shall never have so much or so little as to make them unfit for service Christ loves to keep them in working case Even of outward necessaries they shall have what they want if not what they would Christ gives them all things that pertain to life and godlinesse he encourageth them 2 Pet. 1.1 4. he assisteth them in their work he gives them exceeding great and precious promises hee feeds them with his own flesh and blood 2 Pet. 1.4 he cloathes them with his own righteousnesse he directs them with his own spirit 4. By protecting his family from all dangers There 's no safety but in Christs family never are his servants in danger but when they go out of it 1. Sam 2.9 He is the keeper of his Israel peculiarly Though he sometimes suffers evils to touch Psal 105.14 15. he never suffers evils to hurt them he visits them in and delivers from all their troubles he suffers not Kings to hurt any of his servants He takes the wrongs offered to his servants as offered to himselfe 5. 1 Pet. 4.17 By correcting it for its miscarriages Judgment commonly begins at the house of the Lord. His servants are safe but must not be secure he suffers the world to do that which he will not endure in his own family His servants will never be faithfull to him nor find him faithfull to them if he did not sometimes chastise them He judgeth them 1 Cor. 11.32 that they may not be condemned with the world And whensoever the chides he doth it not because he loves it but because they want it 6. By rewarding every servant according to his service He is indeed the only Lord but he hath sundry sorts of servants He is a good master but most that call themselves his servants are unprofitable and only titular and complementall wearing his badg but refusing his work using the name of the Lord and crying Lord Lord but shunning the rule of their Lord. The reward of these is to be cast into utter darknesse Mat. 25.30 who heretofore were unprofitable under light His good and faithfull servants shall be rewarded with the joy of their Lord even the presence of him whom they served faithfully in his absence Mat. 25.21 Their labour of love shall not be forgotten by Christ but all their former toyl shall bee forgotten Their work though never so great is but small to their wages nor is the weight of their labours comparable to that of their crown Jesus Christ will pay them for every work which they have forgotten Their services are all book'd He who formerly gave them abilities to work will now give them a recompence for working 2. In what respect is Christ called Only Lord 1. Not to exclude the Father and the Holy Ghost 2d Branch of Explicat to whom with the Son all outward works are common and frequently to the whole Trinity of Persons is this name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Lord given in Scripture Act. 4.24 Rev. 6.10 God the Father Joh. 17.3 is called the only true God not to exclude the Son and God the Son is called the only Lord not to exclude the Father who is represented in the naturall glory of the Deity as the Son in the voluntary office of a Mediatour But secondly in respect of all creatures is Christ called only Lord 1 Cor. 8.6 One Lord Jesus Christ Eph. 4.5 One Lord and that 1. To exclude the partnership of any other in the government with him The rule is not shared between him and other Lords In government he hath no copartner He is Gods only Vice-gerent There is no â—ther name under heaven given among men Act. 4.12 Mat. 28.18 Heb. 1.2 Isai 63.3 Isai 54.16 To him hath the Father committed all power in heaven and earth as Pharaoh did set Joseph over all the land of Egypt God hath appointed him heir of all things And as Christ had no co-adjutor in the work of redemption so hath he no partner in the glory thereof 2. 1 Tim. 6.15 To note his superiority and preheminency above all other Lords In which respect he is called King of Kings and Lord of Lords for 1. He is the only absolute Lord. All other Lords are subordinate to him dependent on him advanced by him receive authority lawes gifts from him are responsible for the use and abuse of these to him and are therefore punishable by him The supreme of earthly Lords are in respect of him inferiour Lords 2. Phil. 2.10 He is the onely universall Lord. To him every knee must bow The three kingdoms of heaven earth and hell never had any Lord but Christ In the first of these he doth eminently shew his glory and beauty in the second his power of ruling and directing in the third his strength and severity Angels and glorified Saints in heaven Saints sinners and every creature on earth the damned and divels in hel are all his subjects He is Lord of all Act. 10.36 3. Psal 110.3 He is the only Lord for power and might He is able to subdue all things to himselfe Philip. 3.21 and 1 Tim. 6.15 He is called the only Potentate He made and he can annihilate the world with one word He can kill the soul and throw both body and soul into hell Happy we that earthly Lords though never so tyrannicall cannot do this He can subdue the hearts of men even of his deadliest enemies unto his love and obedience Happy would earthly Monarchs think themselves if they could do thus But he who only made can only mend the heart 4. Hee is the only Lord for majesty and glory All the glory of all the Caesars Emperours Kings who ever were combined in one heap is but a black coal in comparison of the splendor of his glory Mat. 6.29 If Solomon in all his glory was not arraied like the lillies of the field how much lesse was he like the Lord of the world The glory of Agrippa and Bernice was but a great fansie Act. 25.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How easie and often doth Christ stain the pride of the glory of the greatest and even cause shamefull spewing to be upon it The glory of Kings is but a borrowed ray or spark from his Majesty When he shall appear in his glory all the nightly glow-worms of worldly splendor shall be put out and all worldly majesty shall be exstinguish'd Nay the poorest Saint shal appear with him in that glory of which all the splendor of Emperours is not so much as a shadow 5. He is the only Lord in respect of his deportment toward his servants 1. He is the most discerning Lord and Master no earthly Masters are so able to observe the wayes and workes of their servants as he is for the closest and subtilest among them cannot deceive him he spies them in every corner nay every corner of their hearts in them He now in some sort is absent
in They beleeved God too little and man too much by their unbelief making God as man and man as God Gen. 12.7 13.15 15.18 17.7.8 26.4 Deut. 1.8 Exo. 3.17 and 6.8 2. God had afforded many helps and antidotes against the unbeleef of the Israelites God had given promises first to their Fathers and afterwards to these Israelites their posteritie of his bestowing upon them the land of Canaan for an Inheritance His promises like himself were faithfull and true and impossible it is that he who made them should lie These promises were often repeated to their fore-fathers and themselves and the very land of Canaan is called the Land of Promise Heb. 11.9 1 King 8.56 And afterward Solomon professed There hath not failed one word of all Gods good promise which he promised by the hand of Moses All his promises are yea and Amen The promises of giving to Israel the land of Canaan Gen. 22.16 Gen. 26.3 Psal 105.9 1 Chr. 26.26 Gen. 17.10 God had sundry times confirmed by oath the oath God followed with his seal of Circumcision whereby was confirmed the promise of the earthly and heavenly Canaan To all these God had added the abundant examples of those their holy fore-fathers who openly professed their beleeving of the promise that their Seed should inherit Canaan Heb. 11.9 Act. 7.5 Hence Abraham sojourned contentedly in the land of promise where he had not so much room as to set his foot on without borrowing or buying Hence also he purchased a burying place in that land In terra promissâ sibi emit sepulchrum ut spem suam vel mortuus testaretur Rivet Exerc. 119. in Gen. of which though living he had not possession yet dying nay dead he shewed his expectation How holily solicitous was Jacob and Joseph that their bodies after their deaths should be carried out of Egypt into that Canaan where their hopes and hearts had been while they lived To all these Examples God had given them to prevent unbeliefe their own multiplyed and astostonishing Experiences of his former Power and Love Could not he who by the lifting up of the arms of one Moses destroyed an Armie of Amalekites as easily overthrow the Armies of the Canaanites by the hands of six hundred thousand Israelites Could he who commissionated the very lice and flies to plague Egypt and at whose command are all the hosts of heaven and earth want power to deal with the sons of Anak Could not he who made the weak and unsteady waters of the red Sea to stand up like walls as easily make the strongest walls of the Canaanitish Cities to fall down Psal 78.32.42 But they believed not for his wondrous works they remembred not his hand nor the day when he delivered them from the enemie 3. Their unbelief most of all robb'd God of his though not essentiall yet declarative glory It was a bold sin it rifled his Cabinet and took away his chiefest Jewel Isa 42.8 1 Joh. 5.10 Rom. 4.10 even that which he saith he will not give to another 1. It takes away the glorie of his Truth it no more trusting him then if he were a known Lyer and as we say of such a one No further than we see him It endeavours to make God in that condition of some lost man whose credit is quite gone and whose word none will take now to discredit is to dishonour a man Unbeleevers account it impossible that he should speak true for whom to lye it is impossible After all the promises of giving them Canaan though repeated sworn sealed Israel beleeved not God 2. The Israelites by their unbelief obscured the glory of Gods Goodnesse They did not onely labour to make their miserie greater then Gods Mercy but even his very Mercy to appear Tyranny They often complained that he had brought them into the wilderness to slay them Num. 14.3 Psal 106.24 and they despised that pleasant land which God had promised them yea as some note in regard that the land of Canaan was a type of the heavenly Canaan See M. Perkins on the place they beleeved not that God would bring them to heaven and give them inheritance in that eternall Rest by means of the Messiah So that they rejected at once both the blessings of the foot-stool and the throne the earthly and the heavenly Canaan at the same time 3. Their Unbelief did blemish the glory of his Omnipotency Psal 62.11 They proclaiming by this sin that He to whom power belongs and nothing is too hard who can do all things but what argue impotencie as lying and denying himself who made heaven and earth with a word Isa 40.15 and before whom all the nations of the world are as the drop of the bucket and the small dust of the balance could not crush a few worms nor pull down the height of those Gyants whom by his power he upheld 4. Of all sins the Unbelief of the Israelites most crossed their own Professions They voyced themselves to be and gloryed in being the people of God and they proclaimed it both their dutie and priviledg to take God for their God They sometimes appeared to beleeve him but the unbelief of their hearts gave both God and their own tongues the lye they professed that they beleeved the power of God and remembred that God was their Rock Psal 78.34 35 36 37. but at the news from Canaan they shewed that they beleeved that the Anakims and the walled Cities were stronger They professed that they beleeved the Mercy of God and that the most high God was their Redeemer but at the very supposall of danger they thought that they were brought into the wilderness to be slain They professed that they beleeved the Soveraignty of God They returned and enquired after him and promised obedience to him but upon every proof they shewed themselves but rebells So that by reason of their unbeleef and unstedfastnesse of heart in Gods Covenant they did but flatter God with their mouth and lye unto him with their tongues How hainous a sin is it for Gods professed friends do distrust him How shall a stranger take that mans word whom his most familiar friends yea his own children will not beleeve Thine own Nation said Pilate to Christ have delivered thee unto me Thine own people may heathens say to God wil not trust thee and how should wee 5. Of all the sins of the Israelites unbeliefe was that which properly did reject the mercy by God tendred to them Canaan was by him frequently in his promise offered and though all the sins of the Israelites deserved exclusion from Canaan yet they did not as unbeleef by refusing the offer of it reject the entrance into it As the faith of the Ninivites overthrew a prophesie of judgement Psal 78.32 33 so the unbelief of the Israelites overthrew the promises of mercy The brests of the promises were full of the milk of consolation and
power of all he had said and done Mark 6.6 We are carried unto unbelief both by the tide of our own natures and the winde of tentation Our hearts ever since we left God crave and look for relief from sensible objects and having forsaken the true embrace even any opinionative God or good which hath enough to flatter into expectations though nothing to fill or to yeeld satisfaction And so great is our natural pride that we had rather steal than beg rather rob God of glory by resting upon our own crutches then go out of our selves to depend upon another for happinesse The batteries of Satan are principally placed against faith He would not care for taking away our estates names liberties unlesse he hoped hereby to steal away our faith He fans not out the chaffe but bolts out the flour Luke 22.32 Satan saith Christ to Peter hath desired to winnow thee as wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not Satans first siege in Paradise was laid against the faith of threatnings He knows that all our strength like Samsons in his Locks is from laying hold upon another If therefore he can make us let go our hold which is our faith he desires no more Faith is the grace that properly refisteth him and therefore he principally opposeth it unbelief befriendeth Satan and therefore he most promotes it in our hearts Oh that we might most fear and oppose that sin which is most difficultly avoided and most dangerously entertained Of all keepings keep thy heart and of all means principally use this of keeping out unbeleef 4. Nothing more displeaseth God Observ 4. than the forsaking of our own mercies In the true loving of our selves we cannot provoke God He is angry with Israel because they refuse that which might make themselves happy God loves to be giving and is pleased with them who are alwayes taking in his goodnesse Unbeleef obstructs mercy and God opposeth unbeleef He delights in them who hope in his mercy He hath such full brests that he is most pained when we will not draw them by beleeving The great complaint of Christ was that people would not come to him for life He was grieved for the hardnesse of their hearts and incensed against those guests that would not come when they were invited to the feast of his Gospel-dainties He is so abundant a good that he wants nothing or if he doth he wanteth only wants If he be angry with us how should we be displeased with our selves for rejecting mercy It s the proud and unbeleving soul which God only sends empty away They who will buy his benefits must leave their mony behind them How inexcusable are they who perish they starve and dye in the midst of fulnesse But alasse wee are the poorest of beggars not onely without bread but without hunger Oh begge that hee who bestowes grace upon the desires would first give us the grace of Desire 5. Observat 5. Nullum genus insipientiae infidelitate insipientius Bern. de Consid None are such enemies to unbeleevers as themselves nor is any folly so great as Infidelity The business and very design of unbelief and all that it hath to do is to stop mercy and hinder happinesse Every step which an unbeleever takes is a departing from goodnesse it self Heb. 3.12 And no wonder if such an one carry a curse along with him Jer. 17.5 and ver 6. if he be like the heath in the desert and shall not see when good cometh Unbelief is like the unwary hand of him who being without the door puls it too hard after him locks it and locks himself out Faith is the grace of receiving and unbelief the sin of rejecting all spirituall good How vainly doth the unbeliever expect refreshment by going from the fountain or gain by leaving the true treasure Distrustfull sinner who is the looser by thy incredulity and who would gain by thy beleeving but thy self What harm is it to the cool and refreshing fountain that the weary passenger will not drink and what benefit is it to the fountain though he should What loseth the Sun if men will shut their eyes against its light what gains it though they open them What good comes by distrusting God unlesse the gratifying of Satan in the damning of thy self How foolish is that disobedience that will not wash and be cleansed from a worse leprosie then Naaman's that like a man in a swoun shuts the teeth against a life-recalling cordiall that will not open a beggars hand for the receiving of a Jewell more worth then all the world that beleeves the Father of lyes who cannot speak truth unless it be to deceive and will not trust the God of truth nay Truth it self to whose nature lying is infinitely more opposite than to our good O Unbeliever either thou shalt believe before thou dyest or not if not how scalding will be this ingredient among the rest of those hellish tortures which hereafter shal compleat thy pain to consider that offered sincerely offered mercy was despised that the promise of grace and truth daily desired thy acceptance but had nothing from thee but contempt That thou who art now crying eternally and vainly for one drop hadst lately the offers and intreaties of the fountain to satisfie thy self fully and for ever If thou shouldst beleeve before thou diest how great a trouble to thy heart holily ingenuous will it be that thou hadst so long together such unkind thoughts of Mercy it self that thou didst deem Truth it self to be a Lyer How angry wilt thou be with thy self that thou didst so slowly beleeve and so hardly wert brought to be happie 6. Observat 6. Our greatest dangers and troubles are no plea for unbelief Notwithstanding Israel's tentation their unbelief was a provocation A houling wilderness and dismall tidings excused them not from sin in distrusting of God Even he who hides his face from the house of Jacob is to be waited for When we sit in darkness and see no light we should trust in the Lord and stay our selves upon our God Faith goeth not by feeling and seeing but should go against both It must both beleeve what it sees not and contrary to what it sees Psal 119.49 114. Verbum fidei pabulum Not outward props but the stability of the word of promise should be the stay of our Faith a stud that ever stands though heaven and earth should fail In thy word saith David I do and thou hast caused me to hope The greatness of danger must not lessen Faith Dangers are the element of Faith among them faith lives best because among them it findes most promises When the world is most against us then the word is most for us Faith hath best food in famine and the fullest table in a time of scarcity The very earth which we tread on should teach us this so massy a body hangeth in the midst of the aire and
