enemy to Timothy and other Ministers and their sound Doctrine and Teaching yet he is not an enemy to all Teaching he will admit that men shall get themselves an heap of corrupt and flattering Teachers 2 Tim. 4.2 3. and that Jeroboam should set up Idolatrous Priests of the lowest of the people and consecrate whosoever will which yet indeed were good enough for their Gods for they were but Calves so he sets up false Apostles false Ministers and As Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses so do these men resist the truth being men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the faith Secondly In case there be some notorious pollution prophanation or corruption of that Ordinance which Elies Sons were in their Sacrificing guilty of 1 Sam. 2.12 13. whereby not only themselves were made vile but the Lords people possibly the better part of them were made to transgress because they abhorred not only that corruption but also the offering of the Lord because of it Thirdly In case that Ordinances be set up against Ordinances Church against Church and Altar against Altar Some saith Paul Preached Christ of envy and strife and contention Phil. 1.16 those which say they are of Christ in opposition to Peter and Paul are reproved 1 Cor. 1.12 so far as the holiest Minister that lives doth never so rightly and skilfully Preach the Word or administer other Ordinances in contention and opposition to any faithful though possibly not so well gifted Minister or people he therein doth the work of Satan and not of God CHAP. V. Of the Spirit of Prayer and Supplication Shewing how he doth assist in Prayer THat the Spirit doth help us to Pray I need not to prove only I shall endeavuor to search out the manner how he helps And that First Negatively Secondly Affirmatively First The Holy Ghost doth not immediately inspire the Method Matter words of Prayer as he inspired the holy men of God in their Prophesying and Penning of holy Scriptures for if he did then as those Prophesies were purely divine infallible free from any fault or failing corruption yea and indiscretion in the form phrase method or manner of them so also should the words of our Prayers be also perfect purely divine infallible c. but by sad experience we find the contrary 2ly It had been a sin I conceive for the Prophets or men of God not to have delivered the very same Message they received of the Lord both for matter manner and method but it cannot be conceived to have been a sin in any Saint of God against the guidance and governance of Gods Spirit if he had used another Method or Phrase of words in his morning Devotions then then he did Secondly The Spirit is not in our prayers properly the person praying or petitioning that is below the High and Holy Spirit of God Arrius Macedonius and others more lately do abuse Rom. 8.26 27. and finding him as they fancy upon his knees they degrade him from his Deity but Augustine Answers the Spirit is said to Pray as we say Solomon builded the House yet he was a Magistrate a King not a Mason or Carpenter he directed how to build found out Workmen furnisht them with Materials and Money for the work Indeed all the Persons in the Trinity are Authors of our Supplications as well as of our Sanctification Opera Trinitatis ad extra sunt indivisa but every one in his order the Father and Son do Sanctifie and also help us to pray by the Holy Ghost Thirdly The Spirit doth not make Intercession for us after the same manner that Christ doth Romans 8.34 Christ maketh Intercession in Heaven presenting himself to God for us as the high Priest did bear the names of the children of Israel upon his Shoulders and upon his Brest-Place noting to us that he would bear them up and bear them out that he loves them and they lie near to his heart Exod. 28.12.28 29. but the Spirit of God doth make Intercession in us upon Earth there is a vast difference which somewhat doth resemble this between directing or drawing up a Petition to a Prince or State and the preferring presenting it speaking to it and pleading for it the one may be done in the Country the other must be done at the Court. Fourthly The help of the Spirit of God in Prayer is not to be understood exclusively with relation to other Ordinances as though he did not help Godly Ministers to Preach and Godly men to hear remember and practise as well as to pray for the Sons of God are led by the Spirit in the one as well as the other Rom. 8.14 and he as hath been before shewed is the Spirit of wisdom of the fear of the Lord and of grace as well as of Supplication Now these have a general influence upon the whole conversation and not only upon Prayer We are to walk in the Spirit to sing with the Spirit to serve God in the Spirit Rom. 1.9 Ioh. 4.24 Fiftly The help of the Spirit of God doth not prohibit evacuate or invalidate other helps John did not sin in teaching his Disciples to Pray Luk. 11.1 nor did the Disciples of Christ sin in desiring Christ to teach them to pray and yet they did not consider Christ as God as Head of the Church or Saviour of the world but as their Master pressing him with the example of John the Baptist and perswading him to imitate it they it seems did not understand or not remember the mind and meaning of Christ in his Sermon Mat. 6.6 7. brief notes whereof are in Luk. 6. Therefore they here desire that he would teach them to pray and our Saviour saith not ye have the Spirit therefore you need not to be taught nor saith he John was