul to think himself the worst of sinners: Secondly, it will not only so humble him inwardly, that he will not care for the revile of wicked men, as we see in David when Shimei railed on him; but as it will have this inward effect, so it will have outward effects also; it will make him fast, and weep, and smite the breast: it will force him to abstain from those delights, which otherwise he might lawfully take: Nay, it will turn every thing to him into sorrow; when another man laughs, he will mourn to see him laugh, and holy Bradford the Martyr cannot sit at his meat, but tears trickle down his cheeks: and it is impossible, but where repentance is true within, but that it should show itself without.  
Those that find not this in themselves, 
Use.  may suspect their repentance: I would not have men to use external expressions of repentance, on purpose to be seen of men, for repentance ill becomes a Stage; it is said of Peter, that he went out and wept bitterly; it seems he regarded not whether any man saw him, so God took knowledge of him: and as a Father saith truly, oculi virorum basilisci sunt operum bonorum, the eyes of men are the basilisks of good works. Our blessed Saviour would have a man anoint his head And wash his face when he fasted, that he might not appear unto men to fast, but unto God: it is a part of jehu his humour, to do good works to be seen of men, but God's child as he uses outward expressions of repenting, so these proceed from inward sanctification. [He cast himself down before the house of the lord] Why so? it was the more to stir him up to humiliation: he seems to say, What? shall thy people enjoy the privileges of thy house? and shall they thus irritate and provoke thee? thus the servants of God have been conversant in those courses which might make their prayers most fervent: 
Dan. 6.10.  it is said of Daniel, Dan. 6.10. that he prayed thrice a day, and when he prayed, he opened his window toward Jerusalem, which was, instar flabelli devotioni, as a pair of bellows to blow up his devotion: and this is a strain of Solomon's prayer, 
1 King. 8.44.  1 Kings 8.44. If thy people go out to battle against their enemies whithersoever thou shalt send them, and shall pray unto the Lord, toward the house that I have built for thy name; then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause: 
Psal. 5.7.  and David saith, Psal. 5.7. In thy fear will I worship toward thine holy Temple: all this was but to inflame the affections of these holy men in that religious duty.   

Sermon VI.  EZRA 10. the last words of the first Verse. 
There assembled to him out of Israel a very great Congregation of men, and women, and children; for the people wept very sore.  
WE come now to the first fruit of Ezra his humiliation, and that is the convening of a great Congregation to him; before that he had humbled himself, as we have heard, we find not that any took it to heart, although their sins occasioned it; but this compassion of his, made them congregate, and weep very sore; so that Ezra hath here the glory of being an example of goodness to others; and it is as great a glory as can be in this life, for a man to go before others in well doing: it was so here with Ezra, he gins, and the rest follow: What a glory was it to Abraham, that among all the men in the world he should be called the friend of God? What a glory was it to Sarah that she, above all other women, should be called the mother of believing women? What a glory was it to Solomon, that he should be the first man that should build a Temple to God? What a glory was it to Hezekiah, that he should be made choice of to restore the Passeover, which for so long a time had been intermitted? What a glory was it to David, that he led the people into the house of God, with the voice of singing and praise? 
Psal. 42.4.  42 Psal. 4. It is a great commendation which Saint Paul gives to Epenetus, 16 Rom. 5. he calls him, 
Rom. 16.5.  the first fruits of Achaia unto Christ. Ye know, the first fruits were ever best pleasing to God, and surely, for a man to be the first in a Country, which shall give up his name to Christ, it must needs be a very great honour; chrysostom saith on that place, if it be such a matter to be great in the world, what is it then, to be eminent for Piety? Nay, saith he, this good man was not only the first fruits of Achaia, but he was a door or entrance to all that believed in that place: so it was a great glory to Mary Magdalene, that our Blessed Saviour would vouchsafe to appear to her first after his Resurrection: and it was no less glory to the people of Antioch, that they above all others should be first called Christians; it was no small honour to the Thessalonians, which Paul testifieth of them, in the 1 Thess. 1.7. that they were ensamples to all that believed in Macedonia and Achaia; 
1 Thess. 1 7.  and he saith as much to the honour of the Corinthians, 
2 Cor. 9 2.  2 Cor. 9.2. that their zeal had provoked very many.  
It is to stir us all up to this holy pride, to be the first in good actions: He that did first invent Printing, his Name will be famous to the end of the world: so now, to be the first that believes in a Town, to be the first that puts a good law in execution, to lay the first stone in a Pious work, this is no small, but a very great honour: but on the other side, what a shame is it for a man to be the first that shall break a good Law, to be the first that shall invent a new fashion, to be the first in inventing wicked games, and new ways of drinking? nay, there have been those that have invented new pleasures, as Sardanapalus; and new torments, as in the Primitive times, the first experiment whereof, was made upon the poor Christians; and in the Rom. 1.30. among the catalogue of sins and sinners there spoken of, 
Rom. 1.30.  ye shall find inventors of evil things, to be of the number: O it is an evil thing to be such, and yet we have such as these in these times; what strange oaths are coined and devised now adays? they are such, as I fear once to name them: what strange fashions are invented by others? such as our Forefathers never knew nor saw: what strange ways of drinking have the sons of Belial devised? by the yard, by the die, by the dozen, by the score: nay, what beginners of strange opinions have we amongst us? and what strange kinds of cheats are there in the world? they are such, as no wariness of Laws can take hold of the Authors: we wonder at new diseases that come amongst us every year, but we may cease to wonder, when we consider what new sins be every day committed: therefore God sends strange diseases amongst us, because we are guilty of new impieties: in the Name of God, let us affect being first in well-doing; but let us not so much as move to be the last in evil: I will not excuse him that follows an ill example, but his judgement shall be greatest, that gave an ill example, that digged the pit for another to fall into; for our Saviour hath said it, Woe be unto him by whom the offence comes. But will some say, I could be content to follow any in a good way or work, but I would feign have others show me the way: To whom I answer, that if Noah had stood upon this, he had never built the Ark; and if Nehemiah had stood on this, the walls of Jerusalem had not been rebuilt: had the Leper in the Gospel stood on this, he had never returned to give thanks, for ten were cleansed, only one returned to give our Saviour thanks: so if the Samaritan had stood on this, the poor man that lay by the highway side half dead, had died outright: how can the Kingdom of heaven suffer violence, if men strive not to go before each other in goodness? We say, he is an ill horse that will not lead the way, but only follow; and I will not give a button for that Christian, that will do no more than he sees others do: How do ye in your affairs in the world? if a commodity come from beyond the Seas, of which you stand in need, do you stay till others bid money for it? no, but with all speed, ye get it into your own hands, and shall there be such a moderation in spiritual things? well, take heed of this, else that may befall you, which befell the Scribes and Pharisees, Publicans and Harlots will go before you into heaven: be persuaded then to be the first in good actions, and when thou art in a good way, keep in it; for unless thou persesevere in well-doing, it will avail thee nothing, that thou wert once good: it did Judas no good at all to be of the twelve, when once he fell away; and it shall not do man any good, to lay a good foundation, if he build not a good structure upon it; for to begin in the spirit, and to end in the flesh, to set out good Wine at the first, and then that which is worse, is the Devil's banquet, and no other. Further, as Ezra had the honour to be an example to others in goodness, so now see the effect of it, [a great company of men, women and children assembled together.] And why so? Doubtless for no other cause, but to humble themselves, as he had done: So efficacious and powerful is the example of goodness in great ones: see it in Joshua, when he protesteth, that he and his house will serve the Lord, the people presently say, that they also will serve the Lord. Josh. 24.15.18. the like we see in Nehemiah, 
Josh. 24.15.18  he no sooner shown himself willing to re-edify the walls of Jerusalem, but all the people set their heart and hand to the work: we see the same in the King of Nineveh, as soon as he put on sackcloth, all his Subjects did the like: it is said of Augustus, that in his time Rome was full of Scholars, because he affected Learning: in the time of Commodus, it was full of Fencers, because he loved that exercise; and in Nero his time, it was full of Musicians, for he took great delight in Music: thus that old verse is verified, Regis ad exemplum totus componitur orbis, all men compose their manners to his who is their Governor; the truth is, the example of great ones, is the Loadstone, which draws inferiors after it; that is the Compass, by which most men sail: and as it is so with those who be great in the State, so with those which are eminent in the Church, their Godliness draws many to goodness: how admirable is that which Nazianzen reports of St. Basil, he saith, he thundered in his Preaching, and lightened in his conversation; he was like another John Baptist, who was a burning and shining light, 
Jo●n 5.35.  Joh. 5.35. he burned in himself by sincerity, and shined to others by a godly conversation: and what was the effect of this? we find in the same verse, that all men rejoiced in his light: thus it was with Ezra, in our Text, he weeps and mourns, and that so works upon the people, that they are presently moved to do the same.  
Use 1 It shall be to all great ones in the world: let them that be high in the State labour to be good, for they be in oculo mundi, in the eye of the world, and if they be not godly, their failings be taken notice of more than others, and though their offences be but small, yet they hurt much by reason of their example: a Wem in the back, is not so much as a Wart in the face, because the one is hid, but the other is obvious to all beholders; and a private man's sin is nothing so great as the sin of a public person, for the errors of great men are observed strangely: as ye see it is with the Sun, when it is not eclipsed, few look upon it, but when it is in an Eclipse, all men's eyes almost are fixed upon it: so it is with the sins of eminent persons, their failings, though small, run into the observation of many, when as great sins of private men are scarce taken notice of. Neither is this all, but by this means other men are heartened on in sin, for inferiors take a liberty to sin, when they see their superiors do the same; ipsi non solum corrumpuntur, sed alios corrumpunt, they are not only corrupted themselves, but they corrupt others by their evil example; they poison many by their vicious life, which is as a canker that frets, and as a gangrene that corrupts, and they do not more hurt by their sin, then by their example.  
Use 2 In the second place, let it be a Use to those who are eminent in the Church, such as Ezra was▪ let them not only Preach, but live well; for if Aaron shall have his bells, but not his Pomegranates, he may sound well, but he will sent ill: if a Physician shall prescribe that Physic to another in the same disease with himself, to recover him, and yet will refuse to use it himself, what can men say less, then that he is an enemy to his own health? and when Ministers shall Preach that to others, which themselves will not practise, is the next way for them to be castaways: neither is this all, but by an ill life they infect many; it is said of Saint Paul, 
Gal. 2.11.14.  Gal. 2.11.14. that when he came to Antioch, he withstood Peter to the face, because he had compelled the Gentiles to live as the Jews: we must not think, that Peter used any violence to constrain them, but they took boldness by his example, and therefore as Paul saith there, he was to be blamed. Let all such therefore be exhorted, not to bind heavy burdens upon others, which themselves will not touch with one of their fingers; if they do, I know it will be laid unto them, Medice cura teipsum, Physician heal thyself▪ and for you that be the people, not to leave you without an admonition, it will advantage you nothing to say, that your Governors and Ministers have been bad, and therefore you are no better, but remember what our Lord and Master saith, Do what they say, not as they do: therefore, when you have holy Precepts and Patterns, make conscience to follow them: but if neither of these will prevail with you, judge whose fault it is, if ye fail, and fall short of your Salvation, [there assembled a very great company of men, women and children, for the people wept sore:] the sin was great and general, therefore all assembled, that they might be humbled together: the point of Doctrine which ariseth hence is this.  
Where the sin is general and epidemical, good reason that all should be joined together in humiliatition: in the 1 Sam. 7.6. the people had committed a great sin, 
1 Sam. 7 6.  therefore they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the Lord, and fasted on that day, and said, We have sinned against the Lord: they were conscious to themselves, that all had sinned, therefore they were all humbled: 
Neh. 9.1, 2.  the like we see in Neh. 9.1, 2. it is said, All the children of Israel assembled with fasting and sackcloth, and earth upon them, and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their Fathers: and Joel calls for this, 
Joel 1.14. Joel 2.15, 16,  Joel 1.14. and 2.15, 16. and this is that which Solomon prescribes as a general receipt, in time of affliction, 
1 King. 31.39.  1 Kings 8.38, saith he, What prayer or supplication soever be made by any men, or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hand toward this House▪ then hear thou in Heaven, thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways.  
