is the sanctifying of the heart Circumcision Deut. 30.6 And the Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soule that thou maist live Rom. 2.29 He is a Jew which is one inwardly and circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God Consider the foregoing verses On the contrary evil and unsactified hearts are called uncircumcised in Scripture Lev. 26.41 If then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled Jer. 9.25 26. Behold the daies come saith the Lord that I will punish them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised Egypt and Iudah and Edom and the children of Ammon and Moab and all that are in the utmost corners that dwell in the wildernesse for all these nations are uncircumcised and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart Acts 7.51 Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and eares ye doe alwaies resist the holy Ghost as your fathers did so doe ye Circumcision then as you see was not onely a seale of the righteousnesse of faith The Passover The Passeover or Paschall Lamb Exod. 12. was a Type of Christ the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world as it hath been explained before The sprinkling of the blood upon the doore-posts signified the sprinkling of the blood of Christ upon the heart and soule for removing of the filth as well as the guilt of sin which was also signified by other sprinklings and washings of the Law as I shall shew you anon Sacraments extraordinary The Baptism in the cloud and in the red Sea figured the same which is now signified by our Baptism under the Gospel of which I shall speak in its due place The Manna in the wildernesse was a type of Christ who is the bread of Life upon whom whosoever feedeth by faith hath a spirituall life in Christ he dwelling in Christ and Christ in him to wit by the graces of his spirit Christ himself thus expounded what the Manna signified as you may read at large Ioh. 6.48 to 59. Types The Brazen serpent Numb 21.9 with Iohn 3.14 15. was a type of Christ restoring spirituall life as well as delivering from the death of condemnation As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the wildernesse even so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And this is life eternall that they might know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent John 17.3 The Laver Exod. 30.17 typified our sanctification by the Blood of Jesus Christ Eph. 5 25 26. Even as Christ also loved the Church and gave himselfe for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word We read of the Laver of regeneration Tit. 3.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 According to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renuing of the holy Ghost The blood of the Sacrifices sprinkled signified the blood of Christ in its sanctifying vertue Heb. 9 1◠14. For if the blood of Bulls and of Goats and the ashes of an Heighfer sprinkling the uncleane sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot to God purge your conscience from dead workes to serve the living God! chap. 10.22 Let us draw neer with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water The Promises 2. Let us consider the Promises even of the covenant of promise Jer. 31.33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those daies saith the Lord I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people Ezek. 36.26 27. A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh And will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgements and do them Here you see how large a part of this Covenant consisteth in the promises of sanctifying grace Prophecies 3. Let us consider the Prophesies Zach. 13.1 In that day there shall be a fountaine opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleannesse It is the uncleannesse of sin that is washed away by this Fountain of Grace Isa 61.1 2 3. The spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek he hath sent me to binde up the broken hearted to proclaime liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound c. This freedom here spoken of is from a state of thraldome in sin from the bondage of corruption as well as from the obligation to punishment for it is said ver 3. the latter part That they might be called trees of righteousnes the planting of the Lord that he might be glorified The like we have chap. 42. 6 7. I the Lord have called thee in righteousnesse and will hold thine hand and will keep thee and give thee for a covenant of the people for a light of the Gentiles to open the blind eyes and bring out the prisoners from the prison them that sit in darknes out of the prison-house Here we see that the opening of blinde eyes is spoken of and what is that but the grace of saving knowledge and what the prison is you may gather out of my foregoing words upon the former text Mal. 3.2 3. He to wit Christ is like refiners fire and like fullers sope And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he shall purifie the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousnesse Sacraments of the N.T. 4. The Sacraments of the New Testament signifie the same sanctifying grace Rom. 6.4 We are buried with him by baptisme into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the father even so also we should walk in newnesse of life 1 Cor. 6.11 But ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified Here you see the washing of Baptism signifies the sanctifying as well as the justifying vertue of the blood of Christ John 1.35 He that sent me to baptise with water the same said unto me Vpon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remain on him the same is he which baptiseth with the holy Ghost See also chap. 5.3 Except a man be born of water and of the