to blame to teach them to pray nor I will teach you as being the Head of the Church but I oughe not to teach you as your Master no I will send my Spirit to teach you and in the mean time I will not help you but he teacheth them again giving them hence a special rule of direction to whom for what and in what manner and order they ought to pray as also we have a short directory 1 Tim. 2.1 And the Israelites were appointed to take unto them words Hosea 14.2 though the Spirit of God doth put us in remembrance Ioh. 14.26 yet Ministers also may yea must put people in remembrance of what is necessary 2 Pet. 1.12.15 the same may be said of Prayer Thus much for the Negative how the Spirit of God doth not help in Prayer Now I shall endeavor by the help of his Spirit and your Prayers to shew Affirmatively how the Spirit of God doth help in prayer and that help is of two sorts Habituating or Actuating the one is more remote and the other more neerer The one qualifies the person praying the other the Prayer it self The Spirit of God as to the person is First an Enlightening Spirit Secondly
the Scriptures found that Pauls Doctrine was sound And the Church of Ephesus having tryed the false Apostles and found them lyars need not try the same Persons and Doctrines over again Acts 17. Rev. 2. Also some Spirits lie not in our way and we are not to go out of Gods way to find out matters of tryal for then we should needlesly rush into many temptations and spend all the daies of our short life in enquierie and examination of the several dreams and dotages of Pagans Turks Jews Papists Hereticks and Schsmaticks of several sorts instead of growing in grace and the knowledg of Christ Crucified and abounding in the fruits of righteousness Tryal necessarily supposeth some Rule by which the Tryal must be made and no righter or surer Rule imaginable then the Word of God and if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no light in them Isai 8.20 whatsoever they boast of light in them their light is darkness this is the Rule and Square of our walking Gal. 6.16 and must judge us at the last day Ioh. 12.48 Rev. 20 12. God the Author of the holy Scripture is the Supream Law-giver and Judge the Maker and Expounder of the Law Isai 33.22 Jam. 4.12 This holy men writ being inspired by the Holy Eternal Infallible Spirit 2 Pet. 1. ult and and none knows the mind of God better then the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.11 To the Spirit speaking in Scripture all created spirits are to be subject Pauls Doctrine though an Apostle was tryed by this Rule Act. 17.11 Though the Scripture cannot do all the parts of a Judge because it neither speaketh with the voice of a man nor doth it or can it examine or determine matters of fact as whether Arius denyed the God-head of Christ or no yet it is said to speak Ioh. 7.42 and doth judge controversies as a Writing Hos 8.12 a mans Will and Testament Heb. 9.15 a Chartey a Letter a Law doth speak and we may understand a mans mind by his writing as well as if we heard him speak and may better preserve yea more and longer ponder upon a writing then upon words only I shall adde this hereunto by way of Caution That when I speak of the Spirits being or dwelling in a Saint I mean not an essential or personal in-being or in-dwelling of the Spirit as he is God or the third Person of the Holy Trinity God is said to dwell in us 2 Cor. 6.16 and we are the Templers and Habitations of God 1 Cor. 3.16 17. and Christ is not only given for us but to us Isa 9 6. comes in to us Rev. 3.20 is in us Ioh. 17.23 liveth in us Gal. 2.20 dwelleth in our hearts Ephes 3.16 17. as well as the holy Spirit of God Yet me thinks it is strange to say that the Father Son and Holy Ghost do dwell personally in the Saints for whereas each Person is both indivisible and omnipresent this seems both to divide and limit them to say that any of them is personally here or there in Peter Paul or other Saints and not in intermediate places and there is a generation of men now a daies that upon this account would confound and and equalize the Creator and creature the Eternal God Father Son and Spirit with mortal yea miserable men If the evil Spirit though finite and limitted may act and rule in the children of disobedience 1 Ioh. 4.4 Eph. 2.2 and may be said to keep the house Luk. 11.21 though he do not inhabit personally in them much more may the Infinite and Eternal Spirit without such personal inhabitation act and rule in Beleevers Besides this Scripture phrase of in-being and in-dwelling doth import only inwardness meer relation and close union Ioh. 17.22 23. Hence God is said to be in Christ as well as Christ in God Ioh. 17.21 and Saints are as well said to be in and to dwell in Christ Rom. 8.1 Ioh. 6.56 and to be in the Spirit Rom. 8.9 As Christ or the holy Spirit are said to be or dwell in them and therefore this phrase doth no more evince personal inhabitation on the one side then one the other It may be granted that the Spirit of God being the last of all the three Persons in order both of subsisting and working doth come lower and neerer to us and more immediately close with our spirits then the Father or the Son for what the Father or the Son do act andinfluence upon the soul is mediately by the holy Ghost and God by the Spirit on his part doth take hold on us Ezek. 11.19 and we are the Habitations of God through the Spirit Ephes 2.21 22. as we by faith on our part lay hold on Christ Ioh. 1.12 And