them should answere I neuer baned them with meate nor poysoned them with liquor for they had none at all from mee But all the world knoweth bodies may bee murthered as well by want of meate and drinke that should bee giuen them as by bane or poyson in lieu thereof ministred vnto them And so may soules likewise be d Hos 4. 6. destroyed for lacke of knowledge and c Pro. 5. 23. 10. 21. dye for want of instruction and wisedome wherein f Mat. 12. 30 he that is not with Christ for sauing soules is against him and he that gathereth not scattereth And therefore g 2 Tim. 2. 7. the Lord giue vs vnderstanding in all things whereby wee may h 1 Tim. 3. 9. haue the mysterie of the faith in a pure conscience that so wee may bee i Acts 20. 26 pure from the bloud of all men And thus you haue my second generall motiue Aqu. Brother Aristarchus how truely may wee with the two Disciples say one to another k Luk. 24. 32 did not our hearts burne within vs whiles the Scriptures haue bin thus opened vnto vs The Lord bee mercifull to our former luke-warmenesse and grant that our affections thus now kindled may bee for the time to come l Cant. â— 6 7 like those coales of loue which many waters may neuer quench And to this end we pray you Mr. Archippus to proceede and m 2 Cor. 13. 2. spare not though the word of GOD in your mouth be n Ier. 23. 29. like a fire and your lips as o Ier. 6. 29. bellowes to make the flame vehement that you may not leaue vs as the p Verse the same Founder that melteth in vaine How much better is it seeing the hardest frost must sooner or later haue a thaw that our frozen hard hearts should melt here that we may bee q 1 Cor. 3. 15 saued though so as by fire then to bee r Iob 21. 30 reserued vnto the day of wrath to bee thawed with Å¿ Esa 33. 14. euerlasting burnings hereafter which t Mat. 24 51. is the portion of hypocrites Arch. Blessed bee God that by v Esa 4. 3. the spirit of iudgement and by the spirit of burning doth purge the bloud of Ierusalem and thus vv 1 Pet. 4. 17 begins iudgement at his owne house here that they may not be x 1 Cor. 11. 31. condemned with the world And to your comfort be it spoken this tender y Esa 66. 2. contrite heart of yours thus trembling at the word is a powerfull blessed z Iob 33. 23 27. effect of Gods gratious aspect towards you as a Heb. 12. 23 his first borne that b Esa 4. 3. are written among the liuing in Ierusalem O my brethren how should you c Luk. 10. 20. reioyce in this as our Sauiour saith that your names are written in heauen â— And as I haue spoken these things vnto you that this our d Ioh. 15. 12. Saurours ioy might remaine in you and that your ioy may be full so whatsoever I shall adde is intended as e 2 Cor. 1. 24. a furtherance of this your ioy though by the way any thing should f 2 Cor. 9. 8. make you sorry for a season And so I proceede My third generall motiue deriued from the consideration of our selues is this that wee all professors being here in the militant Church g Can. 6. 10. terrible as an army with banners and hauing our h 2 Cor. 10. 3 life for a warfare and the i 1 Tim. 6 12 good fight of faith for our combat as euer wee looke to k Eph. 6. 13 stand in the euill day so must wee put on the whole armour of God especially the l 1 Thes 5. 9 brest-plate of faith and loue and the hope of saluation for an helmet And passing here by loue as already dispatched I say Faith is compared to a brest-plate because as this is the safeguard of the heart wherein the naturall life consisteth so Faith is the safeguard of m Rom. 2. 29 1 Pet. 3. 4. the hid man of the heart wherein spirituall life consisteth And therefore as wee are said to n Gal. 2. 20. liue by faith of the Sonne of God so Faith is said to be o 1 Ioh. 5. 4. the victory that ouercommeth the world and we know the teâ—or of the Gospell is plaine and peremptory p Mar. 16. 16 hee that beleeueth shall bee saued but he that beleeueth not shall bee damned Vpon this ground I inferre that I must either make good proofe of my faith or quit clayme to the sauing-state of grace Now wee know what euidence S. Iames cals for q Iam 2. 17. 18. c. shew me thy faith by thy workes Aske yee what workes Search the Scriptures and among all outward ordinary works they produce that in the prime place as the prime-rose and fairest euidence of Faith which is in least esteeme with worldlings I meane the fruit of our lips whereby we blesse God and edifie our neighbours r â— Cor. 4. 13 Wee hauing the same spirit oâ— Faith saith S. Paul according as it is written I beleeued and therefore haue I spoken we also beleeue and therfore speake Agâ—ine Å¿ Rom. 10. 