to the whole world II. Eph. 4. 13. To the measure of the Stature of the fulness of Christ Which is the explication of to a perfect man i. e. to that perfection of Faith and knowledge which becomes the Christian Church III. John 18. 6. I am the way the truth and the life i. e. I declare the true and onely way to life and happiness and no man can throughly understand the will of God nor consequently be a true worshipper of him without learning of me C. I. IOh. 11. 26. I am the resurrection and the life c. i. e. He hath power to raise the dead and will actually raise all those who are his sincere â—ollowers and reward them with immortality II. Joh. 5. 25. Tbe dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God c. i. e. He first raises those who are dead in sin to a new spiritual life and then hath authority to raise them to an immortal life III. Col. 3. 3. You are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God You profess your selves to be dead to this World in Conformity to the death of Christ and that immortal life which you expect to enjoy with Christ is at present concealed from your view The Fiftieth Meeting A. I. 1 COr 1. 22. The Jewes require a sign and the Greeks c. The Jewes were all for signes and miracles the Greeks were for curious Philosophical speculations which might gratifie their inquisitive minds and therefore neither of them could relish the plain simple Doctrine of a Crucified Christ II. 1 Cor. 1. 24. This crucified Saviour is the power of God and the wisdome of God i. e. the most powerful method which was ever used by God for the reforming the World and the contrivance and effect of excellent wisdome And thus the Gospel of Christ is called the power of God to salvation to them that believe Rom. 1. 16. And by this foolishness of preaching i. e. by preaching this foolish doctrine as it was accounted by the wise men of the World of a crucified Christ it pleased God to save them that believe III. Jer. 23. 6. Christ is expresly call'd The Lord our Righteousness â—s it that the onely Righteousness wherâ— with we must appear before God is the â—ightenousness of Christ imputed to us Or rather Righteousness here signifies no more than Mercy kindness and beneficence And so the Lord our Righteousness is the Lord who does good to us who is our Saviour and deliverer Which is very agreeable to the reason of this name that in his days Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely B. I. ISai. 54. 17. Their Righteousness is of me saith the Lord. Which is a parallel expression to The Lord our Righteousness and signifies no more than that God will avenge their cause and deliver them from all their enemies II. Isa 61. 10. The Garments of Salvation and the robe of Righteousness do not signifie an imputed righteousness but those great deliverances God promised to Israel in the former verses which should make them as glorious in the eyes of men as a splendid garment would III. Matth. 5. 19 20. Our Saviour in his Sermons to the peoplemakes â—o mention at all of imputed righteousness but severely injoyns them the practice of of an universal righteousness and threatens those who break the least commandment that they shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven C I. PHil. 3. 9. Is it not worth observing that in all the New Testiment there is no such expression as the Righteousness of Christ imputed We find there the Righteousness of God that which he commands and rewards and the Righteousness of Faith and â—he Righteousness of God which is by Faith in Jesus Christ Is iâ— not strange that neither Christ nor his Apostlâ—s should once tell us of the Imputation of Christs Righteousness did the mystery of the Gospel consist in it II. Rom. 3. and 4. The great Dispute in the Epistle to the Romans is whether we must be justified by the Law of Moses or by the Faith of Christ That is whether the observation of all the external Rites Ceremoniâ—s of the Law an external conformity of our actions to the moral precepts of it will justifie a man before God or that sincere and universal obedience which the Gospel of Christ râ—quires which transforms our minds into the likeness of God and makes us new creatures III. Rom. 4. 3. Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for Righteousness And this while he was uncircumcised Which is a convincing argument against the Jewes that circumcision and the observance of the Law of Moses is not necessary to justification Because Abraham who was the Father of the Faithful and is set forth for a pattern of our justification was justified without it The one and Fiftieth Meeting A I. HEb 2. 10. God sent sent his Son into the world to take upon him our nature and him being the Captain of our Salvation he would perfect through sufferings that no man might think it much to suffer when God spared not his own Son and every man might submit to the necessity when the Christ of God was not exempt And yet no man could fear the event which was to follow sad beginnings when it behoved even Christ to suffer and so to enter into glory II. Eccles 12. 7. God did not onely by Revelation and the Sermons of the Prophets to his Church but even to all mankind competently teach and effectively perswade that the soul of man does not die but that altho things were ill here yet they should be well hereafter that the evils of this life were short and tollerable and that to the good who usually feel most of them they should end in honour and advantages III. 2 Thes 1. 