buâ— shew the worlds glory yet to shew here is to give to enjoy to make them to partake of it As Psal 60.3 Thou hast shewed thy people hard things which was the making of them to drink the Wine of astonishment Even as to see Heaven to see death is to partake of them Observe That no Natural or Vnregenerate Man can lift up his heart any higher then unto a worldly Happinesse and content in the Creature When you have in the most powerfull and moving manner discovered spiritual duties and the necessity of Conversion to God yet they matter it not they will say Who will shew us any good That as it is with the Swine though Pearles and precious Flowers be thrown unto her yet she trampleth them under her feet and desireth her draffe and the loathsome mire so it is with them To bring this coal of fire into your bosome let us consider several Propositions First That herein lyeth the general Character of those two Citizens which Austin speaks of one who builds up Babylon and the other who builds up Jerusalem That the one doth frui utendis and uti fruendis but the other is clean contrary The whole world consists of two sorts of men the one who are of the world the other though in the world yet not of it As John 17. Believers are said to be given to Christ out of the world As a man may be in England who is not yet an English-man he cannot speak the language he cannot conform to the custom and manners of the Nation Thus it is here the godly they are indeed in the world and are of it also in respect of natural propagation but not by divine Regeneration As the Fowles though at first God created them out of the waters yet they fly up into the Heavens and delight to be soaring in the air Thus it is with the Regenerate man he is now made a new creature old things are past away and his affections are set upon things above This earth is turned into fire But the wicked man he like our body of the earth is earthly even his very soul is in a spiritual sense so and their love to the creature is the predominant quality and so like a stone he falls into this center Now Austin of old did fully expresse the contrary inclination of these two That the wicked man doth frui utendis that is he doth enjoy as his utmost end and terminateth his appetite in such things as his utmost happinesse which only he is to use as meanes to a further end As if the Israelite should have made the Wildernesse instead of the Land of Canaan to him This is the crooked and perverse inclination of the soul wholly contrary to that Image of God which man was made in So that the very Heathens could observe that though God made man with a countenance caelumque tueri yet they cried out O curvae in terris animae caelestium inanes The body is upright but the soul is bowed down like the bodies of beasts like wormes and Serpents that crawle on the ground And therefore the wicked are the Serpents seed not only because of enmity to the godly but because they lick up and live upon the dust of the earth even upon earthly things Every wicked man he makes some creature or other to be as a God and so the ultimate end to him To clear the hainousnesse of this wretched temper consider Secondly That all the good things which the creatures do afford unto us they are but as meanes to carry us to a further end They are but as the rounds of the Ladder not to stand upon but thereby to ascend higher even to Heaven So that as the world is a Glasse to represent the invisible Attributes of God his Wisdome Goodnesse and Power thus all the comforts we can have by any creature they are to be as so many mementâ—es that there is a better and more universal good and that we have the creatures to use only not to enjoy Thus the Apostle 1 Cor. 7. They that buy as if they bought not they that use the world as not abusing it Some expound abuti as it is sometimes taken for valdo uti but howosoever he abuseth it that doth not use it as if he used it not with an holy weaned affection from it Hence then to enjoy any creature setting it in Gods room in the heart is a direct breach of that first Commandement Thou shalt have no other gods besides me And for this reason covetousnesse is called Idolatry Col. 3 5. Insomuch that every natural man hath one thing or other on which he commits Idolatry and therefore doth as highly offend God as he that worships stocks and stones giving divine adoration to them The Scripture cals that The abominable thing Thus it is when the heart of a man is fastned upon any creature as the ultimate scope and end of his desires we may say to him Oh do not this abominable thing Yea this Idolatry is more dangerous by how much it is the more secret and hidden in the heart And as the Papists have invented a world of subtile distinctions to make their Idolatry lawfull no lesse subtile is the heart of man in this soul Idolatry Thirdly Take notice that there is an higher and grosser sort of unregenerate men then happily this expression will comprehend and that is those who make such things as are formally and expressly evil the good things they would have shewed to them Such are all grosse and prophane sinners who live in the daily practice of some loathsome sinne These are a degree higher in wickednesse then those in my text though they may be reduced to them for here the Psalmist speaks of such things as are lawfull and good in themselves Honours Wealth humane greatnesse comfortable Relations these are good things in themselves and to say Who will shew us them in a mortifyed and subordinate manner to God had been no sin But when they come in competition with Gods favour they had rather have them then Gods light of his countenance this demonstrateth impiety But as for the prophane man his appetite is more corrupted for he cals evil things good he loveth those things excessively which he is not to love at all The other loveth Honey but he eateth too much of it and that kils him this eateth Poyson and feedeth of that one drop whereof is immediately mortal But to these I shall not enlarge my self Fourthly Consider this That the Schoolmen do well place in every sinne a a two-fold respect There is the Aversion from God and the Conversion to the creature For seeing the soul cannot like the earth hang upon nothing but it must have some Object or other to satiate it self with if it hath not God it hath the creature Now as soon as ever it turneth to the creature it turneth its back upon God I speak of the sinfulnesse of man