accept of the services of worms That he the beholding of whose face is the heaven of those blessed spirits and who hath their beuties constantly before him to look upon and the sweetnesse of the exactly skilfull and melodious musick of a consort a chore of angels to delight him that this God should accept of the chatterings of cranes the blacknesse of Ethiopians the stammerings the lispings of infants the jarrings of our poor broken instruments the bungling services of which even poor we our selves are ashamed What a word of condescension is that of Cant. 2.14 Let me see thy countenance let me hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely and Joh. 4.23 The father seeketh such to worship him Lord thou dost not seek thus because thou wantest servants but because we want work not because thou art defective in attendants but abundant in grace and rewards and delighted with that of thy selfe which thou seest whereever thou findest it 2. How highly advanced is he who is God and man Observat 2. The excellency of angels speaks the greater excellency of him who is above all principalities and power Eph. 1.21 Phil. 2.9 and might and dominion who hath a name above every name Heb. 1.4 6.1 Pet. 3.23 who is made better than the angels whom all the angels are to worship and unto whom angels and authorities Mat. 4.11 and powers are made subject When Christ was upon earth the angels were his ministers angels proclaimed his entrance into the world Yea not only at his incarnation but tentations resurrection ascension angels attend him serve him woship him Our King hath not a guard of men as the great princes of the earth but a guard of princes and not of princes only but even of principalities and powers Christ is the Lord of the holy angels Exod. 25.20 The eyes of the Cherubims are fix'd upon the Mercy-seat the angels look upon Christ as their Master expecting his commands The vail of the tabernacle which covered the most holy Exod. 26.31 expresly signifying the flesh of Christ which hiding his divinity made way for us to heaven was made of broydered work with Cherubims there being hereby noted unto us the service which the angels give to Christ as man They are called Mat. 16.27 the angels of the Son of man Christ tooke not upon him the nature of angels and yet they undertake the service of Christ Blush O man that angels should obey him and that thou shouldst rebell against him Oh since he is come to his own let them receive him Let not Christ suffer for his condescension If submission to Christ be the grace of angels contempt of Christ is the sin of divels Oh kiss the Son subject your selves to him and so stoop to your own blessednesse And take heed of disgraceing that nature by sin and of making it lower than divels which Christ hath advanced above Angels 3. Observat 3. Psal 8.3 How much below angels is poor mortall man When David saw the Moon and Stars he had selfe-debasing thoughts how much more should wee when we contemplate angelicall excellency Angelus si cum anima rationali comparetur dici potest anima perfecta quemadmodum a nima dici potest angelus imperfectus Angelus est integr a perfectáque substantia spiritualis anima human a dimidiata imperfecta quia est forma corporis ac pars hominis Angelus est totus spiritus homo partim spiritus partim caro vel partim Angelus partim bestia Bell. de ascensione grad nov Even the best part of man his soul is lower then angels An angell is a perfect soul and a soul but an imperfect angel for the angel is an intire perfect spirituall substance but the soul is a spirit but imperfectly and by halfs because it is the form of the earthly body and hereby a part of a man An angel is all spirit man part spirit and part flesh partly like an angel and partly like a beast an angel is all gold a man partly gold partly clay How childish yea brutish and dull is our understanding in comparison of that of angels What great pains doth man take for a little knowledge how is he beholding for it to his senses and discouse from the effects to their causes and after all industry how doubtfull superficial and staggering is he in his apprehensions but angels behold things with one view at once discern things both effects and causes and pierce into the substance as well as the accidents of things As much difference between the knowledg of men and of angels as there is between the sight of an Owl and an Eagle an illumin'd Doctor and a sucking child How weak and impotent are the operations of the soul of man in comparison of those of an angel the soul by the command of its will can only move its own body and that too how slowly how creepingly and with what a dull progressivenesse upon the dunghill of this earth nor can it bear up this upon the water in the aire and carry it whithersoever it will whereas these spirits with their alone force can carry vast and heavy bodies upward and whither they please One angel wants no weapons nay no hands to destroy a whole army How far below the angels are we in habitation The poorest pigeon-hole is not so much inferior to the ivory palaces of Solomon or the blackest under-ground dungeon to the most magnificent mansions of a king as is mans habitation to that of the angels How glorious is that court which is adorned with the presence of the King of glory and how blessed those attendants which ever behold his face therein Poor man hath no better lodging for his noble heaven-born soul than a cottage of clay and that too so frail and crazy as were it not once or twice every day daub'd over it would fall about his ears and whethersoever he goes he is forced to carry to drag this clog this clay this chaine with him whereas angels free from the shackels of flesh can move from heaven to earth from earth to heaven even as swiftly as can our very thoughs Poor man wilt thou yet be proud Oh that we were as low in heart as in condition How uncomely a garment is pride for those who imbrace the dunghill when the glorious angels are clothed with humility But alas as the height of heaven cannot make an angel proud so neither can the lownesse of earth no not of hell make sinners humble Oh that we might only have high thoughts of that condition Luk. 20.36 wherein we shall be equall to the angels Lord though I beg that I may be more thankfull for the metcies which I enjoy than dejected for the troubles which I endure in this life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet grant till I come to be like the angels in the full enjoyment of thy selfe that about the sweetest of
nemo videbit in judicio quia filius hominis est ut possit ab impiis videri August lib. 1. de trin cap. 13. Talis apparebit judex qualis possit videri ab iis quos coronaturus ab iis quos damnaturus est Prosp The Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgement to the Son he hath given him authority to execute judgment Joh. 5.22.27 And all power is given him in heaven and in earth 3. By his former estate of humiliation As he emptyed and humbled himself according to his humane nature so in that hee is to be exalted He humbled himselfe and became obedient to death c wherefore God hath highly exalted him Phil. 2.9 And as Christ in his humane nature was unjustly judged so in that nature shall he justly judge Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many and he shall appear the second time without sin Heb. 9.28 4. By reason of the necessity of the visibility of the Judge and judiciall proceedings at the last day He executes judgement because he is the Son of man Joh 5.27 and every eye shall see him The Judge is to be beheld and heard by the Judged God will judge the world by that man c. In respect of the judiciall process a man must be our Judge for God is invisible and the Judge shall so appear as to be seen both of those whom he shall crown and of those whom he shall condemn Nor can it be but that God will be the more justified and men without all excuse having one who is bone of their bone and flesh of their flesh to be judge between God and them Notwithstanding all which immediate audible visible administration of the last judgement by the second Person this judgement belongs to the other Persons in Trinity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in respect of Authority Dominion and judiciary power though to the Son only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in respect of dispensation and office and externall exercise 2. For the second viz. Wherein the Judge makes the day of Judgement great 1. He makes it a great day 1. As he is considered in himselfe 2. As he is attended and accompanied by others 1. As we consider him in himselfe and that either 1. as God or 2. man 1. As God He who shall be the Judge is the mighty God It is Jehovah to whom every knee shall 〈◊〉 Isai 45. Hence the Apostle cals the appearance of this Judg who is God glorious in those words Tit. 2.13 The glorious appearing of the great God If the great God be Judge the day of Judgement must needs be a great day How great is the day of an earthly Judges appearance a man a worme dust and ashes one who though hee can give yet cannot avoid the sentence of death and one who hath scarce a faint reflection of that majesty with which this King of glory is adorned think then and yet thoughts can never reach it what it is for God before whom the whole world though full of Judges is as nothing and less then nothing and vanity to come to judge the word God is a judge Omnipotent and therefore one whose voice as the living who are distanced so many thousands of miles shall hear and obey so even the dead shall hear being quickned and shall at his beck come and stand before his judgment seat He shall come with great power 2 Thes 7.9 and the wicked shall be punish'd with everlasting destruction from the glory of his power Nor shall he use the ministry of Angels for necessity but Majesty God is an omniscient Judg infinitely onely wise his eyes are clearer then ten thousand suns one who will in the day wherein the brightnesse of his omniscience shall shine in its full lustre bring every hidden work to light and tell to all as the woman of Samaria said all that ever they did one who doth not as earthly Judges onely know what to ask but what every one will answer who wants no witnesses nor needs he that any should testifie of man for he knows what is in man God is a true and a just Judge The Apostle 2 Tim 4.8 cals him The Lord the righteous Judge hee will render to every one according to his works The Apostle proves the righteousnesse of God from his judging the world Rom. 3.6 and Abrahams question asserts it strongly Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right Other Judges may do righteously but God cannot do otherwise The wils of other Judges must be regulated by righteousnesse but so righteous is God that righteousnesse it selfe is regulated by his will which is the root and rule of all righteousnesse 2. This Judge shall make the day great as he is Man greatly amazing and dismaying must his appearance as Judge in mans nature needs be to sinners who have denyed him persecuted crucifyed and put him to an open shame all whose designes have been to crush and keep him under With what horror shall the Jews then see their delusion who would not heretofore beleive him to be the Messiah Needs must they and others who would not have this man to reign over them to whom he was a stumbling stone when low and small contemptible in his former discoveries upon earth now find and feel him a rock to fall upon them from heaven and crush them to powder Greatly comforting and refreshing must the appearance of this man be to beleevers who shall not onely behold him to be the great Judge of the whole world who hath taken upon him their nature but who hath also given to them his spirit whereby through faith they are mystically united unto him as their head their husband and upon whom they have fixed all their hopes and expectations of happinesse for and with whom they have so long suffered from the world whom they look upon as their treasure their portion and for whose coming they have so long'd and sigh'd and groan'd In a word How greatly glorious shall his appearance in our nature be both to good and bad when in it he shall be deck'd and adorn'd with Majesty and clothed with unspeakeable glory above all the Angels he being to come in the glory of his father Mat. 16.27 with power and great glory Mat. 24.30 The glory of a thousand Suns made into one will be but as sack cloth to that wherein Christ shall appear in mans nature that great day The glory of the Sun scatters the clouds but from the glory of Christs face the very earth and heaven shall flie away Rev. 20.11 The beames of his glory shall dazzel the eyes of sinners and delight the eyes of Saints The wicked shall be punish'd with everlasting destruction from his presence and the glory of his power 2 Thes 1.9 and when his glory shall he revealed the Saints shall be glad with exceeding joy 1 Pet. 4.13 2. The Judge shall make this day of judgement great considering him not
run away from his Master When our enemies do us greatest hurt they remove us above hurt A servant of Christ may be sick persecuted scorned imprisoned but never unsafe He may lose his head but not one hair of his head perish 4. That he will provide for us He can live without servants but these cannot live without a Master Verily his Family-servants shall be fed The servants of Christ shall want no good thing If they be without some things there 's nothing they can want they shall have better and enough of better Can he that hath a mine of gold want pibbles can it be that a servant of Christ should want provision when as God can make his very work meat and drink to him nay when God can make his wants meat and drink how can he want or be truly without any thing whose friend hath and is all And no good thing shall they want nothing that may fit them for and further them in duty 'T is true they may be without clogs snares hinderances but these things are not good that hinder from the chief Good should God give them he would feed his servants with husks nay with poyson 5. That he will reward them The Lord gives grace and glory Mat. 5.12 Great is their reward in heaven nay great is their reward on earth There 's a reward in the very work but God will bestow a further recompence hereafter We should not serve him for but he will not be served without wages even such as will weigh down all our work all our woes Oh the folly of them that either prefer the cruel and dishonourable service of sin before the sweet and glorious service of Christ or that being servants to Christ improve it not for their comfort in all their distresses 4. Obs 4. I inferr We owe to God the duty and demeanour of servants 1. To serve him solely Matt. 6.24 not serving sin Gal. 1.10 Tit. 3.3 Rom. 6.12 13. Satan at all not man in opposition to Christ not serving our selves the times Who keep servants to serve others enemies Christ and Sin are contrary Masters contrary in work and therfore it s an impossibility to serve both contrary in wages and therfore it s an infinite folly to serve Sin 2. Christ must be served obediently submissively 1 in bearing when he correcteth A beaten servant must not strike again nor word it with his Master we must accept of the punishment of our iniquities 't is chaff that slyes in the face of him that fanneth 2 We must be submissive servants in being content with our allowance in forbearing to enjoy what we would as well as bearing what we would not the proper work of a servant is to wait stay thy Masters pleasure for any comfort All his Servants shall have what they want and therfore should be content with what they have The standing wages are certain and set the vails are uncertain 3 Submissive in not doing what we please not going beyond our rule our order Ministers are his servants and therfore must not make Laws in his house either for themselves or others but keep laws not of themselves lay down what they publish but publish what he hath laid down Ministers are not owners of the house but Stewards in the house Laws are committed to us and must not be excogitated by us No servant must do what is right in his own eyes Deut. 12.8 4 Submissive in doing whatever the Master pleaseth not picking out this work Ps 119.6 128. and rejecting that nothing must come amisse to a servant We must not examine what the service is that is commanded but who the Master is that commands 1 Tim. 5.21 We must not preferre one thing before another a service that most crosseth our inclinations opposeth our ease and interest A servant must come at every call and say Lord I hear every command Acts 10.33 5 We must serve Christ obediently in doing what is commanded because it is commanded this is to serve for conscience sake If the eye be not to the command the servant acts not with obedience though the thing be done which is commanded nay it s possible a work for the matter agreeable to the command may yet be an act of disobedience in respect of the intent of the performer Oh how sweet is it to eye a precept in every performance to pray hear preach give because Christ bids me Many do these works for the wages this is not to be obedient they sell their services not submit in service 3. Christ must be served heartily Ephes 6.6 Col. 3.23 Rom. 1.9 We must not be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eye-servants we must do the will of God from the heart Paul speaks of serving God in the spirit There are many complement all servants of Christ in the world who place their service in saying Thy servant thy servant Lord lip-servants but not life heart-servants such as the Apostle Gal. 6.12 speaks of that do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make a shew only but the heart of a service is wanting the heart makes the service sacrificium medullatum 't is the marrow of a performance Bodily service is but like the fire in the bush that appeared to burn but did not or like the Glow-worm in the night that shineth but heateth not these do but act service but are no servants servants onely in profession To these who would not profess Christ seriously Christ will hereafter profess seriously Mat. 7.23 I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity 4. Christ must be served cheerfully He Psal 40.8 Joh. 4.34 2 Cor. 9.7 as he was his Fathers servant delighted to do his will It was his meat and his drink God loveth a cheerfull servant in every piece of sorvice This makes the service pleasing to Master and servant too acceptable to the former easie to the later Nothing is hard to a willing minde willingness is the oyl to the wheel A servant cheerfull at his work is as free as his Master Si non possint à Dominis liberi sieri suam servitutem ipsi quodammodo li beram faciunt Aug. de C.D. l. 19. c. 15. Rom. 12.11 If his Master make him not free he makes himself free The preaching of the Gospel must be performed willingly 1 Cor. 9.17 Love to souls should make us cheerfull in that service not mourning at our own pains but at peoples unprofitableness not that we do so much but that they get no more 5 Christ must be served diligently These two fervent in spirit and serving the Lord are most properly joyned together Hence it 's most necessary that what-ever we do Eccl. 9.10 Gen. 24.33 should be done with all the might Abrahams servant was diligent when he went to procure a wife for Isaac he would not eat bread till he had done his errand when 't was done he stay'd not upon complements They whose service is in
looking toward heaven is alway gone out to weep no there 's nothing destroy'd by sanctification but that which would destroy us we may eat still but not be gluttons drink but not be drunken use recreation but not be voluptuous trade but not deceive In a word be men but holy men 3. The people of God even in this life are Saints Obs 3. perfectly indeed hereafter but inchoatively here A childe hath the nature though not the stature of a man A Christian hath here as truly grace though not so fully as in heaven Grace is glory in the bud this life is the infant-age of glory Aetas infantalis gloriae Ye are sanctified 1 Cor. 6. They who look upon sanctity as an accmplishment only for heaven are never like to get thither It s common to hear a reproved sinner give this answer I am no Saint Were this an accusation and not an excuse for his unholinesse it might be admitted but he is no Saint nor desires to be one holinesse and holy ones are his scorn These in this condition shall never see God heaven must be in us before we be in heaven Rev. 21.8 Rev. 22.15 Depart from me will be the doom of them that work iniquity Dogs shall be without Ye who here cannot be merry without scoffing at purity hereafter shall mourn for your want of purity ye who account purity and sanctification inconsistent with nobleness breeding generosity will see that these were nothing without purity That which is the beauty of heaven the glory of angels is it an ignominy upon earth the shame of worms You are not too good for holinesse but holiness for you I confess it s a great sin and shame and should be a sorrow that there are so many counterfeit unsanctified saints who have made sanctity so hatefull but yet for thee by these to be scandalized at sanctity is thine as well as their wo. Let the Popes Kalendar only saint the dead the Scripture requireth sanctity in the living 4. Obs 4. Holinesse cannot lie hid Holy life is holily active if a living man hold his breath long its death to him Saul was no sooner converted but he prayes he breathes A regenerated person speaks to God as soon as he is born If God be dishonoured he speaks for God he cannot learn the wisdom of our times to dissemble his Religion to be still when God is struck at he must shew whose image and superscription he bears wicked men proclaim their sin as Sodom and he proclaims his grace and yet not that he may be seen but that he may be serviceable The Spirit of God is fire winde a river it will bear away any opposition rather then be kept in the world thinks a saint is mad of suffering when he appears for God they are mistaken he is not desirous of it but fearless of it when God requires he is neither profuse when he should spare nor penurious when he should spend himself for God 5. I note The great change that is wrought upon a person when God comes with sanctifying grace Obs 5. There 's no difference in the world greater then between a man and his former self the world and men of it need not take it ill that a Saint differs so much from them he differs as much from himself a sanctified person is utterly opposite to all hee was and did before the stream is turn'd hee sees now he was blind before he loves that which formerly he loathed he loathes that which formerly he loved he unlives his former life he picks it out as it were stitch by stitch The wicked 1 Pet. 4.4 are said to think the course of sanctified persons strange 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word is they are like men in a strange Country that see strange sights which before they were altogether unacquainted with Oh the power of grace a Lion is now a Lamb a Goat is now a Sheep a Raven is now a Dove and which is more a Sinner is now a Saint he that before rush'd into sin now trembles at it he that before persecuted holiness now preacheth it They in the Gospel hardly knew the man that had sight restored to him but said he was like the blinde man John 9. Did the alone recovery of sight make such a difference in him from what he was formerly what a difference is wrought then by grace which makes not onely a new eye but a new tongue ear hand heart life 6. Obs 6. The holinesse of a sanctified person is not purely negative It stands not altogether in labouring not to sin It s not enough for the tree that escapeth the ax not to bring forth bad unless it also bring forth good fruit nor is it sufficient for the sanctified soul to put off filthy unless it put on beautifull garments The old man must be put off and the new put on we are not content with half happinesse why should we be with half holinesse The holiness of the most is not to be as bad as the worst few labour to be as good as the best Men love to be compleat in every thing but that which deserves exactnesse We must not cut off the garment of holiness at the midst Our eternall happiness shall not onely stand in being out of hell but in being in the fruition of heaven we must not mete to God one measure and expect from him another 7. Obs 7. Sanctification admits no coalition agreement between the new and the old man This later is abolish'd as the former is introduced Col. 3.10 The new man is not put upon the old Eph. 4.24 as somtime new garments are put upon old but in the room of them In sanctification there 's no sewing of a new peece to an old garment which alway doth but make the rent the wider It s one thing for sin to be another thing to be allowed one thing for sin to be in us another thing for us to be in sin Sin is a Saints burden a thorn in his eye not a crown on his head it s his daily task to weaken and impair it if he cannot fully conquer yet he faithfully contends Sin and holiness are like a pair of balances when the one goeth up the other must needs go down Christ knows no co-partners in Government he will not drink of a fountain where Satan puts his feet Nescit de turbato fonte amicus bibere Bern. his Church is a Garden enclosed open only to heaven shut on every side The faithfull have a broken not a divided heart 8. Obs 8. As a sanctified person allows no mixtures with grace so he puts no limits to grace he desires that the grace he hath should be perfect as well as pure and as he loves that no part of him should be defiled so that none should be destitute he is sanctified throughout he perfects holinesse in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7.1 A
