the light of Moses by the light of the Prophets the light of the Prophets by the light of the New Testament and the light of the New Testament by the light of the Spirit The Scriptures they acknowledg were Gods Word and the Pen-men inspired by God but it was to endure for a time hence they allege 2 Peter 1.19 We do well to take heed to the Scriptures as to a light shining in a dark place till the day dawn and the day-star arise in their hearts Be astonished O ye Heavens at these be ye horribly afraid The horridness of this Delusion wants tears of bloud sufficiently to bewail it that apostate Professours the authours of these Delusions should labour as it were to kill God and his Word with his own Weapons I might wave all Scripture-reason with these that deny the Scripture and reason with them onely as Philosophers also I might let the Reader see that this damnable errour is an epitome of all errour But to answer that place 2 Peter 1.19 Peter shews that if these dispersed Jews attended to the Scriptures of the Prophets they would have a light to guide them in their darkness till the day at last appear and the morning-star the sign thereof scatter their darkness that is till the light of the Gospel clearly manifest unto you this mystery of godliness which ye have begun to receive Some interpret thus that Prophesie is the Night or Darkness the Gospel is the Light or Morning Star the sight of God in Heaven is clear Day so the sense is Attend unto the reading and study of the Prophets that ye may be strengthened by them in the faith of Christ untill the Day Star that is a more clear knowledg of the faith of the Gospel shine unto you that ye being confirmed therein may thereby be brought to the blessedness of Heaven The sight of faith in comparison of the sight in Heaven is but as the Dawning of the Morning to the Light of the Sun at Noon And as the Morning Star is a Middle betwixt Night and Day so is the Doctrine of the Gospel a Middle betwixt the dark Doctrine of the Prophets and the clear sight in Heaven So that by Day Star is not meant Christ whom these believing Jews had already received but their going on and increase in the faith whiles by little and little their knowledg became more certain concerning the Mysteries of Christ that no doubts or scruples concerning the Christian Faith or any point of it might be any longer in their mindes Some by Day dawning and Day Star understand the sight of God in Heaven our Life of Misery in this World being like Night the Life to come will be like Day when all shadows of mortality errour and ignorance shall vanish away See Song 2.17 This word Untill favours this Interpretation because we need Prophesie and the Scriptures all our Life long till we come in Heaven But both Intepretations are to be taken in and then the sense will be Take heed to the Scriptures of the Prophets and Gospel as to the means for your going on in the Faith and building up untill you come to the beatifical vision of the glory in Heaven But never did the Apostle or Spirit mean that the written Word should have its period and time set to last beyond which it is useless and improper to attend unto it The second place is 1 John 2.20 21 27. But ye have an Unction from the Holy One and ye shall know all things but the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you all things From this Scripture they argue thus they that have the Teachings of the Spirit have no need of the teaching of the Letter but they have the Unction of the Spirit that teacheth them all things therefore they need neither the teaching of the Letter nor the teachings of men Answ Three things to be opened 1 What is meant by Unction Answ By Unction is meant Christianity for as a Christian in Greek is the same that Anointed is so Christianity is the same that Anointing is now Christianity is the Doctrine grace and wisdom of Christ which from the inspiration of the Spirit is given whereby we are instructed in all the believables and duties of a true Christian which pertain to Christian faith and life and to fly heretical and Antichristian tenents Now this heavenly Light is compared to Oyl because the principal use of Oyl is to maintain Light it hath other virtues as to cool to chear to heal but this is the principal so that by Unction he means the Oyl of holy Doctrine or Truth 2 Quest What is meant by this anointing teaching us all things Answ By all things are not meant every individual truth for the Apostles themselves knew onely in part 1 Cor. 13.9 therefore we must understand it restrictively to the matter in hand Ye know all things that is concerning the shunning of Antichrist and holding the Faith 2 Or by all things he means all things he had formerly taught them so that he rather remembers them and admonishes them of things that he writ than delivers any Principles which were new unto them therefore v. 24. he bids that that might remain with them which they had heard from the beginning 3 Quest What is meant by this Phrase Ye need not that any man teach you Answ The Apostle doth not cry down ministerial teaching for then should he have cried down his own teaching and nullified many other Precepts wherein Preachers are commanded to preach the Word in season and out of season 2 Tim. 4.1 and the Ministry is given for the perfecting of the Saints Ephes 4.11 12. but onely warns them against false Teachers who taught them contrary Doctrines to those wherein by the Doctrine of Truth they had been informed these errours the Apostle calls Lyes v. 22. as being most abominable Lyes to deny Jesus to be Christ So that the sense is Ye have the Light of the Word wherein you have been instructed to teach you all things needfull for your salvation so that you are not to listen to any Impostours that teach you the contrary but from hence to deduce that because you have the Teachings of the Spirit that we need not the Teachings of men is a grand Delusion A third Argument is The Elect shall be all taught of God John 6.45 So that they shall not teach every man his Neighbour and every man his Brother saying Know the Lord for all shall know me from the least to the greatest Heb. 8.11 A. There is a twofold Teaching 1 Notional 2 Affectionate Of the later of these the Scripture speaks The Lord teaches the Elect or Children of the new Covenant as no man can teach with the like he gives them a rellish of good things but because the Lord teaches after this way that no man can teach it follows
mouth and a tongue which all your adversaries should not be able to gainsay or resist And here Christ meets with an Objection which the Apostles might make viz. Whence shall we that are unable to speak defend our selves and cause against Councils great Assemblies and Princes who many times with their presence astonish great Orators To this Christ saith I will give you a mouth and a tongue Christ will not leave his Witnesses in the midst of danger V. 20. For it is not you that speak but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you Christ further strengthens his Disciples as to discouragement about their own weakness whereas they might object we are fishermen though it should be spoken to us yet we cannot being unlearned be able to speak to this Christ saith It 's not you that speak but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you Will a father leave a childe when he knows he is in hazard of life for his fathers sake and will your heavenly Father leave you in danger for the witness of his truth Surely no. And look as the preparation of the heart and answer of the tongue is from the Lord Prov. 16.1 so shall the Spirit not onely dictate unto you fit Arguments and Apologies but also shall form your tongues to express them even to the astonishment of your Adversaries The Council Acts 4.13 when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men they marvelled Acts 5.27 28 29. Acts 7.51 52 53 54. Now in that Christ saith it is not you it is not meant absolutely but comparatively not so much you as the Spirit of God by you The help of Angels at such a time to assist is much but the assistance of the Spirit is far more without which in such an hour of temptation the best parts and abilities would fail There cannot be a greater assistant than this Spirit Luk. 21.15 This comparative speech is like that Matth. 9.13 I will have mercy not sacrifice that is not so much sacrifice as mercy The force of the Argument is It 's not so much your cause as mine and my Fathers therefore my Spirit and the Spirit of my Father shall answer for you As when Balaams Ass spoke it was not so much the Ass that spoke as the Lord in the Ass Numb 22.28 so it was the Spirit that spoke in the Apostles Acts 4.19 and in Stephen V. 21. And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death and the father the childe and the children shall rise up against their parents and cause them to be put to death Here 's a third evil to which Christians must look to be exposed to viz. as the hatred of all men in general so of their own kinsmen in particular because the hatred they have against you for the cause of Christ is stronger than the bond of natural affection Hence it breaks in pieces the bond of natural love Hence as it was in Christs kindred that not onely they would not believe in him John 7.5 but also said he was mad Mark 3.21 so is it in worldly men who hate their relations for difference of Religion Hence Ishmael hated Isaak and Esau persecuted Jacob and Josephs brethren sold him Alphonsus Diazius slew his brother John for the confession of the Gospel Sleydan lib. 17. We see the like History in the Life of Woodman persecuted by his own brother in Queen Maries time This should quiet our hearts when we see our friends and kindred rage against us for conscience sake It should also learn us not to be too confident in carnal relations how near soever allied to us Micah 7.5 Trust ye not in a friend put ye not confidence in a guide keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom He that is false in his duty to God how can he be expected to be faithfull to friends Learn also in declining times when friends prove false to look to God Micah 7.6 7. The son dishonoureth his father and the daughter riseth up against her mother therefore saith Micah I will look unto the Lord I will wait for the God of my salvation This unfaithfulness was not onely a symptome of those bad times but it hath been the frame of many carnal hearts since V. 22. And ye shall be hated of all men for my Names sake but he that shall endure unto the end the same shall be saved And ye shall be hated of all men That is of all unregenerate men that receive not Christ whether they be Jews or Gentiles noble or base whether kindred or strangers old and young Wicked men hate all good men if not actually because they know them not yet habitually they do if they knew them they would hate them even for the good in them Psalm 38.20 which hatred proceeds from that enmity put betwixt the Seed of the Woman and the Seed of the Serpent Gen. 3.15 As love arises from similitude so doth hatred from dissimilitude The World cannot hate you but me it hateth John 7.7 Why because I testifie the works thereof are evil The World also hates Saints because they are not of the World John 15.19 For my Names sake That is for a powerfull profession of it The Gentiles raged much as Augustine observes because they heard that Jesus Christ would be worshipped alone now they thought it absurd that they should cast off all their other gods continued to them for so many ages for him alone Not onely Papists but carnal Protestants rage against the godly of the time if they will witness Christ in any powerfull manner and follow the Light of Gods Word further than the times will bear I am guilty of such and such evils said Bradford but this is not that mine Enemies persecute in me but Christ Nor is it to be forgotten that because the word of Christ in the mouth of Saints urges an union with the hearts of wicked men hence those who urge herein are hated especially if it be any such part of the word as exposeth to some present cross Besides it was the manner for Scholers to be called by their Masters names as Aristoteleans Pythagoreans so Christians are called from their profession of Christ Acts 11.26 and for the profession of living by the rules of their Masters is it that Christians suffer 1 Pet. 4.15 If any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed Acts 5.41 Peter and John rejoyced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name But he that shall endure unto the end the same shall be saved Here is 1 A duty 2 A promise The duty is to endure to the end to endure all persecutions hatreds adversities to the end both of the persecutions and of life To obtain the crown it 's not enough once and again to overcome but to overcome and endure to the end and this is some comfort that though they be long they will
EXPOSITIONS AND SERMONS UPON The Ten first Chapters of the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST according to MATTHEW Written by CHRISTOPHER BLACKWOOD Preacher to a Church of Christ in the City of Dublin in IRELAND Necesse est nobis Scripturas sanctas in testimonium vocari sensus quippe nostri enarrationes sine his testibus fidem nullam habent Orig. homil 1. in Jerem. It 's needfull the holy Scriptures should be called into witness because our meanings and Expositions without these witnesses have no belief Quaemadmodum si quis herbas aridas nec odorem nec colorem gratum habentes in medici officina dispositas repererit c. As if a man shall finde in a Phisician or Apothecaries shop dry herbs having neither smell nor colour though they may seem to have a base shew yet he will suspect there is some virtue and remedy in them so in the Apothecary shop of the Scriptures if any thing meet which at first sight seems to be contemned yet we may surely set down that there is some spiritual profit in it because Christ the Phisician of souls is to be supposed to have put nothing idle or unprofitable in this his shop meaning of the Scriptures Orig. hom 8. in Levit. LONDON Printed by HENRY HILLS for FRANCIS TYTON and JOHN FIELD and are to be sold at the Three Daggers and at the Seven Stars in Fleetstreet 1659. To the Right Honourable Lord CHARLES FLEETWOOD late Lord Deputy of Ireland and now Lieutenant-General of the forces in England MY LORD TO testifie that due acknowledgement of Your Lordships favors whereto I am obliged I have hereto prefixt Your Lordships name Among all studies none are to be preferr'd before the study of the Scriptures LUTHER when one Chapter was opened to him said Me thinks I see heaven opened Here are several Chapters opened wherein if God shall open himself to Your Lordships heart heaven shall undoubtedly be opened unto you Let not Your Lordship herein expect the flourishing garnish of humane Eloquence nor the glorious varnish of Rhetorical expressions but naked truth or at least the same drest up in an homely garb Truth is more potent them Eloquence the spirit better then wit Faith greater then Learning and the foolishness of God stronger then men All knowledge save that of the Scriptures is but perishing food yea the very knowledge of the Scriptures is no better unless as the understanding be affected with the truth of them the will be affected with the goodness therein presented In vain is all knowledge if it be not improved to the benefit of our own souls If our knowledge consist onely in methodical discoursing of God we shall glorifie him onely as the Painter doth the party whose picture he hath exactly taken With all the truths of God our hearts should have such correspondence as between the Character and Letter instamp'd My Lord if now and then you shall redeem an hour from Court-affairs to Closet-contemplation to peruse this ensuing Treatise I hope through the blessing of God your labor will not be in vain I have no more at present save to exhort you to take opportunities of doing much for God who hath done so much for you that so your faith and fruits of righteousness may abound in the day of account which with my prayers to the Lord for Your Lordship Your Lady and Posterity is the hearty request of MY LORD Your Lordships in all duty to serve and observe you CHR. BLACKWOOD TO THE READER BEing desired by some of my friends to Print some Annotations upon the New Testament though my life was too far spent and I not like to accomplish it my Body being much worn yet I thought it adviseable to make an Essay herein but the Providence of God so disposed that I had no sooner finished 3. or 4. Chapters in Matthew but I was called from the City of Kilkennie in Ireland to be Overseer of a Church of Christ in Dublin to whom preaching I was necessitated in order to their edification to handle some Points largelier then the nature of an Exposition calls for but yet I suppose not with less profit to ordinary Readers I have not according to the itch of the times affected new fangled interpretations but judging it unsafe to move the bounds of the faith I have troden in the steps of the best ancient and modern Divines that Providence led me to adding changing rectifying inventing and proposing what I thought needfull Thou mayest perhaps in some points meet with a judgement differing from thine in some one thing yet let not that cause thee either to reject or not promote the truths in this ensuing Treatise wherein we agree in most things If the Lord may have glory and thy soul Edification and Comfort and any Comfort may redound to me in the day of my account which speedyly draws on I trust I shall have my end With much carefulness I have endeavoured to avoid the misleading of Gods people I cannot promise thee all in this Treatise is truth yet notwithstanding all fear of losing friends and procuring enemies I have pressed after truth through multitudes of impediments temptations and discouragements That the answer of those prayers which have been poured out for a good success upon these weak endeavours may redound to the rejoycing of both our souls in the day of the Lord is the earnest request of Thy well wishing friend for the Lords sake C. B. The Authours Introduction to the ensuing Treatise TO the better understanding of this Gospel which through the assistance of the good Spirit of the Lord I now undertake there must be certain things first to be considered whereunto I shall propose these ensuing I. That by the Gospel or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is meant The glad Tidings of Salvation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifies Well and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To tell though sometimes the word Gospel is taken for the Reward of good Tidings as Cicero to Atticus saith O thy sweet Epistles to which I confess Evangelia that is the Reward of good Tidings is due This word Gospel is taken 1. Generally for the whole Scripture which declares this Message for there were many sprinklings of the Gospel in the Old Testament Gen. 3.15 Deut. 18.18 2. Or particularly 1. for the promise of forgiveness of sins to them that believe and repent Luke 24.47 Acts 10.42 2. For the publication of this Gospel so Paul Rom. 16 25. was separate to the Gospel of God that is to the preaching of it See also Gal. 1.15 16. 2 Tim. 2.8 Christ was raised from the dead according to my Gospel that is the preaching of my Gospel Rom. 2.16 God shall judg all secrets according to my Gospel that is according to my preaching II. In that it 's said according to Matthew we may note that the prime Authour of this Gospel was not Matthew but the Spirit of God Matthew onely penn'd what the Spirit dictated III. This
