on the Sabbath as our Saviour speaks expresly Mar. 2.27 The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath whereby our Lord evidently puts a difference between the Commands of God as that which is from everlasting and immutable and that which for mans sake was ordained and annexed thereunto Obser 6. The excellency of this duty of obedience 't is preferred before all Sacrifices all outward worship of God and hath not in vain a Behold set before it Repreh 1. Those who are defective in this excellent duty as I may fear the most of us are Obedience is the submission of our own Will unto the Will of God so that his Will alone ought to be done and we yet will every one have our own Will This our Lord complains of Ezech. 6.9 I am broken with their whorish heart which hath departed from me Our Will was once one with the Will of God but we have broken our selves off from his Will and are contracted and centred in our selves Thus did not our Lord Jesus Christ He submitted his own Will to the fulfilling of God the Fathers Will. Repreh 2. Those who judge quite contrary that to offer Sacrifice is better than to obey I speak not here as if any man maintained in dispute any such tenent but without doubt what the life speaks is the truest tenent the life followeth the judgment Since therefore the Jews of old and we now prefer Sacrifice before Obedience in our practice surely it was theirs and is our judgment They taught the people that if they brought their gift toward the reparation of the Temple they were free from honouring their Parents Mar. 7. Thus the Learned Scribes of old when blindness in part had happened to Israel they knew no difference between the Holy Life which God requires which is this Everlasting Commandment and the Ceremonies of the Law which were annexed and joyned unto the Commandment as serviceable thereunto And therefore when Jesus Christ the true Life appeared in whom God was well pleased O what hatred what strife what contention there was for the Ceremony against the Life and Obedience Mat. 12 1-8 10 13 and 15.1 9. and 23.23 And truly Beloved if we will judge impartially we cannot but think that many men at this day are of the very same opinion There are many gifts offered there are some outward duties which are observed among us and I would to God they were more strictly observed than they are as the observation of the Lords day hearing the Word and receiving the Sacrament c. all which may be done as plausibly and speciously by a wicked man as by the best Saint on earth and for these we contend one with another as if these were the only or the principal Service of God and Christ whereas I have shewed before in what rank they are serviceable unto greater duties mean time the great duties of obedience the love of God and our neighbour wherein eminently consists the service of God and Christ and the Christian Life which are the effects and the end of all these They are I fear neglected by the most of us as judgment mercy and faith in the power of God the love of God which our Lord calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the weightier things of the Law Mat. 23.23 Luk. 11 42. Thus we contend one with another about an outward form of serving God and neglect that which the Apostle tells us is the true service of God Rom. 14 17 18. Beloved this is one of the depths of Satan one of the most subtil wiles of the Devil that he perswades us to think sleightly of obedience and to set the highest estimate upon the Sacrifice do we not perceive it in these dayes that men account little or nothing of the Christian Life as Patience Humility Meekness c. they are esteemed beggars virtues which such poor men use because they cannot live without them for what are men wont to say the Turks are true and just in their dealings the Mahometans lead good and honest lives that 's the poorest thing of a thousand But if the Turks and Mahometans maintain Justice among them and love one another c. surely these are none of their faults for whither doth the Grace of God direct us doth it not teach us that we should deny ungodliness c. Tit. 2.11 12. Whither are we invited is it not unto the life of our God from which we are alienated Eph. 4.18 and what is that which is the truth in Jesus is it not to put off the Old man c. Eph. 4.20.24 Is it not to be made partakers of the Divine Nature having escaped the corruptions that are in the world through lust 2 Pet. 1. Surely if Tyre and Sidon shall rise up in judgment against Chorazin and Bethsaida and Sidon against Capernaum Mat. 12. because less disobedient than the other were Sure for the same reasons shall the Turks and Mahometans rise up in judgement against us if they be more obedient than we are Mysticé Obedience is better than Sacrifice What is that which is offered in Sacrifice but the bodies of beasts what but beastly affections and lusts which are called slain beasts and then they are more acceptable by far than when they were living But it 's possible a man or woman may abstain from following their lusts and so as to the notification of them by the world they may be sacrificed Thus the foolish Virgins which for some by-end and not for the Kingdom of Gods sake kept themselves chaste and were Virgins yet they were shut out To hearken is better than the fat of Rams I have saved my labour in part touching the explication of this point only let us enquire briefly what is here meant 1. By hearkening and 2. by the fat of Rams 1. This hearkening presupposeth an object in Nature before it that we must hearken unto and that is contained in the former words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The voice of the Lord which is either mediate or immediate 1. Mediate is that which sounds in Nature as the thunder is the voice of Gâ—d Gods mediate voice also sounds by the man for so the Lord saith He that heareth you heareth me 2. Gods Immediate voice is that whereby he speaks inwardly unto the man in his heart Audiam quid in me loquatur Dominus Do ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me 2 Cor. 13. The Angel spake מ This voice speaking in the man is no other than that inward Tractus or the drawing of God Joh. 6. Job 33 14-17 This voice requires hearkening unto 2. Hearkening is here meant hearing with attention such hearing with attention as inferrs the understanding will and affection as also the effect answerable thereunto Cor est fons omnium actionum ad extra terminus omnium actionum ad intra So that all actions of piety and obedience ought to proceed from the heart Mat. 15.8 This people draw nigh
exhorted to let these old things pass away to put off these old rags that we may be new clad that all may become new in us The Motives to enforce this duty might be many I shall name only such as I conceive most forcible and they are these 1. Our Love to the New Christian life 2. Our desire of increase of knowledge 3. Our desire of assurance of Faith 4. Our hope of prosperous success in our affairs 1. Our Love to the new Christian life which if we truly love we will hate and part withall things contrary thereunto Cleombrotus having read in Plato that excellent state of the Soul separated from the body was impatient of any longer stay in the body but leaped into the Sea and drown'd himself that he might the sooner obtain that good he hoped for But Beloved we perswade not men to destroy no nor hurt themselves that they may attain unto the new the blessed life no let the Papists meagre and scourge themselves as they do in Lent But do thy self no harm saith Paul to the Jaylor that would have slain himself Act. 16. That we may obtain this new life we must not part with our natural but our old our sinful life 'T is like the casting out of the unclean Devil The Devil threw the man down that was possessed but hurt him not saith St. Luk 4. And so our Apostle we are cast down saith he but not destroyed as dying and bebold we live as parting with the old life and cloathed with the new for this love of Christ who is our life constraineth us that we thus judge that if one dyed for all then were all dead and that he dyed for all that they who live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him who dyed and rose again 2 Cor. 5.14 15. As therefore we love the new Life let us dye unto the old That 's the first 2. As we desire increase of knowledge for indeed there is no true understanding of Divine Truth unless first we suffer these old things to pass away So Daniel confesseth Dan. 4.13 We made not our prayer before the Lord our God that we might turn from our iniquities and understand thy truth confer Rom. 12.2 Psal 53.4 3. As we desire assurance of Faith For if we believe that we shall live with Christ we must first believe that we must dye with him Thus our Apostle Rom. 6.8 If we be dead with Christ we believe also that we shall live with him and Chap. 8. of that Epistle vers 13. If we by the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body we shall live And this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a faithful saying or a saying of faith our precious Faith for so truly to believe will cost us our life our sinful life If we dye with him we shall also live with him we shall also reign with him 2 Tim. 2.11 12. 4. As we hope to perform any duty with Gods acceptance as we hope to obtain any new Grace and Mercy of God First go and be reconciled to thy brother first do away the old hatred as the Prophet calls it and then come and offer thy gift Matth. 5.24 First pluck out the beam out of thine own eye and then thou shalt see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brothers eye Matth. 7.5 No hope of new Mercy otherwise First we must forgive them that trespass against us and then we may hope that God will forgive us our trespasses No hope otherwise of any blessing from God upon our designs When the Israelites were smitten before the men of Ai and Josuah enquired of the Lord what the reason might be The Lord answers him Jos 7.13 There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee Thou canst not stand before thine enemies until ye take away the accursed thing from among you The Lords answer is as true if applyed to any one of us When we would enquire of the Lord what the cause might be that we want good success in our affairs when God blesseth not our endeavours in any kind we need not look for a Reason without us There is an accursed old thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the midst of thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in you So LXX here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in your hearts your minds your spirits your thoughts So the LXX often render that word 'Till that accursed old thing whatever it is and whatever that is every one of us best knows for every one knows the plague of his own heart saith Solomon 1 King 8.38 till that accursed old thing be taken away from the midst of thee hope not for any blessing upon any thine affairs or designs hope not for any mercy hope not that any thing will become new in thee But 2. When these old things shall be passed away then behold all things shall become new That 's the second Point which I shall soon finish and so end this Text. 1. When the Ceremonial old things shall pass away Behold all things shall become new This as befits the Word of God hath two edges and strikes at two extreams 1. It reproves those who please themselves extreamly that they have no Ceremonies and yet they have no new thing that 's better neither Spirit nor Truth nor Life they thank God that they are not superstitious when they dishonour God in that they are hypocritical or prophane I hope it is not the condition of any one of us 2. Others it reproves who dote upon the old Ceremonial shadows in the new clear day of the Gospel yea who esteem them above the Truth it self it is the fault not only of those who are popishly affected but of some in all Sects I shall tell you a plain and homely but a very fit similitude A Nut is cracked and the shells fly one piece one way another another every one pretends to look after the kernel and one leads his followers this way another that way one saith here it is another there it is one saith lo here is Christ another saith lo there one saith he is in this Congregation another saith no he is in that and why here and why there and why there and not here Oh because here one sits while another stands there there one kneels while another sits here O Beloved in the Lord what are these but meer shells and no better is there more self-denial here than there is there more meekness more gentleness more faith more virtue more knowledge more temperance is there more patience here than there Is there more godliness is there more brotherly kindness is there more charity is there more mercy is there more long-suffering is there more righteousness is there more holiness is there more obedience c These these and such as these are the new things these are the kernel and these lie still in the midst and are neglected and few regard them but run after the shells and husks
done all this for them loved God and his Neighbour been Holy been sober for them Faith looks forward and is a process not only backward Hebr. 11. What Christ will do in us not what he hath done for us Such was the Faith of the Virgin Mary Luke 2. She believed Gabriel Luke 1.38 Bessed is she that believed for here shall be a performance of those things which were spoken to thee from the Lord. Verse 45. Exhort To walk and continue in such a way of Salvation as the Apostle here points out to the Holy women Faith Love Holiness and Sobriety if so we shall undoubtedly be saved NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON I TIMOTHY VI. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fight the good Fight of Faith lay hold on eternal Life A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Is a Sport as Racing Running Wrestling c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But because some of the Games were at sharp with extreme hazard even of life it self as those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those of Duels and Sword-playing Hence it is that this Fight may be taken also for such Games or exercises as Abner challenged Joab unto Come let the young men make us Sport 2 Sam. 3.14 Thus in a better sence than they meant for this the Apostle calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a good Fight a good Fight is differing from that which is not so yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to implye the good effect of it If we suffer with him we shall reign with him To fight this good Fight implyeth three things 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the prize eternal life Phil. 3.14 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Adversary for we so fight not as beating the air the world and all that is in the world the Lusts of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life all the Fortresses and hurtful lusts that fight against the Soul and the Prince of the world our Adversary the Devil 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Judge of this contention that we strive lawfully who gives the reward Henceforth is laid up for me a crown of life which God the righteous Judge shall give me c. But here we must distinguish between the Fight of Faith which Faith produceth Hebr. 11.33 34. Through Faith they subdued Kingdoms and for the Faith Jude Verse 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 certamen repetere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is the running to the race Heb. 12.1 The former is the winning of the race John the Baptists Doctrine directing us unto Christ by repentance of our sins the race it self is to mortifie those sins by Faith But this is not by every Faith for Faith is either legal or in the Father as Esse Deum that God is c. Heb. 11.6 or Evangelical or Faith in Christ the power of God ye believe in the Father believe also in me John 14.1 Reason 1. Ex parte judicis qui Author est Certaminis illius praeceptum est He first put enmity between the Seed of the woman and the Seed of the Serpent Reason 2. There is also a necessity in regard of our selves we cannot otherwise obtain the Prize Reason 3. And in regard of our Antagonist who hinders us all he may and therefore he being so potent so malicious so subtil c. there is required of us our best and utmost endeavour for the obtaining the Prize Reason 4. Another Reason from comparison 1. Of the Prize 2. The manner in obtaining it 1. In all their Sports the reward was some poor contemptible thing in it self considered The Apostle calls it a corruptible crown 1 Cor 9.25 And so it was indeed The old Epigrammatist tells us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a few Apples a Garland made of wild Olive Branches or of Parsley or the Boughs of the Pine tree Spolia autem reportas c. A goodly Prize which they strove for yet 2. they used all Temperance c. 1 Cor 9.25 Now what a vast disproportion is there between their Prize and the Prize of the Christian Race Which is the crown incorruptible eternal life the crown of life righteousness Glory 1 Cor. 9.25 2. Between their Races they strove with abstinence from all things 1 Cor. 9. even to the hazard of their lives but the Lord requires not of every one the hazard of his natural life for the winning of this Crown that kind of Martyrdom was a peculiar Grace not vouchsafed unto all but he requires of all the laying down of our sinful and ungodly life which is the only obstacle and hinderance of the eternal life And how disproportionable are these means to the end 2 Cor. 4.17 18. Our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory 2 Cor. 1.6 Object 1. In many things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we all fail Resp See Notes in Coloss 3.1 Object 2. David in his race had his falls Resp And he had his risings up again and his never falling again into the same sin we never read that any of the Saints iterated their sins add Zach. 12.8 Object 3. Christ hath overcome the world and therefore what remains for us to do Resp See Joh. 3.3 4 5. Mat. 7.21 16.24 25. Luk. 13.24 25 26 27. Phil. 2 1◠3.10 Object 4. But hath not Christ done and suffered all things for us Resp See Notes in James 1.22 Observ 1. The Christian Faith is no dead Faith by Faith they obtained Promises wrought Righteousness stopped the mouths of Lions c. 't is not a fancy Observ 2. It 's an active powerful Faith c. See Notes on 1 Joh. 5.4 Observ 3. To believe that our enemies are overcome to our hand is not the Christian Faith if so why must we strive to enter and fight the good fight To what purpose is the fight of Faith if the enemy can never be overcome Fight the good fight of Faith Lay hold on Eternal Life These words contain two spiritual duties whereof the former is in order to the latter Fight the good fight of Faith that thou mayest lay hold on Eternal Life These words therefore may be resolved into these Divine Truths 1. Fight the good fight of Faith 2. Lay hold on Eternal Life 3. So fight c. that thou mayest lay hold on the Eternal Life Observ 1. The contention and wrestling of Faith is a good contention 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such the Apostle calls it 2 Tim. 4.7 Other fights may be questioned whether good or no Nay if they be not according to this without question they are not good for whence come wars come they not of your lusts Jam. 4.1 Observ 2. The Christian profession is no idle contemplative life Fighting puts forth all the strength any man hath it is striving for life Observ 3. Sin is a fighting enemy Psal 56. 1. Man would swallow me up he is daily fighting and troubling me 2.
with righteousness shall he judge the poor and argue or reprove with equity for the meek of the earth that he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked and 54.17 Every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn Psal 98.9 For he cometh he cometh to judge the earth with righteousness shall he judge the world and the people with equity Where we have an Article of the Christian Faith but no ground or footstep for any bodily presence of Christ 2. We know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of man cometh this testimony we have often in the Evangelists Matth. 24. Luk. 12. Mark 13. Revel 3. and 16. The Reason is alledged by the Lord himself Act. 1. Because the Father hath put the times and seasons in his own power Matth. 24. of the day and hour knoweth no man no not the Angels but the Father only For since there is a place and time for mercy toward penitent sinners as the sentence and punishment due to their sin may be reversed so may the time of the judgment be reversed also and so be kept secret and hidden from us Yea the reason also may be from the iniquity of foolish and wicked men that they may be surprized and taken in their own wickedness as the Lord himself gives warning Luk. 12.39 This know that if the good man of the house had known what hour the thief would come he would have watched and not have suffered his house to have been broken through So Luk. 17.26 30. As in the days of Noah and Lot so shall the coming of the Son of man be they eat they drank they married and gave in marriage until the time c. that Noah entred into the Ark c. Nor is there here any ground of just complaint that wicked men are surprised so uncertainly since all have been warned timely to be prepared Yea Reason may be given of this in regard of all men for were a set and certain time reveiled when the Son of Man would come preparation would be deferred until that time And therefore since the day and hour is left by divine Wisdom indefinite and undetermined that so we may be ready not only when the judge shall come but always according to that 1 Joh. 2.28 And now little children abide in him that when he shall appear we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming and what it is to abide in him we may see in the 6. Verse of that Chap. He that faith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk as he walked This may silence that presumptuous Spirit of Opinion that notwithstanding this assertion of our Lord will yet positively define a day and an hour when the Son of Man shall come proud spirits the Prophet tells us that secret things belong to the Lord our God but these intrude into Gods secrets and will have all things belong to them Hence may be reproved those who watch and keep a strict guard against all outward force but mean time lie exposed to the assaults of all enemies within O what fears what careful thoughts what searchings there have been what vigilancy and watchfulness to prevent and hinder all plots and designs of men contrarily affected But as for the Adversary the Devil his main design goes on still in mens hearts uninterrupted in Envy malice Bitterness Hatred Revenge c. these enemies against which the main watch ought to be kept every man cherishes in his own heart these enemies of the Soul as David calls them they live and are mighty and these are they which make the times perillous 2 Tim. 3.1 while Israel provided against Jericho and Ai they mistrusted not nor observed Achan the cause of trembling and gnashing of teeth as Achan signifies The 1. Reason of our Invitation or Exhortation to Watching may be from the Authority of the Captain of our Salvation it is his word of Command I say unto all Watch the word in the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Etymologist brings from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to raise up from sickness as Jam. 5.15 at the prayer of faith the Lord will raise up the sick also from the dead 2 Cor. 4.14 Knowing also that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise us also by Jesus and to stand up as a Watchman is called in the Latin Vigilo which is either from vigeo or vi agere to act with all ones strength or might as he who is raised from the spiritual Malady of Sin or death he acts vigorously and performs the works of righteousness according to what the Apostle exhorts 1 Cor. 15. awake to righteousness and sin not the Metaphor is taken from military affairs and their night-watches 't is reported of the Romans that they had in their Army those which they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which lay outmost and did agmen claudere kept the guard and watch for the whole army 2. Reason may be considered in regard of the Objects watching implies such a strenuous acting which may invite us to enquire about what objects it is to be imployed and that either for the keeping increasing and obtaining of good or for preventing of evil or mischief 1. For the keeping and obtaining of good Ezra 8.29 Watch ye and keep them until ye weigh them before the chief priests and Revel 16.15 Behold I come as a thief blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments lest he walk naked and they see his shame 2. The evil to be prevented by watching is two fold either irrepens or incidens as the Civilian distinguishes them which answer to two other in our Law an Inconvenience or a Mischief 1. The Inconvenience creeps and steals upon us as a thief in the night and to such a one the Lord likens himself at his coming 2. Or else the Evil is incident as the Apostle speaks of that wrath which fell upon the Jews to the utmost 1 Thess 2.16 our watching ought to be in regard of both these Note hence the common Profession of all believers in Christ they ought to watch it 's their common duty to watch what I say unto you I say unto all watch The Christian Life is no state of Security as they say of the Civil Law Lex non est scripta oscitantibus sed vigilantibus so it may be said of the Divine Law and the voyce of the Gospel is Watch and pray these duties imply peril and fear not security and ease 3. Because we know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of man cometh therefore we ought to watch Because we know no certain time therefore we ought to watch at all times or if there be any more special time prescribed then to watch Our Lord tells us of two special times Luke 12.37 38. and 4 special times Mark
39.10 And hast not thou the like Harlot continually importuning thee Surely beloved there is an Harlot in every one of our bosoms nearer than Joseph's Mistress was to him that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sinful concupiscence This is the Harlot which the Wise man discover'd Prov. 7.12 Now she is without now in the streets and lyeth in watch at every corner 'T is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sin easily besetting us in every circumstance The like Syrens or Mermaids tempt thee bind thy self with resolutions to the Cross of Christ It was said by a wise man to one of the Kings of England Quando victor eris ad crastina bella pavebis Quando victus eris ad crastina bella parabis God said to Abraham Gen. 15.1 Fear not when such admonition should seem least useful being after the slaughter of the Kings This was Job's constant practice Job 9.28 Verebar omnia opera mea vulg Lat. it was Paul's exercise herein do I exercise my self to have a conscience void of offence Act. 24.16 What pious Soul upon sin committed feels not the flames burning on the Altar there is a living Spring there works out all corruption Observe the impetuousness and importunity of our spiritual enemies 1 King 20.22 At the return of the year the king of Syria will come against thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 3. Through many tribulations men must enter into the kingdom of God See their supine neligence who cast all upon Christ and what he hath done and suffer'd without conforming to him but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ego vici vide Notes in Jam. 4.22 Media Wouldst thou obey even to the death of the Cross love the Lord thy God with all â—hy heart there is no Commandment of God impossible to him that loves we have much talk of Faith Our secret meaning is that we believe all things even this duty of Mortification and Crucifixion is done to our hand Sure I am Christian Charity which is preferr'd by the Apostles as the greatest grace and that which Faith works by And as all our doings must be in faith so so all in Charity 1 Cor. 16.16 if we do all we do in Charity if we would out of Love go about this duty it would be done 1 Joh. 5.3 And suffering is preferr'd before faith Phil. 1. Adjoyn thy self to the Crucified ones There are distempers intemperiae which assault every one of us at times as the evil spirit assaulted Saul David's harp is the Musick which will inchant and charm and lay the evil spirit especially if there be an harmony of such crucified Ones as doubtless there are many such in the world One a far off espied many people gathered together and every one moving orderly he drawing near heard excellent harmony whereupon he himself could not hold but he danced with them hence it was said Is Saul among the Prophets Hear the Lords voyce He saith if any will come after me we are apt to run before him whereas we ought to follow him Esay 30.21 Thou shall hear a word behind thee saying This is the way Alas we had great need to be so called upon it is a narrow way and few there are that find it Fear the Lord by it men depart from evil Be angry and sin not Follow the guidance of the mortifying and crucifying Spirit Rom. 8.13 If ye by the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Therefore the Apostles advice is Gal. 5.16 I say then walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh for the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other So that you cannot do the things that you would Ye see I bring that Scripture for an help to this duty which seems to most men to overthrow it And truly so it doth if we read it as it sounds in our English Translation and so we read it in all the former English Translations that I have seen except only one most ancient Maniscript Indeed the Original Text is thus to be render'd The flesh lusteth against the spirit but the spirit lusteth against the flesh now these are contrary the one to the other so that ye do not the things that ye would ye cannot do the things that ye would is neither in the Original Greek Latin Syriack French Italian Spanish High or Low Dutch And indeed so to turn the words makes them sound directly contrary to the scope of the Apostle if ye please to observe it vers 16. He exhorts walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh That 's the Apostles exhortation Now read the words following vers 17. So that ye cannot do the things which ye would Mark now we would walk in the Spirit the Apostle exhorts us so to do true in these following words he tells us we cannot so do So that in this sence the Apostle should seem to do as if a Commander should lead up his Troop to assault a fort and say Behave your selves valiantly and upon taking this sort I shall bountifully reward you but know that ye cannot take it it 's impossible ye should ever overcome it What think ye are not these like to behave themselves like brave men The case will be the very same if ye confider what the Apostle exhorts us unto vers 16. and vers 17. he tells us we cannot More NOTES and OBSERVATIONS on LUKE 9.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And he said to them all if any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me OUr Heavenly Father having brought up His children under Faith and the fear of God the Son invites them to a further progress in Faith ye believe in the Father believe also in me c. and in self-denyal and patience that so through faith and patience having done the will of God they may inherit the promises Having heretofore spoken of the holy fear of God unto which our Lord invites us let us proceed and accept of His further invitation to self-denyal and taking up his cross otherwise we cannot be what we would all seem to be Christ's true Disciples and followers He said unto them all if any man will come after me c. So ye read the words in our last Translation wherein there is an usual mistake The words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But he said to all In the former verse he spake to his Disciples that Doctrine was proper to them But what concerned all men to know and practise the Doctrine of self-denyal and taking up the Cross that he spake to all not to them all The words before this Text in this and the parallel Scriptures contain a preface proper and pertinent thereunto He said unto all who and how many were they He taught this Doctrine very often They to whom the Lord Jesus propounded this Text were his twelve Disciples
peace proceed from true and Christian love there would not be that mutual connivence and winking at one anothers sins which is indeed a true hatred of our brother not a love to him Levit. 19. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart thou shalt in any wise rehuke thy neighbour and not suffer sin upon him And to the same purpose speaks the Apostle Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them Ephes 5.11 How little this most Christian duty is practised among us I leave it to you beloved in your most retired thoughts to be considered A like false peace we find maintained among certain Orders and Societies of men for whereas men of like occupation trade and profession of life have mutual commerce and dealing one with other they were at first as I conceive moulded into Societies and Companies and Fraternities for the maintenance and strengthning of love and peace among them And surely the end is good if it proceed from Christian love and aim and be subordinate unto common love and peace but ordinary experience teacheth us that such peace is too brittle and built upon too sandy a foundation to last long for let but hope of gain appear or honour appear of which all or many are alike capable presently covetousness or ambition ariseth with that hope and either of these draws all to it self so that that pretended brotherly love proves indeed but self love and put case that such gain or dignity befall some one or few that one or few contract and draw to themselves the envy of the rest and where there 's envy there 's strife and therefore we find them coupled together Rom. 13.13 1 Cor. 3.3 Jam. 3.14 16. And where envy and strife is there 's no love and peace which are contrary to them And therefore when we see much familiarity seeming friendship manifold expressions of kindness mutually made they have not alwayes Christian love and peace at the bottom for some notable gain accruing to one soon provokes envy and strife in others as when we see dogs playing one would think they extreamly loved one another cast but a bone among them they are presently together by the ears and the reason is evident Simile simili gaudet nisi alterum alteri sit impedimentum Yet these are shews of peace though not the true peace but how fearful is their condition who neither maintain the true peace with others no nor shews of peace no nor suffer peace to prevail with them but oppose it who are so far from maintaining peace with all men if it be possible that if it be possible they break the peace with all men Prov. they sleep not These are the Ismaelites of the time whose hands and mouths are against every peaceable man unquiet and turbulent spirits such an one was Nabal such a son of Belial that a man could not speak to him 1 Sam. 25.17 Yea these are men of such corrupt and reprobate minds that they think the Saints of God who are the only peaceable men in the world the only unpeaceable men as one sober man among a company of drunkards one man in his wits among a company of mad men is reputed by them the only man that 's mad and drunk and if he were removed all would be well all would be in peace they think the case with them as with those Jon. 1. that must have Jonas cast over-board and that they shall have a calm Elias they think is the only troubler of Israel and Amos is such an unsufferable fellow that the Land cannot bear his words Thus Alcimus 2 Macch. 14.6 we may allow that book beloved such authority as we will to an humane story informed Demetrius that those of the Jews which be called Asideans nourished war and were seditious and would not let the Realm be in peace And such false informers I believe there now are who say that the Asideans the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Saints the merciful the pious the holy the godly ones so the word properly signifieth are the only seditious men and will not let the Realm be in peace and vers 10. as long as Judas Macchabaeus lives it is not possible that the State should be quiet And no marvel they judge so of the Saints of God and his peaceable ones when they judged no better of Christ himself the great peace-maker and the peace it self Joh. 11.28 If we let him thus alone we shall loose our peace the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation Such unquiet such distempered spirits as these are 't were much to be wished they were either bound to the peace at home or sent abroad to the wars to break their brutish and devilish fury upon such unpeaceable ones as themselves are Vide reliqua in the preceding Notes upon this Text. An Exhortation to the unpeaceable ones that if it be possible they would be peaceable toward the Sons of peace O beloved we are all of us one way or other guilty of this breach of the true peace O let it shame us That the wild beasts of the desart meet with the wild beasts of the Island and the Satyr cryes to his fellow Isai 34.14 that barbarous and brutish men yea the devils themselves among themselves can maintain a peace such as it is among themselves and we who pretend to Christianity who have all our dayes been nourished up with the Gospel of peace who conceive our selves to be the only men who have peace of Conscience and peace with God and we would seem when we come to these solemn meetings though many to be one bread and one body and to drink into one spirit that we who have so many tyes of peace upon us should yet be strangers yea enemies to the true peace with all men when every petty occasion not worth the naming breaks that sacred Bond of Truth and Peace amongst us which is better worth than all the world Scarce any one among us all that thinks he breaks this common peace and happily we now have present resolutions never to break it the Lord strengthen all such pious resolutions But though Elisha told Hazael what a peace-breaker he would be and he protested his firm resolution against it 2 King 8.12 13. yet when occasion was offered him he proved as unpeaceable as cruel as Elisha had foretold And thus I fear beloved maugre our present resolutions for peace that when advantagious occasion offers it self we may then incline to break it The Sea is quiet even as a river while there is no wind stirring but when the wind blows then it proves unquiet then it lifts up the waves then it roars And the wicked is like the troubled sea saith the Prophet Isai 57.20 when it cannot rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt And who is there so inhumane that he is unpeaceable and savage without occasion and provocation the Lion puts not out his talon
and are zealous for them and quarrel with one another for them as if they were the kernel it self whereas indeed they are but husks and shells old things and of no value For be it granted that these Ceremonial old things preserve the Spiritual Truth as shells and skins preserve the pulp and kernel yet that 's but till the fruit be ripe and then these are neglected and cast away Thus Ebedmelech drew Jeremy out of the dungeon with old cast clouts and rotten raggs Jer. 38. yet being drawn out he did not cloath Jeremy with them and though veritas è puteo though Truth be drawn out of the pit out of the dungeon by means of these Ceremonial old things by means of these weak and beggarly elements it is not to be cloathed with them again In Christ Circumcision is nothing c. but a new Creature I left a doubt behind me common to this and the next point which I shall now clear for if old things be passed away and all things become new how can we exhort men to both or either of them I Answer according to Bonaventure things may be said to be old and so to pass away or become new either 1. In respect of the common state and condition of the whole Church and Gods common dispensation Or 2. In respect of the special condition and state of several persons in several times of the Church 1. In regard of the common condition and state of the Church and Gods dispensation old things Ceremonial and Moral then passed away when God in the fulness of time sent his Son to put an end to the Ceremonial Law and to destroy the works of the Devil and in this respect true it is that both Ceremonial and Moral old things are passed away 2. In regard of the special condition and state of several persons Some there are to whom the old things are not yet passed away these we exhort to let these old things pass away To this purpose the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 6.1 2. We saith he as workers together with him beseech you that ye receive not the Grace of God in vain for he saith I have heard thee in a time accepted and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee Behold now is the accepted time behold now is the time of salvation The like we understand by Psal 95.7 Luk. 4.18 2. Things are said to be which ought to be not which are alwayes actually such id fit quod jure fit The Apostle exhorts the Colossians to put off the old man Col. 3.8 and yet vers 9. he saith they had put him off i. e. it was their duty to put him off and they professed so to do Hebr. 5.4 No man takes this honour c. i. e. no man ought to take it otherwise nothing was more ordinary than for the Jews to be ambitious of it and buy it of the Roman Governours The old things are passed away i. e. they ought to pass way And thus we are exhorted to let them pass away from us When the Moral old things shall pass away then all things shall become new i. e. Holy Just and Good It 's useful for Reproof and Exhortation 1. It Reproves those who pretend these new things new garments yet walk not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 honestly or decently in such habit as befits the new day and put not on the Lord Jesus Christ but walk in rioting and drunkenness in chambering and wantonness in strife and envying in wrath revenge anger lying cursing and swearing These and such as these are the Old Mans Wardrobe the Old Mans night-gueere and befit not the new Man or the new Day What a shameful contradiction it is to be called by the new name of Christians yet live like Heathens and Infidels 2. It Reproves those who dote upon a Ceremonial Worship and Service of God who dote upon old things when all things are become new who know no other Service of God than what they can hear and see and feel Like Micha who pleased himself extreamly that he had a molten Image and a Teraphim and an house of Gods and a Levite for his Priest Judg. 17. Alas they consider not that God is a Spirit c. they consider not That man indeed looks at the outward appearance only but the Lord beholds the heart He tells the Woman though she profest the worship of the true God yet because she with other Samaritans confined his worship to a certain place ye worship saith he ye know not what And St. Paul tells the Galatians who would have Circumcision a part of Christian Religion and confound the old Ceremonies with the Truth That in Christ Circumcision saith he availeth nothing and uncircumcision availeth nothing but a new Creature NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON GALATIANS III. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesuâ— Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified among you THe Galatians being converted unto Christ cerâ—â—â—â—â—ews who professed Christianity had in part perverted them 〈◊〉 â—â—ought them back to Judaism perswading them to embrace it 〈◊〉 with the Gospel alledging the Example of Peter and otâ—â—â— With these the Apostle deals somewhat sharply Châ—â— â— 6 I marvel saith he how it comes to pass that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye arâ— devolved or turned about unto another Gospel He alludes saith Hierom to the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence he would imply they had their namâ— Galatians volatiles easily turned like a wheel from Christ to Moses from the Gospel to the Law from the Spirit to the Letter and like tartness he useth in the Text when he calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Foolish Galatians To these upon this occasion St. Paul writes this Epistle and after his salutation he vindicates the Authority of his Apostleship and his Doctrine and how he preach'd it among the Gentiles and executed his office of Apostleship and in this narration he spends most-what the first and second Chapters In the third and fourth Chapters he applys himself more closely to the business in hand and proves at large that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but by faith in Jesus Christ And this is the Argument of his Discourse throughout the third and fourth Chapters The fifth and sixth Chapters are exhortations unto Christian Duties Now as he began his first part with a sharp and abrupt reprehension I marvel ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ Chap. 1.6 with like authority or greater he begins his second part with the Text Wherein he charges them with crucifying the Lord Jesus with disobedience unto the truth though declared unto them that they suffered themselves to be bewitched with false doctrine and therefore charges them with misunderstanding of it The Divine Axioms or points of Doctrine contained in these words are these 1. Jesus Christ was