God the Father Secondly the Observations follow 1. Even our holinesse administers matter of humility Obs 1. Our very graces should humble us as well as our sins as these later because they are ours so the former because they are none of ours Sanctity is adventitious to Nature Heretofore holinesse was naturall and sin was accidentall now sin is naturall and holinesse accidentall when God made any of us his garden he took us out of Satans waste ws are not born Saints the best before sanctification are bad and by nature not differing from the worst the members that God accepts to be weapons of righteousnesse were before blunted in Satans service when God sanctifieth us he melteth idols and makes of them vessels for his own use Before any becomes as an Israelites wife he is as a captive unpared unwash'd unshaven Sanctification is a great blessing but was this web woven out of thine own bowels the best thou didst bring to thine own sanctification was a passive receptivenesse of it which the very worst of heathens partake of in common with thee having a humane nature a rationall soul and was there not with that a corrupt principle of opposition to God and all the workings of God was not God long striving with a cross-grain'd heart how many denyals had God before he did win thee to himself How far was the iron gate of thy heart from opening of its own accord and if he had not wrought like a God omnipotently and with the same power wherewith Christ was raised Eph. 1.19 20. had thy resistence been ever subdued and when the being of grace was bestowed from whence had thy grace at any time its acting Didst thou ever write one letter without Gods guiding thy hand didst thou ever shed one penitentiall tear till God unstop'd thy spouts smote thy rock and melted thy heart didst thou hunger after Christ till God who gave the food gave the stomack also Was ever tentation resisted grace quickned corruption mortified holy resolution strengthened power either to do or will received from any but from God Doth not every grace the whole frame of sanctification depend upon God as the stream on the fountain the beam on the Sun when he withdraws his influence how dead is thy heart in every holy performance onely when he speaks the word effectually bidding thee go thou goest and do this or that thou dost it 2. Obs 2. The reason why all graces of a sanctified person are for God they are from him Gods bounty is their fountain and Gods glory must be their center He planted the Vineyard and therefore he must drink the wine We are his wormanship and therefore we must be his workmen All our pleasant fruits must be laid up and out for our well-beloved All things but particularly our graces are from him and for him we can never give him more or other then his own when we give all we can The streames will rise as high as the fountain head and so should our graces ascend as high in duty as he who gave them Where should God have service if a sanctified person denyes it 3. Obs 3. From this Author of Sanctification I note t s excellency and worth It s a rare work certainly that hath such a workman a beauteous structure that hath such a builder What is a man to be desired for but his sanctification if we see a beauty on that body which hath a soul how much more on that soul that hath the reflexion of God himself upon it Every Saint is a woodden casket fill'd with pearls The Kings daughter is all glorius within Love Jesus Christ in his worky-day clothes admire him in his Saints though they be black yet they are comely Did the people of God but contemplate one anothers graces could there be that reproaching scorn and contempt cast upon one another that there is Certainly their ignorance of their true excellency makes them enemies they strike one another in the dark 4. Obs 4. Great must be the love that God bears to Sanctification It s a work of his own framing a gift of his own bestowing God saw that the work of the first creation was very good much more that of the second Wonder no more that the faithfull are call'd his garden his Jewels his Treasure his Temple his Portion God hath two heavens and the sanctified soul is the lesser How doth he accept of Saints even in their imperfections delight in their performances pity them in their troubles take care of them in dangers He that hath given his Son for them promised heaven to them and sent his Spirit into them what can he deny them Jesus Christ never admired any thing but grace when he was upon the earth the buildings of the Temple he contemned in comparison of the faith of a poor trembling woman Certainly the people of God should not sleight those graces in themselves that God doth so value as they do when they acknowledge not the holinesse that God hath bestowed upon them Shall they make orts of those delicates that Jesus Christ accounts an excellent banquet 5. The love of God is expressive Obs 5. really and effectually in us and upon us even in sanctifying us Creatures when they love will not put off one another with bare words of bidding be clothed sed c. much lesse doth God If there be love in his heart there will be bounty in his hand Thou sayst that God is mercifull and loves thee why what did he ever do for thee work in thee hath he changed thy nature mortified thy lusts beautified thy heart with holinesse Where God loves be affords love-tokens and such are onely his soul-enriching graces No man knows love or hatred by what he sees before him but by what he findes in him If our heart moves toward God certainly his goeth out toward us the shadow upon the Dyall moves according to the motion of the Sun in the Heaven 6. Obs 6. We are to repair in our wants of Sanctification to God for supply He is the God of grace The Lord will give grace and glory He hath the key of the womb the grave the heavens but chiefly of the heart He that sitteth in heaven can onely teach and touch the heart How feeble a thing and unable is man whether thy self or the Minister to do this He hath the windes in his own keeping and till he send them out of his treasury how necessarily must thy soul lye wind-bound Whither shouldst thou goe but to him and how canst thou go but by him The means of grace are to be used in obedience to him Parum prodest Lectio quam non illuminat Oratio not in dependancy upon them A golden key cannot open without him and a woodden can open with him Man may with the Prophets servant lay the staff upon the fore-head but God must give life How many fat and rich Ordinances have been
lose it shall lose it when he would save it Fear not troubles because he sleeps not that preserves thee but fear sin because he sleeps not that observes thee Account it a greater mercy in all the sinfull agitations of these times that God hath kept thee from being an actor then a misery that God hath made thee a sufferer 3. Obs 3. Psal 37. Psal 91. The people of God are never unsafe If the Lord be the Watchman what though it be an estate a life nay a soul that is the City we should not fear the losse of it The meanest of the people of God stir not out without their life-guard Agnoscit se justè dedisse stultae securitatis poenam est etiam filiis Dei pia securitas Calv. inloc Psal 30.6 1 Pet. 4.19 1 Pet. 2.23 if they wanted there 's not a creature in heaven or earth but would take their part they are the hidden the secret the preserved ones Security is not so great a sin as distrust our Friend being much more able to help then our Foes to hurt What one said sinfully every child of God may say holily I shall never be moved We must commit our selves to God in wel-doing Christ though he committed himself not to man knowing what was in man yet himself living and dying he committed to his Father we do quite contrary Finde out the danger in which God cannot or the time when God did not or the Saint for to him I speak that God hath not kept and then distrust him Say not If worse times yet come what shall I do to be kept Will not he that provided a City of refuge for those that kil'd men finde out a City of refuge for thee when men labour to kil thee for God Hath God so many chambers so many mansions in his house John 14.2 so many hiding places upon the earth his with the fulnesse of it in the earth in heaven and shall his children be shut out Thy work is not to be solicitous how to be kept but how to be fit to be kept labour to be alway in wel-doing then who will harm thee Keep faith and a good conscience keep never a sin allowedly in thy soul do thy part and let God alone with his but this is our busie sinfulnesse we will needs be doing of Gods work and neglect our own 4. Obs 4. A strong engagement lies upon Gods people to endeavour the preservation of Gods honour 'T is true in this case Protection draws allegeance If he be a wall of fire to us our souls and bodies let not us be a rotten hedge when we should defend his Name Servants Ordinances if he be a tower let not us be a tottering wall Let us labour to say Lord he that toucheth thine honour toucheth the apple of mine eye If we look that God should keep us in our we must maintain his cause in its danger 5. Obs 5. The gain-sayers of perseverance are deceived Their doctrine most cleerly as hath been proved opposeth Scripture and most incurably wounds a Christians comfort What joy can we have that our names are written in the book of life if again they may be blotted out The life of our mortall life is the hope of an immortall but how unsteddy a foundation of hope is the stedfastness of our wils nay thus faiths foundation is overturn'd 't is this He that beleeves shall be saved but this opinion saith Some that beleeve shall not be saved for it maintains that some who truly beleeve do not persevere and those which do not persevere shall not be saved it makes the decree of God to depend upon mans most uncertain will Arminians say that beleevers shall persevere if they be not wanting to themselves if they alwayes will persevere But what is this but to say Beleevers shall persevere if they persevere for alwayes to will to persevere and to persevere are all one It s a prodigious errour to hold that God works nothing in us for perseverance the effectuall use whereof depends not upon mans free-will God gives saith an Arminian to persevere if we will but God gives say We †Nobis qui verè Christo insiti sumus talis data est gratia ut non solùm possimus si velimus sed etiam ut velimus in Christo perseverare Aug. de Cor. gra c. 11. 12. Non solùm ut sine isto dono perseverantes esse non possint verum etiam ut per hoc donum non nisi perseverantes sint to will to persevere And how can we pray to God for perseverance the condition wherof depends upon mans will and not upon Gods working Christ promiseth Joh. 14.16 to pray the Father to give his disciples his Spirit which shall abide with them for ever now the cause of the abiding of the Spirit for ever with them is not their will to have the Spirit abide in them but the abiding of the Spirit was the cause of their willingnesse I conclude According to this Arminian errour of falling from grace its possibe that there may not be one elect person for if one finally fall away why may not another and by the same reason why not all and then where 's the Church and to what end is the death of Christ Lastly He that will approve himself a true Obs 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Roh l. 2. c. 21. must shew himself a stedfast Christian All the sanctified are preserved Instability is an argument of insincerity He was never a true friend that ever ceaseth to be a friend What hath levity to do with eternity an inconstant Christian with an eternall reward Not he that cometh first in this race of Christianity is crowned but he that holdeth out to the last All that which is done of any thing is held as nothing as long as any thing remaineth to be done If any one draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him Heb. 10.38 A thatch'd roof sutes not a precious foundation nor a wicked conclusion beautifull beginnings of Christianity Within a while all possibilities of falling will be removed one stile or two more and thou art haply at thy fathers house Difficilius saepiùs inchoare quà m semel perseverare the longer thou continuest the sweeter will be the wayes of God It s harder often to begin then once to persevere Take heed of falling from thy stedfastnesse God preserves us but we our selves must not be negligent Get a sound expecience of the truth thou professest tasting the sweetnesse as well as hearing of its sweetnesse Follow not Religion as some hounds do the game onely for company Love the truth for single not sinister respects Let Christ be sweet for himself Tremble at the very beginnings of sin look upon no sin as light keep a tender conscience as our apparel so our consciences when spotted become neglected Apostacy hath modest beginnings the thickest ice that
Aug. ser 16. de verb. Ap. that we are called not according to works we are not called because of our good works but because we are called therfore are our works good When Abraham was call'd he worship'd other Gods Josh 24.2 Paul was called when he breathed out threatnings and slaughter against the Church Act. 9.1 Gal. 1.13 Rich Zacheus when an extortioner nothing better by nature then the rich glutton in hell God calls those to his kingdom that are with Saul seeking of asses and running after worldly trifles Such were some of you saith Paul fornicators idolaters c. but yee are washed yee are sanctified c. 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11. Elijah and Elisha walk'd together before the fiery chariot separated them then one was taken up into heaven and the other left upon the earth so till effectuall vocation makes the difference there 's no differrence 'twixt persons but they all run to the same excesse of riot 2. Persons effectually called considered in respect of God are they and onely they who are elected this eternall decree and purpose of God being the foundation of election Whom he hath predestinated them also hath he called Rom. 8.30 And As many as were ordained to eternal life beleeved Acts 13.48 and God hath called us with an holy calling not according to works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the foundation of the world 2 Tim. 1.9 This purpose of God made the difference 'twixt Esau and Jacob Moses and Balaam David and Saul Jude and Judas 3. The third couple or pair of parallels 'twixt mans calling man and Gods calling man is the Voice of the Caller and the Answer of the Called 1. The Voyce the Lord makes use of is the Ministry of his word it being the ordinary means appointed by God as the Spirit accompanyeth it for this purpose in the preaching whereof the Law of God first convinceth of the sinfull distance we are in from God Rom. 7. manifesteth our misery by reason of sin and so tames a wild sinner that now he will stand still while God speaks to him although of late he was like the wilde Asse Jer. 2.24 snuffing up the winde the terrible convictions and consternations of the Law are not to commend us to God but God to us not deserving grace but preparing for it though that preparation be also from God nor are they alike in every one God comes to some as on mount Sina in thunder and lightning to others more stilly and sweetly yet to all in a way of conviction of sin and losse in themselves Joh. 16.8 remaining in this condition of distance from God To old sinners who have long liv'd in sin God makes conversion more painful as they say the pains of child-bearing are to women who are more then ordinary in yeers and they who have been famous for pleasure in sin are commonly made famous by their greater apprehensions of wrath for sins men of deep insight and perspicuity see sin more in its colours then those of duller capacity Those whom God intends most to comfort afterwards he often deals most sharply with at first as the ball which riseth highest is thrown against the ground hardest or as Land-lords that take a great fine of those from whom they are to receive but little rent How-ever the terrifyings of the Law are not intended to kill John 15.3 2 Thes 2.14 Rom. 1.16 John 1.13 and 3.6 1 Pet. 1.23 2 Pet. 1.4 but to prepare for curing him whom God is calling the wounds made by the Law but making way for the oyl of the Gospel the blood of Jesus Christ This Gospel inviting the poor soul to Jesus Christ is as it is actuated and used by the Spirit the power of God an efficacious organ a spirituall channel for the conveying grace into the soul it is the seed cast into the womb of the soul and blessed by the forming power of the Spirit for the begetting of grace in it imprinting the image of Chrst and bestowing the divine Nature upon it we being his workmanship by this through him efficacious instrument the Gospel 2. The Answering to the call stands in the effectualness and prevalency thereof in making the called obedient to the Caller's voice when the heart is so prevailed with that it s made what it 's invited to be Rom. 4.17 inabled to do what 't is exhorted to when the law is written in the heart which is cast into divine Doctrine Rom. 6.17 2 Cor. 3.18 as into a mould and comes forth bearing the stamp and figure of it when beholding the glory of the Lord in the glasse of the Gospel we are changed into the same image from glory to glory when the heart ecchoeth to that voice Psal 27.8 Seek my face thus Thy face Lord will I seek when the Gospel comes not onely in word 1 Thes 1.4 5. Psal 40.7 Acts 16.14 Ezck. 11.19 Jer. 31.33 and 32.39 Deut. 30.6 John 5.28 but in power and the holy Ghost and much assurance when the ear is bored the heart opened the heart of stone the uncircumcised heart taken away and the heart of flesh the circumcised heart is bestowed In a word God speaks to the dead heart which is made to hear his voyce and live being now inclined to embrace that will of God to which it was refractory against which it rebelled formerly being now made soft plyable receptive yeelding bowed and obedient This for the explication of the third Priviledge belonging to the faithfull viz. Calling The Observations follow * 1. They are mistaken who teach Obs 1. Joh. Arnold cont Til. pag. 397. That the reason of Gods calling of some rather than others by his Gospel is in regard of the greater worthiness of some to partake of it than of others We are all in a state of greatest distance from the Caller and opposition to his Call What worth above others was in the Corinthians when the Gospel came first to them The Apostle tels them 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11. Such were some of you namely fornicators idolaters adulterers effeminate abusers of themselves with mankinde theeves covetous drunkards c. Commonly 't is the darkest time of ignorance and profaneness in places immediately before the dawning of the Gospel God washing us when we are in our blood most polluted perswading to reconciliation in greatest enmity calling in most open distance 2 Tim. 1.9 Rom. 9.18 Mat. 11.26 Rom. 5.6 10. Ex duobus aetate jam grandibus impiis Cur iste ita vocetur ut vocantem sequatur Ille autem non ita vocetur ut vocantem sequatur nolito judicare si non vis errare Inscrutabilia sunt judicia Dei Cujus vult miseretur Aug. de bon pers cap. 8. our calling is not according to works but according to purpose so resolved by Christ even so Father because it seemed good to thee Else why God calleth one
This is the mercy of that day crowning mercy 3. For the properties of Gods mercy 1. It s full 2. It s free 1. It s a full and unmeasurable mercy the unmeasurablenesse whereof is set forth 1. More generally when God is said to be plenteous in mercy Psal 86.5 1 Pet. 1.3 Ephes 2.4 Psal 108.4 Psal 51.1 Neh. 9.19 Psal 103.11 2 Cor. 1.3 Psal 145.9 Psal 33.5 Matt. 5.15 abundant rich in mercy his mercy great above the heavens his mercies unsearchable high as the heaven is from the earth multitudes of tender mercies 2. More particularly the unmeasurableness of his mercy is set forth 1. In that there is no creature in heaven or earth but tasteth of it His mercies are over all his works the very dumb creatures speak him mercifull The whole earth is full of his goodnesse he preserveth man and beast nay his enemies 2. In that resemblances to set forth his mercy are taken from the most tender-hearted creatures Hos 11.4 he drawes with the cords of a man He pitieth as a father nay more then the most tender-hearted mother doth her sucking-childe he gathereth people as a hen doth her chickens He hath bowels of mercy Isa 49.15 Jer. 31.20 Luke 1.78 and such as sound and therefore his mercy pleaseth him he delights to shew mercy he forgets not his mercy 3. He is the fountain of the mercy and mercifulnesse in all the creatures in the world toward one another the mercies of all parents to their children of every mother to her little ones of every Christian of every tender-hearted person of every beast and foul to their young ones are but drops that come from the sea of Gods mercy he is the Father of mercies 2 Cor. 1.3 4. He can deliver from every misery Bread takes away hunger drink thirst clothes nakedness knowledge ignorance but no creature can take away every misery Phil. 4.19 2 Cor. 1.3 Psal 23.1 Psal 34.10 wheras God is the God of all comfort he supplyes all our wants comforts in every trouble he hath a plaister for every sore is a Physician for every disease inward and outward and so merciful is he that in the very not removing of miseries he is mercifull Were it not for trouble how should corruption be kill'd holinesse encreased 1 Cor. 11.32 Heb. 12.10 heaven be sweet eternal crowns and triumphs be injoyed 4. He is merciful to his enemies ful of patience and forbearance expecting their return many yeers together giving them rain and fruitful seasons Acts 14.17 Mat. 5.15 filling their hearts with gladness notwithstanding they sin and fight against him with all his goodnesse yea so merciful is he that in their greatest enmity to him Rom. 5.10 he hath often done them the greatest good changing their hearts and making them his friends 6. He bestows mercy with greatest frequency and reiteration he hath many manifold mercies Psal 51.1 Psal 40.5 mercies for thousands more than can be exprest innumerable are the sins of one man how innumerable the sins of the whole world how numberless then are those mercies of forbearance expressed every time sin is committed there being so many millions of sinners every one committing so many millions of sins innumerable are the morsels of food drops of drink the motions deliverances provisions received by one man what then are those received by a whole world and every such expression is a mercy 7. The mercy of God is eternall 1 King 8 2◠and therefore immeasurable he keepeth mercy for ever he will not take away his mercy from his servants Psal 89.2 Psal 23. ult Psal 103.17 Psal 136 it shall follow them all the dayes of their life his mercy shall be built up for ever It endureth for ever 't is from everlasting to everlasting He may hide his face for a moment though that is but according to our thinking but with everlasting mercies will he receive us Isa 54.7 10 The hils may be removed and the mountains may depart but Gods covenant of peace shall not be removed God never repented himself of bestowing his best mercies 8. Gods Mercy is so immeasurable that to help us out of our miseries he that was God sustained them himself It had been mercy to have help'd us by speaking comfortably to us more to have help'd us by the bounty of his hand but to help us out of misery by bearing our miseries by coming to man by becoming of man by suffering so much paine hunger ignominy griefs wounds nay death for man Oh immeasurable mercy Oh my soul acknowledge thine insufficiency either to conceive or requite it 2. The Mercy of God is not only full but free without desert on our parts We deserve no healing from his mercy unlesse by being sore and sick no riches from mercy unlesse by our poverty no deliverance from mercy unlesse by being captives no pardon from mercy unlesse by being guilty no preservation from mercy unlesse by being in danger no mercy unlesse by being miserable God is not tyed to one man more than another he hath mercy on whom he will he hath mercy on the beggar as well as the King on the Barbarian as well as the Grecian the bond Eph. 1.5 6 Rom. 11.5 2 Tim. 1.9 Phil. 1.29 Rom. 3.24 Phil. 2.13 Rom. 6.23 〈◊〉 43.25 as well as the free the Jew as well as the Gentile Election is the election of grace Vocatiou is according to grace Faith is said to be given Justification is freely by Gods grace every good motion is of Gods working Life eternal is Gods gift the putting away of every sin is for his own sake God is mercifull because he will be so his arguments of mercy are drawn from his own pleasure What can our works deserve that are not ours but his working that are all due to him if a thousand times more and better that are all maimed and imperfect Luke 17.10 1 Cor. 4.7 Rom. 11.35 Rom. 8.18 that are all vitious and polluted that are all unequall to the recompence This for the explication of the first benefit which the Apostle requesteth for these Christians Mercy 2. The Observations follow 1. Obs 1. How unbeseeming a sin is pride in any that live upon Mercy Mercy our highest happinesse calls loudest for a lowly heart He that lives upon the alms of Mercy must put on humility the cloth of an Alms-man Renounce thy self and thine own worthinesse both in thy receiving and expecting blessings 1. In receiving them If thou hast spiritual blessings Mercy found thee a bundle of miseries a sinner by birth Ephes 2.1 a sinner in life deserving to be a sufferer for both without grace nay against it by thy birth a poor out-cast Ezek. 16.22 in thy blood as naked of grace as of clothes The Apostle therefore speaks of putting on the graces of the Spirit Col. 3.12 Job 1.21 1 Chro. 22.16 Gen. 24.35 Gen. 33.5 11 the spots