done is but thy duty God need not reward thee or might have bestowed a less reward 6. What work thou doest as it is a due besides God doth not need it It addeth nothing to him if thou art righteous that doth not better him it 's thy happinesse not Gods Lastly All thou doest is but for a little time that the little work thou hast done for God should be rewarded to eternity Here is matter of wonder So that all these considerations should teach deep humility O wretched and foolish Pharisee Thou fastest thou prayest and thinkest by this to be saved O pray for eye-salve to have thy eyes opened Let this 1. Drive people out of self-righteousnesse and trusting in their workes I would this sinne were onely among Papists Oh no it 's too much imbred in the hearts of Protestants How can the civil righteous man die without roaring and trouble of spirit lest he be an hypocrite an unregenerate person one that never felt the power of godlinesse but only he hath a secret confidence of the goodnesse of his heart such and such things he hath done and there are many worse and this doth exceedingly harden him 2. Be not slack or grudging in Gods work Oh how unreasonable is it that thy heart should be so unwilling so listlesse so repining Why dost thou not remember what a reward God hath laid up for those that labour for him Oh when thou comest to enter into thy Masters joy thou wilt think if it had been ten thousand times more it had been too little Verse 9. For we are workers together with God THis ninth verse is a further amplification of Pauls intent which is to presse unity against factions and divisions and it 's a declaration of his Argument before which was The planters and waterers are one but God gives the increase This he further illustrates in the beginning of this verse For we are workers together with God We are all in Gods vineyard and labour unto him So that this expression doth as much extoll the office of the Ministry as the former did seem to depresse it For how great a glory is this to be workers together with God Omnium divinorum divinâ—ssimum est saith an Ancient It 's the divinest work that can be to be instrumental to bring a rational soul to its first principle which is God from whom it hath apostatized But First The words most be explained then the sense We are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Labourers or Workers with The Vulgar Translatours Dei adjutores we are helpers of God but that is very unsafe For to help supposeth weeknesse and infirmity Yea some dislike the expression Gratia adjuvans as if God did not change the will but onely help it as Lactantius also blamed the Heathens for calling Jupiter â juvando But God hath appointed the Office and Gifts of the Ministry not out of need but from meer love to us dealing with us in a suitable and accommodated way to our nature The Apostle useth the same expression 2 Cor. 6.1 We as workers together with him c. If we interpret the word thus then in what sense can this be made good And First of all The Apostle doth not here speak of every particular man in respect of his conversion as if we did work with God in that by our own power and free-will There were some Divines called Synergists from the word in the Text because they did hold That mans will did co-operate and work together with God in turning to him But this is nothing to the Apostles meaning in this Text for he speaks of ministerial labours and Gods blessing them Neither in the second place is the meaning though of the Ministers As if they with God did work faith and repentance in the hearts of the hearers No the Apostle said before That God only gave the increase Baldwin the Lutheran upon this place putteth the Calvinists and Swenckfeldians together because the Calvinists hold That the Ministry reacheth only to the outward man the words thereof not being able to reach to the heart but they do greatly differ from the Swenckfeldians who do make the verbum externum nothing and runne wholly to the verbum internum whereas we hold the necessity of the external Word though ehe efficacy thereby be solely to be attributed unto God Neither in the third place is the meaning of it as if the Ministers of God in what they laboured did it by their own power No when the Apostle said I laboured more abundantly than they all he addeth yet not I but the grace of God which was with me 1 Cor. 15.10 Therefore God first inables them to work They are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before they be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sub-operatours before co-operatours But the sense in the first place though not generally received may be this We are Gods workers together in his vineyard or for him So that the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will not have relation to God but to fellow-labourers as Paul cals others his fellow-labourers Timothy is called his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 16.21 But Secondly Take it as generally set down the sense is God who onely giveth increase hath yet appointed the Ministry in an external manner to be dispenced So that we work with God in that we preach the Word and apply it to men though God onely give the virtue Even as the Apostles might be said to work with God when they wrought miracles they touched the diseased man they speak to him but the miraculous cure is wholly of God Hence Mark 16.20 God is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Apostles because he wrought mighty signs and wonders by them Observe That the Ministers of the Gospel are workers with God for the conversion of mens souls So 2 Cor. 6.1 In what sence they are you have heard not by immediate producing of any spiritual effects but by the external application of the Ministry to the people As Gehezi carried his Masters staff and touched the child with it but that did no good till Elisha came himself God in Creation did use no instruments at all Yea some Schoolmen dispute That no creature can be used as an instrument in Creation because it cannot work but about something whereas the forme of Creation is nothing But in these divine effects which are also a spiritual creation and no less impossible to humane power God will have the Ministry as a necessary antecedent means unto the conversion of men Hence the Scripture doth so often attribute this mercy unto the preaching of the Word yea and increase of grace afterwards In the first place consider What Reasons may be for this Why God will use such workers with him he needeth not the parts or gifts of any It 's but his word and all things by it are wrought in Heaven and Earth Yet both in the Old Testament and New he hath appointed some by whose outward
