Propositions are as we say Hypothetical or Conditional and if either should be denyed or questioned the only Course which the Schools which are the high Courts of Reason for Judging of Arguments afford would be to plead these Categorical or absolute Propositions Whosoever lives after the flesh shall die Whosoever mortifies the Deeds of the body through the Spirit shall live And our Apostle himself ver 6. had premised Two absolute Categoricall Propositions to inferre or prove these two Conditional Propositions in the Text. For so he saith To be Carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace Now albeit he hath added no Quantitie to these Two Categorical Propositions yet in that he saith To be carnally minded is death and To be spiritually minded is life This Infers That Death is the Necessary Consequent of Carnal Living and Life likewise the Infallible Consequent of being spiritually minded All must mortifie though not totally And it is an Infallible Rule of Reason That Any Proposition betwixt whose Parts the Connexion is Necessary is Equivalent to an Universal although it be delivered in Terms Indefinite or without addition of any Quantity So that when our Apostle saith To be carnally minded is death To be spiritually minded is life his Speech is altogether as ful and more Emphatical then if he had said Whosoever lives after the flesh shall die Whosoever through the Spirit mortifies the deeds of the body shall live Howbeit These Two Propositions in the Text thus Reduced to Categoricals and Rendred Vniversal by a Note or Sign of such Quantitie are Vniversal only in Respect of the Persons whom this duty of Mortification concerns Vniversal they are not but Indefinite in Respect of the Duty enjoyned or Matter proposed 2. To find out some more distinct limit or Limitation of them in respect of the Matter proposed The Limitation set out in Three Negatives we are to begin as in the like Cases the Method requires from Negatives The First Negative is this Though all men after they come to years of discretion be necessarily tyed to Mortify the Flesh yet no man is tyed under pain of damnation to an absolute or Total Mortification of it This is Impossible in this life Though sin as the Apostle speaks be the Sting of death and Carnal Intentions be the Arrows or darts of Sathan yet is not every Carnal thought or every degree of minding the flesh so deadly in the issue unto the Soul as the Parthian Arrows were to mens Bodies for they carried death upon their points and gave it possession of every body whose skin they brake Fatumque in sanguine summo est They let Death in at the least breach whereat Bloud could come out But every moment of life led after the flesh doth not thus Necessarily bring forth the death here meant The second Negative is this It is not every Degree or Part of Mortification that will suffice to bring forth the Life here meant For he doth not say if ye have Mortified the deeds of the body but if ye do mortifie the deeds of the Body ye shall live These Two Negatives are as the Two Tropicks betwixt which the Limitation of the former Proposition in respect of the Matter proposed or Duty enjoyned is wholly Situate It is a Positive Mean between them somewhat Lesse then any Absolute or Total Mortification Somewhat More then every Degree or Practise of Mortification yet all this is but Indefinite This Positive Mean betwixt the former Negatives must of necessitie be either some kind of Mortification for Quality more Precious then the Mortification which most men ordinarily affect or practise or some Greater Measure of the same Mortification whereof most men are partakers at some times 3. As Great mens quick Goods are presumed to be of a better kind or breed then the like goods of their poor neighbours for Noble-mens Geese as the Proverb is are Swans So there be some who will have all Qualifications whether of Life or Practise all Acts of Duty or Performances to be of a better kind or rank in the Elect then they are in Others And in these mens Dialect or Divinity the Answer to the proposed Querie were easy and would be This. They which Mortifie the deeds of the body in such sort as the Elect do they certainly shall Live for the Elect do truly mortifie them albeit not in so full a Measure And as Belief so Mortification in Them especially how Little soever it be Points of Election c. are not to determine but to be determined by more general points so it be True will suffice unto salvation But in the Divinity which I have learned the points of Election and Reprobation are to be determined of if at all they may be determined of by the Resolution of other more General and more facile Queries They are preposterously brought to the Determination of any other Difficulties Alwayes the Resolutions of the Generals must be Introductions to the Resolution or clearing of more Special Difficulties Special Difficulties can be no Introduction to the Resotion of General Queries Now this duty of Mortification and the Transgression of it to wit Living after the flesh are far more General then the estate of Election or Reprobation Seeing as I am often forced to repeat it is but a litle Point of mankind a small Portion of men which are partakers of the Word or Sacraments which are for the Present contained under either part of This Division All are not Elect or Reprobate But all live after the flesh or after the Spîrit either in the State of Election or Reprobation But under this Division of Living after the flesh or after the spirit all are comprehended Again in as much as we our selves are all imployed in this Work of Mortification we may have more certain Experiments of our Progress in this Duty then we can have of our estate of Election which is meerly the work of God we have no finger no imployment in it The truth is Only they who have mortified the deeds of the Body in such a measure as our Apostle here requires are in the State of Election Only they who have made up such a measure of sin or Living after the Flesh as induceth the Sentence of death here mentioned are in the absolute State of Reprobation So that the Positive Mean between the two former Negatives must be taken from the measure not from the Specifical Quality or nature of mortification The very Phrase or Character of our Apostle If ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if through the Spirit ye mortifie the deeds of the Body ye shall live Necessarily includes a Perseverance in either kind A Perseverance there must be in this Duty of Mortification before we can have full and perfect Interest in this Promise Without Perseverance or Continuance in this life of the Flesh none are inevitably sentenced unto the death here denounced