flesh of our flesh he might become unto us a meet Saviour And the verity mysterie of his Incarnation is plainly recorded in this Chapter Which divides it self into two generall parts 1. A Genealogy of Christ from the beginning of the Chapter to ver 18. 2. The History of his Nativity from thence to the end of the Chapter In which that I may clear the way to the Text consider with me these few particulars 1. Mary's Conception She was found to be with child v. 18. 2. Josephs false-Conception or misapprehension concerning it which made him afraid to take his espoused wife and this caused 3. His Resolution to put her away privily ver 19. but before the Execution of his purpose behold 4. Gods timely prevention feare not to take unto thee Mary thy Wife c. ver 20. In which yet more particularly consider how God teacheth Joseph 1. By whom Mary had conceived viz. By the Holy Ghost 2. What she should bring forth She shall bring forth a Son v. 21. 3. What he should name him thou shalt call his name Jesus 4. The reason of the name For he shall save his people from their sins In this worke of Salvation according to the words in the Text consider 1. The Efficient Cause or person saving Jesus 2. The Subject or person saved his people 3. The evill from which from their sins 1. The person saving is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Saviour from the Hebrew root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to save The reason of the name then is from the nature of the worke he takes in hand 2. By his people which are the persons saved we understand not the nation of the Jews adaequately as if they all and onely they were his people here spoken of They were indeed his people 1. by nation and his naturall relation as man unto them himselfe being of the seed of Abraham as appeares in his Genealogy 2. They were his people by outward profession for they professed faith in and waited for the promised Messias yea and to them onely was he at first sent for saith Christ Mat. 15.24 I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel But the generality of them did not imbrace him for when he came to his owne his owne received him not Joh. 1.11 Therefore by his people the nation of the Jewes is not here understood 2. Neither by his people d Apostolus ait Conclusit enim Deus omnes in infidelitate ut omnium misereatur Quos omnes nifi de quibus lo quebatuâ— tanquam dicens vos illos Deus ergo Gentiles Judaeos quos praescivit praedestinavit conforme fieri imagini fiâ—i sui omnes in infidelitate conclusit ut de amartiudine infidelitatis suae paeuitendo confusi ad dulcedinem misericordiae Dei credendo conversi clamarent illud in Psal Quam multa multitudo dulcedinis tuae Domine quem abscondisti timentibus te perfecisti autem sperantibus non inse sed in te Omnium itaque miseretur vasorum misericordiae Quid est omnium Et eorum scilicet quos ex Gentibus â—â—um quos ex Judaeis praedestinavit voâ—avit juscificavit glorificavit non omnium hominum sed istorum omnium nominem darenaturus Aug. de Civ Dei lib. 20 cap. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est sibi datum à Patre ut ipse loquitur John 17. Periphrasis electorum Piscat in loc doe we understand all Mankinde as some would have it Aâ—l of all nations are not his people but some out of every nation according to that new song Rev. 5.9 Thou wast slaine and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and Nation Yea the words themselves his people are restrictive and intimate not an extension to all men but a limitation to some onely 3. By his people therefore we understand those that are his by donation those that were given him by the Father Joh. 6.37 All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me Thus saith the Lord also to Paul concerning Corinth Act. 18.10 I have much people in this City The evill from which they are saved is their sins and doubtlesse from their sufferings too but as their sins onely are expressely mentioned as that from which they should be saved and this the reason why Christ should be named Jesus so doubtlesse this is that that Christ primarily and chiefly intended to save his people from their sins even from sin it selfe at which I mainely aim in this Discourse Whence observe That the great work of Christ our Saviour is the saving of his people from their sins Even from sin it selfe For our more cleer proceeding I shall lay down these following positions 1. Man is fallen from God and by nature lyes under two great evills 1. Sin 2. Wrath for sin 2. It is the work of Christ to save his people from both these 3. Our Salvation by Christ from the wrath of God due for sin is a mercy so farre beyond our ability to deserve or requite that if we had the tongue of men and Angels we could never sufficiently praise God and Christ our Redeemer for this unspeakable mercy 4. Yet the work of our Salvation from Sin it selfe is a greater mercy to us and this is the Master-piece of what Christ our Saviour hath undertaken for us 5. By Salvation from sin I doe not understand a bare removall of corrupt qualities but a procuring and bestowing of good instead thereof for we are redeemed as we are called from uncleanness to holinesse And the privation of morall good in man is a sin as well as the position of morall evill and in this latitude the Apostle defines sin in that one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the transgression of the Law 1 Job 3.4 Which consisteth both in Affirmative and Negative precepts and the not being and