God stretches out his arms invites and calls all the World and seriously desires to gather all men under his wings Let him O let him see of the travel of his soul let him not O let him not stretch out his hands in vain unto a disobedient and gain-saying people O Beloved in the Lord were this eximia charitas this excessive great Love of our Lord and Saviour duly considered it could not but mollifie a strong heart and melt it into most ardent love and reciprocal affection The most powerful motive unto love is to be beloved and this is so powerful that our Lord presumed all men would be moved by it When I am lifted up saith he I shall draw all men unto me Joh. 13.32 with allusion to this the Prophet may seem to speak of these last times The mountain of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the mountains and exalted above the hills and all nations shall flow unto it What a wonder is this 'T is upward yet all Nations shall flow unto it This Hill of the Lords house the exaltation of the Cross is in humility the depth of humility and lowliness Hell is above 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in pride and highmindedness in envy anger covetousness gluttony lasciviousness and slothfulness Seven high Hills on this side Rome whence all Nations flow unto the Hill of the Lords house built and mounted on humility unto the Cross of Christ the depth of Humiliation whither our Lord being lifted up draws all men unto him How with violence No with the cords of his love The love of Christ constraineth us saith the Apostle that if one dyed for all then were all dead and that he dyed for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him that dyed and rose again 2 Cor. 5.14 15. His love draws ours his patience ours Rependamus illi quam pro nobis ipse dependit patientiam saith Tertullian Let us requite him with love for love with suffering for suffering with death for death with cross for cross And let the same obedient mind be in us which was also in Christ Jesus who became obedient unto death even the death of the cross Unto which duty before I can stir up your pure minds as I ought it 's necessary that I first explain what it is to bear the cross and follow after Christ crucified The bearing of the Cross is the Christian patience which St. John calls The patience of Jesus Christ Apoc. 1.9 It consists in suffering the assaults and temptations unto sin from all sorts of causes inward and outward saith St. Austin without yielding or consenting thereunto And because this of all other Christian duties is most contrary to the fashion of this World which lyes in evil and therefore is most opposed and spoken against it consists also in suffering ignominy shame cursing and evil speaking of the first our Apostle They who are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Gal. 5.24 Of the latter Let us go forth unto Christ bearing his reproach Heb. 13.13 And in these two especially consists the bearing of the Cross and conformity unto Christ crucified the same which St. Peter calls the suffering as a Christian 1 Pet. 4.16 Whence it is evident that the Cross of Christ is not some outward afflictions only as ignorant men call poverty loss of friends disgrace and such like penal evils their crosses No nor is this patience the bearing of grief anger or any such like straitening affection only as some would have it These are but a part and a small part of the Christians Cross The whole is the bearing deadning and crucifying of all and every temptation which might any way disquiet and molest the soul And in this large notion Tertullian Zeno Veronensis St. Austin St. Gregory St. Bernard Cassianus Cassiodor with other of the ancients understood it Please ye to hear one or two speak for all the rest Zeno Veronensis having referred all the examples of wickedness unto impatiency and all the examples of virtue and virtuous actions unto patience Joseph saith he was patiens in carcere in regno patientior patientissimus desideratos cum fratres agnosceret Coelestis profecto est ista patientia quam à suo statu non aerumna non faelicitas non affectus potuit commovere according to that of the Poet whose verses anciently were accounted Oracles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Christian suffering saith Cassiodore is that virtue which preserves the riches of our Faith overcomes whatsoever is contrary to us keeps under laciviousness bridles anger and consumes envy By it we fight the Lords battle and overcome the Devil And then he brings the reason of all because it is written in patience possess ye your souls Thus also our Church understands it for so we sign children with the sign of the Cross in token that hereafter they shall not be ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified and manfully to fight under his banner against sin the world and the devil And to continue Christ's faithful soldiers and servants unto their lives end And in the collect for Palm-Sunday we praise the Almighty and everlasting God for his Love in sending Christ c. to suffer death upon the Cross and pray that he will mercifully grant that we may follow the Example of his patience Say we thus only or saith not the Scripture the very same also My son if thou come to serve the Lord prepare thy soul for temptations sustine sustentationes Dei whatsoever is brought unto thee take chearfully and be patient Eccl. 2. By which as appears by the places quoted in the Margin our Translators understand the fiery tryal the suffering together with Christ and being reproached in his Name 2 Tim. 3.12 1 Pet. 4.12 13 14. Heb. 12. And our Apostle calls the suffering with Christ crucified the running with patience unto the race that is set before us A duty which of all others is of the largest extent the greatest difficulty excellency and necessity of all others for it extends unto every man to the whole soul of every man and that from the beginning to the end of the Christian life 'T is every mans duty and therefore our Saviour propounds his Exhortation generally unto all and every one If any man will come after me let him deny himself take up his Cross daily and follow me Matth. 16. And St. Mark saith that when he spake this he called the multitude together Mar. 8.32 And St. Luke adds that he said this unto them all and foretelling his passion he spake that saying openly saith St. Mark as being a matter which most necessarily concerns all and every soul yea the whole soul of every man For whereas certain special Virtues and Graces are assigned to several and special faculties of the Soul and every Virtue is to make good its place this is the general
as well as he raised Christ here hope and trust and expectation is required of thee to one in thy case the Prophet Esay speaks Esay 50.10 Yea thou hast need of patience also Rom. 8.24 25. Yea and faith and love 1 Pet. 1.8 If thou hast belief thou hast comfort to support thee Rom. 15.13 If thou hast hope there is joy accompanieth that hope Rom. 5.2 If thou hast faith and love then there 's joy unspeakable 1 Pet. 1.8 Yet it 's possible thou mayst not yet clearly see the Lord. Mean time let it suffice thee to see him in his Word in his Sacraments as in a glass darkly and so to see him as it were afar off as Moses saw the Land of Canaan and rest then upon the promise of thy God That thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty they shall hehold the land that is very far off Esay 33.17 That the pure in heart shall see God And pray unto the Lord Jesus Christ the Lamb of God that takes away sin the darkness that separates between thee and him to enlighten thine eyes that thou sleep not in death and doubt not but as the darkness shall be removed the light shall appear and thou shalt see the Lord Wherefore gird up the loins of thy mind and hope perfectly for the Grace that shall be brought unto thee at the revelation of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.13 When he shall appear then shalt thou also appear with him in glory Col. 3.4 For we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is 1 Joh. 3.2 And he that hath this hope purifieth himself even as he is pure The Relative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be referred to the whole sentence as thus without which prosecution of peace and holiness no man shall see the Lord A fit proof of this we have Esay 59.8 9. Their feet run to evil they make haste to shed blood their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity wasting and destruction are in their paths the way of peace they have not known therefore is judgment far from us we wait for light but behold obscurity we grope for the wall like the blind we grope as if we had no eyes we stumble at noon day as in the night There is a pursuit of war and unpeaceableness there is a pursuit of unholiness and what followeth upon it but a spiritual blindness Therefore is judgment far from us 2 Pet. 3.14 Endeavour to be found of him in peace without spot and blameless The Reason is God is the God of all Grace and he requires as well the one as the other to be in us and therefore what we find particularly the Church exhorted unto in one place we find it generally invited unto in another Be ye perfect as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect In the sight of God consists the happiness of the man and therefore it cannot be attained unto without the most eager pursuit for so the blessedness is propounded under other notions it still requires the utmost endeavour sometimes life but that life requires a precedent death If we dye with him we shall live with him sometimes a Kingdom that pre-requires suffering If we suffer with him we shall reign with him sometimes a Crown which requires fighting I have fought a good fight henceforth a crown not that either suffering or fighting or pursuing or dying deserves this life or Kingdom or Crown or beatifical vision for all the sufferings are not worthy of the glory that is to be reveiled in us but the great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vouchsafes it to none who prize it not above all whatever is dear unto them 1. In regard of the object who on purpose hides himself and Divine Mysteries from eyes unfit and unworthy to behold them so Esay 45.15 Verily thou art a God that hidest thy self Matth. 11.25 26. Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes the peaceable ones and the holy ones Ratio utrinque valet See the original of controversies Men on both sides bring forth their strong Reasons wherewith one party overthrows the other for Nihil est tam ratione firmum quin vi rationis infirmari potest yet both are but like such as strive in the dark like blind men about colours which they have not seen True it is their Reasons are very specious and have a fair shew of strength as it 's noted of blind men that they are ingenious and witty Neither of them sees or hath seen what they contend about for had either of them seen they would not contend If a blind man should tell me it were not yet day I should pity the blind man not contend with him This discovers the perversness of the blind untoward world which neglect that method and way which God hath prescribed as leading unto the sight and knowledge of himself and think to find out other new wayes and methods forsake the fountain of living waters and dig unto themselves cisterns which will hold no water These are the thieves and robbers which enter not in by the door Christs death but climb up another way by soaring contemplation This is the folly of self-wise men for whereas according to Gods method that light that ariseth upon all men Job 25.3 That Grace of God that appears to all men Tit. teacheth them to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts c. and so to look for the blessed hope of the glorious appearance of the Lord the great God c. They love ungodliness and their lusts too well and indeed by reason of long acquaintance with them they are too familiar with them Deny them nay 't is death to them to depart from them whereupon they resolve upon some other way of seeing the Lord and that 's a fruitless disobedient knowledge a knowledge without practice a knowledge without holiness of life the fruit of the forbidden tree The sowre fruit which our Parents have eaten and so have set their childrens teeth on edge for look I beseech ye whether ye find it otherwise in the world For what is the heart of man so earnestly set upon as knowledge we would know God his Nature his Will his Wayes his Works we would know our own duty too the nature of Faith Hope Love Repentance What ever the Lord requires of us we would know all what ever is knowable but as for the holy and obedient life which is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the effect or end of all this knowledge where alas where is that to be found in proportion to our knowledge Why would ye not have us know It 's such another question as this would you not have us eat our meat knowledge is the food of the soul as meat is the nourishment of the body And truly rectè facitis attendentes But would ye not blame those who did eat and eat and nothing but eat and yet thrived
for God must first be known which is an act of wisdom and being known be worshipped which is a duty of Religion therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being taken for the first of these is defined by Mercurius Trismegistus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Stoicks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or to use the Apostles words the doctrine which is according to Godliness because it doth instruct us how to think of God aright and how to live according to his Law in holiness But being taken for the second this knowledge is reduced to practice for thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the doing of the work which in the sight of God is acceptable Thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are in sence though not in sound the same for pure and undefiled Religion before God and the Father doth consist in doing good and in eschewing evil 1 Pet. 3.11 in works of Charity and to use the School-mens phrase in works of innocency for to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction is reduced to the one and to keep himself unspotted of the world is referred to the other 1. The first thing in which pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father doth consist is this to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction for religion saith Alexander de Hales makes us conformable unto him to whom our religion tends now to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction is in the Father and the Son to whom we do direct our service a work most eminent for God is pleased to stile himself a Father of the fatherless and a judge of the widow Psal 68.5 for as a Father he provideth for their relief and maintenance Psal 146.9 And as a Righteous Judge he doth protect the Widow and defend the Orphan Deut. 10.18 For ye shall not afflict any widow nor any fatherless Child saith the Lord for if ye afflict them in any wise and they cry unto me I will surely hear their cry and my wrath shall wax hot against you And ye shall perish with the sword and your wives shall be widows and your children fatherless Exod. 22.24 The Prophet Baruch proves that the Gentiles Gods are Idols because they can shew no mercy to the widow nor do good to the fatherless But there are three which bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one Be as a father unto the fatherless and as an husband unto their mother so shalt thou be as the Son of the most high and he shall love thee more than thy mother doth Ecclus. 4.10 The fatherless and widows are the fittest objects of compassion for such are most exposed to misery and in their tribulation to shew mercy and do good to such God doth both command and recompence And seeing Love unfeigned is pure and undefiled Religion before God and the Father St. James doth instance in this particular work of Mercy as in a singular act of Charity which doth include the other duties which brotherly Love requires for by visiting the fatherless and widows in their affliction the bodily and spiritual works of Mercy yea the doing of good to all that are in want yea our whole duty to our neighbour saith the Gloss is signified all which is fulfilled in this saying Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self Gal. 5.14 But some having swerved from this are turned aside unto vain jangling and think that faith can make them pure and undefiled though Charity which is the life thereof be wanting But though I have all Faith saith St. Paul so that I could remove mountains if I have not Charity I am nothing 1 Cor. 13.2 For as the body without the spirit is dead so faith is dead if Love which is the life of faith be absent For if a man have no works what doth it profit him to say he hath faith can faith save him Jam. 2. Our hearts I do confess by faith are purified according to the Apostles Doctrine Act. 15.9 but this is not a dead but a living faith this is not faith alone but faith which works by Charity Gal. 5. For ye have purified your souls saith St. Peter in obeying the truth through the spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren 1 Pet. 1.22 Therefore if a brother or sister have need being naked or destitute of daily food and he which hath this worlds goods shutteth up his bowels of compassion from them how hath he the faith which maketh the conscience pure how dwelleth the love of God in him how can he conceive himself Religious who hath no Charity in which Religion stands therefore farre litet qui thure non potest let every one stretch forth his hand unto the needy and according to his power exercise himself in works of mercy Let every one when he hath opportunity do good to all but especially to the Saints which are upon earth even unto such as do excell in virtue For as there is a curse denounced to such as do devour widows houses and for a pretence make long prayers to such as exercise themselves in oppression wrong and violence under a pretence of Religion Zeal or Sanctity so unto such as are merciful as their heavenly father is merciful there is pronounced a blessing For unto such the Truth will say Come ye blessed children of my Father receive the Kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world for I was hungry and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in naked and ye cloathed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came unto me Then shall the Righteous answer him saying Lord when saw we thee an hungred and fed thee or thirsty and gave thee drink when saw we thee a stranger and took thee in or naked and cloathed thee or when saw we thee sick or in prison and came unto thee And the King shall answer and say unto them Verily I say unto you inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me Matt. 25. 2. Secondly the second thing wherein consists the upright service performed to the God of Truth is innocency The pure and undefiled Religion before God and the Father is this To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted of the world It is not that which is without but that which is within which doth defile the man Therefore not the outward world but the inward world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the world of which the Apostle in the Text doth speak For all that is in this world is the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life 1 Joh. 2.16 That is luxury covetousness and pride for this world is wholly set in wickedness 1 Joh. 5.19 Now the end why Christ our
give me neither poverty nor riches c. And whereas it is said that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 poor is never read to signifie humble and lowly it is not true for David so useth it Psal 40.17 I am poor and needy c. And 69.23 and 70.5 But therefore lest the word be mistaken some addition is made as in St. James Cap. 2.5 The poor of this world rich in faith c. And where the Apostle saith not many mighty not many noble are called he implies that some are called Although St. Luke 6.20 relate our Saviours Words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blessed are the poor yet it 's observable to whom he spake Blessed are the poor He spake to his Disciples poor in spirit And although it may be objected that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye be not in the Text yet it is necessarily understood as the Primitive in the possessive immediately following for yours is c. What then is the true poverty in Spirit It is a work of the Spirit of God upon our Spirit shedding the love of God into it according to Rom. 5.5 Which love of God being a desire of our Union with God there ariseth a desire of devesting and laying aside what ever is contrary to the love of God in us as the love of the World and the things of the World 1 John 2. An abasement of our selves in his sight Prov. 29.23 Honour shall uphold the humble in spirit a fear of offending our God Vnto this man do I look who is poor and of a contrite spirit and who trembles at my word Esay 66.2 Who in his own judgment of himself is as it were without himself who hath emptied himself of himself and is as nothing in his own sight 2. What is Blessedness Vide Not. in Psal 94. pag. 1.2 Reason Why doth the Lord Jesus pronounce them blessed who are poor in spirit There is a principal reason in the following words which I shall consider in its due place mean time some reason may be given for this truth in it self considered The poor in Spirit have these humble thoughts of themselves that they have nothing of their own nothing proper to themselves but whatever they have received it is only of free gift from their blessed Father So that all Grace flows into such humble Souls and the God of all grace gives his grace and blessings unto the lowly Obs 1. Here hath been a great mistake touching poverty in Spirit as if it should consist in rejecting renouncing and casting away all a mans outward wealth and estate out of an opinion that a man cannot have outward wealth and be poor in Spirit This hath been the Religious Melancholy of many in former Ages and there have not been wanting some Birds of Prey who have been awake to such a booty who have won them to enter with their Estates into some Monastery or other And at this day some there are who would perswade men of Honour and Estate to renounce all they have and to be one of them But will it come unto so much A good Purchase especially in regard of them who have no Conscience to labour That 's a new kind of Conscience contrary to the Apostles Rule that he who will not labour should not eat Let it appear throughout the whole word of God where any man is bound to give over any honest Calling in the World wherein God by his providence hath placed him The contrary appears clearly 1 Cor. 7.20 Let every man abide in that calling wherein he is called and v. 24. Wherein any man is called let him therein abide with God Obs 2. This discovers their perverse imitation of our Lord's words in the Text who lay them as the foundation and ground-work of devout holy beggery for hence the Order of Mendicant Fryars have their Original for their Authour St. Francis would that his Monks should possess no temporal thing in the World that thereby they might the more expeditely follow the example of our Lord Jesus Christ who said The Foxes have their holes and the Birds of the air their nests c. That speech was more divinely spoken than the Fryar understood it However let it appear where our Lord commanded his followers to devest themselves of all outward subsistence according to his example yea his example proves the contrary for he begged no man's Alms yea he and his society of Apostles had a Treasury out of which they gave unto the Poor Against this I oppose this assertion Poverty in spirit may consist with outward wealth and riches For when we so love God that no creature can separate us from the love of him yea that all the Creatures are helpful and further us in the love of him as Rom. 8. We know that all things work together for good to them that love God Such as these use the outward World and the riches of it as helpful instruments unto poverty in Spirit for no doubt such as in humility and the fear of God have and use for supply of their own necessities and others the outward goods their minds and spirits are far more expedite pure and free for the exercise of all Holy Duties Than they are or can be who want things necessary for support of life and are enforced to beg them from door to door Such as these are free and not brought under the power of any Creature or whatsoever is not God and abide in their poverty of Spirit and can say with the Apostle as having nothing yet possessing all things Benedict the Abbot saw this inconvenience and therefore he went contrary hereunto and ordained that his Monks should have plentiful Revenues and his reason was that they might more freely be vacant to their Speculations But we know well by experience that as the Franciscans might be distracted with Care and fear of want so might the Benedictines be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness and both frustrate of their end of their Religious Retirement and Contemplation Large provisions are dangerous incentives unto lust especially to such as live idly and spend their time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even as it happens Surely as to poverty of Spirit the Religious World hath been and yet is very much mistaken in it for that looks at the Spirit and Mind whether a man be lowly or high-minded whether poor in Spirit or rich and proud of Spirit But as for the nature of true inward blessedness and poverty of Spirit there is no notice to be taken of outward poverty or outward riches the having them or the want of them Obs 3. Bliss and Happiness may in some good measure be obtained in this life c. Vide Not. in Psal 94.12 Obs 4. Hence we learn wherein the true bliss and happiness consists c. Vide Not. ubi supra Obs 5. Hence it follows undeniably that the Rich in Spirit are not blessed Proud Adam will be his own guide c. Vide Not. in Luke 9.23
die without mercy Chap. 10 28. Though the Law cannot effect this yet it discovers the sin and delivers the sinner to the Judge and it belongs to the Judge to punish every transgression and disobedience Obser 1. As the Law is good if it be used lawfully and is our School-master unto Christ the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth Rom. 10. For do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly Mich. 2.7 So to every one that believeth not nor consents and agrees with the Law the Law is an adversary for evil Psal 18.25 26. there is required a necessary consent obedience and compliance with the Law and Prophets Obser 2. See here the condition of all such as are under the Law while they are under the Law and agree not with the Law they are against the Law and adversaries and enemies to the Law Thus the Law causeth wrath among such sin becomes exceeding sinful of this state we understand those Scriptures All our righteousness is as a menstruous cloath There is none that doth good no not one none that understandeth and seeketh after God These and such like Scriptures are to be understood of that state under the Law while we are enemies to the Law and the Law to us Nor can they without disparagement and wrong to Christ and his Spirit be understood of those who agree and consent to the Law who are not nor live under the Law but under Grace Obser 3. Until we agree with the Law we are alwayes obnoxious alwayes liable to the Law alwayes subject to be delivered up as Malefactors to the Judge So much is implied in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the Judge The adversary may take advantage of thee at any time thou mayest at any time be taken tardy Obser 4. Note here the great patience and long suffering of our God toward impenitent and obstinate sinners How long did he wait upon Ahab that bankrupt who had sold himself to commit iniquity Cons To the drooping Soul under the correction of the Father's Law See Notes on Psal 44.12 Exhort Yield while thou hast time to the correction and chastisement of the Father hear the rod. Agree with the Law consider the manifold blessings upon the obedient See Notes on Rom. 7.9 fine It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God who would not fear before thee little doest thou consider that while thou delayest agreement thou hastnest thine own ruine and pullest upon thy self swift destruction Maher sha lal haz baz O take the Psalmist's warning he speaks in the person of the Judge Psal 50.22 O consider this ye that forget God lest I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver There is greater danger lest the Judge deliver thee to the Officer And who is the Officer There were among the Jews with allowance to whose Customs all our Lord's Sermons are to be understood divers of publick imployment whereof the more notable were four 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Ancients or Senate the Elders of the people 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 capita Patrum the Heads or chief Fathers the principal men of every Tribe 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Judices the Judges who knew the Law and gave Judgment 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apparitores which we call in the Text Officers a name too large for their place these had a coercive power and executed the sentence of the Judge These Offices we find here and there in the Scripture Deut. 1.2 Chron. 26. Prov. 6. They meet altogether Josh 23.2 This Officer in our English according to his place in several Courts hath his several names as Apparitor Bayliff Serjeant They had a compulsive power to effectuate and execute the command and sentence of the Judge whether by apprehending scourging imprisoning or tormenting in prison such ye read imployed John 7.32 Acts 16.22 which because the Action was commanded by the Judge the whole business is imputed unto them quod quis per alium facit id ipse facit what one doth by another that he doth himself Reason The nature of the crime requires austerity and rigour in the Judge for although the Civil Laws connive rather at mercy than rigour in a Judge according to that potius peccet misericordia quam severitate yet when the guilty person will by no means be reclaimed but hardens himself even to contumacy the height of disobedience either in this case the Judge must deliver him to the Officer or exposeth the Law himself and his authority to contempt It is the Officer's duty to execute the command of the Judge without which all Laws all Judges and their Sentences were in vain Execution is the life of the Law and therefore currat Lex Inform. 1. A pattern for Christian Judges 2. Officers of this kind are necessary Instruments in every Commonwealth for although they be hated by the common sort of people it 's an argument that men love their sins and therefore hate those who are instruments of their punishment as they hated the Publicans who took toll and custom and shackled them with sinners a manifest argument not that the Publicans were evil but that they loved their mony better than the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. The aversness of man's will both in doing his duty and suffering whether for the glory of God or his own sin How backward was Moses and Jeremiah thou shalt go whither thou wouldest not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When the obstinate man hath neglected all importunities of his adversary to comply with him he must now be enforced to yield to the Sentence of the Judge Hereby we may perceive how far short we come of that full resignation of our selves unto our God which the Lord expects even in case of punishment Levit. 26.41 No marvel when we are averse from suffering according to the will of God for his glory All these are above nature Mysticé Who is the Officer 1. Good Angels Hebr. 1.2 Evil. The Devil and his Angels Ecclus 39.28 There are Spirits that are created for vengeance when the people would not agree with the adversary the Law but rebelled there against it the Chaldeans came 2 Chron. 36. Peter delivered in Christ's the Judge's name Ananias and Saphira to the Officer So did St. Paul the incestuous Corinthian 1 Cor. 5. Obser 1. The Lord hath his polity Obser 2. The opposite series and order that God hath set in things according to the opposite course of men in this World They who fear God agree with their adversary the Law the Law is their School-master that leads them to Christ the great Teacher John 17. He brings them to another Comforter or Teacher who abideth with them for ever if men will not agree all things go contrary The Adversary delivers them to the Judge and the Judge to the Officer Ecclus 39.25 ad finem The
him in the Margin they asked him of peace This Salutation was wont to be of equal extent with their love being confined to their own Nation so was their Salutation also 4. If Christ's Disciples salute their Brethren only what do they more Our Translators add here a Supplement than others which although it be true yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as I shewed in opening vers 20. is somewhat that is excellent and so we may understand the words here what excellent thing do ye Obser The Lord requires and expects of his Disciples that they be an Excellent People that they do somewhat more than others do Hence it appears that the Lord requires Salutations not only of our brethren and friends but also of others They are such as win and maintain love among men how else had the people of God lived among their enemies how else did Paul become all things unto all men had he not complied with them 1 Cor. 9. Repreh Those who are wanting and faulty in this duty of Salutation and bring in among Christians an unfriendly and unchristian behaviour without common expressions of love and friendship directly contrary to what our Lord here requires He requires a greater measure of love and expression of love in honouring of men 1 Pet. 2.17 Loving all men saluting all men These restrain their love to a few of their own and their expressions of honour and love in salutations What they are wont to say that they bear an inward love and honour unto all it 's as much as if they said nothing at all for the nature of honour is outwardly expressed in the signs of it and the inward love and affection is declared in outward salutations suitable thereunto as 't is evident to common sence and needs no further proof so that such behaviour is at least a great weakness And truly I pity them who needlesly yea contrary to the Rule of the Word bring inconveniences and mischiefs upon themselves and scandalize the Christian Religion as if it were a rugged unmannerly and uncivil Religion whereas it is most civil and debonaire and lovely and winning in the whole world What they say that men ought not to look for and receive honour one of another is true and they scruple to give that which others may not receive I Answer let men do what becomes them whatever becomes of what they do But if men do what they do out of Judgment and pretence of Reason let them know it's scandalous to the Christian name and utterly a fault among them that whereas they would seem to bring in a greater eminency and excellency of Christinity among men then hath been before in the world they render themselves blame-worthy in that they make men believe that the Lord required a rude inhumane morose and cynical behaviour yea and they cause that which is good in them to be evil spoke of Be ye therefore perfect as your Father which is in heaven is perfect These words contain the conclusion of our Lord's Exposition of the common Law of Love especially the love of enemies which contain these Five Divine Truths 1. Your Father is in heaven 2. he is perfect 3. be ye perfect 4. be ye perfect as your Father which is in heaven is perfect 5. your Father which is in heaven makes his Sun to rise upon the evil and upon the good c. patrizate igitur be ye like your Father Be ye perfect therefore as your Father which is in heaven is perfect I might thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but I shall for brevity sake speak of them all in one Divine Truth as it is inferred out of the former doctrine of which I have already spoken as it lies in the words Because your heavenly Father is perfect be ye therefore perfect as he is perfect Wherein we must enquire 1. what is meant by perfection 2. how we are to understand perfection as our Father in heaven is perfect 1. By perfection here we are not to understand only sincerity which is opposite unto hypocrisie But here must be understood a full compleat and absolute perfection for our Father which is in heaven is here said to be perfect and so he is both in his Essence and Attributes and in his Works Deut. 32. His work is perfect our Translators were well advised of this and therefore they could not here juggle with us and impose other names upon this most eminent duty as elsewhere they do when they turn Jacob was a plain man which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a perfect man and turn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 undefiled unspotted unfeigned upright Perfectum est in quo omne illud est quod melius est esse quà m non esse For Sincerity and Integrity is a Grace and Vertue opposite unto Hypocrisie and Dissimulation which is understood even in the lowest and weakest Duty as in a good Will it 's required that we be Sincere and not Hypocritical and in the passage out of the sinful Life it 's necessary that we be Sincere and Upright Thus when the Sons of Israel came out of Egypt they brought their dough unleavened which the Apostle interprets Sincerity and Truth 1 Cor. 5. There is a Perfection 1. according to Time and 2. according to Nature 3. according to Universality 1. Perfection according to time is a resemblance in all the parts unto our Father who is in Heaven As a Child new born hath all the parts and members inward and outward of a perfect man and he may be truly said to be perfect in his kind 2. A perfection according to Nature when whatever is due to their Nature is in it 3. A perfection according to Universality so God alone is perfect 2. How must we understand that comparison Be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect I Answer even as it lies in the Text what need any other Exposition of it Such a one is perfect as God is perfect when he hath attained to that due to his Nature as God hath that which is due to his If the Child now like his Father in all parts and members inward and outward should so continue and not grow up in stature and birth and quantity and in some good measure should be like unto his Father what would ye think would ye not believe that he would be a very Dwarf a Monster in Nature would ye not think as some do that the Child were bewitcht and some ill eye or other had been upon him Now then look into thy self and consider whereunto thou art called and what thou professest and whereunto thou pretendest to endeavour even the measure of the stature and age of Christ a perfect man Eph. 4.13 and judge and speak truly of thy self art thou not an arrant Dwarf a Monster in the Divine Nature hath not some or other bewitcht thee Gal. 3.1 that after so much hearing thou art yet like a child of a span long Lam 2. Reason is in the Text
it is the end which all Pure Religion tends unto to render us like unto our Heavenly Father to make us Godly that is like unto God Since therefore our Heavenly Father is perfect it behoves us also who profess our selves to be his Sons to be perfect also Obj. Here will some say our Heavenly Father is infinitely perfect shall we hope to be so Beloved in all Divine Duties I observe it we are extreme modest and would be thought to be exceeding humble and lowly conscientiously fearful lest we should be too good too just too sober yea too many would have Christ to do all for them be sober chaste just c. but fear it not the strength and power of well-doing even from a thought unto perfection it is thy Heavenly Fathers And he who commands thee this duty is the Way the Truth and the Life the Wisdom the one Law-giver who knows what we are able to do and therefore would not give us an impossible Law He is the power of God He is ready to impower thee to all what ever he commands only he requires that thou comply with him Oh but I am weak I am impotent I am a child and thou resolvest to continue so I fear Thou canst do what thou canst do do what thou canst do what ever thy hand finds do it with all thy might Milo that carried every day a young Calf as it grew in weight he grew in strength and carried it when it was grown to its full stature and thou wilt in time become such as thou oughtest to be when the Love is perfect in thee his Commandments will not be heavy to thee Repreh Of those who talk against what our Lord here and his Apostles every where exhort unto and clamour and cry out an errour an errour The Devil can make a perfect wicked man It was never accounted an errour in the Church of Christ till of late dayes when iniquity began to abound and the love of many waxed cold Then men because they resolved to live in their sins they cryed down Perfection and cryed there was an impossibility to leave their sins and the same Devil that brought that errour in as knowing he hath not a more precious Engine foments it by his Instruments for let any man examine himself and see and judge whether there be not some one gainful or delightful or honourable sin or other which inclines him to think hardly of this Doctrine and while Satan holds them in that noose by one sin he hinders them from being saved from their sins for that is the first part of perfection to be saved from sin the other to be preserved to God's Everlasting Kingdom But some will say they would be satisfied in their judgments and good reason busie thy self with inferiour Duties first Perfection is the highest Duty and reward of Duty begin with the lowest leave thy tipling-fellowship leave off thy lying thy cheating c. turn from thine iniquities and thou shalt understand God's Truth Dan. 9.13 otherwise thou shalt never understand and in that condition thou livest now in in thy sins thou shalt never be saved it 's a contradiction Exhort Be perfect as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect if this cannot be done the fail must be either 1. in God who cannot or will not or 2. in thy self because unable to receive it This is simply the highest mark we can aim at He who shoots at the Sun will shoot higher than he who shoots at the Moon If we set him before us for the mark of our High Calling we shall attain to an higher measure of obedience than they who propound this or that man Christ commands no impossibilities Examples Phil. 4.13 2 Pet. 2. A Glorious Church without having either spot or wrinkle Have fellowship with the Father and the Son Means 1. Know our own imperfections and decline them 2. Pray Lord help our unbelief 3. Pray for the Faith of God of which I spake before that great Faith that which our Lord said the Son of Man when he comes shall not find upon the earth 4. Pray to the Lord for that Stronger One 5. Hear meditate obey the Word The whole Scripture was given for this end to make the man of God perfect c. 2 Tim. 3.16 All the Ministers of the Word were given for this end to perfect the Saints Eph. 4.11 12 13. Col. 1.28 that they may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus Thus did Epaphras Col. 4.12 He prayed that the Colossians might stand perfect and compleat in all the will of God Now the God of all Grace who hath called us unto his Eternal Glory by Christ Jesus our Lord after ye have suffered awhile make you perfect stablish strengthen settle you To him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever 1 Pet. 5.10 11. NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON MATTHEW VI. 9 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven HAving heretofore exhorted you to the performance of that great Duty the fulfilling of Gods Commandments the end why Christ came in the flesh and comes in the spirit And having lately out of Judges 6. pointed to some Means 1. Acknowledgement of our own Inability and unworthiness 2. As also the Promise of God's powerful presence with us for the subduing of our Spiritual Enemies Because 1. The Lord requires the concurrence of our utmost endeavours for the fulfilling of his Promises unto us as Zach. 6.15 2. And expects to be prayed unto and enquired of according to Ezech. 36 37. I have therefore made choice of the Lords Prayer as a principal Means for the effecting of that Grand Duty Yet I do not intend to insist long upon it though the largeness of the Petitions might require it but only on so many Petitions as I can dispatch at this time hoping if the Lord will to finish the rest when I shall meet the same Prayer again Luke 11. Mean time I shall give a brief Analyse and resolution of the whole Our Lord Jesus teacheth his Disciples to pray 1. By removing what hinders which is here said to be a two-fold impediment 1. Hypocrisie vers 5. amplified by the contrary vers 6. 2. Prophaneness or Heathenism vers 7. with the reason of it vers 8. 2. Our Lord instructs them how to pray directly and positively vers 9 13. 1. Propounding unto them an Example of Prayer 2. Rendring a reason of one Petition in the Prayer vers 14 15. 1. He propounds a Pattern and Exemplar of Prayer 1. Formally Our Father c. 2. He commands the imitation of that Pattern and Example when ye pray say c. In the Exemplar we have 1. The Compellation 2. The Prayer it self 1. In the Compellation the personal object is described 1. By his relation to us Our Father 2. By the subject place where in
