Prophet promised Gen. 49. 10. Shiloh a starre coming out of Jacob the Messiah the Saviour of the world the Redeemer unto whom all the Prophets beare witnesse because you believe not that I am he but despise the Dan. 9. 25. great Salvation which I tender unto you You shall dye in your sinnes i. e. in your impenitency and Infidelity This I said before and I will repeate now I said therefore unto you that yee shall dye in your sinnes for if ye believe not that I am he yee shall dye in your sinnes From the words thus divided and expounded I shall lay down one only point of Doctrine for the Foundation of my ensueing Meditations That of all sinnes Infidelity especially is a grand-damning sinne Doct. against the Gospell For the Inlargment of this Doctrine my method shall be Method 1. To shew what Infidelity is 2. To produce Scripture Testimony for proofe of the Doctrine 3. To Confirme the same by Demonstrative Arguments 4. To inferre some practicall uses and apply them particularly My first inquiry is what Infidelity is or wherein it chiefly consists 1. What Infidelity is For Answer by way of Character I shall endeavour to represent the nature of Infidelity in these Particulars 1. Infidelity consists in not knowing of nor believing that there 1. Infidelity is the not knowing of a Christ is a Christ This is a Negative ignorance which is called Ignorantia purae negationis By beholding of the Sun Moon and starres even by this naturall light or book of nature they may be convinced that there is one God Creator and Governour of all things that this God is the absolute Being Firfi cause Being of Beings But without the Book of Scriptures we cannot know nor believe that there is a Christ This mysterie of Christ incarnate Christ crucified Christs merits Christs purchases is only revealed in the Gospell which is hidden unto Infidells a book sealed unto them above the ken apprehension and faith of the most learned Heathens Wherefore all such opinions that hold that the Sun Moon and Starres are sufficient to teach them Christ and faith in him are abhominable and cursed opinions We must fetch our faith out of the Book of Scripture Faith in Christ is a mysterie it 's of a spirituall cognizance beyond the capacity of a naturall man 1 Cor. 2. 14. And notwithstanding the negative ignorance and unbeliefe of Heathens they are not excusable T is true that those that sinne against knowledge shall have a hotter Hell but all ignorant persons are under a dreadfull curse Jer. 10. 25. 2. Infidelity consists and this is the height of it in not believing Jesus to be the Christ the Turkes account Christ as a great 2. Infidelity consists in not believing Jesus to be the Christ Prophet and will not suffer him to be reviled and blasphemed but they account him not a Jesus a Christ for they preferre Mahomet that grand Impostor before Christ The Jewes believe that a Messias shall come that then shall come that Prophet Moses prophesied of that Shilo that Messias that Jacob and Daniel foretold but as for Christ that they crucified at Jerusalem they reject him altogeather and account him no better then a deceiver and the veyle to this day is yet upon their hearts and their eyes are blinded and God hath given them the spirit of slumber Some Atheisticall scepticks we have now adaies that fancy to themselves a Platonick Christ a Chimâ—â—ra of their own addle braines these are better skill'd in the books of Plato then in the Bookes of holy Scripture this is but what Christ long agoe foretold that there should arise false Christs Mat. 24. 24. Insomuch that if it were possible they should deceive the very elect But there is a comfortable Parenthesis My soule trembles to think of the blasphemies heresies and all sorts of abominations that springs from this cursed fountaine of Platonick scepticisme I shall remind you of these speciall Scriptures which if the Lord set home upon your hearts will abundantly throw downe the Devils great strong holds of new devised whinsicall opinions hammerd upon the Anvill of an Atheisticall spirit Read them deliberately Act. 2. 39. Act. 4. 12. Joh. 17. 3. 1 Tim. 2. 5. And this is the very scope of this Text. Where it is said if yee believe not that I am he yee shall dye in your sinnes Is videlicet quem esse me dico verus ille vobis promissus Liberator So Beza on the place i. e. the same I say I Beza am the promised Redeemer Quaecunque scriptura Messiae tribuit ab ipso sperare jubet so Calvin Regula fidei est ut non modo credamus Calvin esse Christum sed eum quem scriptura docet verum sc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gualter so Gualter We must not only believe that there is a Christ but that he is the true Christ God and man which the scripture teacheth and expresseth to be the only Physitian Saviour Fountaine of living water bread of life our great high Priest the Messiah the annointed of God Piscator gives one Piscator short but pithy note Eum sc quem dico me esse videlicet Christum Now the not believing this Christ here teaching in my Text who was afterward crucified at Jerusalem to be the only Christ the only Mediator the only price of our redemption is a grand damning sinne against the Gospell 3. Infidelity consists in not believing of the Word of God Joh. 3. Infidelity consists in not believing Gods word 5. 