doing what is commanded is a transgression as well as being and doing what is forbidden The Doctrine being thus stated I proceed to the proof of it 1. by Scripture 2. by Argument There are divers Scriptures that speak to our purpose amongst many take these few First heare what Christs harbinger speakes yea see how he points him out Joh. 1.29 Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the World And Iohn saith that he was manifested to take away our sins 1. Joh. 3.5 And the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin 1 Joh. 1.7 that he loved and washed us from our sins in his owne blood Rev. 1.5 In all these texts we see that sin onely is expressed and I believe that which is specially intended although I know that the guilt and fruit of sin is also included Thus Paul tells us that Christ loved his Church and gave himselfe for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it Eph. 5.25.26 thus likewise
saving work of Jesus Christ And they are 1. Such as hinder the salvation of their own soules 2. Such as hinder the salvation of others 1. Such as hinder the salvation of their own soules by resisting the grace of Christ tendred in the Word and the friendly motions of the Spirit How doth the Lord by his Messengers invite intreat perswade and woo sinners for their good and they refuse and hate instruction despise his messengers and harden their hearts against him How do some neglect hearing and but seldome frequent the ordinances of God others are grown carelesse in hearing or Sermon-proof so that the Word takes little or no impression upon them to the grief of our hearts and sadding of our spirits who behold their sottishnesse And how many waies have sinners that are convinced of their evill estate to play the Sophisters with their consciences and delude their own souls that they may retain their beloved sins though to their utter ruine when Israel and Iudah sinned against the Lord he testified against them by his Prophets and Seers saying Turne ye from your evil waies and keep my commandements and my statutes notwithstanding they would not hear but hardned their necks and they rejected his Statutes and his Covenant that he made with their Fathers and his testimonies which he testified against them and they followed vanity and became vaine therefore the Lord was angry with them and rejected all the seed of Israel and delivered them into the hand of spoylers till he had cast them out of his sight 2 Kings 17.13 14 15 18 19 â—0 And is not God still the same may you not expect the Lord to deale with you likewise you have sinned against the Lord and he hath testified against you by his Ministers Notwithstanding you refuse to heare but harden your hearts against the Lord therefore is the Lord very angry and that justly with you yea as sure as you live the Lord will deliver you into the hands of Sathan and your own corruption the worst of spoylers and eternally cast you out of his sight unlesse you embrace his counsell and seek him in due time What the Lord said of Iudah because they refused the good way may you take as spoken of your selves for refusing the message of Christ Heare O Earth behold I will bring evill upon this people even the fruit of their own thoughts because they have not hearkned unto my words nor to my law but rejected it Jerem. 16 19. and you may shortly be called with Jerusalem to take up a lamentation because the Lord hath rejected and forsaken you as the generation of his wrath Jerem. 7.29 Yea know that whereas the Lord is now importunate with you for your good and you set at naught his counsel the time may shortly come when you shall call upon him in the bitternesse of your soul from the depth of your distresse and he slight your cry yea laugh at your calamity as you have made but a mock at his Word O Sinners hear and tremble at what the Lord hath spoken against you Prov. 1.24 to 32. Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded but ye have set at naught all my counsel and would none of my reproof I also will laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear cometh when your feare cometh as desolation and your destruction cometh as a whirlewind when distresse and anguish cometh upon you then shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seek me early but they shall not finde me For they hated knowledge and did not choose the feare of the Lord They would none of my counsel they despised all my reproof Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their owne way and be filled with their own devices You think it a small matter to reject the Lords Messengers and despise their counsell but herein you reject the Lord Christ himself Luke 10.16 He that despiseth you despiseth me In this as the Lord said to Samuel 1 Sam. 8.7 They have not rejected thee but they have rejected me that I should not reigne ever them So may I truly say you have not rejected us who are Ministers but you have rejected the Lord Christ our Saviour that he should not reigne over you Yea what do you lesse than resist the salvation of your owne soules when with the Pharisees and Lawyers ye reject the counsell of God Luke 7.30 May not I here take up the words of Steph Act. 7.51 say Ye stiff-necked uncircumcised in heart and eares ye doe alwaies resist the holy Ghost If they that resist the lawfull authority of the civill Magistrate shall receive to themselves damnation Rom. 13.2 how just will the condemnation of those be who resist the saving counsell and authority of Jesus Christ Who ever hardned himselfe against God and prospered Job 9.4 Sinner the great work of Christ our Saviour is to save his people from their