which men compared to trees are said to yeild 1. The fruits of the Sanctifying Spirit of God Graces and Works brought forth in the hearts and lives of the Saints called fruits because they come from the Spirit of God as fruit from the tree and are as pleasing to him as the pleasantest fruit is to us Thus we read of the fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 and Fruits of Righteousness Phil. 1.11 Fruits meet for Repentance Matth. 3.8 All comprehended by Paul Ephes 5.9 where he saith The fruit of the Spirit is in all Goodness Righteousness Truth Goodness being that quality contrary to Malice or naughtiness whereby a sinner is evil in himself Righteousness opposed to Injustice whereby one is hurtful and injurious to others Truth opposed to Errors Heresies Hypocrisie c. 3 There are fruits which in themselves and their own nature are bitter corrupt poysonful put forth not only by a corrupt tree but by it as such evil propter fieri in themselves and their own nature such fruits by which the false Prophets were known and whereby men may be known to be wicked men Grapes of Gall and bitter clusters Deut. 32.32 Such works of the flesh as Paul mentions Gal. 5.19 Adultery Fornication Vncleanness Laesciviousness Idolatry Witcheraft Hatred c. 3 There are other fruits which are not evil in themselvs unlawful or intrinsecally evil in their own substance and nature propter esse and fieri because they are or are done but because they grow upon such trees by reason whereof something which should make the production of them good is omitted and sundry deffects cleave unto them and they have evil cast upon them by the agent And sundry fruits of this sort and rank there may be upon such trees as Jude speaks of As 1 The Fruits of gifts parts and abilities in matters of Religion as preaching praying utterance of these speaks Christ Matth. 7.22 Many shall say in that day Lord have we not Prophesied c. And 1 Cor. 12.1 they are called Spiritual Gifts wrought by the Spirit but are not Sanctificantia but Ministrantia not so sanctifying him in whom but helping those for whom they are as a rich man may bestow good and dainty dyet upon a poor woman that nurseth his child not for her own sake but that his child may suck good milk from her such fruits as these indeed may beautifie Grace but yet Grace must sanctifie them These may make us profitable to men not acceptable to God 2 The second sort of these fruits which these trees might bear is a temporary faith Oâ—thodox or sound judgment assent to that which is the very Truth of Gods Word that there is a God infinite in all his glorious Perfections that there are three Persons that Christ was God and man c. and that all who believe in him shall be saved Thus some unconverted are said to beleeve for a while Luke 8.13 thus Simon Magus and Demas believed these fruits are good in their kind and without them there can be no holinesse of life nor happinesse after death and yet they are not good enough they not purifying the heart but only perfecting the understanding they being poured only on the head not running down like Aarons oyntment to the heart and other parts though making a man Protestant in doctrin yet leaving him to be a recusant in his life carrying him out to believe the word as faithful but not to embrace it as worthy of all acceptation to shine with light but not to burn with or work by love 3. A third sort of these fruits might be some heated affections sweet motions receiving the word with joy a finding some sweetnesse in the ordinances Matth. 13.20 John 5.35 Matth. 27.3 1 Kings 21. Ezek. 33.32 Ezekiel was to his hearers as a lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice They who shall be cast into utter darknesse may for a season rejoyce in the light and may have sorrow and grief about sin The Israelites were oft deep in their humiliations Psal 78.4 7. they sought God and returned enquired early after God Ahab humbled himself And yet these fruits are not the best they may spring up from a root not good the pleasantnesse or sadnesse of the matter of any doctrine may cause sutable affections of joy or sorrow the novelty or rarity of a doctrine may much delight or the dexterity and ability of the deliverer the sutablenesss of a clearly discovered truth to a hearers understanding the apprehension of the goodnesse of spiritual things may stir up some flashing desires thus they cried out Lord give us ever more this bread thus Balaam desires to die the death of the righteous yea as some have observed corrupt lusts in men such as pride and self-seeking may produce great affections in holy duties The desire of applause may make men in publick administrations enlarged in their affections The more excellent a Prayer or Sermon is the more carnal the heart of the performer may be the stronger the invention is the weaker the grace may be and as ground full of mines of Gold is oft barren of grasse so a heart ful of grace may it may be barren of the ornaments of words and expressions 4. A fourth sort of fruits born even by these afterward apostates might be external appearances of conformity to the Law of God in avoiding of all open and scandalous courses and in performing the visible and outside acts of obedience Thus the Pharisee was not an Extortioner unjust an Adulterer Paul Matth 18.11 Phil. 3. touching the law was blameless the young man professed he had kept the Law in the letter of it from his youth The Pharisees paid Tithes exactly abhorred idolatry made long prayers and frequent were strict in the outward observation of the Sabboth professed chastity temperance c. Thus it 's said of these very Apostates that they had escap'd the pollutions of the world 2 Pet. 2.20 and 22. that they had been washed And these fruits of outward conformity to the Law of God are highly commendable sincerity of grace can neither be nor be known without them by them it resolves as Elijah said to shew it self they are commanded by God 1 King 18.15 who though he commands not the godly to fulfill the Law perfectly yet permits them not to break it wilfully and though by the presence of external obedience we cannot conclude salvation yet by the absence thereof we may conclude damnation to follow these honour God benefit others Though our righteousnesse satisfies not justice yet in our unrighteousnesse we cannot be saved without injustice nor is any man called a good man for the good which he hath but the good which he doth outward obedience strengthens true grace where it is and is necessary to preserve a justified estate though not as deserving it yet as removing that which would destroy it And yet all these fruits the acts of externall obedience