When we shall see that the sins of the times do overflow, 
Use  and be grown up to heaven, as at this time they are; it shall be fit, though a public humiliation be not prescribed by Authority, to make our humiliation general by every man's sorrowing for his own sins. (Beloved) were it not for some faithful Moses that intercedes for us, this ground would not bear us; but as for the ten thousands of Israel, they are so fare from humiliation, that as God complains, 
Isa. 22.12, 13.  Isa. 22.12, 13. When he called to weeping and mourning, to baldness and to girding with sackcloth: they would admit of nothing but joy and gladness, slaying Oxen, and kill Sheep, eating flesh, and drinking Wine, saying, Let us eat and drink, for to morrow we shall die. Which of us is there, but must needs confess, that our sins deserve the wrath of God▪ Shall we all cry guilty? and shall we not all be humble? It is fearful; The Court complains of the City, and the City of the Court, and the Country of both, when as all are in fault: O say they in the City, Those of the Court are so horribly wicked that we are all like to smart for their profaneness: and saith the Court, Such is the cheating of the Citizens, that they will draw down judgements upon us all: thus one accuses another, but in the mean time, who smites his hand on his breast, and saith, What have I done? Well, every man must have a hand in the general humiliation, because all have been guilty of provoking God to indignation; therefore he that excepts himself, deceives himself: Great judgements are now upon us, and greater are feared and expected, because deserved; therefore let us humble ourselves in the presence of Almighty God, that those judgements which are feared, may be recalled, and those which lie heavy upon us, may be removed from us. But mark the particular numeration which die Spirit of God mak●s, [men, women, children.] First men, and good reason men should lead the dance, and go before the rest in a good way: Abraham went first out of his Country, and Sarah followed him: it is said of Elkanah, That he went out of his City yearly to worship, and to sacrifice to the Lord in Shiloh, and be carried his two wives with him. Men should lead the way to their Wives, for it is a shame unto men, that women should excel them in goodness: it was so with the wife of Phinehas, 
1 Sam. 4.21.  1 Sam. 4.21. she was a gracious woman, but he was a son of Belial: so it was also with Abigail, she was a virtuous woman, but Nabal her husband was wicked: nay, if a man be good, yet if he be exceeded by his wife, it is a shame to him; Manoah the father of Samson, was a good man, but if we mark what is recorded of his wife and him, we will say, that his wife was the better of the two: out of doubt, the Shunamite was a good man, but of the two, his wife was the better, for she gave him counsel to make that good provision for the man of God, 2 Kings 4.9, 10. and in the time that our Saviour was on the earth, 
2 King. 4.9, 10.  there were divers women famous for goodness: I press it no further than thus; you that are men, I confess, you have more honour put upon you, than women have, and I know, you are apt enough to arrogate as much to yourselves; but take heed that whilst you go before them in honour, that they prevent you not in the best things; if it shall be so, I say no more, and I cannot say less to you, than Jacob said to Reuben, Your dignity is gone. the second sort of people spoken of, are [Women,] and indeed the service of God is charged upon them, as well as upon men, as in the 1. Tim. 2.10.15. 1 Pet. 3, 4. and they ought to join in humiliation, as well as men: 
1 Tim. 3 10, 15. 1 Pet. 3.4.  nay mark in the 2. of Joel; The Bride is charged to come out of her bride-chamber, to mourn; 
Joel 2.  she that might plead most exemption, is not excepted: And when the King of Nineveh made that Edict, that all should fast, it were a fond thing to think, that women were excluded: 
Isa. 32.12.  in Isa. 32. 11. the Spirit of God saith, Tremble ye women that are at ease, be troubled ye careless women: strip ye, and make ye bare, and gird sackcloth on your loins: so that it is charged on that sex, to be humbled, as well as upon men; and ye must know, that the sins of women draw on judgements, as well as the sins of men: in Jerem. 7.18. The women's making cakes to the queen of heaven, 
Jere. 7.28.  did provoke God to anger, and hastened his judgements upon the land: and the daughters of men drew on the deluge, as well as the sons of God: It were a poor thing to think, that God hated the perjuries of Troy, and loved the perjuries of Rome, that he hated the sins of men, and loved the sins of women; this cannot be imagined of him, who is a God of pure eyes, and hates sin, wheresoever he finds it.  
Let me press that which hath been said upon you of that Sex, 
Use  that ye may humble yourselves for your sins: there is much cause for it, as your vanity in apparel, your going beyond your means and calling, your negligence in God's Service, your idolising your children, your froward behaviour to your husbands; these and many more sins whereof you are guilty, call for your repentance and tears: and let not the fairest of you all fear that the shedding a few tears will spoil your beauty, but if you should chance to hurt your faces by weeping, I am sure you would do good to your souls: I read in the Ecclesiastical Story of one Pambus, who seeing a woman dress herself curiously and lasciviously, he could not forbear weeping, and being demanded the reason, he gave two reasons for it, first, that he was not so careful for his soul as she was for her tiring; secondly, that she wept not for her sins, which drew tears from his eyes: and shall others weep for the sins of women, and not they for their own sins? in the name of God humble yourselves in his presence, that when he sees you poor in spirit he may exalt you. Thirdly, [The children came,] What? the children join in humiliation? Yes, why not? for God was offended, and they had reason to be humbled for it. Secondly, though they were not actors in sin, yet they were guilty of Adam's transgression. Thirdly, they could not excuse themselves, for besides their original sin, they had committed many actual sins; for I suppose none came to this assembly, but such as were of some understanding, and such, though little ones, are proud and wanting in duty to parents, and love to brethren; and such will speak wickedly and falsely, before they can talk perfectly: there have been excellent virtues found in little ones; Samuel, when he was a child, ministered before the Lord; and in the time of our Blessed Saviour, the children cried, Hosanna to the King of Israel: I therefore direct my speech to little ones, let sin be detested by you in your younger years, learn the trade of fearing and serving God, when you are young, and it will never be forgotten as long as you live. The second thing set down in this verse is, [that the people wept very sore.] What was the reason? the Reason shall be the Observation.  
Great sins must have a great measure of sorrow. In Psal. 6.6. David having committed great sins, 
Psal. 6.6.  made his bed to swim, and watered his couch with his tears: Nay, he made them not only his Physic, but his meat, 
●sa●. 42.3.  Psal. 42.3. My tears have been my meat day and night: it was thus with Peter, he had committed a foul sin, in denying his Lord and Master, therefore he went out and wept, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, bitterly: it was so with Mary Magdalene, she was a great sinner, therefore she shed many tears: and the incestuous Corinthian grieved sore for his foul sin: the Church saith in the Lamentations, Mine eyes drop down daily; the tears stood still in her eyes, and trickled down her cheeks in great abundance, because she knew herself guilty of many sins: This is that which Cyprian subscribeth to, saith he, as we are sensible of great sins, which we commit, so let us spend tears in abundance for them.  
It is to censure the slightness of sorrow which men bestow upon their sins, 
Use  though great and grievous: but if the heart be a daily fountain of sin, as sure I am it is, I know no reason, but our eyes should be Rivers of tears: seeing we have deserved to be in that place, where is nothing but weeping and wailing, there is good cause we should weep here for our sins, that we may avoid those eternal flames; Nay, though God have pardoned our sins, yet let us remember them with grief and sorrow, that we may be the more humbled for them: ye lay your flesh in brine, to keep it from putrefying; and there is no better way in the world to humble us, then to call to mind our former iniquities: Ye say, much rain makes the highways foul, and so it is▪ but the more tears we shed, the cleaner will our souls be; for repentant tears cleanse better than either Soap or Nitre. To conclude this verse, all the people saw Ezra mourn, therefore they weep with him: from whence I collect thus much;  
Sin must have sorrow at one time or other: saith the Wiseman, 
Prov. 29.6.  Prov. 29.6. In the transgression of an evil man, there is a snare: and the truth is, in the commission of every sin, a ground is laid for sorrow; nay, let me tell you, the sweeter sins have been to men, the soarer shall be the remembrance of them, when God sets them before their eyes. 
Job 13.26.  See it in Job, 13.26 Thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me possess the iniquities of my youth. The sins committed in youth, men account the sweetest sins, and yet the remembrance of these was most grievous to job. We see the same in David, when he had committed that sweet sin, as men call it, and had lain nine Months in it, at last he calls it to remembrance, and it brought him so much grief, that he thought he had lost the favour of God, and therefore he saith, Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation. But it will be said, we find it not always thus, for there are some that sin, and never have sorrow in all their lives, but die in peace: I will suppose this, but yet the Doctrine is true, for I say, sin must have sorrow at one time or other, and if such men have not sorrow here, to be sure, they shall have it hereafter.  
Harken to this you Epicures of the World, you that swallow down sin, as the fish doth water, who strain neither at Gnats nor Camels, but spend your time in eating and drinking, in singing and dancing; the time is coming, when you shall mourn while others laugh; therefore think on sin now, that you may sorrow for it, before it be too late; hic mordeant, ne in aeternum excrucient, let thy sins by't thee here, lest they torment thee for ever hereafter: tears will do thee good now, but if once a man be over the threshold of this life, though then he would weep a whole Ocean of Tears, they would do him no good.   

Sermon VII.  EZRA 10.2. 
Then Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, etc.  
BEfore we fall upon this verse, we 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 fruit 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 john Baptist, 
Matth. 11.7.  Matth. 11.7. What went ye out into the wilderness to see? a reed shaken with the wind? as if the shaking of a feather, would bring the multitude together: 
Acts 19.29.32.  and in Acts 19.29.32. we find 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 people's humiliation. So great is the comfort of this kind, that there cannot be a greater. I do not think, but at this very time, the tears stood in Ezra his eyes, yet when he saw tears distil from the people's eyes, it made him glad at the heart: do you not think it was a great comfort to Nathan, to see David so penitent, when he came from God, to detect and reprove him for his adultery & murder? Mark what the Baptist saith, 
Joh 3.29.  John 3.29. the friend of the Bridegroom which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly, because of the Bride grooms voice: the meaning whereof is this, That it is the joy of God's Ministers, when the voice of Christ our Bridegroom is accepted: See this in Paul, how great was his joy for the good success of his Ministry? 
Rom. 1.8.  in Rom. 1 8. there he saith, I thank 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 pains among the Romans, 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 me? he knew that by that means the old leaven was purged out of them, which must needs make him rejoice: 
2 Cor. 2.14.  and in the 14. Verse of the same Chapter, he saith, Thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the favour of his knowledge by us in every place: He thought it worthy Thanksgiving, that he had not laboured in vain: the like we see 2 Thess. 2.19. 
2 Thess 2.19.  What is our Hope, or joy, or Crown of Rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord jesus Christ, at his camming? Yes, you are our glory and joy: and in the 13. Verse, 
Vers. 13.  he saith, for this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because when ye received the Word of God, which ye heard of us, ye 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 believe: so in 2 Cor. 3.7. We were comforted over you brethren, 
2 Cor 3.7, 9  in all our affliction and distress, by your faith: and in the nineth Verse, he saith, What thanks can we 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 success 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 Ministry: and to Philemon, he 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 Ecclesiastical story, when he was to die 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 unbelievers in that place; such a blessing had God given to his endeavours. And for the further proof of this point, the truth of it will best appear 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 grief was it to Isaiah; that he had laboured in vain, and spent his strength for nothing, Isa. 
