is of quality by way of Analogy is that which wee finde as in Threatnings so in Promises between the Service and the Reward and this expressed two waies 1 Sometimes one contrary is promised as the recompense of another To the Mourners is assured comfort to the Hungry fulnesse to the Humble exaltation to the Poor a Kingdome and to them that sow in tears a joyful Harvest in all which how great a congruity there is is obvious at the first view 2 Sometimes Like is promised as the reward of like thus wee read of Honour to them that Honour God and Love to them that Love him of Giving to them that Give Forgiving to them that Forgive and Mercy to them that are Merciful of Eternal life to them that continue in well doing and here of eternal life and continuing in the Father and the Son to them that continue in what they have heard 2 How pretious is the benefit considered in it self you shall continue in the Son and in the Father that is saith the Greek Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so the same in substance with that in the former Chapter Our fellowship is with the Father and his Sonne Jesus Christ onely the manner of expression is somewhat more â—mphatical whilest the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in noteth the Propinquity and the Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the permanency of this fellowship That Question why the Holy Ghost is not mentioned is thus resolved by Estiuâ— Quia de eo non erat oborta questio because as yet there was no controversy raised and so no need of mentioning him If it bee asked why the Son is put before the Father the answer is well returned because the Apostle had just before inveighed against those who though they pretended to acknowledge the Father yet deny the Son Though withall there may besides bee a double reason assigned The one to insinuate that the Son is not lesse than the Father but that they are equal in essence and dignity upon this account most probable it is that the Apostolical benediction beginneth with the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and then followeth the love of God the Father The other because as Beda well glosseth No man commeth to or continueth in the Father but by the Son who saith of himself I am the way the truth and the life To draw it up lo here Eximia laus doctrinae an high commendation of Evangelical Doctrin that it leads up to Christ and by him to the Father the water riseth as high as the spring from whence it floweth no wonder if the Gospel which commeth from God through Christ lead us back again through Christ to God and as by hearing and beleeving this Doctrin we are united to so by adhering to and persevering in it wee continue in the Son and the Father Suitable to this is that promise of our blessed Saviour If any man love mee hee will keep my Word and my Father will love him and wee will come to him and make our abode with him if wee not onely receive but keep Christs word he and the Father will not only come but continue with us They who never heard nor received the Gospel are without God and without Christ so St. Paul saith of the Ephesians whilest they were in their Heathenish condition They who having heard the Gospel and for sake it are far from God and Christ God himself saith If any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him but if that which wee have heard abide with us wee shall continue in the favour and affection of in â—nion and communion with Christ and the Father And now beloved if the Psalmist said Blessed are they that dwell in thy house much more may I. Blessed are they that continue in the Son and in the Father if S. Peter said of being on Mount Tabor with Christ at his Transfiguration it is good for us to be here much more may we say It is good for us to be with the Son and the Father If hee that was asked where his treasure was answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where Cyrus was his friend well may the Christian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 place his wealth in the friendship of and fellowship with the Son and the Father Let me then be speak you in those words of St. Jude keep your selves in the love of God which though it be chiefly understood in the active sense keep in you a love to God yet withall it may admit a Passive Interpretation keep your selves in Gods love not is there any better way than by keeping Gods word in our selves if Christs word dwell in us he himself will dwell with us the Ark was a blessing to Obed Edoms house so is the Gospel to the place where it is Preached much more to them who so hear as to receive and so receive as to retain it Let that therefore abide in you which you have heard that you may continue in the Son and the Father so much the rather when we consider what Followeth in the next verse an assurance that this continuance shall know no end but being begun on earth it shall be perpetuated in heaven to all eternity for this is the Promise which he hath promised â—â— eternal life which God willing in our next discourse shall bee unfolded THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St. JOHN CHAP. 2. 25. VERS And this is the Promise that hee hath promised us even eternal life AS there is in bad men an aversnesse from so there is in the best a backwardnesse to their duty The one through wickednesse have an Antipathy the other through weaknesse an inability to what is good corruption is so prevalent in those that they will not receive and so remanent in these that they have much ado to retain either Truth in their minds or grace in their hearts For this Reason no doubt it is that Almighty God is pleased by his sacred Pen men not onely to impose services but propose rewards and to enforce his commands by arguments Among those many Arguments by which our duty is perswaded none more effectual than those which concern our selves there being in us all such a principle of self-love as puts us upon seeking our own advantage and of all those advantages which allure to the doing our duty none equal to that recompence of reward that eternal life which is laid up for promised to and shall be conferr'd upon us How fitly hath our Apostle here coupled together a difficult duty and an excellent motive perseverance whether in well beleeving or well-doing is no easy task the hands of our Faith and obedience like those of Moses are apt to grow heavy and have need of the stone of a Promise to bee put under them that they may bee steady to the going down of the Sun of our lives and a sweeter fuller Promise there is not in the whole book
commendation of these Children that they know the Father To winde up this 1. It is that which should be in the first place an item to Parents that they be carefull to traine up their Children in the knowledge of the Father Oh Parents you are industrious to provide wealth and riches for your Children but why are you not more solicitous to obtain grace and knowledge for them You take a great deale of care to enrich their bodies but why so little for the adorning of their souls what is this but to use Plutarchs comparison as if one should be very curious about the shooe and neglect the foote or exact id triming the glove whilst the hand is foule perhaps you endeavour that your Children may attaine some kinde of knowledge to wit in the tongues or arts and sciences in a trade and calling and herein you do well learning being a far better portion then riches without which the wealthiest heire is but an Ass laden with gold but oh Parents why stay you here there is one thing more needfull then either of the other and that is the knowledge of the Father what difference is there between a Pagan and a Christian Parent if your only care be to acquaint Children with secular affairs or educate them in Philosophicall studies oh let it not suffice that your Children are instructed in humane whilst they are ignorant of divine learning Tell me I beseech you is it not a sad thing and yet I would to God it were not too common that little Children through your negligent education should swear so soon as they ean speak and learn to blaspheme that God whom yet they have not been taught to know such Parents saith Sâ— Chrysostome are worse then Homicides nay then Parricides for these take away only the bodily life of their Parents but those do what in them lyeth to cast the souls and bodies of their Children into Hell and whilst by generation they were the instruments of their temporall life through neglect of good education they become at least the occasion of their eternall death It is a dolefull story which is reported by Gregory the great to this purpose of a Childe of five years old which being carelesly or rather wickedly brought up was given to blaspheming Gods holy name and being a little after smitten with death the poore Childe cryeth to the Father Help help the Moors are come to take me away and so blaspheming God it died no doubt to the horrour and perplexity of the wicked Father It is a sad thing when Children in their old age shall have cause to complaine that their Parents had no care to bring them up in learning but is it not far more sad that Children in Hell shall cry out against their Parents because they had no regard to instruct them in the knowledg of God Let then all Parents be admonished of this necessary duty which they owe to their Children Children are sometimes called pignora pledges so they are of Gods love to us in bestowing them on us so they ought to be of our love to God in consecrating them to him They are compared to Arrows as they are at first directed so afterwards they flyâ— Oh let it be your endeavour that they may be directed upwards towards Heaven by divine knowledg It much conduced to Alexanders prowess and victory in his wars that his Father Philip caused him to be brought up as it is were from his radle in Military discipline Oh let it be the prudent piety of all Parents to teach their Children betimes the knowledge of the Christian warfare and to that end to begin with the knowledg of the Father 2. But secondly Let me turn my counsell from the Parents to the Children whom I cannot better bespeake then in Davids words Come ye Children hearken unto me and I will teach you the knowledg and fear of the Lord. You know your earthly Parents I but labour to know your Heavenly you know the Fathers of your Flesh ey but strive to know the Father of your Spirits you are expert it may be in Homers Odes Virgils Eclâ—gs Cicero's Orations oh but strive to get understanding in Davids Psalms Solomons Proverbs and the other plaine Books of holy writ Manna was to be gathered in the morning the Orient pearl is generated of the morning dew Aurora musis amica the morning is a friend to the muses Oh remember thy Creator know him in the morning of thy Childehood When God had created the Heavens and the Earth the first thing he did was to adorne the world with light and seperate it from the darkness happy is that Childe on whom the light of saving knowledg begins to dawn early God in the Law required the first born and the first fruits so he doth still our first daies to be offered up to him They are Wisdomes own words They that seek me early shall finde me Where a Rabbin observeth a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is added to the Verb more then usuall which in numbring goeth for fifty with this note that early seeking hath not only twenty or thirty but fifty nay indeed an hundred sold recompence attending on it He that is long before he seeketh God I will not say he shall not at all but it may be long ere he finde him oh begin early whilst yet you are Children to seek the knowledge of God The better to enduâ—e you hereunto consider my good Children 1. You were in your very Infancy almost as soon as born dedicated to the Father being baptized in the name of the blessed Trinity Father Son and holy Ghost and will you not now that you begin to have the use of your understanding endeavour to know the Father you are already his sworne servants and souldiers will you be ignorant of him to whom you are sworne 2. If you do not now begin to know the Father you will be less docible hereafter alas how hard is it to instill knowledg into old years Can it be imagined that that tree which doth not bud nor blossome in the spring should bring forth fruit in Autumn or should flourish in Winter Now in your Childhood your wits are fresh your apprehension quick oh imploy them in studying and gaining the divine knowledg so much the rather because hereby you shall put to shame those ignorant old ones who have lived long and yet with the Ninivites know not the right hand from the left 3. Your Parents may prove unnaturall and forsake you however they are mortall and when death comes must leave you but your Father in Heaven liveth for ever and if you know and serve him he will love you and take care for you he will never leave you nor forsake you The Hen is not more tender of her Chickens nor the Sheapheard of his Lambes then this universall Father as Clemens Alexandrinus cals him is of his little ones towardly and hopefull Children You may
gift namely the holy one By which some understand the third Person in the sacred Trinity to whom this character so fitly agreeth that he is usually set forth by this title the Holy Ghost but the Scripture phrase is not annoynting from but with the Holy Ghost by which is intimated that the Holy Ghost is the unguent itself and therefore it is more rational to understand by the Holy one Christ from whom it is wee have the unction of his Spirit so that in the handling of this part I shall first give you an account how fitly and fully it agreeth to Christ and then reflect upon the unction how justly it is affirmed to be from Christ 1 It would not be passed by that the Apostle mentioning Christ describeth him by holinesse it is the title by which he characterizeth himself in the beginning of his Epistle to the Church of Philadelphia These things saith he that is holy and that he spake no more than truth of himself you may hear the same from the mouth of his and our grand Adversary the Devil I know thee who thot◠art the holy one of God Our Apostle here sets it down very emphatically The Holy one that is singularly eminently perfectly holy or in Daniels phrase the holy of holies which our Translators fitly render by the superlative degree the most holy one look as a little before the Devil is called The wicked one because hee is extreamly wicked so Christ is called the Holy one as being transcendently holy It is that which is true of Christ in reference to both his Natures as God and as Man 1 Holinesse is the inseparable property of a Deity it is as it were the excellency and perfection of the God-head and Crown of all the Attributes now Christ is Gods own Son to whom hee communicateth himself and so this holinesse The Angels in Isaiah and the Beasts in the Revelation giving glory to God three times iterate Holy Holy Holy with reference as some conceive to all the three Persons Holy Father Holy Son and Holy Spirit and thus Christ as God is holy in his Nature in his Decrees in his Word and Works and eternally holy in all he is and willeth he saith and doth according to that of the Psalmist He is holy in all his works 2 As man he is the holy one and that both in respect of his conception and conversation 1 His conception was holy because of the Holy Ghost who over-shadowed the Virgin purifying that part of her substance of which Christ was born whereby hee was free from all that corruption which is by Adam propagated to his posterity To this probably referrs that phrase the holy childe Jesus and certainly that of the Angel to the Virgin The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Highest shall over-shadow thee therefore the holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God True it is Christ took upon him the reality of frail flesh but only the likenesse of sinful flesh and though he assumed our natural yet not our vitious defects 2 His conversation was holy Indeed how could any impure stream flow from so pure a spring his nature being holy his life could not be unholy and there being an exact integrity in the one there must needs be a spotless innocency in the other on the one hand he was to bee a pattern of holinesse after whose copy all Christians are to write good reason it should be exact without the least blot on the other hand he was to be a sacrifice for sin which he could not have been if hee had not been without sin and therefore it behoved him to fulfill all righteousnesse by a full conformity to that exact rule of Gods Law Nor is he only Holy but the Holy one in respect of both his Natures 1 In regard of his Divine Nature in as much as he is essentially infinitely originally and immutably Holy essentially because his holiness is not an accident to him but his very essence infinitely because his holiness is not only without imperfection but limitation originally because his holiness is from himself he is the cause of all holinesse in the Creature immutably because it is altogether impossible he should cease to be holy for then he must cease to bee God well might Hannah say None holy as the Lord and indeed this phrase is most properly verified of him in this regard for as Aristotle though he call other things good yet when he speaketh of the chief good he calleth it by way of eminency 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Good so though the Creature may bee said to bee holy yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The holy one most properly belongs to God though yet Secondarily and in a comparative sense not only with all other men but Angels Christ in respect of his Humane nature is the Holy one and that upon a double account The one because the holinesse of his Humane nature farre surpasseth that which is in any other creature and that in as much as it was presently to bee united with the God-head and if some measure of holinesse bee required in all that approach God how unmeasurable and perfect must be that holinesse of Christs Humane nature which is united with God and in whom the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelleth bodily The other because whereas all other Creatures have holinesse only for themselves and cannot convey it to others in which respect St. Austine saith of holy Parents they beget their children Non è principiis novitatis sed è reliquiis vetustatis not from the principles of the new man but the remainders of the old man and so cannot communicate their holinesse to their children Christ is a Son of righteousnesse imparting holinesse to his Church a root of holinesse as the first Adam was of wickednesse giving the sap of grace to all his branches in which regard St. Paul saith expresly he is made to us of God sanctification O then let us learn to magnifie Christ in and for his holinesse That phrase in Moses his Hymn Who is like to thee O Lord glorious in holinesse what doth it intimate but that holinesse calls for glory and praise Worthy then is he who is the holy one to bee honoured and adored by us That expression of the Psalmist Holy and reverent is his name plainly teacheth us that sanctity calls for reverence oh let us reverence the Person and hallow the name of Christ because he is the holy one what the Romanists doe parasitically to the Pope Christs pretended Vicar calling him superlatively Most Holy Father and abstractively his Holinesse that we need not fear to doe Religiously to Christ himself And since we call our selves Christians oh let us account our selves engaged to the study and exercise of holinesse it is St. Peters reasoning since hee which hath called you is holy nor is the
As to the place where the Messiah was to be born the Prophet Micah is express where hee saith But thou Bethlehem Ephratah though thou be little among the thousands of Judah yet out of thee shall hee come forth unto mee that is to bee ruler in Israel whose goings forth have been from of Old from Everlasting from which Scripture it is that the Pharisees gave their answer upon Herods inquiry concerning the place of his birth in which respect the Prophet and Evangelist are fitly reconciled while one calleth it the least and the other saith it is not the least to wit because of the greatness of the person born in it Now that Jesus was born in Bethlehem we have no meaner Testimony than that of an Angel in his message to the Shepheards To you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord nor would it be passed by the strangenesse of that providence which brought it about that hee should bee born there for whereas Joseph and Mary dwelt in Nazareth twenty miles distant from Bethlehem and it was far besides their thoughts to go to Bethelhem it so falleth out that in a peaceable time the present Emperour imposeth an universal Tax upon the Jews among others by which means every one is to go up to the City of their Tribe and so those of the house of David to Bethlehem the City of David this fell out to be the very time when the daies of Mary were accomplished that she should be delivered and this was done that the Prophecy should be fulfilled 3 The Tribe of which the Messiah should come was that of Judah and more particularly the house of David This is intimated by Jacob when hee foretelleth the comming of the Messiah under the name of Shiloh which some interpret his Son to wit Judah and in as much as this prediction is inserted in the benediction of Judah which can bee for no other reason but that the Messiah was to come of him More plain and particular is that Prophecy of Isaiah There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of his roots where the Chaldee Paraphrase expresly testifieth by that rod to bee designed the Messiah who should spring forth of David who was a stem of Jesse yet more punctually doth this appear in that promise made to David by God of the fruit of thy loins will I set upon this Throne and again I will set up thy seed after thee which shall proceed out of thy bowels and I will establish his Kingdome for ever the former of which is expresly applied to the Messiah by S. Peter in reference to this it is that we read of the sure mercies of David yea by Jeremy and Hosea this name of David is applyed to the Messiah they shall serve or seek the Lord their God David their King which cannot bee meant litterally of David who fell asleep long before and therefore is mystically expounded of the Messiah who is called David because he was to come from his family This truth was so known among the Jews that when Jesus asked the Pharisees what think you of Christ whose Son is he they say to him The Son of David Now that our Lord sprang out of the Tribe of Judah is affirmed by the Author to the Hebrews to bee evident and he is said by St. Paul expresly to be of the seed of David remarkable to this purpose are his own words where hee saith I am the Root and the Ofspring of David to wit according to his two natures in respect of his God-head the Root and his Man-hood the Ofspring of David by which that Riddle is unfolded of his being both the Lord and the Son of David As for his Legal Father Joseph it is 〈…〉 by St. Matthew that hee was of Judahs Tribe and Jesus being born of Mary after her Espousals to Joseph is upon that account to bee reckoned of the tribe of Judah for if when the brother did raise the seed to his brother by marrying his widow the first-born was to succeed in the name of the dead brother and consequently reckoned as his Son well might Maries Son whom shee miraculously conceived by the Holy Ghost overshadowing bee reputed Josephs to whom shee was espoused and it being the custome of the Jews to derive the Genealogy from the Fathers in which respect it was a Proverb among them the mothers family is no family Jesus is justly asserted to bee of his Fathers Tribe though hee was not his natural but onely his Legal Father Though withall there is nothing rationally to contradict that Mary was of the house of David of the Tribe of Judah It is true Elizabeth who was of the house of Aaron the Tribe of Levi is called her Couzen but inasmuch as it was lawful for the Tribe of Levi having no possessions of their own to marry into any Tribe it may bee probably conceived that either some of the Virgin Maries Ancestors married a wife of Levies Tribe or some of Elizabeths Ancestors did marry a wife of Judahs Tribe and so either way there might bee an affinity between the Virgin Mary and Elizabeth Besides this that there is no convincing reason against it there are good arguments inferring it for since upon that particular occasion of Zelophehads daughters there was a Law enacted of every daughter marrying in her own Tribe which had an inheritance and if as Casaubon argueth the blessed Virgin were though in a mean condition yet heir to an estate it is very probable that shee was of Josephs own Tribe since hee hath the testimony of a just man and therefore one who would not violate so manifest a Law Adde to this that those words in St. Luke of the house of David may as well bee referred â—he Virgin espoused to Joseph as to Joseph and then it becommeth a positive assertion that Mary was of the house of David and yet once more if as Spanhemius strongly urgeth St. Lukes genealogy giveth us the linage of Mary it is without all doubt that both by Father and Mothers side Jesus was of the Tribe of Judah 4 The predictions concerning the Messiah assert that hee should bee born of a Virgin The Prophet Isaiah is express Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and though the Hebrew word may signify any young woman yet that there it should bee rendered Virgin even this consideration will evince because it is ushered in with a behold of admiration and it is intended as a sign for confirmation of Ahaz whereas it were no wonder and therefore not fit to bee a signe that a young woman should conceive and bear a Son Being then a Prophecy of a Son to bee brought forth by a virgin it is no other doubtlesse than the Messiah whose birth is there intended
Epiphanius and Irenaeus informs us Such also were those hereticks who confounded the Father and the Son as if they were one and the same persoÌ„n to whom Tertullian applyeth this very clause where hee saith Negant patrem dum cundem et filium dicunt et negant filium dum eundem patrâ—â— credunt dando illis quae non sunt auferendo quae sunt they deny the Father in asserting him to bee the Son they deny the Son in affirming him to bee the Father ascribing to both what they are not and taking from them what they are To this may bee referred those fabulous things which were broached in those heretical schools of Simon and others concerning God introducing a multitude of Rulers under the names of Barbel Abrakan Karlakan c. by whom the World was governed which was indeed to deny the father 2 But that which seemeth to me most rational is to look upon this clause as an aggravation of the former charge letting us see what followeth upon denying Jesus to bee the Christ namely a denial of the Father and the Son and consequently how pernitions this Antichristian doctrin is for whereas levius videri poterat it may seem a small thing to deny Jesus who appeared in the form of a Servant to bee the Christ addit quid gravius hee addeth that which might justly startle them that how little account soever they made of it it was no other than to deny the Father and the Son and so in effect the denying this man to bee the Christ is to deny God himself To open this distinctly in its full latitude wee shall finde a threefold charge in this one 1 Hee that denyeth Jesus to bee the Christ denyeth the Son of God I begin with the Son though the Father be the first person because hee is most directly denyed This will bee the more easily understood if wee consider what our Apostle taketh here for granted that Christ is no other than the Son of God How and in what respect hee is the Son of God I shall have more full occasion to discusse at the ninth verse of the fourth Chapter it shall suffice here to take notice that the Messiah was looked upon as having the neer relation to God of a Son S. Peter in that excellent confession of his Faith puts these two together Thou art the Christ The Son of the living God nay the very Devils who came out of them that were possessed â—cknowledging him to be the Christ do withall declare him to bee the Son Thou art Christ the Son of God and that this was a received opinion among the Jews appeareth by that question which the High Priest put to him art thou the Christ the Son of the blessed yea as Grotius well observeth apparet hoc cognomen vulgo Messiae datum it appeareth to have been a name of the Messiah well known among the vulgar by that of the very Seamen who beholding the miracle wrought by him on the winds cryed out of a truth thou art the Son of God that is the Messiah Suitable to this it is that the Ancient Hebrews did mystically interpret those words in the Psalmes Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee of the Messiah by which it is evident that to deny him who is the Christ is no other than to deny Gods Son 2 Hee doth not only deny the Son but the Father For 1 The relation between the Father and the Son is very neer no wonder if the injury done to the Son reflect upon the Father it is thus among men much more in the Deity where the Son is consubstantial and coeternal with the Father Being the Son hee is the brightnesse of his fathers glory and expresse Image of his person So St. Paul characterizeth him for which reason it is that all men should honour the Son as they honour the Father So our Saviour himself expressely asserteth and thence inferreth He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father 2 The Father it is who sends his Son into the World and to deny him who is sent what is it but to deny him who sendeth To deny saith Grotius is sometimes as much as authoritatem alicui detrahere to detract from ones authority and to deny the Person sent is in effect to deny the Authority of the sender in this respect it is that in the Scripture but now quoted those words are added that sent him and to this purpose that of our Saviour elsewhere is very apposite Hee that despiseth you despiseth mee to wit because they were sent by him and hee that despiseth mee despiseth him that sent mee to wit the father by whom Christ was sent 3 The Father having sent his Son was pleased to give Testimony to him They are Christs own words The Father himself which sent mee hath born witnesse of mee accordingly if you look into St. Matthews Gospel you shall finde that at his baptisme a voice was heard from Heaven saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased and again at his transfiguration on the Mount behold a voice from the clouds which said This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him to which last St. Peter alludeth where he saith of Christ Hee received from God the Father Honour and Glory when there came forth a voice to him from the excellent glory so that God having given this testimony than which what can bee more full or immediate of the Messiah that he was his Son whosoever denyeth the Christ the Son of God giveth the Father the Lye according as our Apostle more fully expresseth in the close of this Epistle Hee that beleeveth not God hath made him a Lyar because hee beleeveth not the Record that God gave of his Son 3 Lastly Though it bee not expressed yet it would bee supplyed hee denyeth not onely the Father and the Son but the Holy Ghost for as in the first Chapter where out followship is said to bee with the Father and his Son the Holy Ghost is included so here doubtlesse the third Person is implyed who is no lesse denyed than the other two by them who deny Jesus to be the Christ The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commeth from the Verb which signifieth to annoint now to this annointing all the three persons did concur there is persona ungens uncta and unctio the Father annointing the Son annointed and the Holy Ghost the ointment and therefore hee that denyeth the Christ denyeth all three persons it was by no other than the Holy Ghost that Jesus Christ did all his glorious miracles his mighty works in which respect the Pharisees denying Jesus to bee the Christ became guilty of the sin against the Holy Ghost and thus this heresy is no lesse than a denial of the blessed Trinity To shut up this clause learn wee hence when wee receive any Doctrins to