life death miracles were all expressions of mercy in teaching feeding healing saving men If there were any severity in his miracles it was not toward man but the swine and the barren-fig-tree Insensiblenesse of others miseries is neither sutable to our condition as men nor as Christians according to the former we are the same with others according to the later grace hath made the difference Mercy must begin at the heart Sic mens per compassionem doleat ut larga manus affectum doloris ostendat Greg. Luke 14.14 Gal. 6 9. but must proceed further even to the hand they whose hands are shut have their bowels shut also We are not Treasurers but Stewards of Gods gifts Thou hast so much only as thou givest The way to get that which we cannot part with is by mercy to part with that which we cannot keep Our good reacheth not to Christs person it must to his members Jonathan is gone but he hath left many poor lame Mephibosheths behinde him We must love Christ in his worky-day clothes We cannot carry these loads of riches to heaven It s best to take bils of exchange from the poor saints whereby we may receive there what we could not carry thither Especially should our mercy extend it self to the souls of others as soul-miseries so soul-mercies are the greatest They who are spiritually miserable cannot pity themselves though their words speak not to us yet their woes do Wee weep over a body from which the soul is departed and can we look with tearless eys upon a soul from which God is departed If another be not afflicted for sin grieve for him if he be grieve with him If thou hast obtained mercy thou dost not well as said the Lepers to hold thy peace Mercy must never cease till its objects do in heaven both shall Thus much for the first blessing which the Apostle prayes may be bestowed upon these Christians to whom he wrote viz. Mercy The second follows viz. Peace of which by way Of 1. Exposition Of 2. Observation Peace is a word very comprehensive and is ordinarily used to denote all kinde of happinesse welfare and prosperity And 1. I shall distribute it into severall kindes 2. Shew the excellency of that here intended 1. There 's Pax temporis or external among men 2. Pax pectoris or internal in the heart 3. Pax aeternitatis or eternal in heaven Or more distinctly thus 1. There 's a Peace between man and man 2. Between man and other creatures 3. Between man and or rather in man with himself 4. Between God and man 1. Peace between man and man and that is publick or private 1. Publick and that either Political of the Common-wealth when the politick State is in tranquility and free from forrein and civill Warrs 2 King 20.19 Jer. 29.7 There shall be peace in my dayes In the peace thereof ye shall have peace This is either lawful and so a singular mercy or unlawfull as when one People is at peace with another against the expresse wil of God as the Israelites with the Canaanites and Amalekites or joyn in any sinfull attempt as did the Moabites and Ammonites against the Israelites Or Ecclesiasticall and of the Church when its publick tranquility and quiet state is not troubled within by Schisms and Heresies or without by persecuting and bloody Tyrants Psal 122.6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem Acts 9.31 The Churches had rest and Acts 4.32 1 Cor. 14.33 2. Private and that either between the good and the good or between the bad and the bad or between the good and the bad 1. Between the good and the good 1 Pet. 3.8 Love as brethren and Let brotherly love continue and Col. 1.4 The love ye have to all Saints 2. Hebr. 13.1 Between the bad and the bad 2 King 9.22 Is it peace Jehu And that either lawfully for their own preservation or wickedly against the people of God or to strengthen one another in some sinful attempt and to that end joyning hand in hand 3. Between the good and the bad which is either lawfull as Abraham's with Abimelech and commanded Rom. 12.18 Render to no man evil for evil but if it be possible have peace with all men So Psal 120.7 I am for peace And sometime caused by a work from God upon the hearts of wicked men as in the case of Daniel Chap. 1.9 and in Esan's love to Jacob according to that of Solomon Pro. 16.7 The Lord will make his enemies at peace with him c. Or unlawful when against the mind of God the godly make leagues with them or agree in any way of sin 2. There is a peace between man the faithful I mean and other creatures the good Angels are at peace with 2. Heb. 1.10 Ephes 1.14 and ministring spirits to them as Job 5.23 Thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field and the beasts of the earth shall be in peace with thee and Hos 2.18 Hujus foederis vigore mala hujus vitae sic laedunt pios ut non noccant non perdant sed prosint Ubi notandum est vocabulum foederis accipi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per similitudinem effectus Riv. in Hos 2.18 I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field and with the fouls of the heaven and with the creeping things of the earth The meaning is There shall be such a work of God upon the beasts and fouls c. for the good of the Church as if God had bound them to do them good by way of covenant There is mention Jer 33.20 of Gods covenant of the day and of the night that is the establishment of Gods decree upon the day and the night wherby they come to be in such and such a way from the creation to the end of the world so that although the beasts the fouls the stones c. may annoy them nay kil◠them the true safety of the Church shall not be hindred by them yea All things shall work together for their good neither nakedness nor sword nor death nor any of these things shall separate them from the love of God in Christ and if God sees it for their good all the creatures in the world shall be so far from hurting the godly that they shall all agree to advance their temporall good and welfare 3. There is a peace in man with himself and that is either false or sound False peace is when sinners thinking themselves free from the fear of dangers falsly promise safety to themselves 1 Thess 5.3 When they shall say Peace and safety c. Sound peace in man with himself is twofold 1. Of Assurance when sanctified conscience ceaseth to accuse and condemn us speaking comfortably in us and for us before God 1 John 3.21 This sweet quietnesse and tranquility of conscience being the immediate fruit of our attonement with God that peace of God which passeth all
the perfection of Christ When Darius his mother had saluted Hephestion instead of Alexander the great who was Alexanders Favourite she blushed and was troubled but Alexander said to her It is well enough done for he is also Alexander The meanest Saint is to be beloved for what of Christ is in him he is an old Casket full of pearls But above all how destructive to brotherly love is oppression 1 Thess 4.6 defrauding and grinding our brethren Let no man saith Paul defraud his brother in any matter Even the Jew who might take usury of an Heathen might not take it of his Brother If Lillyes rend and tear Lillyes what may Thorns do Nor must a Christian content himself in not hurting a Christian his care must be to benefit him to do him good And that for his Soul All thy Spiritual gifts of knowledge utterance c. must profit thy brother 1 Cor. 12. 1 Cor. 14.26 Comfort him in his troubles of mind direct him in his doubts reprehend him gently for his faults Not to rebuke him is to hate him Levit. 19.17 To be angry with the sin of our brother is not to be angry with our brother To love the soul is the soul of love so to love thy brother as to labour to have him live in heaven with thee For his name not casting aspersions on him but wiping them off not receiving much less raysing accusations against him but laying hold upon the theif that pillaged his name as knowing that the receiver in this case is as bad as he For his body visiting and sympathising with him in his sicknesse helping him to utmost ability to find the jewel of health For outward necessaries pittying him in his low estate◠casting the dung of thy wealth on the barren soyl of his poverty making his back thy wardrobe his belly Psal 16.3 thy barn his hand thy treasury For body and soul praying for him calling upon God as Our Father not thine alone In the Primitive time saith one there was so much love Tert. Apol. c. 39. that it was ad stuporem Gentilium to the wonder of Gentiles but now so little that it may be to the shame of Christians That which was the Motto of a Heathen Dic aliquid ut duo simus Say something that we may he two must not belong to Christians It s best that dissention should never be born among brethren and next that it should die presently after its birth When any leak springs in the Ship of Christian society we should stop it with speed The neerer the union is the more dangerous is the breach Bodies that are but glewed together may if severed be set together as beautifully as ever but members rent and torn cannot be healed without a scar What a shame is it 1 Joh. 3.14 1 Joh. 5.1 1 Joh. 4.7 8 c. that the bond of grace and religion should not more firmly unite us than sinful leagues do wicked men A true Christian like the true mother to whom Solomon gave the Child may be known by affection As the spleen grows the body decayeth and as hatred increaseth holiness abateth In summ This love to the faithful must put forth it self both in distributing to them the good they want and in delighting in them and rejoycing with them for the good they have Both these how profitable how honourable how amiable are they Most honourable it is for the meanest Christian to be a Priest to the high God Heb. 13.16 to offer a daily sacrifice with which God is well pleased to resemble God in doing rather then in receiving good to be the hand of God to disperse his bounty to have God for his debtor to lend to the Lord of heaven and earth What likewise is more profitable than that our distribution to Saints like an ambassador by lying Lieger abroad should secure all at home that this most gainfull employment should return us pearls for pibbles jewels for trifles crowns for crumbs after a short seed-time a thousand fold measure heaped shaken thrust together and running over What lastly so amiable as for members of the same body children of the same father and who lay in the same womb suck at the same brests sit at the same table and expect for ever to lodg in the same bosom to be at union with and helpful to one another And on this side heaven Psal 16.3 Vid. doctiss Rivetum in loc where should our complacency center it self but upon the truly excellent noble illustrious ones who are every one Kings and more magnificent than ever were worldly Monarchs for their allyance having the Lord of heaven and earth for their Father the King of Kings for their elder Brother Psal 45.9 a Queen the Church the Spouse of Christ for their Mother having for their treasures those exceeding precious promises 2 Pet. 1.4 more to be desired than gold yea Psal 19.10 than fine gold in comparison of which a mountain of gold is but a heap of dung For their guard having the attendance of Angels Psal 34.7 John 6.27 Cant. 1.2 Cant. 4.7 nay the wisdom care and strength of God For their food having bread that endures to eternal life drink better than wine and a continual feast For their apparel having the robes of Christs righteousnesse here which makes them as beautifull as Angels all fair and without spot and attire to be put on hereafter which will shine more gloriously then an hundred Suns made into one For their habitation a palace of glory a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens Having thus first explained this love here desired by the Apostle in its several sorts I come in the next place to touch briefly upon those rare and excellent properties of this grace of love both as it is set upon 1 God 2 Man 1. This grace of love set upon God is true cordial and sincere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not in word or outward profession but in truth and in the inward man not complemental but reall the inward purpose of the heart having an emphasis Of love that hypocrisie and expressions cannot reach And the truth is our loving of God Eph. 6.24 is not so properly said to be sincere as to be our very sincerity Then and then alone a dutie is done in sincerity when 't is done in love and herein stands hypocrisie when though there is much doing yet there 's no loving The love of an hypocrite to Christ like the shining of the Gloworm is without any inward heat and stands only in a glistering profession or like some spices which are cold in the stomack though hot in the mouth or like the fire in Moses his bush it burneth not while it blazeth it proceeds from humane inducements of education Countenance or Commands of Superiours Interest an apprehension of the love of Christ barely to mankind or from this that Christ is out
of sight and troubles not his lusts or from some accidentall circumstantiall Ornaments which attend the Ministery and Truth as wit learning expression elocution or credit of visible conformity to them not from an inward apprehension of the proportionablenesse sutablenesse and fitnesse of Christ to all his desires and capacities Luke 7.47 1 Joh. 4.16.19 as being the fairest of ten thousand or from any reall interest and propriety in Christ which are the grounds of love when true and sincere 2. This love to God is superlattive it surpasseth all other loves the soule in which it abides seeing infinitely more lovelinesse in one God then in all the combined assembled excellencies of all worldly Objects loves him infinitely more than them all It often not only steps over them but kicks them away not only laying them down as sacrifices but hating them as snares when they would draw from Christ When Christ and the World meet as it were upon so narrow a bridge that both cannot passe by Christ shall go on and the World shall go back Christ in a Christian shall have no Corrivals as Christ bestowes himselfe wholly upon a Christian wholly upon every one as every line hath the whole indivisible point so a Christian gives himselfe wholly to Christ he shares not his heart betwixt him and the world all within him he sets on work to love Christ keeping nothing back from him for whom all is too little The greatest worth that it sees in any thing but Christ is this that it may be left for Christ ever rejoycing that it hath any thing to which it may prefer him To a soul in which is this love Christ is as oyle put into a viall with water in which though both be never so much shaken together the oyl will ever be uppermost or as one rising Sun which drowneth the light of a numberlesse number of Stars It loves the world as alwayes about to leave and loath it not as that for which it doth live but as that without which it cannot live The world hath not the top and strength of it's affection It loves nothing much but him whom it cannot love too much It lodgeth not the world in it's best room and admits not such a stranger into the closet of the heart but only into the hall of the senses 3. It 's a jealous or zealous love suspicious lest any thing should and burning in a holy heat of indignation against any thing that doth disturb the Souls beloved Love is a solicitous grace and makes the soul account it selfe never sufficiently trim'd for Christs imbracements never to think that any thing done is well enough done All the soul is and can is esteemed too little for him who is its optimus maximus its best and greatest the more brightly shining the beams of love to Christ are the more motes and imperfections doth the soule ever see in its services It s fear only is lest by sinne and unsutable carriage it stirs up Gal. 4.11.16 Act. 15.2 17.16 18.25 19.8 Jude 3. and awakes the beloved It cannot put up a disgrace expressed by the greatest against Christ It zealously contends for his Word Wayes Worship Worshippers Kingdome All it's anger is against those intercurrent impediments that would stop it in the advancing of Christ it labours to bear down those hinderances of Gods glory with a floud of tears if it cannot with a stream of power The meekest soule in love with God knowes how to be holily impatient and like Moses though when with God to pray for men yet when with men to contend for God Every sin by how much the nearer to it by so much is it more detested by it Of all sins therefore its own have the deepest share of hatred for what it cannot remove Rom. 7. Heb. 12. it mourns heartily crying out of the body of death the sin that doth so easily beset it as of the constant companie of a noysome carcasse endeavouring that every sin may be more bitter to remember then 't was ever sweet to commit looking upon the want of sorrow after sinne as a greater argument of want of love then was the sin it self 4. It 's a chast a loyall love not set upon what God hath so much as upon what God is not upon his but him not upon his rings but his person not his cloathes but his comelinesse upon a Christ though not adventitiously adorned his gifts are loved for him not he for them he is sweet without any thing though nothing is so without him Love desires no wages 't is wages enough to it selfe it payes it selfe in seeing and serving the Beloved A Nurse doth much for the child and so doth the Mother but the former for the love of wages the later for the wages of love Love carries meat in the mouth the very doing of Gods will is meat and drink to one who loves him A heart in love with Christ is willing with Mephibosheth that others should take all so it may behold the King Worldly Comforts shall not fallere but monere Nil dulcescit sine Jesu only they shall be used to admonish how much worth is in Christ not to bewitch the soul from Christ Si ista terrena diligitis ut subjecta diligite ut munera amici ut beneficia domini ut arrham Sponsi Aug. Med. as spectacles by which the soul may read him the better or as steps by which it may be raised up to him the nearer and no further shall they be delighted in then as they are pledges of or furtherances unto the injoyment of him Should God give all to one who loves him and not give himselfe he would say with Absalom What doth all availe me so long as I see not the Kings face Communion with God is the Heaven of him who loves God It 's heaven upon earth for God to be with him and the Heaven of Heaven for him to be with God 5. It 's an active John 14.24 Psal 119.68.140 Esay 45 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say some 2 Cor. 5.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stirring expressive love the fire of love cannot be held in 't will break out at lips hands feet by speaking working walking Love saith as Elijah to Obadiah as the Lord liveth I will shew my selfe the strength of love will have a vent The Love of Christ constraineth and as the word used by the Apostle signifieth hemmeth in shutteth up pinfolds the heart that it cannot winde out from service and cannot chuse but do for Christ Love is a mighty stream bearing all before it It cares not for shame or losse It carries away these as did Samson the other gates upon it's shoulders 'T is strong as death A man in love with God is as a man who is carried away in a crowd who cannot keep himselfe back but is hurried without his own labour with the throng Love