5. We must through much tribulation c. Christ himself and his Apostles and his whole army of Martyrs dyed under the violence of evil men When Vertue made good men poor and free speaking of brave truths made the wise to lose their liberty when an excellent life hastened an opprobrious death and the obeying God destroyed our selves it was but time to look about for another state of things where justice should rule and Virtue find her own portion where the men that were like to God in justice and mercy should also partake of his felicity B. I. 1. COr 15. 19. If in this life onely c. We are sick and we are afflicted we do well and we are disgraced we tell truths and few believe us speak well and we are derided but the proud are exalted and the wicked are delivered and evil men reign over us and the covetous snatch our little bundles of mony from us and every where the wisest and the best men are oppressed but therefore because it is thus and thus it is not well we hope for some great good thing hereafter For if in this life only we had hope then we Christians
the not suffering him so long to continue depriv'd of life as that this body should see corruption i. e. above the space of three days which term consisting of 72. hours is the space required for the revolution of humors after which Physicians observe the body that continues so long dead naturally putrifies III. John 16. 8. H shall convince the world of sin of righteousness and of judgment For 1. The very coming of the spirit shall prove their crime in not receiving Christ thus testified and demonstrated to be the true Prophet 2. He shall convince the World that Christ was a most Righteous person and most unjustly crucified by his assumption into Heaven 3. He shall convince the World by an Argument from the Judgement shewed upon Satan to be turn'd out of his Kingdome his Oracles silenc'd and Heathenish Idolatry overthrown C. I. Matth. 28. 19. Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost The meaning is First in respect of the Minister that what he doth he doth not of himself but by Commission from the blessed Trinity Secondly And more especially in respect of the person baptiz'd that he acknowledges those three that he delivers himself to them as the Authors of Christian Religion that he gives himself up to be ruled by them II. 1 Tim. 5. 8. But if any widow provide not for her own The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to rule and govern or to educate and instruct Among the rest of the qualities required of a widow in the Church an office of some rule and oeâ—onomy at that time she must be one that hath ruâ—ed and instructed her own family well This differs much from the notion that some worldly phantasies affix to this place thinking themselves obliged with much thoughtfulness or secular fore-castiâ—g to provide estates and riches for their Children III. Tit. 1. 15. To the pure all things are pure i. e. All things of that nature which are there spoken of in themselves indifferent may lawfully be used by them which are rightly instructed But they that are misled by Jewish fables whether they abstain superstitiously when they are not bound by God to abstain sin by being subject to ordinances Col. 2. 20. or whether they abstain not when they are perswaded they ought to abstain sin against conscience The Fift Meeting A. 1. MAtth. 12. 31. But the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men This blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is not any one act no nor haâ—it of sin particularly not that speaking â—gainst Christ here mentioned but a final â—olding out against and resisting the whole â—ffice of the Holy Ghost and all those gracious methods conscquert to it II. 1. Kings 15. 5. David turned not aside save only in the matter of Uriah Wherein it appears he continued neer the space of a year from before the conception till after the birth of the Child as is proved by the time of Nathans coming to him 2 Sam. 1â— â—1 David we know had been guilty of several acts of sin markt and censured in the word of God but continued not with indulgence in any of them This sin made another manner of separation between God and David Contracted a greater guilt wasted the conscience more than any of those more speedily retracted it was the only remarkable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 drawing back or turning aside from obedience to God the only grand defection shaking of Gods yoke and so the only sâ—hism in his regenerate estate III. Deut. 30. 11. The Commandment which I command this day is not hidden from thee The seventy not two heavy for tâ—ee and elsewhere not impossible 1 Joh. 5. His commands are not greivieus the word signifies heavy Christ himself saith his yoke is casie and S. Paul that he can do all things through Christ not sufficient of himself to do any thing B. I. LUke 17. 37. Wheresoever the body is thither will the Eagles be gathered together Here are noted the Roman Armies whose ensign was the Eagle which found out the rebellious Jews and destroyed them as the Eagle seeks the prey Job 39. 29. wheresoever they dispersed themselves II. Matth. 24. 34. This generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled They shall come to pass in this age or within the life of some present as Matth. 16. 