day Thou hast light to see where thou shouldst walk The Apostle speaks of one sort of wickednesse That it was not so much as named among Heathens 1 Cor. 5. Oh then How many grosse sinnes are there that should not be so much as named much lesse practised among Christians It 's a dishonour even to the word of God if thou shalt not do so much which the very light of nature and moral Philosophy hath done among others 2. The word of God which is indeed the proper work of it doth convert regenerate make men new creatures not only civil but godly doing things from God and through God and to God Herein the word of God discovers it self to come from God because it makes men of a divine nature Every agent assimilates the Patient into its own nature Fire will turn all things into fire And thus the word of God coming from Heaven makes men heavenly They that live under the Sunne are coloured by the beams of it Oh then how cometh it about that thou hast lived so long under the means and knowest not these things The Doctrine of Regeneration of a new creature thou art not able to bear It 's above thee it 's a riddle and a paradox to thee as it was to Nicodemus Paul speaks of these very Corinthians That they were his epistle to be read and seen of all men 2 Cor. 3.2 They were hâ—s walking epistle what he had commanded them to do they willingly did it all might see what preaching what godly exhortations Paul gave by their lives Oh it 's an happy thing when a Minister can say You are our Sermons to be seen and read of all men All men by your lives may see what is preached to you and what you hear Christ said to the Pharisees You are of your Father the Devil and his works you do Let the contrary be applied to you You are of God and his words you do Observe that place John 8.47 Ye therefore hear not my words because ye are not of God See what terrour is in this place If a mâ—n receive not Gods word and manifest it in his life it is because he is not of God There is not a greater signe of reprobation than disobedience to Gods will and rejâ—cting his Word preached 3. The word of God should have this effect to make men willing and glad in the hearing of it Nothing should be more necessary and pleasant to them What high price did David put upon it It was more necessary than his food With what delight and alacrity did they exhort one another to go to the house of the Lord The preaching of the Word is like setting up spiritual trading and merchandize how busie and active should men be It 's the Spring time for spiritual Bees to make honey It 's the Summer time for spiritual Ants to labour and treasure up Since the dayes of John Baptist untill now the kingdome of Heaven suffers violence Mat. 11.12 They take it by force Thus the Scripture exhorts Heb. 3. While it 's called to day And again Now is the acceptable time Some are threatned to runne from East and West from North to South because of the famine of the Word Amos 8.12 You should do as Joseph in the seven years plenty he laid up against the seven years famine Even Johns hearers though they had no bottome of grace did for a while rejoyce in his light Oh then how uncomfortable is it to see men live like bruit beasts under the Ministry not prizing of it no wayes thankfull to God for it but like the Prodigal regard husks when manna is near 4. It 's a sinne and reproach if where the Word hath been long preached there is not a preparednesse for and conformity unto all the instituted Ordinances of Jesus Christ The Church is a spiritual Society and have a visible Communion or external Forme and that consists in Preaching in Administration of the Sacraments in godly Discipline spiritual Censures upon obstinate Offenders Now all Congregations should be able to bear these things When our Saviour told his Disciples That they must eat his flesh and drinke his bloud some cried out This is an hard saying Who can bear it John 6.60 and from that time forsook him And thus it is in spiritual Discipline to have comely Order about the Sacraments all that walk disorderly admonished the contumacious cast out men cry out who can bear it and to this day they cannot bear it These Corinthians had grosse abuses crept in about the Lords Supper Men did not examine themselves they came drunke and irreverent Therefore the Apostle brings them to the first Institution 1 Corinth 11. Now these things particular Congregations should be prepared for Lastly It is their shame if they cannot bear and submit unto all those duties of self-denyal taking up the crosse preparation for persecutions We may observe that our Saviour and so the Apostles did much endeavour to take men off from expectations of carnal advantages by the Gospel The Devil shewed all the glory of the world but Christ all the misery and temptations that would accompany the profession of his Truth Ye shall be hated of all men for my Names sake John 15.19 So that where the Word hath been preached there men must bear commands and also many sufferings Vse of Instruction If ye would receive the Word in the light and efficacy of it keep not any compliance with humane and carnal lusts The Truth is above your natural understanding and the duties above your corrupt lives and affections Sore eyes cannot bear the light Festered wounds cannot bear salt and yet the Ministry is both light and salt Think if there be Truths if there be purity you cannot bear them Know also there is wrath and vengeance for the refusal of these And who can bear them Who is able to endure those everlasting burnings You cannot bear the Sermon that bids thee Depart from sinne How then that terrible sentence which bids thee Depart into everlasting burnings Verse 3. For ye are yet carnal PAul having in the verse before declared the reason why he fed them with childrens milk viz. because they were not able to digest solid meat In this verse he comes to the Designation or Specification of this their Infancy and Incapacity And this he declareth 1. Generally For ye are yet carnal 2. Particularly In their envyings strifes and factions that were amongst them At this time let us view the General For ye are carnal In what sense the Apostle called them so is explained vers 1. viz. not absolutely but comparatively They had the seed and root of grace but yet corruption was also very prevalent in them Object To what hath been said in explication of this you may make one Objection Why the Apostle if they were godly for the main doth call them carnal Is it not a certain Rule that the denomination ought to be from the greater or better part Do