shall assault us as once they did Peter to deny him let us remember what he is in himself and what hee hath done for us let us consider his greatnesse and bee afraid his goodnesse and bee ashamed for fear or shame or any cause whatsoever to deny him 2 That I may drive the nayl to the head let us often set before our eyes that dismal commination so often denounced in the Gospel by the Son of God himself against those who shall deny him Whosoever shall deny mee before men him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven and again inculcated by St. Paul if we deny him he will deny us a threat then which none more just and yet withall none more terrible just it is in that it is the retaliation of like for like what more rational than that despisers should bee despised forsakers should bee forsaken and denyers should bee denyed and how terrible it is will soon appear if you consider that the Son of God will then deny us when he shall appear in his glory that he will deny us not only before men but Angels nay his Father that if he pronounce upon us an I know you not which is to deny us wee are the cursed of the Father he will not acknowledge them for his adopted children who durst not here own his begotten Son and whom his Son will not then own for brethren yea which consummateth the misery of such Apostates they must have their portion with Hypocrites having denied Christ and being denyed by him they must depart from him into that fire which is prepared for the Devil and his Angels there being no reason that they should bee neer to Christ hereafter who follow him a far off nay run away from him here With these meditations let us arm our selves against this heinous sin that we may be the better strengthened 1 Labour wee to be throughly established upon good grounds in this fundamental doctrin that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God He that imbraceth Christian Religion upon the account onely of the Publike Law or private education will in time of tryal renege it Let therefore our assent to this Doctrin rest upon these sure Pillars primarily the authority of Scriptures and secondarily the Catholike Church and then we shall not easily deny it nor let us content our selves with a Conjectural opinion but strive for a firm and settled perswasion a stake in the ground may bee quickly plucked up but a tree rooted in the ground abideth unmoveable he that doubteth may soon be brought to deny but a well grounded perswasion will not quickly bee moved much lesse removed 2 Learn we according to our Saviours precept to deny our selves since oft times self and Christ come in competition so that one must be denyed and if we have not in some measure taken out this excellent lesson of self denial we shall soon deny him No wonder if an Ancient saith ingenuously Christiani praludium sui repudium the first step in the ladder of Christianity is self-denial 3 Nor must we forget that advice of St. Paul to deny Worldly Lusts for if wee take not our hearts off from the World the World will take them off from Christ it is very observable that our Saviour had no sooner threatned this sin of denying him but hee presently forbids Loving Father or Mother Son or daughter more than him intimating how prone the inordinate love of worldly things is to alienate us from him 4 Finally strive for a real union to Christ by a lively faith hee who is but a visible Christian may cease to be so much as visible but the spiritual union will not endure a dissolution much lesse an abnegation maintain and increase familiar communion with him that thou maiest more and more taste the sweetnesse that is in him and then no allurement or affrightment shall cause thee to deny him I end all as we desire not to be found deniers of the Father Son and Holy Ghost as wee desire to have the Father propitious towards us and Christ to own us before the Father at the last day let us dread to deny let us be ready to acknowledge with our hearts lipes lives Jesus the Christ the Son of God to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be ascribed Honour and Glory now and for ever Amen THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St. JOHN CHAP. 2. VERS 24. 25. Let that therefore abide in you which ye have heard from the beginning if that which yee have heard from the beginning shall remain in you yee shall continue in the Son and in the Father And this is the Promise that hee hath promised to us even eternal life ZEal Sincerity and Perseverance are not so much particular graces as each of them necessary ingredients to every grace Zeal being the fervor sincerity the truth and perseverance the duration of all graces of these three the last is not the least needful since constancy is the best evidence of sincerity nor will fervour avail without permanency no wonder if it be called by Bonaventure conditio annexa cuilibet virtuti an inseparable condition of every vertue and by Aquinas donum que caetera servantur dâ—nae that gift which preserveth all the rest without perseverance our Love will prove not a Star but a Comet our Devotion not a flame but a flash our Repentance not a River but a Pond our Hope not a Staff but a Reed and our Faith not a sub stance but a shadow And since this grace of Faith last mentioned is indeed the First the Root the Mother Grace constancy is not more needful in any than this The truth is there is no Grace more oppugned by the Devil than our faith hee well knoweth that if hee can undermine the foundation hee shall soon overthrow the building for which reason having obtained leave to sift S. Peter our Saviour prayeth for him that his faith may not fail Upon this account it is that more or lesse in all ages the Devil hath raised up false Teachers in the Church whose indeavour it is to with-draw the people from the Ancient Catholick and Apostolick Faith and for this cause no doubt it is that one of the chief designs of the holy Apostles in all their Epistles is to stablish Christians in the faith A pregnant instance whereof wee have in this Epistle particularly in these verses whose scope is by most obliging arguments to perswade a stedfast adherence to the truth which they had embraced Let that therefore which you have heard from the beginning c. Which words do plainly part themselves into two generals a mandate and a motive a command and a comfort an exhortation and an incitation The Exhortation enjoyneth a needful duty Let that therefore abide in you which ye heard from the beginning The Incitation adjoyneth a powerful motive drawn from the present comfort and future blisse of persevering Saints If that
first to make a promise and afterwards to give the thing partly in regard of himself Ut in iis quae non habemus largitorem habeamus debitorem saith St. Austine excellently that where hee is not a Donor hee may become a Debtor and may glorifie not only his goodnesse in giving the thing but his faithfulnesse in making good his word partly in regard of us that he may give us occasion of exercising our faith hope and patience since on the one hand if it were presently given there were no use for hope to expect and patience to wait and on the other hand if it were not promised there were no ground for faith to beleeve 2 Eternal life is promised to not deserved by us I confesse these two are not necessarily opposed there is a promise which is an act of Justice as when a Debtâ—r promiseth the payment of his debts or a Master promiseth the Labourer his hire the Servant his wages but withall there is a promise which is an act of grace and mercy as when a King promiseth a Malefactor a pardon or a friend promiseth another a courtesie and of this latter sort are all Gods promises to us especially this of eternal life which is infinitely beyond whatever wee can or whatsoever he requireth we should doe or suffer Ireckon saith St. Paul and I hope he is not out in his reckoning that the sufferings surely then the doings of this present life are not worthy the glory which shall bee revealed Devout Anselme said truly Si hâ—mo mille annis serviret Deo ferventissime non mereretur ex condigno dimidium diei esse in regno caelorum If a man could serve God most fervently a thousand years together it would not deserve one half days much lesse an eternal fruition of that life Indeed the promise being past it is just with God to perform it in which respect St. Paul expects this crown from God as a righteous Judge but withall since meer mercy moved him to promise and what we doe as the condition is no way equivalent to the reward it is a gift of meer grace and therefore our Saviour teacheth his Disciples to expect it from God as a merciful Father It is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom and the same St. Paul expresly calls it a gift eternal life is the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord and so much in answer to the first question 2 If it shall in the next place be enquired why eternal life is called the promise the answer is given by St. Peter where speaking of the promises of eternal life hee calls them exceeding great and precious 1 The promise because an exceeding precious promise all other promises whatsoever being put in the one scale and this in the other this will infinitely preponderate them look what the paper and pack-thread are in respect of the commodity for which wee bargain that are all the promises of this life in respect of those which concern that to come circumstantials and of no value Not only so but 2 The promise because an exceeding great promise it is as it were the center in which all other promises meet it is such a promise as without which all the other would afford little comfort what a figure is to the Cyphers that is this promise to the rest without which they signifie nothing it is the fundamental promise upon which all the rest are bottomed because God hath promised eternal life therefore he will not stick at any thing else yea whatsoever promises he hath made are in order to this therefore hee promiseth earthly things that they may help us to heavenly nor are temporalls any further within the promise than they are subservient to eternal therefore hee promiseth his Spirit and the graces of his Spirit that by them we may be fitted for glory therefore he promised to send his only begotten Son that wee might through him obtain eternal life and since it is as it were the alpha the first the chief of all promises yea the omega the end to which they lead it may well bee called the promise And so you see the second particular unfolded which is the certain conveyance 3 The eminency of the Author by whom this promise is made cometh next to bee considered in the Relative He. If you cast your eyes on the preceding verse you will finde the Antecedent to this Relative namely the Father and the Son our Saviour tells the Disciples it was the Fathers good pleasure to give them the Kingdom and it is his good pleasure in the mean time to give them the promise of it but because the Father promiseth it by the Son therefore interpreters look upon the Son as the Antecedent so much the rather because throughout this Epistle when the Apostle useth this pronoun Hee hee meaneth Christ Indeed a Caution must bee here inserted that if wee understand this Hee to bee the Son wee doe not so construe it as if eternal life were not promised before Christ came As the Father hath spoken to us in these last days by his Son so he spake to them that were before at divers times and divers manners and that concerning eternal life I well know that the Socinians positively assert the first promise of eternal life to be made by Christ and it is not to bee denied but that some of the Fathers seem to incline to this opinion St. Hierom where hee saith The Kingdom of Heaven was not promised in the Old Testament Theophilact who maketh this distinction between the Law and the Gospel that to the Law only temporal promises are annexed but in the Gospel eternal promises are revealed but how improbable this opinion is will appear by several considerations The Author to the Hebrews saith of the Patriarcks Abel Enoch Noah Abraham that they desired a better Country that is an heavenly and could they have desired it if they had not known it and could they have known it if God had not revealed it In the same Chapter it is said of Abraham in particular that he looked for a City which hath foundation whose builder and maker is God Is not that City the Jerusalem which is above and could hee with any confidence have looked for it if God had not promised it That recompence of reward which Moses had an eye to when hee forsook the honours and pleasures of Pharaohs Court to suffer affliction with the people of God was certainly more than temporal for otherwise how could it have justly preponderated the contentments he might have had or recompenced the sufferings hee made choyce of nor could he have had respect to it if it had not been set before him Not to enlarge when our blessed Saviour referres the young man to the Law of Moses for answer to the question What shall I doe to inherite eternal life and when he exhorts the
here we have something supposed and something proposed that which is supposed is his presence The annoynting which you have received of him that which is proposed is his residence Abideth in you 1 That which is here supposed concerning this unction cometh first to be considered and shall be dispatched in three Propositions 1 That this annoynting is not in us of our selves but received by us from another It is St. Pauls Question and though it be occasioned by a discourse of those extraordinary gifts yet it holds true in reference to all What hast thou that thou hast not received the sins which wee commit are our own but the grace to subdue them is received though wee are sometimes subdue into errour yet wee are apt to fall into them our selves but the unction which armeth us against those errours is received It is a meditation which should keep the best Christians lowly in their own eyes Hast thou this annoynting whilest others want it or hast thou it in a greater measure than others be not proud but humble for though it be in thee subjectively yet it is not from thee effectively and therefore no just cause of Self-exaltation it is St. Pauls inference upon the fore-mentioned question If thou doest receive it why doest thou glory as if thou hadst not received it Where the manner of proposal by way of question intimateth as Musculus well glosseth the impudence of this arrogance Ridiculum planè est de alienis bonis superbire It is a ridiculous thing with Aesops Crow to bee proud of borrowed feathers in one word as to boast our selves of what wee have not is abominable so it it little less odious to boast of what wee have as if it were our own when as it is only received 2 That this annoynting is received of him that is Christ it was at first received by Christ himself to wit as man in his Human nature but he received it not so much for himself as us Voluit accipere ut potuit tribuere he would as Man receive that as Mediator hee might convey it to us Indeed it hath pleased the Father saith St. Paul that in him should all fulnesse dwell to wit as water in the Fountain light in the Sun Wine in the Grape and oyl in the Olive and accordingly saith St. John of his fulnesse wee all receive and that grace for grace What the Head is to the Body that is Christ to the Church and as the members receive sense and motion from the Head so doth the Church this unction from Christ Learn hence 1 How greatly we are beholding to Christ of whom it is that we receive whatsoever measure wee have of this Spiritual unction the truth is whatsoever Spiritual benefit we receive it is only in and through Christ The Remission of sins and Adoption of Sons the Justification of our persons and Sanctification of our natures the Donation of his Spirit and acceptation of our services the Redemption of our bodies and Salvation of our Souls are all received through Christ so justly doth St. Paul say He hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus 2 What need wee have to bee ingrafted into Christ since as wee can receive nothing but of him so neither can we unlesse we first receive him To as many as received him saith the Evangelist to them he gave power to become the Sons of God and to as many as receive him it is that hee giveth his Spirit no wonder that St. Paul praying for the Ephesians that they might be strengthened with the spirit of Christ prayeth also that he might dwell in their hearts by faith since it is by our faith in Christ that wee receive him and consequently his Spirit which is this annoynting 3 Lastly This receiving of the unction from him is by way of gift Indeed receiving in its largest extent is the correlative both of debitum and donum a debt and a gift what is duly paid and what is freely given both are said to bee received But when it is used in reference to God and Christ it cannot relate but onely to a gift since whatever wee receive of him and much more the annointing of the Spirit is given of his meer mercy Indeed in respect of himself it may bee called a debt hee having pleased by his Promise to make himself a debtor and accordingly it is that the Spirit is called the Spirit of Promise because promised both by the Father and the Son for so wee finde the expressions varyed the Comforter whom my Father will send and I will give you But still in respect of us it is a free gift it was love moved him at first to promise this unction to and since to confer it on us in which respect it is called the gift of the holy Ghost True it is this annointing was received by Christ from his Father as purchased by his pretious blood but it is received by us from Christ as bestowed by his free grace It is a consideration which should so much the more oblige us to thankfulnesse for this unction it being but reason that when wee receive wee should acknowledge the Donor and that what is received freely should bee acknowledged the more gratefully wee have received the Spirit of God saith the Apostle that wee may know the things which are freely given us of God among which the Spirit himself is not the least and who so knoweth them to bee freely given cannot but bee greatly thankful Holy Jesus wee could do nothing that is good nor avoid what is evil did wee not receive this Unction from thee nor do we receive this Unction as a reward of our merit but a fruit of thy bounty Wee are unworthy to receive the annointing from thee but thou art worthy to receive from us glory and honour and praise now and for ever 2 That which is next in order to be discussed and is more directly expressed is the Residency of this Schoolmaster the abiding of this Unctioâ— Things that are â—â—id in Oil are most lasting this sacred annointing is prmanent It is that which is true in respect of the Church in general and each Christian in particular 1 This Annointing abideth in the Church That Holy Spirit who is here set forth under the notion of a Teacher is by our Saviour described as a Comforter concerning whom hee tells his Disciples that hee shall abide with them for ever which Promise was made to them as the then representatives of and so in them to the whole Church accordingly it is that the Spirit hath been resident in all Ages with the Christian Church to teach and comfort and perform all other Offices whereof shee stands in need Christs presence with his Disciples was temporary in which respect St. Johns word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee dwelt among us so our Translation reads it but as in a Tabernacle
There is now no conâ—â—mnation to them that are in Christ Jesus How happy is that person who is free from condemnation and he that is in Christ having the merit of his satisfactory Righteousness by imputation communicated to him must needs be free from the guilt of his sins and so out of all feare of Condemnation He that dwelleth in the secret of the most high shall be quiet from fear of evill saith the Psalmist He that lyeth in the Bosome of Christ is safe from fear of danger Oh who can sufficiently prize this amiable priviledg this choise comfort of being in him And so much for that phrase 2. Every true Christian abideth in Christ The Philosophers distinguish of two sorts of accidents the one Separable the other Inseparable Those may both adesse and abesse be present or absent but these cannot be severed from the Subject wherein they are Such is the being of a Christian in Christ and this is intimated in the phrase of abiding which to inherency addeth permanency in this all those fore-mentioned resemblances are discrepant the body is in the garments I but they may be put off the branches are in the Tree and the Members knit to the Head but they may be cut of The Man and the Wife are joyned together but they may be parted whereas this Union is indissolvable inseparable and they who are truly grafted into abide in Christ nor yet doth this truth altogether want its resemblances That phrase of dwelling which this Apostle else where useth is very significant to this purpose it is one thing for a man to lodg as a guest to sojourn as an inmate and another thing to dwell as an inhabitant where a man dwels it is the place of his setled and fixed residence The true Believer dwelleth in Christ as in his house surely united to him Suitable hereunto is that which learned Bp Davenant hath observed upon those words Rooteâ— and built up in him a Tree that is rooted in the ground stands fast against the feircest blasts an house that is built upon a good foundation endureth wind and weather thus Believers being rooted and built up in Christ are able to withstand temptations corruptions afflictions How greatly doth this Meditation advance the comfort of a Christian Indeed in this respect mans renewed estate is better then his created and a Christian in Christ happier then Adam in innocency Adam might eat of the Tree of Life but we are branches of him who is truely the Tree of Life Adam might and did lose his right to the Tree we cannot our interest in Christ Adams standing was as it were by himself so that he became Subject to a miserable fall our being is in Christ by whom we are preserved from such falling Oh let Believers rejoyce in this holy and stable comfort it was far more easie for David to pull the prey out of the Bears mouth then it is for Satan to pluck us out of Christs Arms. If we be in him we are his Members and can we imagine that Christ will suffer one of his Members to be rent from him indeed be it spoken with an holy reverence Christ himself would be imperfect if any of his Members should be defective a thing inconsistent with the Glory and Honour of Christ no wonder if as we are in him we are said to abide in him and surely such a priviledg carrieth with it an engagement and that is it which next followeth Pt. 2. The operation of a Christian and that is to walk as Christ walked The phrase of walking is such as the holy Ghost delighteth frequently to use we have already met with it in this Epistle and therefore shall not here need to enlarge Know in brief that we are all in this World travellers and Heaven is our Country so long then as we are here we must not sit down but go forward One Sect among the Philosophers was called the Peripateticks such must all Christians be keeping as it were an holy preambulation in this walk The Word of God is our light The Angels are our guarde The spirit is our strength and Christ is Dux itineris the guid to go before us and therefore we are here called upon to walk as he walked That which would be chiefly inquired into is wherein the practice of this duty consists and how far it extends To which end know 1. In generall that this Imitation which is required hath a limitation annexed we must walk as Christ walked but not in all respects There is via solitaria and via socia some paths Christ walked in alone and others we are to go in after him look as the Schools distinguish of Gods attributes that some are Incommunicable and others Communicable so may we of Christs walks Some are beaten others untroden paths some are such wherein we may nay must others such wherein we neither can nor dare to follow him 2. In speciall We are to consider Christs walking according to a threefold reference Tria sunt operum genera quae inter homines praestitit Christus saith Zanchy there are three sorts of works which Christ wrought among men to wit as God as God-Man as Man 1. Christ as God walked in a double way to wit imperij miraculi 1. Imperij of authority and soveraignty by virtue of which he sent his Disciples for the Colt without asking leave of the owner for so God himself saith Every beast of the forrest is mine and the Cattle upon a thousand hils and therefore he may command them when he pleaseth but this is not imitable by us in whom it would be no other then theft Indeed superiour Magistrates may give command in some cases for the ablation of mens goods without their leave but this not in imitation of Christs practice but by the deputation of his power he having given that authority to his Vicegerents on earth for the better administration of Justice and Judgment 2. Miraculi of might and omnipotency doing things which were not only besides but above nay against the course of nature These we are to admire but must not attempt to imitate and though they are the supporters of our Faith yet no rules for our practice To this purpose is that of St Austin upon this place Forte hoc nos monet ut ambulemus in mari some may imagine that we are required to walk on the Sea aâ— Christ walked but far be this from our thoughts which as it is impossible to performe so it is presumptuous to attempt Upon the same account it is that that holy Father in another place thus paraphraseth upon those words of Christ Learn of me what should we learne of him to make a World to tread upon the Water to raise the Dead noe but to be meek and lowly it was the itch of our first Parents they would have been as God in knowledg and we their unhappy Progeny are troubled with
of Godliness and the Doctrine which is according to godliness Light by reason of its splendour and beauty is very amâ—able delighting chearing and reviving the beholder Evangelicall truths are pleasant and comfortable to the Believer So much the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying a good message or according to the Angels phrase tydings of great joy imports such is the subtilty of the light that it penetrateth the aire the window the smallest crevis and so great is the Gospels efficacy that it pierceth to the very soul So much the Author to the Hebrews asserts when he saith The Word of God is quick and powerfull piercing even to the deviding asunder of Soul and Spirit and of the Joynts and Marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Finally The principall effect and use of light is to discover and make manifest things that are secret and hidden appear in the light by reason of its clarity and brightness for this cause chiefly is the Gospell resembled to light because it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a revelation and manifestation of many glorious Mysteries The Trinity of persons in the Vnity of Essence The Unity of the two natures in one Person in the incarnation of the Son of God The meeting together of mercy and justice in the redemption of the World The estate of bliss and glory laid up for Believers in Heaven The calling of the Gentiles from all parts of the Earth out of the state of ignorance to the knowledg of God and Christ are those mysterious Doctrines which the Gospell plainly revealeth to us well may it deserve to be represented by the similitude of light 2. But though the Metaphor of light very well agree to the Evangelicall yet that the other resemblance of darkness should be understood of the Legall Administration seemeth somewhat harsh and strange nor indeed can it be admitted but in a qualified sense To which end you must know that the Law of Moses may be considered either Absolutely or Comparatively If we consider it Absolutely in it self it was a light David acknowledged it his son Solomon in his Proverbs asserteth it and it were easie to parallel the Law to light as well as the Gospell inasmuch as it is the Law of the Lord an undefiled Law rejoycing the heart Yea inasmuch as what ever was necessary for the Jew to know in order to Salvation was delivered in it Again If we consider it Comparatively with the state of the Gentiles at that time what is here ascribed to the Gospell belongs even to the Law it was then the true light In Jury was God known saith the Psalmist and his name was great in Israel Whilst the whole world was an Aegypt involved in the darkness of Idolatry Jury was a Goshen a place of light for the Knowledg and Worship of the true God But still compare the time of the Law with the time of the Gospell and so this term of darkness may be asserted of it A light it was but a Candle light so much the phrâ—se of a light and a lamp used both by the Father and the Son David and Solomon intimate and perhaps the like is intended by St Peters expression of a light shining in a dark place Now what is a Candle light but dark in comparison of Day light To clear this Be pleased to observe that this darkness is not opposed simply to light but to the true light and that as shining now this expression of true may be taken in a threefold reference as contradistinguished to that which is imperfect figurative and false 1. As perfect is sometimes no more then true so true is sometimes as much as perfect it is the gloss of Grotius upon the Text. Quod in quâque re eminet solet dici 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which is the most Eminent in any kind is said to be truly so thus the true light is as much as the choice and most resplendent light in which sense Christ himself is said in the Gospell to be and here the Evangelicall Administration is called the true light That this is the meaning of the Epithet here appeareth so much the more in that the Article is prefixed both before the Substantive and the Adjective as if we should render it the light the true being so most Eminently and Transcendently Indeed the Law is a light and in some sense a true light because it did not deceive nor misguide them who walked according to it but still the Gospell is the true because the most illustrious light and so in comparison of it the Law is as it were darkness 2. It is not an unusuall signification of true and truth in holy writ nor unsuitable to this place to take it in opposition to Types Figures and Ceremonies in this sense we are to understand it where Christ is called the true Tabernacle that of Moses being only a Type of him and when our Saviour saith God will be worshiped in truth not according to the Typicall and Ceremoniall worship of the Law and yet more appositely to our present purpose when it is said The Law came by Moses but grace and truth by Jesus Christ The meaning whereof is briefly thus whereas the Law only enjoyneth the Gospell enableth and what the Law taught in Figures is nakedly delivered in the Gospell Congruous to which is that of St Austin Grace comes by Christ Ut datâ indulgentiâ peccatorum quod praeceptum erat ex Dei dono custodiretur that indulgence being granted to our failings what is commanded may by Gods assistance be performed and truth Ut ablatâ observatione umbraruâ— quod promissium erat ex fide presentaretur that by removing the obscure Types what is promised might be made manifest Upon this account the phrase of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 darkness here used may be attributed to the Law or at least that which is by the learned Dr Hammond observed to be the reading in the Royall Manuscript 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a shadow all the Ceremonies Types and Sacrifices of the Law being but shadows of those things which the true light of the Gospell more fully discovereth This is excellently expressed by St Paul to the Colossians where he calleth the Legall Ceremonies a shadow and Christ the Body to the Hebrews when he saith the Law was a shadow of good things to come not the very Image in both which Scriptures put together you find a Body an Image a Shadow the Body is Christ the Image the Gospell the Shadow the Law Now as the Representation which a shadow maketh of the Body is very dark and obscure in comparison of that which the Image sheweth since the shadow represents only in communi that there is a Body the Image in particulari the severall Lineaments of the Body so the discoveries which the Law maketh of Christ and Salvation