28. There be some standing here that shall not tast of death till they see the Son of man coming in his Kingdom Which is interpreted of this matter his illustrious coming to destroy his enemies the Jewes So Joh. 21. 22. If I will that he tarry till I come c. is spoken of this coming of Christ which S. John lived to see IIl Gal. 5. 19. Adultery fornication uncle anness c. Emulation wrath strife c. Here is an enumeration of Sins unreconcilable with a good conscience And the same with some variation and addition 1 Cor. 6. 9. and Eph. 5. 5. Every one of these at the very Commission deliberately have the nature of peecata sauciantia wounding the sinner to the heart and weakning the habit of Christian Vertue and if they be not strait retracted by repentance proceed further to wast the conscience and betray us even to desperation and withdrawing of Grace and delivering us up to our own lusts C. â— I. JOh. 5. 16. He shall give him life for them that sin not unto death Here â—ot unto death is to be taken not from the â—atter of the sin but from the disposition â—f the sinner namely from his desiring and abouring to get out of it which supposes â—ome remainder of exciteing grace while he other goes on without any care or desire â—f reformation It is clear that this priviâ—edge belongs to the prayers of the Faithful or such a more moderate degree of relaps'd â—â—reformed sinners Upon their request God â—ill give life to such i. e. such a degree of â—race as may enable them to recover As for â—e secure Impenitent the Christian brother â— not here obliged to pray for him and yet seems he is not forbidden neither II. Matth. 18. 6. He that shall offend onâ— of those little ones That is He that shall occasion their falling off into any sin or whicâ— the place especially imports shall by comtempt discourage them from the study of piety For so on the other side to receive them v. â— is by S. Mark 9. 41. said to consist in doinâ— them kindness and encourageing them in thâ— way of God III. Joh. 6. 61. Jesus said unto them doth this offend you They were offended his words of eating his flâ—sh carnally understood discouraged from following hiâ— So Gal. 5. 11. persecution is call'd the scaâ—dal of the Cross that upon which so maâ— are discouraged from professing the crucifiâ— Saviour and so in the parable of the sow Matt. 13. 21. The sixth Meeting A. I. MAtth. 16. 23. Thou aâ—t an offeâ— unto me i. e. By
Evangelicall righteous shall be dealt with and rewarded in and through Christ as if they were perfectly so III. Phil. 2. 13. Work c. For it is God which worketh in you c. The Apostle here reconciles the doctrine of Gods Grace with and shewes the indispensableness of mens endeavours making Gods readiness to work in us to will by his preventing grace and to do by his assisting a motive to us to work out our own salvation The Fourteenth Meeting A. I. HEb 8. 10. I will put my Law into their hearts c. It cannot be I will do all for them they need do nothing at all This would make all the precepts of the Gospel insignificant Neither can this be the sense I will sanctifie their natures and so cause them to keep my Laws without their concurrence in that act But I will afford them my grace and spirit whereby they co-operating therewith and not being wilfully wanting to themselves shall be enabled so to do Or I will do all that reasonable Creatures can reasonably expect from me toward the writing of my Laws in their hearts II. Heb. 8. 11. And they shall not teach every man his neighbour c. i. e. There shall be no need of such pains in teaching men how they must obey the Lord and what they are to do as under the Law of Moses which consisted in Observations that were only good because commanded but the Precepts now given shall be found written in every mans heart so that none need be ignorant of what is enjoyned for the substance of it that will consult the dictates of their own nature III. Gal. 3. The law was added because of transgression c. The Jewish and Mosaical law in a strict sense was not given as any new condition whereby they were to attain to the promises but they should till they were fulfilled be restrained and kept under discipline backt on by temporal rewards and punishments B. I. ROm. 5. 1. Being justified by Faith Faith put for the doctrine of Faith Justifie as an instrument as the Law condemneth as it contains the Covenant of Grace and holdeth forth pardon to sinners Faith as it signifies the Vertue or duty of Faith justifies as it is the condition of the new Covenant wherein forgiveness of sin is offer'd God the Father is the principle efficient cause Jesus Christ the onely meritorious cause of justification II. Jam. 4. 8. Clense your hands ye sinners The Scripture seems one while to give all to God in the work of regeneration and conversion and another while to make it wholly mens wâ—â— act To reconcile the places Clense you I will Clense we must go in a middle way I mean that where God speaks as if he did all in this great work we are to judge that he supposeth mens endeavours and where he speaks as if men were to do all that he supposeth the concurrence and assistance of his own grace III. Jam. 1. 26. He that seemeth to be Religious and bridleth not his tongue that mans Religion is vain May we not justly fear upon the account of the reviling and censuring even their superiors too not a few of the Godly party so called are guilty of that they are no better than meere pretenders to Religion as great a profession as they make of it C. I. JAm 2. 