he gave his body to be burn'd 1 Cor. 13.3 Nucleus donorum animus and had not love he should be nothing nothing in Esse gratiae in point of truth worth and grace Love is the beauty of our performances their Loveliness is Love to God in doing them Love is the Marrow of every duty Love is the salt which seasons every Sacrifice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the exquisitest service without it is but as a dead carcass embalmed God delights in nothing which we give him unless we give our selves first He more regards with what heart we give than what we give God accepts no duty when we do it because we dare not do otherwise but when we do it because we love to do it it is acceptable to God He who wants Love though he do the thing commanded yet he breaks the Law Commanding He who Loves keeps the Command Evangelically while he breaks it Legally 3. Observ 3. Love set upon other things beside God is wrong placed The world must often be left and loathed at the most but used never loved So to love it as thereby to lessen thy love to God so to love it as to be excessive either in grief for wanting it or joy for having it and to be over earnest in using it and injudicious in preferring it before thy God is to love it unduely and sinfully if at any time the creature be beloved innocently 't is beloved in and for God as a pledge of heaven as a spur to duty Among all the Creatures there cannot be found a helper fit for man Between the soul and them there can be no match with Gods consent He that is wedded in love to the Creature is married to one that 's poor base vexing false 1. Poor the whole world is but a Curt and unsatisfying good the sieve in the water hath something in it pull'd thence 't is empty the Creature apart from God is empty of all loveliness it 's a brest fill'd with nothing but wind Should the whole world be cast into our Treasury it would hardly be a Mite Hagar out of Abrahams house found nothing but scarcity and all plenty which is not God is but penury Earthly blessings like to numbers cannot be so great but still we may reckon and our desires reach some one beyond them Men in their contentions for the world prove it a scanty thing and that it cannot satisfie all A lover of the world can endure no rivals as knowing how scanty an object he contends for So large a good is God that he who loves him delights in company 2. Base ignoble Whatsoever is below a God is below our soul it s as unfit to rule our hearts as the bramble to rule the trees What we love subdues us it to it self and we are alway below it to love these earthly drossie comforts is to make thy soul a vassal to thy vassal a servant of servants Love leaves the impression of the thing beloved upon the soule if thou lovest the earth thou hast the impression of vilenesse upon a noble soule the impression gives denomination a piece of gold is call'd a Jacobus an Angel a Serpent a Lion according to the stamp it beareth If therefore earthly objects have by love set their impression upon thy soule what is that golden excellent heaven-born creature but a lump a clod of earth The earth should be under our feet not upon our heart 3. Vexing and unquiet Love set upon the world hath more of anguish than love it ever wrangles with us for not giving it enough Peace is the only product of the enjoyment of God If Christ be not in the ship the storms will never cease nor can any thing but his presence bring a calmnesse upon the sonle Rest is peculiar only to Gods Beloved Love never stings but when you disturb anger it and hinder it from resting in a God in him it's hive it is alway and only quiet and innocent 4. False and inconstant They are but lying and flying vanities A soul that loves the world is match'd to that which will soon break and run away none are so foolishly prodigall as the covetous who assures all to that which can assure nothing no not his own again to him The World is like to Absaloms mule that runs away when its lovers most want reliefe it s not able to love again those that love it most The love of that which is inconstant and weak is the strength of our misery The best of earthly blessings have their moth and their thiefe Mat. 6.20 Prov. 25.31 Observ 4. Plus bonitas quam benificientia Expiat infinita venustas omnem injuriam they make themselves wings they flee away as an Eagle towards Heaven 4. God is an Object very meet for our love to be set upon Much he deserves it even for whathe is His own lovely excellencies are so great that even for these our hearts should be set upon him although his hatred were set upon us Goodnesse is more than beneficience God is a bundle an heap of all worth and perfections all the scattered excellencies of the whole Creation Center and meet in him a flower he is in which meet the beauties of all flowers Suppose a creature composed of all the choycest endowments of all the men that were since the Creation of the World famous in any kind One in whom were a meek Moses a strong Samson all the valiant Worthies of David a faithfull Jonathan a beautifull Absalom a rich and wise Solomon all the holy men of God eminent for any grace Nay all the Angels of Heaven with their understandings strength agility splendor spiritualnesse holinesse and suppose this creature had never known us help'd us benefited us yet how would our hearts be drawn out towards it in desires and complacencies but this alas though ten thousand times more exquisitely accomplish'd would not amount to a shadow of divine perfection God had in himselfe assembled from Eternity all the excellencies which were in time and had not he made them they had never been If every leafe and spire of grasse nay all the stars sands atomes in the World were so many Souls and Seraphims whose love should double in them every moment to all eternity yet could not their love be enough for the lovelinesse of our God There is nothing in God but what is amiable Cant. 5.16 he is altogether lovely nothing to cause loathing fulsomness or aversation though we enjoy him to all Eternity And it should much draw out love from us to think what God doth for us Man doth but little and it 's counted much God doth much and it 's counted little and whence is this distemper'd estimate Must mercy therefore be under-valued because it comes from God Doth water lose it's nature because it is in the fountain or heat because 't is in the fire and not in some other subject Can we be thankfull to a thiefe
ibi desinis esse bonus Bern. Ep. 91. Nolle preficere deficere est Ep. 254. he that hath least grace hath enough to be thankfull but he that hath the most hath not enough to be idle We are never gotten far enough till we are gotten home he that is rich enough is nothing worth He was never good that desireth not to be better he is stark nought that desireth not to be as good as the best 10. Lastly the Apostle desireth the multiplication of grace even to the sense feeling and apprehension of those that were partakers thereof that those who had grace might know they had it The people of God do not ever know their own holinesse and happinesse these are true though not strong in grace The perceiving of our grace is an additionall happiness to our receiving it In the light of God we must see light It 's a double and a very desirable blessing to have the company and comfort of grace at the same time This of the first branch of Explication What the Apostle desired for these Christians when he pray'd for this multiplication The second followeth which was to consider Why he desired it 2d Branch of Explicat This he did 1. In respect of God 2. In respect of Others 3. In respect of Themselves 4. In respect of Himself 1. In respect of God The more grace is multiplyed the more God is 1. Honoured Mat. 5.16 Joh. 15.8 2 Cor. 4.15 Phil. 1.11 Herein is my Father honoured if ye bring forth much fruit If the servants of God do much work God will be accounted a good a bountifull Master 1. In respect of the great reward men will think there is in his service and some extraordinary benifit by it that his servants are so painfull in it And 2. In respect of the great ability that he bestows upon his to be and do good God will be admired in them that beleeve If poor servants are so rich and glorious Aestimari a Cultoribus potest ille qui Colitur Salv. what then will men say is the Master if his servants be so holy what then is he who keeps them if there be so much in a drop what is there then in the ocean if he imparts so much to others what then hath he in himself The plenty of the crop is the praise of the husbandman Luk. 15.7 Chrysostomus cxistimat glorificationem hìc poni pro exultatione Gerh. in Joh. 15.8 2. As God is honoured by the abounding of his servants in holiness so is he likewise pleased Fruitfulness upon earth is joy in heaven The Husbandman is not only praised but pleased by the fruitfulness of his grounds the barrenness whereof is both his shame and his sorrow The thriving of the child is the joy of the father If we rejoyce so much in holinesse that see it and love it so little Isai 5.6 what then must God do who is holinesse it selfe How angry was God with his barren vineyard If God be best pleased with holinesse he must needs be best pleased with them who are most holy 2. The Apostle desired this multiplication of grace in respect of Others that they may not only speak good of God but get good to themselves The whole Countrey fareth the better for a rich Christian he keepeth open house the more he hath the more he gives he labours to make all such as himselfe Acts 26.29 his bonds onely excepted Ther 's nothing more covetous or prodigall than grace A Saint ever loves to be receiving from God and imparting to others From Jerusalem round about to Illyricum Paul preached the Gospell Rom. 15.19 2 Cor. 6.10 He who was so abundantly rich himselfe made it his work to make others so What an encouragement is it to young beginners in grace to see that they who once were as poor and had as little to begin with as themselves have attained to such a plentifull spirituall estate What a joy is it to the strong Christian whose love of complacency is â—set upon the excellent Ones and whose Crown of Rejoycing it is to see the Honour of God propagated 3. The Apostle desired this Multiplication of grace in respect of Themselves and that 1. In respect of their duty they could never be too abundant in goodnesse for him from whom they were and had and did what ever was good How could God dwell too much in the house of his own building How could the Vineyard and Garden of his own planting be too fruitfull the Well of his own digging be too full In their creation they received souls bodies faculties senses with parts and members from him in him also they lived and moved and had their being and could they do him too much service In their redemption the delivery not onely from condemnation but from vain conversation 1 Pet. 1.18 and from the service and corruption of sin was aimed at by God and not only a preservation of them to Heaven but in holinesse In their profession they were Christians and followers of Christ And how could they walk too exactly that had such a guide They had in the word precepts promises threatnings examples and how could they be too precise that had such a rule 2. For their dignity Holinesse is a Christians greatest honour and therefore the greatest degree of holinesse the highest degree of honour Grace is called glory 2 Cor. 3.18 and the more grace the more glory It 's that which hath the most of Scripture-commendation What an honourable mention doth Paul make of the Romans for having their faith spoken of throughout the world Rom. 1.8 Our Saviour Mat. 8.10 15.28 that contemned the glorious buildings of the Temple when his Disciples shewed him them admired a strong faith more than once 3. For their further peace and comfort in this life There 's no abundance but that of grace which can content the possessour the more holinesse the more enjoyment of him in whose presence is fulnesse of joy Whence is a Saints trouble but from the deficiency of his graces what is it that pincheth him but the scantinesse of these spirituall garments the larger they are the greater is his ease He that hath true grace may go to Heaven certainly but he who hath strong grace onely goeth comfortably A weak faith a small degree of love patience humility will not carry a man joyfully through great troubles 4. For their future crown further felicity in the next life If any shall follow the lamb in whiter larger robes of glory than other they are those whom he hath adorned most with the robes of grace here If any shine brighter than others in heaven they shall be those who have been brightest in grace upon the earth Though glory be not bestowed for any merit in grace yet I see no inconvenience to hold that 't is bestowed according to the proportion of grace If the more grace a Saint hath
lesse beloved endeavouring to do people good though against their will As Job's record so such a Ministers recompence is on high This for the first reason of the Apostles sending the following Exhortation to these Christians they were beloved The second follows The carefull diligence of the Apostle to further their spiritual welfare When I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation And in that 1. First of the first particular With what mind and disposition he endeavoured their good or how he was affected in endeavouring to do them good I gave all diligence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Explication whereof Explicat 1. I shall give the force and meaning of the words Diligence and all diligence 2. Gather from thence what kind of diligence and how qualified this of the Apostle here was The Apostle expresseth the forwardnesse of his minde and disposition in furthering their good by two words by his giving 1. Diligence 2. All diligence Diligence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Studium Solicitudo Diligentia Festinatio in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Vulgar here translates it solicitudinem solicitude or carefulnesse Beza studium study or earnest intention of mind Our new Translation renders it diligence as it doth also the same word Rom. 12.8 2 Cor. 8.7 Heb. 6.11 2 Pet. 1.5 Sometimes again it renders it carefulnesse as 2 Cor. 7.11 and forwardnesse as 2 Cor. 8.8 and earnest care as 2 Cor. 8.16 and haste as Mark 6.25 Luke 1.39 The Greek word comprehends all these significations for it signifieth an earnest and serious bending application and intention of the mind about the things which we are doing and this is study It importeth also such a serious bending of the mind as is with a fear of the future event and this is care carefulnesse or solicitude It also signifieth a speedy and chearfull putting of a thing in execution and this is diligence and festination forwardnesse hast The other word all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Apostle useth to expresse his forward disposition to do them good increaseth and enlargeth the former He gave not some part of but all or his whole diligence For the Apostle doth here as the Scripture often else where put all for whole 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Rom. 10.18 2 Tim. 3.16 his whole diligence was bent this way and other things in comparison of this he neglected In this channell did run as it were the whole stream of his diligence 2. From this force and meaning of the words it may plainly be collected what kind of diligence this of the Apostle here was 1. It was a solicitous carefull diligence He resented the danger of these Christians and feared their spirituall losse and hurt by Satan and his instruments The care of these faithfull ones was upon him as upon holy Paul was the care of the Churches Gal. 4.19 2 Cor. 8.16 2 Cor. 11.28 Paul was afraid of the Galatians of whom he travelled in birth till Christ was formed in them Love is ever solicitous doth its best and fears the worst Titus had an earnest care for the good of the Corinthians and among them none was offended but Paul burned 2. It was a studious and an intentive diligence It set his head and heart a working to do them good There was an earnest and vehement application of both to this imployment Faithfull Ministers are laborious they are peculiarly called labourers and they labour in the word and doctrine Paul laboured more abundantly than they all Timothy was to shew himselfe a workman All their titles as Fishers Souldiers Watchmen Labourers c. bestowed upon Ministers commend Jude's diligence 3. It was a chearfull willing diligence Studium est animi vehemens ad aliquam rem magna cum voluptate applicatio Bez. This he fully discovers both by the word diligence and giving diligence He was not forced to this imployment Paul 1 Cor. 9.17 tels us his reward came in a way of willing doing Jude had the constraint of love upon him his service was not like honey prest but of it selfe dropping His feeding the Church was his meat and drink This good worke was not done with an ill will 4. It was a speedy ready diligence it was with a holy haste The Seducers were already entred among these Christians There was now no room for delayes The beginnings of this mischiefe were to be crush'd While Ministers are lingring and doubting Satan is devouring They are souldiers and Victory loves to flie upon the wing of Expedition 5. It was his whole utmost entire diligence Such a diligence as Paul professeth he used when he said As much as in me is Rom. 1.15 I am ready to preach the Gospell This work he made his businesse and to it he gave himselfe in comparison of this his diligence for other things was but negligence For three years he warned every one night and day with tears Act. 20.31 Nay he was glad to spend and be spent 2 Cor. 12.15 He was fervent in spirit but in serving the Lord. 1. Observ 1. Greatest diligence is alway to be used about the best things about matters of greatest concernment The custom of the world is to use substantiall endeavours about circumstantiall and circumstantiall endeavours about substantiall imployments A holy remisnesse befits our care about the things of this life A Christian should keep his sweat and industry for the things of heaven when he useth the world it should be as if he used it not He should not pray or hear as if he heard or prayed not It 's madnesse to make as great a fire for the rosting of an egge as for the rosting of an oxe to follow the world with as much fervency as we do holinesse and about trifles to be imployed with vast endeavours It 's impossible to be too diligent for heaven and difficult not to be over diligent for the earth 2. Observ 2. All that Ministers even the best of them can do is but to be diligent to take pains and endeavour Paul can but plant Nostrum est dare operam Dei dare operationem Apollos waters God it is that gives the increase It is our part to be diligent it 's God that blesseth that diligence Aliud est docere aliud flectere One thing to preach another to perswade The organ-pipes make no musick without breath He that teacheth the heart sits in heaven God must have the praise in the successefulnesse of the Ministry Non scoundum profectum sed laborem non secundum quod valuimus sed quod voluimus his glory must not cleave to our fingers nor must Ministers be discouraged in the want of successe God never required that at their hands He accepts of their willing mind nor doth God reward them according to peoples proficiency but their own industry 3. Observ 3. Diligence in duty is the commendation of Ministers
Christ Gal. 1.23 He now preacheth the faith which before he persecuted So 1 Tim. 4.16 Gal. 3.2 So here in this place of Jude Faith once delivered is to be understood of the faith of heavenly doctrine the word of faith which the Apostle saith God had delivered to them and they were to maintain against the opposite errours of seducers This holy doctrine being called faith 1. Because it is the instrument used by God to work faith The Spirit by the word perswading us to assent to the whole doctrine of the Gospel and to rest upon Christ in the promise for life In which respect faith is said to come by hearing Rom. 10.15 And the Gospel the power of God Rom. 1.16 c. to every one that believes The faith to be believed begets a faith believing 2. Because it is a most sure infallible faithfull word and deserves to be the object of our faith and belief The Author of it was the holy and true Rev. 3.7.14 Tit. 1.2 2 Pet. 1.2 the faithful and true Witnesse God who cannot lie The Instruments were infallibly guided by the immediate derection and assistance of the holy Ghost The Matter of it an everlasting truth the Law being a constant rule of righteousnesse the Gospel conteining promises which shall have their stability when heaven and earth shall passe away and of such certainty that if an angel from heaven should teach another doctrine he must be accursed It abounds also with prophesies predictions most exactly accomplished though after hundreds yea thousands of years The form of it which is its conformity with God himself sheweth that if God be faithfull Heb. 4.12 Psal 19.7 9. needs must his word be so its powerfull it searcheth the heart its pure and perfect true and faithfull and all this in conformity with the power omniscience purity perfection truth of God himself The end of it is to supply us with assured comfort Rom. 15.4 Observ 1. 1. The word of life is most worthy of assent and approbation No word so much challengeth belief as Gods it 's so true and worthy of belief that it 's called faith it self When in Scripture the object is called by the name of the habit or affection it notes that the object is very proper for that habit or affection to be exercised about Heaven is in Scripture called joy to shew it 's much to be rejoyced in and the Doctrine of salvation is called faith to shew that its most worthy of our faith Infidelity is a most inexcusable and incongruous sin in us Tit. 1.2 Heb. 6.18 Isa 53.1 when the faithfull and true God speaks unto us It 's impossible for God to lie and yet Who hath beleeved our report may be a complaint as ordinary as it is old How just is God to give those over to beleeve a lie who will not beleeve the truh How miserable is their folly who beleeve a lie and distrust faith it self 2. Observ 2. Deplorable is their estate who want the doctrine of salvation They have no footing for faith they have they hear nothing that they can beleeve Uncertainty of happiness is ever the portion of a people who are destitute of the Word He who wants this light knows not whither he goeth The Fancy of the Enthusiast the Reason of the Socinian the Traditions of the Papist the Oracles of the Heathens are all Foundations of sand death shakes and overturns them all 3. Observ 3. The true reason of the firmnesse and stedfastnesse of the Saints in their profession they lean upon a sure word Spiritus sanctus non est Scepticus ne◠opiniones in cordibus sed assertiones producit ipsâ vit â omni experientiâ certiores a more sure word than any revelation a word called even faith it self Greater is the certainty of Faith then that of Sense and Reason It 's not Opinion and Scepticism but Faith The holy Ghost is no Sceptick it works in us not opinions but assertions more sure than life it self and all experience The more weight and dependency we set upon the word so firm a foundation is it the stronger is the building None will distrust God but they who never tryed him 4. Our great end in attending upon the word should be the furthering of our faith The jewel of the Word should not hang in our ears but be lock'd up in a beleeving heart 'T is not meat on the table but in the stomack that nourisheth and not the Word preached but beleeved that saves us The Apostle having specified the thing which they were to maintain Faith he amplifieth it and that three wayes 1. Explicat 2. He saith it was delivered The word in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here translated delivered signifieth to be given or delivered from one to another severall wayes in Scripture according to the circumstances of the place where and the matter about which 't is used Sometime it importeth a delivering craftily deceitfully or traiterously in which respect the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is often rendred to betray as Matth. 2.4.10 and Chap. 26 15 16 21 23 24 25. and Chap. 16.45 46 48. In some places it signifieth a delivering in a way of punishment and suffering As Mat. 4.12 Jesus heard that John was delivered up So Mat. 5.25 and 10.17.19.21 and 17.22 and Acts 7.42 c. In other places it signifieth a delivering in a way of committing something to ones trust to be carefully regarded and preserved as Mat. 11.27 and 25.14 20. and John 19.20 and 1 Pet. 2.23 And thus it frequently signifieth a delivering by way of information or relation of doctrines and duties from one to another to be kept and observed And that both from God first by the speech and afterward by the writing of holy men for the use of his Church as 1 Cor. 11.2 2 Thes 2.15 and 3.6 2 Pet. 2.21 and also from men who often deliver doctrines to others not written in the word Mat. 15.2 Mark 7.9.13 but invented by men In this sense the delivering here mentioned is to be taken namely for such an information or relation of Gods will as they to whom it is delivered are bound to preserve and keep as their treasure In which respect the delivering of this faith or doctrine of salvation comprehends first Gods bestowing it secondly Mans holding and keeping it 1. Gods bestowing it and in that is considerable 1. In what wayes and after what manner God delivered it 2. What need there was of this delivery of the faith by God 1. In what wayes God delivered the faith the Scripture tels us he hath delivered it either extraordinarily Num. 12.6.8 Heb. 1.1 as immediately by himselfe by Angels by a voice by a sensible apparition to men sometime when they were awake at other times when they were sleeping by dreams sometime only by inward inspiration Or ordinarily and so he delivers the doctrine of faith 1. To his