I am of Christ Thus they expounded it thinking it not matter of reproof for any to say they were of Christ and they say Pauls arguments would hold for this as much as they did against glorying in men For though Paul was not crucified for them yet Christ was Though they were not baptized into Pauls name yet they were into Christs But to answer this It 's true absolutely and simply it 's not a sinne but a duty for every believer to say he is of Christ To call no man Master but Christ therefore he is called a Christian because a worshipper of Christ And the Apostle 1 Cor. 3.22 useth this Argument The believers were not Pauls or Apolloes but on the contrary Whether Paul or Apollo c. all are yours but then mark he doth not say Christ is yours but you are Christs So for believers to say They are Christs is in the general a duty but that which the Apostle here reproveth is such a setting up of Christ as doth oppose the Instruments that Christ also hath appointed and that the Apostle blameth those who said They were Christs it's plain by the Context It 's told me by the house of Chloe That there are divisions and contentions This was a fault complained of And then he instanceth in the matter of the contentions I am of Paul I am of Apollo I am of Christ This is in the same manner reckoned as the former whereas if the Interpretation of the Ancients were true the expression must have been adversative But I am of Christ And then the Argument following is plain Is Christ divided viz. Is the Doctrine or Person of Christ divided Hath Peter one Christ Apollo another or these immediate pretenders another Christ Now these that set up Christ thus in a sinfull way may be either those that pretended immediate teachings by Christ for such were in the Apostles dayes therefore he bids them Try the Spirits or such who happily might have heard Christ himself teaching in his own person and so did wrest those Doctrines that Christ taught and yet in their sense made Christ the teacher of them both may be included Although I must adde That a further thing also is to be comprehended in this factious exalting of Christ vâ—z not only thereby to exclude Instruments but also to conclude that they only had Christ amongst them For this is the property of many Sects to appropriate Christ to themselves as if none had Christ but they Thus the Donatists did monopolize the word Christians to themselves Observe That although Christ onely is to be relied upon as the Head of his Church yet it is not his will that under this pretence wee should despise or contemne his Ministry and the means of grace he hath appointed So that this Text with the former doth excellently bound the spirit of believers that though they delight and rejoyce in the gifts and office of the Ministry reaping much spiritual benefit by it yet they are still to look up to Christ in the Ministry as the author of all increase And on the other side Though the Ministry can do no good without Christs teaching and it 's the Spirit that giveth grace not the Ministers yet we must not so immediately depend on Christ and his Spirit as to neglect the instruments and means he hath appointed Our Saviour cleareth this when in one place He sends his Disciples to preach commanding all to hear them And yet again Bids us call no man master upon earth Here is no contradiction but if a Christian be wise he may excellently compose them No man is to be called Master principally and authoritatively yet Christ hath appointed Teachers and Doctors by whom we are to believe So that it 's the errour and foolishnesse of men when they runne into extreams even as in the Doctrine of Grace and Free-will The Marcionites and Manicâ—ees they denied the Natural Liberty of a man and the Pelagians on the contrary the efficacious grace of God To understand this Consider That there are principal and efficient causes of grace and salvation and there are subordinate and instrumental and these must not be confounded A sound mind must not make instrumentals principals as ignorant people doe thinking the very Sacrament will save them Nor yet must we exalt the principal to exclude the instrumental as Enthusihsts do The Efficient Cause of all grace is attributed onely to God or the three Persons the Father Sonne and holy Ghost in their appropriated way So that it 's true Every good and perfect gift comes from God the Father of lights Jam. 1. No man can come to Christ unlesse the Father draw him John 6.44 And Christ saith He will draw all men to him John 12.32 He is the chief shepherd of our souls He is the truth way and life John 14.6 The Spirit of God also that leadeth into all truth that sanctifieth that inlightneth the mind So that when we have to do with a people that do rest upon outward meanes As some thinke the Ministers gifts the Ministers parts or the very coming of a Minister to them and praying for them while sick is enough to send them to Heaven To such hearers we are much to preach of the efficient principal cause of grace We are to cry Sursum corda we are to say as the Angel to the women looking for Christ in the Sepulchre He is risen Look up to Heaven so to such who rest upon external meanes and Instruments Why look ye downwards look upwards We see among the people of Israel yea and Christians in the New Testament too so great a pronenesse to relie on Instruments but as in civil things we must not relie on an arme of flesh so neither in Church matters on a tongue or mouth of flesh as the Ministers are In the next place There are Subordinate and Instrumental means of Grace which God though he could doe all spiritual things immediately for us and in us yet he hath obliged us to the use of them So that it is an high contempt of God and such may never expect the workings of his Spirit or virtue from Christ that doth not use those instituted meanes he hath appointed Now there is a three-fold Instrumental cause of Grace When we call them a Cause we mean not a natural Cause producing Grace by any inherent power as fire doth burn no but onely instituted Causes God in the faithfull use of these will worke Grace in us And they are three especially First There is the Scripture the Word of God This as it is written and consigned into a Canon is a Rule by which all must believe worship and live Insomuch that if a man pretend any Revelations or teachings which are not warrantable by this written Word he is to be held as accursed To the Law and to the Testimony Isai 8.20 Christ himself still directeth to the Scripture Paul directs Timothy to the Scriptures and