him 2. To the several kindes of good which concerne this life and that which is to come Thus love 1. willeth and endeavoureth chiefly the spiritual good of his soul instructing his ignorance rebuking his wickedness exciting his negligence supporting his weakness resolving his doubtfullness laying forth readily what gifts God hath vouchsafed to her yet still within the compass of her calling for the edification of others 2. Next she wisheth well to and taketh care of his temporal advantage in body name estate feeding the belly cloathing the back of her brother and so making the one her barn and the other her wardrobe and both her treasury concealing those secret faults which might and confuting those false slanders which do impair his credit finally seeking the things of another his outward welfare gain prosperity as well as her own yea when need requireth throwing the fat dung of her wealth upon the barren soyl of her brothers mean estate By this time you see both the intent and the extent of the aâ—â— of love which is here required Pass we on to the object whereabout it ought to be conversant and so to a resolution of the second Question Who this brother is whom we ought thus to love To this end you may please to take notice of a double fraternity to wit carnal and spiritual the one is by the bloud of man the other by the bloud of Christ 1. Carnal Brotherhood in its utmost latitude reacheth very farre nor can we too farre extend the meaning of brother in the Text according to this notion For the clearing whereof observe these particulars 1. Brother in the strst and strict acception is predicated of those who have the same immediate parents the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 coming from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uterus intimateth as much one that cometh out of the same womb the same loynes hath the same Father and Mother with another is most properly a brother 2. Brother is sometimes enlarged further to affinity and so kinsmen are in Scripture phrase called brethren The Jewes say concerning Christ Is not this the Carpenter the sonne of Mary the brother of James and Joses and of Juda and Simon and are not his Sisters here with us whenas yet we rationally conceive that the blessed Virgin never had child besides him and as he is caled her first born because none before him so we read not of any she had after him and therefore He her only one So that his kindred and aâ—â—yes are called his brethren and sisters according to the usual form of speech among the Jewes 3. Brother is sometimes yet more largely applied to all those who are of the same countrey thus where the Jewes are forbid to take usuâ—y of a brother and required to set him King over them whom the Lord their God should choose from among their brethren brother is manifestly taken in opposition to a stranger one of another nation so that not only cognatione but natione by kindred but countrey there cometh in a Brotherhood 4. Brother is yet capable of a farre greater extension and so taketh in all men inasmuch as there is not only identitas naturae a specifical identity of nature but originis a numerical identity of original He is in strict sense a brother who hath the same immediate parents well may he be a brother in a large sense who hath the same mediate parents thus all men came from the loynes of one man Adam and from the womb of one woman Eve in which respect the Apostle saith he hath made of one bloud all the nations of the earth Indeed all Angels have the same intellectual nature one with another but they did not all come from one Angel but were severally and immediately created whereas God though he could have created millions made but one man and ordained that out of him all the race of mankind should proceed in which regard every man is brother to another And therefore â—ertullian writing to the Heathen saith Fratres etiam vestri sumus jure naturae matris unius we Christians and you Heathen are brethren in a natural way as having the same original Thus as Circles in the water do enlarge themselves one greater then the other so do the acceptions of this word If now you shall ask me in what acception brother is here to be taken I answer with Augustine Estius and Danaeus Hoc loco fratrem omnem hominem debemus accipere in the largest as including every man St Gregory speaking of this duty of love well observeth Aliud est quod sponté impenditur naturae aliud quod praeceptis divinis ex charitate debetur obedientiae there is doubtless something more intended by the precept then what we are prompted to by nature to love our countrymen our friends our brother is that which we are naturally enclined to so that they who do not performe it are justly branded as without natural affection whence by the way we may see what an unnatural age we live in wherein Englishmen are so cruell to one another kinsmen worry each other yea one brother betrayeth and supplanteth another But surely the contrary to those horrid acts I mean natural affection is not all that is here intended it is the love of all men which is required of us According to this notion frater and proximus brother and neighbour are of equall extent and so the mandate is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the love of our neighbour or brother which is indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of every man True it is our love must be regular and orderly and therefore caeteris paribus other things being alike we must preferre a brother before a kinsman a kinsman before a countryman a countryman before an alien but yet so that as farre as we are able the beames of our love may seaâ—ter themselves throughout the world And thus to love our brother is to love every man 1. Sive bonum sive malum as well the bad as the good God causeth his Sunne to shine and his rain to fall upon the unjust no less then the just and we must express our love to the wicked as well as godly 2. Sive amicum sive inimicum as well enemy as friend it is Christs express precept Love your enemies and as S Austin truly Hâ—c est vera germana charitas this is right Christian-charity To wish well to those that wish well to us to do good to them that do good to us is no more then what Publicans do so out blessed Saviour nay then what Thieves Dragons Wolâ—â— and all sort of Beasts do so that fore-mentioned Father But to wish well to them that wish us ill and do good to them that do us hurt this is that which Christians ought to practise yea as Tertullian truly solorum Christianorum only they can do
which followeth upon all the former for since he neither justly giveth nor quickly taketh offence and keepeth himself from gross sins in the course of his Conversation no wonder if he enjoies a serene calm in his soul and though wicked men may be offended at him yea raise storms of persecution against him yet he is at peace within Excellent to this purpose is that of St Ambrose Charitas pellit omnes tribulationes non ut non eveniant sed ut non nâ—ceant quia licet exterius tribulationes insurgant tamen vir justus interius non turbatur Charity driveth away all troubles not that they do not come upon but that they shall not do hurt to him because though tribulations arise outwardly he is not molested inwardly That Adage of the Wiseman No evill shall happen to the just the Vulgar Latine reads Non contristabit justum quicquid ei acciderit what ever happen to the just shall not vex and grieve him and to use Hugo's Philosophicall comparison as an accident is present and absent without the corruption of the Subject so tribulation when present as well as when absent doth not perplex and disturbe the just Indeed there is nothing occasions offence to such a man but sin and therefore abiding in the light he is not stumbled at affliction If you cast a sparke of fire into the water how soon is it quenched so are all fears cast into a good Conscience when the Skie is black with Clouds the Stars though they seem to be obscured yet retain their proper lustre and good men when they seem in affliction to be clouded with sorrow saith St Chrysostomâ— are not sorrowfull but rather rejoycing And now what other use should we make of all that hath been said then to press upon us that Apostolicall exhortation walk in love Indeed what way better for us to walk in then this which is so bright and lightsome so plain and cleare so pure and pleasant It is Solomons assertion The way of the righteous is made plain it is no less true of the charitable in the way of love there is nothing to offend or molest whilst purity is the track and tranquillity our companion you then that have not experienced this begin and you that have begun go on I think I need not bid you your own experience cannot but encourage you in this sweet way till you come to that Countrey whither this way leads you where the Law is Charity the League Unity and the life Eternity THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St JOHN CHAP. 2. VERS 9 10 11. He that saith he is in the light and hateth his Brother is in darkness even untill now He that loveth his Brother abideth in the light and there is none occasion of stumbling in him He that hateth his Brother is in darkness and walketh in darkness and knoweth not whither he goeth because the darkness hath blinded his eyes OPposita juxta se posita magis illucescunt saith the Logician things of greatest distance set near in place do one illustrate the other The Sun never appeareth so gloriously as when breaking through a Cloud A Freeman most prizeth his liberty when he seeth the Prisoners Fetters and captives chaines and Sara becometh doubly beautifull when surrounded with the swarthy Aegyptians The dolorous noise of War is the best language to proclaim the sweetness of peace Health is never so acceptable as when it brings letters of commendation from sickness and virtue becometh more amiable when the contrary vice is represented For this reason no doubt it is that as Painters draw black shadows to set off their Pictures with a greater lustre and some I feare proud Ladies are wont to wear black patches that their faces may seem the more lovely So do Orators frequently set virtues and vices together that the evill of the one may the more advance the good of the other This way of illustration is that which is very observable in the Penmen of sacred writ especially those two whom I may well call Heavens darlings Solomon who is stiled Jedidiah and John the beloved Disciple the one you may observe in his Parables very often setting prudence and folly with such like contraties one by the other and the other in this Epistle and more properly in these Verses that he might the more commend the goodness of love enlargeth his discourse in discovering the badness of hatred He that saith he is in the light and hateth his Brother c. It is that part of the Text I am now to handle The Antithesis or Opposition set down in the 9 and 11 Verses But before I enter upon the severals in this part it will not be amiss once for all to take notice of that which we shall find very usuall in this Epistle Namely the Repetition and Ingemination of the same sense yea sometimes of the same sentence This indeed is the first time we have fully met with this for though in the first Chapter we finde the Subject of one proposition if we say we have no sin and the predicate of another cleansing from all sin yet we meet not with one entire proposition twice mentioned till now where these words He that hateth his Brother is in darkness is both in the 9 and 11. Verses Indeed this repetition is not without some variation In the 9. Verse there is an enlargement of the Subject it is not barely He that hateth his Brother but He that saith he is in the light and hateth his Brother and in the 11. Verse there is an amplification of the predicate not only he is in darkness but he walketh in darkness c. Yet still it is for substance the same thing which is intended and the same words are repeated in both the Verses And indeed it is that which is easily observable not only in this but the rest of the sacred Bookes That of David the sweet singer of Israel is remarkable who twenty six times warbleth over the same note For his mercy endureth for ever and of Christ that unparallel'd Preacher who as probably appeareth by comparing the two Evangelists preached the same Sermon twice Nor are these Repetitions vain Tautologies It is not without good reason that the Penmen of sacred writ do sometimes take this course in respect of themselves the matter of their writing and those to whom they wrote 1. Those holy Penmen by these Repetitions did declare the zeale and vehemency of their spirits in pressing what they wrote upon the people What was it which caused Solomons Father as himself relates it to multiply expressions to the same purpose yea to iterate the same expressions in dehorting him from evill company enter not go not avoid pass by turne from pass away but his sense of the danger and desire that he might avoid it And again what moved his Mother to amplifie her appellations in the beginning of her counsell to him What my son and
should you if any doctrine have had a kindly influence upon your spirits entreat the reiteration of it who knoweth what a second birth may bring forth and if at any time you hear the Minister beating upon the same anvil pressing the same doctrine or rebuking the same sin reflect upon thy self and say surely I have not yet sufficiently learned this lesson I have not enough repented of this sin and therefore I will give new attention though it be an old instruction And thus much I have thought fit to discourse of this Subject by way of Apology not for St John whose divinely inspired writings need none but for my self if in the handling of this Epistle I should sometimes have occasion to discuss the same things and perhaps use the same expressions More particularly in this ingeminated opposition be pleased to observe The sin specified in these words He that hateth his Brother The state of the sinner described in the rest of the words and that Imaginary wherein he supposeth himself to be He saith he is in the light Reall in which indeed he is set forth in severall Characters in the end of the 9th and the greatest part of the 11th He is in darkness even untill now and again He is darkness and walketh in darkness and knoweth not whither he goeth because that darkness hath blinded his eyes 1. The first of these is the hinge upon which the Antithesis turneth and therefore I shall be the more large in unfolding it To which end I shall discuss it two waies by way of Restriction and by way of enlargement and accordingly discover exclusively what hatred is not within the compass of this sin and then extensively how far this hatred reacheth which is here declamed against The exclusive restriction of this hatred will appeare in these insuing propositions 1. There is a Positive and there is a Comparative there is an Absolute and there is a Relative hatred It is very observable That Jacobs loving Rachel more then Leah is called in the very next Verse hating Leah That which we less love then another we are said to hate in comparison of that love we bear to the other and thus it is not a â—â—n but a duty to hate our Brother to wit in comparison of Christ It is our Saviours own assertion If any man câ—me to me and hate not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea his own life also he cannot be my Disciple an expression seemingly very harst but easily understood if compared with the other Evangelist St Matthew where he brings in Christ saith He that loveth Father or Mother more then me is not worthy of me and he that loveth Son or Daughter more then me is not worthy of me We ought then to hate our nearest relations that is not love them more nay which is the meaning of the phrase love them less then Christ Hence it is that when Christs glory and truth cometh in competition with the dearest of our relations we must neglect Children cast off Parents reject the Wife of our Bosome rather then deny Christ yea we must be averse to them if they go about to direct us from Christ Thus that devout Paula as St Hierome saith Nesciebat se matrem ut Christi probaret ancillam that shee might approve her self Christs Handmaid forgot that shee was a Mother and that same Father else where asserteth it Pietatis genus est impiumesse pro domino it is a part of piety to be in some sense impious and out of love towards God to hate our Brother and therefore this is not here to be understood 2. It is one thing to hate our Brother and another thing to hate the sins of our Brother it is solidly determined by Aquinas Love is due to my Brother Secundum id quod a Deo habet in respect of that which is communicated to him by God whither nature or grace or both but it is not due to him Secundum id quod habet a seipso diabolo according to that which he hath from himself and the Devill to wit sin and wickedness and therefore it is lawfull to hate my Brothers sin but not his nature much less his grace Laudabile odium odisse vitia faith Origen to hate evill is a commendable hatred and that where ever we finde it not only in the bad but the good the enormities of the one but the infirmities in the other not only in strangers and enemies but kindred and friends spying beames nay motes in these as well as those and abhorring them we must hate this serpent where ever we find it though in a garden nay though in our own habitations indeed as Aquinas excellently Hoc ipsum quod in fratre odimus culpam defectum pertinet ad fratris amorem this hatred of the vice is an effect of love to the person so much is intimated when it is said Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thy heart thou shalt in any wise rebvke him and not suffer siâ— upon him by shewing hatred to his sin in rebuking we shew our love to him and if we wish good to him we cannot but hate what we see evill in him This hatred is so farre from being sinfull that it is not only lawfull and laudable but excellent not a wicked but a pious yea a perfect hatred according to that of St Austin Perfectio odij est in Charitate cum nec propter vit a homines odeâ—imus nec vitia propter homines amemus it is at once the perfection of hatred and an argument of love when we neither hate the man for the sins sake nor yet love the sin for the mans sake but fixe our love on the man and our hatred on the sâ—nne 3. There is odium abominationis and odium inimicitiae an hatred of aversation and an hatred of enmity by the one we flye from by the other we pursue after look as in love there is a benevolence whereby we will good to and a complacence whereby we take delight in another so in hatred there is a strangness whereby we avoid the society and an enmity whereby we seek the mischief of another the former of these is not forbidden but required and practised godly David saith of himself I hated the Congregation of evill doers and will not sit with the wicked and that of his practise was justifiable and imitable since we must not only flie from the sin but the sinner yea that we may shun the one we must avoid the other Timon was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man-hater because he kept not company with any man save Alcibiades and we should all of us be hatres of wicked men shunning all needless converse and much more familiar acquaintance with them It is St Pauls counsell to the Ephesians Have no fellowship with the unfruitfull wâ—â—kes he meaneth workers
ye have overcome the wicked one I write unto you little Children because ye have known the Father I have written unto you Fathers because you have known him that is from the beginning I have written unto you young Men because ye are strong and the Word of God abideth in you and ye have overcome the wicked one AMong the many fimilitudes by which the office of a Minister is represented in Scripture those two of a watchman and a Shepheard are very observable Indeed both of them are metaphors by which God himself is pleased to describe his Prophets the one when he saith to Ezekiel Son of Man I have set thee a watchman to the house of Israel the other in that gracious promise to his people I will set up shepheards over them which shall feed them The duty of a watchman is first to take and then give notice of the enemies approach and it is no small part of our ministeriall imployment to warne the people of those dangers with which their spirituall enemies endeavour to surprize them The work of a Shepheard is to provide green pastures still waters for the flock and to take care not only for the grown sheep but the tender Lambes and it is the chief task of a spirituall Pastor to feed his people with knowledge and understanding having regard to all persons conditions and ages How fitly both these agree to this holy Apostle St John is easiy to observe in this Epistle like a vigilant Watchman he warneth them in the latter part of this and the beginning of the fourth Chapter of those imps of Satan Antichristian Hereticks which did infest and infect the Church like a carefull Shepheard he giveth them wholesome instructions for the stablishing of their Faith regulateing their life in the greater part of the Epistle and here in these Verses which I have read he manifesteth the care he had not only of the elder but younger Christians I write to you little Children c. In these three Verses we have an answer to three Questions Quid Quibus Quare What S John did To which the answer is returned in the word write To whom he wrote The answer to which is given in the severall titles Why he wrote to all and each of these The answer whereunto is in those various clauses which have a because prefixed So that if you please here are three generall parts in this portion of holy writ to be discussed The Persons characterized little Children Fathers young Men little Children The act performed I write I have written The reasons annexed Because your sins are forgiven you for his name sake because you have known him that is from the beginning c. According to this proposed Method I am to begin at the middle of the Verses with the severall compellations by which our Apostle bespeaketh those to whom he wrote These I finde in the usuall Greeke copies to be foure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but in ouâ— translation three little Children Fathers young Men. St Austin upon this place seemeth to insinuate that these titles are given by St John generally to all Christians to whom he wrote Filij sunt Patres sunt Juvenes sunt in Filijs nativitas inpatribus antiquitas in juvenibus fortitudo all Believers are Children in respect of their new birth Fathers in regard of their knowledge of the ancient of daies and young Men in respect of their spirituall strength To this agreeth that of Justinian who saith that therefore ouâ— Apostle describeth all Christians by these names because he requireth the qualities of little Children Fathers and young Men in all Christians but this interpretation though pious seemeth not so congruous it being improbable he should severally inculcate his writing together with the severall reasons of his writing to them had he intended only Christians in generall by all these compellations The generality of Interpreters most probably conceive these titles to have severall references but yet with some difference which ariseth from a double consideration of the first title 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 little Children in the twelfth Verse 1. Some conceive it to be of a particular concernment and so to note a distinct sort of persons from Fathers and young Men. That which favours this interpretation is 1. That hereby every one of the Members of that division which our Apostle maketh will be repeated 2. That one Greek Manuscript reads it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the twelfth Verse and so it is the same with the word in the thirteenth 3. That in the Syriack and some Greek Copies the variation of the Verb from the Present Tense to the first Aorist begins at the iteration of little Children in the end of the thirteenth and is in these the beginning of the fourteenth Verse And to justifie the order of enumeration which seemeth to be irregular in beginning with little Children Grotius saith That the Apostle first sets down the extreams of little Children and Fathers and then the middle young Men. 2. Others conceive the first little Children in the twelfth Verse to be a title by which the Apostle bespeaketh all Christians and then in the thirteenth Verse he severally addresseth himself to Fathers young Men little Children and in the fourteenth Verse not without speciall reason as shall appear in its due place he repeateth his address to Fathers and young Men this last interpretation however Soeinus is pleased to call it monstrous seemeth to me especially according to our received Greek Copies from which I see no cause to recede the most genuine reasons briefly are these 1. The originall word for little Children in the twelfth is different from that in the thirteenth whereas had the Apostle intended the same thing he would probably have used the same word in both places 2. The originall word in the twelfth Verse is the same with that in the first Verse where it is plainly spoken of all sorts of Christians 3. Whereas the reasons specified in the thirteenth Verse are commendations and those sutable to the severall ages mentioned as is obvious at the first view to any Reader the reason in the twelfth Verse is a consolation and such as equally belongs to all Christians 4. Lastly According to this interpretation the order of setting down the severall ages is regular begining with Fathers and proceeding with young men and descending to little Children For these reasons I shall adhere to the latter interpretation and accordingly here are two things observable A generall Denomination Little Children A particular Enumeration Fathers young Men little Children 1. The generall Denomination is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which as Danaeus well observeth Omnes aetates complâ—ctitur the Christians of all ages are intended It is a term which I have already had occasion to handle and therefore shall now pass over with the more brevity Though it is true in a reall notion yet it is more probable
that our Apostle useth it in a Metaphoricall construction and his design in it is double Namely that this Appellation might be both a testimony of his affection towards them and a monitor to them of their duty and in both these considerations there was a great deale of reason why our Apostle should use this title of little Children 1. He calls them little Children to testifie that Fatherly affection which he did bear to them and this no doubt that hereby he might gain a filiall affection from them towards him and an affectionate regard to his Doctrine It is no small piece of policy in an Orator to make way for his instruction by giving evidence of his affection what appeareth to be spoken is commonly taken in love no wonder then if St John Ad majorem benevalentiam induâ—endam filiolos appellat as Justiuian appositely for the gaining of their good will to him declareth good will towards them by calling them little Children And truly so much the more cause had our Apostle to endeavour this in respect both of what he had and was to deliver He was now about to disswade them from loving the world a lesson to which they might probably be very averse it being so hard for us while we are in the world not to be intangled with the love of it nay perhaps they might think he was an enemy to them in requiring them to be enemies to the world it being strange he should will them to contemn that whereof they had continuall use Now by calling them Children and thereby insinuating that he spake to them as a Father they might justly perswade themselves that he advised them to nothing but what was for their good Our blessed Saviour strongly argueth from the Love of a Father If his Son ask bread will he give him a stone or if he ask a fish will he give him a Serpent A question intending a negation doubtless he will not nay rather if he ask him stones or a serpent he will give him bread or â—â—sh Fathers do not use to give nor yet to advise their Children what is hurtfull but usefull for them and therefore by calling them little Children he would let them know that how prejudiciall soever this counsell of not loving the world might seem to them it was given by him as a Father and that which he knew would be beneficiall to them Again He had but now sharply reproved those among them who did hate their Brethren and least they should account him guilty of the sin he reproved as if his reprehension of them proceeded from hatred he presently manifesteth his love by this sweet appellation little Children There is never more need of insinuating into Auditors an opinion of our candid affection towards them then when we use bitter invectives against their sins men being very apt to misconstrue our hatred of their sins as if it were malice against their persons and truly what expression could more represent affection then this of Children Solomon saith The wounds of a Friend are better then the kisses of an enemy and good reason since there is more love in the ones wounds then the others kiss and if the wounds of a Friend much more the reproofs of a Father are from love if it be a rod the Childe must kiss it because it is virga Patris the rod of a Father and surely then though it be a sharp rebuke the Childe must embrace it because it is verbum Patris the word of a Father amor saith the old man in the Poet est optimum salsamentum love is that sauce which giveth a relish to things that are otherwise most distastefull and loathsome Brotherly love saith St Austin and it is no less true of Fatherly Sive approbet me sive improbet me diligit me whether it approve or reprove me it still loveth me and where love is the sweet spring though the waters be the waters of Marah I may chearfully drinke them That therefore our Apostle might render his severe reprehension the more acceptable he would have them know it was from that sincere and tender respect he bare to them and that he might convince them of this cordiall respect he bespake them as a Father with this affectionate title little Children 2. He stileth them little Children to minde them of that duty which concerneth all Christians in becoming as little Children and according to his masters Precept whose language he much delights to follow Indeed it is that which is not to run parallel in all respects and therefore saith Jansenius the imitation of little Children is either good or bad according to the things wherein we resemble them St Paul in one place bids us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shew our selves men not women by cowardize no nor yet Children by inconstancy nay he expresly forbids Be not Children in understanding and again Be no more Children tossed to and fro and carried about with every winde of Doctrine we must then be unlike and like to little Children We must not think like little Children for they only minde what is present whereas wisdome teacheth to look afar off and think of hereafter and yet we must think as little Children for their thoughts are not carking and distrustfull about what they should eat or drink or wherewith they should be cloathed we must not desire as little Children do for they ofttimes desire things that may prove hurtfull and destructive to them and yet we must desire as little Children for their desires are earnest and important after the dug we must not understand as little Children for they are but weak and defective in knowledg and yet we must understand as little Children for they are docile and facile to learn we must not speak as little Children for they speak rashly and yet we must speak as little Children for they speak truly we must not like them speak all we think and yet like them we must speak nothing but what we think In few words would we know wherein especially we ought to be as little Children look backward and forward to the sins here forbidden and we shall finde little Children fit monitors of avoiding both and perhaps therefore our Apostle maketh choice of this appellation as very sutable to these instructions 1. Little Children are innocent and harmeless free from hatred and malice they do not plot nor act mischief to others they seek not revenge upon others and this is that wherein chiefly we must resemble little Children To this purpose St Jerome Christ doth not require of his Apostles that they should be little Children in years but innocency and Theodoret on that in the Psalms Out of the mouths of Babes and Sucklings thou hast ordained strength asking the question Who are those Babes and Sucklings answereth Qui lactentium puerorum innocentiam imitati sunt they who imitate the innocency of Sucking Children what need we a better Expositor