finding in our selves whereon to found our selves wee may be driven to look after the foundation discovered in the scripture which is onely Jesus Christ 2. By faith whereby we give a supernatural assent to the word and spiritually discern the truth thereof whereby likewise we apply the word to our selves and are knit unto it as a foundation as mingling it with faith Although the doctrine of faith be a foundation in it selfe yet it is not so to us unlesse we believe it and apply it to our selves by the gift of faith 3 By labouring that the word may take so deep a root in the heart that it may descend into the affections and there be embraced until it hath wrought an experience of its owne delightful sweetnesse 4. By several needful considerations 1. By considering that it never failed any that ever depended upon it it having in all practises distresses debates upheld them The publick faith of heaven was never broken the promises commands and assertions of the word have born Saints out in all difficulties 2. By considering that every other foundation will fail whether fancied by our selves or suggested by others t is but a lying vanity 3. By studying the nature of him whose word it is who is the rock of ages in whom is no shadow of change for whom it is impossible to lye to us or deny himselfe Sundry Observations which might have been concerning stedfastnesse and proceeding in Christianity and the usefulnesse of a constant progresse therein to keep us from seduction the best way for Christians not to bee losers of what they have is to be labourers for what they want I shall not mention as having largâ—ly insisted thereupon before Part. 1. p. 174. 175. Part. 2. p. 328. c. 355. c. 370. c. Thus of the second direction whereby the Apostles teacheth the Christians to embrace the fore-going exhortation of contending for the faith viz. Edification on the faith The third follows viz. praying in the holy Ghost whereby he instructs them withal how to build prosperously viz. by taking in Gods help and how to to keep themselves in the love of God which is the direction next ensuing EXPLICATION Two things are here to be opened 1. The thing to be performed Prayer 2. The manner of performing it in the holy Ghost 1. The thing to be done or what he commands Prayer Praying I shall not here handle the duty of prayer in a common-place-way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by insisting either upon the sundry sorts of prayer Petition for good things Deprecation to remove evil things Intercession for others Imprecation against others Thanksgiving for our selves or others or upon the Circumstances of prayers for time place measure onely as to the former I shall note that when this word prayer is set alone as it is here in Jude it compriseth all the kinds under it when it is joyned with thanksgiving alone it compriseth all kindes belonging to request when â—t is joyned with deprecation or intercession it is restrained to a desire of good things for our selves But as to the present occasion I shall only shew what prayer is in regard of its generall nature The word in the original here used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praying imports an earnest wishing or craving of such things which are according to our desire because by prayer we open our hearts desire to God There are sundry rhetorical breif commendatory descriptions used by learned men to set forth prayer as The key of heaven and of all Gods Cabinets the Conduit of mercy * Dr. Sibbs Oratio cararum hirudâ— faith flaming Jacobs ladder an invisible and invincible weapon a victory over the omnipotent the consumption of cares a box of ointment broke upon the head of Christ the perfume of heaven the mount of transfiguration the soules messenger Satans scourge The ascending of the mind to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To wave these though sweet and pious expressions prayer is more fitly call'd according to the nature and import of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a right opening of the desire of the heart to God or as the Apostle Phil 4.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damasc de orthod fid l. 3. c. 24. a making known of our desires to him or as some a religious speech directed to God after a due sort concerning things appertaining to his glory and our good 1. First the will is fill'd in prayer with desires and then these desires flame forth blaze upward and are opened to God Formally prayer is an act of the will and hath its Conception in the heart as in its womb and 2. Then its birth is the expression of our desires how ever uttered And these desires are expressed sundry wayes either by an inward or an outward word there being a twofold speech the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a speech uttered with the voice the second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a speech conceived in the minde 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Vocalis 2. Mentalis prayer is not the outward voice onely or chiefly but the inward of the soule Sighs are articulate Exod. 14.15 Moses is said to cry to God when we read not of his uttering any words and 1 Sam. 1.13 Hannah spake in her heart but her voice was not heard her prayer was oratio mentalis Non vox sed votum non musica cordula sed Cor Non clamans sed amans clangit in aure Dei Psal 142.2 2 Tim. 2.22 Psal 119.7 an inward mentall prayer and this is the strongest voice of all and by it we speak loudest in the ears of God Hence prayer is call'd the lifting of the heart to God Ps 25.1 and the pouring forth of the soule before the Lord Psal 62.8 1 Sam. 1.15 As for that prayer which is onely the outward speech of the mouth without the inward of the heart it is rather lip-labour then prayer Desires are usually made known by outward meanes words signes words doe most exactly set forth the intent of the heart yet signes also as lifting up the hands or eyes stretching abroad the armes bowing the knees doe both expresse and excite inward affection But by inward meanes as sighes and groans God discerneth a mans desires as well as by words and signes he understanding the motions of the heart as well as of the tongue And hence it is that God knowing the secrets of the heart and understanding our thoughts afar off prayer is not made to make known our desires to God as if otherwise God would be ignorant of them but to testifie mans obedience to that order which God hath set down God appointing prayer in this way a meanes to obtaine needfull blessings that very wisely as 1. That by making known of our wants to God we may not only know but acknowledg God to be the
