And in one and the same Year both Father and Son dye Divers such Passages as these you will find in this Story of the Kings if you will but cast it into Annals after this manner as be these Ahaziah Two Years older than his Father 2 Chron. xxii 2 Baasha fighting Nineteen Years after he is dead 2 Chron. xvi 1 Jotham reigning Four Years after he is buried 2 King xv 30 Joram crowned King in the Seventeenth Year of Jehoshaphat 2 King i. 17 compared with 1 King xxii 51 And in the Two and Twentieth Year of Jehoshaphat 2 King viii 16 And after Jehoshaphat's Death 2 Chron. xxi 1 Variety of such strange things are to be found by taking this course which otherwise you can never see nor doubt of For Resolution of such Ambiguities when you have found them the Text will do it if it be well searched Conference with some Man or other learned and practiced in this way will soon resolve and remove all Scruples One Month or two spent thus with a living Guide will profit more than Seven Years Study spent according to the common way of reading the Bible This way attained to will guide you it self in what else is agreeable to profitable reading As in marking those things that seem to be Contradictions in the Text or Slips of the Holy Ghost in which always is admirable Wisdom Parallels of Times Places and Persons c. Which if you once fix sadly to make a Scripture-Chronicle you cannot slip unmarked and it will be enough to me to see you Doubt I know your Doubting will not rest till resolved I have here briefly run before you the Order of Scripture as I conceive the Continuance of the History requires it to lye If you will but settle to make a Scripture Chronicle this is needless for that will search out the Order for you So that you may spare your Labour of reading this that I have written and then I need not to excuse my Confusedness in it for haste Yet if you do read it it may shew you the Necessity of that that I so instantly urge viz. Skill in the Chronicle For if there be whole Chapters and Books laid out of their Places and the reason thereof commonly most sweet what may we expect in smaller Bulk of things as Genealogies Names Speeches Years Quotations c. but strange Variations yet always Divine Admirable it is to see how the Holy Spirit of God in Discords hath shewed the sweetest Music. But few Men mark this because few â—ake a right course in reading of Scripture Hence when Men are brought to see flat Contradictions as unreconciled there be many in it they are at amaze and ready to deny their Bible A little Pains right spent will soon amend this wavering and settle Men upon the Rock whereon to be built is to be sure SECT II. THE Canonical Books of the Bible are Seventy if the Psalms be parted into Five like the Seventy Souls that built up the House of Israel The Apocrypha speaks for it self that it is not the Finger of God but the Work of some Jews Which got it so much Authority among Christians because it came from them from whom the lively Oracles of God indeed came also But the Talmud may be read to as good Advantage and as much Profit and far more Leviathan reserved to be eaten 2 Esdra vi 52 is Judaism in Targ. Jonath in Gen. R. Sol. Elias 〈…〉 of all tastes in Wisd. xvi 20 21. is Jewish R. Sol. in Num. xi Paradise created before the World is Judaism in Targ. Jonath in Gen. ii Pirke R. Eliezer R. Nephtali Bel and the Dragon is a Jewish Parable from Jer. li. 44 And I will punish Bel in Babylon and I will bring forth out of his Mouth that which he hath swallowed up c. 〈◊〉 blessing Simeon for the Slaughter of 〈◊〉 is worse than Jewish Jud. ix 2 c. flat against Jacob who curseth the Fact and against Moses who for it leaves him out of his Blessings Deut. xxxiii Tobit's Chronology is worse than Heathenish Tob. xiv 4 and 15. making the Ruin of Nineveh by Nebuchadnezzar to depend upon Jonah's Prophecy Whereas since Jonah's Prophesie that City had been deâ—â—royed by Arbaces and Belosus and built again and stood the Succession of Seven or Eight Kings and near about Two Hundred Years before it was taken by Nebuchadnezzar So might one censure the rest but Verbum Sapienti Believe not every Spirit SECT III. GENESIS CHAP. I. THE Law begins with the Creation because by the Creature is our first Step to the Knowledge of God Rom. i. 20 Ps. xix It teacheth the end from the beginning the Resurrection from the Creation For if God made Man of Dâ—st he can raise him our Spiritual Union with God in Glory even in our Body by the Union of our Spirit and Body in Creation God not named Jehovah till the Creation be perfect for special Reason The second Days Work not approved but the third twice Heaven and Earth created in one and the same instant as Center and Circumference The First Day The Heavens are made perfect and move as soon as ever they are made and with them are created the Angels But the Earth is unformed and vast all covered over with Water And the Spirit of God by the Motion of the Heavens cherisheth the inferior Creature of Earth and Waters Twelve Hours did the Heavens move in Darkness and then by God's Appointment Light appeared in that Hemisphere in which God had decreed that the Light of Religion should first shine And there it gave Lustre for Twelve Hours more declining by degrees with the Motion of the Heavens to the other Hemisphere where it also shone Twelve Hours So that the first Day to that part of the World was †So long was Joshuah's Day when the Sun stood still and so long was Christ under Death Six and Thirty Hours long The Second Day As soon as ever the Light was gone off from this upper Horizon God commanded that instead of that Vacuity which was between the Waters that covered the Earth and the Clouds which were created full of Water in the same instant with the Heavens the Air should be spread abroad throughout the Universe And in Four and Twenty Hours the Command is accomplished The Third Day The Waters that cover the Earth at God's Command recoil Westward into those Channels which God had appointed them And still as they go away and dry Land appears Herbs Plants and Trees with their ripe Seed and Fruit upon them grow instantly out of the Earth This Day God plants the pleasant Garden of †The Story of Eden Gen. 11. ver 9 10 11 12 13 14. in proper Order should lye between ver 12 and 13. of this Chapter But Moses hath reserved the History of that to be handled at Adam's being placed in it Because he would dispatch his Treatise of Generals before he come
