in the coldest winter the brightest Stars in the darkest night Phil. 2.15 In the mids of a crooked and perverse nation the godly shine as lights Lots righteous soul was vexed with the unclean conversation of the wicked and Davids eyes ran down with rivers of tears when he saw Gods Law broken What a work of power is it that a sea of ungodliness should in stead of damping redouble the heat of a Saints love to holinesse Aut inveniet sine crimine aut tollet sine patrocinâ—e Aug. Further God will hereby either better the wicked or render them inexcusable either their living among his people shall change or condemn them either the holy conversation of Saints shall turn the hearts or stop the mouths of sinners they shall not be able to plead ignorance of their duty when they have been instructed by the language of lip and life Though Noah by preparing the Ark saved his own house yet he condemned the world Heb. 11.7 To conclude by the company of wicked men God makes his people more prize communion with himself long for heaven where there shall be neither sin nor sinner to molest them where they shall no longer sojourn in Meshech Psal 120 5 6. nor dwell in the tents of Kedar nor their souls with them which hate peace Heaven would not be sweet if the world were not bitter nor the company of Saints in glory be so desirable were it not for the unkindness of and vexation by sinners on earth Oh how sweet will that condition be where all the society shall be of one mind How melodious that chore which shall ever sing without any jarring any discord Till which condition let us what ever our times where ever we abide neither impatiently complain of God nor sinfully comply with the ungodly but account it our duty to do the wicked what good we can if we cannot do them what good we would to be careful that they maynot and comforted that they cannot do us that harm they would but contrarily both by their company yea and unkindnesses that good they would not 7. Feasting is not ever unlawful The Christians here are not blamed for their chear Observ 7. but warned of their guests The holiest men in Scripture we read have made Feasts as Abraham Lot Isaac David Solomon Gen. 19.3 21.8 36.30 Nehemiah also and Ezra Nehem. 8.10 commanded the people to eat the fat and drink the sweet and send portions unto them for whom nothing was prepared 2 Sam. 3.20 Luke 5.29 John 2.1.8 And more then once I read of our Saviours honouring of a feast with his presence God hath provided not only for our necessity but also lawful delight and his bounty reacheth not only to our being but honest solace nor doth it only give us naked lives but lives clothed with many comforts that we may more then live even live cheerfull When Christs mother told him they had no Wine he turns Water into Wine even to a very great proportion he thought it not enough that they should have water to quench their thirst he gives them also Wine to chear their spirits and it being at a feast that quantity which at another time had been superfluous was now but necessary A man may be angry so he sin not and take lawful delights so he surfet not why hath God given man such choice of earthly delights but for his use Some observe that God hath made more creatures serving for the delights of man then for his necessity and certainly he hath made nothing in vain The whole Earth full of his goodness is a well-furnisht table if we altogether fast we shew our selves but sullen guests some indeed have run from the world and to avoid the danger of pleasure have changed places of plenty for solitary and barren mountains and deserts but may not the world be in a desart a boyling desire in a neglected body Did not Hierom find Rome in his heart when onely rocks and bushes were in his eye but God hath appointed a better way then this the wiseman will be an Hermite at home and it s a much more Christian practice to turn the world out of our selves then our selves out of the world we may distinguish between the love of pleasure and the use of it we may warm our selves in the Sun without worshipping it we may be merry without being mad and get crucified affections to our lawful and delightful comforts and without this inward mortification upon the heart notwithstanding our leaving of outward enjoyments we shal be snared as the Bird which though getting loose from the stone to which she was tyed yet flying with the string about her leg is in danger to be eutangled in every bough But yet 8. Observ 8. Gluttony is a great sin It was here the sin of these Seducers they fed themselves though among men yet not like men but beasts and all their food was but fewel for their lusts Peter joyns their feasting and their eyes full of adultery together 2 Pet. 2.13 14. Several * Schoolmen reduce them all to five heads Praeproperè lautè nimis ardenter studiosè ways is the sin of Gluttony committed 1. As first when men offend in the quantity of what they eat when they eat and drink in too great abundance its lawful sometimes to exceed in provision but never to exceed the bounds of moderation We are forbidden Prov. 23.20 to be among riotous eaters of flesh the feasting of the Ancients was called but eating of bread and Christ Luke 21.14 bids us take heed lest our hearts be overcharged with surfetting and drunkenness That proportion of meat I confesse surchargeth the stomacks of some which perhaps is not enough to satisfie the hunger of another as that quantity of rain will make a clay ground drunk which will scarce quench the thirst of a sandy country but this I fear not to assert that we offend in the excessive quantity of our food when at any time we eat so much as to be disabled to perform the service which we owe to God ether in our general or particular Callings Fulnesse of bread was one of Sodoms sins Moderate showers refresh the earth immoderate drown it Nor yet are men onely gluttons by overcharging their stomacks but also by overcharging their estates spending that in superfluity which they should use for necessity 2 When we offend in the quality of our food * Procul sint à conviviis tuis phasides aves crassi turtures attagen Ionicus omnes aves quibus amplissima patrimonia avolant Hier. Ep. 9. ad Salvinam Sufficit ut condimenta fiant comestibilia non concupiscibilia Bern. Palatum tuum fames excitet non sapores Sen Satius est demere de prophano addere ad Sacrum quam demere de Sacro addere ad prophanum Proverb Judaic And that 1. When our meat is too costly What we eat is put into
Exhorting one another Salvation is large enough for our selves and others If Gods eye be good ours should not be evill The doing good to others soules is encouraged Jam. 5.20 And rewarded Dan. 12.3 It s the nature of grace to propagate it selfe The Spirit appeared in the likenesse of fiery tongues and both fire and tongues are very communicative the one of it selfe and heat the other of sound and voice Our relations of Brethren fellow members c. call for this expression of love Yea the contrary practice of sinners who damne and defile one anothers soules may put us upon this duty How great then is their sin who destroy the soules of others by error and seduction and ungodly example c. who watch over others for evill and to make proselites for hell who are factors for Satan and agents for that Prince of darknesse If their own sin and damnation will be so heavie a burden what will other mens sinnes and damnations also be to them in hell O what a holy covetousnesse should be in every Saint to propagate holinesse and leven others with grace in the world Oh pray Lord let hell never be the fuller for me or mine but heaven for both In respect of the priviledge of saving of soules it s by some said that saints on earth excell the very glorified in heaven 2. Obs 2. Others Necessity should be the mother of severity Others i. e. they who will be by no other means reclaimed upon whom compassion will not worke must be saved by feare First gentle meanes must be used severe afterwards Severity though good is but accidentally good not in it selfe but onely because of mans stubbornenesse Medicines were only brought in and kept up by sicknesse The Bee gives its honey naturally its sting onely when provok't We should run to Compassion but be driven to rigor If the birds will be driven away its needlesse to shoot them our will must bring forth peace necessity war Paul was much more willing to come to the Corinthians with the Spirit of meeknesse then with the rod of severity Even when we are most deeply engaged in rigor let all see that in afflicting others we more afflict our selves 3. Obs 3. Others Severity is to be regulated not by outward respects but by the merit of the offence Others that is they who are more obdurate not who are further from us in relation or poorer c. should be affrighted Though the nature of the offence should should make us put a difference in our rigours yet other considerations forraigne to the cause should not Some are fiery hot in terrifying the poorer sort whereas the rich are like the mount that might not be toucht Having mens persons in admiration An ungodly base respecting of persons Of it see at large before pag. 536 537. Part. 2. 4. Save Even a man may be a saviour of soules Obs 4. See the proofs in the Explication Paul speaks of labouring by all meanes to gaine some And we read of those who catch men and win soules and Christ mentions the gaining of thy brother How great an honour doth God cast upon weak wormes 1. If the supreme Cause be pleas'd to attribute salvation to men because of ministry should not men attribute salvation to God in regard of efficacy How carefull should we be to honour that God who so dignifies dust and ashes Lay that Crown at his feet which he sets on thy head How industrious should this likewise make us in doing good to others The Lord reckons it as our own Though he guided thy hand every letter yet he saith thou hast written the faire copie whereas indeed onely the blots and blurs were thine Though thou didst but lay on the plaister yet he attributes the cure to thee who couldst never put vertue into the salve To conclude this how fearfull should any be of despising the ministry of man Though salvation sometime be attributed to our selves that we may not be negligent and properly to God that we may not idolize man yet it s often ascribed to others that we may not contemn their help 5. Save with fear Obs 5. Severity should be exercised to this end to save The scope of using the sharpest rebukes by spirituall Physicians should be cure Mercifull intentions must be lodged under severest performances The end of Excommunication must be the saving of the Spirit Tit. 1.13 The most cutting reproofs must be given to others that they may be sound in the faith Even the dreadfullest Censures of the Church are not mortall but medicinable In the body of the Church members are wounded and cut that themselves and the whole body may be saved And herein Ecclesiasticall censures excell civill punishments the latter being to preserve the publick peace and for warning to others the former being principally to save the offenders soule How sharply did Peter reprove Simon Magus when he said Thy mony perish with thee and thou art in the gall of bitternesse and yet he addeth repent and pray c. We must not reprove men to disgrace their persons but to shame their sins and neither insulting over mens falls nor despairing of their risings And therefore let not people sume and rage against the constrained rigour of the faithfull especially Ministers for 't is not butchery but Surgerie As reprehension faithfully ministred shewes the strength of zeale so meekly received the sincerity of grace A godly heart would not one threatning lesse to be in the Bible 'T is a bloodlesse martyrdome humbly to embrace the strokes of a reprover To conclude how ridiculously prophane are the Papists whose loudest thunderings out of excommunication are against the holiest persons But Christs Spirit is not in their counsells nor will he refuse graciously to meet thee unjustly ejected as he did the blinde man sinfully cast out by the Jewes 6. Save with feare Obs 6. Severity to sin is mercy to the soule This affrighting made way for saving Holy severity is a wholsome thing even rending Mastiffes are very usefull to kill woolves The nipping frosts of winter though not so pleasant as summer Sunshine yet are as needfull for the earth they killing the wormes and vermin Jacob is said to * Every one according to his blessing Gen. 49.28 Nonnul lis bene dixit maledicendo blesse his sons and yet he sharply censured three The smitings of the righteous are desirable to a saint They are precious ointment They slay sin and save the soule How wilde a madnesse is it then to be angry with them who by telling thee truth love thy peace There 's none but fools that oppose faithfull reprovers and who are such that if the truth be told them will not be pleased and if they be pleased the truth is not told them Such a disposition as this is an evident token that God hath a purpose to destroy them 2 Chron. 25.16 How much is this cruelty to their
AN EXPOSITION Of the EPISTLE of JUDE Together With many large and usefull DEDUCTIONS Formerly Delivered In sundry LECTURES in Christ-Church LONDON May 24th BY WILLIAM JENKYN Minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ AND PASTOR of the Church at Black-friars LONDON The SECOND PART LONDON Printed by Tho. Maxey for SAMUEL GELLIBRAND at the golden BALL in Paul's Church-yard 1654. TO My Dear FLOCK and much honoured Friends The CHURCH of GOD In the Precinct of BLACK-FRYARS LONDON Christian and respected Friends IT cannot seeme strange that I who have lately given my selfe to the service of your soules should now dedicate my Booke to you for that purpose Nor can any wonder since you have lately imitated your Predecessors in the loving and unanimous Call of your though now unworthy Pastor that he should endeavour to follow the steps of those excellent servants of Christ your former Ministers who in their times both by Preaching and Printing bestowed their labours upon you for your spirituall benefit I have frequently heard that Black-fryars is one of those places in London commonly accounted and called by the name of Priviledged in respect of sundry civil Immunities bestowed upon it But what are all those Political in comparison of the Spiritual priviledges which God hath afforded to you of this place in regard whereof I much question whether any Congregation in London I think I may take a far larger compass hath been equal to you in the priviledg of enjoying so long a continuance of an Able Orthodox Soul-saving Ministry Those two excellent and eminently faithful Servants of Christ Mr. Egerton and Doctor Gouge lately deceased spent as I am informed about seventy years in their Ministerial Labors among the people of Black-fryars The Gospel in your Congregation hath continued I think beyond the remembrance of the oldest the Lord grant that it may outlive the youngest now living among you God hath as it were made his Sun to stand still upon your Gibeah and his Moon upon your Ajalon to give you light to overcome your spirituall Enemies How many learned and pithy expositions savoury discourses and excellent tractates have had their conception in your Parish and their birth in your pulpit You have enjoyed the monthly administration of the Lords Supper as your late reverend Pastor informed me these five and forty yeares without any interruption I mention not these things to occasion your glorying in men or any outward priviledges but onely to put you upon self-reflexion and holy examination how you have thriven in holinesse under all these enjoyments Church priviledges I grant are excellent mercies in their kinde Without the Ordinances places are commonly as void of Civility as Christianity They are but magna latrocinia dens of robbers and places of prey darke places of the Earth fill'd with violence Church-priviledges so far forth as they are visibly owned make men visible saints in opposition to the world yea and in their due and holy use real and true saints in opposition to hypocrites But notwithstanding all these the meanes of grace without grace by those meanes leave those who injoy them in the same condition in respect of any saving benefit with those who want them Jer. 9.25 26. Is 29.1 2 Hag. 12.14 Rom. 2.25.28 29. The Arke at Shiloh the sacrifices devoured by Ariel Circumcision in the flesh The temple of the Lord The Rock and Mannah The Lords Supper at Corinth c. 1 Cor. 11.20 Jer. 7.12 were priviledges which did not savingly profit the enjoyers who were not holy by their holy things but their holy things rather were made unholy by them Nay bare outward priviledges increase condemnation The valley of vision hath the heavyest burden The Israelites who had not monthly but daily sacraments eating and drinking them every meal were most severely destroyâ—d These were but as Uriahs letters which they carryed to their owne destruction The higher Corazin and Bethsaida's elevation was the greater was their downfall Justice will pluck the unreformed from the Altar of priviledges Sermons do but heat hell and Sacraments are but oyl and pitch to make its flame scald and consume the more painfully The barren oak was not so near cursing as the barren fig-tree Nor are weeds on the dunghill so near plucking up as those in the Garden by none is the name of God so much dishonoured mercy so much abused hypocrisie so odiously veiled the power of godlinesse so bitterly hated Joh. 8.33 Rom. 1.27 as by many who have most enjoyed Church priviledges Put not off your souls therefore dear Christians with outward Priviledges without inward grace by those Priviledges What is it more to have a name to live and to be spiritually dead to have titular sanctity and real impiety then for a starving man to be vâ—iced up for a plentiful house-keeper When God had bestowed upon Abram a new name and changed it to Abraham he gave him also a new blessing The unprofitable under the means of grace are therfore worse then those who want those means because they are not better the more aship is laden with gold the deeper she sinks the more you are laden with golden priviledges the deeper if you miscarry wil be your destruction Though the Ministers industry without succeâ—ss acquits him yet it condemns his people He may be sincere yet unsuccessfull but then the people in the mean time if unprofitable shew themselvs hypocritical You never commend your Ministers but by getting the saving impressions of what they preach upon your hearts Christ reproved the young man for calling him good Master because saith Calvin he had never received any saving good from Christ The sheep onely prayse the care of the carefull shepherd by their wool milk fruitfulnesse and fatness Let it never be said that God gives the food of life to you as a rich man gives a nurse good dyet for the benefit of his child onely for the thriving of strangers Be not as Indians who go naked and beggarly in the midst of all their heaps of gold Let not sermons be as jewels onely to hang in your ears but let them be lockt up in the cabinets of your hearts Consider ordinances are never yours till you get the savour of them upon your spirits Meat upon the table may be taken away but not when by eating 't is turned into a mans substance Books may be stoln out of a Scholars study but a thousand theeves can never take away the learning which he hath gotten into his head by studying those Books The grace of priviledges is onely safe You shall be stript of these when you come to dye but the grace of them will stick by you for ever Christ may say to those at the last day depart who have eat and drunk with him and cast out devils but never will he say so to those who having eat and drunk with him have also eat and drunk himself who have cast lust out of their souls and gotten a broken
greatest worth that it sees in any thing beside Christ is this that it may be be left for Christ 4. It is an industrious thirst 't is not a lazy veleity but a desire which takes pains for the thing desired it suffers not a man to sit still but makes him seek knock ask cry call sell all wrastle strive all Scripture-expressions it offers violence to and makes an holy riot upon heaven It s like fire that will not be smothered It saith as Elijah to Obadiah As the Lord liveth I will shew my self It stands not for any cost it turns every stone Like the arrow drawn to the head it flies apace It 's not like the desire of the slothfull which slayes him because his hands refuse to labour Prov. 21.25 5. It s a resolved waiting permanent thirst Gen. 49.19 Luk. 2 25. Iratum colit numen Hence we frequently read of waiting for the Lord and his Salvation and Consolation It stayes the Lords leisure and will not away though the Lord seems to deny No waters of discouragement shall quench it It doth not cast off hope because it cannot presently find comfort T is good saith the soul that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord Lam. 3.26 Like one who goes to an house to speak with one much his Superiour the spiritually thirsty soul will tarry the Lords leisure for his coming to it 6. It s a thirst determined and limited to that One Thing upon which it s set Nothing else will serve its turn nor will it be brib'd or put off with any thing in stead thereof Whom saith the Psalmist have I in heaven but thee Psal 73.25 Psal 27.4 and there is none upon the earth that I desire beside thee One thing saith David I have desired of the Lord that will I seek after What have I said Abraham so long as I go childlesse and what have I saith the soul so long as I go Christless Land riches honours children c. are good but yet they are not Christ A bag of gold wilnot serve him who is perishing with thirst in stead of a cup of water 7. It s a returning progressive thirst 't is never fully satisfied on this side Heaven it puts upon craving and seeking again and again The earth desires not rain once onely in a year but a return of showres the latter as well as the former rain nor doth refreshment with drink to day make a man regardless therof to morrow Davids desire was to dwell in the house of the Lord for ever The least degree of spirituall relief Psal 23.6 Psal 27.4 satisfies and stayes a Christians stomack to the world but the greatest takes not away it s further desires of Christ 8. It s a thank full thirst it blesseth the Lord for every drop of grace with the Psalmist Psal 63.5 My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatnesse and my mouth shal praise thee with joyfull lips Oh! saith the soul Lord who shall praise thee if I do not A soul satisfied with mercy Psal 103.3 Rom. 7.25 1 Tim. 1.17 Nibil leve quo anima reparatur is a spirituall Psalm sung out in the praises of God Blessed be God who hath blessed us saith Paul with spirituall Blessings as soon as ever Paul had said Christ came into the world to save sinners whereof he was chief he adds his Doxology Now to the King immontall c. What a delightfull fragrancy comes from and what a face of freshnesse greennesse cheerlinesse is upon the face of the parched grasse and Plants after a shower of Rain Oh! what a spirituall freshnesse of joy is upon what sweetly breathings of praises issue from that soul which God hath relieved with his spirituall Showres of Love and favour The souls greatest trouble is now that it brings not forth more fruits of new obedience after those Showres and it s now as boundless in duty as heretofore it was in desires 7. Obs 7. Seducers are wont to make great shews and appearances of worth in themselves and their Doctrines These Seducers seem'd to be full watery clouds whose wombs were big with the rain of instruction and holinesse but for all this the Apostle tels us they were clouds without water Heresie is compared to leaven Mar. 8.15 and among other reasons for its puffing and raising the dough This spirituall Leaven puffs up men with an undue and excessive opinion of their own parts and Graces The Pharisees trusted in themselves that they were righteous 2 Pet. 2.20 and despised others Luk 18.9 No doubt think they we are the people and Wisdome shall dye us with Job 12.2 They are vainly puft up by their fleshly minde Col. 2.18 The Ministers of Satan desired to be accounted the Ministers of righteousnesse False Apostles 2 Cor. 10.12 commended themselves measured themselves by themselves and compared themselves among themselves They measured and esteemed themselves according to their own mind and judgment and not according to their reall worth or excellency Regnat luscus inter câ—cos They also never considered the excellency of others who were much beyond them in worth but onely such who were of the same pitch with themselves or as some understand the place they commend and receive praises from one another and among themselves And whereas the Apostle saith vers 13. that he would not boast of things without his measure he intimates that these Seducers boasted beyond all the bounds or measure of their gifts and calling or according to some that they boasted of their labouring in the Gospel beyond the measure and term of Pauls Labour Theophilact and Oecumenius conceiving that these Seducers falsely boasted that they had propagated the Gospel to the ends of the earth and that according to the Psalmist Psal 19. Their line was gone through all the earth and their words to the end of the world Arius vainly gloried that God had revealed something to him that was hid from the Apostles themselves Vide Danaeum in descriptione arboris Haeres 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epiph. Haer. 24. Montanus boasted that he was the Paraclet or Comforter himself Simon Magus the father of these hereticall seducers boasted that he was the mighty power of GOD. Hereticks boldly inintrude into things which they have not seen they professe knowledg falsely so called The disciples of Basilides voyced themselves onely to be men and all others to be swine and dogs saith Epiphanius and Nazianzen tels Eunomius that he was he means in his own Conceit a beholder of things which to all others are invisible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naz. in Orat. 33. an hearer of things which it is not lawfull to â—tter that he was taken up to heaven as was Elias that he had seen the face of God as had Moses that he was rapt up into the third heavens as was Paul Thus the Papists stile some of their Schoolmen Angelicall