the good enjoyed A man doth not so rejoyce at the yeaning of a Lamb as when his Wife brings forth a Son There could be no greater joy than to hear and know the Messias of the World to be born We should rejoyce exceedingly in Christ and in the means that lead to him they did not so much rejoyce in seeing the Star which they had often seen before but that they had found Christ whom they sought As it was to them so should it be exceeding joy to us to finde Christ Song 1.4.3.4 Zacheus received Christ joyfully Luke 19.6 V. 11. And when they were come into the house they saw the young Childe with Mary his Mother and fell down and worshipped him and when they had opened their Treasures they presented unto him Gifts Gold Frankincense and Myrrh Here is their second testimony of Thankfulness in that they worship him And when they were come into the house Some have thought that the Tax which Augustus imposed was now ended and that Bethlem being now empty of Strangers Joseph had taken some Citizen's house to sojourn in but being the Tax continued a long time by reason of the accession of new Strangers therefore we may suppose the house to be no other than the Stable whereinto necessity had enforced Joseph by reason of the multitude of Strangers in the Inn Luke 2.7 She brought forth her first-born Son and wrapped him in swadling clothes and laid him in a Manger because there was no room for them in the Inn. All this was to teach us humility the Lord of glory laid in a Manger in stead of a Palace a Stable in stead of a Cradle of State a Beasts Cratch no Pillow it 's like but a Lock of Hay no Hangings but Dust and Copwebs he was in so low a condition 1. That all persons may have access to him Shepherds as well as others 2. To shew himself to be the Messias and Saviour of poor as well as rich 3. Because it was suitable to the rest of his Life which was spent in a great humility Men are apt to look for a Messias in State in a Crimson Mantle in a Cradle of Ivory and to have found him in the best house in Bethlem in the best Chamber there but we shall not finde him in any such place but in a Stable Learn we hereby to be lowly in heart Matth. 11.29 And fell down and worshipped him No doubt by divine instinct they knew the Divinity of Christ hence they worshipt him not onely with civil worship as one born King of the Jews but with divine worship which was it's like the outward gesture of reverence and kneeling and falling down for so the Greek words signifie They presented unto him Gifts Gold Frankincense and Myrrh It was usual for the Persians and for the whole Eastern People to go to their Kings with Gifts Gen 42.11 1 Kings 10.2 They brought the best things their Countrey afforded Myrrh grows in Arabia Frankincense among the Sabeans a part of Arabia Arabia Faelix brings Gold therefore the Kings of Arabia brought Gold to Solomon The Lord hereby would provide for Joseph and Mary and the Childe being speedily to go into banishment For the mystical sense it 's thought they offered to him Frankincense as God acknowledging his divine Nature Myrrh as man acknowledging his humane Nature that which they believe in their hearts they protest by their Gifts and that he should dy for the Salvation of Man for Myrrh was bestowed upon him at his Burial John 19.39 They offer to him Gold as acknowledging him their King and the King of all the earth Bernard acknowledges no Mystery herein but thinks they offered Gold to minister to his want Myrrh to strengthen the Members of the Infant Frankincense to take away the stink of the place But one end may be for the fulfilling the Prophesie Psalm 72.10 The Kings of Sheba and Seba shall bring Gifts Also v. 15. He shall live and to him shall be given of the Gold of Sheba Let us bring to this our King also three Gifts Gold that is Faith or a Heart by Faith purified for Frankincense devout and fervent Prayers that may come up like Incense for Myrrh let us bring Tears Mortification and Brokenness of Heart In that they bring not onely Gold to minister to Joseph and Maries wants but Myrrh and Frankincense it argues there is a Mystery lies hid herein V. 12. And being warned of God in a Dream that they should not return to Herod they departed to their own Countrey another way That neither the Wise-men nor the Childe Jesus should become a Prey to Herod's cruelty they are warned of God to go home another way There 's a secret Providence watches over not onely the Head but the Members Psalm 91.1 10. The Lord also hereby shewed what manner of a Kingdom this King should have he should have a Crown but it should be of Thorns a Kingdom but full of crosses exposed to the snares and persecutions of the mighty men of the World but also comforts them that he the Lord was able to disappoint the most artificial Projects of the most cunning Tyrants V. 13. And when they were departed behold the Angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream saying Arise and take the young childe and his mother and flee into Egypt and be thou there until I bring thee word for Herod will seek the young childe to destroy him The 2d part of the Chapter in which are these things 1 The command the Angel gives to Joseph which was to take the young childe and flee into Egypt and be thou there until I bring thee word 2 The reasons of the command for Herod will seek the young childe not to worship him as he pretended to the Wise men but to destroy him if he tarry any longer in Bethlem All the commands of God are for the good of his people and are founded upon reason 2 A second reason to fulfil the prophesie I have called my Son out of Egypt v. 15. 3 Josephs obedience in both the branches of the command 1 In taking the childe and his mother and flying into Egypt 2 In his tarriance there he abode there till the death of Herod when word came to him for his return And when they were departed We see the changeableness of earthly comforts as it were yesterday the Wise men came but now they are departed See we Gods goodness when one comfort is taken away another comes The Angel appears when the Wise men were gone Flee into Egypt When we look on our afflictions remember Christ was afflicted from the cradle Obs It 's the duties of Masters of Families to take care of their relations 1 Tim. 5.8 2 Obs It 's a sufficient ground to flye when we know persons lye in wait for our lives but with this disposition that if taken rather we resolve in Gods strength to lose our lives then to deny the truth Flee into
persons at difference so should we as much as in us lies be at peace with all men Rom. 12.18 The Apostle is full of exhortations herein 1 Cor. 1.10 2 Cor. 13.11 Col. 3.17 We are called to peace God calls to it who then calls to contention save Satan Means to peace 1 Mortifie your lusts James 4.1 Whence come wars come they not of your lusts The sea would be calm were it not for strong windes so would your hearts were it not for your lusts now the sins to be mortified are 1 pride Prov. 13.10 2 tale-bearing Prov. 26.20 21. 3 unrighteousness Prov. 15.27 4 provoking speeches Gal. 5.26 5 immoderate meditation of wrongs we have suffered 6 hatred Prov. 10.12 7 forcing of wrath Prov. 30.33 8 Let every one do his duty in that kinde of life to which God hath called him let him not lift up himself above others nor reprehend the works of others and praise his own as better but let one serve another by love Luth. Tom. 4.167 9 Practice Christian moderation in remitting of your right for peace sake Phil. 4.4 the word is epieikeia which signifies a yielding of our right 2 Study peace 1 Thes 4.11 The Apostle bids the Thessalonians to study to be quiet We study books arts sciences but this is an excellent study Sit down and think this man and I are at ods how should I make up the matter This is the pursuing of peace Psal 34.14 Seek peace and pursue it 3 Practice Christian kindness as giving lending c. One end why God gives us the things of this life is that we may maintain peace with them Every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts Prov. 19.6 Jacob took off a malice of twenty years standing by a gift Gifts are compared to precious stones Prov. 17.8 so that as persons that wear precious stones do oft delight to look upon them so do such persons look upon gifts Also mutual entertainments mutual visitings mutual counsellings and comfortings 4 Where you are damnified put up small wrongs Mat. 17.26 27. though Christ were free from paying tribute yet that he might not offend he bids Peter pay a piece of money for tribute Where you have damnified others give satisfaction for the least wrong Jacob Gen. 31.39 for peace sake gave satisfaction to Laban for that which was torn of beasts or stoln by day and night 5 In case of offence with any man proffer reconciliation both in your speeches and cariages Imitate the Lord who though the person offended yet sought to us 2 Cor. 5.19 As when an house is on fire every man brings water to quench it so let us meet one another in the midst to quench the fire of contention Luke 12.58 Agree with thine adversary whiles thou art in the way with him 6 Beware of stigmatizing one another with nick names take heed lest ye put off the name of Christ from those that have put on Christ Gal 3.28 by calling them Puritans Sectaries Anabaptists If every natural body no less desire its own unity then its being why should not the mystical body in like manner 7 Get the peace of Christ to rule in your hearts Col. 3.17 Creatures of a meek and peaceable nature though you use them never so harshly yet are they peaceable because they have principles of meekness and patience in them whereas creatures of fierce natures as Lions and Wolves though you use them never so gently yet will they be fierce because they have such principles so wicked men have not known the way of peace Rom. 3.17 but godly men usually are of peaceable spirits because the peace of God rules in their hearts Motives to Peace 1 Peace is a blessing that comprehends all blessings under it Psalm 29 1â— The Lord will give his people the blessing of peace What is our joy but the peace of our consciences What is our health but the peace of our humours If a man were in heaven and could not have it in peace it would not be comfortable Everlasting peace is part of our joy in Heaven 2 That which is the excellentest life every one desires to live Such is a life of peace not onely in that the most flourishing Commonwealths have lived it but God and Angels that which is the worst life devils and wicked men live such is a lite of contention Hence Christ the Prince of peace lived this life called the Prince of Peace Esai 9.6 gave it for a legacy to his Disciples John 14.27 Esai 11.6 7 8. 3 The universal peace that is among all creatures The heavenly bodies Sun Moon and Stars keep their course the Sea keepeth within the girdle of the Sands and doth not invade the earth the Windes blow not together but successively the contrary qualities in the world heat and cold drought and moisture are so tempered together that like musical discords they make a perfect harmony Woods of trees fields of corn grow without molesting one another creatures not onely of the same kinde but of different kinde feed peaceably one by another If peace be among all bodies let it be much more among the mystical body of Christ Psalm 133.1 How good a thing is it for brethren to dwell together in unity 4 The common enemy should set us at peace I mean the Popish and Prelatical combinations So that the question is not so much what kinde of government we shall have in Protestant Churches but whether we shall have any Protestant Church at all At the Battle of Lepanto when there was great differences and animosities betwixt the three generals Don John and Venereus and the third general yet when the battel came to be fought they united against the Turk and got a mighty victory against his navy the like whereof hath hardly been heard of Phil. 1.20 Jude 3. contend for the common salvation 5 Herein consists the form of charity not in this that we are all of one minde for that is kept for heaven but that we are peaceably affected in our hearts and wish well one to another When Luther had vented some hard speeches against Calvin sayes he though Luther count me a dogge yea a devil yet I 'le count him a famous servant of God 6 The smalness of matters which causes a breach of peace many are as angry for rejecting their opinions as Jonah was for his gourd I know the smallest thing in Religion ought to be made conscience of yet those points without the knowledge whereof many have come to heaven though they may obstruct publick communion yet know I no cause why they should hinder peace and private communion among those that fear God Learn we of the Romish Churches if it be expedient and lawful so to call them among which there are controversies of far more moment viz. of the infallible judge in all points of the Christian faith the Spanish and Italian Churches defend the Pope to be the supreme judge affirming him so to be inspired with
is needful let us avoid wicked suspicions of others concerning us and our received opinion of them is to be tried envy not any man who is dearly loved before others Just Mart. ad Zenam Serenum p. 390. Let no worldly conference flow from us but that which fits us for virtue Our neighbour speaking let us not laugh at him nor hinder him until by our silence he be ashamed and be silent Ibid. p. 391 392. 2 Exhortation to Christians to be like unto salt 1 As salt draws out putrifying humors out of meat and makes it rellishable for the palate so Christians by their doctrine and examples and in particular Preachers draw out the rottenness in the hearts and tongues of men and makes them fit for society of Christians hence they are called the salt of the earth to show that they should not season one or two or a few but even the whole earth and to press it the more upon them he used this similitude not once but often as Mark 9. ult John 14. ult 2 For profitableness Sale sole nihil utilius salt is most profitable called by some the balsome of nature it is mingled with all mixt bodies and preserves them from corruption So Christians are very profitable Philemon 11. Formerly unprofitable now profitable to thee and me 3 Christians are like salt for wisdom salt was an embleme of wisdome as salt seasons meat so wisdom seasons the mindes of good men Hence Sapientia is derived à sapore from savor because wisedome is the savor of the minde that which the soul is in the body that are Christians in the world 4 Salt is of a hot and fiery nature because cast it into the fire it kindles and of a watry nature because if you pour water upon it it turns into water So the Disciples of Christ should be hot and zealous for God yet should this heat be mingled with knowledg and discretion lest we fly out as those Luke 9.53 who called for fire from Heaven to consume the Samaritans or those who out of zeal to God persecuted Christ and his Righteousness Rom 10.2 5 As Salt stirs up Thirst so Christians should stir up others to thirst after Christ and heavenly things John 7.37 Revel 22.17 We should not so much look for Examples from others as give Examples to others Lyvy called Greece the Salt of the Nations it is more truly said of Christians 6 As by Salt Meat is made fit for our Taste so by the Salt of an holy Conversation the Word is made fit for the Rellish of others 1 Peter 3.1 Hence Christians are called the Salt of the earth that is of earthly minded men 7 As for preservation of Meat and other things from putrifaction there must be a just measure of Salt neither too much nor too little so Christians in general nor Teachers in special ought by an unseasonable application of the Law to swallow up afflicted Consciences Psalm 69.26 They persecute him whom thou hast smitten and talk to the grief of him whom thou hast wounded nor by an unseasonable application of the grace of God to encourage impenitent persons Rom 2.4 5 8 As Salt brings Desolation and a Curse to that which is not seasoned by it Gen 13.3 Zeph 2.9 so the Word in the Mouths and Lives of Christians to whom it is not a savour of life is a savour to death 2 Cor 2.16 2 Exhort to live savoury Lives our selves else how can we season others If the Salt have lost its savour what is it good for Take heed therefore of all scandalous sins for 1 By these the Name of God is blasphemed Ezek 36.20 The Babylonians seeing the loose lives of the Jews cried out These are the people of the Lord these are come out of the Lords land Rom 2 24 The Name of God is blasphemed by you Loose Christians are called Spots Jude 12 Deut 32.19 When David committed folly with Bathsheba by that thing he made the Enemies of the Lord to blaspheme 2 Sam 12.14 When the strong despised the weak and the weak judged the strong they caused their good to be evil spoken of Rom 14.16 How carefull are we to preserve the name of a Friend how carefull should we be to preserve the Name of God 2 An holy savoury walking free from scandalous sins is a mans glory 1 Sam 12.3 4 Whose Ox have I taken or whose Ass or of whose hand have I received a Bribe and they said Thou hast not defrauded us nor taken any thing of any mans hand 1 Cor 9.15 It were better for me for to dy than that any man should make my glorying void See 2 Cor 1.12 1 Thess 2.10 Contrarily it 's a dishonour to a Christian to be guilty of a spot of uncleanness c. Demetrius had a good report of all men yea and of the truth it self 3 Epist of John v. 12 3 Scandalous sins are worse to keep men off from embracing the truth than persecutions for by scandals men are hardened from embracing the truth Rom 14.13 Let no man lay a stumbling block or a scandal to another for sometimes persons were made by the contentions among strong and weak to stumble and so not to joyn to Gods people sometimes they were made to fall yea to fall off from Christian Assemblies Holy example is a duty we ow to the whole world and as by holy examples persons are built up towards Heaven so by wicked words and works yea by indifferent things done unseasonably persons are made worse and built up towards destruction Lev 19.14 Thou shalt not lay a stumbling block before the blinde Scandals are as Pits and Snares to catch living creatures wherein the unwary and blinde are taken 4 A savoury Life free from Scandals is a special means to stop the mouths of wicked men Dan 6.4 they found nought against Daniel but for the Law of his God 1 Peter 2.12 Have your conversation honest among the Gentiles that whereas they speak against you as evil doers they may glorifie God in the day of visitation 1 Peter 3.16 having a good Conscience whereunto an holy Life is joyned that whereas they speak evil of you as of evil doers they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ Titus 2.8 They that are of the contrary part will be ashamed having no evil thing to say of you contrarily when persons that profess shall fall into scandals wicked men draw these Conclusions as 1 Because some professing persons are bad therefore their Religion is bad 2 Because one is bad thus they are all 5 By an unsavoury scandalous Life thou hast a hand in other mens damnation A mans own personal guilt is heavy enough he need not add the weight of other mens sins Matth 18.6 Wo to the World because of offences there is not onely a Wo to the person that gives the offence but to the World This is a Rock on which thousands dash their souls Therefore as
