were the Messias for that that was their question it appeareth plainely by his answer hee confessed and cryed not but confessed I am not the Christ Iohn 1. 20. That was one reason why not Herod onely but all Ierusalem with him were so troubled when they heard that the Messias was borne Matth. 2. 3. The fift and last question is how this woman being a Samaritan should come to know 1. That there should come a Messias 2. That he was now comming 3. That when he came he should more fully and perfectly instruct the Church in all things that concerne Gods worship and their saluation then euer they were instructed before I answer 1. She might know it by hearing that the Iewes of all sorts had now for a good while liued in an expectation of the Messias comming Euen at that time when Christ was borne there were many that looked for redemption in Ierusalem Luke 2. 38. One while they thought Iohn to be the Messias Luke 3. 15. All men mused in their hearts of Iohn if he were not the Christ. Another while they thought our Sauiour himselfe to be he as may appeare both by their reasoning among themselues Iohn 7. 40. Many said of a truth this is the Prophet others said this is the Christ and by the question they mooue to him how long dost thou make vs to doubt if thou be the Christ tell vs plainely Iohn 10. 24. 2. Shee might know this well by the bookes of Moses for the Samaritans as well as the Iewes did receiue the bookes of Moses and there it was written that the Scepter should not depart from Iudah till Shilo came Gen. 49. 10. And they all saw that the Scepter was either altogether or almost now gone from Iudah So Moses prophecying of him had said That hee should bee such a Prophet as God would put his words into his mouth and he should speake all that God commanded him Deut. 18. 18. Hauing thus opened the meaning of the words let vs obserue the Doctrine which the holy Ghost intendeth to teach vs in them And first in that this woman though she were but a Samaritan no member of the true Church and one also that had liued long in grosse sin yet had this measure of knowledge in the Principles and grounds of the true Religion for she knew 1. That the Messiah should come 2. That he was now comming 3. That when he came he would teach the Church all things and this knowledge she got not now by conference with Christ but had it before We learne That it is no certaine signe of grace to haue some knowledge of the truth knowledge is no grace peculiar to the Elect but a common gift No man hath cause to blesse himselfe in this as in an argument that he is in the state of grace that he knoweth somewhat in Religion For 1. There be and euer haue beene many very wicked and gracelesse men that haue had knowledge of sundry excellent grounds and principles of the truth Paul saith of the wicked Iewes that they knew Gods will and were instructed out of the Law Rom. 2. 18. 2. Such there are that are farre better perswaded of their owne knowledge then any of Gods seruants are whereas the godly are poore in spirit euer complaining of their ignorance they thinke they haue knowledge enough they are highly conceited of their owne knowledge are we blinde also say the Pharisees Iohn 9. 40. 3. Yea it cannot be denied that many such haue had more knowledge indeed then many of Gods children Iudas doubtlesse knew more then many of Christs good hearers did and Sathan the Prince of darknesse knoweth the truth much more cleerely then many of Gods Elect doe he could say to Christ euen then when he was vnknowne to the greatest part of the Church Mar. 1. 24. I know thee who thou art euen that holy one of God 4. Yea it is certaine that the knowledge that many wicked men haue and the high conceit they haue of it is that that maketh them more wicked then otherwise they would be What is it that maketh them to despise the meanes of grace and scorne such as follow Sermons Surely this perswasion that they know enough for their saluation they can say their ten commandements the Lords prayer and the Articles of their faith they know they must loue God aboue all and their neighbours as themselues they can speake of many parts of the Word and of the Principles of Religion They know Christ dyed for sinners and that is enough Of those men that may be said which the Prophet speaketh Esay 47. 10. Thy wisedome and thy knowledge they haue caused thee to rebell and thou hast said in thy heart I am and none else And that which Salomon speaketh Pro. 26. 16. The sluggard is wiser in his owne conceit then seuen men that can render a reason Three waies there be whereby many gracelesse men attaine to some knowledge of the truth 1. By the light of nature for some Principles of the truth God hath engrauen in euery mans heart by nature Rom. 1. 19. That which may bee knowne of God is manifest in them that is in their hearts and consciences for saith he God hath shewed it vnto them 2. Some of them God goeth further with for he disposeth so of them in his prouidence that they liue in his Church and vnder the meanes they cannot choose but get some knowledge euen by tradition though they haue no desire of it nor loue to it at all Such a one was this woman And that makes the Apostle say to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 8. 1. We know that we all haue knowledge 3. Some the Lord goeth yet further with for by his Spirit he doth enlighten them The Apostle speaketh of such as may fall into the vnpardonable sin and saith they were enlightened Heb. 6. 4. The Reasons why God maketh this gift of the knowledge of his truth so common are worthy to be obserued why he giueth such meanes of knowledge such measure of knowledge euen to wicked men For we may be sure of this God is not so prodigall as to mispend his goods to cast away his gifts but where he bestoweth them he seeth well he shall make a gaine and aduantage of them There are therefore two Reasons of it 1. In respect of the Reprobate For this is done to make them inexcusable and to increase their condemnation For as no wicked mans condemnation shall be so heauie as his that hath had most knowledge Luke 12. 48. So to them that God hath ordained the most heauie condemnation to them he giueth the meanes of knowledge So speaks the Apostle euen of that diuine light that God giues to the naturall man by his works the inuisible things of God from the Creation of the world are cleerely seene being vnderstood by the things that are made euen his eternall power and God-head so that they are without excuse Rom.
and mighty in operation Heb. 4. 12. that it conuerteth the soule Psalm 19. 7. that it is the power of God vnto saluation Rom. 1. 16. that it is able to saue our soules Iames 1. 21. that it is able to make vs wise vnto saluation 2. Tim. 3. 15. This power and ability that is in the Word to saue may bee seene in foure cases 1. It is able to enlighten and bring vnto sauing knowledge the simplest that shall heare and reade it with an honest heart Psalm 19. 7. and 119. 130. 2. It is able to reforme the heart and life of him that hath the strongest corruptions and greatest temptations if hee giue himselfe to the hearing and reading of it with a good heart euen the young man may reforme his waies if he would take heed to them according to the word Psal. 119. 9. 3. It is able to comfort and reuiue the heart that is most cast downe either with inward or outward afflictions I create the fruit of the lips the liuely voice of the Ministry peace peace to bee the meane of abundant and constant peace to him that is farre off and to him that is neere to euery one of mine Elect both Gentile and Iew saith the Lord and I will heale him Esay 57. 19. 4. It is able to preserue and add knowledge and grace to them that haue best profited I commend you to God and to the Word of his grace which is able to build you vp Acts 20. 32. And Marke 4. 24. to you that heare shall more be giuen 3. Because it is the onely euidence that we haue to shew and whereby we claime eternall life and whereby also we may be able to hold and defend the right we haue vnto it against Sathan himselfe Psal. 119. 111. Thy Testimonies haue I taken as an heritage for euer As the deeds and euidence of mine eternall inheritance The truth of this appeares in two points 1. It is the onely ground of our faith and is therefore called the Word of faith Rom. 10. 8. Whatsoeuer we belieue concerning our eternall saluation is but a deceiueable fancie vnlesse it be grounded vpon the Word Vnlesse by the Word we know that Iesus Christ the Sonne of God hath satisfied Gods iustice for vs that through him wee haue obtained remission of all our sinnes we can neuer haue any comfort in the hope of our saluation through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures we come to true hope Rom. 15. 4. When the Apostle Peter had spoken 2. Pet. 1. of the ground of all that hee had taught the Church concerning Christ and their saluation and said verse 16. hee had not followed therein cunningly deuised fables such as many of the chiefe points of deuotion in the Romane Church which pretends to be built vpon Peter is grounded vpon he tells them verse 19. what is the sure rule and ground to bee followed and rested vpon in this case We haue saith he a more sure word of Prophecie c. And as it is the onely ground of our faith so is it Secondly the onely Touch-stone whereby we may trie and surely know that we are in the right way to saluation whether our faith repentance loue and workes be such as God will accept of Iohn 3. 21. by our comming vnto this light our deeds shall bee made manifest that they are wrought according to God and by no other way Lecture the seuen and thirtieth Ianuary 2. 1609. IT remaineth now that we make Vse of the former Doctrine and so proceed to finish that which remaineth in this Text. The Doctrine which wee heard the last day serueth principally for two Vses First to worke in euery one of vs an high estimation and loue of the Word of God Euery man desires to be saued And indeed what is all our wealth and brauery and mirth we enioy here if in the end our soules be not saued Matth. 16. 26. Well as thou esteemest and louest and desirest the saluation of thy soule so must thou esteeme of the Word of God The Word as thou hast heard is the saluation of man It is the onely euidence any man can haue to shew for his eternall inheritance It is the field wherein this inestimable treasure of eternall life is to bee found Iohn 5 39. Search the Scriptures for in them yee looke to finde eternall life It is able to make thee wise vnto saluation how simple soeuer thou be It is able to conuert thy soule and reforme thy life how strong soeuer thy corruptions or tentations be It is able to giue thee comfort in any affliction how bitter or heauie soeuer they be Yea if euer thou be saued the Word must saue thee There is nothing vnder heauen so necessary nothing that we may not better want then the Word This is the thing our Sauiour spake of when he said Luke 10. 42. One thing is needfull Mary hath chosen the better part c. If God haue giuen thee a heart to beleeue this thou wilt esteeme of it as Dauid did Psal. 119. 72. The Law of thy mouth is better to me then thousands of gold and siluer And verse 97. O how loue I thy Law So that of all such as care not for the Word I may boldly say as Psal. 119. 155. Saluation is farre from the wicked for they seeke not thy statutes And Acts 13. 46. They that put it from them iudge themselues unworthy of euerlasting life Now because euery man pretends that he esteemeth highly of the Word and there is no man so vile will some say but he loues the Word I will giue you some notes whereby men may trie whether they esteeme of Gods Word as they ought and loue it indeed 1. He that esteemes the Word as he ought will heare it when he may not onely sometimes when he hath nothing to doe else but constantly as his chiefe worke and for the loue of it neglect other things this is that that Salomon saith Pro. 23. 23. Buy the truth and sell it not By this note our Sauiour commends Mary not as for doing more then she was bound to doe but for esteeming of the Word as she ought Luke 10. 42. Not onely they that will not heare it at all but they that heare it seldome that suffer euery worldly businesse and occasion to withdraw them from it will be found not to haue esteemed it Heb. 2. 3. How shall wee escape if we neglect so great saluation 2. He that esteemes the Word as he ought will exercise himselfe in the reading of it Though he be an ordinary hearer of the best Ministry vnder heauen yet he must not rest in that but exercise himselfe in the reading of it get him a Bible and either reade it himselfe or get some other to reade it to him It is a commandement that God layeth vpon the King himselfe that though he aboue all others might best pleade want of leasure though he enioyed the ordinary
1. 20. And this is then much more true of the clearer light he giueth men by his Word Ioh. 15. 22. If I had not come and spoken to them then they should not haue had sin but now haue they no cloke for their sin Let euery man say thus to his own heart it is the Lords doing that thou art borne in these dayes of light that thy lot is fallen into such a place where thou hast good meanes of knowledge that thou hast attained to knowledge aboue many others if thou profit not hereby and be not wonne vnto God certainely God hath determined to glorifie himselfe in thy condemnation more then in a thousand others that he hath not done so much for The second Reason is in respect of the Elect that God may vse this knowledge they haue as a preparatiue and helpe to their conuersion in the day of their visitation True it is that the naturall man hath nothing in him whereby he is able to prepare himselfe to his conuersion Yea he is ready to become the worse as we haue heard for this knowledge he hath of the truth But if he be the Lords Elect one whom he hath determined to call this shall be his aduantage and he shall haue cause to praise God for it that he hath liued in Gods Church and among Gods people where he hath heard somewhat of Religion and seene some profession of it that he hath had some knowledge in the grounds and principles of the truth yea if he haue but liued vnder an ignorant Ministry where he hath heard the Word read onely though that cannot conuert him nor any are to rest in it yet that small light he may get by it shall be an aduantage to him So was it with this poore Woman The knowledge she had gotten by hearing Moses read and by liuing so neare the Iewes now the time of her visitation was come prooued an aduantage to her So that which the Iewes heard of Iohn concerning Christ though for the present they regarded it not but rather were offended at it in the day of their visitation prooued an aduantage to them Iohn did no miracle but all things that Iohn spake of this man were true and many belieued on him there Iohn 10. 41 42. So the Apostle saith that the elect Gentiles that had liued among the faithfull to heare them and see their good examples though they hated them for the present yet in the day of their visitation they should praise God and account this a great benefit 1. Pet. 2. 12. The Vse of this Doctrine is first for conuincing of them that mislike wee should deny the Church of Rome to be a true Church of Christ or teach that they that die in the faith thereof cannot be saued or inueigh with any bitternesse against Papists because say they they hold many truthes By this reason both the Samaritans of old and the Iewes and the Turkes now may bee held to be true Churches and in the state of saluation 2. To teach euery one of vs to seeke for knowledge which is the foundation of all other graces without it can no man ordinarily be saued God will haue all men to bee saued and to come to the knowledge of the truth 1. Tim. 2. 4. Though many misse of saluation that haue some knowledge yet there is much more hope of the worst man that hath knowledge of the truth then of the ciuillest man that is void of knowledge Of all the sorts of ground where the seed was cast that by the high way side was the worst Matth. 13. 9. Let Ministers therfore principally labour to ground their people by Catechising in the Principles of Religion because him in whom thou mayest discerne a competencie of knowledge in the fundamentall Principles of Religion thou mayest with comfort admit to the Sacrament if his life be not scandalously wicked though thou cannot otherwise discerne any fruit of the Spirit in him because that man hath in him as I may say the matter and seed of regeneration And this should incourage parents to traine vp their children in the instruction and information of the Lord for though 1 many so trained proue vngratious 2 little ones haue little sense of that they learne yet if they belong to God this will one day prooue an aduantage to them 3. To teach professours not to glory in that they haue some knowledge but to labour for that which is proper to the Elect. Three differences may bee obserued betwixt a Samaritans knowledge and a true Christians 1. She receiued Moses some parts of the truth but reiected the Prophets we desire to know the whole truth so farre forth as God shall giue vs meanes we refuse not to know any truth that God hath reuealed nor winke with our eyes nor content our selues with fragments but seeke to be informed in the whole body of Religion in the whole forme of Doctrine Rom 6. 17. Yea we seeke to grow and increase daily in knowledge 2. Pet. 3. 18. grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord. 2. She though she knew somewhat which she learned of Moses yet that that concerned specially her owne direction and practise she knew not Moses had plainely enough condemned all Idolatry Take yee therefore good heed to your selues for yee saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake to you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire least yee corrupt your selues and make you a grauen image the similitude of any figure Deut. 4. 15 16. which yet the Samaritans vsed We desire chiefly the knowledge of those points that are most necessary and profitable and most concerne our selues as all Iohn Baptists good hearers did as appeares by the direction craued of him Luke 3. 10. 12. 14. 3. Her knowledge had no power in her heart for shee liued in grosse whoredome notwithstanding it and therefore was no true knowledge of God of the sonnes of Ely it is said that because they were sons of Belial lewd men that they knew not the Lord 1. Sam. 2. 12. our knowledge reformeth and ruleth vs and that onely deserues the name of true knowledge the feare of the Lord that is wisedome and to depart from euill is vnderstanding Iohn 28. 28. Lecture the foure and fortieth March 6. 1609. IOHN IIII. XXV THe last day we heard that this Woman hearing our Sauiour speake of an alteration that should shortly be made in the manner of Gods worship was thereby put in mind of the Messias comming Concerning which she professeth two things 1. That she knew well he was comming his comming could not be far off 2. That when he should come he would tell them all things In the former we obserued the last day what knowledge of the truth there may be in an vnregenerate and wicked man It remaineth now that we proceed to that which she speaketh touching the office of Christ When hee is come saith she he will
shalt before thou goe hence recouer thy assurance and comfort againe See this in that prayer of Dauid grounded doubtlesse vpon Gods promise Psalme 39. 13. Stay thine anger from mee that I may recouer my strength before I goe hence and be not Yea be thou sure it will returne with aduantage as the seed that is cast into the ground vseth to doe Psalme 97. 11. Light is sowne for the righteous and ioy for the vpright in heart Hauing now finished this Doctrine which we haue learned from the second part of the Text viz. the certainety that was in the Faith of these Samaritans it followeth now that we proceed vnto the third viz. the meanes whereby they were brought to this certainety the ground whereupon they did build their Faith and that they say was not the saying of the Woman but the hearing of him themselues And from hence we haue this Doctrine to learne That the Faith and Religion of Gods Elect is not grounded vpon the testimony of any man but vpon Gods owne Word only The iudgement that others whom we reuerence and respect haue of Religion and the testimony that they giue vnto it causeth vs at the first to haue a good opinion of it the State learned men parents and friends specially the good example of those that professe it haue great force thus farre thus the Apostle saith that they that obey not the Word may without the word be won by the conuersation of their wiues 1. Pet. 3. 1. And we are to hold it a great mercy of God that we were borne and brought vp not among Papists or Infidels but in the Church of God where his true Religion was professed and where we might enioy these helpes so the Apostle saith that men shall glorifie God in the day of their visitation that they liued among such as by whose godly and honest conuersation they were won to a liking of the true Religion which they did professe 1. Pet. 2. 12. But yet all this will not bring vs to Faith or certainty in our Religion till we heare God himselfe speak and giue testimony to it in his holy Word Iohn Baptist gaue testimony to Christ and because the Iewes had a reuerent opinion of Iohn they also for a while conceiued highly of Christ and yet they could not certainely beleeue he was the Messias Why Because they could not heare God himselfe speake and giue testimony to it in his holy Word yee sent vnto Iohn and he bore witnesse of me c. and the workes that I doe beare witnesse of me and the father himselfe hath borne witnesse of me yee haue neither heard his voice at any time nor seene his shape And ye haue not his word abiding in you search the Scriptures c. Iohn 5. 33 35 37 38 39. 2. The Ministry of the Word brings vs not onely to a good opinion of Religion and to an outward profession of it but workes Faith and Certainety in our consciences Faith comes by hearing Romanes 10. 17. But the meanes whereby it workes this Faith and Certainety in vs is the Word it selfe by causing vs to see the ground of that it teacheth vs to beleeue in the Word therefore Paul saith Acts 26. 22. Hauing obtained helpe of God I continue vnto this day witnessing both to small and great saying none other things than those things which the Prophets and Moses did say should come When once we heare God in his Word to teach vs any truth then are we certaine of it and not before Acts 17. 11 12. Therefore many of them beleeued Then we beleeue no longer because men teach vs but for that we are taught of God himselfe and though they that did first teach vs and draw vs to a liking of the truth should fall from it yet will not wee forsake it when once wee can say wee haue heard him our selues The Reason of the Doctrine is that all men are subiect to errour and therefore their testimonie is too weake a foundation to ground our Faith vpon and on the other side there is no possibility of errour in Gods Word euery man is a lier that is subiect to be deceiued himselfe and so to deceiue others Romanes 3. 4. Psalme 93. 5. Thy testimonies are very sure To shew the difference betweene our Religion and that of the Papists and whether hath most certainety The Papist grounds his Faith vpon the testimony of the Church I will not say of what Church but say it were the true Church of Christ yet it consisteth onely of men that are subiect to errour and consequently the conscience cannot with any certainety relye vpon the testimony thereof But we ground our Faith onely vpon the Word of God Obiect 1. How can we know the Scripture to be the Word but by the testimony of the Church Answ. Indeede the testimony of the Church doth first incline vs to thinke that the Scripture is the Word of God and makes vs willing to heare and reade it but after we by hearing and reading it attaine to further certainety and assurance for God himselfe speaketh to vs in the Scriptures hee spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which haue beene since the world began Luke 1. 70. God at sundry times and in diuers manners spake in times past vnto the fathers by the Prophets Heb. 1. 1. and that so clearely and euidently that the faithfull are vndoubtedly assured it is he that speaketh it is indeed his Word And they can say as Cant. 2. 8. It is the â—…oice of my Belouâ—…d And 5. 2. It is the voice of my Bâ—…loued that knocketh This is promised to the faithfull Esay 52. 6. They shall know in that day that I am he that doth speake behold it is I. Iohn 7. 17. If any man will doe his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speake of my selfe And indeed if we could not now be vndoubtedly certaine that it is indeede Gods Word the case of the Church were worse now than it was when God spake to his people in visions and dreames for they were without any externall testimony from men fully assured then that it was the Lord himselfe indeede that spake vnto them if Abraham had not beene so hee would not haue beene so forward to sacrifice his Sonne Gen. 22. 3. nor Cornelius in obeying the commandement he had receiued in a vision to send for Peter Acts 10. 7. After Paul had seene the vision immediately hee endeuoured to goe into Macedonia assuredly gathering that the Lord called him to preach the Gospel vnto them Acts 16. 10. No it is certaine that we may be more sure that God speakes to vs in his Word than they could be of his speaking vnto them in visions 2. Peter 1. 19. Wee haue also a more sure word of prophesie Obiâ—…ct 2. The Scriptures are obscure and no man can be certaine of the sense of them but by the Church Answ. 1.