Law saith Damianus made choice of Bullocks and Lambs to be offered in sacrifice to him thereby intimating the diversity of those whom he brings home to himself Alij grandaevâ senectute maturi alij juvenilis incrementi vigore robusti some being of ripe and others of green years Look as in an Orchard there are tender plants midlings and old trees so are there in Gods Church persons of all ages It is otherwise in this respect as well as others in the spiritual then in the temporal warfare in other warres as Priests are exempted by their calling women by their sex sick and impotent persons by their indisposition of body so old men and children by their years but not so in this to which children so soon as they begin to understand are engaged and old men so long as they live The Hebrew Proverb saith of Golgotha that there are in it skuls of all sizes and as in the Church-yard there are dead bodies so in the Church there are living Christians of all years as the Devil hath his slaves among old men young men little children for the Prophet saith of the idolatrous Heathen that the Fathers kindled the fire and the women kneaded the dough and the children gathered sticks to make cakes for the Queen of heaven so God hath his servants and Christ his members for St Paul speaketh of faith dwelling in the Grandmother Lois the Mother Eunice and Timothy the Child Among old men and women we read of Abraham and Sarah Zachary and Elizabeth Paul the aged and Mnason the old Disciple Among young men we read of Josiah the young King and Phineas the young Priest and Daniel the young Prophet Among little children of Samuel ministring before the Lord from a child and Timothy instructed in the Scriptures from a child and the children crying Hosanna to Christ when he came riding to Jerusalem Sometimes God is pleased to instill grace into the hearts of little ones sometimes he giveth a stop to young men in their evil course sometimes he maketh old men the monuments not only of his patience in sparing them so long but of his goodness in bringing them to repentance at last or else conferres upon towardly little children and vertuous young men the reward of length of dayes in this life whereby they come to be old To draw to an end I trust Beloved it may be said of some of many of all these Ages in this City Parish Congregation that they are among the number of those who are at the 12th Verse called little children begotten again and renewed by the Holy Ghost sure I am it concerneth us all of all ages to be of that number It is high time for you that are Fathers if you have not already now to bring forth fruit to God nor let the old man say in the Eunuchs language I am a dry tree there is no hopes of my fruitfulness young Devils may prove old Saints he that maketh dry bones to live can make the dry trees to flourish rather double your prayers and endeavours to bring forth much fruit in a little time and if you have been already planted in the house of the Lord be carefull still to bring forth fruit in old age It is full time for you that are young men to study the divine art of Christianity though whilest you were Children you did and spake and understood as Children yet now you are become men put away Childish things minde what concerneth Gods glory and your own salvation Nor let little Children say with those Jews it is not time to rear the building of Religion The work is long and the time at longest but short you had need begin betimes the journey is great and the time but a day to goe it in there is reason you should set forth early In one word let Fathers be exemplary in piety let young Men be forward in grace let little Children make haste to be good so shall there be still in the Church of Christ Militant Fathers young Men little Children till the last day come when there shall be neither old Men nor little Children but all shall be young Men of full stature and perfect age to all eternity in the Church Triumphant THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St JOHN CHAP. 2. 12 13 14. VERS I write unto you little Children because your sins are forgiven you for his name sake I write unto you Fathers because ye have known him that is from the beginning I write unto you young Men because ye have overcome the wicked one I write unto you little Children because ye have known the Father I have written unto you Fathers because you have known him that is from the beginning I have written unto you young Men because ye are strong and the Word of God abideth in you and ye have ever come the wicked one THere are three things which commend the excellency and worth of any writing or Doctrine purity of matter antiquity of originall and generality of use Indeed those Doctrines which patronize any sin are to be wholly rejected which broach any novelty are justly to be suspected and those which are only of some particular concernment are not generally to be regarded But when the things delivered are pure the authority of them unquestionable and their utility universall they cannot but challenge our attention and reception Such is the Evangelicall Doctrine such are the Apostlicall writings such in particular is this Epistle To this purpose it is that in this very Chapter St John asserts all these concerning his Doctrines Their unspotted purity Verse first where he saith These things I write to you that you sin not Their unquestionable antiquity Verse seaventh where he saith I write not a new Commandment to you but an old the old Commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning Finally their generall extent in these Verses as reaching to all of all ages I write to you little Children c. 2. Having handled the first part of this Scripture namely the persons specified pass we on to the second which is the act performed by St John towards these persons and that is writing as it is often expressed in the severall Verses That I may give you a full account of this part I shall consider the Act here mentioned 1. Absolutely and therein take notice both of the Act it self and the Iteration of it 2. Relatively In reference to the agent who the Subject to whom and the Object about which he writes 1. In the absolute consideration we are to 1. Begin with the Act exprest in the word write St John had spoken before yea no doubt by Preaching the Gospell to them had been the means of their Conversion whom therefore he cals in the first Verse my little Children and now to his former speaking he addeth writing Thus Calvin conceiveth that the Prophets did write a summary or abridgment of those messages they delivered
Children incourage Schoolmasters to the discharge of their calling which though conversant about little Children is of great use and benefit Finally Advertise Ministers to take care for Catechizing the little Children as well as instructing young Men and Fathers Our blessed Saviour had so great a respect for little Children that he blamed those who would have kept them from him embraced them in his arms and blessed them David though a King disdaineth not to be a teacher of Children many of the Ancient Fathers Clemens Origen Cyrill of Jerusalem Gregory Nyssen were Cathechists whose office is to instruct little Children yea here this holy Apostle leaveth not out in his writings little Children and so much for the second The last reference of this act is to the Obâ—ect whereabout this writing is conversant It is that which is not expressed in the Text and therefore is supplyed by Expositors yet not without some differenâ—e I â—inde among Interpreters a threefold construction of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I write as to the matter of it 1. Some enlarge it as extending to the whole Epistle and so these Verses are a digression from the prâ—ceding matter and they may well be called the Epistle Dedicatory wherein St John giveth an account to whom his Epistle is written all Christians in generall and in particular to Fathers young Men and Children 2. Others refer these Verses to the duty of Brotherly love before mentioned and having commended the worth he here showeth the fitness of it to all ages of men I write 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Commandment of Love to you Fathers young Men Children according to which construction these Verses look backward and are a close of the preceding discourse That which strengthens this reference is that it manifestly appeareth a great part of this Epistle insisteth upon the duty of Love and therefore no wonder if our Apostle when first he speaketh of it both prefixeth a proaemium declaring its antiquity and affixeth a peroration discovering its congruity to all sorts of Christians Finally Others refer these Verses to that prohibition of worldly Love which followeth in the fifteenth sixteenth and seaventeenth Verses and so it looketh forward and is as it were an exordium to make way for that inhibition which he knew would be so unwelcome to the most though it concerned them all And now though by what is already said I conceive the middlemost of these most rational yet since none of them are either improbable or unprofitable I shall handle each 1. If we extend this writing to the whole Epistle that which would be observed is the community of the holy Scriptures This Epistle was written by St John not only to strong but weak Christians to old but young men nay little children and if it was written certainly it was intended that it should be read to them publikely and by them privately for their edification Nor is this less true of the other writings of this Apostle of the writings of the other Apostles and of the Prophets and therefore Vorstius layeth it down as a general doctrine from this Text Sacra Scriptura â—mnibus fidelibus cujusconque aetatis aut conditionis dummodo capaces doctrinae est destinata The Holy Scripture is written for all ages and conditions of Christians who are capable of instruction It is very observable to this purpose what care Saint Paul took for the publike reading of his Epistle to the Colossians and not only to them but the Laodiceans what a solemn charge and adjuration by the Lord he gives that his first Epistle to the Thessalonians be read to all the holy Brethren This practice of publike reading was used by the Jewish Church who had Moses and the Prophets read in their Synagogues on the Sabbath day and accordingly it was followed by the Christian Church in the primitive times Justin Martyr assureth us that in the publike Assembly on the Lords day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some of the Apostolical and Prophetical writings were read to the people and Tertullian saith Convenimus ad literarum divinarum commemorationem one end of our meetings is the commemoration of the Holy Scriptures Rhenanus quoting this passage in his Annotations upon another Book of that Fathers breatheth forth that pious wish Utinam redeat ad nos ista consuetudo Oh that this custome were in use among us That note of St Hierome upon those words of the Psalmist The Lord shall count when he writes up the people as translated by him would not be passed by Dominus narrabit in Scriptura populorum The Lord shall declare in the writings of the people so he renders it that is in Scripturis sanctis in the Holy Scriptures so he glosses it and presently adds Quae Scriptura populis omnibus legitur hoc est ut omnes intelligant The Scripture is read unto all the people to the end all may understand it Nor are the sacred writings only to be read to but by the people of what age and condition soever It is very observable to this purpose how the Psalmist inviteth every man and as St Basil notes upon the place he doth not exclude the woman to meditate day and night which supposeth reading on the Law of God by a promise of blessedness Nay St John in the beginning of that obscure Book of the Revelation asserts Blessed is he that readeth and heareth the words of this prophesit as if by that assurance of bliss he would invite every man to the reading of it Indeed there want not express precepts in this kind it is our Saviours command concerning the Old Testament Search the Scriptures and saith St Cyrill 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ gives this charge to the people of the Jewes nor is his assertion without plain proof For those to whom Christ speaks these words were they who sent to John and they who sent the Priests and Levites to John were the common people of the Jewes nor are we to imagine this as a peculiar indulgencâ— to the Jewes at that time because of their incredulity unless a preceding prohibition can appear denying the search of the Scriptures to them which since it is not to be found we truly affirm it to be a general mandate And Origen inferreth thence an affectionate desire concerning Christians Utinam omnes faceremus illud quod scriptum est scrutamini scripturas I would to God we would all follow that command Search the Scriptures Sâ— Paul speaking of the New Testament which is most peculiaaly the Word of Christ adviseth the Colossians and in them all sorts of Christians Let it dwell in you richly in all wisdome and Sâ— Hierome notes on that place In hoc ostenditur verbum Christi non suffitienter sed abundanter etiam Laiâ—os habere debere Hereby is asserted that the Laity ought to have the Word of Christ in them not only
age whereas in secular matters every man followeth his particular occupation Tractant fabrilia fabri as the Poets expression is The Smith meddleth with his Anvill the Carpenter with his Rule the Shoomaker with his Last Sola Scripturarum arâ— est quam sibi omne vendicant The profound art of opening Scripture is that which all sorts presume to assume to themselves Every pratling Gossip and doting Foole and malapert Boy will be medling with the Scriptures and instead of deviding mangle it expounding wrest it taking upon them to teach whilst yet they have more need to learn Politicians say that Anarchie is worse then Tyrany and it were better to live where nothing then where all things are lawfull and truly in the Church it is hard to determine which is worse the Papisticall Tyrannie of forbidding all to read or the Anabaptisticall Anarchie of allowing all to expound the Scriptures To clâ—st up this How great is our happiness did or would we know who live in the bosome of such a Church which as she denyeth an unjust so she indulgeth to us our just liberty and how great is both our unhappiness and wickedness whilst some boldly intrench upon the one and more carelesly neglect the other Let it then be the practice of all both old and young to read these holy writings thinke it not enough to hear them read in the Church but In domibus vestris aut uos legite aut alios legentes requirite at home either read them your selves or cause them to be read to you let not any excuse themselves saying Non sum monachus I am no monke seculars are bound to this duty Non novi literas I am not book-learned the greater thine and thy Parents negligence and however thou maist obtain to have them read to thee And when in reading or hearing these sacred Books you meet with difficulties repaire to the Priest whose lips preserve knowledg knock once and again by Prayer for the spirit of illumination and in this case make use of Solomons counsell leane not to thy own understanding These things are written to you Fathers be not you strangers to them exercise your selves in these Books make them with David your delight and your counsellers they are written unto you young Men follow the Psalmists counsell and by taking heed to this word learn to clense your waies They are written to you little Children do you begin to acquaint your selves with them It is recorded for the praise of Timothy that from a Childe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from his first years wherein he was capable of learning and instruction he knew the holy Scriptures It is observed that the 119th Psalm is disposed according to the letters of the Hebrew Alphabet perhaps to intimate that Children when they began to learn their Alphabet should learn that Psalm The Jews as a learned Popish Bishop hath noted Filios suos quinquennes ad saera Biblia adaptabant began to acquaint their Children at five years of age with the Bible and pudeat Christianos what a shame is it for Christians not to begin as early as the Jews It was the charge Ignatius gave to the Parents that they should bring up their Children in the nurture of the Lord and to that end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they should teach them the holy Scriptures What if Children cannot for the present understand yet they can remember what they read in the Scriptures and the reading of them maketh such impressions upon their minds which are of singular use to them afterwards nor is it any prophanation of those holy writings for Children to take them into their mouths though they cannot read them with that knowledg and consequently devotion as is required in and expected from young Men and Fathers It is very unlikely that those Children knew the meaning of Hosanna whom yet Christ forbade not to utter it It is both piety and prudence to deal with little Children according to their capacity let them first be accustomed to read and then to remember and by this meanes in due time they will be brought to understand and affect those holy writings Though withall prudence adviseth that in reading there be a graduall order observed beginning with such parcels of holy writ as are most necessary and easie to be known The Lords Prayer The Commandments The Sermon of Christ upon the Mount many of the Psalms of David Proverbs of Solomon and such like Portions of Scripture would first be taught to Children and young Men would be advised to be conversant in not attempting to look into the more darke and mysterious parts of Scripture till they have attained by being Catechized by hearing Sermons and other godly helps some good measure of divine knowledg and then in reading what they cannot understand with humility to admire and modesty to enquire into the sense and meaning of such Scriptures 2. But further If we refer this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I write to that command of Love which is prescribed in the preceding Verses that which is here intimated is that Love is such a command as belongs to all sorts of Christians and ages of Men. 1. It belongs to all sorts of Christians little Children weake Christians are obliged to Love patience under the Cross joyfullness in tribulation spiritualness in duty and such like qualifications are not attained till we come to be young men nay Fathers but Brotherly Love is to be Practised by and is expected of them who are but little Children in Christianity Indeed this is one of the first graces which discovers it self in a Saint and even then when a weak Christian cannot say I beleeve in Christ yet he can say I Love my Brother Nor is this duty to be laid aside when we come to be young Men yea Fathers strong yea perfect Christians since as we abound in other graces so especially we must abound in this and the perfecting of a Christian consists much in the perfecting of his Love Indeed when many other graces shall cease Love shall remain the great employment of glorified Saints being to praise God and Love one another 2. It belongs to all ages of Men none but ought to practice and have need to be admonished of it The poyson of anger and hatred is apt to creep into us betimes little Children are prone to fall out and quarrel and fight one with another and young Men being in heat of blood very often boyle over with rage yea old Men are apt to be peevish and froward so that every age stands in need of this bridle of Love to restrain their passion one of the first lessons a little Childe is capable of learning is Love and old Men when they can do nothing else yet may Love it is that grace which is never out of season it is that grace which will fit all Sexes all sizes all Ages and is never out of fashion 3. Lastly If we take
Paul where he saith that being or according to the force of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subsisting in the forme of God he took upon him the forme of a servant whence it plainly followeth that before he took upon him the forme of a servant he had a subsistence It is not unworthy our observation to this purpose that Christ when he was incarnate is said to come down from heaven and to come forth from the Father whereby is manifestly implyed that before his incarnation he was in heaven and in the bosome of his Father Thus when we read The Word was made flesh and God sent his Sonne into the world it is evident that he was the Word and the Sonne before else how could he be capable of assuming flesh and being sent into the world It is a clear maxime nothing can be predicated of nothing so that if he were not at all till he was made flesh and sent it could not be predicated of him that he was made flesh or that he was sent by the Father 2. But further That being which Jesus Christ had before his incarnation was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the begining which we cannot better expound then by that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the beginning which we meet with in the Gospel and so the sense is that when the world began to be Christ was and so consequently from eternity because before all time Express to this purpose is that prayer of our Saviour Father glorifie thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was the genuine plain doctrine whereof is that Christ had a glory â—nd therefore a co-existence with his Father before the world was I am not ignorant how that Samosatenian and Socinian Hereticks interpret this only of Gods eternal purpose to glorifie his Sonne after he had finished his work upon earth And truly it is worth our noting how absurdly these pretended Masters of reason construe as others so this Scripture whilest they would have us to believe that when Christ positively saith he had this glory with his Father before the world was he only meaneth by it that his Father decreed before the world was he should have this glory and so that which is averred of actual possession must only signifie an intentional preparation when yet it had been as easie for Christ to have said if he had meant no more the glory which thou hast prepared for me before the world was yea whenas both Christ and his Apostles where they would express the decree of glory still use the phrases of prepared and layed up and such like No less doth it tend to the confirmation of this truth that the Evangelist saith concerning Christ All things are made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made and therefore St Paul having asserted that all things were created by him and for him presently addeth and he is before all things Indeed as Tertullian strongly argueth Non potuit câ—rere substantiâ quod tantas substantias feâ—it he that gave being to all things could not himself want a being and if all creatures receive their essence and existence from him he must needs be before them It would not be passed by to what a shift the forenamed Hereticks are put to for evading the force of these Texts whilest they would expound the making and creating all things to be the making of new men and the creating of a Christian Church for besides that the Apostle manifestly speaketh not only of persons to whom the new creation belongs but things yea all things whatsoever and therefore the Evangelist joyneth a negative to the affirmative without him nothing and St Paul maketh a distribution of the all into things visible and invisible in heaven and earth whereby it appeareth the first creation is intended It would yet further be considered that the Evangelist and Apostle speak of this making and creation as a thing already past yea as the context in the Gospel sheweth done in the beginning which compared with Moses his in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth appeareth to be the beginning of the world whereas the new creation was then nay is still but in fieri not in facto nor shall be finished till the end of the world To end this Let the meditation hereof confirme us in the faith of our Saviours Deity which must necessarily follow upon the preceding doctrine for if Christ is so from as that he was before the beginning of the world and so is eternall he can be no other then the true Jehovah the most high God eternity being one of those incommunicable Attributes of the Deity which cannot in its proper and adequate notion be predicated of any thing besides or below the Godhead And so much shall suffice to be spoken of the Character which is here given of Christ pass we on to the 2. Character by which the aged Christians to whom our Apostle writeth are described and that is that they know him which was from the begining What it is to know Christ I had occasion heretofore to discuss and therefore shall not insist upon it only be pleased in brief to take notice That there is a threefold knowledg of him who is from the begining Comprehensive Intuitive and Apprehensive 1. The Comprehensive knowledg is that which is peculiar to himself he who is from the begining can only know himself from the begining Indeed it is impossible for any finite Creature to comprehend the infinite eternity of Christ himself as man could not comprehensively know himself as God 2. The Intuitive knowledg of Christ in his person natures offices is reserved for Glory when we shall see him as he is so far as created nature is capable of 3. That which then is here meant is an Apprehensive knowledg whereby it is we are enlightned to discern the excellency of Christ together with the need we stand in of and benefit we receive by him That expression which we finde used by St Paul To know the Love of Christ which passeth knowledg is seemingly contradictory but easily reconciled by this distinction as Christ so his Love passeth knowledg because the infiniteness of it is incomprehensible and yet we both may and ought to know that is in some measure to apprehend the Love of Christ to us Now this Apprehensive knowledg is either nuda or conjuncta naked only scituate in the understanding when we know what Christ is and what he hath done or else such as is conjoyned with Faith Love Obedience So to know him as to trust him to prize him to imbrace him and to obey him This is that knowledg which as it is here the commendation so ought to be the endeavour of every Christian Indeed knowledge considered absolutely is a rare and precious endowment and that which a rationall nature cannot but set an high value upon and
Christ is not meerly notionall but experimentall such a knowledge of him as is accompanied with a sense of his love to us not barely speculative but practicall such a knowledge of him as is attended with our love to him let us show it by love to our Brethren To close up this discourse It is an excellent advice of St Hierome discite â—am scientiam in terris cujus cognitio perseverat in caelis seek after that knowledg on earâ—h which will persevere in Heaven let us now begin and not only begin but according to St Peters counsell Grow in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ who is from the begining which shall be consummated in the end when we shall enjoy that beatificall vision which shall need no increase and know no end THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St JOHN CHAP. 2. 13 14. VERS I write unto you Fathers because yâ— have known him that is from the begining I write unto you young Men because ye have overcome the wicked one I write unto you little Children because ye have known the Father I have written unto you Fathers because you have known him that is from the begining I have written unto you young Men because ye are strong and the Word of God abideth in you and ye have overcome the wicked one AMong others there are two speciall qualifications of a good Minister the one that he be faithfull and the other that he be prâ—dent His faithfullnesâ— consists in delivering those things that are true and his prudence in making choice of such things as are fit The fitness of a Ministers discourse lyeth chiefly in a double reference To the season and the persons All both words and works receive â— great deale of beauty from their opportunity it was not without reason that he said Omnium rerum est primum the chief in all actions is the fit time and Solomon concerning a word spoken in due season mentioneth the goodness of it with a question as if it were beyond any positive expression How good is it Nor is there â—ess regard to be had to the condition of the Auditors then the fitness of the season since hereby a discourse becometh not only seasonable but sutable Physitians though unless necessity enforce they have a regard to the season yet especially and alwaies they have respect to the different constitution of the patients in administring their poâ—ions and no less doth it befit us who are spirituall Physitians to accommodate our Doctrines to the condition and disposition of those to whom we preach Excellent to this purpose is that of an Ancient Pro-qualitate audientium formari debet sermâ— doctorum ut per singulâ— singulis congruat à commuâ—i â—dificationis arte nunquam recedat The Preachers Sermon ought to correspond to the Auditours condition so as may best tend to edification Look as in Musick all the strings of the Instrument though they are touched with the same hand yet not with a like stroake so in Preaching all sorts of persons are to be dealt with but not in the same way Aliter admonendi sunt viri aliter faeminae aliter in opes aliter locupletes aliter juvines aliter senes as he excellently goeth on one admonition is fit for Men another for Women one for the Rich another for the Poore one for the Young another for the Old This discreet Application of our instructions is that whereof the holy Apostles set us a pattern and among the rest St John especially in these Verses wherein we may observe him bespeaking severall ages and that in severall addresses sutable to those ages I write to you Fathers c. 2. The reason by which our Apostle inculcateth his writing upon the Fathers being already handled that which we are next in order to insist upon is that by which he presseth his writing upon the young Men as it is mentioned in the thirteenth and again both repeated and amplified in the fourteenth Verse To put them both together as expressed in these words You are strong and have overcome the wicked one and the word of God abideth in you You may please to consider them two waies Absolutely as a commendation and Relatively as an incitation Consider the words as a commendation and so that I may make use of the metaphor in the Text be pleased to observe these foure particulars The Enemy The Conquest The Aids and The Combatants The Enemy is Characterized by that term the wicked one The Conquest is Ingeminated in that phrase have overcome The Aids are specified in these words strong and the word of God abideth The Combatants are included in the you who are just before expressed to be young men 1. Begin we with the Enemy who is called The wicked one There are three grand adversaries of our salvation and all of them have this Epithet given to them the world is called by St Paul an evill world and the flesh which is the corruption of our nature is called the evill treasure of the heart and the Devill frequently the evill one the wicked one in this respect Zanchy conceiveth by the wicked one here to be understood Synecdochtically all our spirituall enemies but I rather incline to that exposition which interpreteth the wicked one here mentioned to be the Devill he it is who not only here but twice more in this Epistle is so called by our Apostle and no doubt he learned it from his Master who giveth him this title in the parable of the Tares yea St Chrysostome and others of the Fathers are of opinion that the evil from which our Saviour teacheth us to pray that God would deliver us is the Devil and accordingly Tertullian renders several places of Scripture which mention the Devil by malus malignus nequam evil wicked malignant It is a name which no doubt is given to the Devil antonomasticè by way of eminency 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Illyricus is more then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and noteth one who is exercitatissimus in omni malitiae genere exercised in all kind of wickedness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is more then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and noteth one who is insigniter improbus infamously notoriously wicked As though holiness be a quality communicable to the creature yet God and Christ are emphatically called in Scripture the holy one because according to Hannahs saying there is none so holy as the Lord â—o though there be many evil and wicked persons in the world yet the Devil is the wicked one because there â—â— none so evil as the Devil and therefore St Chrysostome gâ—eth this reason of the appellation Christ calleth hiâ— the wicked one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 becaâ—e of that hyperbolical wickedness whereof he is guâ—y â—r the better explanation of this I shall briefly resolv these two Queries How he came to be so â—hereâ—n he appeareth to be so It â—ould be a little enquired into how the person