man no such duty and therefore owing him nothing I may take something of him 4 From gratitude we ought to be thankfull where we receive now where 's thankfulness if you pay back onely the principal 5 From Charity which teaches every man to have a care of his own 1 Tim. 5.8 Now if rich men have my money and grow richer by it and I have nothing from it where is my care Onely if thou hast store of money beware that thou dost not so lend out thy money to rich men for profit that thou hast not to supply the poor where duty calls for it Lev. 25.35 36 37. If thy Brother be waxen poor thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury Quest But what is usury Answ The taking of any thing from a poor Brother for the duty of lending or from a person to whom we are bound to lend freely To these we are to lend freely because they borrow for the sustentation of the life of them and theirs whereas rich men borrow to get gain thereby hence rich Christians ought to lend freely to the poor even though sometimes the principal may be in hazzard See for this more in my Treatise of Repentance and Restitution V. 43. Ye have heard that it hath been said Thou shalt love thy Neighbour and hate thine Enemy V. 44. But I say unto you Love your Enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you Christ reproves another depravation of the Pharisees which had three Branches 1 that they expounded Neighbour to be onely Friend or Kinsman whereas the Lord means all men who have a common nature with us Luke 10.32 2 That they left out of the Text these words thy self Levit. 19.18 The Command was Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self 3 That their Enemies were to be hated whereas the contrary appears Prov. 25.21 If thine Enemy hunger feed him Exod. 23.4.5 If the Ox or Ass of an Enemy were wandring they were to bring him home Now the Scribes gathered 1 That as the Jews lived in opposition to the foreign Enemies Moabites and Ammonites and Amalekites they might also hate their private and personal Enemies 2 That the Scribes drew this principle of hatred of Enemies from the Rule of Contraries which was we must love our Friends therefore we must hate our Enemies now a right Consequent will not follow from Contraries unless they be equal From all this Christ clears the Law But I say unto you Love your Enemies Christ sets down 1 The Command 1 Generally Love your Enemies 2 Particularly in three Branches 1 Bless them that curse you 2 Do good to them that hate you 3 Pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you 2 The Reasons of it 1 That you may be like God as children to their father v. 45. 2 From the Lords own Example who makes his Sun to shine and Rain to fall on the just and on the unjust 3 From the difference betwixt Publicans or civil men or sinners and betwixt Christians Sinners love those that love them and salute those that salute them but Christians must love them that do not love them and salute those that do not resalute them or do it very slightingly But before I come to handle the point concerning Love to Enemies I dare not condemn Tertullian and others who hold Christ his Command to be a supplement to Moses Law while he saith The old Law teacheth us love to Neighbours the new Law to love Strangers Also Tertullian further So long as the Sacrament was among Israel he worthily did command mercy to brethren alone but when he gave the ends of the earth for an inheritance and possession to Christ and the Nation began to be blotted out as it was spoken by Hosea They that were not my people are my people and she that had not obtained mercy hath obtained mercy From thence Christ extends the Law of fatherly goodness to all excluding no man in mercy more than in vocation Many think saith Grotius from these words Thou shalt hate thine Enemy that they have a firm Argument to prove that all things which Christ saith were said of old or by the Ancients are not to be referred to the Law of Moses but to the Interpretations of the Expounders of the Law but he thinks respect is had to Moses words The Jews were commanded to do some common benefits to their Enemies Exod. 23.4 But if we look Deut. 22.1 2 3 4. The Enemy here mentioned was one of their Brethren he who in Exodus is called an Enemy in Deuteronomy is called a Brother Besides these there were other Enemies they were commanded to shew no mercy unto as the Hittites Gargashites Amorites c. Deut. 7.1 2. Deut. 5.19 Thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under Heaven thou shalt not forget it Yet were conditions of peace to be offered to them that if they would they might redeem their destruction with servitude but if they refused the offered conditions they were to be kild without mercy Now there being no cause in Christs time that the Jews should alledge or pretend for their hatred of other nations the Laws which they had against the seven nations those exceptions being taken away which God for certain causes had prescribed unto them the Law of nature remained whole that every man is to love one another I must confess I do much incline to this in regard there were so many prayers in the Old Testament against enemies So that the meaning then is the precept of Moses concerning the kinde dealing of the Jews with other men extended not universally to all but particularly to their countrymen or fellow Jews called the sons of thy people see Deut. 22.1 to others who were aliens and also enemies they were not bound to be kinde but against some that is the seven nations they were commanded to proceed hostilely but I say unto you let your kindness be extended to your enemies Why both these interpretations may not be embraced I see no reason That there were falsifications by the Interpreters of the Law is without doubt in that they so limited neighbour to a son of Abraham and left out part of the command belonging to love And also the latter from those two places Exod. 22.4 compared with Deut. 22.1 Deut. 7.2 And it is also safe to interpret Scripture in the most extended sense Though this scruple of this side remains that the Canaanites were commanded to be kill'd but not to be hated as a Judge commands a guilty person to be slain yet doth not hate him The words being thus expounded we will consider the words generally and gather Obs It 's the duty of Christians to love their enemies 1 From Christs example Rom. 5.10 When we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son For all the Samaritans would not give him harbour
onely instrumental to obtain pardon for our Enemies as the prayers of Christ and Stephen did but are arguments or evidences of Gods pardoning us What a blessed thing will it be at the day of Christ to appear to have been a mean by thy prayers of saving the soul of a persecuting Enemy When David's Enemies compassed him with words of hatred and became adversaries to him for his love to them he gave himself to prayer Psalm 109.3 4 5. V. 45. That you may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven for he maketh his Sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sendeth Rain on the just and unjust Christ here gives Reasons why we should love our Enemies as 1 That ye may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven not that love to our Enemies is the form of our Adoption but a demonstration thereof that ye may be Phil. 2.15 that is that ye may be made manifest to be He that performs not this duty is none of Gods children Love to Enemies doth manifest our Adoption because Love to our Enemies doth flow from that Love God hath shewed to us when we were Enemies 1 John 4.10 11. Of all duties Christians should be carefull to practise those which evidence assurance 2 Peter 1.10 This duty tends thereunto What shall we think of those who are so far from loving their Enemies that they do not love their Friends these are like the rebellious Angels who having had a blessed nature from God set him at nought Many have such a frame of spirit as Achitophel had to David Psalm 55.12 13. and Joas to Jehoiada 2 Chron. 24.22 Many men lay aside not onely grace but even the light of nature Also that ye may be the Children of your Father that is like to your Father as Children to their Father your Father doth good to his Enemies giving them the Sun to shine on them and the Rain to fall on their Land to make it fruitfull be ye like him Ephes 4. ult compared with cap. 5.1 2. He that is like another is proverbially said to be his Son Who maketh his Sun to rise and his Rain to fall All Nations refer the effects of Nature to the God of Nature hence these phrases it rains it thunders that is God rains and thunders Psalm 19.4 5. In the Heavens hath he set a Tabernacle for the Sun which is removed as a Tabernacle from place to place The day is thine and the night is thine thou hast prepared the light and the Sun Psalm 74.16 To him that made great Lights Psalm 136.8 9. Also for the Rain it is from him He saith to the small Rain and to the great Rain Be thou on the earth Job 37.4 Learn 1. To acknowledg the highest cause on whom all second causes depend As in bodies politick inferiour governments depend on the superior or as in artificial motions the inferiour depend on the superiour as in motions of Clocks and Watches So the secondary causes depend upon the first He gives the early and latter Rain In droughts therefore seek to God for Rain 2 Chron. 7.13 Jer. 14.22 In immoderate Rains seek to God for fair weather Isai 38.8 2 Praise God for fruitfull Seasons Psalm 147.7 8 9. 3 See outward things fall alike to all the Sun shines to all the Rain falls on all Eccles 9.1 2. V. 46. For if you love them which love you what reward have you Do not even the Publicans the same Here 's a third Reason from the unprofitableness of other love which arises from natural friendship or that which arises from our own profit and benefit which hath no Reward with God whereas love that is done for Gods sake hath a Reward with God He that loves not his Enemies declares that he loves not his Friends for Gods sake but for his own sake because his Enemies in some sense may be said to bear the Image of God as well as his Friends Do not even the Publicans the same They are called Publicans from publick because they gathered the publick Tributes wherein too oft they oppressed the poor and so became infamous among the Jews not because they gathered the Magistrates Tribute nor as if these Publicans were the worst of men but Christ speaks according to the received opinion of men for Matthew and Zacheus were Publicans It 's like in all the Roman Provinces and so in Judea the Romans farmed the Customs but they let it out to the Jews and so this became abominable to other of the Jews that they should be Instruments of their slavery and therefore Publicans are joyned with Heathens and sinners and therefore as appears out of the Thalmud they were not admitted to be Witnesses before the Jewish Judges What Reward have ye i.e. No Reward for you receive a Reward from your Friends even like love but if from faith in Gods Command you love both your Enemies and your Friends you may hope for a gracious Reward Sylla boasted that he overcame his Friends with Benefits and his Enemies with Mischiefs and therefore as Plutarch in his Life saith he cruelly tore Marius but let Christians overcome Enemies with good turns How much better did Phocion who being condemned to death being askt of his Friends what he would have told to his Sons answered I will that he forget the Wrong the Athenians have done to me If Heathens did thus what should Christians do V. 47. And if ye salute your brethren onely what do you more then others Do not even the Publicans so Here 's a fourth reason because salutations belong and ought to be performed not onely to brethren and friends but also to enemies Under salutations Christ comprehends all signes of good will as putting off the hat embracement asking how they do So that the fourth reason is taken from the difference of Christian love and that which is worldly the one salutes friends onely the other salutes enemies Unless then your love extend to enemies you differ nothing from the Publicans charity These duties of salutation as asking Is all well 2 Kin. 9.17 18 19 22. three times this salutation is mentioned Is it peace how do you all at home These duties the Jews did onely to their fellow Jews judging all others unworthy of salutation now Christian religion teaches us to salute all except it be those who are Apostates from Christianity 2 Epist of John v. 10. If there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine receive him not into your house neither bid him God speed for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds For that command of Luke 10.4 Salute no man by the way Christ means they should make such hast in divulging and publishing the Gospel that they should not spend their time in salutations V. 48. Be ye therefore perfect as your father in heaven is perfect In the words 1 A duty Be perfect 2 The pattern of this duty As your
father is perfect 3 The inference whence it is inforced Therefore Be ye perfect Not in equality but in similitude as Luke 6.36 Be ye mercifull as you father is mercifull Probably it might be taken out of Levit. 11.44.19.2 from whence Peter took it 1 Pet. 1.16 Be holy as I am holy Perfection is taken 1 For the perfection of sinceritie Gen. 17.1 Walk before me and be thou perfect Gen. 6.9 Noah was a just and a perfect man in his generation and Noah walked with God that is his sincerity showed it self by walking with God making God present with him and himself present with God in his actings Now this perfection of sincerity is taken in opposition to hypocrisie in the reign Isa 38.3 Remember how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart Luke 1.76 In holiness and righteousness before him all the dayes of our life Many have an outward perfection but they are like Apples rotten at the core though they look lovelily Contrary Saints 2 Cor. 2.17 2 Perfection is taken for universality of obedience Psal 119.7 I will praise thee with uprightness when I shall have learned not onely notionally but practically thy Commandements Now when a man lives in a purpose of any sin or in an omission of any known duty or in an unresolvedness against any known evil he is not perfect also if he admit a constant neglect of any duty or an ordinary Commission of any sin he is not perfect but when a man though he be subject to infirmities had rather dye then omit a known duty or live in a known sin he is perfect and will grow out his infirmities in time as a sound man wears out his sickness This perfection is called Sanctification throughout 1 Thes 5.23 and turning to God with the whole heart Joel 2.12 Jer. 3.10 There is not any thing in his soul the bent whereof is not from God Now where men are not thus perfectly universal something or other steals away their heart as riches honour c. that if God and that come in competition they leave the Lord. This universality of obedience is seen in eying every of Gods commands Psal 119.6 as in governing the tongue without which we are not perfect Jam. 1.26 compared with Jam. 3.2 q.d. he is not a perfect man unless he look to this command of governing his tongue as well as other 3 Perfection is taken for singleness of heart Gen. 17.1 which is when a man singles out God from all other objects he will follow God in his ways that neither favours of great ones contempts of multitudes proffers of preferment nor persecutions of enemies shall draw him off from the Lord Josh 24.15 Heb. 11.24 Dan. 6.10 4 Perfection is taken for straightness Psal 37.37 Mark the just and perfect man or as the word is rendred straight man Straightness appears in a mans ayms and ends as when a person shall make Gods glory profitableness to others and his own salvation to be his end Imperfect men go in crooked paths Psal 125.4 Crooked hearts and straight rules to aym at God cannot meet For application try your perfection of heart by four trials suitable to this fourfold acception of perfection 1 Whether are you sincere to eye God in what you do as in alms prayer and fasting Matth. 6.1 2 c. Col. 3.22 23. speaking to Christian servants he saith Servants obey your masters not with eye service as men-pleasers but with singleness of heart fearing God and whatsoever ye do do it heartily as to the Lord and not to men q.d. in all your services eye God 2 Cor. 2.17 Obj. But if none are perfect with God but those that eye God what will become of me who have so many by-ends in what I do Answ Gods children though by ends creep into them groan under them Rom. 7.16 17. 2 Their earnest desire is to be wholly rid of them and where a man can do no more but will his will is accepted for the deed 2 Cor. 8.12 3 Ordinarily and usually they look at Gods eye in what they do and this is a blessed temper belonging onely to perfect men Rom. 8.1 Thou herein walks after the spirit and so art blessed 2 Whether dost thou look at all Gods commands Herod did many things but would not part with Herodias Mark 6.20 If thou wilt walk before me as David thy father walked in integrity of heart and in uprightness to do according to all that I have commanded thee 1 Kings 9.4 As if he should say Thy heart O Solomon cannot be perfect unless thou observe all my commands The young man Mat. 19. proved his unsoundness in that he would not part with all for Christ in something or other unsound men discover themselves if not to the observation of others yet to the conviction of their own hearts if they would not want in the due trial hereof If thy bloud rise when thou hears a stranger swear an oath and thou canst hear thy Apprentice to lye and cheat and never be moved at it this is but a false fire True obedience as it disputes not the comands of God but obeys them cheerfully so doth it not divide the commands of God but obeys them equally Ps 119.6 Joh. 15.14 3 When a man is not onely willing to do but to sufer any thing that God commands Matth. 19 17. If thou wilt be perfect go and sell all as if he should say If there be any enjoyment in the world that a man is not willing to part with as to leave this pleasant dwelling to part with thy country to fall out with thy near friend to lose the favour of this man that could prefer thee to leave such an Office or imployment as brings it in or if there be any evil thou art not ready to suffer as banishment imprisonment reproach and confiscation of goods thy heart is not perfect with God Acts 9.6 Lord what wilt thou have me to do Let the business be easie or difficult tell me what thou wilt have me to do See in Moses Heb. 11.25 26. Gal. 6.14 God forbid that I should rejoyce in any thing save in the cross of Christ that is neither in wealth honour liberty or relations more then in duty to God 4 Whom doest thou make thy end A perfect man makes God his end Rom. 14.7 8. None of us who profess our selves to be Christians lives unto himself c. 1 Cor. 10.31 Joh. 7.18 He that hath no unrighteousness in him that is to say a perfect man seeks the glory of him that sent him The Apostle exhorting servants to uprightness bids them with good will do service as to the Lord Eph. 6.6 7. and bidding masters to be upright in their places v. 9. he urges on this ground Knowing they have a master in heaven Also Col. 3.23 Whatsoever ye do do it heartily as to the Lord and not to men This consideration that I have to do with God makes a
