the Pastor and the people are an holy temple wherein the Lord hath a delight to dwell whose delight hath euer bene amongst the sonnes of men if then we wil be liuing stones of that holy building it behoueth that we be louing stones ioyned together in the vnitie of the Spirit Our life is but as a iourney to a farre more excellente state of glorie in the kingdome of heauen and the way thereto is but one for both and Saint Iames calleth it the Kings high way of charitie the royall law of loue Via regia lam 2.8 If therefore the Pastor and people be Antipodes in their wayes if they walke in opposition and harbour an antipathie of affections and thus thinke to come to Christ they may walke from pole to pole but shall neuer attaine their end The good shepheard therefore is said to go before his sheepe and the good sheepe are said to follow him Ioh. 10.3 And let vs follow the counsell of a good Pastor to this purpose Vbicertus es de via perge mecum vbi haeres quaere mecum if we be both in the old and good way Ier. 6.16 let vs accompanie and cheare one another but if we be wrong let vs enquire and guide each other Let vs helpe to beare one anothers burdens and supply each others wants Let the one minister spirituall the other carnall things You must giue panem promptuary and we sanctuary We must receiue bread and sufficiencie for our liues otherwise can we not giue the bread of life The one must be helpfull with the sweate of the browes and the other with the sweate and trauell of the braines These things do and the God of peace shall be with vs God euen our God shall giue vs his blessing God shall blesse vs Psal 67.6 and all the ends of the earth shall feare him And so from the maner passe we to the matter The matter in the whole and summe is an exhortation to holinesse but considered in parts and due order Fundamentû competendi we obserued the antecedent reason and consequent issue The antecedent comes now in hand and offers it selfe vnder these words Seeing we haue these promises Let me propound it vnto you as a proposition wherein obserue 1. Subiectum viz. nos We 2. Praedicatum viz. promissiones promises and has habemus is the copula which ioynes them together Subiectum doth challenge the first place for it is the first word 1. Subiectum We And the parties here aimed at are apparent Paul and his people the Apostle and the Corinthians the one a chosen vessell Act. 9. of a persecuter made a Preacher of the name of Christ the other were members of the Church of God in Corinth 2. Cor. 1.1 2. Cor. 1.2 and of the Saints that dwelt in Achaia those that could call God their Father and Christ Iesus their Lord Paul and the Corinthians beleeuers these are that We the subiect of this present purpose All the comfortable promises in Christ Iesus belong onely to the faithfull Doctr. So my text tels you in effect We viz. the faithfull haue these promises Saint Paul elsewhere makes the point more plaine 1. Corin. 3.22 Whether ye be Paul or Apollos or Cephas or what teacher soeuer may more properly challenge you or life or death whether things present or things to come all are yours but not for them nor yet for your selues but rather for this ye are Christs Heb. 11. and Christ is Gods Abraham beleeued God aboue hope and is therefore called the father of the faithfull and God makes his couenant with him and with his seed for euer Genes 17.7,8 For to the faithfull he is rich in mercie Exod. 20.6 he shewes mercie vnto thousands in them that beleeue in him and loue him c. God made his couenant with Israel by name but it was onely with the Israel that is of God Rom. 9.6 viz. the faithfull For they are not all Israel which are of Israel but this know that they which are of faith the same are the children of Abrahā Gal. 3.7 And if you be Christs Gal. 3.29 then are ye of faith then are ye Abrahams seed and heires according to the promise So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham these haue the promises Gal. 3.9 The promises of Christ belong to the faithfull onely Reasons 1. Because they onely haue the earnest of the promises Gal. 4.5 the adoption of sonnes whereby they crie Abba Father viz. the inward testimonie of the Spirit fealing to their spirits the ocrtaintie and assurance of their adoption and saluation in Christ Iesus Rom. 8.16 2. Because their names onely are written in heauen they are the inrolled citizens who onely by right of proprietie and inheritance haue true right interest and comfort of all the sweet promises of God either for this life or for a better Reioyce in this therefore that your names are written in heauen Luk. 10.19 3. Because to them onely pertaine the couenants as may appeare by the promulgation viz. the word Rom. 9.4 by the confirmation viz. the Sacraments and the oath of assurance these onely belong to the faithfull I meane in their vertue and comfortable ends For the word it is to them onely the sweet sauour of life vnto life and to others it is otherwise 2. Cor. 2.16 In the Sacrament Impy edunt corpus Domini sed non corpus Dominum in the faithfull it hath his comfortable fruite but in vnbeleeuers it is a step to their condemnation 1. Cor. 11.29 And for the oath of assurance the Apostle precisely nameth the heires of promise For God willing more abundant to shew vnto the beires of promise the stablenesse of his couenant hath bound himselfe by an oath c. Hebr. 6.17 4. Because that Christ is our Redemption yea our Sanctification 1. Cor. 1.30 Our Redemption through faith in whose bloud we are reconciled to God Ephes 5. Rom. 8.31 Rom. 5.8 Rom. 8.1 and of enemies are made heires Rom. 3.24 And our Sanctification also in whom all the comfortable promises are sanctified to vs and through whom all our endeuours are sanctified and accepted of God Vse 1 Do the promises belong to the faithfull onely then 1. Hence learne the freedome and libertie of Gods Saints that they shall not be condemned with the world Rom. 8.1 For Now saith the Apostle as speaking of the vertue of these sweet promises there is no condēnation to thē which liue godly in Christ Iesus c. for Christ hath set thē free frō sin Reu 21.4 Satan death hel and condemnatiō but as for the wicked it is otherwise for in them sin reigneth in their mortal bodies the law condemneth the conscience gnaweth and accuseth death executeth the diuel rageth and hell tormenteth Luk. 11.26 their latter end is worse then their beginning 2. Then are they not onely free from the curse but