in vain are taken up in the New Testament as well as the Old And experience teacheth us That where Christ is preached and the Gospel in a glorious manner promulged yet it 's but dead preaching to many This voice doth not make them come out of the grave of sinne onely herein the Law and the Gospel differ that the matter of the Law pressed will condemn us none being ever able to fulfill it Yea the godly cannot do all things the Law requireth and so the Law is a killing letter to him But the Gospel that comes with a moderation where the graces of Gods Spirit are though weak and imperfect there through Christ their weaknesse is forgiven So that the preaching of the Gospel to a soul oppressed for sinne is like the year of Jubilee to poor servants and indebted prisoners Howsoever then the preaching of the Gospel is said to be the ministration of life and of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. yet that is not to be understood simply of it self but as accompanied with the power of God Hence the Gospel is said to be the power of God to salvation Rom. 1.16 the power of God not of man It 's not mans wisdome that our faith is grounded on Thus much for what the Apostle meaneth not What he positively meaneth or inferreth are First That it 's not in the power or choise of the Minister to make it effectual He cannot bid or command the Word to work as he pleaseth for then the guilt of all mens souls and the damnation of all would lie upon us As our Divines say to the Papists when they brag The Pope hath the Keyes of power above all things not only in earth but in purgatory Why then doth he suffer those souls to lie tormented there as he doth So it would be here Why are any damned Why do any lie in their sinnes if the Ministry by its own power could convert them No the Ministers of God they can only pray they can mourn and grieve in secret to see the miscarriage of the Word and the wilfull resolution in men to destroy their own souls they can mourn over the dead but they cannot recover them to life Secondly The Apostle by this intends that both the Ministers and the people should keep themselves in their due bounds The Ministers though never so eminent though never so much applauded by a numerous company of Disciples yet they cannot make one black hair white They cannot say of any people obeying the Gospel That we by our own power have made such believe It 's true they are said to be Fathers and to beget men to the truth but that is only instrumentally and metaphorically by external application of the Word not internal power for so we have onely one Father in Heaven Pride and ambition do easily breed in the most eminent parts as worms in the sweetest fruit but when they shall consider that they are nothing and God is all this is a good way to humble them and then the people hereby are also taught much moderation Some mens persons they are apt to admire Not such a man in the world Oh but what a great God is there in Heaven without whom this man is nothing This is spiritual Idolatry and that worship which is to be given to Christ only you give to instruments Lastly In making the Ministry nothing and God all The Apostle would have both Minister and people in their Ministry to have our hearts and eyes up to Heaven As the Bird after every drop of water it sips looks up presently to Heaven so shouldst thou Lord what the Minister hath spoken what he hath pressed oh set it home with a blessing Cause it to come like rain upon the new mowed grasse Oh the carelesse and prophane hearing that is every where This makes God give no increase you matter it not you believe not you tremble not under it you do not earnestly pray about it If a man have a leg or arm to be cut off oh you desire all you meet with to pray about it Why because it may cost him his life How much rather about every Sermon every Duty that is preached shouldst thou pray and again pray Oh it may be the damning of my immortal soul to miscarry therein Quest But how may we addresse our selves to hear and to the Ministry so that God may make them something to us Answ To be made something is when the Word doth greatly wound thy heart or comfort thee when it makes a noise and a pain at thy very bowels when it makes thee sick at the very heart when it makes thee cry out Oh me a wretched sinner what have I done Whither shall I go Ah wretch that I am In what a wofull condition am I plunged Sinne is on one side hell on the other the wrath of God above me and all the curses of the Law round about me Then it 's something then our words fall like hot burning coals upon your consciences you cannot sleep nor rove but tremble under it Now this will be done these wayes First Make it a real and conscientious matter to pray unto God to give increase As to the woman our Saviour said According to thy faith so be it unto thee So according to thy prepared prayer saith God this Sermon and this duty shall be blessed unto you As your cruise is fitted so will God pour in oil If we then complain that the Ministry works no more notable effects that it makes no more transcendent alterations judge whether the blame lie not on thy own self Prayer is that which moveth with God Prayer is that in which the Sermon rolled produceth sutable operations The Word of God is a two-edged sword but prayer maketh it penetrate that sets God on work and God sets his Word on work A man much in prayer is alwayes much in profiting As the Preacher is to pray Christ prayed much in the night as he taught much in the day so the hearer he also must pray much Secondly Exercise strong and divine acts of faith this will make the Ministry something to thee The Word profited not because it was not mingled with faith Heb. 4.2 or as some interpret because by faith they were not mixed as it were with the Word they were not incorporated into it and who hath believed our report Rom. 10. Faith is that which comes at first by hearing and then afterwards makes hearing profitable The Atheism and unbelief which is on mens hearts make the Word without efficacy such are prophane mockers As you see they despised the Prophets that often said The burden of the Lord the burden of the Lord. Men believe not the things preached to be Gods truth that they are Gods word that they will be made good whether they will or no they are living words and sure words and faith only layeth the first foundation of this spiritual building believe the threatning and thou darest
