Church is thankfull for it to God Revel 2.6 and 5.10 And the rather should we rejoyce in it because God hath promised to take us to himselfe as his portion and peculiar treasure Exod. 19. 6. And it is his promise also to satiate the soules of his Priests with fatnesse Ierem. 31.14 And what a priviledge is it to have accesse unto the Lord and to stand before God daily which the Priests not onely might but were tyed to it by their office But then for conclusion of this point let us all be sure we have our part in the first resurrection Revel 20.6 and be carefull to be like the Priests for obedience and sanctity Exod. 19.5.6 and to get knowledge plentifully into our hearts Col. 3.16 and in the cause of God to blowe the trumpets of zeale and resolution carrying our selves with all humility and readinesse to doe good and so becomming instruments of blessing to the people And which I had almost forgotten we must remember to be like the Priests for teaching and confuting and reproving and informing our Familiars and friends as we have fitnesse and occasion Thus of the Priest-hood of Christians in generall In particular hence is further to be considered first their worke secondly their honour Their work is To offer up spirituall sacrifices their honour is Acceptation and high account with God through Iesus Christ. First then of the work of Christian Priests which is To offer secondly what they must offer viz. sacrifices thirdly the difference of those sacrifices from those in the Law of Moses they are spirituall which word notes both the substance of Christian sacrifices viz. that they are such sacrifices as were not according to the letter but according to the mysticall significations of the sacrifices of Moses Law and withall the manner how they must be offered up viz. spiritually or after a spirituall manner The maine thing here intended then is To avouch that Christians have their sacrifices which they must offer and that in a spirituall manner Now for the clearer opening of this doctrine two things must be distinctly considered of First what sacrifices can remaine to Christians since the Law of Moses is abrogated and secondly what things are requisite to the offering up of these sacrifices For the first There are divers sorts of sacrifices among Christians Some are proper to some Christians onely some are generall to all The sacrifices that are proper to some Christians are such as three sorts of men must offer First Ministers secondly Martyrs thirdly rich men First Ministers have their sacrifices which they must with all care offer to God and their sacrifice is the soules of the hearers Thus Paul was to offer up the Gentiles to God Rom. 15.16 And thus it was prophecied that in the time of the Christian Church the Elect should be brought in as an offering to God out of all Nations Esay 66.20 Ministers sacrifice their people either in this life or at the day of â—udgement In this life in generall when they perswade them to their attendance upon the House of God and breed in them a care to come before the Lord in â—erusalem Esay 66.20 In particular when they work repentance and true conversion in their hearts and when they make them goe home and mortifie their sinnes and tender their vowed service to God And thus two things are implyed for our information The one concernes Ministers the other concernes the hearers First Ministers may hence take notice of it that there can never be hope they should perswade with all their hearers for sacrifices were here and there once taken out of the whole Herd And besides the hearers may hence see that they are never so effectually wrought upon till they can give themselves over to their Teachers and to God to obey in all things though they perswade them to leave the world and binde them to the cords of restraint in many liberties they tooke to themselves before yea though they let their hearts blood by piercing their soules with sorrow for their sinnes even to the death of their sinnes 2 Cor. 8.5 and 7.15 Secondly At the day of â—udgement also Ministers shall offer up their hearers to God so many of them as are found chaste virgins unto Christ to whom they had espoused them before in this life 2 Cor. 11.3 And thus Ministers before they dye must make ready their accounts for the soules of their people Heb. 13.7 And thus of the sacrifices of Ministers Ministers have another sacrifice too viz. the particular texts or portions of Scripture which they chuse out and divide to the people as consecrated for their use For divers think that that phrase of cutting the Word of God aright is borrowed from the Priests manner of dividing the sacrifices and especially from the Priests manner of cutting the little birds The little birds is his text chosen out of the rest and separated for a sacrifice which he must so divide as that the wings be not cut asunder from the body that is he must so divide his text that no part be separate from a meet respect of the whole Leviâ— 1.17 and 5.8 2 Tim. 1.15 Secondly The Martyrs likewise have their sacrifices and that is a drink-offering to the Lord even their owne bloud this part is ready to be powred out as a drink-offering to the Lord for the Church Phil. 2.17 2 Tim. 4.6 and though wee cannot be all Martyrs yet wee should all denie our owne lives in the vowes of our hearts to performe our covenant with God if ever we be called to die for Christs sake and the Gospel Thirdly The sacrifice of rich men is almes and well-doing and those sacrifices they are bound unto to offer them continually Heb. 13.16 Phil. 4.18 Pro. 3.9 Almes is as it were the first fruits of all our encrease But then we must remember that our almes be of goods well gotten For else God hates robbery for burnt offering Isaiah 61.8 And in giving wee must denie our selves and not seeke our owne praises or plenary merit in it for it is a sacrifice cleane given â—way from us and consecrated onely to God and the use of his spirituall house the Church And thus of the sacrifice proper to some Christians There are other sacrifices in the Gospel now that are common to all Christians And these are divers For first Christ is to be offered up daily to God as the propitiation for our sinnes God hath set him forth of purpose in the Gospel that so many as beleeve may daily runne unto him and in their prayers offer him up to God as the reconciliation for all their sinnes and this is the continuall sacrifice of all Christians Without this there is the abomination of desolation in the temple of our hearts This is the end of all the ceremonious sacrifices the substance of those shadowes Those sacrifices served but as rudiments to instruct men how to lay hold upon
to be considered of 1. What need our spirits have to be sanctified 2. Wherein lyeth the sanctification of the spirit of man Our spirits have great need to be sanctified 1 By reason of the first sin they want originall righteousnesse and they are corrupt and infected with a generall leprosie 2. By reason of the steine and uncleanenesse all our actuall sins have added to the former corruption 3. By reason of the inhabitation of uncleane spirits our spirits have in them trenches cages forts and strong holds of Sathan 2 Cor. 10.4 and therefore had neede to bee cleansed after such soule spirits have been there 4. The naturall spirit of man frames nothing but evill and that continually this makes God so weary Gen. 6. In particular all the faculties of the spirit of man need sanctification 1. The minde is covered with a vaile wrapped in an ugly mantle of darknesse distracted with errour coupled with a thousand formes of evill thoughts 2. The memory performes no service to God it should be Gods Treasurer and Register but no body is in the office to keep record 3. The Will is grievously diseased and with sicknesse so distempered that it will not be ruled by any not by God not by men not by reason not by religion nor doth it agree with it selfe For man wills not alwayes the same thing 4. The affections out of the first poyson of naturall corruption have such monstrous births of evill that the spirit by them is set out of all order They are compared to beasts Esay 11. To fighting soldiers 1 Pet. 2.12 To tyrants making cruell lawes and leading into bondage Rom. 7. 5. The wretched Conscience then which there was once no diviner thing on earth is now in miserable case For either it is sick of a Lethargy and sleepes or if it waken it is like a mad Dog or Lion or a Iudge transported with rage It is ignorant without light it is soiled or â—teinâ—d with a thousand sinnes It is impure and exceeding base and without all properties of a divine Iudge For it is blinde and will be corrupted and will deferre the Affise c. Insteed of a throne of judgement it is thrust into a hole and horrible dungeon of darknesse where the Sunne of righteousnesse shineth not and there for the most part as if it were still night it lieth obscure and sleepeth And thus of the need we have of sanctification in our spirits The sanctification of the spirit lyeth in two things 1. In cleansing the spirit from sinne 2. In adorning the spirit with graces In the cleansing of the spirit consider both from what and how For the first if any aske what there is in our spirits needes cleansing away I answer That besides what hath been shewed many more particulars may be set out thus There are vile both impieties and unrighteousnesse in our spirits must be done away For impieties There is ignorance errour atheisticall thoughts pride hypocrisie inconstancy hardnesse of heart and division of heart conceitednesse vanity selfe-love hatred of goodnesse false feares carnall confidence forgetfulnesse doubts unsetlednesse unbeliefes of all sorts and love of the world For unrighteousnesse There are evill cares covetousnesse lusts of all sorts hatred malice desire of revenge anger fretting worldly griâ—fe bitternesse discontentment vaine-glory emulation inordinate affection and evill concupiscence as good as men thinke their hearts and meanings are they may by this taste see how foule their spirits are Now for the second The spirit is cleansed from these sins by degrees and to that purpose the spirit of God worketh and useth 8. distinct new qualities which have not place in the soule but upon occasion of this service against sin And these are 1. Spirituall poverty or sense of sin and misery 2. Base estimation viz of the world with the pleasures profits and lusts of it Phil. â— 8 Esay 30.22 3. Hatred of sinne 4. Shame for sin Rom. 6.21 5. Godly sorow 6. Feare 7. Indignation 8. A purpose and inclination to forsake sin Thus of the cleansing of the spirit The adorning of the spirit followes The spirit of man in sanctification is adorned with holy graces and here I consider of the adorning 1. of the minde 2. of the heart 3. of the conscience The minde is adorned with three things which come new into it 1. The first is a heavenly light 2. The second is humblenesse of minde 3. The third is purity of imaginations 1. This light comes in by the illumination of the spirit setting in the minde a celestiall kinde of knowledge and this stands in two things For first this sanctification breakes open a way and sets at liberty the light of nature which was imprisoned and withheld in unrighteousnesse and then there is besides infused a new light from above and this light hath in it 1 1. A holy discerning of good and evill truth and falshood by which the minde in a measure discerneth a general course of avoiding the waies of death and the 〈◊〉 of hell 2. A holy inquiry by which the minde aspireth after God and truth and tryeth things that differ 3. Wisdome from above by which the minde is caried not only to a foresight and forecast for the things of the soule and a better life above the things of the body and this life but is furnished with certaine feedes of discretion for practise with observation of the circumstances of time place persons maner end occasions c. 4. A sacred frame of piety and patterne of godlinesse and truth and this patterne is so communicated to the understanding that it is indelible no dangers sin or death can ever utterly abolish it This frame of truth is perfected by degrees 5. There is planted in the minde Gods watch by the light whereof all the wayes of the heart and life are over-looked 2 2. The second grace planted in the minde is humblenesse of minde 1 Pet. 5.5 and this hath in it 1. A sense of the wants of the soule and life of man 2. A lowly kinde of forecast in all things to glorifie God and profit man accounting it no abasement to serve and please with all readinesse 3. A thankfull acknowledgement of the mercies of God infinitely above desert by which a man holds himselfe not worthy of the least of Gods mercies 4. A freedome in matters of opinion from selfe-conceit by which a man attaines to that not to be wise in himselfe or to rely upon his owne reason or judgement Thus a man is not high minded 5. An accounting of others of Gods servants better then our selves 6. A pronenesse to humiliation for sin and humility in cariage 3. The third thing brought into the minde is purity of imaginations holy thoughts by which the minde converseth as it were in heaven already and feedeth upon the fairest objects in heaven and earth Prov. 14.22 Phil. 3. 20. Colos. 3.1 Thus much of the
sleep in the strength of that it hath sucked and further if it be a true desire it is after the word as it is milke and sincere it affecteth plainenesse and acknowledgeth no wisdome like Gods nor effectualnesse of speech more powerfull then the words of sacred scripture and lastly it is such a desire as intends growth in knowledge wisdome utterance prayer grace and holy duties Thus much of the signes The consideration of the glory and necessity of the worke of our new birth may exceedingly reprove the wretched and wilfull neglect of it in thousands of people especially of such as be continuall hearers and cannot be ignorant of the doctrine of it how many are the souls that like the blackamoores will not be made white the spots of whose sinnes are like the spots of the Leopard which will not be gotten out These have had promises to allure them and precepts to divert them and threatnings to humble them and yet are never a whit the better woe unto them they have not sought their peace in the day of peace yea are there not many who heare their own lets opened and yet goe away unreformed Oh the depth of the deceitfulnesse and wickednesse of mans heart Vnto a lively hope c. Foure things may be here noted three of them I will but touch First that there is hope unto the righteous He can be in no such estate or distresse but there is hope the poorest Christian hath his hope and if hee were inclosed with crosses yet he is a prisoner of hope and therefore wee should pray God to shew us the hope of our calling and should the more willingly suffer afflictions rejoycing in hope Secondly none have hope but converted Christians For all carnall men are without hope in the world I meane without true hope For the hope that wicked men have though they leane upon it is but as the house of a spider and therefore woe unto them for their hope when they shall most need it will be as the giving up of the ghost Thirdly there is one hope unto all Gods children they hope for the same glory as they have the same faith and therefore we should live and love so together as they that hope to raigne together in heaven But the fourth thing is the chiefe and that is that there is a lively hope and a dead hope For the one is expressed and the other is manifestly implied There is in godly men a lively hope there is in wicked men but a dâ—ll and a dead hope Now if any aske what difference there is between a lively hope and a dead hope or between the true hope and the false I answer that they differ in six things First in the use of the meanes for a lively hope will use all the meanes that are appointed of God and not that only but it seeketh and expresseth the affections requisite to the right use of the meanes and it will be painefull and patient Now the common hope of carnall men betrayes it selfe in this that they thinke to gâ—e to heaven though they never use the 〈◊〉 or 〈…〉 nor with any paines or patience Secondly in adversity a lively hope plainely shewes it selfe For it will make a man to runne to God and powre out his heart before him resting satisfied if it can get comfort and a promise from God whereas the dead hope is of no use when miseries and adversity comes It delights not in prayer and will not brooke to come in Gods sight it runs to carnall and devillish helps and if it faile in them it excites impatient murmuring or despaire Thirdly a lively hope is attended with lively joyes when God workes the hope of heaven he workes also at some time or other more or lesse the joyes of heaven which hee utterly denies to wicked men Fourthly mans hopes may be tryed by â—he object Aâ—ke a wicked man what is the thing he would have in heaven and he must answer it is the joyes and happinesse of heaven But aske a godly man what he would have in heaven and he soon answers it is the holinesse of heaven hee would be there because he would sin no more but the wicked would be there because they would suffer no more it is righteousnesse that hope waiteth for Fifthly the true hope will acknowledge the truth which is according to godlinesse but the false hope thinkes it enough to know it it will not adventure it selfe to be so forward as to professe it Lastly whosoever hath the true hope purgeth himselfe that he may be pure as Christ is pure but the dead hope cannot abide much mortification The use of all this may be to instruct both carnall men and godly men Carnall men should take notice of this difference that so they might addresse themselves to seeke this true and lively hope which that they may obtaine or attaine they must shun hypocrisie and deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and labour for true grace for the hypocrites hope shall perish and we can never attaine unto the blessed hope unlesse we resolve to live soberly and righteously and religiously in this present world and this everlasting consolation and good hope is had onely by grace and the godly should here learne to hold fast their lively hope as one of the excellentest fruits of their regeneration and their daily refuge should be to nourish and strengthen themselves in it and to that end acquaint themselves constantly with the comforts of the scripture which were penned especially to that end that they might have hope And thus much of the third thing By the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead Concerning the resurrection of Christ as it may here be considered of â— propound foure things 1. In what sense it is here to be understood 2. How his resurrection hath relation to us in that our new birth is here haâ—â—ed upon it 3. I answer a question or two which here may be moved and then I make use of all For the first Some have understood by the resurrection of Christ here synecdochically the whole worke of redemption Some understand the words of his spirituall resurrection in our hearts by faith through the operation of the spirit of grace for as he dyeth in us by infidelity so he riseth in us by faith But I â—ake it here as it is commonly taken even for the resurrection of his own person even for that work by which he did shake off the power of death and quicken his dead body restoring the soule to it and receiving to himselfe in his humane nature a blessed celestiall and glorious life In the beleefe of this we differ from Pagans They can beleeve that he dyed but we must beleeve that he rose againe This was solemnly foretold by David and foreshewed by Ioâ—ah manifested by an Angell recorded by the
power can keepe us to salvation His worke it is to preserve whose will it is to save Mans naturall life stands not in the abundance of the things he doth possesse neither is our spirituall life sustained by the bare having of abundance of meanes Thirdly it may serve for instruction and that divers wayes 1. First we should beg of God the spirit of wisdome and revelation to shew the exceeding greatnesse of his power that we might discerne it and beleeve it by faith seeing we doe not observe it by sense and reason 2. Secondly we should daily ascribe power unto God even acknowledging continually his power in keeping us from day to day as our Saviour Christ teacheth us in the Lords prayer when hee teacheth us to ascribe kingdome power and glory to him and with Peter wee should learne to put off praise from our selves unto God as hee did in the cure of the Cripple saying not by our power is this man made whole 3. Thirdly wee should particularly of God seeke the experience of his power As for example we should not rest in the forme or shew of godlinesse but seeke the power of it wee should not only get a little faith but strive with God by prayer till he fulfill the worke of faith with power we should not thinke it enough to pray but we should seeke the spirit of prayer and to doe it with power even to be made by the annointing of Christ Priests after the power of endlesse life so we should seeke the power of conference and utterance in the confession of the truth in admonition instruction consolation or propounding of our owne doubts for the kingdome of God is not in word but in power 4. Fourthly we should hence learne to be undaunted in afflictions though it were to adventure all even life it selfe for the Gospell seeing we are kept by Gods power we may say in any distresse as Paul did I know whom I have beleeved and he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him till the day of Iesus Christ. If God keep our soules it matters not what else be in danger 5. Fifthly Ministers should hence learne to preach with power and strive after it For it is not the ordinance of God but the power of God that preserves the hearers It is not preaching but powerfull preaching that keepes the soules of men till the day of Christ. 6. And lastly the people should learne to place their faith not in the wisdome learning paines or graces of men but in the power of God Lastly this serves for consolation to all Gods servants against all their feares troubles adversaries temptations or what else might make them doubt their perseverance For God is able to doe above all that they can aske or think according to his power which worketh in them The divine Power gives us all things needfull to life and godlinesse and though they have but a little strength yet the Lord can open a doore of knowledge and grace and comfort unto them which no man nor devill can shut and therefore let us from our hearts give praise unto the onely wise and strong God that is able to support us from falling and to present us faultlesse before the presence of his glory at the appearing of Iesus Christ By faith or through faith The meanes in us to preserve us is our faith and that this will keepe us through the power of God is apparant by the scriptures Hee that beleeveth on the sonne of God hath everlasting life he is as sure of it as if he had it and he shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life Christ is the bread of life for nourishment and he that commeth to him by faith shall never hunger nor thirst He that commeth to Christ shall in no wise be cast out Christ will be so far from losing any one soule that beleeveth in him that not so much as his flesh or any part thereof shall bee lost but the whole body that is delivered to the grave shall be raised at the last day whosoever beleeveth in Christ shall never die For hee that confesseth with his mouth and beleeveth with his heart shall be saved God will keep that which by faith is committed to him and Christ will bee at the last day made marvellous in all that beleeve but that this point may bee more plainly understood I propound three things 1. First what faith doth for our preservation 2. Secondly how it doth it 3. What kinde of faith doth it and then the uses For the first there are tenne things which faith worketh by all which and every of which wee are greatly helped and furthered in our preservation First it inflames in God a singular tendernesse of care to remove out of the way what might be an occasion of falling and therefore our Saviour Christ shewes that God so loveth the weakest Christian that is truely humble and beleeveth that if any whosoever shall offend him that is cast any stumbling block in his way in respect of the sore judgements of God upon those by whom such offences come it were better a milstone were hanged about their neckes and they cast into the bottome of the Sea 2. Secondly as it procureth the healing of the soule of temptations even of all the wounds of the serpent quenching his fiery darts by shewing us Christ the true brazen Serpent of our recovery 3. As it is the daily hand and mouth of the soule by which we feed upon Christ the bread of life and so are by the strength of that precious nourishment kept to life everlasting 4. As it lighteth us the way to heaven For as there is a light apprehended by sense and a light of reason so there is a light of faith by vertue of the promise of Christ who said I am come a light into the world that whosoever abideth in me should not abide in darknesse 5. As it bringeth us within the compasse of Christs intercession For when hee prayed the father to keepe them from evill hee expounds his meaning to be to extend that his intercession not onely to his Apostles but to all that should beleeve through their word 6. As it procures the pardon of all sins according to that of Peter to him gave all the Prophets witnesse that through his name whosoever beleeveth in him shall receive remission of their sins 7. As it will excite and compell a Christian in all suits to seeke his owne help If a man beleeve his faith will make him speake both by confession and prayer to God and by inquiry and counsell and reproof to men 8. As it procures the seale of the holy spirit of promise and the earnest of the inheritance purchased Faith opens such a fountaine of joy and incouragement within a
was shed willingly Ioh. 10. 2. Because it was the blood of an innocent man but especially because of the dignity of his person it was the blood of him that was God as well as man Acts 20.28 and therefore must needs be of infinite merit and vertue Is the blood of Christ so precious 1. Then let us for ever exalt that riches of grace in God that spared not the blood of his owne Sonne that hee might not destroy us Ephes. 1.7 Revel 1.5 2. Then let us for ever detest merits of our owne workes seeing the price is of such infinite value and sufficiency Rom. 3.25 Coherence 3. â—t should then augment the confirmation of our faith in our redemption against all the temptations of Sathan or rebellion of our owne hearts or oppositions of the world Rom. 5.9 4. If shewes how carefull we should be of our selves that were bought at so precious a rate Mat. â—6 5. Let 〈◊〉 all then take heed of sinning against the blood of Christ for if it be thus precious it must needs diffuse a horrible guilt upon such as offend against it if Abels blood cryed so what will Christs blood doe c. as they doe 1. That sweare by it 2. That commit the sinne against the Holy Ghost 3. That trust to their owne merits 4. That receive the Sacrament unworthily 1 Cor. 11. As a lambe without blemish and spot Hitherto of his passion Now followes his obedience or innocency both of naâ—â—re and action and both as they commend the excellency of him that suffered for us His innocency is set out by comparison of a spotlesse lambe in which words it is Gods purpose to lift up our hearts to an apprehension of a wonderfull purity in Christ as he is our surety and Saviour The maine observation is that God would have us to know affectionatly the wonderfull holinesse of Christ as he is our Mediator and Redeemer it is one chiefe thing we should be informed in Hence the sacrifices still shadowed him out by the similitude of a spotlesse lambe and therefore hee is called the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world Rev. 13.8 and the Apostles for urging this point may well be called the Apostles of the Lambe Rev. 21.24 Iohn calls him the Lambe of God Ioh. 1.29 36. Christ may be called a Lambe 1. For harmelesnesse 2. For patience and silence in affliction Esay 53.7 Ier. 11.19 3. For price and value for rarenesse and high account it seemes lambes were of speciall account Gen. 33.19 21.28 30. 4. For infirmities he tooke the infirmities were miserable but not those were damnable 5. For meeknesse and humility 6. For sacrifice He was the substance of all that was signified by the typicall lambes he was the substance of the paschall lambe of the lambe for daily sacrifice for the peace-offrings for the trespasse-offrings for the purification of women and of the lepers and the lambe for the first fruits and for the trespasse-offâ—ing of the Nazarites and for the free will offrings or vowes and the lambe for the sabbaths and new moones and the feast of trumpets and the lambe for the day of humiliation and for the feast of tabernacles the lambe for the Priests and the Princes and the people It is by the sprinkling of his blood we scape the destroying Angels It is for his sake that God is every day pleased in his propitiation for our sinnes He is our daily sacrifice that we must still offer to God for our selves It is he we must offer to God for our trespasses and no gifts wee can bring to God will be acceptable without him In him we are freed from the corruption of our natures and from the leprosie of actuall transgressions In him we have the confirmation of all our outward blessings The Priests and Princes as well as the people must ascribe all their reconciliation to him There are no persons so devoted to religion but they must acknowledge their needs of Christ nor can our best actions or times be accepted without him Whereas it is said he was without spot or blemish the Holy Ghost meanes to avouch that he was most holy both in nature and life there could not be a spot found in his actions nor any the least blemish in his disposition And it was needfull Christ should be so pure 1. Because else his passion could not be accepted 2. Because he must become a righteousnesse to many If any aske how he could be so seeing he came of Adam and had his infirmities both of body and mind I answer that he came of Adam but not by Adam that is not by carnall propagation but was conceived by the holy Ghost and so originall sin stopped and for his infirmities I said before he received such infirmities as the Fathers call miserable that is such as were punishments not sins but not such as were damnable as all sinfull infirmities are The Uses follow 1. We should informe our selves by often meditation of this wonderfull righteousnesse in Christ beholding by our medication the lambe of God that taketh away the sins of the world 2. For instruction many things may be urged 1. We should give honour to the lambe that sitteth upon the throne whose praises fill both heaven and earth Rev. 5.7 c. 2. We should daily send this lambe to the ruler of the earth daily present him to God for us Esay 16.1 3. These praises of Christ should convert us to his image this very doctrine converted the Eunuch Act. 8.31 we should imitate the praises of Christ hereby imported as these places shew Rev. 14.1 to 6. 4. Let us for his testimony resist the gates of hell by beleeving in him and love not our lives unto the death for his sake Rev. 12.11 3. For consolation Shall we not sing the song of Moses and the song of the lambe Rev. 15.3 Oh how happy are his servants Revel 22. What should dismay us if we know we are contracted to this lambe of God and shall enjoy eternall fellowship with him and in the meane while to be clothed with the white linnen of â—â— righteousnesse Rev. 19.7 8. 4. Woe unto them that will not rest upon him for righteousnesse the smoke of their torment shall ascend for evermore Rev. 14.10 11. Verse 20 21. 20. Which was ordained before the foundation of the world but was declared in the last times for your sakes 21. Which by his meanes doe beleeve in God that raised him from the dead and gave him glory that your faith and hope might be in God HItherto of the meanes by which we were redeemed The antiquity of the project concerning our redemption followes Who verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world The drift is to shew that we have reason to be wonderfully affected with the manner of our redemption because it was from all eternity projected by God Two things may be here noted in the words 1.