24. A man is justified by works and not by Faith only As works signifie sincere Obedience to Christs Gospel we cannot account it any seandal to have it said of us that we hold Justification by works Why should any man be more shy of acknowledging this than St. James Nor need we so mince it as to say that Faith justifieth our person and works our Faith for understanding Works for a Working Faith our persons is ever they be must be justified by them We must not give the Papists occasion to think we have a slight opinion of good Works II. Ezeck 18. As I live saith the Lord. Altho God professeth kindness to all men and saith nay sweareth too that he willeth not the death of sinners but had rather they would turn from their wickedness and live yet according to the doctrines of some men this is but a declaration of his Voluntas signi The like to which should one assert concerning any honest man he would think himself not a little reproached III. Joh. 3. 17. God sent not his Son into the World to condemn the World If the doctrine of absolute Reprobation be true our Saviours coming was to aggravate the Condemnation of the generality of men which would be far more properly called the World then a very few for not believing in him who never dy'd for them so much as to put them into a possibility of being saved The fifteenth Meeting A. I. HE gave himself for a ransome for mâ—ny for the Vulgus or multitude of the people So the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is rendred many doth among the Greeks most commonly signifie And St. Paul saith He gave himself a ransome for all 1 Tim. 2. and did taste death for every man Heb. 2. 9. and that he is the Saviour of all men though especially of those that believe And he sadly bewailed mens not coming that they might have life and wept over Jerusalem for her obstinate persisting in unbelief and most pathetically with tears wished that she had known in that her day the things that beâ—onged to her peace II. 2 Tim. 3. 2. Men shall be lovers of themselves proud covetous c. In this and other places where mens sins are foretold instead of â—hall we may put will The shalls make those Places look as if they contain'd declarations of desires whereas wills would make them â—t first sight to appear that they contain onely â—redictions and expressions of Gods fâ—re-knowledge that men would commit such and such sins not of his Will and purpose that they should III. Rom. 9. 13. Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated This is a quotation out of Malachy 1. 3. Where Esau's person was not spoken of but by Esau his posterity the Edomits are understood He meant no more thaâ— that he less loved them than the Israelites or was not so kind to them as he was to these Or we may conceive that by hating is to be understood very severely punishing which was after their wicked and most unnatural behaviour toward their brethren anâ— upon that account See Obad. 10. Notâ— what was said to Rebecca that two Nationâ— were in her Womb. And Esau in his owâ— person did never serve Jacob. B. I. ROm. 9. 15. I will have mercy on whoâ— I will have mercy i. e. I will bestoâ— my kindness where I please without givinâ— account to any one And therefore God maâ— justly accept Gentiles to his special favour â— idolatrous and wicked as generally they aâ— for he is not obliged to damn all that deferâ— it and cast off his antient people the Jewâ— at his pleasure
and incongruity B. I. LUk 16. Is it necessary to be rich Be-hold Dives in hell and Lazarus in Abrahams bosom Is it necessary to be noble Not many noble are chosen Is it necessary to be learned Where is the Scribe where is the Disputer of this World 1 Cor. 1. II. Psal 72. 18. When we say He only can do wondrous works When in all humility we acknowledge that he can do more than we can think that he can uphold us when we are ready to fall enrich us in our poverty strengthen us in weakness supply us with all necessary means and encouragements in this race when we believe and relye on it that he can tread down all our enemies and bind Satan in chains that he is able to immortalize our flesh to raise us out of the dust and set us in heavenly places we need not set our Songs and Hallelujahs to a higher note III. Rom. 8. 32. He that spared not his own Son c. He that giveth his Son will also give salvation And he that giveth salvation will give all things that may work it out It is impossible it should be otherwise Christ cometh not naked but clothed with blessings He cometh not empty but with the riches of Heaven the treasures of wisdom and happiness Christ cometh not alone but with troops of Angels with glorious promises and blessings Nay to make it unanswerable It is his nakedness that clotheth us his poverty that enricheth us his no reputation that enobleth us his minoâ—ation that maketh us great and his exmanition and emptying of himself that filleth us and his being delivered for us delivereth to us the possession of all things C. I. JOh. 3. 16. So God loved the world c. Must the Son of God be delivered Love sendeth him down Charitas de caelo demisit Christum It was love that bowed the heavens when he descended Must he suffer Love nailed him to the cross and no power could do it but love Must he be sacrificed Love calleth it a baptism and is strâ—itned till the sacrifice be slain Must he dye Must the. Son of God dye Love calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his perfection Heb. 2. 