to To nothing but Vanity and Vexation of Spirit Like him in the Story that had a great Iron-bound Chest by him that he thought his Forefathers had filled full of Treasure for him but when he comes to open it it proved nothing but Stones and Old Iron and Rags and such Trash The Title of his Book as you see Chap. i. is Vanity of Vanities all is Vanity Who would read such a Book that carries no better no more comfortable a Title If the Title were Pleasure of Pleasures Profit of Profits Contentment of Contentments here were a brave Book to Study that spoke of such things as these As it is in the Prophet Prophesie to us of Wine and Strong Drink Such an one is a Prophet for this People But a Book that goes about to shew me that all that I set my mind upon and take delight in is but Vanity of Vanities and Vexation of Vexations away with such a Book Like Jeremy's Prophesie with Jehoiakim cut it with the Penknife and cast it into the Fire Thus Flesh and Blood and Carnal Hearts would be ready to Censure and like the Papists with their Index Expurgatorius dash out in all Writings they meet with whatsoever was not to their own Minds But what says the Heart of a Solomon in this Case Nay what says the Sacred Spirit of God in this Case That there can hardly be a more useful Study for Worldly Men nay for all Mortal Men than to Study Find out and be Satisfied that all Earthly things whatsoever are but Vanity That the Heart may be set to hearken after that which is more than Earthly more than Vanity And Solomon the great Student the Wisest of Men never shewed himself more Learned more Wise than in this Convictive Impression upon his own Heart that all things under the Sun are but Vanity of Vanities Vanity of Vanities all is Vanity And as he among the Heathen was accounted the VVisest Man among them that said Hoc scio tantum me nihil i. e. that he knew only this that he knew Nothing so shall he approve himself a VVise Man indeed that can come Solidly Throughly and Feelingly to know and be convinced of this that all Things here below are but Vanity of Vanities Solomon doubles the Word because he would heighten and enhaunce the Sense And if you Observe you shall find also that he takes the Word Vanity in a double Sense viz. For Vanity of Things and Vanity of Minds As all Things here below are but Vanity and Fading in themselves and as the Minds of Men are but Vanity and Foolishness in their Desires and Thoughts And so you shall find that he takes the Word sometimes in one Sense and sometimes in another That saying Chap. viii 11 demonstrates this and speaks to this double Sense Because Sentence against an evil Work is not executed speedily therefore the Heart of the Sons of Men is fully set in them to do Evil. The Verse before is this There is a Time wherein one Man ruleth over another to his own Hurt And so I saw the Wicked Buried who had come and went from the Place of the Holy And they were forgotten in the City where they had done so This is also Vanity That is some Men Oppress Domineer Tyranize over others But at last I saw such come to the Grave And then what proved all their Insulting but a wretched Vanity Nay they went or were separated from Heaven the Place of the Holy One. And their very Name rotted in the very Place where they had so Domineered And they were forgotten in the City where they had done so A Vanity of Vanities that they should lose Heaven and lose their Name too and all they had done and contrived to themselves come to no better Issue And then in the following Verse he speaks of the wretched Vanity that is in Mens Minds That because Sentence against an Evil thing is not presently executed therefore the Hearts of the Sons of Men is fully set in them to do Evil. One would expect that Fear should move the Heart that it should not be Evil because there is a Sentence against an Evil Work and that Fairness and Gentleness should move the Heart to be Good because this Sentence is not speedily put in Execution But Behold Wild Grapes indeed Behold the Vanity of Men's Minds therefore the Heart of Man is fully set to do evil IV. The Sin and Punishment of the Golden Calf explained THE Golden Calf is oft laid in the Jews Dish and that deservedly That ever a People should so soon so shamefully fall from God It was not Fourty Days since the Law was given them and the two First Commandments already broken To turn the Glory of God into a Calf as it is exprest Psal. cvi 20 Was that the God that brought them out of Egypt Expositors cannot tell what to say of their Intent For they cannot think they were such Calves And yet what can we say else Jonathan saith The Devil got into the Metal and fashioned it into a Calf The Devil indeed was too much there but it was in their Fancies more than in the Metal The Jews will not suffer Aaron's Relation of this matter to be interpreted Exod. xxxii 24 But the Thing stands upon Record against them Whether they made it in imitation of the Egyptian APIS or of