Truth and to give the glory of God reparations as it were by wiping off the blemishes cast upon it by foolish and ignorant men When we have upon grounded deliberation chosen our Love we should zealously express the love of our choice Sinners as they say of young mens thoughts of old think that Saints are foolish but Saints know that sinners are so Let not their prosecution of sin be more zealous then thy reprehension of it nor their opposition of any way of God be more hot then thy contention for it Let thy fire have more purity then theirs but let it not be inferior in its fervor The Christians Serpent must not devour his Dove How good a Master do the godly serve who requires no duty but such as he warrants in and rewards after the doing Satans servants are scepticks and he puts them upon such imployments in the doing whereof they cannot know they do well and afterward they shall know they have done ill and that to their cost 5. Corrupt affections blear and darken the judgement Observ 3. These Seducers hated the wayes of God and deilghted to oppose them and therefore they did not would not know them He who will be disobedient in heart shall soon have a dull head They who love sin will leave the Truth Lust opposeth the entrance of the Light Repentance makes men acknowledg the Truth 2 Tim. 2.25 Every one who doth evil hateth the light John 3.20 Men love not to study such Truths as will hinder them being known from going on in some gainful wickedness It s from unrighteousness that men imprison Truths They who thought the believing of the Resurrection would hinder their course in sin Prov. 28.5 taught that the Resurrection was past 2 Tim. 2.18 Lust perverts Light and makes men in stead of bringing their hearts and lives to the Scripture to bring to draw the Scripture by carnal and wittily wicked distinctions and evasions to both Knowledg is the mother of Obedience and Obedience the nurse of Knowledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the former breeds the latter and the latter feeds the former Of this largely before Part 1. pag. 616 617 c. Observ 6. Qui prius quam chord as exploraverit omnes simul inconcinnè percutit absonum et absurdum strepitum reddit sic judex qui singulas liâ—ga torum causas non pulsavis nec audivit stultam planè absurdam sententiam pronuntiet necesse est Petrarc 6. It s our duty to forbear speaking against any thing which we understand not He that answereth a matter saith Solomon before he heareth it it is folly and shame to him Prov. 18.13 As men are not to be commended so neither to be condemned before the knowledge of their cause As he causeth an harsh and unmusical sound who strikes and playes upon the strings of an Instrument before he hath tryed and tuned them so he must needs pass a foolish and absurd Sentence upon any cause who passeth that Sentence before he hath seriously heard and weighed the cause to which he speaks Herein Eli manifested his fault and folly 1 Sam. 1.14 rashly and weakly charging Hanna with Drunkenness Thus also David discovered his folly in giving credit to the information of flattering and false-hearted Ziba against good Mephibâ—sheth 2 Sam. 16.3 4. before he had heard what Mephibâ—sheth could alledg for himself Potiphar likewise shewed himself as unjust as his wife shewed her self unchast by an over-hasty heeding of his wives false and forged accusation against righteous Joseph Gen. 39.19 20 To these may be added the ignorant censure of those Scoffers who derided the Apostles filled with the Holy Ghost as if filled with new wine Inter triâ—icum lolium quamdâ—u herba est nondum â—uâ—mus venit ad spâ—cam grandis similitudo eft in disceruendo aut nulla aut perdifficilis distanâ—ia Praemonâ—t ergo Dominus ne uâ—i quid ambignum est cito sententiam proferamus sed Deo judici terminum reservemus Hieron Ut nobis exemplum proponat ne mâ—la hominum ante praesumamus credere quam probare Gr. Mor. l. 19. c. 23. Doubtful cases are to be exempted from our censure The wheat and courser grain saith Hierom are so like to one another when newly come up and before the stalk comes to the ear that there 's no judging between them and therefore the Lord by commanding that both should be let alone till the Harvest admonisheth as that we should not judge of doubtful things but refer them to the judgment of God Even God himselfe who clearly discernes the secrets of the heart and needs not examine any cause for his own information determines not by sentence till after examination that so he might teach us by his example the method of judging Gen. 18.21 Which is to know before we censure They who to make shew of what they have not a quick understanding and nimble apprehension will take off a speaker in the midst of his relation and make as if they knew all the rest of his speech which is to follow and others who though they will hear the whole speech out yet not clearly understanding it scorn to have it repeated again lest they might be thought slow of apprehension by their foolish and ill accommodated answers do often grosly bewray their ignorance and folly And this speaking of any thing ignorantly should principally be avoided by Magistrates and Ministers By Magistrates because their passing of a sudden and overhasty answer is accompanied with the hurt of others and withal by so much the more should they take heed of this folly because when they have once passed though a rash and unjust sentence Vid. Cartw. in Prov. 18.13 yet so great a regard must be had forsooth to their Honours by themselves already dishonoured that seldom or never will they be induced to retract or recal any unrighteous censure when once they have uttered it Which sinful distemper appeared not only in those Heathen Governours * In their censuring of John and Christ Herod and Pilate but in that holy man David in the case of Mephibosheth By Ministers likewise should this speaking ignorantly and doubtfully of anything be avoided whose work being to direct souls and that through greatest dangers to the obtaining of greatest happiness they cannot be blind Leaders and ignorant Teachers without the infinite hazard of their followers How unlike are they who will be Teachers before they themselves have been taught and Affirmers of what they understand not to him who spake only what he knew Joh. 3.11.32 and testified onely what he saw and heard Thus of the first part of this verse their malicious and unchristian ignorance They speak evil of what they know not The second followes their sensual knowledg What they know naturally as brute Beasts in those things they corrupt themselves In which words two things are mainly considerable 1. The sensuality of their