severals are will best appear in the distinct handling of them The number you see is threefold and before I go further I shall a while dâ—seant upon them joyntly If you cast your eyes upon the fifteenth Verse of the third Chapter of St James you shall finde a tripartite division of worldly wisdome into earthly sensuall and devillish to which me thinketh very fitly corresponds this division of worldly love the lust of the flesh being sensuall the lust of the eyes earthly and the pride of life devillish We read in the foregoing Verses of three ages of men to whom our Apostle wrote namely Children young Men and Fathers and each of these lusts is especially incident to each of these ages Men in the begining of their daies are most prone to the lust of the flesh in the progress of their age to the pride of life and in their old age to the covetous lust of the eyes In the close of the fourteenth Verse of this Chapter St John speaketh of overcoming the wicked one that is the Devill and if you would know what are the chief temptations with which he doth assault and which if we repell we overcome him they are here presented to us The fruit with which he tempted our first Parents in the Garden was good for food that was a lust of the flesh pleasant to the sight and so came in the lust of the eyes and to be desired to make one wise and that was the pride of life After foure thousand years experience the Devill could not finde out better weapons and therefore with these he sets upon the second Adam in the wilderness tempting him to the lust of the flesh when he would have him turn the stones into bread to satisfie his hunger to the lust of the eyes saith St Austin when he bid him cast himself down out of curiosity say others and more probably with the leave of that reverend Father when he shewed him all the Kingdomes and glory of the world and to the pride of life when he perswaded him to cast himself down which was no doubt for that end to lift him up with arrogant presumption With these temptations it is that he doth still assault the Children of men so that I may not unfitly compare them to Solomons threefold cord by which he draws men to iniquity to the fleshooke with three teeth by which the Priests servant robd the Lords Sacrifice to Hippomenes three golden Apples by which he indeavoured to hinder Attalantas race to Jobs three darts by which he wounded Absalon to the heart to the Caldeans three troops with St Bernard by which they plundered Job of his goods or to St Johns three unclean spirits crawling upon and defiling us It is Christs call to his Spouse Come with me from Lebanon looke from the top of Amana from the top of Shenir and Hermon from the Lions dens from the mountains of the Leopards Ghislerius understandeth by these three mountains these three lusts the pride of life by the mountain of Lebanon which is exceeding high and upon which grow the tall Caedars by the top of Amana from whence they might see a great way the lust of the eyes by the top of Hermon a fruitfull hill the lust of the flesh and these are the mountains on which wicked men range like Leopards and the dens of those Lions the Devils These are those lusts which oppose the three grand designs of our life our own salvation others good and Gods glory Whilest the lust of the flesh warreth against our soul the lust of the eyes maketh us uncharitable to others and the pride of life robs God of his glory Correspondent to these three great sins it seems not improbable that God hath appointed those three sore judgments The Famine as a punishment of the lust of the flesh the Plague which causeth botches and sores of the lust of the eyes and the Sword which bringeth Nations low of the pride of life As Armour against these three darts the Papists superstitiously use a threefold annoynting in Baptism to wit of the loyns the breast and the head but which is far better the grace of God teacheth to live soberly in opposition to the lust of the flesh justly in opposition to the lust of the eyes and godly which is a walking humbly with God in opposition to the pride of life And which is best of all our blessed Saviour prescribes three duties which by the Schools are made the three parts of satisfaction Fasting as a remedy of the lust of the flesh Almes as an eye salve for the lust for the eyes and Prayer as an antidote against the pride of life To draw yet nearer These three are all that is in the world they are the worlds cursed trinity according to that of the Poet Ambitiosus honos opes foeda valuptas Haec tria pro trino numine mundus habet Which wicked men adore and worship as deities in which regard Lapide opposeth them to the three persons in the blessed Trinity The lust of the eyes to the Father who is liberall communicating his essence to the Son and the Spirit the lust of the flesh to the Son whose generation is spirituall and eternall the pride of life to the holy Ghost who is the Spirit of humility That golden Calfe which being made was set up and worshiped by the Israelites in the Wilderness is not unfitly made use of to represent these the Calfe which is a wanton Creature an emblem of the lust of flesh the Gold of the Calf refering to the lust of the eyes and the exalting it to the pride of life Oh how do the most of men fall down before this golden Calf which the world erecteth If you please you may conceive the world as making a Feast to entertaine her Lovers and here are the three courses which she provideth for them the first for food the lust of the flesh the second for sight the lust of the eyes the third for state the pride of life or as entertaining them with a musicall consort which is made up of three parts the Base the lust of the flesh the Tenor the lust of the eyes and the Treble the pride of life Once more you may very well call these three lusts the elements of the sensuall world the lust of the flesh being as the fire in regard of its burning violence the lust of the eyes as the earth because about things which the earth affoards and the pride of life as the ayre or winds which pufs or swels men up Not to inlarge further The world is here represented to us as an Hydea with three heads or like Cerberus that three headed Dog which the Poets faine to be the Porter of Hell Worldly love is here set forth as a tree spreading it self into three main boughs whence sprout forth the bitter fruit of all sâ—ns or as a Mother bringing forth three
men deceive themselves Indeed the false Mother of the Childe would have it parted between them but the true Mother would have all or none The world is content to have a corner in thy heart but God will have thy whole heart The Arke and Dagon cannot stand together in one Temple and therefore when the Arke is brought in Dagon falls down no more can God and the world in one soule and therefore if we will set up God in the throne the world must be cast down nay out The Spouse in the Canticles is said to wound Christ with one eye Quia alterum non habebat because she had no other Christ calls upon us in the Gospell to cut off one foot one hand and to pluck out one eye the heart in all languages is a Monasyllable unum uni the one heart must be dedicated to the one God In the meat offering God required all the Frankincense and in the sacrifices all the fat to teach us that the intention of our minde and affection of our heart must be wholly carryed towards God Among the Pythagoreans the Duall number was infamous sure I am the double minded man is odious to God so odious that he threatneth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to cut him asunder a punishment very sutable to his fault like that which the King of the Albines inflicted on the King of the Romans when he caused him to be tied to two horses who by drawing contrary waies tore his body in two pieces 3. Lastly How just and necessary it is to cast the love of the world out of the hearts in order to the entertaining of the love of the Father Indeed as St Gregory and Leo have both well observed The reasonable soul cannot be all together without delight and void of love Aut infimis delectatur aut summis so the one Aut Dei amator est aut mundi so the other Our delight must either ascend or descend our love must either be set upon God or the world How impossible it is for these two to dwell together you have already heard so that either we must hate the one or love the other or hold to the one and despise the other as our Saviour tells us And now as Eliah said to the Israelites If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal be God follow him so let me beseech you If the Lord be God love him if the world love it If the world have as much excellency in it as God hath if the world have as much right to you as God hath if the world can do as much for you as God can and will then love it But alas whatever good is in the world is but a ray of that Sun a drop of that Fountaine derived from and infinitely inferiour to the goodness of God in which respect saith St Austin excellently Pulcher est mundus sed pulchrior à quo factus est mundus The world is beautifull surely then he that made it so is farre more beautifull Besides The world was made for us and therefore only to be used whereas God is our Creator Master Father and therefore to be feared and honoured and loved Methinketh the Father saith to us concerning the world as Saul to his Servants concerning David Will the Son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards will or can the world do that for you which I will do give you grace and glory felicity and immortality Nay let me adde a word more The world would infect and infest us instead of doing us good bring us into temptations and snares and tell me then whither the Father be not to be preferred in our estimation and affection before the world Infine that God should have our love we cannot but acknowledge most reasonable and therefore what remaineth but that every one of us take up firme resolutions of rejecting the world love both we cannot one we will God we ought and to that end we must leave the world that we may cleave to God No doubt the world is and will be a very earnest and importunate suiter to us for our love and too often she so far prevaileth that we consent but remember I beseech you our Father forbids the banes and shall we match against our Fathers consent nay let me tell you if we marry the world the Father will disclaime and disown us as none of his Children and therefore if we call on the Father let us renounce the world Believe it an ill match is better broken then carried on and so much the rather because whatever promise we make to the world it is a breach of the first vow we made to God in our Baptism and therefore to be disannulled as inconsistent with our former obligation To end all I cannot better press this then in St Austins language who calls these words Verba extirpantia words of extirpation if you finde a weed you grub it up that you may sow good corn so must we pluck up worldly that we plant Heavenly love Vas es saith that Father si plenum effunde quod habes effunde amorem saeculi ut implearis amore Dei Thy soul is a vessell if it be full as indeed whose is not empty it poure out the love of the world that thou maist be filled with the love of God which otherwise is impossible For if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St JOHN CHAP. 2. VERS 16 17. For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world And the world passeth away and the lust thereof but he that doth the will of God abideth forever A Naked command from God is a sufficient ground of obedience from man no doubt St Paul so accounted it and therefore exhorting the Thessalonians to abstaine from fornication useth this as a strong inducement for this is the will of God The truth is obedience is most ingenious when least discreet it being very reasonable that we should obey God without asking a reason of his Precept It was the praise of Caesars Souldiers Quod imperium potius quam consilium sequebantur that they executed their Generalls injunctions without inquiring into his consultations It is the Character of a good Christian to believe because God asserteth and obey because he requireth But see the condescention of our mercifull God who is pleased not only to command by his authority but teach by his grace so St Paul saith The grace of God teacheth us to deny worldly lusts not only to require but to intreat so St Peter Dearly beloved I beseech you abstain from fleshly lusts Finally Not only to prescribe but perswade and therefore as he enjoyneth a duty so he adjoyneth a Motive and that drawn from the necessity equity and utility of observing the
welfare than he was of theirs and that tender love and parental care which hee had over them induced him to warn them of those Antichrists which would infest and infect them but having once and again handled this Title in this notion I shall insist no longer upon it but passe on to the 2 Affirmation as it followeth in the text It is the last time The only Question here to be resolved is in reference to what our Apostle asserts the time in which hee lived to be the last 1 The general opinion of Divines referre it to the world and so this clause seemeth to bee a proof of what is asserted in the former verse The world passeth away for even now is the last time of the worlds duration beyond which it shall not continue In this sense the whole space of time from Christs first to his last coming is the last time those are the last days concerning which Joel prophesieth that in them God would pour out his Spirit on all flesh for in the very beginning of the Evangelical times the Apostle telleth us that Prophecie was fulfilled these are the last days in which the Author to the Hebrews saith that God who spake to the Fathers by his Prophets hath spoken to us by his Son who coming in our flesh revealed his Fathers will to the world and in this notion the assertion is true that even in St. Johns days it was the last time of the world This being taken for the meaning of the clause it would rationally be enquired upon what account this space of time which hath already continued so long and when it shall expire is unknown may be called the last Oecumenius giveth a double answer but neither satisfactory 1 He saith it is called the last because the worst as lees and dreggs are in the bottom of the liquor but though possibly the last time may be the worst yet is it not therefore the last because the worst or the worst because the last 2 He addeth that if we divide time into the first the middle and the last whatsoever time is after the middle is the last and accordingly all the time before Christ may be called the first and since his coming the last But though we read that God sent his Son into the world in the fulnesse of time yet not that it was in the middle of time and whether the world shall not last longer after than the time of its continuance before the Messiahs incarnation is a question which though some have rashly undertaken yet I am sure none can justly resolve As for that opinion that as the world was six days in making so it shall be only six thousand years in lasting it is but a Rabbinical conceit and a groundless dream nor doth St. Peters assertion that a thousand years is with the Lord as one day at all favour this opinion since it seemeth rather to bee uttered on a contrary design namely to let us know that how many thousand years soever the world shall last yet God is not therefore slack since with him they are but as so many days That indeed which seemeth the most rational account of this phrase in this notion is that it is the last time because it is the last period of time and the Messiah being come there are now no more changes or alterations of the external administrations in Religion to be expected The life of man the little world is a fit embleme of the duration of this great world and look as there are three ages of mans life Youth Manhood and Old Age so the world hath three periods from Adam to Moses from Moses to Christ from Christs first to his last coming and as Old Age though it many times be as long as either nay it may be as both is called the last age because death is that which next succeeds after it so this period of the Evangelical time how long soever it may bee is the last time because that which closeth it is the Day of Judgement in which respect St. Austin saith truly Ipsa novissima hora diuturna est sed tamen novissima hora the last time is long but yet it is the last time Look as the time of Jobs continuance upon earth after his restitution to a prosperous estate which was an hundred and forty years and so a large part of his life is yet called the latter end of Job so may this of the Evangelical administration though of a long durance be stiled the latter end of the world And upon this account it may serve to discover the folly of that Generation of Seekers which among the numerous brood of Heresies hath sprouted forth amongst us in vain doe they expect a new Church new Ordinances new Administrations when as this is the last time St. Paul plainly tells us that the Christian Church by administring the holy Sacrament must shew forth the Lords death till he come that is to judge the quick and the dead and surely by way of Analogy it holds true of all the Evangelical institutions there is nothing to be expected but the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ in the end of the world 2 But though this interpretation may be true it is very harsh especially considering that the word which we translate Time signifieth that which is one of the shortest durations of time an hour and it may be very well looked upon as incongruous that so large a space of time should be called an hour I know Expositors endeavour to salve this by telling us that it is but an hour Comparatione futuri saeculi so Carthusian in comparison of the duration of the other world and to the same purpose Calvin Siregni Dei â—ternitas c. If we revolve in our minds the eternity of Gods Kingdom the longest continuance will seeme but a moment but though this be in it self an undeniable verity yet it is not any more a reason why the time from Christs first to his last advent should be called an hour than why the whole time of the world from the first to the last man should be so called Upon this consideration perhaps it was that Cajetan conceiveth St. Johns meaning might be that the time wherein hee lived was like to the last hour and as it should be at the end of the world so it was then but this construction is too forced nor is it rational to imagine that when St. John saith it is and again by this wee know it is the last hour he meaneth only a resemblance If then there be something else to which this last hour may upon a more just account bee referred doubtlesse that must needs be the most genuine interpretation and this we shall finde to bee not the world but the Jewish Church and state whose end was then at hand I confesse Socinus is the first in whom I
the last hour To close up this clause with a moral application Mâ—net hoc verbo Apostolus ut omnem horam veluti novissimam reputemus saith Ferus piously our Apostle doth here admonish every particular man that he should still think every hour to be his last indeed the time of every mans life is fixed in Gods eternal Councel it is Jobs Divinity and that not only in regard of himself but man indefinitely or rather universally considered is there not an appointed time to man upon earth and again his dayes are determined the number of his moneths are with thee thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot passe nor is it any long time which is allotted and therefore the swiftnesse of mans life is elegantly set forth by several metaphors both in the Book of Job and other places of Scripture indeed if the longest life be considered in reference to the eternity of that other life it is but a day nay an hour a minute that it cannot be long we are sure and yet when it will expire we are not sure and because wee know not how soon we should make account of it continually and though we cannot say of every hour this is or shall be yet to say this may be my last hour and if you mark it this is prompted to little children who as Grotius well observeth are apt to think they have time enough before them and yet even with them it may be the last hour since though the old must the young may dye no wonder if he speak to children saith Saint Austin Ut festinent crescere that they make haste to grow in grace That word in the Chaldee which signifieth an hour is derived from a verb which signifieth to have regard to so ought every man to observe the hours of his life how they passe there being none which might not be his last And truly this consideration would have a great influence upon the precedent dehortation of not loveing the world as Oecumenius observeth A dying man is not at all taken with the choycest dainties richest treasures highest dignities no more would wee if wee did still look upon our selves as dying Hee will not trifle away his hours in pursuing worldly vanities who considereth how quickly they passe away and how soon they may be at an end In one word happy is that man who so thinketh of his last hour as that hee doth that every hour which he would be found doing in his last at least who doth nothing in any which hee durst not be found doing in his last hour And so much for the Second general part the Affirmation It is the last hour I now hasten lest I should exceed the hour to the 3 Last part of the text the Confirmation as it followeth in the rest of the verse and as you have heard that Antichrist shall come even now are there many Antichrists whereby we know that it is the last time Before I enter upon the severals of this General it will bee needful to spend a little time in clearing the sense of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Antichrist here spoken of The generality of Interpreters observing the Article prefixed before the Noun conceive that the Apostle intends by this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same with St. Pauls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him who is transcendently Antichrist and should I trace this exposition I must fall upon another inquiry in the solution of which Divines are of various opinions namely who is this The Antichrist The Ancients generally conceive that Antichrist shall come towards the end of the world whom Christ shall destroy by the brightnesse of his coming Some late Writers imagine that the Antichrist came soon after the plantation of Christianity in the world and fix it some on Simon Magus others on Barchocebus others on Claudius and Nero Emperours A great part of the Reformed assert the succession of Popes from the time that the Bishop of Rome usurped the title of universal to bee the Antichrist which began about six hundred years after Christ and according to that Prophetical account of one thousand two hundred and forty days they suppose the continuance to bee so many years Did I conceive that our Apostle designed this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie an Antichrist which is so above all other Hereticks and enemies of Christ whatsoever yet positively to determine who he is I should not undertake only thus much I look upon as rational that according to the definition which our Apostle himself giveth of Antichrist a little after he who most directly expresly vehemently denieth Jesus to be the Christ and accordingly denieth both the Father and the Son hee is the Antichrist But that I may speak my thoughts freely I can by no means be induced to beleeve that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Antichrist is here to bee taken singularly and determinately but indefinitely and collectively for the clearing whereof observe 1 That it is very usual for a word of the singular number to denote a multitude yea not only without but with the Article take one instance among many that of St. Paul where he saith The Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable c. that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the man of God may be perfect whereby is not understood some one that was so eminently but indefinitely any or rather universally every man of God and it seemeth our Translators understood this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no otherwise since both here and in other places they render it not The but An as also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Lyar suitable to which it is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is presently explained by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that is whosoever denieth 2 That our Apostle in the very next clause enlargeth this singular 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Antichrist by that plural 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many Antichrists as in the next Epistle at the seventh verse he contracts the plural 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many deceivers into the singular 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Deceiver and an Antichrist I well know that the Antichrist and many Antichrists are by most Interpreters severally referr'd but withall in so doing they force the sense whereas if both bee referr'd to the same the construction is plain for by this means the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even now there are answereth fitly to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as you have heard the latter clause testifying the impletion of the prediction alledged in the former nay more the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that followeth by which we know it is the last hour can have no solid strength in it if the former be not thus interpreted since unlesse that which our Apostle alledgeth as fore-told that Antichrist should come to wit before the last hour were then accordingly accomplished and so attested when he saith even now there are many
here intended and hath already been unfolded Indeed as to corporeal sight there are among others two things especially required to wit an eye within and a Light without and therefore if either adest lumen et desunt oculi light bee present but the visive faculty absent or adsunt oculi et deest lumen the visive faculty be present but the light absent there can bee no sight so is there required to spiritual knowledge an external revelation and an internal illumination the one whereof sets the object before us and the other elevateth the understanding within us and both of those are from this unction 1 By the extraordinary unction of the Holy Ghost the Apostles were inspired to reveal both by their Tongues and pens Evangelical Doctrin and had there not been this Revelation of it wee could never have known it It is not once but often that the Gospel is called a mystery yea saith S. Paul without controversy it is a great mystery Now a mystery as S. Chrysostome well observeth is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 something unutterable admirable and unconceivable so that it could never have been found out by us had it not been made known to us from above As for Humane Natural things Reason is conversant about them and yet ever in these it is many times nonplus'd as being not able to fathome the depth of them but as to Divine things Reason is not onely dimme but blinde Indeed there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some common Principles of Divinity and Morality Religion and Honesty still remaining in our Nature but Evangelical verities are such as Reason could never have prompted to us so that what our Saviour said to Peter concerning the particular Article of his being the Son of the living God flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee may bee asserted of all the Doctrins of the Gospel they are such as Natural reason could never have revealed to us True it is reason that Candle of the Lord as Solomon calls it affords so much light even to Pagans as will render them inexcusable since their not walking according to Reasons dictates shall be their condemnation but it is Christ The Sun of Righteousnesse as Malachy calls him who giveth us that light by following of which wee may attain salvation for no man knoweth the Father whom to know is eternal life but the Son and him to whom the Son revealeth him But this is that truth which is agreed to on all hands even Pelagians and Socinians acknowledging the necessity of Divine Revelation in order to the acquisition of Happiness Bee pleased therefore to know further that by the ordinary unction of the Spirit which is conferred on every Christian in some degree or other there is a spiritual illumination of the minde whereby Natural Reason is elevated to a right apprehension of Evangelical doctrines and this is no lesse needful than the former to which purpose is that gloss of Calvin upon the Text Non acumine proprii sensus rectè sapiunt homines sed illuminatione Spiritus It is not by the sharpenesse of our own understanding but by the inlightning of the Spirit that wee savour divine things To this Truth S. Paul giveth a most clear and full evidence where hee saith in expresse words But the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can hee know them because they are spiritually discerned where the chief question to bee resolved in order to the genuine Interpretation of the words is who is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Natural man concerning whom this is said that he receiveth not and cannot know the things of the Spirit of God Some affirm the Natural man to bee the weak beleever but how weakly will appear if wee observe the opposition of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is not to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one who is perfect but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every one who is spiritual which though it bee more eminently true of the strong yet it is verified of every true Christian hee is one who hath not received the spirit of the World but the Spirit which is of God and so is among the number of the we mentioned in the twelfth verse of that Chapter And which fully cleareth it that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here cannot be the weak Christian is that the things of the Spirit are said to bee foolishness to him which cannot bee affirmed of any true Christian though never so weak who hath Learned to adore and admire those divine mysteries which hee cannot apprehend Suitable hereunto it is that the Apostle in the eighteenth verse of the former Chapter saith The Preaching of the Crosse is foolishnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to them that perish whereas the weakest Christian is among the number of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the latter clause of that verse them who are saved to whom therefore it is impossible that the things of the Spirit should bee foolishnesse Others there are who by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 understand the man who is altogether destitute of the helps of ingenuous education and Divine Revelation whereas our Apostle plainly tells us in the former chapter that they were the wise Disputers of the World to whom Evangelical doctrin when revealed did seem no other than folly and therfore when Paul Preached at Athens a place of literature and Knowledge Arts and Sciences the cry of those Sophies is what will this babler say Once again Some there are who interpret this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bee one who is given to sensual lusts and so hath his Reason clouded by carnal affections but it should then have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 between which Suidas and Isidore Peleusiota from whom probably the other borrowed it make this distinction that the Carnal man is one who serveth the flesh and suffereth himself to bee guided by his corrupt affections and the natural or animal man one who builds upon humane Reason thinking by his raâ—iâ—cinations disputations and syllogismes to finde out what is just and profitable not craving or admitting the influence of the Spirit The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then here mentioned is every man who though otherwise well furnished with intellectuals and morals having all those improvements of Reason which all kinde of Philosophy can afford him is yet altogether destitute of the inlightening and renewing grace of the Holy Spirit nor is this my distinction but St. Judes who in the Characters hee giveth of those false Teachers puts these two together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 explaining the former by the latter and letting us see that all such who have not the Spirit are meer Natural men Of this Natural man St. Paul plainly and positively asserteth hee receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God indeed there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some
bee negligent to put you alwaies in remembrance of these things though yee know them and bee established in the present truth So St. Peter And I my self also am perswaded of you my brethren that yee also are full of goodnesse filled with all knowledge able also to admonish one another neverthelesse brethren I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort as putting you in minde because of the grace that is given to mee of God so St. Paul The truth is wee are very apt to forget what wee know yee have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto Children saith the Apostle our memories are like sives that let go the flower and retain the branne wee remember what is to bee forgotten and forget what is to bee remembred need there is wee should bee minded 2 Scientiam aâ—gere to increase our knowledge the truth is the greatest part of the things wee know is the least part of what wee do not know No Truths are so well but they may bee better known Every command is exceeding broad and every Article very deep noâ— can any say There is nothing contained in either which I do not fully know disce docendus adhuc was good counsell bee still willing to learn Luther confest himself Catechismi Discipulum a Scholar to the Catechisme The most knowing Christian hath need to bee instructed even in the things he knoweth 3 In veritate confirmare to confirm us in the truth we know notitiam vobis concedo sed de constantiâ vestr â sollicitus sum so Aretius glosseth I grant you are knowing Christians but I am sollicitous for your constancy in the faith wee are but too prone to waver in our profession and too weak hold-fasts in spiritual truths Etiam currentibus addenda sunt calearia though wee run well wee need spâ—rring to make us â—old out or else wee should grow dull and weary so that in all these respects there appears sufficient reason why our Apostle wrote even to them that knew the truth I end all Take heed how any of you vilify the Ministry of the word either Preached or Written They are words too often in many mens mouths I know as much as the Preacher can tell mee doest thou so I rejoyce in it but still the Preacher may remember thee of and confirm thee in what thou knowest and perhaps thou mayest learn from him to know it better beleeve it there is use of Evangelical Preaching and Apostolical Writing not only to inform the simple and instruct the Ignorant but to minde the forgetful strengthen the Weak and supply defects either of knowledge or affection or both in the most knowing Christian which made our Apostle thus be-speak the Christians in his time I have not written unto you because you know not the truth but because you know it THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St. JOHN CHAP. 2. 22 23 VERS Who is a Lyer but hee that denieth that Jesus is the Christ hee is Antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son Whosoever denyeth the Son the same hath not the Father but he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also THe Knowledge of the disease is the better part of the cure and therefore the Physicians skill is more seen in discovering the malady than in prescribing the Remedy The greatest danger of a ship at Sea is by reason of unseen shelfs unknown rocks and therefore the Pilots chiefest care is by his own and others experience to learn upon what coast they lye Finally An enemy discovered is half vanquished and therefore it is the saying of Chabrias in Plutarch hee is the best General who is most acquainted with the designs and motions of his enemy Upon this consideration no doubt it is that our Apostle having before in general admonished those to whom hee writeth of these Antichristian enemies doth here more particularly discover their heresies to us whereby they might at once bee more easily discerned and avoided who is a Lyar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ In these two verses wee have two generals A Description of the Hereticks in St. John daies in the two and twentieth verse Who is a Lyar c. An Amplification of that description as to the latter part of it in the three and twentieth verse Whosoever denieth the Son c. 1 In the description wee shall consider a 1 Double Appellation with which he brandeth them in those words Who is a Lyar and he is Antichrist 2 Double Accusation which hee chargeth upon them of denying that Jesus is the Christ and denying the Father and the Son Begin we with the Appellations which are two Lyar and Antichrist 1 The latter of these is that which hath been discussed alrâ—â—dy from the eighteenth verse and therefore shall now bee only touched That the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not here design that person or party to which this title is by Divines particularly attributed will sufficiently appear by what is already said in the forementioned verse and accordingly Calvin is express The Apostle speaketh not here of that man of sin who shall sit in the Temple of God So that it is most rationally conceived as a Title given to those many Heretical Teachers which were Apostatized from the Church even in the Apostles daies There are Christiani sine Christo Christians without Christ such are all they who professing his name have no real interest in him but here are Christiani contrae Christum Christians against Christ so far degenerated from their christian profession as to set themselves in direct opposition to Christ That the Jews and Heathens should bee Antichrists is no wonder but that such who had been Baptized into Christ yea had Preached Christ should Apostatize to a renouncing of him â—enders them so much the more Antichristian and perhaps for this reason the Apostle prefixeth the Emphatical Article for whereas the Jews and Heathen were Antichrists because not knowing they never owned but opposed him these were such as knowing had professed him but either through fear of men or love of the World or which is worst of all desperate malice not onely deserted but rejected him 2 The former of the titles is not onely asserted but as Gualter well observeth by way of Interrogation amplified it is not hee is a Lyar who denyeth but who is a Lyar but hee that denyeth which is as much as to say If hee bee not a Lyar none is according to that expression which wee sometimes use as Estius well observeth by way of Aggravation what is wickednesse if this bee not so that our Apostle hereby affirmeth of these Antichristian Teachers that they were Egrâ—giâ—â—â— notâ—rious Lyars for so Beda glosseth In hujus comparatione mendacii câ—tera aut parva videntur aut nulla in comparison of this Lye others are small or none at all There are two things which denominate a man an odious Lyar the one