9 if thou confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and beleeue in thy heart c. thou shalt bee saued Anâ— this he doubleth again witâ— a reason annexed saying t Verse 10. For with the heart maâ— beleeueth vnto righteousnesse and with the moutâ— confession is made vntâ— saluation Thou wilt saâ— then that the fruit of thâ— lips being as I auouch the prime-rose of outward workes belike the Apostle teacheth men to bee saued according to their workes In no wise but this I say that the confession of the mouth being the chiefe euidence of true Faith in the heart whereby wee are iustified as by Gods priuy seale in the reuelation of Gods righteous iudgement wee shall bee admitted by confession as by Gods broad-seale to passe from iustification to saluation And search the Scriptures and you shall finde that both before and in the time of the Law as well as in the dayes of the Gospell the fruit of the lips is not onely culled out as the choise but made as the epitome of all outward works being alleadged in stead of all the rest and produced as Gods broad-seale to distinguish v Gen. 4. 26. 6 â— the Sonnes of God from the Sonnes of men w Ier. 10. 25 Psal 14. 4. the beleeeuers from Infidels and x Ioel 2. 32. Act. 2. 17. 21. Rom. 10. 13 the saued from the damned And for this cause the Scriptures attribute to the tongue aboue all other members of the body the title y Psal 5â— 7. 108. 1. of our glory because though it bee for matter a small member yet in vertue and power
addresse our selues towards him Aristar Mr. Archippus you are welcome as i Iob. 33. 23. one of a thousand and blessed be God k Act. 1. 7. in whose hands are the times and seasons that he hath sent you vnto vs so seasonably and l Esa 50. 4. giuen you a tongue of the learned to minister a word in season to vs who are now full m Mat. 11. 28. weary of our former heedlesnes in hearing you Arch. What is the matter my deare brethren Aqu. Oh Sir you remember what not long since you taught vs out of Hebr. 3. concerning the duty of exhortation to the full and we tremble in our selues to finde in our account how little of so much wholsome doctrine we haue either put in practise or kept in memory As therefore we now feele how it will be n Phil. 3. 1. for vs a safe thing so let it not be grieuous to you we pray to rehearse summarily the same things to vs whom o Esa 50. 4. God hath now awakened to heare if not as the learned yet surely as those who vnfainedly desire to learne of you Arch. Blessed be God who hath thus p Psal 40. 6. boared your eares and the Lord q Mic. 3. 8. fill me with power and iudgment by his Spirit to satisfie your desires and to stablish your harts in a duty so necessary And for your better memory I will reduce the summe of all into thee rheads insisting 1. in the necessity of the duty 2. in the reasons enforcing it 3. in the right manner of performing it And seeing we are now r Marc 4 10 apart where your questioning will disturbe no publique ministery nor audience be bold I pray with Chrish Disciples to aske the full meaning of any thing that may seeme as a hidden parable vnto you For this is noted as a remarkeable property of Å¿ Luk. 8. 9 10. Mar 4. 10. 11 those to whom it is giuen to know the mystery of the Kingdome of God such Goâ— teacheth t Mare 4. 34 Luk. 10. 23. a-part when others though presentaâ— publique teaching are u Mat. 13. 11 13. c. nothing the wiser such aâ— of Gods priuy councell and haue the vv Psa 25. 14 secrets of the Lord reuealed vnto them from which x Luk. 10. 21 others are kept as strangers to their dying day Arist Brother Aquila in guilt of our owne vnworthines might not we say with the y Ioh. 14. 22 Apostle Lord how is it that thou wilt manifest thy selfe vnto vs and not vnto the world But seeing it is Gods good pleasure thus to sequester vs from those z Act. 13. 41 despisers that wonder and perish in their infidelity God forbid that wee should stand in our owne light by any vaine admiration or inquisition And therfore as our a Luk. 4. 20. eyes are fastened on you Mr. Archippus beeing b Act. 10. 33 heere present before God to heare all the counsayle of God that you shall reueale vnto vs so according to your methode first shew vs the necessity of exhortation we pray Arch. Mutuall exhortation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a duty so necessary that none can be or abide in the state of sauing graceâ— but 〈◊〉 only who indeauour the performance of it Aqu. Before you goe on I must intreate you to explaine fully the meaning oâ— those two words mutuaâ—â— exhortation Arch. The origina◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c Heb. 3. 13. word in Hebr. 3. which â— commonly translated exhort signifieth properly tâ— call vnto 1. It is sometimes takâ— in a strict or limited sence as where Saint Paul saith d 2. Tim. 4. 