sinnes and how is it that thou wilt not be saved by him that thou wilt hazard thy soule to save thy sinne thy sinne dishonours God and God will either destroy thy sinne or thee Wilt thou lose thy soule to save thy base lusts hast thou the like passionate affection to thy sinne as David had to his Son Absalom when he cryed out Would God I had died for thee yea though as Absalom it seeks to berave thee both of thy Life and Crown Is filthy abominable corruption so beautifull in thine eyes Surely thy Dalilah hath betrayed thee into the hands of thine enemies who have put out both thine eyes or else thou couldst not be so blindly sottish for thou hardnest thy heart against thy own soule Secondly this reproves those that hinder the salvation of others and they are of divers sorts 1. Such as teach corrupt doctrine If truth be the Lords instrument for the sanctification of the soule as it is said John 17.17 Sanctifie them with thy truth thy word is truth then error is a great meanes whereby soules come to be corrupted and held under Sathans slavery Are not many seduced soules that formerly seemed to be in love with the waies of God now turned to swearing cursing blaspheming and other like abominations yea and to commit these sinnes with greedinesse And are not the duties of Piety as hearing praying singing sanctifying the Sabbath and the like accounted exercises unbeseeming Saints Yea what wickedness is there but some of our late errors will lead a man to in commission of it and what course more effectuall to bring sinners to perpetuall destruction than when men make it their work to turne them from the truth which is the way of salvation The Apostle calls the doctrine of the teachers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heresies of destruction or as our Translation renders it damnable Heresies 2 Pet. 2.1 Some errors there are that more evidently tend to hinder this work of Christ I shall
doe good Secondly the threats are to deter us from disobedience Thirdly the Promises most of them are of the rewards of grace n i. e. Gracious rewards or rewards not for grace in us but from grace in God for our encouragement to all holy obedience Fourthly the Examples are 1. Of wicked men in the wayes of wickednesse and the judgement of God upon them for it that we may beware of partaking in their sins lest we be also partakers of their plagues 2. Examples of godly men in the wayes of holinesse and of the blessing of God upon them in their wayes that we may be excited to tread in their steps And thus we see that the Scripture which is the Word of life and salvation by Christ is the doctrine of holinesse leading us all along in the wayes of Sanctification Yea Christs owne Sermons if we doe but observe them are most upon this subject But doth not Paul say Object that Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Gal. 3.13 And are we not said to be saved and delivered by Christ out of the hand of our enemies Luk. 1.71 74. How then is the great work of Christ the saving of his people from sin it selfe That Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law is true Answ and 't is a great work yet it doth not follow that this is his main work but the contrary hath been proved already viz. our redemption from sin is the greater Is not our own corrupt flesh the worst enemy we have Is not that one Enemy within us worse than all our Enemies without us What hurt could all the rest doe were it not for our own in-bred corruption Satan and the world were as great yea greater enemies to Christ but could not prevail upon him because they found no evil in him Sinne is the very chains o Nam vinctos nos tenebat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oecum apud Dav. in Col. c. 2. v. 15. and fetters wherein Satan binds the soule and leads it away captive Thou art in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity said Peter to Simon Magus Act. 8.23 The Devils snares are baited with alluring temptations to sin and those that resist the temptation escape the snare And although by reason of our corruption we are lyable to be tormented by Satan and Satan as Gods Executioner hath committed unto him the power of death Heb. 2.14 yet that power whereby he leads us captive into sin at his will is far worse 3. It is said in the fore-mentioned Text Luk. 1.74 75. that we are delivered out of the hands of our enemies that we might serve the Lord in holiness and righteousness In which words it appears that our being rescued out of the hands of our enemies refers as a means to our serving God in holinesse and righteousnesse as the end If a Servant should be imprisoned for some wrong done and his Master desirous of his service ransometh and enlargeth him the servants enlargement is first procured but his Masters service is chiefly intended Having thus by Scripture and Argument proved That the great work of Christ is the saving his people from their sins I shall in the next place shew you how it is that he accomplisheth for his people this great salvation CHAP. II. CHRIST saves his people from their sins 1. As the meritorious cause purchasing Sanctification for them 2. As the Efficient cause working sanctifying grace in them 1. I. Christ the meritorious cause of our sanctification As the meritorious p Confiderandae hic sunt causae cur Servator noster appellatus sit Jesus item Christus Ac Jesus quidem nomine Hebraico quod Latinè est Servator appellatus est quia servavit etiamnum servat populum suum id est electos à peccatis infra v. 21. Servat autem duobus modis merito efficaciā Merito quiae morte sua meritus est electis apud Deum remissionem peccatorum ac donationem Spiritus Sancti vitae eternae Efficaci â vero quia per Spiritum S. praedicationem Evangelii efficit in illis fidem quae meritum in promissione Evangelii amplectuntur et ex fide studium serviendi Deo secundùm sancta ipsius mandata Piscat Observat in Mat. c. 1. v. 16. cause by his death and resurrection purchasing for them the mortification of sin and spirituall resurrection to newnesse of life This he doth by vertue of his Priestly office Thus saith the Prophet Isa 53. 