the Divine Life unto the Fatherly Deity that it may be ingendred and begotten anew by it Nor can this be done untill the Humanity have abandoned and discharged all carnal and sensual Fatherhood until it call no man Father upon Earth then followeth the mutual Testimony of the Spirit of God with our Spirit Rom. 8.16 Such a fruit of the Divine Nature may truly call upon God according to the Doctrine of Jesus Christ Our Father whic◠art in Heaven for whiles the earthly man loves yet his lusts and desires his appetites his carnal delights and pleasures he cannot call God his Heavenly Father But when the man hath abandoned all these which were his life even unto death then our Heavenly Father raiseth up as from the dead a good will love and delight toward himself by which good will we are begotten and become an heavenly Generation and the Children of the Most High We may sanctifie and hallow the Name of our Heavenly Father 2. Hallowed be thy Name 1. What is here meant by the Name of our Heavenly Father 2. What is it to sanctifie or hollow that Name 1. The Name of the Lord is the Lord himself Vide Notes on Psal 9.11 2. To sanctifie that Name the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to sanctifie is to sever and set apart from all pollution When therefore we pray That the Name of our Heavenly Father may be sanctified or hallowed we desire that the Lord would work for his Names sake that it may not be polluted Ezech. 20. vers 9.14 22. That we may be conversant about the Name of our God with an holy mind holy affections holy expressions in words and works and promote the same in others for the Name of our Heavenly Father is holy and because it is so it cannot be approached unto but by those of like Nature to it whence he himself requires That because he is holy we also should be holy Obser 1. The sanctifying of God's Name is a principal Duty it hath here the first place in our desires and indeed to sanctifie and glorifie it is the end of all the Creatures which are made for his Glory as the End is more noble than the Means for the life is more than meat Mat. 6.25 therefore whether we eat or drink or whatsoever we do all must be done to the Glory of God 1 Cor. 10. This is that which the Genuine Child partaker of the Fathers own Nature chiefly desires and prays for Obser 2. We know not how to honour him aright which excludes all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all will-worship Nadab and Abihu had a good intention no doubt to sanctifie God's Name when they offered strange fire but Levit. 10.1 2 3. There went out fire from the Lord and devoured them Obser 3. Who can teach us this but our Heavenly Father And therefore we desire it of him Obser 4. The Name of the Lord cannot be hallowed by us unless he himself have intire Dominion and Rule in us And therefore we pray 2. Thy Kingdom come A Kingdom is Politeia sub uno bono it 's a Polity or Government under one that 's good Vide Notes on Mat. 13.11 The Kingdom of God is either 1. Universal and so Psal 102. His Kingdom ruleth over all and he is the only Potentate King of Kings and Lord of Lords 1 Tim. 6. or 2. Special so the Lord is King of Saints Rev. 15.3 even those who sanctifie and hollow his Name 1. Wherein then consists the Kingdom of God 2. What is it for this Kingdom to come 1. The Kingdom of God is an inward Kingdom Luke 17. And therefore we must enquire what is within us over which our God may Rule and Reign and have his Kingdom The Divine Philosopher tells us of Three several parts of the Soul 1. The Rational 2. The Irascible 3. The Concupiscible Proportionably unto these Three parts of the Soul the Kingdom of God consists in 1. Righteousness 2. Peace and 3. Joy in the Holy Ghost for so the Rational part of the Soul is governed by Righteousness which is all Vertues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Righteousnes all Vertues are contained This Righteousness governs the Royal part of the Soul declining it from Evil and ruling it unto Good wherein consists Righteousness cease to do Evil learn to do well 2. The second part of the Soul is the Irascible or wrathful part this is governed by Peace which is the effect of Righteousness Esay 32. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts Col. 3.15 wherein the Irascible had rule before Eccles 11.10 Marg. as also the Concupiscible all the vain desires and appetites call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That 's 3. The third part of the Soul This Concupiscible while inclined to earthly things is Evil but it 's raised from Earthly to Heavenly objects wherewith it is fully satisfied and becomes one with them in full fruition That 's the third part of God's Kingdom which is called Joy in the Holy Ghost These are the three parts of the Kingdom proportioned unto the three principal parts of the Soul which are governed by Righteousness Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost And therefore as Earthly things and Emperours have their Royal and Imperial Cities so the only Potentate Our Father which is in Heaven hath his three Royal and Imperial Cities proportionable unto the three parts of his Kingdom Sedec whence he is called Melchizedeck King of Righteousness and Salem whence he was called afterwards Melchisalem i. e. King of Peace Heb. 7. The third is Sushan that 's Joy the City of Ahasuerus that is the Great Prince and Head Esth 8.15 The City of Shushan rejoyced and was glad when Psal 84.2 The heart and the flesh cryeth out for the Living God and rejoyceth when we say with David Psal 103.1 Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy Name Thus the Kingdom of God is said to come i. e. to appear for so those words are taken one for the other as when Christ is said to appear or be made manifest in the flesh 1 Tim. 3. ult St. John saith He is come in the flesh 1 John 4.2 Luke 17.20 21. This Kingdom of God appears or comes when we become strong to do the Lords will therefore the Kingdom of God is not in Word but in Power 1 Cor. 4.20 when also we are able to suffer out all temptations and to bear the infirmities of others therefore Rev. 1.9 The Kingdom and Patience are joyned together Obser 1. There is want of this Kingdom for Prayer supposeth a want either in whole or in part of what we ask for God's Kingdom is yet but in part come to the most of us because all things are not as yet put under him 1 Cor. 15. Obser 2. We are not able of our selves to advance or raise up this Kingdom of God Satans Kingdom it 's to be feared in very many remains as yet in force and
and catch others The dog knows none but those of his own house to which he belongs he snarles barks at and bites strangers Every man can bear what is familiar and well known to his own Sect and Party that he approves and loves Against these the Psalmist prayes Psal 22.20 Keep my darling from the power of the dog And the Apostle gives warning beware of dogs Phil. 3.2 that is of such men as our Saviour forewarns his Disciples of Mat. 7.15 These glut themselves with their own food and then return to their vomit Some can relish any thing but what is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose God is their belly who mind earthly things Phil. 3.19 they serve not God but their own bellies Rom. 16.18 as the Fryar called the parable of the Supper Mat. 22. a good Gospel These swine tread under foot the Son of God Heb. 10.29 3. Confession may be made either with the mouth or with the deed as the Apostle distinguisheth Tit. 1.16 They profess that they know God but in works deny him Now although it be to be made both wayes yet not by every man nor to every man Hast thou faith have it to thy self before thy God Rom. 14.22 I read no man that blames David's coming before Achish King of Gath changing his behaviour 1 Sam. 21.13 such wariness the Lord gives us and himself practised Joh. 2.23 24 25. He did not commit himself to them because he knew all men 4. Nor are the times and places alike 2 Chron. 25.15 16. Amasia bad the Prophet forbear Therefore must Ezechiel be dumb chap. 3.26 Amos 5.13 The prudent shall be silent in that time for it is an evil time In evil times therefore confession with the mouth of all truth is not alwayes necessary nor seasonable unto all men Obser 1. Hence we may pity their unseasonable and untimely zeal who knowing something of Christ and his wayes which others do not expose themselves to the mouth of the Lion and the Dogs power our Lord teacheth better There have been those who have said that this is a popish point but I conceive it were too much credit to the Papists and too little to the Reformed Religion that they should have more order observed among them and we less that they should ground themselves more upon the Scripture than we do Mich. 7.2 Tyrians and Zidonians oppressors and hunters lie in wait for blood and hunt every man his brother with a net Young Novices consider not that there are many whose business it is nor do they mind any other thing than lie in wait to deceive Eph. 4.14 O how much better were it for such Babes in Christ to study to be quiet and mind their own business that they may walk honestly towards them that are without 1 Thes 4.12 Eph. 5.15 Col. 4.5 6. and not expose the truth of God to the censure of ignorant and malicious men Obser 2. We learn then from hence who are the true Confessors or Professors who else but they who give testimony unto Christ in word and work in the whole Christian life yea whether they witness of Christ by doing or suffering according to the Will of God reproach or torment or death it self Omnis piorum vita testimonium reddit Deo The whole life of the Godly gives testimony to God Cyprian Hence it is that Confessors and Martyrs they are taken by the Ancients for the same Such they were and are who testified of Christ their Life 2. Such as testified against all iniquity See the truth of this even from the testimony of an Heathen who lived in the Primitive Times according to the report of Eusebius Plinius Secundus the chief of the Presidents over the Provinces under Trajan the Emperour being much moved by the multitude of Martyrs which were daily put to death for the Faith he wrote to the Emperour to advise with him what was best to be done In that Epistle Pliny acknowledgeth to the Emperour That he never found any thing in the lives of these Christians either against Piety or against the Laws of the Emperour They were obedient to Principalities and Powers What was their fault then but that only they rose early in the morning and sung praise unto Christ as to a God a great Crime I wiss because the people of Rome had not made him a God first Moreover saith he they forbid Adultery and Murder and other sins of that nature but all things which agree with and are according to the Law they diligently perform Euseb lib. 3. History chap. 27. Tertullian adds The Christans rise early ad conferendam Disciplinam they bind themselves by Covenant and Oath to their Duty and prohibit Murder Adultery Fraud Treachery and other wickednesses Pliny himself in his Epistle lib. 10. hath these words Se Sacramento non in scelus aliquod obstringere c. They bind themselves by the Sacrament or Oath not to do any wickedness but that they will not commit Theft Robbery nor Adultery that they will keep their Word perform their Promise restore the Pledge c. And all these Confessions were free they were neither forced to it nor forced from it It is the Report of the same Pliny Nihil mali posse dicuntur qui sunt reverà Christiani They who are indeed true Christians are said to be able to do no evil These these are Confessors these are Martyrs these are Professors these were they that Confessed and gave Testimony to Christ and suffered shame and torment death it self in their Confession and Testimony Obser 2. They who thus confess Christ must be in Christ they are the very words of the Text in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So John 3.21 for though the Hellenists use ל and the Syriack here × with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to confess as learned Criticks observe yet they may observe also that then the word is joyned with these Particles When Confession is made unto a person as Psal 118.1 I will confess unto the Lord otherwise the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to confess is used without these as Gen. 29.35 I will praise or confess the Lord chap. 49.8 Judah thy brethren shall confess or praise thee which was therefore in the Text we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expresly why should it lose the due force of it Obser 3. We ought not to fear Men nor Wolves v. 16. interpreted men v. 17. nor Councils or Synagogues nor Kings or Governours nor Persecutors v. 23. those who can kill the body and afterward can do no more v. 28. Confession of Christ must be before men Esay 57.8 12 13. Obser 4. It is not the Ministers Duty only to be Confessors of Christ but the people 's also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It may therefore be hoped that when the people have looked cum linceis oculis into our lives they will at length look into their own Obser 5. The Lord would have his Truth published and made known by such
to confess own and acknowledge us is spoken of O then his Faithfulness and Truth his Mercy and Goodness his Promise and his Oath are alledged the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby it is impossible for God to lie these and many like are brought to confirm us in our hope that Christ will not fail us But when our duty is required and we urged to confess Jesus Christ in our life upon which condition Jesus Christ makes his Promise unto us alas we are impotent and weak and unable to perform it We will have Christ surely bound to us but we will be dissolute and loose our selves Would any man deal so with an honest man as we commonly deal with Jesus Christ Repreh 2. Those who prefer the confession of men before the confession of Jesus Christ himself They confessed him not because they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God 2. Him will Christ confess before his Father which i◠in Heaven Wherein we have the Promise which contains these Three things 1. God the Father is the Father of Jesus Christ 2. He is in Heaven 1. God the Father is the Father of Jesus Christ 1. God is said to be a Father in respect of diverse Sons and Children for so we read in Scripture mention made of diverse Sons confer with Notes on Heb. 1. This vindicates and asserts the Deity and consequently the Supreme Authority of Jesus Christ so the Jews reason Joh. 5.18 He said that God was his Father making himself equal with God Phil. 2.6 2. Heaven is not only that material and visible body well known by that name of which I shall have occasion to speak more largely but 2. also see Notes on Mat. 13.11 3. Besides these two wayes by Heaven also are understood the heavenly minded ones the Saints of God the Believers and Confessors of Jesus Christ Coelum est ubi culpa cessavit Heaven is where there is no sin Austin See Notes on Rom. 15.11 1. Now which way soever we understand the words they are true 1. God the Father is in the material and visible Heavens But the Heaven of heavens cannot contain him 1 King 8.27 2. He hath prepared his own dwelling which is himself Psal 93.2 Thy Throne stands fast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from him i. e. from Eternity What Throne is from Eternity What but God alone is from Eternity and so he presently adds Thou art from Eternity Hence it is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a place is taken by the Jews for one of the Names of God 3. God is in his Saints his Heaven upon Earth in whom his Will is done Esay 45.14 1 Cor. 14. God is in the Generation of the Righteous Zach. 13.9 I will say they are my people and they shall say thou art my God When Jesus Christ imparts his Spirit to them without which no man can say that Jesus is the Lord. He wants not our Testimony John 2. Nec ullis hominum honoribus fieri potest honoratior nec de ullis mortalium ignominiis obscurior But the Will of our Lord is that his Wisdom Power and Goodness should by men be declared and testified unto men 3. Him who confesseth Christ Christ will confess before his Father which is in Heaven 4. How is it to be understood that Christ will confess such as confess him before his Father which is in Heaven To confess one is to give testimony unto one for confession is a testimony for Christ therefore to confess such before his Father which is in Heaven is to testifie of them own them and acknowledge them and as our confession of Christ both outward and inward on Earth so his confession of us before his Father but with difference he confesseth us we bless Christ and he blesseth us we confer nothing on him but he on us His blessings turn us from iniquities Acts 3. we honour him and he us we add nothing to him but he to us Rom. 2.10 Glory Honour and Immortality Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world Joh. 17.6 Thine they were and thou gavest them me Thus they who do the will of the Father which is in Heaven these are Christ's brethren Mat. 12.48 49. And these he acknowledgeth and owneth as such Heb. 2.11 Nor is God ashamed to be called their God Heb. 11.16 What here St. Matthew reports our Lord's words I will confess him before my Father c. St. Luke 12.8 hath before the Angels of God because the Father manifests his Glory by the Ministry of Angels Thousand thousands Dan. 7. minister to him Michajah saith I saw the Lord sitting upon a Throne Thus he gave the Law by the disposition of Angels whence God and the Angels are used promiscuously Exod. 20.1 God spake these words c. i. e. the Decalogue which Heb. 2.2 is called the Word spoken by Angels Now because the Son of God coming to judgement appears in the Glory of the Father attended by the Angels 2 Thes 1.7 St. Mark 8.38 the parallel to my Text put 's the Glory of the Father and the Holy Angels together when he comes in the Glory of the Father with the Holy Angels Our Lord shewed not alwayes how great he was yea oftentimes he hid his greatness but declared how little how lowly and humble how meek how obedient he was that thereby he might teach us the way to the highest honour that comes of God only Who is there of us declares the like Obs 1. There is no loss in suffering loss for our confession of Christ we confess him before men and he confesseth us before his Father What comparison is there between the Son of God and us So vile we are without him that he might disdain our testimony and what we do in honour of him is by his enabling of us without whom we can do nothing 1 Cor. 12 3. Yet he rewards our confession of him with his confession of us And if there be so little proportion between him and us whom yet he enables to confess him how great a disproportion is there between him and those before whom we confess him Obs 2. See the excellency of this Duty which our Lord recompenseth with so great a reward truly it is much greater and more noble then at first happily we are aware of Men commonly blame Peter for denying of Christ and that if they had been in his place they would have confessed him that they would Well put thy self by imagination in the like circumstances suppose Authority discountenanced Christ what wouldst thou do wouldst thou make good St. Peter's resolution rather die with Christ than deny him bravely resolved But come now to confess Christ is not in word but in deed Christ is the wisdom of God and that wisdom is opposite and quite contrary to the wisdom of the world What sayest thou darest thou own this wisdom which the world opposeth Love your enemies bless
We will serve the Lord. And Joshuah said unto the people Ye are my witnesses against your selves that ye have chosen the Lord to serve him These beside many other are the reasons of God's Kingdom Observe from hence that the Office and Function of a King is lawful we have a most glorious pattern and example in God himself He hath a Kingdom contrary to the Tenent of some and they not a few who hold it unworthy of a Christian man to bear any Office Function or Government in a Christian Common-wealth whereas indeed such of all other are most meet and fit for the best and greatest imployment and God himself honours these even with his own Name the Name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods Obser 2. The truth and faithfulness of God in performance of his Promise unto David 2 Sam. 7.12 When thy dayes shall be fulfilled and thou shalt sleep with thy Fathers I will raise up thy seed after thee and I will establish the Throne of his Kingdom for ever This Promise was not fulfilled in Solomon otherwise than in the type and that in part for David had not yet slept with his Fathers when Solomon reigned as he acknowledgeth 1 King 4.8 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who hath given one to sit on my Throne this day mine eyes even seeing it much less was this performed in Solomon That the Lord established his Throne for ever for it 's impossible to make it good according to the History but that the true Solomon Christ Jesus the true Jedediah the Love and Peace of God as Solomon and Jedediah signifie should reign over the house of Jacob the Church of God for ever of whose Kingdom there should be no end Luk. 1.32 Obser 3. This discovers as the Right so the Duty of Kings A King is not for his own sake but for his Peoples over whom he reigns Thus David a man after Gods own heart and a King of Gods own choosing is said by St. Paul to have served his own Generation Act. 13.36 And Christ himself who sits upon the Throne of David the Prince of all the Kings of the Earth He came not to be ministred unto but to minister and Rev. 1.9 we read of the Kingdom and Patience of Jesus Christ he took upon him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 2. Nay God himself the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ I am saith he the Lord the Holy One the Creatour of Israel your King Esay 43.15 yet see how gently and with what lenity and patience he administers his Kingdom Esay 43.23 I have not caused thee to serve with an offering nor wearied thee with incense thou hast bought me no sweet Cane with money neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy Sacrifices but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities They made him thus to serve yet was he their King A Prince is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 q. d. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and according to this pattern ought Christian Kings to govern their people to be nursing Fathers of them as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all used in Scripture to signifie to Feed and Nourish as well as Rule and Govern Out of thee shall come a Ruler or Governour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who shall Rule or Feed so 't is in the Margin Mat. 2. my people Israel and Kings are styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The shepherds of the people Such a King was Moses for a King he was Deut. 33.5 I am not able saith he to bear you my self alone How can I my self alone bear your cumbrance and your burden and your strife Deut. 1.12 And he had an example for this vers 31. Thou hast seen how the Lord thy God bare thee as a man doth bear his Son in all the way that ye went And Act. 13.18 Psal 8.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He bare their manners in the wilderness or according to another reading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He bare you as a Nurse beareth or feedeth her Child Thus God Reigned over his people 1 Sam. 8.7 So that we see of what spirit they are who flatter Christian Princes by propounding to them such a form of Government as befitted not such a King as God chose but such as the people chose to themselves Make us a King to judge us like all the Nations 1 Sam. 8.5 See the manner of such a King vers 11.18 They who perswade Christian Princes to such a form and manner of Government they give them all that they may give them somewhat again But we are all too ready to listen after the Kings Duty and plead the Liberty of the Subject and mean time neglect I fear our own Duty toward the Great King and all whom he hath put in Authority under him Hence come Oppressions and Tyrannies into Christian Kingdoms and Commonweals mean time there have not been wanting such as to humour the people would tell them what the Kings Office and Duty was toward his people to preserve them in wealth and peace and what their Liberties were which the King ought to preserve Mean time the King was not told what his Duty was towards his People to be their Shepherd to be a true Christian King to imitate Christ the King in his Government to execute Judgement and Justice nor the people what their Duty was toward their King That every soul should be subject to the higher powers c. The King was taught what his Prerogative was and what the Peoples Duty was to him the People were taught what their Liberty and Property was and what the Kings Duty was to them Neither was taught what their mutual Duty was one to other neither what their common Duty was toward the King Christ Whether doth this King Reign over us yea or no Surely the Great King hath Jus ad Regnum he hath right unto the Kingdom and ought to reign over us But who of us all give him his right who yields him possesion of his Kingdom and gives over himself unto him who doth not crown him with thorns who doth not make him serve with his sins how few do Nay who doth not if not in express words yet in his life and conversation which is the truest word say plainly with those Rebels Luk. 19.14 We will not have this man to reign over us And so we drive him out of his own Kingdom and Dominion Judg. 11.1 we read that Jephtah was a mighty man of valour and he was the Son of an Harlot or of an Hostess the Original word is the same And his Brethren when they were waxen great thrust out Jephtah and said unto him Thou shalt not inherit in our Fathers house for thou art the Son of a strange woman Then Jephtah fled from his Brethren and dwelt in the Land of Tob. Would ye know what this is to us 't is
vile person shall be no more called liberal nor the churle said to be bountiful For the vile person will speak villany and accordingly shall be accounted vile As his name is so is he Nabal is his name and folly is with him 1 Sam. 25.25 and v. 8. The liberal person deviseth liberal things and by liberal things he shall stand as his life is so he shall be accounted It was prophesied of him Esay 11.3 He shall not judge after the sight of his eyes if he had he would have judged the Scribes and Pharisees holy men according to their profession and glorious ostentation of holiness but he knew their hearts and inward thoughts accordingly denounced woes against them Wo to you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites He judged not according to the hearing of the ears for when some came to insinuate themselves into him under fair pretences Master we know that thou art true and teachest the way of God in truth neither carest thou for any man nor regardest thou the persons of men though the words were true yet he judged not according to these pausible insinuations but he perceiving their wickedness said why tempt ye me ye Hypocrites Mat. 22.17.18 Obser 3. This discovers the false judgment of many who judge unjustly of things and persons as when we call an action in it self indifferent good by name and esteem our selves the better for performing of them Thus men call abstinence from meat which of it self and in it self is indifferent by the name of a fast whereas indeed abstinence from sin is the true fast and therefore the Lord justly reproves the Jews and I believe he may as justly many of us Esay 58. for their false judgment They seek me daily saith he and delight to know my wayes i. e. judgment and justice as a Nation that did Righteousness and forsook not the ordinance of their God They ask of me the Ordinances of Justice and delight in approaching to God And thence it was that they judged highly of themselves as if God in justice could not but respect them for it and just so do we we think we have done God some notable good service when we have kept such a fast as they did yea we are ready to expostulate with our God Wherefore have we fasted and thou seest not wherefore have we afflicted our souls and thou takest no knowledge we expect God should upon these performances presently subdue all our enemies and return our prosperity But what 's the answer of the Lord unto them Behold saith he in the day of your fast ye find your own pleasure ye fast from meat and macerate your bodies mean time ye cocker and make much of your own lusts as covetousness and pride and wrath and fleshly delights and pleasures ye whip the the cart only and let the horses go free Is it not thus with many of us are not many of them more cholerick and passionate and proud after their day of humiliation than before and think it a great credit that they have sate so many hours and eat nothing not considering that in God's judgment a fast requires the emptying of our selves of our lusts and doing our Christian duties not only the abstinence from meat and therefore vers 4. Behold saith he ye fast for strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickedness is this the fast that I have chosen for a man to afflict his soul for a day A like errour in judgment we commit when we call things in themselves good by the names of the best things as I observe it and you may that we call Prayer hearing the Word the receiving of the Sacrament by the names of God's Ordinances they are indeed ordained of God but I never read them called so in Scripture yet magnifie these under that name and judge highly of our selves for the performance of these yet as the Papists glory in opere operato as they call it while mean time we neglect those which the Lord calls his Ordinances i. e. his Commandments so ye shall find them called Levit. 18.4 Ezech. 11.2 Psal 99.7 See how the Lord discovers this false judgment and false righteousness they pleased themseves in their long Prayers Esay 1.15 20. hearing the word Ezech. 33.30 receiving the Sacrament Luk. 13.26 27. 3. Justice and judgment are fallen in the earth ye shall see the truth of this Esay 59. where the Prophet describes the state of things in the world before Christ's Kingdom be erected in judgment and justice and before he rules in us None calleth for justice nor any pleadeth for truth their works are works of iniquity wasting and destruction are in their paths The way of peace they know not and there is no judgment in their goings they have made them crooked paths whosoever goes therein shall not know peace Therefore is judgment far from us neither doth justice overtake us we look for judgment but there is none for salvation but it is far off from us In transgressing and lying against the Lord and departing away from our God Judgment is turned away backward and Justice standeth afar off for truth is fallen in the streets and equity cannot enter yea truth faileth and he that departs from evil maketh himself a prey or is accounted a mad man And the Lord saw it and it displeased him that there was no judgment It is somewhat a long but a most pertinent description of our times wherein we have lost the true estimate and judgment of things as the Prophet there complains Now when Judgment and Justice are fallen what is set up what else but spiritual wickedness in heavenly things spiritual pride and high mindedness high opinions of our own knowledge our own made-holiness outward shews of Religion whether they be pompous and glittering Ceremonies wherein some men place all their Religion or outward ostentation of zeal without knowledge or common honesty and what ever else exalts it self against the Justice and Judgment of Jesus Christ of all which our Lord passeth a common judgment Whatsoever is high among men is an abomination before God Luk. 16.15 Which is done commonly one of these wayes when either 1. We call an action indifferent by the name of an action simply good or 2. When we call a good action by the best name or 3. When we call that which is evil by a good name This discovers that abominable partiality which reigns among false Christians in place of the Judgment and Justice of Jesus Christ they judge unrighteous judgment and that both in respect of things and persons ye have this prophesied of to be under the Gospel whereas the Prophet Esay had described Christ's Kingdom chap. 4. chap. 5. He discovers their degenerate and apostate condition and denounceth a woe upon them for their covetousness v. 8. their drunkenness v. 11. and â— 20. Wo unto them that call evil good and good evil Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wâ—â— pronounce judgment of
Table as they call it proceed out of the heart as well as these of the second no doubt they do why then doth our Lord mention these first and then Blasphemy which is a breach of the third Commandment These are sins committed in special against our Neighbour and therefore are set in the first place Because our Lord every where promotes the love of our Neighbour and calls it his Commandment and a New Commandment Joh. 13. and 15. and therefore sets these precepts first Mat. 19. which he will have performed even before his own immediate worship Mat. 5. If thou bring thy gift to the Altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee go first and be reconciled to thy brother 2. He well knew the hypocrisie of the Pharisees who under pretence of duties required in the first Table toward God wholly neglected the second toward their Neighbour which is the guise and manner of the Pharisees at this day Why doth our Lord set evil thoughts first which are prohibited by the last Commandment and then the other The Christian life consists most what of inward Acts but Moses's Law of outward and therefore our Lord begins where Moses ends 2. Out of the heart proceed murders Quaere 1. What is here meant by murders 2. How they proceed out of the heart The word we render murders is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to kill which is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the same signification which some would have from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 efflare to breath and so to murder is to cause one efflare animam to breath his last I read not any word so full in any Language as this of our English which is not properly ours but either from a like French or Dutch word neither of which nor any other hath that fulness of signification which our English word hath for homicidium which is the best Latin word and comes nearest the matter signifieth only slaying of a man which may be done ignorantly by chance or against ones will if only so it comes not home to the nature of this sin which necessarily supposeth a will and purpose to kill otherwise it s no murder And therefore our Lawyers define murder a wilfull and fellonious killing of a man upon prepensed malice which being a word so full in it self of our Language they have made a latin word of it murdrum And this sence amounts unto that which in Scripture is called murder which the Spirit expresly distinguisheth from what is done ignorantly and without malice Exod. 21.12 13 14. Deut. 19.4 10. Now because habits are the measures of their privations as life is either Natural or Spiritual the violent privation of them or the murders are either of Natural or Spiritual Life 2. How can these be said to proceed out of the heart Cor est terminus omnium actionum ad intra fons omnium actionum ad extra All whatever proceeds from without it centers it self in the heart as all we see and hear is carried to the heart there to receive allowance or rejectiâ—n The heart also is the fountain of all actions flowing from thence outwardly whether good or evil for the good man out of the good treasury of his heart bringeth forth good things and the evil c. Obser 1. The heart is murdrorum officina the flesh-bank the slaughter-house the murdering den wherein the wicked one slayeth the innocent Psal 10.8 Obser 2. A man may possibly be a murderer who yet layeth no violent hands on any Is he angry with his brother he is guilty of the judgment Mat. 5.22 yea if he be angry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without a cause St. Jorome and Austin both agree that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without a cause is not to be found in any old Greek Copy Vt scilicet nec cum causa quidem debeamus irasci saith Austin nor indeed is it extant in the Vulg. Lat. Doth he hate his brother he is a murderer although he touch him not 1 Joh. 3.15 Quaere Since it is murder whilst yet in the heart and such in Gods sight whether is any thing added by performing the outward act yea or no Surely there is for proof of this let the first murder be examined Gen. 4. It was such in God's sight when Cain was very wroth and his countenance fell but all that time the Lord was patient and dehorted him and reasoned with him if thou doest well c. All this time Cain was guilty before God and in danger of the Judgment but having performed the outward act then the Lord denounced his judgment against him This will further appear from God's different rewards of good works intended and performed for since God rewards every man according to his works c. See Notes on Jam. 1.22 God was patient all the time that David was plotting the death of Vriah but when it was effected then he sent Nathan What reason is there that murders should proceed from the heart There are in the heart these three notable parts of the Soul the Rational the Concupiscible and the Irascible which answer to those three necessary Offices in a City The Chief Magistrate which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Rational ordering all things by reason The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concupiscible which is the Quaestor or Treasurer who provides and layes out for what is necessary for the support of the City Now if any obstruction or hinderance happen in the execution of the Quaestors Office then ariseth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Irascible which answers to the Militia and Garrison Soldiers who remove these impediments and obstructions This Irascible though it be the seat of many compound affections yet the principal here understood is wrath or anger which is not sin because implanted of God in our Nature and the Psalmist really distinguisheth them and after him the Apostle be angry and sin not howbeit from the exorbitancy of the Concupiscible the appetite enflamed toward some thing desirable and hindered from the fruition naturally there is a boyling of the blood about the heart whence the Quaestor or Treasurer desires the help of of the Militia the Soldiery for the removing of the impediment The wrath being kindled sometimes burns excessively and beyond measure and it is a sin We shall observe this in the way of Cain as St. Jude calls it vers 11. Cain signifieth possession and peculiar propriety in the flesh desiring ingrossing all things Natural Humane and Divine all must serve it as Psal 73.9 according to Martin Luther What they say must be spoken from Heaven and what they speak must prevail upon earth whence it is that the sensual propriety challengeth Gods acceptance of whatsoever it doth yea and ingrosseth it unto it self so that God's approbation being given to the simple harmless and righteous Abel and all the holy Prophets from the blood of Abel wrath and envy burns against
and the Majesty for all that is in the Heaven and in the Earth is thine thine is the Kingdom c. both Riches and Honour come of thee c. vers 14.16 O Lord our God all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thine Holy Name cometh of thine hands and is all thine own Obser 3. The bounty of God unto his Creature though they be the things of God yet he allows us the bestowing of them He doth as it were yield unto the man his own right and interest that he may perform his duty as if Caesar should lend his Subject money to pay himself tribute Of thine own do we give thee When we have fail'd he puts us in a way of paying our debts few Creditors do so and therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is turn'd as well render unto God c. Obser 4. Gods Service is a free Service Donatio est liberalis datio give unto God God is free in giving his Graces unto us and he would have us free in giving him of his own God loves a chearful giver Obser 5. Gods service is a just service a reasonable service Rom. 12.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Render Obser 6. Hence we learn who are and ought to be accounted the truly Godly who but they who have and give or render unto God the things of God not they who only know the things of God for we know that we all have knowledge 1 Cor. 8. Nor they who have the things of God but detain them in unrighteousness Obser 7. How unjust then are they who render not unto God his own this very neglect unman'd Nebuchadnezzar he was not thought fit longer to be a man than he gave Glory unto God Dan. 5. And because Belshazzar his Son knew all this yet humbled not his heart he lost his Kingdom and Life vers 22 23. The like befell Herod the King who because he got credit by an Oration and gave not the Glory to God he was eaten up of worms and gave up the Ghost Act. 12.23 How dreadful then is the issue of abusing and mis-imploying the things of God if the very not-giving glory to God have such fearful events Such are the holding the truth of God in unrighteousness knowing what we should do yet doing what we should not Look I beseech you what a train of other sins this leads Rom. 1. from vers 18. to the end Holding the strength and power of God in pretence of weakness letting it lye idle by them Such are they who deny the power of Godliness which yet have a form of it Abusing the strength of God to wilful rebellion against God yea abusing that strength unto all ungodliness insomuch that there is no evil done in the City but Gods power and strength hath been abused to the doing of it Amos 3.6 Esay 45.7 'T is Gods strength which the drunkard abuseth to the bearing of strong drink against whom the Lord denounceth a woe because they abuse the strength of God to the lusts men Wo unto them that are mighty to drink wine and men of strength to mingle strong drink Isai 5.22 'T is Gods strength whereof the thief robs God when he layes wait for blood 'T is Gods beauty and comliness for so he calls it Ezech. 16.14 his ornaments they are and his Jewels his Gold and his Silver which are abused to wantonness and lasciviousness to whoredom and fornication to the invegling and entangling of young men void of understanding as is said of the whore Prov. 7.7 c. 'T is his love for all our love is his in this Mat. 22. which we prostitute unto things abominable Hos 9.10 'T is Gods hope for he is the God of hope Rom. 15.13 which we thrust away and place in vain things which will not profit us but shame us in the latter end 'T is Gods Faith for he is the Author of it Eph. 2.8 which we credit out to the believing of a lye 2 Thess 2. 'T is Gods fear for so he calls it Mal. 1.6 my fear which we give unto men and forget our Maker Esay 51.12 'T is Gods humility for to him 't is due Mich. 6. which is abused to the worshipping of Saints and Angels Col. 2. 'T is Gods worship i. e. his blessing his glory his wisdom his thanks his honour his power his might all which are Gods worship Rev. 7. which are abused unto the Creatures Rom. 1.25 'T is Gods precious time which we trifle away in satisfying our youthful lusts and not considering the day of our Visitation This is such a sacriledge such a robbing of God as most men are guilty of and I fear not very many fewer consider it These all these goods of God we have wasted and mispent his Truth Strength Beauty Love Hope Faith Fear Humility Worship â—â—d precious Time we have lain them out on Carnal things and things that will noâ— profit us in the latter end We are not debtors to the flesh yet we have laid out all these things on the flesh we have paid them in our own wrong they must be paid again Agree therefore with thine adversary and that quickly But whether is more injustice to give light unto darkness or darkness unto light the things of God to the Devil or the things of the Devil unto God For what shall we say unto those who give unto God their sins and say that he is the Author of them who say either 1. Directly that they are given up to commit abominations Jer. 7. or else 2. Obliquely denying that God gives them strength to pay their debt unto him Exhort To be just and upright in this point to give God his own 1. Remember I pray you the reasons before named 't is no more than equity we are exhorted unto to pay our debts unto God 2. God calls for them and challengeth them at our hands 3. We our selves have often promised and vowed to pay them 4. All which prove that it 's a great injustice to detain them for if it be a crying sin to detain our neighbours goods from him how loud doth that sin cry which is against God who is justice it self 5. Add hereunto the liberality of our Creditor the debt we owe him 't is but of his free love and mercy that he lends us all we have or are we have no greater plea when we require our debts than to say we lent the money freely out of our own purses 6. Who would run in continual debt and danger of Law and hang upon every bush and therefore our Saviours advice is to agree with our adversary quickly Mat. 5.25 7. Consider how freely they live who pay all their debts 8. That which in this case seems most of all to hinder our performance of this Duty 't is this we fear we shall be meer bankrupts and lead a tedious and irksom life But we are deceived there 's no loss in making such a deed of gift