38. Psal 106. 24. Neither believed they his wondrous works Ps 78. 22. A strange unbelieving people who neither for the Word nor for the workes of God would yet believe Every threatning and commination in the Word must be believed yet notwithstanding how many blesse themselves as Deut. 29. 19. That they shall have peace c. Every promise must be believed but what a great questioning of and what disputing against promises by unbelievers Many professe that Jesus is the Christ yet when it comes to particulars they walke not answerably to their profession For instance do they believe that they must be redeemed from their vaine conversation that they must be in Christ and be new creatures and be pertakers of the divine nature they must be borne againe if ever they expect to come to heaven These things they believe not these are hard sayings say they who can heare them yet the Word of God is resolute and peremptory and not the least tittle thereof shall fall unto the ground Is this Scripture believed Isa 3. 10. Say yee to the righteous it shall be well with him and Vers 11. Woe unto the wicked for it shall be ill with him Did men believe the Word and cleave to it Did men believe that the Judgments against the wicked and the promises made to the godly should be fulfilled they would not lead such lives as they
Judgement Hac fide vivo the rule of the Scripture is clear and infallible there shall be a day of Judgement All this world shall be dissolved This is a Doctrine most true My Text makes the Application 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Divis. Which words contain a Supposition and an Inference 1. Here 's something supposed Seeing c. It s a Principle undoubtedly 1. to be believed That the Heavens and Earth shall be dissolved and the Elements shall melt with fervent â—eat Compare this with Psalme 102. 25 26 27. Let 's not introduce nor beleive vain Philosophy which holds amongst many other dotages Quod coeli sunt incorruptibiles To me it 's out of question that he that made them by his word will one day by his word destroy them Now whether the heavens are so perfectly made as in their own nature uncapâ—ble of corruption is not here to be disputed of or whether the coelestiall influences be as vigorous as at first though a learned Dr. of our own holds the affirmative in that excellent Dr. George Hackwill in his Apology book entitled The Power and Providence of God in the government of the world Yet I shall wave this Question being loath to intermixe any Philosophicall dispute in matters of faith We beleive it We have sure ground plain scripture for our assertion that all these things shall be dissolved 2. Here 's an inference 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jts infer'd by way of admiration what manner of persons i. e. we should be eminent in holyness we should act in an extraordinary manner we should be rare singular even a non-such for pietie its Diodats observation upon the place If heaven and Earth be purified by fire what care ought Diod. in loc Calvin in loc we to take to be purged and clensed from our corruptions An ergo nos in terra demersos esse convenit c. saith Calvin on the place The heavens earth shall pass away and shall we be sâ—allowed up in the earth and not rather meditate on a holy and a godly life The argument I may thus frame There shall at the day of judgment be a dissolution of this visible Globe of heaven and earth therefore we ought in an especiall manner to labour after holyness This is the argument of the Text of incomparable strength But why is it in the Plurall number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is an Hebraisme when the Scripture would express a thing with a greater emphasis it useth the plurall number so Cant. 1. 4 We will remember thy loves thereby inhancing the greatness and multitudes of Christs loving kindness Likewise we read Psal 20. He is the God of our Salvations i. e. that he is the God from whom all Psal 110. 3. salvations come in the most high and eminent way And the Psalmist further specifies Psal 100. 3. Thy people shall be a people of willingnesse to shew their singular readinesse and willingness as if they were all made up of a willing mind and ready spirit for Jesus Christ Thus in the text in all holy conversations and Godlynesse Which expression some referre to dutyes of both tables it s most true that a godly man respects both and labours to keep a Good conscience both towards God and men For the genuine sense of the text Beza gives me full satisfaction Vsurpatur numerus multitudinis ex Haebreorum more ut pietas significetur omnibus suis partibus constans quam pro viribus sectari nos oporteat The scope of all I conceive to be this as if the Apoâ—â—le should thus inlarge himself You are secure and careless you shall be suddenly surprised The day of the Lord will come as a theefe in the night You commit Idolatry with the world your hearts are married to these outward things on a sudden all shall be consumed all wherein you trust shall be burnt up â—owever you put the day of judgment farre of yet it s a coming it s nigher then you are aware of and the heavens and the earth shall be dissolved At that day none but holy persons can hold