In Christo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the two Natures should be united 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so as that there should be no confusion mutation commixtion of them but that both natures should remain distinct and entire in their properties wils and actions without any change of one into the other 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 individually and inseparably so as one nature should never be separated from the other no not by death there never being two Christs but one Son of God manifested in the flesh How great was that wisdome which found out a way for the Mediator between God and Man to partake of the natures of both those parties between whom he mediates and which contrived a Reconciliation between God and Man by the marriage of the natures of both 2. How eminent was that Justice of God that would be satisfied no way but by the Son of God his assuming the nature of man the vailing his Glory emptying himself of Majestie and a debasing to the death of the Crosse Phil. 2.8 So that God may seem more severe in sparing man this way then if he had punish'd him without sending his Son thus to redeem him 3. How transcendent was the Love of God to poor lost man to weave the garment of his spotted and defiled nature anew in the Virgins womb to become a new and living way over that gulf of separation which was between God and Man whereby God might be willing to come to man and man able to go to God! to disrobe himself of Majestie and to cloath himself with the rags of Mortalitie Did ever Love cause such a condescention as this The Thistle did not here send to the Cedar but the Cedar comes to the Thistle to wo for a marriage Let the deepest apprehensions despair to dive to the bottom of this humble undertaking Angels themselves may stoop to look into it 1 Pet. 1.12 and be Students in this piece of Divinitie but never can they be compleatly apprehensive what it is for the Maker of the World to be made of a woman for the everlasting Father to be an infant in the womb for Majestie to be buried among the chips for him who thundred in the clouds to lie in the cradle for him who measured the heavens with a span to be a child of a span long 3. Observ 3. Isai 43.11 Hos 13.4 Any other Saviours beside Christ are altogether needlesse and fictitious If Christ be God there is no other Saviour and he no more wants the help of men or Angels in the Redemption of the world then he did in the Creation To an infinite power nothing can be added and the strength of Christ to save is infinite What brings the creature to God but wants and weaknesses That which receives all its strength from God adds no strength to God There 's none but a God able to do the Work and fit to receive the Honour of a Saviour The highest of all Popishly voyced Saviours throw down their Crowns at the feet of Christ and with one voice acknowledg him their Saviour The Crown of purchasing our salvation is too heavie for any created head Did those glorified spirits in heaven know how much honour is taken from Christ by casting it upon them some think that heaven should be no heaven to them 4. Divine Justice is compleatly satisfied Observ 4. and the sins of beleevers are perfectly removed The Merits of Christ are of infinite value the least sin was a burden too heavie for all the created backs of Men and Angels to undergo None but he that was God Heb. 7.25 John 1.29 Mic. 7.19 Isa 44.22 Isa 38.17 Psal 32.1 Jer. 31.34 could perfectly satisfie a God Christ is able to save to the uttermost He taketh away the sin of the world Our iniquities are said to be subdued Thrown into the bottom of the sea Covered washed away Blotted out as a cloud Vtterly forgotten and Cast behind the back of God Beleevers have nothing to pay to Justice The payments of Popish Merits are not in currant but copper coin which will not goe in heaven but will certainly be turned back again The sins of one beleever are ten thousand times greater than Satan can represent but yet the merits of the blood of God infinitely exceed all the sins of all men put together The blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin 1 John 1.7 Christians take heed of a sacrilegious ransacking of the grave of Christ wherein he hath buried your sins If Christ be God desperation is the greatest of sins Is there any spot so deep which the blood of God cannot wash out any disease so desperate which the blood of God cannot cure any heart so faint which the blood of God cannot revive any debt so great which the blood of God cannot satisfie any burden so heavie which the shoulders of God cannot bear away Oh beleever Luke 1.47 let thy spirit rejoyce in God thy Saviour 5. How high is the advancement of humane Nature Observ 5. Hee who hath taken it into the unity of his Person is true God Hebr. 2.16 Phil. 2.10 The seed of Abraham is now more highly dignified then the nature of Angels There 's not a knee either in heaven in earth or under the earth but shall bow at the name of Him who is God and man in one person Let us fear to debase that nature which Christ hath magnified Psal 15.4 There 's nothing but sin that makes a man a vile person How unworthy a condescension is it for that nature to stoop to Divels which is advanced above Angels 1 Sam. 5.5 The Philistims tread not on that threshold upon which their Idol Dagon fell and shall man suffer lust and Divels to trample upon and defile that nature which the Son of God assumed Oh man acknowledg thy dignitie and being made a companion of the divine Nature be not so degenerous as to become a slave to Sin 6. Observ 6. How peculiarly dignified and blessed are all Beleevers Their Head their Husband is very God They have not onely the common honour of all men in the union of humane nature with the Son of God but a speciall priviledg in being united to him by his Spirit through Faith Man is advanced above other creatures in respect of the first Beleevers are advanced above other men in respect of the second union And if thus we are united to him who is God what influences of holinesse wisdom power c. shall flow to us from such a Head A Prince who hath all the gold and ornaments of the world will not suffer his Wife to want necessaries and certainly the Spouse of Christ shall have what shee wants if not what she would 7. Observ 7. Whatever it is that Christ who is God ordains and owns deserves our highest estimation The Day instituted by
Christ deserves rather to be esteemed holy than any dayes of mans ordaining It should be accounted both a good day and an high day having such an Instituter The Ordinances of Christ should be preferr'd before humane traditions No Institutions but his shall stand nor should religiously be esteemed I fear Luk. 19.27 that the great and bloody Controversies which so long Christ hath had with England are about some Ordinances of his which yet we will not take up and some Traditions of our own which in stead thereof we will keep up What is become of those men and of their wisdom Sapientes sapienter in infernum descendunt whose wise work it was heretofore to invent and impose their own Innovations for Christs Institutions The Servants and Messengers of Christ should be more loved and honoured than the servants of any earthly Potentate They are the servants of God We should love as he loves It 's more honourable to be a servant of God than a King over men Our delight should be in those excellent ones who bear the image Psal 16.2 and wear the badg of Christ The feet of his Ambassadors should be beautifull whether we regard their Master Rom. 10.15 or their Message Lastly his Word should be preferred before any other writings Col. 3.16 Let the word of Christ dwell in us plentifully Let it be taken in not stand at the doors or lodg only in our books or on our shelves let it dwell there not be turn'd out again Let it dwell plentifully in all that is within us Understanding Will Affections Memorie and plentifully in all that is of it in its Threatnings Commands Promises It is the word of God who hath strength to back it In a word Take heed of opposing this great God in any kinde If God the Father be offended Christ is our Advocate but if Christ be provoked who shall mediate Thus far of the description of the dignity of him whom they opposed Next we must shew How they opposed him or Wherein that Opposition did consist They Denyed him EXPLICATION Two things are here to be explained 1. How Christ may be said to be Denyed and particularly What Denyall of him is here to be understood 2. Wherein the sinfulnesse thereof shews it self 1. How Christ may be said to be denyed Denying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Denyall properly is verball respecteth our words and signifieth the contrary to affirmation Thus those envious Rulers spake concerning the notable miracle of healing the lame man Acts 4.16 that they cannot dis-affirm or deny it Mat. 26.70 Joh. 18.25 27. John 1.20 Thus Peter denyed openly before them all that he had been with Jesus Thus John denyed not who he was c. But improperly and figuratively denyall may be taken for such a renouncing or rejection of a thing as may likewise be express'd by the actions and in realitie And thus Moses is said to deny Heb. 11.24 or refuse to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter and so some are said to have a form of Godlinesse 2 Tim. 3.5 and to deny namely in their course and carriage the power thereof And Christ may be said to be denyed 1. Doctrinally and by our words 2. Really and by our works 1. Doctrinally and by our words And thus Christ hath been denyed 1. In his Person 2. In his Offices 1. In his Person and thus 1. the Jews deny his Person wholly or that he was the promised Messiah Act. 3.13 14. And the followers of Simon Magus taught as he himself had taught them that he was the Son of God Epiphan lib. 1. c. 21. Aug. de Hares cap. 1. Joseph l. 2. c. 12 Tertul. lib. de Haeres The like is reported of Menander Judas of Galilee and he who stiled himself Bencocab all which as credible Stories relate gave out that they were Christs and Messiahs the later whereof though he call'd himself Bencocab the son of a Star applying to himself that prophesie of the Star of Jacob was afterward by way of derision called Barcozba the son of a lie 2. Christ in respect of his person hath been denyed in either of his Natures In his Godhead by the Ebionites Cerinthians Arians Samosatenians and of late by Servetus and his followers In his Manhood by the Valentinians Marcionites Manichees Apollinarists and of late by some Anabaptists 3. The Person of Christ hath been denyed by those who opposed the hypostatical union of the two Natures and thus he was denyed by Nestorians Euticheans Sabellians the first dividing Christ into two persons The second confounding and mixing his two Natures The third mixing him with the person of the Father 2. In his Offices 1. Christ in his Prophetical Office is denyed by Papists who impose upon us a new Scripture 1. 1 Cor. 11.26 Hebr. 13.4 1 Tim. 4.3 By taking away from it in denying the Eucharistical Cup to the people meats also and marriage and which is worse in denying the food of life the reading of the holy Scriptures to the common people 2. Col. 3.16 By adding to it in bringing in a second place for punishment after this life the fained fire of purgatory by inventing five sacraments and introducing their own unwritten traditions which they equally esteem with and often prefer before the Scriptures and by making a Pope the infallible judge of the controversies of faith 2. In his Priestly office Christ is denyed 1. 1 Joh. 2.2 Mat. 20.18 Mar. 10.45 Heb. 10.12 14 2 Cor. 5.21 By Socinians who teach that he dyed not for us that is in our place and stead but only for our benefit and profit to shew us by his example the way which leads to salvation 2. By Papists who teaching that the Masse is a propitiatory sacrifice make the sacrifice of Christ imperfect and by joyning many other mediators and advocates with Christ deny him to be the One and Only Mediator They mingle the blood of Martyrs yea of traytors with the blood of Christ teach that images are to be worshipped Angels invoked relicks adored c. 3. In his Kingly office Christ is denyed by Papists who acknowledge the Pope the head of the Church and teach that all power is given to him in heaven and earth and that he can make lawes to bind the conscience and is universall Bishop c. In a word the eastern Turk denyes the person of Christ and the western his offices 2. Christ is denyed really and by our works And this denyall I conceive the Apostle here principally intends for had these seducers in word denyed Christ the Church would easily have espyed them In speech therefore they professed Christ but in their deeds they denyed him Tit. 1.16 Christ may be denyed by mens workes sundry ways 1. Heb. 10.29 By a malicious and dispitefull opposing Christ and his Gospel of the truth and benefit whereof the holy Ghost hath so evicted a person that he opposeth the
most of all when 't is sheltered with appearances professions and priviledges A name to live externall ordinances circumcision in the flesh the Temple of the Lord commend us not to God I will punish saith God the circumcised with the uncircumcised Egypt and Judah and Edom Jer. 9. ult the children of Ammon and Moab for all these nations are uncircumcised and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart The Bible in thy house the word of grace in thy eare will not avail unlesse the grace of the word be in thy heart and the former without the later will but prove like Vriahs letters which he carried for his own destruction Paul accounted all his priviledges as dung in regard of the knowledg of Christ The means of salvation in word and sacraments must be used in faith and repentance Otherwise they being out of their holy use enjoyed will turne to our destruction 4. Observ 4. God labours to win people by mercies before hee wounds them by judgments Israel is first solicited by love God destroyes them not till afterward and if his goodnesse had made them blush his greatnesse should not have made them bleed Oh how propense was that God to save his Israel and how unwilling to destroy them He gave them the honey of deliverance and provisions freely and of his own accord he put not forth the sting of punishment till he was provoked Israel shall first have the cloud to guide them the sea divided Egyptians drowned Mannah showred downe the roks gushing them drink and they by all left inexcusable before they be destroyed Oh that the long-suffering of God might be salvation and lead us to repentance and that by submission to mercy wee may prevent a conquest by judgment and not put the Lord upon a work more unpleasing to him than to our selves whose backs do not suffer so much as his bowells Hos 11.8 when we are beaten 5. Observ 5. Miraculous mercies do not benefit an unholy heart After all the salvations that God had bestowed upon Israel they were fit for nothing but destruction Every step they took in the red-sea they trode upon a miracle of mercifull preservation Every time they tasted a crumb of bread or a drop of water they took in a miracle of mercifull provision Every time they look'd up to the heavens they beheld a miracle of mercifull direction but none of these could work upon stubborn hearts Only he who commanded that more soft rock to give them water could make their hearts obedient They who will not be taught by the word will not be bettered by the rod of Moses and without the spirit wee shall be benefitted by neither 6. Great deliverances abused make way for severest judgments Many times did God deliver Israel Psal 105.44 but they provoking him with their connsel were brought low for their iniquity The whole book of Judges is the Comment upon this truth a book made up of the vicissitudes of deliverance provocation and punishment Sins committed against the love of a God are committed most against the happinesse of a people Every deliverance is a bil of Enditement against the unthankfull This makes God to call to the heavens and earth as witnesses against those children which he had brought up Isa 1.2.3 Josh ult 20. Judg. 10.13 Jer. 15.6 Ezra 9.13 14. and rebelled against him Yea to professe that the owner of an ox and the Master of an asse were more respected by their beasts than he was by his Israel This makes God to professe that he will consume his people after he hath done them good and that hee will deliver them no more and elsewhere that he is weary of repenting After all this is come upon us saith Ezra should we again break thy Commnadments wouldst not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us Oh that England would in stead of murmuring at its present distresses mourn for its abuse of former deliverances and more fear without a speedy reformation that the mercies which still we enjoy shall be removed than hope that those we want shall be bestowed 7. Sin disappoints the hopefullest expectations of mercy Observat 7. Jer. 8.15 Jer. 14.19 It stifles it even when it seems to be come to the birth We looked for peace but no good came and for a time of health and behold trouble Who could have expected but that Israel after so many miraculous mercies being now upon the confines of Canaan should instantly have entred but behold their sin sends them back into the wildernesse there to linger and pine for forty years together Sinners disappoint Gods expectation and justly therefore may God disappoint theirs Isa 5.2 After all the costs bestowed by God upon his vineyard he looked that it should bring forth grapes and it brought forth wilde grapes Israel gives God appearances of holinesse and God gives Israel an appearance of deliverance They flatter God with shews of that obedience which he deserved and how justly doth God disappoint them of those mercies which they desired They fall short of promised duty and therefore of expected delivery Oh that we could condemne our selves and justifie God in the sad disappointments of Englands recovery We made shew at the first of a through reformation but we soon faltered and made an halt and why should God be bound when we would needs be loose Our goodnesse was as the early dew and the morning cloud that goeth away Hos 6.4 and justly therefore was our deliverance as a morning sunshine soon clouded and overcast with unexpected troubles 8. Observat 8. Even in judgment God remembers mercy God was good to Israel when he destroyed Israel God in his smiles will be feared and in his frowns will be loved as it s said of Asher that his shoos were iron and brasse and yet that he dipt his foot in oyl Deu. 33.24 25 so doth God ever mix the hardest and heaviest severities toward his Israel with the oyl of mercy and gentlenesse He spared the children when he overthrew the parents He did as vvell remember his own Covenant as their provocation He cut off some luxuriant branches but did not cut down the tree he punished some for their sins hee punished not all Psal 106.8 Ezek. 23.9 for his own glory He wrought for his Names sake I said I would scatter them into corners I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men were it not that I feared the wrath of the Enemy Deut. 32.27 So good is God that hee raiseth arguments of pitty toward rebellious Israel out of himselfe yea out of his enemies vvhen Israel affords him none Though justice made him cast his Church into the fire to be scorched yet mercy made him pluck it like a brand out of the fire lest it should be consumed Zec. 3.2 And a seed he reserves a remnant that his Church may not be as Sodom Isa 1.8 In the