of the Greek phrase in our English Language than by supplying a word after denieth namely thus who is a lyar but hee that denieth saying that Jesus is not the Christ and surely if the affirmative be the truth as hath been already proved hee must needs be a Lyar who asserteth the negative That this then is a lying Heresie appeareth by the preceding Discourse that which only remaineth to bee inquired is the truth of the charge that these false teachers did deny Jesus to be the Christ indeed as Justinian well Hoc maximè faciebant Judai this was that which the Jews did most expresly deny but yet withall there were Judaizing false teachers among the Christians such was Simon Magus Menander Ebion and Cerinthus with others upon whom this was justly charged Simon Magus taught that it was he who appeared among the Jews as the Son in Samaria as the Father and to the rest of the Nations as the Holy Ghost Menander that he was sent from the invisible Powers a Saviour for the redemption of men and so affirmed themselves to be the Christ and in that denied Jesus to be the Christ Valentinus Ebion and Cerinthus affirmed Jesus to be a meer man begotten by Joseph conceived and born of Mary after the ordinary way and that Christ was another Person who descended on him in the shape of a Dove when he was thirty years of age and that it was not Christ but Jesus who dyed upon the Crosse and was buried and rose again and what did these but in effect deny Jesus to be the Christ And now if any shall say this concerneth not us for wee doe heartily acknowledge and openly professe that Jesus is the Christ I shall desire such to consider that there is a direct and a collateral a dogmatical and a practical denying Jesus to be the Christ 1 Hee who acknowledging Jesus to bee the Christ doth yet detract from any of his Offices to which he was annoynted vertually and collaterally denieth him to bee the Christ upon this account both Socinians and Papists are justly charged by the Orthodox as Antichristian Lyers The Socinians indeed acknowledge Christs Regal Prophetical and Sacerdotal Offices but yet they confound the Regal and the Sacerdotal they detract from the Regal taking the rise of it from his Resurrection when as the Angel saith of him as soon as born hee is Christ the Lord and chiefly from his Sacerdotal whilest they acknowledge his intercession but deny his Sacrifice and assert his death to bee onely a consecration of him to his Priesthood which say they hee only exerciseth in Heaven The Papists likewise do ascribe those three Offices to him and yet they detract from every one of them from his Prophetical by denying the written Word to be a sufficient and perfect rule of Faith and manners from his Sacerdotical in both the parts of it by their Superstitious sacrifice of the Masse and praying to Saints and Angels to bee their Intercessours Finally from the Regal by setting up the Pope as Head of the Church and giving him that power of supremacy and infallibility which hee never derived from Christ 2 But to bring it yet a little nearer to our selves he who professedly assents to this truth that Jesus is the Christ and yet is not guided by him as a Prophet governed by him as a King and rests not on him as his Priest practically denyeth him to bee the Christ Very apposite to this purpose is that of St. Austin Quiescat paululum linguâ— interroga vitam quisquis factis negat Christum Antichristus est let thy life speak rather than thy tongue whosoever denyeth Christ in his works is an Antichrist If any provide not for his house saith St. Paul hee hath denyed the faith that is done an act inconsistent with the Christian faith whereof he maketh profession which is in effect to deny the faith thus hee whose life dishonours Christ who giveth not up himself to the rule and government of Christ who sayeth in his actions I will not have this man to reign over mee in truth denyeth Christ and is no better than an Antichrist and oh how many Antichristian Christians then are there In one word whatever profession wee make of Christ and our faith in him Whilest by our Envy and Malice pride and Covetousnesse Rapine and oppression Intemperance and Prophanenesse wee walk directly contrary to the Law and Life the Command and Example of our holy humble peaceable and charitable 〈…〉 s we do that in our actions which the false Teachers did in their Doctrins deny Jesus to be the Christ and thus much shall suffice for the dispatch of the first-branch of the accusation the time being expired I shall put off the further prosecution of the charge against these Antichrists till another Sessions THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St. JOHN CHAP. 2. 22 23 VERS Who is a Lyer but hee that denieth that Jesus is the Christ hee is Antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son Whosoever denyeth the Son the same hath not the Father but he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also OVr blessed Saviour calling those two sons of Zebedee James and John to bee his Disciples gave them the Sur-name of Boanerges which signifieth a Son of thunder mutatio nominis dâ—ni alicujus spiritualis significationem habet where names are changed some spiritual gift is conferred it was so no doubt upon those Apostles to whom Christ gave eminent abilities of asserting truth confuting errours reproving sin perswading repentance in such a way as might like thunder awaken the dull and drowsy world That St. James was such a Thunderer appeareth by his sufferings it being very probable that his powerfull Preaching of the Gospel was the occasion of Herods malitious persecution and that the liberty of his tongue cost him his life That St. John was one who did not onely lighten in his conversation but thunder in his Doctrines appeareth by his writings and more particularly this Epistle wherein hee cryeth aloud and lifteth up his voice like thunder against both the Hypocrites and Heretickes of his time against those in the former chapter these in this and more especially in these verses Who is a Lyar c. The latter branch of the accusation against the Antichrists in S. Johns daies is that which now commeth to bee discussed as it is propounded in the end of the two and twentieth and proved in the three and twentieth verse 1 Begin wee with the charge it self Hee is Antichrist that denyeth the Father and the Son These words are looked upon by Expositors in a double notion either as a distinct accusation or as an aggravation of the former charge 1 Serrarius upon this clause saith Altera haeresis est negantium patrem et filium in these words another sort of Hereticks are charged who denyed the Father and the Son inasmuch as they feigned another father so did Basilides and Saturnius as
consider what consequence do naturally flow from them I have so much charity as to think that many of the Jews and some of the followers of those Antichrists did not think that by denying Jesus to bee the Christ they were guilty of such a blasphemy against the Deity as to deny the Father and the Son but yet so it was as appeareth by what hath been already said I have the same opinion of many seduced persons in this age who are not so considerate to weigh the evil inferences which are justly deducible from such praemises which they embrace as truth Indeed we must distinguish between natural and forced deductions some like Spiders suck poyson out of flowers like bad stomacks turn the best nutriment into ill humours perverting the soundest Doctrins by fallacious paralogismes If wee are made sinners by one mans disobedience then say some God is unjust in charging Adams posterity with his guilt If Justification bee by Faith alone then say others what need of good works If Christ bee the Propitiation for the sins of the world then say others wee need not fear though wee adde sin to sin and thus the most pretious Doctrins of the Gospel are abused to patronize horrid conclusions but how irrationall they are easily appeareth to any who shall judiciously examine them Nor doth this hinder but that many specious doctrines have a sting in their tayl and how amiable soever they seem in their direct aspects yet they will bee found very detestable in their reflection The Antinomian in denying that God seeeth any sin in justified persons or is at all displeased with them when they sin denyeth that hee is Omniscient not knowing all things and that he is a Pure and Holy God hating sin where-ever hee findes it The Socinian in denying that Christ did expiate sin and satisfy justice denyeth the merit of his death the dignity of his person and justification by faith in his blood Many instances of this kinde might bee brought in several erroneous positions both of these and other Hereticks the truth is according to that known saying uno dato absurdo mille sequnntur one absurdity being granted a thousand follow and such as were they apprehended would doubtlesse be abhorred though not by those who broach yet by many of them who entertain such positions and therefore let it bee our Wisdome to examine whither this or that Doctrin tends to what it leads and what must necessarily follow upon it for so doth S. John here in which respect hee chargeth them who deny that Jesus is the Christ with denying the Father and the Son 2 The Proof of this latter part of the charge is that which now followeth in the next verse Whosoever denieth the Son the same hath not the Father but hee that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also I call this a proof and not without Reason since the Argument is strong Hee that hath not the Father denyeth him hee that denieth the Son hath not the Father and therefore he denieth the Father and the Son The verse consists of two clauses the latter whereof is not in our ordinary Greek Copies and therefore is left out by Calvin and is conceived by Daneus to have crept out of the glosse into the Text. But Beza assureth us that hee saw it in two Greek manuscripts it is also in the Syriack and vulgar Latine and inserted though in another Character by our Translators If wee peruse the writings of this Apostle wee shall finde no way of illustration more frequent than that which is by contraries whilest sometime the Affirmative is amplified by the Negative and then again the Negative by the Affirmative in which respect it is not improbable that this affirmative might here bee annexed by the Apostle But since I shall have a more fit occasion of handling the duty of confessing Christ when by Gods grace I shall come to the second and thirteenth verses of the fourth Chapter and withall there being the same reason of contraries the unfolding of the one is virtually an explication of the other I shall not inlarge in a distinct handling of these clauses That which would here bee principally inquired into is the notion of this phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to have the Father of which Interpreters give a threefold construction 1 That phrase in the first Commandement of having none but Jehovah to bee our God may give some light to this for as there habendi verbum pro credere intelligere usurpatur the word having is as much as knowing and beleeving So here and then the design of our Apostle in these words is to let us know that all Jews and others who deny the Messiah however they pretend to beleeve in and give worship to and have the knowledge of the true God in truth they are ignorant of him and so neither beleeve nor worship him aright because they do not know beleeve and worship him as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Indeed this is to bee understood as to the explicit notion with a limitation in reference to Christ already come As for the Jews before Christ though the godly among them had some glympse of this for otherwise they could not have beleeved in the Messiah which was to come yet it was not expresly required of them to invocate God as the father of Christ but God having now sent his Son into and by him revealed himself unto the World hee can no other waies bee rightly adored and invocated but as his Father To this purpose it is that Christ is called by the Apostle the image of the invisible God which though it bee true of him as hee is the Son of God in respect of his eternal Generation by which the Divine essence being communicated to him hee is the Image of God that is personally taken God the Father yet in that the Apostle saith not onely the Image of God but of the invisible God there seemeth to be a tacit Antithesis and so it is to bee understood of the Son of God made man who by his incarnation is become a visible Image of the invisible God for this reason it is hee saith himself elsewhere if yee knew mee you would know the father also and indeed as wee cannot comfortably see the Sun with a direct aspect but in its reflexion so neither can wee rightly know the father but in Christ who is his visible Image Suitable hereunto it is that our Saviour expressely saith No man knoweth the Son but the Father neither knoweth any man the Father but the Son and hee to whomsoever the Son will reveal him and among other constructions of those words you beleeve in God beleeve also in mee this is one That if they did not beleeve in him they could not beleeve in God so that from hence wee may infer that not onely the Barbarous Pagans who worship the Sun the fire or any other creatures of Gods
making or stones and Images of their own making but the Mahumetans and the Jews who worship the Great Creator inasmuch as those onely worship him as revealing himself in their fanatick opinion by Mahumet and these worship him onely as he was pleased to reveal himself of Old by Moses but not as now hee hath manifested himself in his Son Jesus nay both of them denying his Son Jesus are therefore most justly looked upon not onely as false Worshippers of a true God but in some sense as Worshipers of a false God because they have not that is they know not neither do they beleeve and worship the Father of Christ to wit not formally though materially adoring him who is but not as he is the Father 2 That phrase of St. Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we have the minde of Christ may serve as a paraphrase upon this To have the Father is to have the minde of the Father which is else where called his good acceptable and perfect will This will or good pleasure of the father is the redemption of the World which he sent his Son both to accomplish and reveal in this respect St. Basil upon these words Hee that hath seen mee hath seen the Father thus glosseth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not the figure or form of the Fathers essence which is most simple and uncompounded but the goodness of his will and therefore hee who denieth the Son cannot have but is either altogether ignorant of or Apostatized from the Doctrin of the Father of which latter the Apostle especially speaking the notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken as if it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for so it is many times used to hold and accordingly Grotius glosseth Non tenet quae sit voluntas patris hee doth not hold fast the good will of the Father which is published in the Evangelical Doctrin And no wonder for hee that hath not holdeth not the foundation cannot have the Superstructure Now this Thesis That Jesus is the Christ is the very foundation of that Gospel-truth which the Father hath by Christ imparted to us and consequently the denial of this cannot consist with having the father that is with holding the will and minde of the Father declared in the Gospel 3 Lastly that Glosse of St. Cyprian would by no means bee left out Non habet patrem benevolum he hath not the father benevolous and propitious to him and so wee may construe this phrase by that in the first chapter of having fellowship with the father and whereas it is said in the former verse hee denyeth the father this carrieth more in it namely That the father denyeth him Indeed all that love the father hath to us and fellowship we have with the father is through his Son Whence it followeth that every one who hath not the Son but much more hee who denyeth the Son hath not the Father yea the Father is highly displeased and enraged against him When Theodosius would not bee intreated by Amphilochius to suppresse the Arrian Hereticks who denyed Christ to bee the eternal Son of God that Godly Bishop saith Theodoret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 found out a memorable stratagem to convince him of his fault for going into the Palace when Theodosius and his Son Arcadius were together hee saluteth the Emperour with his wonted reverence but giveth no Honour to the Son the Emperour supposing it was a forgetful neglect puts him in minde of it to whom his Answer was it was enough that hee had done obedience to him at which the Emperour being greatly offended the good Bishop thus bespoke him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 You see O King how ill you take it that your Son should bee dishonoured how angry you are with mee for not giving him Reverence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beleeve therefore that the great Lord of the universe cannot but abhor those who blaspheme his onely begotten Son Of this number were these Antichrists concerning whom St. John plainly asserteth that denying the Son they have not the father no true knowledge of him nor of his Doctrin nor can they expect his love and favour towards them What now remaineth but that wee take heed least we bee found among the number of them who deny the Son nor is this Caution unseasonable for 1 There want not among us such the Socinians I mean who affirm with those Hereticks of old Christ to bee onely man and these however they pretend to acknowledge yet consequentially deny him to be the Son of God for saith the Author to the Hebrews Vnto which of the Angels said hee at any time thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee and if not to the Angels surely not to a meer man who is lower than the Angels It would not bee passed by that a little after in that very Epistle Jesus whom the Apostle had proved to bee far higher than the Angels and that in this very particular of being Gods Son is said to bee little lower than the Angles and that this is to be understood in respect of his man hood appeareth by the Scripture just before quoted what is man that thou art mindful of him thou hast made him a little lower than the Angels the litteral sense whereof is to assert the humane nature inferiour to the Angelical surely then in respect of that nature wherein hee is below hee cannot bee far above the Angels and therefore to assert him a meer man though never so highly honoured is to deny him to bee the Son of God in the Apostles sense that is so as by reason of that Sonship to bee higher than the Angels for to allude to S. Pauls expression though they are called Gods whether in heaven or in earth as there bee Gods many and Lords many but there is but one God the father so though there bee that are called the Sons of God whether Angels or men yet there is but one who is the begotten Son of God which is so high a dignity that hee must bee more than Man or Angel who is capable of it and consequently to assert him a meer man is to deny him to be Gods Son 2 Besides wee may bee Orthodox in our Judgement concerning the Son of God and forward in our confession of him and yet interpretatively deny him and that especially two waies 1 When wee detract from the al-sufficiency of his merits upon what is it that the infinite vertue of our Saviours death did chiefly depend but this that hee is the Son of God so that hee that doth not relye on the virtue of his death denieth him to bee Gods Son and yet how apt are many to offend in this kinde by either a total despairing of salvation through Christ or a part al-joyning of other Saviours with him and to say that either Christs blood cannot at all or that it cannot alone to wit as a meritorious cause expiate sin is to
say it is insufficient and consequently it is not the blood of the Son of God which may justly bee interpreted a denial of the Son of God 2 When we refuse to hear and obey the Word of God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the Fathers by the Prophets and hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son Of this Son the voyce said twice hear him and not to hearken to him when hee speaketh to us is in effect to deny him who is it but the Son that wooeth us in the Ministry of the Gospel to accept of mercy pardon and salvation upon the terms of faith repentance and obedience and if wee say no in our hearts is not this to deny him How often saith Christ to Jerusalem would I have gathered thy children together as un Hen doth her Chickens under her wings but you would not May hee not take up the same complaint of us See that you refuse not him that speaketh saith the Author to the Hebrews for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven where the two words of refusing and turning away are very emphatical the one signifying to pray against a thing for so oft-times wee refuse with a God forbid and so it noteth a refusal with indignation the other importing an alienation of the heart from a thing since we turn away from what wee cannot endure and so intimateth a rejection with detestation and have not wee need of this caution Since though being the Son of God he came and spake from Heaven yet wee reject his sayings and is not this to deny him 3 Adde to this that Christum deserit qui Christianum se non asserit hee that doth not professe himself a Christian denieth Christ not only those who wilfully professedly maliciously and so at once both inwardly and outwardly deny the Christ the Son of God but those who whilst inwardly they beleeve in him doe yet refuse if called to it openly to own him either through fear or shame or both are vertually deniers of him It is very observable that what is here called a denying of the Son is elsewhere phrased a not honouring the Son that whereas in St. Matthew it is Whosoever shall deny me in St. Mark it is Whosoever shall bee ashamed of mee that in St. Pauls Epistle to Timothy denying Christ is opposed to suffering for him Finally that here is no medium in the text between denying and acknowledging the Son By all which it appeareth that though we doe not wretchedly oppose and gain-say the Son of God yet if wee doe not honour him and that as we honour the Father with the same adoration both of soul and body if we are not ready upon all occasions to acknowledge him if because of reproach we are ashamed to own him nay if we refuse being called to suffer though it be death it self for his name we are no other than deniers of him And now beloved though at present there bee neither disgrace nor danger in acknowledging the Messiah the Son of God nay indeed quaestuosa res est nomen Christi it is both gainful and honourable to bee a Christian and therefore it is little thanks to own Christ yet what think you if wee had lived in the Pagan Persecution or if God should which his mercy avert let loose the Turk to invade Christendome or suffer the Socinian Heresie to over-spread the world as once the Arrian did have wee ready hearts willing mindes to contend for the saith nay rather would wee not wretchedly renounce at least cowardly conceal our Christian profession certainly my brethren they who now deny obedience to his call will then deny the profession of his name they that will not hear the Son speaking to them in his Word will never bear reproaches and persecutions for his sake Upon all these considerations it is an useful admonition to us that we doe not deny but acknowledge the Son It is the Psalmists advice even to Kings well may wee follow it Kisse the Son lest hee bee angry kisse him with a kisse of affection of subjection be ready to testifie your faith in him reverence of him love to him upon all occasions The more to inforce this upon us take notice 1 Who it is the Son and that in a double notion 1 Being the Son he thinketh it no robbery to be equal with God in as much as according to the Athanasian Creed he is God of God Light of Light very God of very God being the Son he is Heir of all things Lord of Heaven and Earth and shall we in any kind or for any cause deny him This is that which St. Jude brings in as an Aggravation of the sin of these very Antichrists whom hee calls certain men crept in unawares they denied the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ where though some take the words dis-junctively applying the first clause to the Father and the second to the Son yet since there is no Article in the Greek between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God and Lord to divide them yea the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that parallel place of St. Peter is evidently used of Christ and withall the Heresies of those times more directly struck at Christ than at God the Father it is not improbable that St. Jude intended here only to set forth Christ in his Natures and Prerogatives whom he calls the only Lord God as elsewhere the Father is stiled the only true God not in exclusion of the other Persons but of all false Deities And now when we set before us the Divinity Majesty Soveraignty and authority of Christ the only Lord God how must the sin of denying him appear beyond measure sinful 2 This glorious and eternal Son of God was pleased to undertake and accomplish the work of our Redemption and it would bee no other than a monstrous ingratitude to deny him upon this account St. Peter speaking of these very Antichrists under the name of false teachers aggravateth their denial of Christ in that it was of the Lord that bought them there cannot bee a more execrable villany than for a slave to disown his Lord that hath ransomed him who would not cry shame on that Son who should deny his own Father and may I not say of the Son of God in Moses his language to every one of us Is not he thy Father that hath bought thee what is there thou canst bee in danger of by acknowledging him which hee did not actually undergoe to redeem thee Is it losse of estate he was poor of credit hee was reviled of liberty he was bound of life he was Crucified and shall any of these dishearten us from honouring or enduce us to deny him when therefore any temptations
the Wiseman Buy the Truth but sell it not buy it at any rate but sell it at none truth as it is the Ministers trust so it is the Inheritance of all Christians say wee therefore with Naboth God forbid I should sell the inheritance of my father Beloved now is the time of trial whether we will dye like Souldiers or run away like Cowards whether we will quit our selves like men or bee tossed to and fro like children God Angels Men are spectators to see how wee will acquit our selves and whether we will adhere to the truth we have embraced And truly when wee consider how tenacious Hereticks are of their Novel errors it may put blushing into our faces who are so apt to bee withdrawn from primitive truths besides what will it avayl us to have heard and that so as to beleeve if that which wee have heard doe not abide If you continue in my word saith our blessed Saviour then are you my Disciples indeed as vertue so truth saith to us Either never chuse me or never leave me Fides non accepta sed custodita vivificat it is not the receiving but the keeping of the faith which entituleth to life Indeed as the Pilot keeping the ship is kept by the ship so by the Gospels abiding in us it is that we are preserved to life eternal In one word that which you have heard is the faith which was once delivered to the Saints once for all unalterably unchangeably as it hath been delivered to let it be preserved by you wee cannot alwayes remain with you but oh let that which you have heard from us remain with you and as you have heard it from the beginning so let it abide with you to the end That this counsel may bee the better followed observe these short directions 1 Strive for a well-grounded knowledge he that embraceth the truth he knoweth not why will leave it hee knoweth not how the Ship that is not well ballast may soon be overturned silly women are easily captivated by crafty teachers let that which hath been heard by you be assented to upon good grounds and then it will abide with you 2 Keep the mind lowly Ignorance is a spunge to suck in and Pride is a bawd to vent error none more likely to fall than he that proudly leans to his own understanding nor are any hearers more foolishly fickle than they that think themselves wiser than their teachers 3 Love the truth affectionately Hold fast saith St. Paul to Timothy that which thou hast heard of mee in faith and love these are the two hands by which wee both receive and retain what we hear love is the best key to open the heart for receiving Gods Word and the strongest lock to keep it in when we have received it the reason why they of whom St. Paul speaketh were carried away with delusious is because they received not the truth in the love of it Love saith to truth as Ruth did to Naomi Where thou goest I will goe nothing shall part thee and me but death 4 Practice what you have heard that meat which turneth into good nourishment stayeth with us hee that digesteth the word by obedience retaineth it by perseverance St. Paul saith of them who put away a good conscience that they made shipwrack of their faith a good conscience is as the Bark and Faith as the Commodity if the Bark miscarry the commodity cannot bee safe 5 Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Neque enim quae habemus ab eo servare aut tenere possimus sine eo saith St. Bernard truly what wee receive from him we cannot keep without him as the hearing ear so the holding hand is his gift 6 Finally fixe your eyes on the advantage of Christian constancy both here and hereafter as it is set forth in the text which leads me to the Motive by which the duty is inforced and that 1 In respect of the present comfort which attendeth upon them in whom what they have heard abideth as it is exprested in this verse If that which you have heard from the beginning shall remain in you you also shall continue in the Son and in the Father in which clause are considerable the condition required and the benefit assured 1 The condition required is the same with the duty prescribed in the fore-going clause and therefore will not need any further explication only the different manner of proposal would not be passed by that it may appear the repetition is not needlesse That which is before expressed as the matter of a precept is here repeated as the condition of a promise whereby is intimated to us a double necessity of this as indeed of all other duties namely according to that known distinction in the Schools praecepti medii of the precept and the means 1 The necessity of the precept is that whereby every Creature is obliged to obey the command of its Creator wee have an usual Proverb Must is for the King much more for the King of Kings It is said by the Historian of Caesars Souldiers Imperium potius quam consilium sequebantur receiving a precept they needed not perswasion not why but what is the question which every inferiour ought to make in reference to the Supream power and upon this account the duty of perseverance in the faith though there were no benefit accruing to us is necessary because required by him 2 But loe yet another necessity of the means which is in order to the obtaining of an end that which is called a conditional necessity and is true of all such means without which it is impossible the end should bee accomplisht if a man will goe to an Island he must passe over the waâ—â—r if he will preserve his life hee must eat and drink if we will continue in the Father and the Son that which we have heard must abide in us Thus is Almighty God pleased to enforce that upon us for our own sakes which we ought to doe for his sake herein condescending to our infirmity which stands in need of manifold obligations to our duty 2 From the Condition proceed wee to the benefit and therin take notice of these two things its proportionality how suitable its excellency how pretious 1 How suitable is the benefit to the condition here is continuance recompensed with continuance the remaining of the Word in us that is the Duty remaining in the Father and the Son that is the mercy It is that which is not onely here but elsewhere and that very often to bee observed Indeed that which is called a Geometrical proportion not onely of quality but equality is onely to bee found in Threatnings between the sin and the punishment since the largesses of mercy are far beyond our performanceâ— and this not in all threatnings neither onely in those which denounce eternal vengeance But the Arithmetical proportion which