resemble God than in forgiveness of offences and so much more when we do it readily Psal 86.5 4 See a motive to pray to God for pardon with confidence because we finde our hearts inclining to pardon others who have damnified us in our Bodies goods and Reputation 5 This word As doth not denote the cause degree price or equâ—lity but onely the kinde of remission as Faius well observes or it 's a Law whereto he will have all men bound that 〈◊〉 for pardon from God For Christ is the cause of remission It 's a qualification wherewith the children of God must come before God in Prayer if they would have pardon of God they must bring a minde to pardon others 6 We may see our natural proneness to revenge in that as often as we desire forgiveness of God we must bring forgiveness of our Brother 7 It 's a way to true peace to obtain forgiveness of God and to forgive others there is therefore a necessity of union among Christians without which we can never open our mouths to God 8 That there must be universal forgiveness of all wrongs how great soever for if we keep some one wrong in the corner of our hearts we desire that God would do the same against us which if he should how wofull would it be for us It 's to be feared by the carriages of many that many who profess to forgive and shake hands wait onely for an opportunity to vent their malice hereby calling for the vengeance of God to fall upon them Quest But are we absolutely commanded to forgive all wrongs Answ As Christ in the fifth of Matthew commanding to give like for like informs his Disciples of their private duty so here he doth not bid us forgive civil or natural Debts If a man take away my goods or the life of my friend I may prosecute against him laying aside private and club-like revenge except when publick good or right reason require it Quest Whether are Suits in Law here condemned Answ 1 Such as proceed from malice and private revenge Rom. 12.19 20. 2 Such as tend to scandal as to go to Law for trifles 1 Cor. 6.1 Contrarily we may go to Law 1 In Justice and Charity to get our own right provided it be not for trifles We reade of Zenas a Lawyer a good man who was never bid to change his calling 2 That the party offending may be chastized and brought to repentance for his fault 3 Law must be the last remedy as Physicians use desperate Physick when weaker will not serve or as War is the last Refuge in a State 4 If Paul appealed unto Caesar who was a wicked Tyrant much more may we to Judges who though not so good yet perhaps not so bad as he Use For application Learn heartily forgiveness of offences done against you for 1 It 's a matter of great difficulty hence when Christ proposes this duty Luke 17.13 to forgive trespassing brethren the Disciples pray Lord increase our Faith As if they should say without faith we can never do it 2 All the Ordinances are profaned unto thee if thou come to them with a revengefull heart The Corinthians having strife among them came together for the worse 1 Cor. 11.17 Wrath and Revenge in Prayer condemned 1 Tim. 2.8 hence Christ saith When you stand praying forgive Mark 11.25 3 There can be no forgiveness with God unless we forgive our Brother Matth. 6.14 15. Matth. 18.24 28 29 33. q. d. if thou forgives I will forgive if thou dost not forgive I will not forgive 4 Our selves stand in need of daily forgiveness both from God and men from God for we sin against him daily from men Col. 3.13 Forgiving one another as he stands need of thy forgiveness so dost thou of thy Brothers 5 Unless thy forgiveness of thy Brother be from thy heart God respects it not Matth. 18.35 so likewise shall my heavenly Father do if ye from your heart forgive not every man his Brother his trespasses Neither will it serve the turn that perhaps thou never usest this Petition in any of thy Prayers for fear of calling vengeance upon thine own head yet still the Sentence of God remains firm that if ye forgive not men their trespasses your heavenly Father will not forgive you Object But who are my Debtours whom I am to forgive Answ Any one in the World thou hast a quarrel against that is a just cause of complaint as Paul tells us Col. 3.13 yea even civil Debts when men ow us Money if they cannot be required without the destruction of our Neighbour we are to forgive them and so much more readily when the Debtour is cast into this poor condition not through sloth prodigality or vicious practices but meerly by the Lords hand Cursed is that speech when the Creditour shall say he will make Dice of such a Debtours bones 6 It 's a victory of an high nature to forgive offences Many think they are bound to revenge themselves in point of honour whiles they study to retain the name of Gentlemen they fear not by God to be branded for Murderers being ready to revenge even wrongs of a small nature by Duels c. V. 13. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil And lead us not into temptation In this Petition Christ teaches us to pray 1 That we may not be brought into temptation we know not what weakness we may shew therein God leads into temptation 1 By bringing us where there are occasions of sin and objects through the corruptions of our hearts that become temptations Deut. 13.1 2 3. A false Prophet works a sign to draw to strange gods but thou shalt not hearken to him for herein the Lord thy God proves thee The Lord set Wine before the Rechabites to try whether they would obey their fathers command Jer. 35.5 2 God removes Impediments that kept from sin so he removes such a friend that was an example of good or a reprover to disswade us from sin such a Magistrate such a Father Obj. But James c. 1.13 saith Let no man say I am tempted of God for God tempteth not any man Answ It 's one thing to tempt another thing to be led into temptation God tempts not to evil For 1 it 's our own lusts that tempt us v. 14. 2 Every good gift comes from God therefore no evil v. 17. Now to counsel perswade or advise to evil were sin neither doth God tempt us by powring in wicked thoughts nor by inclining our hearts to wickedness 2 To be lead into temptation is an act of God whereby he by his providence leads us where there are objects and occasions of sin without any sollicitation from God thereto so that Gods leading into temptation is nothing else but a proof whether we will stand in our obedience or no. So God tempted Abraham whether he would part with his dearest comfort for God Gen. 22.1 of this Exod. 16.4
Deut. 8.2 Judg. 2.22 2 Chron. 32.31 God left Hezekiah to try him that he might know all that was in his heart 2 We in this Petition desire that if God do lead us into temptation we may not be overcome of it nor catch'd by it Many are like fishes and birds which when a bait is set before them fall to nibling at it and so are ensnared in the net for when God leaves the creature to a temptation the creature sins necessarily but voluntarily If God take away his restraint and assistance corruption boyls out and we are ensnared and taken It 's dangerous upon presumption of our own strength to desire temptations but rather pray against them but if we cannot prevail so far but that we must encounter with them then that God would not leave us to be overcome of them and Christ herein both warns us of our own weakness and cautions us not to throw our selves into temptation Temptations are 1 Good when God by proving a man makes manifest unto him what is in his heart Jam. 1.2 Job 23.10 2 Evil which is a motion to sin as in straits to use unlawfull means There 's a twofold temptation 1 Of trial 2 Of seducement 1 Of Trial so God rain'd Manna upon the people to prove them whether they would walk in his Law or no Exod. 16.4 Thou shalt remember the way that God led thee in to humble thee and to prove thee and to try what was in thy heart Deut. 8.2 2 Of Seduction Thus Satan tempted David 1 Chron. 21.1 and thus corruption tempts Esai 44.20 a deceived heart hath turn'd him aside that he cannot say Is there not a lye in my right hand The former of these ways both God and Satan tempts us Gods temptations of Trial are 1 By abstaining when an object is set before us that may be an occasion of sin whether we will refrain from that occasion and so Joseph being tempted by his Mistress withstood it Peter refused Magus his money Acts 8.20 2 By enduring and suffering when though we be tempted with threatnings of banishment imprisonment loss of goods yet we will not violate our consciences for the escaping any such evils Rev. 2.10 the devil shall cast some of you into prison ten days that ye may be tried But be thou faithfull unto death and I will give thee a crown of life Jam. 1.12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tried he shall receive a crown of life Heb. 11.35 36 37. Now God in trying of us doth it not to better his experience of us but 1 that the lustre of our graces may shine forth to others so Abraham Gen. 22.12 and Job 2 That a man may see what is in his own heart and so Hezekiah was tempted to show his treasures to the Embassadours of Babylon that he might know all that was in his own heart 3 We know not the measure of our graces nor the measure of our weaknesses till God discover them by temptations No man is so good but God will let him sometime fall into evil for his further humbling as we see in Josiah and no man so evil but God conveys goodness into him for his greater condemnation Greenham grave Counsels p. 7. 4 Moreover this trial of us arises from the mixture of grace and corruption in regenerate men for the purging away the drosse of our natures and for more and more purifying the principle of grace in us we are cast into the furnace of temptation It will be our happiness in heaven that we shall there have no trials because there will be nothing to purge out 5 This also is the end God hath in our trials that we being foiled in our trials may get ground of our corruptions by our falls as we see in the foils that befell David Hezekiah Peter and others and after we have got ground more and more to come to that measure of refinement that God would have us to come to we may come to that state of glory where there will be no fear of being miserable because no possibility of being sinfull Temptations are Gods embraces without which we should not seek God but these temptations are so heavie to the flesh that oft they force tears Luth. Tom. 3.489 And as God tempts for trial so doth Satan for could he know our thoughts which are onely known to God 1 Kings 8 39. he would come directly upon us but because he knowes them not he frames his temptation according to our temperatures and inclinations the cholerick man he tempts to wrath the phlegmatick man to sloth the melancholy man to sadness the sanguine to mirth and jollity He notes our callings and tempts us with sutable baits the learned man he tempts to vain-glory the poor man to distrust the rich man to pride the mighty man or prince to oppression the subject to tumultuousness the single man to lustfull desires the maried man to carking cares the sincere Christian from by-ends in duty to judge himself an hypocrite If we do good he tempts us to be proud of it if we do evil he tempts us either to slight it or to be discouraged under it Satans temptations are like the assaults of souldiers that storm a City in several places at once where he espies any weakness of defence and though he have been once and again driven back yet will he give a further onset sometimes he assaults the senses sometimes the reason sometimes the understanding sometimes the judgement sometimes the fancy and whensoever he assaults any of these faculties he doth withal assault the will The scope of all Satans temptations is to draw us away from our duty as we see in those temptations wherewith Satan assaulted Eve Gen. 3.1 and David 1 Chron. 21.1 and Christ Matth. 4. and Ananias Act. 5.3 and Judas 13.2 Besides temptations arise from men both wicked and godly Christ was tempted by Peter Matth. 16.22 and from ungodly men Prov. 1.10 1 by wicked examples 1 Cor. 8.10 2 by wicked perswasions Prov. 7.13 to ver 22. Moreover we are tempted from our own corruptions Sam. 1.14 2 Cor. 12.7 Now in this petition we desire that God would either keep temptations from us whether they come from himself or others or keep us from being tempted above our strength according to that promise 1 Cor. 10.13 Remedies against temptations 1 Our Lord Christ was tempted in all points like as we yet without sin Heb. 4.15 Matth. 4.3 4. and one tempted Christian is more profitable then a hundred not tempted Luth. in Gen. 27. 2 That Christ is not onely able to succour tempted souls Heb. 2.18 for that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted but also is willing and ready Luk. 22.31 Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat but I have prayed for thee Rom. 16.20 His promise is the God of peace shall shortly tread Satan under your
say The Lord and the light of his countenance is onely the true good 5 Earthly things cannot make us happy but God can That God can make the soul happy appears Psalm 16.11 In his presence is fulness of joy Psalm 17.15 I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness Psalm 30.5 In his favour is life Acts 2.28 Thou wilt make me full of joy with thy countenance Now fulness of joy must needs procure satisfaction Now earthly things cannot make us happy 1 They cannot free us from misery Belshazzar Dan. 5.6 for all he had wealth and honour in abundance yet seeing the hand-writing he was startled his knees smote one against another When the rich mans Barns could not hold his Corn the Devils carried his soul to Hell So the rich man Luke 16. who lived like a Gentleman yet died and went to Hell and for temporal evils there are some evils earthly things cannot turn away as War trouble of conscience suppose they turn away some evils what avails it to have one evil turned away and another as bad lying upon us 2 Earthly things are not proportionable nothing fits the ear but sounds nothing fits the smell but odours nothing is proportionable and fit for the soul save God Hence God to Abraham Gen. 15.1 I am thy exceeding great reward Men that have the most of earthly things God puts sometimes a secret disproportion betwixt them and their estates that they have no comfort therein 3 They are not everlasting nothing can be called happiness which is not everlasting Now earthly things are like a flock of birds in your backside which on a suddain take wing Pro. 23.4 5. Crowns and scepters are not for ever Prov. 27.24 Riches are not for ever and the crown doth not endure to every generation Adonibezek Belshazzar and many others have lost their kingdoms he that rides the multitude rides a skittish horse that knows not how soon it may fling him The world passeth away and the lusts thereof 1 Joh. 2.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word is like a swift flowing river That all earthly things are perishing food Joh. 6.27 appears in Hamans honour Jobs riches and Aegypts pleasures called onely pleasures for a season Heb. 11.25 and such are all your pleasures and delightful acts any of you have had in uncleanness revenge and drunkenness for not onely the world passes away but the lusts thereof 1 John 1.17 2 Reprehension of the inordinate love men have to the world seen 1 In their exceeding joy in the having of them and their exceeding sorrow in the loss of them Laban when he saw the bracelets and ear-rings Eleazar had put on Rebekkahs arme saith he to a stranger he never saw before Come in thou blessed of the Lord Gen. 24.30 31. Job did not thus rejoyce in his goods cap. 31.25 thus to rejoyce is to rejoyce in a thing of nought Amos. 6.13 like Jonas in a gourd We have a command for remisseness of joy herein 1 Cor. 7.30 31. These excessive joys procure excessive sorrows Jobs wife having lost her goods falls to rating her husband for his uprightness and provokes him to curse God 2 In that they can rejoyce to see their children worldly to see them inclined to any other vice they are grieved at it not for this 3 In their eager pursuit of earthly things How eager was Balaam for the rewards of divination for Balaks gold such were those wicked teachers Jude ver 11. who ran greedily after the error of Balaam now what is this wealth men so run after What is gold and silver but white and red earth called thick clay Hab. 2.6 What are Diamonds but the beams of the sun as some think inclosed in a piece of earth What are Margarites but the excrements of shell-fishes What is purple but the blood of a fish of that name called purple What is silk but onely the spinnings and webs of wormes Bern. Balaam had a denial from God to curse the people of God yet the desire of gold so transported him that he would make one essay more to see whether he might curse Israel Numb 22.10 11 12. compared with ver 18 19 20. 4 In their penurious pinching and scraping as the Emper Vespasian who made a gain of urine hence came the proverb sweet is the smell of gain that comes from any thing Some call such men cuminoprestas that is such as will not give a whole cummin seed but divide it in two These persons basely withhold from themselves and families There is a man saith Solomon that wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof Eccles 6.2 How much more do such withhold from good uses The Lord hath need of their asse but they will not let him go Matth. 21.3 The poor want their dues Prov. 3.27 but they are like unfaithful stewards that keep the servants wages in their hands 5 In their multitudes of imployments above the reach of 1 their capacity no man in the world his parts never so large is able to go through that business which some one man of meaner parts hath and retain communion with God how then can he of mean parts retain his communion Every mans soul is like a vessel which being once full is able to hold no more 2 Above the reach of their time as Pharaohs seven lean kine did eat up the fat so their time for worldly imployments eats up the time due for Gods service As he is a lover of pleasures more then a lover of God who suffers pastimes to devour his time for holy duties so he is a worldling who suffers worldly imployments ordinarily and usually to hinder him from religious exercises Such were the old world and the Sodomites Luk. 17.27 28. They did eat and drink they married and were given in marriage they bought they sold they builded they planted Why are not all these things lawful Yes but when mens hearts are swallowed up of these when men follow these with the exclusion of religious duties as they did the preaching of Noah and Lot then they become unlawful and forerunners of great hardness and destruction 3 Above the reach of Christian liberty The utmost of Christian liberty is that we provide for us and ours in reference to an everlasting life having our hearts remiss and loose to earthly things 1 Cor. 7.29 30. 6 In their sollicitous cares for living one saith what shall I do when I am old another saith husband what shall I and my five children do when you are dead what shall I do in a dear year and from hence to be set on work to provide excessively some have but one child or two yet are they as full of carking as if they had twenty nay some have never a child yet are they more scraping and more full of carking cares then many that have a charge 3 Use To diswade us from inordinate love of earthly things Grounds