haue many waies whereby they may ◅in others 245. All men are bound to doe what they can to win others to God 3◅4 Gods manner of working in mans conuersion is diuerse and wonderfull 325. 326. Country Euery man owes a duty to the place of his birth and breeding 351. Credit A great sin for a man to be carelesse of it 86. Custome The good customes of a Church are not to be broken or neglected 143. 144. Yet it is dangerous in matter of Religion to ascribe too much vnto it 144. Most men make common custome the rule of their conscience 426. Remedies against this corruption 427. D. Dalliance Wanton dalliance is dangerous sinfull 90. Death Faith will make a man willing to die 337. Euery man should looke and prepare for sudden death 44◅ 443. Delay It is dangerous to put off the making of peace with God till sicknesse 442. 443. Delight Naturall and worldly meanes of delight are not vnlawfull and what cautions are to be vsed in this 439. 440. Desire An vnfained desire of grace is a singular grace 9. Fiue differences in this desire betweene the naturall man and the regenerate 9. He that hath sauing knowledge will feele the want of it and desire it 22. Disputing It is dangerous to dispute against knowne truths 151. Dissention How far forth Ministers should seek to agree and the meanes how that may be 301. Difference in iudgemēts should not alienate godly mens affections one frō another 302 Domesticall Instruction and Worship We should vse the exercises of Religion in our families 157. How and by what meanes a man should best instruct and win his family vnto God 241 Doubting Doubtfulnesse and vnsetlednesse in matters of our faith religion is dangerous 137. 140 Euen the doubting of the truth of ought God hath said is a dangerous sin 413 414. E. Examination Christians should examine that that is taught them 151 152. And the good things seeme to bee in our selue 53. Euery affliction should driue vs to examine what it is that hath thus prouoked God ◅04 Examples The examples of some men doe great hurt in hardening of others 74. Many make this the rule of their conscience and remedies against this corruption 426. It is not safe to make the best mans examples the rule of our conscience 428. Exercises of Religion See Christian domest◅call worship Euery man is bound to spend some part of euery day in them 241. The conscionable vse of them will preserue vs from sin 93. Eye A couenant is to be made with our eye 91. F. Faith Motiues and encouragements to beleeue in Christ 13 14. How to know whether wee haue truly receiued Christ 15. In it there is a particular application of Christ 310. There is great certainty and assurance in true saith 3. 8. 332. It workes 1 peace of conscience 2 ioy in the Holy Ghost 3 boldnes in prayer 4 willingnesse to die 335 336 337. True faith is grounded vpon the word only neither vpon sense or experience 348 349. Most men ground their faith not vpon the Word but vpon sense onely 420. He that hath true faith hath an vpright heart and none but he 484. Foure notes to trie it by 484. It is imperfect in the best 333 334. It breeds in the heart true ioy and that vpon fiue grounds 436 437. Falls of the godly How farre the regenerate man may fall from grace 50 51 54. Great difference betweene them and the sins of the wicked 455. 471. 473. Family See Domesticall Sin will bring Gods curse vpon the house and place where it is committed 158. Piety will bring Gods blessing vpon our houses and dwellings ibid. Fasting Christ put no holinesse in fasting nor was giuen vnto it ◅56 Fathers No cause why we should so relie vpon the Fathers as many doe 39. The Papists giue not more due honour to them then we 38. What respect is to be had to our Fore fathers in the matter of Religion 142 143. We do not condemne our Fore Fathers 145. Feasting Though it be lawfull yet it must not be ordinary 92. Fewnesse of Beleeuers Comfort for the faithfull that liue where they haue few or none that ioyne with them in piety 430 431. Fornication It is a most hainous sin 71. Foure causes of the commonnes of it now 74. Both Magistrates and priuate men should shew their zealous hatred to it 78 79. Fornicators must looke for Gods iudgements euen in this life 79 80. They haue also cause to feare the iudgement of finall impenitency hardnes of heart 84 We may not giue men cause to suspect vs to be giuen to this sinne and that is done foure waies 87. Seuen Preseruatiues from this sin 90. Frugality A Christian should be frugall and seeke to increase his worldly estate 238. G. Gestures Rules for bodily gestures in Gods worship 118 119. Gifts All difference in gifts among Ministers doth not make an inequality betweene them because one may excell in one gift and one in another 307 308. The variety and difference among Gods seruants makes much for his glory 308. They should bee teachable and receiue the word with all readinesse and wherein it consisteth 312 213. God hath giuen a variety of gifts to all men not all to any one man 308. Variety of gifts and graces increases loue and vnity among men 319. It is a sin against God and contempt done vnto his good gifts not to make vse and profit of them 320. Gods children ought to make vse of their Ministers gifts in priuate 321. That gift is to be esteemed best which edifies most 287. 291. God Why he euen the whole Trinity is called Father 148. His loue is vnchangeable 180. 340. The knowledg of his omni-presence omniscience is of great necessity and vse 67. 70. He hates and is seuere against the sins euen of his owne people 95. Gods seruants in priuate may forbeare to reprooue some 293. Grace The loue of God in Christ to vs is most free 14 Grace and the meanes therof is highly to be esteemed 53. Grace may be knowne 463. Notes whereby grace may be knowne 468. The diuersity of the gifts of God in men commeth of his free disposition 308. H. Hardnesse of heart Wicked men harden themselues in sin euen by the Word 57 58. They are apt to harden their owne hearts against Gods corrections 402. Hearing A great sin to heare with delight filthy songs and talke 88. The necessity of constant hearing of the word 278. Cautions and encouragements for them that follow Sermons on the weeke daies 240. Heare as oft as thou mayst 172. What behauiour is fittest at the hearing of the Word preached 125 126. 134. The best way to win others to God is to draw them to heare 246. Hearers Be willing to heare one truth as well as another 59. A good signe to like that Ministry best that doth most effectually discouer to a man his sin 112 113. Examine that that is taught
by such in whom they discerne any infirmity 365. Remedies against this corruption 371 Temperance It is necessary euen in our diet 92. Temples Our Churches need not to be stately and glorious as the Temple of Ierusalem was 119. Neither is there that holinesse to be ascribed to or reuerence due to our Churches as was to that Temple 119. 154. Neither is there that necessity of temples now as there was vnder the law 119. Yet is it fit we also should haue places set apart for Gods publique worship and hauing such it is no where so well done as in them 119. 129. Euen our Churches should be decently kept 120. 127. The temple of Ierusalem was a Type of Christ and how 155. Tentation We must carefully shun tentation 89. Tentations incident to our lawfull calling God will preserue vs in 89. Terror Wicked men haue cause to be in continuall terror 33. Testament See Ceremoniall worship Though in temporall things Gods people had more particular direction then we now yet not in spirituall 207. The Ministry of the New Testament is more fruitfull then that was vnder the law 287 Vnder the law God reuealed himselfe to his people moresensibly and bodily then vnder the Gospell 196. The estate of sinners is far more damnable now then it was vnder the law 291. Thankesgiuing Of Sacrifices of Thankesgiuing 187. Thoughts Conscience to be made euen of them 91. Trouble of minde All men must looke to be brought one day to a painefull sight and sense of sin and of Gods anger due vnto it 42 43. No wordly thing can content or comfort the heart in that case 44 45. Meanes wherby they that haue lost the assurance of their saluation may recouer it 346. 347. V. Vnity Vnity in all points among Gods seruants in this life is not to be expected 302. Vowes We should in our affliction vow amendment performe it when we are deliuered 405. W. Walking with God We should labour to walke with God how we may know whether we do so or no 70. Will-worship No worship is to be giuen to God but such as he likes of and delights in euen such as is done by the direction of his Word and in obedience to it 160. 192. In will-worship men serue not God but the diuell 161. God requires more seruice of euery man then he hath expressely particularly commanded him yet this is no will-worship 242 243 He that hath an vpright heart will make conscience of such things onely as God hath commanded or forbidden 473. Women How iust causes they haue to be humbled in themselues 225. How they may adorne the Gospell 226. Word of God No man can know God aright but by his Word and the difference betweene the knowledge gotten so any other 160 161 It is the saluation of men 1â—…8 169. All that haue it are not saued by it 169. Saluation not to bee ascribed to any vertue that is in it 169. By it all other meanes of grace are made effectuall 169 170. It is exceeding powerfull and effectuall to saue men 170 171. We ought highly to esteeme it 172 173. Notes to trie whether we esteeme and loue it indeed 173. The wicked hardens himselfe in sin euen by it 98 99. It is to bee esteemed a high fauour of God that we enioy it 162. It is the onely ground of true faith and assurance of saluation 338. The faith and Religion of Gods Elect is not grounded vpon any thing but the word only 348 349. 418. 419. Seeke good ground in the word for that thou holdest in Religion 429. Dangerous to doubt of the truth of it see Infidelity The word to be heard on weeke daies 241. The word to be examined 467. Rules thereto 499. Word to be heard with heart prepared 486. How that may be 489. The word ought to bee receiued for the senders sake 313. Difference betwixt the good workes of regenerate and naturall men 476. Good Workes That only is a good worke that is commanded of God 474. Workes of God Men may be prepared vnto faith and much confirmed in it by the workes of God 417. We should obserue the workes of God and how God doth by them ratifie his Word 417. 497. What vse we should make of the strange workes of God 379. World By this word sometimes the Elect onely are meant and why Christ is called the Sauiour of the world 329 330. Worldly things No worldly thing can satisfie or comfort the soule in distresse 44 45. It is great folly to set our heart vpon or esteeme too much of any worldly comfort 390. 438 439. He that is truely conuerted makes not that reckoning of worldly things as he did before 238. Worship of God See Adoration Ceremoniall Law Exercises of Religion Reuerence Most men worship not God according to his Word 163. Reasons for the altering of the manner of Gods worship at Christs comming 190. 191 No seruice pleaseth God but that which is spirituall 191 192. He requires spirituall worship more vnder the Gospell then he did vnder the Law 19â—… 197. All the parts of Gods worship may in some cases be vsed in priuate houses 120. 129. And are as acceptable to God in one place as in another 156. Christ himselfe did diligently vse to worship God in religious duties and why 163 1â—…4 The difference betweene Gods worship vnder the Law and vnder the Gospell â—…87 1â—… 189. God requires bodily worship of vs as well as spirituall but not so much as vnder the law 189 190. Euen the wicked est men that liue are bound to worship God 195. Y. Young men The sins that they must chiefly take heed of 224. Z. Zealous Both Magistrates and priuate men should shew their zealous hatred to sin 78. Zeale is required of all Christians and what the notes and properties of true Zeale are 260 261 263. 267. Zeale in the people warmes their Ministers 295. True Zeale will make a man to forget and neglect himselfe 275. Seuerall places of Scripture opened and applyed in this Treatise Booke Chap. Verse Folio Genesis 17 18 391 Genesis 18 12 30 Genesis 19 9 106 Genesis 29 18 80 Genesis 32 26 402 Genesis 45 28 3 Genesis 50 19 370 Exodus 4 24 452 Leuit. 19 2 196 Leuit. 23 10 9 Leuit. 26 11 12 166 Num. 12 14 403 Num. 23 21 452 Deut. 12 32 161 Deut. 14 26 92 Deut. 25 3 117 Iosh. 1 8 20 1 Sam. 2 12 470 1. Sam. 2 30 368 1. Sam. 15 29 6 2. Sam. 6 20 22 116 2. Sam. 12 20 24 c. 441 2. Sam. 21 1 404 1. King 8 6 473 1. King 12 28 161 2. King 17 33 41 36 1. Chron. 16 29 129 2. Chron. 16 9 484 2. Chron. 26 18 19 21 359 Nehem. 1 11 8 Nehem. 2 1 493 Nehem. 8 1 123 Iob. 3 13 14 43 Iob. 5 7 388 Iob. 6 24 424 Iob. 20 11 80 Iob. 29 4 220 Iob. 31 1 91 Iob. 32 23 395 Iob. 36 8
as Rom. 16. 18. They that are such serue not our Lord Iesus Christ but their owne belly And thus much for the first point 2. The second point wherein I told you the truth of this Doctrine may appeare is this That there is no truth which the naturall man receiues but he turnes and applies to his carnall aduantage he reades and heares onely in hope to find contentment to his flesh The most holy and wholsome parts of Gods truth he vnderstandeth carnally and applies to the feeding of his owne humour and contentment of his flesh This is the onely vse thaâ—… they make of all that they heare and read that they may sinne with more contentment and quiet of mind Euen as the spider that gathereth poyson of euery flower Unto them that are defiled and vnbelieuing is nothing pure but their minds and consciences are defiled Tit. 1. 15. Whensoeuer they come to heare Gods Word they bring with them an Idoll in their heart some corruption or other and whatsoeuer they read or heare they turne to the seruice of their owne Idoll Ezek. 14. 1 3. These men haue set vp their Idoll in their hearts and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face Yea it is certaine that many wicked men receiue not that confirmation that quiet and contentment to their heart in their sinne by any thing in the world as they do by the blessed and holy Word of God Such there were in the Apostles dayes Rom. 3. 8. who did affirme that the Apostles said Let vs do euill that good may come of it They wrest the Scriptures saith the Apostle 2. Pet. 3. 16. to their owne destruction They turne the grace of our God into lasciuiousnesse saith another Apostle Iude 4. Thus most men peruert these most comfortable Doctrines that are taught in sundry places in the holy Scripture as that in Mat. 24 24 that it is not possible for the elect to be deceiued or to perish And that in Rom. 4. 5. To him that worketh not but belieueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse And that Rom. 6. 14. Ye are not vnder the Law but vnder grace And that 1. Ioh. 2. 1 2. If any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes and not for ours onely but also for the sinnes of the whole world And that sentence wherewith we begin our Lyturgie which though not in the same words yet in sense and effect is deliuered by the Prophet Ezek. 18. 21 22. At what time soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinnes from the bottom of his heart I will put all his wickednesse out of my remembrance saith the Lord. And this is also the cause why they will heare and conferre with and moue questions to the best Preachers of the Word because they are in hope to get some what from them that they may make to serue for their purpose and if they can it will quiet and comfort them more then the speeches or iudgements of an hundred other men It is true indeed they loue the corruptest teachers best the good fellow Priest Mic. 2. 11. If a man walking in the spirit and falshood do lie saying I will prophecie vnto thee of wine and of strong drinke he shall euen be the Prophet of this people But yet they will not onely heare such but the best also in hope to heare from them somewhat that may serue their turne These are like Balaam that when God had giuen him his answer Num. 22. 12. yet out of this hope he waited still for another answer verse 19 20. So Ahab 1. King 22. 16. had wont oft to send for Michaia and to charge him to speake nothing but the truth why so It would haue comforted him more to haue gotten somewhat from Michaia for his turne then from all the foure hundred Prophets besides Thus you see then this second point confirmed which I obserued to you concerning the affection that a naturall man beares vnto the Word Now as this is a fearefull sinne so two things are to be obserued concerning the dangerous estate of these men 1. That in all the places where the Scripture speakes of them there the Holy Ghost sets a black marke vpon them and speakes of them as of Reprobates the Apostle Paul speaking of such as peruerted the Word and Doctrine that he taught whose damnation is past saith he Rom. 3. 8. And Peter speaking of them that wrested the Scriptures saith 2. Pet. 3. 16. that they did it to their owne destruction And Iude saith of them that turned the grace of God the doctrine of Saluation by Gods free grace onely into lasciuiousnesse that they were of old ordained vnto this condemnation Iude 4. 2. That the Lord hath threatned to feed these men in their humour so as such men do neuer lightly read or heare but somwhat they find that may serue their turne To Ahab that was vnwilling to be faithfully taught and acquainted with the will of God but willing to be flattered and deceiued God sent a lying spirit with efficacy of terrour Thou shalt perswade him saith the Lord 1. King 22. 22. And preuaile also go forth and do so And of euery one that hauing set vp his Idoll in his heart came vnto the Prophet the Lord saith Ezek. 14. 4. That he himselfe would answer that man according to the multitude of his idols 3. The third point The naturall man will be ready to forsake and renounce any truth that he hath seemeâ—… to haue beene best grounded in and to haue receiued with greatest comfort when once it becomes an occasion of losse or trouble to him in the world while peace and prosperity lasts he may seeme to like the Gospell and euery truth of it as well as any man but if he cannot professe it without interrupting his peace he is ready to renounce it See the proofe of this in the hearer of the Word that is resembled to the stony ground Mat. 13. 20. 21. He heareth the word and anon with ioy receiueth it but when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word by and by he is offended And in that rich man that had seemed for a time full of zeale and deuotion towards Christ Mar. 10. 17. 22. Of these the Apostle saith that because they are enemies to the Crosse of Christ and mind earthly things therefore their belly is their God and their end damnation Philip. 3. 18 19. 1. To teach vs how to iudge of others that make profession of Religion and shew loue to the Word Praise God when thou seest any how lewd soeuer they haue beene to do so and hope the best and fret not nor like worse of our assemblies and Religion for this as the Pharisees did of Christ because the Publicans resorted to him Luke 15. 2. But yet build not too much vpon this as if that