they be not very bulkie Our ends must be raised up to aim at God and to sanctifie him in all our duties Our obedience must proceed more out of thankfulnesse and lesse out of constraint of conscience such fruits they must be as are reckoned Gal. 5.22.23 Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Faith c. Thy fruit must be of a singularly excellent nature A tree of righteousness a branch of the true vine must not bring forth grapes and thistles If fornication uncleannesse covetousnesse c. must not be once named among us as becometh Saints then not be brought forth and own'd Muddy water is not a sutable stream to a Christall Fountain Brambles and briers are more fit for a wild common then a garden knot Of the sinfull actions committed by a Saint the wicked will say to God as Jacobs sons did to their father of Josephs Coat See whether this be thy sons coat or no. 2. They must be fruits in point of production apparency and bringing forth Fruits are not in but upon the tree Our goodnesse must not onely appear but yet it must appear If it be it must and will be seen Men must see our good works that God may be glorified Phil. 1.11 If they see them not it must not be because we will not shew them but because they will or cannot see them The Fountain which is full must also overflow The hand must be fill'd as well as the heart with the fruits of righteousnesse It s not the having of good in but the doing of good by us for which we are call'd good Our profiting in holinesse must appear to all men 1 Tim. 4.15 VVe must shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation Our fruits must feed many 3. They must be fruits sutable to the helps and furtherances bestowed upon us for the producing of them If the soil be very fat the watering very frequent the cost and care very great we look the fruit should be very abundant Indifferent hearts and lives are not good enough where God hath bestowed excellent means He is not a fruitfull Christian who hath but an ordinary growth under rich opportunities Our returning must be proportionable to our receiving They who enjoy much from God and yet are no better then those who enjoy lesse are therefore worse because they are not better Whenas for the time saith the Apostle you should have been teachers of others Heb. 5.12 c. Luk. 12.48 Vnto whomsoever much is given of him shall much be required 4. It must be fruitfulnesse in bringing forth all the fruits of righteousnesse Fruits of the first and second Table of Religion toward God and of righteousnesse toward man Fruits inward good thoughts desires purposes longings after God good affections holy joy love fear sorrow Fruits outward good works holy words VVhatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report Phil. 4.8 Observe the Apostles repetition of whatsoever we must not pick and chuse and do whatsoever we please Whatsoever the Lord commands we must do Exod. 9.8.24 3.7 Not examining what the service is which is commanded but who the Master is who commands Growing up in Christ in all things not preferring one thing before another Being fruitfull as the Apostle expresseth it Col. 1.10 in every good work having respect to all the Commandements Psal 119.6.128 esteeming every precept concerning all things to be right Not doing with Herod many things but all things Throughly furnisht to all good works Our feet must endure to walk in a stony as well as in a sandy path As a man who is to plant an Ortyard will get of every good fruit some so we must get every good fruit which we hear of and set our hearts with it The pulse of a gracious person beats evenly and he is neither a maimed person to want any limb nor a Monster to have one limb so big that others want their due proportion 5. They must be fruits as of every good kind so of every kind abundantly not brought forth in a penurious scanty measure Imperfection must be our trouble as well as our pollution The soil of a Christians soul like the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years must bring forth by handfuls We must set no stints and limits to our Christian fruitfulness We must know no enough The degrees of a Christians grace must be like numbers the highest wherof being numbered Phil. 3.13 an higher than that may be named We must look upon every grace like the Faith of the Thessalonians 1 Thess 3.10 to have some thing lacking to it Perfection is our Patern and Proficiency is ever our duty VVe are never gotten far enough till we are gotten home He that thinks himself rich enough is nothing worth and he that desires not to bear much fruit John 15.1 2. is no part of Gods husbandry 6. They must be fruits brought forth when the trees grow old They must be born constantly Trees of Righteousnesse bring forth most fruit in their old age Psal 92.14 in this unlike to other trees who grow barren in their old age They must ever be green and flourishing The bitter fruit of Apostacy cannot be brought forth by a good tree It had been better never to have been planted that we might bear fruit and that we never had begun to bear fruit then afterward to be pluckt up for ceasing to bear fruit The good ground bringeth forth fruit with patience and glory and immortality is the portion onely of those who are patient and continuing in wel-doing 7. They must be fruits in point of maturity not onely buds and blossoms but brought forth to perfection It s not enough for Christians onely to have good motions and purposes but their resolutions must also be brought to execution and not perish like an abortive birth Many make their purposes as one saith like our Eves and their performances like our Holy-dayes Servants work hard upon the one that they may play upon the other so do they labour hard upon their purposes but they are idle and play upon their performances What pitty is it that many a fair blossom is nipt in the head 8. Psal 1.3 They must be fruits in regard of seasonablenesse We must bring forth fruit in due season Fruits are onely acceptable in their season Pleasant fruits are brought forth in their months Ezek. 41. Words spoken and works done in season are as apples of gold in pictures of silver VVe must have our senses exercised to know fit seasons for all we do Good duties must be done in a good and sutable time and that adds much to the goodnes of the Action we must order in this respect our conversation aright If our corn should not ear till harvest were past nor our trees bud till after midsummer men would look