God hath made them known 2 Esdr 5.1 13. Observ 3. Although it be not lawful nor permitted to enquire the exact and precise time of Gods Judgments further than he is pleased to communicate them yet we may enquire the Signs and Tokens of the Times as Esdras did 2 Esdr 4.1 and the Disciples do here Nor was it without Warrant on their part and a special Providence for us that they enquired into the Signs of these Times for therefore hath God caused them to be recorded and writ them every where in the Prophets Dan 7 8 9 10 11 12. 2 Esdr 4 5.1 13.9.1 4. and 13.30 Matth. 24. Mark 13. Luk. 21. 1 Tim. 4.1 2 Tim. 3. 2 Pet. 2. and 3. Jude Revelation per totum Yea the Lord reproves the neglect of this duty in the Scribes and Pharisees Matth. 16.1 Exhort Believe the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ The Disciples in the Text believed it and enquired what the sign should be of it they who believe this shall be partakers of the Resurrection Life and Glory 1 Cor. 15.23 where we read first Christ then they that are Christs at his coming the V. Latin hath Qui in adventum ejus crediderunt They who believe in the coming of the Lord Jesus Heb. 9.28 when Christ who is our Life shall appear then shall we appear with him in glory Col. 3.4 2 Tim. 4.8 when he shall appear we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming 1 Joh. 2.28 When Christ who is our Life shall appear we shall be like him 1 Joh. 3.2 Without the coming of Christ to us we shall never be established and confirmed in Grace Love Mercy c. for 2. Two things there are which must concur to make a perfect habit intention and radication 1. Intention imports the fulness of principles and rules necessary for an habit 2. Radication is the setling and establishing the habit in the soul Thus he who would get the habit and perfection of any Art or Science he must know all the principles and rules belonging to it then he must be setled and grounded in them and they in him and then he hath gotten the habit of the Art The like we may say of any Trade or Handicraft And this is true in the Art of Life which is the true Christianity he who desires to attain unto it and become a perfect Christian it 's necessary that he not only have the word of the beginning of Christ and the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ but that he also go on unto perfection Col. 2.7 Hereby beloved ye perceive what an errour it is that some are blamed for that they teach the Doctrine of Perfection sith as without it a man cannot be a compleat and perfect Christian Yea see their gross absurdity who teach they would have men exact and perfect in every Liberal Art and Science perfect Grammarians Rhetoricians Logicians Arithmeticians Geometricians c. yea they would have every Tradesman perfect in his occupation yea they will allow a man to be a perfect Knave 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But as for a Christian man who professeth that Art of Arts and Science of all Sciences the Christian Life who hath Christ the Wisdom of God and Peace of God and Righteousness of God for his Teacher he must be alwayes a Non-proficient a Dunce an arrant Bungler never a perfect Christian man These two Intention and Radication concurring to the making of a Christian man a man may know all the Principles of Christianity yet still be inconsistent unstable unconstant c. To the stablishing and setling him in the Christian Life the coming of Christ himself is necessary 1 Cor. 5.6 7 8. Who shall confirm you Phil. 3.20.21 whence we look for a Saviour who shall change these our vile bodies and make them like unto his most glorious body Heb. 13.21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will Col. 2.6 7. As ye have received Jesus Christ the Lord walk in him rooted and grounded through Faith in him 1 Pet. 5.10 And the God of all Grace who hath called you make you perfect strengthen stablish you Sign He that hath this hope viz. that Christ shall appear purifieth himself as Christ is pure 1 Joh. 3.3 Tit. 2.12 13. The Grace of God hath appeared teaching to live righteously godlily and soberly looking for the blessed hope even the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Means 1 Pet. 13. Gird up the loyns of your mind 1 Thess 5.23 Now the God of Peace sanctifie you throughout in Body Soul and Spirit 3. Question What shall be the sign of the end of the world Hitherto we have the Disciples two first Queries 1. When these things shall be 3. What shall be the sign of his coming 3. The third Querie remains what shall be the sign of the end of the world wherein two things must be explained 1. What world is here meant 2. What is the end of that world the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. What world is here meant why are there more worlds than one surely there are for the Apostle tells us That God made not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the worlds by his Son Hebr 1.3 because perhaps this Doctrine is not so much taken notice of I shall therefore spend a little time in opening of it and shew 1. That there are more worlds than one 2. I shall enquire of what world the Disciples here speak when they enquire what shall be the sign of the end of the world 1. That there are more Worlds than one there is macrocosmus and microcosmus a greater and lesser World The word here used is sometime turned ages and generations See Notes on Heb. 1.3 In the Disciples Question we have two things 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. The Disciples suppose and take for granted That there shall be an end of the World 2. They enquire what shall be the Sign of the end of the world Besides these Worlds which are of God's making the Devil hath also his World of that St. James speaks Chap. 3. and calls it a world of iniquity that 's a world that lies in wickedness 1 Joh. 5.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the wicked one or in the Devil surely this is Sathans World not God's See Notes on Heb. 1.3 2. Of which of all these Worlds do the Disciples enquire after the end The word we turn an End is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is Consummation or Consumption As the Worlds you have heard are many so the End of the World here enquired after seems not to be one only For whereas the Disciples expected the Coming of the Lord as I shewed in the former point they here enquire after an end of that world which hindred that his Coming and that is 1. The Devil's World consisting in the Dominion of Sathan the Prince of this World 2. The Vanity
us unto If any man will come after me let him deny himself Vse 2. This speaks consolation to the poor dejected soul of man Alas I find this duty difficult very difficult Dost thou remember thy solemn Vow and Covenant made with thy God in Baptism that thou wouldst forsake the devil and all his works the pomps and vanities of the world and all the sinful lusts of the flesh c. This Covenant was that which they of the Primitive Church entred into when every one said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I renounce Satan All Vows and solemn Leagues and Covenants are to be explained by this and measured out by this There is no doubt but whoever will in good earnest go about this important duty he shall meet with strong opposition from the World and therefore he hath need of strong consolation Tertullian saith of the Church in his time Nihil illa de causa sua deprecatur quia nec de conditione miratur sicut se peregrinam in terris agere inter extraneos facilè inimicos invenire There is no help for it thou must displease men Mel exulcerata mordet Hony is sharp when it meets with Vlcers but sweet to them who are in health and sound Tull. therefore the Cynick spake I know not how truly of Plato What profit saith he can be in that man who having long time read Philosophy among us was yet never troublesome to any When we begin this hard work O what opposition what contention do we meet withal Why self is strong our own wisdom will not give place to the Wisdom of God The lusts of the flesh are strong the self-will is head-strong and will not yield to the Will of God But on the contrary the Spirit of God is strong in time the rebellious Will may become more tame The house of Saul i. e. arrogancy and self-will that becomes weaker and the house of David the Love of God becomes stronger and stronger so that at length the self is weak and feeble and the Lord becomes strong and his work is perfected in us Observe I pray how this comes to pass in the Order of the Priests 1 Chron. 24.7 The first lot comes forth to Jehoiarib the Lord contending and striving the second to Jedaiah the knowledge of the Lord the third to Harim dedicated the fourth to Seorim Demones oppugnantes fifth Milchias the Lord the King sixth Mayman preparing waters of repentance seventh Accos Spina the thorn which pricks us to the heart Act. 2.8 Abijah Dominus Pater vel Domini voluntas of this Order was Zachariah the Father of John the grace of the Lord which is the fore-runner of Jesus Christ and therefore the ninth Order is of Jeshua And from hence is an increase in the Spirit more and more until the man become nothing and the Lord all in all for so the twenty third Lot comes forth for Delaiah Pauper Domini one whom the Lord has made poor lean exhausted and empty of all self and then the last Lot comes forth for Maaziah the strength and power of the Lord. 2. The second qualification of Christs follower is 1. Taking up his Cross And 2. That daily wherein 1. Let us inquire what 's meant 1. By the History of the Cross 2. By the Mysterie of it The History of the Cross is that punishment of Malefactors this seems to have been more proper to the Romans what death they should dye which punishment was of all other the greatest in that it was the most painful lingering infamous and accursed of all others Phil. 2.8 2. What Mystically may be here understood by bearing the Cross The most agree that by the Cross is to be understood all manner of persecutions afflictions and tribulations c. But persecutions cannot be the Cross of Christ 1. Afflictions befal all men alike Eccl. 9. But bearing of the Cross is proper to him who will be a follower of Jesus Christ they that are Christs have crucified the flesh withe the affections and lusts Gal. 5. 2. We are warranted to flee persecutions Matth. 10.23 When they persecute you in one City flee to another But vers 38. He tells them he that takes not up his Cross and followeth me is not worthy me 3. Afflictions are part of that which is born upon the Cross not the Cross it self whereby we bear afflictions 1. Reason is in regard of Gods command in the Text that we take up on us another life 2. This is reasonable according to that Law wherein God delights lege talionis we have crucified Christ by our Sin Isai 53.5 they have pierced the Father and the Son wherefore mortifie or crucifie your Sins 3. Reason is in imitation of Christ's death if we must take up the Cross against all and every sin then it seems no sin no not the reliques of sin must remain in us he that endures to the end the same shall be saved If ye by the Spirit shall mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live What men say that the reliques of sin must remain they have no Word of God for it besides there is the greatest danger in them Observ 1. The taking up the Cross is of far larger extent than is commonly understood when men assign for the object of it only outward affliction where also note the subtilty of Satan for the preservation of his own Kindom and consider here also the accomplishment of Types and Figures setting forth our crucifixion and mortification of sin Observ 2. This discovers the vanity and unprofitableness of all outward Altars and Crosses without the inward Cross the patience of Jesus Christ Repreh 1. Of those who perform this duty by halfs yet acknowledge sin must be crucified and mortified but put it off for hereafter for another life wishing with Augustus for an easie death also those who are able to subdue outward foes but are arrant cowards against their inward enemies their sins and those who instead of taking up their Cross make crosses to themselves 2. We hence justly reprove those who will not take up the inward and spiritual Cross the patience of Jesus Christ but reject it and cast it away in the lump of inherent Righteousness and as for the outward Cross they abhor it as the Jews did and count it foolishness as the Gentiles did So that which way soever we understand them taking up or bearing of the Cross that which St. Paul saith to the Philippians concerning some of them is true of these That they were enemies to the Cross of Christ Also those who account this command of Christ impossible yet can they do what is less possible unreasonable and unthankful men the Lord who hath all power both in heaven and in earth is able to strenghten and support them and impower them by his spirit to subdue and mortifie all the power of the enemy But Beloved let us be exhorted to take up or bear our Cross after our Lord be possest with
the patience of Jesus Christ that through faith and patience we may inherit the promise even the holy Spirit of Lord. 2. Take up the Cross daily this imports continuance in bearing the Cross there is yet somewhat more to be done the words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the day The reason may be 1. from sin by us contracted 2. from the object temptations which daily assail us 3. the duty our daily immitation of Christ our forerunner our example Observ 1. That the bearing of the Cross is the patient suffering of all things whatever that befalls us in this life whether inwardly or outwardly whether from Satan or from the Creatures yea the assaults and temptations of sin it self without consenting thereunto which is the true Catholick Doctrine it 's universal and that which concerns all men and every man The Lord said unto all If any man will come after me c. God would have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of his truth and all have sinned and so fallen short of the glory of God and have added to the burden and matter for the Cross Observ 2. The spreading nature of sin and temptations unto sin it 's diffusive and extends it self like a common contagion and infection unto all hereditary diseases many times reach no further than to one family but sin infects us all 3. Note hence a Sovereign Catholicon and Universal Medicine a most precious remedy and as diffusing and spreading as the Malady The Apostle sets an emphasis upon it 1 Cor. 1.18 For the preaching of the Cross is foolishness to them that perish but unto us who are saved by it it is the power of God the Articles which declare the emphasis are neglected by our Translators 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that word that of the Cross 4. Mark here the wisdom and goodness of the great Physician of souls in reveiling this Sovereign Remedy so necessary for all men yet taken notice of I fear but by a very few in comparison of all whom it concerns In your patience saith the great Physician possess ye your souls do the lusts of the flesh press and assault thee daily to give them satisfaction deny thy self daily take up thy Cross mortifie these earthly members Great is the variety of Medicines for the Body how have these been made known to the Sons of men surely either by tradition or by communication of Angels but the preserver of Souls keeps the Sovereign soul-remedies and dispenses them himself and here we cannot but take up a common complaint of a general neglect of this so necessary a duty which concerns all men he said unto all Quod omnes curant id omnes negligunt Hitherto we have considered these two duties apart with the persons invited thereunto come we now to consider them joyntly and as they are a means to advance the end the following of Jesus Christ 3. Then if any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me The invitation is propounded unto all and every man and brought home to his own bosom or door 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if any man will come after me 't is a connex Axiom as we call it a conditional proposition wherein the antecedent preserves the consequent if any man will come after me c. The antecedent contains the end to be a follower of Christ the consequent contains the means self-denial and taking up the Cross I have spoken of the means in themselves considered let us now consider them in order to the end if we would obtain the end we must make use of the means 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to come after or follow Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are words taken from travelling and wayfaring and because the life is called a way coming after or following some leading example is imitating the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred to follow to accompany with one Plato would have it of α simul and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 via importing one who travels and follows another in the same way as here to follow the Lord Jesus Christ The coming after and following the Lord Jesus Christ is not in his Principles and Tenents only but in his life and practice also as for his Principles they are not speculative but to walk as he walked The reason may be if we rightly consider that beside the life of God breathed into us self-choosing is crept in and another life then God made in man Videt hanc visámque cupit potitúrque cupitâ Observ 1. To come after the Lord Jesus Christ to be his follower is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a thing desirable for it self the end is desirable for it self the means for the end and so they are both in the words if any man will come after me there is the end let him deny himself there 's the means The reason why the Lord requires his will to be obeyed to his own work may be even his justice and equity for we have suffered our wills and affections to run ryot to follow after vanity and so become vain and therefore it is just and reasonable that we withdraw them from their vain objects and return them to their proper centre so the Apostle reasons Rom. 6.19 For as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness and hereunto is required Rom. 6.5 6. if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin if we suffer with him we believe also that we shall live with him Observ 2. Hence that though the means is most unpleasant and harsh yet it becomes most delightful because procuring the end we most desire who would not swallow down a most bitter potion to save his life who would not cut off his own right hand or foot or pluck out his right eye to save his whole body from perishing how much more are the most difficult and hardest things made possible and easie that we may enjoy the everlasting life Observ 3. See here the mercy and goodness of our gracious God who puts every man in a way to his own bliss and happiness if any man will come after me c. where I am there shall my servants be The Disciple is not above his Master but he that is perfect shall be as his master Luk. 6.40 Observ 4. Hence it may be made appear that the Lord Jesus Christ hath few very few followers for who so loves the divine wisdom as to reject and deny himself his own wisdom most young men are like him in the Gospel Mar. 14. they run away when they should bear the Cross Phil. 2.8 Observ 5. How self-love
and Christ stand in opposition one to other so that he who will come unto Christ must deny himself renounce himself take up his cross crucifie his flesh with the affections and lusts for there is no agreement between Christ and Belial 2 Cor. 6. Repreh That dangerous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and disorder in this doctrine concerning self-denial and taking up the Cross and following the Lord Jesus it 's placed in the last place and left to us to do by way of thanksgiving or thankfulness whereas we see our Lord propounds it to the multitude as the first lesson they should learn and practise but the common way is first to know a mans misery secondly his deliverance from it by Christ dying for us whereby he is justified thirdly thanksgiving for that deliverance Self-denial and taking up the Cross and renouncing all ungodliness c. are every where in Scripture so evident that the Devil himself if he would make a body of Divinity he would not leave holiness out but these men have put it in a place that the Devil himself could not have chosen one more to his advantage for when men believe that they are already delivered from their enemies the world the flesh and the Devil and are already justified and saved from their sins will they be forward to repent them of their sins by way of thankfulness will they then think we cut off the offending foot or hand c. such thankfulness so expressed would be very rare but even like unto fidlers and begging strangers that are sometimes but troublesome guests so c. 2. Those hence are to be reproved who think it Religion enough to be Orthodox to hold true Principles and Opinions as if it did suffice herein only to follow our Lord who think the way wherein to follow our Lord consists in tenents without the life 3. They who would pretend to follow the Lord Jesus yet deny not themselves nor take not up their Cross daily Men have soon done with hard duties they take a great deal of pains in self-denial and taking up the Cross and consider not that it 's a daily duty but self-seeking returns the sin returns and oftentimes the latter end is worse than the beginning see examples of this kind some because they have gotten a step or two before others in the way of life Rom. 12.16 become wise in their own conceits the like we read of Vzziah 2 Chron. 26.16 When he was strong his heart was lifted up to his destruction Nay we may say the same of others who have made greater proficiency in Religion than these had done yet self-seeking gets in and endangers the ravelling all they have done Hezechiah when he had attained to so great Grace how was his heart lifted up 2. Exhortation unto that which is our daily duty let it be our argument and subject by our experience in the process of this duty to treat upon it in this our day in this part of the day of our life which yet remains Hitherto I have spoken of this Text or of these words in themselves The words are now to be handled according to their reference unto the former In the 18th verse our Lord requires of his Disciples whom the multitude said he was to which in the 19th verse they answer according to different judgements and in the 20th verse he enquires whom they say he was to whom they answer by St. Peter the Christ of God whom he chargeth to reveil that to no man and gives for reason that the Son of man should be rejected by the Elders and High Priests and Scribes and be killed and the third day to be raised from the dead The reason of this is 1. This he spake to his Disciples for their satisfaction to prevent the scandal and offence which might come upon them by his death 2. And that his hardened and blinded enemies might proceed in their malice and ignorance to do that which God by them had determined to be done for the salvation of men Observ 1. The Lord spake mysteries secrets unto his Disciples which he would not have made known to all men because not qualified but what was of publick concernment and belonged to all men he said unto all If any man will come after me let him deny himself c. whence note we ought to learn to distinguish what and to whom we speak The conjectures of the multitude concerning Christ though otherwise erroneous yet were all honourable some that he was John the Baptist others that he was a Prophet or more than a Prophet or that he was Elias who prefigured the same John the Baptist a zealous Prophet that he was a Prophet of the old ones raised from the dead suppose Elisha who was endued with a double spirit of Elijah and had miraculously fed a multitude as our Lord had done though far short of the Lord Jesus as types alwayes fall short of the truth typified and in all these there was truth for our Lord Jesus was that great Prophet that was to come that great Grace of the Lord which is John that true Elijah God the Lord that true Elisha God the Saviour And so ought we to demean our selves that though we ought to pass through good report and evil report we may gain by our holy conversation a good report among them that are without that they may say no evil of us justly but only good as the multitudes said of our Lord though they knew him not that he was John the Baptist or Elias or one of the old Prophets A word of Consolation to the weak but yet willing follower of Jesus Christ the spirit indeed is willing though the flesh be weak I say persist in that good will 1 Joh. 5.4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world and this is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith But alas I find my self too weak to withstand my lusts to deny them too weak to bear the Cross against so strong temptations pray unto the Lord for Divine Power for Divine Virtue for strength from above for patience that through faith and patience we may inherit the promise Let us be exhorted therefore to come after the Lord Jesus Christ to follow him in his way this is the old way wherein all the holy Men and Saints of God have walked even from the beginning Jeremiah implyes it was hidden and lost in his time and therefore he exhorts the people to seek it Jer. 6. and our Lord tells us that few there are that find it and much fewer that walk in it our Lord saith of Abraham that he would teach it his Children to walk in his wayes to do justice and judgement for our invitation hereunto our Lord will go before us and behind us Isa 51. and 58. follow the example of our Lord Phil. 2. Let the same mind be in us 1 Pet. 4. Forasmuch as Christ hath suffered in the flesh arm your selves
Baptist is sent to prepare the Lords way lest he come and smite the earth with a Curse The Old Testament ends with a Curse the New with a Blessing Apoc. last and the last The Curse will lay hold upon us unless we lay hold upon the blessing But here it may be objected that if this way of the Lord be to be prepared before the coming of Christ then Righteousness shall be by the Law and by John Baptists Doctrine I answer the Law is our School-master to bring us to Christ Gal. 3.24 that we may be justified by faith For though there be divers stages or parts of the Lords way yet all of them make but one way distinguished secundum magis minus perfect and less perfect Act. 18.25 26. And albeit the Righteousness which John preacheth be Righteousness going before Christ and Psal 85.13 and John the Baptist be Christs forerunner yet is that Righteousness no other than the righteousness of Christ and the righteousness of the Gospel and the beginning of it as the Scripture speaks expresly Mar. 1.1 And though John be the forerunner of Christ yet was Christ before St. John as he himself confesseth Joh. 1.15 and preached the same Doctrine that St. John did Matth. 4.17 and appoints his Disciples so to do Mar. 6.12 For Christ is yesterday and to day and the same for ever Hebr. 13.8 Alpha and Omega the first and the last Rev. 1.8 So that what seems to be ascribed unto the Law or to John the Baptist or his Doctrine is but instrumental or by way of preparation unto Christ for by the deeds of the Law shall no flesh be justified in Gods sight Rom. 3.20 for Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believeth Rom. 10.4 1. Then to prepare the way of the Lord is to purge it and make it clean Observe then from hence that if the way of the Lord be to be purged and cleansed and so to be prepared That the nature of sin is filth and uncleanness nothing is said to be cleansed but from that which is unclean As sin is in it self uncleanness so with and by it we have defiled and corrupted our way as the Scriptures speak of the old world Gen. 6.12 all flesh had corrupted their way yea it defiles and corrupts others also as the Psalmist compares the life of ungodly men to a Snail Psal 58.8 which consumes it self and leaves a slime behind it even so ungodly men shall one day acknowledge saith the Wise Man Sap. 5. That they have wearied themselves in the way of wickedness and destruction yea we have gone through desarts where there lay no way but as for the way of the Lord we have not known it Thus they waste and consume themselves and leave a slime behind them of a wicked example unto others 3. Being thus defiled having thus corrupted our way we stand in great need of cleansing especially before we come to the Table of Shew-bread in the Holy It is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bread of the face which we call Shew-bread that bread figured Christ himself Joh. 6.32 33 35. bread with frankincense upon it Eph. 5.2 such a Table the Lord prepares for us Psal 23.5 and most fit it is that we prepare and fit our selves that we may become fit guests at such a Table The guests at this Table were only Priests The way to this Holy Table lay by the Porch by the Laver and by the Altar 1. This is an Age in which every man undertakes to be a Priest because it is said that the whole Church is a Royal Priest-hood and I would to God that we were all such as Moses wished that all the people could prophesie that the Lord Jesus Christ would make us all Kings and Priests unto God his father that he would present us unto himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that we should be holy and without blemish Ephes 5.26 27. as the Saints are said to be without blemish before the Throne of God Apoc. 14.5 That we may come such Priests unto the Lords Table we must 1. Pass through the Porch i. e. the fear of God the beginning of wisdom whereby we depart from evil Then 2. We come to the Laver Exod. 25. where the Priests must alwayes wash before they enter into the Holy that laver of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which is shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour Tit. 3.6 3. From this Laver they passed unto the Altar I will wash my hands in innocency and so will I come to thine Altar The Altar whereon 1. Christ offered up himself for us Hebr. 10. 2. The Altar whereon We offer up our selves unto God a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God 3. The Altar whereon We burn up and consume all our carnal lusts and affections and shew forth the Lords death until he come 1 Cor. 11.26 The Lord for his mercy sake so fit and prepare us for his heavenly Table Again Prepare the way of the Lord It is the Great Kings Charge by Proclamation The Metaphor is taken from Pioners ut supra Add Isa 45.2 where the Lord promiseth Cyrus a type of Christ I will go before thee and make the crooked places straight This the Lord doth before the true Cyrus the Sun of Righteousness by the Ministry of John the Baptist or else The Metaphor may be taken from the custom of preparing wayes to the City of Refuge Deut. 19.3 whither he was to fly who had slain a man by ignorance or unawares and so St. Peter tells the Jews that they had slain the Prince of Life but saith he I wote that through ignorance ye did it Act. 3.17 and Jam. 5.6 the Apostle tells the oppressors and voluptuous men that they had condemned and killed the just one i. e. the Lord Jesus Christ which he speaks as well to us who through our own lusts and pleasures have killed and crucified the Lord Jesus in us Gal. 3.1 I have spoken of the Duty shewn the reasons of it and answered an objection as also made some application to our selves It 's useful to us 1. generally as it treats of a preparation of the Lords way 2. especially according to the several wayes of preparing it 1. Generally so observe an Antichristian or wicked man is not made a Christian ex tempore See Notes in Matth. 16.17 It 's a business that concerns us all and every one of us yet quod omnibus dicitur id nulli dicitur quod omnes curant id omnes negligunt common duties are such Who goes about sadly and seriously to prepare the Lords way in his own heart yet who is not ready to check another for not preparing it who minds this his own greatest business who busieth not himself about others Master what shall this man do so Peter enquires concerning John Joh. 21.21 but our Lord checks him for that
to see the life 1. The Son of God hath all power in heaven and in earth and therefore all authority to command He is the heir of all things Hebr. 1. to whom the Father hath given all things into his hand 2. He is also the Prince of Life Act. 3.15 and hath life in himself and quickens and enlivens whom he will 3. He is the Author of Everlasting Salvation unto those who obey him and by like reason he hath power and authority to exclude all men from eternal life and salvation who disobey him 4. In regard of the life It cannot be seen by any but such as have some proportion and semblance thereunto that the eye may see the Sun it must be Soliformis and that a man may see the Eternal Life he must be obedient For without holiness no man shall see the Lord disobedient men are spiritually blind for the eternal bliss consists in the sight of the everlasting life Hence we may discern who are those quick-sighted Eagles he who obeys the Son shall see the eternal life obedience and holiness is the true eye-salve of the Soul 5. Believers in the Son may and ought to perform such obedience as the Son of God requires This is evident from the wisdom and righteousness of the Son who is so wise that he knows what power believers have and so just as to command no greater service than they are able to perform since therefore he who disobeys shall not see the eternal life surely he might have performed such obedience as the Lord required that he might have seen that life And this is the rather to be observed because most men at this day alledge either want of will to God or want of power in themselves 6. Hence note there is a Lordship Dominion and Soveraignty due unto the Son as also to the Father and to the Holy Spirit in their successive dispensations 7. Observe hence what excludes men from participation of eternal life not any antecedent decree of God debarring any man from eternal bliss no St. John here layes the whole blame upon the man himself and his defect of duty he that obeyeth not shall not see that life Hebr. 3. ult They could not enter in because of unbelief which in the verse before is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which our Translators render To whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest but to those who believed not the words are who obeyed not 1. Vse is for Reproof of those who pretend they would see the eternal life yet use not the Lords Opticks Obedience and Holiness Heb. 13. 2. Let us be exhorted to partake of and live that life despise not the tender of Gods love Kiss the Son lest he be angry and ye perish from the right way This exhortation is proper to our purpose whether we consider the object of the whole Text the Son of God to be believed on and obeyed the duty to be performed unto that object Kiss the Son the main motive perswading to that duty lest he be angry The only begotten Son of God anointed by the Father and appointed his Christ i. e. the annointed one to whom the Father gives all authority in heaven and in earth I have set my King upon my Holy Hill of Sion the ground of that Authority He is the Son of God his Jurisdiction his Kingdom very large all the Heathen his right is by inheritance he is heir of all things Hebr. 1.2 This duty to be performed kiss the Son is to obey him which ye read Gen. 41.40 At his mouth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall all my people obey or as we turn it there shall all my people be ruled All my people shall obey thy Commandments and that out of love and acknowledgement of subjection As Samuel having anointed Saul professed his love and subjection to him by kissing him 1 Sam. 10.1 Again by kissing the Son was Divine Worship understood 1 King 19.18 wherefore be we exhorted to kiss the Son i. e. worship the Son Hos 13.2 all due to the Lord Jesus adoration and worship love and subjection and obedience unto the Christ of God as Pharaoh calls Joseph Zaphnath-Paaneah Gen. 41.45 The Saviour of the world this is the principal duty Add hereunto means assisting removens prohibens remove the disobedience and rebellion 't is the counsel of Moses Deut. 10.16 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart and be no more stiff-necked and disobedient and he gives reason from the greatness of him whom we ought to obey vers 17. For the Lord your God is God of Gods and Lord of Lords a great God and a terrible who regardeth not persons nor taketh rewards The most powerful means to help on our obedience is Love for howsoever the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom and hereby the Lord begins the work of obedience in the Soul Primus in orbe Deos fecit timor which is Prima mensura Deitatis whereof Exod. 20.20 Moses said fear not God is come to prove you that his fear may be before you that you sin not This Fear is the beginning of his Love but the middle between Fear and Love is Faith Ecclus. 25.12 the fear of the Lord is the beginning of his Love and Faith is the beginning of cleaving unto him and therefore Moses puts love in the body of the Decalogue Exod. 20.6 And shewing mercy unto thousands in them that love him and keep his Commandments What can be too hard for the obedience of Love That which almost all men complain of the great burden of the Commandments Mandata ejus non sunt gravia Pray to the Lord for the effecting of that which he hath promised to do Deut. 30.6 wherein we have the removal of what hinders the principle of Obedience and the Life it self And the Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy Seed to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and all thy soul that thou mayest live NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON JOHN VI. 55 56. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For my flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him THis is an hard saying who can bear it So said some of his disciples vers 60. and vers 66. from that time many of his Disciples went back and walked no more with him So that it is inded an hard saying yet be not thou scandalized whoever thou art but hear him who first uttered this speech him who can best expound it and make it good It is the Spirit that giveth life the flesh profiteth nothing at all The words that I speak unto you they are Spirit and they are life Lift up your hearts we say we lift them up Why was it an hard saying because they heard it and understood it with their fleshly mind Away then with all gross and carnal imaginations arising
proportionable to this 1 Tim. 3.13 They that have used the office of a Deacon Or have ministred well purchase to themselves a good degree Of these some understand 1 Cor. 12.28 Where the Greek words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not as we turn it helps in governments but helping governours So that Beloved when the Lord gives his Spirit in that great measure as Wisdom 7.27 There is no reason power and authority should be denyed unto the true Elders O no would God all the Lords people were Prophets and the Lord would put his Spirit upon them as Moses speaks upon occasion of the Spirit given to the first Elders But I shall here make use of what a great States-man spake concerning Offices in the Common-weal and to supply them Places saith he are not wanting but fit able and worthy men are wanting unto places would God all were able But as I shewed before out of Act. 6.3 The Deacons must be men full of the holy Ghost How much more the Elders they must be able to judge of all controversies able to give the holy Ghost 1 Tim. 4.14 Able to recover the sick Jam. 5.14 15. is any sick among you let him send for the Elders of the Church c. Such an Elder was Paul Act. 28.8 Paul entred in and prayed and laid his hands upon him and bealed him Where-ever such an holy Government is I shall not doubt to affirm that it is Jure Divino by Divine Right But if we leave out some and add other according to humane prudency though the best I dare not then say it is Jure Divino an humane Ordinance it is to which we ought to submit our selves 1 Pet. 2.13 if ordained by the higher Powers over us and it may stand Jure Humano But if we shall chuse covetous proud broasters full of envy c. having a form of godliness such as tyranize over weak consciences and judge chaste Susanna to death Such as these condemned our Lord such a goverment I shall not say is Jure Humano much less Divino yea such a Government will be Jure Diabolico Such are the Elders of the Philistines dunkards Midians men of false judgement Egyptians sinful and ungodly men It is now long since viz. October 19. 1645. that I received A Vote from the Honourable Court of Parliament commanding a choice of ruling Elders to be made forthwith Now because in a former direction set forth by the Honourable Court Order was given That the Minister of every Parish respectively should preach before any such choice should be made In obedience to that command I published the Vote in the fore-noon and preached after-noon upon that subject as also the Lords day after that It was not then without the good hand of our God that I was upon a Theme concerning Christ the Ruler of Israel Mich. 5. Nor do I conceive it otherwise now but that when I am to speak to you concerning the very same subject I am engaged in a Text as fit and proper as that was the rule and reign of life 1. I shall speak of the name and qualification of Elders and their choice The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we turn Elder as also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is of the same signification and Senex or Senior the word answering to these in Latin they all signifie an old man in regard of natural age But because such as these had gotten experience and wisdom they have been thought fit in all ages to be put in places of Authority to rule and govern others Such were the Senators of Rome and the like Rulers in other Kingdoms as France and Spain have their names from their age as with us Major is Major aetate and dignitate So Alderman is from the Saxon Ealderman an Elder or more aged men and in authority and place above others Such as these have been Rulers in the Kingdoms and Common-wealths So we read of the Elders of Egypt Gen. 50.7 Elders of Moab and Midian Numb 22.7 But the Elders we are now to speak of are the Elders of Gods people and his Common-wealth of which we are not to seek only in the New Testament the name of Elders as also the office was well known in the Old But truly the neglect or ignorance of the Old Testament hath rendered many things in the New Testament obscure unto us Among them was the office of Elders in the Church And therefore as the Apostle discoursing of the Sacrament refers to the first institution of it 1 Cor. 11. And teaching the Doctrine of the Resurrection refers to the Resurrection of Christ 1 Cor. 15. speaking of the superiority of the man over his wife he refers to Gen. 2. And all this after the example of our Lord who speaking of Marriage and Divorce refers to the beginning Let us enquire then into the beginning of Elders in the Church of God We read of Elders Exod. 24.14 but such as must refer their business to others Numb 11. Moses complaining of his burden The Elders were chosen by Moses their qualification is implyed in this they must be such not as every one knew to be Elders but such as Moses knew to be such and who are they only those who have numbred more years O no wisdom is old age 2. Another qualification is they must be like to Moses in Wisdom and Piety and other graces this is implyed that they may stand there with thee in vers 16. On these the Lord poured his Holy Spirit vers 17. By these the people of the Jews were governed By such as these the Church of Christ was governed Such an one ye read described Tit. 1.5 9. if this place be vnderstood of preaching and teaching Elders what place shall we find for ruling Elders Truly I know none except that 1 Tim. 5.17 Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour Such as these assembled together were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole state of the Elders as we turn it Act. 22.5 Now if by these we understand Ruling Elders doubtless they must be men of most exact lives I pray take notice of them Titus 1.6 7 8. By these Characters are expressed all the graces of the Spirit rendring the Ruler accomplish'd for his duty toward God his neighbour and himseâ—f and houshold nothing is wanting And doubtless most reasonable it is that he who is to rule the Church of Christ have in himself the Spirit of Christ dwelling and governing him otherwise he is not fit to rule others otherwise Christ the life and prince of life shall not rule but man vain man shall rule yea the beast or the devil And therefore it is most necessary that such a Ruling Elder be an Elder indeed i. e. not a novice but one grown up into the perfect age of Christ Ephes 4.13 Every Believer hath Christ in him in some good measure vers 7. but the Elders much more vers 13. And therefore