times but they are called wandring or planets because they proceed in their orb by various and different motions keep not the same distance nor situation among themselves nor one place under the firmament nor are alwaies of one distance from any of the fixed stars Saturn Jupiter Mars Sol Venus Mercury Luna but move sometimes more swiftly sometimes more flowly and are sometimes higher sometimes lower sometimes appearing with more light sometimes with less yea sometimes not appearing at al Unde Cicero planetas dictos existimat per antiphrasim q. minime errantes according to their particular motions The other sort of wandring starrs are but appearingly such and improperly called such and they are termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or according to Aristotle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as dart Stella discurrentes transvolantes trajicientes leap and run hither and thither and wander into several parts of the heavens and oft fal down upon the earth they being only hot and dry exhalations gathered together in a round heap and yet not compacted throughly elevated unto the highest part of the lower region and there only kindled by antiperistasis Ovid 2. Metaph De 〈◊〉 lapsa sereno quâ— si non Cecidit possit cecidisse videri sâ—pe etiam stellas vento impendente videbis precipites Coelâ— labi Virg. 1 Georg. Decidua sydera Plin. and seeking to ascend higher by the sudden cold of the middle region are beaten back and so appear as though stars should slide and leap from place to place I conceive that Christ speaks of these stars Matth. 24.29 where he saith the stars shal fall from heaven Thus Aug. l. 2. de civ dei cap. 24. vid. Lud. Viv. Comment And that our Apostle speaks of these stars as it is the opinion of Junius Perkins Diodat and also of sundry among the Papists as Cajetan Lapide Lorinus so seems it very probable considering that tho the 7 planets have various different motions in their orbs yet their motions are so regular and constant that they are certainly known even before they have fulfilled them and also give clear direction to a man concerning times and seasons and the parts of the heavens and earth and therefore it seems not probable that the Apostle would call these seducers wandring stars or as the Syriack seductrices or as the Arabick caliginosas by comparing them to the seven planets And besides as the punishments contained in the former metaphors of trees clouds waves are the continuations of the three foresaid resemblances so the punishment which the Apostle subjoynes blackness of darknesse seems a continuation of the metaphor of wandring stars is such as agrees not to the seven planets but to these meteors or transitory impressions or exhalations which though for a time they flame and blaze brightly yet quickly go out and end in soot smoak and black darknesse 2. Why doth our Apostle here call these seducers stars and wandring stars 1. By giving them this title of stars I conceive our Apostle intends either first to shew their duty which was as Christians especially as teachers of others to shine like stars before others both by their doctrine and life and by both to be holily influential upon them or 2. rather the Apostle by calling them stars would insinuate what they desired to be esteemed and accounted among the people namely the eminent and glorious lights of the Church such as were fixed in heaven in respect of their meditations and affections such as directed others in the way to heaven afforded spiritual heat and life and quickning to them whereas indeed they were but false lights wandring stars such as led or rather mis-led people into the waies of error and destruction And both these reasons of the Apostles calling these seducers stars are made more then probable by that frequently used and elegant comparison of scripture wherein the Ministers of the Church are set forth by stars Dan. 8.10 Rev. 12.4 Rev. 1.16 Rev. 2.1 Dan. 12.3 They who turn many unto righteousnesse shal shine as the stars Apoc. 1.20 the seven stars are the Angels of the seven Churches c. and most fitly may the Ministers of the Church be compared to stars In regard 1. of their nature a star is of the same nature with the heavens celestial not Elementary Ministers should be pure Job 25.5 1 Tim. 4.12 2 Cor 6.6 blamelesse inoffensive they should teach facienda et faciendo voce et vitâ by lip and life tongue and hand their profession is holy they are compared to Angels called holy Angels the prophets were called holy Prophets In their heart they should experimentally find the work of holinesse and in their conversations express it 1 Cor. 3.5.6.7 Ephes 4.11 2. It is the nature of a star to be receptive of light and that from the Sun Ministers should abound in the light of knowledg They are called lights their lips should preserve knowledg they should be apt to teach and as the stars beams are borrowed from the sun the calling gifts abilities of the Minister are from Christ he hath set them in his Church he is with them without him they can do nothing he gives them work strength successe wages 2. Stars in respect of their situation and position they are high placed above the earth and thus Ministers should be stars advanced above others as in respect of their calling which of all others is the most excellent and honourable and of their gifts of wisdome c. so of that high regard and reverend esteeme double honour which the faithfull should bestow upon them As they have the highest place in the Church so walking worthy of their place they should have the highest place in the hearts of beleevers but especially they should be high and heavenly in their aimes affections Conversations they should carry themselves as the Prophets and Ministers of the most high they should not undertake their high and glorious function for low and base ends for honour wealth Ease but for the advancing of Christ the bringing of soules to heaven Their affections must not be set upon these things which are below money and possessions should lye at their feet not their heart An earthly minded minister resembles a clod not a star their Conversation should be in heaven A Star would give no light if it were not in heaven Instruction is made profitable to the people by the heavenly carriage of the minister Stars are of a round sphericall figure and an orb or boul toucheth the earth not as a plane but only in puncto A little earth should seem enough to a minister 1 Tim. 6.8 And as the greatest stars in regard of their distance from the earth appear but small so those ministers who in gifts and graces are most Eminent 1 Cor. 4.9.13 are yet in the opinions of men small vile Contemptible the off-scouring of the world and basely esteemed this is their lot but withall
in his glory 2. The Apostle cals these Seducers not simply stars but wandring stars And why wandring stars understanding such as are sliding gliding shootting falling stars 1. In regard of the matter of these stars They were but earthly exhalations when they seemed to shine in all their glory they were not of that pure Celestial nature with those stars which they did so resemble they had Earthly or as Austin speaks of the rich Glutton they had animas triticeas wheaten hearts they sought themselves their belly was their God they minded earthly things Earth and Slime was their food and fewel and when the earthly exhalation of Profit Pleasure and Honour was spent these stars went out They were not like stars that shined to benefit the earth but meerly to be fed and by being fed by the earth They were slimie sensual unclean creatures when they were most shining servants of corruption They taught false Doctrines for filthy lucres sake and steered their Course by the Compass of Profit so that though the world had they been true stars should have been guided by them they were guided by the world 2. In respect of their outside shewes and hypocrisie Though they were but slymie matter yet they had a bright and shining appearance They transform'd themselves into Angels of light They had a glorious outside and an inglorious inside like those false Teachers among the Galatians they did onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make a fair shew outwardly A wandring star hath nothing of a star but the shew and these nothing of Ministers but onely the Title they were confutations of their professions being without knowledge vain janglers their science was falsly so called though they might term themselves Gnosticks and pretend to be the only knowing men in the Church they left the Scripture and onely regarded Fables They were stars without influences they neither furthered the holiness nor the peace of their Hearers their Doctrines tended to carnal liberty and uncleanness and soon did their mistaken Admirers find that peace and true liberty could never be found in such waies 3. In respect of their instability A wandring star keeps no certain course the skilfullest Astrologer knows not which way it will move They who leave the truth know not where they shall stop the heart is onely established with grace A soul without holiness is a Ship without Ballast it holds every thing and truly holds to nothing These Seducers like a skipping dancing star wavered doubted were Scepticks in Religion not settled in the Truths thereof halting between several opinions not placed upon a firm Foundation nor partaking of the full assurance of understanding neither firm to the Truth nor their own opinions forgetting what they have been not understanding what they are and not knowing what they shall be 4. In respect of * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 errare Mat. 18.12 13. and 22.29 Seducere Mat. 24.4 Mark 13.5.6 Joh 7.12 inerrorem induci seduci Mat. 24.24 Luke 21.8 1 Cor. 15.33 Errare in errorem mittere 2 Tim. 3.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seductor Mat. 27.63 2 Cor. 68. 2 Joh. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spirituâ— erroris five errenei 1 Tim. 4.1 seduction and misleading of others A wandring star is an unsafe guide The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here translated wandring comes from a word which signifies to err or wander as also to seduce mislead or make another to err and is a word borrowed from Travellers who are wandring in a wrong way The Syriack read this place stellae seductrices The unwary Mariner Per devia ducunt who sails by a wandring star may as well dash upon a Rock or quick-sands as hit upon his Haven The Traveller who follows a wandring star must at best wander and is in danger of falling into a River or Quagmire The blind lead the blind and both fall into the ditch The deceived Seducer is also deceiving Many follow these false these fools-fires though into pernicious wayes Seducers have most Disciples and though the Leader shall be deepest in damnation yet the follower will be as comfortless in falling with him as inexcusable in following of him 5. Lastly Wandring stars in respect of their extinction and being put out These wandring stars continue not Seducers may flash and blaze and flourish for a while but they are not permanent The true star shall stand as long as the Frmament it may be eclipsed and there may be an interposition of Clouds to hinder its appearing but never shall there be a destruction of its light How frequently have we seen the Erroneous with their errours like blazing Meteors go out in smoak and stink when the sweetly influential stars the faithful Ministers of the word have still increased in their pure lustre Seducers like transitory Meteors amd impression end as I said in the former part of this verse in the smoak of shame and dishonour here when their errours are discovered and hereafter when for their errours they are punished whereas he who is a real fixed influential star continues to shine both in the brightness of the truth which he holds forth and in the glory of that recompence which he shall enjoy In respect of the former the brightness of truth even dead he lives the truth which he preached lives for ever Heaven and Earth shall pass away but not one jot of his heavenly Doctrine Do the Prophets saith God by Zachariah live for ever but my words Zech. 1.5 and my statutes which I commanded my servants the Prophets did they not take hold of your Fathers the truth lives though the man dies The Ministers may be bound but the word of God saith Paul is not bound its influence cannot be restrained Heresie hath often dyed with the Heretick but truth survives the Preacher In respect of the latter the glory of recompence the true star the faithful Ministers shall shine as the stars in the Firmament with the light of glory who have conveyed to so many the light of grace whereas should the wandring star not be extinguished and end here in the darkness of ignominy and discovery of his black errour yet his end hereafter shall be the blackness of darkness in hell This for the opening of the first particular Their title wandring stars The second followes Their estate To whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever Three things here are briefly to be opened 1. The horribleness and dismalness of the punishment it self blackness of darkness 2. The certainty and unavoidableness thereof It s reserved for them 3. It s durableness and continuance 't is for ever For the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 retineo quia per tenâ—bras gradum sistere cogimur The dismalness of their misery is set out by blackness of darkness As darkness is properly taken for the negation defect and privation of light and according to the notation of the word for
two respects might their words be called swelling 1. in respect of the things that they spake 2. Of their manner of speaking them 1. In respect of the things they spake and that 1. of God and so they might speak great swelling words against him either when they blasphemed him in their murmuring and complaining of his providences or otherwise in uttering blasphemous expressions against his glorious and divine excellencies We read of those who set their mouth against the heavens Psal 73.9 and of the beast it s said Rev. 13.5 That there was given him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies * 2 Thes 2.4 Oraclis vocis mundi moderaris babenas Et merito in terris crederis esse Deus Omnia quae Dei quae Christi sunt sibi usurpat Tollit pec cata mâ—ndi dominans à mari ad mare Leo de tribu Judae Radix David mundi Salvator Antichrist exalteth himself above all that is called God Pope Nicholas blasphemously decreed that the Pope was not subject to the secular power because God could not be judged by man The Pope calls himself a god on earth to him he saith is given all power in heaven and in earth he takes away the sins of the world he is the lion of the tribe of Judah the Saviour of the world c. 2. They might speak great swelling words in respect of others 1. Magistrates of whom they spake evil and whom they despised and from subjection to whom they openly professed that they were exempted 2. Illi acclamatur Tu es omnia et super omuia tibi data est omnis potestas in coelo et in terrâ Vid. Paraeum in Apoc. 13. v. 3 Their words in respect likewise of common persons might be swelling as 1. by threatning curses against them who would not embrace their errors Threatning words are swelling words Thus Goliah Rabshakeh Jezabel Benhadad uttered their swelling threats 2. By great and swelling defamations making their throats open sepulchres to bury the names of those who opposed them they being valiant in calumniation but weak in consutation they spake evil of what they knew not 3. By promising great and admirable priviledges of peace pleasure liberty to those who would embrace their errors Thus we read 2 Pet. 2.18 while they spake great swelling words of vanity they allure others through the lusts of the flesh i.e. by promising pleasure and v. 19 they promised them liberty like Mountebanks they proclaimed the vertue of their salves the better to put them off Thus the false prophet Zedekiah making him horns of iron promised that with those the King should push the Syrians til he had destroyed them Thus the divel that great Seducer promised to Christ all the kingdomes of the world and their glory if he would fall down and worship him Matth. 4.9 3. Their words were swelling in regard of Omnes tument omnes scientiam pollicentur ante sunt perfecticatechumeni quam edocti Ipsae mulieres haereticae quam procaces quae audeant do cere contendere exorcismis agere curationes repromittere forsan et tingere Tert. de praescrip c. 41. themselves and those of their own party whom they voiced and cried up with ful mouths for their knowledge and piety hence they arrogated to themselves the title of Gnâ—sticks or knowing men and perfect ones they commended themselves as if they alone had the monopoly of wisdome and had only insight into deep and profound mysteries as if all others in comparison of them were poor short-sighted people and as far short of them for quick-sightednesse as the owl is short of the Eagle Thus Tertullian describes them when he saith They all swel they all promise wisdom they are perfect catechumens before they are taught how mallapert are the very women who are so bold as to teach contend c. Iraeneus likewise describing the pride of the Gnosticks saith Perfectos seipsos vocant quasi nemo possit exaequari magnitudini agnitionis ipsorum nec si Paulum aut Petrum vocas vel alterum quendam apostolum sed plus omnibus se cognovisse et magnitudinem agnitionis solos ebibisse esse autem se in altitudine supra omnem virtutem c. Iren. l. 1. c. 9. Matrem habent iniquitatis suae superbiam dum semper se scire altiora jactitant Hier. in Hos 5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Paedag c. 6. Indicatur haereticos resonare vociferari mugire sonum sine fructu emittere in clamore vocisque contentione victoriae summam constitnere Lorin in 2 Pet. 2.18 they call themselves perfect as if none were able to equalize them for the greatnesse of their knowledg as if Peter or Paul or any of the Apostles were inferior to them for knowledge the greatnesse whereof they make as if they had drunk up and devoured boasting of such an height as if they were above all vertue Pride saith Jerom is the mother of their iniquity while they boast of their knowledg in the highest mysteries They thinke higher of themselves saith Clemens Alexandrinus then ever did the Apostle Arius that pestilent heretique as Athanasius reports proudly boasted that he had received his doctrine from the elect of God men that knew God and had received the anointing of the Spirit But concerning the high boastings of heretiques I have spoken before part 1. pag. 270. as also p. 322 c. of this part 2. They might be said to speak swelling words in respect of the manner of speaking those things which they utterd and that both in respect 1. Of their voice and 2. Stile 1. In respect of their voice it might be with that hight and loudnesse which savoured of a proud boysterousness Peter 2 Ep. 2.18 mentioning their speaking great swelling words useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies their lifting up their voices and making a great noise a bellowing or roaring like beasts as if these seducers placed their victory in the loud Contention of their voices Thus the Idolatrous Ephesians lifted up their voices to the hight when they cride out with so much rage Great is Diana of the Ephesians Act. 19.28.34 2. In respect of their stile or phrase wherein they utterd what they spake It hath been the course of seducers to speak bubbles of words sublime straines strong lines big and new expressions that they being not understood may be admired what they want in the weight of matter they make up in the perswasivenesse of wooing words Their novell doctrines were clothed with new and formerly unheard of expressions They layd aside the forme of wholsome words 1 Tim. 1.13 1 Tim. 6.3.4 Or as Chrysosteme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 new coynd expressions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Disputationes instituunt de rebus obscurioribus eas etiam sermonis inumbrando novâ quadam obscuritate et vocabulorum recens excogitatorum barbaric Lor in 2 Pet. 2.13 consented not to it but being proud they doted
it Rom. 3.31 Matth. 12.26 The same thing is intended both here and Eph. 5.27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where the Apostle speaks of Christs presenting to himselfe a glorious Church in which place the word present is taken from the custome of solemnizing a marriage First the Spouse was wooed and then set before or presented to her husband that he might take her for his wife to be with him Thus Eve was presented by God to Adam that he might take her for his wife Gen. 2.22 and Esther was presented to Ahasuerus to which custome Paul elegantly alludes 2 Cor. 11.2 I have espoused you to one husband that I may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Present you as a chaste virgin to Christ And this presentation is said to be before the presence of his glory Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By this glory is meant the beaming forth discovery manifestation of the excellency of Christ before the saints That of which Christ speaks Joh. 17.24 Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me may be with me where I am that they may behold my glory c. By which glory I understand not only that glory of soul and body which he hath in common with the saints subjectively abiding and inherent in him but also that which is bestowed upon the humane nature by the personall union and its exaltation to the right hand of God above all saints and Angels Before the presence of this his glory shall the saints be placed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before it coram Rev. 3.21 in conspectu in the full view of it in a clear and open vision not as having a glymps of this glory right against it The sunshine of Christs glory shall be full upon them and they look full upon it yea so as to be made partakers of it in their measure this Sun looking upon them will make them shine also Mat. 13.42 The wife of Christ shall shine with his beames and be advanced to his dignity so far as she is capable of it she shall eat and drinke with him at his table in his Kingdome Luk. 22.30 and Eph. 5.27 It s said she shall be presented a glorious Church Thus we see this glorious estate is generally propounded But 2. It s particularly exemplyfied and that 1. Negatively and so it s said he will present the saints without spot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 irreprehensible unblameable such as in whom the greatest Carper or strictest and most curious beholder shall not be able to behold any thing amisse no defect of what should be or excesse of what should not be The Church shall not have spot wrinkle or any such thing no staine or scar no freckle or deformity Nothing of staine or contagion received from others no wrinkle no defect of spirituall moysture nothing which may make her seeme uncomely in Christs eye not onely great and heinous sins which are great botches and boyles but every least speck and wrinkle shall be taken away Now sin is subdued but then it shall be rooted out Here saints are freed from the power of it but then from the presence of it also He who will wipe away all teares from the eyes of his Church will undoubtedly take away all matter of mourning from her soule Heaven would not be heaven to a saint could any spot continue in heaven But when sin is gone sorrow must needs flye away if the fountaine be dryed up the streames must needs follow Sin brought in teares and teares shall goe away with sin Because saints shall be presented faultlesse therefore with exceeding joy For 2. This glory is exemplyfied positively With exceeding joy Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word imports an exceeding joy Gaudium gestuosum with an outward leaping dancing or some such cheerfull motion of body an exultation which is exprest in the gesture 1 Pet. 18. Vnspeakable is the joy in the hoping for this glory How great will the joy be of having it A Bunch of grapes greatly delights what then will all the Crop of Canaan It s call'd not only fulnesse of joy Gaudium est quoddam filentinm appetitum c quidam thronus jam considentis affectus quoddam sine sastidio epulum cord is quaedam mors desiderii quidam avaritia limes c. quoddam satis Nieremb de arte vol. l. 1. Prolep 5. but joy it selfe Mat. 25 41. And needs must it be so for what is joy but the quieting and resting of the soule in its object the filling it to the brim with what it desired Joy is the stilling of all our longings a cessation of all our cravings Joy to desire is what rest is in respect of motion When motion ends then comes rest When desire is fill'd then comes joy Now what crevis cranny nook or corner of the soule is there which shall not be satisfied in heaven by the immediate and perfect fruition of that chief good God himselfe who is the heaven of heaven and who shall fill the soule as those waterpots of Galilee were fill'd up to the very brims There shall be no empty spaces left in the soule untaken up He who hath fulness enough to fil himself a vast ocean must needs have enough to fill the soule comparatively a small vessell He who is selfe-sufficient alsufficient must needs be soule-sufficient Thus the person is described in respect of his power 2. He is set forth by his wisedome in these words The onely wise God 1. He is call'd God Of which largely before part 1. pag. 356 357. c. 2. He is call'd wise He oft in scripture hath the name wisdome it selfe Prov. 8.22 23 24. c. Christ is call'd the wisdome of God This his wisdome as here attributed to God is twofold 1. His wisdome of science or theoreticall wisdome whereby he is omniscient and with one immutable eternall act of understanding perfectly sees and perceives observes and knows all things 2. His wisdome of working Job 12.13 whereby he does all things both in respect of Creation and providence with infinite wisdome Oculus mundi according to the former he is said to be a God of knowledge 1 Sam. 2.3 There is no Creature that is not manifest in his sight All things are naked and opened unto his eyes Heb. 4.13 Known unto God are all his works Acts 15.18 He seeth under the whole heaven 2. According to the latter he is said to make all his workes in wisdome Psal 104.24 By wisdome he made the heavens Psal 136.5 Isa 40.28 Psal 92.6 By wisdome hath he founded the earth and stablisht the world Prov. 3.19 Jer. 10.12 c. 3. He is said to be onely wise Not to exclude the wisdome of the Father and holy Ghost but the wisdome of all the Creatures As God the Father is call'd the onely true God not to exclude the Son and holy Ghost And though the Creatures have wisdome yet is not theirs comparable
If he who mocketh the poor then much more he who revileth the Ruler Imaginem Dei Rex gestat idcirco colendâ—â— et amandus est si non propter se salâ—â—m vocationis functionis suae causâ reproacheth his Maker In the contempt of Magistrates God accounts himself contemned They have not saith God to Samuel 1 Sam. 8.7 rejected thee but they have rejected me And this was the true cause why God was so angry with Miriam and Aaron who spake against Moses Wherefore saith he were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses Numb 12.1 8 Heb. 5. To speak against him whom God appointed and set on work is to speak against a great one indeed 3. By the punishments inflicted upon such revilers which are evident in the example of Miriam Absolom Corah c. And all Princes are not like Titus the delight of mankind who said None can reproach mee Dâ—liciae humani generis Nemo me insequi contumeliâ potest propterea quòd nihil ago quod reprehendi mereatur ea verò quae falsè de me dicuntur prorsus negligo Dio. because I do nothing that can be reprehended and those things which are spoken of me falsly I altogether neglect for Tiberius when Paconius had scattered reproachfull Verses against him wrote to the Senate to appoint severe punishment against him and although many Princes have remitted the injury as offered to their own persons yet as prejudiciall to the good of the Common-wealth they have and that deservedly punish'd them and however Princes themselves have spared such railers yet God would not suffer them to go unpunished as in the case of Shimei whom though David spared yet God spared not 4 This speaking evil of Magistrates is a spreading evill hurtful to others the reviler kils many with one shoot himself speaking wickedly the Ruler whom he accuseth unjustly his hearer who listens to him credulously A reproaching tongue being though worst to himself yet hurtfull to those who hear him Lev. 19.16 a Tale-bearer Rokel signifieth a Trafficker up and down and who knoweth how great a fire the tongue of one reviler may kindle Seldome doth such a pedler open his pack of wares but some or other will buy No musick is so sweet to the most as to hear well of themselves and ill of their Rulers Peoples hearts and ears are commonly tindar and touchwood presently taking fire when any spark of defamation flies from the fire of a revilers tongue and how great a flame such a spark may kindle we may see in the cases of Absolom and Sheba OBSERVATIONS 1 Great is the audacious extravagancy of an unmortified tongue Observ 1 James chap. 3.6 calls it a fire and here we see it aspires like fire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jam 3.5 and moves upward and fastens upon such things as were much above it Peter saith These Seducers are not affaid to speak evill of Dignities 2 Pet. 2.10 the tongue set on fire by hell below fires even upon those which are called gods and are in the hihgest and most eminent degree the tongue speaketh proud things Psal 12.3 In the mouth of the foolish is the rod of pride Pro. 14.3 In which place the fools tongue may either be termed a rod of pride which for proud speaking shall whip the fool himself or else a rod which by the fools proud speaking whips and lasheth any other The Septuagint read it The fools tongue is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a rod of reproach and some conceive in using the word rod Gr. * according to some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Solomon alludes to the custom of Magicians who by their Rods were wont to do their magical exploits and false miracles of transforming Exod. 7.12 metamorphosing and changing the shapes of things as if these proud railers by the rods of their tongues Leviter volat sermo sed graviter vulnerat leviter transit sed graviter urit leviter profertur sed non leviter revocatur facilè volat atque adeo facilè violat charitatem Bern. Serm. de trip cust their revilings and slanderous reproaches did labour to metamorphise and transform men making the honourable to appear base the learned most illiterate the upright most dishonest c. The pride of the heart is most frequently discovered by the tongue Rabshakeh threatned he would make them eat their own dung and drink their own pisse the tongue threatens God himself Isa 14.13 I will ascend into the heavens I will exalt my throne above the stars of God Talk no more exceeding proudly saith Hannah 1 Sam. 2.3 They set their mouth against the heavens and their tongue walketh through the earth Psal 73.9 Our tongues are our own who is Lord over us Psal 12.7 The tongue though small opposeth the greatest It was a gracious care of David to take heed to his tongue Psal 39.1 Mans glory his tongue must not be imployed against Gods glory or the Magistrates here call'd Glories The tongue of which we had not the use till we had the use of reason was never appointed to the used without reason for pride and passion He who made the tongue soft and pliable all flesh without a bone in it teacheth us that it should not be harsh rugged and proud in its expressions the double rail or hedg of the teeth and lips shews that this wild beast is very unruly Jam. 3.8 and that it ought to be kept in The best way to keep the fire from breaking out at the Chimney 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to quench the coals upon the hearth a cool and humble heart wil abate the heat of the fiery tongue 2. Dignities lie open to the lash of the tongue Observat 2 The more eminent the person the more censured is his action the highest towers are most frequently blasted with lightning nor power nor innocency can protect from imputations The fire of the tongue dares touch even laurel * Which lightning they say never blasteth the sword of the mouth will adventure even upon the mouth of the sword When Saul was chosen and carryed and lifted up with highest acclamations the sons of Belial despised him 1 Sam. 10.27 It is a vain ambition to expect the good word of all It s an equall weaknesse to be proud of the applause and impatient under the reproaches of the multitude the care of all especially of governors should be rather to be worthy of honor then to receive honor rather to be honourable then honoured and not so much to seek quiet abroad as in themselves and the conscience of their upright and sincere endeavors It s better to deserve well and to hear ill then to deserve ill and to hear well 3. Observat 3 Magistrates should take heed of blemishing their dignity and losing their glory The Apostle here cals them dignities or glories And to maintain their glory 't is not enough to be magnificent and