a Cherub Compare Ezek. i. 10 with Ch. x. 14 God Punisht this Sin 1. With the Sword Exod. xxxii 28 There fell of the People that Day about Three Thousand Men. And 2. With a Plague ver ult And the Lord Plagued the People because they made the Calf And 3. Which is worse than both God Punisht the Sin with the Judgment of giving them up to Worship the Host of Heaven mentioned Acts vii 42 Then God turned and gave them up to Worship the Host of Heaven The Verse immediately before speaks of their making a Calf in those Days and offering Sacrifice unto the Idol and rejoicing in the Works of their own Hands THEN it was that God turned because they turned first Hitherto God and Israel were Face to Face but now Contra. As it is said of Moses That he went out from Pharaoh in a great Anger Exod. xi 8 So God turned away from them and leaves them What did God Turn from And VVhither Did he turn from his Covenant They broke it indeed but did he In the Eighth Chapter to the Hebrews ver 9. The Covenant that I made with their Fathers in the Day when I took them by the Hand to lead them out of the Land of Egypt because they continued not in my Covenant They continued not in the Covenant but did not he Yea he returned again set up his Tabernacle among them and brought them into the Land which he Promised them Had he broke his Covenant he had played quit with them And the Covenant was not but upon God's Conditions and those not performed he was quit from
so much the Fire that the Romans burnt their City and Temple with as that dreadful Fire and Fury of God's Indignation that consumed all But the Day of the Lord will come as a Thief in the Night in the which the Heavens shall pass away with a great Noise and the Elements shall melt with fervent Heat the Earth also and the Works that are therein shall be burnt up Ver. 10. And in that dreadful Passage concerning the Damned Their Worm never dieth and their FIRE never goeth out We need not dispute what kind of Fire the Fire of Hell is whether Material Fire whether it gives Light whether it is of our Fire-colour With such Disputes some needlesly trouble themselves and others God's Indignation is Fire enough and Hot enough to devour those wretched Souls and we need look no further VI. Some Description of the Death and Doom of an Ungodly Man I. IF any ask what it is an Ungodly Man Dies of it may very well be answered of the Lord's Indignation It was the Threatning of God to Adam Moriendo morieris Thou shalt Die the Death The Ungodly Dies and Dies the Death Natural and Eternal And in his Natural Death he Pays two Debts a Debt to Nature because of the Sin of Adam and a Debt to God's Anger because of his own Sins The Chaldee Paraphrast renders those Words Deut. xxxiv 5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 At the Kiss of the Lord which we read At the Word of the Lord And the Jews speak much of Dying at the Kiss of God thereby not only expressing a Person 's Dying in his Favour but to shew how sweet the Death of God's Saints are to them They are at the Kisses in the Embraces of God as they are Dying They reap Sweetness Comfort Happiness from him even in Dying But where are the Ungodly at that Time Under the Flaming of his Fire and the Scorching of his Wrath. As it is Psal. lxxxviii 31. The Wrath of God comes upon them and slays the Fattest of them It is the Wrath of God that tears the Soul from the Body and devours the Life like a Lion and there is none to deliver It is Wrath that cuts him off to make an end of his Sinning You oft meet with Cutting off threatned to such as commit such and such Sins as that in Numb xv 30 That Soul shall be Cut off from among the People Some conceive it means nothing but Cutting off from the Congregation by Excommunication but it means God's Cutting them off by his Wrath and Vengeance And the Expression is Emphatical to shew their Thread is cut which they would have drawn out in Sinning ever if they might have been let alone Thus every Ungodly Man even in his Death carries God Tokens Dies of God's Anger II. As we have considered the Wretch Dying and having given up the Ghost now let us consider the Soul Departed out of the Body Ah! VVretched Soul where art thou Come into another VVorld into a strange VVorld and such an one as he never Dreamed of and is now confoundded to see Into what a World he is fallen A World where there is neither VVine nor VVomen nor Sport nor Pleasure nor use of any Creature And what a case is that Carnal and Voluptuous Soul in then A worse Place than that that Israel complains of Numb xx 5 How are we come into this evil Place It is no Place of Seed nor Figs nor Olives nor Pomgranates nor any Water to Drink Nay this is a Place where is no Sun nor Moon nor Light a Place where there is no Friend to Comfort no Creature to Refresh no use of any Thing that is Earthly and Bodily This must needs be a sad Change to that Soul that never took any Delight that never thought it lived but in the use of such But this is the least part of Indignation that such a wretched Soul meets withal The Holy Souls of the Saints of God meet with the like Deprivation of the Use of Earthly Creatures and if they had always made them their Life and Delight and had nothing else to feed upon but Meat and Drink and Money and Pleasure the Case would be much the same But there is the Indignation from the Creator meets the Cursed Soul as well as the Deprivation of the Creature and that we shall consider in these several Particulars First Think of that Luke xvi 22 And it came to pass that the Beggar Died and was carried by the Angels into Abraham 's Bosom the Rich Man also Died and was Buried And do you not think the Devils carried the Soul of the Rich Man to