Psal. 31.22 Secondly this should teach us to looke to our faith and to provide for the daily use of it to live by it that if it might be we might be so ready and prepared that Christ when hee came at any time might find us so doing Now that we might attaine unto this daily use of our faith divers rules must be observed 1. We must be more afraid of doubts and cavils against our faith making conscience of unbeliefe to avoid it as a grievous sinne and to see manifest reason from the Word before we doubt 2. We must more study the promises of God and shake off the slaggishnesse of our natures especially wee should be more carefull to attend upon the carefull application of them 3. We should speedily run to Christ when we find any disease or neglect in our faith whose glory it is to be the finisher of our faith 4. We should often think of those that have been examples of much faith that have been full of faith Heb. 11. 12.1 5. We should watch against all things that might slacken our love to the meanes For it is certaine the love of the means is strong like death 6. If we find we have offended God let us not goe long without humiliation but quickly run and confesse our sins and not be quiet till we be reconciled It is dangerous to defer our repentance and neglect our communion with God long 7. Especially we should study for businesse to be imployed in well-doing in our generall or particular calling 1 Cor. 15.18 Hitherto of the sixt point Who raised him from the dead and gave him glory These words containe the seventh motive in the doctrine of redemption namely the ratification of it God himselfe was pleased after an admirable manner to ratifie the work of our redemption and therefore it should much work upon us for holinesse of life Now God ratified it two waies First by raising Christ from the dead Secondly by giving him glory in heaven 1. Of the resurrection of Christ from the dead divers things may be here noted 1. That Christ was amongst the dead this may shew the hatefulnesse of sin when Christ became a surety for it it divided his soule from his body and chased him downe among the dead Hath Christ been among the dead then let us beleeve him in all the comforts he hath taught us against death For he speaks by experience we may trust what he saies for he hath been there himselfe 2. Therefore dead men have a being it were good for us so to live as we may have comfort in our being after death For Christ found a world of dead men with whom he was after his death 3. How worthy is Christ to be loved that thus adventured himselfe for us how is it meet he should reap of the travailes of his soule 2. That Christ was raised from the dead Therefore it is not impossible for dead men to rise we see the proofe of it in Christ Secondly we should never be out of hope in the desperatest afflictions if we were brought as low as ever Christ was 3. God raised Christ from the dead Therefore it is wonderfull evident that our debt is paid in that the creditor came himselfe and set open the prison doore and released our surety especially in the time of distresse wee should know that God doth not require our debts at our hands For he hath hereby acknowledged ful payment by our Saviour and we did owe nothing but unto God Secondly this imports that the righteous God may sometime forsake us for a time and leave us to our thinking in unmedicinable distresses so as we should cry My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and yet hee will returne speedily to our succour and put to the proofe of his greatest power rather then abandon those whom he loves 4. That the resurrection of Christ is a great wonder therefore it is here mentioned as a marvellous course that God held in the ratification of our redemption The Use is Therefore cursed be those mockers that scoffe at the resurrection of the dead and let us glory in the faith knowing the victory of our Messias as also that the time will come that God will glorifie us also before men and Angels by mising our bodies also from the grave Rom. 8.11 1 Thes. 4.14 5. God lookes we should be specially affected with his glory in this great work of raising Christ from the dead The Use is Therefore let us be humbled before the Lord for the deadnesse of our spirits and slownesse of our hearts and beg of him pardon and the renting of the cursed vaile of ignorance that lets us from beholding the great glory of God herein 6. Lastly we see that the exaltation of Christ stands of two parts viz. Resurrection and Glorification and that all works of humiliation ended with his comming out of the sepulchre And thus of his resurrection And gave him glory This is the second part of the ratification The glory God gave unto Christ shewes that he is fully pleased with him and that Christ hath perfectly paid our ransome Quest. What glory did God give unto Christ upon his death for us Answ. Great and greatly to be praised and admired For 1. He assigned him all the honour of a triumph is his ascension when â—ee led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men Eph. 4.7 Col. 2.15 2. He removed from him all infirmities both of body and mind 3. He gave him all power in heaven and earth even preeminence in all things Mat. 28. Col. 1.18 For he made him 1. Prince of Angels Col. 2.10 2. Head of the Church Col. 1.18 3. Heire of all things Heb. 1.3 4. Iugde of the world Act. 17.30 4. He assigned him his owne best house to dwell in and that with equall honour with himselfe at his right hand in heaven 5. He bestowed all the Elect upon him Ioh. 17. 6. He commanded all creatures to worship him This was the grace of adoration Phil. 2.10 7. He gave him promise to grant whatsoever he asked Psal. 2.8 9. 8. He proscribed all his enemies and undertooke to make them his footstoole Psal. 110.1 The Use may be first for consolation All these honours done to Christ may assure us of our reconciliation with God and that our redemption is accomplished and it may encourage us to goe unto God trusting in his mediation for God can deny him nothing yea his glory is our glory The crowne is set upon our head when Christ is exalted and therefore being his members we should rejoyce as if it had beene done to us and the rather when he appeares we shall appeare with him in glory Col. 3.4 Secondly in all affliction it should teach us to live by faith and with patience to run the race that is set before us thinking upon the end of our faith the salvation of our soules which
by the bodily eyes The fourth thing to be proved is that the soule is immortall it cannot die when it is once kindled it will never goe out or be extinct as the Sadducees wickedly imagined and some Athiefts still thinke the contrary This is a point necessary to be knowne as for the truth it selfe so for the use of it in our lives For to doubt of immortality makes us miserable and to beleeve the soules are mortall makes men Epicures Let us eate and drinke for to morrow we shall die But to be fully assured of an estate after life makes a man carefull so avoid sinne lest his soule live for ever miserably and to serve God that hee may live for ever happily Now things may be said to be immorrall two waies either absolutely and in their owne nature and so God onely is immortall or else they are so by the will and pleasure of God and not by their owne nature and so the soules of men and so the Angels are immortall There have beene two sorts of men that have denyed the immortality of the soule the one were the Sadducees among the Jews who held that in death the soule of man is utterly extinct as the soule of a beast the other were certaine Arabians of whom Eusebius and Saint Augustine make mention who said that the soule died with the body and so remained dead till the day of Judgement and then they revived with the resurrection of the body Now against the first sort may be produced many reasons as also evident Scriptures The reasons are such as these 1 The providence and justice of God proveth the immortality of the soule For here in this life good men have not all their happinesse and evill men live in prosperity so there must be another life where justice must be done 2 Religion confirmes this for to what end were religion and serving of God if the soule died like the soule of a beast seeing in this life the most godly are outwardly in great misery many times For if S. Paul say If the dead rise not then of all men are we most miserable it will hold much more strange if the soule live not at all after death 3 The wisedome of God proves it for else man were not in better case than the beast yea in some cases worse For man from his infancie to his death is liable to many diseases subject to cares and griefes which the beast is free from yea this addes to mans misery that he knowes he must die which the beast doth not Now shall man that was counted like God be thought to have no better end than the beast that did exalt himselfe so much in the glory of his beginning 4 The conscience of malefactors proves this who feare a judgement after this life and an estate of misery 5 The nature of the soule proves it for it is simple and void of all contrariety and accidents and causes of corruption or putrefaction and is besides the Image of God Now no mortall thing can be the image of that which is immortall These reasons make it exceeding probable But I am of their mindes that thinke it may be beleeved by faith but not be proved by reason The Scripture therefore onely makes this point cleere such as these First our Saviour proves it out of the Word of God saying I am the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob c. Secondly it is most plaine Mat. 10.28 Thirdly eternall life is every where promised to them that beleeve Fourthly such places as treat of the Resurrection last Judgement and the Glory of heaven prove it Now for the other sort that confesse the life of the soule after the last Judgement but deny that the soule lives after death till then there are divers Scriptures against their opinion As First the former Scriptures The soule cannot be killed at all Matth. 10. And God was presently the God of Abraham as then living and for eternall life it is not said He shall have but He hath eternall life that beleeveth Secondly Christ said to the theese This day thou shalt be with mee in Paradise not at the last day Thirdly Ro. 8.38 Death cannot separate us from God in Christ as it would if the soule were dead or a-sleepe and did not enjoy God Fourthly the dead that die in the Lord are forthwith blessed Rev. 14.14 Fifthly the soules of Abraham and Lazarus were in joy and alive after death so was the soule of Dives in hell Sixthly Iohn saw under the Altar the soules of them that were slaine for the testimony of Jesus and they cryed with a lowd voice O Lord how long c. Revel 6. Seventhly the soules of the wicked die not but are kept in prison and are now in prison too 1 Pet. 3.19 Before I leave this point of the immortality of the soule it is profitable briefly to answer certaine objections which may be brought out of some words in the Scriptures as Ob. 1. The soule that sinneth shall die Ezek. 18. Therefore it seemes the soule is mortall or at lest for sinne it must die and the rather because it was threatned in Paradise That day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death Sol. The Scriptures evidently shew that since the fall and sinne yet the soule doth not die as the places before alledged prove But the answer is That this death threatned or inflicted is not the destruction of the beeing of the soule but the depriving of it of the grace and savour and presence of God Ob. 2. Eccles. 3. It is said that there is one end of the man and of the beast As dieth the one so dieth the other Sol. These are not the words of Salomon but of the Epicure who is here as in other places of that booke brought in declaring his mind of things For Salomon himselfe concludeth evidently that the soule returneth unto God that gave it as in the last Chapter The other objections are the objections of the dreamers that is of such as imagine that the soule lieth a-sleepe till the day of Judgement and perceives nothing and is without operation which is to say it is dead seeing life is nothing else but the continuall motion and action of the soule Object 1. It is said that man when hee dies sleepeth as Christ said of Lazarus He sleepeth Ioh. 11. and Stephen slept in the Lord Act. 17. Sol. Other Scriptures adde another word viz. in the grave or in the dust Iob 7.21 and Psal. 78. sleeping in their graves but it is evident that the soule cannot sleepe in the grave but the body only And Stephen delivered his Spirit to Christ. Object 2. Paul saith that if the body rise not we are of all men most miserable That it seemes cannot be true if the soule enjoy blessednesse without the body Sol. The immortality of the soule and the resurrection of the body are conjoyned For the Soule without the body can bee
brutish then must these persons account themselves to be What heart can stand before the serious thoughts of the damnation of multitudes that now sit with us in the House of God even for this very sin of ignorance Hosh. 4.6 And the more lamentable is it to observe the unspeakable avertnesse that is in man that of all sorts though they be warned yet some will on still and die without wisdome Iob 4.20 and which is yet more in places where men have the meanes plentifully yet what number doth the god of this world keepe in blindnesse so as they live and dye very sots even in those places where they have â—ad line upon line and precept upon precept and yet the people no more instructed than the childe new weaned from the brest Esay 28.9 Yea the more fearefull is the estate of divers that they doe not onely want knowledge but they reject it and blaspheme it as if it were not onely unnecessary but hatefull they love darknesse more than light and therefore their damnation sleepeth not Iob. 3.19 Iob 21.14 But on the other side so many as have their hearts touched from God let them bee warned to avoid ignorance as they would avoid the death of their soules let it be hatefull to them to be babies in understanding 1 Cor. 14.20 Ephes. 5.16 and learne of Solomon above all things to get understanding Prov. 4.7 and to that end to pray with David That God would give him understanding that hee might live Psal. 119.144 And when men have the light they should walke in the light and when God gives the instructions they should take heed that they be not as the horse or mule to learne nothing but what they are forced unto but rather with all diligence and readinesse to wait daily at the gates of wisdome Psal. 32.8 9. But if men be still senselesse and wilfull then I say to them as the Apostle said if the hatefulnesse of their ignorance will not appeare Let him that is ignorant be ignorant still 1 Cor. 14.38 Doct. 4. It may bee likewise noted that in the language of God unregenerate men are fooles or rather mad men men without mindes Rom. 1.3 Tit. 3.3 And that this point may be more cleare I would consider of the signes of a spirituall mad man or foole And that this point also may bee cleaâ—ed you must remember there are two sorts of men are said literally to bee without mindes the one is naturall fooles and their disease is called moria the other is furious mad men and their disease is called mania both suffer alienation of minde they want their mindes or the right use of them and so there are two sorts of men which spiritually want mindes some are resembled by fooles and some by mad men A spirituall foole may be knowne especially by two signes First by his mindlesnesse he hath no thoughts nor words about the kingdome of heaven he is altogether carelesse and senselesse he sits still without any regard of it as some children that are mopish and heed nothing or some that are sicke of a kinde of melancholy that will neither speake nor eat these lose time and will not buy it Ephes. 5.16 Secondly by his sottishnesse this sort differs from the former for these will talke and bee doing and many times very busie but it is without any spirituall sense or discerning their words and works are all idle and sottish and crosse to the word of God and these are discovered by divers signes diversly as First the wisdome of God seemes foolishnesse to them let heavenly things be spoken of with never so great wisdome and power of words yet these sots have one senselesse objection or other in respect of which they reject all they heare and being led by their sensuality or their carnall reason Prov. 23.9.1 Cor. 1. and 2. goe no further but in these cases thinke they are in their owne conceit wiser than any man that can give a better reason and proofe Secondly they discover it by senslesnesse and incorrigiblenesse when they are pursued by the hand of God many times round about Ier. 5.3 4. Though God should seeme to bring all to the first Chaos yet they understand not you cannot heat into their heads the hatred of their sinnes or the cares of a better life Ier. 22.20 21 22. Isai. 42.27 This Apathy is onely in mad men and fooles Prov. 17.10 and 27.22 Thirdly they discover it by their continuall entertainment of the innumerable enormities of their thoughts which arising from their heart in the dark they play withall with as much earnestnesse and attendance as if they were some needfull and profitable things This customary daily entertainment of vaine thoughts is a signe of a spirituall sot Rom. 1.21 Fourthly they discover it by their continuall grasping at shadowes that is their doting upon earthly things with strange cares and paines and jollity without any sound endevour to provide for their soules and eternall salvation Psal. 49.10 Luke 12.16 to 21. Ier. 17.11 Fifthly some of them discover their sottishnesse by following the service of idols which they worship in stead of the living God this is called brutishnesse Deut. 32.6 16 17. Esay 44.19 20. O what a number of these sots are there in the world if the worshippers of idols of Romish and Paganish idols were summed up Sixthly others discover it by making cleane the outside of the cup and platter but never regard the filthinesse of the inside such are they that are only carefull of the shew of their actions before men while their inside is full of ravening and wickednesse These our Saviour cals fooles or sots because hee that made that which is without made that which is within also Luk. 11.39 40. Seventhly some of them discover themselves by suffering themselves to be buâ—â—etted and abused and yet are content to be used so still and such are they that will suffer themselves to be abused by false teachers so they be of their owne humour though they devoure them in their estates and bring them into bondage in their mindes though they take of them and exalt themselves insolently among them 2 Cor. 11.19 20. Eighthly they discover it by building the hopes of the salvation of their soules upon most vaine and insufficient grounds they build on the sands they trust upon an universall mercy of God and the example of the most and upon the bare use of Gods ordinances without any power of faith or practice in their hearts or lives and therefore in time of tribulations their hope is as the giving up of the ghost all is ruined and their soules are desolate Mat. 7.26 They will be at no paines to be assured of their salvation and religion but goe on without any particular regard of their owne way to heaven Prov. 14.8 A spirituall foole then is discovered first by his mindlesnesse secondly by his uncapablenesse and contempt of heavenly doctrine thirdly by his
with what kinde of reviling he was 〈◊〉 and that was with most hatefull 〈◊〉 as deceiving working by the Divell blasphemy sedition treason c. The Use followes Use. Was Christ reviled Then it is most manifest that the world hates goodnesse incurably if that just One cannot scape reproach and slanders then may not any godly persons promise to themselves peace that wayes Therefore carnall friends of such as suffer reproach for Religion many times say It must needs be they are faulty some way or at least are not discreet whereas this instance of our Saviour shewes that wordly-minded men will reproach such as are godly though they were never so discreet or innocent Besides this should teach us patience under such indignities and wrongs Christ was reviled and shall we be so troubled and disquieted Christ did not revile againe And the reason was partly because reviling is a sin and partly because he suffered as our surety though he had deserved no such shame and we had and therefore holds his peace not onely from reviling but many times from just apologie confessing our guiltinesse by his silence The practice of our Saviour is here reported for our learning that all Christians might hence be warned not to render reviling for reviling 1 Pet. 3.9 There are many reasons to perswade us to patience and not to render reviling for reviling First the reproaches of unreasonable men cannot take away thy innocency Secondly better men than we have beene as vilely abused Thirdly as David said God may blesse thee for their cursing and honour thee for their disgracing of thee Fourthly because we are heires of blessing and therefore such foule language as cursing and reviling should not be found in our mouthes Fiftly though thou deserve not those reproaches from men yet thou art not innocent before God Sixtly herein thou shalt be conformed to the Patterne and Image of the Lord Jesus Christ not onely in suffering wrongfully but in forbearing reviling for Conscience sake He threatned not To threaten those that wrong us is usually a blemish and a fault First because usually it ariseth of passion and desire of revenge Secondly because oftentimes it is joyned with lying when such things are threatned as for matter or degree cannot be done or are not intended to be done Thirdly because by threatning so passionately we doe injury to God to whom vengeance belongs This condemnes the usuall practice of all sorts of men that sin fearfully in the customary practice of thwarting upon all occasions of discontent and displeasure Who is he that suffers now and in his heart or words threatens not Especially how exceeding common is this sin in the most families where parents and masters can hardly tell how to speake of the faults of servants and children but it is with foolish and passionate threatning contrary to the expresse prohibition Eph. 6.9 Masters use not threatnings But all such as would have the comfort of a sound conversation and desire to carry themselves as Christ hath left us a patterne must strive to breake off this wretched habit of threatning and if they be oppressed by Superiours or wronged by the incurable faults of Inferiours they must learne of Christ to commit all to him that judgeth righteously which is the affirmative part of the manner of Christs suffering But committed himselfe to him that judgeth righteously From these words divers things may be observed Doct. 1. First that in case of wrongs from other men it is not alwaies needfull or convenient to complaine to the Magistrate for redresse Christ here commits his cause to God but complaineth not nay though he were wronged almost continually and with grievous wrongs yet we read not that ever he complained against them that did him wrong Here two things are to be enquired after First in what cases it is not fit to complaine to men Secondly in what cases it may be lawfull and fit In these cases following it is not fit to complaine to the Magistrate First where redresse of the wrongs may be had by private and peacefull courses 1 Cor. 6. Secondly where the lawes of men doe not provide punishment some wrongs are offences and yet not punishable by mens lawes Thirdly where the offence is commited of meere frailty or ignorance Fourthly where the offence is grounded upon meere surmises which in the judgement of charity ought not to be conceived 1 Cor. 13. Fiftly where the injury is lesse and the party trespassing doth acknowledge the wrong in this case the rule of Christ holds If thy brother say It repenteth me thou must forgive him Luke 17.4 Sixtly where by the suit religion will receive greater dammage by the scandall than the party suffers by the wrong as in the case of the Corinthians where a brother went to law with a brother before Judges that were Infidels Seventhly where the Magistrates have declared themselves to be enemies to justice and just men as here in the case of Christ it was boot lesse to complaine because all the Rulers were his professed enemies Contrariwise in these and such like cases following men may lawfully seek justice from men in authority First where the offence is grievous and against the lawes of God and men Secondly where the offender persists in evill-doing without repentance Thirdly where the offence is against God and Religion as well as against the party wronged Fourthly where such wrongs are usually punishable Fiftly where the party complaining is bound to complaine by his office either by charge or oath provided that the party complaining first love his enemies and secondly prosecute with continuall respect to Gods glory and thirdly use the benefit of the Law with charity and mercy without cruelty or extremity Thus of the first Doctrine Doct. 2. The malice of wicked men against the godly is so great that when they begin to oppose them though it be but in their name they will never cease opposition if they have power till they have their lives too Thus I gather from hence that our Saviour being reviled doth not only commit his cause to God but commits himselfe to God as expecting the increase of their oppositions till they have put him to death This is the reason why God indites every man that hates his brother of murther 1 Iohn 3.15 And David so often complaines of his enemies that slandred him that they also sought his life yea his soule as if they were desirous not only to kill his body but damne his soule also Doct. 3. We may here also note that God is to be conceived of according to the occasion seeing we cannot comprehend God wholly as he is we ought to raise up such conceptions in our hearts of the glory of God as may with honour answer the occasion that presently concerns us as here in the case of wrongs God is conceived as a righteous Judge in the case of death he is called the God of the spirits of all flesh in