self-seeking viz. of immortality and honour and glory Rom. 2.7 This is good to be observed because some tender people have been much troubled as if they were gone no further then hypocrites because they find such desires of Heaven and Glory moving them in their duties Oh! they think this is to serve God for their own ends Did not Christ live and die for me though he got nothing by me and why should not I for him Now two things we say to this 1. It 's true in every godly man there is such an ingenuous Principle of grace in him that he loveth God and Christ for their own sakes Though there were no Heaven no Hell yet such is his spiritual constitution that he cannot but love God and hate sinne The reason is because he is made a new Creature hath a Divine nature And that is a spontaneous free and willing principle to what is holy without any outward motives As a dutifull Child loveth his Father though poor though he hath no Inheritance to give him As the Mother loveth her Child and takes all that care about it from an inward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when there is no hope of a reward Hence the motions of grace are compared to thirsting and hungering Now you know we do not use to promise a reward to an hungry man if he will eat And thus you may see David often in those pure strains of love and longing after God making him the Object of his delight he loveth God that he may love him more And he loveth him because he loveth him If he said of humane love that it was a nescio quid burning in a mans breast it 's true of Divine love But yet 2. It 's lawfull for all this to stirre up a mans heart to this duty because of the glorious Reward God hath promised both by Precept and Example Precept For in several places the Scripture exhorteth to our duty Because our work will not be in vain 1 Cor. 15 ult We judge these afflictions light saith the Apostle while we behold the things that are not seen 2 Cor 4. ult Christ sheweth his Disciples the glory of Heaven that thereby they might not be discouraged in doing or suffering for him Now the Word of God must stirre up an unlawfull coveting in the heart if seeking thus for eternal Glory were a sinne And then we have the Example of Christ himself He in all his Sufferings had aâ— eâ—e to the joy that was seâ— before him which made him endure the Cross And of Moses it is said Heb. 11.26 He had respect to the recompence of the Reward He did mark it diligently as the word signâ—fieth We must therefore distinguish between Amor mâ—rcâ—dis and Amor mercenarius a loue of the Reward is not presently a mercenary love but then when it 's only for that when there is no inward change of the nature and frame of a man Thirdly The reward of godliness or working for God is again two-fold Either Temporary here in this life or Eternal in that come Godliness hath the promise of this life 1 Tim. 4 8. No promise of any temporal mercy is made to a wicked man God indeed by his Providence dâ—sposeh many of those outward mercies to them but they are not by the promise to them They are Ismael's not Isaac's For all the Promises are Yea and Amen firm and suâ—e in Christ 2 Cor. 1. God indeed gave Nebuchadnezar a temporal reward for his service in destroying Tyre And Austin saith That that earthly dominion the Romanes had in the world was a reward of their Civil Justice But these things are not still the fruit of a gracious Promise Therefore they have them not in special mercy neither are they sanctified to them They have a right and dominion concerning them but not a sanctified use They are to them as Saul thought Michall would have been to David to his utter ruine and ensnaring of him Otherwise Godly men only have the Promises of all the good in the world No good thing will he withhold from them that fear him Psal 84.11 But the Reason why these Promises are not alwaies made good to them is Because this would hindâ—r the grand Promises that are for theâ—r spirituâ—l good These things explained let us consider Wherein lyeth this reward of working for God either in this life or in the life to come And truly in this life if there were no Heaven no Happiness no Enjoyment of God there is enough to put us on it As First There is a great deal of Peace and Comfort of Consâ—ience in doing what is good The very Heathens observed that Virtus est sibi praemium Vertue is a reward to it self It brings such quietness such tranquilâ—ty such comfort that it 's desirable to be doing Gods work if there were nothing else When David with the people offered so willingly unto God what a deal of comfort and joy did David find in the very duty it self Who are we that we should be able to offer so willingly 1 Chron. 29.14 For as on the other side sinne hath a sting and carrieth a torâ—ment with it filling the Conscience with fear and trembling and horrour as in Cain and Judas None rationally would have the pleasures of sinne for a season for the tortures and torments of it which are perpetual Thus on the contrary Faith and other Graces they are accompanied with joy in the holy Ghost When a man keeps a good Conscience towards God and man he hath a continual Feast better then Dives he fareth diliciously every day Pindar a very Heathen Poet called a good Conscience The sweet Nurse in old age yea in young age and all ages Not but that the godly themselves may be many times in great trouble of spirit You see David often crying out upon his soul because it was so cast down and calling upon himself to trust in God But this disquietness in the godly is caused partly by their own fault and partly by the Devil he is a roaring Lyon he disquiets their peace though God indeed suffer him for his wise ends as you see it was to Job Oh then that you would alwaies be doing Gods work If you did but know how comfortable and how sweet it is above the labour for worldly things your hearts would be enamoured with it Secondly When we do Gods work he further rewards with more spiritual strength and enlargeth our Abilities so that the more we work for God the more we may Thus in the Parable He that had five he gained ten Luk. 19 16. To him that hath shall be given And the promise is That the godly shall not be faint or weary but renew their ctrength like an Eagle Isa 40.31 Yea as they grow so they shall persevere and overcome and be established in what is good Now this is a great Reward in a godly mans account though the wicked regard it not That