a man overtaken with sleep against his will who is surprized with it as with an armed man and being never so sound asleep but he is between sleeping and waking he alwaies even then fears he sleeps and wisheth he were awaked and would be glad if any would take the pains to rouze him though by making the loudest noise and giving him the most violent jog yea will gladly accept of the smartest blows and the bloodyest stripes that the Lord laies upon him if by all he may be awakened from his slothfulnesse He complaines of himself and he is sensible of his sleeping I sleep saith the Spouse and so far as she saith she sleeps she did not sleep To conclude this she wakes in her heart though the outward man sleep but the heart of sinners sleeps as we say of one sometime his heart is asleep even when he is awake Sometime a Christian under a tentation may be so low brought as that his spiritual life runneth all to the heart and the outward man is left destitute as in war when the enemy hath won the field the people run into the City and if beaten out of the City they run into the Castle the grace of God sometimes fails in the outward action the field when yet it retireth to the heart in which fort it is impregnable From all which I gather that as the wicked should not flatter himself so neither should the godly be disheartned by spirituall sleeping and the reason is because their sleeps are so unlike to one another 3. Self-soothing delusion flattering are very dangerous and destructive as being the foundation of the wickednesse and wo of these seducers these dreamers nothing against which we are more cautioned in Scripture If a man think himself to be something when he is nothing he deceiveth himself Gal. 1.3 Be ye doers of the word and not hearers deceiving your own selves Be not deceived God is not mocked Gal. 6.7 James speaks of those who by seeming to be religious deceived their own hearts Jam. 1.26 Ephraim said 1 Cor. 6.9 1 Cor. 15.33 Obad. 3. Isa 44.20 Job 15.31 Yet am I become rich I have found me out substance in all my labours they shall finde no iniquity in me that were sin Hos 12.8 Because he was wealthy he soothed himself in his sin Laodicea flattered her self that she was rich increased with goods and had need of nothing Rev. 3.17 He flattereth himself in his own eyes Psal 36.2 1 Joh. 1.8 If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves c. 1 Cor. 3 18. Let no man deceive himself Nothing can be so dangerous as when one so near as ones self becomes false and flattering When the Centinels and Guards of a City are treacherous how great and unavoidable is the destruction thereof â— when he who should be his own preserver becomes his own destroyer how sore and sure a destruction he doth incur and how great is the indignity hereof There 's nothing under which men are so impatient and which they can less abide then to be deceived and circumvented by others and yet how unworthily patient are men in being deceived by themselves or rather by the deceitfulness of sin nothing is accounted so great a disgrace as to be deceived in those things which ought to be best known and most familiar to a man and what should be so well known to thy self as thy self In nothing are men so fearfull of being deceived as in matters of greatest moment and what business in the world of so weighty concernment as the salvation of thy own soul Nor doth the dreafullest judgment fall upon any so dreadfully as upon the self-flatterer and deluder the same judgment which befals him with others makes him more miserable then others because he expected to be more happy then others How wofull is that Hell into which a sinner falls by presuming of Heaven It s a Hell upon earth for sinners to dream that they are going to Heaven An imaginary happiness in sin occasions a doubled wo and misery for sin when our natural dreams are false it s better they should be of bad then good of fearful things then of joyful It s better for a King to dream himself to be a beggar then for a beggar to dream that he is a King for when the King waketh his grief is gone and his joy is doubled he then seeing the vanity of his dream but when the Beggar wakes his former grief is increased and returns the fiercer by reason of the false joy of his dream And thus it is in the deceitful dreams and dotages of the heart far better is that deceit whereby a son of God thinks himself a slave of Satan then that whereby a slave of Satan dreams himself a member of Christ Better it is for Nebuchadnezzar being a man to think himself a beast then for a beast to think himself a man A mans false conceit of misery when indeed he is happy doth not make him miserable but rather occasions his happiness but a mans false apprehension of happiness he being miserable is so far from making him happy that it makes him doubly miserable To conclude this as nothing is so calamitous as to dream of happiness when we are in misery so nothing is more common It s natural for men to think too well of themselves to nullifie others and to deifie and omnifie themselves There 's nothing so easie as to be deceived to dream of false delight and to neglect true danger men are naturally witty in nothing but in deluding and thereby in damning their own souls like a man who being to pass over a narrow Bridg under which is a deep River puts on a pair of Spectacles before his eyes whereby he adventuring upon a supposed and imaginary breadth falls into the water and so is drowned To prevent then this self-flattery and delusion 1. Be much in conversing with that faithful discoverer and friend the Word of God Let it be the man of thy counsel and dwell richly in thee A man hath many flatterers and but this one friend This is an impartial glass that will represent to a King his as well as to a beggar his spots Heb. 4.12 It is quick and powerful piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit discerning the thoughts of the heart and making manifest the intents of the heart When Ahab enquired of his false Prophets concerning his going up to Ramoth Gilead Jehoshaphat aks whether there was not a Prophet of the Lord that they might enquire of him also When thou hearest the flatterings of thine own false heart rather fear then follow them at least suspend thy belief till thou hast enquired of the Word of God 2. Search throughly and diligently into the grounds and reasons upon which thy heart would needs perswade thee of thy happiness He that hath to do with Cheaters will not easily believe all they say The simple believeth
conceive that Satan is principally called 1 Pet. 5.8 Our Adversary in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word that properly signifies an Adversary pleading or contending against another before a Judg in judgment in which sense it s used Matth. 5.25 Lest thy adversary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deliver thee to the Judg c. so Luke 12.58 When thou goest with thine adversary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Magistrate so that when the Apostle calls the Divel Our adversary he intends that he is our adversary by way of accusing us before the Judg of Heaven and earth And very fitly may this our Accuser be called an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or adversary in judgment because he who contends with another before a Judg commonly labours to pervert his cause by slanders and false accusation which as hath been said aptly agrees to this our adversary and hence it may be 1 Chron. 21.1 Job 1 6. Zâ—ch 3. â— that when the Septuagint meet in the Old Testament with the Hebrew word Satan an adversary they translate it by the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a false accuser Thirdly Our enemy is here called the Divel or false Accuser because he accuseth one man to another stirring up hereby strife and contention between man and man and as sometimes he accuseth the Godly to one another as plain hearted Mephibosheth to David his Divellish stratagem in these times so most commonly he accuseth the Godly to the wicked Thus he accused Joseph of Incontinency David of Treason Daniel of Disobedience Elijah of troubling Israel Jeremy of revolting Amos of preaching against the King the Apostles of Sedition Rebellion alteration of Lawes Paul was accused to be a pestilent fellow and one that taught against the Law of Moses Christ himself was accused of Gluttony Sorcery Sedition and how skilful a Master he is in this hellish Art of false accusation appears in that he accuseth the Faithful though never so innocent devising what he cannot find Jer. 18.18 nay not only though they are but even because they are holy for the matter of their God for Praying Hearing Fasting keeping Sabbath Preaching the Truth He accuseth them oft by those who are tyed to them by dearest relations David of Injustice by Absolom He accuseth all the Godly for one mans offence Thus they are all c. nay for a personal failing in one or two he accuseth the whole Religion it self railing against the Sun because one hath stumbled in the Sun-shine He hath an Art to accuse for that whereof himself and his are most guilty thus he accused Joseph of Incontinency Elijah of troubling Israel Christ of being an enemy to Cesar yea of that to which the Accused are most contrary as in those instances appears accusing even the Sun of darkness And God hereby makes their integrity more apparant either here or hereafter Slanders are but as soap which though it soyles for the present yet it makes way for whiteness The Sun of their good fame shall break out gloriously from under the cloud of slanders God will bring forth their righteousness as the light Psal 37.6 and their judgment as the noon day yea which is the greater advantage the smutchings of slanders shall brighten the Graces of Gods people their Humility Peace Watchfulness Faith The tongues of sinners are but as brushes or rubbers to fetch off the dust which is but too ready to fall upon the graces of Saints The Divel is Satan and therefore he is a Divel he is an Adversary to Christ to Holiness what will not malice say Now Christ is gone beyond Satans reach he throwes the dirt of slanders upon his pictures and on them most that are fairest and most resemble him he loves to trouble them in their way whom he cannot hinder of the end The Divel is a Serpent and therefore he is an Accuser he hath subtilty to invent as well as malice to utter his slanders He is the god of the world and hath the tongues of wicked men at his command if he saith to one Go it goeth c. He hath found the successfulness of this Engine of accusation he hath murdered thousands with it and thereby ever brought Religion into suspition and disgrace he hath many receivers he wil therefore thieve away the names of Saints his calumnies easily enter and hardly depart Fourthly This adversary may here be called a Divel an Accuser because he accuseth a man to himself and that in two respects 1 He makes a man think better of himself then he should tells him he is going to Dothan when he is going to Samaria that the way to Hell is the ready way to Heaven As Absolom told the people flatteringly Thy cause is good so he Thy case is happy Strangling them oft with a silken halter 2 He makes men think their estate worse then it is by stretching the sins which he hath drawen them to commit beyond all the measure of Mercy and possibility of pardon to bring the sinner to despair Thus he dealt with Cain and Judas He who once told men they might repent when they would and it would be time enough hereafter to call for Mercy now affrights them with apprehensions that the day of Grace is at an end and that it is too late to make their peace with God He who was of late a tempting is now a tormenting Divel Hitherto of the Explication of this first part the parties contending the Observations follow OBSERVATIONS 1. Observ 1. The higher our Eminency is the greater should be our humility The more glorious any one is for Endowments the more humble should he be in the beholding them This Eminently glorious Angel this Archangel hath Humility stampt upon his name By it he doth not ask Know you not who I am or Who is so great as I but Quis sicut Dominus Who is like the Lord The more thou art above others in the height of place the more shouldst thou go beyond them in the grace of humble-mindedness Humility is an Angelical Grace No Creature so high as an Archangel no Creature so humble as he and the highest is the humblest Angel None so low as the Divel and none so proud as he The Divel tempts Christ to worship him the Archangel worships Christ We must though high take heed of high-mind edness When we shine most with outward glory we must not know it know it we must so as to be thankfulâ— not so as to be proud What have we that we have not received The more we have received as the greater shall be our account so the greater should be our acknowledgment They who partake of most gifts do but proclaim ' like beggars that they have oâ—tâ—est been at the door of mercy When any great performance hath been wrought by us we should â—ear to arrogate the praise thereof to our selves herein imitating Joab who when he had as good as taken Rabbah the Royal City 2
the Jewes against Christ Act. 6.11 and Stephen And 2. By receiving of evil reports against them from others when in stead of driving away a back-biting tongue with an angry countenance Prov. 25.23 as the North wind driveth away rain we encourage and cherish evil speakers by our receiving what defamations they bring us still to steal from the good names of others when though we set not our neighbours name on fire yet we stand and gladly warm our hands by it when we see it set on fire 2 The sin of evil speaking may be in his presence or to his face and then its either meeking or railing 1 Mocking is when a disgraceful taunt or gird is given to another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Gen. 37.19 the brethren of Joseph scoffingly called him Dreamer the children 2 King 2.23 called Elisha Bald-pate and so in Babylon they mock at the Israelites for their Hebrew songs Psal 137 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rayling is properly when any sin or wickedness is objected as Murder Uncleanness Sedition Thus Shimei called David a bloody man and a man of Belial and the Heathens called the Christians Incestuous enemies to the State c. The third particular in this first branch viz. what Michael did forbear to do is the sinfulness of bringing this Judgment of railing or evil speaking And this appears 1. In regard of God It s a wickedness eminently injurious to him it s strictly prohibited by him Mat. 7.1 Lev. 19.16 Col. 3.8 Eph. 4.3 James 4.11 Severely threatned punished 2 Kin 2.32 2 Kings 2.23 It audaciously invades the seat and room of God himself taking his office out of his hands who is the Judge of heaven and earth and from our standing before the judgement seat of Christ the Apostle argues strongly against the judging of others Rom. 14.10 Judge nothing saith the Apostle before the time 1 Cor. 4.5 And what hath any man to do to judge another mans servant and when we speak evil a gainst any for his holiness we most of all speak evil against him who is the Author of that holiness Yea this sin of reviling and evil-speaking is contrary to the course and carriage of God who approves of the wayes of his people highly esteems of their graces accepts and rewards their weak endeavours he pleads for his Saints acquits them answers accusations brought against them and pronounces a righteous sentence upon them he cals Nathaneel a true Israelite Paul an Elect vessel c. 2. In regard of those who hear these evil speakings Hearers commonly do both willingly and hurtfully hear others defamed It damps and destroys in them the love of their Brethren It s a draught though of sweet yet of deadly poyson given in at the ear It layes a stumbling-block before the blind by abusing and falsly or unduly informing the ignorant to whom the defamation is reported It hath separated chief friends 3. In regard of the Party who is guilty of evil-speaking This sin speaks his madness and folly so as he may destroy his Neighbours name he adventures to damn his own soul so as he may make others think ill of him whom he hatâ—s he cares not how deeply he himself incurs the wrath of God so as he may but kill one by defaming hm he cares not though in the doing thereof he destroyes thousands by infecting them He is like one who will blow in a heap of dust though thereby he puts out his own eyes truly said Solomon Prov. 10.18 He that uttereth slander is a fool True Religion cannot consist with such a course If any man seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue that mans Religion is vain Jam. 1.26 A good man cannot be an evil speaker This sin of evil-speaking is the disgrace of the evil-speaker It s a practice of the Old man unbeseeming and to be layd off by Christians that profess new life as sordid rags Col. 3.8 An evil-speaker is the Divels eldest son he bears his name his mouth is the Divels vessel which he fils with the water of cursing he is the Divels tooth dens Diaboli to bite men he is a Pedlar furnisht with wares by the Divel to vend and put off in the world for him he scatters perfumes to delight him Detrectore Diabolo thurisicant Pera. d. p. 320. he tels tales to make him merry he more defiles his own heart and tongue then his Neighbours name he is by some not unfitly compared to a Butchers Dog taught by his Master not to touch the good and choyce pieces of flesh in the shop but the filthy offal or any putrified pieces he greedily and eagerly devours by others to Swine who if they come into a Garden in one part whereof grow a thousand sweetly fragrant flowers and in a corner whereof is laid an heap of dung delight more to be groveling in the dung then smelling on the flowers or who go not to the flowers to smel but to root them up They rake in the faults and infirmities of others their graces they abhor as much to observe as they do to imitate like Owles in the dark they see in the sun-shine they are blind This evil speaking is a soul-disquieting sin it wears out whets out the heart with vexation Envy the mother of calumnie is the saw of the soul an evil speaker is his own scourge Invidia animae scrra Miserable is his life who placeth his content in anothers unhappiness in stead of his own happiness To conclude it 's a God-provoking sin punish'd frequently in this life by defamations a payment in its own coyn troubles law-contentious losse of estate and often life as appears in the death of the 42 children 2 King 2.23 of Shimei the leprosie of Miriam c. He who casts up the stones of reproaches will crack his own crown But certainly without repentance destructive eternally excluding from the kingdome of God 1 Cor. 6.10 God will reprove in his wrath if we reproach with our words Psal 50.19 20. when we have done with our speech our speech hath not done with us 4. In respect of him who is spoken against evil speaking is a sin of the greatest cruelty it takes away that which is better then honour riches yea life and such a good which being stolen away cannot be recompensed because its worth cannot be estimated Evil speaking buries the dear and precious name the throat of the evil speaker being herein an open sepulchre At the best it deals with men as the Ammonites with Davids servants it takes away half their names cuts their reputation off at the midst and commonly they who are defamed in some one respect are suspected and slighted upon every occasion one flie marres the whole pot of ointment And one defamation wil be sooner believed though reported but by one never so unworthy of credit then a commendation though confirmed by the joynt suffrages of an hundred faithfull witnesses
gives over any enterprize he changeth not his nature but constrainedly leaveth his exercise he goes but t is when he can stay no longer when his Cummission is expired Every commanded performance or forbearance is not a sign of grace That which is incident to the Divel argues no grace in man Balaam was forbidden to curse the people of God and he forbears but forcedly against his will Let not men content themselves with the Divels obedience To leave sin for fear of hell may go along with the love of it more then heaven When Moses's Parents exposed him to the waters they loved him as much as or more then ever To leave sin for want of a body to commit it is not to leave our affection to it the leaving of sin at our death-beds is seldome true ever suspicious God loves a living Christian any one will be a Christian dying Duties without must flow from a gracious forwardness within Joyn that in thy obedience which the Divel hath divorced inward subjection to outward services It s one thing to be hindred from another thing to hate sin The rebukes of our Superiors may cause the former a Principle of inward renovation can onely produce the later More of this in my former part p. 491 492 497. 2. Observ 2. Gods power limits Satans Though the will of Satan shall never be changed yet his power is by God often curbed when he is most violently running on in any way of opposition to God or man God can stop and chide him back of this also par 1.442 447. With what an holy fearlesness may the godly go on in duty The wicked are willingly serviceable to a Master who cannot protect them from Gods wrath Oh let us serve him chearfully who is able and willing to keep us from the Divels rage we see likewise to whom we owe our preservation onely to him who rebukes Divels 3. Observ 3. How easily doth God prevail over his greatest Enemies T is but as it were a chiding and rebuking them and even in their greatest fury they are mute and dare not cannot quetch what more easie then for a Master to give a word of rebuke a word of Gods mouth is enough to make the Divels tremble they are all underlings to God they are before him as nothing the greatest mountain of worldly strength and opposition shall be before God but a mountain of chaff If God do but ariâ—e Psalm 68.1 Psalm 2.4 his Enemies are scattered yea he who sits in heaven shall haâ—e them in derision he derides them sitting the fire doth not so easily consume the stubble the wind dissipate the smoak the Rod of iron break in pieces a Potters vessel as God overthrowes his Enemies With a word did God make the creature with a word he moves it with a word he stops it with a word he destroys it in all these Psal 142.15 his word as the Psalmist speaks runneth very swiftly How vain are they who think that worldly greatness their wealth their strength their youth can shield them from the stroke of Gods power whetted with his wrath The sithe can get as well through the green grass as the dry stubble He who hath but faith enough to believe himself a creature may be caution'd against Security in sin The most glistring Monarch is but a gilded potsherd in nothing so mad as to think it self safe in contending with its maker nor is it a less excusable folly to be swallowed up of fear by reason of the worldly greatness of any of Gods Enemies Who art thou that art afraid of man that shall dye and the Son of man that shall be made as grass Isa 51.12 and forgettest the Lord thy Maker At the rebuke of God his and our Enemies shall flee and fall How great is that folly whereby men sleight the great God and fear a silly worm All the peace and forbearance that God expresseth towards his Enemies proceeds not from his want of power but from the greatness of his patience a strong inducement to us who are weak worms to be patient under injuries which we cannot repel since God is so full of forbearance who is both infinitely provoked by and infinitely powerful to be avenged of his strongest Enemies 4. The holiest persons Observ 4. are most offended with practices that oppose Gods glory When Satan dishonours God the holy Angel cannot refrain from praying that God would rebuke him Michael doth not onely dispute for God but he desires God to plead for himself It would have been below Michael to have been affected with any thing a creature should have said or done unless the honour of God had been concerned nothing is little whereby Gods Name or mans soul suffers The more any one knows the excellencies in God or hath tasted of the love of God the less can he endure any thing either done or said against God Angels who continually behold the beauty of Gods face do most abhor that which doth blemish disparage it These sons of God endure not any thing whereby the honour of their Father suffers Heaven it self would be no heaven to those glorious Spirits should they be constrained to behold Gods name polluted No meer man ever had on earth so clear a glympse of Gods glory as had Moses nor was ever any so holily impatient when he apprehended a blemish to be cast upon it The broken Tables the Israelites which this meekest of men caused to be put to the sword yea his request that himself might be blotted out of the book of life rather then any blot should be cast upon Gods honour sufficiently prove that he who touch'd it touch'd the apple of his eye How unlike to Angels are they who put up no injuries with such a tame contentedness as those which are offered to Gods name who never say to any The Lord rebuke you but to those who dishonor themselves yea are ready to rebuke themselves whensoever they stumble upon any act of Zeal Surely the fire of such mens Zeal is not Angelical and heavenly but culinary and smoaky What likelihood that they shall ever inhabit the place that are such strangers to the disposition of Angels 5. Observ 5. It s unsutable to a gracious temper to recompence evil for evil Michael here commits his cause and remits revenge to God sutable to whose carriage is the command of Scripture against private revenge Prov. 20.22 Say not thou I will recompence evil and Prov. 24.29 Say not I will do so to him as he hath done to me I will render to the man according to his work And Rom. 12.17 Recompence to no man evil for evil and ver 19. Avenge not your selves but rather give place to wrath Revenge opposeth the mind of God and it both disturbs and expels the Spirit which would abide in the soul and is the Spirit of Peace and Dove-like Meekness and le ts in and gives place to the Divel who