Sonne will reueale him Matth. 11. 27. And the meanes whereby Christ reuealeth and makes his Father knowne vnto vs is the Word Iohn 17. 6. I haue declared thy name to the men that thou gauest mee out of the world verse 8. For I haue giuen vnto them the Word which thou gauest mee 2. For the second branch Whatsoeuer is not done of faith that is vpon a perswasion wee please God in it is sinne Rom. 4. 23. Now faith is grounded vpon the Word And how can a man be perswaded he pleaseth God in that seruice hee doth to him vnlesse he haue his Word for it For if we follow our owne good intent while we thinke we please God we may most highly offend him the Iewes when they killed the Apostles thought they did God good seruice Ioh. 16. 2. and so did Paul when he was exceedingly mad against the faithfull and compelled them to blaspheme Acts 26. 11. and he saith that this was then the height of his zeale he persecuted the Church Phil. 3. 6. The First Vse of this Doctrine is to teach vs 1. To esteeme this a singular prerogatiue that the Lord hath not suffered vs to walke in our own wayes Acts 14. 16. But to be thankefull that we haue the Word and to make our vse of it This was the chiefe preferment of the Iew aboue the Samaritan and all others Romanes 3. 1 2. If any want this the god that they serue is not the true god but an Idoll and fancie of their owne 2. Chron. 15. 3. They worship they know not what whereas wee haue a comfortable assurance that the worship wee doe pleaseth God 2. If therefore thou desire to serue and please God let this bee thy first care to liue vnder a good Ministry and to get knowledge Israel was without the true God while it was without a teaching Priest and without the Law 2. Chron. 15. 3. all the deuotion that ignorant people vse is but the Sacrifice of fooles till they be ready to heare and willing to be instructed that way Eccles. 5. 1. Therefore also the Lord complaineth Hos. 4. 6. that there is an ignorant Priest that cannot instruct them the people perish for want of knowledge 3. Count it thy wisedome to cleaue so precisely to the Word as in the maters of Gods seruice not to doe any thing which thou canst not finde warranted by the Word Psal. 119. 31. I haue cleaued to thy testimonies O Lord confound me not 4. Conceiue no otherwise of God then he hath reuealed himselfe in his Word Now if we apply this to our selues wee shall finde that the most of our people are in no better case then the Samaritans were who worshipped they knew not what 1. Indeed we haue the whole Word of God and so had not they But is our case euer the better for that No surely it is so much the worse they wanted it we haue it and contemne it We count it no prerogatiue to haue it wee make no benefit of it wee reade it not wee seeke not the knowledge of it we care not what Ministrie wee liue vnder we count it no benefit to liue vnder an able Ministrie Heb. 2. verse 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great saluation 2. Though they doe ioyne with Gods people in his true worship yet doe they it not vpon this ground that they know by the Word God will be thus serued But the rule they follow is either first the commandemâ—…nt of men as it is said of the Pharisees Matth. 15. 9. or secondly the custome of the place where they liue as we read the Samaritans of old did 2. Kings 17. 40. or thirdly their owne good meaning contrary to that commandement seeke not after your owne heart Numb 15. verse 39. The second Vse is to iustifie our Religion against the Papists For it is euident wee may truely say to them as our Sauiour doth heere Yee worship that which yee know not wee worship that which wee know 1. It is not possible they should haue any assurance that they please God in that seruice they doe vnto him how confident soeuer they seeme to be because they doe not worship God according to his Word 2. While they thinke they worship God they worship the diuell Of them certainely that is spoken Apoc. 9. 20. And the remnant of men which were not killed by these plagues repented not of the workes of their hands that they 〈◊〉 not worship diuells and Idols of gold and siluer and of brasse and of stâ—…ne and of wood which neither can see nor beare nor goe For if the Israelites in Aarons and Ieroboams time were truely said to worship diuells when they worshipped the true God vnder the similitude of a molten Image then is their worshipping of Images no better then Idolatry and worshipping of diuells notwithstanding that they say that they neither worship the Image it selfe nor any false god in or by it The worshipping of the Virgin Mary as well as the worshipping of Venuâ—… or any of the heathen gods the kneeling before the picture of God the Father or Christ crucified as well as the kneeling before Baal is a worshipping of diuells Lecture the fiue and thirtieth December 12. 1609. IN this Verse as we haue heard three things offer themselues to our 〈◊〉 1. The fault he findeth with the Samaritans worship Yee worship that whâ—…h yâ—…e know not 2. The commendation he giues to the Iewes worship wee worship that wee know 3. The reason whereby he iustifieth this commendation hee giues to the Iewes For saluation is of the Iewes It followeth now that we proceed to the two last points contained in these words Wee worship that we know for saluation is of the Iewes In which words for the helpe of our memory and vnderstanding three things are to be obserued 1. That Christ prof sieth of himselfe that he worshipped God 2. That he worshipped God as the Iewes did 3. That he affirmeth saluation is of the Iewes Then the first Doctrine that we haue here to learne is this That our Sauiour himselfe though he were the Sonne of God did vse when he was here on earth to serue and worship God 1. He was wont diligently to frequent the place of publike prayer Luke 4. 16. Hee went into thâ—… Synagogue on the Sabbath day as his custome was 2. Hee was wont to vse prayer in his owne family Luke 9. 18. As hee was alone praying his Disciples were with him 3. He was wont alwayes at his meales to giue thankes and pray to God for his blessing vpon the creatures and that not onely when he was to worke a miracle Matth 14. 19. Hee 〈◊〉 vp to heauen and blessed the food that was prepared that is gaue thankes and prayed but ordinarily Luke 24. 30. As hee sate at table hee tooke the bread and gaue thankes 4. Besides all these kinds of prayer he was wont to pray in secret
and certaine note of the true Church as we see here in the argument Christ vseth to prooue the Church and worship of the Iewes to be the true worship and Church of God For saluation is of the Iewes This was the chiefe priuiledge the chiefe badge and cognisance of the old Church that the Oracles of God were committed to them they enioyed the true Doctrine of saluation Psal. 147. 19 20. Rom. 3. 2. And thus doth the Apostle describe the true Church vnder the Gospell he calls it the houshold of God built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe Corner-stone Ephes. 2. 19 20. He calls it also the pillar and ground of truth 1. Tim. 3. 25. Lecture the sixe and thirtieth December 26. 1609. THe two first parts of this Verse we haue already finished and are now to proceed to the third and last viz. The Reason whereby Christ iustifieth the worship which the Iewes did vnto God in these words Saluation is of the Iewes wherein two things are to be obserued 1. What hee meanes here by Saluation 2. How this Saluation that he speaketh of is said to be of the Iewes By Saluation in this place is meant the Word of God and the Ministry thereof as may appeare by these three Reasons 1. The Saluation here spoken of is that whereby the Iewes knew how to worship God aright else there had beene no consequence in this Reason wee worship that wee know For saluation is of the Iewes q. d. Because wee haue Saluation Now the onely meanes whereby the Iewes knew how to worship God aright was the Word 2. This Saluation here spoken of was the chiefe prerogatiue whereby the Lord did preferre the Iew before the Samaritan and all other nations and so is it mentioned here And the chiefe prerogatiue of the Iewes was the Word Psal. 147. 19. Hee sheweth his Word to Iacob his statutes and his iudgements to Israel verse 20. He hath not done so with any other nation neither haue they knowne his iudgements And Rom. 3. 2. The chiefe preferment of the Iewe was this because to them were committed the Oracles of God 3. The saluation here spoken of is that that was to be deriued from the Iewes to Gods people of all nations And what was that The Law shall goe from Zion and the Word of the Lord from Ierusalem Esay 2. 3. And the reason why it is so called is for that it worketh the saluation of men Which teacheth vs That the Word of God and the Ministry thereof is the saluation of men See for proofe of this what titles are giuen to it by the Holy Ghost 1. It is called the Word of grace Acts 20. 32. 2. It is called the Word of life Phil. 2. 16. Iohn 6. 68. 3. It is called the grace of God Titus 2. 11. 4. The Kingdome of God Matth. 21. 43. The Kingdome of God shall be taken away from you and giuen to a nation c. 5. Saluation it selfe and euerlasting life here and Heb. 2. 3. Act. 28. 28. Iohn 12. 50. I know that his commandement that is his Word which he hath commanded me to teach is euerlasting life These are vnproper and strange speeches to be spoken of the Word yet are they farre more effectuall to set out the dignity and excellencie of the Word then if the Lord should haue said onely in plaine termes that it is the meanes and worker of our saluation Before I come to shew the Reasons why it is so called I will answer three questions and doubts that may arise in your minds which may hinder you from vnderstanding aright and conceiuing the meaning of this Doctrine 1. Can none be saued that want the Word To this I answer It cannot be denied but some haue attained to saluation that neuer enioyed the Word Neither must we imagine that God either could not nor neuer did saue any without the Word or that all they are to be iudged to be in the state of damnation that either in times past or at this day liue and die in those places where the light of the Word did neuer shine For God is able to doe whatsoeuer it pleaseth him Psal. 115. 2. He hath appointed meanes not to tie himselfe but vs onely vnto them and as the inuisible Church the company of Gods Elect is a Catholique Church in all ages and in all places so in such times and places as he hath denied the Word vnto he hath beene wont to saue his Elect without the Word While his people were in the wildernesse where they could not haue the ordinary meanes of tillage God did feed them extraordinarily and gaue them bread from heauen Iohn 6. 31. So Rahab had faith euen while she dwelt in Iericho Heb. 11. 31. And the Wise men of the East before they came to Iudaea Matth. 2. 2. 2. Shall all be saued that haue the Word that reade it that heare it that professe it To this I answer That it is certaine all are not saued that enioy the Word For in all ages there haue beene many that haue liued vnder most faithfull and profitable Ministers and haue heard them also ordinarily and yet haue not beene saued such an one was Iudas Iohn 6. 70. Yea the most part of them that haue enioyed the Word haue missed of saluation In so much as in all ages the best of Gods seruants haue had cause to complaine as Esay 53. 1. Who will belieue our report And to whom is the arme of God reuealed Yea it may well be that those that haue enioyed the Word most abundantly may be farre worse men for all kind of wickednesse then such as neuer heard the Word in their liues So it is said of Ierusalem that it exceeded Sodome in all kind of abominations Ezek. 16. 48. The Word vseth not to saue any vnlesse it be by preaching opened and applied Acts 8. 31. 1. Cor. 1. 21. For it saues none but such as can vnderstand belieue and obey it It saueth none but Gods Elect. Onely those that God hath ordained vnto life shall profit by it shall finde it effectuall to their saluation Acts 13. 48. The rest cannot profit by it Many are called but few are chosen Matth. 22. 14. The rest shall be made worse by it The Word of God is like vnto the water of iealousie mentioned Numb 5. 27. 28. When it is receiued into an honest and good heart it doth it good and makes it fruitfull when into a corrupt heart it rotts it and makes it worse 3. Is the saluation of any to be ascribed to the Word it selfe or any vertue that is in it To this I answer That 1. The saluation euen of those that are saued by the Word is not to be ascribed to the Word it selfe or any vertue that is in it as if it were to be accounted the author and worker of any mans saluation 1. The glory of this
waies past finding out For who hath knowne the minde of the Lord or who hath beene his counseller Or who hath first giuen to him and it shall bee recompenced vnto him againe And generally of all his workes Iob 9. 12. Who will say vnto him what doest thou and 36. 23. Who hath enioyned him his way Or who can say Thou hast wrought iniquitie Reasons of it 1. The high estimation we ought to haue of him in our minds for his excellencie and greatnesse He is the most high God possessour of heauen and earth Gen. 14. 22. This is is the ground of all piety The feare of the Lord this high esteeme of him in our hearts is the beginning of wisedome Psal. 111. 10. Now there is no man whom we honour indeed and esteeme reuerently of but we will iudge the best of his words and actions Iob 29. 24. If I laughed on them they beleeued it not See an example of this towards an equall Matth. 1. 19. Ioseph out of the reuerent opinion he had of Mary iudged the best of that which he could not conceiue good reason for and durst not make her a publike example and a rule for it toward all Charity thinketh no euill 1. Cor. 13. 5. 2. His wisedome iustice and power is so infinite and absolute that it is not possible he should erre or doe wrong He is excellent in power and iudgement and in plenty of iustice Iob 37. 23. His will is the rule of all righteousnesse the most High ruleth in the kingdome of men and giueth it to whomsoeuer hee will Dan. 4. 32. He worketh all things after the counsell of his owne will Ephes. 1. 11. 3. The Lords manner hath euer beene to conceale from men euen from his best seruants oft-times his meaning and intent in many of his workes Rom. 11. 33. How vnsearchable are his iudgements and his wayes past finding out No man can fully vnderstand his meaning in his word that that we know is but a little in comparison of that we are ignorant of of all that God hath reuealed to vs touching his will we may say with Eliphaz Iob 4. 12. mine eare receiued a little thereof and with the Apostle 1. Cor. 13. 9. Wee know in part yea of his workes also with Iob 26. 14. Loe these are parts of his waies but how little a portion is heard of him No not is his ordinary workes howsoeuer Philosophers haue bragged much of their skill that way doe men perfectly vnderstand the causes of them and his manner of working in them God thundreth marueilously with his voice great things doth hee which wee cannot comprehend Iob 37. 5. Much lesse in his extraordinary and immediate workes of iustice or mercy Yea it is for Gods glory thus to do It is the glory of God to conceale a thing Pro. 25. 2. And one chiefe cause of it is our want of capacity and ability to vnderstand the Word and workes of God The good Schoolemaster teacheth his scholler so much onely as fits his capacity It is therefore a good rule for vs to follow which Elihu giues Iob 36. 24. 26. Remember that thou magnifie his worke which men behold euery man may see it man may behold his worke afarre off Behold God is great and wee know him not neither can the number of his yeeres bee searched out The Vse of this Doctrine is 1. To Exhort euery Christian to settle in his heart this reuerend perswasion of the Word as to acknowledge and admire the truth and holinesse of it euen in those things which he vnderstandeth not nor can conceiue the reason of and to reiect with detestation all blasphemous thoughts that may rise within himselfe and all lewd persuasions that he may receiue from others to esteeme vnreuerently of any part of it Take in this the Apostle for an example who hauing mentioned two obiections which profane men are apt to make against the truth reiects them with detestation and saith God forbid Rom. 3. 6. and 6. 2. Till a man become thus simple and haue his thoughts thus captiuated he shall neuer attaine to true wisedome Gods Word giues Wisedome to the simple Psalme 19. 7. and if any man seemeth to bee wise in this world let him become a foole that he may be wise 1. Cor. 3. 18. To Exhort vs in all Gods iudgements and corrections vpon vs to take heed of murmuring or opening thy mouth against God but doe as Psalme 62. 5. My soule keepe thou silence vnto God Take rather this course 1. Seeke and enquire what is in thee and what thou hast done that hath thus prouoked God Let vs search and try our waies and turne againe to Lord Lam. 3. 40. 2. Though thou canst finde no notorious crime in thy selfe or such as might prouoke him to so extraordinary a iudgement yet rest resolued he cannot wrong thee though he should cast thee into hell and therefore submit thy selfe in all reuerence and seeke peace with him Whom though I were righteous yet would I not answer but I would make supplication to my Iudge Iob 9. 15. 3. Be assured that if thou vnfainedly feare him hee intendeth thy good in this his iudgement though thou cannot yet perceiue it Psalm 25. 10. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth vnto such as keepe his Couenant and his testimonies THE NINE AND FORTIETH LECTVRE ON APRILL X. MDCX. IOH. IIII. XXVIII XXIX XXX The Woman therefore left her Water-pot and went her way into the City and saith vnto the men Come see a man which told me all things that euer I did is not this the Christ Then they went out of the City and came vnto him WE haue already heard the conference that our Sauiour had with the Woman of Samaria and how it was interrupted and broken of by the comming of the Disciples In these words is set downe the notable effect and fruit that came of it The parts of the Text are two 1. The endeauour that this Woman vsed to draw her neighbours vnto Christ verse 28 29. 2. The successe God gaue to this her endeauour verse 30. Concerning her endeauour three things are to be obserued 1. The zeale and forwardnesse she vsed in going to her neighbours verse 28. 2. The motion and persuasion she vsed when she was come vnto them she desired no more of them but that they would come and see Christ. 3. The reasons she vsed to draw them to this For the first there be three things noted by the Euangelist verse 28. that doe much commend the zeale and forwardnesse of this woman in seeking to draw her neighbours vnto Christ. 1. That he saith The woman therefore for so it is in the originall went her way into the City 2. That hee saith she left her water-pot or payle behinde her for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth any vessell vsed to carry water in 3. That he saith when she came into the City she said vnto