of his that we might admire it and adore it and embrace it and in the meane time love and delight in the Lords Supper that exhibiteth the body of Christ spiritually unto us rejoycing in such meetings above the joy of all carnall people before any other things Fiftly we should therefore take heed of sinning against our bodies bâ—â— make conscience to serve God both in body and Spirit and say with David and Christ Lord a body thou hast given me for I come to doe thy will Sixtly what cursed monsters are swearers that reare the body of our Lord with their cursed oathes and rake their nailes in his wounds with their blasphemies On the tree The originall word signifies sometimes a staffe Mat. 26.47 sometimes a paire of stockes Acts 16.24 sometimes a tree growing Rev. 2.11 usually wood â— Cor. 3.12 here a Gallowes made of wood Christ bare our sins on the tree because he did in a speciall manner suffer bitter extremities on the tree which he suffered as our Suretie and for our sins for First to die on a tree was by a speciall Law of God made a curse and so is every one that hangs on a tree Gal. 3.13 Secondly he was debarred of the benefit of ordinary naturall comforts for he lived in paine three houres in the dâ—rke and had not the light of the Sunne Thirdly in that darknesse he was put to the most fearfull conflict with the Divels which at that time did with their utmost fury assault him and sight against him Col. 3.25 Fourthly he endured most grievous paines and torments of body and the effusion of his most precious bloud Fiftly he was reckoned amongst the wicked in his death and therefore hanged betweene two malefactors Esay 53.9 Sixtly he was reviled by the base multitude and mocked and derided by the chiefe Priests and Scribes Mat. 27.39 to 45. Seventhly God his Father poured out upon him the fearfull vials of his wrath in with-drawing for a time the sense of his favour Mat. 27.46 Eighthly his whole body was offered up on the tree as a Sacrifice for the sinnes of the world and the substance of all the Sacrifices in the Law Uses We have therefore cause to rejoyce in the crosse of Christ above all things for on the tree he freed us from the curses of the Law and purchased for us the blessings promised to Abraham as the father of the faithfull Gal. 3.13 14. and besides by suffering so shamefull a death he hath sanctified all sorts of wayes of inflicting death upon the godly so as now they may with comfort in a good cause or after repentance for their faults even suffer that death on a tree with joy And we should the more praise God for his favour if he suffer any of us to die of any other more easie or more honourable death And then we may againe see the hatefulnesse of sin in that God punishing our sins in the person of his owne Sonne doth not omit the very circumstances of abasement his justice exacting not onely death but that painfull and ignominious death on the tree Lastly hence we may see how little cause there is for Christians to plead merit if they think how fearfully sinne hath angred God and withall how senselesse the best of us are when wee heare reade or thinke of these sufferings of Christ they may rather see cause for ever to abhorre the doctrine of merit seeing hereby we proclaime our selves to be worthy of the very merits of Christ that can be so little affected with the thought of his sufferings Thus of the matter of Christs sufferings The effects follow and the effects in respect of us are named to be three first the death of sin secondly the life of grace thirdly the healing of our natures That we being dead to sin Men may be said to die divers wayes First in respect of nature when the Frame of nature is dissolved by the pâ—â—ting of the soule from the body Secondly in respect of God when God is departed from men with his grace and righteousnesse and favour thus wicked men are spiritually dead Eph. 2.1 and 4.17 1 Tim. 5.6 〈◊〉 in respect of the world when a man is overwhelmed with crosses 〈…〉 as are 〈◊〉 wit◠〈◊〉 in his reputation he is said to be dead and his life to be hid under 〈…〉 being despised and 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 mâ—n oâ—t of â—inde Col. â— 3 Esay 26.19 Fourthly in respect of sinne and so men either are dead for sin as malefactors or dead in sinne as all wicked men or dead to sinne as the godly here To take the soule from the body is the death of all men To take God from the soule is the death of all wicked men To take sinne from the soule is the death of all godly men To be dead to sinne then is to be mortified in respect of sin Sin is said to be dead either in appearance or in deed In appearance only it is dead in such as have their sins only restrained for a time eâ—â—her by Gods owne strong hand or else by themselves kept downe for certaine hypocriticall ends or else for want of occasion or temptation to stir the sinne thus sinne was dead in Paul when he was unregenerate and revived when the Law came Rom. 7.9 Sin is dead indeed in godly men but with a difference for though in this life they be wholly rid of many sins yet some corruptions are not wholly removed yet are they dead to them in the inchoation of it their sins lie a dying but in the life to come they shall be wholly and fully delivered from all sin Thus of the sense There be many Doctrines may be hence observed as Doct. 1. First it is evidently here implied that all men by nature and out of Christ are alive to sin or live to sin and in sinning they may be said to live or be alive or live to it in divers respects 1. Because all the parts of their life are full of sin sin infecteth their persons and their workes 2. Because they are in bondage to sin so as all their life they are at the command of sin they are servants of sin Rom. 6. 3. Because they account sin to be the life of their lives they could not esteeme life but for the hope of liberty and power of sinning It were a death to them to live restrained of sin as appeares when either by punishment or for other ends they are found to cease sinning 4. Because they doe not destroy sin in letting it live they are guilty of the life of sin in them because they will not use the means to subdue and mortifie sin that dwels in them but let it alone unresisted 5. Because they have most life or are most lively when they have most liberty to sin 6. Because they continue in sinne they spend not an houre but it is in sinne yea they so sinne now that they desire to spend everlasting
brought to light none can reach to it but such as God endues with speciall wisedome for Solomon long since had observed that life is above to the wise only Pro. 15.24 The things I would consider of about this life are these 1. The degrees of it 2. The originall of it 3. A ghesse at the nature of it 4. The things that nourish it 5. The differences betweene this life on earth and as it is in heaven 6. The meanes to attaine it or what we must doe if wee would enter into life 7. The signes to know whether it be in us 8. The properties of it 9. Lastly the Uses of it 1. For first we must understand that this life hath three degrees into which we enter in at three gates as it were The first degree of eternall life begins at the first spirituall acquaintance with God in this life when his favour is made knowne to us in Jesus Christ by the Gospel so as we are truely justified and sanctified being reconciled unto God having all our sins forgiven us and our natures made new and into this degree we enter by the gate of regeneration Thus our Saviour saith This is eternall life to know God and whom he hath sent Iesus Christ Iohn 17.3 Thus he that heareth Christs words and beleeveth is passed from death to life Iohn 5.24 The second degree begins at our death and continueth the life that the soule separated from the body enjoyes till the resurrection at the last day And concerning the estate of the soule in this degree of life we have no absolute revelation but yet are taught in Scripture that it returnes to God that gave it to the body at first Eccles. 12.7 and that it is with Christ Phil. 1.23 that it is in the hands of God and in Paradise Luke 23.43 and lives in unspeakable joy Luke 16.25 and is freed from all miseries of this life and enjoyes the honour of all good workes Rev. 14.13 the bodie resting in the grave from all paine and labour as in a bed of rest till the resurrection Esay 57.2 And into this degree of life eternall we enter in by the gate of death The third degree of life eternall begins at the resurrection of our bodies at the last day and is enjoyed by body and soule for ever comprehending all possible consummation of felicity and glory in the heavens And into this we enter by the gate of resurrection which is a kind of new begetting of us and therefore is called the resurrection of life Iohn 11.25 and so the blessed in heaven are called the children of the resurrection and by that way the children of God Luke 20.36 In the first degree life is imperfect in the second it is perfect in the third it is consummate And the Use of this first point should be to warne men to looke to it that they enter into the first degree of eternall life while they are in this world or else they shall never get to heaven when they die and therefore should strive for saving knowledge and to become new creatures or else it is in vain to hope for heaven 2. For the second which is the originall of life it is greatly for the praise of it that it flowes from that life which is in God himselfe which is an unspeakable glory to the creatures that enjoy it With thee is the fountaine of life saith David Psal. 36.9 So he calls him the God of his life Psal. 42.8 Naturall life is but a sparkle that flowes from the life of our Parents but spirituall and eternall life is kindled from that infinite light and life of God but yet not as Christ received we this life for he had it by naturall generation we have it by a way unspeakable from God but yet by Jesus Christ. In him was life as the life was the light of men Iohn 14. He that hath the Son hath life Iohn 5.12 and he it is that is eternall life viz. to us ver 20. As there is no light in the visible world but from the Sun in the firmament so there is no life in the spirituall world but from God in heaven which hath caused it to shine in our hearts by the Son of righteousnesse Christ Jesus Thus our life is called the life of God Ephes. 4.18 and Christ is said to live in us Gal. 2.20 Which should teach us greatly to admire and adore the excellency of Gods goodnesse and make us to rest our selves for ever under the shadow of his wings Psal. 36.7 8 9. But that this point may be more cleerely understood we must consider of the originall of this life from God three waies First in respect of ordination and so it flowes from Gods decree he hath ordained us unto life Acts 13.48 and our names are written in the booke of life Phil. 4.3 Secondly in respect of merit it was bought of God by the death of the flesh of Christ. I give my flesh for the life of the world Iohn 6.51 This life will not be had without his death that we might live in eternall life he must die a temporall death And shall not this greatly inflame our hearts to love the Lord Jesus that gave himselfe for us that we should not perish but have everlasting life Thirdly in respect of operation or inchoation and so the fountaine of life is either without us or within us without us is the Word of Christ that is the immortall seed by which we are begotten unto life 1 Pet. 1.24 and so is called the Word of life Phil. 2.15 And the Word is so as it is the Word of Christ that is Gospel My words saith he are spirit and life Iohn 6.63 And that Word considered as it is preached to the dead soules of men the dead shall heare the voice of Christ and live Shall heare it note that Iohn 5.25 which should make us greatly to esteeme the preaching of the Gospel Within us the fountaine of life is the Spirit of Christ which is called the Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.2 Now the Spirit of Christ that we may live doth two things viz. it quickens the seed of the Word and unites us unto Christ as members of the mysticall body and then looke how the soule of man doth give life to every member of the body so doth the Spirit of Christ to every soule as a severall member of the mysticall body 3. For the third Wee shall not exactly know what the nature of eternall life is still it be perfected in us or consummate yet by divers words God hath let fal in Scripture we may ghesse at the nature of this life and in generall I thinke it is a kind of celestiall light falling into the soule that doth to it that which naturall life doth to the body This Saint Iohn shewing how Christ was the life of men saith he was the light of men Iohn 1.4 And David having said
yet it is so rich as the tongue of man cannot utter if it be in any measure true and sincere Besides how should this fire our desires after wisedome and spirituall understanding in the world of Christ seeing it is our life and in the same degree we encrease in eternall life that we encrease in acquaintance with God in Christ and therefore above all gettings we should be getting understanding And finally it shewes the wofull estate of ignorant persons that are carelesse of the studie of the Word of God and of hearing of the Gospel preached This is their death and will be their eternall death if they prevent it not by repentance and sound redeeming of the time for the service of the soule about this sacred knowledge Now for the fourth point the things that nourish life are greatly to be heeded both to shew us what we should apply our selves to and with what thankfulnesse to receive the meanes of our good herein 1. We must know that the principall cause of the nourishment and increase of spirituall life is the influence of vertue from Christ our mysticall head by the secret and unutterable working of the spirit of Christ which is therefore called the spirit of life because it both frees us by degrees from the feares of death and from the power and blots of sin Rom. 8.2 and withall it quickens and encreaseth life in us for the better exercise of righteousnesse Rom. 8.10 2. The contemplation of Gods favour and presence doth wonderfully extend and inflame life in us To marke God any where or by any experience to find effectually his love and to taste of the sweetnesse of his goodnesse this is life from the dead better than all things in naturall life it doth a godly mans heart more good than all things in the world can doe as these places shew Psal. 30.5 63.7 8. 36.3 16. ult with coherence 3. The entertainment God gives his people in his house is one speciall cause of encrease of this life in us as it encreaseth both knowledge and joy and all goodnesse and satisfies the heart of man especially amongst all the things that are without us the Word of God as it is powerfully preached in Gods house is the food of this life called the savour of life unto life 2 Cor. 2.16 Christ words are the words of eternall life Iohn 6. see Psal. 36. 8. Iohn 12.50 Pro. 4.22 4. Fellowship with the godly is singular to quicken and excite the life of grace and joy and knowledge in us therefore it is an amiable thing for brethren to dwell together in unity because there God hath commanded the blessing even life for evermore Psal. 133. ult Pro. 2.20 The mouth of the righteous is a veine of life Pro. 10.11 Yea the very reproofes of instruction are the way of life Pro. 6.23 And therefore weake Christians should be instructed from hence with faith to rest upon the God of their lives who by the spirit of Christ can enable them to eternall life and with thankfulnesse to embrace all signes of Gods favour and presence and above all things in life to provide for themselves powerfull meanes in publike and good societie in private and not to be turned off from either of these by slight either objections or difficulties and to resolve to labour more for these than carnall persons would doe to have their naturall lives if they were in distresse or danger It is also excellent counsell which Saint Iude gives in this point concerning eternall life he would have us looke to foure things The first is to edifie our selves in our most holy faith striving to get in more store of Gods promises and divine knowledges and to strive to establish our hearts in our assurance of our right to them The second is to pray in the holy Ghost for he knew that powerfull prayer doth greatly further eternall life in us The third is to keepe our selves in the love of God avoiding all things might displease him chusing rather to live under the hatred of all the world than to anger God by working iniquity The fourth is to looke as often and as earnestly as we can after that highest degree of mercy and glory we shall have in the comming of Christ Iud. 1.19 20. I will conclude this point with that one counsell of Solomon Keepe thy heart with all diligence for thereout come the issues of life Christians that would prosper in spirituall life should be very carefull of the first beginnings of sin in their thoughts and desires and be very diligent in nourishing all good motions of the holy Ghost preserving their peace and joy in beleeving with all good consciences Pro. 4.23 Thus of the fourth point 5. Now for the differences of life in these degrees especially the first and last degree they are very great for though eternall life in the first degree be a treasure of singulaâ— value yet the glory of this life doth greatly excell as it is to be held in another world I intend not to compare life in heaven with naturall life here for that is not worthy to be mentioned in the ballance with that eternall life of glory but with eternall life it selfe as it is held by the godly only in this world And so the difference is very great 1. In respect of the place where the godly live in each degree 2. In respect of the meanes of preservation of life in each degree 3. In respect of the company with whom we live in each degree 4. In respect of the quality of life it selfe 5. In respect of the effects of life eternall in each degree For the first There is great difference betweene the life of grace and the life of glory in the very place of living Here we live in an earthly tabernacle in houses of clay there we shall live in eternall mansions buildings that God hath made without hands 2 Cor. 5.1 Here we live on earth there in heaven Here we are strangers and pilgrims far from home Hâ—b 11. there we shall live in our Fathers house Here we are in Egypt there we shall live in Canaan Here wee live where death sorrow and sin and Divels dwell there we shall live in a place where God and immortality and all holinesse dwels 2 Pet. 3.13 Here we are but banished men there we shall live in the celestiall Paradise Here we have no abiding City but there we shall abide in the new Jerâ—sâ—lem that is above The glory of the whole earth can but shadow out by similiâ—ude the very walls and gates of that Citie Rev. 21. Here wee can but enter into the holy place there we shall enter into the most holy place Heb. 10.19 To conclude there we shall enter into the heaven of heavens which for lightnesse largenesse purenesse delightfulnesse and all praises almost infinitely excells the heavens we enjoy in this visible world For the second In this life unto the
as turne to him with fasting weeping and mourning Quest. But doth the Lord shew no mercy to wicked men Answ. Yes he doth but deceive not thy selfe he doth not shew them this mercy to forgive their sins or save their soules and that thou mayest know distinctly what mercy God doth shew I will instance in one onely place of Scripture and that is the 9. of Nehemiah for there thou maist see what mercy the Lord shewed to the wicked and rebellious Israelites To omit the extraordinary he gave them good lawes ver 13. and made known to them his holy sabbaths ver 14. and forsooke them not when they dealt proudly against him ver 16 17. and gave his good spirit to instruct them ver 20. and for a long time multiplied his outward blessings upon them ver 21 25. and when they wrought great provocations he sent them enemies to afflict them ver 26 27. and when they cryed sent them Saviours to deliver them ver 27. and after often revoltings he was often intreated ver 28. and did withhold his worst and consuming judgements for a long time ver 30 31. these and such like mercies the Lord may and doth shew to wicked men Hath begotten us againe c. Hitherto of the mercy of God now it followes that I should intreat of the regeneration of man As for the necessity and honor of the worke of the new birth I have touched it before I onely here propound three things to be considered of 1. The meanes 2. The lets and 3. the signes of the new birth For the first the ordinary meanes by which God doth beget us againe is the word preached as these places doe evidently shew Rom. 10. 14. 1 Pet. 1.23 1 Cor. 1.21 Gal. 3.2 Esay 55.4 For the second this great worke is marvellously hindered and that diversly For first many men are seduced seduced I say either with hope of mercy howsoever or with the colours of civill honesty and some good they doe or with pretence of after-repentance or with the examples of wise learned and great men or with prejudice conceited by reason of slanders cast upon such as are converted or with the common charity of the world 〈…〉 when they die or with false opinions as that men have all their regeneration by Baptisme or that reformation will prove an enemy to their credit or profit or contentment or else that they are as they should be because they are better then they were and have more liking of Sermons or care of religion or such like Secondly multitudes of men are senselesse and ignorant and through wretched inconsideration weare out their dayes without care or conscience they never consider either the number filth or guilt of their sinnes or the greatnesse and fiercenesse of Gods wrath and threatnings against their sins or of the certainty and dreadfulnesse of the vengeance to come or of the nearenesse of death or terror of judgement nor consider they the very effects of sin that are already upon them they perceive not their death in sin and the sleep of their conscience and the inefficacy of all Gods ordinances and the absence of Gods spirit and the impotency of all the faculties of their soules unto that which is good Thirdly many are hindered through irresolution and sluggish inconstancy they have many pangs of remorse and are neare the birth and give it over againe For either they forget it or neglect it upon experience of difficulties or objections against it or else because they finde more required then stands with their ease or credit c. Fourthly worldlinesse is a monstrous let in many I say not covetousnesse which is an excessive desire of having superâ—luities but a vaine over-loading of the minde with continuall cares about businesses in the world The love of earthly things and the cares of life choake all the sense they get in Gods house For they suffer their businesse to eate up their thoughts and consideration whence flowes forgetfulnesse and hardnesse of heart Fifthly this worke hath many and great adversaries if wee respect it in the truth and sincerity of it It is opposed mightily by devills invisible and by wicked men of all sorts visible sometimes by learned men sometimes by the prophane multitude Satan strives to overwhelme the beginnings of it in many with the floods of reproach and disgracefull oppositions Lastly it is hindered in the most men by the perverâ—e love of some speciall sin with which men are besotted and unto which they are so ingaged as God must have them excused till they finde time to give it over Thus much of the lets 3. Now for the signes of new birth amongst many I instance in foure The first is the washing of mortification by which I meane a serious secret and unfeigned voluntary godly sorow for all sin striving in particular to bewaile those sinnes unto which they have been most prone or in which they have most corrupted themselves This is to be borne of water and of the holy Ghost This is the washing of the new birth The second is the imitation of Christ by which we follow him in the regeneration Now this imitation of Christ must have in it three things First a willingnesse to deny our ease profit credit will or what else can be taking up any crosse that we may shew our desires to be like him in sufferings secondly humility and lowlinesse which will shew it selfe not onely in a continued base opinion of our selves by reason of our corruptions but also in the meeknesse and quietnesse of our affections and in readinesse to doe the meanest office in the service of Christ or his members thirdly innocency of life or a constant care to be holy as he is holy hungring after righteousnesse and loving purity and seeking the contentment of all wel-doing The third signe is the love of all such as are begotten againe of God For whosoever is borne of God loves all those that are borne of God but this love of Gods children is such a love as shewes it selfe first by a desire to love God and keep 〈…〉 godly doe secondly by a willing and ready Apology for such as feare God thirdly by fellowship with them in the Gospell fourthly by sympathy or compassion in their joyes or sorowes and fifthly by an estimation of them as the onely excellent ones The fourth signe is the inbred native desire after the sincere milke of the word By the desire to suck you may discerne a living childe from an abortive birth but then it is to be observed what kinde of desire it is For the comparison sheweth it must be a constant desire such as is renewed every day as we see it to be in the infant and besides it must be such a desire as is joyned with a secret and sound contentment in the word The childe doth almost nothing else but suck and