10 11. When thou shalt make his soule an offering for Sinne he shall see his seed he shall prolong his dayes he shall see the travails of his soule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall see seed so 't is in the Hebrew and whether we read it indefinitely a seed or his seed it matters not But a plentifull increase of spirituall seed is here understood to which that of our Saviour Christ may allude Io. 12.24 Except Corn or Wheat fall and dye it abideth alone but if it dye it bringeth forth much fruit As the sown seed by dying bringeth forth a plentifull increase So Christ by his death bringeth many sons to glory which is begun in the work of grace wherein those that were dead in trespasses and sins are raised up to spirituall life which is eternall Or as from Abraham and Sarah as a dead stock from Isaac destinated to the slaughter and received from the dead in a figure there arose a seed as the stars of heaven for multitude So from Christ the Anti-type sacrificed and dead there springs a numerous off-spring who derive life from him as may be intimated in the next words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall prolong dayes the word his is not in the Hebrew our translation supplyes it and so some understand it of Christ himselfe being raised again to dye no more Others read it he shall prolong their dayes understanding it of his seed being to continue here successively to the end of the world and then to live with him for evermore I conceive it will be no inconvenience to understand it of Christ mysticall and to include both the former interpretations for Christ raised up himselfe to life and his seed have life in and through him As saith Christ himselfe Iohn 14.19 Because I live ye shall live also And saith Paul Col. 3 3. Our life is hid with Christ as the fountain or root And Gal. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ neverthelesse I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me He shall see the travel of his soul i. e. the fruit of his travell and be satisfied Though his pangs were as a woman travelling with child and farre more sharp yet he shall not be as those that travelled in paine and brought forth winde Isa 26.8 Nor as those that brought children to the birth and had no strength to bring forth Isa 37.3 Nor as those that bring
intima quadam mirabu◠operatione regenerat quafi de novo ereat infundendo spiritum vivificantem omnes animae facultates novis qualicatibus imbuendo Christ in saving of a Soule from sinne workes powerfully and irresistibly overcoming all opposition whatsoever whether within or without us 3. i Thes 2. Ad hoc ipsum opus regenerationis habet se homo passivè neque est in potestate voluntatis humana impedire Deum sic immediatè regenerantem In Christs first worke of Grace upon the Soule the Soule is passive 4. k De Conversione qua denetat actionem bominis c. Pradictam conversionem sequitur haec nostra conversio actualis Deo proliciente ipsum actum credendi convertendi ex mutata voluntate quae acta à Deo agit et ipsa convertendo se ad Deum et credendo hoc est actum suum vitalem eliciendo Man by his fall into a State of sin hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spirituall good accompanying Salvation So as a naturall man being altogether averse from that good and dead in sin is not able by his own strength to convert himself or prepare himselfe thereunto When God converts a sinner and translates him into a state of grace he freeth him from his naturall bondage under sin and by his grace alone enables him freely to will and to doe that which is spiritually good Conf. of Faith by the late Assemb at Westminster cap. 9. Yet no man is converted or sanctified against his will but Christ worketh upon the soul by inclining the will of unwilling making it willing Ps 110.3 5. When Christ drawes effectually the Soule comes presently and infallibly yet not by compulsion but willingly Cant. 1.4 Draw me we will run after thee 6. Drawing is Christs word coming is the Soules act done in the power of Christ effectually moving Obj. If man be meerly passive in the work of conversion and no man be able in the use of any meanes to convert himselfe but Grace is of the Lords immediate infusing to what purpose is it to heare the Word or use any other meanes to attaine Grace more than to sit still and doe nothing at all And to what purpose doe Ministers preach the Word Answ 1. The preaching of the Word is Gods ordinary meanes for the converting of Soules Psal 19.7 The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul Rom. 10.17 Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God And God who hath ordained the meanes hath bound us to the use of them for as the Word and Mans indeavours can availe nothing without the Spirit so the Spirit will not worke where the Means is rejected It is God onely that gives the increase but his Pauls and Apollo's must be planting and watering Concerning the sowing the seed of the Word we may say as Solomon in another case Eccles 11.6 In the morning sow thy seed and in the evening withhold not thy hand for thou knowest not whether shall prosper either this or that or