up their heads with comfort Therefore seriously bethinke your selves anticipate the terrour and sorrow of that day by an holy conversation Make timely provision for that day Labour for holynesse and then you need not fear notwithstanding the burning up of the present world you that are holy here shall behold that day with comfort Therefore now have that day in your eyes in your thoughts in your frequent meditations in your prayers that you may be found blamelesse at that day The words thus divided and expounded presents unto you one entire plain and practicall Doctrine That the serious consideration of the day of Iudgment should in an especiall Doct. manner ingage us unto an holy life and conversation For the unfolding of this excellent and practicall poynt my work will be 1. To prove it by scripture testimonies Method 1. 2. 3. 1. For Scripture Testimony 2. To confirme it by evidence of Reason 3. To improve all to your consciences by particular application 1. For Scripture it contributes abundant testimony to the proof hereof I shall gather sparingly from so great an heap selecting only some more eminent proofes leaving the rest to be supplyed in your serious meditations Peruse v 14 of this chap. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But can any walk so Yes Zechary and Elizabeth walk'd so they were both righteous before God walking in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord blamlesse It was Pauls exercise Acts 24. 16. goe thou and doe likewise Labour to make strait paths Labour to approve thy heart to God always walking as in the presence of God Begge strength from Christ and thou canst doe all things through Christ that strengthneth thee Another proof we have 1 Pet. 4. 7. The end of all things is at hand be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer The consideration of our latter end should be a forcible argument to perswade us unto sobriety and watchfullness That 's a pregnant proofe of the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 5. 9 10. Vpon this consideration he layeth down those 3 adverbs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hopeing to gain them over to the practise of them Tit. 2. 11 12 13. This was a motive to him and the rest of the saints to have their conversation in heaven because hence they look for the Lord Jesus Christ You read of a sacred Irony Eccles 11. 9. The meaning is rejoyce in God walk in the wayes of Gods commandements that Ironicall speech commands the contrary Now what 's used by the wise man as a moveing consideration But know that there will be a day of judgment Entertain frequent and serious thoughts concerning it which through the grace of God set home upon thy heart may prevail with the circumspect walking in all holy conversation and Godlyness The consideration hereof should make us look better to our hearts and
the infallible rule of the word of God 4. It 's the duty of Christians to keep themselves in Gods ways within Prop. 4. Christians must keep within the compasse of their calling Luke 4. 11. the compass of their Calling We can expect a Blessing no further then we have a Calling for what we do Vzzah and Vzziah paid dear for their irregular attempts Whereupon Satan an old cunning Sophister when he tempted Christ and urged Scripture And in their hands they shall bear thee up lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone for he shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee leaves out what made against him in all thy ways for there was a pair of Staires to go down To precipitate himself down from the Pinacle had been the quickest but it was a destructive way 5. We must obey God rather then man When it comes to this Dilemma either you must displease God and wound Conscience or Prop. 5. We must obey God rather then man displease a potent enemy then thy resolution must be with the Apostle rather to obey God then man When it comes to this pass thou must either choose affliction or sin thy resolution must be to choose the greatest affliction in the World rather then to wound thy Conscience with the least sin See the practice of the three Children they submitted themselves to the rage of the King and the Fiery Furnace rather then they would worship his Image And Daniel Dan. 3. 21. Dan 6. 16. was cast into the Lyons Den for not obeying the Kings Decree Some State-Polititians might have insinuated themselves into Daniell and perswaded him to remit and abate a little of his Devotions though for 30 days but sinful compliance is abominable though but for a moment Daniel prayed three times as he was wont notwitstanding all bloody Edicts against him Be then well resolved Is this thing I am commanded to do a sin or no Is it agreeable to the rule of the Word Can I do it with a good conscience Thus Catechize thy self before thou venturest upon any thing And do nothing doubtfully for what is done doubtfully is not done believingly and whatsoever is not of faith is sin 6. We may not follow a multitude to do evil For though hand Prop. 6. We may not follow a multitude to do evil Exod. 23. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pythag. joyn in hand the wicked shall not go unpunished Multitudes power fear of men cannot be a sufficient Apology for me Mens examples are no warrant for my imitation for I am to walk by the rule of the Word not by the examples of men Pythagoras hath a saying Walk not in the rode Beasts follow the heard Non quà cundum est sed qua itur as Seneca observes Those that are Companions of Fools shall be destroyed Let us not bless our selves because we walk in beaten rodes and follow multitudes as if this was our commendation Eliah was better alone then if he had joyned with Baals Priests Luther was better alone then if he had joyned Unus homo solus totius orbis impetum sustinuit with the Popish party It 's said of Luther That he was the man alone that bore the violence of the whole world Athanasius was better alone then if he had joyned with a multitude of blasphemous Arrians And Epaminondas was better alone then if he had joyned Praestat solus sapere quam cum multis insanire Epamin Nunquam minus solus quam cum solus with multitudes of drunken Thebans The rule that he gives was It 's better to be wise alone then mad with a multitude If thou beest singular in right ways thou art not alone Never less alone then when alone for thou hast a good God a good Cause and a good Conscience and he that hath these hath the best Company 7. Christians ought to believe God upon his word All his Promises Prop. 7. We must believe God upon his Word 2 Cor. 1. 20. in Christ are Yea and Amen Not the least tittle of the Word of God shall fail The Lord would suffer none of Samuels much lesse will he suffer any of his own words to fall to the ground All the promises for the building of Zion shall be accomplished and all threatning Menaces against Babylon shall be accomplished Babylons ruine will make way for Zions raising There shall be a joyful word among the Nations Babylon is fallen Amen Allelujah Whatever promises are made for the Church shall come to pass in their appointed season The Prophet Isaiah complains There is a crying for Isa 24. 11 12. wine in the streets all joy is darkened the mirth of the land is gone In the city is left desolation and the gate is smitten with destruction But Dan. 9. 25. let 's read the Prophecy of Daniel Know therefore that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks and threescore and two weeks the street shall be built again and the wall even in troublous times In streits of times God hath promised to build his Church Hath not God said That the gates of hell shall not prevail against his Church Hath not he said to his Ministers that he is their portion he will be Matth. 28. 20. with them to the end of the world Now if God be for us who can be against us If God speak peace who can speak trouble Le ts in the eighth and last place in dark Visions and troublesome Prop. 8. We must wait pariently upon God Times wait quietly upon God Though passages of Providence are so intricate like a wheel in the middle of a wheel and our miseries are revived and the end of our trouble we may fear is like to be the beginning of another Yet let us wait upon God stand still be silent He that hurts us can heal us And a Reverend Divine said long ago of England That God would break us to pieces and then set us together Mr. Davenport again We are all a rebellious people and our provocations are many in all sorts and ranks of men even Magistracy Ministry People God is doing great things putting us into the Furnace and if from thence we come forth as Gold we shall be gainers by all our troubles Let us then in a reverential way demean our selves and wait upon God in his various dispensations And if you demand how must we wait I shall shew you in the third Use which now comes to be applyed and that 's for Direction This onely rule I shall lay down for a satisfactory Answer That Use 3. For Direction we ought to wait upoa God in the use of all good means But what are those means which are joyned with waiting They are these following 1. We must wait and pray Never more need of praying of Means 1. We must wait
exprest It 's wrote in such legible Characters 2. A Mercy as he that runs may read it Yet his days c. The words have need of a Paraphrase I shall open them briefly in their order By Spirit Ainsworth understands that holy Spirit of Christ by which he Preached in the Patriarchs and especially in Noah to the disobedient spirits of the old World and exhorted them by the Fathers to amend their lives so I take the Lo-iiddon Non vaginabit Pagninus Grotius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 70. Lo-jadon sense to be It followeth Shall not strive The 70 read it My spirit shall not abide But this I take not to be the meaning the word hath many significations it signifies to judge to chide and dispute As if the Spirit of God should say I have set Judges over you I have chid you reproved you argued the case with you sent my servants Noah Enoch Methuselah exhorting you to come and repent but you are incorrigible impenitent you are never the better notwithstanding all my patience forbearance waiting on you trying you therefore now my spirit shall no longer strive with you I will take no more pains with you I will dispute the case no longer but send a Deluge to decide the controversie And so I understand the words In seculum so the 70 read it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here you may