falling of these angels from their originall holinesse and intended by the Apostle to be the effect thereof as if because they kept not their naturall integrity they therefore forsook their appointed duty and office wherein God had set them For as * Natura angelorum quum non posset esse otiosa non amplius inclinat et agit in iis quibus privata est sed in contrariis Positâ privatione hac effectiones ejus in isto genere poni necesse est Itaque optimè Christus privationi huic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 impotentem incl nationem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 actionem inclinationis istius attexuit dicens Verit as non est in eo à principio homicida fuit Jun. in Jud. Junius well notes These angels having deprived their nature of what good was in it before since it could not be idle it did not now incline to and act in former but contrary ways and imployments for that privation being put the effects thereof must needs follow accordingly in the same kind as a man being blind sutable effects and operations will succeed Hence it is that Christ to this privation of holinesse and not abiding in the truth most fitly annexeth the impotent inclination of the divell to sin in these words There is no truth in him and the action whereby he express'd that inclination which was in being a murderer By reason of this defection then from his originall holinesse he became a lyar an adversary to God and all his a tempter a murderer a spirit of uncleannesse a slanderer a divell So that from the former privative action of forsaking his primitive integrity as from a fountain flowed a voluntary and uncessant acting sutable thereunto and opposite to the duty which at the first God appointed him And now for the high nature of this offence of the angels in leaving their own habitation needs must it be answerable to the forementioned cause thereof viz. The revolting from their originall integrity Bitter was that stream which came from such a fountain how high a contempt of God was this 1. To slight the place of his presence in which is fulnesse of joy and at whose right hand there are pleasures for evermore Psal 16. ult If it be an heinous sin not to attaine that presence when we are without it how unsufferable a provocation is it to despise it when we have it The presence of God is heaven upon earth and the heaven of heaven The forsaking of this was the despising of all good at once even of that which was able to satisfie all the desires and capacities of all the creatures to the brim Nay the glorious perfections of God satisfie God himselfe and if they can fil the sea how much more a little vessel 2. Heinous was the impiety of these angels in leaving their own habitation as it was a forsaking of that office and station wherein God had placed them Job 1.6 1. They were the creatures nay the sons of God He made them and therefore it was their duty to serve him the homage of obedience was due to God for their very beings He gave them those hands which he imployed he planted in them those endowments of which he desired the increase 2. They were of the highest rank of all the creatures If he expected work from the weakest worm how much more might he do so from the strongest angel If God required the tax of obedience from the poorest how much more due was it from those richest those ablest of creatures to pay it And 3. As God had bestowed upon them the best of all created beings and abilities so had he laid out for them the happiest the honorablest of all employments All creatures were his subjects but these his meniall servants or other creatures did the work without doors these waited upon his person by an immediate attendance This employment was both work and wages What was their work but to behold the face of the King of glory and to praise the glory of that King and what other happinesse is desirable imaginable OBSERVATIONS 1. Holinesse Obser 1. the image of God makes the difference between an angel and a divel When an angel leaves his integrity he becomes a divell If he keep not his primitive purity he parts with his primitive preheminence The originall holinesse of the angels is set out by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies dignity Cut off Samsons locks and he will be even as another man Though never so many other accomplishments be left behind as spirituality strength wisdome immortality c. Yet if holinesse be gone the truly angelicall part is gone That which is to be desired in a man yea an angel is goodnesse All the stars cannot make a day Should a whole sheet of paper be fill'd only with cyphers they could not all amount to the smallest number nor can the rarest endowments without grace make a person excellent The righteous not the rich the honourable the learned is more excellent than his neighbour There 's nothing will have a lustre at the day of Judgement but purity Riches honours c. like Glow-worms in the dark blind night of this world glister and shine in mens esteems but when the sun of righteousnesse shall arise in his glory all these beauties will die and decay How much are they mistaken who shun and abhor Christians as divels because they are poor deformed disgraced though they keep their integrity and how great their sin who hate them because they keep their integrity but the world will love its own Black-mores account the blackest beautifullest Would we look upon men with a renewed eye and Scripture spectacles we would judge otherwise The poorest Saint is an angel in a disguise in raggs and the richest sinner is for the present little better then a gilded divell Holinesse though veyled with the most contemptible outside is accompany'd with a silent majesty and sin even in the highest dignity bewrayes a secret vilenesse 2. Observ 2. Truth and holinesse can only plead antiquity The first estate of the fallen angels was holy Sin came or rather crept in afterwards Holinesse is as ancient as the Ancient of days and the essentiall holinesse of God the pattern of that which was at the first created in angels and man is eternall and increated Sin is but an innovation and a meer invention of the creatures A sinner is but an upstart They who delight in sin do but keep alive the adventitious blemishes of their originall and the memory of their traiterous defection from God O that we might rather remember from whence we are fallen and in Christ recover a better than our first estate To any who pretend the greatest antiquity and longest custome for error or any other sin it may be said From the beginning it was not so Mat. 19.8 Consuetudo sine veritate vetustas est erroris Tert. Hos 5.10 Prov. 22.22
it cut them to remember that they have lost all things for nothing a massy crown a weight of glory for a bubble a butter-flie the inheritance of heaven for a song What proportion is between a notion a fancy and the satisfying fruition of a reall good how do men blame themselves for lodging in a dear Inne where they are compell'd to pay as much more as their entertainment is worth How heartily have I heard men beshrew themselves for parting with great summs of mony for which they say they never drunk A minute of pleasure a poor silly slight shallow nothing may the damned say was all I had for have he cannot say to shew for my self my blessednesse my God Oh mad exchange Oh amazing disproportion deservedly miserable wretch that I am I had but a dream of delight for heaven it self Did ever any fool buy so dear and sell so cheap 4. They consider who it is that excludes them from this blessedness even God himself who is not only a God of power and therefore able to hinder them from entring for if he shuts none can open but a God of tender compassions to some This God who made them will not have mercy on them Mercy it self is now made wrath He now thunders in his fury whose bowels once made a noise which though somtimes tender are now harder then flints What shal open the door when he who is goodness and love it self shuts it 5 They are therefore hopelesse Semper cogitur ut mortem sine morte defectum sine defectu finem fine fine patiatur quatenus ci mors immortalis fit defectusindeficiens finis infinitus Greg. Mat. 25.10 Luk. 13. and utterly despairing ever to be admitted to the presence of God the anchor of hope is now broken the bridg of mercy is now drawn the gulph of separation shall never be past The heaviest rock can as easily take wings and flie and kisse the body of the Sun as can a damned spirit get up into the gracious presence of God When the door is shut it s too late to think of entring Knocking weeping entreating are altogether fruitlesse How deeply did the departure of Paul pierce the heart of the Christians with sorrow when he had told them that they should see his face no more Oh dreadfull word never the bitterest word in comparison of it is sweet OBSERVATIONS 1 Separation from God is the evil indeed Observ 1. It separates from the greatest good Worldly evils hurt the skin not the soul It s possible they may be corrective but the losse of God is destructive God in depriving men of his gifts whips them but in the final removal of himself he executes them Scourging is oft the lot of sons but separation from God is the portion of divels God may take away every thing in love unlesse it be his love Separation from God is a distinguishing judgement How much are men mistaken in their estimations of misery The most know no other hell but poverty or some such worldly woe Whereas outward evils are but appearing and opinionative and all their deformity is in the eye of the beholder if they drive us as oft they do nearer to God they are good for us and nothing is truly bad which separates not from the chiefest good There is more bitternesse in a drop of sin than a sea of suffering 2. Observ 2. How grosse is the delusion of sinners Who for the tasting of the slight and superficiall pleasures of a tentation will lose the soul-satisfying presence of the ever-blessed God! If all the delights of the earth cannot countervail one moments losse of the light of Gods Countenance in this life what proportion is there between a moments tast of worldly pleasures and the everlasting losse of the fruition of God in glory Could Satan make his promise good in saying All these things wil I give thee truly it would be but a slight performance in the esteem of that soul who knowes that the gain of the world would be followed with an eternall losse of God The eternall weight of the losse of God infinitely more weighs down all momentany delights than doth a mountain of lead a feather Could sinners part with God upon some valuable consideration their folly were not so much to be pitied but nothing can be given them in exchange for God because God whom they lose is all things 3 The wisest care imaginable Observ 3. is that of enjoying the presence of God in glory Shew your care hereof 1 By observing Eph. 2.1 2 12 Ephes 4.18 and laying to heart your distance from God by nature We all came into the world with our faces toward Satan and our backs turned upon God let no worldly enjoyments bribe your consciences into a false and fained quietnesse while you so remain If the poor Jews would not be made to sing in a strange land let not siners please themselves in this condition of estrangement from God How have the Saints mourned under the apprehension of Gods departure Their lamentations shew what sinners must do either here or hereafter 2 By making him your friend who onely admits us into the presence of God Jesus Christ is that way whereby that gulf between God and the soul is onely pass'd over There 's no seeing his face without bringing Christ along with us nor can we more endure the presence of God without an interest in Christ then can the stubble endure the flames Every Christless soul is a Godless soul The blood of Christ is the onely cement which can joyn God and us together 3 By labouring to be made fit for his presence Holiness becomes all those who shall enjoy it Heaven is no place for dogs and without holiness no man shall see God Heaven must first be in us before we can ever get into heaven God forbids his people to have fellowship with the works of darkness and much less will he himself delight in such company Sin hinders from enjoying God here Isa 59.2 much more bereafter Nor will heaven ever be sweet to that soul which here accounts not sin bitter The light of glory would dazle those eyes which only have been used to the darkness of sin filthy garments may undiscern'd be worn in the dark but not in the light It 's the happiness of heaven that all its inhabitants are of one mind The company of sinners would spoil the harmonious consort of glorified spirits 4 By delighting in the presence of and acquaintance with God while we are here upon earth How shie are men of admitting strangers into their houses and how readily do they open their doors to those with whom they are acquainted No wonder if Christ bids those depart whom he never knew Account those duties conditions companies to be but empty in and by which thou enjoyest not something of God Content not thy self with that Prayer Sabbath Ministry wherein God hath not
and manifest There is nothing hid but shall be revealed Sinners shall be openly sham'd their secret sins their speculative impurities their closest midnight-impieties shall be publickly discovered and their feined hypocriticall appearances shall then be unmasked Then Saints shal be openly honour'd the good which they have done in secret shall be divulged from their sins against which they have mourn'd pray'd beleev'd secretly they shall be acquitted openly and honourably from all the censures suspicions aspersions and wrong judgements upon earth before all the world of men and Angels they shall be publickly cleared In a word As the Judge is righteous he will bee known to be so and therefore not onely his sentencing but the equity therof shal be manifestly known Every tongue shall confess to God the just proceedings of that day and Christ shall be clear when he judgeth and justified when sinners are condemned 6. This judgement shall be immediate Christ will not any more judge by man They whom he hath intrusted with Judicature have often miscarryed in the work acquitting where they should condemne and condemning where they should acquit now therefore he will trust others with the work no more but will take it into his own hands Judgement here among men is the Lords mediately but the great judgement shall be his immediately Sinners might hope to escape while sinners were their Judges Saints might fear cruelty while sinners were their Judges In a word when frail sinfull man is Judge he like the unjust steward in the Gospel who cut off fifty in the hundred punisheth malefactors by the halfs and with him wicked men can tell how to deal Ezek. 22.14 but can their hearts endure or can their hands be strong in the day wherein the Lord shall deal with them When Gideon commanding young Jether to slay Zebah and Zalmunna and he feared to draw his sword against them Judg. 8.20 being but a youth Gideon himselfe ariseth and fals upon them and as was the man so was his strength for hee instantly slew them And God commands those who should resemble him in righteousnesse to cut down sin and cut off sinners but alas they are oft either unwilling or afraid to draw the sword of Justice and therefore the Lord himselfe will come and take the sword into his own hands and as is he so will his strength be found and felt to be infinite The mountaines and hills will be but light burdens to fall upon sinners in comparison of this mighty God 7. This Judgement shall be the last Judgement The sentence that there shall be pronounced is the finall conclusive and determinating sentence The day of Judgement is frequently call'd The last day The last day Joh. 11.24.12.48 and the Great day are sometimes put together Joh. 7.37 Wicked men have had in this world many dayes of Judgement by the word by temporall troubles by the examples and warnings of the Saints but now their last day their last judgement is come after which there shall be no more tryall Former judgements might be reverst upon repentance but this last is irrevocable Repentance will not move the Judge to repent of his sentence Jer. 11.7 8 9. repentance will be hid from his eyes From his sentence there can be no appeal nor is there any Judicatory above or after it 8. This judgement is call'd Eternall How great are those dayes wherein an earthly Judge sentenceth to a temporal punishment of a few minutes Heb. 6.2 Judicium humanum est vix alphabetum illius ultimi Luth. But Christ sentenceth to an eternall state the effect of his judgement shall last for ever An earthly Judge allowes men to put the sentenced to death out of their paine at their execution but this shall be the bitter ingredient into the sentence of the great day namely that the sentenced shall be executed but never die Depart from me yee cursed into everlasting fire Departure for losse and Fire for sense are the greatest punishments but this Everlasting is that which makes both insupportable Dreadfull sentence Without this everlasting departure hell would not be hell This Everlasting burnes hotter then the fire or rather is the heat of the fire in hell and oh the bottomelesse Ocean of sweetnesse in this word Ever when joyned with Being with the Lord this is that which like the faggot-band binds all the scattered parcells of heavens blessednesse together and keeps them from dropping out In a word This stability of happinesse is that which makes it happinesse Great day wherein there is a sentence to no estate shorter then Eternity OBSERVATIONS 1. Great is the vanity of all earthly greatnesse While we are in this world troubles and comforts seem far greater then they are Observ 1. the former we think too great to bear the other too great to forsake How do men groan under small burdens and how do they admire the poor enjoyments of the world but when this great day is come neither of these will seem great How smal will former disgraces be esteem'd by those who shall bee honour'd before all the world How contemptible shall then poverty be in the thoughts of those who shall ever be inriched with the satisfying enjoyment of God himself How slight yea forgotten will the few bitter drops of pains be to those who shall be filled with Rivers of pleasures What poor trifles will all the profits and revenues of the earth be esteem'd when all the stately edifices and the richest treasures upon earth shall be consum'd in the flames What a bubble a shadow will all worldly honour and dignities appear when the faint candle light of the earthly glory of the greatest Monarchs shall be swallowed up in the glorious sun-shine of the appearance of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords How will a sentencing to the everlasting flames of fire and brimstone blast those former dreams of pleasure in cool and pleasant Arbors costly Perfumes sumptuous Banquets c To those who so admire earthly injoyments I say as Christ to his Disciple Mar. 13.2 when he shewed him the buildings of the Temple Seest thou these great buildings There shall not be one stone left upon another the flame of that day wil devour them as easily as the fire from heaven did consume the stones and sacrifice of and lick up the water about Elijahs Altar 2. Boldnesse in sin is no better then madnesse The great Judgement day is by the Apostle call'd The terror of the Lord. Observ 2. Eccl. 12.14 Magna peccati poena metum fu turi judicii perdidisse Aug. ser 120. de Tem. And though it may be our sin to be afrighted at mens judgement days and to be afraid of their terror yet is it our folly not to fear this great day of the Lord and a great punishment of sin not to fear the punishment of sin What Judge would not be incens'd when the prisoners being warned of his solemn approach
out judgements What is the greatnesse of Sodom though the mother city compared with the greatnesse of the Lord of Hosts The lands of Alcibiades in the Map of the whole world could not be espied The Nations are as the drop of a bucket as the small dust of the balance Isai 40.15 He taketh up the Isles as a very little thing An nations before him are as nothing and lesse then nothing and vanity Jerusalem was the perfection of beauty and the joy of the whole earth yet how were her gates sunk into the ground Lam. 2.15 her bars broken Sion was so desolate that the Foxes ran upon it Her strength was such before Lam. 5.18 that the inhabitants of the world would never have beleeved that the enemy would have entred Jerusalem Lam. 4.12 Greatnesse of sin will shake the foundations of the greatest Cities upon earth If their heads stood among the stars iniquity will bring them down into the dust Even of Babylon the great that Spirituall Sodome shall it be said Rev. 18.2 It is fallen Vrbs aeterna Ammianus Marcellinus call'd Rome the everlasting City but even she shall see the day when the eternity of her name and the immortality of her soul wherewith she is quickned which saith a Learned man is the supremacy of her Prelates above Emperours and Princes shall be taken from her and as Babylon hath left her the inheritance of her name so shall it leave her the inheritance of her destruction In vaine do we build unlesse the Lord lay the first stone or plant unlesse he say Let it grow Blessed is the City whose gates God barreth up with his power and openeth with his mercy Otherwise Sodoms plenty and power cannot secure it's inhabitants It 's said of Tyrus that Her Merchants were Princes and her Traffickers the Honourable men of the earth yet how doth God deride her greatnesse at the time of her overthrow Is this that glorious City Isai 23.7 her own feet shall carry her far off to sojourne The Lord of Hosts hath purposed it to stain the pride of all glory and to bring to contempt all the honourable of the earth Sodome Babylon Jerusalem Constantinople c. have felt the weight of Gods power and their own impieties God once ask'd Nah. 3.10 Niniveh whether she was greater then No Let me ask London whether she be greater then those cities which for sin God hath made small yea brought to nothing He who in former great plagues hath made grasse to grow in the streets of London for want of passengers is able again to stretch out upon it the line of consusion the stones of emptinesse Isai 34.11 and to turn the glory of our dwellings into plowed fields The fear of God is the strongest refuge and righteousness a stronger bulwark then walls of brasse Prov. 10.25 How great is the folly of the greatest City to be at the same time sinfull and secure There 's no fortification against no evasion from the Lord. There 's no way to fly from him but by flying to him by making him in Christ our friend by becoming enemies to sin and by reforming 6. Observ 6. Gen. 19.35 Sin brings a curse upon every thing that belongs to man The sin of Sodomites overthrew them their houses their cities their children yea their plaine and all that grew upon the earth The curse of Thorns and Bryers grew out of the soyle of sin The punishment of Amalek reached even the Infant and Suckling yea the Ox and Sheep the Camel and Asse 1 Sam. 15.3 That which was made and bestowed for mans comfort may justly be destroyed for mans wickednesse Who wonders to see the children the followers the palaces and gardens of a Traytor to droop and decay and the armes of his house and the Badge of his Nobility to be defac'd and revers'd That which is abused by man to the dishâ—or of God may justly be destroyed by God to the detriment of man How deservedly may God demolish and dismantle those fortifications and break in pieces those engines in and by which rebellious man fights against his Supreme Lord and Soveraign How profitably may we improve all the miseries which we behold disperst upon the whole creation How fruitfull a Meditation may we raise from the barrennesse of the earth Psal 107.34 A fruitfull land turneth he into barrennesse for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein All the Monnuments of ruine the demolish'd Monasteries and overthrown Abbies and subverted Cels of Sodomiticall and lazy Fryers full fed and unclean inhabitants are but the scratches that sin hath made upon the fair faces of Nations Oh that England would look with Scripture spectacles upon all its fired Towns and razed mansions and say and beleeve If sin had not been these had not lien here Vestigia peccati and that these demolitions are but the foot-prints of sin that so having found out sin we may voice it and deal with it as the Philistins did with Samson Judg. 16.24 Who said they was the destroyer of their country Certainly that which wants reason is by God ruin'd that we who have reason may thereby be reformed We should say in the destruction of the creatures as David in the death of his subjects I and my Fathers house have sinned These sheep what have they done and we should look upon Gods taking away of abused comforts as stoppages in our way of sin and the withdrawings of the fuel of lust God as it were firing our ships and breaking down our bridges lest by these we should depart from him 7. Observ 7. Great is the difference between Gods chastising of his people and his punishing of Sodomites The universality of Sodoms ruine followed the community of its sin The Church of God is never destroyed utterly but in it he alwayes leaves a number Except the Lord had left us a seed saith Paul we should have been as Sodom Rom. 9.29 and like unto Gomorrha Though an housholder spend and sel the greatest part of the corn of the Harvest Crop yet he will be sure to reserve a little seed corn to sow his ground for a new corp Though Sodom be utterly consumed by fire yet Jerusalem is as a brand pluck'd out of the fire God makes a light account of whole cities full of sinners Psal 119.119 he takes away the ungodly of the earth like drosse which is put into the fire to be consum'd his own people being like gold only put in to be purged A man when his house is on fire more regards a small box full of Jewels then a great room full of ordinary Lumber God having intimated to his people Hos 11.6 that they deserved to be made as Admah and Zeboim the two Cities that were destroyed with Sodom and Gomorrha he subjoyns ver 9. I will not returne to destroy Ephraim Vid. Rivetum in loc by not returning to destroy