End then the Ambitious or aspiring mind The Port which this Bravado is bound for at His first setting forth is Superiority Rule or Dominion over others perhaps his Equals by Birth and for good qualities his far Betters But ere he can attain to this Heaven of Happiness as he esteems it He must ‖ See Horace 6 Epist lib. 1. Si Fortunatum c. couch down like Issachar between two burdens take Chams Curse upon him for his Viaticum or Loading in his way or journey He must be a Servant to Greatness though in despight of Goodnesse a Vassal to the dispensers of that Honour which he seeks though these be Vassals to Basenesse or other bad Qualities a Slave unto the Corruption of Time and in a preposterous imitation of our Apostle he must become all things to all men and even enforce himself against the bent of proud affections to fawn upon such as can feed him with hopes of Honour to lenifie the rotten sores of their Vlcerous consciences with a smooth flattering tongue If he be a Clergy-man or Messenger of Christ that ☜ is tainted with this Humour he must become more then a Balaam to every Balak such a One as Balaam would have been if the Angel had not withstood him He must set himself to blesse where God hath cursed and to curse where God hath blessed There is no part of this Servitude of Sin or Satan so irkesome as this to an Ingenuous spirit or to a mind fraught with any internal worth but especially with the knowledge of Christ and Him Crucified No Slavery of the Soul so odious to God none that includes greater Enmity or Antipathy to the Wisdom and Son of God none that includes greater affinity with Satan This unquenchable desire of Honour falsly so called as some Philosophers from due examination have determined the question commands all other Affections whatsoever even Love it self whether towards Parents towards Wife or Children Kindred or Country And by this Affection of Ambitious Pride Satan hath often commanded the Greatest Commanders in more vile and detestable Services then he can impose upon the most vile and most abject Creatures living Unto this Idoll or to so small a piece of it as may be inshrined in some One great Mans Brest whole Lâ—gions whole Armies of men for whom Christ shed his Dearest Bloud have often been Sacrificed For whose Burnt-offering Goodly Towns and Cities have been set on fire What absolute command Satan gets over mens Souls in which Ambitious desires come to their full height and growth may easily be calculated from those detestable Services into which Satan by so little a sprig of this Forbidden Tree as many Christians would not suspect to bear any forbidden fruit did impell Pontius Pilate This Man thought in his Conscience that our Saviour was Innocent that he was more then a man and was exceedingly willing to have saved him from death And yet Satan works him not to do as Pilate himself would but as Satan would have him to do Pilate saith the Evangelist sought to release him but the Jews cryed out saying If thou lettest this man go thou art not Caesars friend For whosoever maketh himself a King speaketh against Caesar And when Pilate heard that saying he proceeds to sentence And when the Chief Priests further prosecuted their wonted Form We have no King but Caesar He delivered Jesus unto them to be crucified John 19. vers 12 15 16. To have corrupted this man by Bribes or Gifts to have given wrong sentence against our Saviour had been impossible for these Jews Satan himself had not command or interest in his Service by this Title The only possession or interest he had in him to this purpose was not so much desire of new or greater Honour then he had as Fear of disgrace or disrespect with Caesar if when the Mutinous Jews protested They had no King but Caesar he should suffer a man to live that was accused and in some sort convicted to have suffered himself to have been Entitled King of the Jews Though his Ambition was not great yet it exposed him to desperate base and detestable Servitude or bondage It is not half so base or servile to be an Hang-man or other more contemptible Minister or Executioner of publick Justice as it is to be the Instruments or Ministers of Greatest Caesars in condemning the Innocent or sentencing such to death as have no wayes deserved it If Pilate had taken Courage to protect this Just and Holy One against the malicious calumnies of the Jews Gods providence no doubt had protected and shielded Pilates breast from the violence of Pilates own right hand Whereas he after having lost Caesars Favour which he sought by these unjust means to retain did out of the apprehension of his discontent or disgrace make away himself as the Ecclesiastical * Eusebius English Book 2. ch 7. History tels us Such are the best rewards that Satan bestows upon his Servants though miserable and shameful death be rather the earnest and pledges only of the wages which he never fully payes to his Servants till after death when he hath got their Souls into his Custody 8. If the desire of any Honour if the Fear of any Disgrace or disrespect with men were in themselves or of their own kind Absolutely Good or were any Honours to be desired For Themselves or such that their Excesse could not draw us into Satans Servitude or bondage then certainly desire of being members of Gods Visible Church The dangerous Slavery into which the Romish Church hath brought her self or fear of being cast out of it as Hereticks were of all Secondary Means or desires the most safe But through desire of yielding Absolute Obedience to Gods Visible Church and through immoderate Fear of being by the Church disgraced or Excommunicated Satan hath twice drawn a great part of Gods people Such I mean as professe the knowledge of God and of his anointed Christ into a Slavery or bondage more detestable and greater by a Three-fold Measure then any Slavery or bondage into which he was able to draw the most wicked and most Idolatrous Heathen since the first Revolution of time affording him opportunity of Temptation The First notorious or famous Conquest that Satan got over the visible Church was in the dayes of our Saviours pilgrimage here on Earth The Second over the visible Romish Church within these later years wherein they have resumed the Title or Prerogative which the Jewish Church did stifly challenge but with lamentable successe for some years after the first and second Destruction of the Temple at Jerusalem The Title which that Church did challenge but with greater moderation then the present Romish Church doth was the Absolute Infallibility of the Church representative that is of the chief Priests and Elders Yet this Absolute Infallibility the Jewish Snagogue did never confine unto the bosome of the High Priest either sitting in Moses
Consciences of Christian People as a main Part of their Baptismal Vow and pressed home as a Duty that concernd their everlasting Salvation would by Gods Blessing be likely to prove fruitfull as indeed it is usefull For somewhat to enlarge that which hath been Toucht on The use of the former Doct. to condemn sloth to prevent presumption and despair in the foregoing Chapter this may be more particularly considered First It leaves Sloth and Negligence in this Good Dutie of so high Concernment clean without excuse Secondly Being rightly applyed it serves as an Antidote both against Presumption and Despair 20. There is no way to make a Coward Hardie or Resolute in sight but by putting him upon some manifest exigent or apparent Necessity either of killing his Adversary or of being killed by him So long as there is hope to escape by Flight or Non-appearance it is a matter almost impossible to make a Timorous spirit try his strength or ability The foes or enemies with whom we are here enjoyned to fight are our own Bodies or our own Flesh which still fighteth against our soules from whose assaults there is no possibility of flight There is an apparent Necessity layd upon us either of killing the Deeds of the Body or of being more then killed by them For if we Live after the flesh or suffer the works of the Flesh or deeds of the Body to live or raign in us we shall dye the death of the Soul Did we truly apprehend the Necessity of this choyce how were it possible for us to deferre this