will seale them a mittimus and send them to hell body and soule This then is the difference The godly say with Dauid Wash me throughly from mine iniquitie cleanse me from my sinne for I acknowledge my transgressions and my sinne is before me against thee thee onely haue I sinned and done euill in thy sight c. Psal 51.2.3 He humbles himselfe with the prodigo Luk. 15. I haue sinned against heauen and against thee ô Father of my flesh and spirit Knockes his breast as the arke of all iniquity and sighing saies Luk. 18.13 God be mercifull to me a sinner But the wicked Ieremy describes them thus They blush at nothing they haue an harlots forehead Ier. it is meate and drinke to them to commit wickednesse and Peter saith They wonder at the children of God Pet. because they runne not riot as they do and in one word in the one sinne reignes but in the other sinne onely remaines Reason 1 1. Because we haue sucked corruption from the breasts of our mothers yea not onely borne but conceiued in sinne Psal 51.5 Nemo naescitur sanctus and therefore in that we are heires in hope Non tam generatio quà m regeneratio spectanda est euery Natus must be renatus for it is written Except you be borne againe c. Ioh. 3.5 Yea and regeneration is not presently perfected but by degrees as a wilde oliue tree growing out of a stone-wall the boughes and branches thereof may be cut and corrected but the roote remaining by the sent of water will be ready to sproute anew till the wall be broken and the roote pulled vp so old Adam who remaining in the wals of this earthly tabernacle may be curbed and suppressed that sinne reigne not in our mortall bodies yet will he be prompt and readie to bring forth fruites of vnrighteousnesse vpon occasion till the walles of this earthly house be destroied by death to be raised againe more gloriously 2. Because our sanctification is but in part as Saint Paule doth dispute the point Rom. 7.22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man but I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde 3. Because by this we might be humbled with our wants and keepe our soules waiting on Gods mercy and more earnestly endeauour to be in Christ Paule for our example was filled with the Spirit and had abundance of reuelations taken vp into the third heauen and heard such mysteries as is not possible for the tongue of man to vtter but lest he should be exalted out of measure there is giuen him stimulus concupiscentiae and the messenger of Satan was sent to buffet him 2. Cor. 12.7 For as the diuell brings euill out of good so God brings good out of euill causing the wants of his Saints and their infirmities yea their sinnes which the diuell worketh as poyson to kill them to be for their welfare in his prouidence and potions to cure them for by these he humbleth them so that all things worke for their good Vse 1 1. Rom. 8.28 Is there drosse in the best Then can we expect no iustification by our workes for sinne cannot iustifie sinne and in our best actions are manifold imperfections Gal. 2.16 Know that a man is not iustified by the deedes of the law but by the faith of Iesus Christ c. 2. See here the Errour of the Catharists which hold that after regeneration none can sinne for say they As of a wilde tree the old top being cut off and new impes ingrasted it bringeth fruite no more wilde but good fruite so we being ingrafted into Christ sinne not grounding on that text Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not 1 Ioh. 3.9 But I answer that their Simile holds not and I put this question whether they make Christ or the man to be the stocke so grafted for we know that the fruite is good by vertue of the impe and not of the stocke if then we are the impes in Christ by their reason he should be made fruitfull and good by vs but if they make man the stocke and Christ the impe or grafts I say the new man Christ sinnes not so saith Saint Ioh. 3.9 But yet they must remember the old stock to looke to the roote which will not be presently changed but will yeeld still wilde branches bearing fruites of vnrighteousnesse 3. This teacheth vs by their drosse to purge our selues and not to take liberty to sinne because they haue sinned Because one man hath fallen into the sea and scaped drowning shall a man leape into the sea this were high presūption Build not therefore vpon their ruines for their infirmities are written for our instruction to shew that God will not spare sinne wheresoeuer he findes it no not in his Saints but doth register and chronicle their reproches to all posterities like Lots wife which was turned into a pillar of salt and set vp as examples to season others Gen. 19.26 and to giue vs warning vpon whom the ends of the world are come that whereas for them there was a cure behind the sacrifice of the Lambe which was not yet slaine but for such as shall now sinne Christ dieth no more Reu. 22.7 for his next coming shall be in iudgemen 4. Mat. 7.1 We are taught to beware of rash iudgement to condemne a man for some few infirmities as because one professor is discouered for an hypocrite therefore to censure all as if all the Apostles were to be condemned for Iudas Should a sonne despise his father because he is poore or the blind disdaine to be directed by the lame because he cannot walke with him Surely we are not to contemne the meanest gifts for in the building of the Temple all haue not the chiefest place but some square the stones some fit the mortar some carry and some place the worke Ex quouis ligno non sit Mercurius so to the building of the Temple of Christ 1 Cor. 3.13 1 Cor. 12. some bring stubble some straw some mortar euery man according to the measure of faith which he hath receiued and in the end euery mans worke shall be tried by the fire and till the end let all this be vsed to edification If none should study physick but those that could cure all diseases we should haue no Physicians and if none should serue God but those that could serue God perfectly we should haue none to serue God Which of you casteth away a crackt peece of gold or a broken siluer cup No more are we to despise the graces of God in a meane person though imperfect for he which hath receiued most hath many wants and a wise mans iudgement begins at his owne house 5. And lastly we learne not to brag and boast of our broken seruice but to be humbled with our manifold wants and infirmities When we haue preached all our liues and praied with