the Truth all they were shadows and he the body Col. 2. And therefore Christ is more excellent than all these as we say in our Greek Proverbs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Second thoughts second counsels second cares second wills c. the more happy the more wise what 's the reason The first Adam will be first in counsel he suggests his earthly thoughts and cares instances of this kind are many Luk. 9. vers 59. one called to follow Christ will first go hury his Father Another will first go bid them farewel that are at home And our Lord likewise because he had the first Adam in him though without sin not my will but thine And mark it when ye will when we are addressing our selves to some holy and religious duty then and then especially we shall find some one or other worldly business to do though we had none before Old Adam then will set us a work now because men take little notice of this hence it is that the earthly sensual life is lived by most There is a threefold life vita plantae vita animalis vita hominis So we men care what we shall eat drink wherewith we shall be cloathed where we shall dwell c. after all these things do the Gentiles seek who live the life of the first Adam and these best agree with him And therefore the Apostle 1 Pet. 4.3 Let the time of your life past suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles Mean time the second Adam the new man though he be the great Counsellor yet his advice is not hearkened unto The poor mans wisdom is commonly despised till it be too late Ecclus. 9.16 And therefore it is not good too suddenly to be resolved in counsels nor to give heed unto the first thoughts which are commonly from flesh and blood Jehoshaphat was wise after the advice of four hundred Prophets he desired to hear a prophet of the Lord 1 King 22.6 7. First that which is natural and then that which is spiritual Observ 4. We learn then what to judge of the world that now is and that which is to come I speak not here of that world which shall come when we have put off our natural body but of that future estate which the Saints attain unto in this life when they are delivered from this present evil world Thus the Scripture distinguisheth between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 12.32 It shall not be remitted in this world nor in that which is to come Mark 10.30 He shall receive an hundred fold in this time and in the world to come eternal life Luk. 18.30 and 20.34 35. The children of this world marry but not so in that world Joh. 12.25 He that hath his life in this world What worlds are these 1. The first is Adams or Edoms or Esaus world 2. The second is Christ's world or Jacob's world as it is called in Esdras 1. Of Adams world the Devil is the prince Joh. 12.31 The prince of the world cometh and 14.30 And the Prince of the world maketh Princes under him 1 Cor. 2.6 The princes of this word that come to naught And this world hath a wisdom proper to it and the Princes of it vers 6. not the wisdom of this world and the princes of this world Jam. 3. fine And as there is a wisdom proper to this world so there are lusts proper to it 1 Joh. 2.15 16. Love not the world all that is in the world are the lusts of the flesh the lusts of the eyes and the pride of life There are children of this world Luk. 20.34 35. And this world lieth in the evil one 1 Joh. 5.19 2. The world that is to come is the Kingdom of the Messiah 1. And he makes his subjects princes in all lands Psal 45.16 He makes them Kings and Priests unto God his Father 2. And he hath his wisdom proper to this world 1 Cor. 2.6 We speak wisdom among them that are perfect c. 3. And as there are lusts of the present evil world so is there a will of God opposite unto those lusts 1 Pet. 4.1 2. He that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin that he no more should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God 1 Joh. 2.17 The world passeth away and the lusts thereof but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever 4. And whereas the world lies in the evil one and his lusts Gal. 1.3 4. Jesus Christ gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us out of the world of the evil one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the will of God and our father They who are delivered from this evil world are thought worthy of the world of the Messiah Luk. 20.35 Such were the Disciples so John 17.11 Now am I no more in the world but these are in the world c. Yet though in the world yet are not of the world vers 14.15 They are not of the world even as I am not of the world and therefore I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou shouldest keep them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of the evil i. e. That thou shouldest deliver them out of this present evil world of the evil one Gal. 1.4 who is the Prince of it Repreh 1. This reproves the vain and proud boasters of Adam's perfections and the powers of Nature there have been such in all Ages they were meant by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the race of Nimrod all vanity is all man in his best estate Psal 39.6 7. Man walks in a vain shew LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatever man proud man thinks The Lord knows the thoughts of man that they are vain that they are vanity it self Psal 94.11 All what man hath his powers and faculties or acts they are no better than he is from whence they proceed there is nothing sound in man till he that is to come be come 1 Cor. 13. Repreh 2. But herein I fear the most of us are justly to be reproved who are outwardly minded and carried by our thoughts only to Christ's outward coming and to what Christ hath only done outwardly and suffered and mean time think little of his inward coming his inward operations and sufferings in our souls Whence I may boldly appeal to your experience whether all the Festivals bearing name from what Christ hath done or suffered have not been generally observed by us as if we had intended by them to have honoured rather the first Old Adam than the second and the New rather Adam the Type than him that is to come Truly Beloved however we believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith Christ born Christ suffering Christ crucified Christ dead Christ buried Christ risen Christ ascending Christ sitting at the right hand of his Father Christ coming again to
the trumpet of the Jubilee was to sound and liberty was proclaimed throughout all the Land Levit. 25.16 when the servant was freed from his master and one of his brethren was to redeem him vers 48. all which pointed at Christ and our deliverance and redemption by him from our spiritual thraldom under uncleanness and iniquity so our Lord who best knew interpreted it Luk. 4.18 The spirit of the Lord is upon me he hath sent me to preach deliverance to the Captives recovering of sight to the blind to set at liberty them that are bruised to preach the acceptable year of the Lord and vers 21. This day saith he is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears this day of Christ who is hodie Hebr. 13. and fulfilled it was then and God grant it may be fulfilled now for now daily the spirit of God calls upon us to day if ye will hear his voice Now daily the trumpet is blown proclamation made to the servants of sin to renounce their masters and yield their members servants unto righteousness For this Liberty is not wrought by a strong imagination which many a deluded soul calls faith but it 's really and truly wrought in him where ever the Son makes free if the Son make ye free then are ye freed indeed not only in conceit as I shall shew anon He is our elder brother and not ashamed to call us brethren Hebr. 2.11 and to him it belongs to redeem us as being our brother so the Law was Levit. 25. and he through death works a powerful redemption He overcame him who had the power of death i. e. the Devil and delivers or redeems them who through the fear of death were all their life time subject unto bondage vers 15. But now is the judgement and now the Prince and Ruler of this world is cast out This is that hard master that tyrant whom so long we serve as we serve uncleanness and iniquity from whence we are then freed when the Creature is redeemed from the bond of corruption into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God The Jubilee or blowing of the trumpet is the publication of the Gospel the joyfull tydings of redemption through Christ Lift up thy voice like a trumpet Isa 58.1 shew my people their transgression and the house of Jacob their sins let them know that they serve not those masters they owe services unto they are now called to serve righteousness Revel 1.10 11. and 4.1 Christ's voice is a great voice the voice of a trumpet the trumpet of Jubilee the last trumpet hath sounded to raise us up from the death of sin into the life of righteousness Rev. 1.15 1 Cor. 15. Psal 89.15 And blessed thrice blessed are they who can distinguish the sounds of the trumpet know the joyful sound There are many trumpets blown which give uncertain sounds Alas we are in Babel in a confusion we understand not one another but only according to the false conceit every man hath in his own heart and therefore no man prepares himself to the battle to go out of Babel We think the only thraldom is without us and that far enough in the Babel at Rome I excuse not them I believe they have the best share of Babel in the whole Christian world but while we all misunderstand and misapply the Scripture and mistake and oppose one another and continue still under the service of iniquity we are in a Babel in a confusion Out of this Babylonian slavery and captivity under sin uncleanness and iniquity the Prophet and Apostle call us by the trumpet of Jubilee Come out of them my people come out of their slavery out of the captivity of sin unto the glorious liberty of the Sons of God And blessed are the people that know the joyful sound they shall walk in the light of thy countenance in thy name shall they rejoyce all the day the day of the Lord and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted Psal 89.15 16. Psal 60.4 Cant. 2.4 Isa 13.1 2 3. That we may the better understand this we must consider Gods threefold oeconomy and dispensation under the government of the Father the Son and the Spirit and these three as in every Christian Man so in the whole Church These are commonly neglected and hudled all together confusedly and without distinction whereas there is indeed in Scripture a manifest distinction of them one from other 1. The dispensation of the Father and the Son as Rom. 3.19 We know that whatsoever things the Law saith it saith to those who are under the Law vers 21. But now the righteousness of God without the Law is manifested being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets even the righteousness of God which is by the faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all that believe vers 26. 2. Of the Son and Spirit Joh. 14.25 26. These things have I spoken unto you being yet present with you but the Comforter the holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name he shall teach you all things 3. We have all three together 1 Cor. 13.11 12. I was a Child I spake as a Child I understood as a Child I thought as a Child there 's the dispensation of the Father toward the Child under the pedagogie and discipline of the Law of which St. Paul speaks Gal. 3. and 4. But when I became a man I put away childish things He understands the young mans age the age of strength under the Gospel of Jesus Christ the power of God yet though the man be then strong yet he hath not a clear sight of God but sees through a glass darkly he sees the back parts of God Exod. 33.23 as yet he sees through a glass But by the dispensation of the Spirit he sees God most clearly Numb 12.6 7 8. face to face Answerable to these three dispensations are the three degrees of obedience 1. to the Law 2. the obedience of Faith 3. the obedience of Charity Now of all these three dispensations the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the now in the Text referrs to this time of Christ this accepted time the time of Jubilee the day of Salvation Christ the Redeemer challengeth this duty of us which is the end of his redemption That we being redeemed out of the hands of our enemies uncleanness and iniquity those who tyrannized over us might serve him in holiness and righteousness all the dayes of our life Let every one groan until the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Text the time of Grace for as the whole Church so every member in it hath a time under the Law when lusts rule in our members Rom. 7. from which Christ the Redeemer in his due time redeems and frees us This was figured Jude 3. Gal. 4.4 Observe what is the true redemption wrought by Christ what else but redemption from uncleanness and iniquity for properly redemption is the buying again of that which was sold Thus Ahab sold
Porch that 's the fear of our God and the fear of the Lord is clean and holy Psal 19.5 through that we depart from evil if we stay in the Porch we shall never enter into the HOLY the second part of the Temple yea we must first come to the Laver the water of Regeneration and there wash our hands in innocency and so come to the Altar of our God the patience of Jesus Christ and offer up our selves as a lively sacrifice to our God Here offer we up our trespass-offering and our whole burnt-offering such guests the Lord welcomes to his Table Eat O my friends drink yea drink abundantly my well beloved our bodies being washed with pure water and we abstain from fleshly lusts 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Commandment if just or righteous 1. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Philosopher is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifieth two wayes or severally implying that Justice is more properly that Virtue which is not exercised by one alone but with reference to another as Aquinas saith of it it 's aliena virtus a virtue in us whereof our neighbour hath a share According to the thing it self we must know that justice is either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. 'T is either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which is such according to that light of God in us which we call Natural Reason whether there were any written Law enjoyning it or no as not to kill not to bear false witness c. 2. 'T is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which is such by positive institution such as we call our positive Laws 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This epithet or adjunct of the Commandment disposeth and setteth the man in order to his neighbour whch that we may the better understand we must enquire what is meant by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word in the Text which we turn just and righteous and what the thing it self is signified by it First 1. Justice or Righteousness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by nature or natural reason is either general and universal righteousness or special 1. General of which that well known Verse is understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Tully turns thus Justitia in sese virtutes continet omnes This is defined by some to be all and every grace and virtue Justitia est omnis virtus or more largely est virtus secundùm quam aliquis vult operatur rectè So the Philosopher defines it Eth. 5. Others Justice is the greatest beauty and splendor of all virtues and graces according to which men are called just and righteous ones and indeed it signifieth no other than Christ himself unto us who is made unto us righteousness 1 Cor. 1.30 According to this large notion righteousness and holiness are oftentimes taken promiscuously one for the other as Hebr. 12.10 11. what is called holiness vers 10. is called righteousness vers 11. whence it is that 1 Cor. 6.11 Ye are washed ye are sanctified ye are justified The special righteousness is that which is contained in the Moral Law which we shall have occasion to speak of in the next adjunct of the Law where the Apostle saith the Commandment is good Mean time that Justice which is here intimated unto us where the Apostle saith the Commandment is Justice is the righteousness of the Judicial Law that which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by positive institution that which hath the force and obligation not from the nature of the things enjoyned though much of these be said but also from the Authority and Ordination of the Law-giver who enjoyns them For as by the Authority of the Law-giver and prescript of the Ceremonial Law the man is disposed and set in order towards his neighbour so that as the Ceremonial Law is figurative so likewise is the Judicial Law according to that which we read 1 Cor. 10 11. Omnia in figuris contingebant illis c. not omnia haec sed omnia as it is read in all ancient editions and cited by the ancient Fathers Now that we may know the fabrick and sphere of the Judicial Law the just Commandment here spoken of and how it orders one man unto another ye may understand that the Judical Law respects the Common-wealth of Israel and Society of the Jews and that either 1. In it self or 2. In regard of the strangers and enemies of it 1. In it self and so it prescribes rules 1. For those who live in luce communi vita the duty of 1. Superiors towards Inferiors 2. Inferiors toward Superiors 3. Equals among themselves 2. The duty of those who live a private and domestick life wherein we have three 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or combinations and the duties of every one of them to the other 1. Of an Husband toward his Wife and of a Wife toward her Husband 2. A Father toward his Children and a Child towards his Father 3. A Master toward his Servant and a Servant toward his Master And this is a Synopsis a view of the Kingdom and Common-wealth of Israel in it self considered 2. Being considered in respect of others they are either friends or enemies unto them and accordingly there are Judicial Laws informing them in their duty toward them In respect of every one of these the Lord hath prescribed Laws and those just ones for whereas the second great Commandment is love to our neighbour so great that he who loves another hath fulfilled the Law Rom. 13.10 The cords of this love bind the Superiour to his Inferiour and the Inferiour to his Superiour equals to equals private combinations among themselves and the whole Common-wealth in defence of it self and its friends and allies and against the enemies of both According to this Law of Love judgement ought to run down like waters and righteousness as a mighty stream from the superiour to the inferiour To this purpose is the just Commandment touching the Election and Duty of a King Deut. 17.14 The choice of Judges and Officers in all their gates beside that great Judicatory at Jerusalem the Commandment touching their duty to hear the causes between their brethren to judge righteously between every man and his brother and the stranger that is with them Deut. 1.16 Laws for the due progress of justice preventing occasion of injustice as taking bribes and rewards commanding justice to proceed secundum allegata probata by testimony of two or three witnesses prescribing punishments according to demerits of evil doers As righteousness runs down from the head and hath an influence upon the body so it is derived by the holy Commandments as by veins unto the several parts and members of the body allotting and securing unto every man his own possession and prescribing rules of communicating common cases of our neighbour and his goods Deut. 22.1 If thou seest thy brothers oxe or his sheep go astray thou shalt in any case bring them again to
the Pharisees which our Lord came to correct their Glosses were upon the Law which our Lord confutes Matth. 5.6 They thought that a man was then only guilty of murder when he actually shed blood But our Lord who knoweth the meaning of the spiritual Law he saith whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of judgement without a cause is not extant in the ancient Copies as a diligent searcher of Antiquities hath observed he that hateth his brother is a murderer 1 Joh. To commit adultery may be with a lustful eye and in the heart Yea the friendship of this world is adultery in Gods account Jam. 4.4 the like we may say of Idolatry c. of Swearing and taking Gods Name in vain Object But we seem hereby to attribute too much to the Law I answer if we shall consider the Law only as a carnal or weak Commandment we ascribe too much unto it but if we consider Christ himself assisting the weak man labouring under the Law and a minister of Circumcision as he is called in that respect the Law may be said to be strong and powerful yea so strong so powerful that what is spoken of the Law the very same is spoken of Christ Deut. 30.12 14. conferr'd with Rom. 10. When the Lord promiseth to make a New Covenant with his people He expresseth himself thus Jer. 31.33 I will put my Law in their hearts c. Hebr. 8. What is that Christ yes Christ himself is the very Covenant Isai 55.3 I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Apostle explains to be meant of Christ Act. 13.34 yea the Prophet speaks expresly I will give thee for a Covenant to the people and for a light to the Gentiles Isa 42.6 So that I hope Christ and the Law are surely reconciled when they are both one and the same Consol The Law is Spiritual but I am Carnal I am weak The spirit indeed is willing that 's from the good spirit of God but the flesh is weak that 's from impotent and weak nature Yet despair not the time will come when thou shalt be strong because thou art flesh of Christs flesh and bone of his bone that was the great mystery whereof St. Paul speaks Ephes 5. For as the Mother of all Living Eve was built out of the first Adam who was the image of the second the figure of him that was to come Rom. 5.14 so is the Church the heavenly Eve or mother of all those who live in the life of God built out of the highest Adam the man from heaven heavenly and made flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone and therefore as he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so is she called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a name of strength power valour and courage So to be men or manly is to be strong and valourous Isa 46.8 1 Cor. 16.13 from hence the Apostle reasons to the encouragement of the weak spiritual Eve Ephes 5.29 30. No man yet ever hated his own flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it even as Christ the Church for saith he We are members of his body and of his flesh and of his bones out of weakness they became strong Thou hast a good will according to the spiritual Law and so Gods will is done in heaven pray that it may also be done in earth Exhort To be spiritually minded to observe the spiritual Law This duty rewards it self to be spiritually minded is life and peace and joy when the heart and the flesh rejoyce in the living God this is the true liberty where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3.17 Ambulabo in latitudine I will walk at liberty for I seek thy Commandments Psal 119. Till the Commandment appear good unto us and which is a proof of that goodness till the Law be commended unto us as spiritual and we spiritually minded with it we are held in straitness but when the good Commandment when the spiritual Law and the love of the spirit comes the heart soul and spirit is enlarged I will run the way of thy Commandments when thou hast enlarged my heart Psal 119.32 This was figured by those three Wells which Isaac digged Gen. 26.20 Esech Sitnah and Rehoboth Esech is contention Sitnah is hatred Rehoboth is room Ezech. 41.7 Ephes 2. an habitation of God in the spirit Flesh and blood shall not inherit the kingdom of God We say commonly flesh and blood cannot endure this or that and therefore we think we reason well and do well to be angry and impatient whereas indeed all those corporal and carnal accidents yea flesh and blood it self must not enter into the kingdom of God we must first be spiritualized by the spiritual Law and the body must be made a spiritual body 1 Cor. 15. We know that the Law is spiritual Here we must enquire 1. What it is to know 2. What kind of knowledge is here meant 3. Of whom the Apostle speaks this when he saith we know 2. Prove this 3. Shew the reason of it 1. I will enquire the first of the Philosopher he will tell us that Scire is per causam scire which with him is demonstration and he speaks trulier than he was aware of for to know a spiritual truth in Scripture-language is to understand it by demonstraâ—â—â—n of the Spirit 1 Cor. 2.4 My speaking and my preaching was not with entising words of mans wâ—â—dom but in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power 2. And that 's the knowledge here meant lumen spirituale the spiritual light received from God which brings with it conviction and evidence whereby we know and are perswaded that the Law which seemed to us before to sound as it were only litteral and carnal is indeed mystical and spiritual 3. By which we understand that the same person cannot well be meant under We we know and I in the next words I am carnal so as the carnal and spiritual man are opposed one to other so are their conceivings and knowledges opposed one to other 1 Cor. 2.14 and 1 Cor. 3. I could not speak to you as unto spiritual but as unto carnal unless the Apostle in the next words be to be understood to speak by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a condescent when the person speaking doctrinae gratiâ takes upon himself the person of another or else speaks of himself as he had been sometime before he attained unto this spiritual understanding and if we so judge we need not make much dispute as some do whether Paul speak in his own person or no when he saith I am carnal 2. We of whom speaks the Apostle this Of the Apostles and Spiritual men that the Apostle and all spiritual men know this such were the true Priests of the Lord the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the true Elders who were grown up to the true and
may we not then justly fear that God may take away our peace and plenty from us 3. As concerning other Nations whose iniquities were not yet full which were not of the Canaanites they were to proffer them peace Deut. 20.10 which if they accepted well if not they were to smite every Male with the edge of the sword And what hath the Lord done now these many years but by his long patience toward us offered us peace but we are so bold with him we will have it upon our own terms an ease and peace in the flesh a peace without Righteousness he offers only such a peace as is the effect of Righteousness Isai 32.17 such a peace as is a companion of holiness Hebr. 12.14 if we accept this peace well if not are we stronger than he as the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 10. Our present estate is like that of the Jews Jer. 18. where the Lord sends the Prophet to the potters house the Potter was now working a work upon the wheels and a vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter so he made it another vessel as seemed good to the potter to make it Then came the word of the Lord to the Prophet saying O house of Israel cannot I do with you as this potter saith the Lord as the clay is in the potters hand so are ye in my hand O house of Israel at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom to pluck up and to pull down and to destroy it if that nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their evil I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them And as it followeth vers 11. the Lord now frames evil against us let us take the advise he gives them Behold saith he I frame evil against you and devise a device against you return ye now every one from his evil way and make your wayes and your doings good O let not us as they there wickedly resolve we will walk after our own devices and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart Shall we so provoke the Lord Are we stronger than he Are we not in his hand as the clay in the potters Are we able with our ten thousands or so many as we boast of to meet him who comes against us with his holy ten thousand thousands Jude vers 14. the words are not well turned O no. By strength shall none prevail against the Lord of hosts Let us rather O let us take with us words and return to the Lord and say unto him Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously and let us desire his conditions of peace These conditions the Jews refused and their enemies and what then remained but the sword 4. Lastly for Answer to this doubt Under the Gospel all things become new And those things which befell the Jews in figures were written for our examples upon whom the ends of the world are come Christian men therefore have not any outward enemies so properly called as those inward and of our own houshold for we wrestle not against flesh and blood i. e. against men but against spiritual wickedness in heavenly things Ephes 6.12 in high places so we turn it we are altogether for places and persons and accordingly we esteem our enemies there 's nothing answers to places in the Original the words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in heavenly things Ephes 6.12 against spiritual pride envy covetousness and temptations thereto the fiery darts of the devil Against our own strong holds our own imaginations our own vain thoughts and reasonings our own lusts and pleasures 2 Cor. 10. These are the enemies of our own houshold yet alas who almost doth not hugg these as his own dear and bosom friends who doth not exercise his anger his hatred his malice and enmity upon men as if they were indeed his true enemies Good God! how much Christian blood might have been spared yea might yet be spared were this Truth known and acknowledged by the ambitious revengeful and bloody minded Rulers of the world Now because some understandings want information touching this Duty others fall short of performance of it others perform it but with grief and difficulty and all of us I fear want quickning hereunto it 's useful for all by way of Instruction Reproof Consolation and Exhortation 1. Observe behold what a God we have to deal withall a God of Peace a God who commands the exercise of Peace towards all men if ever in his works he shew himself otherwise it 's our iniquity that makes him otherwise or his own mercy to his Saints and Servants and therefore where he falls out with us he discovers a great deal of unwillingness on his part How shall I give thee up O Ephraim how shall I deliver thee up O Israel how shall I make thee as Admah how shall I set thee as Zeboim Hos 11.8 When he had sent the Ten Tribes into Captivity he makes an Apologie for himself 2 King 17. and so for sending the Tribe of Judah and Benjamin c. 2 Chron. 36.14 when he brought the flood upon the Earth he first again and again tells us the cause of it Gen. 6.4 There were Giants in the earth in those dayes and vers 5. God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually and vers 11. The earth was corrupt before God and the earth was filled with violence and vers 12. All flesh had corrupted his way and vers 13. The earth is filled with violence and then what remains but destruction I will destroy them from the earth And generally when he sends wars troubles and commotions in the world it is out of mercy to his Saints that they might not set up their rest in this unquiet world but seek their peace and rest in him In the world ye shall have tribulation in me ye shall have peace Joh. 16.33 As for his own genuine and proper act about War it is to end it with a blessed peace Psal 46.9 Come behold the work of the Lord it is his proper work what desolations what wonderous desolations he hath wrought in the earth what are they killing and butchering of men burning villages and towns No. See what desolations he works in the earth He maketh wars to cease unto the utmost end of the earth He breaks the bow and cutteth and knappeth the spear in sunder and burneth the charriots in the fire that 's his work to make wars to cease in all the world Every fool can raise Contention and strife but 't is a wise man only yea 't is the only wise God who can compose and end it It is the glory of a man to cease from strife but every fool will be medling The foolish and distempered Princes of the world in all Ages to satisfie their own
below what was below before they place above and so turn the world upside down Malac. 3.15 We call the proud happy but our Lord saith Blessed are the poor in Spirit and God resists the proud saith St. James and let the brother of low degree rejoyce in that he is exalted but the rich in that he is made low Jam. 1.9 We speak good of the rich and covetous and say such an one is a good man we mean a rich man but our common dialect is when we call a poor man good-man though few are so called in this City for hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith And John the Baptist prepares the way of the Lord as Pioners are wont to do before an Army before the Lord comes with his holy ten thousands Jud. 14. Every valley shall be lifted up and filled and every mountain and hill shall be brought low Luk. 3.5 That which is high among men is an abomination in the sight of God Luk. 16.15 Thus the Christian Religion turns the world upside down when being it self peaceable and orderly it sets all things in the world in their due place and order Repreh 1. This is a duty wherein I fear we fail most of us either 1. In the intension of it or 2. In the extension 1. In the intenseness of it for alas how remisly how negligently is peace maintained among us a cross word a little disrespect a small detriment or loss it ravels all that peace and unity which for long time had been knitting together but an Opinion that divides men like Sampson's Foxes and sets all in a fire it scatters them like Babel O beloved these things ought not so to be What if the Lord hath given our brother a greater illumination and a larger sight of the heavenly things than our narrow brain can comprehend shall our eye be evil because Gods eye is good or lies it in our brothers power to change the Truth of God and his Judgement of it or what if our brother have greater strength of judgement touching things indifferent than we have shall our Conscience be offended at him shall the strong despise the weak or the weak condemn the strong or shall a little breach prove a perpetual rupture and division God forbid The Saints of God should be like the more subtil and purer Creatures like the more Spiritual Natures as when the Sun-beams are divided they immediately unite themselves together again nay the air and water as Solomon observes they do the like Much more the Saints of God being of a spiritual and heavenly nature and disposition if there fall out any unhappy division among them they unite themselves presently together again of wickedness it self and of the incorrigible wicked the vessels of dishonour and wrath be it spoken that they are like the potters vessel being broken they cannot be made whole again Isai 30.14 that they are like the fall of the Devils that can never be repaired Repreh 2. And as much to blame we are Beloved in maintaining peace according to the extension of it The Christian Peace it is of equal extension to the Christian Charity now that extends it self to all men 1 Cor. 16.14 2 Pet. 1. to brotherly love common love or love to all men Beloved I lay hold upon every occasion that invites me to speak of these large these common these general duties that must be performed to all men they render us like unto God himself He is the God of peace and the children of God are the peace-makers Mat. 5.9 now vers 47. of that Chap. If ye salute your brethren only the Syriack Interpreter there If ye ask the peace of your brethren only if ye maintain peace with your brethren only if ye add not to your brotherly peace common peace as to brotherly love common love what do ye more than others Do not even the Publicans the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what greater matter do ye than others do God requires and expects that his Children should do greater things than others do Now even Laban and Nabal the two Churles in Scripture who anagrammatize each the others name even they were good to their own blood Nabal especially is an arrant churle upon record and so unpeaceable such a son of Belial that a man could not speak to him Shall I take of my bread 1 Sam. 25.10 11. and my water and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers and give it unto men whom I know not whence they be Yet even he loved his own The Sodomites and Aegyptians are noted by the Wise Man to have been unpeaceable and unkind toward strangers yet even they loved their own yea that rich man in hell loved his own and wish'd well to his brethren upon earth yea the Devil as we say loves his own and is at peace with his own While the strong man keeps the house all his goods are in peace and if his kingdom were divided saith our Saviour it could not stand And then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what do we more than these if we confine our love and peace within the bounds and precincts of those who love us Certainly all such love and peace is but self-love and partiality which restrains all our love to our neighbour and peace with him yea all our love to God himself to our own profit pleasure preferment and advantage whereas if the true Christian love and peace have their due dimensions they enlarge the heart and carry it out of it self not only to those who love us and are at peace with us for so it returns again to us and is resolved into self-love but even to all our enemies even to all men 4. Observe that Religion which is unpeaceable unquiet and turbulent it is no true no Christian Religion Popery betrays it self in nothing more to be a false Religion and Antichristian than by unpeaceableness cruelty and inhumanity The first founders of Rome they say being exposed were nourished by a Wolf and well they might and have suck'd in wolvish cruelty with their milk for one brother slew the other of their posterity came the Roman Emperors who like grievous wolves spared not the flock of Christ but were Authors of those bloody persecutions and slaughters of Christ's flock in the Primitive Times whom they persecuted under the name of Christians and since their persecution ended the Romanists still Religious men under pretence of Christianity do the same things like grievous things Act. 20.29 They spare not the flock of Christ but persecute it under the name of hereticks Hence wars burnings murders massacrees inhumane and bloody designs unwarrantable by any rule of Christianity yet doth not their unpeaceableness and bloody mindedness justifie us if we do the like we justifie them and condemn our selves for if a man be a persecutor unmerciful unpeaceable it matters not of what Religion he is Under Christ and his Gospel Mercy and Truth are met
no warrant to vent it out of the Pulpit Surely a great preservation it was if preservation and deliverance be to be esteemed according to the evil from which we are delivered this must be a very great one The lives of many thousands were in hazard as well of the Men had been our Assailants as those assaulted and consequently the Salvation of many Souls which might have suddenly been snatcht away to judgement O Beloved There is too little consideration had of the precious life which is continued unto us for the preservation of our more precious Souls for the working out of our Salvation with fear and trembling Alas we have but a little a very little time and that most uncertain how long to enjoy our Natural lives Yet how many thousands are there this day endeavouring to shorten one anothers life and to quench their coal as the widow of Tekoah speaks not considering that every one of us carries an Immortal Soul in an earthen Vessel And such is our unpreparedness generally notwithstanding the heavy hand of God upon us that it may be justly feared had this design been put in execution thousands of Souls had gone down quick to Hell O Beloved Let us not flatter our selves with the opinion of the purity of our Religion while we our selves are unclean an unholy no nor with the justness of our cause while we our selves are unjust nor the malice of our Enemies while we our selves are malicious I have observed very few of such temper that they could express their praise and thankfulness to God for their own preservation without bitterness against their Enemies It is but a Jewish disposition and unworthy of a Christian in their Commemoration of deliverance from the mischievous design of Haman they used these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So some in the Gun-powder Plot have condemned the wisdom of the King and inveighed against the malice of their Conspirators without respect unto their own unworthiness and due thankfulness unto God as if all evil were on one side Repreh Those who cannot praise God but they must be cursing of Men this was a legal and Jewish trick not a Christian duty for so the Jews though that they did was figurative in their Feasts of Purim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the Christians have learned a better lesson Rom. 12.14 Bless them that persecute you Bless and curse not No the Christian man must not render evil for evil nor railing for railing but contrariwise blessing knowing that ye are thereunto called that ye should inherit a blessing 1 Pet. 3.9 St. James found this fault in his dayes what would he say if he lived in our With our tongue saith he bless we God and therewithal curse we Men Jam. 3.9 10. As if making them as bad as may be were to make us good just like the Pharisee yet these may be of Gods People exhorted here to praise him But others there are who undertake to praise God yet are not of his Nation As the close Hypocrites who place all their praising of God in outward expression of words singing of Psalms talking of Gods Word and works these outward praises are good in their kind but as for the real praises of God here here they are utterly deficient I have known some far outstrip others in this outward vocal praise of God every Sabbath day spend it wholly in hearing and repeating Sermons and conferring and singing most devoutly yet on the week dayes are ordinarily as devoutly drunk and they are as ordinarily blamed for untrue and unfaithful dealing cheating lying and dissembling O Beloved praising of God is not to make a noise with a mans mouth the best praising of God is the real praising of him in heart Yet others because they are not such hypocrites conceive they have liberty to be prophane yet will these be praising of God Let such as these remember God cannot be praised by him who is of a disorderly Conversation Psal 50. Vnto the wicked saith God why doest thou take my Law into thy mouth and Prov. 28. Those who forsake the Law praise not God no they praise the Devil or the Evil One and let them know that the Devil himself gave as good testimony of Christ as these can But the worst of these and that 's strange are those who praise God for their sins who commit Whoredom c. and stand before God in his Temple Jerem. 7.9 10. and Zach. 11.7 They who slay and sell the sheep of Gods Flock and yet say God be thanked or blessed be God for I am rich There are many such in these dayes who praise God for the happy Advent or coming of sin into the world and praise God for his Wisdom in so contriving it and bringing it about that now they have a way to be blessed and happy and never do any thing but believe that all 's done to their hand Os impudens out Blasphemy These are of that Sect which St. Austin calls Ophites a sort of Hereticks that worshipped the Serpent for being the cause of Mans Fall But thou mean time who ever thou art Poor Soul who heartily praisest God for all his Mercies vouchsafed unto thee Comfort thy self in God what if thou canst not talk so devoutly or sing so loud in the praise of God God is no more worshipped with mens mouths than with their hands Act. 14. unless their heart go with them What though the perverse and crooked Generation make no account of thy real praise of God as they are said little to esteem it Wisd 5.1 Is' t any marvel though the Swine trample on the Pearl though the dung-hill Cock prefer his Corn before it because he can clearly chaunt out the vocal praises of God O let it not dismay thee that thou art lampas contempta in cogitationihus divitum a despised lamp in the eyes of proud spirited men Job 12.5 That thy light shines in a dark place and the darkness of men comprehends it not Chear up thy self and go on still really to praise God So let thy light still shine before men though all do not glorifie thy father yet some will Nay saith St. Gregory Quis est adeò bestialis qui videns in credentibus vitam puram non glorificet nomen invocatum in tali vita What man is such a beast that seeing the holy life of believers will not glorifie God in such a life If thou find it otherwise yet marvel not the very same befell thy Lord and Saviour and what wonder is it though the Sun shine forth at high noon if the blind take no notice of it And let us all hearken to the Psalmists and Apostles joynt Exhortation to praise and glorifie the Lord. Many Motives might be named it 's the first and last Duty of Man The morning-stars sing Hallelujah and it proceeds ex ore infantium out of the mouth of babes Judah is Praise but that which all aim at is the Mercy of our