of the tongues observation of the peculiar phrases For whereas the matter is sometimes wholly new and supernatural so the words are not alwayes used in the same sense as humane Authours do Comparing also the Context is very usefull and parallel places consulting also with the gifts and abilities of others When Philip asked the Ethiopian Vnderstandest thou what thou readest How can I said he unless I have a guide Act. 8.31 Vse of Admonition to all who take upon them to give the sense and meaning of the word of God let this Text be as a pillar of salt to season thee it 's a dangerous thing to wrest Scripture Thou that puttest it upon the rack God will put thy conscience upon the rack Why dost thou so proudly so arrogantly so boldly meddle in this matter The people of God are not to be kept in ignorance that is a Popish principle but yet they must learn with humility and self-denial with the use of all means necessary He must not be his own master he that is so â—ath a fool to his scholar say the Rabbins and yet this must not be so interpreted but that he who brings truth may resist the whole world as one Paphnutius did an whole Council Vse 2. That it 's not enough to bring Scripture to name many Texts unless we find out also the true and proper sense This makes for the honour and dignity of the Scripture that all would fain authorize their tenents by that It 's no derogation to the Scripture neither may it be called a nose of wax therefore but it exalteth the Scripture the more Vse 3. Of Exhortation to you people as we are to take heed what we deliver so also what you receive what you believe It 's a very hard thing to reconcile these two things To give all the respect and obedience that is due and called for by God to your spiritual guides and teachers and yet to exercise your own faith and judgment likewise He that doth not run into one of these extreams either to neglect the Ministry and to use his own eyes only or else to put out them and rest only upon the eye of his guide is a wise and a solid man Be thou carefull to split upon neither of these rocks but be waâ—y what you receive and how you believe Verse 11. For other foundation can no man lay then that is laid which is Jesus Christ THis Text is a Reason of that Caution delivered in the verse before Every man must take heed how he builâ—eth Why Because there is no other foundation but Christ To set up any thing in Christs stead or to deliver any thing contrary unto Christ this is here reproved So that in the words Christ is described secondly the Ministers duty about him declared Christ is described 1. By his proper Name Jesus a Saviour of his people 2. By his Office Christ the Messiah the anointed one 3. Metaphorically the foundation sometimes Christ is called the foundation and sometimes the corner stone and all is to one sense to shew that he only supports the spiritual building whether we mean the Church in general or every soul in particular Now it 's true the Apostles Ephes 2. and Rev. 21. are called the foundation also but theirs is Fundamentum fundamâ—ntorum as Austin or fundamentum fundans and fundamentum fundatum The Apostles are only foundations that are built upon another foundation viz. Christ Or else the Apostles might be called a foundation because of their Doctrine in which sense Peter is called a rock And Christ saith he would build his Church on him viz. upon that Doctrine confessed by him Mat. 16.18 Though Cameron understandeth it of the person of Peter yet not in the Popish sense but because Peter was to be used as the first Person who should preach the Gospel to the Gentiles so that he is the rock of the Church because on his preaching first was built the declaration of the Gospel to the Gentiles But this I affirm not For you see here he is not only the foundation but the solitary foundation No other Secondly Their is the duty of the Minister Any other can no man lay Can none that is none ought Illud possumus quod jure possumus Observe That the Ministers of God ought to lay no other Foundation then Christ They are to build their people upon no other rock All is to referre to Christ All Threatnings all Promises all Commands all Duties they are to bring to Christ As every thing in the Temple was covered with gold so Christ is to cover all things To be in all things But how is this to be unnderstood We shall shew how many waies Christ is to be preached as a Foundation and you the Hearers are to make use of him in that sense First therefore He is to be laid down as the only foundation in respect of knowledge and instruction We are to preach and set up him as the great Prophet and Teacher of his Church He cals himself the light that came into the world Joh. 8.12 The Ministers they are light but as the Starres do lucere luce alienâ with a borrowed light from the Sunne so neither do the Ministers of the Gospel enlighten any other way but by light from Christ Hence he was prophesied of betimes as the great Prophet whom God would raise up for his Church and for this end he is so often called the Word because he doth reveal unto us Gods will and God from Heaven commanded all to hear him Mat. 17.5 All the Prophets were the Prophets of Christ all the Officers in the new Testament are the Officers of Christ So that we are to declare that all people who expect Instruction Reformation and any profit by the Ministry must not build on man but Christ And this is the chief scope here No man may lay any other foundation No man may set up any other Doctor or Teacher viz. principal but him as is to be seen in the former Chapter And that is the reason say some why Paul doth so often name Jesus Christ in that Chapter And no marvell if he be the foundation for none Teacheth as he both objectively and subjectively We all reveal the Object and propound the Doctrine to your ears though none did so objectively as he did but subjectively none can teach as he He giveth the understanding heart he opens the eyes to see and the ears to hear Never therefore expect the powerfull effect of the Ministry unless thou build on Christ more then the parts of a man The abilities of the man these are but like Gehazi with the Prophets staff they will not raise the dead Child unless Christ come himself It 's true we must not set up a teaching of Christ in opposition to the Ministry as some did They would have no Ministry at all but expect to be taught by him yet as we must necessarily use it so it