to diswade you 1 This inordinate love makes means of grace become fruitless When the King had made his feast farmes and Oxen kept the persons invited from coming Luk. 14.18 when Ezekiel preached unto miracle that his voice was as the sound of a Musical instrument Ezek. 33.31 yet his hearers profited not by it because their hearts ran after their covetousness the thorny ground hearers brought no fruit to perfection why the thorns of earthly cares sucking out the state of their hearts choked it as weeds let among corn suck out the state of the ground Matth. 13.22 Yea worldliness makes men scoff at the Word Luk. 16.14 The Pharisees who were covetous heard all these things and they derided him or blew their noses at him as the Word signifies Yea though they hear the Word and consent both to the truth and goodness of it yet worldliness keeps men from closing with it in the great duty of self-denial as in the young man Math. 19. who went away being sorry he could not keep Christ and his possessions together 2 It makes us dis-relish heaven and heavenly things and this is a wofull frame of heart Rom. 8.5 Contraries cannot subsist together in any eminent degree in one and the same subject 3 It pierces the soul thorow with many sorrows 1 Tim. 6.10 pinching the poor griping the widow and fatherless getting wealth unjustly or holding it unjustly these pierce the soul as if a dagger went to a mans heart How did Judas thirty pieces gall his conscience This especially in an evil day Eccles 5.17 he hath much sorrow with his sickness Such men in the day of death are like a carriers horse which having carried gold and silver all the day is disburthened of them at night and put into the stable with a galled back so shalt thou be in death disburthened of all thy gold and silver and cast into hell with a galled conscience 4 Love of the world inordinately will make us cast off religion in time of trial The Apostle saith 1 Tim. 6.10 That some having coveted after money they have erred from the faith the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have erred like wandring stars from the faith and so Jude calls them how difficult nay impossible is the command of self-denial to a worldly heart how would such turn to any religion to save their estates as one Ecebolius that in the reign of Constantine was a Christian under Julian an heathen under Jovinian a Christian God being a Christians end whatsoever intercepts communion betwixt God and the soul is to be cast off 5 Inordinate love of the world exposes a man to many lusts and tentations 1 Tim. 6.9 They that will be rich they fall into a snare and temptation that is the snare of tentation they will be rich it s their onely study hence they fall into many foolish and hurtful lusts as stealing witness Achan lying as Gehezi Ananias Saphira Prov. 21.6 hence called Mammon of unrighteousness deceitful riches Every creature naturally fears the snare and shall not we fear such a condition as will insnare the conscience Earthly things are compared to thick clay Hab. 2.6 As our feet are apt to stick in the clay so are our affections on earthly things 6 These things thou loves so inordinately cannot stand thee in stead in another world When thou comes at Christs Tribunal what will it profit thee that thou hast left so much for every child or that thy children ruffle up and down in silk and satten or that thy posterity have stately houses rich furniture fare deliciously and have a mighty train will this mitigate thy torments when thou art in Hell Perhaps they drink wine every day and thou canst not get a drop of water to cool thy tongue Mightest thou carry thy baggs thy lands thy all into another world it were something but as a certain Martyr in Queen Maryes time when some offered her money she refused it saying I am going to a country where money will bear no price 1 Tim. 6.18 19. Paul bids us to be ready to distribute willing to communicate laying up in store or as the word is They treasure up unto themselves a good foundation for time to come Works of mercy are called a foundation because as the one is hid so is the other and as from the foundation the house rises up on high so from these good works proceeding from faith the crown arises so much the higher 7 Thy life consists not in these earthly things thou doest so inordinately affect but in God Luk. 12.15 Take heed and beware of covetousness for a mans life consisteth not in the abundance of things he possesseth Thy temporal life consists not in them for thou shalt not live a day the longer because thou hast a vast estate nor thy spiritual life consists not in it for what duty is it but thou mayest do without them Thou sayest thou canst not shew mercy Largeness of affection rather then large gifts shows what the heart is as in the widow that cast in two mites into the treasury Thy eternal life consists not in them for all the treasures in the world will not bring a soul to heaven Nay by these earthly things many times life is shortened especially if gotten by indirect means Jer. 17.11 As the Partrich sitteth upon Eggs and hatcheth them not so he that getteth riches and not by right shall leave them in the midst of his days and in the end shall die a Fool. The abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep Eccles 5.12 Taking away sleep they take away life and thus are riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt v. 13. It is with worldly men as with the Bee◠that goes from flower to flower to gather Honey which when they have gotten they carry it to the Hive in fine the Husbandman comes to take the Hive and Honey and drowns all the Bees or some way destroys them So the sons of men are as busie as Bees in sucking earthly things in fine death comes and takes them and another enjoys the Honey To conclude thy life and happiness then is in God thy wealth is in and from God What is thy wealth without God but Rust and Canker Thy honour without God but an heavy burden which in the day of account will press thy soul Thy ease without God but a future destruction Ease slays the wicked Prov. 1.32 All the good and comfort that is in any worldly enjoyment is from God as the light of a candle is from the fire or as a cistern of water is from the fountain He that hath God wants not any good thing Psal 84.11 In having God we have all things because we have him that hath all things without whom the whole World if you had it is like the Air without the Sun a darksom comfortless body to enjoy good in any thing we must enjoy God for every creature is good to us onely
these cares that they can take little comfort in any thing they have and these carkings are so much worse when they are in them who have either a competency or abundance This doth not directly prove the reign of worldliness but is a ground for the heart to suspect it self Against these carkings oppose the care God hath for beasts and fowls and much more for men he that cares for his enemies will much more care for his friends and children if for his children when they sought him not much more when they seek him and find him Carke not for future times this day may conclude thy life On the contrary I 'le give you some signs this sin reigns not 1 When we hunger and thirst after an heavenly frame of heart and groan under the frequency of earthly thoughts and fewness of heavenly here worldliness reigns not but the soul may be blessed though it be too worldly Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness Mat. 5.6 2 When though we have too much worldliness in us yet upon serious examination we find an habit to part with all lands and goods for the Lord if they come in competition Thus the disciples Matth. 19.27 But the Young man could not do this ver 22. 3 When we can come cheerfully and willingly to a work of mercy to the ability God gives us 2 Cor. 8.2 3. The Macedonians were ready to and beyond their power praying Paul with much intreaty to take the care hereof 4 When our soveraign affection and conversation is in heaven Phil. 3.20 Col. 3.1 In all our conversings let Saints look to heaven as the city whereto they belong All earthly things are desired by such in reference to Heaven and a good conscience 5 When we disaffect Worldly affections The flesh sometimes puts a godly man upon too eager pursuement of earthly things and sometimes upon some unworthy covetous prank or penurious scraping now when we can go to God and pray against these affections with a real hatred of them as David did Psalm 119.36 Incline not my heart to covetousness here worldliness reigns not 6 When we desire to be convinced of the Quantum or measure that God would have us to forgo for such a godly use or good cause for example in such cause of Religion as to the late Distresses of the poor Protestants in Piedmont I part with so much as my proportion comes to and the generality of godly people give yet could I be convinced that God required a greater proportion of me I would chearfully let it go even to the last Groat and what though my children have so much less yet Gods blessing is enough for them and I will not damn my soul in the omission of any known duty to make them rich Moreover the same command that bindes me to my children ties me to other relations to succour them though not in such a measure Matth. 6.25 Therefore I say unto you Take no thought for your life what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink nor yet for your body what ye shall put on Is not the Life more than Meat and the Body than Raiment Here is a second argument against worldliness and carking cares taken from the greater to the less he that hath given the greater will give the less now your Father hath given you the greater he hath given you your life and body therefore will he give you the less which is meat and raiment He gave the greater without thy care therefore without thy carking he will give the latter Withall Christ puts us in minde of the Authour of our Life and Body we are to look beyond our Parents We are not to think as if Christ forbad here a provident diligence and labour to procure things needfull for us and ours as the ancient Euchites who would always pray but never work but he forbids a fearfull distrustfull heart-dividing care Psalm 34.9 10. Fear the Lord ye his Saints for there is no want to them that fear him Psalm 84.11 1 Tim. 4.8 Hence Christ useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because the desire of gathering riches divides the minde and as it were distracts it and cuts it into divers thoughts This is that Luke calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to hang like a Meteor in the Air to hang betwixt Heaven and Earth In the words also there is a silent Objection thus Though I must not labour for superfluities yet must I labour for things which nature desires and which must serve me for my life and then when I have got that I will be no more desirous of outward things To this Christ answers You think too meanly of Gods goodness he both can and will provide us of things needfull though we should onely by the by look at those things we want and should give our mindes wholly or for the greater part to godliness John 6.27 Obs Christians ought to lay aside all distrustfull heart-dividing carking and sollicitude for the things of this life Reas 1 Because we have God that cares for us 1 Peter 5.7 Casting all your care upon him for he careth for you Children cast their care upon their fathers who lay up for their children 2 Cor. 12.14 So let us Phil. 2.20 21. Thus is it done with us in all our life we sleeping and being quiet and secure all things are given us we caring and being sollicitous nothing is given Luth. Tom. 3.383 2 From our experience we have had of Gods goodness he that hath given us the greater will also give us the less he hath given us a body therefore he will give us meat to sustain it and raiment to cover it from the cold The allegement of maintenance for life is but too oft a specious pretence for our covetousness Object But there are lawfull cares we must have Answ True there are 1 For spirituals such a care had Mary Luke 10.41 Paul had the care of all the Churches upon him 2 Cor. 11.28 The Philippians had care to minister to Paul Phil. 4.10 A godly Bishop is to take care of the Church 1 Tim. 3.5 yea every Christian must be full of care to maintain good works Titus 3.8 yea this care is a fruit of repentance 2 Cor. 7.12 None so full of these cares as a Christian 1 Cor. 7.32 Who cares for the things of the Lord. 2 There are cares for temporals 1 Cor. 7.33 He that is maried careth for the World how he may please his Wise Joseph took care to provide Corn for Egypt If we have not a lawfull care we are worse than Infidels 1 Tim. 5.8 God teaches us this care from the silly Pismire Prov. 6.6 Who provides her Meat in the Summer and Harvest Quest But what cares are they which are unlawfull Answ Distracting heart-dividing cares Paul would have us attend upon the Lord without distraction 1 Cor. 7.35 These distracting cares consist in three things 1 In a
of time thou hast lived in them Hosea 8.3 4 Upon what small temptations thou hast committed them 5 That thou hast been instrumental to carry persons to Hell by thine evils Acts 26.11 6 That thou hast caused persons to turn away from the way of truth by thine evils 2 Peter 2.1 2. and caused them to turn to evil by thy example as Jeroboam who made Israel to sin 7 The sore punishments God hath inflicted upon persons for committing such sins as thou hast been guilty of 1 Cor. 10.7 8 9 10 11. Quest But how must we cast out this beam Answ 1 Believe that there 's pardon for great sins in Christ and bathe thy soul in Christ's bloud Do as they that were stung with fiery Serpents John 3.14 1 John 1.7 2 Repent and turn to God with all thy heart Joel 2.12 Let thy repentance appear in the three parts of it 1 Confession 1 John 1.8 2 Humiliation Jerem. 13.17 18. 3 Reformation Hosea 14.2 Take away all iniquity Prov. 28.13 And then thou shalt see clearly to cast out the Mote out of thy Brothers eye See who is to be admonished even a Brother Lev. 19.18 Matth. 18.15 16 17. 1 Cor. 5.11 2 Thess 3.6 whether he be of our own or of another Church if our Brothers Ox or Ass straying are to be brought home by us Deut. 22.1 2 3 4. much more himself yet may others that are not Brethren be reproved because reproof is a kinde of spiritual alms that ought to be given to all as well as bodily alms where there 's hope of amending V. 6. Give not that which is holy to Dogs neither cast ye your Pearls before Swine lest they trample them under their feet and turn again and rend you Clemens Alexandrinus mentions that among the Chaldees Egyptians and Hebrews their Professours were wont to deliver their Precepts in Proverbs and so doth Christ as before so here and elsewhere it is a demonstrative kinde of teaching practised by Solomon Eccles 12.10 In the words two things 1 A Precept Give not that which is holy to Dogs 2 The Reasons 1 Lest they trample them under their feet 2 Lest they turn again and rend you 1 The Precept Give not that which is holy to Dogs Some by Dogs understand Unbelievers as if the Word Baptism and Supper should not be given to them For Baptism and the Supper it appears they ought not to be given as being not converting Ordinances but signs and declaratives of conversion already wrought Were they converting Ordinances they should actively effectively and operatively produce the grace of Regeneration and after a physical manner work upon the soul whereas they work onely in by and through the understanding and therefore must be administred on those believers that have understanding to receive them but for the Word it being Gods means to bring persons from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to Gods Kingdom Acts 18.26 it ought to be offered to all Therefore by Dogs is meant the stubborn and professed Enemies of the Gospel who having formerly been convinced of the truth of it are now apostatized and cease not to rail and persecute that truth Acts 19.9 when divers spake evil of the way of God before the multitude Paul departed from them Others more pertinently restrain that which is holy to admonition whereof he had spoke this ought not to be given to Dogs and Swine of which Prov. 9.8 Reprove not a Scorner lest he hate thee reprove a wise man and he will love thee Prov. 23.9 Speak not in the ears of a fool for he will despise the wisdom of thy words onely we must not forbear the duty of admonition to them that it may do some good to upon this pretence as if they were Dogs or Hogs when we perceive no such thing by them for our hearts are but too backward to perform this duty because we see it so unwelcome to most men By dogs Christ means contradictors and blasphemers against admonition whether publickly in the ministry of the Word as the Jews of Antioch did Acts 13.46 who hereby adjudged themselves unworthy of everlasting life and the Apostles upon their contradiction turned to the Gentiles See Matth. 10.14 15. so did Paul in the like case Act. 19.9 depart into the school of Tyrannus upon the contradiction the Jews made against his doctrine Such were those circumcision teachers whom Paul calls dogs Phil. 3.2 Beware of dogs and perhaps those Rev. 22.15 without are dogs are here meant and also Christ means private admonition Prov. 23.9 When persons shall rage against it the Lord provides for the safety of his servants least for their good will they be rent in pieces by the ungodly By holy things and pearls then Christ means publick and private admonition they are called holy because the persons that give it are holy and because the subject matter even the admonition is holy and because of the end which is the sanctification of souls They are called Pearls for their preciousness and excellency Psal 141.5 Admonition is compared to an excellent Oyl By hogs Christ means they do not contradict but by the uncleanness of their lives they show their contempt of your admonitions It s one thing to tread holy admonitions under our feet as hogs do and those that wallow in their sins and another thing to bite and rend him that reaches holy admonitions to us as dogs do such an one was Crescens the Cynick Philosopher from whom Justin Martyr expected his death As Christ would not have publick and private admonition to be given for their sake so would he not have it altogether kept silent for their sake Of this sort of dogs are many who stir up not onely Magistrates but the common people against the professors of truth because the truth such hold forth is contrary to their profit and praise as we see in Christ and the Apostles The reasons of this are 1 The unprofitableness and unworthiness Your labour will be spent in vain they will trample these precious things under their feet Things that are slighted and counted nothing worth are trod in the mire as pearles c. to them that know not their worth 2 Your own safety they will turn again and rend you they will prepare fire sword prisons and banishment against you and therefore as no man will meddle with a mad Dog for fear he be bit by him so should we beware of such Dogs There are some wicked men though they be not cured yet are they curable to these admonitions may be given but some are incurable to whom they are not to be given And though we are to give a reason of the hope in us to every man yet is it onely to them that ask a reason thereof which Hogs and Dogs do not So that as in the former Verse Christ showes who and what kinde the reprovers should be such as were free from beams or gross evils so here in this