God will cause Righteousness and Praise to spring forth before all the nations The Reason of this why all things are thus become new beside what hath been formerly delivered is the decree of God Isa 56.17 I create new heavens and a new earth and vers 18. I create Jerusalem a rejoycing and her people a joy and the end of this decree is that the new people may serve God in newness of life Rom. 6.4 and newness of spirit Rom. 7.6 That they may be to the praise of his glorious Grace Celebrate and Magnifie his Name being to sing that new song Hallelujah in the Church on earth the Jerusalem that is beneath which will never end in that Jerusalem which is above Apoc. 19. This point is useful for Instruction and Consolation and Exhortation 1. Observe for Instruction the excellent estate and condition of Gods new people they have all things new in them They are renewed in the spirit of their mind Rom. 12.2 They have a new heart and a new spirit Ezech. 39.26 they are the people of the new world the new heaven and the new earth wherein dwells Righteousness 2 Pet. 3.13 Inhabitants of the New Jerusalem Apoc. 3.12 How excellent are the new people They walk in the new and living way the way of life as it is in the Syriac Hebr. 10.20 They walk in newness of life Rom. 6.4 they serve God in newness of spirit Rom. 7.6 they speak with new tongues and if thus we understand our Saviour Mar. 16.17 it will be a sign that follows all that believe when the new people speak as the Oracles of God Pet. and to the edifying of one another They are called by a new name i. e. they are called Christians Act. 11. a glorious name so glorious and so powerful that it is the saying of an Ancient Father No man would be an heathen if we who are called Christians had a care to be such no man would be so brutish but he would presently hasten to be a Christian if we who call our selves by the new Name of Christians performed and made good in our Life what we make shew of in our Name Let us observe this who are Christians and either make our lives better or be ashamed to bear our New and Glorious Name what a shameful contradiction in adjecto it is drunken Christians adulterous Christians covetous Christians envious and malicious Christians treacherous lying faithless disobedient Christians factious Christians who divide Christ and forsake that new Name and call themselves after the names of Men Were ye baptized in the name of Paul saith Paul himself much less were we baptized in the name of any Man Leader of any Sect and why then should we be called by his Name whatever it is I doubt not Beloved but some Sect hath come nearer the Truth than others have done and that there is somewhat eminent in every Sect as Mirandula speaks of the several Sects of Philosophers Aliquid magni est in unaquaque Secta But they are all no better than so many pieces of Christ's Coat which every Sect takes to it self as our Saviour speaks and puts as a piece of new cloath to an old garment Matth. 9. to cover their nakedness but Christs Coat is without seam and in him not only in a shew or a pretence but all things are new But the poor dejected and disconsolate Soul may say Are all things new in Gods new people Alas I find little or nothing new in me mine old things are not passed away Answer No thou couldest not find that unless there were some thing new in thee the old things discover not themselves to thee that they are such but the old are discovered by the new for all things that are discovered are discovered by the light for whatsoever doth make manifest is light Ephes 5.13 It is one degree to wisdom for a man to know that he is not wise and the way to wisdom is to be a fool in this world 1 Cor. 3.18 For there are degrees of renovation 2 Cor. 4.14 15 16. The inward man is renewed day by day so that although all things are become new yet all things are not become new all at once Nemo repente fit optimus But the Old Serpent deceives me with his subtilties Answ As there is an Old subtil Serpent so there is an ancient of dayes the only wise God who prevents thee with his Grace that thou mayest not be deceived by the Old subtil Serpent And as Moses lifted up the Serpent so must the Son of Man be lifted up Joh. 3.14 15 16. But the Old Serpent tempts me to mine old sins Answ As there is an old Serpent tempting so there is a new Man succouring thee and those that are tempted Heb. 2.18 There is a faithfull God that will not suffer thee to be tempted above what thou art able 1 Cor. 10.13 But my sins are so many and so often iterated that God is weary of repenting Jer. 15.6 God will not be weary of repenting that he hath forgiven thee if thou be not weary of repenting that thou hast offended God But mine old sins return upon me and vex me Psal 79.8 Answ As thou hast old sins so hath thy God old loving kindnesses Psal 89.49 But mine old sins solicite me to entertain them day by day Answ And Gods mercies are renewed every morning Lam. 3.23 Wherefore despair not poor Soul but as thou art tempted daily by thine old sins so die daily to thy old sins and be renewed daily in the spirit of thy mind Renew thy repentance daily and daily let thy requests be made known unto God and daily pray unto him to create in thee a new heart and renew a right spirit in thee If thus thou doest fear not but be assured that in Gods due time all things will become new unto thee Lastly It serves for Exhortation to us who are to eat this new and spiritual meat and drink this new and spiritual drink that we endeavour ever hereafter to walk in the new and living way It is our vow promise and profession that we truly and earnestly repent us of our sins and that we are in Love and Charity with our neighbours and intend to lead a new life following the Commandments of God and to walk from henceforth in his holy wayes It is that we pray for that we may ever hereafter serve and please him in newness of life to the honour and glory of his Name through Jesus Christ our Lord. More NOTES on II CORINTH V. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Old things are past away behold all things are become new MOral old things are past away I entered before upon an Exhortation that we would let these old things pass away from us A business of the greatest moment a duty which most nearly concerns us yet that which of all duties in the Christian Life we are most hardly and with the greatest difficulty perswaded unto to hate those things
took it in deep disdain that Christ should intimate he was greater than great Abraham What art thou greater than our father Abraham Why how great I pray you was your father Abraham Nay how little rather if you 'l hear him speak he 'l tell you I am saith he of himself dust and ashes Gen. 18.27 Instantiae hae in Abrahamo Jacobo Davide non sunt ad idem accommodatissimae peti possunt a Paulo Act. 9.6 a Davide Psal 57.7 Paratum est cor meum c. cantaho sono tubae And what was Jacob more how great soever in Gods esteem whom God names Israel and added a reason for as a prince thou hast power with God and men and hast prevailed Insomuch that the whole people of God the whole Nation of the Jews and the whole Christian Church is called by the name of Israel Gal. 6. Nay the Samaritans they also gloried in Jacob for so saith the woman of Samaria Art thou greater than our father Jacob Joh. 4.12 Why how great I pray you was your father Jacob Nay how little was your father Jacob If you 'l believe himself I am less than all the mercy and all the truth that thou hast shewn unto thy servant Gen. 32.10 So was David yet what shall I tell you of all the glorious titles wherewith God honours himself this one may swallow up all the rest He was the Type of Christ and such a Type as Christ himself is very often stiled by the name of David So great he was that he might seem not to know himself but indeed he scarce knew himself he was so little and therefore he asked God who he was who am I O Lord and what is mine house that thou hast brought me hitherto 2 Sam. 1.18 Then a man best knows himself and is best known of God when he is thus in a sort ignorant of himself Out of the same humble mind though equal in nature unto all and superiour in dignity to the most He vouchsafed saith St. Paul to serve his generation Act. 13.36 And so in regard of men our Lords passive Humiliation is exemplary unto us that we submit our selves unto the king as supream and governors appointed by him A Theam as proper to the Text as needful for these times But I hasten to the business of the day and descend unto the second step of our Lords Humiliation He became obedient Obedience is the submission of ones own will to the fulfilling of anothers will which includes the command of another and another who commands 1. The command of another as such for if the natural bent and inclination of ones own will be to the same act that is commanded without respect had to the command as such 't is vel nulla vel minor either no obedience at all or less saith St. Gregory because obedience properly respects the fulfilling not of our own but of anothers will 2. That other who commands is God or man not co-ordinately considered but subordinate for howsoever it be true that Gods Will is the first and highest Rule unto which all other wills ought to be conformed as by the first Mover the heavens are turned about yet according to that excellent order which God hath set in things one will draws nearer to that first will than another doth and that nearer will commanding is a second Rule to the inferiour will obeying as the first great Wheel of the Clock turns about all the Wheels yet it moves immediately the second and that the rest whence it is that he that obeys God is subject unto every ordination of man for the Lords sake 1 Pet. 2.13 And thus the Son of God submitted his own Will to the fulfilling of God the Fathers Will both immediately and mediately as to his Parents and Superiour Powers ordained of God and that in speaking doing and suffering Unto which three heads Tertullian de oratione hath reduced our Saviours obedience For whatsoever I speak saith he even as the Father said unto me so I speak and I came down from heaven not to do mine own will but to do the will of him that sent me Joh. 12.50 Jo◠6.38 He came not into the world to do his own will And do any of us come into the world to do our own will the will of the flesh the will of men or the lusts of the Devil No no 't is Gods peculiar property to have his own Will So that to do our own will 't is to rob God of his Property his Glory his Crown his Royalty Will a wan rob God What greater robbery what greater sacriledge what greater crime than Laesae Majestatis Whence saith St. Anselm In inferno maximè ardebit propria voluntas and therefore our Saviour though a Son yet learned he the obedience of a servant and shall not we be obedient as servants that we may be sons for shame thou which art but a man learn thou to obey since God himself obeys if thou disdain to follow the example of a man yet disdain not O man to imitate thy God Thou prayest that Gods will may be done thou dost well but who should do it Shouldst not thou that prayest for it The excellency of the duty it self many move us hereunto for to have this mind of Christ to be obedient unto our God conjungit animam Deo it joyns the soul in marriage unto God saith St. Bernard when soul and body and goods and spirit and life and faculties and members and actions and all we have and all we are is not ours but Gods and we not said to speak but Christ in us not to live nor move nor have any being but in God and God in us O blessed state Sic sic coruscat uxor radiis mariti Thus thus to be obedient unto God it is per amorosam unionem in Deum transfundi saith St. Bernard to be of one Mind one Will one Spirit with him But all men are not moved with this argument what then will necessity perswade them There is no duty accepted of God without obedience without obedience there 's no reward obtained of God for what is the Law without the obedience unto the Law yea what is faith without the obedience of faith And therefore the holy Ghost in Scripture hath so woven Faith into Obedience and Obedience into Faith that they are ordinarily taken the one for the other Observe I beseech you if it be not so Joh. 3.36 Act. 14.2 Rom. 10.16 and 11.30 32. 1 Cor. 7.19 compared with Galat. 5.6 1 Pet. 2.7 beside many such like places if well observed Yea what is charity it self though the end of the Law though the form of Faith by which it worketh though all Faith and other Graces nothing worth without it yet what is charity it self without the obedience of charity So 't is in the vulgar Latin 1 Pet. 1.22 For this is genitrix omnium virtutum the mother virtue as St. Jerom calls it which sets the eye
was the Father that Man should be saved that he spared not his only begotten Son and so willing was the Son that he spared not himself but became obedient to his Father even unto death and ought not we to be at least as willing as obedient and that for our own salvation It 's but our duty for hereunto are we called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps 1 Pet. 2.21 a principal duty which the Sacrament requires of us and which every one of us hath promised and vowed solemnly and stand engaged faithfully to perform For as from the death of Christ the Sacraments have their power and efficacy saith the School so their principal end is our conformity to the death of Christ for know ye not that so many of us as are baptized into Jesus Christ are baptized into his death Rom. 6.3 And to speak a word in season because the Church now generally addresses it self to the Holy Communion Know ye not that so often as ye eat that bread and drink that Cup of the Lord ye shew forth the Lords death till he come till his life appear in our mortal body As they relate of Artemesia that she drunk up her husbands ashes in wine and erected unto his memory a stately Monument So the Church the Spouse of Christ erects a monument in her self of Christs death by her conformity thereunto For the Cup of blessing which we bless is it not the communion of the blood of Christ and the bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ 1 Cor. 10.16 But good God how few are there of that crowd of men who call themselves Christians that dare follow Christ down this third step of his Humiliation For do not most men believe that it 's enough that Christ died though they die not that this work is done already to their hand or if they think it their duty do they not put it off till hereafter Let us eat and drink for to morrow wee 'l die Or do they not think to commute this duty and turn it into vain jangling and conceive that it 's enough for them to dispute it out whether Christ died for all men or no But as for conformity to his death few words of that or if words yet but words Nay men are so averse from this duty that I make no question but many would rather part with all their estates than their sins as Rabanus Maurus spake by experience of some who had left large Revenues and Patrimonies that they might embrace a Monastick life and die to the world yet had not left their anger and covetousness but would quarrel for the value of a farthing Nay many would not doubt rather to dye a violent death skin for skin and yield their bodies to be burned in defence of some tenent which they have chosen to hold in Religion than die the spiritual death unto sin For since men of divers and contrary Religions have laid down their lives upon terms of contradiction it may hence be concluded that one of them at the least died in defence of his own will not that he might loose his own will and suffer according to the Will of God so that under their favour who think otherwise it 's no good argument this or that man dyed in defence of such or such a tenent therefore it 's a true tenent But if so few dare follow our Lord down this step to be obedient unto death Quid dicam in crucem tolli What shall I say of that lowest step of his Humiliation He became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross that painful that lingering that infamous that accursed death of the Cross So painful that crux is all one with a torment and cruciare to torment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there being then in use no torment thought so exquisite But si grave breve no 't was a long a lingering death so that it might be thought a favour even to dye And ad damnum accedit infamia to so great so long a torment add the infamy of it 'T is the most shameful death in the judgement of all men Gentiles Jews and Christians whether we respect the quality of the Malefactors adjudged so to dye 't was the death only of servants and slaves and of those the basest and most notorious Homine libero indignum quamvis nocente saith Lactantius whence St. Paul was slain with the sword because a free-man the other Apostles crucified or put to other deaths because reputed servants Or whether we respect the place where 't was executed without the gate so base so infamous the Gentiles thought it Extra Portam dispersis manibus patibulum habebis saith the Comedian and the Jews account it the greatest reproach of Christans that they worship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a crucified God Nay St. Paul acknowledges it a most shameful death by opposing Glory and the Cross had they known him they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory 1 Cor. 2.8 And shame and the cross are all one with him Heb. 13.13 and you 'l think no less if ye remember those who they are without the gate for without are dogs and Sorcerers and whore-mongers and murderers and idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lye Apoc. 22. And among these they reckoned the God of Truth the Lord of Life Nay add but to the shame of men the curse of God that it was an execrable death for cursed is every one that is hanged upon a tree and 't will appear to be the worst of all deaths of all punishmens the worst Summo supplicio i. e. cruce afficiuntur saith the Lawyer O who hath done this wickedness this great wickedness and with so high a hand sinned against God! who but Judas and the Jews they contrived and plotted his death and Pilat he adjudged him so to dye though he himself confessed there was no cause of death in him Alas poor Pilat alas poor Jew you bear all the blame but we we Beloved we are the men who have crucified the Lord of Glory we we also have been his betrayers and murderers For 't is not the Plot of the Jews only but the conspiracy also of all ungodly men Morte turpissimâ condemnemus eum Nor were the Jews the only men that crucified him but all the Nations of the Earth Apoc. 1.7 and we among the rest he was crucified in the great City of the Devil as St. Austin understood it which is spiritually call'd Sodom and Egypt Apoc. 11.8 For what do the Priests else but mock when they preach Christ one way and live another what do they else but imprison him when they know the Truth and hold it in unrighteousness Nay what do they else but crucifie him For they who sin wilfully after they have received the knowledge of the truth they crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and
seen in me do And the God of peace shall be with you Why so long a Text upon so short a warning The words are in the nature of an hypothetical or conditional proposition or connex axiom and therefore though they may be taken asunder yet no part of them as they are such make an entire sentence alone I shall therefore consider it as one entire axiom or proposition Now because our Rule in analytical method is Intellectus operationis incipit a fine The end foreknown regulates the use of the means Let us enquire 1. What it is for the God of peace to be with us 2. Then enquire into the nature of the means how available they are for the procuring of that end 1. God is called the God of peace because he is the Author and lover of peace He is said to be with one not only in regard of essence presence and power according to which he cannot be absent from any of his creatures But also in regard of his gracious presence and use of his power For the repelling of all evil and procuring all good And thus we find examples of both 1. Moses was afraid to go to Pharaoh But Exod. 3.11.12 The Lord encourageth him Deut. 31.6 8. Jos 1.5 Jerem. 1.8 Act. 18.9 10. 2. Procuring of all good Gen. 31.3 God promiseth to be with Jacob which he interprets to deal well with him Chap. 32.9 Chald. My Word shall be thy help and vers 12. doing good I will do thee good i. e. I will certainly do thee good Mat. 28.20 I am with you to the end of the world And thus Christ is Emmanuel i. e. God with us and if the Son be with us who can be against us Rom. 8.32 1 Tim. 4.8 Hebr. 13.5 That the Lord may be thus with us the Apostle 1. propounds an Idea an Exemplar of Virtue and Graces 2. The same Idea pattern'd and copied out and exemplified in himself vers 9. 1. In the Idea we meet with those Graces which accomplish the Church in it self And then 2. with those which set it off unto others i. e. those that are without 1. They which accomplish the Church in it self are such as order the Church 1. toward God or 2. toward our Neighbour or 3. toward our selves Unto which three the Apostle reduceth the Christian duties Tit. 1.12 1. That which disposeth us towards God is Truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which word all truth is understood especially that of sincerity wherewithal the God of truth is delighted Psal 51.8.6 Thou art delighted with Truth in the inward parts With this he is worshipped and served Joh. 4.23 24. This excludes hypocrisie and lying And to this belongeth the next Duty commended unto us in these words 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever things are honest the Margin Venerable which belongs to the worship of God for so it is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 veneror and hither may be reduced the Fear Faith Love Hope Honour and which we turn the word Honest which are or belong unto the inward worship of God This disposeth us towards our Neighbour in that the word signifieth also grave and venerable and so implyeth a grave deportment that ought to be among men 1. Those things which set us in order to our Neighbour are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatever things are just or righteous wherein is contained as 1. Universal Righteousness comprehending all virtues So 2. more especially that which belongeth 1. to the Magistrate as distributive justice Or 2. to the people among themselves which is Commutative Justice in trading buying and selling In all these kinds the Lord requires 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which is altogether just Deut. 16.20 2. Those which dispose us to our selves are in the next word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which doubtless was anciently read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an easie mistake for so the Latin hath it nor is there any loss in it for the word sanctitas holiness includes in it purity and chastity 1 Cor. 7.34 and such ought the Church to be towards Christ 2 Cor. 11 12. These are the glory of the Church within 3. Those Graces which dispose the Church towards others and set her off to those that are without are amiableness and loveliness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever things are lovely And 4. What will render her famous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever things are of good report And lest any thing should be omitted which might accomplish the Church and adorn and fit her to meet her Spouse 5. The Apostle adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If there be any vertue if there be any praise Thus the Churches cloathing is of wrought Gold And lest this general Idea and pattern should seem not feisible or possible the Apostle propounds himself an Example of what he hath generally named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what things ye have learned as the first rudiments and Principles of Religion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what ye have received as the exact and positive Christian Doctrine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what ye have heard in the Apostles Sermons or familiar discourses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What ye have seen in actions life and conversation The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and pattern he exhorts them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so to think upon that they may bring to practice and life and lest that might seem to dismay them he shews it possible and feisible by his own example what ye have learned c. do Reason Why must we think of these things and do these things if we can hope that the God of peace shall be with us Reason 1. Is in regard of God 2. In regard of Peace 1. In regard of God He cannot be otherwise approached unto but by somewhat of himself Oculus non intuitur solem nisi fit ipse soliformis The eye cannot see the Sun unless it be soliform 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the like is known by its like In thy light we shall see the light now Truth Righteousness c. they are of God and so of God that he is the very essence and being of them 2. In regard of Peace it is the effect of Righteousness Isai 32.17 Rom. 5.1 And it is not vouchsafed to any who have not the things that make for peace Rom. 14.19 and the things that make for peace are these forementioned Doubt But are such the conditions of a firm and well grounded peace such as we speak of and that the God of peace will only upon these terms be with us where then shall we have a peace what good success can we hope for of this treaty What our Lord answered his Disciples upon their question Matth. 19.25 26. Who then shall be saved So to this question who then shall have Peace if peace come upon such terms I answer as our Lord did With men this is impossible but with God all things are possible I see not the things which make for peace among
forth much fruit the balsome or quintessence of the wheat remains after the corn is dead which recalls it to life So doth the Divinity of Christ which revives the humanity St. Paul useth the same similitude that which thou sowest is not quickened except it dye 1 Cor. 15. But Christ in the antitype performed that alone which in his type was most what in Scripture signified by the death and life of two Creatures Two birds were used in the cleansing of the Leaper whereof the one must be killed the other must be let fly Levit. 14. Two Goats must be taken to make expiation for the people whereof the one must be slain the other sent away alive Levit. 16.5 Our Lord is the Truth of both who by himself purgeth the leprosie of our sin Heb. 1.3 And by himself makes expiation for the the people who was put to death in the flesh but quickened in the spirit 1 Pet. 3.18 And though he were crucified through weakness yet he liveth by the power of God 2 Cor. 13.14 O Beloved Should not the love of Christ constrain us that we thus should judge that if one dyed for all then were all dead and that he dyed for all that we who live should not live unto our selves but unto him that dyed for us and rose again 5. Observe the Authority and Soveraignty of Christ To this end Christ both dyed and rose again and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living Rom. 14.9 The like we read Eph. 1.19 22. O then Beloved let us acknowledge his Soveraignty let us demean our selves as his members as we profess we will at this holy Sacrament should not the members hold conformity with their head He will be sanctified in all that draw near unto him 6. Observe the great strength and power of Christ seen especially in this that he hath abolished death and brought life and immortality to light 2 Tim. 1.10 That through death he hath destroyed him who had the power of death that is the Devil Heb. 2.14 That he the stronger man hath overcome the strong man Luk. 11.21 22. This victory was signified in that he hath spoiled principalites and powers and made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in himself Col. 2.16 Which was figured by the many victories we read of in Josuah Judges and the Books of Samuel Kings and Chronicles and therefore say he was typified by Josuah by Sampson by David as Epaminondas This all this and more we are content to ascribe unto Christ when we say he is Omnipotent But was he so powerful in his death and is he not more powerful if his power can be increased or at least as powerful having conquered death I am with you to the end of the world saith our Saviour if he be with us as yet so powerful where doth he exercise his power Is not that power exercised in us But then how comes it to pass that we are so weak to be overcome of every temptation Ezech. 16.30 How weak is thine heart since thou dost all these things How cometh our enemy so strong that he takes men captive at his will Judg. 3.8 2 Tim. 2.26 That he is so operative and efficacious in the children of disobedience Eph. 2.2 Judg. 6.12 13. O Beloved what benefit is it to us that Christ is so strong if we remain yet so weak What if Christ hath conquered sin and Satan if yet they be conquered if yet they bear rule in us if yet we have not Faith in the operation of God who raised up Christ from the dead Col. 2.12 We acknowledge Christ the true Josuah But hath he yet overcome Hiericho i. e. the power of the world and the Devil in us So Austin and others interpret Jericho Have the Gibeonites submitted themselves unto him Hath he cast down every high thing in us that exalts it self against the knowledge of God 2 Cor. 10.5 So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth Hath he subdued Jabin i. e. knowledge the false and erroneous knowledge or knowledge falsly so called as the Apostle speaks or the Devil or the wisdom of the Flesh So Origen saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth or the pride of knowledge 2 King 9.8 where instead of I will not leave one from Ahab to him that pisseth against the wall the Chaldee Paraphrase hath every knowing knowledge i. e. all pride as of knowledge as the Apostle speaks we know that we have all knowledge 1 Cor. 8.1 We confess that he is the true Sampson But hath he yet conquered the Philistins potu cadentes drunkenness and sensuality So another of the Ancients renders that word Hath he carried away the Gates and Bars of Gaza the strength and power of temptations So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signfieth strength and contumacy Is he so strong to conquer Hell and can he not conquer our lusts O Beloved then we are fit to extol Christ's Power when we know and find by experience in our selves that he hath subdued or is now subduing and conquering the power of sin and Satan in us When he hath troden Satan not only under his own but also under our feet Rom. 16.20 This power the Apostle desireth to know in himself Phil. 3.8 9 10. I count all things loss that I may know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection from the dead And this he acknowledgeth operative in himself Col. 1.29 Whereunto saith he I also labour striving according to his working which worketh in me mightily Then we are fit to triumph in Christ and extol his victory over Sin Satan Hell and Death When we know experimentally that he hath given the victory over these enemies in us when we can truly say with the Apostle Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ 2. This is also a ground of Reprehension of those who out of superstition observe this and other days as if Christ's Resurrection were to be remembred only upon this day For howsoever for the commemoration of our Saviours benefits and the help of our own memories which are very slippery and weak for the retaining of what is good certain days are named after our Saviours actions yet as the benefits are continual perpetual and daily so likewise ought the memory of them to be And therefore every Lords day is a remembrance of the Resurrection of our Lord yea every day And therefore because beneficium postulat officium every benefit requires a duty our life every day ought to be suitable to the memory of our Savious Rerection and every day ought to speak the commemoration of it and belief of our own Resurrection and a life agreeable thereunto Not like many who seem very Religious this day or any other Lords day and that devotion excuseth them all the week after Or as I
most of these are reputed Saints and highly extold for these Speculations Praises more fit for Astronomers or Astrologers than for Christians Good God wherein will not men place Piety and Holiness rather than in their own hearts souls and spirit The Jesuit had forgotten that the Angels check'd the Apostles for this very thing because they stood gazing up to heaven yet for this very thing he highly commends his Saints Nay Socrates might have taught him a better Speculation I walk above the Sun and the created heavens The Angels tell us a better use of our Lords Ascension Viri Galilaei ye who have gone into Gaiilee and seen our Saviour there after his Resurrection Matth. ye who have passed and turn'd about from the earthly thoughts desires and affections unto the heavenly ye who have begun to rise with him from death to new life Ye men of that the true Galilee why look ye upon these outward heavens This Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven Act. 1.11 Look for Christ daily ascending into thy soul and spirit Quotidiè venit in corpore suo quod est Ecclesia Thus thus he daily comes into his body which is the Church August Quotidiè venit in membris suis tanquam in nubibus Thus he daily comes in his members as in the clouds Perinde certus erit adventus ejus invisibilis in vos qui in vobis vivat As certainly as ye see him going into the visible heavens so certain shall be his invisible ascension into your souls in whom he is risen and in us he lives 2. Hence it followeth that the Lord requireth not that we should follow some one step but all his steps not only a conformity unto our Lord Jesus Christ in some one of his actions as humiliation and mortification or likeness unto his death but a thorough and perpetual conformity unto Jesus Christ Look I beseech ye unto the pattern of our Lord Joh. 16.28 I came forth from the Father and am come into the world again I leave the world and go to the Father Our Lord came into this world not only to suffer for sin but also to shew us an example of a godly life according to the Will of God And therefore he had an holy blameless and innocent life yet was he laden with afflictions reproaches slanders innumerable and perpetual hardships and at length was crucified slain and buried All which he overcame with the conquest even of Death it self arose and ascended unto his Father Are we Christians are we in Christ I beseech ye let not us flatter our selves Turn and wind our selves which way we will frame what Gloss we will devise what pretences and excuses we will or can This is the way the only way wherein we must walk if we hope ever to live with him and be united unto him Joh. 2.6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk even as he walked This is the drift of our Apostle Rom. 6. Buried with him in baptism into his death That like as Christ arose from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we should walk in newness of life And if we have risen with Christ we ought also to ascend with him and seek the things that are above Art thou then a Christian where then is thy death and burial of all sin and iniquity Christians are dead with Christ unto sin and buried with him All the delights of this vain life are buried as a dead man out of mind Art thou a Christian where is thy new Life The Resurrection signifieth the new Life Rom. 6. This Christ came to confer upon us Art thou a Christian Where is thine Ascension together with Christ The Ascension signifieth the greater eminency of the Christian life Joh. 10.10 I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly a greater measure of Faith a greater measure of Hope Charity Humility Patience Meekness Mercy c. This this is to ascend with our Lord and into his heavenly Kingdom And therefore the Apostle commended unto us that scale of graces 2 Pet. 1. vers 5 6 7. by the notable effects vers 8. fruitfulness in the Christian life If these things be in you and abound they will make ye that ye shall not be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 idle nor unfaithful unto the acknowledgement of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ which he amplifieth by the contrary vers 9. then vers 10. If you do these things ye shall never fall For so i. e. by abounding in these there shall be administred unto you abundantly an entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 3. This discovers the gross folly of our great contemplators who dispute much concerning the Birth Death Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus Christ and every great wit hath one great madness or other one opinion or other wherein he prides himself and would be followed by others But as for the following of Jesus Christ in his Death Resurrection and Ascension wherein consists the Essence of a Christian man few words scarce any at all of that I could easily weary you and my self with the disputes and opinions of the old School-men concerning these in whom I dare say ye shall find little or nothing about a Christian mans conformity unto Jesus Christ This is not the folly of the old School-men only but our new School-men also even those who scarce ever went to School Sure I am they have not learned Christ otherwise than to talk of him Among these almost every man will hold an opinion concerning Jesus Christ his Death Resurrection and Ascension But who minds the conformity unto his Death Resurrection and Ascension Who hath conformity with Christ crucified dead and buried Who hath the life of Jesus Christ manifest in his mortal body Every man holds this or that concerning his life 'T were fit one would think a man should have it before he hold it But in Divine Matters concerning Jesus Christ every man holds one opinion or other Whereas if ye look what he hath if ye look into his life God knows there is little to be found of a Christian man but an outward profession some opinion or other Truly Beloved herein we are exceedingly defective to claim all the Priviledges of Christians The Ministers will be the Successors of Christ's Apostles and all that hear them they will be the Successors of Christ's Disciples Good luck have they with their honour Mean time what belongs to the duty of both to be conformable to the death of Christ and so arise from conformity to the death of Jesus Christ unto his Resurrection and Life and to ascend into a more abundant life to seek love affect the things above here I believe we all fail This conformity unto Christ in all the Articles of the Christian Faith is most clear in all
things that are above Where then are these high things to be sought Where else but where they were lost If one should lose a piece of money in the house should he go and seek it in the street or in the fields Surely the good Woman knew she had lost her groat in the house and therefore she swept her house and sought diligently there till she found it Yea although a man should seek a piece of money lost and find such an one elsewhere yet it 's none of his but some others The high things are better than silver and gold saith the Wise Man and if thou seek them as silver and as fine gold and find them either in Heaven above or in the Earth beneath or in the Scriptures or in this or that Congregation in this or that Man yet if thou find them not in thy self in thine own heart in thine own Soul and Spirit there they were lost that 's certain if thou find them not there they are none of thine and what benefit is it unto thee to find them any where else if thou find them not in thine own house in thine own self therefore the Apostle directs thee 2 Cor. 13 5. Examine your selves prove your own selves know ye not your own selves that Christ Jesus is in you except ye be Reprobates they were lost in a proud heart and are to be found in an humble Blame not the Minister though thou understand him not he may use great plainness of speech yet mayest not thou understand him the fault is in thy self he speaks as he ought of spiritual things but thou art carnal Set not thine affections upon the things that are below upon the earth pray unto the Lord that thou mayest be spiritually minded and heavenly minded that thou mayest die unto Sin arise and live unto Righteousness and so thou shalt seek and find the things above Repreh 1. Those who imagine themselves risen with Christ if they can declaim against others who are not risen c. See Notes in Coloss 2.12 Repreh 2. Those who being fallen arise not Though I well know that all men are not of the same judgement concerning Festivals yet all rather incline to those which are observed in memory of our Saviour such as this is of his Resurrection yea although some there may be who condemn all Feasts as superstitious yet though that were so yet may we make a good use of them Our Saviour resorted to the Temple and taught there in the Feast of Dedication Joh. 10 22-20 a Feast which may be doubted whether lawfully Ordained or no. And whereas the people of Philippi were as yet ignorant of the true God and his Worship met together in a Proseucha or Prayer-house Act. 16. The Apostle layes hold of that opportunity and preacheth the Word unto them yea Act. 17. being at Athens and seeing the City wholly given to Idolatry he was present at their Devotions vers 23. and thence takes occasion to preach unto them Ecclus. 33.8 10. It is wont to be objected against Holy dayes and Festivals in memory of our Saviours Actions and Passions that as the day passeth so the Duty with it and is neglected all the year after whereas indeed although the day pass as our time doth too speedily yet the Duty should continue The best way to confute this Objection is by our life and practice that though by certain Solemn dayes appointed we keep in memory the actions of our Lord and Saviour yet the Duty of those dayes we observe continually Thus every day is a Christmass-day to him in whom Christ is born Every day is a Whitsunday to him who hath the Gifts and Graces of the Holy Spirit Every day a Passion a death to him who suffers with Christ Every day a Resurrection-day to him who riseth with Christ And therefore having in the first point of this Text propounded our Saviours pattern in his Resurrection I come now in the second to our imitation of it the Colossians rising with Christ If we enlarge our thoughts to comprehend the Antitype or thing signified by all these what is it but the Wisdom Power Goodness Mercy and Life of God the Divine Nature it self as it were in the dead heart of Man as dead in the world now to be raised again into Life in us as will appear in the second point NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON COLOSSIANS III. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Put on therefore as the Elect of God holy and beloved bowels of mercies kindness humbleness of mind meekness long-suffering THe Holy Apostle having taken away the filthy garments of the Old Man from the Colossians in vers 5 9. from thence to the 14th vers he opens the glorious Wardrobe of the New Man which first he shews us intire and whole vers 10. the several parts of it in this Text and so forward And as Ephes 6. he first exhorts them and us in them to arm our selves with the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole armour of God and then the several parts of it So here he first exhorts the Colossians and us vers 10 11. for the Ancients understood those words hortatively to put on Christ the whole garment and then in this Text to put on the several parts of it as mercy kindness humbleness of mind meekness long-suffering What then is the garment of Christs Righteousness divided Surely in it self it is not divided unto those who have thoroughly put on Christ and therefore vers 11. There is neither Greek nor Jew Circumcision nor uncircumcision but Christ is all and in all things But we are divided who have not yet wholly put it on as Jacob when he saw Josephs particoloured Coat besmeared with the Goats blood said an evil beast hath devoured him Joseph is torn in pieces Gen. 37.33 Even so since we have defiled the holiness of our God and stained the garment of Christs Righteousness with our blood that is our sin Ezech. 16. which is the Goats blood Mat. 25. we may rightly judge that Josephs body is torn in pieces the body of Christ the Church is divided Since therefore the evil beast hath torn us in pieces the garment of Christs Righteousness was in a sort through Gods gracious condescent to be cut out and fitted to us and severally to be put on by us as the Prophet Ahijah when the Kingdom of Israel was to be divided he rent his new garment and gave ten pieces of it unto Jeroboam according to the number of the Ten Tribes divided and rent from Judah 1 King 11.30 Even so the Apostles of Christ because we are rent asunder in Schisms and Factions they distribute as it were piece-meal the new garment of Christs Righteousness unto us Some parts of it are contained in this Text as mercy kindness c. I intend to speak only of the first so the words are an Exhortation Put on the bowels of mercy and the reason of it as the Elect of God holy and