Conflict with our own flesh for one Moment 21. Some not withstanding there be which see in part this necessity of dying by living after the flesh and yet submit their Wills and Affections unto the desires and lusts of the Flesh as Men Condemned by Law do their Bodies to the Officers of Justice or Executioners This These poor souls do Some out of Conscience because they hold it unlawfull to resist Authority Some out of weaknesse as being not able to prevail if they should struggle with Authority But neither of these Motives can have place in the former Case For First the Conflict or Resistance of the Flesh is not only Lawful but necessary so necessary that if after our promise in Baptism and participation of the word and Sacraments we neglect the undertaking of this warre with our own bodies we are in the same case that Souldiers are which after they have received Presse-money and good pay run from their Colours We justly incurre the Sentence of everlasting death by not seeking to put the Deeds of this mortal Body to death We become perpetuall slaves to Satan by refusing to fight with sin which is Christs enemy and Satans Agent 22. Nor can we pretend that our endeavours to mortifie the Deeds of the Body are hopeless or vain because we are not able of our selves to think a good thought much less to give good success to our best endeavours For the Apostle as you heard before enjoynes us to work out our Salvation with feare and trembling that is as men afraid to be idle or slothfull for a moment even for this Reason Because it is God that worketh in us both the Will and the deed And though the same Apostle hath elsewhere said That it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy yet it is a Generall Rule in Divinity Finis dicendorum est ratio dictorum our Apostles speech must be taken from the end or General Scope at which he aimed To what end then doth our Apostle give us the former or like Rule To the end that we should not will or desire our Mortification nor run with alacrity towards the Goal which in every Epistle he sets Before us to wit the Mortification of the Flesh and life of the Spirit or rather to kindle our desires to work and stir up our alacrity in working yet so as we still rely not upon our works or indeavours but meerly upon the Good will and mercy of our God He that saith See Chapt. 41. 42. It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy did never say that it was not the Good Will or Pleasure of God to shew Mercy unto all that abandoning all other wayes run with what speed and alacrity they can unto his Mercy He that saith God will have mercy upon whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardneth did never say that it was Gods Will to harden any which deny themselves and their own doings and wholly betake themselves to his Infinite Goodness His meaning sure in that place is that as God will have mercy on none that seek salvation by works or other prerogatives of the flesh so he wil harden none that put their confidence not it their works but in his mercy 23. The Summe of all that can in this Point be said is That no man can be partaker of the promise of Life but he that faithfully seeks for Mercy in Christ Jesus And no man can faithfully seek for mercy in Christ but he that sincerely renounceth his own works and merits And no man can sincerely and truly renounce his own works and merits but he that is industrious and laborious in these works of Mortification here enjoyned Hypocrites and ungodly persons will be ready in the day of Tryall to deny all hopes of salvation by works Chapt. 36. or confidence in merits But as was intimated before No man can be truly said to renounce those good works paragr 7. which he hath left undone but those works which he hath done No man can truly deny himself but he that exerciseth himself in these works of Mortification We cannot possibly know our own Impotency or want of strength to perform these works of Mortification as we ought unless we make proof or triall of our strength in working them as we can The more we try our strength the more insufficient shall we find our selves and the better Experience we have of our own Insufficiency the more earnestly will we if we do as we ought for our own good crave the assistance of Gods Spirit the more Faithfully will we rely on Christ who is our strength and the Rock of our Salvation and so not presume 24. Again The former Doctrine is useful to prevent Despair in the dayes of Temptation Albeit we find our Transgressions of this precept to be great and many Our Apostle saith not If ye have lived after the flesh ye shall dye for so no flesh should be saved But his words are if ye live after the flesh ye shall dye If any man find his Conscience burdened with an heavy load of the works of the Flesh let him not take the frights no nor the Scarres of Conscience wounded by sins past or the impressions by sin present as undoubted marks of Reprobation yet let him call to
children of Israel died not one ver 5. 6. Pharaohs experience of the former Plagues fore-told by Moses and accomplished in his own sight did perswade him so farr to believe his Prediction of this that he sent into Goshen to know the truth of that part of it And behold there was not one of the cattel of the Israelites dead v. 7. And yet as it follows in the same verse The heart of Pharaoh was hardened and he did not let the people go 17. All or most of the former signs were respectively rather more noysome and terrible then detrimental unto Pharaoh and his People We do not read before this time of the death or destruction of any useful creatures besides of Fishes when the waters were turned into bloud And this calamitie was neither so grievous nor so universal as the murrain of cattel was It extended only to that part of the River or those waters that were nigh to Pharaohs Court otherwise the Magicians or Inchanters could have had no Place to practise their skill in But this murrain of the most useful creatures was very general Nor would the Magicians have attempted the like if it had been apprehended as facible by them seeing both the Egyptians and themselves should have been greater Losers by the Practise of their own cunning But seeing this Plague did not infect Pharaohs coffers or treasure Cities which the Israelites were enjoyned to build or to prepare materials for their building nor yet Pharaohs Chariots or Stables hence haply it is that he is not so much affected with the wonder as he had been with some of the former And yet because this wonder did give little or no check unto his proud stubborn thoughts the Lord instantly and without further Commission as being now in Processe of Sentence commands Moses to bring another Plague upon the Egyptians more terrible noysome then any of the rest had been ver 8. Then the Lord said unto Moses and unto Aaron Take to you handfuls of the ashes of the furnace c. And they took ashes of the furnace and stood before Pharaoh and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven and it became a boyl breaking forth with blains upon man and upon beast And the Magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boyles for the boyl was upon the Magicians and upon all the Egyptians ver 10 11. Whether Pharaoh did resume or continue his former Resolutions without any relentance the Text is silent but expresse enough to this purpose That the Lord did from this time harden the heart of Pharaoh after a more extraordinary manner then it had been hardened before for so the words do run ver 12. And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh and he hearkened not unto them as the Lord had spoken unto Moses But what was it that the Lord had spoken unto Moses Or where did he specially speak to this purpose The place whereto these words As the Lord had spoken unto Moses do punctually referr is as our English margin directs us Exod. 4. 