10. II. Mark 14. 36. The bitter ingredients so filled up his Cup that he made it his Prayer to have it taken out of his hand The consideration of which truth induced some to conceive that sense of pain had so weakned his intellectual faculties that he forgot himself Non fuit haec meditata Christi oratio Calv But we may truely say Non fuit haec interpretis meditata oratio that would leave Wisdome it self without the use of it No question it was the language of a bleeding heart and the resultance of grief There was no disorder no fullenness in it III. Matth. â—6 39. He prayed Let this Cup pass from me But that was not as some think the Cup of his Cross and Passion but the Cup of his agony And in that prayer it is plain he was heard For there appeared an Angel unto him from heaven to strengthen him Luk. 22. 43. The Nineteenth Meeting A. I. MAtth. 27. 46. Why hast thou forsaken me God in a manner forsook him restrained his influence denied relief withdrew comfort stood as it were a far off and let him fight it out unto death II. Tit. 3. 4. We must seek the true cause in the bosome of the Father nay in the bowels of his Son and there see why he was delivered for us written in his heart It was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the love of God to mankind Delexisti me Domine plusquam te quando mori voluisti pro me August Such a high esteem did he set upon a Soul which we scarce honour with a thought but so live as if we had none III. Esai 53. 5. He was wounded for our trangressions Our sins nailed him to the cross which not only crucified him in his humility but crucifie him still in his glory now he sitteth at the right hand of God put him to shame to the end of the world Falso de Judaeis querimur Why complain we of the Jewes malice or Judas's treason or Pilat's injustice We we are they who crucified the Lord of Life Our treachery was the Judas which betray'd him Our malice the Jews which accus'd him Our perjury the false witness against him Our injustice the Pilat that condemn'd him Our pride scorn'd him Our envy grinned at him Our luxury spate upon him Our Coveteousness sold him B. I. ROm. 8. 32. For us all All not considered as elect or reprobate but as men as sinners â—or that name will take in all for all have sinned some turn all into few make the World not the world and whosoever not whosoever but some certain men dedâ—ct whom they please out of all people nations and out of Christendome it self leave some few with Christ upon the Cross whose persons he beareth whom they call the elect and mean themselves II. Joh. 3. 16. God so loved the World i. e. the Elect say they They are the World where it is hard to find them for they are called out of it And the best light we have which is the Scripture discovereth them not unto us in that place If the Elect be the World which God so loved then they are such Elect as may not believe such elect as may perish and whom God will have perish if they do not believe It is true none have benefit of Christ's death but the elect but from hence it doth not follow that none might have had III. 1 Tim 4. 10. God is the Saviour of all men but especially of them that believe All if they believe and repent and those who are Obedient to the Gospel because they do The blood of Christ is poured forth on the Believer and with it he sprinkleth his heart and is saved the Wicked trample it under their feet and perish C. I. 2 PEt. 3. 9. God would not that any should perish In this all agree both hold up the priviledge of a believer and leave the rod of the Stubborn impenitent to fall upon him The death of Christ is not applyed to all say some It is not for all say others The Virtue of Christ's meritorious passion is not made use of by all say some It was never intended that it should say others The event is the same For if it be not made use of and applyed it is as if it were not as if it had never been obtained II. Joh. 3. 19. This is the condemnation that light came into the world c. The Indians live at the very rising of the Sun yet their bodies are black and swarthy and resemble the night So many there be who live in the very region of light where the beams fall upon them hot and pure and are darted at their very eyes and yet they remain the Children of darkness Facit infidelitas multorum ut Christus non pro
omnibus moriatur qui pro omnibus mortuus est Amb. Infidelity and impenitence are the worst restrictives that contract and sink all into a few III. Heb. 1. 3. Christ is the brightness of his glory And if we do not still Love darkness and make it a pavilion round about us he will look upon us through this light and look lovingly upon us with favour and affection The Twentieth Meeting A. I. 1 COr 3. 21. All things are yours when you are Christs There is a civil dominion and right to these things and this we have jure Creationis by right of Creation For the earth is the Lords and he hath given it to the Sons of men And there is an evangelical dominion not the power of having them but the power of using of them to Gods Glory that they may be a gift and this we have jure adoptionis by right of adoption as the Sons of God begotten in Christ II. 2 Cor. 4. 