former they are sometimes taken promiscuously one for the other But for our better understanding and more distinct apprehension of them we may know that Prayer generally comprehends 1. Request for somewhat to be received Let your requests be made known unto God 2. Return of thanksgiving for what is received Request in regard of our selves and others is either for removal of evil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or for obtaining good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or only in regard of others and that either for them both Isai 53.12 or against them both Rom. 11.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Return of thanks for what we have received and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. All these must be made for Kings And what is a King See Notes on Judg. 2.25 The Reasons why these ought to be made for Kings are enough in and near the Text vers 3-6 1. Kings are within the general Grace and Mercy of God towards men 2. Within the latitude and capacity of Christs mediation One God and one Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus 3. They are Gods Ministers 4. For thy good Rom. 13.4 Observ 1. The Office of a King Monarch or other Chief Governour is not in it self evil in Gods sight as some have thought Since 1. He himself is the Author of it 2. And he himself hath chosen and ordained Kings to Reign both among his own people as Saul David Jehu c. and strangers to the Common-wealth of Israel as Hazael 3. Since he commands obedience to be performed unto them Rom. 13.1 1 Pet. 2.13 4. Since he commands his Church to make Supplications Prayers Intercessions and giving of thanks for them Observ 2. The Lord propounds the objects or persons to be prayed for indefinitely and generally without distinction of believers or unbelievers Christians or not Christians For there is no doubt but at that time when the Apostle wrote this and other his Epistles there were no Kings or Chief Governours Christians King Agrippa was somewhat perswaded but not altogether to be a Christian Act. 26.28 29. And Lucius is the first Christian King we read of who was King of this Island but that was not till more than fifty years after Christ in the flesh So that the Liturgy of the Church of England however I believe simply the best extant yet is herein defective in that it directs to pray not for Kings in general as in the Text but for all Christian Kings unless the Prayer be limited precisè to the whole state of Christ's Church in its self or unless it be used as an argument a minori Thus that we pray to the Lord to save and defend all Kings much more all Christian Kings Observ 3. Here is then a common duty imposed upon all Christians to pray for Kings and Governours and their well-fare and Governments and Kingdoms It is part of Jeremiah's Epistle which he wrote to the Captives in Babylon Jerem. 29.7 Seek the peace of the city not only Jerusalem but of that city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives even for Babylon and pray the Lord for it for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace Observ 4. Much more is it the duty of the Church to pray for their Christian Kings and Governours And for this purpose David had a Psalm dictated to him as a Prayer which he propounded to the Church Psal 20.1 The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble the name of the God of Jacob defend thee And another Psalm even the very next Psal 21. for a thanksgiving The king shall rejoyce in thy strength O Lord and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoyce And Psal 72. Albeit it is in the Mystery intended for Christ yet in the letter it 's a Prayer and a Thanksgiving for Solomon as appears in the Title Give the king thy judgments O Lord and thy righteousness unto the kings son c. And ye have both Prayer and Praise together vers 15. Prayer also shall be made for him continually and daily shall he be praised So that we may note by the way that Forms of Prayers and Praises are lawful and according to the Word of God What are these three and many other Psalms but Forms of Prayers and Praises fitted for sundry occasions 2. Supplications Prayers c. must be made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For all those who are in Authority which may be two ways understood 1. Either such as are in equal Authority with kings as such as are Soveraigns in their respective territories as Emperours Sultanes Dukes c. 2. Or such as are in Authority subordinate unto these And thus St. Peter speaks 1 Pet. 2.13 The king as supreme c. So that not only Kings and they in highest Soveraignty but all they who are to be prayed for and God is to be praised for them Reason All men have somewhat of Gods Image stampt upon them The head of every man is Christ 1 Cor. 11.3 and vers 7. The man is the image and glory of God But as the God of order hath made man according to his Image c. So he hath made Kings and all in Authority in a more especial manner after his Image See Notes on Rom. 13.1 2. Their office is a representation of Gods Soveraignty I have said ye are Gods Psal 82. Joh. 10. If he call them Gods c. Object But many Kings and men in Authority are evil men They say all good kings may be written in the compass of a ring Respon Are they so Truly they have so much the more need to be prayed for and thanks to be given to God for them because their subjects enjoy peace under them even the worst of them ballance the one with the other Observ 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Authority or eminency above others Hence it appears that Christian Religion doth not infer a parity among men for howsoever it be true Matth. 23.11 See Notes on Rom. 13.1 Observ 2. The Apostle doth not direct us to pray for all in lawful Authority as some have learned of late to speak but for all in Authority Their having the Power and Authority makes it lawful for them to use it and for inferiours to be subject to it And therefore the Greek words in the Text are observable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For all being in Authority whereby the Apostle no doubt had some reference unto the then present Governours as Rom. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the powers that are by which words the Apostle points signantér at those who were in Authority in those times c. See Notes on Rom. 13.1 Now no man is such a stranger in story but he easily understands how men were wont to ascend unto high and eminent places either they made their way by the Sword or guilded their way like a Snail or obtained their Authority by flatteries as he who climbs up a steep Hill treads down all below him
of the end of all these for spiritual and heavenly things are imparted by God unto men and by men unto men for their edifying 1 Cor. 14. which cannot be without some outward Form of words or other expressions There is one Form of Godliness seems not at all to be used as singing of Psalms in the Congregation Why Because some there are very unfit to sing them Respon This cannot be denyed yet for this inconvenience it followeth not that the custom of singing Psalms in the Church should be laid aside For 1. Psalmodia hath been a Form of Godliness both in the Church of the Jews and all Christian Congregations wherein it 's probable there have been some as unfit as in our days 2. Though some unfit yet out of the judgement of Charity yea of certainty some are fit and the unfitness of some cannot debar others from the comfortable use of that Duty 3. It is a Duty 4. Our Lord himself fore-told Psal 22.25 and 35.18 That he would praise the Father in the great Congregation as the Apostle applys it Heb. 2.12 5. For the same Reason they who are unfit to sing should be unfit to read them 6. And 't is possible they may by the grace of God be made fit Many hear outwardly who are not fit to hear but thereby many become fit Observ 1. Note hence the great goodness of God and his love unto Mankind that having made Man for himself he could not satisfie his love with making him Lord of all the Creatures no not with any thing less than the Image of himself imparting the shape of himself unto him Joh. 5. And because similitudo est causa Amoris similitude and likeness is the cause of Love That he might love him more he makes man like unto himself Godlike or as in our language Godly that we should be imitators and followers of God as his dear children Eph. 5.1 Observ 2. Yea since the only Wise God hath so made us and embodied us and cast us into a fleshly mould that we cannot understand any thing from without otherwise than by outward Images and sensible representations of inward things He is graciously pleased to convey the inward by the outward and therefore he is said to have made the two disciplinary Senses Prov. Thus Circumcision the Passover all the Sacrifices and Oblations yea the whole Ceremonial Law are Forms of Godliness whereby the only Wise God condescended unto his people thereby to convey the true spiritual and inward Godliness unto them by those outward and visible signs representing unto them spiritual things Ezech. 37.18 These and such as these outward and visible Forms are called by sutable names as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deut. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus also the Lord imparts his Godliness by something audible proportionable to the other disciplinary sense of Hearing Rom. 6.17 2 Tim. 1.13 Observ 3. Hence appears their errour who out of a pretence of a pure spirituality condemn all Forms of Godliness without any difference at all and condemn all those who use Forms of Godliness Thus the Sacrament of Baptism is with them such a Form of Godliness as is not to be used Thus also the Lords Supper Instituted of Christ himself is by such sleighted as a Form of Godliness Thus thanksgiving for Meats and Drinks is thought to be superfluous a Form of Godliness Why For all these are spiritual and inward duties and better performed within than acted outwardly I do not deny but these are all as well inward as outward duties and there best performance is inward But our Lord Jesus performed them outwardly and commanded also that they should be outwardly performed It 's true by the inward performance of these acts we are more strengthened But since every man ought to seek not only his own good but the good of others also These and all such like acts ought to be done in Love 1 Cor. 16.14 And all things ought to be done to the edifying of others 1 Cor. 14.26 And how can that be done without some outward form or other to the edifying of its self in love And although praying to God and blessing God may be done inwardly and with the spirit yet if we perform these Duties inwardly only no man else hath the benefit of these Duties but our selves And therefore the Apostle 1 Cor. 14.15 16 17. Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest Lastly whereas the Pharisees used all the outward forms of Godliness without the inward Duties Our Lord forbids not his Disciples the use of these Forms but implicitly commands the use of them where he saith Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven Now that which must exceed another doth not abolish but suppose that which it must exceed Nor did our Lord blame their Use of Forms wherein they placed their Righteousness but the want of this inward Righteousness as the foundation of it as its evident Matth. 23. and by that Pharisaical young man Matth. 19. Repreh Those who pretend to rest in the Godliness without the Form as also those who rest in the Form without the Godliness 1. Those who pretend to rest in the Godliness without the Form Let such know that the only wise God hath fitted the one of these unto the other so that although the outward Form be not perpetual as I shall shew more anon yet it is not to be despised as it is by many at this day who exalt themselves above all Ordinances above all Forms of Godliness above all mans teaching c. Surely the outward Ordinances and Forms of Godliness are not to be despised No say they Doth not the Prophet call them vain oblations See Notes on Gen. 27. 2. They are justly reproved who rest in the Form without the Godliness Thus did many of Gods ancient people the Jews And thus do too many at this day of the false Christians How much pain and sorrow did the Jews undergo c. See Notes on 2 Cor. 5.17 Exhort Let us endeavour after the inward Form of Godliness 2. Axiom Godliness hath a power There are three Principles of actions 1. Understanding 2. Will 3. Power The word we turn Power is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifieth strength and answers to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Strength Vertue and Power by which great acts are atchieved So the Septuagint turns that word by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word in the Text above one hundred times Whence also it signifieth an army strong and powerful whence the Church is described to be an Army with banners Cant. 6.4 This power is sometime exercised by the body which in comparison to that strength of the Spirit is but impotency and weakness according to Esay 31.3 The
Commandment without spot unrebukable until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ which the blessed and only Potentate shall shew in his several seasons I have looked for this saving health and done after the Commandments what then if thy season be not yet come it behooves thee to keep the Commandment of God without spot and unrebukeable until the like appearing unto thee which the Lord will shew in his special season unto thee Mean time is thy work done hast thou learned the first Lesson of the Grace of God hast thou denied thy self c. and the second hast thou taken up thy Cross daily and the three special Rules to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Be confident and fully assured of what the Apostle saith Gal. 6.2 I have heard thee in a time accepted in the day of salvation have I succoured thee behold now is the accepted time now is the day of salvation Let us be exhorted to believe the glorious appearing hope and look for it 1 Pet. 1.13 Love his appearing 2 Tim. 4.8 Mortifie our earthly members cleanse our selves from all pollution both of flesh and spirit for the Grace of God that brings salvation to all men hath appeared teaching us like children let us then humble our selves as a little child Vnless we receive the kingdom of heaven as a little child we shall by no means enter thereinto O let us humble our selves and learn these Lessons as little children to deny ungodliness c. in this present world then may we with confidence and infallible certainty hope and assuredly look for the glorious appearing of the Great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Amen NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON TITUS III. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is a faithful saying and these things I will that thou affirm constantly that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works these things are good and profitable unto men THe words are part of an Epistle and contain in them these parts 1. Exordium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. a faithful saying 2. Narration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they who have believed might be careful to maintain good works 3. Epilogus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these things are good unto men The Text contains an Apologie for 1. the Preacher and 2. his Doctrine 1. For the Preacher it is a faithful saying or saying of faith confidence and boldness and therefore the Preacher must be bold in the delivering of it these things I will that thou affirm constantly 2. It 's a faithful saying and an Apologie for the Preachers Doctrine that they who have believed in God be careful to maintain good works To the practice of this Doctrine the Preacher invites us by motives so powerful that they move all men for whereas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which is good draws all to the participation of it And whereas good is honestum jucundum aut utile honest pleasant or profitable good The two former kinds are contained in the first word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these good works are honest also fair beautiful pleasant and delightful But whereas a thing may be pleasant and delightful which yet is not profitable but rather hurtful and destructive for so sensual delights are as a bait with an hook and extrema gaudii luctus occupat these things are good and profitable unto men For our orderly proceeding in the handling of all these we must begin where the Apostle ends 1. Good works are honest pleasant fair and profitable unto men 2. They who have believed in God ought to be careful to maintain good works which are good and profitable unto men 3. St. Paul gives charge to Titus that he affirm constantly that they who have believed in God ought to be careful to maintain good works 4. This is a faithful saying and the Apostle wills that Titus affirm constantly that they who have believed in God be careful to maintain good works 1. Good works are honest fair and beautiful pleasant and profitable unto men This Divine Truth according to the Epithets of works cannot be dispatch'd all at once but may be divided into these two Axioms 1. Good works are honest fair or beautiful for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth both 2. Good works are profitable unto men 1. Good works are honest fair or beautiful Where we must enquire 1. what good works are 2. what the property honest is and 3. what is fair or beautiful 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good works are all virtues and virtuous actions all holiness and righteousness in general generally the duties of the whole Moral Law of God according to Matth. 5.17 Not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it 7.21 Not he that saith Lord Lord but he that doth the will of my Father and 19.17 There is none good but God but if thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandments 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie also honest works Honestum est bonore dignum 3. The same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie also works fair or beautiful Now a thing or person is said to be fair or beautiful which hath the comely proportion of all the parts one towards another whence proceeds a lustre or shining And works are said to be fair or beautiful when all the causes and circumstances concurr whence ariseth a like spiritual lustre and shining and loveliness so every good act is ex integra causa it hath all the causes and adjuncts good otherwise malum ex quolibet defectu any one defect renders the work evil as alms-giving with a trumpet Mat. 6. The reason of this why good works are honest they have something that proceeds from God as the honour that comes from God only Joh. 5.44 even the participation of his goodness which is his Christ Hos 3.5 the honour of God 1 Pet. 2. and point us to his honour Phil. 1.11 the Apostle prays that they may be filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God And to what other Original can we refer the beauty of good works than to the same God who puts his comeliness upon his people Ezech. 16.14 Thou art fairer than the children of men why Grace is poured into thy lips Psal 45.2 Observ 1. Note hence what is the principal and truly amiable and lovely beauty in the eyes of God Angels and good men what else but the beauty of good works the beauty of holiness this was that which David desired to see Psal 27.4 One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after to behold the beauty of the Lord. This is most desired of the Lord himself and most delighted in Psal 45.10 when we relinquish our own people and our fathers house so shall the King greatly desire thy beauty the beauty of the Bride most lovely see how the Bridegroom adorns her Ezech. 16 9-14 Observ 2. If good works be fair and
of their Country would willingly expose themselves to death If Humane Love could transport men so far as to neglect their own safety for their Countries how much farther will the Divine Love carry the Saints Moses Paul all the Apostles Yet all these though the rarest Examples of religious Love came infinitely short of our Lords love to us For I pray consider for whom became these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Godrus for his subjects the Athenians Curtius and the Decii for their Country men the Romans Moses for the Israelites his Subjects he was their King Deut. Paul for his brethren his kinsmen according to the flesh So that that of our Saviour is true of all these Joh. 15.13 Greater love than this hath no man that he should lay down his life for his friends But how much Gospel-love is this that one should dye for his enemies Christ became 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not only the just for the unjust but even for his enemies Rom. 5.10 Most rare and singular love There is no parable no example like to it Great difference between Christ and many Christians 3. This is yet more exceeding love if we consider Christ the Ruler of all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet he condescended hereunto to purge delinquents when men get but a little power in their hand they purge not delinquents but make them such 4. So high our Lord was yet so lowly he condescended Phil. 2.3 4-10 Dominus Dominantium servus servorum the meanest officer in the house 5. This is a ground of love toward our Neighbour Eph. 5.1 2. 1 Joh. 4.9 10 11. If God loved us then should we love God No God requires first love to our Neighbour 1 Joh. 4.20 For he well knew if we should have the bestowing of our own love in our own order we would hate our brother Joh. 16.2 And that is now come for men hate one another not as their Neighbours but as the enemies of God But let me ask them are not they themselves the enemies of God Col. 1.21 They love one another who have suffered together The good Thief reproved the bad Dost thou not fear God sith thou art in the same condemnation What office then is there so mean that Christians ought not to condescend unto one in behalf of another Christ wash'd his Disciples feet to teach us this Lesson Joh. 13. How cautelous then how wary how fearful ought we to be of soiling and fouling our soul with the least sin It cost the Son of God his blood 1 Pet. 1.18 How careful were they under the Law lest they should be defiled The Apostle hath reference to it Col. 2.2 We lye still in the dust and cry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord purge me Mean time we put not an hand towards the purging of our selves we would have God come to us we will not come unto him It reproves those who put off Christian duties to others Oftentimes the Father puts off Thanksgiving to his child who must lisp out a Grace This I believe is the common fault of all We cry out for a Reformation that the Church the Kingdom it self may be purged c. God send one and that a through one Mean time who is there goes about to reform his own life Every man thinks that work is done in his own heart and he would bring every man to the model of his own purging The dissolute and licentious man tells him that lives more strictly that he is an hypocrite He abstains from drunkenness upbraids the Drunkard as if that were the only sin c. We quarrel one with another about words and leave the main thing undone The good Wife bids her Maids sweep the House the one bids the other fetch a Broom she says it is a Besom They spend their time in pratle and leave the work undone so do men about purgatory c. But leave the business it self undone we pray that Gods will may be done yet who goes about to do it His will is our sanctification who hallows Gods name by being holy as he is holy We pray that God will forgive us as we forgive c. yet keep hatred and malice in our hearts c. that he would not lead us into temptation yet we rush into it that he would deliver us from the evil one yet deliver up our selves to be ruled by him Exhort Unto us all by exhortation reproof to imitate our Lord in this so far as we are able purge one another from our sins we little consider that every one of us is as it were the keeper of his brother Ecclus. 17.14 It was the speech of Cain am I my brothers keeper O Beloved Men say God hath put such an one into mine hand if I kill either a good or an evil man when they might as well say and argue God hath put him into my hand for his preservation The Laws of this land in case of robbery by the high way if the Malefactor be not found lay the charge upon the hundred and every man must bear his share and there 's equity for it every man should have taken care of his Neighbour Exhort one another while it is called to day the righteous shall scarcely saved Qui non vetat peccare quum possit jubet Object Have we not sins enough of our own that we must incur the guilt of other mens sins 1 Tim. 5.22 Charity commands this duty of us Levit. 19.17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother i. e. thou shalt not hate any man For whosoever hates his brother is a murderer 1 Joh. 3.15 Now whereby shall we discover our love unto our brother Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart Thou shalt in any wise rebuke him and not bear sin for him He who rebukes not his brother when he sins hates him and shall bear the punishment both of his own hatred and his brothers sins we turn it Thou shalt not suffer sin upon him a most necessary duty which yet I fear few very few perform unto their neighbour What 's the reason we are loath to be reproved for our own sin and therefore afraid to reprove another Men make a tacite Covenant one with other not to touch one anothers sins much less to wash and purge one another from them which is a Covenant with Hell and Death He that turns a sinner from his evil way saves a soul from death and covers a multitude of sins Jam. 5.20 yet we let our brother go on in his sin and suffer sin upon him In matters of no moment O how loving we are tell him of a spot in his face and wipe away dust off his garment he hath spots many and those foul spots upon his soul thou sufferest them upon him neither wipes them off nor tells him of them thou takest care he should be pleasing to men not to God savest him from a little shame not his soul from death Our Saviours example and precept
there was this difference between them Moses appeared terrible unto his beholders Christ amiable unto his wherefore 't is added Mark 9.15 They were greatly amazed and running to him saluted him Observe then the ground of that Majesty which is conspicuous in Kings and Princes Christ himself saith by me Kings Reign He hath imprinted in Kings Princes and Governours multum Dei saith Aquinas See Notes on Psal 112. 2. God calls us by the Ministration of his Spirit which is Glory 2 Cor. 3.8 where again we have glorious for so Christ was raised from the dead by the Glory of the Father Rom. 6.4 That Glory of the Father is the Spirit of the Father Rom. 8.11 If the Spirit of him that raised up Christ from the dead shall quicken your mortal bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you By this Glory and Virtue i. e. by the Spirit and Power the Lord calls us to be partakers of his Glory Christ himself hath promised it Joh. 17.24 Father I will that all they whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my Glory All the Saints partake of it even in this life in some good measure more or less for as any body is more or less lucid and capable of light so it reflects it and discovers it unto others So all and every Saint of God according to that capacity receive of this Glory and Majesty as being all called by glory and vertue 2 Pet. 1. for so it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That Glory of Moses figuring the Law was formidable The people durst not behold the face of Moses That of Christ is amiable and lovely The people were astonished at first sight but then they ran unto him and saluted him Marc. 9.15 And therefore when Moses prayes the Lord to shew his Glory i. e. his face which is Christ Exod. 33.18 vers 19. The Lord faith I will make all my glory to pass before thee Exhort To aspire to behold that Majesty this was the ambition of Moses Exod. 33.18 I beseech thee shew me thy glory This Spirit is that wisdom of a man which makes his face to shine Eccles 8.1 As they who beheld Stephen saw his face shine gloriously as it had been the face of an Angel Act. 6. last This the Apostle speaks plainly 2 Cor. 3.18 We all behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord with his open face So it is opposed to Moses that put a veil upon his face So all our old Translations and the Reformed Churches and are transformed into the same image from glory unto glory even by the Spirit of the Lord which is his glory This is that which in a figure the Lord promised Hag. 2.7 That the desire of all nations should come i. e. Christ and fill this house with glory i. e. believers who are his house Heb. 3.6 Whose house are we for know ye not that your bodies are the temples of the holy Ghost These temples be will fill with glory and majesty Act. 13.15 When Paul and Barnabas entred into the Synagogue of Antioch in Pisidia the Rulers sent to them saying Men and brethren if ye have any word of exhortation to the people say on They call the Sermon wont to be made in the Synagogue by the name of Exhortation And surely it is or ought to be the drift of all our Sermons to exhort unto the duties of the Christian Life and such most what must be my discourse at this time because having not finished this Text the next words contain clean a different matter Sign Every man thinks he hath a store in this self-love makes men conceive all the priviledges of the Saints to belong to them but without holiness no man shall see the Lord A wicked man shall not see the Majesty of the Lord Esay 26.10 Means Is this possible that any man should see the Majesty of the Lord There is a rude draught of Gods Majesty in the creature Rom. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that 's enough to make men inexcusable who hold that truth in unrighteousness for no man hath seen God at any time The only begotten Son who is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him Joh 1.18 So that no man knows the Father but the Son Matth. 11.27 In Christ therefore we see the Father As the splendor or Majesty of the Sun cannot be seen in its self but in a glass as through a cloud it may be seen So neither can the Majesty of the Father be seen in himself but in Christ who is the brightness of the everlasting light the unspotted mirrour or glass of the power of God and the image of his goodness saith the Wiseman Sapient 7.16 In him he may be seen But how in him since no man can see God and live Exod. 33.20 Is this sight of Gods Majesty after this life Respon He must first dye that precious death of the Saints Psal 116. He must be dead with Christ he must be conformable to his death and so he shall see the Father And therefore the Lord saith to Moses Exod. 33.21 when he had desired him to shew him his glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 behold there is a place with me or by me as neer as could be That place is Christ himself for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is one of the names of God And so that place was by him indeed or in him rather as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may signifie as the Father is in the Son And therefore it presently follows thou shalt stand upon the rock now the rock is Christ 1 Cor. 10. And therefore it shall come to pass saith the Lord when my glory shall pass by I will put thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a elift of the rock the word in the Syriack Matth. 27. is used for the Sepulchre of the Lord when we are conformahle unto his death and have all affections and lusts dead as it were buried with him then we see the Lord We bear about in our bodies the dyings of the Lord Jesus that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest and appear and be seen in our mortal body This is one means and a second is mutual love and charity 1 Joh. 4.12 No man hath seen God at any time if we love one another God dwelleth in us and his love is perfected in us Thus eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor hath it entred into the heart of man i. e the natural man what God hath prepared for them that love him 3. On the right hand in the highest Let us aspire unto this highest eminency to sit with Christ in the highest God the Father hath set Christ with him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 1 20-21 And he sets all true Christians there Eph. 2.6 'T is wonderful what the force of imagination is Men fancy to themselves that they are in heaven though they live in their sins and their earthly mind This
commodity of yours and bid less for it than it cost and under the worth of it would ye not take it in disdain Yet we commonly undervalue one another esteem one another far under the price we cost Ye are bought with a price even the precious blood of Christ which is better worth than all the world Exhort To serve one another in love Gal. 5.13 Eph. 5.21 Submitting your selves one to another in the fear of God Syrac In the love of Christ It 's an hypocritical complement as 't is used but as it ought to be used a Christian profession of mutual Duty Your Servant The Princes of the Gentiles saith our Lord exercise dominion over them and they that are great exercise authority upon them but it shall not be so among you but whosoever will be great among you let him be your minister While you usurp power and domineer one over another we are yet Heathens and Gentiles not Christ's Disciples we are yet violent and savage like the Beasts not Angelical not like Angels no not like men Hence it is that in the Prophets the Dominions and Kingdoms of the world are described by Hieroglyphicks of Beasts but the Kingdom of Christ by man so Daniel chap. 7. describes the Kingdoms of the world by four great Beasts come up from the Sea which are commonly understood to be the four Monarchies a Lion and a Bear and a Leopard and a fourth Beast more terrible and cruel than all the rest as a roaring Lion and a raging Bear so is a wicked Ruler over the poor people Prov. 28.15 Her Princes within her are roaring Lions her Judges are evening wolves Zeph. 3.3 But all the Beasts Thrones are cast down when the Son of man reigns Verse 13.14 This is for the terror of all ungodly men Gods Ministers are a flaming fire Exhort Let us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 1.5 6 7. Maledictus qui facit opus Domini negligenter Jer. 48.10 The Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence Matth. 11.12 Scienti bonum facere non facienti peccatum est illi Jam. 4.17 Vtinam fridigus esses aut calidus sed quia tepidus c. Apoc. 3.15 16. The consolation of all the Saints even that is their consolation which is the terror of ungodly men as the Lords water washed away and destroyed the old world but saved Noah and his Houshold The water which overwhelmed the Egyptians was a wall of fire to Israel Exod. So the flame of fire which is a terror to the wicked is a consolation unto the Saints Esay 33.14 The sinners in Zion are afraid fearfulness hath surprized the hypocrites who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire who among us shall dwell with everlasting burning He that walketh in righteousness and speaketh uprightness his yea is yea and his nay nay that which he saith is so that which he denies to be is not c. Esay 33.14 15 16. 2 Thess 1.6 7 8 9.10 Means Do what thou dost out of Love 't will quicken thee the Angels do so from a burning love John Baptist a burning and shining light pray to the Lord to quicken thee God makes his Angels Spirits c. The Reason of this ye have in the former point The ability and sufficiency for the execution of the creatures Duty unto God is of God the Angels are swift as the winds he makes them so they are active and powerful in the execution of what they are commanded as the fire is a thorough and efficacious waster and this activity and power they have of God The like we may say of every inferiour Creature that all the power it hath is of God of men this is most true even of the best of men 2 Cor. 3. Paul having commended himself from his work wrought in them lest he might seem to arrogate any thing unto himself Verse 5 6. By a Prolepsis he prevents such surmiseings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufficient for their office expedite and quick and active like the Angels being themselves the Angels of the Churches but this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this sufficiency is of God Those whom God employs in his Ministry whether Angels or men he fits and furnisheth them with parts and abilities to discharge their office and Ministry so that that which we read 2 Cor. 2.16 Who is sufficient for these things Seems not to have been the Ancient reading for the Apostle having shewn how able he and the rest of the Apostles were for their function to the disparagement of false Apostles vers 17. It is not like he would say who is sufficient since he saith that he and all the Apostles were so And again vers 5 6. And therefore the Vulgar Latin hath quis ad haec tam idoneus Who is so sufficient as we are And his reason following is proper for we are not as many who corrupt the word of God c. This is the rather to be observed because many might and do take advantage by these words of the Apostle to excuse their own laziness in the Ministry of Jesus Christ whereas they might be and ought to be active in their Ministry they lazily sit down with these words who is sufficient for these things This strikes at the root of all pride and vain glory whence that Doctrine of merit first sprang one of the plants which are not of our Heavenly Fathers planting for if all ability power c. for the execution of thy Duty be from thy God how canst thou merit of thy God He saith who maketh his Angels Spirits David saith this which is here ascribed to God so Psalm 95. David Hebr. 4.4 The Holy Ghost Gods estimate is and ought to be the rule of ours in judging of things God saith this of the Angels therefore we must not diminish it nor add a Dignity beyond what God saith of them they are not Mediators this discovers their errour who oppose this truth that the Son of God is God Ego dixi Dii estis i. e. Princes Constitui te Deum Pharaonis Exod. 7.1 They who alledge these Testimonies would prove that this Psalm 55. is understood of Solomon contra the consent of the old Rabbins the consent also of Christians Now that no earthly God or Prince upon earth is here to be understood the Chaldee Paraphrast speaks plainly enough where he saith Thy Throne O God in Heaven endureth for ever c. Though it be true that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 belongs to Angels Kings and Judges yet being applied either to the Verb singular as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a person singular it 's proper unto God NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON HEBREWS I. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. But unto the Son he saith Thy throne O God is for ever and ever c. IN these words are contained these Notes 1. Jesus Christ is God 2. He is a King having a Throne Thy Throne 3. His Throne
erroneous apprehensions read we not only of the Jews touching the bread from heaven Joh. 6.41 but also of his own Disciples vers 60-66 Joh. 8.21 22 23. Observ 4. Who do or can o◠are fit to speak of the world to come who but Apostles Apostolical spiritual men men delivered from the present evil world These know the Mysteries c. Matth. 13. Unto these the world to come and the things belonging unto it they are reveiled 1 Cor. 2. Observ 5. Hence it will not be difficult to discern of what world we are we discern by mens speech of what country they are whether home-born or forreigners and strangers So Ephes 2.9 Whether forreigners and strangers or fellow Citizens with the Saints Ephes 2. Joh. 3.31 32. He that comes from above He that speaks of the earth Laudibus arguitur vini vinosus Homerus Loquere ut te videam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Menand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristides Out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Jam. 3.14 17. Repreh 1. But if speaking or writing which indeed is here understood will not serve the turn then this reprehends those who speak of the world to come although they live according to the course of this world This therefore reprehends that affected holy talk which proceeds from a corrupt heart This is monstrous in nature as our Saviour implys Matth. 12.34 Nothing comes out of the sack but was before in the sack Gallick Proverb A fountain sendeth not forth bitter water and sweet Jam. 3.11 This is specially their fault who speak their hear-says such as talk of far Countries with a great deal of confidence which they never saw such as speak of good things whereof they have no share bear false witness they tell tales though they speak what is the truth for to lye formaliter is to speak what is contrary to our mind and the truth whereof we are not perswaded Therefore the evil spirit was silenced Mar. 1. and the spirit of divination cast out And the time shall come when God will make the diviners mad when men shall not dare to speak what they read only as water out of a Cistern but Acts 2.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and then they shall not dare to speak what they take up upon trust for truth but what God hath wrought in them and by them Rom. 15.18 When that of the Apostle shall be obeyed Let him that speaketh speak as the oracles of God 1 Pet. 4.11 as one that hath Vrim and Thummim in his breast when they shall not dare to speak but what they are inwardly moved to speak by the holy Ghost Repreh 2. Who mind and speak only of the present world and the things of it What they shall eat drink and wherewith they shall be cloathed After which things the Gentiles seek And therefore such thoughts and speeches are unworthy of Christian men See Notes on Heb. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Repreh 3. Those whose thoughts and words are only of the evil or sinful world Rom. 1.28.31 who account it a discourse worthy the world to come to censure deride and scoff at slander and reproach Good God! is this the Reformation we have covenanted James 3.6 Exhortation To hear and read them who speak of so noble and excellent a subject Philip 3.20 Their mind their heart is conversant in the world to come Col. 3.1 Yea that world is in their heart and out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh they are strangers here they speak the oracles of God Exhortation 2. To speak of that world to come This is in special the Ministers duty Titus 2.7.8 The leaves of the tree of Life heal the nations Revel 22.2 But because he is to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it belongs to all Col. 4.6 with grace seasoned with salt it 's to last to another world A lying tongue is but for a moment Prov. 12.19 See the Fellow Travellers of their Journey and the end of it Malac. 3.16 The Lord heard c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. God hath not put the world to come in subjection to the Angels where we must enquire 1. What Angels are here meant 2. What it is to put or not to put in subjection unto them 1. By Angels here are not to be understood the Saints who by office are Angels Revel 2.3 2. Nor the faln Angels here who shall not always be permitted to range in this world much less to have any power in the world being thrown out of the Angels world John 8.44 2 Pet. 2.4 Jude vers 6. This therefore must be understood of Elect Angels yea of the most glorious of them who though they be holy and excellent creatures and have been ever obedient yet must they content themselves with their own The truth of this appears Dan. 12.6 where speaking of the world to come one of the Angels said to the man cloathed with linnen how long shall it be c. Ephes 3.9 10. Thus 1 Pet. 1.12 there are some things belonging unto us The angels desire to look into Reason 1. God the Father disposeth of all things according to his own will Dan. 4.35 2. The World to come is Christ's Kingdom wherein he Reigns and Rules as Soveraign Lord Lord Paramount Dan. 7.14 Psal 18.47 Psal 144.2 Who subdueth the people under me put all things under his feet Psal 8.6 1 Chron. 22.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. The subjects of Christ are free-men Joh. 8.36 Where the Spirit is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3.17 But they who are under the Law and so under the disposition of Angels they are under the spirit of bondage and against the Law and against the Will of God reveiled in his Law 1 Tim. 1.9 whence it is they have no peace which is the effect of righteousness Esay 32. which is not by the Law Gal. 2.21 though it be witnessed by the Law Rom. 3.21 But the Lord Jesus Christ being the essential Righteousness and the Lord our Righteousness Jerem. 23.6 he is also our peace and from him proceeds our peace Eph. 14.15 Whereas under the Law whatever obedience we perform it is elicited and drawn from us by the spirit of bondage and so by fear Rom. 8.15 In the day of Gods power the people are exceeding willing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 110.3 All this the Angels themselves acknowledge Luk. 2. When Christ was born Glory to God on high and on earth peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But here it may be doubted 1. Hath the Lord put the world that now is in subjection to the Angels I answer The world present and to come may be considered Either 1. With respect to different times under the Law and under the Gospel Or 2. With respect to different persons whereof some do live in this present evil world yet are not of it c. Of whom the world is not worthy Heb. 11. The Lord governed the world as yet under the Law by the