Lords corne is already white vnto haruest it is ripe and ready for the sickle if it be not now reaped and gathered it will be lost and spoiled and that you may easily perceiue if you will but lift vp your eyes and looke vpon the regions Behold how God hath prepared the hearts of men to receiue the Gospell See in what multitudes and with what great desire they flocke vnto it and that not onely in Iudea but euen here among the Samaritans Now the Doctrine that our Sauiour intendeth to teach vs here is this That the Ministry of the Word is a matter of great necessity for the saluation of men For our Sauiour here compareth the people of God vnto corne that is ripe and the Apostles in respect of their Ministry and preaching vnto reapers and vseth this reason to stirre them vp to zeale and diligence in teaching because as the corne that is ripe must needes perish if it haue none to reape and gather it so must Gods people needes perish if they haue none to teach and instruct them It is not onely good and profitable and fit that Gods people should haue Preachers but it is a matter of necessity also Many proofes might be brought for this Doctrine but I will at this time insist onely in this argument of comparison which our Sauiour vseth in this place We shall finde therefore that there is scarce any one truth in all religion which the Holy Ghost hath taught vs so plainely by so many familiar comparisons and similitudes as he hath done this truth of the necessity of the Ministry of the Word And the cause why the Holy Ghost teacheth vs this by similitudes is because we can farre more easily vnderstand earthly than heauenly things The necessity of hauing Preachers few can conceiue the Lord hath therefore taught it vs by such comparisons as euery man can vnderstand and iudge of Fiue of these comparisons I will propound vnto you 1. Sometimes Gods people are called the Lords pleasant Garden and fâ—…full Orchard Cant. 4. 12 13. and the Preachers are called Planters and Waterers of it 1. Cor. 3. 6. And if you haue a plot for a Garden or Orchard in the best soile vnder heauen it is not possible it should yeeld you any pleasant fruit if it haue had none to plant and water it 2. Sometimes the people of God are called the Lords building 1. Cor. 3. 9. his house and temple 2. Cor. 6. 16. and the Preachers are called the Lords Masons and Carpenters that must both lay the foundation and set vp the whole building 1. Cor. 3. 10. I haue laid the foundation and another buildeth thereon 3. Sometimes Gods people are called the sonnes and daughters of God 2. Cor. 6. 18. and then Preachers are called both the spirituall fathers by whom they are begotten vnto God 1. Cor. 4. 15. and the nurses by whom they are fed with milke while they are babes in Christ I haue fed you with milke 1. Cor. 3. 2. and the Lords stewards that must prouide stronger meate for them when they are growne to ripe yeares and at whose hands they must receiue their portion of meate in due season Luke 12. 42. 4. Sometimes Gods people are called Pilgrims that trauaile in a strange and vnknowne and dangerous way 1. Pet. 2. 11. and then Preachers are called their guides Heb. 13. 7. and the light of the world Matth. 5. 14. 5. Lastly Gods people are called sometimes the Lords husbandry and corne field 1. Cor. 3. 9. and then Preachers are called both his labourers that by stocking and dunging and plowing the ground prepare it wee are labourers together with God 1. Cor. 3. 9. and his seeds-men that sowe it the sower soweth the Word Mar. 4. 14. and his reapers and haruest-men that get downe his corne and bring it into his barne as you may see the haruest truely is great but the labourers are few pray yee therfore the Lord of the haruest that he would send forth labourers into his haruest Luk. 10. 2. and in this Text most plainly The Reason why preaching is of such absolute necessity as we haue heard to the saluation of men is that which the Apostle giueth 1. Cor. 1. â—…1 It pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue such as beleeue not any excellency that is in vs or in our preaching for doubtlesse the holy Scriptures the written Word of God which you haue in your hands is of farre greater worth and excellency than any Sermon we can make vnto you Neither is it any inability in the Lord to saue whom he pleaseth without preaching but the only reason is that it hath pleased God to ordaine and appoint this to be the meane whereby he will begin and perfect the worke of grace in his Elect. The first Vse of this Doctrine is to conuince the iudgement of men in this point For there is scarce any one truth of God that findeth more strong oppositions and reasonings against it in the nature of man Yea the more excellent parts of nature men haue the greater enemies they are wont to be vnto this truth But howsoeuer he that is a meere naturall man or an Atheist that beleeueth not the Scriptures may still doubt of or oppose this truth let no Christian any longer withstand it or make any question of it now he hath heard it so clearely and euidently confirmed to him out of Gods Word lest he be found euen a fighter against God as Gamaliel speaketh Act. 5. 39. But let him learne to captiuate his reason to the obedience of God 2 Cor. 10. 5. and pray against his infidelity as Marke 9. 24. euen cry with teares vnto God to helpe his vnbeliefe The second Vse of the Doctrine is to reprooue them that thinke and say so much preaching is needlesse we haue too much preaching that count the calling of the Ministry the most vnnecessary calling in the Common-wealth that thinke of all callings and conditions of men Preachers may best be spared and therefore spoyle this function and disgrace it by all meanes Of those men it may be said as Psal. 73. 9. they set their mouth against heauen For how can a man more directly contradict the Word and Spirit of God than by saying or thinking thus But know this beloued for a certaintie that as in the Church there is no calling of that necessity as a good Ministrie the Lords Orchard the Lords Building the Lords Family the Lords Husbandrie cannot possibly be without it so euen in the Common-wealth there is no calling but one so necessarie no calling but one the Magistracie I meane whereby the Common-wealth receiueth so great benefit as by the Ministrie Thou leddest thy people like a flocke by the hand of Moses and Aaron Psal. 77. 20. Yea the best policie that any state can vse to cause the Common-wealth to prosper and flourish is to plant in euery part of it in euery Congregation an
of the great successe his Ministry had among them at his first comming vnto them Gal. 4. 13 14 15. So the Holy Ghost speaking of the first Sermons that Paul and Barnabas preached to the Gentiles at Antioch saith Acts 13. 48. that at the hearing of them as many as were ordained to eternall life among them beleeued These Cautions being premised we shall yet finde the Doctrine to be most true That euen among the Elect themselues there is great difference to be obserued in their receiuing and profiting by the meanes of their first Conuersion vnto God See the proofe and confirmation of this Doctrine in three seuerall points 1. A man may be the Elect Childe of God and be a fruitlesse hearer of some good Preachers and yet profit by some other The Ministry of Iohn the Baptist was a very holy and powerfull Ministry and the whole drift of it was to draw men to beleeue in Christ and yet many of Gods Elect that had heard him could not be conuerted by him to the Faith which yet afterward when they came to be hearers of Christ himselfe became true Beleeuers and said Iohn did no miracle but all things that Iohn spake of this man were true And many belieued on him there Iohn 10. 41 42. So it is euident that many of those fiue thousand that were conuerted by two Sermons that Peter made Acts 4. 4. had heard Christ himselfe preach sundry times as is plaine by Luk. 19. 48. and 21. 38. where it is said that at Christs preaching in the Temple immediatly before his Passion all the people resorted daily to him to heare him yet could not be conuerted by him By stronger and more excellent means they could not be conuerted and yet were conuerted by weaker means 2. A man may be a fruitlesse Hearer a long time euen of that Ministry that God hath ordained to conuert him by and yet afterward profit by it With many of his Elect the Lord hath beene faine to stand long at the doore and knocke as he speaketh Reuel 3. 20. before he could get entrance into their hearts to continue the meanes long vnto them before they haue profited by them Many of Gods children haue beene like young Samuel 1. Sam. 3. 10 the Lord hath called them oft by the Ministry of his Word before they could answer him or once discerne that it was he that spake vnto them There hath beene many a one that hath beene a hearer a long time before he hath beene wonne vnto God yea that hath heard the same Preacher many a time without all fruit by whose Ministry at the last he hath beene conuerted vnto God There were many of Gods Elect that heard that powerfull Sermon of Peter mentioned Acts 2. and profited not by it which yet hearing him at another time were conuerted by him for those two thousand that we reade were added to the Church in Ierusalem Acts 4. 4. and that by his Ministry as may appeare Acts 3. 12. 48. had certainely heard that Sermon and seene also the fruit of it as is plaine by that we reade Act. 2. 5 6. for the multitude of them that were in Ierusalem heard that Sermon 3. A man may be the Elect childe of God though he can receiue no good by the most powerfull and fruitfull Ministry till God haue prepared him by humbling him greatly through fore affliction Paul himselfe may be a notable example for this It is not to be doubted but that he liuing in Ierusalem while all the Apostles continued there for he was brought vp in that City at the feet of Gamaliel Acts 22. 3. and there he gaue consent to the death of Steuen Acts 8. 1. and there hee began to persecute the Saints Act. 26. 10 11. and the Church did so flourish there did heare the Apostles preach sometimes and heard Steuen dispute with the Libertines and Cyrenians Acts 6. 9. and yet till God by his mighty hand had humbled him all this did him no good at all The Reasons and grounds of this Doctrine are principally three 1. The Elect of God haue no better hearts by nature than the worst of all the Reprobate haue Till God be pleased to call them to open their eares and incline their hearts they are euery whit as backeward and vntoward as the worst they are by nature the children of wrath euen as others Ephes 2 3. 2. The Conuersion of Gods Elect depends wholly vpon the free pleasure and will of Almighty God and not vpon any thing that is in man himselfe The Winde bloweth saith our Sauiour Iohn 3. 8. where it listeth and when it listeth also so is euery one that is borâ—…e of God Of his owne will saith the Apostle Iames 1. 18. begat he vs with the word of Truth 3. The Lord hath herein had respect vnto his owne glory Which this way is better seene and manifested than otherwise it could be for if all the Elect should profit by euery good Minister of God or if they should profit presently so soone as euer they doe enioy the meanes of grace certainely the glory of this mighty worke of God would be ascribed either to the meanes or vnto some good inclination that is in our owne hearts and not to the Lord himselfe onely This Doctrine we may make good Vse of both towards our selues and towards others also First let no man abuse this Doctrine vnto Presumption and say I may be Gods Elect child though Ineuer receiued good yet by any Sermon in my life But let euery man account it a fearefull signe and a iust cause of trembling if God haue giuen him good meanes of grace and he hath enioyed them long euen such meanes as he hath seene many others haue receiued great good by and yet he cannot profit by them he cannot beleeue and obey the truth For 1. It is no small sinne to neglect or not to receiue good by the meanes of grace If it were our Sauiour would not haue spoken of it as he did Matth. 10. 15. Uerily I say vnto you it shall be more tolerable for the Land of Sodome and Gomorrah in the day of Iudgement than for that City 2. If a man do wittingly neglect to regard and obey the meanes of grace presently so soone as God offereth them vnto him while it is called to day he is in danger to be giuen vp of God vnto hardnesse of heart Heb. 〈◊〉 13. 3. Though it be not alwaies as we haue heard in the Doctrine yet it is for the most part a signe of a man that God hath not ordained to life but determined to destroy to enioy long excellent meanes of Conuersion and Repentance and to receiue no good by them as I shewed you euen now out of Ioh. 8. 47. and 2. Chron. 25. 16. And as is also plaine by that speech the Lord vseth Pro. 1. 24. 28 29. because I haue called and yee refused I haue stretched out my hand and no man
regarded They shall call vpon me but I will not answer they shall seeke me early but shall not finde me because they hated knowledge Secondly let vs learne by this to praise God for the great variety and choyse of worthy Ministers that we may heare Take notice of the gracious respect God hath had to thee in it As he hath prouided for euery age for euery constitution bodily food that may be fit for it so hath he done for thy soule If thou canst not profit by one thou maist by another Despise not therefore the Ministry of any of Gods seruants but heare all esteeme of all for what knowest thou which is the Preacher or which is the Sermon that God hath appointed to worke thy saluation by That which the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 3. 5. is oft to be thought vpon by Gods people We are the Ministers by whom you must be brought to Faith but which of vs is the man by whom this worke shall be wrought in any of you that depends wholly vpon the will of God as God shall giue to euery man Secondly towards others also this doctrine teacheth vs how to stand affected we that are Ministers must not be discouraged because wee see so little fruit of our labours in them that heare vs. They that are most vntoward may profit by vs one day though they doe not yet we must therefore according to that of the Apostle 2. Tim. 2. 25. instruct still the worst of them with meekeness prouing if God at any time will giue them Repentance We must hearken to that counsell of Salomon though giuen by him in another case and to another purpose Eccles. 11. 6. In the morning sow thy seed and in the euening withhold not thine hand for thou knowest not whether shall prosper either this or that or whether they both shall be alike good 2. Thou that art a priuate Christian learne not to despaire of any how ignorant vnreformed or prophane soeuer they be so long as God is pleased to giue them the meanes of grace and makes them willing to heare but hope well of them When Iohn Baptist saw the Pharisees and Sadduces come to his Ministrie though he knew them to be most wicked men euen a generation of Vipers Matth. 〈◊〉 7. yet doth he note this to be a good signe in them a signe that somebody had warned them to fly from the wrath to come Lecture the seuentie one Nouember 13. 1610. IOHN IIII. XLII THe last day we heard that the Euangelist describeth in these two Verses this and the former the vse and profit that the Samaritans of Sychar made of our Sauiour Christ in those two dayes that vpon their earnest entreatie hee made his abode with them And therein obserueth 1. How the number of Beleeuers encreased among them in that time 2. How they that before had begunne to beleeue through the speech and perswasion of the Woman did encrease in the strength and measure of their Faith in this short time that he spent among them The former of these two points is set downe in the 41. Verse which we handled and finished the last day Now we are to proceed vnto the latter which is contained in this verse Wherein we are to obserue foure principall points 1. The obiect of their faith that is the thing they beleeued viz. That he was the Christ the Sauiour of the World 2. The certainety of their faith We know he is indeed the Christ c. 3. The meanes whereby they were brought vnto this certainety or ground whereon they did build this their faith viz. his owne Word We haue heard him our selues 4. The fruit and effect wherby they declared this encrease and measure of their faith namely the Profession they made both of this certaintie they were growne vnto and of the meanes whereby it was wrought in them vnto the Woman that had beene the first instrument of their Conuersion Of these points we will speake in order And for the first touching the obiect of their faith the thing they beleeued Before we can receiue our instruction from it two doubts are to be resolued for the better vnderstanding of the words 1. Whether this was a sauing and iustifying faith to beleeue thus in generall concerning Christ that he was the Sauiour of the World 2. Whether they did beleeue that all men should be saued as their words seeme to import For answer to the first I say 1. That this had not beene a iustifying Faith or such as would haue saued them if they had onely beleeued thus in generall and beene fully perswaded that Christ is the Sauiour of the World vnlesse they had also beleeued in particular that he was their Sauiour for thus much many Reprobates and the Diuels themselues haue beene perswaded of Thus much Caiphas could see and did prophesie of Iohn 11. 51 52. that Iesus should dye not for that Nation onely but that all Gods children that were scattered abroad should bee gathered into one by him Thus much the Diuell did know and professe Luke 4. 41. Thou art the Christ the Sonne of God The Faith of Gods Elect is more particular than so it inableth euery faithfull man to apply Christ to himselfe and to relye vpon him to trust and put his affiance in him for his owne saluation it makes him able to say Esay 9. 6. To vs a Childe is borne to vs a Sonne is giuen and with Thomas Iohn 20. 28. Thou art my Lord and my God and with Paul Gal. 2. 20. He loued me and gaue himselfe for me No man can be saued by the bloud of Christ vnlesse it be thus sprinkled and applyed to him by the Spirit of God 1. Pet. 1. 2. Elect vnto Sanctification through the obedience and sprinkling of the bloud of Iesus Christ. It is therefore called Heb. 12. 24. The bloud of sprinkling Therefore true Faith is called a beleeuing in his Name Iohn 1. 12. Rom. 4. 5. 2. Vnder these generall words their particular and iustifying Faith was implied As if they should haue said We know indeed he is the Sauiour of the world therefore our Sauiour So in the Confession that Peter made of his Faith Matth. 16. 16. though the words be generall and none other than the Diuell vsed Luke 4 41. Thou art the Christ the Sonne of the liuing God yet in his heart he made particular application of them to himselfe or else Christ would not haue answered as he did verse 17. So in the Articles of our Faith that concerne the Church though the words be generall and such as an Hypocrite may say without hypocrisie and beleeue yet the faithfull makes particular application of them to himselfe As if he should say I beleeue this and know it belongs to me and take comfort in it For answer to the second Question I say their meaning could not be as their words seeme to import but by the World they meane all the Elect of God that