be abhorred and by heresies as they who are approved are made manifest so truth it self comes to be both approved and manifested And as for heresiarchs and seducers themselves they have been broken in pieces by divisions by disgrace and ignominy by dispair though armed ever to conquer naked truth by externall judgements upon their bodies or else by the everlasting overthrow of their souls they bringing upon themselves swift destruction and what greater shame can possibly be brought forth then that which comes by their own overthrow and destruction and that after nay by their own height and elevation OBSERVATIONS 1. Obs 1. There is no peace to the wicked when they are at the highest The highest waves are yet unquiet notwithstanding a sinners outward swelling and greatnesse he like a limb of the body pained though swelled hath a conscience inwardly vexations He is like a man who hath broken bones under a beautifull sute of apparell disjoynted fingers under a golden glove like a book of direfull Tragedies bound up with a gilded fair cover or as some body once said like Newgate having a comely outside structure but within nothing but howling chains dungeons and blacknesse Ther 's no peace to the proudest richest honourablest sinnner Till the inward distemper of the heart be removed and that trouble-heart sin expel'd outward advancement can no more help him than scratching can cure a man of the itch his bloud being corrupt an dinfected and no inward means used to cleanse it Besides True peace comes from the injoying communion with God and from the apprehension of the removall of true woes and wretchednesse what true peace can appearing comforts bring to that man Fallacia bona vera mala who remains under real wretchedness Outward highness is but seeming and fictitious spiritual miseries are truly and really such He who cannot see that he is delivered from wrath to come cannot be pacified with any enjoyments that are present He is all his life long subject to bondage Heb. 2. and but like a rich or noble prisoner who though he be plentifully fed respectively attended and civily used by his Keeper is yet in an hourly expectation of condemnation A child of God is more quiet upon the wrack than a sinner is upon a bed of down His motto may well be mediis traquillus in undis Though he be in troubles yet troubles are not in him So long as the winde gets not into the bowels of the earth there is no earthquake though the wind bluster never so boysterously about and without the earth If the terrours of Gods wrath and the guilt of sin be kept out of the conscience outward afflictions upon the body cannot cause any true trouble We call it a fair day if there be a clear sunshine and a fair sky over head though it be dirty under foot and if all be well upward if God shine upon us with the light of his Countenance our condition is comfortable though it be afflicted and uncomfortable in earthly respects A Saint hath musick in the house when there are storms without it and when it rains upon the tiles In a word the godly have quiet rest in their motion but the wicked have unquiet motion in their rest how litle are wicked men to be envied in their triumphs how much better is it to have peace with God in trials then to be his enemies in triumph Of this see pag. 116 part 1. And also before and after under the head of Peace very largely 2. Obs 2. The erroneous are oft as disquieting and troublesome where they live as the waves of the sea Like the raging waves of the sea I have before largely spoken of their raging in point of bloudinesse and cruelty Vers 11. but they which are not gone so far as open persecution are yet commonly men very turbulent and unquiet They trouble and disquiet peoples consciences tossing them with the windes of their doctrines not suffering them to hold any truth certainly but with hesitancy and doubting casting in many scruples into their minds with their doubtfull disputations wracking both the Scriptures and their hearers by distracting their thoughts and apprehensions with what may be said for and against the truth never studying to ground and stablish them in the knowledge thereof leaving their Disciples hereby like a cloud tossed with contrary winds and a ball bandy'd between two rackets Their onely work indeed is to unsettle and first to make people believe nothing and to unbelieve or at least to waver in their belief of what is true that so they may be brought to believe that which is false they who are drunken with errour will have the spirituall staggers they are as pendulous and uncertain as a meteor they have no Center for their unsettled apprehensions Schisms rend the coat heresie disquiets and cuts the heart Nor do seducers onely disquiet and trouble others by unsetling them from the truth but also by hurrying and driving people from one errour to another Sectaries rest not in one but oft travel through all opinions One errour is a bridg to another Errours are like Circles in a pond one begets another a lesser makes way for a greater a lower is but a step or stair to help to an higher like a whirl-pool which first sucks in one part and then the other and never desists until it draws in the whole body Heb. 13.9 Vide Danaei annotationes in Lib. Angustini de haerâ—s Seducers grow worse and worse and still increase to more ungodlinesse Heresie is a flood ever swelling and a gangrene ever spreading The Galathians were soon removed to another Gospel Nor are the erronious less troublesome to the outward temporal peace of persons witness the divisions and factions which they have made in families between nearest relations in Congregations Cities Civil States Hereticks are commonly seditious and tumultuary Novatus was as Cyprian calls him a fire-brand to kindle sedition an Enemy to peace turning the world upside down What raging outragious waves wear the Donatists Fax et ignis ad conflanda seditionis incâ—ndia hostis quietis tranquillitatis adversarius pacis ini micus Cypr. 49. ad Cornel. August epist 50. ad Bonif Ep. 68. ad Januar. Circumcelliones Augustine in his Epistles tells us frequently of their rapines robberies how near sundry States in these later times have been to subversion by the Anabaptists they who write their histories have related at large nor will this unquietness of the erroneous seem strange if we consider by whose blowing these waves are raised It is the breath of that Aeolus of hell which stirs them up he will toss and trouble though he cannot swallow up the ship of the Church All hereticks are Satans Emissaries He is the father of lyes and lyars and a lying spirit in the mouth of every false Prophet and needs must they rage and run whom he stirs up Nor is any thing so impatient of