erroneous person therefore is not presently convinced in his own conscience of his false way he may as the Antichristian party is be delivered up to believe a lie To call light darknesse and darknesse light Even as the distempered palate may call sweet things bitter So then though errours in Doctrine be stubble and trash yet they are not thought so by the Authors of them The Manichees called Manes Manicheus because he did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they commonly commend their falshoods as the precious rare and unheard of truths of Christ Secondly When the Apostle cals these errours hay and stubble he doth not speak of fundamental errours neither but such as are consistent with and built on the true foundation They do not damne the Authour of them but they make his salvation difficult He shall be saved but by fire For as for those Doctrines that race up the foundations Peter cals them damnable heresies 2 Pet. 2.1 Paul reckons them with Idolatries Witchcrafts and all the grosse sinnes that palpably exclude from the Kingdome of Heaven Gal. 5.21 Yea if an Angel from Heaven should bring such a Doctrine we were to hold him accursed Gal. 1.8 9. And all the faithfull are commanded Not to bid such an one God speed John 2. Epist As John the Apostle would not wash himself in that Bath where Cerinthus the Heretique had been So that these expressions of hay and stubble are onely for lesser errours But those that are in Folio as it were they are poison They are the venome of the red Dragon They are like the Plague that strikes dead into Hell quickly without a speedy recovery So that as all sinnes are not alike so neither are all errours And we are to make a difference between those that are fundamental Circa-fundamental and Super-fundamental as a man may so say As in sicknesses some are mortal and deprive of life immediately others are not so In the second place Let us consider why the Apostle cals errours by such names wood hay and stubble First Because of the vilenesse and contemptiblenesse of them Men if they did understand the Scripture and walk by that Rule would no more regard them than the straw under their feet as we say For as the true Doctrines of Christ were compared to gold because of their precious and excellent nature so errours are called stubble because of their base and vile nature In the Old Testament the names of Idols were names of contempt and scorn Baal-Phegor and Baal-zebub and thus here the sinfull opinions that men deliver are straw and stubble Secondly The Apostle describeth the Idolatry of the Heathens under this aggravation Rom. 1. That they turned the Image of God into an Oxe that eateth hay and truly all that love and delight in errours doe so They who should be after the Image of God delighting in precious and heavenly truths make themselves like the beast that eats hay Vitiated and corrupted stomacks will eat trash and so distempered minds and corrupted will receive falshoods Secondly It 's compared to hay and stubble for the levity and uncertainty of it What solidity hath a straw that is blown up and down with every winde Now the lightnesse and uncertainty appeareth in three things 1. It cannot abide the touchstone it cannot endure to be tried Straw cannot endure the fire The thief or he that doth evil hateth the light saith our Saviour John 3.20 Counterfeit and base coin cannot abide the touchstone whereas the Apostles when they preached they were willing to have their Doctrines tried by the Scripture and the Bereans are commended for making such an enquiry Acts 17.11 The Owls and the Bats cannot endure the day As soon as errour is detected it is confuted whereas the precious truths of God they grow more excellent and glorious by the trial of them The wheat loseth nothing by winnowing the iron by filing By all the errours and heresies that ever have been truth hath gotten the advantage As the ark was the more lifted up to Heaven by the waters 2. It 's uncertainty is seen in the divers shapes and moulds it hath denying and affirming As Tertullian of the Peacock Multicolor versicolor nunquam idem tamen semper idem Thus erroneous Doctrines are alwayes in new dresses in a new garb as they are necessitated by truth How often was Pelagianism interpoluted Therefore the Apostle cals the dealing of such persons who use to sow these tares 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 4.14 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a slight jugling yea and bewitching Gal. 3.1 making such things to appear to the sense that have no subsistence Thus among the Arians both the Eusebiusses were in crafty and divers dresses sometimes for the Orthodox sometimes against them And Pelagius did four times change his opinion about Grace or rather his expressions At first he denied grace then he made nature grace then the outward preaching of the Word grace then granted the grace of remission of sinne Thus he did gratiae voâ—abulo uti ad frangeâ—dum invidiam So that herein the levity and uncertainty of falshoods doth appear that they are divers and strange Doctrines strange to the Word and divers and disagreeing among themselves 3. It 's uncertainty is seen that it doth never stay till God in mercy to his Church put a period to it Therefore false Doctrines are compared to a Gâ—ngrene 2 Tim. 2.17 you know that spreads and spreads till it hath even consumed the body And thus it is with errour it spreads from one to another and not only so but this young Serpent will grow up to a Dragon in time Arius una scintilla fuit was but one spark and yet he-set the whole world on fire Wicked men shall grow worse and worse one errour draweth on another When a man begins to tumble down the hill it 's hard staying ere he come to the bottom And therefore when thou once beginnest to wander from the truth fear thy self thou wilt presently be in a wildernesse yea thou wilt be like an Hazael in time Those opinions and blasphemies thou wouldst once have trembled and quaked at thou wilt excuse and defend Experience hath â—â—en too true but very sad of this in all ages of the Church Thirdly Errours are compared to hay and stubble For the uselesnesse and unprofitablenesse of them They are but fig leaves to cover our nakednesse and that will appear in these particulars 1. They do not truly inform and enlighten the mind Truth is light and doth inform and instruct the mind but all errours do bring more darknesse so that while they think they know more then they did they know lesse Hence they are said to be men of corrupt minds 1 Tim. 6 5. and deluded or deceived Oh what a dreadfull thing may this be for thee to think thou hast more light than ever when it may be thou art in more darknesse than ever To thinke thou art in a nearer way to