2 reproue rebuke exhoâ— with all long-suffering anâ— doctrine Heere that whicâ— the Apostle speaketh â—â— shew what he meant bâ— preaching the word maâ— according to the twofolâ— vse of scripture Speculatiue as they call it or practicall be reduced into two heads First that which concernes the informing of the vnderstanding and iudgment which is done either by reprouing called elsewhere e Tit. 1. 9. conuincing or by doctrine elsewhere called f Rom. 15. 4. learning or teaching Secondly that which concernes the reforming of the will and affections which is done either by rebuke called elsewhere g 2 Tim 3. 16 correction or by exhortation called elsewhere h Verse the same instruction in righteousnes And heere doctrine though ranked in the last place is yet so added as that which must be inter-weaued with the former as the woofe with the warpe being the chiefe of all the rest For reprouing goeth before but as an vsher by remouing errors to make way for doctrine to enter and doctrine is that which both in faith and manners giues life and strength to rebuking â— and exhorting So that by exhorting heere we are to vnderstand neither reprouing nor rebuking noâ— teaching it being distinct from all these but that only which in other places is figuratiuely expressed by i 2. Pet. 1. 13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rowzing or k Heb. 19. 24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whetting Whereby we are to learne that albeit the state of Gods children may be such that they need not so much as others to be either reproued for errors or rebuked for disorders or informed in faith and manners yet euen these are sometimes l Mat. 25. 5. slumbering and sleeping as the wise virgins and then haue need of rowzing sometimes m Heb. 5. 11 dull as the beleeuing Hebrewes and then haue neede of whetting And thus exhortation in a strict sence signifieth only rowzing or whetting which if it be for with-standing ill or errors is called n 1 Cor. â— 1â— admonition if for pursuing truth or goodnes it s called o 2 Cor. â— 2. Rom. 11. 14. prouocation If for sustayning difficulties or grieuances accompaâ—ing both the former it s called p Rom. 15. 4 consolation 2 Exhortation in other Scriptures as q Heb. 3. 13 Heb. 3. where it is not restrayned by other words or circumstances of the text is taken in a large sence implying all the former meanes of building vp our selues in our most holy faith And it this large sence Saint Paâ—â— saith r 1 Thes 5 13 exhort one another and edifie one another where hee addeth the similitude of edifying to explaine the general meaning of the word exhorting Foâ— as in materiall buildings some stones are to be hewed for their hardnesse some planed for their softnesse some rammed in for their vneuennesse others supported for their weaknesse and euery empty place filled the crooked straightned the high leuelled and the low aduanced that so the whole frame may bee fitly proportioned and fully erected So in Å¿ 1 Pet. 2. 5 building vp each other as liuing stones a spirituall house for God some are exalted with high imaginations against the knowledge of God they must bee t 2 Cor.
these least commandements and â—hall teach men so he shall bee called the least in the Kingdome of heauen Aqu. Mr. Archippus as it is your duty k Tit. 1. 9. by sound doctrine not onely to exhort but also to conuince the gaine-sayers so we pray you bee not weary of this good worke in the full conuiction of the remnants they haue yet to say No doubt say they but yee are the people and wisedome shall dye with you wee also haue reading and learning as well as others yet cannot wee possibly comprehend what perfect direction the law containes for all humane affaires What must husband-men learne out of the Scripture how to plough a furrow well or huswiues how to grinde their meale and kneade their dough well Finally to what perplexed horrors and despaire will this driue all sorts of men to tye them in all their endeauours to such a direction the perfection whereof they cannot reach vnto Arch. As I looke to reape so I must not be weary of my worke though it make mee cry out by the way who is sufficient for these things Now concerning Deut 28. 66. 67. their last obiection first I answere that horrors and despaire are the proper concomitants of the l Esa 51. 20. wicked because they m Ioh. 12. 35 walk in darkenesse and know not whether they goe which must needes be ghastly and dreadfull Howsoeuer many of them being as the Apostle saith n 1 Thes 5 7 a-sleepe and drunken in the night are o Pro. 23. 34. as he that lyeth downe in the midst of the sea or vpon the top of a Mast hauing no more sence of their horrors till with Foelix and Iudas their consciences be awakened then drunken men of their dangers or men a-sleepe of broken bones But p Gal. 6. 