Isa. 49.4  49.4. and Jeremiah was so grieved that his labours were ineffectual, 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 hear 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 bitterness of my Spirit, but the hand of the Lord was strong upon me: as if he 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: he found that he had been unsuccessful among his own people, and therefore despaired of doing good among the Ninevites: and to speak the truth, although I know our reward shall be as great as theirs who have won many souls, if we be faithful in the discharge of our duty; yet when the Minister shall pipe, and the people will not dance, when he shall sow 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 joys to see his Children prosper and do well, so doth the Master, to see his servant thrive, the nurse her Child, the Shepherd his flock, and the Minister is a man as well as the rest, therefore he desires that the people committed to his charge, should thrive and prosper in grace and goodness: Reason 1 and there is great reason for it; first, because when men grow in grace, under a man's Ministry, it makes much for the glory of God, which every Minister is to prefer before the salvation of his own soul, as we see in the examples of Moses and Paul. Reason 2 Secondly, when he sees this, he hath an assurance of his calling, than he may say as Paul, 1 Cor. 9.2. 
1 Cor. 9.2.  Ye are the seal of mine Apostleship in the Lord. Reason 3 Thirdly, he that converts men, wins souls to God, and saves them from destruction, and that is more than to win a World, for one soul is worth more than the Universe. Reason 4 Lastly, such a man knows, that hereby he fits himself for a Crown, as in Dan. 12.3. 
Dan. 12.3.  They that turn many to righteousness, shall shine as the Stars for ever and ever.  
Use 1 I shall ever desire it for myself, and all those which be called to the Altar, that God would ever keep it in the purpose of our hearts, not so much to look after the fatness and fleece of our flocks, as after their proficiency in goodness, and this must be laboured after by preaching sound and faithfully: and this is done when he endeavours to bring tears from their eyes, rather than to please their ears: 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.  
Use 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 courtesy, nor your kind entertainment, neither your liberality to us, which pleaseth us half so well, as to find the seal of our Ministry upon you, in your godly walking: I therefore say unto you as St. Paul to the Philipians; fulfil ye our joy, by obeying the truth which we deliver: ye cannot more honour us than in this, and this will make way for your eternal salvation. A second thing I note is this; as God gave Ezra a great deal of comfort, so he adds to his comfort in this, that by his humiliation he wrought not only on the base sort of people, but on great persons, such as were eminent among the Jews: which being so (as appears 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 soul, Kings shall see and arise. As if God should have said, I will so bless thy labours, that thou shalt convert Kings unto me; and this was no small comfort to the Prophet. And if Jonah had been 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 rejoice in Sergius Paulus the Governor, 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 turn 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 scandal and imputation from Religion; for it is the common saying of wicked men, that none but a company of poor persons look after Religion: Mark what the Pharisees said (when their Officers, sent to apprehend our Saviour, came without him) Do any of the Ruers believe in him? but this people which know not the Law are cursed. Joh. 7.48.49. But yet they spoke untrue in that; 
John 7.48, 49. John 12.42.  for Joh. 12. 42. Even among the chief Rulers many believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess 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 evil 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 Satan's snare, they that were the instruments have matter of great rejoicing. Reason 3 Lastly, Ministers know that if great persons be won to God, they will win others by their example. so powerful is the example of great ones to inferiors.  
It should teach the Ministers of the word, like Ezra, to labour the conversion of great and eminent persons, and to do 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 rouse them up by sharp reproofs, that they may be drawn out of the snare of the Devil, and be saved: for whilst Ministers shall dawb with untempered Mortar, and sow pillows under their elbows, by singing placentia, pleasing things unto them, who deserve to be reproved; they are so fare from working on them to conversion, that they more and more harden them in their sins.  
Use 2 Secondly, I would desire those that be great, so far to gratify 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 Emperor thanked God more, quòd Christianus crat, that he was a Christian, quam caput imperii; than for being an Emperor: and though St. Paul could have boasted of many external privileges, yet he accounts it his chiefest honour, to style himself servus Jesus Christi, the servant of Jesus Christ: and Judas that stood in a near relation to our blessed Lord, puts this first in his Epistle, Judas a servant of Jesus Christ. And to say the truth, such as these be Excelsi, these, and these only be the stately ones. And you who are the people, I would have you rejoice at the conversion of great men, and to pray to God daily 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 success which God gave to Ezra, was so much the more, because he dealt roundly with the people; for the Prayer he made was very tart and invective against them, it touched them to the quick, by discovering their gross sins: some hot spirits, if they had been present, would have replied, 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 fare from hating him that reproves him, that he is sorry for that, for which he is reproved, 
Prov. 9.8.  Solomon Saith, Prov. 9.8. Rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee: And it is thought, that David loved Nathan better after he had reproved him, than he did before: In john 4. it is apparent, 
John 4.  that after our Saviour had touched the woman of Samaria home, she became very full of respect towards him, whereas before, she had answered him saucily; and in Acts 2.37. 
Acts 2.37.  those men that said the Apostles were full of new Wine, as soon as their hearts were pricked, they gave much respect unto them, saying, Men and brethren, what shall we do? so in the 1 Cor. 14.24.25. saith the Apostle there, 
1 Cor. 14.24.25  If all prophecy, and there come in one that believeth not, or unlearned, he 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 down 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 thinks, when he is reproved by the Minister, that he comes not in his own name, nor upon his own, but God's errand; and therefore he takes the reproof well: Reason 2 Secondly, he knows that God loves him, because he reproves him, Revel. 3.19. and yet it is an evidence of God's hatred sometimes, when he 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 Whoredom, nor your Spouses, when they commit adultery. Reason 3 Thirdly, the Lord smites the penitent soul with such a sense of his own unworthiness, that he will endure any thing that is spoken against him. Use 1 Among many signs of a good heart, this is one, to endure a quick and reproving Ministry: I fear there be but few of this gracious disposition now adays, for the most of men cannot brook a tart Minister, nay, they rise against such, as the Sodomites did against Lot, saying, He came to sojourn with us, and shall he 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 seem to love such a Minister, yet in his heart he hates him; Herodias hates John at the heart, because he met with dilectum delictum, her darling sin. But let such a one know, whosoever he or she be, that there cannot be a more evident sign of a desperate estate, than this; David had committed two great sins, adultery, and murder, but because he 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.  
Use 2 Secondly, let us all labour for a meek spirit, than which nothing pleaseth God better; let us be as the good corn, which when it is fanned, falls at the feet of him that fans it; and let us pray to God for such a Minister, as may tell us home of our sins; and let us thank God for such a one, when we have him: what would we give for a Chirurgeon, who would not only skin, but heal our wound? And when the Minister shall be plainest with thee, and touch thee most to the quick, find nor fault with him, but with thyself: Not he that soothes men up in their sins, but he that pricks them to the heart, is the only spiritual Physician to be valued. We proceed now to the second verse, which hath two parts, First, the person speaking, [Shecaniah:] Secondly, his speech, [we have sinned against our God, etc.] I begin with the party speaking, which is Shecaniah; Ezra had done his part; and lo 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 fight in the valley, Israel is like to prevail against Amalek: and when Deborah and Barak join together▪ they soon conquer the Midianites. Daniel, having undertaken a great business, he comes to his three Associates, desiring them to join with him in Prayer to God, and it pleased God to hear their Petition, and to reveal the King's dream unto him: Thus Nicodemus and Joseph join 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 join with them? On the contrary, if an ill business 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 Alehouse; a man that goes about to do good, may complain as David, that he is as a Pelican in the Desert, it shall be long enough ere any come to assist him: well it should be otherwise; let us therefore, as we tender God's honour, join together in promoting goodness; Pilate and Herod, though they were enemies to each other, yet they can agree to persecute the Lord of life: and though the Jesuits, and the secular Priests, be at daggers drawing amongst themselves, yet they can agree together to set Kingdoms in a combustion: and why should we be backward, nay, why should we not be forward, to help forward good Actions? Further, it may be observed, that this Shecaniah was a great man; surely, he was no less than a Magistrate, & if so, it yields us this observation.  
It is a happy thing, when the. Priest and Magistrate, the word and the sword, go hand in hand together: when Moses and Aaron kiss each other, when David the King, and Abiathar the Priest, when Joash the King, and Jehoiada the Priest, agree in the same thing, than it is a sign that sin & Satan will fall like lightning from heaven.  
It is to be lamented that these two go not together: we Ministers can go 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 sin abounds: we the Ministers of God complain of blasphemers, of unclean persons, and places where they haunt: we complain of unlawful gaming, and recreations; if the Magistrate followed this by his sword, it could not be that men should be 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 down of sin: but there will be no reformation till the word of Ezra, and the sword of Shecaniah go 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; he confesses that he and the people had trespassed against God: He blaunches not their sin, but saith, [We have trespassed against our God:] teaching us thus much for our instruction: That the penitent soul is moresevere against itself, than the most slanderous tongue in the world. There be three things in which a good Christian can never satisfy himself enough: the first is insufficient sorrow for his sins: the second is in the assurance of God's love in pardoning them: the third is in his obedience to God's Commandments: but it is quite otherwise with the wicked in all these; for first: he thinks he hath sorrowed enough, if he have shed a few tears for his sins: secondly, for the remission of his sins, and the assurance of God's favour, if you will take his own word for it, no man is surer of that than himself; and for a godly life, he is fare enough from that, for he is afraid of being too holy. But I pass by that, and fall upon another observation, which naturally springs from Shecaniah's words, and it is this.  
Above all other griefs, 
Doctr.  this to a good soul is the chiefest, that he hath offended God. See it in David, 
Psal. 51 4.  in Psalm 51.4. Against thee, thee only have I sinned. All the world knew that he had wronged Uriah and Bathsheba, and doubtless 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 sin against another, the Judge shall judge him; but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall entreat 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 Prodigal, he saith, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. It was not his penury and misery (which now lay heavy upon him) that grieved him so much, as the sin 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 he 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 repent of: but there is a godly sorrow, never to be sorrowed for. I deny not but shame and fear may make way for this, as the needle makes way for the thread; but yet at last God's 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 persuaded, he was so sorry that he had betrayed his Mr. that if he had had all the world, he would have given it to undo what he had done: and so I may sorrow for my sins; but yet if I find in myself such a disposition to the same sins, (that if occasion were offered, and men saw me not, and that I were sure to escape God's judgements) than I would commit them again, this is the Spirit of bondage, and not the Spirit of adoption: but on the contrary, if I find that I grieve above all things for offending God, this is not so much a fear to burn with the devil, as to displease my God, and this is a true filial fear. But I tender weak consciences, and therefore I will endeavour to give them satisfaction. 
Objection.  O say they, we fear to sin, but it is for fear 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 soul I say, God may work in it a hatred to sin, when as he discovers it not. Secondly, such a soul must labour to grieve and abstain from, and for sin, because it displeaseth God. But saith the poor soul, 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 child that loves his Father, will forbear to do what may displease him; and I make no doubt but God will so work in his children, that they shall abstain from sin, and weep for it; not only for fear 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 do, they will grieve and be severe against themselves, for neglecting so great expressions of bounty: such a one will 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.   

Sermon VIII.  EZRA 10. 
The latter part of the second Verse, and forwards.  
Yet now there is hope in Israch concerning this thing. Now therefore let us make a Covenant with our God.  
WE descend now to another fruit of Ezra his humiliation: Shecaniah confesseth the sin of the people, which was of the first magnitude, to wit, their joining themselves in marriage with Heathens; yet he despairs not of forgiveness from God, but saith, [Yet there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.] From whence I ground this Observation.  
The greatness of a sin, if there be repentance, 
Doctr.  is no impediment▪ to the forgiveness of it. So saith Shecaniah here, though we have committed a great trespass against our God by taking heathenish women to be our wives, yet there is hope in Israel even concerning this. I will take some pains in proving this point, because it may be of special use for tender consciences.  
Reason 1 First, it may appear to be true, by the charge that God gives men to repent, 
Isa. 1.16.  as in Isaiah 1.16. Wash you, make you clean, put away the evil of your do from before mine eyes, cease to do evil. So Jerem. 
Jer. 3.12.  3.12. Return thou back-sliding Israel, saith the Lord, and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you. The like we see in the new Testament, Matth. 