the beasts from that booty which they intend to make their own and that they bidding men look upward should cast their own eys only downward Thou O man of God saith Paul speaking of coveteousness 1 Tim. 6.11 to Timothy flye these things A man of God must not be a man of the world a slave to Mammon a meer muck-worm or rather a moving muck-heap A Star of heaven nay an Angel must not degenerate into a clod of earth What likewise more profane then to barter away precious souls heaven Christ God himself for base pelf filthy lucre to make Merchandize for a piece of earth of Christians and Christianity How unsuâ—able and disproportionable a prize is Silver when for it that soul is sold for which Christ died In short How impious is it to sell that Truth for dung which we ought to buy with our bloods 2 In its Hypocrisie and dissimulation Who ever broached or taught an Error professedly for gain nay without a pretence of advancing Truth and of aiming at Gods glory and the good of souls What cozenage so vile as that which seems pious All deceit is abominable and that most which shrouds it self under the wing of Religion for gain to be the meaning and Godliness the cloak Is not this as bad as for Jacobs sons to hide their cruelty against Shechem with Circumcision for Abner to cover his revenge against Ishbosheth with the Divine Oracle Quaerunt discipulos quos petuniis emungeâ—e possunt non quâ—d salutem animarum procurare curabaut Mont. App. Sec. 28. Absolom his Treason with a Religious Vow Jezabel her murder with a Fast This odious dissimulation of these Seducers made them like the Kite to be eying the prey on the dunghil gain when they seemed to sore up to the clouds in their instructing of souls It s most unsutable for Satans servants and Mammons Drudges to be cloaked with Christs Livery to deliver Doctrines for gain and yet to pretend Conscience Religion The third particular to be opened is After what manner they followed the Error of Balaam for reward 3 Branch of Explication Jude saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They ran greedily after it The word properly signifieth they poured out themselves it being a resemblance taken from the pouring out of water And according to this Resemblance taken from the pouring forth of water the word may note either 1. A pouring forth in point of Destruction dissolution and overthrow such as whereby in regard of their total and irrecoverable ruin and perdition these Seducers with Balaam became utterly lost as water poured out Thus the Psalmist as a Type of Christ describing his extreme debilitation and approaching dissolution complains Psal 22.14 that he was as water poured out So the woman of Tekoah setting forth a desperately lost estate saith we must needs dye and are as water spilt on the ground In this sense its said Josh 7.5 when the Israelites were smitten before the men of Ai Qui roborc excellens eras aut esse debueras factus es debilis attenuatus viribus omnibus destitutus Ita aptissimèqua drat oppositio Qui eras principium robor is mei effusus es sicut aqua liquefactus es exhaustus viribus ita ut nihil à te deinceps sit expectandum magni heroici Rivet in Gen. 49. that the hearts of the people melted and became as water and thus also I understand that expression of Jacob concerning Reuben Gen. 49.4 whom though in respect of what he might have been by the right of primogeniture he calls his might the beginning of his strength the excellency of dignity and the excellency of power yet in regard of what he was to be in the losse of this power and dignity Jacob saith that he was unstable or poured forth as water that is was to be weak brought low and so emptied of strength that nothing great and heroick was to be expected from him How fitly this dissolution and lost estate agreed to Balaam and these seducers that sought to heighten and strengthen their condition by error and unrighteousness who sees not their sin could not be a stable and solid foundation of greatness but it made them vanish and perish like water poured forth they perisht in their names estates bodies souls And therefore the Arabick renders this place in mercede exaruerunt in their reward they dryed up or decayed as after the pouring forth of water there follows driness in that thing out of which the water is poured 2. Or this pouring forth as water according to others better may import a pouring forth in respect of the forwardness force violence Acts 2.17.18.33 So Acts 10.45 Sic dicimas effundere se in li bidine in questus lacbrymâ—â— vota effundere furorem iram minas querelas rabiem vires vocem honores in mortuum Lor. in loc and impetuousness of these wicked men in the sinfull prosecution of their lusts and thus this resemblance of pouring forth as water is ordinarily used in Scripture as Hos 5.10 I will pour out my wrath upon them like water Amos 5.24 Let judgment run down as waters and righteousness as a mighty stream Jude then here intends that these Seducers put forth themselves in the prosecution of their lust like water poured out As a forcible swelling stream breaks down the banks and violently bears down all before it so these were so mad upon their gain that they could not be restrained but violently broke down all the banks and bounds which were set to keep them in And probably the Apostle may here refer in his setting down the violent eagerness of these seducers upon their reward to that furious march and impetuous progress of Balaam when he journeyed to Moab upon promise of wages whom neither Gods prohibition before he began his journey nor the crushing of his foot nor the speaking of the Asse nor the drawn sword of the Angel in his journey nor the ineffectualness of all his enchantments afterward could hinder from pursuing his covetous design but early in the morning up he gets breaks the bounds of Gods command begins his journey furiously strikes madly answers his Asse wildly lays about him breaks through all difficulties at length comes to Balac and then runs from Altar to Altar with inchantments and in a word would not give over till the sword which he saw drawn before his eyes was sheathed in his bowels And this violent impetuousness put forth by Balaam these seducers and other wicked men this running greedily in the prosecution of their lusts is notably set forth in Scripture and that principally by these two considerations 1. The means used for the hindring and reclaiming them have not stopt and hindred them like the man possest with Devils no chains are strong enough to hold them Hence 't is that the prosecution of lust is sometimes compared to the effusion 1 Pet. 4.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isa 57.20 Jer. 2.23
those who better deserved to keep then he to get the Government 2 His Employment with that of the rest of the Levites is mentioned Numb 16.9 to be honourable Numb 3.12.16.8 9. they being separated by God from the congregation of Israel to be brought near to himself to do the service of the Tabernacle and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them The Levites were brought nearer to God then the other Tribes though not so near as the Priests Numb 18.3 1 Chron 6.46 49 Aarons sons the Priests served in the Sanctuary in praying for the people and offering Incense and Sacrifice but the rest of the Tribe of Levi were not to come nigh the Altar upon pain of death Numb 3.9.1.50.3.6 7 8.4.3 4.7.5.18.6 Deut. 10 8. 1 Chron. 6.48.9.28 29 2 Chro. 26.18 1 Chro. 23.28 29. but served in Offices inferior to theirs Their work was 1 To attend the service of the Sanctuary according to the command of the Priests When the Tabernacle was moveable they were appointed to take it down carry set it up and to keep all the Instruments thereof and also with the Priests to carry the Ark of the Lord To wait upon the sons of Aaron in the service of the house of the Lord in the courts and in the chambers and in the purifying of all holy things Their work was to watch about the Tabernacle and afterward the Temple to defend it 1 Chron. 9.27 They also were to have the over sight of the Shew-bread Meat-offerings unleavened cakes and of all manner of measure and size they being to see that all measures both of dry and moist things which were used in Gods service might have their just proportion and that there might be a due length and breadth of all things that used to be measured by the mete-yard All manner of just measures for the things belonging to the House of God were to be tryed by the measures and sizes which the Levites kept and these were called the measures of the Sanctuary whether the Levites had the ordering of civil measures and sizes or no is uncertain 1 Chro. 16.4.23.30 2 Chron. 8.14.20.19 30.21.31.2 Nehem. 9.5 2. The work of the Levites was to sing praises to God and they praised him both by singing holy Songs and Hymns and also by Musical Instruments 3. The Levites were to teach the people the Law according to the good word of the Lord 2 Chron. 30.22 and 35.3 and this Employment was common both to the Priests and Levites Deut. 31.10 2 Chron. 17.7 8 9. and 31.4 Ezra 7.10 11. Nehem. 8.7 8. and 9.4 5. 4. To the Levites it also belonged with the Priests to take cognizance and to judg in causes about Holy things 2 Chron 19.8 10 11. So that the Priests and Levites were the two Ecclesiastical Orders in Israel employed about holy things the Levites making the lesser the Priests the greater and higher Order and yet both called Brethren Numb 18.6 And in process of time by the appointment of God when the Worship of God was to be stationary and fixt in one place David divided the Levites into sundry Orders and Ranks according to their Families for the discharging of their several functions and Ministeries they having their several courses of waiting and charges allotted to them See 1 Chron. 28.13 and 23. per tot and 25 c 2 Chron. 8.14 2 Chron. 35.4 5 10. The reason of the separating of the Levites to the worship of God is plainly mentioned in Scripture Numb 3.12 So Num. 8.16 I have saith God taken the Levites from among the children of Israel in stead of all the first-born because the first-born are mine for on the day that I smote all the first-born of the Land of Egypt Exod. 12 23 I hallowed unto me all the first-born in Israel The first-born then were Gods by a particular right of Redemption as well as Creation and therefore were in especial manner to serve him In other Creatures the first born were to be sacrificed to him if they were clean beasts and if they were not to be ransomed at a price for the maintenance of the Tabernacle Now instead of taking the first born of mankind to his service he appointed that the Levites should be peculiarly set apart for it And he chose to be served by one Tribe rather then by a number of first born taken out of many Tribes as Learned Interpreters conceive for prevention of confusion discord and division in holy Services and by the Tribe of Levi rather then any other for their Zeal of his Glory in revenging the indignity done unto him in the worshipping the Golden Calf Exod. 32.26 28. To conclude this Distourse As Israel was separated from all other people to be the Lords peculiar Lev. 20.26 so were the Levites separated from the sons of Israel to be the Lords Numb 8.14 And the employment of the Levites of which this Corah was a chief and among whom he was famous was though inferior to the Priests who were nearer to God in their attendances very honourable And therefore from the high honour thereof doth Moses argue against the ambition of this rebellious Corah whose desire it was to invade the Priestly Dignity also Seemeth it saith he a small thing unto you that the God of Israel hath separated you from the Congregation of Israel to bring you neer to himself Numb 16.9 to do the work of the Tabernacle c. If it be an honour for the greatest Subject to have the meanest Employment about the body of an earthly Prince how much greater is the advancement of the highest sons of men to have the lowest degree of peculiar service to God and truly David though a King went not an inch below his state in not disdaining the Office of a door-keeper in the house of the Lord and in putting on a linnen Ephod 3. For the Posterity of this Rebel Corah we find in Scripture that they were 1 Spared and exempted from this destruction of their father 2 Afterward that they were employed by God in his service which some of them did holily discharge 1 That they were spared is expressed Num. 26.11 The children of Corah died not neither did the fire from heaven nor the opening of the earth hurt them Whether they were in their fathers rebellion and were spared by the Prerogative of free mercy or for Gods care of his Ministry or whether they consented not to the sin of their father as it is most likely or whether they repented upon the warning given by Moses Numb 16.5 I determine not the Scripture being silent Nor will it be needful here to relate that fabulous invention of the Jewes by whose relation God wrought as great a miracle in the saving of Corahs children as he did in the destroying of Corah himself for they write That when the earth opened and swallowed up the father the children were taken up in the air and there remained hanging
invidentium natura ut malin◠propria mala pati quam aliena bona intueri Mend in 1 Sam. 5. Quanto ille qui invidetur successu meliore profecerit tanto invidus in majus incendium livoris ignibus inardescit Cypr. lib. de Zel. Liv. Non illos malos faciendo sed istis bona quibus mali facillimè possunt invidere largiendo incitesse dicitur ad odium August in loc and dreamed that he should be higher then they in his worldly condition the Israelites likewise were envied because they increased more then Egyptians David by Saul because the women ascribed more thousands to him then to Saul Moses by Miriam and Aaron because by God advanced above them and here Moses and Aaron by Corah and his Complices because of their Superiority The object of hatred is oft the sin of others but of envy alway the Excellency of others either real or seeming of body mind estate fame c. the cause thereof being pride or an inordinate self-love the Envious ever deeming his own Excellency by anothers happiness to be diminish'd and obscured Thus the elder brother Luke 25. deemed himself wronged by the love which his father shewed to the younger and by reason of Envy against his brothers he forgets his fathers bounty to himself and he who had received all his fathers inheritance denyes that ever his father had given him a kid Of all sinners the Envious is most his own scourge and torment He had rather suffer misery then see others in prosperity as some have noted of the Philistims who could hardly be brought by the smart of their own distresses to send the Ark back to Israel Psal 105.25 it s said that God turned the heart of the Egyptians to hate his people But as Augustin well notes not by making the heart of the Egyptians evil but the Estate of the Israelites prosperous What a moth to the soul saith Cyprian is Envy Qualis est animi tinea in malum proprium bona aliena convertere aliorum gloriam facere suam poeham velut quosdam pectori suo admo ere carnifices c. Cypr. de zel liv to turn anothers good into our own hurt to make anothers glory our own punishment The meditation of this cursed distemper of the Envious may provoke us to contentation in a low condition They are high Towers upon which the lightnings of Envy falls It◠oftentimes a mercy to be in misery How many righteous and well-deserving persons have been made faulty and guilty only for their being wealthy and honourable How abundantly doth the sweet safety of a retired life recompence for all that obscurity which seems to debase it How oft have I known those who have lived in envyed honour to envy those who have lived in safe obscurity 10 Heretical Seducers Observ 10. are commonly turbulent and seditious They here followed Corah in his opposing of Authority They who deny the only Lord God as these Seducers did will make nothing of despising Dominion They who oppose Gods Dominion will never regard mans Impious men will not be obedient Subjects The order of obedience prescribed by the Apostle 1 Pet. 2.17 is first to fear God Prov. 24.21 Cunctus totius orbis clerus imperio Magistratus Civilis ex emptus L. 2. decret Tit. 2. Imperator quod habet totum habetà nobis in potestate nostra est ut demu◠imperium cui volumus Hadrian in epist ad Archiep. Treu. Mogunt Colon. and then to honour the King My son saith Solomon fear thou the Lord and the King The Romish off spring of Antichrist who throw off and deprave the Law of God will not submit to Civil Authority They openly teach that the Clergy is exempted from the power of the Magistrate So long as the Arch Heretick the Pope lives Corah and these Seducers will never dye In one Pope are many Corahs Seducers Rebels Libertines He usurps a Dominion over all the Princes in the world he makes himself the Sun and from him as the fountain of light he pretends that all Civil Governors as the Moon borrow their light to himself he saith is given all power in heaven and in earth and as profanely he applies that passage Psal 72.8 He shall have Dominion from Sea to Sea and from the River unto the ends of the earth And that of Prov. 8 15. By me Kings reign And when he speaks concerning the distribution of Empires and Kingdoms he imitates his Father in these words They are delivered to me and to whomsoever I will I give them It would be endless and in some respect needless as having toucht upon this sad Subject before to relate the many bloody machinations and murtherous enterprises of the Popes cut-throats and Emissaries against the persons of Christian Princes Under the wing of this whore of Babylon in the nest of the Popes chair Pag. 179 180 181. having been hacht those stabbings poysonings powder plots and which is worse the defence of all these by his Janizaries the Jesuits in their writings in blood which have fill'd the ears and hearts of true Christians with horror and amazement Nor would it be unsutable to the present Subject to mention the seditious turbulency of the Heretical crew of Anabaptists of late years who to all their other erroneous Tenets adde this that before the day of Judgment Christ should have a worldly kingdome erected where the Saints onely were to have dominion and Magistracy was to be rooted out and with what an inundation of blood these idle and at first neglected dreams and opinions have filled Europe the Histories of the last age have related to us and the Lord grant that we who have read and not been warned by them may never our selves become an History to the age which shall come after us I say no more Of this more page 638. Part 1. 11. It s a sin for those who are uncalled Observ 11. to thrust themselves into the office of the Ministry Hudson 137. Corahs sin was his endeavour to invade the Priesthood Seek ye the Priesthood also saith Moses to him Numb 16.10 And because all the Lords people were holy as Corah alledgeth vers 3. therefore he pretends that others had as much right to discharge the office and function of Aaron as Aaron himself had and that since the people had an holiness by vocation to grace whereby the Israelites were distinguisht from other Nations there needed no holiness of special consecration to distinguish the Priest from other Israelites Now that this sin of Corah which was an invasion of the Priests office may still be committed in the times of the New Testament is clear because the Apostle reproves it in these seducers And that it can be no other way committed in the times of the Gospel but by intrusion of uncalled persons into the Ministry of the Gospel is say * See Mr. Ly fords judicious Discourse some as plain because
there is no other office which these Seducers could invade answering to that of the Legall Priesthood but this office of the Evangelical Ministry From all which it will unavoidably follow that they who shall enter into the office of the Ministry onely upon the pretence of inward abilities without receiving a Commission and authority from God and a particular separation to that office are guilty of sin against God and that no light and slight one Corahs sin The receiving then of a power by way of authority external mission and commission from those whom God hath appointed to confer it Verbum quod proximis privati annunciant authoritate specialis officii non constringit auditores ad obedientiam sed virtute objecti seu materiae quae verbo isto continetur Apol. de min. Ec. 1 Thes 4.18.5.14 Heb. 3.13 1 Pet. 3.1 is requisite for those who will enter upon the Ministerial function which no man may undertake but by power lawfully thus conferred That private Christians in a way of Christian charity may yea ought to confer with one another by way of information admonition consolation c. and so communicate their gifts for their mutual edification 't is not denied or envied but granted yea earnestly desired It s yeelded also that in some cases of urgent necessity befalling the Church when t is as yet not fully planted formed or when 't is scattered and disperst by persecution and so hindred from that ordinary and orderly course of ministration which it enjoys in times of peace and setledness private Christians may publikely instruct others yet this cannot be alledged against the course which the Scripture hath establisht for sending forth of Ministers Rom. 10.15 Heb. 5.4 2 Tim. 1 6. 1 Tim. 4.14 1 Tim. 5.22 5. Acts 13.1 2. and 14.22 23. Tit. 1.5 2 Tim. 2.2 As neither were the great eminency and commonness of gifts in the Church of Christ in the times of the Apostles which were bestowed upon many who were not ordaind and set apart for the Ministry any hindrances from the conferring of Ministerial power on them by setting them apart for the Ministerial employment Timothy was a man of much holiness and of excellent parts and yet these hindred not his after separation to his holy function by the Presbytery The command of the Apostle 1 Tim. 5.22 that Timothy should lay hands suddenly on no man clearly argues that they on whom he did lay hands were before to be men gifted with internal qualifications for the tryall whereof Timothy was forbidden to be too sudden in ordaining And most clear is that of 2 Tim. 2.2 where for a succession of teachers Timothy is commanded to commit the things which he had heard of Paul to faithful men able to teach others whereby its evident that they were to be able and faithful before Timothy committed those things to them There is not onely a meetness for but an inauguration into the office of the Ministry required of those who are to enter into it and gifts are not sufficient to make Ministers without the ordinary call and Mission setled in the Church by Christ Every Israelite or Levite able to offer Incense was not admitted to offer none but the Sons of Aaron who were particularly set apart thereto had that honour nor can any under the times of the Gospel who hath never so much inward furniture of gifts be a right Minister or Officer from Christ where there is not a right Commission and Patent given in his Name by due Ordination As it is Treason for the ablest Statesman or Lawyer to undertake the office of an Embassadour or Judg before he be made such by those who only can confer that power so it s an insufferable affront offered to Jesus Christ for any to pretnd the doing of that in his Name which is done without his declared will and consent Of this more page 10 11. Part. 1. 12. How ready are men to be weary of enjoying those things Observ 12. which they did most impatiently desire when they wanted them What would not these Rebels have given for a Moses and an Aaron to deliver them out of their Egyptian bondage how welcome were the first tidings of Gods appointing them to be the instruments of so great a mercy And yet now they have a while enjoyed them and tasted the benefit of their government how weary were they of both and therein of their own happiness The people who with passionate and sinful earnestness cryed out for a King after the manner of other Nations so soon as God had gratified their desires therein were a great part of them weary of what they so ardently wished despised their King brought him no presents and muttered their unthankful discontentedness in these words Plerunque acci dit hominibus ut non habita desiderent habita detestentur A bulens q. 24. How shall this man save us 1 Sam. 10.27 And long before that the same people who would have been glad of the coursest pulse in a starving Wilderness murmured because they had no better commons then bread from heaven Angels food herein in a sort resembling David whose soul longed for the water of Bethlehem and yet when his three Worthies with the endangering of their lives had brought of that water to him he poured it out on the earth and would not drink thereof 2 Sam. 23.15 16 17. How righteous is God in denying us many a comfort notwithstanding our earnest and impetuous craving thereof he knowing that when he gives it us we shall either unthankfully despise it or rather prophanely abuse it How willingly should we justifie God in all his deferrings and denyals of creature-enjoyments for though we think that the want of them will undo us yet he knows that the having of them would both hurt us and dishonour him 13. Observ 13. God opposeth the opposers of lawfull authority They are enemies more to themselves then to those to whom they are enemies Quid si princeps jubeat quod non debes facere Contemne potestatem tiâ—endo potestatem Si aliquid â—usserit curator nonne faciendum est ita quidem tamen si contra Proconsulem jusscrit non utique contemnis potestatem sed mâ—jori servire eligis â—ursum si aliquid proconsul jubeat aliud jubeat Imperator nunquid dubitatur iâ—o contempto isti serviendum Ergo si aliud Imperator aliud Deus quid judicat c. Aug. de verb. Dâ—m Seâ—m 6. Nequaquam mores illorum consectari velis qui ordinem istum invertunt regi primum deinde Deo deferendum esse honorem existimant Salaz in Prov. 24. they perish in their gainsayings with this Corah An evil man seeketh onely rebellion therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him Prov. 24 2â— My son saith Solomon Fear thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change for their calamity shall arise suddenly and
another a cloud is the womb of rain big with it oft as with its issue And therefore as the learned Junius on this place notes when our Apostle adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saying that these clouds are without water he rather useth ratione populari a popular and Vulgar kind of speech then stands upon Philosophical accurateness for those clouds which are without water Aristotle and other Philosophers call not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nubes but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nebulas thin dispersed vapours which indeed obscure the face of the heavens but have within them no rain for the thirsty earth at all so distinguishing them from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rainy clouds The Naturalists who write concerning watery Meteors enquire how it can be that a cloud should contain so vast a bulk and quantity of heavy waters and not violently and at once fall to the earth heavy things naturally descending or tending downward Several causes are by them assigned some say that they are kept up by their natural and inbred warmth included in them and by the heat without of the Sun and Stars others say by their motion which they have from the winds others by reason of their spungy hollowness which receives and takes in the thin air but Philosophers in this are like little children that cannot speak plain at least to my dulness the safest way according to the best Divines is to resolve this by the Scripture which represents the holding up of the clouds as the work of Gods power and teacheth us that God hath given his command in the creation that the clouds fall not Prov. 8.28 He established the clouds above Gen. 1.6 Let the firmament that is Zanch. de op Dei l. 2. c. 1. p. 277. Aer suâ mediâ regione dividit aquas quae sursum evehuntur ab iis quae infrae fluunt as Zanchy largely and strongly proves the ayr in respect of the middle Region divide the waters from the waters namely those which are drawn up and made clouds for rain from those which run below And Job 26.8 It s expressely said that God bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds and the cloud is not rent under them he hath bound these waters in a though weak slight garment Prov. 30.4 The waters above the Heavens are recorded among the things which God hath estalisht for ever and for which he hath made a decree that they shall not pass Ps 148.4 6. It s his power that enables so weak a cobweb to hold as it were a strong man prisoner it s that alone which lays up even a Sea of waters in the thin sieve or searce of a cloud which till he pleaseth shall not let go one drop Sunt nubes ut spongia quaedam aquarum plena Deus autem mamâ— suae proorovidentiae spongiam bane comprimit non totam simul quantum potest sed paulatim ut molliter descendant aquae Zanch. de op Dei l. 3. c. 6. pag. 383. and then rain shall come as through a sieve or strainer not in floods but in drops Or rather as Zanchy that Divine Naturalist speaks he makes his clouds spunges till he press and squeez them with the hand of his providence not a drop shall fall out of them he presseth these spunges not too hard but gently that so they may moderately and by little and little distil and drop upon us and not overwhelm us as they did the old World when he wrung these spunges hard upon them He whose word is a dam to hinder the proud waves from flowing over the face of the earth hath a word likewise which as a stopple shuts up the bottles of his clouds and keeps them from running out In a word he who hangeth the earth upon nothing is in the next words deservedly said to bind up the waters in his thick clouds For the second particular viz. why the Apostle made choice of a resemblance taken from these clouds He saith these Seducers were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 clouds which according to the notation of the word and common usage signifie such as have in them water for the refreshment of the earth and I conceive that our Apostle hereby intends either 1 To shew their duty which was as the Ministers of Christ to be watring clouds to afford to people the sweet and refreshing showers of wholsome Doctrines Or rather 2. Their great boastings hypocritical shews and appearances they seeming and pretending to be clouds full of water as the holy Prophets and Apostles were whereas indeed they were though appearingly full yet really and truly empty unprofitable and waterless like the boaster of a false gift of whom Soloman speaks Prov. 25.14 that he is as clouds without rain though by reason of his great promises he seemed to be full of water and beneficialness As if the Apostle had said These Seducers are clouds full of water of holiness and heavenly doctrine if you will beleeve their own expressions and appearances but if you come to try or use them you shall finde no benefit comfort or refreshment from them And I conceive that the Apostle by calling them clouds intimates their proud and hypocritical pretending to resemble the worthy and profitable Instructers and Teachers of the people of old who are oft and elegantly in Scripture compared to clouds and whose doctrine is resembled to dropping as Isai 5.7 where God according to some threatning to take away the Prophets and their Ministry from the people saith I will command the clouds that they rain no rain And frequently in Scripture is prophesying or teaching called a dropping 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tum docens dâ—ctorve tum pluvia tempesâ—iva 21.30.20 Joel 2.23 My doctrine saith Moses Deut. 32.2 shall drop as the rain Ezek. 21.2 Son of man drop toward c. And prophesie against the land of Israel And Amos 7.16 Prophesie not against Israel drop not thy word against the house of Israel Ezek. 20.46 Son of man drop toward the South and prophesie c. And Micah 2.6 Prophesie or drop not say they to them that prophesie And in ordinary speech we use to say the clouds drop and when it begins to rain it drops Prov. 3.20 His clouds drop down the dew And clouds are a most lively resemblance of faithful Ministers Gen. 1.6 Prov. 8.28 Psal 147.8 Ephes 4.11 Psal 68.11 1. In regard of the cause of both the supream highest cause is God clouds are frequently in Scripture called his clouds Job 26.8 Psal 18.12 Prov. 3.20 Ministers are his they are from him for him kept up by him he gives the word and great shall be the company of those who publish it he sends forth labourers the natural cause of clouds is the Sun drawing up vapours Christ the Sun of righteousnesse he calls appoints gives gifts to Ministers 2. In regard of the condition of clouds they are carried from place to place tossed