16 as many as walke according to the rule of the word peace bee on them saith the Apostle and he that makes Gods q Psal 119. 24. testimonies his Councellors shall finde them his delight and the r Verse 11 1. reioycing of his heart For the Å¿ Pro. 3. 17. waies of wisedome are the waies of pleasantnesse and all her pathes are peace Secondly I answere that the t Esa 28. 24. 26. c. discretion and faculties of ploughing as of grinding and all other lawfull Trades Mysteries Arts and Sciences are naturall endowments which God bestoweth on the reasonable soule of man as he doth the sensible faculties â— Psal 94. 9. Pro. 1â— 12. Iam. 2. 19. of hearing seeing tasting c. on the body And as it is not the Scripture but the sence of seeing and tasting that teacheth men to iudge of colours which is white and which blacke and of sauours which is sauory and which tainted so it is the discretion and faculties of all manuary Trades and Arts and Sciences that teach men how to plough grinde write or speake well well I mean not according to w that good that acceptable and perfect will of God which it may-be they intend not nor vnderstand but well according to the rules and methode of each seuerall Trade Art or Science and so men may be said to doe well as S. Iames saith and be no better all while then children of the diuell Yet the Scriptures being not ordained to such ends are x 2 Tim. 3. 16 perfect vnto all such supernaturall ends for which they are ordained I grant therefore that the word doth not exclude the helpe and vse of naturall reason in the former instances yea I adde that in matters morall politique and domesticall there is such a worke of the law written in mens hearts that y Rom. 2. 14 Gentiles which had not the law haue done by nature that is by naturall light of reason the things contained in the law that is many things materially good which the law requires yea that in some of them and Trades Arts and Sciences many naturall men haue out-stript and excelled many children of light as z Gen. 4. 20. 21 22. cursed Caines posterity were the first great Trades-masters Arts-masters of the world What then may we hence conclude that naturall reason being now corrupt can without the word giue sufficient direction to doe any thing well and acceptable vnto God â—ccording to his perfect will Then was the Apostle farre wide in point of discretion to teach that a T it 1. 15 to the vncleane all things are vncleane and b Rom. 8. 8. they that are in the flesh cannot please God Indeed naturall reason as it is corrupt is of it selfe sufficient to c Rom. 1. 20 make men without excuse and to d Rom. â— 6. leade them to death but that it should afford sufficient direction to doe any thing well and acceptably vnto God in ploughing grinding or any other voluntary action indifferent or morall is vtterly impossible because as e Rom. 8. 7. the carnall minde is enmity against God so f Heb. 11. 6. without faith it is impossible to please God and faith teacheth vs g 1 Pet. 4 2. to liue not to the lusts of men but to the will of God And therefore as Salomon saith that h Pro. 21. 4. the ploughing of the wicked is sinne so Christ saith i Mat. 24. 41. 〈…〉 o women shall be grinding at the Mill one shall be taken and the other shal be left Thirdly concerning that argument of theirs that they with all their reading and learning cannot conceiue what perfect direction the Law containeth for all humane affaires and therefore it doth not I answere what meane they Would they bee set to schoole with that Rusticall of whom the Roman Orator writes that hee could not possibly see how the Moone did containe greater quantity then his wiues Cheese-fat Must it therefore be so concluded Tell me O thou vaine man was Dauid a man of no reach nor learning hee that was wiser k Psal 119. 98. 99. 100. then his enemies and had more vnderstanding then the ancient and all his teachers To what end then saith hee I pray that the l Verse 129. testimonies of the Lord are wonderfull and that m Verse 96. he hath seene an end of all perfection but Gods commandement is exceeding broad if there were no more therin contained then our crazed vnderstanding can comprehend why prayeth hee n Verse 18. open thou mine eyes that I may see wondrous things out of thy law why complaineth hee o Psal 40. 12 of innumerable euils compassing him and his sinnes moe then the haires of his head why cryeth he out p Psal 19. 12 who can vnderstand his errors cleanse thou me from secret faults But that he espied in the law of God an height aboue his ken a depth beyond his reach a great inquest greater then his heart able to finde out more sins then his q 1 Cor. 4. 4. owne conscience could be priuy vnto and to r