Matth. 3.2.  3.2. Repent ye, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand. 
Acts 17.30.  So in Acts 17.30. God now commandeth all men every where to repent. Now I reason thus, if God commands that men should repent of their sins, then surely there is pardon to be obtained upon repentance for the foulest sins: but God commands the greatest sinners to repent, therefore upon their repentance they shall be pardoned. Nay, we shall find in Scripture, that the Lord threatens to plague those that repent not: and saith Tertullian, God would never threaten the man that reputes not, if he meant not to pardon him upon his repentance. Nay, to add more weight to that reason, we may observe the encouragements which God affords sinners, thereby to move them to repent, which are so many arguments to assure them, that there is pardon for the greatest sins: as that in Isaiah 1.18. 
Isa. 2.13.  Though your sins be as-Scarlet, they shall he as white as Snow. The word there for Scarlet, in the original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in the Latin is iterare, a thing twice dipped: The Lord's meaning is this, though your sins be of a deep dye and tincture, yet my mercy shall expunge them, if ye repent: 
Mi●. 7.19.  and in Micah 7.9. it is said, He will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea: Now ye know the sea is of that vastness, that it will swallow up, not only Molehills, but the greatest mountains: and so it is with the mercy of God, it is so infinite and bottomless, that it shall pardon the grossest sinners, if they repent.  
Reason 2 The second Reason is drawn from the examples of those great sinners, on whom God hath showed mercy: our first Parents committed a most grievous sin, by which they overthrew all their posterity, (and though, some wanton wits question their salvation) yet we say God had mercy on them. Aaron committed a notorious sin against God in making a golden Calse for the Israelites to worship, (when their coming out of Egypt was not above a month old, and when his brother Moses was gone up into the Mount to receive the Law of God for them) it was a sin of a horrid representation, yet for that he found mercy and forgiveness. They were foul sins in which David was engaged, and sometimes they put him shrewdly to it, causing him to complain and say, They were a burden too heavy for him; yet, God be thanked, he had remission of them. A fouler sinner cannot be imagined than Manasseh was, who was an Idolater, a shedder of innocent blood in great abundance, one that made his son pass through the fire, and dealt with familiar spirits, yet there was hope in Israel for him, for upon his repentance he was received to mercy. Look upon Matthew and Zaccheus, they were Publicans; and Publicans in those days were notorious sinners: for in the Gospel ye shall find Publicans and sinners ranked together, yet two main, one's of these were converted. Shall I tell you of Peter, who denied, nay forswore his Lord and Master? yet he obtained mercy. Or shall I tell you of the woman which was a sinner in the City, out of whom was cast seven devils? yet Christ had mercy upon her, and forgave, her. Shall I tell you of Paul, who with his own tongue confesseth that he was a persecuter, a blasphemer, nay the chief of sinners? yet he obtained mercy & pardon. And when God would extend mercy to such a finner as he, what doth he but proclaim to the world that none should despair? Again, shall I tell you of the incestuous Corinthian, who was a notable sinner? yet upon his repentance he was absolved. Or shall I tell you of the Corinthians themselves, of whom some had been Idolaters, Adulterers, Covetous, Drunkards? yet they were washed, sanctified, and justified, when they had truly repent. Let us therefore be persuaded and assured, that every sin is remissible, if we can but repent.  
Reason 3 The third Reason is drawn from the attributes of God; First, from his power; there is no sin whatsoever, but he can forgive it, therefore the Prophet Micah saith, Micah. 7.18. Who is a God like unto thee, 
Mi●●. 7.18.  that pardoneth iniquity? he is not as man, who can pardon a few offences, but he can pardon all sins, as well the great as the small. Secondly, we may reason from the justice of God; saith the beloved Disciple, 1 Joh. 1.9. 
1. John 1.9.  If we confess our sins, he is faith full and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Thirdly, we may reason from the mercy of God; that bottomless Ocean which can never be exhausted and drawn dry; O the depth, the breadth, the length, the height of the mercy of God the depth of it is such, as it cannot be imagined, for it is infinite: and such is the breadth of it, that it reacheth over all the earth; and for the length of it, it is of a large extension, for it is everlasting, Psal. 117.2. 
Psal. 117.2.  and for the height of it, it is of such an altitude, that it reacheth above the clouds, Psal. 108.4. Again, 
Psal. 108.4.  if ye speak of the greatest gift that ever God bestowed on the world, it was this, he gave his Son Jesus Christ to die for sinners: and when our Saviour came into the World, he did converse with sinners, at which, though the Scribes and Pharisees snuffed, saying, He was a companion of Publicans and sinners, yet we must know, that he no more contracted pollution from them, than the Sun doth when it shines on a stinking dunghill, and yet some of those went into heaven before those learned Rabbis: And for the death of our Blessed Lord, which was the end of his coming, the efficacy of it was such, that it was not only of force to forgive pence, but talents: and it is the unanimous consent of all the holy Fathers, that no sin is unpardonable, if men do but repent; Tertullian saith, he that threatens sin, grants pardon to men upon their repentance: and saith Cyprian, It is impossible that the whole  offering of a contrite spirit should be repelled: and Saint Bernard saith, The plaster is bigger than the sore, and where sin abounded, grace hath much more abounded. Enough then hath been said for the proof of the point: I will only answer one Objection, and so I will come to apply it.  
Will some man say, 
Objection.  Is the greatness of the sin no impediment to the forgiveness of it? What say ye then to the sin against the holy Ghost? those that commit that, are never like to obtain pardon.  
I answer, 
Solution.  this is no impeachment to the truth, which I have delivered, for I said, and say again, If men do repent, though their sins were never so great, they shall be pardoned; but the sin against the holy Ghost admits of no repentance; therefore if ever thou didst sigh for sin, that was not the sin against the holy Ghost, for such as are guilty of chat transgression, are without all sorrow & remorse: and that sin is not irremissible, because God cannot pardon it, but because that wicked man cannot perform the condition which God requires of him, and that is Repentance: as it is with a Patient, who spits in the Physician's face, and throws away all good potions prescribed him for his recovery: of such a one we say, he is incurable; so we say of the sin against the holy Spirit, he that commits it, because he despites the Spirit of God, and because he repels grace, being offered him, therefore he becomes so obdurated in sin, that he cannot repent. So that notwithstanding this Objection, the truth of the point remains unshaken, that the greatness of a sin, if there be repentance, is no impediment to the remission of it.  
Use 1 It meets with the old and false position of the Novatian Heretics, who said, That men falling into sin after conversion, there was no place for their repentance: Cyprian calls the author of that Heresy, the enemy of God's Mercy, and the slayer of repentance: but they held not constant to this, for afterwards they said, There was no place for Repentance to him that sinned after Baptism: and not long after they came to mollify this also, saying, That a man might repent of small sins after Baptism, but if he fell into great transgressions, than there was a falling away utterly: but the Fathers of the Church did all fight against these, affirming, That although men committed great sins after Conversion, yet Repentance was ut tabula post naufragium, as a plank to carry men to land, after they had suffered shipwreck. Will ye hear some of their arguments? First, they bring that place in Hebr. 6.4. 
Hebr. 6.4.  where it is said, It is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, if they shall fall away, to renew them again to repentance. This place hath much troubled the learned, and for resolving it, some have said, impossible, impossible, is no more than difficile, hard or difficult: others say, that such persons could not repent after this life, which indeed is impossible; but the best exposition is, that the place is meant of the sin against the Holy Ghost; now whosoever commits that, despites the Spirit of grace, and so it comes about, that it is impossible he should be renewed again by repentance. The second Argument they bring is this, If God should forgive men gross sins, upon the breach of their Covenant, he should be mutable; Not so, for it is peremptory with God, that men should repent and be pardoned; when therefore God pardons a great sinner upon his repentance, he changes not, neither is there the least shadow of change in him, but the sinner is changed by repentance and amendment. Thirdly, say they, the recovery of great sinners is very questionable in Scripture; 
●●od. 32.  as Exod. 32. It is a matter very doubtful, whether God forgave the Israelites their sin of making a Calf: So Jonah 3.9. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, 
●●nah; ●  and turn from his fierce anger that we perish not? and Peter saith to Simon Magus, 
Acts 8 22.  Acts 8.22. Repent therefore of thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee. To which I answer, That which is chief meant in those places, is corporal judgements. Secondly, all those places tend to the aggravation of their sins, and not to shut the door of repentance upon them: the last place they urge, 
Hebr. 12.17.  is Hebr. 12.17. For ye know that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected; for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears: the meaning of that place is easy, it is meant of Isaac's Repentance, that he could never be persuaded to alter what he had done, when once he had blessed Jacob, notwithstanding Esau sought it with tears: But secondly, suppose it is meant of Esau's repentance, yet it would not make for them, because it was no true repentance, for at the same time he resolved to kill his brother Jacob; his repentance was for somewhat he had lost, not for what he had done.  
Use 2 In the second place, let it be for the cheering of all drooping spirits, and distressed consciences; it is the voice of too many in the world, what we find some saying, Jerem. 18.12. There is no hope. 
Jerem. 18.12.  But I say there is hope: Hast thou been an Adulterer? there is hope in Israel concerning this, if thou repent and forsake that sin: Hast thou been a Covetous person, a Drunkard, a Swearer? there is hope in Israel for these, if thou from thy heart repent thee of them: Hast thou been a fraudulent person, and a deceiver of thy brother? repent of this sin, and make him satisfaction, and thou shalt be pardoned, for there is hope in Israel even concerning this. (Beloved) the Lord hath this day sent the greatest of sinners to tell you; That there was never any perished for want of mercy. Therefore, do your sins grieve you? repent of them; lie down at the foot of God's Mercy-seat, and sue for pardon in the Name, and for the Merits of Jesus Christ: In any kind, despair not, for yet there is hope of Mercy: and to this purpose remember these things which I shall now tell thee; First, as it was a sin in the Israelites, to limit God's Power, so it is a sin to limit his Mercy: what sin can be imagined or committed too great for God to pardon? Cain did lie, when he said, his sin was greater than could be forgiven: I read of one, that being told by the Devil, That his sins were more than could be pardoned, and that he could not be saved, thinking thereby to make him despair: saith he, thou unclean spirit, thou art a liar, for if thou couldst repent, thou mightest be pardoned. Secondly, think upon the infinite satisfaction, which our blessed Saviour hath made for sinners; and he came not only to cure green and smaller wounds, but great and inveterate sores, some eight, some twelve, some thirty eight years old. Thirdly, think upon what kind of Persons God hath showed mercy; as Adam and Eve, David, Manasseh, Zaccheus, Mary Magdalene, Paul, and many others, who found mercy. Fourthly, think of this, that despair is the greatest sin in the world, for that wrongeth God in the chiefest of his attributes; to wit, his mercy, therefore the learned say, that Cain and Jidas sinned more in despairing, than the one did in killing his Brother, or the other in betraying his Master. Lastly, remember this, that if thou despairest, and diest in that condition, thou shutest the door of mercy upon thyself, and thou mayst be sure of Hell for thy portion; therefore despair not in any case: but withal remember, that all this is promised thee upon the condition of thy repentance; be sure therefore to repent seriously, and speedily: First, do it seriously, God doth not love that thou shouldest only hang down thy head for a time like a bull rush, but thou must be rend within, by having a broken and contrite spirit. Secondly, repent speedily, it must not be to day for thee, and to morrow for God; I know God may and can pardon him that reputes at the last hour: but if men defer their repentance, out of hope of pardon, let them know, that he that hath promised mercy to him that reputes, doth not say, a man may repent when he will: and you that have never felt these break of soul, and horrors of conscience, you will find one day, that there is a wide difference between the Devil's tempting you to sin, and his afflicting you for sin; for when he tempts men to sin, he tells them that the gate of mercy is ever open, and that though their sins be never so great, yet they may repent for them at pleasure; but when a man is in affliction and anguish of soul, than he multiplies his lashes, and lays on load, telling him, That God will show mercy to none such as he is; he will tell him, that his sins are more than can be forgiven, and with Jobs wife, he will bid him curse God, and die: therefore think of this now in time, for the Devil is never so sweet in his temptations to sin, as he is bitter at last in putting men on to despair for sin.  