God he is a iealous God he will not forgiue your transgressions nor your sinnes durst neuer speake thus boldly and familiarly vnto God if they were not certaine of his fauour and of the forgiuenesse of their sinnes for that is the onely ground of this boldnesse and familiarity with God Heb. 10. 22. Let vs draw neare with a true heart in assurance of faith sprinkled in our hearts from an euill conscience 4. The fourth is willingnesse and desire to dye Faith freeth the heart from the feare of death and makes a man willing yea desirous to dye This we shall obserue in sundry of the Martyrs that when death hath come to them in his most ougly shape they haue not feared him but insulted ouer him and as Eliphaz saith Iob 5. 22. They haue laughed at destruction Thus Paul brings in the faithfull defying and insulting ouer death 1. Cor. 15. 55. O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victory verse 57. Thankes be vnto God which hath giuen vs victory through our Lord Iesus Christ. Yea they haue beene so farre from fearing death that they haue imbraced it when it came and desired it earnestly This we shall see in Simeon so soone as he had seene Christ he bursts out into this prayer vnto God Luk. 2. 29. Now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy Word And Paul Phil. 1. 23. I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ which is best of all Yea he makes this the disposition of all the faithfull 2. Cor. 5. 〈◊〉 Therefore wee sigh as those that beare a great burden vers 4. desiring to be clothed with our house which is from heauen And indeed there is neuer a faithfull man but though he find in himselfe sometimes a feare of death yet before he goes from hence his Faith will free him from this feare and make him willing and desirous to dye marke the perfect man and behold the vpright for the end of that man is peace Psal. 37. 37. Now it were not possible the faithfull should thus be freed from the feare of death should thus desire to die seeing they know Heb. 2. 14. that Sathan hath the power of death and Heb. 9. 27. After death comes iudgement if they were not fully assured of their saluation and this reason the Apostle giues 2. Cor. 5. 6. 8. therefore we are alwaies confident knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord wee are confident I say and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Lecture the seuentie foure December 4. 1610. IOHN IIII. XLII I Haue already proued vnto you that by Faith a man may be assured and certainely perswaded of his saluation both by the confession of the faithfull and by the effects it workes in the heart that hath receiued it Now let vs vs come to the reasons why they that haue Faith may be so certaine and assured of their saluation yea cannot but be certaine of it And the first Reason is because this perswasion is grounded vpon the testimony of Gods Word that cannot deceiue them therefore there is certainty in it May not a man be fully assured of that which he hath Gods Word for There is no such certainty in the knowledge that is gotten by sense obseruation experience or any other way as in that that is grounded vpon Gods Word â—…sal 93. 5. Thy testimonies are very sure saith Dauid Now the true beleeuer doth not build his perswasion vpon any deceiueable fancy but vpon Gods Word onely the Faith of the Elect is therefore called the Faith of truth 2. Thess. 2. 13. and the Word is called the Word of Faith Rom 10. 8. Therefore saith David speaking of the ground of his confidence Psal. â—…0 10. I will reioyce in God because of his Word in the Lord will I reioyce because of his Word And Psal. 130. 5. I haue waited on the Lord my soule hath waited and I haue trusted in his Word If a man cannot proue by Gods Word that Christ dyed for him that his sinnes are forgiuen that he is one that shall be saued his perswasion of it is but a fancie it is no Faith he can haue no assurance or certainety of it specially in the time of tentation Saâ—…han will be beaten backe no way but by this sword of the Spirit Ephes 6. 17. As Christ resisted him Matth. 4. 4. 7. 10. so must we But if a man can proue by the Word that Christ dyed for him that his sinnes are forgiuen him that he shall be saued then may he be fully assured indeed then shall he haue no cause to doubt of it Now God hath giuen vs his Word to assure vs of this and put vs out of doubt in this matter The Apostle makes this the reason why God made a new Couenant with vs abolished the Couenant of workes and gaue vs the Couenant of grace and promised eternall life vpon condition of Faith and not of workes that the promise might be sure to all the seede of Abraham Rom. 4. 16. Not sure in respect of God for so it was in the old Couenant but sure to the beleeuers And Iohn saith 1. Iohn 5. 13. These things haue I written to you that beleeue that you may know you haue eternall life And 1. Iohn 1. 4. These things write we vnto you that your ioy may be full Why but will you say who can bring any Word to proue that he shall be saued I answer that it is written that whosoeuer beleeues in Christ shall not perish but haue life euerlasting Iohn 3. 16. And verse 36 He that beleeueth in the Sonne hath euerlasting life And therefore he that can say he is sure he doth beleeue in Christ as euery faithfull man can hath Gods expresse Word to assure him that he shall be saued Now a man that hath Faith may by the fruits of it certainely know that he hath it indeed This is euident by 2. Corinthians 13. 5. Proue your selues whether yee are in the Faith examine your selues know you not your owne selues how that Christ Iesus is in you except yee be reprobates The second Reason why they that haue Faith may be so certaine of their saluation is because their Faith is grounded vpon the testimony of Gods Spirit that cannot deceiue them 1. Iohn 2. 27. The annointing which yee haue receiued of him abideth in you and it is truth and is no lye Now the Spirit of God is giuen to the faithfull to assure them of their saluation the spirit it selfe beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God Rom 8. 16. 1. Iohn 3. 14. We know that we are passed from death to life because we loue the brethren He that hath but that one grace may be sure of his saluation how much more he that hath many and more speciall graces of God Therefore the Spirit of God is called
in the example of that Publican Luk. 18. 14. When they haue cast themselues lowest the Lord hath lifted them vp highest this way Humble your selues in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you vp Iam. 4. 10. The more humble and poore we are the fitter we are to trust in God I will leaue in the midst of thee an afflicted and poore people and they shall trust in the name of the Lord Zeph. 3. 12. The last meanes to maintaine this comfortable assurance of our saluation is to make continuall obseruation of the experiments of Gods fauour we daily receiue and of the vndoubted fruits of Gods grace we finde in our selues for experience breeds hope Rom. 5. 4. So saith Dauid Psal. 71. 5 6. Thou art my hope O Lord God thou art my trust from my youth my praise shall bee alwaies of thee 2. Cor. 1. 10. Who deliuered vs from so great a death and doth deliuer vs in whom we trust that hereafter hee will deliuer vs. And for obseruing the fruits of Gods grace in our selues see what stead it stood Iob in Chap. 29. and 30. and Gal. 6. 4. Let euery man prooue his owne worke and then shall he haue reioycing in himselfe alone and not in another And thus much for the first Vse Lecture the seuentie sixe December 18. 1610. IOHN IIII. XLII THe second Vse of this Doctrine is for the examination and tryall of that confidence and assurance we seeme to haue of Gods fauour and of our owne saluation For it is certaine that many a man hath had a false peace and perswasion of Gods fauour and of his owne saluation 1. Cor. 10. 12. A man may thinke he stands that doth not To most wicked men God saith Ier. 3. 4. Didst thou not still cry vnto me Thou art my father and the guide of my youth Micah 3. 11. Yet they will leane vpon God and say Is not the Lord among vs no euill can come to vs Yea they count them beasts that make any doubt of this they wonder to see Gods children so full of doubts and feares and conclude from thence That either they haue beene notable hypocrites and more notorious sinners than other men or else that they are madde and franticke And for one that Sathan hath ouerthrowne by desperation there are twenty whom he hath ouerthrowne with this false assurance We are therefore to be exhorted to examine our assurance Pro. 8. 26. Hee that trusteth in his owne heart is a foole For as the true assurance of Gods fauour is a comfortable thing so is a false peace and assurance one of the most grieuous iudgements that can befall a man Esay 29. 9 10. When he had said Stay your selues and wonder he addes this to bee the iudgement they should wonder at The Lord hath couered you with a spirit of slumber and hath shut vp your eyes Of the two it were better for a man to be vexed with continuall doubts and feares than to be lulled asleepe with such an assurance For besides that it keepes a man from seeking to God it will not hold but faile him when he shall haue most need of it Iob 11. 20. Their refuge shall perish and their hope shall be sorrow of minde As the Apostle saith of true confidence Heb. 10. 35. Cast not away your confidence which hath great recompence of reward So may I say on the contrary side to wicked men Cast away this your confidence for it shall haue no recompence of reward I will therefore giue you some notes whereby you may try whether the assurance you haue of Gods fauour and the peace you finde in your selues be from faith or from presumption 1. From the time when first we came vnto this assurance They that haue this false assurance haue had it from their Mothers wombe they were neuer of other minde they were neuer troubled with any feares or doubts this way But the faithfull can say there was a time when they had the spirit of bondage in themselues which wrought much feare and after that had soundly humbled them then they came to this comfortable assurance This is the ordinary way yee haue not receiued the spirit of bondage againe to feare but yee haue receiued the spirit of adoption whereby wee cry Abba Father Rom. 8. 15. 2. From the meanes whereby it was wrought in vs. For the assurance that the faithfull haue was first wrought in them by the Ministry of the Word and is thereby daily increased I create the fruit of the lips peace peace Esay 57. 19. They that haue this false assurance neuer found comfort in the Word neuer cared for it nay if any thing euer interrupt their peace it is that the seldomer they heare it the more quiet they are in their minde Apoc. 11. 10. These two Prophets vexed them that dwelt on the earth 3. From the grounds whereupon our assurance is founded and built For their assurance that haue this false peace is grounded 1. Eyther vpon Gods temporall blessings Hos. 12. 8. I am become rich I haue found me out substance in all my labours they shall finde none iniquitie in mee that were sin Or 2. Vpon a generall perswasion of Gods goodnesse and Christs merits Ieremie 3. 5. Will hee keepe his anger for euer Will he reserue it to the end Matth. 7. 2â—… Not euery one that saith Lord Lord. Or 3. Vpon some ciuill vertues that they discerne in themselues which many other doe want as that proud Pharisee did God I thanke thee that I am not as other men are extortioners vniust adulterers or euen as this Publican Luke 18. 11. Whereas the faithfull as you haue heard in the Doctrine ground their assurance vpon Gods Word vpon the Testimony of Gods Spirit vpon the Vnchangeablenesse of Gods Loue and All-sufficiency that is in him to keepe that that is committed to him 4. From the measure of this assurance For the faithfull haue not this assurance so perfect but they are oft troubled with doubts and feares Gal. 9. 17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary one to another They finde cause to cry as Marke 9. 24. Lord I beleeue helpe mine vnbeleefe But they that haue this false assurance are most confident and neuer haue any doubts Luke 11. 21. When the strong man armed keepes his pallace the things that hee possesseth are in peace 5. The fift and last difference is from the effects and fruits of this assurance For in the naturall man his assurance of Gods fauour workes no change at all in his life makes him neuer the better He hath no more feare to offend God because of this no more care to please him He can commit very hainous sinnes and neuer be troubled with them they neuer interrupt the peace of his conscience Psal. 64. 4. They shoote in secret at the perfect suddenly doe they shoot at him and feare not Yea his very assurance
19. That God let none of his words fall to the ground So hath he shewed himselfe carefull of the words and writings of all the rest of the Prophets yea of the least iot and title of them that it might not fall to the ground but be fulfilled Matth. 〈◊〉 18. When the Holy Ghost will giue a reason why Christs parents fled with him into Egypt rather than into any other place Mat. 2. 15. And why after his returne he was brought vp at Nazaret rather than in any other place Matth. 2. 23. Why at his death the soldiers cast lots for his garments Matth. 27. 35. Why when he was crucified the vngracious soldiers brake not his legs according to the custome but one of them with a speare pierced his side Iohn 19. 36 37. This is onely giuen for the reason of all that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the mouth of the Prophets that the Scripture might be fulfilled Now consider with thy selfe that these things were but iots and titles in the Writings of the Prophets and therefore if God were so carefull to see these small things fulfilled how much more will he be of the weightier matters of the Law that concerne mercy and iudgement and fidelity Mat. 23. 23. 2 The diligent and conscionable vse of Gods ordinance in the Ministry of his Word and Sacraments For as Faith comes by hearing Rom. 10. 17. so the constant vse of it is appointed of God to this end to bring men into certainty in the matters of their Faith Ephes. 4. 14. That we henceforth be no more children wauering and caried about with euery blast of Doctrine 3 Feruent and hearty prayer when our Sauiour had taught his Disciples a truth that to flesh and bloud seemes most incredible namely that we are bound to forgiue our brother vpon his repentance though he wrong vs neuer so oft They said vnto the Lord increase our faith Luke 17. 5. For no man can be vndoubtedly assured of the truth of Gods Word without the reuelation of the Spirit Flesh and bloud hath not reuealed this vnto thee but my father which is in heauen Matth. 16. 17. Yea it is a mighty work of God Paul cals it Ephes. 1. 19. the exceeding greatnesse of his power towards vs that belieue according to the working of his mighty power 4 An honest heart and care to please God Mar. 1. 15. Repent and belieue the Gospell Ioh. 7. 17. If any man shall do his will he shall know of that Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speake of my selfe The second vse is for reproofe and to discouer the wretched estate of all vnbelieuers First if they had no other sinne yet this is enough to make their state miserable Secondly how ciuill soeuer they seem in shew doubtlesse they are as painted sepulchers for their heart must needs be corrupt and naught Thirdly neither the power of Christs merits nor the infinitenesse of Gods mercy can profit them but the knowledge they haue of the sufficiency of Christs merit and the infinitenesse of Gods mercy will but increase their misery as in the case of that Prince in 2 King 7. 2. Behold thou shalt see it with thine eyes but shalt not eat thereof And surely this is the case of most men euen of such as liue in the Church and professe the truth That that is said of the time when Christ shall come to iudgement may be said of these times When the Sonne of man commeth shall he find faith on the earth Luke 18. 8. This appeares by three apparent signes First the contempt of the word of exhortation in the Ministry of Gods seruants which if they belieued the Word they would giue credit vnto Belieue in the Lord your God so shall you be established belieue his Prophets so shall ye prosper 2 Chro. 20. 20. The people belieued the Lord and his seruant Moses Exod. 14. 31. Obiect You cannot agree among your selues and how should we giue credit to you Answ. In matters the knowledge whereof is necessary to saluation we all agree against thee and such as thou art we all agree Thou art conuinced of vs all thou art iudged of vs all 1 Cor. 14. 24. Secondly the truths they seeme to haue receiued with greatest assurance yet are they glad to heare ought obiected against them whereas the contrary is in them that belieue when occasion of doubting was giuen vnto the two Disciples that went towards Emaus that that which they had belieued concerning Christ was not true it made their hearts sad Luke 24. 17. Thirdly their hearts and liues are vtterly vnreformed which were not possible if they had true Faith Lecture the ninetieth Iune 18. 1611. IOHN IIII. XLVIII IT followes that we now proceed to the three other points that I told you are to be obserued in this Verse And first in that our Sauiour charging them with infidelity doth not say simply they would not belieue but saith that vnlesse they see signes and wonders they would not belieue therefore they had not Faith This Doctrine ariseth That true Faith is grounded vpon the Word of God and is able to giue credit to the Word though it see nothing else to confirme it They that cannot belieue except they see haue no true Faith Before I confirme this Doctrine I will explaine it in foure points 1 True it is that the Lord is wont by his works to giue testimony to his Word and to confirme it yea all the mighty works that God worketh in his Church are done to that end to ratifie his Word and to gaine credit vnto it Marke 16. â—…0 God confirmed the Word with signes that followed And Acts 14. 3. God gaue testimony to the Word of his grace and caused signes and wonders to be done by their hands Surely the Lord would not doe this vnlesse he saw it needfull and if he see it needfull why then doth he blame the Iewes here for desiring this And to this purpose it is that though the Lord haue appointed the day of generall resurrection to be the day of iudgement Acts 17. 31. Yet is there neuer a curse that he hath in his Word denounced against the wicked nor blessing he hath promised to the godly but in euery age and in euery place he hath made it good vpon some that men may sensibly see his Word confirmed vnto them by his works Psal. 7. 11. God iudgeth the righteous and him that contemneth God euery day In which respect it is said Psal. 107. 42. The righteous shall see it and reioyce and all iniquity shall stop her mouth 2 It cannot be denied but the heart of man may be notably prepared to the Faith before his conuersion by many things which he may see so the miracles which the Iewes saw Christ worke were notable preparatiues vnto them and made them much more willing to heare and receiue his Doctrine than otherwise they would haue been Of this we haue