after an estimation of this salvation for certainly it must needs be excellent that is so long in preparing But thirdly and principally we should learne to prepare for it For if God prepare it for us wee should much more prepare our selves for it yea it may be that God writes this for our instruction we heare what God doth that we might learn what to doe our selves Now if any should aske what we must doe in preparing for salvation I answer we must prepare five waies 1. By repentance for our sinnes 2. By procuring the assurance of it in the signes seales and pledges of it 3. By the labour of love endevouring with speed to dispatch Gods work even the taske that God hath set us to 4. By laying up treasures in heaven both by sending our prayers thither before and by conversing in heaven by meditation and desires 5. Lastly by speciall preparation for death waiting till the time of our changing doâ— come Thus of preparation The revelation followes To be revealed Two thingâ— are here implied and one expressed The things implyed are first that the salvation of the soule is a hid mysterie It is not yet revealed and so it is first in the doctrine of it to Pagans secondly in the assurance of it to wicked men in the Church they sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death sometimes for want of meanes but alwaies for want of faith to beleeve it in their owne case nay they see not clearly the happinesse of the elect in general for the glory of their salvation is darkned by their afflictions and disgraces in the world thirdly it is in some respects hid and not yet revealed to the faithfull For first many of the children of God want the knowledge of it which they might have through neglect either of the means of assurance or the order of life For God doth in the brightnesse of it shew his salvation to them that dispose their waies aright Secondly none of the children of God know it as it shall be and that if we respect either the instant of time when God will accomplish it or the full perfection of the glory of it 2. That it shall never be fully revealed till the last time But is it not at all revealed in this life I answer it is But then consider to whom and how and in what things It is revealed to the godly in a more particular manner for the wicked have but a generall glimpse of it It is revealed by the word which teacheth it by the spirit which sealeth it and causeth us by the word to understand our right in it and by the graces of Christ which as signs prove iâ— And for the last it is revealed three waies 1. by way of negation for in this life wee see by the word what shall not be in heaven as not sinne sorrow sicknesse death c. 2. In respect of the assurance of faith and hâ—pâ— 3. In â—â—spâ—â—t of the fâ—â—st fruits and pledges and beginnings of salvation in saving graces The doctrine expressed is that salvation shall be revealed at the last day and that three waies fiâ—st by the voice of Christ who in the last sentence shall set out the glory of Gods mercy before men and Angels describing the worth of the Kingdome of God which he hath prepared for the elect 2. God will then inlarge and perfect the understandings of the faithfull in full conceiving of the worth of eternall things 3. It shall be revealed in that it shall be enjoyed The revelation of it shall be the possession of it and this is principally meant here The Uses of this doctrine concerning the revelation of salvation are divers First it is exceeding comfortable unto Gods children and thiâ— comfort may be concluded out of this doctrine three waies First from the generall they may hence be greatly heartned that those great things which are promised shall one day be revealed They are now the sonnes of God but it doth not appeare what they shall be their miseries are revealed now but their salvation is but prepared to be revealed Secondly here is comfort in particular against slanders and reproaches and the evill censures and surmises of men and wretched imputations Their innocencie shall one day be revealed and the sinnes and secret plots of adversaries shall one day be discovered There is nothing covered that shall not then be revealed that day shall try mens works And also against all sorts of erosses might this doctrine comfort us For if we did thinke of the things that are not seene as yet they would make us hold all our afflictions light and momentary in comparison of what we expect And thirdly from the lesse to the greater they may hence deduce singular comfort For if now at some times when it is but in preparation to be revealed Gods people doe find so much comfort what shall that superabundant happinesse be when that Abyssus shall be broken up and the mines of treasure shall be discovered and possessed Here is also implyed by the contrary wonderfull terror to the wicked men they little know what shall befall them the Lord now treasures up much for them and a day will come when it shall be revealed If that anger that God in this world doth reveale from heaven by his threatnings or by his judgements be so terrible oh what shall it be in the last day they shall call for the mountains to cover them when the Lambe shall sit upon his throne to open the mysterie of their iniquity and Gods anger and it is a misery added to their misery that they cannot discerne it but for the most part die without knowledge and sinke into perdition before they be aware But especially woe shall then be to the hypocrite for his maske shall then be pulled off Thirdly this doctrine may serve for instruction and that two waies First we should be thankfull if God have in any measure revealed unto us his love and this mysterie of our salvation For there are many wise men and great men to whom in the secrets of his judgement that knowledge is denied Secondly we should with earnest expectation waiâ— for the revelation of the sons of God seeing that that is the time of glorious and unexpressible liberty And thus of the revelation of salvation In the last time These words are diversly accepted in Scripture Sometimes they note in definitely any time that is far off sometimes they note the whole space of time from Christs first comming to the second sometimes they note the later age of the world neerer the second comming of Christ sometimes it notes the time after the resurrection till the end of the judgement and so it is here Before I come to the particular consideration of these words there are divers things may be noted in
suspect it Lastly this joy in the holy Ghost in some is an habituall gladnesse of heart which constantly after assurance is found in them though they feele not the passions of joy but in others there is felt at sometimes the vehement passions of joy but not the constant gladnesse Now eyther may be the true joy of the holy Ghost if it agree to the former signes But what should wee doe to get the joyes of God 1 Thou must be in the generall Gods servant and devote thy selfe to holinesse else thou canst never feele them Esay 65.13 2 Thou must voluntarily seeke godly sorrow for thy sins for these joyes are promised to and most felt by such as mourne for sin Psal. 126.2 3 5 6. Esay 61.3 Prov. 14.10 Mat. 5.5 3. Thou must labour after the affections of godlinesse till thou come to love Christ and the Word and holy exercises thou canst not get the joy in the holy Ghost if we did once love to be Gods servants the Lord would refresh us with the joyes of his presence Esay 56.6 7. But what should we doe to preserve the joyes of God that'wee might more constantly rejoyce in the holy Ghost Observe these rules 1. Thou must get a meeke spirit For passion and pride hinder the refreshings of God wonderfully Esay 29.19 2. Preserve uprightnesse the upright shall have an harvest of joy But if thou nourish the love of any sinne it is impossible to keep the joyes of God Psal. 96.11 Prov. 29.6 12.20 3. Lose not Gods presence but set him in thy sight and walk before him There is fulnesse of joy at his right hand Psal 16.11 4. Be much in well-doing For that will make our joy abound Col. 1. 9 10 11. 5. Hang upon the brests of the Churches consolation and sincerity Esay 66.11 6. Take heed of much carnall or outward reioycing For the immoderate liking of earthly things hardens the heart in the things of God Hence wee may briefly note the causes why many professors have no more ioy 1. Some neglect the meanes 2. Others are mastered by strong affections as Envy or Passions c. 3. Others have neglected mortification 4. In many their very unprofitablenesse is the cause 5. In some the love of some secret sinne blasts all grace and joy Thus of the 8. verse Verse 9. Receiving the end of your faith the salvation of your soules THis Verse is a ratification of the former in which the Apostle labours to assure salvation to all such as have the former signes 1. The matter assured is the salvation of our soules 2. The certainty of the assurance is in the word receiving which imports it is as sure as if we had received it already 3. The instrumentall cause is faith for salvation is the end of faith Receiving If this word be marked in it selfe and the coherence foure things arise to be observed 1. First that wee should receive the graces and blessings of God with much joy and love of Christ who is the foundation of the merit of all This I note from the coherence with the former Verse 2. Secondly we are seldome glad at heart longer then we are receiving some blessing or promises from God Note that he joyns this word to the joyes of the holy Ghost in the end of the former Verse 3. Thirdly that salvation is received even in this life received I say 1. In the promises of it 2. In the graces which begin eternall life in this life 3. In the certainty of the assurance of it 4. The word in the Originall signifies to carry back againe or to fetch out of the field which imports we cannot get salvation nor any promises or graces that concerne it but we must fight for it there will be some bicketing before it can be carried away out of the field Of your faith Faith is here expresly made the instrument of our salvation This is a principle and should be unmoveable in the heart of every Christian that without faith our religion is to no end For wee cannot be saved without it which should teach us both to seek this faith and to account of it as most precious and to this end to make sure that our faith be right wee cannot be too oft urged hereunto I will instance but in foure signes of a true perswasion For I take it for granted that the most of us say we are perswaded God loves us and Christ died for us Now wee may try whether this perswasion be right foure waies 1. First if it will endure the tryall of manifold tentations as the coherence shews a true perswasion will If it will support us in adversity of all sorts in some measure especially if it will fence us against the scornes and oppositions of the world this will prove it to be a true perswasion 2. Secondly if it be such a faith as will beleeve all that is written Act. 24.14 so far as it sees it to be the will of God though it be against reason or affection or profit or the opinion of any other 3. Thirdly if it have the seale of the spirit For hee that truely beleeveth hath a witnesse in himselfe even the witnesse of the spirit of adoption testifying by unspeakable joyes the assurance of Gods love Eph. 1.14 1 Ioh. 5.10 4. Fourthly if it be accompanied with a sincere life and love of all that truely feare God for the image of God in them True faith will shew it selfe by this love Gal. 5.6 The end of your faith The word here rendred the end doth further signifie a reward or wages which is given at the end and so these things may be observed 1. First that in the end the Lord will take account of the use of all gifts or graces in men 2. Secondly that unlesse we hold out to the end we can never have reward 3. Thirdly that true faith will hold out to the end if it be true it will abide 4. Fourthly Faith it selfe will once have an end and therein love excels faith because that will never end 5. But the last and chiefest point is that it will be a glorious time when the end comes that God disposeth the rewards of beleeving which may serve for foure uses 1. First it may comfort Gods afflicted servants For the expectation of the poore shall not perish for ever Psal. 9.18 and God will certainly give an end and expectation Ier. 29.11 And have we not seene the end of the Lord in many things in our temporall troubles and can we doubt him for our last end why should any feare death Is it not the time of receiving wages No hireling is afraid of the time of receiving his wages 2. Secondly it should teach us therefore to wait upon God and possesse our soules with patience holding fast our confidence of assurance For the end shall come and it will not be long before it shall be 3. Thirdly for information we
into the actions of three severall daies 1. Some things were to be done the first day verse 4. to 9. 2. Some things the 7. day ver 9. 3. Some things on the 8. day ver 10. to 32. These severall daies noted the different degrees in the sanctification of the sinner In the first dayes worke we may consider 1. what the Priest doth ver 8. 2. what the Leper to be clensed was to doe ver 8. In the first consider the things prepared ver 4. and the application of them or use of them ver 5 6 7. LEVITICUS 14. VERSE 4. The things prepared were two live cleane birds cedar wood byssop and scarlet 1. The two live birds did signifie the twofold estate of Christ his suffering estate and his triumphing estate as will appeare more plainlie after 2. And Christ is shadowed out in the likenesse of birds first then of lambs after and then of a bullocke at last to note the degrees of the revelation of Christ in the heart of a sinner at the first though he have true grace yet he seeth Christ but in a little forme as it were afterward God revealeth his Son in him more and more manifestly 3. The cedar wood hyssop and scarlet might signifie the graces of Christ with which he was to enrich and sanctifie the sinner viz. Faith Hope and Love Faith signified by the high growing cedar which though it have a root in earth yet it aspires towards heaven above all other trees Hope was signified by the Hyssop which though it grow low and secret as it were in the heart yet it is alwayes greene according to the severall seasons of Gods providence and Love was signified by the scarlet the double dye whereof might note our double love to God and men all sanctified and inflamed in the bloud shedding of Jesus Christ. 4. The summe of all then in the signification of the things prepared is that wee need two things for our clensing viz. Christ and the graces of Christ Faith Love and Hope 5. Now it is to be observed that these are to be taken not for the whole congregation of Christ or Israel at once but for him that is to be clensed alone to signifie that there must be a particular application of Christ and sanctification with the graces of Christ in every beleever or else it will not serve the turne that there is a Saviour provided for the Church in generall which is further shadowed out in the particular taking of the birds for this use and gathering of the cedar wood and hysop and providing of scarlet 6. It is further to be noted that the Priest is said to command the taking of these things not to prescribe them only which might shew Gods willingnesse to bestow Christ and his graces he doth not only offer him but commands us also to take him by faith he is ready to give and reproacheth no man yea this command might enforce some care and terror into the penitent sinner not to dare to neglect the time in this great businesse of purifying the soule and it might also incourage the fearefull for God is not only contented that they rest upon Christ but shewes himselfe to be discontented if they doe not seeke unto Christ when they finde need of him Thus of the things to be prepared the application or use of them followes in the three next verses VERSE 5. The application concerns either the dying bird or the living bird The dying bird in this verse the living bird in the two next 1. The one of the birds must be killed to note that without the death of Christ there can be no purging for sinne and that in the conversion of a sinner the onely thing the soule of man lookes upon is Christ slaine for sinne 2. This bird is to be killed by commandement to note that Christ was by speciall appointment from the Father set apart unto death 3. This bird was to be killed over running water This running water was a signe either of the Gospell or of the grace of sanctification The bloud falling into the water either did signifie that the Gospell of Christ crucified should be preached all over the world or else it noted that the bloud of Christ should then onely be effectuall to the sinner when the fountaine of grace was opened and both bloud and water met together that is the merit of Christ and the Spirit of Christ There ran out of the side of Christ both water and blood which it seemes was to signifie the same mystery 1 Iohn 5. 4. It is the more comfortable also that by the running water is signified the continuall flowing of the fountaine of grace dyed in the blood and merits of Christ in the heart of a sinner 5. This water was to be in an earthen vessell to note 1. That God did measure unto every Christian according to his proportion Rom. 12.6 2. That the Ministers of the Gospell should have the power of dividing this treasure unto men and that God would glorifie himselfe by the service of men otherwise contemptible in the world 2 Cor. 4.6 VERSE 6. 1. The living bird signifieth Christ alive from the dead and who cannot die but ever liveth at the right hand of God 2. The Cedar wood hyssop and scarlet signified the graces of Christ Faith Hope and Love 3. The joyning of both these together shewes that we cannot bee saved by Christ without the grace of Christ. It is to no purpose to thinke of Christ without care to receive his graces also 4. All these must be dipped in the blood of the bird that was slaine over running water to teach us three things 1. That it is the merit of the death of Christ that makes the presence of Christ in heaven acceptable for us 2. That all the graces we are to receive from Christ must be dipped in his blood also for by his blood it is that we have accesse unto grace or acceptation for any grace in us though received from him 3. That by the Gospell and the Spirit of Christ all this good is conferred unto us from Christ out of heaven VERSE 7. 1. The sprinkling upon him that is to be cleansed notes 1. Application There must bee a particular application of Christ to the beleever 2. Imputation For this sprinkling is the worke of God imputing Christ and his passion and holinesse to the beleever 3. Valuation of the worth of the least drop of Christs blood His blood though but sprinkled justifies a sinner 4. Lesser manifestation For sprinkling imports not so much a restraint in God as a defect in us that doe not so fully discerne our interest in Christ. 5. Strong consolation For if we can by faith lay hold but upon a drop of Christs blood it sufficeth if we discerne but sprinkling though we are farre from powring out it is sufficient 2. When he adds from his leprosie it is to assure us this comfort that in the justification
of a sinner God stands not upon the greatnesse or soulenesse of the sinne Ezek. 36.26 Zach. 13.1 3. Where he saith seven times it was to note 1. The perfection of our justification in respect of God it was done seven times that is perfectly 2. The imperfection of our application wee have need to have our pardon sealed seven times or with seven seales God must tell us it often over and over 4. Where he faith and shall pronounce him cleane it notes 1. That Justification evidently hath two parts 1. The imputation of Christs righteousnesse 2. The forgivenesse or acquitting of the sinner here called his pronouncing him to be cleane 2. That if God and his Minister doe speake comfortably unto us we need not care for all the world besides 3. How easie it is for God to justifie a sinner It is but to say hee is cleane or to bid him be so The word of the Lord made the heaven and the earth and the same word of God makes sinners cleane 5. The letting of the living bird loose notes the loosing of Christ from the bonds of death and the grave and from all that obligation in which as our surety he stood tyed to God secondly that tâ—ll the sinner be justified Christ stands bound though he have dyed for us 6. The birds flying into the open field might signifie 1. That the justification of one sinner may bee the ratification of the hope of all penitent sinners 2. That the righteousnesse of Christ is revealed publikely from heaven in the shew and offer of it to the whole Church VERSE 8. Hitherto of what the Priest was to doe Now followeth what the person to be cleansed was to doe What he was to doe concerned either his 1. cleansing or his 2. returning into the campe First of his cleansing 1. Where he saith he that is to be cleansed note two things 1. That he is not called a leper any more but described by a Periphrasis to note that when we have confessed our sinnes and purposed to return and God hath comforted us somewhat in Christ though yet we have not finished our assurance or sanctification yet we are no more accounted lepers God doth not call us any more by the name of our transgression This may comfort the object 2. Lest we should grow too secure he saith he is still to be cleansed though he have beene sprinkled till he have finished his sanctification that is till he have taken a sure course for reformation 2. That besides sprinkling with blood we must bee washed in water that is besides our justification we must be sanctified and besides the necessity of sanctification here are divers things to be observed as 1. That we must of our selves labour our reformation Hee shall wash 2. That without voluntary sorrow wee can hardly have comfort of true sanctification 3. That sorrow without reformation will not serve the turne It must be washing that we may be cleane There is a great deale of water and washing in worldly sorrow but it makes nothing cleane Esay 1.16 4. That true sanctification is totall He must wash himselfe the washing must goe as farre as the leprosie 5. That true sanctification makes a man repent of all the occasions of sinne and fearefull of every thing that might infect him This is signified by washing his clothes 6. That the penitent hath an extreame quarrell to his evill thoughts which for number he accounts as the haire of his head and for sincerity hee would â—aine be rid of all the wickednesse is in his heart So the Leper did shave off all his haire 3. Hiâ— returning to the campe may note 1. That the Church of God on earth is like a Campe 1. For uncertainty of outward condition They move up and downe like an Army 2. Yet there was providence in the seeming confusion of their estate for they rise not but when the cloud rose and went before them and besides the Arke went with them God leads his people and his holy presence departs not from them 3. That the estate of the Church is a militant estate they are in a continuall warfare 4. The Church is like an Army lying in holy beauty Psal. 110.3 That men justified and sanctified have right to the Communion of Saints and ought to be so acknowledged notwithstanding their former leprous evils 4. His tarrying abroad out of his tent seven dayes might note 1. The publication and sound tryall of the repentance of the sinner and the great notice is taken of the conversion of a sinner There is nothing but looking on the Leper for seven dayes As any are more holy so they are more glad at the conversion of a sinner so the Angels in heaven 2. That contempt of the world and the killing of the cares of life are usually wrought when there is a sound conversion to God The Leper cleansed hath no great minde to goe to his tent Yea it notes that we ought to lay aside the trouble of earthly things till our hearts be well setled in our sanctification and justification Note that when he doth goe home it is but a Tent The best condition of a childe of God in outward things is but like a Tent quickly set up and quickly taken downe more for necessity then for delight or glory VERSE 9. Hitherto of the workes of the first day Now in this verse is set downe what he must doe on the seventh day which was to shave his haire and wash his clothes and so to be cleane Quest. But what might this repetition import For these things were done before Answ. It noted that mortification must be renued and that wee must even long after our first conversion be truly humbled for our evill thoughts and grieved for that corruption of nature that still sweats out of us and bee very fearefull and watchfull against the occasion of evill Yea it imports that after calling there may arise new thoughts of evill in the minde as this haire growes though it were shaven seven dayes before and that there may be corruption left behinde that though wee have done much in mortification the leprosie may be in the clothes though they have beene washed c. Yea we may note here that the more a sinner is exercised in mortification the more he searcheth out his corruptions Now he shaveth off the hair of his beard and eye-browes Note also that such is the successe of mortification sometimes that for the present it seemes to cleanse the soule of all corruption that there dares not stir as it were one evill thought or passion or lust I say for a time for like the haire they will grow againe Quest. But what is meant that he saith he shall be cleane Did not the Priest pronounce him cleane before Answ. Two things may be intended hereby 1. That though Gods Ministers doe comfort and acquit penitent sinners yet many times till they be more exercised in mortification they will hardly be