4. St. Paul calls the Devil the God of this World and Worldings in effect make him so For as if he had been lifted up and nailed to the cross for them to him every knee doth bow nor will they receive the true Messias but in his shape they conceive him giving gifts not spiritual but temporal not the graces of the Spirit humility meekness and Contentedness but Silver and gold making not Saints but Kings upon the earth III. 1 Cor. 3. 21. With Christ we have all things which work to that end for which he was deliver'd We have his commands which are the pledges of his Love We have his promises of immortality and eternal life He hath given Faith to apprehend and receive the promises and hope to lift us up unto them He hath given us his Pastors to teach us He hath given us his Angels to minister unto us He hath given us his Spirit and filled us with his Grace if we will recieve it which will make his commands which are now grievious easie which may carry us on in a regular and peaceable course of piety and obedience all those things we have with Christ B. I. GAl. 6. I am crucified with Christ Let us recieve Christ in his shame in his Sorrow in his Agony take him hanging on the cross take him and take a pattern by him that as he was so we may be troubled for our sins that we may mingle our tears with his blood drag sin to the bar accuse and condemn it revile and spit in its face at the fairest presentment it can make and then nail it to the cross that it may languish and faint by degrees till it give up the Ghost and dye in us II. Heb. 7. 26. Such a High Priest became us who is not onely merciful but just not onely meek but powerful not onely fair but terrible not onely clothed with the darkness of humility but with the shining robes of majesty who can dye and can live again Revel 1. 18 and live for evermore who suffered himself to be judged and condemned and shall judge and condemn the world it self III. Luk. 24. 26. Tota Ecclesia cum Christo computatur ut una persona Christ and his Church are in computation but one person He ought to suffer and they ought to suffer they suffer in him and he in them to the end of the World Nor is any other method answerable either to his infinite Wisdome and Justice which hath set it down in indelible Characters or to our mortal and frail condition which must be bruised before it can be healed and be levelled with the ground before it can be raised up That which is convenient for Christ is profitable for us That which becometh him we must wear as an ornament of grace unto our head There is an oportet set upon both He ought and we ought first to suffer and then to enter into glory to dye first that we may rise again C. I. HEb 4. 15. and â— 17. There is life in Christ's death and comfort in his sufferings For we have not such an High Priest who will not help us but which is one and a chief end of his suffering and death Who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities and is merciful and faithful hath not onely power for that he may have and not shew it but will and propension also desire and diligent care to hold up them who are ready to fall to bring them back who were even brought to the gates of death He hath Learnt compassion by his sufferings and death For the way to be sensible of anothers misery is first to feel it ourselves II. Joh 20. 29. Blessed are they who have not seen and yet have believed Why should the Resurrection of Chist be made manifest to the eye this is not to seek to confirm and establish but to destroy our Faith For if these truths were as evident as it is that the Sun doth shine when it is day the apprehension of them were not an act of our faith but of our knowledge Therefore Christ shew'd not himself openly to all the people at his resurrection ut fides non mediocri proemio destinata non nisi difficultate constaret Tertul. That Faith by which we are destin'd to a Crown might not consist without some difficulty but commend it self by our Obedience the perfection and beauty whereof is best seen in making its way through difficulties III. Joh. 7. 48. Did any of the Pharisees believe in him And the reason of this is plain For tho Faith be an act of the understanding yet it dependeth upon the Will and men are incredulous not for want of those means which may raise a Faith but for want of Will to follow that light which leadeth to it they do not believe because they will not and so bear themselves strongly upon opinion preconceived beyond the strength of all evidence whatsoever When affections and lusts are high and stand out against it the evidence is put by and forgot and the Object which calls for our eye and Faith begins to disappear and vanish and at last is nothing The one and twentieth Meeting A. I. COl 3. 3. Our life saith the Apostle as hid with Christ in God And whilst we leave it there by a continual meditation of his meritorious suffering by a serious and practical application of his glorious Resurrection we hide it in the bosom of Majesty and no dart of Satan can reach it II. 1 Tim. 3. 5. and 5. 17. The pastors are set a part in Christs stead to minister to his Church yea to rule and govern his Chuch And they carry about with them his commission a power delegated from him to sever the Goats from the Sheep even in this life that they may become Sheep to segregate them to abstain or withhold them to exanctorate them to throw them out to strike then with the pastoral rod to anathematize hem c. This was the language of the first