21. And the Lord said unto Moses when thou goest to return into Egypt See that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in thine hand But I will harden his heart that he shall not let the people go In most of the former Treaties between Moses and Pharaoh Or in the relation of the successe or effect of his speech or works this Epiphonema or Close comes often in That Pharaoh hearkened not to Moses and Aaron as the Lord had spoken But in none of them besides this present is it so expresly added that the Lord did harden the heart of Pharaoh as he had spoken unto Moses This different Character of this Close from the rest gives us to understand or intimates at least That this plague of blaines was the first of all the plagues in which the Lord did harden the heart of Pharaoh after any extraordinary manner But after what manner did he now harden it Not by Infusion of any bad Qualitie or new unhallowed Resolutions but by giving him up to his own lusts or by leaving him more open and exposed to the temptations of Sathan then he had been From this time and not before doth That of our Apostle Rom. 9. 17. For this very purpose have I made thee stand that I might shew my power in thee Commence or begin to take place Now thus to infatuate Pharaoh or suffer him to infatuate himself after he had so often hardened his own heart and slighted Gods forewarnings was a true Act of justice and withall a Prognostick that the just Lord was now Purposed to destroy him So the heathens out of their broken Speculations of Divine Providence have observed Quos Jupiter vult perdere prius deâ—entat Infatuation is commonly the Usher of fearful destruction God in all this deals no otherwise with Pharaoh then pharaoh had done with the poor oppressed Israelites immediately after the delivery of Moses first Embassage unto him Pharaoh upon this occasion as was observed before severely exacts the same Tale of bricks after he had prohibited the Task-masters to afford them any straw which they performed before when they had plenty of straw allowed them The Lord in like manner requires but the same obedience of Pharaoh after he had deprived him of understanding and of the sweet influence of his ordinary general Providence which he had required of him before or at the exhibition of the first signs or wonders And this only is it which ministred the occasion or matter of that question made by our Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 why doth he yet chiâ—e unto which I have no more to say for the present then may be found in the Treatise upon that place Rom. 9. 19. See Chapter 42. of this Book Number 6. 18. But to finish this present Survey of the Mosaical Story concerning this proud and foolish Pharaoh it is a witty Character which * Kaì 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Lib. 2. Antiq. Iud. Cap. 5. Josephus hath made of his humorous wilful disposition That after he had seen and in some measure felt three or four several plagues he had a kind of itching humour or longing desire to have more variety of experiments in the like kind This the diligent reader may with me easily observe That upon his sight of the first signs and experiments of the Plagues which did accompany them he demeand himself like a proud Phantastick Humorist and did many waies bewray such a temper as it was impossible for him to become wise untill he had abandoned his former dispositions or resolutions But after the Plagues of the Murrain of cattell and of the blaines upon the Inchanters themselves this proud Phantastick falls into a Phrenzie and fares like a distracted Bedlam and raves as if his brains had been blasted by the fumes or steames of his cauterized heart or seared conscience Witnesse those Passages following Exod. 9. 27. And Pharaoh
mount it is a clear Case from our Apostles Authority and Exposition of Moses that Both these Sanctuaries or Holy Places made with hands were but Types or shaddowes of two Sanctuaries not made with hand but prepared or Created by God himself in the Heavens Every High Priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices wherefore it is of necessitie that this Priest have somwhat also to offer For if he were on earth he should not be a Priest seing that there are Priests that offer Gifts according to the Law who serve unto the example and shaddow of Heavenly things as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the Tabernacle For See saith he that thou make all things according to the Patern shewed to thee in the mount Heb. 8. 3. 4. 5. These words contain a Fundamental Principle which were it exactly surveyed and a Profound Mysterie which were it well sounded would guide us to the discovery of many more throughout this Epistle and afford much variety of admirable Consequences to every Learned or however matter in store of Admiration to every Ingenuous Reader 5. To give some Hints unto the One and directions unto the Other The heavenly Sanctuary represented by the most Holy place or that which they call Sanctum Sanctorum in the earthly Tabernacle or material Temple as is evident from our Apostle Chap. 1. Was that heavenly Sanctuary whereunto our High Priest Christ Jesus is entred Once for all and wherein he continually exerciseth his Everlasting Priest-hood And after the second Vail was the Tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all which had the golden Censer and the Ark of the Covenant overlayed round about with gold wherein was the golden pot that had manna and Aarons rod that budded and the Tables of the Covenant and over it the Cherubims of Glorie shaddowing the Mercie-seat of which we cannot now speak particularly Now when these things were thus ordâ—ined the Priest went alwayes into the first Tabernacle accomplishing the service of God but into the second went the High-Priest alone once every year not without bloud which he offered for himself and for the errors of the people The Holy Ghost this signifying that the way into the Holiest of all was not yet made manifest that is not yet opened but close shut while as the first Tabernacle was yet standing Heb. 9. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 6 But unto whom was the way into the Most Holy Place so shut unto men only as unto Enoch and Elias or unto the soules of Patriarches of prophets or of other Saints deceased or unto all besides the son of God the holy Angels not excepted CHAP. XLV That the Soules of Righteous Men Abraham c. were in a Blissefull heavenly mansion before But after The Kingdom of Heaven was perfectly set up and open to all Belei vers By Christs Placing As man at the Right-Hand of God Their Condition was Bettered 1. WEre not the soules of righteous men of Abraham of David of Patriarchs of prophets in a Place of Bliss or in heaven it self before our Saviour's Ascension thither I make no Question but they were estated in some Blissefull heavenly Mansion For it is not to be suspected that Abraham from the day of his death was not as near unto the throne of Majestie and in a place of as great Happiness as the Penitent Malefactors soule was admitted into some few howers after his torments upon the Cross were ended Now the place whereunto he was in soul admited the same day he dyed was a True Paradise not that Terrestrial Paradise which Adam lost much less any Region under the Earth or Concavitie in the Earth as some have imagined that which they call Limbus Patrum to be but that Coelestial Mansion which the First earthly Paradise did represent That into which Adam if he had not forfeited his estate in the first Paradise should in good time it may be have been translated in Body That Abraham was in a place of Blisse and of reward or Recompence according to the righteousness of his ways is clear from the Parable of Lazarus whose soule was carryed by the Angels not into any Subterraneal Vault of which or like places the holy Angels are no officers or attendants but into Abrahams Bosome So all English Translations render that place without any dissent or discord to the Greek or Latine from neither of which notwithstanding this sense or signification of the word can be concludently inferred For Sinus in Latine or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek do signifie or import as well that which we call in English a Bay a safe Rode or Harbor for ships as a Bosome And with the warrant of the most learned and Punctual Interpreters of the Scripture amongst the Greek Fathers that place Luke 16. ver 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 May be rendred thus that the soul of Lazarus was carried or wafted by the Angels into the Bay of Abraham that is into some one of those heavenly places wherein the soules of Abraham and other righteous men did rest as ships in a safe Bay or Harbor freed from all Dangers of wind and other annoyances expecting time or opportunitie to arrive or to be transported into the Royal Seat or Haven of blessednesse which as hath been said was not open or passable until the King of glorie did enter into it So that Abraham and many others were blessed in soule in those heavenly Harbors into which they were wafted or safely conducted by the Angels but did not but possibly could not receive the accomplishment of such bliss as the humane sanctified soul though separated from the body is capable of untill the Son of God did enter into the holy place not made with hands that is not till his Ascension both in Body and Soul into the highest Heaven not before his Enthronization in his Seat of Majestie at the Right-Hand of God the Father 2. The truth of this last Assertion Albeit Abraham were in a blessed Haven yet the Anchor of his Hopes did not approach the true Seat of Bliss before our Saviours Ascension may be inferred from our Apostle Heb. 6. 19 20 This hope we have as an anchor of the soule both sure and stedfast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and which entreth into that within the Vail whither the fore-runner is for us entred even Jesus made an high Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedeck As also from another place much mistaken by some of the Ancients and not well translated by many modern Interpreters Heb. 11. 39 40. All these of which number Enoch Abraham and Moses were three principal ones having obtained A Good Report through Faith received not the promise God having provided some better thing for us that they without us should not be made perfect That is should not be Consecrated to be Kings and Priests before such of the faithful as lived at the time of our Saviours Ascension were Consecrated with them
by his Blood were the Deliverance of mankind from the powers of darkness and the inheritance of the kingdom of Light 4. The Parallel between the Institution of the Passover and of the Lords Supper or of the two Inheritances bequeathed the one by Moses the other by Christ is so plain that it needs no Comment It only requires a diligent Reader or Hearer or what is wanting on the ordinary Hearers part may be supplied by every ordinary Catechist before the receiving of the Sacramental Pledges One point yet remaines more pertinent to the unfolding of our Apostles meaning Heb. 9. ver 15. And for this cause he is the Mediator of the new Testament that by meanes of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the First Testament they which are called might receive the promise of Eternal Inheritance For where a Testament is there must also of necessitie be the death of the Testator For a Testament is of force after men are dead otherwise it is of no strength at all while the Testator liveth And it is this As the Israelites did not enter upon the inheritance or take possession of the Land of Canaan till after Moses the Testator or Mediator of the old Testament was dead so neither was the Kingdom of Heaven our everlasting inheritance set open to all or any Beleivers until Christ Jesus the Testator or Mediator of the new Testament was crucified dead buried and raysed again to immortal Glorie Since which time as is the King so is the Kingdom or inheritance bequeathed so is the Testament it self being sealed by his bloody death All and every of them Truely Everlasting CHAP. XLVIII The Parallel between the most Solemn Services of the Law and The One Sacrifice of Christ And The high praeeminence and efficacie of This in comparison of Those The Romanists Doctrin that in the Masse Christs Body is Identically Carnally present and that there is a proper Sacrifice Propitiatorie offered derogates from the Absolute Perfection of Christs offering himself Once for all 1. THe principal Termes of proportion in this Parallel which serve as so many several Kens or Markes for the right survaying of it are The services of the Law or the Offices of Legal Priests and the Perpetual Function of our High Priest The services of the Law wherein our Apostle instanceth are the Principal and most Solemn Sacrifices which were injoyned to the Priests after the order of Aaron The One Sort whereof were Anniversaries as of Bullockes and Goates and to be offered every year upon the day of Attonement and so to be offered from the First Erection of the Tabernacle in the wilderness so long as the Law of Ceremonies was de Jure to continue untill our Saviours death upon the Cross since which time all Bloody Sacrifice have lost their Legal Vse The Other service was That Sacrifice of the Red Heifer and the Consecration of water by the sprinkling or mingling her Ashes which perhaps was not Anniversarie nor often put in practice from the time of Moses his Death untill the Ascension of our Saviour into heaven Now our Apostle takes it as granted that if these choice Sacrifices of Attonment and of the Red Cow were altogether unsufficient to purifie the Hearts and Consciences or the Soules and Spirits of sinful men the Ordinary or meaner sacrifices of the Law were much more unsufficient to all such purposes as the Sacrifices of our high Priest was Alsufficient to all such purposes as the Sacrifice of our high Priest was Alsufficient and most Efficacious for The Eminency of Christs bloudie Sacrifice upon the Cross in respect of all Legal sacrifices of what rank soever consisteth First in the Efficacy which it had and hath for Remission of all sins committed against the Moral Law of God that is of all such sins as immediately pollute the reasonable Soul and Conscience The least degree of such Purification no Legal Sacrifices could immediatly effect reach or touch To what Use then did they directly serve or what was the proper Effect unto which