whether they both shall be alike good Ministers are Gods Husbandmen and People are Gods Husbandry or as the field in which this seed is sown 1 Cor. 3.9 it is the Ministers worke to sow and Gods to make the ground fruitfull Ans 2. The lesse able we are to work grace in our own souls the more careful we should be to wait upon the Lord of grace in the use of the meanes of grace The blind and deaf and dumb in the Gospell waited the more diligently upon Christ for help because they could not have help any otherwise than by his speciall divine power they waited in the way that Christ came and so must the soul that would have spirituall help wait upon Christ in the way that he comes which is the way of his Ordinances Obj. But is not the outward teaching to be layd aside Is it not said Jer. 31.33 34. This is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those dayes saith the Lord I will put my law in their inward paths And they shall teach no more And doth not the Author to the Hebrewes interpret it of the dayes of the Gospel and say expressely they shall not teach Heb. 8.10 11. Must we not then wait only for the inward and immediate teaching of the Spirit of God Answ 1. The Lord intended not the laying aside of outward teaching for Christ himselfe went up and downe preaching the Gospel before his passion he taught his Disciples also after his resurrection as appears Ma. 28.18 Mar. 16.14 ad 19. Luk. 24.36 to 51. He gave a new Commission to his Disciples to goe teach all Nations Mat. 28.19 20. and promiseth to be with them and with those that should succeed them in the work of the Ministery to the end of the world And he who is the chiefe Sheepherd committed the feeding of his flock to them John 21.15 16 17. The fruit of his Ascention was the giving of Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors Eph. 4.11 12. and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry And we must not be so absurd as to thinke that Christ by his owne practise and commssion to others contradicted the Prophesies I came not to destroy the Law or the Prophets but to fulfill saith Christ Mat 5.17 Answ 2. The teaching of this Doctrine is a self confutation to the Teachers for if no man must teach another then they that are of this opinion must not teach it others but must leave God to teach them that as well as other things Answ 3. But to inquire more strictly into the sense and meaning of the place we must note that the Author of this Epistle comparing Moses and Christ together preferres Christ in all things above him and comparing the internall efficacy of Christ with the external administrations of the Law shews that Christ was the substance of those shadowes in the Ceremoniall Law and that from Christ onely was Grace derived to obey sincerely the Moral Law according to those words Ioh. 1.16 17. Of his fulnesse have all we received and Grace for Grace For the Law was given by Moses but Grace Truth came by Iesus Christ Which being well understood would be a good Commentary upon a great part of the Epistle to the Hebrews The great error of the Jews was their resting in themselves and the Letter of the Law They had the Ceremonial Law and resting in those types and shadows looked not with an eye of Faith to Christ the Antitipe who was the end and scope of the Law and alone able to take away sinne as pertaining to the Conscience They had also the Morall Law written in tables of stone and rested in their own strength according to the Letter of the Law and thought to expiate their defects by those carnall offerings as Paul plainly and largely declares if we compare Rom. 9.31 32 33. with the
and to be called into fellow ship with God the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ Here is matter of admiration indeed Stand here and pause a little see whether you have not more cause than before to cry out O the breadth length and depth and height of the grace of Christ The soule that is betrothed to Christ in holinesse may much more say in this case what David said when he was advanced from a mean family to great dignity Lord Who am I and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto Here may we likewise say with the Psalmist Psal 8.4 What is man Lord that thou art mindfull of him and the Son of man that thou so visitest him And are not they to be esteemed the most faithfull preachers of the Gospel who shun not to reveale unto the people both parts of the Counsell and Grace of Christ but shew forth the glory of his sanctifying as well as of his justifying work Beware then I beseech you of the dangerous way of admiring grace against grace which is indeed to destroy grace Take heed of hearkning to them that so much contemne the doctrine of Sanctification by Christ under pretence of exalting Chrâ—st The Doctrine of the grace of God which bringeth salvation teacheth us that denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts we should live soberly justly and godly in this present world Tit. 2.11 12. Paul teacheth us that it is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ came into the world to save sinners but not to save them in their sins that were a contradiction but to save them from their sins There is in him plenteous redemption and he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities Psal 130. ult and he saves them to the uttermost that come unto God by him Hebr. 7.25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the perfection of all And were it so that Christ should save us from wrath and not from sin he would be but an imperfect Saviour for it would be but a halfe salvation nor so much neither But Christ doth not leave