see an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost Abyss of kindness to mankinde So Chrysostome That the Spirit hath ever strove with any is a great mercy But if the Spirit strive by Messengers rising early and going to bed late and by its motions and whispers if the Spirit be still resisted and abused it will leave striving and leave a people inexcusable Luther speaking of this Text saith This was a publick Sermon preached in a Fuit publica concio in publica Synodo proposita Luth. publick Assembly When those that were Gods Messengers spent their spirts in vain and saw that the people were desperate past all hopes of reclaiming they let them alone to take their course and to be filled with their own ways Then here 's a Reason given For that he also is flesh The word sets forth the corrupt nature of mankinde and is here put by way of opposition unto the Spirit It is the same with Animalis or Conqueritur Deus tantopere turbatuÌ„ esse ordinem dâ—se positum ut image sua in carnem transformata esset Calv. Centum viginti annos si foâ—te converâ—antur Cald Paraph Carnalis homo Man that was created after the Image of God hath defaced that Image hath corrupted his way and is become fleshly This God complains of That the order which he put is inverted and his Image transformed into flesh as Judicious Calvin observes Lastly Here 's a gracious reprieval and space allowed for repentance Yet his days c. This is not to be understood as if an hundred and twenty years were the limited term of years for mankinde to live in this world It 's apparent that many after the Flood lived longer But the meaning is that an hundred and twenty years shall be given them if haply they be converted This space God allows them for repentance and they had Noah a Preacher of righteousness and they saw the Ark a building and every stroke strucken The building of the Ark should have been a Monitor of repentance this was great and wonderful long-suffering as we read 1 Pet. 3. 19 20. By which he went and preached unto the spirits in prison which sometime were disobedient when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah The words thus opened contain two fundamental Doctrines 1. That it is a most dreadful judgement upon a people when the Doct. 1 Spirit of God refuseth to strive any longer with them 2. That it is an exceeding great mercy to a people when the Lord Doct. 2 vouchsafeth them time and space for repentance I resume the first and I shall cast the Heads of my Meditations Method of handling the Doctrine into this plain and familiar method 1. I shall assert the truth of the Doctrine from Scripture Testimonies 2. I shall particularly represent unto you how the Spirit may be said to strive with man 3. I shall enquire into the Grounds and Reasons for confirmation of the truth And lastly Conclude with particular Application unto our selves 1. To prosecute the first Head propounded time would fail me 1. The Doctrine proved by Scripture Testimony in Scripture Quotations but I shall gather sparingly from so great a cloud of Witnesses mentioning some select Proofs and leaving the rest to be supplyed in your Meditations Now that this is so great a Judgement for the Spirit of God to leave striving with a people may be exemplified in several persons recorded in Scripture as signal Spectacles of Divine vengeance to Posterity The Lord spared Sodom and Gomorrah a long time Abraham undertakes though dust and ashes to intercede for them He intreats That if fifty righteous persons be found there that they may not be destroyed His request is granted he abates five of fifty and then comes down to forty after that to thirty from thirty to twenty and at last to ten and it is to be observed that God never left off granting till Abraham left off begging They had good Lot to reprove and exhort them and they vexed his righteous soul day by day with their unclean conversation he spent his spirits his counsels admonitions all in vain Now God will spare them no longer the Angel delivered Lot from them and as soon as ever he was gone the Lord destroyed Sodom Gomorrah with Fire and Brimstone Gen. 19. 24 25. The Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of Heaven and he over-threw those cities and all the plain and all the inhabitants of the cities and that which grew upon the ground The Lord waited a long time upon Jerusalem sending his Prophets and warning them he puts them in remembrance of his exemplary Judgements upon others Jer. 7. 13. I spake unto you rising up early and speaking but ye heard not and I call'd you but you answered not therefore I will do to this house c. as I have done to Shiloh He expostulates the case with them Jer. 13. 27. I have seen thine adulteries and thy neighings the lewdness of thy whoredom and thine abominations on the hills in the fields Wo unto thee O Jerusalem Wilt thou not be made clean When shall it once be and Ezek. 18. 32. I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth saith the Lord God wherefore turn your selves and live ye The House of Israel was the Vineyard upon which God had bestowed so much pains cost and charges Isa 5. 1 2 3 4. My well-beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful Haec omnia usu venisse populo Judaico cum in Babylonica