too and fro with the winds Ministers are oft removed by God from one place in anger for its unfruitfulness to another and tossed by the winds of persecution hither and thither the Church nevertheless by their dispersion gaining moisture and spiritual benefit 3. In regard of their situation clouds are above us Ministers are dignified by God over us in the Lord and they as clouds ought to be nearer heaven and more having their conversation there then others Phil. 3.20 They are not clods but clouds yea stars yea angels 4. Clouds they are in respect of sustentation upheld by the powerful Word of Gods providence else as clouds under their loads they could never be upheld they are as dying yet behold they live stars in the right hand of Christ 5. In respect of fulness usefulness and beneficialness A cloud is both umbrifera and imbrifera bringing shadow and moisture to the earth a faithful Minister cools and refresheth a scorched conscience by preaching the righteousness of Christ he is a messenger an Interpreter one among a thousand to shew unto man his uprightness Job 33.23 his feet are beautiful Rom. 10.15 as welcome to a scorched conscience as the rain to the parched earth these spiritual clouds drop down the fruitful showrs of heavenly doctrine 2 Tim. 2.24 Good Ministers are apt to teach 6. Like clouds they spend and consume themselvs in dropping on others like salt and Torches they melt themselves to benefit others like Silk-worms they weave out their own bowels to cover others nakednesse But secondly Explicat 2. from what sort of Clouds doth our Apostle draw a resemblance to sute with these Seducers 1. From empty Clouds without water 2. From unstable Clouds carried about c. 1. From empty Clouds they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clouds without water Here two things ought to be explain'd 1. VVhat it was to be without VVater 2. VVhen it was a sin to be so For the first as in Scripture the Prophets and Ministers are compared to Clouds so their heavenly Doctrine to Water or Rain showred down from those Clouds My Doctrine saith Moses Deut. 32.2 shall drop as the rain my speech shall distill as the dew as the small rain upon the tender herb And Isa 55.10 11. As the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven and returneth not thither but watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and bud c. So shall my word be that goeth out of my mouth c. And Heb. 6.7 The earth drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it bringeth forth herbs c. 1 Kings 17.14 Job 5.10 Job 36.27 Psal 104.13 147.8 Psal 65.10 Prov. 19.12 Ier. 31.12 Deut. 28.12 Ier. 5.24 Isa 44.3 Es 30.23 44.14 And most fitly may the Word be compared to rain 1. For its originall God gives Rain Jer. 15.22 Are there any among the vanities of the heathen that can cause rain or can the heavens give showers Art not thou he O LORD c. Deut. 11.14 I will give you the rain of your land Lev. 26.4 I will give you the rain in due season God can onely give us a Word It s called the Word of the Lord. He appoints what Ministers should preach and he teacheth them how to Preach and he makes the Word effectuall 2. Rain is of a searching insinuating nature soaking to the roots The Word searcheth the heart Fontes ficâ—os â—os appeliâ—t Fontâ—s scilicâ—t quòd acceperint agnitionem domini Christi siccos autem quia non congruenter vivunt Aug. de fid Op. c. 25. Vbi fons sine aquá ibi lutum erroriâ— peccati nâ—c lavat sed Coinqunat Glos Irenaeus l. 1. c. 33. haereticos vocat fungos Augustin lib. de Haeres Fabulones Philologesnon Phâ—losophos Folia dant non fructus verba non scientiam sophismata non solida argumenta jactant crepantque Scripturam sed eam non intelligunt imo pervertunt Aperiunt quasi â—ontes scientia qui aquam non habent doctrinarum promittunt imbrem velut nubes Prophetica Hiron 2. contra Iov pricks the heart and purgeth it Act. 2.37 Heb. 4.12 3. Rain cooleth and refresheth the earth and plants the Promises of the Word delight the soul the chapt gasping thirsty soul Isa 44.3 4. Rain softneth the earth though hard like Iron The Word maketh the heart tender and pliable obedient Jer. 31.37 Ezek. 36.26 and fit to be moulded according to Gods mind 5. Rain causeth the earth to be fruitfull the Word makes us fruitfull in every grace and good work It s an instrumentall cause of spirituall growth 1 Pet. 2.2 Psal 1.3 1 Pet. 3.16 So that these seducing teachers were Clouds 1. Without the water of holinesse and sanctification of heart life and example they made shew to be the onely sublime Saints and Christians of the first magnitude and that others in comparison of them were but in the lowest form of godlinesse and Religion yet these ungodly men had not in them a drop of true Sanctity they onely had a form of godlinesse 2 Tim. 3.5 but denying the power thereof and these waterlesse wells as Peter cals them had nothing in them but the mud and filth of sin not to cleanse but pollute and defile 2 They were without the water of true Knowledge they pretended to be the onely knowing Persons that they onely had two eyes and all others but one They assumed to themselves the title of Gnostici for their great pretended insight into the Doctrines of Faith They lookt upon others as the Pharisees upon the people who they said knew not the Law and were accursed or as Caiphas upon the other Priests he telling them that they knew nothing and yet for all this they were empty and without the water of saving Knowledge and Instruction Their doctrines were but wind chaff and idle speculations vain janglings contentions about words not profiting them who are exercised therein improving no soul heaven-ward making it after all their empty discourses no further admitted into communion with Christ cleansed from sin in love with holinesse fitted for death in a word their verball triflings never made a Proselite to Jesus Christ but onely to an opinion They had perhaps the wisdom of Words but not the words of wisdom They left the Scripture and onely regarded dreams and fables They were blind leaders of the blind and erred from the right way Desiring to be teachers of the Law they understood neither what they said nor whereof they affirmed And in stead of being Clouds that bedewed their hearers with the drops of heavenly instruction 1 Tim. 1.7 they were clouds onely to darken their mind with error and to hide from them the Sun-shine of Truth as Oecomenius glosseth 3. They were without the water of Consolation and Refreshment for those who expected benefit and relief from them Who so boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds without rain saith Solomon Prov. 25.14 All the glorious promises
of peace and liberty which they made to their misled followers were empty and deceitfull While they promise them liberty they themselves are the servants of corruptiou 2 Pet. 2.19 They pretended that they had found out a nearer way to heaven then any before them had done and that people might without fetching such a compasse of Mortification and holinesse go straight on to Peace and Blessednesse But their poor deceived Disciples found them herein to be but clouds without water such who could not make good these promises and that there was no peace in impurity 2 Pet. 2.17 Peter cals them wels without water elegantly describing their disappointing of those who expected relief and refreshment for their souls from them they being like the waters or wels in an hot Summer that Jer. 15.18 are said to lie or fail or a brook that is deceitfull Job 6.15 disappointing the thirsty who go to them for refreshment They who trusted to what these seducers promised by their Doctrines being like to those little ones who being sent to the Pits Jer. 14.3 found no water returning with their vessels empty asham'd and confounded covering their heads 2. For the second Wherein it was a sin for these Seducers to be as clouds without water 1. It argued prophane presumption namely in undertaking a holy Function for which they had no fitness they had no worth either of piety or sufficiency they had lips but not such as could preserve Knowledg they polluted the holy things of God with their unmeetness to mannage them had they been persons of greatest abilities the work of teaching and instructing souls would have deserved and taken them all up 2 Cor. 2.16 the shoulders of an Angel would have been weak enough for the weight of such a service Who is saith Paul sufficient for these things A mortal man would have scorned to be put off with such performances as they thought good enough for the great GOD. These cursed deceivers offered to God not a male but a corrupt thing The God who is the best and greatest requires the best and greatest of our abilities But these offered that to God which cost them nothing 2. It argued the sin of unusefulnesse and unprofitablenesse they could not give what they had not they had no worth and they did no work They had no water nor did they pour down any They were wicked and slothfull and therefore wicked because slothfull Mat. 25.26 These false teachers knew not what labour meant They were spent not with cutting but rusting They were loyterers in the time of harvest And they were neither faithfull nor labourers If they did sweat at all it was not with working but feeding They were not as Clouds that spend themselves in watering the earth They were not impaired by service but sensuality If a private person must be a Publick good then must not a Publick person be a private good They lived to themselves and cumbred their places to no purpose in the world When men went secure to hell they quietly suffered them to do so Their cruelty was great because it was Soul-cruelty they starved souls 3. In their sin was delusion and hypocrisie as they neither had worth nor did good so in both they opposed their profession They voiced themselves to be the onely able Instructers but as the waterlesse clouds delude the expecting husband-man so did these their fond followers They pretended to be spirituall nurses and though they expected full paiment they gave the children but empty windy breasts Their deluded Disciples spent their mony for that which was not bread and their labour for that which satisfied not Had these seducers appeared to be what they were empty they had not been call'd clouds or had they been what they appeared to be they had not been call'd clouds without water Under a glorious title their lodg'd a base and unworthy temper It s a great sin to be confutations of our Professions Injustice is not so inexcusable in any as in a Judg Blindness is not so blameable in any as in a guide a seer silence in none is so hatefull as in a Preacher drinesse no where so unexpected as in a Well a Cloud It was not the barren Oaâ— or Elm from which fruit was never expected but the Figtree whose kind was fruitful that Chrâ—st cursed for unfruitfulnesse Nor did the dammage of their hypocrisie onely redound to themselves A by reason of their emptinesse they did good to none so in regard of their seeming fulnesse they did hurt to many How easily might their misguided followers â—pend their time in a vain gaping after these empty clouds of error and presumption for the water of Life and happinesse and mean while neglect the Rain of Heaven a Soul-saving Ministry these erroneous guides though hereby aggravating their own yet not excusing their followers from damnation 2. Our Apostle to set forth the instability as well as the emptiness of these seducers drawes a comparison to sute these seducers from clouds as carried about with the winds he saith They are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Two things I shall here touch by way of Explication 1. What the Apostle here intends by their being carryed about 2. What those winds were by which they were carryed about 1. For the first their being carried about is noted in this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Carried about driven this way and that way not abiding or resting in any one place like any light matter feathers stubble dust c. which are at the courtesie of every blast and puff of wind And hereby is intended the unstablenesse and unsetlednesse of these seducers in their Christian course Expressed likewise by the same word Eph. 4.14 Children tossed to and fro and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 carried about with every wind of Doctrine and Heb. 13.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be not carried about with diverse and strange doctrines If one wind comes the cloud is carried this way if another that way somtimes to one quarter of the Heavens at other times to a quite contrary so was it with these unsettled souls who wanting the ballast and solidity of grace in their heart were unstable unconfirmed in their opinions affections and practices For the Apostle may hereby intend a three-fold instability and unsetlednesse or their being carried about in three respects 1. In respect principally I conceive of opinion and judgment they were not setled in the truths of Religion like those 1 Kings 18.21 who halted between two opinions They continued not in the faith grounded and setled as the Apostle speaks Col. 1.23 they were not placed upon a firm foundation nor were they seated as a man in a seat from which he cannot easily be removed and 't is frequently observed that the erroneous are never firm either to the truth or their own opinions They forget what they have been unsterstand not what they are and know not what they shall be Augustine tels us how frequently
Christ That which they entertained meerly for fear they present to others as a doctrine of Faith These are reeds that bow and hang according to the standing of the winds such a reed shaken with the winds was not John Baptist but rather an Oak which will sooner be broken then bend by the winds by an holy Antiperistasis his zeal was doubled by opposition These false Teachers were like a man that goes to Sea for pleasure not for Traffick if a storm arise he will come back or put to the next shore Like that ship Acts 27.15 they bear not up into the wind Jer. 9 3. they are not valiant for the truth Tit. 1.9 nor hold they fast the faithful Word but let it go if enemies contend to pull it away 3. They were carried about with the wind of pride and ambition They gaped after the breath of applause old truths are of no reputation among the giddy sort hence it was that these were carried to teach that whereby they might be voiced and cryed up for some rare men dropt out of the clouds and seeing further then all the rest of their times They could not tell how to get above others unless they taught something different from others truth was counted but a dull stale business and therefore they chose rather to be accounted such as excelled by being erroneous then such as were onely equall to others Vento superbiae omnes haereses animantur by delivering the truth The wind of Pride is the life and soul of Error it is the element wherein it moves and breaths Seducers were puft up as Paul speaks Col. 2.18 vainly by their fleshly minds a humble soul will not easily either teach or follow an Error It hath ever been the property of Seducers to follow the peoples humour with Errors that so the people might follow them with applause 4. They were carried about with the wind of earthly mindedness They taught any false doctrine for filthy lucres sake 2 Pet. 2. they would rarely be carried with any wind but such as blew them some profit they steered their course by the compass of gain their Religion began at their purse strings They served not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own bellies Rom. 16.18 This was that wind which carried Balaam about from country to country from Altar to Altar he and his followers loved to be of the Kings Religion Thus Erasmus said that one poor Luther made a great many rich Abbots and Bishops he meant that by preaching against him they were wont to get their great livings and preferments Demas forsook truth to embrace the present world OBSERVATIONS 1. The want of the showrs of a faithful Ministry spiritual rain is a singular curse and calamity Consciencious Ministers are clouds and their Doctrine rain As no rain is so useful and profitable as the rain of the Word so neither is it so great a misery to be deprived of any as of this God often in Scripture promiseth Showres and Teachers as great Blessings Deut. 28.12 The Lord shall open to thee his good treasure the Heaven to give thee rain c. Joel 2.23 Rejoice in the Lord your God for c. he will cause to come down for you the Rain c. And for instructours see Jer. 3.15 Jer. 23.4 I will give you Pastours according to mine own heart which shall feed you with knowledg and understanding Isai 30.20 Though the Lord give you the bread of Adversity and the water of Affliction yet shall not thy Teachers be removed into a corner any more God also threatens the keeping away of rain and the taking away of Instructers as dismal curses Deut. 28.23 Jer. 3.3.14.4 Amos 4.7 Isai 3.2 1 Sam. 3.1 Hos 4.5 Ezek. 3.26 Psal 57.9 The Heaven that is over thy head shall be brass thy rain shall be powder and dust Lev. 26.19 I will make your Heaven as iron and your earth as brass Zach. 14.17 Vpon them shall be no rain Never was a greater plague on Israel then when in three yeers and a half it rained not on the earth in Ahabs time And concerning the Prophets the Lord saith Mich. 2.6 They shall not Hebr. drop Prophesie and Isai 5 6. God threatens his Vineyard that he will commands his clouds his Prophets that they shall rain no rain upon it God threatned a great judgment in great displeasure against the people Ezek. 3.26 when he told Ezekiel that he would make his tongue cleave to the roof of his mouth and that he should be dumh and no reprover to them and when he threatned that he would remove away the candlestick of Ephesus out of its place Rev. 2.5 The want of Spiritual is a much greater woe then the want of natural rain The withholding of showâ—s from Heaven can but produce a Famine of bread the want of a faithful Ministry brings a Famine of the Word of the Lord Amos 8.11 And this famine of the Word of the Lord is a Soul-famine And 1 Opposeth not Natural but Spiritual life The separation of the soul from the body is but the shadow of death True death stands in the separation between God and the soul Where vision faileth people perish Prov. 29.18 My people perish for want of knowledge Hos 4 6. Salvation and Life eternal stand in Knowledg Joh. 17.3 1 Tim. 2.4 2. Bodily famine takes away our natural strength and vigor whereby we perform our ordinary and worldly actions but a soul-Famine destroyes that Spiritual strength whereby we are enabled to heavenly Employments Praying Repenting Believing Holy-walking 3 Bodily Famine makes the outward man look pale deformed lean unpleasing soul-famine brings a leanness into the soul deformity and profananess into the face of our conversation Who observes not in Congregations whence the Word is taken the miserable change of men and manners In Elies time sin abounded and the reason is set down 1 Sam. 3.1 In those dayes the word of the Lord was precious 4 Bodily Famine as other external judgments may be a help to bring men to God by causing Repentance and bettering Obedience as in the Prodigal but the famine of the Word puts men farther from God and by it men grow more obdurate in sin 5. Bodily Famine may be recompensed and made up with Spiritual food Isai 30.20 Though the Lord give the bread of Adversity yet he countervailes that loss by giving them to see their Teachers whereas Spiritual famine cannot be recompensed by having bodily food because when God takes away the food of the soul he takes away himself the tokens of his presence and Grace and what can be given in exchange for God himself 6 Of bodily Famine people are sensible they cry out thereof and labour for a supply but the more soul famine rageth the more people disregard their misery and slight their wretchedness by fasting forgetting how to feed and with their food losing often their stomacks too How much then are they
they may procure much credit though they ask but little cost Besides natural conscience will not be put off with a total laying aside of duty and if Satan can cheat poor souls with putting a Pibble in stead of a Pearl into their hands he thinks it as much cunning as if he put nothing into their hands at all nothing doth so dangerously hinder men from happiness as the putting off themselves with shadows and appearances of that which is really and truly good He who is altogether naked may be sooner brought to look after the getting a garment then he who pleaseth himself with his own rags wherewith he is already clad A man who is smoothly civil and morally honest is in greatest danger of being suffered to go to Hell without disturbance he snorts not in his sinful sleep to the disturbing of others and he is seldom jogged and disquieted nay perhaps he is highly commended Christians please not your selves in the bare profession and appearances of Christianity that which is highly esteemed among men may be abominable before the Lord let not the quid but the quale not the work done but the manner of doing it be principally regarded examine your selves also concerning the principle whence your actions flow the righteousness whereby they are to be accepted the rule by which they are regulated the end to which they tend and as the Apostle speaks Let every one examine his own work and consider whether his duty be such as will endure the Scripture Touchstone 2. Withering and decaying in holinesse Observ 2. is a distemper very unsuitable and should be very hateful to every Christian It was the great sin and wo of these seducers and should be look'd upon as such by us and that upon these following considerations 1. In respect of God Decayes in our Christian course oppose his nature in whom is no shadow of change Mal. 3.6 Psal 102.24 I am the Lord saith he I change not He is eternally I am and ever the same his years are throughout all generations And what hath inconstancy to do with immutability how unlike to the Rock of ages are chaffe and stubble no wonder that his soul takes no pleasure in those who draw back and that they onely are his house who hold fast the confidence and rejoycing of the hope Hebr. 10 38. Hebr. 6.6 firm to the end If a frail weak man will not take a house out of which he shall be turned within a few years how unpleasing must it be to God to be so dealt with 2. Spiritual decays and witherings are unsutable to the works of God His work is perfect Deut. 32.4 he compleated the work of Creation he did it not by halves Gen. 2.1 The heavens and the earth were finished and all the host of them God finished the building of his house before he left His works of providence whether general or special are all perfect he never ceaseth to provide for and sustain the creatures the doing hereof one year is no hinderance to him from doing the like another and another nay the day week month Psal 23. Psal 71.17 18 Christus perseveravit pro te ergo tu pro illo perseveres Bern. de temp 56. Ibi tu figas cursus tui metam ubi Christus posuit suam Idem Ep. 254. Obtulerunt ci Judaei si de cruce descenderet quòd crederent in illum Christus vero pro tanto munere sibi oblato noluit opus redemptiâ—nis humanae inchoatum relinquere inconsummatum Perald p. 216. year generation end but Gods providentiall care still goes on he upholds every creature nor is the shore of providence in danger of breaking he feeds heals delivers cloaths us unweariedly goodness and mercy follow us all the dayes of our lives he regards us from our youth and forsakes us not when we are gray-headed Most perfect are his works of special providence Redemption is a perfect work Christ held out in his sufferings till all was finisht Though the Jews offered to beleeve in him if he would come down from the Cross yet would he not leave the work of mans Redemption inconsummate He finisht the work which was given him to do he saves to the utmost delivers out of the hands of all enemies nor doth he leave these half destroyed they are thrown into the bottom of the Sea he hath not onely toucht taken up but quite taken away the sin of the world Nor will he leave the work in the soul imperfect he is the author and finisher of our Faith His whole work shall be done upon Mount Sion he will carry on his work of grace till it be perfected in glory where the spirits of just men shall be made perfect and the Saints come unto a perfect man 3. Spiritual witherings and decayings are opposite to the Word of God 1. The Word commands Spiritual progressiveness Be thou faithful unto the death Rev 2 10. Let us not be weary of well doing Gal. 6.9 Look to your selves that we lose not those things which we have wrought John Eâ—p 2. v. 8. Let us go on to perfection Hebr. 6.1 Perfecting holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7.1 Take heed lest there be in any of you an evill heart of unbelief in departing from the living God Hebr. 3.12 2. The Word threatens spiritual decays If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledg of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin but a certain fearfull looking for of vengeance and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Hebr. 10.26 27 31. I have something against thee because thou hast left thy first love Rev. 2.4 If any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him Hebr. 10.38 3. In aternum se divino mancipat familatui Ob hoc inflexibilis obstinatae mentis punitur aeternaliter malum licet temporaliter perpetratum quia quod breve fuit tempore vel opere longum esse constat in pertinaci voluntate ita ut si nunquam moreâ—etur nunquam vâ—lle pecâ—are dâ—sineret ita â—ndefessum presi icuâ—â— stud â—m pâ—oâ—profectione reputatur Perald ubi supra The Word encourageth proceeding in holiness I will give thee a crown of life Rev. 2.10 Yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry Hebr. 10.37 Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me Rev. 22 12. He that endureth to the end shall be saved Nor need it seem strange that the proceeding of a godly man in holiness for a few years is rewarded with eternity for as the sin of the wicked is punisht eternally because they being obstinate and inflexible would sin eternally should they always live so the sincere desire and endeavour of the godly to proceed in holiness is crowned eternally because should they always live they would always and progressively be holy 4. Spiritual