his work imperfect those that are his redeemed ones are compleat in him Col. 2.10 he justifies them he sanctifies them and so saves them And he that will be a faithful Minister of Christ must preach justificatioÌ„ sanctification which are inseparable It is no marvell if Antinomian teachers carry the multitude after them When they shall teach them that there needs no sorrow for sin no repentance no such care to please God that God takes no notice of their sins nor is displeased with them for sin it is no strange thing if those that are in love with their lusts do folow applaud approve them when they cannot bear the plain dealings of a faithfull Minister of Christ who tells them they cannot have Christ and their lusts too That the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men That the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdome of God That if they will be saved by Christ they must be content to have their iniquities destroyed they must be saved from their sins for they and their sins cannot be saved together It is no marvaile I say to see those loose sort of Teachers gain a multitude of imaginary Converts How easie a matter is it to make a Proselite of a worldling if he may have Christ and his Mammon too or a voluptuous man if he may have Christ and his carnall pleasuers too And who would not have Christ when he shall be taught to deny or part with nothing not so much as a beloved lust for Christ Such clawing teachers are fit to please men of itching ears and such rotten doctrine hath undoubtedly made so many unsound Professors as we see of late How many Antinomian pretenders to more than ordinary Christians have attained to do we see that give way to intemperate drinking lascivious jesting defrauding and many other evils If Solomon when the two women pleaded their cause before him concluded that she was indeed the Mother of the Child whose yerning bowels pleaded against the dividing of it knowing that was the ready way to destroy it Let the wise discern betwixt us and our Antinomian Adversaries which of the two is upright in his cause and whether a divided Christ be like to prove a living and quickning Saviour We may here with the Apostles of Christ lift up our voice to God with one accord Acts 4.24 to 29. and say Lord thou art God which hast made heaven and earth and the sea and all that in them is who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said why did the heathen rage and the people imagine vain things The Kings of the earth stood up and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ For of a truth against thy holy child Iesus whom thou hast anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and people of Israel were gathered together for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel had determined before to be done But this thou in mercy hast ordered to the saving of thy people But now behold a combination of Antinomians Familists and licentious Libertines with evil hearts and wicked hands have what in them lies divided and separated the saving work of thy Son Jesus Christ contrary to the revealed will to the ruine and destruction of many thousand soules And grant unto thy servants that they may with all boldnesse speak thy word not dawbing with untempered mortar but plainly telling Iudah of her sins and Ierusalem of her transgressions that so they may through thine effectual grace be instruments of recovering many from this snare of the Devil who are now led captive by him at his will 7. If the great work of Christ be the saving of his people from their sins this wil further inform us who they are that are the best Christians that have most interest in Christ even those that are the most saved from their sins that have their corruptions most mortified that are the most meek humble self denying obedient Christians and not they that are most in shew and outward appearance This I speak because I see most judge by a wrong rule both of themselves and others in point of Christianity I have heard some highly applauding such as talk and seem to know much while they complaine of their own ignorance want of expression inability in comparison of them calling the other able Christians And we see in this talkative age those that talk much to be renowned among many while the modest humble hearted are little set by I have sometime seen a Gallant in gold and silver lace strutting in great state and perhaps not so much worth in all the world beside as the clothes upon his back To this man many do reverence ignorantly apprehending him to be some honourable person when they regardlesly pass by another man in plain habit
following 1. Ministers 2. Magistrates and other persons of note 3. Superiors of neer relation 4. Eminent Professors 1. Ministers who are of scandalous conversation The example of a Minister in evill is very pernicious because he is sent to teach the way of Salvation and people will thinke that if those whose calling it is to study and teach the way of Salvation doe these things they may much more doe the same Is it not found by sad experience that where people have lived under prophane and superstitious Ministers they are generally so wickedly and superstitiously bent that it is a hard matter for a godly Minister succeeding in such a place to win a little upon them in much time with the most serious and sedulous endeavours Such evill Ministers may preach as long as they live and doe but little good unlesse they amend their manners Let their Sermons be never so finely spun they will be but like Penelope's thred no sooner done but undone againe To preach holinesse and practice wickednesse