perswaded of their owne conversion 2. That our every daies corruptions even after first repentance doe make us uncleane of our selves and therefore by renuing our repentance we must be made clean again There are some seeds or roots of leprosie yet behind in us though we be clensed truely yet we are not clensed fully VERSE 10. Hitherto of the works of the first and seventh day The works of the 8. day concerne either all ordinary persons to be clensed or else a proviso for such as are poore The ordinary course is set down from ver 10. to 21. For the poore ver 21. to 32. In the first consider 1. The things to be provided by the person to be clensed ver 10. 2. The imployment of them by the Priest ver 11. to 21. The things to be provided for are either sacrifices or oyle The sacrifices are either for sin offerings or meat offerings The things provided for the sin offerings were two 1. The lambe without blemish 2. And one ewe lambe of the first yeere without blemish The meat offering was three tenth deales of fine flower mingled with oyle 1. These things were types of Christ both as our sacrifice and as our nourishment for both we receive and should looke for in Christ. 2. The coherence imports that we must first be setled in our sanctification before we can be comforted in our justification and that no penitent sinner can be deprived of the sacrifice of Christ and that we must seeke to be assured of our justification as well as to be reformed in our sanctification 3. The lambes without blemish did shadow out the innocency of Christ 1 Pet. 1.19 and so shews here the spots of our leprosie are taken away even by the unspotted sacrifice of Christ. 4. The lambes were three because of the three sorts of sacrifice mentioned afterwards viz. The trespasse offering the sin offering the burnt offering which three sorts of sacrifices signified a threefold applicatioÌ„ of Christ viz. for trespassâ—s against men for sins against God in particular and for all sins in generall knowne and unknowne noted in the burnt offerings 5. In that he and not the Priest must provide these sacrifices it shews that every sinner must be saved by his own faith It will not help him that he is in favour with the Priest c. He must provide his lambes c. himselfe 6. In the meat offering consider both the matter and the mixture The matter was fine flower which was a type of Christ and him crucified both as hee was grownd for us betweene the upper and the nether milstone of Gods wrath and as hee was boulted out for us in the Gospell all which shewes 1. That Christ was sowed and grew up out of the same earth with us 2. That his sufferings differ from all the sufferings of the Martyrs For he was not onely cut downe and threshed out of the eare and huske as they were in the death of their bodies but he was grownd in the â—ill of Godâ— wrath in his souls 3. That Gods best provision is for his owne people hee seedeth them with the finest flower and will provide that Christ shall give as much nourishment to their soules as the finest flower can to the body 7. Oyle signifies gladnesse Psal. 45.5 the mingling of the sacrifice with oyle noted the comfort Christians received that lay hold upon Christ for nourishment 8. The cogge of oyle that stood by promised that God had provided abundance of joyes for his people above all that yet they have felt in the beginnings of their faith and that every convert should seek abundance of joy and contentment in the application of Christ. VERSE 11. The things provided for the clensing are mentioned in the former verse The use or imployment of them by the Priest followes in this verse and the rest to ver â—â— and this use had two things 1. Their presentation to God in the generall 2. Their immolation and application in particular In the Presentation consider 1. Who presents them viz. the Priest that makes them cleane 2. What he presents viz. the man and those things 3. To whom viz. before the Lord. 4. Where viz. at the doore of the Tabernacle 1. The Priest presenting of the man to God may note the presentation of the penitent sinner to God either 1. By Christ in his intercession 2. By the ministery of the Gospell Rom. 15. 3. By himselfe as hee hath the spirit of intercession and doth commend himselfe by prayers unto God Ministers present us to God as they carry us to God either 1. In their prayers 2. In their preachings 3. In their accounts at the day of judgement 2 Cor. 11.2 Quest. But how is the Priest said to make him cleane Answ. The Priest was a type either 1. Of Christ justifying the sinner and sanctifying him 1 Cor. 13. 2. Of the Ministers of Christ who as instruments doe sacrifice and save their hearers 1 Tim. 4. ult 2. The things presented are the man that is to be made cleane and the things provided for clensing which signified 1. That Christ and his Word doe present none to God but such as wil be sanctified and healed of their leprosie 2. Not our persons onely but all the meanes of our holinesse must be presented to God They need the intercession of Christ and our owne prayers c. 3. Those things were to be presented to the Lord to signifie 1. That we did acknowledge him as the fountaine of all holinesse and happinesse 2. That we did henceforth resigne our selves unto the Lord as a living sacrifice Rom. 12.1 4. In that all this must be done at the doore of the Tabernacle of the congregation it did teach them 1. That the place most infallibly to finde God in was the assembly of his people in the sanctuary Lev. 16.11 2. That in the practice of publiâ—e duties we are most effectually joyned to God and find most help from Christ and his presence that we are indeed that we are at the doore of the Tabernacle 3. That we seek such acceptation with God as we would desire to hold in communion of Saints VERSE 12. The particular use of them followes and so it concernes either 1. The trespasse offering to ver 19. 2. The sinne offering ver 19. 3. The burnt offering ver 20. The trespasse offering must be considered 1. In the waving of it before the Lord ver 12. 2. In the killing of it in the holy place ver 13. 3. In the sprinkling of it ver 14. to 19. In generall we may note that there needs an offering for trespasses even for those casuall wrongs we doe either against God or man that we need the sacrifice of Christ for them we need to goe to God to forgive us our trespasses through Christ. 2. The waving of them before the Lord might signifie 1. The extreame usage of Christ in suffering for our sins 2. The waving of Christ in the
them they should not be saved without their teachers 2. That not all preaching hath this effect but it must be good preaching or preaching of the gospell or publishing of the glad tidings in and through Jesus Christ the word may signifie to preach happily or to preach well or to preach glad tidings or the gospell It is certaine it is a great happinesse to a people when they get faithfull teachers and it is true that not all preaching but preaching well is that which must make us abide for ever but I take it in the usuall sense It is the preaching of the gospell that is thus glorious in effect For the law is the ministration of death 2 Cor. 3. and this should both teach Ministers to studie to preach the gospell which to do requires exceeding great labour and judgement and besides the people should set their hearts upon the comforts propounded to them in the ministry of the word and open their hearts wide to receive them with all joy and much assurance yea when they feele the sweetnesse of the gospell they should glorifie God and receive their teachers as the Angells of God as the allusion of the word imports 3. That the word must be considered as it is propounded to them to you saith the Apostle and this may be restrained either to the scriptures as they were first preached by the Apostles themselves men inspired of God or in generall it may be extended to the faithfull Ministers that are over the godly in any place It is true that there is great difference betweene the preaching of the Apostles and our preaching and the people are not bound to respect our preaching now as theirs then because the Apostles could not erre and were immediately inspired with the Holy Ghost but yet when that we preach we demonstrate to the consciences of our hearers to be the very word of God and doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles we ought to be received Sure it is that though wee give the scriptures never so faire tâ—â—rmes if we love not the preaching of the word we cannot live for ever and there is a secret deceit in mens hearts they thinke they must honor Gods word but they are not bound to thinke any thing highly of their Ministers preaching especially if they have any quarrell or grudge against their Minister But let all men well consider when the Apostle here saith this is the word which is preached unto you if the word which is preached to you be not regarded you cannot stand in the day of Christ. Againe others thinke if wee had such preaching as was in the daies of Christ and the Apostles or as others have in other places we could then do that is required of us still marke the words it is the word preached to you you must rely upon If therefore the Preacher prove what he saith in the word of God this text will rise up in judgement against thee if thou obey noâ— Or if for want of life and power in application in thy teacher thy soule do not prosper then why livest thou in places where thou canst not stoope â—â— this to say this is the word which is preached to me Why are not men 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—full to provide a place where their soules may live well as where 〈◊〉 â—â—â—ies may live well I meane this of such as live in a free estate 4. Lastly this to you notes that the word is never powerfull but when we â—â—ply it to our selves and receive it as spoken to us in particular in all things 〈…〉 when we can say this word was preached to me then will th◠〈◊〉 worke FINIS A COMMENTARY OR SERMONS VPON THE SECOND CHAPTER OF the first Epistle of Saint PETER VVHEREIN METHOD SENSE DOCTRINE AND USE IS WITH great variety of matter profitably handled and sundry heads of Divinity largely discussed BY NICHOLAS BYFIELD late Preacher of God's Word at ISLEVVORTH in MIDDLESEX London Printed for George Latham MDCXXXVI TO THE HONOVRABLE KNIGHT SIR HORATIO VERE Generall of the English Forces in the Low-Countries and to his most worthy Lady the Lady MARY VERE all happinesse that a poore widow may in their behalfe pray for at the Throne of Grace My much honoured Lord and Lady AS that speciall duty which I my selfe owe to you both so that purpose which my dear husband had while he lived of dedicating to you this Commentary of his upon S. Peters Epistle bindeth mee who am left his sole Executrix to see his VVill every way performed to set out this first of his workes published since his death under your Honourable Names It pleased you to take into your Family a childe of his body be further pleased I pray you to take into your Patronage this childe of his soule which as an Orphane yea as a Posthumus in all humility is presented unto you You manifested more then ordinary kindnesse to my husband while he lived wee and ours have oft tasted of the sweetnesse of your bounty so that I should deserve to be accounted most ingratefull if I should burie so many favours in oblivion or neglect to provoke others to love and good workes by proposall of your example Accept I beseech you this poore acknowledgement of thanks which is most due first to that primary Fountain of all goodnesse Almighty God for keeping your Lordship safe in your late imployment in the Palatinate and for freeing your Ladiship from those fears whereunto you could not but be subject by reason of his long absence and for giving you both a mutuall and comfortable fruition one of another And next to your selves for all those kindnesses which while my husband lived you did to him and his and since his death you continue to doe to such as he hath left behinde him Now the good God continue his blessed protection over you both and take all that belong unto you under the wings of his fatherly Providence And so I rest with the renewall of my sute that you would cast your eyes upon this VVork of him who much honoured you in his life time and is after his decease offred to you by Your humble Oratrix ELIZABETH BYFIELD To the Christian Reader MAny and great are the meanes which the Lord hath been pleased since this latter Spring of the Gospell begun above an hundred yeares agoe to afford unto his Church for opening of the mysteries of the Gospell Never since the Apostles times were the Scriptures more truly interpreted more fully expounded more distinctly divided or more powerfully pressed then in our Times The number of those who have taken good pain in this kinde is not small Wee may well put into the Catalogue of them the Author of this Commentary upon the second Chapter of the first Epistle of S. Peter Master Nicholas Byfield by name who continued for the space of twenty yeeres to take more then ordinary paines in the work of the Lord. He had a singular gift in diving into the depth
of those points which he undertook to handle As the many other Treatises which in his life time be published doe verifie as much so in particular this Commentary here commended unto thee In it thou shalt finde besides the Grammaticall exposition Logicall resolution and Theologicall observations many divine points copiously handled by way of Common place which hath made the book to arise unto that bignesse that it hath In this maner of handling the holy Scriptures hee hath not gone alone Many of the main Pillars of the reformed Churches have beaten out a path before him as Martin Bucer Peter Martyr Musculus Zanchius Lavater Perkins and sundry others The large volume of Peter Martyrs Common places was gathered out of his Commentaries on the holy Scriptures The Church of God hath reaped much good by such copious and distinct handling of heads of Divinity Their labours therefore who take paines therein are not to be concealed from the Church If it had pleased the Lord to have continued the life liberty and ability of this his Servant longer unto his Church he had questionlesse gone on further in this course which he so well began and so might wee have had by his paines as compleat a Commentary on the two Epistles of Saint Peter as we have upon the Epistle of S. Paul to the Colossians published by this Author But seeing it seemed good to the divine Providence here to put a stop to the paines of this his industrious servant wee must rest content with what he hath done and expect the paines of sâ—me other to goe on in the finishing of that which he hath so well begun I suppose it would be a great wrong to deceive Gods Church of these good beginnings because the whole Epistle is not fully finished If a Sermon on one verse be thought meet to be published as daily we see such Sermons to be published why may not much rather many Sermons on many verses and chapters together be published That what was done by the Author in his life time may be the better accepted care hath beene had to note the heads of points in the margin and to adde an Alphabeticall index in the latter end that by the helpe of it you may the more readily finde out such points as you most desire to reade If the Author be of force to commend a Work the more this Work may receive no small commendation from the Author of it for he was a man of a profound judgement strong memory sharp wit quick invention and unwearied industry Hee was in his Ministery very powerfull and that unto all turnes as we speake When he had to doe with tender and troubled consciences he was a Barnabas a sonne of comfort but when hee had to doe with impudent and obstinate sinners he could make his face hard and strong and shew himselfe like a Boanarges the son of thunder Grave sober and temperate he was in his cariage and yet with his intire familiar friend he could be modestly pleasant God gave him a great measure of patience and he had in his very body that which tryed his patience for it appeares that he caried a tâ—rturing stone in his bladder fifteene yeeres together and upward I have heard it credibly reported that fifteene yeares before his death he was by a skillfull Chirurgion searched and that upon that search there was a stone found to be in his bladder whereupon he used such meanes as were prescribed to him for his ease and found such help thereby as he thought that either the Chirurgion which searcht him was deceived or that the meanes which he used had dissolved the stone But time which manifesteth all things shewed that neither his Chirurgion was deceived nor yet his stone dissolved for it continued to grow bigger and bigger till at length it came to be of an incredible greatnesse After his death he was opened and the stone taken out and being weighed found to bee 33. ounces and more in weight and in measure about the edge fifteen inches and a halfe about the length above 13. inches about the breadth almost thirteen inches it was of a solid substance to look upon like to a flint There are many eye witnesses besides my selfe who can justifie the truth hereof A wonderfull worke of God it was that hee should be able to cary such a stone in his bladder and withall to doe the things which hee did Hee was a close student witnesse the many Treatises which time after time hee published in print Hâ—e was also a diligent Preacher for constantly hee preached twice on the Lords Daies and in Summer when many of the Gentry and City came to his Parish at Isleworth and dwelt there hee spent an houre on Wednesday and another on Friday week after week in expounding the Scripture in his Church very seldome was he hindered by the forementioned stone in his bladder This course â—ee kept till about five weeks before his death when the paine came so violently upon him as it wasted his vitall vigor yet did it no way weaken his faith but as the outward perished so was the inward man renewed in him Hee earnestly prayed that the extremity of the paine might not make him utter or doe any thing unbeseeming his vocation and profession but withall hee advised his friends to consider that hee was but as other men and thereupon to judge charitably of his cariage in that case Many heavenly meditations issued from him in that time of his visitation unto the last period thereof Quietly meekly and patiently be endured till that surest Chirurgion of all Death had eased him of all his pain In his soul he ever liveth and in his name he will continue to live so long as the Church enjoyeth his Works more lasting then Marble Monuments Now O blessed Saviour and Head of thy Church as thou transplantest some of thy Plants out of thy Nurcery the Church militant plant others we beseech thee in their roomes that thy Church may never be unfurnished of able painfull faithfull and powerfull Ministers WILLIAM GOUGE AN EXPOSITION OF THE SECOND CHAPTER OF THE FIRST EPIstle generall of PETER 1 PET. 2.1 2 3. 1. Wherefore laying aside all maliciousnesse and all guile and dissimulation and envy and evill speakings 2. As new born Babes desire the sincere milke of the word that ye may grow thereby 3. If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is bountifull FRom the thirteenth verse of the 1. Chapter to the eighth verse of the third Chapter is contained matter of exhortation and the exhortation is either generall or speciall The generall exhortation concernes all men chap. 1.13 to chap. 2.13 The speciall exhortation concernes onely some men as subjects servants wives husbands from Chap. 2.13 to Chap. 3.8 The generall exhortation stands of two parts First the one concernes the matter of holinesse Secondly and the other the meanes of holinesse of the matter of holinesse in the latter part