Hell In the Text indeed is not exprest so much but that left it to be gathered by the Rule of Contrary if Angels carry good Souls to Heaven Devils carry bad Ones to Hell Acts i. 18 Falling headlong he burst asunder and all his Bowels gushed out The Devil had been two or three Days Bodily in Judas and when he burst in sunder the Devil broke out of him having torn him And do you not think he carried his Soul with him as well as took away his Life It is true indeed that the Devil is not in the Ungodly so Bodily as he was in Judas yet he is said Eph. ii 2 To work in the Children of Disobedience Their Souls are under his Acting and Power to carry them into all Evil. He is the Mover and Actor of their Souls to do his Will VVell when they are Dying is not the Devil busie there waiting for his Prey and for what he hath looked for all along Is he not busie to keep that Soul for his own and that it be not taken out of his Hand Psal. xlviii 14 For God is our God for ever and ever he will be our Guide unto Death He that hath made God his God for ever he may be sure to have God his Guide even to and in his Dying And on the contrary he that hath made the Devil his God and Ruler and Guide all his Time he must expect that he will be with him at his Death As the terrible Apparition to Brutus in Italy told him he would be sure to meet him at Philippi where he was to Die VVell the Ungodly VVretch Dies The Devil hath Led and Ruled and Acted him to the last Gasp And now the last Gasp hath slipt the Soul out of the Body is not the Devil there still looking after his Prey Do you think the Devil hath done and looks after that Soul no more No then is the time that he hath got his Prey and now is seized on the Game that he had been ever hunting after The Dragon Rev. xii 4 stood waiting before the VVoman to devour her Child as soon as it was Born And when the Child was delivered he was frustrate of his Prey because God took care of the Child and Mother for both Child and Mother were his Beloved But in this Case this great Red
Dragon waits till the Soul be delivered out of the Body and as soon as it is delivered he grasps it and seizes on it for God hath forsaken it and utterly cast away all Care of it God hath forsaken it Persecute and take it for there is none to deliver Consider seriously of these two Things I. That Sinful Souls departed are never under preserving Providence more II. That they are given up to the Power of Satan I. They are removed from under God's Preserving Providence True they are kept in Being that they may be kept in Punishment but this is Avenging Justice rather than Preserving Providence Mat. ix 49 For every one shall be Salted with Fire Every such Soul shall be Salted with Fire The very Fire of its Torment shall be as Salt to keep it from Consuming It shall be kept in Being that it may be kept in Fire But first God hath cast away all Care of it and secondly exerciseth nothing of preserving Providence towards it 1 Sam. xxv 29 But the Soul of my Lord shall be bound in the Bundle of Life with the Lord thy God and the Souls of thine Enemies them shall be sling out as out of the middle of a Sling VVhere she intimates that a David a Good Man his Soul is bound up in the Bundle of Life with the Lord But Evil Men their Souls be slung out as out of a Sling God casts them flings them away from him Fly where they will Light where they will Sink or Swim he looks no more after them VVhile VVicked Men were here Providence Preserved them Fed them Clothed them Strove with them with Patience and kept the Soul and Body that the Devil did not run away with the Man Bodily But when the Cursed Soul is departed out of the Body Patience no more Care no more Restraint of the Devil no more but take him Devil and do thy worst VVhich is the Second thing to be considered II. That VVicked Souls are given up to Satan's Absolute Power You read of giving up notorious Sinners to Satan here that if possibly they might be amended 1 Cor. v. 5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the Destruction of the Flesh that the Spirit may be saved in the Day of the Lord Jesus 1 Tim. i. ult Whom I have delivered unto Satan that they may learn not to Blaspheme But when a Soul is now past all Amending all hopes of Amending conceive with Fear and Trembling how God gives up that Soul to the Roaring Lion to tear and spare not And here is one dreadful Symptom and Evidence of the Fiery Indignation that God in Anger gives up the Soul to Satan And this is a Second degree of its Misery that as it hath lost the use of the Creature so also it hath lost the Care and Preserving Providence of the Creator VVe have an Emblem of both in the Egyptians sitting in Darkness which conceive of by reading two Places Exod x. 21 23. It was Darkness that might be felt They saw not one another neither rose any from his Place And Psal. lxxviii 49 where when the Holy Ghost should mention the Plague of Darkness in its order he Characters it in these terms He cast upon them the fierceness of his Anger Wrath and Indignation by sending Evil Angels among them Moses saith that he sent Darkness the Psalmist saith Evil Angels or Devils And both most true Darkness and Devils Devils in the Darkness Moses saith They saw not one another The Psalmist intimates that they saw Devils and yet could not stir from the place where they sate to run from the Sight of them Chains of Darkness that tyed them fast that they could not stir So that the Devil may Roar and Rage and Terrifie and the VVretches not able to stir an Inch from under his Power and Terror The Fearful Estate of Damned Souls in Scripture is called Darkness utter Darkness Chains of Darkness I need not to cite Places And why Darkness