we refuse the waters of Siloam which figures his Embassy c. See Notes on Gen. 5. Methuselah Consider The High Priest of our Profession Hebr. 4.14 15. and 7 24-27 This High Priest we then consider as we ought when we consider and perform our own duty and profession conformably unto him when we are crucified and dead with him to all our affections and lusts when all our perverse wills delights and pleasures are buried with him when we arise with him to newness of life ascend with him and mind the things above when we have our conversation in heaven and sit with him in heavenly things Thus St. Paul considered him Phil. 3.9 10 11. that I may be found in him c. 2 Cor. 3.18 Behold him as in a glass whereby we are changed c. Hebr. 12.2 3. Looking to Jesus the Author c. Thus St. Peter considered him 1 Pet. 3.18 and 4.1 2. It 's true God makes all things but what proper work hath he wrought in me If he have wrought his saving work in all the world and not in me what is that to me Sure I am he hath wrought some good in thee otherwise thou wouldest not so much desire his work to be wrought in thee Is not that good will wrought in thee by the Father of lights Jam. 1.18 Hath he not wrought in thee a love of Righteousness and an hatred of Iniquity Fear not thou hast seen the shape of the Father he hath begun his work in thee c. But alas it goeth very slowly on Doest thou not know that Satans work is first to be destroyed Did not he work in thee while thou wert a child of disobedience Ephes 2.1 And did not the Lord then wait on thee and used great patience towards thee and is it not reasonable that thou now wait upon him Thou art to pass through the hands of all thy makers why are there more than one Eccles 12.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Father works the good will the Son brings power the Spirit finisheth the work Ephes 2.10 created formed made Isa 43.7 Be thou faithfull to him and he will perfect his work Deut. 32. 't is not done all at once thou shalt subdue the many Lords that have had dominion over thee Isa Thou shalt through the power of the stronger one bind the strong Man yea thou shalt bind those Rulers of darkness Eph. 6. Thou shalt bind their Kings in chains c. Psal 149. Thou shalt sing Hallelujah that last Song Revel Thou shalt then prevail over the iniquity and like a true Israelite and prevailer with thy God rejoyce in thy Makers so the word is plura Psal 149.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Repreh 1. Who meditate not consider not nor think thus on Christ Jesus c. See Notes on Psal 63.6.2 3 and 4 ibid. Exhort Meditate on and consider Christ Jesus the Apostle and high Priest of our Profession When we in our holy thoughts consider meditate and draw near to him he then draws near to us and is present with us Psal 39.3 How much more when two or three are gathered together in his Name and when he comes he brings his Consolations with him It 's a time of great lewdness and prophaneness which the Prophet mentions Mal. 3.14 15. Even such a time as this is abounding with Atheists and prophane voluptuous men at this time they who remember and consider the Lord and his Christ he remembers them vers 16 17. The two Travellers to Emmaus were in their meditation on him and he was present with them and instructed them Deut. 32.29 30. O that they would consider c. how should one chase a thousand and two put ten thousand to flight this appears true by the want of it Job 34.26 27 28 29. Isa 1.3 Hos 7.1 2. Means Remove See Notes on Psal 63.6 NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON HEBREWS III. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who was faithfull to him that appointed him as also Moses was faithfull in all his house SAint Paul hath hitherto propounded to our Consideration the Apostle and High Priest of our Profession Christ Jesus in his Person and in his Offices in this Verse he propounds the same Apostle and High Priest of our Profession to our consideration as faithfull in both these Offices and that he may the more forcibly press this consideration upon them he compares the Apostle and High Priest of our profession with Moses in his Faithfulness and so insinuates unto them that since they had Moses in so high esteem for his faithfulness that they believed him and obeyed him they-would also take into their consideration this Apostle and High Priest and his Faithfulness unto God who appointed him as Moses was faithfull in all Gods house and believe and obey him But because a Man cannot be said to be faithful to his trust unless he be appointed to it and hath somewhat committed to his trust we must here understand that also and presuppose it here that God appointed Moses and there is no doubt but that Paul alluded unto Numb 12.6 so 1 Sam. 12.6 where Samuel saith the Lord advanced Moses and Aaron the word in the Greek there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as here it is which is there rendered advanced and here appointed So that Christ Jesus is here compared with Moses in his advancement and appointment to his Offices of Charge and Trust as also in his faithfulness and truth in the discharge of his trust In the next five Verses we have 1. The Collation of Christ Jesus with Moses 2. The Prelation of Christ Jesus before Moses In the Collation and comparison we have that wherein Christ and Moses are compared 1. Their advancement and appointment to their Charges and Offices of trust 2. Their faithfulness and trust in discharge of those Offices which being resolved into particulars will afford these Axioms 1. God appointed Moses to his Offices 2. Moses was faithful to him that appointed him 3. Moses was faithful in all Gods house 4. God the Father appointed Christ Jesus to his Offices 5. Christ Jesus was faithful to him that appointed him 6. As Moses was faithful so Christ Jesus 1. Consider Christ Jesus faithful to him that appointed 1. God appointed Moses to his Offices This Axiom is included in the Protasis or first part of the comparison and is necessarily supposed and to be premised here in comparison of which Christ Jesus is said to be appointed unto his Offices Quaere 1. Who Moses was 2. what Offices 3. what 't is to appoint It 's superfluous and needless here to enquire who Moses was a man so famous not only in his own Nation but also among the Greeks and Latines for so Orpheus that Ancient Poet wrote of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where he calls Moses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aquigena born and as brought forth of the water and speaks of the two Tables of the Decalogue of the Law
unbelief so many thousands lost their rest in the holy Land and by the like unbelief more than so many thousands have lost and lose their Rest in the land of Holiness To whom is the arm of the Lord reveiled The second general use is of Consolation to the Israel of God who believe the promised Rest and pass on seeking it in the ways which lead thereunto humility meekness love 2 Thess 1.7 Revel 14.13 1. Let us be exhorted to give praise and thanks to God for his promise of entrance into his Rest 2. Be we exhorted to endeavour to possess this Inheritance and Rest day and night instantly by labour and prayer Sign Do we so seek it Suppose a poor man were an adopted son to a Prince and had promise to inherit a Crown as Augustus to Julius Caesar Tilenius to Augustus c. how careful would such a one be to please him who adopted him c Hath God made us promise of an eternal Crown How do we demean our selves c do we walk worthy of God that he may translate us into the kingdom of his dear Son Who will believe it who see our conversation Do we thus No man that warreth entangleth himself in the affairs of this life that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier 2 Tim. 2.4 Means The Rest is to be obtained by labour as peace by war Our Lord invites none unto the Rest but such as are weary of the service of sin and over-laden with the burden of it unto such he promised the Rest for their souls Matth. 11.28 29. Such followed Joshuah every one carryed his life in his hand and thus let us be followers of him Heb. 6.12 Matth. 8.9 This is no more than we have engaged our selves unto Christ to be his faithful servants and soldiers unto our lives end But if the condition of a Christian man be such what hope hath he of entring into God's Rest He is not able to think a good thought or repel an evil 'T is true at first thou art not nor doth the Lord expect that thou shouldst endeavour to enter into his Rest by thy own power nor doth he expect or require more of thee than thou art able to do but knows well what strength thou hast and he would that as thou dependest upon his promise and expectest that he will be true in performing of it so he requires that thou depend and rely upon his power in the effecting of it not to divide one of these from the other Paul had an hope in Gods promise Act. 24.15 But that upon performance of his duty vers 16. thou hopest to obtain God's promise rely upon his power in doing thy duty 1 Joh. 3.3 Habenti Deum nihil defectum si ipse non desit Deo Cyprian Paul promised the lives of all that sailed with him in the Ship Act. 27.22 yet vers 31. Vnless these continue See Heb. 13.5 2. We ought to fear lest a promise being left of entering into his Rest any of us or you should seem to come short of it The words contain a necessary exhortation to fear and carefulness in behalf of others lest they should fail of the promised Rest wherein two things are to be enquired 1. Touching the object of this fear 2. Concerning the fear it self 1. The object of this fear is expressed in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lest any of you come short c. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we read or render to come short signifieth divers things according to the divers words it answers to 1. As to fail of performance of ones duty Numb 9.13 if he forbear to keep the passover 2. To be wanting Esay 51.14 that his bread should not fail 3. To deprive one of something as Numb 24.11 The Lord hath kept thee back from honour 4. To come short of something Heb. 2.3 and so we turn it well in the Text the Verb is Metaphorical as being taken from those who strive in a race run for a prize who should get the prize propounded 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to seem is not only to appear and not to be as hypocrites seem what they are not but here and elsewhere it signifieth well-being Thus in Greek and Latin Authors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and videri are used for the being of the thing it self So the Philosopher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. omnia appetunt bonum all things desire good So Tully Offic. lib. 1. Nunquam omnino periculi fugâ committendum est ut imbelles timidivé videamur lest we seem i. e. lest we be fearful So in the Text Lest any one seem to come short i. e. lest any one come short This is the object of fear here But what is fear it self What but the Chariot of the Soul Luk. 12.4 5. fear is a passion of the mind about evil future hard or difficult but such as may be resisted Howbeit the fear in the Text is not simply this passion but by a Metalepsis as 't is called in Rhetorick it comprehends in it caution and wariness counsel and taking advice timor est consiliativus according to Aquinas lest by slothfulness inconstancy fear of evil or love of the present temporal good things we fall from our faith and confidence and so fall short of the Lords Rest as the Jews did The reason why we ought to fear may be in regard of God his promise is past unto us and a possibility left us of entring into his Rest he propounds this Rest unto us daily exhorts us Harden not your hearts c. come unto me all ye that are weary The second Reason may be in regard of any one of us who possibly may ungratefully despise this promise and neglect the present opportunity and so come short of the Rest The third Reason is in regard of the evil feared our falling short of the Rest which is of that importance that if it befal us that we be excluded and fall short of it there 's no remedy remains it 's like a stratagem in war wherein a man can err but once the loss is inestimable and irrecoverable The fourth Reason is in respect of those who are already entred into Gods Rest or advancing towards it it must needs be a great diminution of their joy and comfort that any of their body of whom they take care as members of it should fail of the Rest set before them Let us fear therefore saith the Apostle lest any one come short of this Rest Observ 1. The Christian life is a race implyed in the Text by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to come short whereof there are many resemblances Observ 2. 'T is possible some or other of the Saints who are running this race on their journey toward the spiritual Land of peace and near entrance thereinto that they may come short of it and therefore the Apostle Heb. 12.15 exhorts to look diligently lest any man
fail or as 't is in the Margin fall from the grace of God unless there were a possibility of falling why should we be so often warned of it Let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall Observ 3. The Apostle saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lest any one seem to fall short he saith not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lest all seem to fall short it is true indefinites imply one as well as other yet they do not always imply an universal possibility much less a probability for where things are contingent and arbitrary between two events as here to come short or not to come short of entrance into Rest not only God's providence but also what is of God in man as fore-sight prevents the evil that might fall out and secures the good that was but possible which may answer their ensnaring cavil who ask if any one indefinitely may fall away from the grace of God and come short of entring into the Rest if we say yea any one may then they infer then may all fall away and come short and so it will be possible that none shall be saved in the end I answer it is neither possible nor probable because of a double divine providence one watching of us and another implanted in us Add hereto that the Lord is not only able to keep us from falling who believe on him and obey him and endeavour to run the way of his commandments but also he doth actually lay hold upon all such and stay them from ruine Heb. 2.16 the words are not well turn'd in the Text they are better in the Margin The Verb is in the present tence The seed of Abraham are they who walk in the steps of Abrahams faith Rom. 4. Believers and obedient ones those who run the race that is set before them These the Lord lays hold upon and keeps them from falling Observ 4. The believing Saints and they who for the present are upon the way to God's Rest and Kingdom ought every one of them wisely to fear and take care lest in the end he should fall short of it until he be entirely possessed of it we read that all above six hundred thousand fell short of entrance into God's Canaan or Rest who yet had made good progress towards it The Apostle gives the believing Gentiles warning by the example of the faln Israelites Rom. 11.20 Because of unbelief they were broken off and thou standest by faith be not high minded but fear and with this fear he teacheth the Philippians to proceed toward the Land of Rest work out your salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2.12 Therefore St. John warns the Elect Lady that though the truth be for the present in us yea and shall be in us for ever 2 Joh. 2. yet vers 8. Take heed saith he that we lose not those things that we have wrought but that we receive a full reward and accordingly he minds the Church of Sardis Remember how thou hast received and heard and hold fast and repent Revel 3.3 for he that now thinketh he standeth may possibly fall 1 Cor. 10.12 Observ 5. Fear is not suddenly cast out no not of believers it is true that love casts out fear but what fear is that what other but that which hath torment which yet must make way even for love it self as the needle that pricked to the heart Act. 2.37 It draws after it the thred as the cords of love which unite and joyn the heart unto God and then the needle is cut off but that is not until the love be perfect 1 Joh. 4.18 yea the reverential fear remitti non potest as not toward our fathers upon earth so much less toward our Father which is in heaven The state of Bliss is by Divine Wisdom figured by Jerusalem which hegins with fear and ends with peace and rest Observ 6. The eminent Saints of God in their exhortations oftentimes put themselves in the number of those whom they exhort although themselves indeed are not concern'd in the duty whereunto they exhort and this they do out of lenity condescent and desire to gain those whom they exhort Thus doth our Apostle in Titus exhort 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let us fear So Neh. Chap. 5.20 Thus St. James Chap. 3.1 and St. John 1 Joh. 1. 2 Joh. 2.8 Now the Apostle did not fear himself vers 3. being one who had entred into God's Rest vers 10. Observ 7. Fear is not a needless or useless affection if rightly ordered yea it 's very profitable and necessary Prov. 23.17 Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long and 28.14 Happy is the man that feareth always as Job said Verebar omnia opera mea they who are in the race toward the everlasting Rest may and ought always to fear their enemies and their own weakness yet hope firmly on the Lord and on his help and grace in Jesus Christ Psal 11.11 Answer O Lord O God forget not the poor especially while a good will is present to please him and a fear to offend him remains in us for this is a Godly fear Hebr. 12.28 29. and hereby we perfect the holiness 2 Cor. 7.1 2. 1. Hence those are to be reproved who think there is no cause nor need of this fear when we are once brought to the state of Grace in any measure Let such remember the condition of these in the Text the people were then in Kadesh Barnea the unconstant or unsettled holiness of the Child 2. They are to be reproved who are secure and fearless in their passage toward Gods Rest Example whereof we may read of the people of Laish they live at ease securely 3. Reproof is of those who reason from the promise of God absurdly that therefore they may do unjustly be careless and fearless There is a promise left c. God will be true in keeping his promise it is true He is most true but then must we be obedient to his Commands Gods Promise is part of his Covenant with us and a Covenant requires both parties to observe their several engagements Shall God Almighty be bound by his Promise yea by Oath unto us and shall we be loose dissolute and regardless of our duty toward him Mark how the Lord reasons with his people Jer. 7 3-10 Amend your lives c. trust not in lying words saying the Temple of the Lord c. Observe the Lord he requires our endeavours to the fulfilling of his promise Psal 32.8 9. I will instruct thee but be not like the Horse and Mule c. Gods promise to teach us requires that we be docible and plyable to his Doctrine Ezech. 43.7 8. and 36.37 They shall pollute my Name no more but then he requires that they put away the carcases of their Kings and then he will dwell in the midst of them The Lord having promised Crowns unto the followers of Christ Zach. 6.12 13 15. he conditions the performance of
That he would incline our hearts to keep his Laws That this day we fall into no sin but that all our doings may be ordered by his governance to do alwayes that which is righteous in his sight That he would prevent us in all our doings and further us by his continual help that in all our works begun continued and ended in him we may glorifie his holy Name that by his holy inspiration we may alwayes do those things that be good and by his merciful guidance we may perform the same through Jesus Christ our Lord. Ye know these things if ye do them blessed are ye for blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ make you perfect in every good work to do his will doing in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be Glory for ever and ever Amen NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON JAMES I. 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the fatherless and widows in their distress and to keep himself unspotted from the world THe Text is such as well befits the time for this our Age is much distracted with the great variety of Religious Zelots and for the Churches Peace Religion by St. James is in the Text defined and as the thing which most pretend that do pretend Religion is Purity so the Religion which is here defined is Pure for pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this c. The matter which the Text concerns is weighty and such as well deserves attention for what is of higer nature than Religion and what Religion than that which in the sight of God is undefiled and pure The parts whereof the Text consists are two 1. The thing defined viz. pure and undefiled Religion before God and the Father 2. The definition or explication thereof and that is this 1. To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction 2. To keep himself unspotted of the world 1. In the first the things on which St. James insists are three 1. The duty it self Religion 2. The conditions which are annexed thereto it is pure and undefiled Religion 3. The sincerity of these conditions it is pure and undefiled Religion before God and the Father 2. In the second St. James concludes that pure and undefiled Religion before God and the Father doth consist 1. In doing Good 2. In eschewing Evil. 1. In doing Good as in visiting the fatherless and widows in their affliction 2. In eschewing Evil as in keeping himself unspotted of the world With these by Gods assistance I shall exercise your Christian patience untill I measure out this Text and Time 1. First I will make entrance on the first and that 's Religion nothing is more displeasing unto God than to be contemned nothing more pleasing than to be adored therefore God commanded man to do him service and unto such as do perform that service which he requires he makes the promise of eternal happiness but threatens unto such as do neglect this service the vengeance of eternal fire for God accepts not persons but renders unto every one according to their works whether they be good or evil for the just i. e. such as have done good shall go into life everlasting but the wicked i. e. such as have done evil shall go into everlasting fire Thus Athanasius in his Creed expounds our Saviours words St. Matt. 25. ult Now this duty and service which God requires of Man is set forth in Scripture under several names For 1. Sometimes it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obedience for disobedience is the body of sin to be destroyed Obedience is the life of Righteousness which they that are delivered from this body of death must live Disobedience is the Old Man we must put off Obedience is the New Man we must put on Ephes 4. 2. Sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wisdom is the name which doth express this duty for to do the will of the Lord your God is your wisdom and understanding in the sight of the Nations Deut. 4.6 Hominis enim sapientia est pietas saith St. Austin in his Enchiridion to Laurentius chap. 2. 3. Sometimes it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Love for Love is the fulfilling of the Law Rom. 13.8 4. Sometimes the duty which we owe to God is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Godliness for Godliness is profitable unto all things and hath the promise of this life and of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 The godly or blessed man exerciseth himself in the law of God day and night Psal 1. If therefore thou wilt be religious let the study of his Law be thy continual exercise When thou sittest in thy house and when thou goest by the way when thou lyest down and when thou risest up Deut. 6.7 To this end the people of the Jews did use their Phylacteries that all times the Law of God might be their meditation 2. Secondly à reeligendo Deum quem per peccatum negligentes amisimus For good and evil being set before us we refused the good and chose the evil but by this service we refuse the evil and do chuse the good Deut. 11.26 3. Thirdly à religando nos omnipotenti Deo for sin separated betwixt God and us but this service separates us from sin and rebinds us unto God again For this service works the death of sin the Husband unto which our souls were bound And having freed us from the Law of this our Husband it marrieth us unto our first Love the essential word of truth the Christ of God By this service man which was the Devils captive jure tanquam postliminio returns unto his Country the Paradice of God again And this service in this place is signified by this word Religion For this the words themselves yea and the holy Ghosts intention in this place declares For 1. First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is translated in the Text Religion Martin Luther calls Gods service in his Translation for Orpheus did first instruct the Thracians in the service of their Gods Therefore from the Thracians saith Suidas God service is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is translated by Tremelius thus Si quis existimet quod serviat Deo In the Syriach which Tremelius did translate to serve God and to be Religious are not different things but one Therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a frequent title which the Saints from their Religion in holy Writ assume 2. Secondly this duty and service which God requires and wills is the doing of the Word which God commands And here St. James exhorts the true believing Jews to whom he writ to be doers of the word not hearers only deceiving their own selves For if any man among you be a hearer of the
OBSERVATIONS UPON 1 PETER I. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Searching what or what manner of time the spirit of Christ which was in them did signifie when it testified before-hand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow WE have heard of our Lords Passion what he suffered for us He was stricken smitten of God and afflicted 2. What he suffered of us He was wounded of our iniquities He was bruised of our transgressions 3. We have heard of our Lords actions in behalf of us He justifieth many 4. We have heard of his reaction he suffered indeed he bare our iniquities but he overcame in his suffering he bare away our iniquities Hath he suffered hath he done all this and must we do must we suffer nothing Surely we must for the Prophets searched not in vain into the time nor in vain did the Spirit testifie of the sufferings of Christ nor our sufferings unto Christ nor of the Glory that should follow Our labour is not in vain in the Lord. The Apostle having after his Salutation and Blessing twice made mention of salvation through Jesus Christ He commends it unto them as a thing neither mean nor new but such as the holy Prophets of Old esteemed so excellent that they made diligent enquiry and search after it how it should be accomplished by sufferings 1. Christ was to suffer or have his sufferings 2. The sufferings of Gods people are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 leading unto Christ 3. Glory should follow these sufferings 4. The spirit of Christ in the Prophets witnessed beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the Glory that should follow 5. The Prophets searched what and what manner of time the spirit of Christ which was in them did signifie when it testified beforehand the suffering of Christ and those which lead unto Christ and the glories that should follow 1. Christ was to suffer or have his sufferings Of this I spake lately out of Isaiah 53.4 5. I shall not now trouble you much with that Argument nor indeed is that only here aimed at but according to the wisdom and divine artifice of Gods holy Spirit the words are so framed that they signifie both Christs sufferings and ours with him 1. Christs sufferings and so the word will bear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sufferings that should come unto Christ 2. Or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sufferings which lead unto Christ 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sufferings that should come unto Christ And these are either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fore-sufferings or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his passion Either his poverty contempt contradiction of sinners c. Or his death of the Cross 2. The sufferings of Gods people are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such sufferings as lead unto Christ Luk. 24. twice Act. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And that we may know that the types and figures of the Law foreshewed these sufferings of Christ 1 Cor. 15.1 2. according to the Scriptures These sufferings are either outward or inward 1. Outward as the enduring of what ever evil is opposite unto the goods of the Body Fortune Name 1. Of Body as maladies and sicknesses weaknesses 2. Of Fortune as poverty loss of goods friends means of livelihood 3. Of Name as contempt reviling saying all manner of evil saying detraction back-biting the falsly called Christian world this Nation this City is full of false and groundless defamations and slanders which are the flood which the Serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman the Church Revel 12.15 2. The inward suffering is the enduring and not yielding unto the carnal reasonings wills and passions which are summarily reduced to two heads Eccles 12. ult That whereby we are enabled to bear and suffer out all these is the Cross and patience of Jesus Christ These sufferings are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they lead unto Christ for so the throws and pangs precede the forming of Christ in us Gal. 4.19 and they who have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts are Christs and Christ is theirs Galat. 5. Reason Why do these sufferings lead unto Christ and why must we suffer all these that we may win Christ There is a double necessity c. See Notes on Rom. 6.8 Observ 1. Suffering with Christ is no arbitrary business or left to our discretion they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these sufferings lead unto Christ Observ 2. To suffer is a necessary duty so necessary that without it we cannot partake of Christ who is our life so necessary that without it we cannot attain unto salvation See Notes on Rom. 6.8 Repreh The ungrateful world who lay all their load of their sins upon Christ they consider not that as Christ suffered for them so are they to suffer with him 1 Pet. 4.1 3. Glory followeth these sufferings Glory seems in nature to be the lustre of Light See Notes on Hebr. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. As it refers unto God it is the excellency and eminency of all the attributes 2. As this Glory appears in the souls and spirits of men it is the last guerdon and reward of all our labours in the Lord for as the sufferings lead unto Christ so Christ in us is the hope of Glory Coloss 1.27 and 3.4 When Christ which is our life shall appear then shall we appear with him in glory this is wont to be joyned with a throne or a glorious kingdom as 1 Sam. 2.8 to make them inherit the throne of glory Dan. 4.36 the glory of my kingdom 1 Thess 2.12 God hath called you to his kingdom and glory Where yet we must beware of a common errour invented by the Schoolmen which goeth for current among most sorts of Christians who distinguish the kingdom of God into the kingdom of Grace and the kingdom of Glory but what ever the Schoolmen or others have conceived of two kingdoms the kingdom of God is one See Notes on Mar. 4.11 Glory followeth these sufferings The Greek words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the plural number the glories after these sufferings and so the Vulg. Lat. hath these words posteriores glorias the after glories none of all our English Translations have these words in the plural as they ought to be except only one Manuscript which hath the latter glories But Pagnine turns them well quae post has fierent glorias so likewise the French Spanish and Italian Translations Nor do I see any reason why any out of affectation of purity in the Latin or English or other Tongue should therefore wave the word before him in the Greek or Hebrew since its proper to Translators to render the words as they find them but it belongs to interpreters to give the sence And therefore since the Greek word here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the plural though neither the English nor Latin nor Dutch Tongues so elegantly speak this word in the plural yet it 's no warrant for any Translators to render
13.35 Watch ye therefore for ye know not when the Master of the house cometh whether at even or at midnight or at the cock-crowing or in the morning lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping There are who understand these several times of watching literally and from thence have gathered proper hours of watching in the night Psal 63.6 I remember thee upon my bed and meditate on thee in the night watches Surely our Lord would not have pointed at those special times of watching nor would the Devil have disswaded Macarius from the observation of those times of watching unless there were something in them tending to the destruction of the Kingdom of Satan and the advancement of the Kingdom of God 4. Whereas the foolish Virgins slumbred and slept and for want of Oyl were excluded from the Bride-chamber at the coming of the Bridegroom watch ye therefore for ye know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of man cometh We remember a twofold object of watchfulness propounded evil to be prevented and that not expected good to be kept and obtained that we may enter into the Bride-chamber The evil to be prevented is near us irrepens incidens 1. Malum irrepens the inconvenience that evil of sin which easily besets us and secretly steals upon us as a thief in the night 2. The Malum incidens the mischief it is the evil of punishment the judgment that suddenly comes upon us as a robber as an an armed man 1. The malum irrepens the evil that steals upon us is the National Sin whatever that is of which we must be watchful and wary that we avoid it and be not guilty of it lest the malum incidens the terrible judgment of God seize upon us The National Sin no doubt is either the empty Lamp the fruitless Oyl empty dead Faith without the Oyl of the Spirit of Faith and Love and without the Oyl of good Works and Works of Mercy Or the Lamp full of the false Unction Oyl or Spirit from Antichrist that accursed Oyl or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that enters into the bones of ungodly men whereby they are wise and strong to do evil but to do good they know not that abundance of iniquity whence according to our Lords reasoning proceeds want of love and mercy these and such as these are mala irrepentia the National sins But hence may spring an Use of comfort to the humble Soul it s not held an Error to hope for the Unction from the holy One to hope for the Spirit of God the Oyl in our Lamps of Faith to burn and shine in good works of Mercy I say It 's not held an Error to hope for this Spirit since the Lord promises it if we pray for it and the Apostle tells us the promise is made to all that are afar off and that he gives his Spirit to those who obey him Act. 5.32 As for the Oyl of good works and works of Mercy wherewithal our Lamps of Faith ought to shine is it not commonly said to be Arminianism or Popery to urge the exercise of good works and works of Mercy But Beloved is it not the end whereunto we are made Eph. 2.10 are we not created unto good works that we should walk in them Are they not as necessary to our Faith that it may be a living Faith as the Soul is to the Body that it may live See Jam. 2.1 So that Faith and Obedience are inseparable in Christians oft-times being taken the one for the other Observ Hence also an use of reprehension if the Lamp of Faith and Knowledge be so empty of good the Spirit of God and works of mercy what shall we say of the fulness of evil the false Faith full of the false Unction if they who have not the Unction from the holy One if they who have not the Spirit of Christ are none of his whose are they who have the Spirit of Antichrist Giddyness Rebellion Whoredoms Dissention Uncleanness If he know not those who are empty of good Works and works of Mercy how shall he know those who are full of evil Works and works of Unmercifulness Rom. 1 28 31. If they who are called Virgins as they who in some measure have abstained from the polutions of the flesh if these were excluded from the Marriage shall not the adulterous Generation be exclusissima What saith the Apostle Eph. 5.3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness let it not be once named among you as becometh saints Verse 6. Let no man deceive you with vain words for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience there 's malum incidens the mischief that shall suddenly fall wherefore Eph. 5.4 he saith Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead arise from those dead works watch and pray for the prevention of those National evils which hang over our heads lest the Judgment suddenly overtake thee As there is now a time that the Gate of Mercy which now will easily be open at the knocking of sighs and tears and groans and prayers of the penitent now the time is wherein our Lord saith whoever cometh to me I will not cast out the gate stands open for Traytors Adulterers Idolaters for sinners of all sorts for David after his Murder and Adultery for Mary Magdalen after her Whoredom for Matthew after his receipt of Custom for Peter after his threefold denial for Saul after his persecution of the Church And there will be a time when that door is once shut it will not be opened neither by prayers or sighs or tears or groans O beloved as knowing the terror of the Lord I presume to exhort now now now the gate of mercy may be opened unto you now knock now watch now pray for if the gate be shut against thee the Lord will seal and ratifie the Exclusion of Fools with Amen Note hence their great peril who have all things at their own will both outward and inward the strong man keeps the Palace and his goods are in peace but while they say peace cometh sudden destruction O the perversness of mans corrupt nature that which should be to us a reason why we ought daily to watch and pray to wit because we know neither the day nor the hour when he Son of man cometh this verily is a reason to many why they are negligent slumber and sleep long naps in known sins as they of old The Lord sees not the Lord deferrs his coming Not minding Satan our adversary that roaring Lyon going about seeking whom he may swallow up or drink up he I say daily watches his opportunity when he spies us negligent or the windows of our Senses open then casts he in his darts or temptations some delightful object or other whereby he may perswade or draw us off from our duty to sin and vanity and make us to neglect our guard But watching looks at an object worth obtaining and well
worth the keeping no less than the Eternal Life Watch we therefore for our Lord he brings with him all good and the establishment in that good so come Lord Jesus Amen NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON MATTHEW XXV 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For unto every one that hath shall be given and he shall have abundance but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath WHat the Wise Man tells us Ecclus. 13.26 We have found very true in the opening of the former Parable which because it is long and hath no particular reddition made unto it it occasioned the expence of long time in the opening of it which could not but be a wearisom labour both to the speaker and the hearers Now although this next Parable of the Talents be longer than the former and hath no Apodosis or reddition at all made unto it and therefore the explication of it might prove the work of long time I have made choice of that part of it which may serve as a summary and breviate of the whole Parable Wherein is contained a reason of Gods different dispensation and dealing with his Servants viz. That equity which is required in a Governour according to which he distributes rewards and punishments Which equity God himself the Governour and Judge of all the world useth here in this Parable and proves his dealing just by a proverbial and known rule which I have taken for my Text. In the words we have these Divine Truths 1. To every one that hath it shall be given 2. He shall have abundance 3. From him that hath not shall be taken away that which he hath 1. To every one that hath shall be given The sentence is general and nothing named here which is said to be had Three things therefore must here be opened 1. The thing supposed to be had 2. The having of it 3. What it is to give or to be given to him that hath 1. The thing or things supposed to be had are our Masters goods viz. a talent or talents few or more one at the least Now if we take a view of our Masters goods whether Temporal or Spiritual Natural or Supernatural they are all his he challenges them all Every beast of the forest is mine and the Cattel upon a thousand hills the world is mine and the fulness thereof Psal 50.10 11 12. and David ascribes them to him 1 Chron. 29.11.12 Thine O Lord is the Greatness and the Power and the Glory and the Victory and the Majesty for all that is in the Heaven and the Earth is thine c. These in the Parable are called Talents Now a Talent was the greatest weight in use among the Jews which according to some was one hundred and twenty pound weight according to others more than thrice as much especially the Talent of the Sanctuary such as these Talents were as being our Masters goods and the plentiousness of his house 2. Herein we must onquire what it is to have which though a known word yet as it appears by the different use of it here and elsewhere requires some explication for the elegancy of such sentences as are in a sort proverbial as this is consists much what in the different use of words as Mat. 13.13 They seeing see not and hearing hear not To have a thing therefore he may be said who is the Lord and owner of it and so our Lord and Master only may be said to have and he hath allodium he hath all and holds of none 2. he may be said to have who holds what he has of another and that either as a Tenant or Servant as Nehem. 9.36 Behold we are servants this day and for the Land that thou gavest unto our Fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof behold we are servants in it or as a depository who hath received what he has in trust as in 1 Tim. 6.20 O Timothy keep that which is committed to thy trust and one or other of these two wayes the Servants of the Lord are said to have his goods viz. when they so use them as their Master is honoured and their Generation served by them they have saith St. Austin Qui cum benignitate utuntur eo quod acceperunt He who thus hath his Lords Talents i. e. useth them aright to his Masters honour and the good of men he is said rather to have them then he who detains them and layes them not out for he who so expends them puts them into a sure hand in the hand of God he works his works in God he layes up his treasure in Heaven whereas he who detains his Masters goods he makes no increase of them he has but only the Seed instead of a plentiful Increase and it 's subject to thieves moth and rust He hath his Masters Talents safe who hath them in his Masters hand 3. What it is to be given this phrase is used in Scripture sometimes properly as Mark 4.11 Vnto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God but to them that are without all these things are done in Parables Dabitur adauctus fidei vel inauctus vel salus ipsa Tertul. The reason and ground of this is no other than Justice and Equity Observ 1. Note how rich our Master is who gives his goods his talents unto his Servants how shall we escape if we then neglect so great salvation Observ 2. There are varieties and diversities of Spiritual Gifts and Graces as also of Natural which also are Gods Gifts and called his goodness Rom. 2. these Gifts and Graces are figured by Talents Observ 3. Every Servant in the Lords house hath received some of his goods one or more of these Talents Mat. 25.14 Observ 4. is That every one of God's Servants hath not all the goods of his Master Observ 5. All the Servants of our Lord have among them all their Masters goods what all Indeed in Christ dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily But does it dwell also in the Church The whole Church is the body of Christ whose Head He is and He is said to be the same with it Rom. 12.4 5. For as we have many members in one body and all members have not the same office so we being many are one body in Christ and members one of another and 1 Cor. 12.12 For as the body is one and hath many members and all the members of that one body being many are one body so also is Christ and what he is or has he communicates unto his Body the Church yea so that the Church is said to be that which he is so that in Christ is said to dwell the fulness of the Godhead bodily and his Servants are the fulness of him that filleth all in all Ephes 1.23 yea that glorious Name the Lord our Righteousness Jer. 23.6 is given to the Church and the Apostle prays for the Ephesians That they may be filled