Use 3 In the third place, is God so merciful as to forgive men the greatest sins upon their repentance? Let us then be merciful to our brethren, as our heavenly father is merciful to us: What offence can a man commit against another, that the party offended should not forgive? Let our displeasure be as just as may be, yet there is no reason but we should forgive our Brother, because God is so proclive and ready to forgive us: but there be some such, who by no means will be reconciled to their Brother, who hath offended them: but I fear not to tell such, that they are not sensible of God's mercy in forgiving them; God forgives them pounds, nay talents, and shall not they forgive their brother pence? Neither tell me, he is a base and unworthy fellow, for there is not that distance between him and thee, be he never so base, as between thee and God: O but it is a gross wrong which he hath done me; is it worse than the sins which thou hast committed against thy God? O but he hath done it often: What of that? yet not so often as thou hast offended thy Maker. O but it stands not with my credit to pardon him: thy pride at once eats out both thy Piety and Charity, and let me tell thee, look to obtain that from God, which thou art willing to do for thy brother: Christ Jesus, the Sun of righteousness, would not set in a cloud, though he was put to death without cause, but he prays for his persecutors, Pater ignosce, nesciunt quid faciunt, Father forgive them, they know not what they do: If thou follow not the example of our Blessed Lord, take heed, lest he stop his ears to thy Prayers, because thou refusest to be reconciled to thy Brother. Before we leave this clause, another observation offers itself to be handled; [there is hope in Israel concerning this] that is, in the Church; and the point, which I hence infer, is this;  
There is no remission of sins out of the Church. 
Doctr.  Remission of sins is not a flower that grows wild, it only grows in the Garden of Zion. For proof of this, look that pregnant place Psalm 128.5. The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion: or as another translation renders it, The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion from heaven; Mark, he doth not say, the Lord in heaven shall bless thee from heaven, but the Lord from heaven shall bless thee out of Zion: indeed the Church is a heaven; for where the holy people of God be, there is a heaven, and there is a blessing, which though primarily it come from God, yet secondarily it comes from the Church: and though I do not say with some Philosophers, that all influences come from the Moon to the Stars; yet I will say it of the Church, thither hath God conveyed his blessings to be transmitted to the sons of men. I would have you to mark one thing, which it may be you never yet took notice of; the Propitiatory was joined to the Ark, so as it could not be removed from it, to show that he that would have his sins forgiven him, must hold close to the Ark: and this is according to that ancient rule of Divines; he that will have God to be his father, must have the Church to be his mother. Our blessed Lord was named Jesus, because saith the Angel, He shall save his people from their sins: and in the end of the Creed we say, I believe the holy Catholic Church, the forgiveness of sins, by the conjunction of which two Articles together, is intimated to us, that out of the Church there is no forgiveness of sins. This is also proved in the 87. Psalm last verse, 
●s●●. 87.7. Isa. 33.24.  All my-springs are in thee, and Isa. 33.24. The people that dwell therein shall be forgiven all their iniquity.  
Use 1 It is to let us see the miserable estate of those without the Church; they being without the pale of the Church, what shall become of them? As Christ told the Jews, 
John 8.24.  John 8.24. They shall die in their sins: And what is it to die in sin? it is immediately to go to hell, there to be tormented with the devil and his Angels for ever. Heathens are here said to be without the Church; and to be sure, if they live and die such, they shall be excluded heaven hereafter: for as in Rev. 22.15. without shall be dogs. 
Rev 22.15.   
Use 2 Secondly, as we must deplore the miserable condition of those which be without the Church, so let us magnify God for our own happy condition; God hath entered us into his Church, blessed be his name for it; we are in the way where his blessings be, and where the heavenly Manna falls daily: but this is not all, that we be in the visible Church, for tares grow in the field, as well as good corn; it is true all that were without the Ark perished, but yet a Cham was saved alive in the Ark, so that it is not all to be external members of the Church, but as we be admitted into it by Baptism, so we must believe and repent, else we are but Tares in the field of the Church, which though for a time they may grow up with the good corn, yet at last they shall be but fuel for the fire of hell: A man's water in Baptism is but a cold proof of God's love, unless he hath faith and repentance, (I speak not of Infants, which never committed actual sin) for unless there be a heart to believe and repent, he may be damned for all his Baptism, as some of the Jews were, for all they were circumcised. As therefore we glory in this, that we are within the pale of God's Church; so let us not content ourselves with it, but let us labour to be within the Covenant, by getting faith and Repentance, that so in God's good time we may attain the end of our faith, the salvation of our sinful souls in Jesus Christ. Shecaniah now goes on and saith [Let us make a Covenant with our God:] It appears by this good man that as he had heard Ezra to confess his sins, amongst the rest, so he desired not only to be pardoned for what he had done amiss, but he resolves on a new course of life, saying [Now therefore let us make a Covenant with our God.] And indeed these be the two main stones in the building of repentance; first, when a man desires to be better; secondly, when he resolves to be better. First, when a man desires to be better; it is a good part of health, we say, to desire health: our blessed Lord faith to the impotent man, Wilt thou be made whole? he would not heal him against his will: even so we must desire to be cured of our spiritual maladies. It was so with the jailor, 
Acts 16.30.  in Acts 16.30. he saith to Paul and Silas, Sirs, what shall I do to be saved? and this, where it is, supposeth a sense of misery: and we see it in holy David, 
Psal. 142.2.  Psa. 142.2. I poured out my complaint before him: I shown before him my trouble. And Saint Paul saith, O miserable man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death? Rom. 7.25. Thus sure it was with Manasseh, 
Rom. 7.25.  and with those Converts in Acts 2.37. who being pricked in their hearts, 
Acts 2.37  say to Peter and the other Apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?  
I fear a great many do not truly desire to be freed from their sins: it was the sin of Augustine when time was, saith he, I prayed to God to extinguish lust in me; but I had rather it should have been satisfied than extinguished: and many be of his mind, such a spirit of slumber seizes on men, that their consciences be seared, and they take pleasure in sin; tell these, that sin is a burden, they say they feel no such matter: but he that hopes for mercy must labour to feel sin to be a pressure; the man that desires to live in a prison, it is pity the Key should ever be turned for his enlargement: and who will pity him that desires not to be eased of his sins? Our blessed Redeemer calls none to him, but those who are heavy laden; and till men come to this, they will never be earnest for the pardon of their sins. Secondly, there is a resolving against sin: we must not only say we are sorry for our sins, (which every one can do) but we must leave them: this is the disposition of a good and penitent soul: See it in David, Psal. 17.3. He not only desired pardon of God, 
Psal. 17.3.  but he saith, I am purposed, that my mouth shall not transgress: and Ephraim saith, 
Hos. 14.4.  Hosea 14.4. What have I to do any more with Idols? and Saint Paul saith, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? Now when a man comes to this, it is a good step toward Heaven; for if he should be taken away suddenly, and want time to repent, as he desired, the Lord would as well accept of his good purpose and resolution, as if he had lived to repent to the full: and in the course of Sanctification, it is a great comfort to a man, when he can say, he fell against his purpose.  
It is to be feared, that the Repentance of these times is unsound, for though men desire to leave sin, yet they resolve not against it: A man saith, I desire no more to be drunk, and yet he resolves not against it, when as the one without the other, is not worth a Rush; There is much difference between him that saith, I would leave sin, and another that saith, I will leave it; if once thy heart say, I will do it, than thou wilt endeavour to do those things which conduce to that end: In our Prayers we desire this and that blessing of God, and yet one resolves to go on in Adultery, another in his way of Revenge; O take heed of mocking the Almighty: Besides, Is this a time to mock God? Dost thou think God will hear such a one as thou art? No, he will never hear the Prayer of feigned lips; I tell thee one thing, and the child of God finds it true in himself, he doth as earnestly desire grace, to restrain him from sin, as he doth the pardon of his sins: Now, when thou wilt pray for the one, and not for the other, never expect to be heard of God; for if the Devil be cast out by a desire, and no further, he will return with seven spirits worse than himself.   

Sermon IX.  EZRA 1O. 3. 
Now therefore let us make a Covenant with our God, to put away all the Wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my Lord, etc.  
SHECANIAH is not only resolved to do as he saith, but he is willing to make a Covenant with God, both in his own, and the People's behalf, which Covenant was an Oath, as ye may read in the succeeding Verses of the Chapter: Now an Oath is the most sacred bond of all others, and when he engageth himself this way, it is a sign he meant to perform what he promised: which being so, I cannot but observe from thence, this conclusion;  
The true penitent is desirous to tie himself by all possible bonds, to keep that which God commands; mark it in some proofs: In Genes. 28.20. when Jacob had got a nap on that hard pillow of the stone, 
Gen. 28.20.  in his journey to Padan-Aram, he vowed this vow of his own accord; If God will be with me, and will keep me in the way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my Father's house in peace: then shall the Lord be my God. There is no doubt, but Jacob knew he was tied to God, not only by the bond of nature, but as he was a member of the Church; but yet he is willing to tie himself more strictly to God, if it were possible, because he knew the thing that he desired of God, 
Jo●●. 24.25, 26.  was of great consequence. So in Josh. 24.25, 26. the people of Israel had revolted from God, and Joshua knew they would be flinching again, therefore before he was to die, he makes them enter into a Covenant with God, to serve him and no other, and set up a great stone under an Oak, that was by the Sanctuary, that when they revolted, that stone might be a witness against them: Mark, he ties them as fast as he can, that they might cleave unto the Lord: 
Psal. 119.106.  the like we see in David, Psal. 119.106. I have sworn, and will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgements: and in Psalm 132.2, 3, 4. there he vows to the mighty God of Jacob, 
Psa●. 132.2, ●, ●  saying, I will not come into the Tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed, nor suffer my eyes to slumber, till I find out a place for the Lord, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob: and 2 Chro. 15.12. it is said, 
2 Chro. 15.12.  that Asa and the people entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers, with all their heart, and with all their soul. And in the 14. verse, we find, that they swore to the Lord with a loud voice; as who should say, they were willing that any body should hear how strictly they had tied themselves too God. The like we see in the mariners, 
● Jon●h, 16  1 Jonah, 16. the text saith, they offered a sacrifice to the Lord, and made vows. It is not set down what they vowed to do, but it is likely they performed what they vowed. If ye require a reason of this, it is easily rendered.  
Reason 1 First, the child of God knows that the service of God is a matter of special consequence, he knows it is as much as the salvation of his soul; and therefore he conceives he cannot perform it too strictly. A man that hath much business to do in the morning, is very strict to himself; in which regard he will either sit up all night, or lie down in his , that he may go about his affairs early, and compass them before night: and the child of God considers what a weighty business the service of God is, therefore he is willing to oblige himself as sure as may be, to perform what God commands.  
Reason 2 Secondly, there is a desire in God's child to show how willing he is to obey God; as we therefore, when we would show how willing we are to pleasure a man, in assurance thereof we give him our hand; so the child of God is willing to make vows to God, to testify with what a willing mind he goes about his service.  
Use 2 It meets with those which are afraid of these Bonds; there be those that will not come to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, (I speak what I know) because they say it is a sacred thing; and if they come there, they must enter into a solemn Covenant with God, which they know they cannot keep, and therefore they forbear to come: I commend the reverend esteem which these people have of that sacred Institution; but I cannot but mourn for this, that they are afraid to tie themselves to God: Doth David desire and beg of God, To knit his heart unto him, Psal. 86.11. And doth Saint James say, 
Psal. 86.11.  Draw near unto God, and he will draw near unto you, and do these fear being tied too close to God? Again, I cannot but mourn to see the Devil transformed into an Angel of light in this matter; I confess a man that comes to God's Table ought seriously to bethink himself what he goes about; but yet let me advise you, not to run into one sin, under a pretence of avoiding another: for what knowest thou, but if thou come prepared, that in thy receiving those sacred mysteries, God may give thee strength to do all that thou promisest.  