they were immediately terminated That was the Purification of mens Bodyes from meere Legal uncleannesse that is from all such negligences Ignorances or Casual Occurrences as not being expiated by the Priest did exclude the parties so offending from the Tabernacle of the Congregation Or as our Apostle speakes to Purifie them from such uncleannesses of the flesh as did but foreshadow or picture the uncleanness of the soul or the dead works of sinne All which being not expiated by a more excellent Priest then any was after the order of Aaron will exclude all from entring into the heavenly Tabernacle 2. Such Legal uncleannesse as did exclude the Parties polluted with it from the Tabernacle of the Congregation was many waies contracted as by touching of the dead by eating of Meats forbidden by the Law or by not eating meates allowed of by the Law according to the Rule or Prescript for such Ceremonial Services or by the like Omissions or Practises which were not in their own nature or to all men sinful but sinful in the Seed of Jacob only to whom they were Evill only because forbidden not forbidden because they were evill in their own nature Even in regard of such shadows or Typical Offices for Purifying men Legally unclean the best and most solemn Sacrifices of the Law though offered once at least every year and otherwise as often as dayly Occasions or Occurrences did require were no way so efficacious or Effectual as the One Sacrifice of the Son of God offered by himself but Once for all is for the perpetual Purifying of our Soules from the Dead works of sin and for our Consecration to the everlasting service of the everliving God which is that Freedom indeed wherewith his only Son hath promised to set all such Free as Believe in his Name and Abide in his word John 8. 3. The Eminencie of Christs Priesthood and Sacrifice above the Priesthood and Services of the Law is deeply wronged by the Doctrine and Practise of Secular and Regular Roman-Catholick Priests as they do term themselves and so is our Apostles Doctrine in the ninth and tenth Chapters to the Hebrews more peremptorily contradicted by them then it was by the Incredulous or unbelieving Jews in his life time The Western Anti-Christ so the Lutherans distinguish them hath in this particular so farr out-bid the Antichrist of the East that if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Law-opposer or man of sin were to be followed close with Howant-Cry or his Footsteps to be traced for these nine hundred years by the Christian Kingdoms or States the Chase and Cry would sooner fall into Rome or Trent then into Constantinople though That no question be now the seat of Gog and Magog or of the Eastern Antichrist That Contradiction of Sinners which our Saviour Christ did indure here on Earth Heb. 12. 3. improved by the Roman Church in later dayes against all such as
Justification One By Christ's Death Another By his Resurrection from the Dead or Two Imputations of his Rightcousness Surely neither Justification nor Imputation of Christs Righteousness Consists in One Single Act both admitt divers Degrees or Parts or rather contain a Long Processe The best way to assoyl the Difficultie proposed will be First to set forth the proper effects or Duties of our Beliefe as it is terminated to Christs Death and Sufferings Secondly the Proper Issues or Effects of our Beleife of his Resurrection from the Dead We believe that by his Death our sins even the sins of the world were taken away That Adam and All that came of Him were thus farre redeemed by Him as to be set Free deâ— Jure from the Bondage of Satan and purchased as a peculiar people to himself Thus we often read that we are redeemed by his blood shed on the Cress that is By that One Sacrifice of Himself the Ransom of Mankinds Redemption was fully payd Of this all men are bound to have full Assurance and in respect of this General t is truely said Fides est Fiducia Faith is a Confidence in the Blood of Christ And thus firmely Believing our Faith is imputed or reckoned to Us for Righteousness as it was to Abraham 2. But many may be Redeemed from Captivitie yet have a desire to continue in the Land or Territories of their former Captivitie or no great desire to be transported out of it into a safer soyl Some with Gryllus in the Poet desire rather to continue Swine then to be Re-transformed into the Image of God And unto These Christs Death is not available shall not be imputed unless it be to their greater Condemnation But from the General Confidence that Christ hath redeemed us from the bondage of Satan and Curse of the Law the Church our Mother hath wisely and piously ordained that all professing Christianitie yea Infants born of Christian Parents or Others exposed by their incredulous Parents to the Tuition of the Church shall be forthwith transported out of the Hemisphere of darkness into the Sphere of Light to be visibly ingrafted into the mystical Body of Christ The Duty whereto all such as are thus transported are bound is to promise and Vow Obedience unto Christ as to their sole Lord and Redeemer To forsake the Divel and all his workes the pompes and vanities of this wicked world and all the sinfull lusts of the flesh and to fight manfully under Christs Banner unto their lives end that is to take up their Cross and follow him and as he dyed for them so to be ready to lay down their lives for the brethren if need require in his service or to use our Apostles words Phil. 2. 5. To put on the same mind which was in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in likeness of men and being found in fashion of a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the Death of the Cross Vers 6 7 8. Another not altogether so diverse as rather the same immediate and formal Effect of our Belief in Christs bloody Sacrifice on the Cross is Dayly to offer up the sacrifice of a broken Heart of an humble and contrite spirit And for offering this Sacrifice every man must in part be his own Priest and Confessor that he may be partaker of the blessing and Grace of the High Priest of our soules from his Heavenly Sanctuary where he sits at the right hand of God CHAP. LIII Christs Parable 12. Math. 43. c. applyed Two degrees of Reconciliation the first Active or but meere-Grammatically Passive The other Real-Passive So correspondently Two Branches of Justification The One from Christs Death The Other from the benefit of His Priesthood dayly participated to us 1. TO proceed thus farr in the Knowledge of Jesus Christ and of Him Crucified and in the practice of Christian Duties Concomitant to such Knowledge is more I am afraid or rather fully perswaded then most of such as take upon them to seal Assurance to themselves and to others of their salvation by Markes and Tokens of the Elect of their own coyning have rightly got by Heart And yet to rest secure upon these Grounds though learned by heart of their personal Salvation or irreversible Estate in Grace or in Gods Favour doth open a gap unto hellish Hypocrisie which our Saviour himself hath commanded us to beware of or rather to shut it out as it is in that parable Mat. 12. 43 44 45. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man he walketh through dry places seeking rest and findeth none Then he saith I will return into my house from whence I came Out and when he is come he findeth it empty swept and garnished Then goeth he and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked then himself and they enter in and dwell there and the last state of that man is worse then the first Even so shall it be also to this wicked generation For the right application of this Parable to the Jews with whom our Saviour there disputes as also unto men of this and former Ages I referr the Reader to Jansenius and Maldonate in their Learned Comments upon this place but especially to Jansenius 2. Thus much is sufficient to our present purpose and thus much is most cleare That it is not the Sweeping or garnishing of the heart or emptiness of such vices as do raign in the hearts of Infidels and give Satan possession of them all which may be wrought by the serious consideration of Christs death Passion and by the imputation of his Merits that can secure us from further assaults of Satan to our final destruction Rather for us to presume upon these without Experiments without a continual Guard upon our own soules is but as if a man having beaten his adversaries out of his house should set up his staffe or sword or other instrument of warre without the door to entice his enemie by this opportunitie to make forcible entrance when he is least aware To what End then doth the Contemplation of Christs death or the Imputation of his merits serve us Do these beget no portion or degree of any Certaintie of our Estate in Christ or of Salvation Yes they alwaies bring forth a Certainty though not of Faith yet of Hope that God in his Good time will accomplish these good beginnings and crown them with more then a Moral with an Experimental certainty or assurance of our Estate in Grace For Regulating our perswasions in this point there can be no better Rule then that of our Apostle Rom. 5. Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom also we have access by Faith into his Grace wherein we stand and rejoyce in hope of the Glorie
of God ver 1 2. And again more fully ver 8 9 10 11. God commendeth his love towards us in that whilest we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us Much more then being now justified by his bloud we shall be saved from wrath through him For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life And not only so but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the attonement The Ground then of our Hope or of such Certaintie as we can attain unto in this life is our Reconciliation to God of which our Apostle speakes more fully and divinely 2 Cor. 5. If any man be in Christ he is a new Creature Old things are past away behold all things are become new and all things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ and hath given to us the ministerie of Reconciliation to wit that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed to us the word of reconciliation ver 17 18 19. But if this Reconciliation were sufficient for our Certaintie of Salvation what need were there of a second Reconciliation or a second part at least of the same Reconciliation which our Apostle presseth upon us ver 20. 21. Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead to be reconciled to God For he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him The first part of Reconciliation is Active or at the most part but a Grammatical Passive As a man is said to be Called when he is summoned to appear though he make no Personal Appearance so are we said to be Reconciled to God when pardon for our sins is proclaimed though before we could take notice of it The Second Reconciliation is a Real passive and includes a Turning unto the Lord by Acceptance of our Pardon and by serious pursuing the Allowance of it The former part of Recenciliation is wrought by meer Imputation of Christs death and merits The second is wrought partly by Imputation but especially by Real Participation of Grace from Christ and gifts of the spirit These are They that must defend and guard our soules against the Re-entry or Re-possession of Satan and wicked spirits whether by fair or forcible means 3. Answerable to the Two Sorts or Degrees of Reconciliation there are Two Sorts or two Branches of Iustification The One by meere Imputation of Christs Death and Passion which was once wrought for all at his Consecration to His Everlasting Priest-hood The Other by Participation of his Grace or Operation of his Priesthood since his Resurrection and Ascension During the time of Legal Sacrifices whether for sinnes against the Ceremonial or Moral Law the People were bound upon new occasions to bring new Sacrifices unto the Priest and he bound to offer them up unto the Lord for their Reconciliation or Attonement For us Christians to think or conceive of more Sacrifices for sinne then One that was Once offered for all were to deny Christ or the Efficacie of His Everlasting Priesthood But as for the Sacrifices of prayers prayses or thanksgiving for what is past or supplications for the assistance of Christs Spirit for the time to come These we are bound to offer up to God by Christ more frequently then the Jews could offer up their bloudy Sacrifices or then the Priests could attend this service which they were to attend only at certain houres or Solemn Times because they were but mortal men and could not perform their Office 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But Christ since his Resurrection and Ascension is not only an Everlasting High Priest but doth exercise this his Function without Intermission Every Priest standeth dayly ministring and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices which can never take away sins But this Priest after he had offered one Sacrifice for sin sate down on the right hand of God For ever So the Syriack reades Points it much better then the Ordinary English doth or the Greek as may appear from a Parallel place Hebr. 7. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He remaineth a Priest for ever 4. Briefly though every sin perhaps every Gross sin which we commit after our Justification by the Resurrection of Christ and reall Participation of his Grace doth not work a Total Interruption in our Estate or Interest in him yet every such sin doth work a decay or diminution of Grace or some extinguishment of the Spirit of Life both which must be repayred by the Efficacy or Exercise of his Everlasting Priest-hood None is so just whether by Imputation of his merits or by Encrease of Grace but may and must be dayly more justifyed So that the Son of God doth set us free First by his sufferings upon the Cross Secondly by the Laver of Baptism and by Participation of his Life and Spirit and Lastly he will set us Free indeed at the Resurrection of the Just when we shall be translated into that heavenly house or mansion wherein he abideth for ever 5. Thus much of the Knowledge of Christ and of him Crucified and of the exercise of his Everlasting Priest-hood Points wherein I could wish to take more pains though to the wasting of my bodily Spirits upon Condition I could perswade a great part of the Clergie of this Kingdom not to make Christ Crucified and raised from the Dead a meer By-stander in most of their Disputes concerning Election c. as if he had shed his precious bloud to no other purpose save only the purchase of their own Salvation or the Eternal Excommunication or Damnation of others Now whether I have justly charged them with denyal of Christs Everlasting Priest-hood or of his Absolute Dominion or Final Judicature I here solemnly appeal unto Him in that great Day when he shall come as I verily believe He shall to judge the Quick and the Dead To reward every man according to all his workes whether his Writings Sayings or Actions C. Reader THE main Work of the sixth Section was to prepare and clear the way for The Exercise of Christs Everlasting Priesthood by amoving that Great Mountain of the Rigid Decree which in the Authors judgment did obstruct the general approach to the Throne of mercy and the issues of Grace flowing thence It making Christ a meer Spectator at most an Instrument to Execute a Decree passed before all Worlds and no Actor Advocate or Intercessor This following eighth Section treats of Certain Errors which though some of them do not wholly Evacuate or null yet do all of them disparage and Entrench upon the vertue and Efficacie of Christs Priest-hood Some of them were toucht before here they are more fully handled SECT