one truth will not sinke yet into our heads Wee are told that this is a point unsearchable Rom. 11.32 33. and the rather because weake Christians are not tied to eate strong meat they may safely let this doctrine alone Thirdly that no man can know his owne reprobation nor ought to beleeve so of himselfe but is called upon to use the meanes by which he may be saved Fourthly we have this oath of God for it That he desires not the death of the sinner but would have all men to repent and be saved Fifthly that whereas Divines make two parts of the decree of reprobation Preterition and Predamnation all Divines are agreed for the latter that God did never determine to damne any man for his owne pleasure but the cause of his perdition was his owne sinne And here is reason for it for God may to shew his soveraignty annihilate his creature but to appoint a reasonable creature to an estate of endlesse paine without respect of his desert cannot agree to the unspotted justice of God And for the other part of passing over and forsaking a great part of men for the glory of his justice the exactest Divines doe not attribute that to the mere will of God but hold that God did first looke upon those men as sinners at least in the generall corruption brought in by the fall For all men have sinned in Adam and are guilty of high treason against God Sixthly that sinne is no effect of reprobation but onely a consequent Gods decree doth not force any man to sinne c. Seventhly that whatsoever God hath decreed yet all grant that God is no way any authour of sinne hee doth not cause sinne in any but onely permits it and endureth it and whereas the most that can be objected is that God hardneth whom he will Rom. 9. it is agreed upon in the answer of all sound Divines that God doth not infuse any wickednesse from without in mens hearts but whereas their hearts are in themselves by custome in sinne hardned as a just Judge he gives them over to Sathan and his power who is as it were the Jayler but doth never restraine them from good and the meanes of it Eighthly now may men say that sinne came upon men by reason of the rigour of Gods Law for it was impossible to be kept For this there is a cleere answer When God gave his Law at first man was able to keepe it and it came by his owne default that hee was not able to keepe it afterwards A man that sends his servant to the market and gives him charge to doe such and such businesse for him if that servant make himselfe drunken and so bee unfit to doe his masters businesse he is worthy to be punished because hee was fit to doe it when hee was first sent about it Ninthly it is plaine in this verse that those men of whom he here speakes are indited of grievous sinne against Christ and the Gospell Tenthly that things may be just though the reasons of them do not appear unto us if it bee true of some cases of justice among men much more in this case of God's justice Lastly it should much satisfie us that in the day of Jesus Christ those mysteries of Religion shall be broken open and all then shall bee made cleer unto us as cleer as the shining of the Sun at noon-day Thus of the punishment of unbeleevers and so also of the first argument taken from testimony of Scripture Verses 9 and 10. But yee are a chosen generation a royall Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar people that ye should shew forth the vertues of him that hath called you out of darknesse into his marvellous light Which in times past were not a people yet are now the people of God which had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy THese words containe the second argument to perswade Christians to make their constant recourse unto Christ and from him to procure vertue to enable them for holinesse of conversation and it is taken from the consideration of the excellency of that estate unto which they were brought by Christ. For the description whereof the Apostle singles out two places of Scripture with which he makes up a compleat narration of their great prerogatives above all other people and above that they themselves were in former times The places of Scripture he makes use of are Exod. 9. and Hos. 1. But before I open the words two things may be here noted First the Apostles care to prove what he saith from the Scripture whether it bee against wicked men or for godly men which shewes that wee should much more take heed to Gods Word being lesse than Apostles especially such an Apostle Secondly wee may hence note that the promises or prayses given to the godly in the old Testament are not envied to Christians in the new Testament God is no respecter of persons but wee have free liberty to search the bookes of God and to chuse out of all the examples of the suites of godly men or the preferments what we will and if we make a suite of it to God he will not deny it but shew us their mercy Now for the particular opening of these words we must observe that it is the purpose of the Apostle to shew briefly the priviledges of the godly above all others or what themselves were before their conversion And the priviledge of their estate may be considered either positively in it self or comparatively It is described positively vers 9. comparatively vers 10. In the ninth verse there he reckons up a number of prerogatives belonging to the godly and withall shewes the use they should make of them or the end why they were conferred upon them The godly excell in divers respects if we consider First their election they are chosen of God Secondly their alliance or kinred they are a chosen kinred Thirdly their dignity above other men they are royall Kings Fourthly their function or private imployment before God Priests Fifthly their behaviour or outward conversation they are holy Sixthly their number they are a Nation Seventhly their acceptation with God they are a peculiar people First for Election The Apostle looking upon the words in Exodus 19.5 6 and seeing that they described the happinesse of Christians in this life doth in the Fore-front put to this priviledge of their election as the foundation of all the rest and would have Christians much affected with the consideration of this prerogative It is one of the chiefe and prime comforts of a Christian to consider that he is elect of God Psal. 106.4 5. 2 Pet. 1.9 elect I say both before time and in time Before time in Gods decree and in time when the godly are singled and called out of the word and picked out one of a city and two of a tribe in all the ages of the world and distinguished from other men by beleeving in Jesus
is truly cured of sinne can easily beare the a 〈◊〉 of it as it is past A man that hath beene wounded in his arme will endure you to gripe him when he is well healed a signe he is not well healed when he cannot be touched so is it with sinners Thus in generall The first thing then to bee considered of is the misery of men by nature expressed in the word darknesse Darâ—â—esse The darknesse that is in the world is not all of a sort For there is first darknesse upon the earth which is nothing but the absence of the light of the Sunne Secondly there is darknesse upon the outward estates of men in the world and that is the darknesse of affliction Now afflictions are called darknesse in divers respects As first in respect of the cause when they fall upon men by the anger of God The want of the light of Gods countenance is miserable darknesse the absence of the Sunne cannot make a worse darknesse Secondly in respect of the effects because afflictions darken the outward glory of mans estate and withall breed sorrow and anguish and the clouds and stormes of discomfort and griefe and for the time deprive the heart of lightsomnesse and joy Of both these respects may the words of the Prophet Esay bee understood Esa. 5.30 and 8.22 And so God creates darknesse as a punishment upon all occasions for sinne Esay 45.7 Afflictions may be compared to darknesse in respect of another effect and that is the amazement bred in the heart by which the afflicted is unable to see a way out of distresse and unresolved either how to take it or what meanes to use for deliverance Thus it is a curse upon wicked men that their wayes are made darke Psal. 35.6 Thirdly afflictions are called darknesse when they are secret and hidden and fall upon men at unawares when they are not dreamed of Iob 20.26 And thus of darknesse upon mens estates Thirdly there is a darkness falls upon their bodies and so it is either blindnes wanting the light of the Sunne or else it is death and the grave Death and the grave is called darknes Iob 17.13 and 10.21 22. Psal. 88.13 Fourthly there is a darkness upon the soules of men and that is spirituall blindness when the soule lives without the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ especially As it respecteth the will of God in generall it is the darkness of ignorance and errour and as it respecteth the promise of grace in Jesus Christ it is the darkness of unbeliefe Eph. 4. Lastly there is a darkness shall light upon both soules and bodies of wicked men in hell and that is called utter darkness Mat. 8.12 and 22.15 So that darkness as it comprehends in it the misery of wicked men is either temporall darkness upon the estates or bodies of men or spirituall darkness upon the soules of men or else eternall darkness in hell This darkness also may be considered in the degrees of it For besides the ordinary darkness there is first obfcure darkness called also the power of darkness and such was the darkness of Gentilisme and such is that darkness threatned to such as curse father and mother Prov. 21.20 so was the darkness Ier. 2.1 2. and that our Saviour Christ speaketh of Luk. 22.53 Such also was that night brought upon the Diviners Mic. 3.6 7. Secondly there is utter darkness or eternall darkness in hell which is the highest degree of the miserie of wicked men I take it it is especially the darkness of ignorance is here meant though the other cannot be excluded That which is evident to be observed from hence is That all men that are not effectually called live in darkness and walke on in darkness Eph. 4.17 1 Ioh. 2.9 Psal. 82.5 It is a continuall night with them they are like the Egyptians that could have no Sunne to light them but were covered with palpable darkness Neither are they helped that they enjoy the light of the Sunne for of all darknesses that which comes from the absence of the Sunne is the least or hath least distresse in it If a man lived where he should never see day or were borne blind yet his distresse were nothing in comparison of the darknes especially spirituall that lieth upon the poore soule of an unregenerate man which lyeth shut up in miserable darkness which these men may feele in themselves by their living without God in the world and by the absence of the joyes of God and by their singular uncapablenesse in the things of the Kingdome of God and by their strange and absurd errors in conceiving of matters of Religion and by their monstrous thoughts and objections they feele at some times and disability to conceive of the worth of eternall things though the least of them be better than the whole world and lastly by their want of discovering what to doe almost in all the occasions of life Use. The use may bee for singular terrour to wicked men if they had hearts to consider of it to know that they live in such a condition as no prisoner can suffer in the worst dungeon of the world and the rather if they consider the aggravation of their distresse in respect of the darknesse they live in or are likely to live in as First that they have the Divels as the Rulers of the darknesse they live in who like cruell Jaylers will see to it that they be kept still in their dungeon with all increase of heavinesse and misery Eph. 6.12 Secondly that their darknesse is also the shadow of death a most deadly poysonfull darknesse that daily increaseth in the infection and annoyance of it Esa. 9.2 Thirdly that they suffer so many kindes of darknesse in the vexations and discomforts of each of them Fourthly that it is such grosse darknesse so thicke and palpable without any mixture of true light or comfort if they had but star-light or moon-light it were some ease Fifthly that they are neither safe walking nor lying still If they walke they goe in singular danger for they know not whither they goe 1 Ioh. 2.11 Iob 18.5 6 7. If they lie still and sleepe it out they are in danger to be swallowed up eternally Sixthly that this darknesse will not hide from God All they doe is manifest before him Esa. 29.15 Seventhly that it is a continuall darknesse it will never be day with them so long as they live in that estate without repentance Iob 15.30 All his daies he eates in darknesse Eccles. 5.17 Eightly that they are in danger every houre to be cast into utter darknesse where will be no ease nor end He knoweth not that the day of this darknesse is ready at hand into which if he fall he shall never depart out Ninthly that this is the case of every unregenerate man the whole world of them lieth in darknesse and not one escapeth it their whole earth is without forme and void and their heavens have
neither will their Baptisme helpe them for neither circumcision nor uncircumcision availeth any thing but a new creature Gal. 6. Ob. If any say But though they be not now under mercy yet hereafter they may bee upon Repentance Answ. I answer that in this they say truly but yet not safely for many men that have promised themselves the late repentance and mercy have died in their sinnes before they could ever repent And thy times are in Gods hands thou knowest not when nor how thou shalt die and therefore the surest way is now to turne to God with all thy heart as they were counselled more at large Ioel 2.12 13. Now for the fourth it may awake some sort of offenders the more effectually that besides the generall threatnings against wicked men they in particular are assured that they are not under mercy As first such as shew no mercy to men Iam. 2.13 and such as transgresse of malicious wickednesse Psal. 59.6 and such as are people of no understanding Esa. 7.11 and such as walke after the imaginations of their owne wicked hearts and will not hearken unto God Ier. 15.5 10 12. and such as blesse themselves in their heart when they heare the curses of the Law Deâ—â— 29.19 and such as steale murther commit adultery and sweare falsly Ier. 7.9 and many other particulars Catalogues might be instanced in all the severall Scriptures the Prophet Malachy puts in such as deale corruptly in tything and offering Malach. 1.8 9. To conclude the counsell of the Prophet Ieremy is excellent in this case who most effectually speakes thus Heare yee give eare bee not proud for the Lord hath spoken Give glory to the Lord your God before he cause darknesse and before your feet stumble upon the darke mountaines and while yee looke for light hee turne it into the shadow of death and make it grosse darknesse But if yee will not heare my soule shall weepe in secret for your pride and mine eye runne downe with teares Ier. 13.15 16. Use 2. Secondly the consideration of this doctrine may justifie the practice of godly Ministers that denounce the judgements of God upon their heaâ—ers that live in sinne without repentance It is their duty to shew them that they are not under mercy they are required to cry aloud and to shew Gods people their sinnes Esa. 58.1 And the Prophets that cried Peace peace are extreamly threatned of God so as for not warning the people the blood of their soules is required of the Prophets Ezek. 33. vers 2. to 10. Use 3. The third use may be therefore for the singular humiliation of wicked men that live in the assemblies of Christians Though they have obtained a place in Gods Church yet they have not obtained mercy but live under the fearefull displeasure of God and this is the more terrible if they consider three things First that this is the case of multitudes of men in the Church but a remnant are under mercy Which will appeare more distinctly if you draw out of our assemblies such as in Scripture are expresly said not to bee under mercie as First take all such as yet live in their naturall Atheisme that mind not God nor Religion that onely care for earthly things and shew it by a constant either neglect or contempt of the publike assemblies of Christians amongst us These cannot obtaine mercy because they refuse to heare Gods voyce and to seeke to the ordinary meanes of mercy Isaiah 50.1 2. Heb. 3.7 Secondly draw out then secret offenders such as sinne in the darke and say Who seeth us There are many amongst us that for ought wee know live honestly who yet in secret are polluted with desperate abominations as fearfull deceit in their callings prodigious filthinesse of body or the like Thirdly remove from us likewise open and notorious offenders such as are drunkards outragious swearers knowne adulterers or fornicators murtherers railers and extortioners For to such belongeth not Gods mercy or Kingdome 1 Cor. 6.9 Fourthly then separate from us such as are onely civilly honest and not religious There are many that are farre from grosse offences either open or secret who are not yet under mercy which is discovered divers wayes as by their ignorance For God will not have mercy upon people that have no understanding Esa. 27.11 And by their impenitencie They never soundly and in secret confessed their sinnes to God they never mourned for their many corruptions there is a world of inward wickednesse which they were never humbled for And also by their unbeliefe They know no way how to be saved by Christ by effectuall beleeving on his mercy but thinke to bee saved by their owne good deeds or else they live in a generall security not looking after salvation but thinking it enough that they are well accounted of amongst men Lastly cast out hypocrites that onely make a shew of godlinesse and have not the power of it that draw neere to God with their mouthes but have their hearts farre from him These in vaine worship God These are Jewes outward but have not the circumcision of the heart and therefore their praise is not of God You may easily conceive how small a number will remaine if all these be deducted out of the societies of Christians Secondly if they withall consider that if mercy be not obtained all else is in vaine It doth not profit him to obtaine credit riches friends in this world long life or ought else if hee obtaine not mercy what shall it advantage thee to obtaine the whole world if for want of mercy thou lose thine owne soule Thirdly it increaseth their misery that they may die in the case they are in For either God may take away the meanes of mercy from them or may leave them to so much insensiblenesse as they may remove themselves from the means of mercy or God being provoked by their loâ—g obstinacie may deliver them up to a reprobate sense or God may suddenly take them away by death and then woe unto them it had beene better for them they had never beene borne Quest. But some may aske What should be the cause that so many obtain not mercy of God seeing God is in his owne nature so gracious and they are in so great need of mercy Answ. I answer that the cause why some obtaine not mercy is First because they seeke it not they be at a great deale of care and paines many times to seeke other things but they altogether neglect their owne mercy and seeke not for it Now God stands upon that that he will be sought unto the house of Israel must know that though God be many waies gracious as is shewed at large Ezek. 36.25 c. yet for all this he will be sought unto or else even Israel may want mercy vers 32. Secondly others are so farre from seeking mercy that they refuse mercy when God in the Gospel daily calls upon them and beseecheth them to bee
for ever because it is the forme of the body Though God for the time doe by his power and race provide for the soule in glory yet it is not at full happinesse till it bee joyned to the body againe For without the body it hath no use of vegetation or senses but onely of reason But for the Argument of the Apostle it holds good of that part of man which is in question which is the body of man for the bodies of godly men are more miserable than other men kept under and exposed to many restraints and paines either by mortification or persecution which the bodies of wicked men are not exposed unto Ob. 3. It is said of the spirit of Princes that it returneth to his earth and in the day of death his thoughts perish So the soule thinkes of nothing after death till the day of judgement Sol. The place is corruptly alledged two wayes One in the words the other in the sense for the text doth not say That his spirit returneth to his earth but thus His spirit returneth viz. out of his body to God and he not it returneth to the earth viz. in respect of his body for the other these words His thoughts perish must not be understood of his understanding after death but of his projects while he lived For men are exhorted not to trust in Princes for they may die and then all their promises and projects will bee of no use and come to nothing Ob. 4. It is said that the dead cannot praise God Psal. 87. and 113. and 30. Sol. That the soules of the godly in heaven do praise God is manifest Rev. 5.11 13 14. and 19.1 Now the Scriptures cannot be contrary one to another and therefore the places in the Psalmes must not bee taken simply but only in some respect The dead do praise God but not as the living did in their lives their praises cannot provoke other men to beleeve in God or serve him as in this life they might Thus of the immortality of the soule The next thing to be inquired after is about the originall of the soule and about this point in severall ages divers men have breathed divers and strange conceits erring because they knew not or regarded not the Scriptures First some conceived so highly of the soule as to thinke it was no creature but uncreated and eternall without beginning but this must needs be false 1 Because then the soule should bee God and infinite too for God onely is uncreated 2 Because then the soule had understanding and thoughts and willed from eternity whereas till it was in our bodies it did not worke and to imagine it should be as a dead lumpe all that while is monstrously absurd Secondly others have conceived that when men die their soules goe into the bodies of other men that be borne and so our soules heretofore were the soules of some men that be dead This was the opinion of divers of the Philosophers And it is apparent that divers of the Jewes were infected with it for about Christ they said Some that he was Elias some that he was Ieremias and some one of the Prophets and some Iohn Baptist. Now they saw that his body was not theirs and therefore they thought that his soule was the soule of some of them Now this opinion cannot be true 1 Because no Scripture gives any notice of it for in that place the conceit of the Jewes is told with dislike 2 Because the soules that were delivered out of the miseries of this life should be brought from their blessednesse into miserie againe which is most absurd Thirdly others have imagined that the Angels should beget our soules as our parents beget our bodies but this is extreamly absurd 1 Because then our soules should be in the Image of Angels whereas they were made in the Image of God 2 Because this was an heresie long since condemned and with hatred cast out of the Church Fourthly many Divines both of ancient and moderne Writers have declared themselves to be of the mind that the soule comes from the parents by generation per traducem and that the parents doe beget the whole man which consists of soule as well as body Now though it be true that this opinion hath had and still hath great patrons and that it may not be denied but that it is defended with marvellous great appearance of reason and truth yet it is rejected and hath beene by the greater part of sound Divines and by reasons unanswerable for if the soule come from the parents then it must come either from the body of the parents or from their soules Now it is apparent it cannot come from their bodies 1 Because a bodily substance cannot beget a spirituall substance because it cannot derive from it selfe that which it hath not 2 Because the soule must consist of the foure elements of which the body is compounded but it is apparent there are no bodily humours in the soule for it is not hot nor cold nor moist nor drie 3 Because nothing that is mortall can beget a thing that is immortall such as the soule hath been proved to bee Nor can the soule come from the soule of the parents First because if it did either the whole soule was derived of the parents or but a part of it If the whole soule was derived then the parents should die nor can a part of the soule be derived because the soule is indivisible there can be no partition in an essence which is simple and uncompounded Secondly we know that Angels produce not Angels nor can the soules of men produce soules because they are spirits as the Angels are Nor can the soule come from the whole man First because it is evident by experience that after the parents have done the worke of generation the first matter lies divers daies in the wombe in which the parts of the body are secretly formed before it have life or a living and quickning soule which is an evident demonstration that from the parents comes nothing but the bodily substance which is fashioned by degrees to be a meeâ—e Tabernacle for the soule afterwards to be infused into Secondly because if the parents did propagate the soule they must propagate such a soule as at that time they had which cannot be for then godly parents should derive a soule to their children which at the least in part was regenerate But this is evidently against all Scripture all confessing that the child is borne infected with originall sinne Thirdly because it is contrary to the Scriptures which acknowledge that the soule was formed by God himselfe which was true both of our first parent Adam Gen. 2.7 and of the soules of all his posterity which are expresly said to be made by God Esa. 57.16 Lastly it remaines then that the soules come from God Now if the soules come from God then it must needs be as God is the materiall cause or