Because the Sun Moon and Stars shine not there as they do here Because no Candle there The other World hath nothing to do with such Bodily Lights as these These are Lights for Bodily Creatures not for Souls and Spirits The Holy Ghost tells you that in Heaven where there is all Light yet there is nothing to do with such Lights as these Rev. xxii 5 And there shall be no Night there and they need no Candle neither Light of the Sun for the Lord God giveth them Light Is there Darkness in Hell and utter Darkness where is so much Fire and such Flames Luke xvi 24 There Dives speaks of his being tormented in Flames Fire and Flames and yet Darkness It is the Fire of that Indignation mentioned in the Epistle to the Hebrews that consumes them and that very Fire brings that Darkness with it Darkness for there is not one Spark of God's Favour appearing there nothing but Indignation Indignation And not one Beam of Favour appearing thro' any Chink there Everlasting Burning and no Intermission The VVorm never dies and never but gnawing and the Fire never quenched and never but scorching And it is Darkness because there is no common preserving Providence shining or appearing there God's shews not himself in the least Glimpse of his Care or Tenderness or Preservation there Their State is call'd Outer Darkness Mat. xxv 30 not Utter Darkness only as we say Utter Extremity c. but Outer Darkness The Phrase is very considerable It may be understood Darkness that is without that is Darkness that is out of Heaven As the Heathen are said to be without that is were out of the Church but there the Expression is only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Those that are OUT But this Expression is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Darkness that is OUTER as if he should say that Darkness that is beyond the other Darkness And we may very well interpret it the Indignation of God against the Wicked in Hell beyond the Indignation of God against them here his casting them off and casting off his Care of them in Hell beyond his casting them off and casting off his Care of them here His Wrath and his casting them off here is very black and dark but there it is Outer Darkness a Darkness beyond this Darkness And now think with your selves how fearful a Surprizal that Soul is surprized withal When it is just departed out of the Body it is as it were midwived into the other World by the Devil and the first thing it sees there is that it sees it self in the Paws of the Devil It makes me remember the Story in Saligniacus A Company of Travellers that went to visit the Holy Land would needs for Religion-sake forsooth bathe themselves in Jordan there where John Baptized And as they were refreshing sporting and delighting themselves in the Water and swimming suddenly there comes a Crocodile a dreadful Dragon of the Waters and lays hold of a Frenchman by Profession
the Public Congregation on the Sabbath-day it is these Men's Custom not to come there He never absented himself from the Public Meeting these Men account it Religion to absent themselves ever Is our Public Service more corrupt than theirs was then If it be let them shew it If it be not let these Men give a reason why they go so directly cross to our Saviour's own Practice VIII A Meditation and Explanation of the HOPE of Christians according to the Apostles Account of it Heb. vi 17 18 19 20. THAT there is such a thing the Apostle confirms and what a thing it is he illustrates by two Particulars apiece I. The Sureness of this HOPE he confirms especially by these two things First It is made certain by God's Promise and his Oath Two immutable things in which it is impossible God should lie Secondly That Christ is gone into Heaven before as an undoubted Pledge of the Hope for us that is laid up there II. The Nature or Quality of this Hope he sets out especially by two things also First That it is an Anchor of the Soul Sure and Stedfast Secondly That it entreth into that which is within the Vail The Hope that is here spoken of the very VVords in which it is mentioned do shew what it means viz. not the Hope in us but the Hope set before us To lay hold of the Hope set before us Not the Acting of our Hope but the Object of it or what is hoped for As the Scripture when it mentions Faith frequently means the Object of Faith or the thing believed This Distinction of Hope in us and Hope set before us see by comparing 1 Pet. iii. 15 with the VVords we have in Hand Be ready always to give an Answer to every Man that asketh you a Reason of the Hope that is in you That they might do but of the Hope set before them it was not so ready to give a Reason Because it is above all Humane Reason that such Hopes should be set before poor sinful Men therefore the Socinians that would have all things believed to be measured by Humane Reason alledge that Place of S. Peter to little Purpose For it speaks not of giving a Reason why such things were to be hoped for for that is alone to be resolved into God's Grace and Goodness which is unfathomable to our Reason but to give a Reason and Account what Ground they had to hope for such things Which Reason must be fetched from their own Conscience and Conversation as well as from God's Grace and Promises Now what these things hoped for are I need not spend time to reckon They are whatsoever God affordeth for the Blessedness of the Soul here or hereafter Grace and Glory Redemption and Salvation the Spirit of God here and the full Enjoyment of God for ever And accordingly this Hope is called The Hope of Eternal Life Tit. i. 2 The Hope of Salvation 1 Thess. v. 8 The Hope of Glory and the Hope of the Gospel Col. i. 23 27. That is whatsoever the Gospel holds