though their sins were as red as scarlet yet he saith that he would make them as white as snow ver 18. The Apostle tels the Corinthians 1 Cor. 6.9.11 that some of them had wallowed in this sin of Sodomy but saith he you are washed and sanctified The Gospel refuseth to pardon no sin for which the soul can be humbled Free grace can bring those to heaven whose sin equalized theirs who were thrown into hell The least sinner hath cause of humility nay in himself of despair the greatest hath by closing with Christ ground of hope If it be the glory of God to pardon great sins Multo plura quam debeamus Christus pro nobis solvit tantoque plura quanto guttulam exiguam pelagus excellit immensum Chrys in 5 Rom. Hom. 11. Observ 7. it is his greatest glory to pardon the greatest sinners There is no spot so deep which the blood of God cannot wash away The Argument which David used for the pardoning of his sin could only be prevalent with a God Pardon my sin saith he Psal 25.11 for it is great There is infinitely a greater disproportion between the blood of Christ and the greatest number of greatest sins then between the smallest pibble and the vastest ocean 7. The toleration of some places of uncleannesse is no means to prevent the spreading of this sin Sodom had liberty enough of sinning but their lust increased with their liberty The cause of Sodoms sin against nature was not the penury but the ordinarinesse of the other way of sinning with the Female Lust is insatiable and excessive nor will any liberty seem enough to it indulgence makes it insolent It will not be perswaded by fair means Insania Sodomitica non à penuria muliebris commercii sed à nauseâ Musc in 19. Gen. In rebus humanis non peccat magistratus si meretricibus certum locum urbis incolendâ—m attribuat quamvis certo sciat eo loco ipsas non bene usuras Potest enim permittere minus malum ut majora impediantur Bel. l. 2. de amis gr stat pec c. 18. nor must this nettle be gently touch'd but roughly handled and nipt if we would not have it sting If the Flood-gate of restraint be pull'd up lust keeps no measure in its powring forth The more we grant to it the more it will desire from us To prevent sin by permitting it is to quench fire with oyl to make the plaister of poyson and to throw out Satan by Satan Improvident and impure is that remedy used in the Papacy for the preserving of people chast I mean the toleration of Places of uncleanness Romana scorta in singulas bebdomadas Juli um pendent pontificii qui census annuus nonnunquam viginti millia ducatos excedit adeoque Ecclesiae procerum id munus est ut una cum Ecclesiarum proventibus etiam lenociniorum numerent mercedem Agrip. de van scient c. 64. But so the Romane Pander may fill his own coffers with the tribute he can be indulgent to the sin of whoredome 8. Observ 8. Corrupt nature delights in that which is strange to Gods ordination In the room of accompanying of Male and Female which was appointed by God Sodomites go after strange flesh Marriage was ordained by God Gen. 2.22 but nature being depraved forsakes that way and imbraceth the forbidden bosome of a stranger Prov. 5.20 a strange woman not standing in the former relation The marriage of one man and one woman was the ordination of God but instead thereof mans corruption hath brought in PolygaÌ„my Nor is the depravation of mans nature lesse opposite to religious ordinations God appointed that he alone should be worship'd but corrupt nature puts man upon serving strange Gods Jer. 5.19 called also Jer. 8.19 strange vanities The true God hath appointed the manner of his worship and strictly doth he forbid the offring of strange incense Exod. 30.9 but the same corruption which put the Sodomites upon following strange flesh puts Nadab and Abihu upon offering strange fire Man hath found out many Numb 3.4 and goeth a whoring after his own inventions and delights only in deviating from Gods way The wicked go astray from the womb How justly may our crooked natures be charged with what was unjustly imputed to the Apostles namely the turning of the world upside down All the breaches of ranks all the confusions and disorders upon earth proceed from our distempered hearts How comely an order would there be upon the face of the whole world if sin did not meddle 9. Little do they who allow themselves in sin Observ 7. know where they shall make a stop Once over the shoos in this puddle rarely will Satan leave till he have by degrees got them over head and ears The modest beginnings of sin make way for the immodest and irrecoverable proceedings The sin of the Sodomites which began at the unclean motions of the heart at length ariseth to a prodigious tallnesse of impudency and obstinacy The smallest spark may be blown up to a flame the flame upon the hearth may if not quenched fire the chimney None provide so wisely for themselves as they who kill sin in the cradle how easily do we proceed from one degree of sin to another and how ordinarily doth God punish one degree of sin with another He who allowes himselfe in speculative filthinesse may at length arrive at Sodomy He who now gives way to sin may shortly be given over to sin 10. Observ 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sinners prosecute their lusts most laboriously The Sodomites weary and spend themselves in uncleannesse and painfully pull down a showr of fire and brimstone upon their heads Incomparably sorer is the labour of sinners in damning then of Saints in saving themselves The sinner is the only true drudge sin the only true slavery and therefore much greater then any other because they who are in it delight to be so and are angry with the offer of a release Lusts are many and opposite and yet one sinner must be servant to them all and they all agree in rending and tearing the soul They are cruel insteed of wages giving only wounds and scourges and that to the tendrest part the conscience Nor doth the body escape the tyranny of lust Envy intemperance wrath luxury have had more martyrs than ever had holinesse Such is the goodnesse of God and the sweetnesse of his service that it 's beneficiall even to the body but through how many troubles and woes do wicked men passe to greater Wofull and the life of a Sodomite been though the fire and brimstone had never fallen Great should be the grief of Gods servants that Satans slaves should do more for him that will shed their blood than they can do for him who shed his blood for them that the former should give themselvs over to uncleanness and the later not more willingly yeeld themselves to the Lord. 11.
how unsupportably shall his wrath wrack and torment the creature How great and how inexcusable is the stupidity of every sinner the fire on earth is but painted and imaginary in comparison of that of Gods wrath If he who cryes Fire Fire at midnight at once both wakens and affrights us how amazingly should they affect us who know and denounce the terror of the Lord Psal 90.11 Who knoweth the power of his anger even according to his fear so is his wrath What interest have we in the world comparable to that of making him our friend in Christ he is the severest enemy but the sweetest friend Psal 2.12 When his wrath is kindled but a little blessed are all they that put their trust in him Greater is the disproportion between the pleasure and paines of sin then between a drop of honey and an Ocean of gall Consider O sinner when thou art bathing thy soul by the fire of lust how thy soul shall burn in the flames of hell and remember that fire and brimstone lye under the skin of every Sodomiticall apple and are in the belly of every lust Meditate Oh Saint of the love of Christ in delivering thee from this eternall fire this wrath to come in becoming a skreen between that flame and thy soul in cooling of thee thoughby scorching of himselfe To conclude this If he hath delivered us from this eternall how patiently should we endure any trying fire and how cool should we account the hottest service in which God imployes us in this life All is mercy besides hell And how should we pity and pull back those who are posting and that painfully toward these pains of eternall fire 6. Gods anger changeth the use of the creatures Observ 6. It turns helps into plagues The fire which God appointed to warm and purifie shall if God be our enemy consume and burn us to ashes the air shall poyson us our houses shall be prisons to keep us for execution by flames The Sun shall hold or rather be the candle to give light to our slaughter as in Joshuabs time the earth which should bear shall devour us The seas which serve for conveyance shall swallow us up the Stars which at sometimes are sweetly influentiall shall if God be angry fight in their courses against Sisera the Heavens which are wont to afford ther fruitfull drops shall showr down fire and brimstone and by both barrennesse The usefullest creatures of God if hee bid them shall go upon errands of destruction in obedience to their Commander in chief who can commissionate and impower for services of bloodyest severity and revenge not only his chief officers the glorious Angels but even his Common souldiers the poorest of creatures If he be our foe even those shall hurt us from whom we have formerly received and now expect most friendship Our greatest comforts shall become our greatest crosses The wife of the bosom the children that came out of our loyns may become our butchers and traytors yea God can make our selves our own deadliest enemies Let none be secure in their freedom from enemies till God be their friend nor in the multitude of friends so long as God is their enemy God can punish unexpectedly even such a way as we never dream of Jerusalem saith the Prophet came down wonderfully Lam. 1.9 and what Sodomite ever heard before of a showr of fire but unheard of sins procure unheard of punishments 7. Observ 7. Most heinous is the sin of contempt of the Gospel These Sodomites were sinners and sufferers even to amazement Sodom was a hell for sin and typically a hell for punishment and yet Christ saith It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodome and Gomorrha in the day of judgement Mat. 10 15. then for the City which is guilty of this sin Vnbelief is worse then Sodomy Of all sins Gospel-sins damn most unavoidably The pollutions of Sodom defile not so deeply as doth the refusing of that blood which should eleanse us How dangerous is the condition of that man who pleasing himselfe in a civill conversation and freedome from those sins which bring him within the compass of mans law allowes himself in that one which concludes him under the curse of the law of God Of this before 8. Observ 8. God often proportions the punishment to the sin Sodoms sin was against the light and use their punishment against the course of nature they fetch up hell to the earth and God sends hell out of heaven Their sinne was notorious and proclaimed in the face of the Sun their punishment was nay yet is visible to all the world Their sin was universall and the raining of fire and brimstone saith Christ destroyed them all Luk. 17.29 Exod. 21.24 Psal 55.23 Mat. 26.52 Job 31.9 10. Judg. 1.7 Their sin was a flame of lust and their punishment a flame of fire Their sin was filthy not without abominating it to be named their punishment as by fire so by brimstone was so unsavoury to the smell as not to be endured How happy were it for us if as our sins lead God to inflict such a kind of punishment so that punishment may lead us back againe to find out the sinne But of this before ver 5. 9. Great is Gods care of mans safety Observ 9. and humane society How angry was God with the Sodomites for a sin committed against their own bodies and the honour of one another God hath appointed and executed punishments for upon any that shall abuse poor sinfull man and with whom is God so angry as with those who hurt themselves most How strong an hedge hath he set about mans welfare in his ten Commandments in them he distinctly provides for mans authority life chastity estate name and generally in them all for his soul All the rebellions murders rapes oppression defamations c. in the world whereby men suffer from men are from hence that God is not obeyed by men and all the violencies among men proceed from the violation of the law of God which were it observed what a face of calmnesse and comelinesse would be upon the whole earth God is infinitely better to us then we are to our selves to one another How observable is the difference between those places where the fear of God swaies and others even in respect of civill comely and honest behaviour To conclude Though God might have enjoyned us the worshipping and serving of himselfe without any regard of our own benefit yet such is his love to man that as no command doth hinder so most are intended for the furthring of mans outward welfare How strong an engagement lies upon us to be studious of giving him that honour which we owe who is so carefull to make that provision for us which he owes us not Thus far of the third particular the severity of the punishment inflicted upon the Sodomites viz. the vengeance of eternall fire The fourth
the second viz. Why the Lord would shew forth such an example of Caution Hereby he would shew 1. Our naturall forwardnesse to sin in like manner He who saith Take heed of such a practice shews a likelihood without care of doing the very same The naturall inclination of our hearts answers to that of the greatest sinners as face answers face in the glasse Their practices are but expositions upon our natures It is a Proverb What fools speak wise men think I am sure 't is a truth To that which the worst man acteth the heart of the best man without grace inclines And though the godly are not companions with the wicked in sin yet should they be humble for the very sinning of the wicked 2. His constant abhorrence of sin Examples of Caution speak both Gods hatred of the sin of those who went before whose punishments are the monuments of his vengeance as also his equall dislike of it in those who succeed against whom if they will sin he is prepared to do what he hath done against the former Though Gods forbearance towards some shews that sometime he can spare sinners yet his punishing of others shews that he never loves sin 3. The aptitude of examples for to prevent sin Greater is our forwardnesse to be affected with what we see executed then with what we hear denounced My eye saith the Prophet affecteth mine heart Examples either of imitation or caution work more on us then Doctrines The rod hath a louder voice then the word a mans word will not be so soon taken as his hand and seal God hath not only set seals to his promises but to his threatnings also and such seals as are examples Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians and the people feared the Lord and beleeved c Exod. 14.31 When thy judgements are in the earth the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousnesse Isai 26.9 When a scorner is punished saith Solomon the simple is made wise Prov. 21.11 At the death of Ananias and Saphira Act. 5.11 Luk. 16.30 great fear came upon all the Church If one went from the dead said that tormented Glutton they will repent 4. His mercifull willingnesse to prevent our ruine The Lord gives us to see that so we may not be examples and lets us read the stories of others that so we may not be stories to others Such is the goodnesse of God that he had rather we should be drove away from then destroyed in sin Oft doth God recall to the minds of Israel the sins and punishments of their forefathers and his plagues upon the Egyptians It had been as easie for God to have destroyed them with as warned them by others had not mercy pâ—â—ased him Quot vulnera tot ora Every wound of another is a mouth that calls upon us to repent 5. The inexcusablenesse of sinning after the setting examples before us Dan. 5.22 This was the great aggravation of Belshazzers pride that he humbled not his heart though he knew the judgment which God had layed upon his father for the very sin of pride Thus likewise the Prophet hightens the impiety of Judah in that notwithstanding Judah saw the idolatry which Israel had committed against God and what judgements God had laid upon Israel yet Judah feared not but went and played the harlot also How just is God in hitting those to whom he had said before Stand off They who sin against examples sin presumptuously and even to a contempt of all Gods attributes his Immutability Power Righteousnesse Long suffering c. They cannot sin at so cheap a rate as those who never were warned He who will ride into the depth of the river notwithstanding the stake deserves irrecoverably to be drowned That thief offends obstinately who will rob in that place where his fellow hangs in chains OBSERVATIONS 1. The works of God especially his judgements Observ 1. have a language as well as his word Examples of judgement are visible Sermons and speak the pleasure of God When God forbears to punish he is said to keep silence Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath saith the Psalmist and vex them in his sore displeasure A word is significative and God is not only known by his word but even by his works also and particularly by his judgment which he executeth Psa l 9.16 Idem Deo facere loqui A word is not more easily uttered then the greatest work is performed by God There is nothing done by God but as a word is filia mentis produced by the mind was first determined before in his secret counsell There is no word so diffusive and scattered among so many as the works of God are there being no speech nor language where their voice is not heard In short Quot verbera tot verba No word or speech requires so much attention as the works of God do observation It is a shame for us that God hath spoken so often and so loud so long so plainly by them and that wee will not hear If that voice be not loud enough and if he hath stood too far to be heard he will speak more loudly and come nearer to us to our cost Intreat the Lord to open the ear as well as to speak the word and to teach as well as to speak Psal 94.12 2 Great Observ 2. is the excellency of the word in point of purity It sets not forth sins by way of meer relation much lesse by way of imitation but by way of caution As in it the filthiest of sins are spoken of modestly and purely so they are mentioned as punished severely Gen. 39.5 Gen. 38.26 Lev. 18.6 7. Sodoms filthinesse is set forth in Scripture but so likewise are Sodoms flames and both to warn us not to allure us The Scripture mentions the scourge as well as the sin of the holyest man the Medicine as well as the Malady how groundlesse is their impiety who take liberty to sin from reading of sins especially of good men in the Word what is this but to read it with Satans spectacles who as he cites so alwayes shews Scripture by halfs To sin without examples of caution is bad to sin against them is worse to sin by them is worst of all the first is to walk the second to run the third to flye to hell 3 Publick and notorious offenders Observ 3. ought to be open examples Sodom is not afraid to declare their sin and God declares it to make others afraid Though punishment should reach but a few yet fear should reach all Secret punishment is a plaister not broad enough for an open a scandalous fault God threatens even his otherwise dear David that he who had made the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme 2 Sam. 12.12 should be punished before all Israel and before the Sun Private corrections for open crimes are not plaisters to cure but only