Use. 2 In the second place, let us ever be willing to be tied to God as close as may be; yea if we know any way in the world to tie ourselves faster to him, let us put it in practice: let us tie this Cor fugitivum, fugitive heart of ours to its good behaviour: let us bind the Sacrifice with cords unto the horns of the Altar; and if a man shall serve God with some reluctation of Spirit, (following the motions of the Spirit, to the distasting of the flesh) out of doubt God will be very gracious to such a man: for when he sees with what violence his servants strive to enter heaven, it gives him great contentment: in the 2 Chron. 15.15. it is said, 
● Chr●●. ●5. 15.  All Judah rejoiced at the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart. And it is most acceptable to God, when he perceives his children willing to tie themselves to him in the most strict and sacred bonds. Now we are to examine the matter of this Covenant: first, it was [to put away their strange wives.] Out of doubt was to flesh and blood was a hard and grievous thing, for out of their affection to them, they had married them: besides, they had lived long with them, and their love was confirmed by the children they had by them: for saith the Philosopher, good minds be reunited by children: now to put away wives, and wives who had long continued with them, and by whom they had children, this must needs be very irksome to them: but the truth is, their sin lay in this, and it being so, therefore they are willing to put them away. The point which grounds itself from hence is this:  
When the soul is truly penitent, 
Doctr.  whatsoever it be that is pleasing to a man, if it displease God, he will forgo it. In every man's body there is a mixture of the four humours, blood, phlegm, and the two cholers; but in every person some one of these is more predominant than the rest, from whence a man hath his denomination: thus one is called a phlegmatic, another is called a sanguine, and third a choleric man: even so it is in the soul, there is in every man's soul a seedplot of corruption, which is original sin: all sins are in all men, in regard of the root, but yet some one is more predominant in the soul than the rest: in some it is pride, in another it is lust, in a third it is covetousness, in others it is envy: as it is in a field of weeds, though many weeds spring up at the same time, yet some one springs up more than any other; so some lusts will bear a greater sway in the soul than any lust besides: and from this many a man is denominated: it is ambition in some, contention in others, excess in others; and for this we say a man is libidinosus, contentiosus, malitiosus, ambitiosus: and the learned observe, that these and the like words which end in osus, do make an increment to their sin: every David will have his Bathsheba, and every Herod his Herodias. David saith in Psalm 18.23. I kept myself from mine iniquity: 
●s●●. 18.23.  Surely, he meant the sin to which he was most inclined: and he is a great stranger at home, who finds not one sin to exercise the chief regency in him. Now this beloved darling sin, if a man be truly repentant, he will forsake that; and so I come to prove the point. 
Isa. 1.16.  In Isa. 1.16. the Lord saith, Wash you, make you clean, put away the evil of your do from before mine eyes. If ye observe the scope or tenor of the place, ye shall soon perceive, that the Lord meant those sins to which he saw them most proclive and prone. And in the 33. Ezek. when the Lord chargeth his people to abstain from all sin, 
〈◊〉 ●3.  do you not think that he meant those especially, which were their beloved sins? see it in some instances: in Hos. 14.8. though Ephraim's Idols were formerly contenting, 
●●s. 14.8  yet when he comes to be truly penitent, he saith, What have I to do any more with Idols? The like we see in the repentance of Nineveh, Jonah 3.8. the King gives command, 
Jonah 3.8.  that every man should turn from his evil way, and from the violence that was in their hands. It seems oppression and offering violence was the special sin for which that City was notorious, therefore the King's charge is, that they should bid adieu to that. We see the same in Matthew, he had a profitable place, for gain came in apace; and doubtless when our Saviour called him from the receipt of custom, he was at the first much troubled at it; but the call of Christ was so prevalent, that he forsakes all and follows him. Was it not so with Mary Magdalen▪ though her sin of Lust was sweet unto her, yet having obtained repentance and pardon of her Saviour, she forsakes that sin, and becomes a new woman. And in Luke 19.8. when God had touched the heart of Zaccheus, 
Luke 19.8.  he resolves not only to leave his oppression, but he offers to make a fourfold restitution to whomsoever he had wronged. And there is good reason for this, for it is unlawful for a man to dispense with himself in the least sin: but to dispense with himself in those which sway him most, this is most unlawful of all. There is much consequence in forsaking these darling corruptions; for many other sins are retainers to them: it was the counsel and command of the King of Syria to his Captains and soldiers, to fight neither against great nor small, but only against the King of Israel: and it was good counsel: for as soon as they had slain the King, the day was presently their own: and when a man hath been victorious over his Master sin, he will easily conquer his lesser corruptions.  
It serves to stir us up to this hard task; I call it a hard task, because a man will be content to part with many sins, rather than he will leave his beloved corruption: as it is in flaying a skin of a dead body, it comes off with ease till ye come to the head, but there it sticks, and comes not off without difficulty: so a man peradventure will forsake many iniquities, but not dilectum delictum, his beloved transgression. See it in Augustine, he was very unwilling to leave his unsanctified Olims and wicked acquaintance, when at first God opened his eyes; his lusts then said unto him, nun tecum erimus in aeternum? shall not we be with thee for ever, who have been with thee so long? but yet when God furnished him with his grace, he cast them all off, though he had taken never so much complacency in them before. And this must be done by us▪ take it in some instances: Come to a licentious man, and press on him the practice of divers things, and he will be content to admit of them, but if you touch his sin of uncleanness, ye touch him to the quick, and he will no longer bear with you; as in Herod, He heard John gladly, and did many things which he spoke: but if he offer to meddle with his Herodias, his life must pay for his error: so that say what man will or can, such a one will not leave his filthy, yet beloved sin: nay, some have protested, they could not leave their uncleanness. In like manner come to an excessive person, bid him do this or that, he will subscribe unto it; but if ye strike at his sin of excess, than he storms and fumes, saying, Take away my cup, and take the club out of Hercules hand; take away my liquor, and take away my life: he saith with the Vine, 
Judges 9.13.  Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man? Come to the covetous man, and he will easily be persuaded to avoid prodigality, here you shall find him as tractable as may be; but yet all that you can say or do, shall not work upon him to forsake his covetousness. But notwithstanding all this, as men take knowledge of those sins which domineer most in them, so they must forsake and leave them, yea though they be as dear unto them as Shechaniahs' wife was unto him. And tell me not that this is difficult, but harken to what our Saviour Christ saith, If thy right hand offend thee cut it off, for it is better to enter maimed into heaven, then having two hands to be cast into hell fire. And what dost thou telling me that they be profitable sins? is not Godliness the best, nay the only gain? and what dost thou tell me of thy sweet sin of licentiousness? I tell thee, Momentaneum quod delectat, aeternum quod cruciat, it is a momentary pleasure, and unless thou forsake it, will bring thee into eternal torments, to the utter ruin of thy soul & body. And say not to me as Naaman to Elisha, God be merciful to me in this or that sin; for as one leak is enough to sink a ship, so one sin will damn a soul; and thou art far from mercy, if thou preferrest a profitable or pleasurable sin to thy God. I will come home to thee in a familiar resemblance; if thou shouldest harbour a Rebel in thy house, and when the King sent unto thee upon pain of death to deliver him, thou shouldest refuse to do it, couldst thou expect any favour, though he were never so near or dear unto thee? even so, thy sins be Rebels against the King of heaven, no such Rebels against his Majesty as they; if now at his command thou wilt not renounce them, and cast them from thee, how canst thou hope for mercy? there remains nothing for thee, but a fearful expectation of wrath and vengeance to light upon thee: Away then with the bondwoman and hersonne, away with this Jonah, for which the whole ship fares the worse: though thy sins be as dear unto thee as thy right eye, yet cast them from thee, because they displease God: do not love thy sin, and hate thy soul, if thou dost, what then wilt thou do in the end thereof? Secondly, [they put away the children borne of them.] What was the cause of this? Carthusian gives the reason, and it is a very good one, which will yield us the ground of an observation; saith he, They cast out the children with their mothers, lest the wives having lest their children behind them, should take occasion to return again to fetch them: so that you see they cut off all occasion of being again engaged in that transgression: the point than is this;  
He that would avoid sin, must make conscience of avoiding all the occasions of sin.  
For proof hereof, see that place, 
Gen. 39.10.  Gen. 39.10. Joseph was so resolute in goodness, that he not only repels his mistress her unlawful request, but saith the text, though she spoke to him day by day, yet he harkened not unto her to lie by her, or to he with her. 
Exod. 12.15.  In the 12 Exod. 15. the Lord gives his people charge, that when they keep the Passeover, they should eat no leavened bread for seven days: and because he would be sure they should observe it, he commands them on the first day of the seven, to put away all leaven out of their houses. So Job 31.1. saith he, 
Joh 31.1.  I made a covenant with mine eyes, why then should I think upon a maid? and it is David's prayer, 
Psal. 119. 37.  Psal. 119.37. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity: and when Solomon gives the young man counsel against the strumpet, he saith, Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house. 
Pro. 5.8.  Pro. 15.8. The ground of this is double; Reason 1 First, if it be a sin that a man hath repent of before, than he must be so much the more careful to avoid not only the sin itself, but all occasions tending to it, that he may show forth the truth of his repentance: for it reputes not him seriously of his sin, who doth not avoid all occasions of committing the same for the future. Reason 2 Secondly, if it be an evil that a man was never engaged in before, yet he must avoid the occasion; for there is great need that our prayers strengthen our works, and that our works give vigour to our prayers: nothing is truer than that proverb, Occasion makes a thief; and it is as true, that occasion oft times doth make a sinner.  
Let us in the name of God practise this duty; as the Apostle Paul saith, Fly all occasions of evil. It hath been paid them home with much loss, who have presumed too much of their own strength, by throwing themselves into places of temptation: If therefore we desire to overcome our lusts, let us avoid all the occasions of sin, which are as so many panders waiting upon it. As for example, thou art an excessive person, and wouldst conquer that sin: First, get a hatred to this sin; secondly, avoid all occasions which tend this way, sit not long at wine, and beware of idleness and ill company. Thou art a contentious person, and desirest strength against that sin; take heed of heat in holding Arguments with others; Secondly, contest not with thy brother; and if this will not do, avoid company altogether: so, for lust, thou art addicted to that sin, and wouldst feign be rid of it; first, take heed of idleness: when David was walking on his palace, than the Devil laid a bait for him, presenting Bathsheba to his view, and so engaged him in that foul sin of Adultery: and the truth is, the Devil will hue any sinner out of idleness, that is his Cushion, on which he lulls the poor sinner asleep: the sins of Sodom were great, and the ground of them was idleness: a second occasion to be avoided, as being a hand maid to lust, is intemperance in eating and drinking; for when men feed and drink freely, than they are apt to neigh after their neighbour's wives; Saint Paul speaks of wanton widows, Tim. 1.5.11. doubtless they were such as gave 
〈…〉  their lusts the reins, and that made them wanton. Thirdly, if thou wouldst master thy lust, take heed of thy lust, take heed of thy eyes, for death oft enters by those windows; our grandmother Eve, by looking on the forbidden fruit, undid herself, and all her posterity; and saith our Blessed Lord, He that lusls after a woman, hath committed adultery with her in his heart: And to this end look not on lascivious Pictures, nor on the Creatures in their mixtures, for these occasions further this filthy sin: beware of thy ears, shut them to all obscene and lascivious discourses and songs, which are notable promovers of lust in the heart; avoid also the company of lust full persons, and if before thou art ware, thou fall into the company of such, then beware of unchaste dalliance, for this is a great incentive to uncleanness: and as thou must avoid these, so all other occasions that I have not named; remember what I tell thee, and lock it as a jewel in thy heart; pray as long as thou wilt or canst, if thou dost not withal endeavour to avoid the occasions which promove these sins, God will never grant thy request; dost thou pray to God to do that for thee, which is not in thy power? And wilt not thou do that which is in thine own power? This is a madness indeed, thou must do the one, if ever thou lookest that God should do the other. Well, when Shecaniah and the rest had done this, what rule will they then walk by? [according to the Counsel of my Lord,] Some of the learned demand here, who is meant by Lord? and these are of opinion that Shecaniah means not Ezra; but I am verily persuaded he means Ezra, and no other: and the Septuagint inclines to this interpretation, for thus they render that clause [as is judged fit by thee.] Now if it were so that Shecaniah, who was a Prince, said thus to Ezra the Priest: take knowledge then of thus much:  
What respect in times past was given to those whom God called so near unto him, 
Doctr.  as to be his Friests. 