he is not more unperfect in generation than any other creature for First the Virgin Mary did beare Christ-man in her wombe and Christ-man is said to be of the seed of the Virgin and yet his soule was created of God as hath beene shewed before Secondly though there bee some dissimilitude in the generation of man and of a beast yet it doth not follow that man is more unperfect As for instance The beaâ—t begets his young and brings him forth strong covered with a hide able to feed himselfe presently full of leaping and other actions But man brings forth an Infant weake crying naked unable to feed it selfe What is man therefore more unperfect No for the perfection of generation doth not consist of these things or in these things For here man excels all other living creatures in the world in generation because he is Gods instrument for the begetting of a body fit to be united to such a soule God also doth hereby commend the generation of man and dignifie it that he is pleased so to worke in mans generation as he doth not in any other creature vouchsafing to give unto mans generation such an admirable soule to his body For therefore was the creation of the first man more excellent than the creation of other creatures because God having framed his body of the dust of the earth did infuse such a soule into him Object 3. It is a peevish objection that some make thus If God create the soule in all men then when any is borne of Adulterie God should cooperate with the adulterer and so be either the author or the approver of sinne that will give the soule to such a wicked generation Sol. Some answer thus That God is not the author or approver because out of evill he onely workes good for his owne glory Others answer That God onely cooperates with the action not with the sinne of the action or the evill of the action or the evill which is in the will of the agents But the best answer is theirs that answer by a similitude thus The earth hath received her nature and vigour from God to nourish and bring forth the seede that is cast into it without difference whether the seed be lawfully taken out of the barne or stolne by fraud The stolne graine doth not cease to grow in the earth nor is it to be expected that nature should cast out such seed and yet the earth doth not justifie the action of him that stole the graine so is it with God that workes according to the grounds of nature and his owne decree and providence Hee is not to bee blamed for the evill of the action when hee workes according to the rules of nature and will glorifie himselfe by raising a frame of good out of that which by men was ill done Object 4. Wee see that children resemble the vertues or vices of their parents and therefore as from the bodies of their parents they receive a likenesse to them in body so is it that from their soules they receive this similitude of their vertues or vices Solut. Experience shewes that this is not alwaies true For many children have no resemblance in them of their parents qualities Secondly where this is true it is not because their soules are derived from the soules of their parents but they have it from the bodies of their parents For the soule after suffers from the sympathie with the bodie as by reason of certaine humours in the bodies of parents that incite wrath or griefe or lust or the like may come infection to the child but not from their soules Thirdly rather the argument may be retorted upon them that in asmuch as the soules of all children are not like in qualities to the soules of their parents that therefore they receive not their soules from their parents Ob. 5. Gen. 9. Lev. 17. The soule is said to bee in the blood Now it is evident that the blood is from the parents Solut. The soule is in the blood but how By the effect of it which is life otherwise the soule is neither devoured in the blood nor depends upon it in it selfe Ob. 6. It is said Gen. 2. That God rested from all his workes Now if hee did daily create new soules then he rested not from all his workes but continues creation still Solut. The meaning of Moses cannot be that God rested simply from all creation For then it must needs follow too that the soule of Christ was not created but propagated which cannot be true But his meaning is that hee rested from creation of things in specie hee made no more new sorts of things That hinders not creation in individuo which is a worke of God preserving those sorts he had made at the first by creating successively a new supply as in this case of the soules of men That God did not rest absolutely is plaine by the words of our Saviour Christ My Father worketh hitherto and I worke Ioh. 5. Hitherto of the originall of the soule The union of the soule with the body followes which is a consideration of no lesse difficulty than the former no lesse needfull to be knowne no lesse certaine That it is united to the body so as to make it one man is apparent by the words of God in the creation Hee breathed into him the breath of lives and so Adam became a living soule Hee became then a man or a living creature distinct from other creatures upon his conjunction of the soule with the body And by this union with the body doth the spirit of man differ from the Angels who are spirits separate and such as exist without relation to a body whereas the soule of man in the creation of it and the disposition of it also tends unto this conjunction with the body and doth not fully exercise it selfe living without the body and that is the reason why man is not absolutely perfect after death in his soule till the day of judgement For though the soule doe enjoy an estate free from sinne or paine or misery yet two of the faculties of the soule are without exercise till it be united againe to the body viz. the faculties of vegetation and sense which cannot be exercised but in the body The manner how the soule is united to the body is full of difficulty to expresse The question is whether the soule worke upon the body from without and so is by that meanes joyned to it or whether it be placed in the body and worke there and from thence This latter is the truth for the soule doth not worke from without which I shew by a comparison The light and the eye are joyned together in seeing But how The light from without extends it selfe to the eye and so is joyned to it so is not the soule joyned to the body but is seated within the body which appeares so partly by experience for we may all perceive that our thoughts
fashions in him the Image of Jesus Christ and so reveales Christ in him Colos. 3.10 Galat. 2.20 Sixtly in that day he gives him the holy Ghost never to depart out of his heart Gal. 4.7 Seventhly in that day he makes him free so as hee is inrolled amongst the living and acknowledged particularly of God amongst the Saints Hee is written in the writing of the house of Israel and is free from all the miserie and bondage he was in before or was in danger of and hee is henceforwards free of the house and presence of God Hee may feede at his Table and eate the food of life He hath accesse with boldnesse at all times into the presence of God with any suites He is also free to the Communion of Saints and is restored to the free and lawfull use of the creatures in generall Psal. 87.5 Esa. 4.4 Rom. 8.1 Gal. 1.6 Esa. 25.8 Mark 11.24 Eph. 2.20 21. Mat. 5.5 Eighthly he sets a guard of Angels about him to attend him all the dayes of his life Heb. 1.14 Psal. 34. Ninthly in that day he is received into Gods protection in respect of afflictions which protection containes in it foure things First the withholding of many crosses which doe fall upon others God spares him as a man would spare his onely sonne Mal. 3.17 Secondly the bounding of the crosse so as God appoints the measure which is ever with the respect of the strength of the party Esay 27.7 8. Thirdly the sanctification of the crosse so as all shall work for the best Rom. 8.28 Fourthly deliverance out of trouble in due time Psal. 34.17 Tenthly he assures and estates upon him the evidence of an inheritance that is immortall undefiled that withers not reserved for him in heaven 1 Pet. 1.3 The use should bee chiefly to move godly men to the exact study of those things and to all possible thankfulnesse for Gods visitation and they should with much joy remember the very time if it may be when God did so visit them and if the men of this world keepe commemoration yearely of the dayes of their birth or marriage how much more cause hath a Christian to preserve in himselfe and to speake of it to the praise of God the very day and season when God did first reveale his grace unto him Let none mistake me I meane it not of all Christians for many Christians did never observe or know distinctly the very first day of their conversion being not called either by ordinary meanes or not in such a sensible manner as some others were or stood for a time in temporary grace yet unto all the counsell is profitable that taking a day in the sense as it is here they should often thinke of with gladnes the season of their conversion or at least magnifie God for the thing it selfe that they are converted And besides all such as enjoy the meanes of grace and yet have not felt this visitation of God should be much allured to the care of attending upon the meanes and be made desirous to receive the grace of God and that effectually it should much move them that God hath now sent them the means and keepes his publique visitation and that God stands not upon desert nor doth he make exception of them but offers his grace unto all and desireth not the death of any sinner yea beseecheth them to be reconciled and to that end hath committed the Word of reconciliation to his servants with expresse commandement that they should be instant and with all patience instruct men and call upon them and perswade them to save their soules Doct. 7. We may yet further from hence observe That before calling the very Elect of God may be as bad as any other as here till God visited those elect Gentiles they were railers as well as others so were the former sinnes mentioned 1 Cor. 6.9 found in the very Elect as the eleventh verse sheweth This appeares by the example of Manasses Mary Magdalene Paul and the theife on the Crosse see further Tit. 3.3 And the reasons may be easily assigned For first the very Elect before calling have the same corruption of nature that other men have and so all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God so as there is not one of them doth good no not one Secondly they have the same occasions to sin from the Devill and the world Thirdly and were their natures somewhat better than other mens yet they would have bin leavened as they were a part of the lump of infected mankind This may both informe us and teach us in divers things It may informe us in three things viz. about our election and our justification and about the Gospell as the meanes of our vocation For election this point proves it must be free seeing there was no goodnesse in the very elect more than in the reprobate in the estate of nature And for Justification the Apostle Paul useth the consideration of this doctrine in the third Chapter to the Romans to prove it cannot be by workes And for the Gospell wee may here see the mighty power of it it may well be called the Arme of the Lord and his power to salvation that can thus mightily and suddenly change men And it should teach us also divers things as it concernes either ourselves or other men or God 1. For our selves it should teach us to walke both more humbly all our dayes seeing wee have beene vile as well as others and also more watchfully seeing wee carry about us a nature that hath beene so rebellious against God and besides wee should resist the beginnings of sinne in us as having knowne by experience whither sinne will lead us if wee give way to it and dally with it 2 For others not yet called it should teach us both compassion of their miserie it having beene our owne case and a care to shew all meekenesse to all men in waiting for their conversion and patience in bearing their wrongs 3 For God how can we ever sufficiently love him that hath shewed such love to us even when we were his enemies Yea wicked men that are smitten with terrors for the hainousnesse of their sinnes should hence confirme themselves against despaire seeing they may hence learne that as great offendors as they have beene converted and saved 2 Tim. 1.15 There is one thing that from hence men must take heed that they doe not learne that is that they abuse not these examples to confirme themselves in sinne for there is matter to daunt them and fright them from this presumption For first not all that have lived licentiously but some few onely have beene saved the rest perished in their owne wickednesse Secondly of those that were saved none were saved without amendment of life and regeneration and therefore so long as thou livest in thy sinne so long their example fits thee not The last Doctrine that may from hence bee made is
repented It is a signe of true mortification when 1. A man hath seriously condemned himselfe before God for his sin 2. When he feeles the wonted violence of affections after sinne and the world to be deaded and his heart growne dull and out of taste in matters of sin and the world He is crucified that hath his lusts and affections crucified Gal. 5.24 3. That he is weary of life is selfe by reason of the remainders of sin in his flesh Rom. 7. 4. That hath felt as sensible sorrowes for his sinnes as he was wont to doe for his crosses sorrowes I say that are voluntary and for sinne as it is sinne Doâ—t 4. The Passion of Christ is the best medicine to kill sin in us he died that we might die to sin There is a vertue in the death of Christ to kill sin Rom. 6. Now the death of Christ may be said to kill sin First in respect of the guilt of sin Christ in his death paid all that was needfull for satisfaction and â—o destroyed the imputation of it and stilled the clamour of it It cannot cry against us in heaven because God is fully satisfied and the bond discharged and cancelled the plea of our sins died in the Passion of Christ. Secondly in respect of the hatefulnesse of it or the demonstration of the hatefulnesse of it The Passion of Christ gives all men occasion to see how unworthy sin is to live that made him die when it was only imputed to him and not done by him Thirdly in respect of the power of it in us actually There is a secret vertue in the wounds of Christ to wound sin and in the death of Christ to kill sinne and therefore the Scripture speakes not only of the merit but of the vertue of his death Rom. 6. Phil. 3. which vertue is secretly derived unto the penitent sinner by the ordinances of Christ his Word Prayer and Sacraments Uses The Use should be for triall men may know whether as yet they have any part in the death of Christ by inquiring whether they be dead in their sins First they have no interest in the merit of his death that have not experience of the vertue of his death in killing their corruptions Secondly for instruction When godly men find any corruption begin to be too strong for them they must flye to Christ for this medicine and then there is no sin so strong in them but by constant prayer to Christ for the vertue of his death will be subdued if they pray in faith Prayer gets the medicine and faith applies it to the disease Doct. 5. True mortification doth not encounter one sin only but sins in the plurall number and indefinitely It notes that in true repeâ—tance there is a respect had to amendment of all sins To amend only one or two faults is not true repentance for he that is truely dead is dead to sins there is no sin but the true Convert desires and endeavours to be rid of it so far as hee knowes it to be a sin Herâ—d did mend in some things but yet was not sound because in one sin he minded no repentance And this point doth give an infallible rule of triall of mens estates in Christ for no wicked man on earth doth so much as in true desire forsake all sin There be some corruptions he knowes that he would upon no conditions part with To desire and endeavour to be rid of all sins is an infallible mark of a child of God Doct. 6. Mortification makes a man dead only to sins it doth not make him of a dead and lumpish disposition in doing good duties Heb. 9.14 nor doth it require that it should destroy his nature or naturall temper or the parts of his body but his sin only nor doth it kill his contentment in the creatures of God and the use of lawfull things nor doth it destroy his liberty in lawfull delights and recreations it kils his sin only Might live unto righteousnesse These words containe the second effect of Christs death and passion viz. the raising of us unto a righteous life his death makes us live and live righteously Divers Doctrines may be hence observed Doct. 1. First that men truely mortified shall live happily These dead men will live there is no danger in great sorrow and the other workes of mortification It kils sin but the soule lives by that meanes He is sure to live that is dead to his sins Rom. 8.13 Esay 26.19 1 Pet. 4.6 Ezek. 18. Hos. 14.2 The reasons are first because God hath promised comfort to such as mourne for sin Mat. 5.4 Pro. 14.10 Secondly Christ hath a speciall charge given him to looke to those mourners that they miscarry not Esay 61.1 2 3. Thirdly they are freed from eternall death they cannot be condemned 1 Cor. 11.31 32. Iob 33.27 28. Fourthly because the fruit of the lips is peace to these they are ever after interessed in the comforts of the Word Esay 57. 15 18. Fiftly the nature of godly sorrow is only to tend to repentance it is worldly sorrow that tends to death 2 Cor. 7.10 Sixtly they that are conformed to the similitude of Christs death by mortification shall be conformed to Christs life by the resurrection from the dead Rom. 6.5 8 11. Uses The Use may be first for confutation of such as think that mortification is a way full of danger and makes many men come to great extremities whereas they may here see there is no danger in it Hellish terrours and despaire and some kinde of diseases may make strange effects in some men but never was any hurt by godly sorrow for sin if we will beleeve the Scriptures and therefore it should incourage men to fall to worke soundly about searching their wayes and confessing their sins and judging themselves in secret for their sinnes Iames 4.7 2 Cor. 7.10 11. But here men must looke to some few rules First that they see the warrant of the course in the Word and know the places that require these duties that they lay up such promises made to the duties of mortification as may uphold their hearts in the practice of them Thirdly that they refuse not consolation but when they have found true humiliation for their sins and comfort from God in his ordinances that they turne their sorrow into joy and their prayers into thanksgiving and spend their dayes alwayes rejoycing in the Lord. Doct. 2. It is not enough to die to sinne unlesse wee also live to righteousnesse it is not enough to forsake our sinnes but wee must spend our dayes in good workes we are so charged to cease to doe evill as withall we are charged to learne to doe well Esay 1.16 we must bring forth fruits worthy amendment of life as well as confesse our sinnes Matth. 3.8 A man will cut downe his fig-tree for want of good fruit though it beare no ill fruit Luke 13.6 It will not please any
3.9 Phil. 2.2 3. 5. Men miserably neglect thankfulnesse to God for the good they receive daily from his mercies Col. 3.17 6. Many faile publikely and shamefully in want of care to come time enough to Gods service Zech. 8.21 Esay 60.8 In these things Christians should be admonished to mind their wayes and their workes and to strive to walke as becommeth the Gospel and the death of Christ that they may hold fast the light of the truth and shew out better the glory of a Christian life And thus of living to righteousnesse Now followes the third forme of speech By whose stripes we are healed The healing of our sicknesses is reckoned as another fruit of the Passion of Christ or else it is the same with the former exprest in other words These words then are borrowed from the Prophet Esay ch 53.5 who doth chiefely understand the spirituall healing of our soules of our sins as the coherence shewes in the Prophet but yet the Evangelist saith Mat. 8.17 and understands of the healing of our bodies also And therefore I consider of the death of Christ both in respect of soule and body And first as this healing is referred to the soule divers Doctrines may be observed Doct. 1. The soules of all men are diseased by nature even the very soules of the Elect are so till they be healed by Christ. The soule is diseased divers wayes especially by sorrowes and sins it is the disease by sin is here meant Quest. It would be inquired how the soule comes to be sick of these diseases and why sin is called sicknesse in the soule Ans. This spirituall sicknesse comes into the soule by propagation Adam hath infected all his posterity and every man hath increased the diseases of his nature by his owne wilfull transgressions Now sin is called sicknesse because it doth worke that upon the soule which sicknesse doth upon the body for sin hath weakned the strength of the soule in all the faculties of it which all men may discerne and observe in themselves by nature Besides it causeth spottednesse and deformity in the soule as sicknesse doth in the body and therefore sin was likened to the leprosie in the Law Further it often causeth pain and torment in the soule as wounds and diseases do in the body for there is no peace to the wicked especially when God fighteth against them with his terrours Besides it will cause the death of the soule as sicknesse will of the body if it be not helped and so men are said to be dead in sins Use. The Use may be to shew the fearfull negligence of worlds of people that are exceeding carefull to help their bodies to health but never think of the poore soule that lieth lamentably full of diseases And withall it shewes that all wicked men are men of ill natures because their dispositions are all diseased though there be degrees of ill nature or of this evill in men natures as there is difference of sicknesses in mens bodies And godly men should be compassionate when they see the grievous diseases in the natures and lives of other men remembering that they also were by nature subject to the same diseases as well as they Doct. 2. The diseases in the soules of men by nature are very grievous which is here also implied in that God was faine to send his owne Son to help and heale us Now that the diseases of mens soules are so grievous may appeare many wayes First because such a multitude of men are infected not some one person in the whole world in the body of mankind not on some part but from the crowne of the head to the soale of the foot all full of sores and diseases There is no man that sinneth not and so no man that is not sick and that is the reason why men feare the pestilence because it makes so many sicke Secondly because the soule of man by nature is sicke of a multitude of diseases at once for even sin is a sicknesse and so our sicknesses are innumerable because our sins are so And hence it is that in Scripture so many metaphors are used to expresse the sicknesse of the soule as leprosie wounds plagues poyson gall c. Thirdly because the disease lieth in the soule it selfe Of diseases those are most mortall that get into the spirits and doe most enfeeble man how much more when it is in the soule Fourthly because in respect of our selves our sins or our diseases are incurable we can give our selves no remedy that can help us Ier. 30. Fiftly because in the Colledge of spirituall Physicians there is scarce one of a thousand that can help the poore soule out of these diseases Iob 33. Sixtly because there be but certaine seasons onely in which men can be healed as it was with the lame man at the poole of Bethesda and if men misse these seasons they are in danger to dye of these sicknesses There be seasons of grace and dayes of salvation and men must not harden their hearts while it is called To day Use. The Use should be to awaken wicked men to a serious consideration of their danger and at length to thinke of helpe for their soules being thus diseased as they would doe for their bodies if they were desperately sicke Ob. We feele no such diseases in our soules Sol. First wicked men have a kinde of spirituall lethargie upon them and so are in grievous danger but by reason of their spirituall sleepinesse they feele it not Secondly though they feele not their diseases now they shall doe hereafter and then thinke what a paine it will be unto them when God awakens them whether they will or no. It may be it will be in this life as it was with Cain and Iudas and then a wounded spirit will ake so who can beare it Thirdly the matter is not altogether so easie with wicked men as they pretend fâ—r they doe feele so much as may shew they are very sicke Sometimes they feele their consciences galling and paining them at the very heart for the time and what are the passions and perturbations of their soules but as so many fits ofâ—a Feaver And that they are grievously sicke may appeare by the want of their spirituall senses they can hardly see or heare any thing Besides they may know they are sicke by the potions of afflictions which God gives them who doth nothing in vaine Doct. 3. That in Christ the diseases of our soules may be healed Esay 53.5 Mal. 4.2 Luke 4.18 He is a sure Physician for our soules God hath undertaken it that he will cure and heale us he challengeth it as a glory to himselfe which he executes by Christ Iob 5.17 18. Deut. 32.39 Now in as much as our diseases may be healed by Christ and that he is our Physician appointed by God we may gather many arguments of great comfort even from hence that he is the Physician First because