had an example before in the Galileans Verse 45. So that is to be vnderstood Iohn 2. 23. Many belieued in his Name when they saw the miracles which he did viz. they had receiued some preparations vnto Faith they began to conceiue reuerently of his Doctrine and were willing to heare him and this was all as appeares Verse 24. But Iesus did not commit himselfe to them because he knew them all So the good life that they haue seene Gods seruants to lead hath beene a meanes to draw many a one to the Faith The Apostle vseth this as a reason to perswade Christians to an honest life That the Gentiles by their good works which they should behold might haue cause to glorifie God in the day of their visitation 1 Pet. 2. 12. That they that obeyed not the Word might without the word be wonne by the conuersation of their wiues 1 Pet. 3. 1. So the corrections of God which they haue seene and felt vpon themselues haue been the meane to open many a mans eare and to make him willing to heare Iob 33. 16. So the wonderfull deliuerances that men haue seene God giue to his Church and ouerthrowes to the aduersaries thereof haue wonne many a man to the liking of Religion Hest. 8. 17. Many of the people of the land became Iewes As I nothing doubt but the wonderfull deliuerance God gaue vs from the Powder-Treason hath drawn many a one from Popery to the loue of the Gospell 3 It is certaine also that the Faith of the best Christians may be much confirmed by the workes of God which they see So the Faith of Gods children was greatly confirmed by the miracles of Christ and of his Apostles Iohn 2. 11. This beginning of miracles did Iesus and shewed forth his glory and his Disciples belieued in him So are the faithfull greatly confirmed by Gods corrections on themselues when they are soundly humbled thereby Iob 42. 5. I haue heard of thee by the hearing of the eare but noâ—…ine eye seeth thee So by the sensible experiments they haue had of Gods mercy in themselues they are greatly confirmed in the Faith of Gods promises 2 Corinth 1. 10. Who hath deliuered vs from so great a death and doth deliuer vs in whom we trust that yet hereafter he will deliuer vs yea the beholding of Gods iudgements on wicked men and his mercies towards his faithfull seruants hath greatly confirmed their Faith in the Word of God when they can say As we haue heard so haue we seene Psalme 48. 8. and 58. 10. The righteous shall reioyce when they see the vengeance and why so Verse 11. And men shall say Verily there is a reward for the righteous doubtlesse there is a God that iudgeth the earth And in this respect men ought carefully to marke and obserue the workes of God how God makes good his Word by his workes A principall point this is of Christian wisdome and piety and great good might euery man receiue by it Psal. 107. 43. Who is wise that he may obserue these things for they shall vnderstand the louing kindnesse of the Lord. Yea say a man be neuer so diligent in the reading and hearing of Gods Word yet if he do not likewise obserue the works of God he is guilty of a great sinne Psal. 28. 5. They regard not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands therefore breake them downe and build them not vp 4 It is not simply vnlawfull or a signe of infidelity for a man euen to desire these sensible helps to confirme his Faith Hezekiah was a true Belieuer yet desired a signe 2 Kings 20. 8. Gedeon was a true Belieuer yet he asked a signe of God Iudges 6. 17. And when God had giuen him one he asked another Verse 38 And when God had giuen him that he asked yet another Verse 39. and God was neuer a whit offended with him When a man that doth in any measure truly belieue and giue credit to the Word shall desire that God would sensibly confirme to him the truth of his promises by deliuering him from any affliction he is in by blessing him in his body in his estate in his children especially by giuing him the inward feeling of his fauour he doth no more than he may well do Psal. 86. 17. Shew a token of thy goodnesse towards me that they which hate me may be ashamed because thou O Lord hast helped me and comforted me And Psal. 90. 16. Let thy works be seene towards thy seruants and thy glory vpon their children Now though all this be so as you haue heard in all these foure points yet remaines the Doctrine firme That true faith is not grounded vpon any thing we see vpon sense and experience but onely vpon the Word of God Whatsoeuer the faithfull man belieues he belieues it because God hath said it in his Word This the Apostle makes the ground of Abrahams faith Rom 4. 18. He belieued that he should be the Father of many Nations according to that that was spoken vnto him This was the ground of the Apostles faith not all the miracles they had seene Iohn 〈◊〉 22. They belieued the Scriptures and the Word which Iesus had said This was the ground of the Ephesians faith Ephes. 1. 1â—… 2 Insomuch as though there be sundry truths in Gods Word as I shewed you which the Lord doth vse to giue vs sensible proofes and demonstrations of in the world yet he that hath true faith belieues those very things not so much for any thing that he seeth as for that he knoweth God in his Word hath said so So that he is able to say I belieue that Goods vniustly gotten will certainly come to nought that Whore-mongers and Adulterers God will iudge that God will smite through the loynes of them that rise against Leui and of them that hate him and that not so much because I see this confirmed in such and such examples indeed I belieue it the more for this but not so much for this as because God in his Word hath said it Rom. 10. 17. Faith comes not by sight but by hearing 2 Cor. 5. 7. We walk by faith and not by sight He that walks by sight walks not by faith 3 The true belieuer giues credit to the Word though he see nothing to confirme it The bare Word of God is of sufficient credit with him and he belieues as verily those truths which his sense nor reason can discerne any proofe of such as are all the Articles of our Faith onely for the Words sake as he doth those truths that are most confirmed vnto his sense or reason Heb. 11. 1. It is the euidence of things not seene Ioh. 20. 29. Thomas because thou hast seene me thou belieuest blessed are they that haue not seene and haue belieued 1 Pet. 1. 8. Whom ye haue not seene and yet ye loue him in whom now though you see him not yet do you belieue and reioyce with
ioy vnspeakable and glorious As if he should say You belieue neuerthelesse assuredly in him though you did neuer see him 4 The true belieuer giues credit to the Word not onely in those truths wherein he hath no helpe from sense or reason to confirme him but euen where they are both against him Rom. 4. 18. Abraham against hope of sense and reason belieued vnder hope of Gods Word that he should be the Father of many Nations Let vs now come to the Vse of this Doctrine and we shall find it serueth first for instruction secondly for reproofe thirdly for comfort First for instruction to the Teacher secondly to the Hearer 1 To vs that are teachers sith our Ministry is ordained to bring men to Faith and there is no other means els ordained to that end Rom. 10. 17. and faith is grounded onely vpon the Word that therefore our chiefe care should be to bring good euidence from the Word for euery thing that we teach Mar. 4. 14. The sower soweth the word that is the onely seed of grace 2 Tim. 4. 2. Teach the Word improue rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and Doctrine 2 This serueth for the instruction of the Hearers seeing the excellency and happinesse of a Christian consisteth in his Faith By faith we are iustified in Gods sight and haue peace towards God Rom. 5. 1. By Faith we are sanctified Acts 15. 9. By Faith we stand and perseuere in the state of grace Thou standest by faith Rom. 11. 20. By Faith we quench all the fiery darts of the Deuill Ephes. 6. 16. And this faith is grounded onely vpon the Word of God We are therefore to be exhorted to seek good ground in the Word for that that we hold in Religion and therefore both to acquaint our selues with it in priuate and in frequenting the publike Ministry thereof to heare with iudgement and to mark well how that that is taught vs is grounded vpon the Word Euery Christian should esteem it a singular fauour of God that we may haue his Word in our houses to read on when we will and a foule sin not to make our vse of it This God complaines of as of a foule sin I haue written vnto them the great things of my Law and they were counted as a strange thing that did not belong vnto them that they had nothing to do withall Hos. 8. 12. And the Prophet describing vnto vs the man that shall be saued describes him by this Psal. 1. 2. that his delight is in the Law of God Euery man will grant that there is no hope a man should come to happinesse vnlesse he be such a one as is described Psal. 1. and such a one thou canst not be till thou can delight in Gods Word So likewise when we frequent the Ministry of the word we should learne to heare with iudgement and not so much to regard the zeale or vtterance of our Teachers as to marke well how they ground that that they teach vpon the Word of God Phil. 1. 9. This I pray saith Paul that your loue may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all iudgement For this those Noble-men of Berea are commended Acts 17. 11 12. They searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so Therefore many of them belieued The second Vse of this Doctrine is for reproofe and terrour of carnall men He that wants faith it is impossible for him to please God Heb. 11. 6. but the wrath of God abideth on him Iohn 3. 36. And by this Doctrine it is euident the most men want true faith because the faith they seeme to haue is grounded not vpon the Word of God but onely vpon sense they belieue no farther than they see This shall appeare euidently in three Points 1. The faith they haue is grounded not vpon Gods Word but vpon sense Those truths that they see generally receiued and allowed of by men those they are content to hold but those truths that are reiected by men though they haue neuer so good a ground in Gods Word yet they cannot belieue I might instance this in sundry particulars if time would permit Whereas he whose Faith is grounded vpon Gods Word likes neuer the worse of any truth God hath reuealed to him because he seeth it reiected by men but euen as it is in other cases This is the triall of our loue to men Pro. 17. 17. A friend loues at all times and a brother is borne for aduersitie so it is in this It is time for thee Lord to worke for they haue made void thy Law therefore loue I thy commandements aboue gold yea aboue fine gold therefore I esteeme all thy precepts concerning all things to be right and I hate eue ry false way Psal. 119. 126 127 128. He that indeed loues Gods truth will loue it the more because it is reiected by the world 2 The faith they haue in Gods iustice is grounded not vpon the Word of God but vpon sense onely When the heauy hand of God is vpon them in some iudgement they can belieue indeed he is iustly offended with them for their sinnes When they heare the terrible thunder and see the lightening they can tremble before the Lord but so soone as this is past they cast off all feare of God nothing that they heare spoken out of Gods Word against their sinnes can moue them one whit Whereas the true belieuer that grounds his faith vpon Gods Word hath the feare of God in him at all times Blessed is the man that feareth alway Pro. 28. 14. and is much more assured of Gods iustice and hatred against sinne by that that he hath learned out of Gods Word than by any thing he can see or feele They tremble at the word Esa. 66. 2. So Noah being warned of God concerning things not seene though himselfe was expresly exempted from the iudgement yet was moued with feare Heb. 11. 7. For this the Nineuites are commended Ionah 3. 4 5. By the preaching of Ionab they were brought to that feare and humiliation though they saw not nor felt any thing that might cause them to feare 3 The Faith that the carnall man hath in Christ and perswasion of Gods mercy is not grounded vpon the Word but vpon sense onely he is indeed oft very confident of Gods fauour both for the present and for the time to come he saith to his soule Eat thy bread with ioy and drinke thy wine with a merrie heart for God now accepteth thy works Eccles. 9. 7. But what is the ground of his assurance He saith he sees Gods loue and feeles it daily The iudgements of God are farre aboue out of his sight Psal. 10. 5. But alas this will be found a false ground Eccles. 9. 2. No man knowes either loue or hatred of that that is before them Whereas the child of God is assured of Gods fauour for the present and the time to come by that which he heares and
Lord saith Gen. 18. 20. The cry of Sodome and Gomorrah is great and their sinne exceeding grieuous But what made the cry of their sinne so great Looke Gen. 19. 4. and yee shall finde it was this The men of Sodom compassed Lots house from the young euen to the old all the people euen from all quarters they were all corrupted with that beastly filthynesse they did all burne with that lust The third example is that of the captiuity in Babylon before it fell out when the causes of it are laid downe by the Prophets nothing is so much stood vpon as this that all sorts and conditions of Gods people had corrupted themselues See this in Ier. 5. 7. How should I spare thee for this And verse 9. Shall not I visit for these things saith the Lord shall not my soule be auenged on such a Nation as this Why What was the cause verse 7. They assemble themselues by companies in Harlots houses And verse 8. Euery man neighed after his neighbours wife Adultery was growne to be the sin not of a few but of all sorts See this also the children gather the wood and the fathers kindle the fire and the women knead the dough to make cakes to the Queene of heauen c. Ier. 7. 18. 20. A conspiracie is found among the men of Iuda and the inhabitants of Ierusalem the house of Israel and the house of Iuda haue broken my Couenant therefore behold I will bring euill vpon them c. Ier. 11. 9 11. The like complaint we shall finde Ezek. 22. 6. Behold the Princes of Israel euery one in thee was ready to his power to shed bloud And verse 11. Euery one hath committed abomination with his neighbours wife and euery one hath wickedly defiled his daughter in law and in thee hath euery one forced his owne sister euen his fathers daughter And after the captiuity was come you shall see it was imputed to this chiefly Dan. 9. 11. Yea all Israel haue transgressed thy Law and haue turned backe and haue not heard thy voice therefore the curse is poured vpon vs. In all these examples we see that whiles sinne kept it selfe within any bounds the Lord did forbeare to bring these common and generall calamities vpon men but when like a floud it ouerflowed the bankes and ran ouer all then could God forbeare no longer The first Vse of this Doctrine is for Reproofe most men count this a sufficient excuse and defence for any thing they hold or for any thing they do that they are not alone they hold as most men doe and doe as most men do they make the example of men the rule of their conscience First the good things they doe they do vpon no other ground but because it is the custome they hold this Religion to be the truth they keepe the Sabbath they come to Church only vpon this ground All men do so euen the wisest men we know thei Faith stands in the wisedome of men as the Apostle speaketh 1. Cor. 2. 5. Secondly let all the Preachers in the world speake neuer so much against some sinnes as the resting vpon a dumbe Ministry the superstitious obseruations of many Popish customes giuing and answering of challenges following the newest fashions the immodesty of women in their apparrell and attire yet will they not be perswaded that these are sinnes onely because they are so generall and in fashion euery where In this point our people are like those we reade of Ier. 44. 17. We will burne incense to the Queene of heauen And why so We haue done so both we and our fathers our Kings and our Princes in the Cities of Iudah and in the streets of Ierusalem Thirdly let vs out of Gods Word neuer so clearely proue the necessity of sundry duties as to haue prayer in our families c. yet can they not be perswaded to it And why I pray you who doth so a few precise fooles whom euery body derides Iohn 7. 48 49. Doe any of the Rulers and Pharises beleene in him but this people that know not the Law are cursed Fourthly in such things as they know to be sinnes as swearing whoredome drunkennesse c. they blesse and secure and quiet their consciences by this that they are not alone Ezek. 16. 54. Thou hast comforted them of Sodome saith God to the Iewes And who is not in some degree or other guilty of this corruption I will therefore giue you some remedies against it out of Gods Word 1. Consider that we haue iust cause to suspect that that way which the most men take is not the right way that if we doe as the most doe surely we doe not well Matth. 7. 13 14. It is the broad way that leadeth to destruction and many there be that goe in thereat but the gate is strait and the way narrow that leadeth vnto life and few there bee that finde it The most haue euer swarued from the right way yea euen the most of them that haue professed the true Religion many are called but few are chosen Matth. 22. 14. Christs true flock hath euer beene a little flocke Luke 12. 32. Therefore Christ hath a strange speech Luke 6. 26. Woe be to you when all men speake well of you 2. If we do swerue from the right way and sinne against God it will not auaile vs to haue all the men in the world on our minde or to take our part they cannot pleade for vs. 1. Sam. 2. 25. If a man sinne against the Lord who will pleade for him Those which by their example or otherwise haue drawne vs to sin will be farre enough from pitying or speaking a word for vs when God shall call vs to iudgement What comfort can the companions of wicked men yeeld to them when they are on their death-bed Surely as much as the Priests and Elders did to Iudas when they had drawne him to betray his Master when he in the anguish of his soule cryed to them Mat. 27. 4. I haue sinned in betraying the innocent bloud They say What is that to vs see thou to it But say they were willing to take our part alas they can do vs no good when God shall call vs vnto an account they cannot shrowd vs from Gods wrath Earthly Princes are faine oft to spare malefactors because they are too strong and haue many to ioyne with them as Dauid did Ioab 2. Sam. 3. 39. But the Lord will not doe so Pro. 11. 21. Though hand ioyne in hand the wicked shall not goe vnpunished What is the example of the whole world to stand against God It 's as easie for him to destroy a whole world of men as one man behold the nations are as the drop of a bucket and are counted as the small dust of the ballance behold he taketh vp the iles as a very little thing All nations before him are as nothing and they are counted to him lesse then nothing and vanity Esay