thee Yea of those sins which are unknown to thee shalt thou be convinced by him who knoweth all things We should be then so far from sheltring those sins which we know that we ought to be humbled for such as we know not Thus of the first particular in the carriage of the judge toward the wicked viz. the manner of his judging them namely by way of conviction 2. The parties to be judged follow in the next place who are here said for their quality to be ungodly and for their quantity all the ungodly Of this before at large Thirdly the causes of and matters about which they shal be judg'd are next cōsiderable they are two-fold The first their ungodly deeds In these words their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed Not to enlarge upon this first particular here considerable Vide part 1. Pag. 302.303 c. viz. the generall nature of their deeds here said to be ungodly as being sufficiently known by the former Consideration of the parties who were call'd ungodly By which its manifest that ungodly deeds are primarily and properly such as are committed immediately against God himselfe and so against the first table in the prophane opposing of Gods worship and honour in which respect ungodlinesse is distinguisht from unrightousnesse which properly breaks the Commandements of the second table And yet secondarily and in a more large Consideration ungodlinesse here comprehends any sin committed either against God or man and so against any Commandement of the Law for even that sin which is directly against man hath in it a defect and a withdrawing of some duty due to God If it be enquired why the Apostle onely here saith ungodly and not unrighteous deeds also It s answered for three resons 1. Because ungodliness and unrighteousness are inseparable wheresoever ungodliness is there will be no Conscience made of unrighteousness as the two tables were given so are they broken and embraced both together and he who breaks one makes no Conscience of breaking the other the authority of the giver being the same 2. Because ungodlinesse is the cause of unrightenesse he who hath a prophane godless heart will not stick at any act of unjustice T is the fear of God which is to depart from evill As holinesse puts a man upon righteousnesse so prophanenesse upon unrighteousnesse Pharaoh knew not God and therefore he opprest Israel 3. Because these seducers flatterd themselves with pretences of eminent godlinesse and holiness though they took a liberty to live in many vices and unclean extravagancies The Apostle several times in this Epistle brands them with the name of ungodly ones and threatens judgment for their ungodliness 2. For the second the manner after which they were committed and that was ungodlily which they have ungodlily committed EXPLICATION The words ungodlily committed are contained in one word in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if it may be rendred by any one Latine word it must be impiarunt nor can it be in any one English word properly expressed but must be rendred either to doe or perform or live ungodlily The same word is expressed but in one place besides this in all the new Testament and that place is 2 Pet. 2.6 where it is rendred living ungodlily In the opening hereof I shall only shew what it is to commit an evil work ungodlily First more generally it notes the proceeding of these nngodly deeds from an ungodly unsanctified prinple an unholy unrepentant heart a mind devoted and addicted to ungodliness this is not the fruit which growes upon a good tree nor the spot of Gods people who though sometime they do that which is ungodly withdraw that duty which is due to God and commit that evil which is against the wil of God In optimis non nihil pessimi Tert. de an c. 23. yet as the Psalmist speaks they do not wickedly as these did depart from God Psal 18.21 the wicked are they who do wickedly against the covenant Dan. 10.32 and of the wicked it is said Dan. 12.10 that they shall doe wickedly But 2. That which this doing ungodlily doth more particularly intend is the performing of wickedness after a wicked and ungodly manner and that principally these four several waies 1. By purposing and intending of sin The wicked is not overtaken with a sudden fit of tentation but resolves on sin long before he makes provision for his lust he is like a man who layes himself to sleep drawes the curtains puts out the candle and he intends and in a sort overtakes his sleep in sin he sets himself in a way that is not good Psal 36. 2. Ungodly deeds are performed after an ungodly manner by devising and contriving of ungodliness the wicked devise mischief Prov. 6.14 He that deviseth to do evil Psal 35.20 Prov. 16 30. Jer. 18.18 Psal 36.4 Vid. Cartwr in Pro. 6.14 shall be called a mischievous person the heart which deviseth wicked imaginations is one of the seven things which the Lord hates Prov. 6.16.18 Against those who devise iniquity and work evil upon their beds is a wo denounced Mich. 2.1 The wicked are workers of iniquity Matth. 7.22 They are curious cunning artificers in and contrivers of sin ungodliness is their art trade and mystery they are wise to do evil and men in malice though children in understanding they are skilful practioners in sin 3. By a delighting and taking pleasure in the committing of sin Wicked men are willingly obedient to it they yeild themselves to execute its commands and they universally resign the whole consent of the wil to the obedience of it Sin is as pleasant to sinners as bread and wine they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the cup of violence they rejoyce to doe evill and delight in the frowardness of the wicked Prov. 2.14 Wickedness is sweet in their mouths and they hide it under their tongues Job 20.12 as it is not the doing of good but the delighting in the doing it that makes it done wel so neither is it simply the doing of evil but the doing thereof delightfully that makes it done ungodlily It is a sport to a foole to do mischiefe Prov. 10.30 4. By continuing and persisting in sin Wicked men grow worse and worse their waies increase to more ungodlinesse they run on in them without repentance none say what have I done It s weakly done to fall but it is wickedly done to lie stil it is bad to stand in the way of sinners much worse to sit in the seat of the scornful OBSERVATIONS 1. The godly sin not as do the wicked Obs 1. The sinful actions of the godly proceed not from an heart altogether void of a sanctified principle there is in them the seed of God the divine nature a renewed part from which their wicked works never issue in the committing of the most ungodly of their actions they themselves are not altogether ungodly and they are overtaken unawares