1 Sam. 1.15.26.  In the 1 Sam. 1.15. when Eli misjudging Hannah, told her she was drunk, she answers, No my Lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful Spirit: and in the 26. verse, when she came to present Samuel before the Lord, she saith to him again, O my Lord, as thy soul liveth, my Lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the Lord: 
2 Kings 4.16.  the like we see in 2 Kings 4.16. when Elisha told the Shunamitish woman, that she should have a son, she saith, Nay, my Lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid: and in the 2 Kings 13.14. Joash, 
2 Kings 13.14.  that wicked king, coming to visit Elisha on his deathbed, he wept over him, and said, O my Father, my father, the chariot of Ifrael, and the horsemen thereof: and it was more than social respect, that Cornelius gave Peter, which he would by no means admit, Acts 10.25. And we read of Alexander the Great, 
Acts. 10.25.  that he entering Jerusalem, with an intent to sack it, as soon as he beheld Jaddus the High Priest in his formalities coming to meet him, in honour of him, he alight, and met him, and desisted from him wicked purpose.  
It is to be deplored in these days, when every base fellow thinks himself better than the Minister: I deny not but Ministers themselves may be the cause of this in part: it may be they are unfit for that function: or if they have gifts, it may be they be idle and will not employ them: or else it may be they preach constantly, and live viciously; but there be many causes in the people: first, they consider not the necessity of their Ministry, that though God have made them without us, yet he will not save them without us. Secondly, it may be it is from the abundance of preaching now a days: in the 1 Sam. 3.1: we find there, 
1 Sam. 3.7.  that the word of the Lord was precious in those days, there was no open vision. The rarity of vision made the word of God precious then; and I fear the plenty of preaching and preachers makes that Ordinance to be slighted now. But let us take heed of vilifying Gods Messengers: God hath a controversy with this land for many things, and amongst the rest, I think this is one: therefore let his Ministers be honourable in out eyes; O let their feet be beautiful that bring unto us the glad tidings of salvation: but if we shall despise them, it is just with God to send us a famine of his word, which is the greatest judgement on this side hell.  
But suppose that by [Lord] is meant God, yet because Ezra was God's Messenger, the words he spoke were God's words; and what be spoke from God, Shecaniah counts it as God's voice: teaching us, that whatsoever Gods Ministers do faithfully deliver out of his word, must be received as God's voice. 
Luke 1.70.  This is proved Luk. 1.70. As he spoke by the mouth of his holy Prophets, which have been since the world began. 
Luke 10.16.  So in Luk. 10.16. He that heareth you, heareth me. And Paul affirmeth of the Thessalenias, 1 Thes. 2.13. That they received his Word, 
1 Thes. 2.13.  not as the word of men, but (as it is in truth) the word of God. And in 2 Cor. 5.20. he entreats the Corinthians in Christ's stead, to be reconciled to God. 
2 Cor. 5.20.  So that if it be the counsel of God, if it be God's Commission, it is God's word: and till we be persuaded of this, we shall never reap any benefit by God's Word: 
Jer. 1.9.  The Lord saith to Jeremiah, Jer. 1.9. I have put my words in thy mouth. Christ is called The Sun of righteousness, Mal. 4.2. and the Ministers be stars in his hand; 
Mal. 4.2.  from him they have and borrow their light and influence. Therefore let men be persuaded of this: I inveigh against such a man's pride; what faith he? I think he loves to hear himself talk; and thus because he is not persuaded we speak God's word, like Noah's unclean beasts, hither he comes, and from hence he departs unclean and polluted; whereas if men replied, it was God that put this invective into his Minister's mouth, to meet with my corruption, they would say as the people of Israel said, Deu. 5.27. Whatsoever the Lord saith, 
Deut. 5.27.  that we will do. Therefore pray unto the Lord, that ye may be persuaded, that what his Ministers faithfully deliver, he himself speaks in them; and till you come to this persuasion, in the care will be no attendance, in the outward man no reverence, in the heart no credence, and in the conversation no obedience.   

Sermon X.  EZRA 10. 
the latter part of the 3. verse. And According to the counsel of those that tremble at the Commandment of our God, and let it be done according to the Law.  
IT should seem that there were others besides Ezra, which advised the people to put away their strange wives, and they such as are said to tremble at the word of God: and here observe the power of God's word.  
The power of God's word is such, 
Doctr.  that if makes man tremble. 
Jer. 23.29.  To prove this, look Jer. 23.29. Is not my word like a fire, saith the Lord? and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? it is a fire to melt the relenting heart, and a hammer to break in pieces the heart that is obdurate. See it in some instances, when Josiah heard the Law read, his heart was tender and melted, 
2 Kings 22.18 Psal. 119.  2 Kings 22.18. there God's word was a fire: and in Psal. 119. David saith, sHe was afraid because of God's Word. There it was a hammer, 
Hab. 3.16.  and Hab. 3.16. the Prophet saith, Whon I heard, my bellytrembled, my lips quivered at the voice; rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself. Here also it was a hammer. See it in the wicked themselves, when Samuel told Saul, that God had rejected him for his disobedience, 
1 Sam. 15.  1 Sam. 15. he was exceedingly terrified and amazed. The like we see in Ahab, when God sent Elijah to challenge him for killing innocent Naboth, and taking possession of his Vineyard, the word of God in that Prophet's mouth made him quake and tremble, 1 Kings 21.27. So we read of Belshazzar, 
1 Kings 21. 2●.  when he saw the hand writing on the Wall (which ye must suppose to be the Word of God) His countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another; and all his Concubines, Wine, and Copesmates, could not bring colour into his face, 
Dan. 5.6.  Daniel 5.6. And it is said Acts 14.15. As Paul reasoned of righteousness, temperance, 
Acts 24.25.  and judgement to come, Felix trembled. Now that this effect of God's Word may not seem strange unto you, see the causes thereof; one cause whereof is in the word itself; therefore it is said to be the power of God to salvation, 
Rom. 1.16.  Romans 1.16. And in Hebrews 4.12. it is said; 
Heb. 4.12.  to be quick and powerful, sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart: and in the 2 Cor. 10.4, 5. the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, 
2 Cor. 10.4, 5.  but mighty through God, to the pulling down of strong holds: casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God: mistake me not, I do not make this power to be in it, as it is consisting of syllables, but as it is God's Ordinance, and hath the Spirit of God going along with it. The second cause is from the application of it, when it is not only generally delivered, but particularly applied; when the Word of God meets with a man's particular sin, than the conscience takes part with the Word against himself, and makes him tremble; so it was with Saul, the Prophet Samuel fell so pat upon his fin, that be became afraid, and took part with God's Word against himself, saying, I have sinned, and have transgressed the commandment of the Lord: the like we see in Ahab, he was very brisk when Elijah first met him, saying, Hast thou found me, O my enemy? but the Prophet knowing him to be guilty of Naboths blood, tells him home of it, and before he left him, brought him upon his knees: and when Felix trembled at Paul's Sermon of Righteousness, Temperance and judgement to come; some are of opinion, that he trembled at the consideration of the last judgement; and it cannot be denied, but that is matter of such terror, as to make the fairest Lady look pale, if she be not painted: but I rather conceive that there was something more which made him tremble, for Saint Paul discoursed of Righteousness and Temperance; now he was a wicked man, and defective in both these, for he was an unrighteous judge, and abused the power committed to him, however Tertullus flatter him in the contrary: again gain he was guilty of intemperance, for he kept Drusilla another man's wife: Now when a man that was a stranger to him, should thus directly fall upon the sins which he knew himself guilty of, it could not but make him tremble: It was so with David, the parable of the poor man's sheep, came so home to him, that he presently confesses, that he had sinned against the Lord: as it is with a man that is smitten in a sound part of his body, though you smite him hard, he can endure it; but if he be but touched in a fore place, he starts presently; so when a man is met with in his sins, he will quake and tremble, if any grace be in him.  
Use 1 Is the word of God of such power? then it meets not only with Anabaptists, who contemn the Word of God, but with many profane ones among us, who vilify the same, saying, it is an invention of man, and hath no force in it, although in my conscience I am persuaded, that they speak against their consciences; for out of doubt the Word of God hath at one time or other met with their corruptions: hath not the drunken person been met withal in his sin? and hath not the Adulterer, the proud Person, the swearer, the hypocrite been met withal in their transgressions? and if so, let them take heed of vilifying that which hath convinced them in their own consciences: but if it were so, that God's Word hath not made them tremble, if it have not yet broken them in pieces, yet the time will come, when it shall batter and bruise them: And if thou hast not found this by thyself already, thou art worse than either Ahab or Felix: for God's word made the one humble, and the other tremble. If fire be cried in the street, it amazes every one, but if the Ministers of God cry out against sin, scarce any tremble; but let such as these know, that this stupidity is the forerunner of eternal misery.  
Use 2 In the second place, let us labour for this holy disposition of soul to tremble at God's Word: God himself calls for it, 
Isa. 66.5.  Isa. 66.5. and to such he hath promised to have respect, as in the second verse of that Chapter: and such a man is most capable of comfort from God: for our Lord Christ saith, He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance; as also such as are weary and heavy laden: therefore see: vile fear is of good use, it keepeth the heart supple for the impressions of grace, and makes way for filial fear, as the needle makes way for the thread. But because the wicked men may tremble at God's word, as well as the child of God, therefore I will direct you how you shall know whether ye tremble at God's word as ye ought: First, the man that trembles aright at God's Word, he reflects on that sin which is the cause thereof; this we see in joseph's brethren, the Governor handling them roundly, makes them reflect on their sin against him, causing them to say, Verily we have sinned against our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear him; 
G●n 42.21.  therefore is this trouble come upon us, Gen. 42.21. so that no sooner was the word spoken to them, 
Gen. 42.21.  but they reflect on their inhumanity. And a godly man when he is reproved of a sin which he knows himself culpable of, he immediately reflects upon his transgression, and saith, My sin is the cause why I tremble when I am met withal. Secondly, the true trembling at God's word is joined not only with a reflection upon a man's sin, but with contrition for his sin, 
Isa. 66.2.  these go together, as in Isay 66.2. where God saith, To him will I look that is of a contrite spirit, and trembles at my word. It is said of Ahab, that he rend his clothes, but he rend not his heart; therefore his humiliation was unsound. Thirdly, if a man do truly tremble at God's word, than he will at the same time find in himself a resolution to amend that for which he knows he is justly reproved. It is said, Acts 2.37. they which heard Peter preach, 
Acts 2. 3●.  were pricked in their hearts and what then? Men and brethren what shall we do? Mark; they being touched to the quick, labour to get out of their sinful estate, in which till that time they had continued. And in Acts 9 when it pleased God to convert Paul, 
Ac●s 9  he was strangely terrified at the words which God spoke unto him, and the first word he saith, is, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? Lastly, in such a one as trembles truly at God's word, there will be seen an endeavour and striving to put in practice what he resolves upon: for God's word works in a regenerate man, not only a fear to displease God, but a care for time to come to practise all possible obedience, in the whole course of his life and conversation. And so much for chat point. But now, who were these that trembled at God's word? some expositors suppose they were such as had been engaged in the forementioned sin, and hearing God's word, were smitten with fear, because of the strange wives which they had married: and if so, they were fit men to advise others who had committed the same sin, but had not repent of it: and the truth is, which shall be my observation,  
A man that hath been exercised with the terrors of God, 
Doctr.  such a man is most fit to advise and counsel others. Moses was a man that was exercised with the terrors of God, not only when he saw the bush to burn and not consume, but when the angel of God met him, and would have slain him: and this did coped and fit him, to speak comfortably to others that were in distress. In the 51 Psal. 12.13. David begs of God to restore to him the joy of his salvation: and what then? 