he dwelleth in our hearts by faith Eph. 3.17 and it must of necessity be granted that the Spirit by a Metonymy may be said to dwell in us when we dwell in love 1 Ioh. 4.16 and the truth dwelleth in us 2 Ep. Ioh. v. 2. When we partake of his Gifts and Graces though these be not the Spirit it self for the Scripture doth manifestly distinguish them from it saying there are diversities of Gifts and but one spirit and that these are but the Gifts Fruits and operations of that one spirit 1 Cor. 12.4 to 14. Gal. 5.22 as when we say the Sun comes into an house we mean not the body of the Sun for that abides in its own Orb but the Beams of it so the Apostle makes the Word of Christ dwelling in us richly in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms c. to be the same with being filled with the spirit Col. 3.16 with Eph. 5.18 19. Yea even Bezaleel because God had made him a good workman in blue Purple c. is said to be filled with the Spirit of God Ex. 31.2 3 4 5. And there is a stronger and higher reason why a good Christian because of such gracious impressions of Gods Spirit on his soul should be said to be filled with the Spirit Lastly it is not to be denyed but there are several actings of the Spirit in on and with thy soul distinct from yea and subsequent to his working of grace in it viz. those Acts whereby he doth support assist co-operate and comfort bear witness with our spirits and seal to the day of Redemption Rom. 8.16 Eph. 1.13 and 4.30 which notwithstanding come short of proving the Spirits personal In-being or In-dwelling in us as hath been shewed CHAP. II. Of the Properties of the Spirit of God with the vindication of them from common mistakes THe First unquestionable Property of the Spirit of God is that it is good Psal 143.10 not only Metaphysically so the Devils are good because they are beings but morally He is the Holy Ghost or Spirit the Spirit of holiness Rom. 1.4 and his Motions are good and holy and never evil but Satan is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wicked one wickedness
is not omitted as sometimes it is in the old Testament where also we read of 12. Tribes besides if it had then the Anti-ministerial Spirits of these days would have seemed to have somewhat to glory of but it is said that of that Tribe as well as of the other Tribes though it was a small Tribe were sealed twelve thousand which being spoken of the Church of the Gentiles by allusion to the Jewish Church may well shew to us a number of the Ministers lawfully called and approved by God proportionable to the rest of the people or that God would also out of the believing Gentiles chuse some to be Priests and Levites to him Also when Antichrist most raged and reigned and the outward Court was given to the Gentiles Rev. 11.2 Yet the Temple though Antichrist did sit in it 2 Thes 2.4 and Alter and they that worship therein now amongst the Jews to whose custome he alludeth the Priests did worship the Lord in the inner Court were to be measured as being Gods Building to be repaired and kept up by him and God did all along preserve not only precious truths the Positive and Affirmative truths of Christian Religion Popery consisting mostly in Additions as elsewhere I have shewed which were preached by the very Priests themselves especially those main Doctrines of the Trinity the Nativity Death and Passion Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus Christ of his sending the holy Ghost c. upon the yearly days set apart for the memorial of them But also he did preserve an holy people that instead of having the mark name or number of the Beasts name had their Fathers name written in their foreheads Rev. 14.1 and a faithful Ministery proportionable thereunto two witnesses a sufficient number to hold up his truth for in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established and it was Prophesied that they should feed the Church during the time of her lowest exiled condition Rev. 12.6 It is not said I will feed her which might seem to be extraordinary or she shall feed her self for then it might be imagined that private brethren did feed one another but They the Prophesiers should feed her and these were slain and who were they not only Saints but Prophets which are distinguished from other Saints and Righteous men not only in other Scriptures Eph. 4.11.12 Mat. 10.41 42. but also in this very Book which doth not only mention the slaying of the Witnesses but also for the same draws up an Indictment against Babylon that in her was found the blood as wel of Prophets as of private Saints Rev. 18.24 for they as well as others were witnesses by the word of the Testimony and not loving their lives unto the death Many godly Ministers in several Ages have born Testimony to the truth of Christ and appoted Antichrist so that God notwithstanding the Idolatries Sorceries Whoredoms Heresies Persecutions of the Whore of Rome did alway preserve the Essence of the Ministery even where Satans Seat is Rev. 2.13 CHAP. X. Of the Spirit of Corah and his gainsaying on Jude vers 11. Corah was a Levite though he seems to disclaim the priviledge thereof and made himself as one of the people for he saith not all the Tribe of Levi are holy but all the people which were of other Tribes also and the two hundred and fifty Princes did offer incense as well as he Dathan and Abiram were Sons of Reuben the first born of all the Patriarchs these Reubenites camped next to the Kohathites on the Southside