a man overtaken with sleep against his will who is surprized with it as with an armed man and being never so sound asleep but he is between sleeping and waking he alwaies even then fears he sleeps and wisheth he were awaked and would be glad if any would take the pains to rouze him though by making the loudest noise and giving him the most violent jog yea will gladly accept of the smartest blows and the bloodyest stripes that the Lord laies upon him if by all he may be awakened from his slothfulnesse He complaines of himself and he is sensible of his sleeping I sleep saith the Spouse and so far as she saith she sleeps she did not sleep To conclude this she wakes in her heart though the outward man sleep but the heart of sinners sleeps as we say of one sometime his heart is asleep even when he is awake Sometime a Christian under a tentation may be so low brought as that his spiritual life runneth all to the heart and the outward man is left destitute as in war when the enemy hath won the field the people run into the City and if beaten out of the City they run into the Castle the grace of God sometimes fails in the outward action the field when yet it retireth to the heart in which fort it is impregnable From all which I gather that as the wicked should not flatter himself so neither should the godly be disheartned by spirituall sleeping and the reason is because their sleeps are so unlike to one another 3. Self-soothing delusion flattering are very dangerous and destructive as being the foundation of the wickednesse and wo of these seducers these dreamers nothing against which we are more cautioned in Scripture If a man think himself to be something when he is nothing he deceiveth himself Gal. 1.3 Be ye doers of the word and not hearers deceiving your own selves Be not deceived God is not mocked Gal. 6.7 James speaks of those who by seeming to be religious deceived their own hearts Jam. 1.26 Ephraim said 1 Cor. 6.9 1 Cor. 15.33 Obad. 3. Isa 44.20 Job 15.31 Yet am I become rich I have found me out substance in all my labours they shall finde no iniquity in me that were sin Hos 12.8 Because he was wealthy he soothed himself in his sin Laodicea flattered her self that she was rich increased with goods and had need of nothing Rev. 3.17 He flattereth himself in his own eyes Psal 36.2 1 Joh. 1.8 If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves c. 1 Cor. 3 18. Let no man deceive himself Nothing can be so dangerous as when one so near as ones self becomes false and flattering When the Centinels and Guards of a City are treacherous how great and unavoidable is the destruction thereof â— when he who should be his own preserver becomes his own destroyer how sore and sure a destruction he doth incur and how great is the indignity hereof There 's nothing under which men are so impatient and which they can less abide then to be deceived and circumvented by others and yet how unworthily patient are men in being deceived by themselves or rather by the deceitfulness of sin nothing is accounted so great a disgrace as to be deceived in those things which ought to be best known and most familiar to a man and what should be so well known to thy self as thy self In nothing are men so fearfull of being deceived as in matters of greatest moment and what business in the world of so weighty concernment as the salvation of thy own soul Nor doth the dreafullest judgment fall upon any so dreadfully as upon the self-flatterer and deluder the same judgment which befals him with others makes him more miserable then others because he expected to be more happy then others How wofull is that Hell into which a sinner falls by presuming of Heaven It s a Hell upon earth for sinners to dream that they are going to Heaven An imaginary happiness in sin occasions a doubled wo and misery for sin when our natural dreams are false it s better they should be of bad then good of fearful things then of joyful It s better for a King to dream himself to be a beggar then for a beggar to dream that he is a King for when the King waketh his grief is gone and his joy is doubled he then seeing the vanity of his dream but when the Beggar wakes his former grief is increased and returns the fiercer by reason of the false joy of his dream And thus it is in the deceitful dreams and dotages of the heart far better is that deceit whereby a son of God thinks himself a slave of Satan then that whereby a slave of Satan dreams himself a member of Christ Better it is for Nebuchadnezzar being a man to think himself a beast then for a beast to think himself a man A mans false conceit of misery when indeed he is happy doth not make him miserable but rather occasions his happiness but a mans false apprehension of happiness he being miserable is so far from making him happy that it makes him doubly miserable To conclude this as nothing is so calamitous as to dream of happiness when we are in misery so nothing is more common It s natural for men to think too well of themselves to nullifie others and to deifie and omnifie themselves There 's nothing so easie as to be deceived to dream of false delight and to neglect true danger men are naturally witty in nothing but in deluding and thereby in damning their own souls like a man who being to pass over a narrow Bridg under which is a deep River puts on a pair of Spectacles before his eyes whereby he adventuring upon a supposed and imaginary breadth falls into the water and so is drowned To prevent then this self-flattery and delusion 1. Be much in conversing with that faithful discoverer and friend the Word of God Let it be the man of thy counsel and dwell richly in thee A man hath many flatterers and but this one friend This is an impartial glass that will represent to a King his as well as to a beggar his spots Heb. 4.12 It is quick and powerful piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit discerning the thoughts of the heart and making manifest the intents of the heart When Ahab enquired of his false Prophets concerning his going up to Ramoth Gilead Jehoshaphat aks whether there was not a Prophet of the Lord that they might enquire of him also When thou hearest the flatterings of thine own false heart rather fear then follow them at least suspend thy belief till thou hast enquired of the Word of God 2. Search throughly and diligently into the grounds and reasons upon which thy heart would needs perswade thee of thy happiness He that hath to do with Cheaters will not easily believe all they say The simple believeth