it a thing almost beyond beliefe that the applying of medicines to the sword that wounded a man shall make the wounds heale in a man But this here is a mystery that onely the Christian Religion can tell of of which there never was president in nature that the wounding of one man should heale another or that the stripes of the Captaine should cure all his diseased souldiers and yet thus it is even thus is the Lord pleased to glorifie the power of his working Secondly we may hence be informed of the precious use of every part of Christs sufferings not his dying only doth us good but every thing he did endure His stripes cure our wounds his shame wrought our honour his temptations drave the Divels from us not any thing was done to him by his adversaries but God made it worke for our good Shall we then dare to take offence at the crosse of Christ Have we not reason to glory in it above all things Thirdly doe we not here see how hatefull sin is in Gods sight and how foule our diseases are when nothing can cure us but Christs blood and that must be fetched out of him with the best stripes which the hands of the wicked inflicted upon him Oh the hardnesse of our hearts that can see Christ thus used for our sins and yet are not perswaded that sin is hatefull to God! Oh how should we be sorry for our Saviour and mourne to thinke of it as we would for our only sons Would it not grieve us at the heart if we should see the young Prince the Kings son basely whipped by our adversaries onely for our affaires Oh what hearts have we that as bad as they are would be melted to see this done to a Kings son and yet are not troubled to know it was done to Gods son Fourthly we may see what wicked malice will doe if it be not restrained to disgrace our Saviour to get a sentence against him to bind him hand and foot yea to kill him will not serve their turnes unlesse they may most basely scourge him before he dies That malicious men now doe not alwayes so is not because their malice doth nor tend to it but because either God or man restraines them It is a most divellish humour and therefore to be avoyded and detested of all those that love the Lord Jesus Use 2. Secondly how many wayes should this instruct us what care the Lord Jesus requires of us what should not this make us willing to doe Oh how should we love him with all our hearts above all the world that could endure to be thus abased even unto stripes for our sakes when he could have prevented it if he had pleased what a shame shouâ—d it â—e to us to be impatient or to thinke much of our crosses who though we had suffered many things yet not so grievous as those things befell our Saviour Yea further it should encourage us to â—uffer any thing for Christ and the rather because we have not resisted to stripes or bloud nor cannot now suffer the thousandth part for him of that he hath suffered for us Thus of the healing of our souâ—es These words also may be expounded of the healing of our bodies as we shewed before and so the like doctrines may be observed as Doct. 1. That the bodies of all men by nature need healing For sin hath brought upon man the sentence of deformâ—â—â—â— and infirmities and diseases and we see God doth inflict diseases upon many and that of divers sorts and many men that for the present â—râ— free from the paines of diseases yet have their enemies in their bodies in divers parts of them laid as it were in garison which may and will breake out upon them at a time they know not or if they were not there the Lord from without can send diseases upon them The world is every where full of occasions of sicknesse or if there were not outward meanes to worke them yet God can strike men from heaven Use. The Use should be to warne such as are in health to walke humbly For they know not how soone sicknesse may seaze upon them Secondly such as have their friends taken away by sicknesse or are yet afflicted should submit to Gods will for this is the case of all men even the greatest yea and Gods elect are liable to such a condition by nature Doct. 2. The diseases of the body are grievous and therefore Christ takes notice of that kind of distresse to provide for the healing of our bodies We see by experience that of many sorts of crosses it is most grievous to be are the paines that arise from the wounds or sicknes of the body and it is the more grievous partly because no men are priviledged from diseases but either have them or are in danger of them as was said before and partly because God hath armed such a multitude of sorts of diseases to which the body of man is liable Use. Therefore the use should bee to take warning from these paines of the body to prevent eternall paines in hell by reconciling our selves to that God that can so fearefully afflict both bodie and soule and as wee feele the outward man to decay the more to labour for the health of the inward man especially by those harbingers of death to provide for the time when our change shall come Doct. 3. Christ is a Physician for the bodie of man as well as for the soule in Christ our bodies may bee healed Christ provided healing for mans bodie as well as for his soule and mens bodies he heales either in this life or in the generall resurrection First in this life some he hath healed by miracle as he did multitudes in the daies of his flesh while hee was here in this world which he did in execution of his office as having charge of mens bodies and some he healed by meanes giving his blessing unto the medicines provided in nature and applied by the skilfull to the diseased yea he undertakes the healing of all Gods Elect in their bodies as this place imports which hee doth promise and will performe if it bee good for them Many times to heale the bodie would hurt the soule or keepe the Leaper from heaven and then Christ will not heale them else he undertakes and is bound to heale the bodie as well as the soule But the especiall healing is at the resurrection when all the bodies of the Saints shall be healed perfectly of all diseases and freed from the very disposition yea the very possibility to have any diseases Use 1. The use should be for great comfort to the godly when they are distressed they may and ought to looke up to Christ and say If it be good for me my Saviour will heale me and the rather because Christ is such a compassionate Physician and hath had the feeling of our infirmities and paines that way and besides he is such a Physician
one way to come in And further we can find no meanes that hath sufficient power to make a man live God hath so reserved the power of life in his owne hands that none of the means we use to preserve life can doe it to make it hold out for a moment if God doe not from above give speciall assistance Man liveth not by bread Mat. 4. and if a man had abundance of all worldly things yet a mans life consisteth not in that Luke 12.15 c. The fourth reason may be taken from the profession of a Christian or his state or relative calling or condition in this life First we are Christs spirituall souldiers Now men that goe to warre intangle not themselves with the things of this life that they may please them that have chosen them to bee souldiers 2 Tim. 2.4 Secondly we are pilgrimes and strangers in this life and therefore nothing should be more easie to us than to be wearie of the present condition and to long to be at home Thus did the Patriarches Heb. 11.13 Thirdly in this life we are but poore cottagers that dwell in poore houses of clay and shall we love to bee here rather than in those eternall mansions 2 Cor. 5.1 Ioh. 14.2 The fift reason may be taken from the sinnes of life Even sinne is a disease and a loathsome contagious one Now then see what life is thou thy selfe hast innumerable sinnes and there is no man alive that sinneth not in the whole world Now if every man have innumerable contagious diseases what a loathsome pest-house is this world to live in The thoughts of a man can reach to the depth and length of this argument but inconsideration buries all wholsome counsell and motives But besides this respect of sinne a Christian finds from his owne sinnes if there were none else in the world great cause to be wearie of life first because sinne argues the imperfection of his nature both in soule and body and so long as he is in this sinfull life he can never have a perfect nature now a man that loves himselfe for this reason would never love life Rom. 7.23 Secondly because sin is an offence to God now a child of God should therefore loath life because by sinning be doth injury to God his mercifull Father and in the most holy Christians this argument hath extraordinary force The sixth reason may be taken from the crosses of life Hath not every day his griefe Is there any estate or degree of men free from them Are not those whom God loves corrected yea and perhaps more than other men Seriously thinke of what thou dost suffer in thy particular What diseases or infirmities are in thy bodie What unquietnesse and vexation dost thou suffer in the house where thou livest What crosses doe follow or feare thee in thy calling Yea doth not thy religion breed thee trouble If the reproaches and oppositions be considered of which godly men sometimes suffer we might say with the Apostle Of all men they are most miserable 1 Cor. 15.19 Paul saith he was a man crucified while he lived Gal. 2.20 and did alwayes in his body carry about the dying of the Lord Jesus 2 Cor. 4.10 Besides consider of the danger of what may come upon thee in life What if war come or the pestilence or sudden poverty that cannot be cured or with fearefull diseases that will fill thee with horrible pain Nay what if thou shouldest fall into some shamefull fault Oh what were the misery would follow upon it The seventh reason may be taken from the extreme vanity of those things that seeme to be felicities in life all the things in life that with any colour of reason can be made objects of thy love are either the people of the world or the commodities of the world Now for the first of these thou hast no reason to be in love with life for the people of the world with whom thou livest for 1. Amongst all the thousands of men and women thou seest in the world it may be there is scarce one that loveth thee entirely scarce one from whom thou maist enjoy delight or comfort They are poore things thou canst have from the rest whether they be neighbours or strangers More than thou givest thou shalt not receive unlesse it be in poore complements of salutations and ceremonies of life 2. If thou didst excell in the priviledge of being loved by friends kindred wife or children yet reckon how small a portion of thy life is refreshed from them there is sometimes more delight in one poore dreame than will be had this way in a long time 3. Thinke of it what changes and losses thou dost or maist suffer if there were any thing worthy thy love in friendship or acquaintance thy friends may be daily lost either by the change of their minde from thee or by distance in habitation or by death and the pleasure is had by thy acquaintance is made not worth the having either by interruption or by discord and taking of offence or want of power or will to help when thou hast most need 4. Who would not hate life for this very reason which I now give Let a man consider by experience in all others how little the world cares for him If thou wert to die what would the world care or almost any in the world Let it be thy wife children neighbours hearers dearest friends yea thy religious friends what would any of these care for thy death Looke not at their words but note it in their deeds How few will be sorry for thee or for how short a time and how soone wilt thou be cleane forgotten or how poore a thing is the greatest memory any man hath when he is dead Dost thou live to heare this and yet wilt be so mad as to love life for the love thou bearest to any other 5. The evill thou sufferest from the world is greater than the good thou canst get by it thinke of the reproaches injuries oppositions contempts persecutions infections thou maist finde from unreasonable men How many thousand would triumph over thy poore fame if thy feet doe but slip Lastly the company thou shalt have of Angels and spirits of just men in another world should make thee loathe all these things in this life whether thou respect number or power or dearenesse in friends even in such as must be companions of thy life and therefore for the company that is in the world thou hast no reason to love life The commodities of the world are lands houses money honour credit beauty pleasure and the like now mâ—n have no cause to be so in love with these if they consider 1. How small a portion they have of these If a man had won the whole world and the glorie of it yet it were not worth the having if he must lose his own soule May if it were all had upon the best conditions yet it would not
and I place all under the head of imperfect revelation because though the things revealed to the Prophets were perfectly revealed in respect of certainty and evidence yet it was but a revelation in part that is of some things onely There were many things knowne to Christ and the Angels which the Prophets never knew There is also difference betweene Visions and Revelations Visions are external in some things shewed to the sight Revelations are internall shewed â—nely â—o the understanding But what is the difference betweene Revelation and Knowledge and Prophesie and Doctrine mentioned 2 Cor. 14.6 There are two waies by which men come to the understanding of Gods will The one extraordinary and that is by revelation and the other ordinary viz. by knowledge attained by labour and industry in the use of meanes this the Apostle calls knowledge now prophesie and doctrine depend upon these two For men did vent and utter their revelation by prophesie that is by foretelling things to come and men doe vent their knowledge by doctrine and teaching others Are not we more miserable now then they were in the times of the Prophets seeing they had revelations and we have none We are not for these reasons 1. Because we have the substance of all their revelations For their most glorious revelations were concerning Christ to come whom we possesse as the riches of the Gentiles whom they had not in the flesh but saw him a farre off 2. Because the Lord hath now fully revealed his will in the Scriptures of the old and new Testament to be a perfect guide unto eternall life 3. Because we have all their revelations that could profit us in any speciall measure we have them I say left upon record written for our learning 4. Neither are wee altogether without revelations that for the riches of them answer the full value of their revelations For to omit that God hath revealed his Sonne in the flesh in these latter ages of the world which was a greater shew then was ever made in heaven or in earth to omit this I say 1. In the doctrine of the Gospell now there are divers riches mines and mysteries of knowledge broke open which were hid since the world begun from ages and generations Col. 1. 26. Rom. 16.26 and these made knowne not to Apostles onely but to babes and infants Mat. 11.25 to abiect Gentiles as well as Jewes Luke 2.32 for revelation of the Gentiles to young men and maidens Act. 2. 2. Christ is revealed in the hearts of men now as well as then and that is the best revelation the works of the grace of Christ such as his image graciously revealed in their hearts Christ lives in his people now Gal. 1.12 2. 20. Rom. 8.29 3. The righteousnesse and favour of God is with a speciall lustre revealed from faith to faith Rom. 1.17 4. The Lord doth still assist his servants in speaking and hearing and teaching to profit we have more than we bring into the pulpit and thâ— Lord still opens mans understanding and is with our mouthes to give us a doors of utterance Eph. 1.18 Col. 4.3.2 Cor. 3.5,6 5. The Spirit of Christ doth reveale now also both daily the things given us of God 1 Iohn 5.10 2 Cor. 2.10 and at some times the particular pleasure of God in some speciall cases 6. We are neerer unto and wait for the revelation of Christ and the sonnes of God from hâ—aven of which theirs was but a glimpse and in this we shall in the day of Châ—â—st have as full a measure as they Their revelations were but a drops to this sea Rom. 8 1â—,19.2 Thes. 1.7.1 Cor. 1.7 So that we are happy sixe waies in respect of revelation The Use should be therefore to learne thankfulnesse and contentation as resting assureâ— thaâ— if wee truely feare God though hee make us not Prophets yet his secrets shall be with them that feare him and he will answer us when we call and shew us great and hidden things Thus of the manner how God did answer them the matter followes which concerneth either Persons or things Persons in these words Tâ—at not unto themselves but unto us they did minister The plain meaning is that the Lord would have them to know that they were implyed in these prophesies of glory not that they should thereby reveale any further blessednesse unto themselves for they should die before those daies come but should therein doe service unto Churches that should come long after Here are divers things to be noted hence That the Lord hath beene used to deny the requests or desires of his servaâ—ts in respect of the circumstances of their suits such as were time place manner meanes measure c yea we see how he denieth his best servants in the letter of his desires Isaac must not have his will concerning Esau nor Ioseph concerning Manasses Moses may see Canaan but he must not enter in David must not prosper in his beloved Absolon the Apostles must not be great in an earthly kingdome nor Paul have his tentation depart just as soon as he prayes Ionah must not be humored nor Elias die when he list David shall not bring in the Arke at his pleasure nay Christ himselfe must not be heard in the very letter of his desires for the cup did not passe from him The Use is therefore to commit our waies to God with all patience and humility and never rebell in our hearts if the Lord crosse us but rather confesse our errors and yeeld our selves to God as knowing that all shall work together for the best c. and he will so heare and so answer as may be best for our best good The Lord hath been used to traine his servants to know that their labours are to be spent for the good of others as well as themselves thus the Prophets must heare of it God hath distributed his gifts not onely for the use of each member but for the benefit of the whole body 1 Cor. 12. The Use should be to teach all sorts of men to promote to their uttermost the common good and to doe it out of conscience and heartily and with all diligence as we would care for our owne things especially promoting the edification of the body with all love and industry Rom. 12.6.1 Pet. 4.9 10. Eph. 4.26 Thus should ministers and magistrates and masters of families and every Christian with his acquaintance We are Stewards of Gods gifts and they must be imploâ—ed about Gods worke not our owne onely the Masters advantage is most principally to be respected and therefore this must needs be a great reproofe to such as can onely minde their owne things and not the things of Iesus Christ Phil. 2. It will be a singular comfort to such as excell in gifts or riches or power if they can say at their death beds not unto my selfe but unto the servants of God
or to the poore or to the Church or to the service of my country or to the conversion of soules c. have I ministred the wit or learning or wealth or power the Lord hath given me Contrariwise it cannot but be wofull to some to remember on their death beds that they have spent their meanes and gifts to promote wicked courses and to procure sinne or to maintaine the riotous or gamesters or whores or dogs or any way their own lusts oh what wil they say when they are asked whom have you clothed fed comforted counselled admonished c. But unto us But why are we honoured thus and not the Prophets The Lord sheweth mercy on whom he will shew mercy I meane it for the manner and time and measure and meanes we must not herein dispute with God yet even this tends wonderfully to the praise of Gods constant love to his Church we see he doth not grow weary of his affection he did not spend all his grace and favour upon Kings Patriarchs and Prophets but he is ready to entertaine even the prodigall sonne of the Gentiles with as hearty or rather more hearty entertainment then ever he did the Jewish children that had not departed out of their fathers houshold Secondly this also shews that extraordinary gifts are not the best for us wee want the gifts of prophesie but to have the glorious grace of Christ is better then all for we see the Prophets desired it more and great reason for one may be a Prophet and yet not be saved Math. 7. but so one cannot have the true grace of Christ but they shall be saved hee is in better case that can pray with the Spirit then he that can prophesie For God is rich to all that call upon him and whosoever calleth on the name of the Lord shall be saved Rom. 10.10 Ioel 2. Besides we may note here that God will not be bound to shew his tenderest kindnesse to his best servants no doubt the Prophets were better servants to God then we are yet you see they must not envie it to know that others shall be more made on then they Finally here is implyed that Gods promises and provisions of grace can never be in vaine If it be not for the Prophets yet it must be for us For so in the originall it is as if it were rendered but yet unto us to note that no word of God shall be in vaine Esay 55.11 They did minister This phrase imports divers things 1. Wee are here againe occasioned to think of a strange depth of respect God beares to the meanest of his children none are too good in his account to doe them service the Prophets must not think scorne to minister to them yea so doth God reckon of them that Kings and Queenes must not be too good to nurse them yea we see here the Angels are desirous to know or doe any thing that concerns them yea the holy Ghost will leave heaven to doe them good Oh the bottomlesse depth of Gods love and oh the barrennesse and shallownesse and unthankfulnesse of mans heart that cannot be more inflamed towards God to render love for love yea wee should be afraid ever to challenge God for want of love we should account it a great offence to call his affection in question the Lord takes it wonderfull ill Esay 49.15 16. 40.26 oh that God should love us so beyond all president all desert yea above all we could desire and yet we be still so slow hearted 2. From this phrase we may note that the greatest in the Church ought to account it their honour to doe service to their brethren It it charged upon all without exception to serve one another by love Gal. 5. and Christ saith of the greatest let him be your servant Mat. 20. The Use is for all of us to search our hearts to see whether we can finde such a noisome pride in our selves as that at any time we should think our selves too good to doe Gods work or to doe service to any of Gods people if we doe find it let us purge it out as vile leaven and be humbled for it before God else the Lord may perhaps finde out waies to shame us and scourge us that we dreame not of 3. This word Minister as it is in the originall excellently imports how we should serve one another For it is to serve as the Deacons did 1. out of conscience of a calling and commandement from God 2. with all diligence 3. constantly 4. cheerfully Rom. 12.5 with all humility making our selves equall with them of the lower sort All this the Deacons did 4. This word imports that spirituall things are from God onely in respect of beginning and as the primary cause For the Prophets doe but minister them They have nothing but that they have received for every good and perfect gift commeth downe from God the Father of lights which should teach us in the use of all meanes to direct our hearts to God The things which were reported unto you These words evidently shew First that the primitive Church was first taught by tradition that is by lively voice not by written Scriptures onely so was Adam so were the Patriarks for the first 2000. yeares 1 Thes. 2.15 But might some one say Doth not this wonderfully make for the Papists in their opinion about traditions No whit at all and that this point may be more fully understood I will shew out of Scripture that the word Tradition hath been taken three waies and then declare particularly that this doctrine can make nothing for the Papists 1. Sometimes by traditions are meant the inventions or precepts of men imposed with opinion of holinesse and necessity upon the consciences of men and so it is taken and taxed Mat. 15.2 3 6. Col. 2.8 2. Sometimes by traditions are meant certaine rules prescribed by the Apostles concerning things indifferent and their use Thus the Corinthians are praised because they kept the traditions as the Apostle delivered them unto them 1 Cor. 11.2 3. Sometimes by traditions are meant certaine orders appointed by the Apostles for the prevention of disorder in manners in the Churches of Christians and thus I take it to be understood 2 Thes. 3.6 when condemning such as would not work he saith they walk disorderly and not after the traditions which ye received of us It seemes the Apostle had prescribed some courses for preventing of idlenesse and such inconveniences 4 Sometimes it is taken for the very word of God delivered by lively voice so the word was delivered 2000. years before the law 5. Sometimes it is taken for the word of God as it was first delivered by the Apostles while the Scriptures was yet unfinished whether it were delivered by report or writings and so 2 Thes. 2.15 1 Cor. 11.23 15.3 According to the fourth sense or this last it is taken here Now this can make nothing for