of the Tabernacle as is shewed Num. 2. and joined with them and two hundred and fifty Princes of the Assemblies Senators Statesmen Governours Reputed Religious and Righteous men were famous in the Church men of name and renown Numb 16.1 2. they were not any of them that we read of vile or vicious in their conversation nor is it likely if they had been so that the Congregation should so much respect them and though they be called wicked men v. 26. or as some others read it sinners perverse hard men yet that was by reason of their division which is a work of the flesh Gal. 5.20 shewing them to be carnal 1 Cor. 3.1 2. not by reason of any grosse miscarriage in their conversation that we know of the occasion of it saith Solomon Jarchi and indeed it might well be one occasion was Corah being a Levite of the Koathites which was the chief family of the Levites took offence and envied at the preferment of Elizaphan the son of Uzziel whom Moses had made Prince over the sons of Koath Numb 3.20 when he was of the youngest brother and Corah himself was of Izhar elder then he and probably Dathan Abiram and On being the sons of the eldest son of Jacob did grudge that the priviledge of primogeniture was taken from their Father and his house See Ainsworth in Numb 16. The nature and manner of their offence was this Corah took men he departed saith the Syriach Verbion was divided saith Fargum Onkelos withdrew himself separated himself took himself to be a part from the Congregation saith Solomon Jarchi And Dathaâ— Abiram and On also â—ook men and separated themselves or rather Corah took them all into a distinct Congregation or Church from the Congregation of the Lord and from being under the power and over-sight of the Rulers thereof Numb 16.5 6.17 40. Psalm 106.17 They rose up against Moses and Aaron though I conceive them guilty rather of Ecclesiastical then of Civil division rather of Schism then Sedition or Treason and their opposition was rather against Moses as a Minister then as a Magistrate for they said not all the people are wise valiant true hearted which are the qualifications of the Magistrate they did not claim to rule the state but to offer Incense v. 3.5 10. hence Aarons Rod budded not Moses his Rod Numb 17. though in their zeal for their Schism they did undutifully reflect also upon the civil Magistrate v. 13.14 nor did they plead only for the equality of the Priests with the high Priests or of the Levites with the Priests as some learned men do conceive they did though this then had been a very great error and more express against plain Texts then it is now to hold the equality of Church-Officers under the New-Testament but though Corah was a Levite they pleaded for the equality of all the people with the Priests and Levites the words which Jude calls the gainsaying of Corah were these All the Church is holy every one of them and the Lord is amongst them wherefore lift ye up your selves above the Congregation of the Lord v. 3. whereas in deed and truth it was they that took too much upon them v. 7.8 9. they preached much for Liberty yea spiritual ministerial power in the body of the people in opposition to their guides and leaders they affected challenged and usurped the Priesthood v. 10. in that they did seek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Septuagint reads it to do the work of the Priests to offer Incense which though they might easily be gifted for yet were not called to it and questionless the people intended their own profit too for if the Priests work might be taken from them and done as lawfully by others why might not also their Tithes and Wages This Schism pretending the purity power priviledge and indirectly the profit too of the body of the Congregation and complaining of the usurpation of the Priests though resisted by Moses and Aaron who having been highly and visibly honoured by God deserved to have been very venerable amongst the people so far prevailed that Corah gathered all the Congregation against Moses and Aaron v. 19. and though God by Moses the Elders of the Congregation following him charged them to forsake Corah and his company yea though God himself according as Moses had foretold appeared against them in an extraordinary miraculous way v. 28. to 34. So that the people saw it and fled v. 34. Yet on the morrow all the Congregation so fond they were of that pleasing Doctrine after they had slept on it murmered against Moses and Aaron saying ye have slain the people of the Lord v. 41 42. as though Moses Aaron and the Elders were not the Lords people but enemies yea murtherers of them they meant of Corah and his company which were taken away by Gods immediate hand but afterward God for this their murmuring sent a plague v. 45. c. This Spirit that was in Corah was indeed an evil seditious schismatical Spirit and their opinion and practise how pleasant and plausible soever and what ever the 250. Princes of the Assembly and all the Congregation voted for it was a dangerous deadly damning sin God did strike them dead not by the common death of all men some the earth swallowed up v. 33. some the fire consumed v. 35 some the plague v. 47. and Jude saith men perish in the gainsaying of Corah This gainsaying of Corah is a sin of the new Testament as well of the old Jude v. 11. Let it be seriously and sadly considered of whom that Text is spoken and whether there be not many now adays some perhaps of honest intentions and affections guilty of it FINIS