Kingdome an eternal glory and everlasting joy an eternal inheritance and everlasting salvation and very frequently eternal and everlasting life nor is it without good reason that this Epithete is made so much use of and that especially on a double account 1 Propter eminentiam to advance the excellency of this Life St. Austin enlarging in the praises of this life heapeth up a multitude of excellencies The Life saith hee which God hath prepared for them that love him is vita vitalis beata secura tranquilla pulchra munda casta sancta a lively happy secure peaceable amiable pure chaste and holy life but stil that which crowneth all is its eternity and therefore the Father goeth on ignaramortis nescia tristitiae it is a joy which cannot be interrupted with any sorrow and a life which is altogether ignorant of death it is sine labe sine dolore sine anxietate sine perturbatione corruptione et mutatione without spot or wrinkle without sorrow or vexation without change or corruption Look as in respect of Divine attributes eternity is that which runs through and puts a lustre upon them all so that it were little to say of God hee is holy wise just good nay that hee is omnipotent omniscient omnipresent unlesse wee could say hee is eternally all these so is it in respect of the excellencies of that other life they could afford little comfort were they not eternal 2 Propter differentiam to difference it from and set it in opposition against this present life This life how sweet soever is but short that life is not onely sweet but lasting yea everlasting This life as to many acts of it is suspended by sleep and at last wholly taken away by death that life knoweth no cessation nor interruption but shall bee one continued act Here Orimur morimur wee no sooner begin to live but wee hasten to death our life is like an hour-glass which is no sooner turned up but it begins to run out or like a Lease which is no sooner taken but it begins to expire the longer our time past hath been on earth that to come is so much the shorter and the more wee grow in Life the nearer wee are to Death But there the Sun riseth and never setteth continually shining in its full spendor that estate is not a Lease for years but an inheritance for ever This Life is a fading flower a flitting shadow a vanishing vapour but that is a flourishing laurel an induring substance a fixed Star Finally This Life is so short that it may bee measured by months by daies by hours but that is so long as it cannot bee measured by Years nor Jubiles nor Ages since when those happy Saints have lived so many millions of ages as there are piles of grasse on the earth drops of water in the Ocean sands upon the Sea-shore or stars in the firmament their life shall bee as new to begin and as long to continue as at the first moment when they entered into the possession of it and thus I have given you an account of the excellency of the benefit pass we on to the Certainty of the Conveyance in those words This is the Promise promised The Explication of this branch will be dispatched in two Queries What this meaneth that eternal life is said to be promised Why it is so emphatically called The Promise 1 Inquire wee a little into the import of this word promised and this will the better appear by considering it in a fourfold opposition to wit twofold in reference to him by whom and twofold in respect of us to whom it is promised 1 In regard of him by whom it is promised wee may very well consider it as opposed to a bare intention and a meer declaration 1 Eternal Life is promised not onely purposed I confesse in one Scripture promised is no more than purposed to wit where St. Paul to Titus saith of eternal Life it was promised before the World began but according to the common notion and usual acception promised is more than purposed A Purpose is onely the thought of the heart a Promise is the fruit of the lips A purpose is secret and hidden a promise is open and manifest Finally A Purpose is onely an intention of the minde but a Promise is the revelation of the intention This Eternal Life was from all eternity purposed and being purposed could not but bee accomplished for the Decrees of God must stand but had it not been promised as well as purposed wee might at last have injoyed it but in the mean time could not have known it it would have been as a treasure hid a fountain sealed a spring shut up Gods purpose then is the emanation and his promise is the signification of his will whereby it becomes manifest unto us Nor yet is this all but 2 Promised is more than declared it is one thing to reveal and another to promise that onely mâ—keth known but this maketh sure that giveth notice of but this an interest in when therefore eternal Life is said to bee promised it doth not onely mean that it is intended but that it is manifested yea not only that it is manifested but that it is assured God hath not onely set before the Sons of men this eternal life as a thing in it self real and excellent no nor yet onely as that which may possibly yea probably bee attained but hee hath promised that is he hath in his word given an undoubted assurance that hee will bestow it and this is the meaning of hath promised Nor yet is it a simple naked promise but such as is attended with an oath so the Author to the Hebrews expresly God willing more abundantly to show unto us the heirs of Promise the immutability of his counsel confirms it by an Oath that we might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to the hope set before us which hope is no other than the thing hoped for eternal life yea more than this both the word and oath are upon record in Holy Writ and all this hath a seale annexed to it both the privie seal of the Spirit and the broad seal of the holy Sacraments for our further confirmation If then you will have the import of these words be hath promised in reference to God it is that hee hath not only resolved but spoken it not only spoken of such a life but said hee will give it us yea not only spoken but sworn and this not only with his lips but it is as is were under hand and seal 2 In respect of us to whom it is promised wee may look upon it in a double opposition to actual possession and due desert Eternal life is promised yet not possessed the promise is past it is the preterperfect tense hath the possession to come St. Paul useth the future tense shall give It is not unfitly observed that it is the wisdome of Divine dispensation
Jewes to search the Scriptures for in them you think to have eternal life doth he not plainly intimate that in the Law of Moses and Scriptures of the Prophets Eternal Life is made known together with the way that leads to it In one word the Resurrection of the dead the term whereof is eternal life is expressely called by the Apostle Paul the Promise of God made unto the Fathers This then is the Promise which hee hath promised not that it was not at all promised before but not so fully so clearly eternal life was promised in the Old Testament rather typically than litterally in general phrases than in expresse terms and hence it is that they were but a few comparatively who understood any thing by those Promises concerning it whereas now according to St. Pauls expression Christ hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel which plainly maketh it manifest to us in which respect the Promises of the Gospel are called by the Author to the Hebrews better promises not as to the things promised which are the same for substance but as to the easiness of the condition and chiefly the clearnesse of the Revelation It will not now bee amiss to consider a while who this Hee is by whom this promise is so punctually promised nor need wee any further character of him than what is given before in this very chapter It is hee that is righteous and therefore cannot deceive It is hee that is the Holy one and therefore cannot lye so that since it is hee that hath promised it must bee performed It is hee who is an advocate with the Father to plead for our admission into heaven who is the Propitiation for our sins to wit by his blood which is also the purchase of this life It is hee who is the Christ annointed to the office of a Prophet that hee might reveal to of a Priest that hee might obtain for and of a King that hee might confâ—r on us this eternal life Finally it is hee who is the Son and being the Son is the Heir and being the Heir hath a title to this Life not onely to injoy it himself but impart it to us By all which it appeareth that whereas men oftentimes promise those things which they have no power or right to give yea sometimes they promise what they never intend to give and hence it is that their Promises are vain lying and deceitful Hee that hath promised hath Power and Will to give it hee saith nothing but what hee really intends and will certainly fulfil and now if you would know to whom this promise belongs go on to a view of the next and last particular which is the 4 Propriety of the persons in the pronoune us It is that which may be looked upon both in a way of inlargement and of restriction 1 In a way of inlargement us not me onely the Proâ—ise was not peculiarly to the Apostles but to all true Christians upon this account St. Paul elsewhere speaking of this benefit under the name of a crown of Righteousness saith it is that which the Lord the Righteous Judge will give mee at that day and not me onely but all them that love his appearing In other Races though never so many run yet only one obtains the prize but this prize is given to all Christian runners that which intituled St. John to this life was not his new office of an Apostle but his new birth as a Christian so much the Apostle Peter implyeth when hee saith Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath begotten us to a lively hope to an inheritance and the meanest Christian is begotten of God as well as any of the Apostles it is not Grace in strength but Truth which is the condition of Glory and therefore this us taketh in all those sorts of Christians before mentioned not onely Fathers but Young men nay little Children 2 In a way of restriction us not all but us who are thus and thus qualified and if you please you may take in all those who are before expressed in this Chapter us who keep his Commandements for the promise and the precept are knit together nor can any partake of the one who do not keep the other us who walk as Christ walked for wee cannot expect to attain the end which hee hath promised if wee do not walk in the way which hee hath walked in and which leads to the end us who love our brother this being the Old and the New Commandement must bee obeyed if wee will enter into life us who love not the World nor the things of the World for hee is unworthy of the Life in that World to come who doteth with the love of this us who acknowledge the Son since onely hee that hath the Son hath Life Finally and principally us in whom that abideth which wee have heard from the beginning Indeed if you mark it you shall still finde the Promises of Eternal Life made to perseverance To them whâ— by patient continuance in well doing seek for Glory Honour and Immortality Eternal Life so St. Paul to the Romans I have fought the good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth is laid up for mee a crown of Righteousnesse so the same Apostle concerning himselfe not to multiply instances in those seven Epistles to the seven Angels of the Churches of Asia we find eternal life promised under several metaphors but still the condition prefixed is to him that overcommeth not to him that fighteth but who continueth fighting till hee overcome so true is that of St. Bernard whereas all the vertues run in the race it is perseverance alone which carrieth away the reward And thus I have given you an account of all the parts of the Text. I close up all in one word of Application and that 1 In General is there an Eternal Life promised why then do wee not beleeve it and if wee do beleeve it why do we not prize it and if we prize it why do we not seek after it Were it possible that men should be so much in loveâ— with this Life did they beleeve there were another or could they dote so much on a frail fading Life did they beleeve there were one that is Eternal If we view the practises of the Sons and Daughters of men wee may sadly observe that this Life is ever providing for as if it should never end and that Life is never prepared for as if it should never beginne whereas this Life shall soon end but that never We see saith St. Austin the Lovers of this present Life using their utmost care and cost to preserve it and all they can doe is onely ut differant non auferant mortem to delay that Death which they cannot prevent if men are solicitous ut aliquantulum plus vivatur that they may live
Father accepteth it as if he had drawn it to the head and hâ— the mark It is said of Abraham by St. James that he offered his Son Isaac upon the Altar when yet not Isaac but the Ram was offered and good reason since on Abrahams part there was nothing wanting according to Gods command he rose up early in the morning sadled his Asse took Isaac his Son with him clave the wood went to the place built an Altar prepared the fire laid the wood on the Altar Isaac on the wood took the knife to slay him and had not an Angel from God prevented him he had actually slain him Where God denieth ability or oppâ—rtunity he alwayes accepts the will for the deed It is that which may more particularly bee taken notice of for the comfort of the Ministers of the Gospel who sincerely indeavouring the conversion of Sinners though they prove not successeful shall be looked upon by God as if they were A Pilot saith Quintilian cannot be denied his lawful plea though the ship miscarry whilest he holdeth the helm aright and sayleth by the Compass nor shall hee who carefully steereth the course of his Ministry by the compass of Gods Word bee found guilty though the ship whereof he is Pilot sink into perdition that promise in the Book of Daâ—iâ—l They that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmaâ—â—nt and they that turn many to righteousnesse as the stars for ever and ever is probably to be understood in the first clause of all the godly who are most truly wise and in the second of the Prophets of God who are said to turn many to righteousnesse even when perhaps they doe not turn any in respect of their cordial desires and earnest labours as here false Prophets and Teachers are charged to seduce them whom yet they did not seduce because of their design and indeavour 3 The last and chief thing considerable in this part of the text is the what the act in that word seduce indeed venerable Bede by these Seducers understands all those who by fair or foul means draw men to any evil and thereby hinder them from partaking the promise of eternal life mentioned in the former verse but I rather with the stream of Interpreters expound these Seducers to bee the Heretical Antichrists spoken of before though in the handling I shall reflect on all that seduce to any evil The Greek word here used most properly belongs to Travellers when they wander out of the way from thence it is applied in the first place to erring which is a wandring from the way of truth so in that of St. James Doe not erre my beloved brethren and in the next to seducers which is a causing others to erre so here and many other places indeed Aretius on the text taketh in both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id est qui errant alios in errorem trahunt them that seduce that is them who erre themselves and draw others into it That which would here bee observed is the evil temper of Hereticks who having espoused an error are very solicitous to be get children by causing others to erre for this cause they are compared by St. Jude to wandring starres by which we are not to understand the Planets in the Heaven which are so called because by reason of their various motions they seem in the eye of the vulgar to wander but the fiery Meteors in the air which are called Starres for that resemblance they have to Starres in outward appearance which being hurried up and down by the wind themselves doe oft-times misguide the unwary Traveller into Boggs and Fens thus having before borrowed a Metaphor from the Air resembling these false Teachers to Clouds without rain for their vain-glorious boasting from the Earth comparing them to withered Trees for their barren conversations from the Water resembling them to the raging waves of the Sea for their furious cruelty so taking in all the Elements he borroweth a Metaphor from the Fire comparing them to wandring starres or meteors because of their mischievous mis-leading for as these especially the Ignes fatui as they are called foolish Fires being carried up and down by the Wind have themselves an uncertain motion and mis-guide the Traveller into a wrong path so did those Hereticks having themselves forsaken the right way entice others to follow them in which respect St. Paul saith of these Seducers that they wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived Nor is this lesse observable in other sorts of sinners Jeroboam having set up Calves at Dan and Bethel ingageth the people to worship them Absolom having a rebellious design against his King and Father David attempts to steal away the hearts of the People from him The Harlot resolving to prostitute herself goeth forth to inveagle the next young man shee meets to her wanton imbraces and those bloody miscreants call upon others saying Come let us lye in wait for blood Thus there is in wicked men a kinde of itching desire to make others as bad as themselves and perhaps this is the meaning of the phrase in the Prophet They draw iniquity to wit by drawing others to iniquity Indeed here in they follow the suggestion of that Prince of darkness for as it was Christs charge to Peter Being converted strengthen thy brethren so it is the Devils to his Agents Being perverted pervert thy Bâ—ethren nay hereby it is they do not only obey the Command but imitate that pattern of their Father the Devil who not standing in the truth with too happy or rather unhappy a successe endeavoured mans fall that as hee with his evil Angels were thrown out of Heaven so Adam with his Posterity might bee cast out of an earthly and kept out of â—n heavenly Paradise And now I would to God all Hercticks would consider how great an evill this is to bee a seducer It is bad to bee an actor of evil our selves but far worse to be an inticer It is bad to bee seduced by but much worse to bee a seducer of others wee seldome finde Jeroboam the Son of Nebat mentioned but with this mark That made Israel to sin no doubt for his greater infamy When Elimas indeavoureth to turn away the Deputy from the Faith St. Paul is inraged with an holy zeal and in him giveth every Seducer his due brand Thou full of all subtilty and mischief childe of the devil and enemy of â—ll righteousnesse Wee are not able to answer for our own sins wee had not need contract upon us the guilt of others wee cannot pay our own scores there is no reason for us to make others debts ours God knoweth we have sinnes enough as so many Sons of our own why should we adopt others yet so doth the Seducer whilest without timely repentance hee must give an account for all those souls which hee hath either in design or effect seduced
Catholick Religion but yet even these are falsely pretended by hereticks and by the feigned semblance of these it is that they indeavour and oft times with too much success to seduce their auditors from the faith These Seducers have been more or lesse in all ages but I think I may safely say never more than in this and if you mark it you shall finde the Old cheats still practised The Papists on the one hand pretend to the Church Traditions Miracles and a formal sanctity The Socinians boast much of Reason The Antinomians of Liberty The Anabaptists Quakers and such like of Enthusiasms a light within breathings impulses and discoveries of the Spirit All Sects have some mixtures of truth and would father their Errours upon the Scriptures And now being encompassed as it were with such subtle Sophisters crafty Seducers what need is there of a prudent vigilancy lest wee bee insnared by them according to that excellent advice of St. Peter Beware lest ye also being led away with the errour of the wicked fall from your own stedfastnesse Behold saith our blessed Saviour to his Disciples I send you forth as sheep among wolves bee yee wise as Serpents and innocent as Doves wise as Serpents to defend themselves innocent as Doves in not offending others or as Prosper to our present purpose innocent as Doves in not circumventing any and wise as Serpents in not suffering themselves to bee circumvented and surely this Serpentine wisdome is that which concerneth all Christians in some measure to attain so much the rather because these wolves as our Saviour elsewhere speaketh come in sheeps cloathing for this reason saith Optatus Ut prius ovis mordentem lupum sentiat quam praesentiat venientem that they may seize upon the sheep before it can perceive them comming Hee that walketh among snares had need bee cautelous and no less reason have we to bee circumspect who are in the same danger which those Christians were in of them that would seduce then and so much shall suffice to have been spoken of the first General namely the mischievous design of the false Teachers I go on to a more brief dispatch of the other which is The Pious care of true Apostles These things have I written to you concerning them For the full discussion whereof I shall look upon the writing here mentioned in a double reference namely as it was a result of the Spirits dictate and as it was an argument of St. Johns care 1 As a result of the Spirits dictates for St. John and the other holy men of God spake and wrote as moved by the Holy Ghost and so wee are here to take notice that the Divinely inspired writings are of excellent use against Seducers Indeed as a straight line discovers what is crooked and the clear light dispells darknesse so the word of God serveth to discover who are Seducers and to dissipate their clondy errours you erre saith our blessed Saviour to the Sadduces not knowing the Scriptures tacitly teaching us that the Scriptures well known and rightly understood are a guard against errour The whole Scripture saith St. Paul is of divine inspiration and is profitable as for reproof of sin so for the correction of errour Let it therefore bee our business especially in such erroneous times as these to study the Scriptures and not onely to bee well versed in the letter but acquainted with the meaning of them that as our Saviour refelled the tempter so wee may bee able to refute seducers with a scriptum est No darts pierce so deep as those which are taken out of the Lords armory no arrows hit the mark like those which are drawn out of Gods quiver nor is any sword so sharp as that of the Spirit and therfore as David hid Gods word in his heart that hee might not fall into sin so let us that we may not run into errour 2 But that which would bee chiefly taken notice of is that his writing these things concerning Seducers was an argument of his care that the people might not bee deceived by them It is that which wee finde to have been not only the care of this but the other holy Apostles the greatest part of St. Judes Epistle and of St. Peters second Epistle is concerning these Seducers frequent caveats wee meet with in St. Pauls Epistles to the same purpose witnesse his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Colâ—ssians Beware lest any man spoil you nay his threefold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Philippians beware of Dogs beware of evil workers beware of the concision and to name no more his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Romans beseeching that they would mark and avoid such It were easy to let you see how the Fathers of the Church have in this particular traced the footst eps of the Apostles Ignatius bespeaketh the Christians of Antioch in words much like those of St. Paul to the Philippians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Beware of Dogs Serpents Dragons Aspes Bazilisks Scorpions St. Cyprian in his Epistle to all the people is very urgent with his â—râ— vos fratres and again with his admoneâ— pariter et consulo advising admonishing intreating that they would not beleeve the smooth words of false Teachers lest they did mistake darknesse for light night for day and poyson for a remedy Irenaeus in his Preface to his first book against Heresys saith this was the reason of his writing those books that the wolves might not devour the sheep of Christ through his default for the same cause were those things written by Epiphanius Athanasius St. Augustin and many others which are extant concerning heresies Nor was it without a great deal of Reason that those holy men were and in particular here St. John was so careful to write concerning Seducers and that both respectu populi in regard of the people for the preservation of their safety and respectu sui in regard of himself for the discharging of his own duty 1 In respect of the people St. John well knew 1 That all men are naturally prone to errour their understanding as well as will being corrupted yea that the best being but men may through want of judgement and partiality of affection bee led aside The bad through wickedness and the good through weaknesse sometimes like sheep have gone astray 2 That the errours to which these Antichrists did indeavour to seduce them were in things fundamental for so it appeareth by the charge hee laietâ— against them which is that they denyed the Father and the Son that they denyed Jesus to bee the Christ a doctrine upon which the whole Christian Religion is founded St. Hierom upon that oâ— our Saviour Bee wise as Serpents observeth Serpentis astutia ponitur in exemplum quia toto corpore occulâ—at capuâ— ut illud in quo vita est protegat the Serpent is therefore mentioned as an Example of Wisdome
hid though with the fall of heavy mountaines upon them but hid they shall not cannot bee Every one shall then appear and that in his own colours the Hypocrite shall appear not as hee seemed to bee but as hee is his vizard shall bee plucked off and his paint melt away and hee shall bee stripped of his sheeps cloathing According to what really wee have been and done so shall we in that day appear and so shall wee bee judged for hee shall reward every man according to his works Oh then my Brethren since these things shall bee both that Christ will appear and then wee must appear How holy ought wee to bee in all manner of Conversation It will bee a sad day with us if at once it shall bee latere impossible and apparere intolerabile impossible to bee concealed and yet intollerable to appear if as wee shall not bee able to hide so neither to hold up our heads in a word if as wee shall have no opportunity of running away so wee shall have no courage to stand Oh then let it bee our wisdome before hand to make account of and preparation for that appearance And if you would know how it shall bee with you then often examine how it is with you now Erect a Court of Judicature in thine own soul summon thy self before thy self if thou beest not able to answer thy Conscience thou wilt bee less able to appear before this Judge according as this Apostle tells us in the next Chapter If our heart condemn us God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things Oh then keep a good Conscience and lead a good life Order thy steps according to Gods word and gain by faith an interest in Christs merits having begun continue in the faith and obedience to the death and being in Christ abide in him to the end so shalt thou appear with joy and not with sorrow with boldness and not with shame before him and so I am fallen upon the 3 Last particular which is expressed namely The confident appearing before Christ of those who abide in him that wee may have confidence and not bee ashamed before him at his comming wherein wee shall more particularly take notice of the excellency of the Benefit in those words Have confidence and not bee ashamed and the extent of the persons to whom this benefit redounds in the Pronoun we 1 The Benefit which cometh by abiding in Christ is set down according to our Apostles usual way of speaking both Affirmatively and Negatively nor was it without a special reason namely that hee might at once set before us both the advantage of perseverance and the danger of Apostacy inasmuch as here are two plain assertions The one that they who abide in Christ shall hav econfidence The other that They who abide not in him shall be ashamed before him at his comming 1 On the one hand The Persevering Christian shall have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Confidence before Christ at his comming I shall not here trouble you with the various significations of this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 especially since it is so fully done to my hand by the late Critical Annotatour Here it is not unfitly rendered confidence or boldnesse It is by our Saviour expressed in those two phrases of lifting up the head and standing before the Son of man shame causeth a man to hang down his head but confidence lifts it up fear maketh a man run away but boldness encourageth him to stand this confident boldnesse shall they then have who now abide in him It may perhaps bee here demanded How can any yea the best Christian have confidence before Christ at his comming St. Basil weighing the severity of that day saith That even Abraham the Father of the Faithful should then tremble and indeed considering the exact inspection of the Judge and the manifold infirmities of the strongest Christians it may very well be wondered how any of the Sons of men should be able to appear then with boldnesse but beloved notwithstanding this there are three things which shall make the persevering Christian confident at that day namely 1 The Testimony which his own Conscience shall give him of his sincerity In die judicii qualem unusquisque habet conscientiam talem judicem habebit saith St. Bernard truely One of the Books which shall at that day bee opened and according to which wee shall bee judged is that of conscience and as our Apostle saith in the next Chapter If our heart condemn us not then have wee confidence towards God There is no surer Argument of sincerity than constancy these two are joyned together Their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in Covenant their unstedfastnesse argued their unsoundnesse surely then the conscience of a persevering Christian cannot but bear witness to him of his uprightness with what confidence doth the Church go to God when shee is bold to appeal to him in her affliction and say all this is come upon us yet wee have not forgotten thee neither have wee dealt falsely in thy Covenant our heart is not turned back neither have our steps declined from thy way Thus can the Faithful Christian plead for himself Blessed Jesus though the World hath flattered and affrighted mee the Devil tempted and solicited mee yet have I not forgotten nor forsaken thee I have had many failings in my course nor can I acquit my self from infirmities but through thy grace my heart hath not been turned back nor have my steps declined from thy waies This is our rejoycing saith St. Paul yea this shall bee our rejoycing at that day the Testimony of a good conscience But yet let mee tell you this is the weakest prop of a Christians confidence and therefore 2 That which in the next place will embolden him is The right hee hath to the Promise even that Promise which is mentioned a little before of eternal life Fidelis est qui promisit non te fallet tantum tu noli deficere sed expecta promissorem Hee is Faithful that hath promised and cannot will not deceive thee do not thou faint and hee will not fail thee good reason then hath he who in some measure fulfilleth the condition by abiding in Christ now with confidence to expect the Promise then Though it is far from him to say in the Language of that proud Fryer Da Domine quod ego merui Lord give me what I have deserved yet he will say with an humble boldnesse Da Domine quod tu promisisti Lord give mee what thou hast promised having confidence not in the merit of his own works but the fidelity of Christs word 3 Adde to this in the last place The interest which he hath in the Judge Hee that is to come to Judge the World is the Head of his Church and consequently all who abide in him are his members Hee that then shall appear as the