you shall say I haue no pleasure in them q. d. Thou shouldst think of thy Creator and make thy peace with him serue and feare him now presently euen in the dayes of thy youth for the euill day will certainly come vpon euery man he speakes properly there of age and sicknesse but the same may be said likewise of all times of bitter affliction for at that time thou shalt haue no lust or pleasure to think or do any thing And this is that also which the Apostle meaneth Ephes. 6. 13. Take vnto you the whole armour of God that you may be able to resist in the euill day When should they thus prouide themselues of armour Why now before the euill day commeth What means he by the euill day Certainly the day of affliction and temptation which euery man must looke for What man will haue his armour to seek when he is to go into the field and buckle with his enemy This is the wisdome we are taught to learne of the silly Pismire Pro. 6. 7. She prepareth her meat in the summer and gathereth her food in haruest And indeed there is not one of a thousand but he is thus wise for his body He makes prouision for his corne and fodder and fewell now in summer and harnest and layes it vp against winter Who is so mad as to haue his prouision to make in winter or his seed to sow in haruest when he should reape And thus wise should we be for our soules Prou. 10. 14. Wise men lay vp knowledge before-hand he treasures vp such grounds of comfort through the knowledge of the Word as he may not be to seeke in time of need What man will haue his cuidence to seeke when his cause is to be tried And what man is there that hath not need of this exhortation What man is there that playes the good husband for his soule that labours and takes paines to prouide for it in the summer time when the weather is faire I meane in the dayes of his youth and health and peace and chearefulnesse that doth not fully purpose and resolue with himselfe to goe about his businesse farre more seriously and carefully when he shall be old or when he shall be sicke on his last sicknesse than euer he did yet Nay it is certaine there is many a man that would not for all the world die in that state that now he is in hauing no better assurance of his saluation than yet he hath hauing no better repented than yet he hath done and yet he neuer takes any course to better his estate because he is perswaded in his heart he may do that soone enough hereafter and that the fittest time of all for this businesse will be the time of sicknesse and affliction And quite contrary to Salomons counsaile he saith this to his owne heart I will not remember my Creatour in the dayes of my youth before the euill day come and the yeares approach wherein I shall say I haue no pleasure in them But then loe will I prepare my selfe for God and make my peace with him then will I send for the Preacher and he shall giue me good counsaile out of Gods Word and pray for me then will I repent me of all my sinnes and take order by my Will for restitution of all that I haue vniustly gotten then will I become a new man I will therefore giue you some reasons out of Gods Word that may enforce this exhortation vpon the conscience of euery man The first reason is the vncertainty of this life There is no man but he may die suddenly And it is certaine that no man can be assured when he laies him downe at night that he shall rise in the morning when he riseth in the morning that he shall euer go to bed againe Therefore remember thy Creatour now presently without delay repent and seeke assurance of his fauour put it not off no not for a day for no man knowes what may befall him before to morrow Iames 4. 13 14. Go to now saith the Apostle ye that say to day or to morrow we will goe into such a City and continue there a yeare and buy and sell and get gaine and yet ye cannot tell what shall be to morrow For what is your life it is euen a vapour Confider with thy selfe that thou maist die suddenly For first what yeare is there wherein thou hast not heard of sundry good men and bad of all sorts whom God hath taken away suddenly and not giuen them one dayes nor one houres respit to prepare themselues for him And what assurance hast thou that he will deale better with thee This Salomon speaks as of a thing that hath fallen out in all ages and whereunto all sorts of men as well good as bad haue been subiect Eccl. 9. 12. For neither doth man know his time but as the fishes which are taken in an euill net and as the birds that are caught in a snare so are the children of men snared in the euill time when it falls vpon them suddenly But as euery man euen the best may die suddenly so the carnall and wicked man that presumptuously puts off his repentance vpon this hope that God will not take him away so suddenly but he will giue him space and time of visitation before his death as he doth to most men hath iust cause to feare he shall die suddenly For God hath oft smitten many such men in the act of their sinne he did so to Zimri and Cozby Num. 25. 8. and with Elah the king of Israel 1 King 16. 9 10. and with king Herod also Acts 12. 23. and hath oft threatned this vnto vngodly men Psal. 64 7. God will shoot an arrow at them suddenly their strokes shall be at once and 73. 19. How suddenly are they destroyed perished and vtterly consumed 1 Thes. 5. 3. When they shall say Peace and safetie then shall come vpon them sudden destruction If any shall obiect that if this were so then most men should die suddenly whereas experience shewes that not one of an hundred doth so I answer that as no godly man may be said to die suddenly that feareth alwayes and is at peace with God and euer prepared for death so there is not one wicked man of an hundred but he dies suddenly for though the Lord giues him a great space and he be neuer so long sicke before his death yet he is still ready to think he shall liue a little longer and so death comes vpon him before he looked or prepared for it This is that the Apostle teacheth 1 Thes. 5. 4. But ye brethren are not in darknesse that that day should come vpon you as it were a thiefe q. d. To no true belieuer it comes as a thiefe but to euery one that is in darknesse it doth The second Reason that may iustly make a man affraid to put off the care of prouiding for the saluation of his soule
CVIII LECTVRES UPON THE FOVRTH OF IOHN PREACHED At ASHEY-DELAZOVCH in Leicester-shire By that Late Faithfull and Worthy Minister of Iesus Christ. ARTHVR HILDERSAM The second Edition corrected and much enlarged by the Author 2. Tim. 3. ver 16 17. All Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproofe for correction for instruction in righteousnesse That the man of God may be perfect thorowly furnished vnto euery good worke LONDON Printed by George Miller for Edward Brewster and are to be sold in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Bible MDCXXXII TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE HENRIE EARLE OF HVNTINGDON LORD HASTINGS HVNGERFORD BOTTREAVX MOLINS and MOYLES Lord Lieutenant of the Counties of LEICESTER and RVFLAND my very singular good LORD RIGHT HONOVRABLE THese Lectures which I haue for so many yeares kept by me and refused to let them see the light as iudging them both vnworthy in themselues to be brought into publike view and altogether needlesse also though they had beene much better in an age that doth so abound with all variety of excellent gifts both for preaching and writing I am now at length though the importunity of sundry that thinke better of them then my selfe could euer doe enforced to giue way that they may be published And this I haue done the more willingly that I might haue opportunity by this Dedication of them to giue publike testimony vnto the world of my duty and thankefulnesse vnto your Honour and vnto your Noble House vnto whom next vnder God I doe owe whatsoeuer poore abilities he hath beene pleased to giue vnto me for the seruice of his Church For as that noble Vncle of yours whom his wisedome and seruiceablenesse to his Prince and Country euen with the great neglect of his owne estate and family and specially his zealous care to promote the Gospell of Christ did make much more honourable then the noblenesse of this great birth could possibly doe did first maintaine me in the Vniuersity and after brought me to the exercise of my ministry in this place so haue I beene by the fauour and bounty of your noble Grandfather and of your Honour continued here now more then forty yeares And vnto your honour especially aboue all other men is thankes due for whatsoeuer benefit may redound to the Church by these Lectures because of that incouragement I did receiue from your Lordship in the preaching of them not only by your honourable beneficence in maintaining of me and confirming that vnto me which by the bounty of your noble Ancestors I did enioy but by that worthy example also you gaue vnto all my Auditory in your constant and diligent frequenting of them Which as you would neuer haue done if you had not liked them well or if you had heard any thing taught in them that did disagree with the Doctrine of our Church or that had any way tended vnto schisme or faction so haue you made me the more bold euen in this respect humbly to commend the patronage of them vnto your Honour Now the Lord of Lords who hath already made you truly honourable not by your Progenitors onely but by many noble endowments bestowed vpon your selfe and hath promised also to honour them that honour him continue and multiply all his graces and blessings vpon your Lordship and vpon your family to the increase of your present and euerlasting comfort through IESVS CHRIST So prayeth still Ashby-Delazouch Iune the first 16◅8 Your Honours to all duty and seruice euer most obliged ARTHVR HILDERSAM TO THE GODLY READER WHETHER MINISTER OR PRIVATE CHRISTIAN THis Booke which now at the length the good hand of God hath put into thy hand to reade deserueth a name in this kinde of writing to speake freely and at once what I truly iudge like one of the chiefe of Dauids Worthies not amongst the thirty but amongst the first three In reading most of the best Bookes extant the studious Reader is wont to select and transcribe the pith of such Notes as stand like Lights or Goades or Nailes in the body of the discourse and in the Spirit of the Writer But in this Booke to tell you what I find I find such variety of choice matter running throughout euery Veine of each discourse herein handled and carried along with such strength of sound and deepe Iudgement and with such Life and Power of an heauenly Spirit and withall expressed in such pithy and pregnant words of wisdome that I knew not what to select and what to omit vnlesse I should haue transcribed the whole Booke In the Authors manner of handling this Scripture Ministers shall obserue a double excellency i. e. An exemplary Patterne of Preaching in the euidence of the Spirit The euidence of the Spirit is shewen in discouering the hidden Treasures of the Graces of the Spirit partly breathing in the Scriptures which he either handleth of purpose or alledgeth occasionally partly flowing out of the abundance of the good treasure of his owne heart Both which manifested to the conscience of the Hearer do shine like a light in a darke place and do discouer both God to the Soule and the Soule in his owne feeling vnto God so that the Soule discerning the presence and Power of God is ready to cry out like Iacob Doubtlesse God is in this place this is no other but the Word of Life this is the gate of heauen Againe Ministers may further obserue in this Treatise an exemplary Patterne of reading and studying the Scriptures so as thereby to make a man of God perfect to euery worke of his Ministry For this Treatise euidenceth that this Author in reading the Scriptures hath so diligently pondered and searched out the true sence of the Holy Ghost and hath so wisely digested the knowledge and wisdome of the Scriptures to the clearing of euery Common-place and Doctrine of Religion that whether he speake to Explication or Application of any Text He fitly and fully amplifieth and presseth all from Scripture-grounds that you may at once both adore the perfection of God in the Scriptures making the Man of God perfect vnto euery good work and may also admire the dexterity and skill of a Scribe taught vnto the kingdome of God and bringing out of his treasure things both new and old When Schollers furnish themselues with store of other writers besides the Scriptures and being little conuersant in the Scriptures doe draw the Scriptures to the Authors whom they most affect and not their A◅thors to the Scriptures their Diuinity prooueth but Humanity and their Ministry speaketh to the braine but not to the conscience of the Hearer But he that diggeth all the Treasures of his knowledge and the grounds of Religion out of the Scriptures and maketh vse of other authors not for ostentatiō of himself nor for the ground of his faith nor for the principall ornament of his Ministry but for the better searching out of the deepe wisedome of the Scriptures such an
one belieueth what he teacheth not by an humane Credulity from his Author but by a diuine faith from the Word and because he belieueth he therefore speaketh and speaking from faith in his owne heart he speaketh much more powerfully vnto the begetting and strengthening of faith in the Hearer The priuate Christian in the diligent suruey of this Treatise shall obserue liuely decyphered the scornefull vanity of corrupt Nature the lothsomenesse and desperate danger of sin the wonderfull power of Gods Grace in the conuersion of a sinner the tryall of a mans own deceitfull heart the amiable life of Gods grace in the regenerate the comfortable benefit of afflictions sundry sweet consolations of a troubled spirit the vanity of Popery the necessity of a faithfull Ministry the beauty of Gods Ordinances holily administred and the resolution of sundry cases of conscience fitting these times and all deliuered with such euidence of Scripture-light and Christian experience that the hearts of the godly Readers will at once blesse God who hath giuen such gifts to men and blesse the Writer who hauing spent the strength of his yeares in a faithfull and fruitfull Ministry to the great comfort and succour of many Ministers and people far and neare round about him doth now at last adorne his hoarie head with this Crowne of glory to bring forth his workes to more publike Light now more at the last then at the first My hearts desire is that God would adde yet many daies more to the Authors life and support him still both in body and spirit to bring to light many other such monuments of his fruitfull labours not only that elaborate Commentary vpon the 51. Psalme but likewise such Sermons or Treatises or Letters touching cases of Conscience as haply haue lyenby him these many yeares Why should any Talent lye buried in a Napkin or candle lye hid vnder a bushell which being set on a candlesticke might giue light to all that are in the house Such Opuscula little Treatises as himselfe would hardly acknowledge vnder his owne Name might be of speciall vse and much esteeme with others Witnesse those questions and Answers wherein he hath comprized the doctrine of the Lords Supper which though without his Name they be annexed to a little Treatise of the like Argument set forth by a godly learned Diuine M. William Bradshaw yet haue they beene of singular good vse to many poore soules for their worthy preparation to that Ordinance And in very deed they do more fully furnish a Christian to that whole spirituall Duty then any other in any language that I know in so small a compasse yea and that one Letter of his to a Gentlewoman against the separation which without his consent a separatist printed and refuted hath so strongly and clearely conuinced the iniquity of that way that I could not but acknowledge in it both the wisedome of God and the weakenesse of the separatist His wisdome in bringing to light such a beame of the Light of his truth by the hand of an aduersary against the Authors mind and the weakenesse of the other to aduance the hand of his aduersary to giue himselfe and his cause such a deadly wound in open view as neither himselfe nor all his associates can be able to heale In which respect I conceiue it was that the industrious Doctor Willet in his Dedicatory Epistle to CHRISTS Colledge before his harmony vpon the first of Samuel stileth this our Author Schismaticorum quivulgò Brownistae Malleum the Hammer of Schismatiques whom they commonly call Brownists Now the God of all grace prosper the workes of his seruants to those good ends himselfe hath appointed and they haue aimedat the glory of his owne great Name in the edification and saluation of his people in Christ. So I take leaue and rest desirous to prouoke my selfe and thee to a thankfull and fruitfull vse of such mercies The vnworthiest of the least of Gods Mercies and Seruants I. C. A Table of some principall Points that are handled in these Lectures Abstinence See Fasting Admonition See Reproofe Adoption A. NO man can worship God aright till he haue the Spirit of Adoption and can conceiue of God as of his louing Father pag. 182 Foure notes to try whether we do indeed know God to be our Father pag 183. Adoration Worship See Reuerence The whole worship of God is called Adoration pag. 111. Admiring of men It is folly and sin to admire any man much pag 40. Affection He that hath an vpright heart serues God with affection pag. 480. No seruice pleaseth God that is not done with feeling and affection pag. 198 199. Naturall Affection See Parents Afflâ—…ction In it owne nature it is a curse neither is it a signe of Gods loue to all pag. 394. The greatest may not hope to be exempted from it pag. 388. All men should prepare for it and how 389 It is greatly profitable and necessary for Gods Elect pag. 394. It is no signe of Gods wrath but of his loue rather pag. 398. We may be sure God will doe vs good by it and remoue it when it hath wrought kindly on vs and support vs in it and giue a comfortable end vnto it pag 399. It is a signe of election to profit by it and the contrary of reprobation pag 401. In euery affection we should take notice that God is angry with vs pag. 402. Sixe degrees of Gods proceeding in sanctifying affâ—…ctions to vs which may be so many notes to try whether our affâ—…ctions be san-ctified pag. 40â—… 40â—… Extremity of it will make vs vnfit both to profit by the Word and to pray pag. 433 Alacrity See Cheerefulnesse Antiquity How far forth it is to bee regarded in the matter of Religion pag 141. It is dangerous to ascribe too much to it 144 Our Religion is most antient 145. The popish plea touching the antiquity of theirs is most vaine and insufficient ibid. Apostacie See Perseuerance How farre forth the good things that haue beene in a man may be lost â—…0 51. A dangerous thing to fall from grace or to decay in it 54. Two chiefe causes of it ibid. Comfort for the faithfull that liue in times of generall Apostacie 430 431. Apostles Christ hath taught his Church the whole will of his Father by them 207. Apparell See Attire Appearance of euill is to be auoided 86. Application Ministers must apply the Word and hearers must endure it 373 374. Assemblies See Church-Assemblies Assurance of saluation See Certainty of saluation Attention All should attend diligently at the hearing of the Word 125. 134. 135. Meanes to keepe our hearts attentiue from wandring in prayer c. 198. Attire Modesty in attire required of Christians 87. Authority The wicked are apt to abuse the authoriâ—…y and credit of holy men to the disgrace of Gods truth 35 273. This honour is due to Christ alone to be belieued in matter of Doctrine vpon his bare Word 149. Nothing is to be