Psal. 51.12, 13.  then will I teach transgresours thy ways, and sinners shall be converted unto thee. 
Luk. 22.31.32.  In the Luke 22.31.32. our blessed Lord saith to Peter; Simon, Simon, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may winnow you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not, and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. Feter had had experience of God's mercy to him, and what man more fit than he to comfort others in distress? and St. Paul saith, 2 Cor. 5.11. Knowing therefore the terror of the 
2 Cor. 5.11.  Lord, we persuade men. I know he especially aims there at the last judgement; but yet I am persuaded that withal he meant that he was most fit to advise them who had been exercised with the terrors of God. As for example, we believe him that hath been in the same case with us, before we will believe any other. It was well said by one, that one thing among the rest that makes a good preacher, is temptation: such a man as hath been tossed in cheese billows, is most fit to advise and comfort others. A man that knows a Country by the Map, may be able to speak something of it, but it is nothing in comparison of what a Traveller can say, which hath been there: so a man that hath never felt the terrors of God, may be able in part to advise and comfort those in such distresses; but not like him that hath been exercised with the same terror.  
Let it teach those that be tearchers of others, to lay things to their own hearts, and to make trial of them there, before they prescribe them to others▪ Wilt thou teach the people how to conquer such a lust? Hast thou made trial of it thyself? If thou hast, thou mayst safely commend it to thy hearers: And you that be people, if a man shall come unto you, (suppose he be your brother▪ and say, It was once with me, as it is with you▪ I was thus and thus wicked; but it pleased God after a while, to bring me to see my miserable condition, and to draw me out of the Devil's snare, therefore learn by me; be persuaded by me, to leave such and such courses, give not yourself up to the service of sin, for I tell you out of experience, sin was never so sweet in the temptation and commission, as it will prove bitter in the conclusion: now that man that hath thus trembled at God's Word, it is good to hear him, for none more fit to advise thee, than such a one. But I go another way, and think, that by those who trembled at God's Word, is meant such as had not been engaged in that common abomination, of marrying strange wives; and if so. I cannot but note thus much:  
When the times are most wicked, God reserves some to himself.  
This we see in the old World; when God brought the Deluge to destroy it, he reserved a Noah to himself, who was a holy man: so when Sodom was destroyed, God had his Lot, and to him he shown mercy: and though Israel was very rebellious in the Wilderness, yet God had a Caleb and Joshuah, whose hearts were upright: and God himself tells Elijah (when he knew of none that served God besides himself) that he had reserved Seven thousand to himself in Israel, which had not bowed their knee to Baal: and though all men, for the most part, bowed to Nebuchadnezars Image, yet the Three Children chose to die, rather than they would fall down to that Idol: and in Ezek. 9.4. though the generality of men was wicked, yet some were found, 
Ezek. 9.4.  Who mourned for the abominations of the Land: and in the time while our Saviour conversed with men, though the times were depraved, yet God had his number; as Hannah, Simeon, Mary Magdalene, etc. And for Rome, that cage of unclean Birds, I persuade myself, that in that heap of Chaff, God hath some good Corne. Saint Paul salutes the Saints that were in Nero's house, we all know what Nero was; he was the monster of Mankind for his wickedness; yet in his Court, God hath his followers. God hath his in all times, in these times wherein we live, though they be very wicked, yet God hath some that belong to him: though there be a great number that make no conscience of an Oath, yet there be many that fear to swear; though some be excessive, yet there be others that detest that sin: though there be many covetous persons, yet there be others who be mercifully minded, and distribute to the necessities of the Saints: and though very many be profane, yet God be thanked, there be those that will not. run with them to the same excess of riot.  
Use 1, It is to take away the common excuse of the men in the world, who think they may take a liberty to sin, because they see most men follow that fashion: it was not so with these in our text, for they abstained from those abominations, in which most among them were engaged: S. Peter's exhortation to the Jews, 
Acts 2.40  Acts. 2.40. is, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. and S. Paul saith, Redeem the time, because the days ara evil, Ephes. 5.16. Shall we say, 
Ephes. 5.16.  that because the disease is epidemical, therefore we may run ourselves into the infection? we will not reason thus in regard of our bodies, and dare any man be so desperate as to reason thus in regard of fin, which is the bane of the soul? Besides, it is not the place that makes thee bad, but it is thy wicked heart, that is a cage full of unclean birds, from thence proceeds all villainy: and if thou have an ill heart, thou wilt be wicked in the most holy place: it is said of some, 
Isa. 26.10.  Isay 26.10. that in the land of uprightness they did unjustly: Thus the Angels fell in heaven, our first parents in paradise, and Judas in Christ's college.  
Use 2 Secondly, let us labour to keep ourselves from the corruptions of the times; when all others do that which is evil, do it not then; and that thou mayst do so; remember these things: First, David makes it a blessed thing not to walk in the way of sinners, 
Psal. 1.1.  Psalm 1.1. And certainly there is no greater ground of comfort either in life or death. Secondly, the purity of a man's Religion stands in this, to keep himself unspotted of the World, James 1.27. Thirdly, 
J●m●s. 1.27.  remember for what end Christ died, he gave himself for our sins, That he might deliver us from this present evil world, 
Gal. 1.4.  Gal. 1.4. O blessed Saviour, was this the end for which thou didst shed thy precious blood? and shall they for whom it was shed, set no more by it? a conscionable man will say, Did my Blessed Lord redeem me to be holy, and shall I take licence to sin against him? no, I will not: for if I do, in so doing, I sin against the end of my Redemption. Fourthly, I would have a man to consider what a glory it is to God, when he is good amidst a froward generation: to be as the fish which retains its freshness in the salt Sea: and to come into the High Priests Hall, and neither to be burnt by the fire, nor blacked by the smoke; this makes much for the glory of God. Fiftly, mark what a confusion it is to Satan, when a man goes on in a good way, where most men go wrong; the Devil was more confounded in one Job, than in all the men of the East besides. Lastly, if we sort ourselves with the sinners of the time, we hinder the conversion of the World: whereas, when a man shall shun such a wicked man's company, he will begin to say with himself, Surely such a man sees something amiss in me, which makes him refrain my society; and by this means he may be reclaimed. Therefore sort not yourselves with these Korah's, but depart from their Tents. A second thing I note from that clause is this; may some man say, what was the cause that these men abstained from such abominations as others committed? I answer, their trembling at God's word was the ground of it: from whence I note this short observation;  
The fear of God is the restraint of all sin. 
Doctr.  This is proved sufficiently. 
〈◊〉 16.6.  Proverbs 16.6. By the fear of God men depart from evil. Mark it in some instances, What was the reason that Joseph refused to fulfil his Mistress her unchaste request? but because the fear of God swayed him. And it is said of Job, that he feared God and eschewed evil. Mark, the fear of God made him eschew evil. This was that which kept David from kill Saul, when he had him in his power: and to this he exhorts others, Psalm 4.4. where he saith, 
Psal. 4.4.  Stand in awe and sin not. And this so swayed in the three Children, that they durst not bow down to Nebuch adnezzars Image: the fear of God wrought in them to make them obey God rather than man.  
Would any man know the reason why sin reigns so much in the world as it doth? it is because there is no fear of God before men's eyes. What saith the Psalmist, 
Psal. 36 1.  Psalm 36.1. The transgression of the wicked man saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes. And Saint Paul having dissected the sinner, and ripped him up to the bottom, 
Rom. 3.18.  Romans Chapt. 3. Verse 18. he gives this as the reason of all the enormities there spoken of, Non est timor Dei coram oculis corum, There is no fear of God before his eyes. When Abraham came to Abimeleches Court, and to save his life said, his wife was his sister: the truth of the matter coming to Abimeleches hearing, he asks him why he had dealt so with, him? Saith Abraham, I thought the fear of God was not in this place: See, he did conclude▪ that there might be Adultery and murder there, because they wanted the fear of GOD. The fear of GOD is, Janitor animae, The Porter of the soul, it stands Sentinel, and will tell of dangers that be approaching; but if that be removed, than the heart becomes a cage of unclean Birds; and such a man will not stick at any sin. Therefore I wonder not, that the unjust Judge did refuse to do the poor woman justice; for it is said, He feared neither GOD nor Man. wouldst thou then be kept from offending GOD? above all thy getting, get the fear of GOD; which if once thou hast, thou shalt be kept from committing those sins which else thou wilt run into every day. Thirdly, these that take upon them to advise the rest, were such as were not guilty of the same sin, and the truth is;  
That man is most fit to advise others, 
Doctr.  who is not engaged in the same transgression.  
The hand that must wash a thing clean, except it be clean, will but add to its pollution: if it be not thus, men will turn upon him that usurps this Office, and say, Medice cura teipsum, Physician heal thyself; and, first pull the Beam out of thine own eye, and then thou shalt see clearly to cast out the Meat out of thy brother's eye: Nay it will be said to such a one as our Saviour said to the Pharisees, You lay heavy burdens on others, but will not touch them with one of your fingers.  
When therefore we take upon us to reprove others, let us be sure we be innocent of that for which we reprove them, and that is the way to be successful.  
The last clause is; [And let it be done according to the Law.]  
What Law? The Law of GOD; they intent a Humiliation, and they will have it according to the Law of GOD: Hear I cannot but observe the ingenuity of these People, they are not only careful for the matter, but the manner of their Humiliation, it must be according to GOD'S own prescription.  
Cain offered sacrifice as well as Abel, he failed not in the matter, but in the manner; therefore God had no regard neither to him nor to his offering.  
So Herod heard Jobn Baptist gladly, and went beyond many professors in these days; but yet, because he failed in the manner, it being not according to the Law, therefore God rejected him.  
And the ground of this, is that old rule of Luther, God loves Adverbs better than Adjectives, he looks not so much to the factum, the doing of a thing, as to the bene factum, that it be well done, that is, that it be done according to the law.  
Let me advise you, and myself to this necessary duty; let us not only look to the matter, but the manner how we do things in God's service: I am verily persuaded, that at the day of judgement, as many shall be condemned for doing things in a wrong manner, as for not doing them at all: as many for bad hearing, as for not hearing God's word; as many for careless praying, as for not praying; as many for unworthy receiving, as for not receiving the Sacrament at all. What saith God for hearing? He commands the matter, but withal the manner, which must be with Reverence and Attention, together with a purpose to Practise what we hear. So for Prayer: God not only commands us to Pray; but he prescribes the manner how; we must pray Fervently, Faithfully, and Constantly. Look we to both these, to the matter, to the manner of God's Worship; 
Isa. 58. ●.  else God will faith to us, as he saith to the Jews of Fasting, Isaiah 58.5. Is this the Hearing, the Praying, the Receiving which I have chosen? is this the giving of Alms that I have commanded, to blow a trumpet when ye give it, as if ye were afraid to trust God without a Witness? God looks that we should be right in the manner, as well as in the matter of his Worship, for he will not be pleased with opus operatum, the thing done, which though it be the Papists Latin, yet it is bad Divinity: God is, Deus Cordis, non corticis, the God of the heart, not of the bark; he hath respect to the manner how a thing is done, as well as that it be done; and if we do not persorme his service with a heart full of sincerity, we had as good cut off a Dog's neck. I press this the more, because most of the Religion of this land is formality; men come to Church, give Alms, and receive the Sacrament, I can testify with them, that they are not defective in the matter, but they exceedingly fail in the manner of GOD'S Worship, for they do not things according to the Law.   
FINIS.