are many men are onely formal professours such were the foolish Virgins Matth. 25.1 Such was he Eccles 8.10 So I saw the wicked buried who had come and gone to the place of the Holy Tit. 1.15 Profess they know God but in works deny him A name to live but are dead Rev. 3.1 Ezek. 33.31 Rom. 2.17 18 19. Such was Judas Magus Saul The consciences of these men would not have been quiet had they not given some outward service to God Formal professors do with their consciences as men do with children men give them some small matter as a pear or plum to keep them from wrangling and crying out Use 1 Believe not every one that hath onely a profession Joh. 2.23 How forward was the stony ground that it received the Word with joy Matth. 12.21 and yet for want of root as soon as tribulation came it withered 2 Caution against formality rest not in professional faith because thou hast the name of professor because of duties of religion in family or because in Church Communion They that are found not to live as Christ taught let them know they are not Christians although they profess the doctrine of Christ with their tongue for not the professors onely but the confirmers of their works shall be saved Just Mart. Apol. 1.49 This formality how ever it be plausible with the world yet is it loathed with God Rev. 3.15 16. God will spue out such Laodiceans 3 Trial whether thou art a formal man or not 1 When thou hast not grace to overcome every lust but Satan holds thee under some insnaring lust so Herod Eccles 8.10 So I saw the wicked buried that had come and gone to the place of the Holy 2 When thou hast not faith to suffer for God or a good conscience Matth. 13.21 3 When thou art onely careful to cleanse the outward man but careless of the inner man so the Pharisees Luk. 11.39 40. The Pharisees made clean the outside of the cup and platter but their inward part was full of rapine and excess Contrarily powerful Christians are most troubled with the inward man 4 When though thou performes duties of Religion yet 1 Thy soul is not nourished by them nor built up 2 Tim. 3.8 Ever learning but never able to come to a practical knowledge 2 Or else thou seest not Gods face in duty Job 13.16 He onely is my salvation but a Hypocrite shall not come before him 3 Or else thou dost not groan under thy dead-heartedness Contrarily powerful Christians groan under their fits of deadness and pray earnestly for quickening Psal 119.25 37 88 107 143 154 156 159. 5 When men turn in their Religion as states turne so did all Nations and Tongues Dan. 3.7 except the three children It s a plain note of a formalist to profess a Religion before God work it in the heart 6 When thou performes duties of Religion from art and not from life as thou prayes perhaps from wit and memory but not from the Spirit thou hears the word but it s either for victory of wit quiet of resolution ability to discourse but not with an intent to practice thou receives the supper not because of any sweetness of Christ thou hast tasted there but because persons would note thee shouldest thou absent thy self So thou gives alms not out of any chearfulness or because thou Sympathizes with Christ or his members but because natural conscience calls thee to do something 2 Obs Men that are meer formal professors must expect to be excluded out of heaven as well as other gross sinners 2 Things to be considered 1 What formality is Answ It 's a shew Image or similitude of godliness without life or power as a woodden Image hath the likeness of a thing as of a man or beast but is no such thing a shadow hath likeness of a body but is a shadow 2 There is even too much formality and overliness in good men in the services they perform to God but they mourn under them Use Reprehension of those who rest in an outward forme of Religion without the power Ananias and Sapphira Demas Nay they deny the power of Religion 2 Tim. 3.5 When the power of Religion would pull a Carnal man from his lust he denyes it when the question is put whether Christ left or lusts he denies Christ for to enjoy his lusts as the young man Matth. 19.22 when preachers exhort to reconciliation these deny for this power formal men have Joh. 5.40 I would and ye would not Matth. 23.37 Quest But why do formal men deny the power of Religion Answ 1 Because of the difficulty whereto the power of godliness calls men as 1 To part with every lust Matth. 5.29 A right hand and right eye and every enjoyment for Christ Luk. 14.33 without which we cannot be Christians 2 Because of the painfulness that must be used in the power 1 Tim. 4.8 9. Whereas any slothful performance will serve in a form 3 Because of the reproachfulness of it the power of Godliness exposes persons to reproach when they will balk no duty nor commit no known sin for this was Moses reproached Heb. 11.26 4 Because the power of godliness seems folly in the eyes of Carnal men 1 Cor. 2.14 5 Because they are bound with the cords of present sinful pleasures Job 20.12 13. compared with Prov. 5.22 2 Exhortation 1 Press towards the power of Religigion 2 Show forth the power of it 1 Press towards the power of Religion Means hereto 1 Draw near to God with thy Spirit as well as body Isa 29.13 Remember that thy heart is open before him Heb. 4.13 2 Receive not any thing in Religion upon any temporal ends either of credit profit relations of friends command of Princes c. but meerly because the force of truth prevailes upon thy understanding Some such ends prevailing with Judas and Demas they became meer formalists 3 Go not away from the duties of Religion as prayer c. till your hearts be nourished therein so Jacob Gen. 32.26 Hos 12.3 4. 4 Strengthen your selves in the power of Gods might 2 Tim. 2.1 5 Get a gracious frame of heart as there is a natural force that puts forth it self in Drugs Plants Precious stones so there is a supernatural power that puts forth it self in a principle of grace to the resistance of and victory over corruption 2 Shew forth the power of Religion 1 In the duties of thy particular relation as Master Husband Father Pastor It s to the reproach of Religion to see professing children disobedient professing servants contemptuous of their Masters 1 Tim. 6 1. Negligent ey-servants like stage players acting onely to please men 2 In being vvilling to do or suffer any thing for God Act. 9.6.21.13 3 In having our conversation sutable to our profession Phil. 1.27 Onely let your conversation be as becometh the Gospel 4 In resistance of sinfull temptations so Joseph Gen. 39.10 and those Saints Heb. 11.35 5
cross of Christ should be made of none effect Besides the wit of man hides the power of the Word and he that receives the Word upon eloquent enticement will be drawn to leave it when he hears greater eloquence perswading thereto It 's the misery of the times that Aristotle the deluder of wits should in most Universities be heeded rather then Christ the Prophet of his Church 5 Christ came home to the Consciences of men and so Paul We commend our selves to every mans conscience as in the sight of God He speaks with authority that speaks to the conscience Know ye not the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdome of God 1 Cor. 6.9 Matth. 23.33 O generation of vipers how can ye escape the damnation of hell 6 Christ came with authority not onely as an interpreter of the Law of God but as being himself a Law-giver come from heaven John 3.11 We speak that we do know and testifie that we have seen Also v. 31 32. He that cometh from heaven is above all and what he hath seen and heard that he testifieth 7 Christ came with authority in the convincing of souls for sin It 's one great work of the Spirit of Christ Joh. 16.10 Hence Micah 3.8 I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord and of judgement and of might to declare unto Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin Hence he spares neither Prince Prophet or Priest v. 9 10 11 12. The Word should come as a thunder-clap to the heart of the sinner Act. 8.21 Peter to Magus I perceive thou art in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity ye have been the betrayers and murderers of the Son of God Acts 2.36 As Nazianzen Orat 20. said of Basil His word was like thunder his life like lightning 8 He taught with authority in preaching to the life as a picture is well drawn when it s drawn as to life so a preacher must preach as to life to preach of heaven hell death and judgement as if they were before us to preach out the wrath of God that the sinner may apprehend it as a burning fire to set forth the ugliness of sin that it may appear as black as hell to set forth the particular excellencies of Christ that the soul may say Whither is thy beloved gone that we may seek him with thee To set forth the terribleness of judgement that the sinner may be afraid to live one hour in such a condition as he would be afraid to dye in 9 In not sparing persons of the greatest quality as Herod Pilate the High Priests Lawyers Scribes and therefore Christ denounces woe upon woe upon them Woe unto you Pharisees woe unto you Scribes woe unto you Lawyers Luk. 11.42 43 44 46 47 50 51 52. Nor did he fear the faces of the Mighty Jer 1.10 17 18 19. 10 He taught with authority not onely in pressing powerful doctrine but also did move upon their hearts by the working of his Spirit that their hearts were all on fire in hearing of him Luk. 24.32 Did not our hearts burn within us while he opened to us the Scriptures So Paul 1 Cor. 2.4 11 Christ taught vvith authority because himself vvas deeply affected vvith the things vvhich he taught It is not a thundring voice nor vehement enforcements from natural strength that proves povverfulness of doctrine but it much tends to authority both in prayer and preaching that the heart of the preacher be first vvrought upon either in private betvvixt God and his soul or in publick affections in the preacher beget affections in the hearer and after an unperceiveable manner dravv them over So Christ vvhen he preached to multitudes sometimes he put on bovvels of pity Mat. 9.37 sometimes grief and vveeping Luk. 19.41 compared vvith ver 48. Joh. 11.35 38. compared vvith ver 45. 12 Christ taught vvith authority because he knevv none could charge sin upon him so shall a teacher that lives a blameless conversation and knovvs that no man can charge evil upon him he hath authority in his doctrine but if he be covetous or proud or vain he looses that authorative povver vvhich God hath given him in the hearts of hearers Titus 2.15 Rebuke with all authority let no man despise thee q. d. if thou doest any thing unvvorthy to render thy self despicable thy authority vvill be lost 13 By a vehement pressing and urging the commands upon the consciences of men vvithall denouncing threats against the ungodly as Mat. 7.26 27. Luk. 6.21 to ver 27. so should a preacher press the commands upon persons I command you in the name of the Lord Jesus that you be not proud passionate greedy after the world So John Baptist Matth. 3.8 9 10. Now the ax is laid to the root of the tree bring forth fruit else you vvill be throvvn into the fire Use See a duty in faithful preachers 1 To teach vvith authority remembring vvhose Embassadours they are Matth. 28.18 2 Cor. 5.20 2 To maintain the authority vvhich the Lord hath given unto them 2 Cor. 10.8 maintain it both by life and doctrine by preaching povverfully and living holily Hovv povverfull vvas the Apostle Paul in his preaching See Gal. 1.6 7 8 9 10. 3 To the Brethren to obey that Word that comes with authority to their consciences Heb. 13.17 Obey them that have the rule over you c. And not as the Scribes Whose teaching was either traditionary as the washing of pots and cups and hands building the tombs of Prophets making broad phylacteries but for things tending to mortification they spake not at all or very superficially or their teaching was formal When they spake of the love of God and other duties they spake of them without zeal and feeling and therefore they were not like to affect others when themselves were not first affected The Orator that moves his hearers must first be moved himself Or their teaching was hypocritical binding heavy burthens upon others they themselves not touching them with one of their fingers Or their teaching was in generals and confounded Contrarily Christ 1 For matter he teaches weighty points as concerning true blessedness and the qualifications of them that mean to attain it concerning a holy life free from scandal concerning love to enemies alms prayer fasting placing treasure in heaven 2 For manner Christ speaks with fervency and affection fire begets fire the burning affection in Christ which he had in speaking makes the hearts of his Disciples burn in hearing Luke 24.32 3 For method Christ speaks distinctly first to one point and then to another whereas they confounded what they spake Method is the mother of memory 4 Christ in his doctrine was impartial he spared none Many speak truth to the common people suffering all things not to them whom they fear will persecute them to whom especially it is to be spoken He that looks upon mens persons will be terrified with the show of titles and dignities 5 He preached
voice of the Son of God John 5.25 The dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live This is not bare hearing of Christ preached but hearing the voice of the Spirit speaking to us as to Lydia Zacheus Lazarus c. Quest But how shall I know my faith draws any quickening from Christ or that the Lord speaks to my soul Answ 1 Repentance and displicense against sin goes with it Zach. 12.10 compared with chap. 13.1 when they look upon the Lord by an eye of faith they then mourn and then a fountain is set open 2 Thy faith will draw healing as well as pardon Mich. 7.18 19. Rom. 6.14 where ungodliness is turned from the soul that soul is turned from ungodliness Is 59.20 compared with Rom. 11.26 Act. 3.26 3 Thy faith will bring quiet and peace Luk. 7.50 Rom. 5.1 Rom. 15.13 from the true knowledge of escaping danger which is not like the peace of the world who are secure because they know not their danger It was not amiss said of one that this peace of believers is as if a milstone or Talent of lead were taken off from a mans neck which must be understood of the first coming of it to a soul formerly perplext with guilt and horror 4 By the present nimbleness we have in Gods ways since believing which we had not before Rom. 6.13 5 By the reflexion of love back again to Christ Gal. 5.4 Faith worketh by love Luke 7.47 To whom much is forgiven as it is to every believing soul the same loveth much Motives to live a spiritual Life 1 The perpetuity of it John 4.10 14.6.27 How precious would our natural Life be would it last for ever As it 's impossible for Leaven mingled with Paste to be severed from it because it hath changed the nature of the Paste so it 's impossible for Christians to be pluckt from Christ because the Leaven in them is Christ so imbodied that it is one Body one Lump Luth. Tom. 4.341 2 The certainty of it Some cannot be convinced there is any such Life if the soul lives another life when the body is laid aside why not in the body 3 The excellency of it it 's the life that God and Angels live which must needs be the best of lives 4 All the actions thou dost in thy profession of Christianity are meer counterfeits without it meer painted Duties There 's difference betwixt painted fire and true fire thou hast a picture of zeal of prayer of love but for want of life what are they 5 God hath no delight in any service that is done with a dead heart Prov. 15.8 Were there a dead stinking carkase in presence would we delight in it No more doth God in a dead carkase of duties See Isai 66.3 6 All the service of God will be tiresome and wearisome which is offered to God with a dead heart Mal. 1.13 The carnal worshippers snuffed and cried O! what a weariness is it Amos 8.4 5. 7 We cannot tell whether we shall stand among Sheep or Goats whether we be elect or reprobate till we have this life in us 8 No living thing can abide that which is dead The bruits startle at a dead carrion our dearest friends we put them from us when once they are dead and will God smell any savour of rest to thy dead services 9 The many calls you have thereto both motions from the Spirit Cant. 5.2 Open to me my love Revel 3.20 If any man will open to me I will come and sup with him Should a Physician tell you such a Disease were growing on your body you would thank him and make use of it do so in this case 10 All our motions in Religion are meerly artificial without this spiritual life as in Joas so long as Jehoiada lived and Jehu when Jonadab lookt upon his zeal both of them seemed to be forward and many others when buoy'd up with praise and benefits of profit pleasure c. so Sichem in receiving Circumcision so many men do many things from conviction of natural conscience fear of Hell shame among men expectation of death which are like wheels set a moving by a spring which when the spring is down the motion ceaseth 11 The satisfaction and contentment that is in this life Paul had this life and little else yet in all conditions was content Phil. 4.13 It must needs be so because God a proportionable object to the soul comes in Prov. 3.17 All her ways are peace not some but all that is they end in inward and everlasting peace V. 23. And when he was entred into a Ship his Disciples followed him V. 24. And behold there arose a great Tempest in the Sea insomuch that the Ship was covered with waves but he was asleep Here 's a third occurrence in Christs journey over the Lake of Genezareth that a storm arose this Lake is called a Sea for the greatness of it This storm came 1 To shew forth the power of Christ in asswaging it who hereby shewed himself Lord of windes and storms 2 To awaken the Disciples of Christ who though not bodily asleep yet might be too secure Secure persons are much awakened in a storm at sea Psalm 107.26 3 That thereby Christ might take occasion to reprove their unbelief 4 That the Disciples and Passengers might from his commanding the storm the more believe in him This storm may allusively point out the storms in the hearts of Believers and in the Churches which it is our wisdom by casting out any thing that hazards the Ship or helps on the storm as Jonahs Mariners did whether lust or enjoyment Storms commonly arise against Christ and his Disciples the Devil and World are the Sea that stirs up these Tempests And as the Ship here was covered with waves so it 's the end of the Devil and World to sink the Church But he was asleep 1 By reason of his labour in preaching and journey he slept 2 To shew forth the truth of his humane nature Some think the Devil stirred up this storm hoping thereby to drown Christ and his Disciples as he had destroyed Jobs children but Satan hath no power save what is given to him though his will was full enough for such a mischief Yet though he slept in his humane nature he was awake in his Deity that the Disciples being in danger might cry unto him more fervently and be helped V. 25. And his Disciples came to him and awoke him saying Lord save us we perish Here was the weakness of their faith to think that they could be drowned having Christ with them Mark hath it Carest thou not that we perish Luke hath it Master Master we perish It 's true danger stirs up fear but to have overmuch fear having a good God and a gracious Christ argues weakness of faith yet it 's commendable in them that they go to Christ in their distress Psalm 56.3 What time I am affraid I