there were within them waves of unquietnesse and impatiency raised by the windes of their pride They were murmurers and complainers both against God and man Of this unquietness the Apostle speaks afterwards vers 16. 3. They were as the troublesome and raging waves of the sea in respect of others And this I conceive Jude principally intends in this place The Sea neither resteth it self nor doth it suffer any thing to rest which is upon it it tosseth the ships and tumbleth the Passengers therein from one side thereof to another who reel to and fro like a drunken man and in its rage and fury it often swallows up and devours both ship and men The lives of those who are upon the sea hang by a thred they themselves being neither reckon'd among the dead Moâ—tude quiesâ—nâ—â— nor among the living And thus these Seducers were so restlesse and turbulent that they found no rest but in their motions Like those of whom Solomon speaks Prov. 4.16 VVho sleep not unlesse they have done mischief and their sleep is taken away unlesse they cause someto fal Meritò hâ—retici fluctibus maris similes esse dicuntur quòd nuâ—quam quieti sâ—nt nusquam consistant nova semper moliantur surgia misceant seditionem excitent schismata pariant omnia denique perturbent ac pervertanâ— Justinian Vti fluctus fcri navim ita ipsi turbulenti seditiosi Ecclesiam concutiunt Lap. And troublesome they were 1. First to the bodily and outward welfare of others their names they tost up and down by slanders and reproaches they uttered many hard speeches against the Faithful Their tongue set on fire of hell did set on fire the whole course of nature VVhat bittter and uncharitable censures have such fomented in all times against those who did not joyn and hold with them They are wont to lowre brow beat disdainfully frown and look sourly upon them as Cain upon Abel with a discontented and faln countenance and what bitter enemies in all ages Hereticks especially Seducers have been to the lives and safeties of the Godly and Orthodox hath been before in part declared and of old manifested by the Donatists and Arians and more lately by the Papists and Anabaptists who all by their boysterous violence and cruelties shewed themselves raging waves of the sea They were troublesome enemies to all Publick Order They were fierce heady high-minded traitors enflaming and enraging mens spirits against all Government and Rule in Church and State putting all places into confusion and combustion by strifes seditions schismes They were not afraid to speak evill of dignities they set their mouth against the heaven and their tongue walked through the earth 2. But secondly Fluctus fert sunt perversi doctores qui in semet ipsis inquieti semper tumidi amari sunt pacem Ecclesiae firmitatemque obicum semper impugnare non cessant Beda Quem ad modum fluctus maris saevitiâ atque immanitate suâ integra navigia hauriunt aut ad scopulos allidunt it a Gnostici perversis suis dogmatibus plurimos ad interitum pertraehunt sempiternum Justinian in loc Ut fluctus maris intumescunt attolluntur ipsi quodam modo Câ—â—lo minantur non aliter isti in coelum ipsamque Divinam naturam maledicta congerunt Id. Ib. these raging waves troubled and disquieted the spirituall welfare and peace of those Christians into whose societies they had crept whom they tost to and fro by the violent urging of their errours and caus'd to fluctuate and waver in their judgments overturning their faith swallowing them up and drowning them in perdition by their erroneous and impious doctrines Through the tossing and fury of these waves many souls suffered shipwrack and lost the spirituall and precious Merchandize of Faith and holiness with these waves of false teachers and their doctrines were the Galatians disquieted when the Apostle saith There be some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who trouble you or who muddy and stir you like water and cap. 5.12 I would they were even cut off which trouble you This for the opening of the first Branch of this Resemblance the second followes viz. What these raging waves of the sea are said to get and bring upon themselves by all their swelling and raging and that was nothing but shame and disgrace * Vulg. Bâ—z Despumantes Nonnullidispumantes Deseumare proprie valet spumam auferre Dispumare spumam ejicere Quandoque confundi videntur Syriacè qui in manu spumationis suae indicant ignominiam Arabicè sicut fluctus maris commoti ebulliunt in confusionibus seu delictis suis Spuâ—â—ea semifero subpectore murmurat unda Virg. Foming out their shame Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Apostle saith not shame but shames 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Confusiones Vulg. Dedecora Bez. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to note how great that shame and disgrace was which they discovered And he saith they fomed out their shames that is that by all their forementioned raging and troublesomenesse they brought forth shame to themselves as the raging waves of the sea bring forth fome And most aptly and elegantly in the prosecution of the Metaphor of raging waves doth our Apostle say Instar tumentium undarum quanto altius se superbientes attollunt tanto amplius confusi quasi in spumas dissolvuntur percunt Bed Per dedecora intelliguntur peccata linguae ex immundo turbatoque corde manantia sed brevi in nihilum instar spumae resoluta Mera sonant tonitrua Nugas meras inanes voces effutiunt that by their raging and swelling they brought forth disgrace and shame to themselves as the raging waves of the Sea bring forth fome In these three respects did these raging Waves of whom the Apostle speaks bring forth shame to themselves as the waves of the Sea bring forth fome 1. Because that after all their troubling and disquieting of the Church by their erroneous turbulent and soul-destroying opinions and practises both were found to have as much vanity lightness and emptiness as the fome of the Sea though in their swelling and proud elevation of themselves and unquiet urging of their doctrines they seemed like the huge waves which threaten to touch and wash the very clouds to be raised far above others in knowledg and spiritualness and especially in enjoying of that liberty which they pretended went along with their practises and opinions and so to have climb'd as it were into the third heavens Non minus quis confunditur ob ignorantiam quam ob libidinem detectam Congeries perstrepentium vocum quibus nihil subest sententiae solidioris Vid. Epiph. haer 26. Nonnulli denotari volunt fornicationes veterum illorum baereticorum alii immunditiam gulae luxuriae quae veluti pâ—r spum ammanifestentue yet soon did all their glorious appearances as a highly rais'd billow of the sea falling either upon a rock or the shore end in meer froth
whereby the wicked shall ever strive to part with that which they shall never lose and crave that which they shall never procure If it be so great a misery for a starving Prisoner to be kept without bread but for a day or two in a Prison and to see through his grate Passengers laden with that plenty of provisions which he must not so much as touch Oh what a woe will it be for the Damned ever to see the Faithful feasting themselves in the fruition of Gods presence and they to know that they shall eternally starve and yet not dye in the want of the least drop the smallest crumb of that full Banquet of Happiness which the Saints ever enjoy in Gods presence OBSERVATIONS 1. Observ 1. The world without the Word lies in a condition of darkness The Ministers of the Word are the stars the light of the world take them away and every place is full of darkness The people to whom Christ preacht sate before in darkness in the region and shadow of death Matth. 4.16 The Ephesians sometime were darkness saith the Apostle Before the Gospel is savingly delivered we are under the power of darkness and darkness is that term from which we are called when we are brought out of our natural estate And in three respects is the world without the Gospel in darkness 1. In respect of ignorance 1. It knowes not God The Gentiles are said to be such as knew not God The Word only discovers him savingly because it onely makes known God in Christ The wisest of the Heathens till this light came could not know him The world by wisdom knew not God they worshipâ— the unknown God 2. It knowes not the will and wayes of God and this followes from the former for he who knowes not what another is cannot know what he loves The will of God is only laid down in the Word of God There is no service pleaseth him but that which himself prescribes The knowledg of the Heathen only serves to render them inexcusable for not doing what they knew not able sufficiently to understand all they had to do 2. The world is in darkness in respect of wickedness and unrighteousness A man in the dark sits still and forbears to walk as he doth who is in the light Wicked men are unprofitable slothful servants unactive in the wayes of God â—zek 15.45 not those by whom God gaines They are like the branches of the Vine in building good for nothing He who is in the dark wanders stumbles or falls every step that he takes Every wicked action is a falling into a slough and down a precipice a deviating from the way of Gods Commandments and therefore sin is in Scripture called a work of Darkness Yea they who are in the dark are not ashamed of the filthiest garments which they wear or of the uncomeliest actions they perform and they who are without the light of the Word in a night of sin and ignorance blush not in the doing of those things which he who is Spiritually inlightned is ashamed to hear behold or think of What profit saith the Apostle have you in those things whereof you are now ashamed 3. The world is in darkness in respect of fear horror and misery Men in the dark tremble at the stirring of every twig There were they saith David Psal 14.5 in great fear and it is called their fear Fear not saith the Prophet Isai 8.12 their fear It is only the light of Gods countenance which scattereth the clouds of fear Till fury be taken out of God fear can never be removed out of men but through the fear of death they are all their life time subject to bondage Hebr. 2.15 when any misery befals them they tremble as did the Elders of Bethlehem at Samuels coming they not knowing whether it comes peaceably or no nor is it any wonder that the darkness of fear should here seize upon those who expect utter darkness hereafter in the everlasting separation from the light of Gods countenance wherein there is fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore We see then the true cause that the world hath ever so much hated the word which discovers its deeds of darkness I have given them thy word saith Christ and the world hath hated them Joh. 17.14 and he who was the word Incarnate was also hated by the world because he testified that the deeds thereof were evil Hatred is the genius of the Gospel saith Luther the shadow which ever attended upon the Gospels sun-shine Though Saints are blameless and harmlesse the sons of God without rebuke Phil. 2.15 yet if they wil shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation they must look for opposition but how irrational and groundlesse is this hatred of the world for though the word manifests its deeds of darknesse yet withall it discovers its destruction in eternal darknesse and were the light thereof beheld and loved it would prevent it and lead by the light of grace to that of glory 2 Obs 2 Great is the difference between the light which shines here and that which we shall behold hereafter In the night of this world we have stars to give us light we have a light which shines in a dark place but when the sun shall arise 2 Pet. 2. all these stars shal be put out Prophets Evangelists Pastors Teachers are given but til we all meet in the unity of the faith and of the knowledg of the Son of God Eph. 4.13 and then prophesies and tongues shall cease knowledg shall vanish away when that which is perfect is come that which is in part shall be done away when we shal behold the light of the sun we shall no more want star-light or candle-light the immediate vision of God shall abolish these the people of God shal be above Ordinances and Ministry when they shall be above sin and error In heaven all our difficulties and knots shal be untied though here we are doubtful of many truths yet in heaven we shall truly have cause to say now Lord thou speakest plainly and not in parables He who died in his child hood in heaven knowes more then the wisest Solomon ever did upon earth and that little light or speak of joy which here the Saints had shall in heaven be blown into a flame their bud of joy shall there be a ful blown flowre Psal 97.11 here light is sown but there shal be a harvest a fulnesse of joy Oh blessed estate 3. Obs 3 People should labour to walk and work by the light of the Ministry Yet a little while saith Christ is the light with you walk while ye have the light John 12.35 let us walk decently saith the Apostle Rom. 13.13 as in the day The light of the Gospel must put Christians upon a two fold manner of walking and working 1. Speedily 2. Accurately 1. Speedily Our light is not lasting our
by sparing as by punishing I am God and not man and therefore saith he the seed of Jacob are not destroyed We further may gather that it s no sign that men are innocent because they are not punished It follows not because they are great that therefore they are good this followes only God is good Nor doth Gods forbearance prove a sinner pardoned it only speaks him for a time though the Lord knows for how short a time reprieved Justice is not dead but sleepeth God is sometimes said to hold his peace never to be dumb though he be long-suffering yet he is not ever-suffering Gods patience shewes not that God will alwaies spare us but that we should now repent It is not a pillow for the presumptuous but a cordial for the penitent God will require interest hereafter for all his forbearance The longer the Child is in the womb the bigger it will be when it comes forth Judgment delay'd will be increased unless prevented Justice comes surely though slowly to the impenitent the blackness of darkness is reserved for them who are unprofitable under light If Patience make thee not blush Power shall make thee bleed O thou though forborn sinner labour for faith in threatnings take heed of self love and shunning the thoughts of that severity the feeling whereof thou canst not shun Study the end of Gods forbearance and the vanity of all earthly refuges and reliefs against punishment rseerved for an incorrigible sinner 6. Observ Vlt. Things earthly should teach us things heavenly It s our duty to make a spirituall improvement of earthly objects The Apostle makes use of clouds trees stars waves to spirituall purposes The world is a great school to teach us the knowledge of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Though we have a superiour doctrine yet we must not neglect this The Prophets Apostles and Christ were much in this kinde of instruction by similendes taken from the creatures every of which is a ladder made of many steps to raise up to God A paire of spectacles whereby we may read God the more clearly and plainly Our meditation should be like a Limbeck into which flowres being put sweet water drops from it and out of every earthly object put into our meditations some heavenly considerations should be drawn and drop All the creatures in generall * Agustine saith be more doubted whether he had a soule in his body the effects whereof were evident then whether there were a God in the world Solilâ—â— l. 31. we should improve to the Learning 1. of Gods nature and 2. our duty His nature The invisible things of God are discovered by the creatures Rom. 1.20 His power in making them of nothing and upholding them as he made them all with his word His eternity for he that made them must needs be before them His wisdome is manifest in the beauty variety and distinction order and subordination of one to another the exquisite cunning in the frame of the smallest creature His bounty and goodness in the endowments bestowed upon every one in its kinde his large provision for them all We should likewise 2. improve all the creatures in generall to the learning of our own duty As 1. to depend upon him for all necessaries Act. 17.28 Rom 11.36 Psal 104.29 Deus mundum animat Audimus Creaturam tribus vocibus nobis loquentem prima vex dicit accipe secunda dicit redde Tertia dicit fuge Accipe beueficium redde debitum fuge supplicium Hug. de sanc vic l. 2. de Arc. mor. c. 4. as they doe for provisions their eyes waiting upon him we must knock at his door and go to his fountain Cast our Care upon him in him we live and move and have our beings Of him through him and to him are all things he is the great householder of the world Jezreel cryes to the corn wine and oyle these cry and call to the earth this calls to the heavens but these call to God upon whom they all depend and shall not we doe so 2. All creatures teach us to love him and serve him they being love-tokens God loving us better then them and all being instruments of punishment if we fail in our duty They all serve the Lord by a perpetuall Law The winds and the seas obey him fire snow hayl c. Psal 148.8 All the creatures even frogs grashoppers lice are his souldiers He is commander in chief they are all at his beck In obedience to him they will run from themselves and cease to be themselves the sun will stand still goe back the sea will be a solid wall the fire will not burne iron will swim And they serve us all so constantly day and night they serve us with their sweetest and choycest gifts the Sun with influence of heat and light Trees with delightfull fruit and beasts with fleece and life to their own wasting and destruction Oh how should we serve him even to the loss of the best things we have and how should the constant standing of the creatures in that station wherein God at the first set them make us ashamed of our apostacy from God and rebellion against God! 3. All the creatures in general teach us earnestly to expect a better condition than that which we now injoy The earnest expectation of the Creature saith Paul waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God Rom. 8.19 If there be something in the Creatures groaning and travelling in paine untill now tired out by mans sin and made subject to vanity like an earnest expectation of and waiting for this manifestation should not man who is the sinner and hath made the creature subject to vanity who hath also reason and who shall partake of more happinesse by that manifestation much more desire and look forit shall man of all Creatures rest in and be contented with a state of vanity The very unreasonable yea insensible Creatures will teach us to soar to a more heavenly pitch of spirit And as all the Creatures in generall may thus be improved spiritually so 2. may every particular Creature severally whether in heaven or on the earth For heavenly Creatures the Psalmist tells us Ps 19.1 The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy work Ps 8.3 When I consider thy heavens the worke of thy fingers the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained what is man c. The pure and excellent matter of the heavens speaks the greater purity and excellency of the workman how pure also our hearts should be which are his lesser heaven and how pure they should be who expect to live in those heavens into which no impure thing must enter how hatefull also sin is to God who for mans sin will one day set this beautifull house on fire The height of the heavens shewes the infinite height and honour and majestie of him whose standing house is above all the visible heavens whose pallace
seat and pavillion is in heaven above The circular round figure of the heavens teacheth us the infiniteness and perfection of the maker The firmness and stability of the heavens declares Gods truth and unchangeableness whose word is their pillar the safety likewise of that place to lay up our treasures in their swift motion and revolution in 24. houres instructs us of the readiness and swiftness which we should express in duty The light of heaven of so unknown a nature shewes us the incomprehensible nature of God The diffusiveness and Comfortableness of light speaks what Comfort is in the light of his face which as light though imparted to thousands yet is not impaired or made lesse for the good of others The purity of light contracting no filthiness though looking into it teacheth us his holiness who though he sees sin every where yet loves it no where and is ever in an irreconcileable opposition against all the works of darkness The oneness brightness purity greatnesse influences eclypses of the Sun teach us the sun of righteousness the Lord Christ is the only Saviour most swift to help the brightness of his fathers glory holy powerfull infinitely usefull and beneficiall the directer enlivener cherisher of his Church and all this though darkned once eclipsed and clouded with a naturall body and sufferings The moon her borrowing of light from the Sun her changes spots inferiority governing of the night disappearing at the arising of the Sun speaks the dependency of the Church upon Christ her many changes and various conditions in this life her defects and deformities subordination to Christ as also the uncertainty and variableness of every worldly condition the smalness and lownes of all earthly enjoyments their spotedness with many cares fears wants their usefulnesse onely while we are in the night of this world their disappearing and vanishing when the sun of righteousness shall come in glory The stars in respect of the constancy continuance of their Courses in their orbes Communicativenesse of light differing one from another their glistering and influences declare the stability of Gods promises to his Church which can never be broken Jer. 31.35 our duty to continue in our own sphere to afford our help and light to them who stand in need The different degrees likewise of grace and glory hereafter the clearest shining of grace in the night of affliction Of the Clouds we have spoken before The ayre also by its invisibleness ubiquity preservation of our life should minde us that God is though he be not seen that he is every where within me without me included in excluded from no place the preserver also of our lives in whom we live move and have our beings The windes by their thinness piercing powerfull motions freedom inconstancy teach us as Gods invisibility his irresistable power in his works of nature and grace the free motion of the spirit and the secret working thereof in the heart Job 3.7 Motum scimus nescimus modum Job 7.3 so the vanity and levity of man and all humane things the inability of any Creature to withstand God the misery of those who are not built upon Christ as their rock and foundation the unsetledness of the erroneous tossed with every wind of doctrine Of the earth likewise with the creatures there as well as the heavens should we make a spirituall improvement Speak to the earth saith Job 12.18 and it shall teach thee How excellint saith David is thy name in all the earth The earth then by its hanging on nothing its stability plenty lowness the labouring about it and its receiving of seed instructs us of the infinite power and strength of God the ability of his word to sustain the burdens of the soul the riches of his throne whose foot-stool is so deckt Gods goodnesse to sinful man in spreading and furnishing for him such a table his care for his people he so cloathing the grass of the field and providing for the very beasts the unsutablenesse of pride to man the earth being his mother whence he came and whither he goeth it teacheth us also wisdome to get our hearts above these drossy earthly objects and to have our conversation in heaven the pains also which we ought to take to dig deep for wisdome which is more precious than gold and to receive the seed of the word into a prepared soyl a good and honest heart The trees upon the earth in respect of their variety of sorts growth shelter fruitfulnesse decay teach us that difference which is among men some are wild trees of the wood and of the field without the Church others are planted in the garden and ortyard of the Church some have neither the fruits of holinesse nor the leaves of profession others have leaves who are without fruit others trees of righteousness have both some are as the taller Cedars some as the lower shrubs some are rich and noble some poor and contemptible in the world but when both are turned to ashes then both alike the ashes of a beggar are as good as those of a King Some men fall by old age and want of natural moysture others are before their time cut down in their green years with the ax of death There is no spiritual growth or continuance unlesse we draw life from Christ our root the more pruning watring and heavenly influences God bestowes upon us the more fruitful should we be the more laden with fruit the more we should bow our selves down in humility and communicativenesse the very grasse tels us we are withering creatures and that the flourishing condition of the wicked is much more withering The corn dying and fructifying teacheth us the resurrection Ask now the beasts saith Job and they shall teach thee They all teach us the greatnesse of his possessions and riches whose are the beasts upon a thousand hils also the thankful knowing and owning of God the ox knoweth his owner and the ass his Masters crib The Lion teacheth us the strength of Christ and the cruelty of Satan In the horse and mule we see our untaught and refrectary nature In the sheep our disposition to wander and our duty to hear and follow our shepherd and our helplessness without him also his meeknesse and patience Ut pastor docebat ut ovis silâ—bat Aug. who as a sheep before the shearers was dumb and opened not his mouth In the lamb likewise observe him who was brought as a lamb to the slaughter who was a lamb for innocency and gentlenesse a sacrificed Lamb for spotlessenesse and satisfaction The dog and swine wil mind us of the uncleannesse of sinners and especially of the odiousness of Apostacy which is a turning to the vomit and to the wallowing in the mire The serpent teacheth us wisdome to preserve our selves Psal 22. Job 12.7 The very ant providence and diligence to lay up for the future The despicable worm represents the lownesse of him for our sin who was
a worm and no man the taking of beasts in a snare should put us in mind of the snare of sin Ask likewise saith Job of the fowles of the air and they shall tell thee These may support faith and scatter our distracting cares they being fed though they neither sow nor reap Their observing also of their several seasons The Stork in the heavens knowing her appointed times and the Turtle Crane and Swallow observing the times of their coming teach us to know the judgment of the Lord and the day of our visitation what a lively pattern of meknesse and simplicity is the dove the early chirping and singing of the birds in the morning may teach man his duty to praise God as soon as he awakes in the morning as a godly man once said to a Bishop who was sleeping in bed too long in the morning surrexerunt passeres et stertunt pontifices How much greater is the care of Christ in protecting his servants than that of a hen toward her chickens in gathering them under her wings Speak to the fishes of the sea saith Job these have a speech though they are mute The sea it self by its rage fury and foaming shews us the inconstancy and troublesomeness of the world the unquietness of wicked men the power of him who stils it and keeps it within its bounds By its fulness notwithstanding the running of so many floods rivers out of it it directs us to him who is an inexhaust fountain of good having never a whit the lesse for all he gives the running of the rivers into the sea whence they come shews that as all is from him in bounty so all must be returned to him by duty The fish themselves wil teach us the misery of want of government Hab. 1.14 Prov. 10.23 Tit. 3.3 Joh. ult Luke 5.10 Matth. 4.19 when men are as the fishes of the sea that have no ruler over them but the greater devoureth the less Their sporting and skipping speaks the disposition of sinners who sport in sin as their element before they are â—â—â—cht and the power of the gospel whereby they are taken The fewness of those which are catcht in comparison of those which are left shewes the small number of those who are taken with that net compared with those who are left In the catching also of the fish with a net or hook unawares we are taught the folly of men taken with the baits of sin who think not of their time but are taken as fish in an evil net In short the whole creation is a scripture of God Creatiâ— mundi scriptura DeiUniversus mundus Deus explicatus a book and the heaven the earth the waters are three great leaves the creatures contained in these are so many lines by all which we may read a Divinity-lecture Though the creature is not able to lead us into a saving knowledg of the mysteries of Christ yet it gives us such advan tages to know God as willeave us inexcusable in our ignorance How should this doctrine humble us who by our apostacy are become the scholars of the creatures Christians who have both teason and grace may learn from those who have not so much as sense and life Adams knowledg of God led him to the knowledg of the creatures but now man by the creature learns the knowledg of God like Balaams ass the creatures now teach their Master man is now sent to their school put back like an idle truant to the lowest forme How happy were man could he learn of the very ass Oneramus asinum et non curat quia asinus est at si in ignem impellere si in foveam praecipitare velis cavet quam um potest quia vitam amat et mortem timet Bern. which as Bernard observes wil bear any load because he is an ass but if we offer to thrust him down some steep hil or drive him into the fire he holds back and shuns it whereas a blockish sinner hath no fear of that which brings eternal damnation But of all others how justly reproveable are they who in stead of furthering their salvation hasten their destruction by the creatures in abusing them to excess riot gluttony To conclude this point for the putting us upon making an holy use of created objects let us consider that there is a double use of every creature natural and spiritual If we content our selves with the natural use without the spiritual we do not take the one half of that comfort in the creature which God gave it for and indeed what do we more then the brute beast which hath a carnal and natural use of the creature as wel as we These seducers for knowing things only naturally as we have heard are compared to brute beasts let us not therefore as children look only upon pictures and gaies in our books and gaze upon the gilded leaves and cover but let us look to our lesson which we should learn therein And let us know we never use the creatures as their Lords unlesse we see our Lord in them a carnal man profits his body a spiritual man his soul also by them Every creature may be a Preacher to him in whom the spirit first inwardly preacheth A man may be cast into such a condition as whereby he may be hindred from good actions but what unlesse a bad heart can hinder him from good meditation And as it is with Bees though they gather hony from a flower they leave it as fragrant and fresh as they found it so we gathering spiritual thoughts from our worldly enjoyments and employments in stead of hurting and hindring them we benefit and inrich our selves and advance them Ver. 14 15. And Enoch also the seventh from Adam prophesied of these saying Behold The Lord cometh with ten thousands of his Saints ver 15. to execute judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him THese two verses contain the third branch of the description of the lost estate of these seducers in respect of their sin and misery which in these words are further set forth by the ancient and infallible prophesie of Enoch and that prophesie is 1. declared and propounded here in these two verses 2. Applied to these Seducers in the 16 the following verse In the declaration and propounding thereof I consider 1. The Preface prefixed by Jude before it 2. The Prophesie it self 1. The Preface in these words Enoch the seventh from Adam prophesied of these Wherein two particulars are considerable 1. The Excellent person here mentioned Enooh describ'd from his descent and Pedegree the sevenâ—h from Adam 2. His honourable performance He prophesied of these 1. In the Prophesie it self of the last judgement I find 1. A note of incitement to cause a regard to the following description of the judgement