especially that of Hereticks 681 Confidence whence that ariseth which persevering beleevers shall have at the last day 748 Self-Conceit see Arrogance Concupiscence see Lust Confession of Christ when called to it necessary and why 627 629 630 Constancy see Perseverance Contempt of the world required of Christians 328. Contentation with our condition a choice virtue 385 Covetousnes why called a lust of the eyes in what it consists 374 to 378. an universal disease 378 379. insatiable 380 381. enslaving 382 opposed to all the Beatitudes 383. breaketh all the Commandements 424 425. a cause of Heresies 509 Creatures all of them may be our teachers 201. b. Curiosity of knowing of seeing condemned 364. c. one cause of Heresy 509 D. DEath puts an end to all worldly lusts 449. befalleth the righteous as well as the wicked 467. ought to bee daily meditated on and that by the youngest 491 Delights the difference between spiritual and carnal 448. they end in misery 456 Denial of Christ how many waies 617 614. it is a denial of the whole Trinity 618. how denied as the Son of God 626 627 Desire after the things of this world when inordinate 326 The Devil is subtil as well as malicious 362 363. his aim is to hinder us from the word 293. hee taketh advantage against us from our selves 363. hee stirreth up evil lusts in men 437. hee is the wicked one how hee came to bee so and in what respects hee is so 277 c. wee ought to fight with him 287. our best weapon against him is faith 289 Doctrines must bee examined in their consequences 620 621 Drunkenness a lust of the flesh wherein the sin consists 350 351 E. ENvy see Hatred Epicures please all their senses 366 Epistle the first of St. John a Touch-stone 1 2 Eternity puts a value upon things 477 704. this world so much the more transitory when compared with it 475. Christians of all others obliged to seek after it 478 Eternal Life two fold 657. why that life must bee so 658. it is the choice excellency of that life 659. it is the promise 665. made by Christ most clearly 665. to them that persevere 670 Examination of our selves is that in which wee ought to bee very serious 75 Examples we are apt to follow bad ones 437 Excelling when the desire of it is sinfull 794 795 F. FAith why called knowledge 8 9. it uniteth us to Christ 41. it produceth three sorts of effects 72. in exercising its reflex act wee must not neglect its direct 77. of great use in resisting the Devil 290 opposed by the Devil 634. it cometh by hearing 638. Falling away see Apostacy Father God cannot bee now rightly worshiped but as the Father of Christ 622. in denying the Son the Father is denied 616. several sorts of Fathers 208. perfect Christians compared to Fathers 204 b. Flesh a three-fold acception of it 343. several lusts of the flesh 344 to 358 Forgiveness of sin taketh off the obligation to punishment 241 242. may bee considered three waies 244. a special mercy 245. a great honour to God 248. hee is engaged to it by promise 249. it is for Christs sake 250 251. an obligation to repentance and love 252 to 254 Fornication a sinful lust of the flesh 348 G. GLuttony a sinful lust of the flesh 349 God from the Beginning 260 Gospel hath Law in it 88 89. the true light and why 122 123. the Truth 580 of Divine Original 583. leadeth us to Christ and by him to God 649 Grace if true cannot consist with the dominion of any sin 544. it is of great worth 545. to bee preserved and imployed by us 552 557 705. wee must concur with it 7â—7 it is not alwaies discerned by them who have it 76. it may be known whether true or counterfeit 71 72. all graces are connexe 60 61. wee must not bee proud of it 405. a little must not content us nor yet discourage us 213. wee must grow in it 217 218 H. HAppiness of that other life cannot bee expressed 654 Hatred of our Brother an hainous sin wherein it consists 166 to 178. he that is guilty of it may yet think his estate good 180. but hee is really very bad 184 Heresy the cause of it 509. those which are fundamental are to bee most opposed 600 Hereticks being erroneous themselves seduce others 679. they are cunning to seduce 682 683. very tenacious of their errours 645. they are lyars and Antichrists 597 Hearing the sense of knowledge faith 637. it must be with our heart and foot as well as eare 639 Humility wee are obliged to it both as men and Christians 405 Hypocrites pretend to great measures of illumination 21 22 I. IDleness a sinful lust of the flesh 355 Jesus that such a person there was 601. that hee is the Christ 602 to 612 Ignorance several kinds of it 588 589. the causes of it 591. most odious in old men 269 Illumination of the mind no less needful than the outward Revelation 568 570 Imitation of Christ hath a Limitation 45 46. how far extended 52. it cannot bee exact 53. ought to bee endeavoured 54 55. our relation to and union with Christ obligeth to it 56 57 Imputation of Christs righteousness to us how it cometh to pass 42 Incest a sinful lust of the flesh 346 Inconstancy in Religion bemoaned Interpretation of Scripture not to bee attempted by every men 236 Joy three things concur to it 68 Judgements God giveth warning of them before he sends them 501 K. KIngdoms have their periods 388 Knowledge very amiable 19 590. especially that of Christ 20 266. what it imports to know Christ 7 8. twofold 265 24. how differenced 25. if onely speculative it is not right and will but aggravate our condemnation 25 27. it must bee joyned with obedience 23 24 463. if right it is the mother of obedience 5. puts us on love to Christ 23 273. in what sense Christians know all things and with what knowledge 564 565. the means of attaining it 592. wee still need instruction 593 L. LAst Times those from the first to the second comeing of Christ 484 485. we must look upon every day as our last 491 Law in comparison of the Gospel darkness 124 Life why that future bliss so called 653. that far excels this 659. this transitory 450. too much doted on 659. three-fold 256 Love the nature of it in general 325 Love of God twofold 28. the effect of a right knowledge 29 30. it renders our obedience acceptable 32. what perfection of it is attainable 33 34. hee is to bee loved chiefly as a Father 415. it cannot consist with but casts out the love of the world 416 417 Love of our Brother the old Commandment 89 94. nothing added to it by Christ 105 to 110. in what sense a new Commandment 110 to 114. it prevents many sins and scandals 153 to 155. he that loveth is in the light 151. wherein Brotherly love
what they care not for whilest your emulations strifes quarrels are so great and fierce one with another about worldly matters it strongly argueth they have possession of your hearts she for whom the gallant adventures his life in the field is very probably concluded to be his Mistris surely the world commands thy heart when it engageth thee in litigious quarrels 6. Lastly You may very rationally judge of your affections by your actions your love by your care your delight by your service When we read that Jacob served an hard Apprentiship to Laban and that no less then fourteen years for the gaining of Rachell we may certainly infer that he loved her greatly men would never lay out their time and strength so uncessantly in the worlds drudgery were she not Mistris of their affections yea which doth the more fully proclaime their love their labour is a pleasure they are never in their element but when like the fish they are swiming in these waters or like the mole they are digging in the earth By all these considerations we may be able to discern whither our love be not inordinate towards this world and the things thereof and therefore such as we ought to be deeply sensible of affected with and humbled for And now what remaineth but that to this word of Conniction I annex a word of Dehortation that we all endeavour to wean our hearts from the love of this world Oh hearken and again I say hearken to this sprituall and Heavenly voice as it is called by St Cyprian Love not the world nor the things of the world Indeed as Seneca saith of sorrow I may say of love I do not require that you should not love it at all but I earnestly intreat take heed that you love it not too much the truth is our affections in regard of worldly matters are very prone to excess in Heavenly things it is impossible to exceed in Earthly things it is difficult not to exceed our grief quickly degenerateth into anguish our fear into trembling our desire into impatience our delight into jollity and our love into dotage Oh therefore be wise to watch the out goings of your hearts after worldly Objects and remember that as it is of the two best when brotherly kindness erreth on the right hand by louing too much so when worldly love offends on the left hand by loving too little Oecumenius upon the Text conceiveth that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostle writeth these things as to Children who are most apt to be taken up with ensuall Objects but doubtless as one well glâ—sseth Optimè omnibus congruit there are none of any age but stand in need of it Beware that you be not engaged and fettered with worldly love we read concerning the living Creatures mentioned by the Prophet Ezekiell that the Soles of their feet were like the soles of a Calves foot The Caldee paraphrase readeth it like round feet the feet are an emblem of our affection and it is observed of Sphaericall bodies that if you set them upon the ground they only touch it in one point so should our affections touch this world not too much cleaving to or leaning on it Dioscorides maketh mehtion of an Herh which he calleth the Indian leafe and observeth that it groweth in moorish fenny places Aquae sine ullâ radice â—nnatans swimming in the water without taking any root in the bottome Let this Herb be our emblem whilst we live in let us not love the world and though we make use of it to swim in for a time let not our hearts take root by an inordinate love The main disswasives from this sin we shall meet with in the Text only consider for the present that this worldly love is unreasonable injurious ingratefull and unchristian 1. It is unreasonable There are two eminent laws of love which are directly broken by this practice the one is simili gaudere the other is diligentem diligere like loveth like and love requireth love but alas when we love the world we love that which is unlike there being no proportion between our noble souls and this worlds good Indeed our souls were made after the divine image and similitude and therefore not made for the love of this inferiour world Besides when we love the world we love that which as it doth not give so neither can it repay love at the best it is only capable of serving not of loving us and why should we so pervert the nature of love as to love the world But further 2. It is injurious to our selves as well as incongruous to love since by loving the world it becometh our enemie it seems strange yet it is a truth the world is only a â—oe to them that love her if we use her she is an obsequious servant but if we love her she is a malicious enemy it is observed of the shadow Sequentem fugit fugientem sequitur if you follow it it flyeth from you if you flye from it it followeth after you It is proportionaby true of the world if you contemn it it will fear you if you love it it will domineer over you and that known Proverb of fire and water may justly be applied to the things of the world they are good servants but bad masters Adde to this 3. It is ingratefull to God as well as injurious to our selves all these things of the world are the largesses of Gods bounty the streames of his goodness and is it not an odious ingratitude to dote upon the gift and neglect the donor Very apposite to this purprse is St Austins similitude If an Husband being in a far Country should send a Ring to his Spouse out of his ardent affection to her would he not might he not justly take it ill at her hands if she should forget her Husband and fall in love with the token Thus do we when we cast God behind our backs and set our eyes upon this world Finally It is unchristian there being nothing more unbeseeming a Christian profession then a worldly conversation being Christians we profess the Faith and hope of a better world and shall we fall in love with this we intitle our selves the Children of God and shall we live and love as the Children of this world It is our Saviours argument to his Disciples After these things do the Gentils seek and because they do we should not at least wise not as they do it with such immoderate affection and therefore whilst Mammonists like Ravens feed on garbage like the Lapwing make their nest in order or like Beetles never sing but in a bed of dung let us have higher thoughts nobler desires purer joyes learning of this holy Apostle not to Love the world nor the things of the world THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St JOHN CHAP. 2. VERS 15 16. Love not the world neither the things that are in the world if any man love the
world the love of the Father is not in him For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world THe passions of the soul in their own nature are neither in their exercise are either morally good or bad Look as a Painters Colours according to the severall Pictures which they draw represent a chast Matron and a wanton Strumpet or as the winds according to the severall corners whence they blow serve to drieve the ship forward and backward so the affections according to the Object whereabout they are conversant become either helps or hinderances virtues or vices yea what the Astrologers say of the Planet Mercury in the Horoscope of mans nativity if it be in conjunction with a fortunate Planet it is the better if with an Ominous the worse is more truly affirmed of the passions when they are joyned to good Objects they advance virtue and when to bad they increase vice No wonder then if the holy Scripture take so much care about regulating our affections Indeed the Stoicks would banish and extirpate them and therefore say to them as Abimelech to Isaack Go from us for thou art much mightier then we but the Christian Religion would only confine or rather refine them by defining their proper Objects There is no need of draining up these waters only of diverting them into their right channell of plucking them up only planting them in a good soile We must not use them as Joshuah was to deale with the Amalekites wholly cut them off but as he did by the Gibeonites make them hewers of wood and drawers of water for the House of God Indeed as one wittily man fallen is the Anagram of man created his affections like letters misplaced so that there is no need of blotting them out only placing them in their right order Upon this account it was that we finde in sacred writ both precepts and prohibitions commands and caveats exhortations and dehortations in reference to the same affections sometimes in the same Verse So Christ to the Disciples Feare not but feare to the Women at the Cross Weep not but weep ofttimes in the same Chapter as in this concerning the affection of love if you cast your eyes in the foregoing Verses you shall finde those two Objects which we are to love God and our Brother and here in this Verse that single though comrehensive Object which we must not love Love not the world nor the things that are in the world c. Having dispatched the generall proposition in the begining of the fifteenth Verse we are now according to the proposed method to descend to the particular exposition as it is set down in the former part of the sixteenth All that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life This clause which I call the Exposition you see is a distribution intended no doubt for a further and fuller explication of that prohibition but whether of the Object or the Act is somewhat questionable since on the one hand the word world refers to the Object and on the other the word lust refers to the Act. Interpreters conceive that lust is taken metonymically for the Object lusted after and so account it a distribution of the Object but withall it is of the Object in reference to the Act. And when I observe that this all is positively denied to be of the Father I thinke it more rationall to construe this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all to be every lust that is in the world and so take it as a distribution of the act discovering the severall channels in which worldly love runeth It is inquired by the Schoolmen whither this distribution do compleatly enumerate the causes of all sin and it is affirmatively resolved Calvin upon the Text conceiveth it not much materiall whether it be exact or no no doubt these are the principall and all sins may some way or other be reduced to one of these If you please take a short view of the severall references of these lusts whereby they are differenced one from another Serrarius upon the Text hath thus ranked them that good which is immoderately desired is either such as is really received into us about which is conversant the lust of the flesh or which is only transmitted by species to the sight and so the Object of the lust of the eyes or which is neither received by it self or by species into us but is altogether without us and to this tends the pride of life Alexander Hales out of St Austin goeth another and in some respect a contrary way asserting exorbitant lust to be either about bonum inferius some inferiour sensuall good which is the lust of the flesh or exterius some externall visible good which is the lust of the eyes or interius some inward opinionated good which is the pride of life Aquinas distinguisheth the inordinate appetite of man to be after good either as considered absolutely or as it is attended with difficulty the former is the inordination of that which is called the concupiscible appetite and this is either in respect of those things that please the body which is concupiscentia naturalis the naturall desire but in the excess the lust of the flesh or of those things which by sight delight the imagination which is concupiscentia animalis an animall desire and in the excess the lust of the eyes the latter is the irregularity of the irascible apetite and is the pride of life Some not unfitly allude to that distinction of sins into carnall spirituall and of a mixt nature those sins which take sensible delight in sensible Objects are purely carnall and these belong to the lust of the flesh those which take mentall delight in mentall Objects are purely spirituall sins and belong to the pride of life those which take an inward delight in outward Objects are of a mixed nature and belong to the lust of the eyes The most plain and usuall reference of them is of the lust of the flesh to sensuall pleasures of the lust of the eyes to riches and of the pride of life to honours and so the voluptuous covetous and ambitious are the sinners guilty of these lusts This Grotius looketh upon as the genuine meaning and so much the rather because he conceiveth this sentence to be borrowed from the ancient Hebrews whence Pythagoras received it and from him Clynias who mentioneth these three as the cause of that unjustice among men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 correspondent to which is that of Philo on the Decalogue asserting it is the Fountain of all wars among men to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the evill lust either of wealth or honour or pleasure But what the large extent and withall the principall intent of these
1 Upon the Antichrists which then abounded in which respect there was so much the more need at that time to take heed they were not with-drawn from Christ and therefore saith the Apostle now abide in him Here is the faith and patience of the Saints saith St. John of persecuting times Here is the faith and constancy of the Saints may wee say of Heretical times then to abide in when many goe from Christ cannot but be very acceptable to him for this he commended the Angel of the Church of Pergamus I know thy works and where thou dwellest where Satans seat is and thou holdest fast my name and hast not denied my faith it is a small matter to be faithful to Christ in those dayes and places where Christianity flourisheth but the trial of our faithfulnesse is when we are in the midst of Apostates and Seducers He is the loyal Subject who is true to his Prince in Rebellious times and hee is the sound Christian who abideth in Christ in antichristian times where Heresie and Tyranny prevail there is Satans seat or rather throne and to adhear to Christ as our King where Satan hath his throne is constancy indeed Surely what is said of Pergamus may too truly bee affirmed of England at this day it is the place where the Devil playeth Rex mis-leading by Heretical Seducers multitudes into damnable errours and now beloved to abide in Christ and cleave to the truth will be both his and our honour 2 Upon the Christians who had already embraced and hitherto adhered to him whom therefore the Apostle bespeaketh now abide in him that is still continue faithful and hold out to the end Hee had told them before it is the last hour and hee would not have them fail at last That Coat which Joseph had from his Father is called by St. Gregory Talaris tunica a Coat down to his heels such must the coat of perseverance bee not to the knees or legges only but to the very heels Hee that begins a race nay that runs three parts of the way will yet lose the prize if hee give over before hee come to the goal as St. James saith of patience so say I of perseverance let it have its perfect work Oh my brethren I fear it may bee said to too many amongst us in the language of St. Paul to the Galathians Have you suffered so many things in vain if it bee yet in vain Have you so long maugre all opposition adhered to the truth and will you now by a cowardly faintnesse lose the glory and reward of all your former services Know you not that the grace of the Theater is the last Scene and it is the evening that crowneth the day cast not away therefore your confidence but as you have hitherto so now abide in him and which would not be passed by it was not long that this time of trial should last it was but for an hour and since they had been faithful so long he would have them hold out a little longer Could you not watch with me one hour said Christ to his Disciples shall wee not abide in Christ one hour I have served my Jesus said Polycarpus these many years shall I now desert him it is but for a while a very little while as here in St. Johns phrase a moment in St. Pauls and therefore now abide in him To bring this Part of the Text to a period 1 That wee may bee enabled constantly to abide in Christ there is need especially of two graces namely a strong faith in and an ardent love to Christ Hee that is fully assured that Christ and Christ alone is the root of all graces the fountain of all happinesse the foundation of all good and that as St. Peter expresseth there is no salvation in any other will certainly abide in Christ whatever befall him Hee that hath an endeared affection to Christ whose soul cleavâ—th to him as the soul of Jonathan did to David will not leave him nor suffer himself either by fair or foul means to bee withdrawn from him Where there is a voluntary separation between man and wife wee may safely conclude there is want of affection to each other in both or either since love being a desire of union cannot admit of a dis-junction and therefore let our prayer indeavour be that our faith may be strengthened our love inflamed and thereby our perseverance lengthened 2 Of how great concernment it is that we should abide in Christ himself hath told us in that fore-mentioned place of the Gospel where hee fully sets before us the advantage on the one hand and the damage on the other If we abide in him he will abide in us if we abide in him we shall abide in his love if wee abide in him we shall be enabled to bring forth the fruit of good works to his Fathers glory and consequently our own foelicity But if wee do not abide in him wee shall bee barrâ—â— and unfruitful cast out and withered and our end at last will be to be burned But what need I go further than the Text wherein wee meet with a very strong and pressing motive which is the last part and cometh now to be handled as it is laid down in those words That when hee shall appear c. In which there is something Supposed namely the comming and appearance of Christ when hee shall appear and again at his comming Implyed namely our appearance at that day in that it is said Before him Expressed namely the confident appearing before Christ of those who abide in him that we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his comming 1 That which is here supposed by our Apostle is that There is another comming of Christ when hee shall appear That the Hee here spoken of is Christ is so evident that it needs no discussion and that you may know of what comming and appearance St. John speaketh take notice of a threefold comming of Christ Virtual Spiritual Personal of his Power of his Spirit of his Person 1 Whensoever our blessed Lord is pleased to make known his Power in the deliverance of his Church and vengeance on his enemies Hee is then said to come and appear and of this comming wee finde mention both in the Gospels and Epistles many places there are which may and some which must bee so understood Thus when Christ saith There are some here standing which shall not taste of death till they see the Son of man comming in his Kingdome and again concerning the beloved Disciple If I will that hee tarry till I come what is that to thee it cannot bee rationally construed of any other than his comming to destroy the Jews that crucified him and deliver the Christians that Worshipped him 2 Whensoever our blessed Jesus is pleased by his holy Spirit to manifest himself to the soul of a beleever inlightening the minde
comforting the conscience inlarging the affections hee is then said to come and appear so runnes the Promise in the Gospel If a man love mee hee will keep my words and my Father will love him and wee will come in to him and make our abode with him in the Epistle to the Angel of the Laodicean Church Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man open the dooâ— I will come in to him and sup with him and hee with me 3 Besides both these there is a personal comming of Christ and this is double for so wee read hee shall appear the second time Indeed the Jews fancy two Messiahs oâ—e of the Tribe of Ephraim the other of the Tribe of Judah one the Son of Joseph the other of David wee no where read of any Messiah of any other Tribe than that of Judah But that which was the occasion of their errour is a certain truth namely that there is a double comming of the Messiah One of the titles of the Messiah is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee that is to come and it is that which as it did from the beginning so it will till the end of the world belong to him for though the first comming bee long since past in respect of which this very Apostle saith in the next Chapter The Son of God was manifested yet there is a comming to come in reference to which hee saith a little before in that Chapter hee shall appear And indeed though the late learned Annotatour refer the appearing in my Text to that virtual comming of his when Jerusalem was overthrown yet since there is no reason necessitating to restrain it to that and so soon after namely in the second verse of the next chapter this appearing is mentioned again where it must bee understood of that second and last comming I conceive it most congruous with the generality of Interpreters so to understand it here This is that comming of Christ which was Prophesied long agoe Enoch the seventh from Adam mentioned this advent saying The Lord commeth with thousands of his Angels and Daniel where hee speaketh of the Son of mans comming with the Clouds of Heaven Of this comming the New Testament maketh frequent mention It is foretold by Christ himself I go and prepare a place for you I will come again By the Angels This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as you have seen him gone into heaven By the Apostles The Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of the Arch-Angel and with the Trumpet of God So St. Paul Bee patient Brethren unto the comming of the Lord. So St. James Which if immediately it respect the virtual yet is to bee extended to this personal comming Finally There shall come in the last daies Scoffers saying where is the Promise of his comming So St. Peter That hee shall come again is an Article of our Creed founded upon many pregnant Testimonies of holy Writ To determine the time of his comming is without the compass of our knowledge because not within the spheare of Scripture-Revelation wee have lived to see those men found Lyars who have audaciously presumed to set the time Let us desire to know no more than God hath revealed and that is that it shall bee the last day At this comming whensoever it is bee shall appear to wit in splendor and Glory so it is called by St. Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. And herein lyeth the difference between the first and second comming of Christ Primus adventus ejus occultus secundus manifestus saith an Ancient his first comming was hidden his second shall be manifest quum conspicuus factus erit So Beza readeth my text when he shall appear conspicuously his first coming was in the form of a Servant his second shall bee in the splendor of a King at his first comming hee was meek as a Lamb at his second hee shall bee terrible as a Lyon at his first comming hee was accompanied with mean men at his second hee shall bee attended with mighty Angels at his first comming hee rode upon an Asse in his second hee shall ride upon the clouds Finally his first comming was in meanness and ignominy his second shall bee with might and Majesty This comming I trust beloved wee all beleeve and let us all be exhorted more and more to confirm our faith in it Indeed a sure beleef of this second advent is of urgent necessity in order to an holy life since nothing maketh the Servant more diligent in his business than a certain expectation of his Lords return hence it is that one character of a true Christianin the New Testament is to look for Christs appearing which implyeth a stedfast confidence that hee will appear It is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 si but cum If hee shall appear as if it were a thing dubious or onely probable hee may come or hee may not come but when hee shall appear as a thing certain and indubitable and taken for granted by our Apostle that they to whom hee wrote were fully convinced of and so shall I now charitably judge of you and proceed to the 2 Next particular which is implied and that is our appearance in those words before him The first comming was to save sinners upon the terms of faith and repentance his second shall bee both to save and destroy to destroy the incredulous and impenitent to save the beleeving and penitent sinners In order to this it is that whereas his first comming was to bee judged and so condemned and crucified his second comming shall bee to judge both by absolving and condemning That hee may perform this office of a Judge there must bee a general citation and consequently appearance of all men before him when hee shall descend from heaven all shall ascend out of their Graves Wee shall all stand so saith St. Paul to the Romans Wee must all appear so is his phrase to the Corinthians before the judgement Seat of Christ nor is this universallity onely in respect of all sorts of men but of all persons Quicquid hominum universis seculis toto orbe progenitum as Leo hath fully expressed it whatsoever man hath been is or shall bee born in any age or part time or place of this world hee must necessarily come before this Judge at that day Indeed some shall have boldnesse and some shall bee ashamed but all shall appear before him Hee telleth us himself that All nations shall bee gathered before him both sheep and goats good and bad The wicked indeed shall not stand in the judgement that is they shall fall in their cause but they shall stand in their persons desire they will bee to bee