out as declared for and of Man's Blessedness As Col. i. 4 For the Hope which is laid up for you in Heaven whereof ye heard before in the Word of the Truth of the Gospel One peculiar Hope which indeed is the Cause of all the rest we shall observe by and by So that to speak of this Hope I might Discourse of the Excellency Dignity and Certainty of these things hoped for But I shall but touch the Nature of them as the Apostle gives a Character of it Viz. That this Hope is an Anchor of the Soul that it is sure and stedfast that it entreth into that within the Vail Every one of which Particulars hath its Worth and Weight I. The Expression that it is the Anchor of the Soul supposeth that a Soul in this World is as a Ship at Sea ready to be tumbled and tossed and carried with every Wind if it do not anchor upon the Hope that is set before us within the Vail And blessed be the God of all Hope that hath provided such an Anchor for poor Souls That he hath not left us to the Mercy of the Merciless Sea and Blasts of this World but hath shewed us where we may lye at Anchor and be safe II. This Anâ—hor is sure and stedfast in it self and no Moveableness or Weakness in it but like him that laid it up there without any Change or Shadow of turning And here I might shew that it is sure in regard of him that laid it up in regard of it self and in regard of the certain Promises that he hath made of it I shall cite but this one Place for all Tit. i. 2 In Hope of Eternal Life which God that cannot lie promised before the World began It is most sure because God hath promised because God that cannot lie hath promised and because he hath promised before the World was that is before the Law III. This Hope that is set before us entreth into that within the Vail You see there is a plain Allusion to the High Priests entring into the most Holy Place within the Vail once a Year And that very Hint doth intimate what the Apostle mainly aims at when he speaks of the Hope set before us Viz. The Blood of Christ or the Merit of his Blood in Heaven As the High Priest went into the most Holy Place with Blood And that was the great Day Time and Manner of Atonement for the Sins of the People So that indeed the Blood of Christ or the Merit of his Death is the HOPE we have in Heaven And that is the proper Cause of all the other things that I mentioned Grace Glory Redemption Salvation all purchased for his People with his Blood The Blood of Christ was shed on Earth but the Merit of it is with God in Heaven One Deep calleth to another through the Noise of the Water-Pipes The Deeps of his Sufferings and Sorrows here speak and have their Claim above in Heaven As the Prophet Esay speaks I have laboured in vain and spent my Strength for Nought but my Reward is in Heaven This that our Hope hath to anchor in is the Blood of Christ brought in within the Vail the Merit of Christ placed before God to answer for us to plead for us to pay for us So that we may have strong Consolation and a sure Hold if we cast Anchor there IX An Inquiry why the Jews were so importunate with Christ for Signs and Wonders And why he was so backward to gratifie their Curiosity therein THE Apostle tells us The Jews require a Sign 1 Cor. i. 22 And the Evangelists attest it when they give a particular Account of their so doing from our Saviour in divers Places And he himself confirms it John iv 48 Jesus said Except ye see Signs and Wonders ye will not believe The Person there consider'd to whom he spake it may be may illustrate the
Wilfulness to have their own Will contrary to the Will of God 2. Now in what particulars this their Wilfulness centered and what it was in which they would have their own Minds contrary to the Mind of God may be the better conjectured by tracing them a little from their Creation to their Fall They were Created as is most probable at the very first bâ—ginning of the Works of God when he laid the Foundation of the Earth the very first instant of the Creation Moses indeed does not mention their Creation at all because he would treat only of things Visible The Great Book of Nature and the Letters of that Book which Men see and from them read the Invisible things of God His Eternal Power and Godhead Rom. i. 20 Upon their first Creation they break into Singing and Praising God upon the Sight of the Glory of him that Created them upon the Sense of the Gloriousness in which themselves were created and upon Observation of the Infinite Power of the the Creator From that first instant they were Spectators of God's proceeding in the Six Days Creation They see him make the Firmament and the Sun Moon and Stars of Heaven They see him command the Waters that covered the Earth into their Bounds and Channels and they Obey him They see him lay the Earth dry and plant it with all manner of Trees and Vegetables and Beasts They see the whole Progress of the Creation and Sing and Praise and Shout for Joy all along For no cause why they should rebel hitherto can be imagined But at last and the last of his Creation God makes Man in his own Image in as Happy a Condition as an Earthly Creature could be capable of He makes him Lord of all the Creatures Nay he chargeth the Angels themselves to attend upon him and to be Ministring Spirits to him for his good As the Apostle tells us their Charge and Employment Heb. i. ult This some of them embraced with all willingness of Mind partly out of most ready Obedience to God for whom they saw they could never do too much who had done so much for them and partly out of pure love to Man whom they saw God had made their Brother having stamped him with his own Image as well as themselves Now as to the others that fell what can we imagine to have been