with one measure and to expect that he should mete to us with another How can we expect that he should love us in that day wherein he wil leave the most if we wil not walk with him in this day when most forsake him Study then O Saints to give the name of God reparations for all the disgrace which wicked men cast upon it Discover the true noblenesse of your Christian spirit and of minds spiritually generous by gathering vigour and growing invincible from the very oppositions of the wicked and the impieties of your times 2. It is a singular and blessed priviledg to walk with God Observ 2. It was the great happinesse and ennoblement of Enoch this seventh from Adam The happinesse of walking with God appears in these particulars 1. It is a persons greatest honour t is honourable to follow much more to walk with a King how great is the dignity then of walking with the King of Kings It s Gods lowest condescension to walk with us and our highest advancement to walk with him The company of sin debaseth and the walking with God dignifieth a man God wâ—th man is the greatest with the least Henoch was one of the greatest on earth he was royally descended the seventh from Adam in the blessed line he had six such tutors and teachers viz the six first patriarchs to make him learned as never man had but that which is testified of him as his honour was this his walking with God Oh unconceiveable dignity conferred upon poor impure dust and ashes to walk with him who is attended with ten thousand times ten thousand of glorious Saints and Angels for his followers 2. In this walking with God is greatest delight and solace solitarinesse is uncomfortable company sweet but none so delightful as Gods he who hath not God to bear him company is alone though he hath all the comforts of the world to accompany him Of all the creatures there was not found a fit companion for Adam nor can any creature fitly sute the soul with its society good company is the life of our lives the sweetnesse of our abodes on earth but Gods company is the truly good company there is no melody in any consort to which this delight is not added A man is said to be alone though he have many beasts with him if he be without the company of man and a Christian is alone notwithstanding all the world be with him if God be absent Whom saith the Psalmist have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee Psal 73.25 A sinner is the truly solitary sad person oh how sweetly contentful is his life who when all his outward comforts leave him can say as did Christ when his disciples left him alone yet I am not alone because the Father is with me John 16.37 Quid timet homo in sinu Dei positus 3. In walking with God there is true safety what need that man fear who lies in the bosome or walks by the side of such a father though he walks in the vale of the shadow of death who dares offer that man any injury that walks with a King Of this largely before part 1. pag. 58.59 60 c. 63. no evil is so insolent as to arrest us when the King of Kings graciously accompanies us Fear not Abraham saith God I am thy shield Gen. 15.1 If God be with us who shall be against us If he wil help what shall hurt us his society is our true safety so long as God was with Samson the Philistins could not conquer him but when the Lord was departed from him Judg. 16.20 he soon becomes a prey to his enemies Gods presence is a Saints life-guard til God leave him dangers are but trifles He ever keeps those who walk with him either from the presence of every misery or from the hurt and misery of the misery Lastly In this walking with God is the greatest gain and profit to be found what good thing can he deny us Psal 8.4 who denies us not himself God is not only a shield but an exceeding great reward How can he want who is with and hath him that is all things God mine and all mine he wil fulfil the desire of all that fear him no good thing shall be wanting to them nor wil God deny them any blessing which doth not oppose their blessedness Psal 23.1 nor any good which hinders not from enjoying the chiefest good and if he thinks it meet to keep away these externals he will supply their absence with himself The Almighty wil be thy gold Job 22 25. 3. Even of the longest lived Patriarchs there was a succession not a constant continuation Adam the first Seth the second Eccles 1.4 Enosh the third c. Enoch the seventh One generation goeth another cometh The coming of new generations shewes the going and passing away of the old the later crowds the former out of the world one goeth away to make roome for another The longest lived of these ancient Patriarchs had in the world but his time and turn which at length ended It hath been observed by some that none of them lived no not Methuselah a thousand years and some say the reason thereof was because God would by their dying before the end of a thousand years make good his threatning Ratio valde diluta Riv. in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt die it being said that a thousand years with God are but as one day but in this there seems to be more wit then weight A more solid reason of their dying within the foresaid terme seems to be because thereby God would shew that the longest life of any of the sons of men in respect of God himself is but very short and not able to reach to that space which in respect of Gods eternity is not a day Confer longissimam nostram aetatem cum aeternitate in ea prope modum aetate quâ illae bestiolae reperiemur Cic. l. 1. Tusc for which cause Cicero 1. Tusc quaest compares the longest life of man to that of that beast brought forth by the river Hippanis which lives not above one day and dying when the sun sets dyes then decrepit Compare saith he our longest age with eternity and we shal be found after a sort in the same age with that beast T is added to the relation of the long lives of every one of the ancient Patriarchs And he dyed The repetition whereof seems not to be vvithout great reason vvhich was not only to shew the brittlenesse and srailty of mans continuance even as nothing in comparison of eternity but principally to shew the immoveable certainty of that threatning of death against the disobedience of our first parents notwithstanding the vaine and deceitful promise of the divel as also to manifest that the holiest men whose death was the wages of sin were in this life without
as lyes or at the best as Conjecturall uncertainties but our faith must take into its vast comprehension Gods whole revealed will part whereof is this of the last judgement The last and dreadfull judgement will never affright us from sin if we look upon it in the devils dress of uncertainty for then we shall but sport with it and make it our play-fellow in stead of our monitor Let us therefore labour to make it by prayer and meditation to sink into our hearts Si nunc omne peccatum manifestâ plecterâ—tur poenâ nihil ultimo judicio reservari crederetur rursus si nullum peccatum nunc puni ret apertè divinitas nulla esse divina providentia putaretur Aug. de Civ Dei cap 8. and to beleeve it though never so distant from or opposite to sense taking heed lest the deferring thereof and the present impunity of sinners destroy or damp our belief of Christs coming to judgment considering that if every offender should now be openly punished men would think that nothing would be reserved to the last judgment as on the contrary if no offender should be plagued men would beleeve that there were no providence And let us beware lest we make that concealment of the last judgment to be an occasion of sin which God intends should be an incentive to repentance This briefly for the note of incitement c. Behold The description of the judgment followes Rev. 1. Jo. 5.27 and in that first of the first part The coming of the judg to judgment in these words The Lord cometh with ten thousands of his Saints EXPLICATION And here 1. the Title 2. Approach 3. Attendance of the Judg are all worthy of consideration by way of explication 1. Tune manifestè veniet judicaturus justè qui occultè venerat judicandus injustè Aug. Of the title Lord I have spoken very largely before pag. 344 c. p. 1. Of the greatness of this Lord the Judg as he is God and man I have also spoken pag. 527 528 529. The reasons also why he shal even as man judge the world I have mentioned p. 525 526 528. and how he excludes not Father and holy Ghost Nor wil it be needful here again to repeat the fitness of Christ for judicature Rev. 6.16 1 Jo. 2.28 Rev. 5.9 Rev. 19.11 Psal 45.6 2 Cor. 5.10 Rev. 1.14 1 Cor. 4.5 in respect of his advancement after his humiliation the necessity that the judicial proceeding should be visible the great horror and amazement of his enemies the comfort of the Saints the excellent qualifications of this judg in regard of his righteousnesse omniscience strength and fortitude c. 2. For the second therefore Act. 1.11.10.42.17.13 Aoristum secundum ponit pro futuro the Approach of the Judg in the word cometh Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which word Jude puts the signification of the time past for the time to come after the manner of the Prophets who are wont to speak of those things which are to come as if they were already past and this he doth for two reasons First to note the certainty of Christs coming to judgment it being as sure as if it were already Concerning this certainty of the coming of Christ to judgment I have spoken already pag. 536 Part 1. and in several pages before 2. Secondly to shew the nearness thereof Christs coming is at hand 1 Cor. 7 the time is short saith Paul its sails almost wound up The Judge stands at the doors He that shal come wil come and wil not tary If he were coming in Enochs time if in the first what is he then in the last times as these are frequently called come Lord Jesus come quickly Behold I come quickly Rev. 3.11 The Brides prayer and the Bridegrooms promise are both for speedy coming Rev. 1.7 Behold he cometh with clouds c. not shall come he is as good as come already Christ cometh to us either in spirit or in person 1. In Spirit he cometh 1. In the Ministry to win and perswade us to come unto him thus he went and preached in Noahs time to the spirits now in prison 1 Pet. 3.19 2. In some special manifestation of his presence in mercy or judgment The former when he meets us with comfort strength and increase of grace John 14.18.23 The later in testification of displeasure Rev. 2.16 John 16.8 2. In person he comes two waies 1. in carnem 2. in carne 1. Into flesh in humility in his incarnation to be judged 2. In flesh in glory at the last day to judg all flesh Where consider 1. Whence he cometh Where consider 2. Whither he cometh Where consider 3. When he cometh 1. Whence he cometh from heaven 1 Thes 4.16 The Lord himself shall descend from heaven he shall come in the clouds of heaven to heaven he ascended and from heaven wil he descend Acts 1.11 This Jesus which is taken from you into heaven shall so come as ye have seen him go into heaven And its necessary that Christ should come from heaven to judg because it is not meet that the wicked should come thither to him though to be judged for into that holy place can no unclean thing enter 2. Whither cometh he some think that the judgment seat shal be upon the earth that the sentence may be given where the faults have been committed and that in some place neer Jerusalem where the judg was formerly unjustly condemned and particularly some think it shal be in the valley of Jehoshaphat though that place Joel 3.12 contains but an allegorical or typical prophesie The Apostle seems to intimate that the place of judgment shal be in the air 1 Thes 4.17 where he mentions our being caught up to meet the Lord in the air it being probable that the judgment shall be in that place where we shall meet the judg in the clouds of the air and the Scripture saith he shall come in the clouds of heaven and then the divels shal be conquered and sentenced in the very place wherein they have ruled all this while as princes but over what place it seems to me a rashness to determine 3. When shal he come In the end of the world but the particular age day or year is not known to man or Angel Mark 13.32 this secret the Spirit revealed not to nor taught the Apostles who yet were led by him into all necessary truths and Christ must come as a thief in the night and as in the daies of Noah when men knew nothing And we are commanded to watch and to be ever prepared because we know not the houre The childish curiosity of sundry in their computation of a set year wherein the day of judgement shall be rather deserves our caution then confutation 3. The third thing to be opened in this coming of the Judg is his attendance in these words ten thousands of his Saints The words in the original are 〈◊〉
with the voice of the Archangel 1 Thes 4.16 then he was attended with twelve poor contemptible men but now with many millions of glorious Angels and the Angels more particularly shall by their attendance make Christs coming glorious in regard of their service and ministry for they shall perform the work of the great day in gathering together the Elect severing the tares from the wheat they are called reapers running at every command of Christ And this work they shall doe 1. Powerfully they are the Angels of his power they are principalities and powers and excel in power and at that day Christs power shal be added to their own 2. They shal doe the work of Christ willingly behold their readiness the servants said shall we gather up the tares Mâ—tth 13.28 They who desire commission aforehand wilâ— be ready enough when they have it 3. They shal performe it justly holily faithfully they shall mingle no corrupt passions with their executions nor corruptly respect any persons Rev. 15.16 The seven Angels are clothed in pure and white linnen 4. Diligently and perfectly in most strict and exact manner though Angels compared with God are imperfect yet in comparison of Gods law they have perfection and no spot of sin cleaveth to them nor else could they continue in their glorious state if they should not be answerable to Gods law in the purity of their nature and perfection of their work 2. Christ wil come with these ten thousands for the glory of his Saints and confusion of the wicked here Saints have glorified him but then he will glorifie them they who have here lien among the pots shall shine with raies of majesty What glory comparable to that of appearing with Christ in glory of being priviledged with the dignity of judging and condemning wicked men 1 Cor. 6.3 Vid. 5 16. part 1 Matth. 12.41 42. Luk. 11.31 32. yea Angels and that not only 1. by having the practices of these Saints compared to those of the damned Nor 2. only by their consenting to and approving of the sentence which Christ shall passe upon the wicked But also 3. In regard of that dignitas assessoria that dignity whereby they shall be advanced to an honourable assessorship with the Lord Christ in sitting as it were with him upon the throne of Judicature As likewise 4. they in that Judgment being to appear with Christ manifest victors over all their enemies by trampling upon all the pride malice and weakness of divels and wicked men and openly and holily insulting over them as vile vanquished and contemptible enemies OBSERVATIONS 1. Obs 1. Our greatest wisdom and truest interest is to make Jesus Christ our friend against the last day The Lord cometh He now is but then he wil openly declare himself to be the Lord. How happy will they be who then put their trust in him who have chosen and taken him to be their Lord 2 Cor. 5.9 The service of Christ wil then appear to be the only safety and dignity The wicked who here take no care to make him their Lord wil at that day cal him their Lord Matth. 7. to be sure they shal find and feel him their Lord. How unable wil the enemies of Christ at the last day be to oppose him the Lord that cometh from heaven In regard of his very situation he wil be above them and have the advantage of them Against earthly power they might make their party good the Ministers of Christ they oppos'd but this mighty Lord who shall come armed with an infinite power and dominion over all creatures which shall be acknowledged by them all the Angels shal observe and attend it the heavens earth and elements shall be dissolved by it the dead bodies of men shall be raised up out of the graves the sea the bellies of beasts by it I say this mighty Lord will easily and unavoidably crush them A careful servant that expects his masters return wil labour to have the work set him finish'd If the Bridegroom be coming let the Bride deck her self like Rebecca espying Isaak afar off Gen. 24.65 as Joshua exhorted Israel chap. 3.5 Be sanctified for to morrow the Lord wil do wonders among you He means in leading them to Caanan so our Joshuah commands us to be sanctified because in the last day the Lord wil doe wonders in leading us to the heavenly Canaan Let us part from sin a malefactor cannot stand before the Judge nor shall the wicked stand in judgment Our care should be that we may be found of him in peace and no peace can any one have with Christ who is not at war with sin And how much better and easier is it to bear the yoke of service here in doing his will than that of severity hereafter in the undergoing his wrath Of this see more pag. 543. part 1. 2. Obs 2. The Saints have a strong ground for moderation in every condition The Lord cometh and they shal come with him The Lords coming is the Apostles argument to urge moderation Phil. 4.5 How patient and ful of forbearance should they be in sustaining all their crosses and injuries Contendly should they here be accounted the refuse and off-scouring of the world Acts 3 19. Eph. 4 30. Luke 21.28 Their Lord is coming and they shal come with him in glory though men here make them their footstoole yet Christ hath allotted for every of them a throne In this world they are not accounted worthy of the society of men Rom. 8.23 2 Tim. 4.8 2 Thes 1.6 7.10 Jam. 5.6 7 8. 1 Cor. 4.4 but then they shall be in the comp any of Angels yea Christ himself Now Christ seems for a while to leave his family every piece of household stuffe appears to be mis-placed or all as it were to lye in a huddle or heap together beautifullest vessels to lie among the pots but then the vessels of honour shal be set up in their places and the vessels of dishonour thrown into theirs It is not fit that our glory should appear so long as Christs glory is hid In the winter all the sap and life and fruit is hid in the root and then the tree appears not what it is but the Summer coming all that was within appears so in this our winter though we be the sons of God yet it appears not what we shal be 1 Joh 1 2. but when Christ shal appear we shall be like him 3. Obs 3. How cheerfully may Saints think of the last judgment This Lord is their brother their Saviour and head he it is who is coming no wonder if the Bride saith 2 Tim. 4.8 Come Rev. 22.17 And that the saints are caled such as love his appearance A loving wife longs for the return of her husband from a far Country At that judgment day the judg wil condemn none but malefactors they who here are justified shall then be declared to be so T is true Christ
the judg is here called a Lord but yet he is so the saints Lord as that he is also their husband How great is the difference 'twixt a guilty malefactors calling the Judg my Lord and a loyal wife her giving her husband that title Who is it that condemns if the judg accept acquit us he it is that shall judg us who also died for our sins The father hath delivered all judgment to him who himselfe was delivered for our sins and sent into the world not to condemn the world but that the world should be saved by him How shal he who was sent into the world to save believers condemn them how shall he who comes to condemn others for hurting them hurt them himself how shal he who the first time came to be put to death for them sentence them to die when he comes the second time How should he throw them away who was made their head to gather them together As therefore the believers of the old Testament longed to see the first coming of Christ when he came in the form of a servant so should the believers of the new Testament desire the second coming of Christ in glory when he shal come as a Lord the Lord cometh Of this before part 1. pag. 545. The nearer the day of Jubilee came the more the joy of prisoners and debtors was increased the nearer the day of our redemption approacheth the more should we lift up our heads 4. Obs 4. Christ wil be attended only by holy ones at the last day Holy myriads None shal meet with him in peace but they who first meet with him in purity He wil profess to the workers of iniquity at the last day that he knowes them not How unsutable to the dignity of Christ wil it be to be attended by those who have no better raiment then the filthy rags of sin If Achish an earthly King had no need of mad men what need wil the King of glory have of unholy men If he commands us here to have no fellowship with the works of darknesse wil he himselfe in that day of light and glory shew any love to them How shall Christ at that day acquit those openly from the guilt of sin who are not before parted from the filth of sin Men here in this world are oft ashamed of holinesse but at the last day it wil be the best ornament the best defence without it no man shal see God How shal Christ present unclean ones without spot before the presence of glory They who wil be ashamed of Christ here for his holiness shall deservedly hereafter find Christ ashamed of them for their uncleanness 5. How great is the patience and long-suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ who is contented so long to be hid and not to shew himself in glory to the end of the world suffering mean while his glory to be vailed yea trampled on by the wicked The heavens are now as a curtain between our eyes and his glory He is out of sight and among the most out of mind his patience is despised and the promise of his coming derided yea his very Saints do not so much believe love admire him as they should in regard of their sins and his hiding his face He forbears to shew forth his glory and power in judgment not constrainedly but voluntarily not because he cannot punish but because he would have sinners repent And all this time of his forbearance he sees all the impieties committed against him and indignities offered to him and his yea his hatred of all the sins which he beholds is infinitely more keen and intense then that of all the Saints and Angels in the world How unworthily and disgracefully was this Lord of glory used when he veiled and hid his glory here upon earth And yet I say with what patience and long suffering doth he forbear to manifest his majesty and greatness to the view of the world we poor worms have short thoughts and think a short time long and tedious ere our enemies fal and we rise but Christ suffers very long How patiently should we endure to have our glory obscured and injuries unrevenged since our Lord our master the judg himself is the greatest sufferer and yet voluntarily unrevenged 6. Obs 6. When Angels and Saints are in their greatest glory obsequiousness and serviceableness to Christ becomes them All the Saints and Angels of heaven shal worship and advance Christ when they appear in their highest dignity of him they wil not be ashamed when they are in their best clothes their robes of most shining glory when they lay off al their infirmities they throw off no love to Christ as Saints are made glorious in their bodies so are those bodies joyned to spirits made perfect in holiness and that holiness wil shew it self in duty and obedience How unlike to ten thousands of Saints are they who think they are too good to honour Christ when they are in outward glory and dignity when they are in their rags low and afflicted they wil then stoop to do something for Christ but when in their best apparel set up advanced to any pitch of worldly eminency they then think they shall spoil their clothes and disgrace their dignities by attending upon Christ Do Saints and Angels wait upon him in their glory and shal worms upon the dunghil think it much to serve him did he our Lord empty himself of glory to save yea serve us and shal not we his servants serve him when filled with glory Of this more pag. 457. Part. 1. Thus far of the first part of the description of the judgment viz. the coming of the Judg. The second followes the carriage of the Judg in judgment ver 15. and in that 1. His carriage toward all 2. Particularly toward the wicked 1. Toward all in these words To execute judgment upon all For this first Two things here require explication 1. What the Apostle here intends by execution of judgment How judgment is here to be taken and wherein the execution of judgment at the last day doth consist I have spoken at large before pag. 511 512 513. Part 1. 2. How it is said that Jesus Christ shall execute judgment upon all or concerning the universality of this judgment I have likewise spoken before pag. 532. Only as to this text it is to be considered that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here fitly translated upon though sometimes it signifies adversus against cannot here be so rendred in regard Jude speaks of all the whole company of those who are to be judged whom he distinguisheth into good and bad in the next words to convince all that are ungodly among them and some namely the godly shall not have judgment executed against them although there shall be a judgment concerning and upon them to be sure in respect of an happy sentencing This word then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I take in that
saint themselves and to say If such an one were commendable and voiced by our Minister for a good man I thank God t is much better with me I never was guilty of halfe his extravagancies and I see I may be a good man yea and commended when I am dead notwithstanding my failings so he calls his allowed wickednesses though I be not so pure as such and such are Oh how unsutable is it that by funerall Sermons men should be made more unfit for death to paint those in the pulpit who are punisht in hell and that a Minister should be strewing that dead body with flowers whose soule is bathing in flames For my part though I should not deny due commendation even at a funerall to some eminently exemplary saint or publiquely usefull instrument yet mostly I thinke his speech concerning the deceased may suffice who said If he were good he did not desire If bad he did not deserve praise 2. When we so admire the persons of some instructers as to neglect and despise others who haply deserve better then they the sin of the Corinthians when the Apostle tells them 1 Cor. 3.21 of their glorying in men some teachers being so gloried in peculiarly as if they were onely worth the hearing and none else to be regarded Some accounted Paul the only teacher some delighted onely in Apollo some magnified Peter as the alone worthy man thus they thought of men above what was meet and they were puffed up for one against another They gloryed in some disdaining all others as not to be named with them though teachers of the same truth because they had an high conceit of their learning wit cloquence holinesse or the like qualifications A great sin doubtlesse and I fear the common sin of this City How unthankfull for the bounty of Christ doe men make themselves hereby who gave all the Ministers of the Gospell to be theirs for their good all things saith the Apostle are yours whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas 1 Cor. 3.21 22. It s unthankfulnesse to a bountifull Prince when he bestowes many Lordships on his favourite if he should regard one of them onely and despise all the rest Yea how injuriously is the Spirit of Christ hereby reproached For the despising of those who are of small gifts is a reproaching of the Spirit of God as if he were defective in his gifts whereas their variety sets forth the fulnesse and freenesse of Gods spirit who divideth to every man severally as he will and worketh all these 1 Cor. 12.11 Besides this sin is oft the maine cause of schismes in the Church It makes people to divide themselves under different teachers whom they admire and it causeth teachers to take away those that affect them from other teachers whom they affect not so much Now this sin of schisme in it selfe very great as afterwards shall be shewn God willing on the 19. ver is made much the greater by being occasion'd by those very gifts of men which God bestowed upon them to this end that there might be no scisme in the body but that the members should have the same care one of another 1 Cor. 12.25 Nor is there any sin which doth more expose Christian Religion to so much contempt and obloquy then this kinde of admiring of persons for hereby severall Companies of Christians are made like the severall schools of Philosophers some whereof followed Plato some Aristotle some Epicurus and the doctrines of faith are but accounted as the proper opinions of severall teachers and all zeal for them is conceived to arise not from a certaine knowledge of heavenly truth but from peculiar humour and strength of fancy And how great a stumbling block must this needs be to those who are without how will it hinder them from embracing the truth and lay it open to derision yet further the sinfulness of this sort of man-admiration appears in that hereby both the despised person is so greived and discouraged that he is infeebled and disabled in his work and also he who is admired is not onely puffed up with pride and thereby occasion'd to adulterate the word invent and broach errors that stil he may be advanced above all others by going in a different way from them but also put upon the pleasing of men by sinfull flatteries in stead of profiting them by faithfull reprehensions To conclude this consideration nothing begets so great an aptness in men to receive errors as this sinfull admiration nor hath any seed of heresies and superstitions proved so fruitfull as this affection commonly makes men take down falsities and error is easily received from them whom we much admire and God doth often leave admired teachers to erre for tryal of the people and the punishing of their vanity in making Gods truth to stand at the devotion of the teacher for its acceptance and trampling upon the holy and perhaps learned labours of those who are more seeing and faithfull than the admired 3. When we so admire mens persons as to give all respect to men in outward greatnesse though perhaps wicked despifing the poor Saints because poor this James reproves my brethren have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ in respect of persons James 2. When wickedness in robes is magnified and holinesse in raggs contemned Oh how unworthy is it that the gold ring and costly apparell should be prefer'd before the robe of Christs righteousnesse and the jewel of grace that godliness and good examples should be rejected for their want of a gold ring that he who shall have a throne in heaven must here be a footstool upon earth 4. When Elections and offices are passed and bestowed partially for freindship favour money kinred a sin by much agravated when men have taken oaths to a Corporation to the contrary and it s ost a great tentation to the party who enters by money to sell justice dear 5. When we so admire the person of one as to do injustice in judgment whether Civil or Ecclesiastical which is when our affection doth so blind our judgment by some outward respect or appearance that we will not determine righteously the cause being over ballanced with such forreign considerations as have no affinity with it Thus men are in judicature sometime swayed with foolish pitty sometime with cowardly fear both these the Lord forbids Levit. 19.15 Thou shalt not respect the person of the poor Deut. 1.17 nor honour the person of the mighty This sin would make God a patron of iniquity the sentence being pronounced from God OSERVATIONS 1. Obs 1. The oondition of men in greatest out ward emiuency and dignity is oft very miserable None have so many flatterers and therefore none so few freinds as they flatterers as worms breed in the best fruit When a poor illiterate man is admonished for sin a rich a learned man is admired in nay haply for sin As the bodies so the sonls of Kings and great men