2 Cor. 4.8 because God comes for our rescue persecuted of men but not forsaken of God Suppose the evil be imprisonment how comfortable was Paul and Silas in it If burning and martyrdome God will either abate the fire or give thee strength to bear it as a Martyr once comforted himself and others 2 Be exhorted that you be not swallowed up of fears This hath been the portion of the ungodly Jer. 46.5 Pashur had fear round about Jer. 20.4 Zedekiah in his fears goes from chamber to chamber to hide himself 1 Kings 22.24 The hearts of the men of Jericho melted for fear when the men of Israel came against them Jos 2.9 10 11. so that there remained no more courage in any man The men of Benjamin when they saw the City on fire on one side that they could not retreat thereto and the men of Israel turning upon them were amazed Judg. 20.40 41. We live in a time of fears and dangers Sometimes mens hearts failing them for fear looking on those things that are coming on the earth Luk. 21.26 Sometimes our hearts trembling because of the Ark of God 1 Sam. 4.13 as Eli his heart did Sometimes fearing under the sense of our unworthiness Now to quiet our hearts under all fears consider 1 That all the evils men or devils can cast upon us cannot reach the soul Matth. 10.28 2 Get out the sting of sin by obtaining pardon When this sting is taken away the soul will be couragious 1 Cor. 15.57 O death where is thy sting then death will be like a serpent without a sting Without this the heart cannot be free from terror 3 Look on grounds of encouragement as thus I have Christs righteousness for mine I have a disposition to part with all for the Lord I have comfortable answers in prayer I have a good conscience in all things I finde in my self a thorow change I endeavour in all things to eye God Discouraging fears will not be cast out without supporting reasons The soul being reasonable must needs close with reasons 4 Fore-think of evils before they come and set Christ against all So Moses Heb. 11.26 In the worst of times no enemy can take away Christ from me 5 Get Gods fear This will much eat out false fears Matth. 10.28 as the true Serpent ate up the false See Esai 8.12 13 14. 6 Exercise confidence in the promises of God Psal 56.3 4. In God will I put my trust I will not fear what flesh can do unto me What time I am afraid I will put my trust in thee when thou goest through the fire and through the water I will be with thee Esai 43.1 2. 7 Get God on your sides Psal 118.4 The Lord is on my side I will not fear what man can do unto me A Christian should be like a rock in the Sea which though the waves break themselves against it yet it remaineth firm Rom. 8.31 If God be for us who can be against us viz. to hurt us for else no man hath more enemies then a Christian This made Paul so couragious at Corinth Acts 18.9 10. Be not afraid but speak for I am with thee and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee Yea this made Paul not to fear when the Ship was every moment ready to be cast away Acts 27.23 24. The Angel of God stood by me whose I am and whom I serve saying Fear not Paul This made David not to fear though an Army of men were coming against him Psal 27.1 2 3. See Psal 46.1 2 3 c. Motives to rid the heart of these fears 1 They procure great torment to the soul 1 Joh. 4.18 Hence Ezekiel setting forth the misery of the people saith They shall eat their bread with quaking and drink their water with carefulness trembling and astonishment Ezek. 12.18 2 It 's the end of our deliverance to serve God without these slavish fears Luke 1.75 That we being delivered out of the hands of all our enemies might serve him without fear 3 These fears are sometimes worse then the evils themselves feared 2 Kings 7.5 6 7. The Syrians in a vain fear ran away from the Camp and left it to the plunder of Israel Psal 53.5 There were they in great fear where no fear was 4 Many persons have their slavish fears come upon them Saul feared David would get the Kingdome and he sought all means basely to prevent it but could not the Jews feared the Romans would come and take away their place and Nation if they let Christ alone yet when they had slain him the Romans came and took all from them 5 These carnal fears are full of mischief as 1 To exalt creatures in the place of God 2 They expose us to a snare Prov. 29.25 The fear of man brings a snare so doth the fear of hell many dare not do duty for fear they should lose their lives and go to hell 3 These fears bereave us of the comfortable enjoyment of good things we have fear of loss of estate liberty life takes away the comfort of it That good hath the truest content therewith for the loss whereof we are habitually prepared rather then lose Christ and a good conscience 4 Though these fears may sometimes put a man upon self-reformation yet usually this reformation that arises from these fears lasts no longer then the fear remains Psal 107.26 as we see in Mariners in a storm Job 41.25 When he raiseth up himself the mighty are afraid and by reason of breakings they purifie themselves We see how in time of fears men reform but see how unsound it is lasting no longer then the danger lasts Psal 78.34 35 36. When he slew them then they sought him nevertheless they did but flatter him with their mouth Then he arose and rebuked the Winde and the Sea and there was a great calm Not in a feigned way as the Heathen Aeolus rebuked the windes but in a real way as the Lord of windes and sea Hence Mark hath it Peace and be still Mar. 4.39 He reproves the wind and sea as if a Master should reprove a servant here is a plain argument of Christs Godhead Who can command winde and sea save God alone As his power was seen in quieting the storms of the sea 〈◊〉 the same power can quiet the storms in the Churches and among good men and the storms that Satans temptations shall stir up in the hearts of Saints So when there are passionate storms in our hearts the command of Christ should make a calm It 's a comfortable thing in a storm to be in covenant with him whom windes and seas obey Christ speaks alike to windes and storms diseases and devils he quiets them with the word of his mouth and so can he quiet storms in the Commonwealth Psal 65.7 Which stilleth the noise of the seas the noise of their waves and the tumult of the people Onely in these times of confusions let us awake the Lord
sacrifice and service of the faith of the Philippians Phil. 2.17 I say when the flesh shall ask this question let thy conscience be able to answer Whatsoever trouble falls upon me in the strength of God I will do duty So contrary when the flesh shall ask will you not commit any known sin though you gain never so much by it though by a Ly or by dissembling you might gain the favour of such a great man by denying or dissembling the truth you may gain or keep such a preferment which else you cannot by such an equivocation you may save your life by marying a carnal person you may gain a great estate when at present you are in a poor condition by taking such an Oath or subscribing to such a Subscription which is against your consciences you may keep off banishment and sequestration of your estates now when to these and such like questions the conscience shall declare not a conditional resolution but an absolute that come what come will or can in the strength of God you will not you cannot sin here you are fitted to take up the cross So Joseph Gen. 39.10 How can I do this and sin against God That is I cannot 2 Cor. 13.8 We can do nothing against the truth Obj. But did not Balaam say Numb 22.18 If Balak would give me a house full of silver and gold I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God to do less or more also when Balaam was come to Balak v. 38. he saith Lo I am come unto thee have I now any power at all to say any thing the word that God putteth in my mouth that shall I speak Also c. 23. Balaam saith How shall I curse whom God hath not cursed or how shall I defie whom the Lord hath not defied v. 8. Also cap. 23.12 Balaam tells Balak Must I not take heed to speak that which the Lord hath put in my mouth and all these resolutions were when King Balaks gold came in competition with the doing of a duty Answ 1 Balaam did not say he would not curse Gods people but onely he could not for his will was to commit the sin of cursing Gods people This could not appears cap. 23.20 I have received a commandement to bless and I cannot reverse it As if he should say I would reverse it if I could to obtain thy rewards of divination but I cannot Also cap. 23.26 Balaam answered Balak Told I thee not saying All that the Lord speaketh I must do Also cap. 24.11 12. Balak said to Balaam I thought to promote thee to honour but God hath kept thee back from honour and Balaam spake to Balak Said I not to thy Messengers If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold I cannot go beyond the commandement of the Lord to do either good or bad of my own minde but what the Lord saith that will I speak Now that Balaams will was to curse Gods people appears 1 Because he would enquire of God whether he might curse his people cap. 22.8 2 Because when God gave him his flat denial neither to go with the Messengers of Balaak nor to curse Israel v. 12. though he withstood it at present v. 13. yet upon the coming of new Messengers he yielded to make a new enquiry of God whether he might go or no v. 20 21. when he had his flat denial of permission to go v. 12. 3 Because Gods anger was kindled against him for his going v. 22. so that he was near slaying by the Angel v. 22 23. 4 Because Balaam confesses his sin v. 34. I have sinned that is in having a hankering desire to Balaks gold 5 In that Balaam goes with Balak from place to place and from altar to altar and that Balaam did not curse Gods people was merely for fear of the Angel of God But contrarily the resolutions of Saints that take up the cross are not because they cannot though they cannot but because they will not God having so wrought upon their wills that they will not part with the Lord. 17 That we may take up the cross let us deny our selvs Luke 9.23 Matth. 16.24 If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross See denial of our selves goes before the taking up of the cross We must deny our selves in our ease profit pleasure credit house lands relations yea deny our selves in our lusts of pride c. And followeth after me is not worthy of me Christ thinks no man worthy of himself who followeth him not To the taking up the cross we must add this to follow Christ Now to follow Christ is to do whatsoever he commands without exception whether it be to do or suffer at all times rather then to leave the Lord. When the conscience hints to us to do such a duty to witness such a truth to forbear such a gain to restore for such a wrong to perform such a duty Obj. But the law of Christ is the rule of our life how then are we to follow Christ Answ Christ is the example of the rule as in Grammar there is a rule and then there is an example of the rule so the law of Christ is our rule but Christ is the example of the rule Quest Wherein must we follow Christ Answ In humility Matth. 11.29 When the multitude would have made Christ a King he refused it He washt his Disciples feet Joh. 13.14 he took on him the form of a servant Phil. 2.6 7. 2 In patience He was led as a sheep to the slaughter Isai 53.7 1 Pet. 2.22 23. Heb. 12.2 3. 3 In taking opportunities of doing good Acts 10.38 Christ went about doing good Joh. 4.15 16. 4 In compassion Matth. 9.37 Heb. 7.25 5 In tenderness Matth. 12.20 Not to break a bruised reed 6 In heavenly mindedness who took occasion from all visible objects to draw holy meditations as from bread door light vine and branches 7 In publike spiritedness 1 Pet. 2.24 8 In praying for enemies Luke 23.34 Grounds of following Christ 1 From Gods predestination Rom. 8.29 Whom God predestinated to glory he predestinated to be conformable to the image of his son As Christ was holy by nature so must we be holy by grace 2 From the name of Christian which we bear Acts 11.26 as the first Adam begat a son in his own likeness so doth the second Adam 3 From the bond of union 1 Cor. 12.27 Ye are the body of Christ and members in particular Now the head and members live one and the same life 4 From the command of Christ who commands us to follow him Joh. 13.14 yea and gave us an example that we should follow him v. 15. I have given you an example that you should do as I have done unto you 1 Pet. 2.21 leaving us an example that we should follow his steps 5 If we follow not Christ we follow the devil and our lusts or else we follow the
recompensed me according to my righteousness Look upon the Kings of Judah from David and so along whose hearts were perfect with God and see how God made their Kingdoms prosper witness Asa Jehoshaphat Hezekiah c. 6 Sincere souls may be comforted against all disasters whatsoever Art thou being sincere reproached Job being so comforted himself cap. 16.19 Behold my witness is in heaven and my record is on high Job 23.10 He knoweth the way that is with me so the Margin Joseph doubtless had comfort when his Mistress slandered him 1 Cor. 4.3 4. When sundry at Corinth censured Paul saith he I regard not mans day or mans judgement I know nothing by my self So in time of sickness and death great will the comfort of sincerity be Isai 57.2 He shall enter into peace they shall rest in their beds each one walking in his uprightness Mark the perfect man the end of that man is peace Ps 37.37 The having the loyns girt about with truth is part of a Christians armor in an evil day Eph. 6.14 Job saith c. 27.5 6. Till I dye I will not let my integrity go from me my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live It will be a matter of comfort in death to write down some of the great actions or turnings of our lives wherein we have acted uprightly Hypocrites in prosperous times are very confident but when an evil time comes their hope is as the giving up of the Ghost but sincere souls when God shall ask them By conscience lovest thou me They can return this answer Thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee John 21.15 It was a speech of a godly woman when she came to die that she had nothing to comfort her but poor sincerity her name was Mrs. Juxon Quest But what is this sincerity which is so comfortable and whereunto you so exhort us Answ It is to do what we do unto God having a bent of heart to all Gods commandements with an earnest desire to avoid the contrary out of conscience to God and from faith and love 1 Kings 9.4 If thou wilt walk before me as David thy father walked in integrity of heart and uprightness to do according to all that I have commanded thee 1 See uprightness and integrity consists in having a bent to do all God commands The contrary is unsoundness See Matth. 19.21 22. Col. 4.12 Perfect and compleat in all the will of God q. d. where there is one the other will be 2 It must be done unto God or out of conscience to God Isai 38.3 Noah was perfect in his generations how doth that appear Why Noah walked with God Gen. 6.9 that is in his actings he made himself present with God and God present with him else to part with any thing as with life and goods to give the body to be burned and all a mans goods to the poor and so consequently to do any command for these two are the hardest commands would not argue sincerity unless what we do be done out of conscience to God 3 It must be from faith and love 3 Use Trial. Try thy sincerity 1 At whose eye do you look in all your services Psalm 16.8 I have set the Lord ever before me Hypocrites in some particular actions may set God before them as Abimelech Gen. 20.6 Those that kill'd the Apostles thought they did God service in it John 16.2 The Jews in opposing Christs righteousness had the zeal of God in it that is they lookt at God in it Rom. 10.2 But sincere persons have a desire to and purpose for to set God ever before them yea if any by-ends come in they are troubled at it 2 From whom do you expect a reward hence a conscientious Preacher preacheth with all his strength though people be not gathered Esa 49.4 5. Hence that Servants may be sincere they are bid to expect their reward from God Col. 3.23 24. Why for ye serve the Lord Christ Hence a Christian doth good to unthankfull yea to enemies Psalm 35.12 13. Luke 6.35 36. Hence a sincere soul doth duty when it hath no reward with men nay contrarily shame and blame 3 The doing good and avoiding evil in secret They do good in secret Job 31.18 19. Esa 38.3 Hypocrites will do good where there are many eyes to behold them Matth 6.2 Matth. 23.5 but very seldom do they any good in secret but sincere souls do good in secret Their alms prayer and fasting they strive that it may be in secret Matth. 6.1 c. So on the other side they avoid evil in secret Joseph durst not come near his Mistress though none but he and she were in the house Job durst not lift up his hand against the fatherless though he saw his help in the gate Job 31.21 He eschews hellish thoughts and groans under them crying Cleanse me Lord from secret sins then shall I be upright Psalm 19.12 13. Contrarily hypocrites and wicked men will venture to do evil in secret all their care is to cover it from the eye of man Hence they stick not to plot mischief in secret Psalm 64.2 4. They will slander in secret Deut. 27.24 Moses calls it a smiting their neghbour secretly They do secretly accept persons Job 13.10 In a word it s a shame to speak of the things that are done of them in secret Eph. 5.12 Yet may they refrain from open and scandalous sins and live and dye without any such though usually God leaves them to fall into some open sin that so their name may rot Prov. 10.7 4 The singling out God from all other objects that come what will come they will not leave the Lord. Gal. 6.14 God forbid that I should rejoyce in any thing save in the cross of Christ Rom. 8.35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ He means both active and passive love which the Lord hath to us and we to the Lord. Hypocrites on the other side are double minded their hearts are divided betwixt God and some lust James 1.8 A double minded man is unstable in all his wayes Sometimes they are for God sometimes for the world hence where any soul sincerely turns to God he purifies himself from double mindedness James 4.8 9. 5 Sensibleness of and groaning under inward distempers Rom. 7.15 23. Troubled under hardness of heart Isa 63.17 Unbelief Mark 9.23 Privy pride 2 Cor. 12.7 8. From a principle of tenderness of conscience they have received and a blessed light God hath set up in their hearts they are sensible of such evils as the world counts nothing yea they are more troubled for these then wicked men are for grosse evils they complain of themselves for not striving with God to keep off his judgements for their close hypocrysie heaviness in the service of God dulness Isa 64.7 There 's none that stirs up himself to take hold of thee A sincere soul though he do duties outwardly plausible yet is he not contented
