The Saints Guide

p. 1THE MERROR OF MERCY.

And God said my Spirit shall not strive with Man, for that he also is flesh, yet his dayes shall be an hundred and twentie yeares.

THe Scope of this Chapter, and the intendment of the Spirit of GOD therein, is mainely to discover p. 2two things, viz. The different condition, or severall sorts of the people of the old world before the Flood, in the first part of the Chapter, and then the different dispensation of Gods providence towards them, answerable both to their persons and sinnes, in the second part of the Chapter.

In the first, observe first, the carriage of the common route in severall Expressions, from the fift, to the end of the seven verse; and Secondly, the holy demeanour of blessed Noah in the eight and nine verses, But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, Noah was a just man and perfect in his generation and walked with God. Noah in that wicked time and place, and amongst p. 3a wicked people, was an holy and righteous man, saith the Text.

Touching the carriage and behaviour of wicked men, observe the hainousnesse of their sinnes in those unreasonable and unlawfull lusts and abhominable actions against the light of Nature and the law of God; saith the text before, the sonnes of God saw the Daughters of men that they were faire, and they took them wives of all which they chose. As who should say, they cared not whether they pleased God or not, they are resolved to please themselves, their owne filthy appetites and humours.

The sons of God were the posterity of Seth who had the ordinances and the worship of God in outward profession: p. 4And the daughters of men the daughters of Cain, they were of another brood, and these sonnes against Reason, Religion, even all common sence and honestie against the Lawes of God and the workes of their owne consciences joyne with these daughters in marriage, and these mongrell kind of marriages produce Monsters, not onely for state of body, but of monstrous condition and manners, such as were monstrously proud, prophane and in all wickednesse abounding.

p. 4Secondly, touching Gods proceedings and carriage of himselfe against the generation of these men. Observe it in the words of the Text, wherein the Lord sets downe as it were a sentance of doome p. 5against them, whence observe that as soone as sin is propounded God enters immediatly into a Counsell and determination against the Sinners.

[Obser.] Expect when once base and sinfull courses are put in practise, Judgment comes and that suddenly. So from the sins of these people observe That marriages with a contrary Religion ever brings destruction. Soloman tooke strange wives and therefore his Crowne was rent from him. They chose new gods faith Deborah and there was warre in their gates. Here is no sooner mention made of combining and mixing with contrary Religions, Seth and his posterity, with Cain and his, but Judgment forthwith ensues and proceeds, And God p. 6said my spirit shall not strive with man, for that he also is flesh, yet his daies shall be an hundred and twenty yeares. In which words take notice, First of Gods determination what he will doe; seeing they will have their owne waies and wills, he will not want of his will, he will proceede to Judgment, and if God determine a Judgment, who shall hinder it?

Secondly, of the reason of Gods determination herein. In the Determination consider. First, what is supposed and must necessarily be granted; That God doth and will destroy Sinners.

Secondly what is exprest and set downe, and that generally and particularly.

Generally, That God will p. 7strive with Sinners before he enters into Judgment. In the Text, one hundred and twenty yeares, a large time of Repentance, longer then they had of living.

Particularly, There is the bounds and limits of Gods mercy, God will not alwaies strive with man.

Secondly Observe that the Reason is set downe by way of aggravation, For that man is also flesh. As if it had beene said, not onely that base generation of Cain that had cast away the Law of God, and made Lust their Law, but even Seths Posteritie, Even thy servants (O Lord) that professe the Faith, and have the worshippe and Ordinances of God, they even they also are fleshly and sensuall; not onely p. 8Rome, Spaine, Italy; and Turkes, but England thy people that have beene baptized professed thy truth, enjoyed thy Ordinances, They are loose and prophane; So that this also apparantly implies not onely Cains Posteritie, the wicked, but Seths Seede, the Church of God, members of the visible Church; these, though professing the truth, depart from the truth, & practise the abominations of the wicked.

p. 8Before we come to the severall passages of the Text, we must unfold the words.

First, what is meant by spirit here, it is the Holy Ghost, for God owneth this spirit, My Spirit, The third Person in the glorious Trinity; Now God striveth, not only miraculously or immediately p. 9by Divination, but most usually, and now mediately by the Ministery of his Word. God strove with this generation of the old World by the Ministery of Enoch and Noah, the Lord immediatly assisting and advising them, they spoke not their owne words, but such as Gods Spirit, put into their mouthes, 2 Pet. 1. the last ver. Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, so that by spirit here is meant the Spirit of God, and by that spirit in the Ministery of the Patriarks and Prophets, the Lord strove with the men of the old world, and former Ages.

Secondly, what is meant by striving; The Greeke Interpretors translates the word so as it hath no agreement p. 10with the word Spirit, and indeed we shall rather aime at it then explicate it.

The word is taken from a Theame which signifieth to judge, or condemne in judgeing, but it is not here meant in judgment, but a debating of the matter betweene God and a sinner. Now, if God should call a man to accompt and enter into judgment with a sinner, who is able to stand before him? …