Common-wealths suffer In troublous times the walls and temple of Jerusalem went but slowly on Though Jesus Christ the head be the only fountaine of spiritual life yet the usual way of Christs strengthning it and perfecting thereof is the fellowship of the body that by what every joynt supplies the whole may be encreased when Church-members are put out of joint they are made unserviceable and unfit to perform their several offices They who were wont to join in prayer sacraments fasting and were ready to all mutuall offices of love are now fallen off from all 4. It s opposite to the future estate of the Church in glory In heaven the faithful shall be of one mind wee shall all meet saith the Apostle in the unity of the faith Eph. 4.13 when we are come to our manly age Wrangling is the work of child-hood and folly and a great peice of the folly of our child-hood Lutheâ— and Calvin are of one mind in heaven though their disciples wrangle here on earth OBSERVATIONS 1. Naturally men love to be boundlesse Obs 1. they will not be kept within any spiritual compasse nor endure to bee held in any bounds This according to one signification of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostle Jude aimes at in this place Wicked men are sons of Belial they cannot endure the yoke of Christ though it be sweet and easie They break his bonds asunder and cast away his cords from them Men love to have liberty to damn their own souls Psal 2 3. Hos 4 16. They back-slide like a back-sliding heifer Though men account it no unwelcome streightning to them to have a fence between them and their bodily enemyes yet they cannot endure those limits and bounds of Gods law or corrections which stop them from sin their fear of hurt makes them love preservation their love of pleasure makes them desirous of sinful liberty How good a sign of a gracious heart is it rather to desire to be in Christs inclosure then in Satans champain to account Christs service our liberty and Satans liberty our bondage How just also is God in suffering sinners to take their course and swinge in the wayes of sin and destruction They who wil not be kept within Gods compass are deservedly left to Satans disposall They who are back sliding heifers who will not endure the yoke are justly threatned to be suffered to be as a lamb in a large place without a keeper or preserver They shall have their fill of liberty but their liberty is like that of the Deer which though it were gotten out of the park-pale yet it was at the cruel curtesie of the hounds On the contrary God is very gracious in stopping up his churches way though with a thorny hedge Oh happy thorns that stop us in our waies to hell Such thorns are better then roses The setting up of the thorny hedge Hos 2.6 is a promise a branch of the Covenant Our separation from Rome cannot be charged with schism Obs 2. This will evidently appear if we consider either the ground or the manner of our separation 1. For the ground and cause thereof our separation from Rome was not for some slight and tolerable errours but damnable heresies and grosse idolatries The heresies fundamental and idolatries such as those who hold communion with her cannot but partake of In respect of both which the church of Rome was first Apostatiz'd before ever we separated nor was there any separation from it as it had any thing of Christ or as it was Christian but as it was Romane and Popish The Apostacy of the Roman church which was the ground of our separation appeared sundry ways 1. In that she did thrust the Lord Jesus the great and onely teacher of the church out of the chair and in it placed the Pope as the infallible Doctor of the church to whom she ties her beliefe and subjects her faith though he alwayes may and oft doth rise up against Christ himself 2. The Scriptures the alone rule of faith the Romanists slight and impiously despise and make them an insufficient rule of faith by joyning their over-fond and false traditions to it by preferring a vitious and barbarous interpretation before the sacred originals by making the holy Scriptures to have neither life nor soul nor voice till the interpretation of the church or rather the Pope be added 3. They have depraved the great and main article of faith concerning the justification of a sinner the nature whereof though the Scripture makes to stand in the remission of sinnes and the application of Christs righteousnesse by faith yet they ascribe it partly to Christs and partly to our own merits and righteousnesse in which respect that of the Apostle sutes with them Christ is become of no effect to you who are justified by the law 4. Though the worshipping of the immortal and invisible God under any visible image or representation or the likenesse of a mortal creature be frequently and expresly forbidden in Scripture Ecclesia Romanaeusus admittit basce trinitatis imagines caeque pinguntur non solum ut ostendantur sed ut adorenâ— tur In 3 Aq. 9.29 art 3. yet they set forth and teach the worshiping of the Father under the image of an old man the Son under the image of a Lamb and the holy Ghost of a Dove And Cajetan confesseth that they draw these images of the Trinity not only to shew but to adore and worship them To these I might add their maiming or rather marring the Sacrament of the Lords Supper their denying the cup to the laity Their ascribing of remission and expiation of sin to the sacrifice of the Mass their seven Sacraments their praying to Saints Auge piâ—s justitiam Reisque dona veniam Solve vinela reis Profer lumen Coecis Psalt Rom. and ascribing to the Virgin Mary the bestowing grace and glory pardon of sin c. Their dispensations with the most hideous and bellish abominations as murders incest Sodomy c. for mony c. 2. For the second the manner of our separation it was not uncharitable rash heady and unadvised nor before all means were used for the cure and reformation of the Romanists by the discovery of their errors that possibly could be thought of notwithstanding all which though some have been enforced to an acknowledgment of them they still obstinately persist in them Our famous godly and learned reformers would have healed Babylon but she is not healed many skilful Physicians have had her in hand but like the woman in the Gospel she grew so much the worse By praier preaching writing yea by sealing their doctrine with their bloods have sundry eminent instruments of Christ endeavoured to reclaim the Popish from their errors but in stead of being reclaimed they anathematized them with the dreadfullest curses excommunicated yea murdered and destroyed multitudes of those who endeavoured their reducement not permitting any to trade
the flesh are opposed Gal. 6.4 The opposition also is remarkable be not drunk with wine c. but be fill'd with the spirit Eph. 5.18 when sense is gratified the spirit is opposed Marke the like opposition also Rom. 8.13 If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye but if ye through the spirit doe mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Rom. 13.14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill it in the lusts thereof and Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh these have contrary originalls the one is from earth the other from heaven The motions of sensuall lusts and the spirit are contrary one downward another upward a man cannot look those contrary wayes at once Lust like the womans disease in the Gospel bowes us down to the earth the spirit moves to the things above Like two ballances if one goe up the other goes down they put upon contrary practises Gal. 5.17 walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfill the deeds of the flesh Gal. 5.16 They both endeavour to take up and each to ingrosse and monopolize the whole man soul and body they will neither endure to have their dominion over man parted They can admit of no accommodation what ever means or helps advance the one suppresse and expell the other The fuel of lust worldly excesse extinguisheth the spirit the preservatives of the spirit prayer word fasting meditation are the poysons of lusts Oh the madnesse then of those who thin◠to serve these contrary masters Matth. 6.4 If one be loved the other must be forsaken The allowance of any inordinate lust is inconsistent with the spirit How great should our care be hence to take the spirits part against the flesh 1. by a through hearty inward work of mortification the plucking up of lust by the roots not only by snibbing the blade of it 2. By a holy and watchful moderation in worldly enjoyments behind which Satan like the Philistines ever lies in ambush when the lust like Delilah is tempting 3. By diverting thy joyes and pleasure upon heavenly objects and 4. By labouring for a sanctified improvement of all the stoppages in the way of lust and Gods breaking down thy bridges in thy march They who want the spirit are easily brought over to sensuality Obs ult Vide Part. 2. ver 10. They had not the spirit and no wonder if sensual Natural light is not enough to overcome natural lusts He who is but a meer man may soon become a prey to sensuality Vae soli woe to him that hath not this spirit to renew him nay constantly to reside in him and to act him Even Saints themselves when the spirit withdraws and leaves them to themselvs how sensual have they proved David Lot Samson are proofs Let thy great care be then to keep the spirit from departing Psal 51. 'T was Davids prayer take not thy holy spirit from me Take heed of giving way to sinnes of pleasure or to sins of deliberation or to repeated sinnes or to sins against conscience or to the sin of pride and presumption of thine own strength delight not in sinful company Beware of worldly mindedness follow the dictates of the spirit and listen to its first motions Fruitfully improve the ordinances wherein the spiritdelights to breath VER 20. But ye Beloved building up your selves on your most holy faith praying in the holy Ghost THe second direction to teach the Christians how to observ the former exhortation to contend for the truth and to oppose seducers is building up themselves on their most holy faith yet so as this and the next direction are set down as dispositions and meanes to keep themselves in the love of God mentioned in the next verse In this the Apostle shews and we ought to explain thre things EXPLICATION 1. The Builders or the parties directed Beloved 2. Their Foundation their most holy faith 3. Their building thereon in these words building up your selves on c. 1. Of the parties here called Beloved Part. 1. I have largely spoken before 2. The Foundation Their most holy faith In this I might inquire 1. What is meant by faith 2. How it s call'd your faith 3. How it s call'd most holy 1. Concerning the several acceptations of faith I have largely spoken Par. 1. p. 117.118 c. when I handled the Apostolical exhortation of contending for the faith And here by faithh as in the forementioned place I understand the doctrine of faith For enlargement upon which Vid. ver 3. and wha◠about delivering of the faith I have there said and reasons why the word is called faith I refer the Reader to what I have spoken on the forenamed place 2. This faith is called your faith and the doctrine of faith was theirs 1. Because of Ministration it was delivered to the Saints and by God given to them and to others for their sakes 2. Because they received it were moulded into it it was so delivered to them that they as the Apostle speaks were delivered into it as it was ministred to them so it was accepted by them It was not scorned rejected but received embraced yea contended for by them It was effectually theirs as well as ministerially 3. Theirs it was in regard of the fruit and benefit of it It was for theirs the salvation of their souls 1 Pet. 1.9 It was to them a savour of life not a sentence of condemnation 3. 3 Vid. Lorin in loc It s called most holy faith 1. To put a difference between those unholy and fabulous dreames of these seducers the most impure inventions of the Gnosticks Jewish fables c. 2. Considered in it selfe and that 1. In its supream auhtor and efficient cause the holy Ghost It was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by divne inspiration 2 Tim. 3.16 2. In the Instruments of conveying it who were holy men of God who spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.21 3. Quanam Paul◠Epistol◠non melle dulcior non lacte candidior Hierom. In the matter of it which is altogether holy every word of God is pure The threatnings holy denounced against sin the precepts holy and such as put us onely upon holinesse the comforts and promises holy parts of a holy covenant and such as onely comfort in the practice of holinesse and encourage to holinesse and are made to holy ones 4. In the effects of it It works and exciteth holinesse in nature heart life It s that which being believingly lookt into makes the beholders holy like it selfe as the rods of Jacob which layd before the sheep made them bring forth young ones of the same colour with those rods 3. Their building on this foundation is contained in these words building up your selves Two things are in this branch comprehended 1. How we are to understand this building up 2. This building up of
author and fountain of all blessings and so upon the receiving thereof ascribe the praise to God 2. That it may appear we understand our own desires and have sense of the thing we want 3. That others may mutually joyne with us in prayer 4. That our affections may be the more enlarged for as desires help us to words so words inflame our desires 5. To prevent distraction and interruption in our thoughts 3. Psal 38.9 Mat. 4.10 Prayer is made to God onely It is a principal point of divine service 1. God onely is religiously to be worshipt and served 2. God onely knowes whether we pray or no Jer. 23.23 i. e. from the heart 3. God onely is every where present to hear the suits of all 4. God onely is almighty and able to grant whatsoever we ask 4. In prayer as the desires must be made known to God so after a due manner but of that in the next part In the holy Ghost The manner of performing this duty is in the holy ghost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is in scriptures sometime mention made of praying in the spirit of man as 1 Cor. 14.15 I will pray 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the spirit or in the spirit i. e. say some may understanding and my heart or soule so as I may both understand and also be affected with what I pray And Eph. 6.18 The Apostle injoynes praying in the spirit which may be understood either of Gods spirit or mans but in this place particular and express mention is made of the holy spirit or the spirit of God in which we are to pray whereby is meant by the assistance motion inspiration strength help and guiding of the Spirit for as this sense agrees with the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here translated in which is in scripture oft of the same signification with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by as Matth. 5.34 35. swear c. neither 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by heaven nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the earth nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the head and 2 Cor. 6.6 7. it is eight times thus taken so is it most sutable to other places of scripture where the spirit of God is mentioned with prayer as Zec. 12.13 where is promised the spirit of supplication that is the spirit as giving bestowing and working the gift and grace of prayer as 2 Cor. 4.13 we read of the spirit of faith i.e. the spirit working faith and Rom 8.15 we read of the spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which we cry Abba Father Jam. 5.16 we find mentioned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifieth a prayer wrought in us and excited and so imports the efficacy and influence of the holy Ghost in enabling us to pray And the Apostle Rom. 8.26 most fully expresseth this truth 1. Affirmatively the spirit helpeth our infirmities and maketh intercession for us 2. Negatively saying we know not what to pray Whence it is cleare not that the spirit of God doth truly and properly pray for us as our high Priest and Mediator or as one of us for another the attributing of the office of Mediatour to the holy Ghost was one of Arius his heresies for then should there bee more than one Mediatour 1 Tim. 2.5 and God should request to God the holy Ghost being God but not man also as was Christ but that the spirit of God stirreth us up to pray quickneth and putteth life into our dead and dull spirits yea and infuseth into us such desires sighs and grones and suggesteth unto us such words as are acceptable to God which for their truth and sincerity for their vehemency and ardency for their power and efficcacy are unutterable they pierce through the heavens and enter un to the throne of grace and there make a loud cry in the ears of God More particularly from these expressions of both these Apostles Paul Jude we may consider wherein this assistance of the holy Ghost or this praying by the holy Ghost stands and consists And that is 1. In respect of the matter 2. Of the manner of our prayer 1. In respect of the matter of our prayer We pray in the holy Ghost as he instructs and teaches us to ask such things as are according to the will of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8.27 1 Job 5.14 lawfull and good things The Spirit of God stirs us not up to desire what his word forbids us to desire We know not what is good for our selves and God hath oft heard us by denying us Though when we ask bread our Father he gives us not a stone yet when we ask a stone God hath oft given us bread The thing asked if by the Spirit is warrantable the Spirit put us upon asking especially spiritual blessings as our lusts upon craving things which are their fuel The spirit of wisedome desires not its owne poyson 2. We pray in the holy Ghost in respect of the manner of our praying And that 1. As it enables us to pray sincerely and heartily Gods Spirit is a spirit of truth And whensoever wee pray in his spirit wee pray likewise in our owne and his stirs up ours to pray The prayer of a Saint goeth not out of fained lips The spirit lifts up the hand and the heart together Psal 25.1.86.4 Lam. 3.41 2. As it enables us to pray with fervency The motions of the Spirit as they are regular in regard of the object so vehement in regard of the manner Rom. 8.26 Its groanes are such as cannot be uttered The symboles of the spirit were fiery tongues Act. 2.2.3 and a mighty rushing wind As a bullet flyeth no further then the force of the powder carryeth it so prayer goeth no further then the fervour of the Spirit driveth it Prayer is called a knocking a seeking and figured by wrestling Gen. 32.26 Hos 12.4 Nay call'd a wrestling Rom. 15.30 The importunity required in prayer is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 impudence Luke 11.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cognationem habet cum verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod significat attendere intendere animumque advertere Oratio attentè fundi debet sluggish prayers are no spiritual prayers The device of shooting a letter at the end of a dart used as I have sometimes heard in sieges is a fit embleme of a soul sending its Epistle to heaven As the Spirit wrought vehemently in those holy men who were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 moved by the holy Ghost to speak the word of God to men so it works fervently in those who are to speak in prayer to God David mentions the setting forth of his prayer as incense and incense burnt before it ascended there must be fired affections before out prayers will go up The Tribes Acts 26.27 are said to serve God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a stretching forth themselves with
though not so swiftly yet according to the proportion of its motion in the heavens and so though our love to God be more swift and intense then that to the saints yet this is proportion'd to that without love to a brother we can have no assurance of Gods love to us nor any continuance of our love to God He who hath not the love of a brother toward saints cannot have the love of a son toward God OBSERVATIONS 1. 1. Obs We are very ready to decay and grow remisse in our love to God Keep your selves saith Jude The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 keep notes such a keeping as wherewith we keep a prisoner our gadding hearts should be kept with all diligence It s hard to get and not easie to keep up our spirituall fervour The love of most growes cold water growes cold of it selfe but it gets heat from the fire we grow remisse of our selves fervent from the Spirit When we goe from prayer Sacraments hearing though our hearts have been warmed yet upon our going into our worldly employments we are ready soon to fall into a spirituall chilnesse as those whose heat having come outward going into the sharp aire are very ready to catch cold A tender person had need to take heed of leaving off any cloathes and our hearts upon leaving off of duty are subject to abate in the heat of their affections God complaines of those who had lost their first love Our hearts are like green wood wherein fire cannot be kept without continuall blowing Grace of it selfe is desectible Rev. 2.4 and without constant supplies of the Spirit it would soon come to nothing It is onely kept by the power of God Parents will not trust their little children to have their money in their own keeping How had we need beg of God to keep this Jewell of love for us and to preserve it from being stolne from us 2. The lest things should be most carefully kept Obs 2. Spiritualls are onely worth the keeping and indeed onely can be kept Men cannot alwayes either keep the world or their love to it Judas threw away his 30. pieces and his love to them at the same time There wil come a time when as we shal say Eccles 12.1 we have no pleasure in these things 'T is good sometimes in a way of duty to part with these things for to be sure wee shall part with them in a way of necessity How poore is that man who hath no better a treasure then that which is at the courtesie of the theif and moth Oh how great is their folly who will keep every thing but that which deserves their care to lay up trash and pibbles under lock and key and to lay their gold and Jewels abroad in the streets If thou canst keep thy God thy love be not troubled though thou partest with thy gold 3. Further How great how full a good is God! Obs 3. Even when we have him and have had him never so long he hath enough within him to draw forth fresh and fresh loves toward him The more we love him the more we should love him The glorious saints in heaven sing a new song because it is a song of love It is new to them and sweet though they have been singing it so many thousands of years We soon grow weary of our worldly toys after we have had them a while As they are withering objects so our delight in them is a withering delight they are fulsome rather then delightfull and filling 'T is true prophane Esau said I have enough and a saint saith I have enough but with as much difference are both these enoughs as when one man saith I have enough by taking a little fulsome Physick and a thirsty man saith I have enough by drinking a sufficient draught of thirst-satisfying water Before worldly enjoyments are had they seeme beautifull but when they are once obtain'd they soone clog the soule Here is the excellency of spiritualls they sweetly fill and satisfie and yet at the same time we ever desire and hunger for more 4. Obs Vlt. The preserving of our love to God is an excellent preservative against Sectaries and false teachers He who loves God will feare to break the unity and peace of the Church Eph. 4.15 also he will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 follow the truth in love Errour comes from mens affection a cold corrupt suming vapouring stomack makes an aking head A corrupt cold heart which wants the heat of love to God makes an erroneous head And besides God hath bound himselfe to keep them from errour and folly who love him If a man love and keep the commands and will of God he shall know his will God never leaves them that will not leave him first A man will not forsake a friend a lover Sweet and sutable is that expression Psal 91.14 Because he hath set his love upon me therefore will I deliver him and Psal 145.20 Psal 119.132 The Lord preserveth all them that love him Be mercifull unto me saith David as thou usest to doe to them that love thee Though heresies and false teachers come yet these as Paul speaks 1 Cor. 11.19 shall but make those which are approved to be manifest They shall discover true love to God not destroy it And fidelity will be the more apparent like that of loyall subjects in times of sedition in the treachery of others To conclude this love is a brest-plate as the Apostle calls it 1 Thes 5.8 to repell all the darts of errour Oh then what need have we to goe abroad with this brest-plate in these times wherein these deadly arrows flye so thick And consider here the true cause that so many are wounded with them Christians want their brest-plate their hearts are not kept nor their love preserved for God The last direction which our Apostle prescribes is conteined in these words Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life An excellent and sutable direction The expectation of a reward in heaven countervails and sweetens all their labour and faithfulnesse in opposing the enemies of truth upon earth and withall keeps up their love to God who commands their resisting of errour and seduction Two things are here principally contained 1. A duty The looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ where he sets down 1. What was to be regarded the mercy of Christ 2. How it was to be regarded by looking for it 2 An enducement encouraging to the performance of that duty Eternal life EXPLICATION In the first branch two things are to bee explained 1. What the Apostle means 1. By mercy 2. The mercy of Christ 2. What by Looking for it For the first mercy Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have very largely discoursed thereof Part. 1. pag. 92. on those words Mercy to you To avoid needlesse repetition I only say that mercy as attributed to man is