the reason of their Fall more probably and properly than that they envied this Honour and Dignity of Adam and scorned to obey the Command and Charge that God had laid upon them to attend upon him What Must a Piece of Clay be so Honoured as to be Lord of the whole Creation Must a lump of Earth be waited on by Angels And he that is but Dust and Ashes must he be attended on by such Morning Stars the Attendents of Heaven No they scorn this Service They account themselves too good to do it It is a business below their Dignity And so for this Malice against Man and his Honour and their Pride against God and his Command from Angels they become Devils and from Heaven they are cast into Hell and Reserved there in Chains of Darkness to the Judgment of the last Day For a more proper Reason and Means of their Fall I suppose can hardly be given And their continual Malice and Hate to Mankind doth very much confirm it And I believe Eliphaz Job v. 2 doth speak something home to it He had said Ch. iv 18 That God put no trust in his Servants and his Angels he charged with Folly Much less might he put trust in poor Man that dwelleth in a House of Clay c. And then he comes on and says Call now if there be any that will answer thee And to which of the Saints wilt thou look For Wrath Killeth the Foolish and Envy Slayeth the Silly one The Papists would fain wrest this passage to prove the Invocation of Saints Departed because there is mention made of Calling and Looking to the Saints But the meaning of the Holy Man looks clean another way viz. to this Tenour Call and look about to all the Saints and Holy Ones whatsoever And where can you find any that God may put trust in For Wrath killeth the Foolish and Envy slayeth the Silly One. Wrath against God and Envy against Man Killed the Foolish and Silly Angels So that God did justly charge them with Folly And very justly indeed take Folly in its most common acceptation And let this that we have mentioned be their Sin and Fall or be it something else as some other Reasons are given they were Fools to purpose to forsake Heaven when they might have kept there To leave their own Habitation saith the Apostle Jude and might have inhabited there still To be in so Blessed Company God and Holy Angels and would forsake it In so Blessed Employment as Praising and Singing and would leave it off In the Blessed Presence of God in his Favour in his Enjoyment and weary of these things Have I been a Wilderness to Israel saith God and a Land of Darkness Is Heaven become a Wilderness a Land of Weariness and Tyring that they that are there should be weary of it What could be in these Creatures Minds to make them so Mad and Desperate so Foolish and Besotted The Raze-brain'd Prodigal to forsake his Father's House where it was so well with him and to go to wander he knew not whither Had he been asked a Reason why he would do so he could have given no better than this Because I will do so And these could be moved by no other Reason than this unreasonable one they were desperately bent to have their own Will though to the defiance of the Will of God Be that their Sin that we have spoken of or be it what else it will it was without all doubting their crossing of the Will of God to have their own Wills and violating some of his Commands upon some wilful bent to have their own Mind It was not Ignorance of what he would have them to do For they knew his Will as well as those Angels that stood in Obedience but they would not do what he would have them It was not of Weakness or Disability to do what he would have them for there is no Reason to think otherwise but that they had the same ability of Obedience that the other had But it was a desperate Wilfulness and a sturdy Resolvedness to have their own Wills let the Will of God be what it will Had one been there to have questioned these Rebels when they first set upon their Rebellion what do you think to do Do you think to better your Estates by crossing him that set you in your happy Estate Or do you think to cross God that made you and he not to meet with you Or do you think your Malice to Adam will any whit abate God's Favour to him Well be it what it will in event we will take
Particulars I. There is a Communion of Converse and Communion of Affection There may be the former where there is not the latter English Merchants have Communion of Converse with Outland Merchants when they come among them Buy Sell Eat Drink together When the Communion 'twixt them is meerly of Civil Converse rather than of near Affection And there may be Communion of Affection where there is no Converse Nay there is as it were planted in Morality an Affection of one Excellent Person to another A Valiant Man loves a Valiant Man though he never came near him A Scholar loves a Scholar that he hath only heard of Much more is such an Affection planted in true Christianity in an Heart truly Religious be he who he will where he will though he never saw him As Psal. xvi 3 My delight is in the Saints and Excellent on the Earth be they far off or near II. There is Communion in Common Interest where it may be there is not Communion in Common Converse Those that never saw or heard of one another to Converse together yet may have Communion in Common Interest Englishmen meeting beyond Sea that never saw each other before yet will take parts and side together as in the Common Interest of being Countrymen There is a Common Interest of all the Saints in the World though at their never so great Distance and Separation viz. Glorifying God and Loving the Lord Jesus As the Apostle saith 1 John i. 3 Our Fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. So the Fellowship of the Saints among themselves meets