against our selves to cause us to walk heavily The beholding of any truth of heart in our selves should make us go on with joyfulness chearfulness thankfulness being sure God will perfect the good work he hath begun how small soever Phil. 1.6 Trials of an Hypocrite 1 To look mostly at the eye of man in what he doth All his care is to have mens observation of the good he doth Matth. 6.2 If there be no observation of man his endeavours flag so his care is to keep his naughtiness from man but makes little conscience of sinning in secret Many will say Have we not writ many books preached many sermons built Hospitals but the Lord will say Thou didst so but it was to thy praise and credit not out of love to me nor zeal of my glory Contrary sincere souls in what they do desire to seek the glory of God not their own glory John 7.18 2 Cor. 4.5 2 A going on in dead and liveless duties and not feeling his deadness a burthen he counts them a task a penance and were it not conscience would fly in his face he would leave them quite off he counts Gods service a weariness and snuffs at it Though Gods Saints too oft perform dead and liveless duties by fits yet the deadness of hypocrites differs in two particulars 1 The hypocrite hath a voluntary careless admission of rovings in duty Prov. 5.14 I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and Assemblies So Ezekiels hearers Ezek. 33.31 When they were at hearing their hearts ran after their covetousness 2 The hypocrite sees not the face of God in duty Job 13.16 He onely is my salvation saith Job how proves he that Why because a hypocrite shall not come before him Job means into his special presence for into his omnipresence all creatures come yea the devils the dwelling in and enjoying of Gods special presence is determined to the upright Psalm 140.13 See also Psalm 11.7 His countenance doth behold the upright Psalm 97.11 Light is sowen for the righteous and joy for the upright in heart Possibly upright men may so formalize and post over duty that they may see no face of God therein but when they pray with life and quickning and strength of affection then they see the face of God 3 Note Though a hypocrite hath many good things in him yet the bent of his heart is not for God he doth sundry good acts but he hath no good habit or inclination Hos 7.16 They return but not to the most high they are like a deceitfull bow q. d. as an archer when he shoots though he aim never so well at the white yet the bow being deceitfull he cannot come near it so these hypocrites who howl upon their beds they pretend to return but it is not in the purpose of their hearts it is not to the most High Their prayers for corn and wine are onely as the cryes of a hog when he is pinched or the howling of a wolf when he is hungry yea even a hypocrite when he most forbears sin the bent of his heart is for it See it in Balaam when for fear he should be destroyed he durst not curse yet how did he thirst after it how did he love the wages of unrighteousness and see whether God that would not let him curse Israel at one time would let him curse them at another Herod when he heard John gladly yet the bent of his heart was for Herodias All the while Demas was with Paul yet the bent of his heart was for the world As the bent of the dogs appetite is after the porrige pot or dripping pan though he stand quietly by it or the bent of the wolves appetite is after the sheep though for fear of the shepheards staff he dare not touch them so the bent of a hypocrites heart is to some sin which he will not leave though by some respects he may be restrained from it so that habitually he doth the evil which actually he forbears This is called an inclining to wickedness in the heart Psalm 66.18 A committing sin 1 John 3.8 a working of iniquity Matth. 7.23 Contrarily the upright have the habitual bent of their heart for God Psal 119.6 also v. 10. With my whole heart have I sought thee Their hearts stick to Gods testimonies v. 31. Refraining the feet from every evil way v. 101. Upright men are not so much descerned by their good actions as by this bent of heart See 2 Chron. 19.3.30.18 19. It 's called a not departing from Gods judgements v. 102. a keeping of Gods precepts v. 106. an inclining of the heart to perform Gods statutes unto the end v. 112. Isai 26.8 The desire of my soul is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee That the bent of upright hearts is for God appears in their readiness chearfulness and delight they have in doing such things as God requires So Paul Lord what wilt thou have me to do As we see a ship that hath winde and tide with it bends more and more to the haven 4 Censoriousness of other mens actions when thy self lives in gross sins When a man can see motes in another I mean sins of infirmities to which the holiest are liable and cannot see beams in himself strain at a gnat in another and swallow a Camel Matth. 23.24 So the Ruler of the Synagogue Luke 13.13 14. whom Christ therefore called hypocrite censured Christ for healing a daughter of Abraham on the Sabbath when on that same day every one of them would lead their Ass to watering The way to make themselves even with the best men is either to grow higher which their lusts will not suffer them or to pull others lower hence they censure the best men and even motes in such sins of ignorance and infirmity yea many times that which is no sin as the Pharisees taxed Christs Disciples for eating with unwashen hands when mean time their own hearts were unwasht for plucking a few ears of corn when their own houses were full of rapine Contrary upright men are most censorious against themselves 2 Sam. 24.17 These sheep what have they done let thy hand be against me and against my fathers house His subjects doubtless had much provoked God yet he had more to say against himself then against all his subjects So Nehemiah c. 1.6 7. Would we judge our selves we should have less time and more compassion to judge others 5 Partiality in obedience The hypocrite will onely do some or many things not all as Herod Mark 6.20 Jehu 2 Kings 10.28 If thou suffer thy self to be drawn to some good things not all and withdrawn from some evils not all and that for thy own credit profit or ease sake and not Gods sake onely or principally thou art a plain hypocrite Let there be one idol in our hearts of which thy heart upon deliberation will or must say thou wilt rather leave the Lord then it thou
innocent blood The Jews scrupled to give Paul one stripe above the Law the Law was Deut. 25.3 that the Judge determine him forty stripes but not exceed now the Jews whipt Paul five times and they scrupled so to transgress the Law herein that they gave him but thirty nine stripes but they scrupled not to whip an innocent person Saul would not eat with the blood he scrupled it yet would he not scruple to take away the lives of fourscore of the Lords Priests at one time 15 Still urge thy soul to give a reason of thy scruple So David Psal 43.5 Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me If the soul cannot render a reason of it be sure it comes either from Satan or melancholy or some such cause or its some injected temptation such as the devil cast into Christs minde to make him scruple whether God was his father 16 Answer the scruples When thou seest them manifest fallacies in grace though true consequences in nature for example Satan saith thou art a sinner God is just therefore he hates thee therefore inflicts punishment therefore he hears thee not this consequence cannot be denied in nature The consequence of grace is thou art a sinner therefore believe and when Satan opposes thy sins say What is that to thee Satan I have not sinn'd against thee but against my God I am not thy sinner what power hast thou over me Satan if it be truly a sin whereof thou accusest me Satan sometimes terrifies the minde also with those things which are not sins but he alledges them to be sins as Christ will not quench smoaking flax no more will I quench it in my self FINIS An Alphabetical Table of some of the Common places which are handled in these first Ten Chapters of MATTHEW A. ADultery Matth. 5.27 Five disswasions from it Ten remedies against it Alms. Grounds thereof Properties therein Helps thereto Objections answered Matth. 5.42 And the manner of doing it Matth. 6.1 2. Anger Matth. 5.22 Holy Six properties Fifteen remedies against sinfull Anger Apparel Matth. 6.26 Grounds of moderation herein Astrology Judicial the vanity of it in Matth. 2.2 Assurance Eight reasons that it may be had it breeds not security Matth. 6.12 B. THe point of Baptism handled Matth. 3.6 Eight Reasons why Christ was Baptized though he had no sin Matth. 3.13 What is meant by fulfilling all righteousness in six particulars Matth. 3.15 C. CArking Cares Matth. 6.25 26. Thirty four helps against them Cross to be taken up Seventeen grounds Matth. 10.38 Companying with wicked men how far lawfull how far unlawfull Eight helps how to carry our selves when cast among them Seven means to get rid of them Eleven grounds thereto Confession and Denial of Christ in Matth. 10.32 33. Contentions about Religion Matth. 10.34 D. OF Demoniacks Matth. 8.16 Of Divorce Matth. 5.30 Of doing as we would be don to Matth. 7.12 Of Dreams Matth. 1.20 Four sorts uses to be made of them E. ENemies to be loved Five grounds of it How the Prophets prayed against Enemies Six objections answered Seven means to love them Motives thereto Matth. 5.44 F. FAith weak and strong In what respects faith admits degrees in six particulars Six notes of a strong Faith Mat. 6.26 Fasting Matth. 6.16 Nine rules in Fasting Seven rocks to be shunn'd Fewness of saved ones Seven reasons of it Matth. 7.13 Fear of God Matth. 10.28 First the causes The degrees The necessity in six particulars Eleven trials Five means to it Five differences betwixt filial and slavish fear Ten motives Slavish Fear Matth. 8.26 1 Kindes Seven grounds against it Four motives to rid the heart of it Of Flight in persecution Matth. 10.23 Seven rules therein Forgiveness of sins as from God Matth. 6.12 Six comforts to drooping souls Nine grounds of begging pardon 11 signes to know whether our sins be pardoned Forgiveness of sins to men Matth. 5.25 Where 1 The manner of forgiveness 2 The order of forgiveness 3 The Motives thereto See chap. 6.14 15. Following Christ Matth. 10.38 Six grounds thereof Four means Seven hinderances Five motives H. HUnger and thirst after righteousness Five reasons Eleven grounds Four motives on Matth. 5.6 Hearing and doing must go together Matth. 7.24 Eleven grounds thereof Who are right Hearers Fifteen rules in right hearing Matth. 7.26 Twelve causes of unprofitable hearing ibid. on Matth. 7.26 Hell the punishment of the damned therein Matth. 8.12 There is material fire therein or that which is worse Matth. 10.28 Hypocrisie First the kindes 2 What it is Seven cautions before trial of our selves Twelve marks of an Hypocrite Ten remedies against Hypocrisie Matth. 10.42 I. INvocation of Saints Seven grounds against it Infirmities Matth. 8.17 Four trials whether thy sins be Infirmities Seven grounds to bear with others Infirmities Matth. 8.17 Judgement Rash First what it is Eleven grounds to take us from it Six sorts of rash judgement condemned on Matth. 7.1 2. K. OF the Kingdome of Christ 1 Of Grace which comes six ways 2 Of Glory in which 3 things 1 The beginning of it 2 The end of it 3 The gloriousness of it Set down 1 By similitudes 2 By plain Scriptures 3 By the excellent things therein which are 1 In general 8 In particular Seven evils Saints shall be delivered from Four goods they shall enjoy therein Matth. 6.12 L. LAying on of hands after Baptism Three kindes of Laying on of hands Matth. 10.18 depraved by three sorts of men Seven Arguments to prove it an Apostolical institution Seven objections against it answered Labourers in Gods harvest Matth. 9.38 Their duty The causes why so few Of the Law and fulfilling thereof by Christ Matth. 5.17 A large discourse of spiritual Life and death Matth. 8.22 Seven trials of dead men Seven trials of men alive Three means to life Eleven motives to it Love of the world Six grounds of conviction herein Thirteen grounds of disswasion from it Eleven remedies against it Four grounds of the reign of this sin Six grounds it reigns not Matth. 6.24 Lust of the heart Matth. 5.28 Six remedies against it M. MEekness The grounds of it Properties of it Six Means to obtain it Mercifulness Three reasons Eight grounds Nine rules therein on Matth. 5.7 Murther and cruelty Matth. 5.21 The kindes of it Five objections answered Lawfull War no Murther Mourning spiritual Six grounds of it Nine trials Nine Means thereto Matth. 5.4 O. OAths Several cases about them Matth. 5.33 Outward things how promised by God Matth. 6.33 P. OF Peace and Peace-making Seven means to Peace Three means to Peace-making Eight motives in the last whereof are seven benefits Matth. 5.9 Perfection in God Matth. 5.48 Six grounds of it Seven Uses Perfection in Saints how it is taken Four trials of it Persecution for righteousness sake Nine grounds of suffering it Twelve means thereto Four consolations under it Poverty spiritual Matth. 5.2 What it is Eight trials Seven means thereto Power of God Matth. 6.14 Twofold Eight grounds setting forth Gods power Prayer Six questions handled Matth. 6.7 1 About repetitions 2 About long Prayer 3 Also v. 9. About meltings in Prayer wherein twelve things considerable 4 About delaying Prayer 5 About distractions in Prayer 6 About straitnings and enlargements in Prayer Fourteen rules in Praying 18 Motives to stir us up to Prayer Nine things concerning the object the Trinity we eye in Prayer and of the manner herein Prophets false Mat. 7.15 Four grounds why to be shunn'd Their resemblance to Wolves in six particulars Fourteen signs of them with a large answer to three Scriptures abused by the deluders of the times Preachers maintenance the manner of it the right they have to it wherein certain proposals as to the Magistrates maintenance are soberly offered not peremptorily determined with many objections on both sides largely handled on Mat. 10.9 Providence of God on Mat. 10.29 30. Nine grounds asserting it four uses made of it Powerless profession on Mat. 7.21 Five reasons of it Five remedies against it Six trials herein Of Prophesie on Mat. 10.41 Two kinds of it Nine helps thereto Of the Pharisees and Saduces what they were Mat. 3.7 Of Purity of heart Mat. 5.8 what it is Six means to it R REpentance on Mat. 3.1 Replies in publique Congregations lawful but apt to be abused Eight benefits hereby Nine rules to be observed herein on Mat. 7.26 Revilings on Mat. 5.12 Nine Consolations herein when they are for Christ Revenge private on Mat. 5.38 Reproof on Mat. 7.6 to whom to be given Eight rules in giving it Righteousness of Christians two fold where many questions are handled about Gods righteousness and mans righteousness on Mat. 10.41 Reward of Saints what it is to whom given and when on Mat. 10.42 S. SAvory life on Mat. 5.13 Eight resemblances of a Christians Life and Salt Seven disswasions from unsavoriness six helps to a savory life Sanctification of Gods name on Mat. 6.9 Six ways of Sanctifying it Self-destruction on Mat. 4.6 Thirteen helps against it Secret actions seen by God Mat. 6.3 Sight of God on Mat. 5.8 the kinds of it the happiness of a glorified sight in six particulars with answer to some objections Souls sleep not nor are annihilated till the day of the Resurrection Sincerity Mat. 10.42 Twelve grounds to it Six comforts in it Twelve trials of it Scruples their kinds nature Twelve rules about scruples on Mat. 10.14 T TEmptation of Christ on Mat. 4.1 Temptations of Christians Mat. 6.13 where 1 the kinds of it God hath five ends therein Nineteen remedies herein Thoughts the causes of evil thoughts Four ways they become evil objections answered five trials of thy thoughts seven remedies against bad thoughts seven motives to look to the thoughts on Matth. 9.4 Treasure heavenly Eleven notes of it Mat. 6.19 Teaching with authority seen in eight particulars Mat. 7.29 V USury on Matth. 5.42 what it is It s usually falsely described Understanding inlightned Matth. 6.22 23. W OF the Will of God Mat. 6.11 There are divers other common places but these belonging to the practical and savory part of Christianity I have pickt out for the benefit of some Readers who may be straitned in time to peruse the whole I would have made a larger Table but being farre from the Press it could not so well be done by me FINIS