certaine and infallible note of the true Religion The old way is called the good way Ier. 6. 16. The true Religion is the most antient Religion So the Prophets that seduced Gods people to Idolatry are said to haue caused them to stumble in their way from the antient wayes Ier. 18. 15. So the Idolatry of the Iewes is disgraced by this note that it was new Deut. 32. 17. They serued new gods newly come vp And the true Church of God is called The antient people Esay 44. 7. No people of any Religion in the world may compare in antiquity with the true Church ofGod But that is onely truely ancient in matters of Religion which was from the beginning It is not the continuance of a thousand or two thousand yeares that can make any thing in Religion truely antient but it must be from the beginning or it is not truely antient The Gospell is called an eternall Gospell Apoc. 14. 6. And so Iohn commends his Doctrine 1. Iohn 1. 1. to be that which was from the beginning So our Sauiour giues this rule to try a truth in Religion by Matth. 19. 8. From the beginning it was not so And the Apostle 1. Cor. 11. 23. grounds his Doctrine of the Sacrament and the direction he giues to the Church about it vpon the first institution of it That is truely antient in matters of Religion that can fetch his originall from him that is called the antient of daies Dan. 7. 9. That is from God himselfe and his Word That that is deriued but from men is of no antiquity in this case So the Lord in that place I cited euen now Deut. 32. 17. calls the idolatry of the Israelites the worshipping of new gods newly come vp though they had continued in the world many hundred yeares For Abrahams ancestours were Idolaters Iosh. 24. 2. because it was but the deuice of man and had not warrant from his Word That which is grounded vpon the authority of the Prophets and Apostles which wrote by diuine inspiration that and that onely hath true antiquitie for it which made Iohn say 1. Ioh. 2. 7. The old commandement is the Word So that whatsoeuer Doctrine is taught and confirmed by the authority of the Word though it may seeme new to men because they neuer heard of it before yet it is not new in it selfe neither can they that teach or receiue it be iustly called Nouellists or new-fangled men It was no innouation or new-fanglednesse in Nehemiah to celebrate the feast of the Tabernacles Nehemiah 8. 17. Though it had beene out of vse from the daies of Ioshua vnto that time because it had the warrant and authority of the Word of God And whatsoeuer Doctrine is taught or custome receiued in the Church without the warrant and authority of the Word though it could be prooued to haue beene taught and receiued one thousand sixe hundred yeares agoe by such and such famous men and antient Churches yet it is a noueltie and hath no true antiquity to commend it vnto vs. 2. As we haue this to say for antiquitie so say we also of our forefathers that there are certaine Fathers whose example ought to be of great authority with vs in matters of Religion Remember the dayes of old saith the Lord Deut. 32. 7. Consider the yeares of so many generations aske thy father and he will shew thee thine elders and they will tell thee And Iob 8. 8. Inquire of the former age and prepare thy selfe to search of their Fathers And it is oft noted as Deut. 32. 17. Ier. 44. 3. and 194. to aggrauate the sinne of the Iewes that they serued new gods newly come vp gods whom their fathers knew not So that if we should walke in a new way that our elders and forefathers had not walked in we had iust cause to feare we are not in the right way Our Sauiour directing his Church how to finde the right way bids her obserue the steps of the old flocke Cant. 1. 8. and Ierem. 18. 15. He calls the false way a way that was not trodden But these Fathers that should be of such authority with vs in matters of Religion are they onely that haue followed the direction of the word Amon is blamed for forsaking the God of his fathers 2. Kings 21. 22. Yet walked he in the way of his owne father and of most of his ancestors Yea it is expressely said that he did euill in the sight of the Lord as his father Manasses did verse 20. How is it then said that hee forsooke the God of his fathers The reason is rendered in the same place verse 22. because he walked not in the way of the Lord. Those are the fathers we are to haue respect vnto in the matters of Religion that walke in the way of the Lord and none but they So that as our Sauiour saith Matth. 12. 50. Whosoeuer shall doe my fathers will which is in heauen he is my brother and sister and mother So may we truely say that all the godly that in former ages haue walked in the way of the Lord they were our fathers And though that we did know none of our owne ancestors that professed the Religion that we doe Yet so long as we professe no other Religion then the Patriarches Prophets and Apostles did and many other holy men that haue liued since the Apostles times we cannot iustly be said to haue forsaken the God of our fathers or to be of any other Religion then our forefathers were of 3. In some cases there is great respect also to be had to the example euen of our naturall parents It should be a great bond for a Christian to keepe him in the loue of the truth when his owne parents and ancestors haue beene louers and professors of the true Religion This is noted to the praise of Azaria and Iotham 2. King 15. 3. and 34. They did vprightly in the sight of the Lord according to all that their fathers did That is the reason why Paul puts Timothie in minde of the piety that was both in his mother and grandmother 2. Tim. 1. 5. And a double condemnation shall doubtlesse fall vpon such as haue had religious parents if themselues become either Papists or prophane men This is noted to the shame of the Israelites Iudg. 2. 17. That they turned quickly out of the way wherein their fathers walked obeying the commandements of God but they did not so And Iehoram the King of Iudah receiued a writing from Eliah the Prophet threatning extreame vengeance against him because he had not walked in the wayes of Iehosaphat and Asa hauing so good a father and so good a grandfather that he yet became himselfe so vngratious a man 2. Chron. 21. 12. 14. 4. Some authority and religious respect is also sometimes to be giuen euen to the customes and fashions of the places where we liue Paul alleadgeth the custome of the Churches to stoppe the mouth of contentious
men 1. Cor. 11. 16. Good customes taken vp vpon good grounds receiued and long continued among Gods people should not lightly be broken and laid downe For the Israelites 2. Kings 17. 34. are blamed for breaking their customes The Apostle commends sundry truths to the people of God by this argument that they had receiued them and makes that a further bond vnto their conscience 1. Cor. 15. 1. I declare to you the Gospell which I preached to you which ye also receiued and wherein yee continue And Phil. 4. 9. Those things which ye haue both learned and receiued those things doe and the God of peace shall bee with you Yea it is no small sinne for any priuate man to breake the good orders and customes of the Church of God or to seeke to be priuiledged and exempted from them There is a generall rule giuen vs Pro. 2. 20. Walke in the waies of good men and keepe the waies of the righteous and God hath made a promise to them that will learne the waies of his people and conforme themselues vnto them Ier. 12. 16. Say there were no law to bind vs to giue euery Sabbath somewhat at Church to the reliefe of the poore yet the very custome of a Congregation being according to the word for the Apostle saith he set this order in all the Churches of Galatia 1. Cor. 16. 1. should bind vs to continue in it and cannot be despised by any without sinne Say there weâ—… no law to bind such as haue committed fornication with the publique scandall of the Congregation to professe their repentance publikely for the satisfaction of the congregation Yet the very custome of the congregation grounded vpon Gods Word as this is for the Apostle required that the fornicator should be put from among them that is separated from the priuiledges of the Church till he had professed his repentance 1. Cor. 5. 2. And our Sauiour inioynes him that had giuen offence but to one member of the Church not to presume to offer his gift to God till he had made satisfaction to his neighbour Mat. 5. 24. And how much more respect is to be had to a whole congregation then to any one member I say this very custome of the congregation thus grounded vpon the Word should not be violated in fauour of any man These foure points being thus premised it remaines that I confirme the Doctrine viz. That it is dangerous in matters of Religion to ascribe too much to antiquity or to the custome or example of our forefathers For proofe of this Doctrine looke into the holy Scriptures and into the examples of all ages and you shall find that the chiefe hardner of men in superstition hath beene the antient custome and vse of their forefathers so the Prophet speaketh of the Iewes in his time Ier. 9. 14. They walked after the stubbornenesse of their owne hearts and after Baalims which their fathers taught them And the Apostle Peter saith of them he wrote to 1. Pet. 1. 18. That all their vaine conuersation was receiued by tradition of their fathers and in this place the thing that hardened the Samaritans in their superstition was this their fathers worshipped in this mountaine The Reasons why it is not safe but dangerous in matters of Religion to rely too much vpon antiquity and vpon the custome of our forefathers are these 1. Because it is euident that many of the grossest errors that euer were in Religion are of great antiquity The Idolatry of the Pagans was of great antiquity Ioshu 14. 2. The superstition of the Iewes that hold the obseruation of Moses ceremonies necessary to saluation is of great antiquity For it began in the Apostles dayes Acts 15. 1. The corruptions of Religion that the Pharisees held in Christs time were very antient Matth. 5. 21 27 33. Yee haue heard it hath beene said to them of old time c. And so the errours of the Papists may not be denied to be very antient For the mystery of iniquity began to worke euen in the Apostles time 2. Thess. 2. 7. 2. It is no vndutifulnesse in a child to swerue from his fathers example in any thing wherein his father hath swerued from the Word of God Our parents must be obeyed in the Lord Eph. 6. 1. and are called the parents of our bodies and the Lord the Father of our spirits and consciences Heb. 12. 9. And in this case we haue a rule Matth. 23. 9. Call no man father vpon earth for one is your father which is in heauen The Vse of this Doctrine is manifold First For the iustifying of our Religion against one of the chiefe obiections the Papists make against it namely that it is new and no elder then Luther and for the confirming our hearts against it If this should be true it were indeed sufficient to prooue it a false Religion But first it should not seeme strange to vs to haue the true Religion of God charged with noueltie This is an old slander What new doctrine is this say the Iewes of Christs owne doctrine Marke 1. 27. May wee know what this new doctrine is whereof thou speakest say the Athenians to Paul Acts 17. 29. 2. It is euident by authenticall stories that this truth that we professe hath had many witnesses in euery age since the Apostles times euen in the darkest times of Popery And though Master Luther were Gods blessed instrument to bring it to light in this last age as Hilkia was of finding the booke of Gods Law 2. King 22. 8. Yet was not he the author of it no more then Hilkia was of that 3. Say we could not shew any that had professed it for 1500. yeares before Luther yet because we hold nothing but that which hath witnesse of the law of the Prophets as Rom. 3. 21. Our Religion must needs be held to be truely antient 2. For defending of our selues against the imputation of vndutifulnesse towards our ancestors which the Papists also cast vpon vs as if by professing this Religion we did condemne all our forefathers For first many that liued in the midst of the darknesse of Popery were extraordinarily preserued from the grosse errors of the Papists as the three children were in the fiery furnace Dan. 3. 27. and inlightned with the knowledge of the truth which we our selues doe now professe as may euidently be prooued by storie Neither should this seeme strange since we know the Lord hath beene wont at such times and in such places as hee hath denyed the ordinary meanes of grace vnto to preserue instruct and saue his Elect extraordinarily so he had 7000. in the ten Tribes that had not once bowed their knee to Baal 1. King 19. 18. So he wrought faith in Rahab while she liued among the cursed Cananites Heb. 11. 31. And in the wise men while they liued in the East in the midst of Pagans and Idolaters Mat. 2. 1. 2. 2. Many that professed Popery in
reads in the Word though he see or feele little to perswade him to it yet he hath the promise Godlinesse hath the promise both of this life and of the life to come this is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation for therefore we labour and suffer reproch because vpon this ground we trust in the liuing God c. 1 Timothie 4. 8 9 10. And this promise is of great force and account with him Hauing these promises let vs cleanse our selues 2 Corinth 7. 1. The third Vse of the Doctrine is for comfort to the godly that know they feare God vnfainedly and yet are often perplexed because all sensible tokens of his fauour both inward and outward are taken from them First in thy outward affliction and distresse acquaint thy selfe well with Gods promises made vnto thee namely such as that they that seeke the Lord shall not want any good thing Psalme 34. 10. Secondly assure thy selfe God with-holds from thee the sensible performance of them to prooue whether thou canst belieue though thou see not To humble thee and to proue thee and to know what was in thy heart whether thou wouldst keepe his commandements or no Deut. 8. 2. Thirdly giue thou glory to God in belieuing and say as Iob 13. 15. Though he slay me yet will I trust in him And all will be well assuredly If thou canst belieue all things are possible to him that belieueth Mark 9. 23. In the affliction of thy mind and losse of the feeling of Gods fauour first acquaint thy selfe with the promises Whom Christ euer loued he loues to the end Ioh. 13. 2. The gifts and callings of God such gifts and graces of God as do accompany an effectuall calling are without repentance Rom. 11. 29. He hath said I will neuer faile thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13. 5. Secondly rest assured God doth this for thy profit he alwayes chasteneth vs for our profit that we might be partakers of his holinesse Heb. 12. 10. Thirdly consider not too much of nor reason too much with thy temptation Abraham considered not thought not much vpon nor reasoned with or obiected against the promise of God his owne body now dead when he was about an hundred yeare old neither yet the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe Rom. 4. 19. Fourthly though thou feele nothing yet say with Dauid Psal. 56. 10. In God will I praise his word in the Lord will I praise his word Lecture the ninetie one Iune 25. IOHN IIII. XLVIII IT remaines now that we proceed to the two last points obserued in this Verse The first thing then that we are now to obserue is this That our Sauiour chargeth the Iewes with obstinacy and aggrauates their infidelity by their wilfulnesse Ye will not belieue saith he And this ye shall find oft charged vpon them and made the chiefe cause of their reiection Iohn 5. 40. But ye will not come to me that ye might haue life And 8. 44. Ye are of your father the Deuill and the lusts of your father you will doe Matth. 23. 37. How oft would I haue gathered you together as an Hen gathereth her chickens vnder her wings but ye would not Rom. 11. 25. Obstinacy is come to Israel vntill the fulnesse of the Gentiles be come in They had had all good meanes to perswade them to belieue in Christ the Scriptures did beare witnesse vnto him and so did the Shepheards and Simeon and Anna and Iohn the Baptist and the miracles that Christ himselfe had wrought therefore it must needs be wilfulnesse and obstinacy in them that they did not belieue From hence then this Doctrine ariseth That this greatly aggrauateth euery sinne in the sight of God when it is committed with wilfulnesse and obstinacy When men sinne not of simple ignorance but God hauing giuen them the ordinary meanes of knowledge and faith and reformation of life they stand out against the meanes and will not be reclaimed Obserue the proofe and demonstration of this Doctrine in all the wayes whereby the wrath of God is reuealed from heauen and ye shall euer find he hates the man that sinnes wilfully against the meanes aboue all other First in the euerlasting punishment and torments of Hell Though Turkes and Pagans that neuer sinned wilfully against the meanes of grace shall be damned and therefore it is said Mar. 16. 16. He that belieueth not not he that will not belieue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be damned And 2 Thes. 1. 8 In flaming fire rendring vengeance on them that do not know God And Rom. 2. 12. As many as haue sinned without the Law shall perish also without the Law yet shall there be certainly in those euerlasting torments the least measure whereof shall be such as no heart of man is able to conceiue and because the least shall be vnconceaueably extreame and euerlasting it passeth mans reason to imagine how there should be any degrees in it great odds and difference And the Lord who is infinite in wisdome and iustice and power hath appointed farre more grieuous and fearefull torments in that Lake for them that haue sinned wilfully and obstinately against the means than for any other sinner This is plaine by that speech of our Sauiour Matth. 10. 15. of euery City that refuseth the Word Truly I say vnto you it shall be easier for them in the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of iudgement than for that City And of Capernaum that did not refuse to heare but did wilfully refuse to belieue and obey the truth which they heard Matth. 11. 24. I say vnto you it shall be easier for the Land of Sodom in the day of iudgement than for thee And that of the Apostle Rom. 2. 8 9. Indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish shall be vpon the soule of euery man that doth euill of the Iew first and also of the Grecian And why of the Iew first or chiefly Because as I haue shewed you obstinacy is come vpon Israel their obstinacy against the meanes of grace which they had aboue the Grecian is the cause of it 2. In those corporall and temporall plagues that God is wont to bring vpon men in this life God shewes this also euidently in those he inflicteth vpon wicked men in their bodies and goods and good name in their children and posterity For first though God in this life shew wonderfull patience in bearing with sinners yet some he cannot forbeare till the life to come but Iames 1. 15. sinne when it is finished bringeth forth death And the thing that makes vp the measure and perfection of sinne is this when men grow obstinate in sinne and will not be reclaimed Thus saith Daniel to Belthasar of the King his Father Dan. 5. 20. When his heart was puffed vp and his mind was hardened in pride he was deposed from his Kingly Throne and his heart was made like the beasts And this is so certaine a signe that some iudgement or