is but to doe and undoe a good Sermon is soon ravelled by the bad life of the preacher Ministers are Gods builders and Gods building requires both hands to the worke but ill-living Ministers pull down more with the one hand then they build with the other They spend an houre or two in teaching people the way to salvation and the whole week besides in leading them the way to utter destruction If that saying be true Longum iter ad doctrinam per praecepta per exempla vero breve It is a long way to learn by precept but short by example Then such Ministers teach their people the farthest way to heaven but the neerest way to hell It is said of Plato an ancient Philosopher that he was crook-back'd and his Schollers strove to imitate him in that deformity So doe people readily imitate the crooked and deformed practises of their teachers Such Ministers are they that harden the wicked in their wickednesse grieve the godly open the mouths of those that vilifie and reproach our Ministry and turn the weak and infirm out of the way like the Sons of Eli who by their wretched wickednesse caused the people to abhorre the offering of the Lord. O that the judgement of God upon the house of Eli were well considered by such scandalous wretches yea the judgement in part is already executed upon some of them who are sequestred from their livings outed from their service and reduced to a needy craving condition for some small employment To such may be applyed the woe denounced against the wicked Scribes and Pharisees Mat. 23.13 Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye shut up the kingdome of heaven against men for ye neither goe in your selves neither suffer ye them that are entring to go in O how sad and dreadfull will that saying be unto them one day Their blood will I require at thy hand 2. Magistrates who are of bad conversation do much hurt Magistrates are set to be a terrour to evil doers but when they give bad example they are teachers of evil doers A Magistrate's practise is taken for an authentick example If a Magistrate go to the Alehouse no marvell if the profane rabble run if a Magistrate sit idly there an houre inferiour drunkards will take leave to sit by it all night if a Magistrate sweare now and then the common swearer will think himself secure And no wonder that some Magistrates are so slow to punish wickednesse in others when they themselves stand guilty of the same crimes The evil examples as well as the remissnesse of many of the Magistracy in England have been a great cause of swarming wickednesse in all parts of the Land and the more eminent the person in rule and authority is the more pernicious is his evil example the open sins of great persons therefore are not small the higher the mountain is the farther it is seen the bad examples of wicked Kings in Israel proved infectious to all Israel generally they are said to sin to make Israel to sin Yea so great was the contagion of this disease that following generations were infected by it 'T is no new thing for men to imitate the vices of their ancestors long after they are dead and gone How was Jeroboams Idolatry imitated by divers succeeding Kings 1 Kings 15.26 Nadab the son of Jeroboam did evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the way of his father and in his sinne wherewith he made Israel to sin Verse 33.34 And Baasha did evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sinne Thus we see how great and dangerous the influence of evil example is in great persons The Lord grant that succeeding generations may not imitate the horrible sins that have been committed in our daies The outing of scandalous Ministers was judged necessary as a mean of reformation I wonder how the outing of sacandlous Magistrates came to be neglected 3. The evil example of superiours of neer relation is very hurtfull as of Parents and Masters If Masters be wicked their Servants will sooner learne their wickednesse than their trades Seven years are accounted little enough to learn a trade but the trade of sin is soon learned with little teaching for there is an aptitude in nature to it If Parents be ungodly what more to be expected than that their Children tread in their steps how sad is it little children babble out oaths and curses before they are able to speak plain but what is lesse to be looked for Is it any wonder that children of Welch parents speak Welch that children of Irish parents speak Irish and that every child speaks the language of his parents that educate him Is not our native language therefore called our mother tongue because we learnt it in the very lap When we therefore heare children swearing and cursing in the streets it is easie to guess what language their parents speak Children naturally grow like their parents in person and feature but most of all do they resemble them in their ill-favoured conditions and practises and when we see and hear the profanenesse of children we may soon know of what breed they are of Alas how sad is the account of such parents who have received command from God to traine up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord Eph. 6.4 but lead them on in waies of ungodlinesse If so heavy a judgement befell Eli and his house because his sons were vile and he restrained them not what a curse abides upon the persons and families of such parents who daily teach their children to sinne against God their own wicked lives being the copies their children write after I doubt not but Eli gave his sons good example and when he heard of their miscarriages he rebuked them plainly as you may read 1 Sam. 2.23 24.25 And yet if notwithstanding this