every word but the wise man as he ponders his own words before he utters them so the words of another before he credits them Let not thy heart perswade thee of thy good condition by laying before thee common marks which may agree even with hypocrites as external profession an orthodox judgment opposing of Error or pleading for the Truth attending upon Ordinances freedom from scandalous sins some sweet and sudden motions of heart in holy Duties but ever build upon such marks as will necessarily infer sincerity and a principle of saving grace in the heart such as have some singular excellency in them which an hypocrite cannot reach a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Christ speaks something more then others ordinarily attain things which alwayes accompany salvation Heb. 6.9 3 Possess thy heart with an apprehension of Gods presence Set thy self as in his eye Consider though thou mayest baffle thy conscience yet not the eye of Gods Omnisciency Never think thou art out of the reach of his hand or the view of his eye Psal 44.17.21 Tell thy conscience as the Church speaks there is no dealing falsly for shall not God search it out who knoweth the secrets of the heart Would not a Malefactor speak truly at the Bar did he know the Judg had windowes into his brest Vitia nostra quia amamus defendimus malâ—mus excusare illa quam excutere Sen. Ep. 116. 4. Look not upon thy self through the spectacles of self-love A man that is in love with any thing thinks the blemishes and deformities of the thing beloved to be beauties and Ornaments Self-love makes shadowes to be substances and mole-hills to be mountains Let not affection bribe or throw dust into the eye of thy judgment The more thou lovest thy self the more thou wilt desire to appear amiable and adorned with a specious and seeming goodness Joseph loved his bro her Benjamin and he gave him five changes of rayment Till thou denyest thy self and putest off the person of a friend thou wilt never put on the person of a just Judg. Study to know thy self as thou art in thy self not as thou art partially represented to thy self Be not like Limners who so as thy can make a mans picture gay and gaudy Luke 6.48 care not to draw it so as to resemble him The want of true humiliation and denyal of our selves is the ground of all self-flattery and heart delusion Gold must be melted and dissolved before it can be defecated and rid of the dross Bodies full of vicious humours must be emptied by purgation before they can come to an healthful state Crooked things cannot be made strait without the wringing and bowing of them by the hand The greater our humiliation the greater our integrity 4. Observ 4. It s our wisdom to take heed of spiritual sleeping in sin For which purpose 1 Make much of a stirring Ministry Love that preaching most which is most exciting The Word preach'd is both light and noise both which disquiet sleepers A still easie Minister makes a sleepy drowzie people Ministers must stir those who sleep in sin though they stir them up to rage They must be sins of Thunder against sinners not sweet singers and pleasant Musicians No employment requires so much holy vehemency and fervor as the welfare of souls Cry aloud saith God to his Prophet and lift up thy voice as a Trumpet and people should be so far from blaming the loudness of the sound of the Word that they should only blame the depth of their own slumber They should ever take part with the Word against their lusts and intreat God that his word may be an awakening though it be a displeasing voice as also that he would cry in the ears of the soul by the voice of his own Spirit and to stir it in the Ministry with his own arm for indeed otherwise Ministers shall rend their owne sides before they rowze their peoples souls 2. Labour for a fruitful improvement of sufferings Beseech the Lord that no affliction may blow over without benefit to thy soul None sleep so soundly as they who continue sleeping under the greatest joggings Physick if it works not is hurtful to the Patient If thou art so close nailed to thy sin that afflictions cannot part it and thee it s a provocation to God to leave thee Isai 1 5. and an incouragement to Satan that he shall keep thee God is never more displeased then when he takes away judgments in judgment then when he punisheth by delivering thee from thy trouble and delivers thee up to thy own heart Oh beg earnestly of God that the blessed opportunities of suffering times may never leave thee as bad as they found thee for if so they will leave thee worse and that no wind may go downe till it have driven thee nearer thy Haven 3 Endeavour for a tender trembling heart at the very beginning of the solicitations of sin That which makes way for eternal takes away spiritual feeling Men sleep by little and little from slumber they fall to sleeping Every sin neglected is a step downward to a deep sleep A deluge of sin is made up of several drops Prov. 5.22 Many knots tied one upon another will hardly be loosed Every sin repeated and not repented of binds downe the soul in insensibleness and sloth Dum servitur libidini facta est consuetudo et dum consuctudini non resistatur facta est necessiâ—as Aug. â—onf l 8. c. 5. Every sin suffered to defile the conscience makes it the more regardless of it self Sin is of an incroaching nature like a smal River it growes in going like a Gangreen it creeps by degrees The deceitful modesty of sin by asking little at first quickly enticeth us to more Smal beginnings usher large proceedings One bit draws down another As every good work increaseth our ability for obedience so every sin leaves upon the soul a readiness for further disobedience The not resisting the first inclination to sin makes way to stupefaction by sin He who dares not wade to the ancles is in no danger of being swallowed up 4 Labour for faith in threatnings Restrain not belief only to what God hath promised Let faith comprehend all Truths in its vast bosom and overcome all the improbabilities that seem to keep away Judgment as well as those that seem to keep away Mercies Noah was not drown'd in a deep sleep of sin and in a deluge of waters with the old world and the reason was faith taught Noah to fear Hebr. 11. and fear that watchful Grace prevented feeling Faith makes a man solicitous for a while and safe to eternitie Naturalâ—y we are more moved with fear then stirr'd with hopes 5 Vigorously and constantly exercise thy self in Godliness Never think thou hast done enough Think not thy work is ended til thy life is ended Take heed of remisness in holy Duties Fervency of spirit is by the Apostle join'd