still cleanse us from all our sinnes from which in this life we are cleansed or can hope to be cleansed If we then receive remission of sinnes or purification from our sinnes in the Sacrament of the Eucharist as we alwaies doe when we receive it worthily we receive it not immediately by the sole serious remembrance of his death but by the present Efficacie or operation of his body which was given for us and of his Bloud which was shed for us 10. The reason why the bloud of Bulls and of Goats had no longer force or efficacie to cleanse men though but from sinnes against the Law of Ceremonies then whilest they were offered was because their bloud was corruptible bloud and did perish with the using But we are not redeemed saith S. Peter 1 Pet. 1. 18. with corruptible things as silver and Gold but with the pretious bloud of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish or without spot One part of the pretiousness of his bloud is that it is farr more incorruptible then silver gold or other pretious metall and the less corruptible any metall is the more pretious it is and the more pretious it is the more uncorruptible Though Christ then was truly mortal when he dyed for us yet the bloud that he shed forth for us at his death did not become like water spilt upon the ground which cannot be gathered again it did not vanish or consume as the bloud of Legal Sacrifices did as his Body so his Bloud was not to see or feel corruption not a drop of Bloud which was shed for us whether in the Garden or upon the Crosse but was the bloud of the Son of God but was shed by him as willing at this price to become the everlasting High Priest of our soules and not a drop of Bloud which was so shed did cease or shall ever cease to be the bloud of the Son of God His soule and body we know were disunited by death yet were neither of them disunited from his Godhead or Divine Person His Body whilest laid in the grave was still the Body of the Son of God as still retaining Personal Vnion with his Godhead So was his soule so was his Bloud the soule and Bloud of the Son of God as being indissolubly united to his Divine Person Though his bloud whilest it was shed or powred out did lose its Physical or Local Union with his body though one portion of it were divided from another yet no drop of it was divided from his infinite Person And that which the Romish Church would transferre unto each several crum of bread or drop of Wine in the Eucharist is Originally and properly true of the several drops or divisibilities of Christs Bloud which was shed for us whole Christ was in every one of them indivisibly in every one of them God was the Godhead was and is personally united to all of them 11. Whether all and every portion of his bloud which was then shed were by the power of the Godhead recollected and re-united to his Body as his Body was to his Soule at the resurrection See Chap 46. Numb 2. we cannot tell God knowes But this we know and believe that the self same bloud which was then shed whether it were gathered together again or remained dispersed whether it were re-united to his Glorifyed Body or divided from it is still united to the Fountain of Life to the Godhead in the Person of the Son And being united to this Fountain of Life who dwelleth in it as light within the body of the Sun it is of Efficacie everlasting it hath an immortal power or force to dissolve the Works of Satan in us as well those which he worketh in us after Baptism as before The Vertue of it to cleanse and purge us from our sinnes of what kind soever is at this day as soveraign as if it had been sprinkled upon our soules whilest it issued out of his body It is impossible it should lose its Vertue in or upon our soules unless vve first lose our Interest in it vvhich vve cannot lose but by abandoning the vvaies of light and polluting our soules vvith the Works of darkness For so long as we walk in the light the bloud of Jesus Christ the Son of God doth cleanse us from all our sins 12. 1 John 1. 7. This present Efficacie of Christs body and Bloud upon our soules or reall Communication of both I find as a truth unquestionable amongst the Antient Fathers and as a Catholick Confession The Modern Lutheran and the modern Romanist have fallen into their several Errors concerning Christs presence in the Sacrament from a common ignorance neither of them conceive nor are they vvilling to conceive hovv Christs body and bloud should have any Real Operation upon our soules unlesse they were so Locally present as they might Agere per contactum that is either so purge our soules by Oral Manducation as Physical Medicines do our bodies vvhich is the pretended use of Transubstantiation or so quicken our souls as svveet odours do the Animal spirits which were the most probable use of the Lutheran Consubstantiation Both the Lutheran and Papists avouch the Authoritie of the Ancient Church for their opinions but most injuriously For more then we have said or more than Calvin doth stiffely maintain against Zuinglius and other Sacramentaries cannot be inferred from any speeches of the truely Orthodoxal or Ancient Fathers They all agree that we are immediately cleansed and purifyed from our sinnes by the bloud of Christ That his humane Nature by the inhabitation of the Deitie is made to us the inexhaustible Fountain of life But about the particular manner how life is derived to us from his humane Nature as whether it sends its sweet influence upon our soules only from the heavenly Sanctuary wherein it dwells as in its Sphere or vvhether his bloud vvhich vvas shed for us may have more immediate Local presence vvith us they no way disagree because they in this kind abhorred curiositie of dispute As for Vbiquitie and Transubstantiation they are the two Monsters of modern times brought forth by ignorance and maintained only by Faction And thus much of the infinite value and everlasting Vertue of Christs Sacrifiâ—e in comparison of Legal Sacrifices The next Querie is How the everlasting Efficacie of his Sacrifice or of his Priesthood was prefigured by Legal Sacrifices or purifications for sin 13. The Legal sacrifices as all agree did generally foreshaddow Christs Onely and All-sufficient Sacrifice But in as much as they were corruptible and their vertue transient and by reason of their corruption and transient vertue were often to be reiterated they could not be so much as true shaddowes either of his offering of Himself once for all or of the everlasting vertue of his Onely Sacrifice once offered Their imperfection corruption or transient vertue did serve as foyles to set forth the glorie and splendor of his everlasting