in this Centre of Loving the Father and his Son Jesus Christ. And ask the same Apostle the Exposition of his Words in the same Epistle Cap. ii 14 We know that we have passed from Death to Life because we love the Brethren He would tell you It is a sign we Love God and so are passed from Death to Life because we Love the Brethren that Love God This is the special Centre in which Saints meet be they never so far asunder And in this Sense Their Gathering together is to be understood of which there is so frequent mention not into one place but into this one Circle of Loving Fearing Serving God Zeph. iii. 9 That they may call upon the Name of the Lord and serve him with one Consent In the Hebrew it is With one Shoulder As if many were together shouldring up the same weight or burden All in their places jointly putting to their endeavour to bear up the Name Glory and Honour of God East West North South every Saint joyning in this great Work and Meeting in this Holy Point As the Twelve Oxen under the Brazen Sea their Faces to the Four Quarters of Heaven but their Bodies all Meeting to bear up the Weight Now III. They that are all of the same mind all meet in this Common Interest toward God cannot but love one another though they knew not one another Judg. v. 9 My Heart saith Deborah is toward the Governors of Israel that offered themselves willingly among the People Did she know all their Faces and Persons Could she call them by their Names No but she could not but Love them be they whom they would that put to their Hands and Shoulders to that Common Cause We see how Men are ready to Affect any that they hear to be of their Opinion Humour and Mind though they never saw them Much more does a Saint love a Saint that is Partner with him in this Holy Work Though he knew not where to find him or Name him yet if he be for God he must have his Heart and loving God he cannot but love whosoever loves him IV. Accordingly they sympathize one with another 1 Cor. xii 26 Whether one Member suffer all the Members suffer with it or one Member be Honoured all the Members rejoice with it They weep with those that weep and rejoice with those that rejoice They bear one another's burdens It grieves a Saint if it be ill with any Saint in the World and he rejoiceth if it go well with him His Heart is touched with his Case as with his own As we are affected with the well or ill doing of any Englishman in any part of the World for Common Interest of Country sake Neh. i. 4 And it came to pass when I heard these words that I sat down and wept and mourned certain Days and fasted and prayed before the God of Heaven Why Nehemiah thou art well enough thou art in place of Honour Pleasure Preferment Oh! but it is ill with the People of God And Psal. cxxxvii 5 6. saith the Psalmist If I forget thee O Jerusalem let my Right Hand forget her cunning If I do not remember thee let my Tongue cleave to the Roof of my Mouth if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy I can never forget Jerusalem V. Answerably they have one another's Prayers There is not a Saint in the World but hath the Prayers of all the Saints in the World Any Child of God makes it Conscience to Pray for every Child of God on Earth One Member cannot but do its best for another Gal. vi 16 And as many as walk according to this Rule Peace be on them and Mercy and upon the Israel of God Pray for thy self Paul and for thine own Churches Nay but every Saint where-ever is a Member of the same Body that I am of and therefore I must Pray for them also So Ephes. vi 24 Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in Sincerity Why pray so for them Because of that Common Interest that is betwixt all Saints I love Christ and cannot but love and pray for all that love him We may say as Psal. cxxxiii 1 Behold how good and how pleasant it is for Brethren to dwell together in Unity So how blessed how happy to be thus joyned together in this Common Union If thy Prayers be weak all the Saints in the World pray thee if thy Estate be miserable if thou beest tempted still thou hast the Prayers of all good Men through out the World Oh! happy condition of a true Saint Christ mediating for him in Heaven and all the Saints on Earth Praying for him as Acts xii 5 Peter was kept in Prison but Prayer was made without ceasing of the Church of God for him Chear up poor Child of God why walkest thou so heavily Why The Children of Belial curse me revile me Oh! but all the Saints of God pray for thee And this is the true Communicating of Saints one to another And so much for the Communion of Saints with God and one with another FINIS Advertisement There are in the Press and will all be Published about Midsummer EXpository Notes with Practical Observations upon the Four Holy Evangelists wherein the Sacred Text is at large Recited the Sense Explained Doubts Resolved seeming Contradictions Reconcile and the Instructive Example of the Holy Jesus to our Imitation Recommended Designed for the Instruction of Private Families By William Burkitt M. A. Vicar of Dedham in Essex Folio A Catechetical Course of Sermons for the whole Year Being an Explanation of the Church-Catechism in 52 distinct Discourses on so many several Texts of Scripture wherein are Briefly Contained the most necessary Points of Christian Doctrine Recommended especially for the use of Famimilies By Peter Newcome M. A· Vicar of Aldenham in Hertfordshire In 2 Volumes in Octavo As also the Works of William Bates D. D. in a large Folio and good Paper containing all he Printed in his Life-time To which are now added two Discourses never before Published viz. 1. On Divine Meditation and 2. On the Fear of God Price 25 s. a single Book Unbound They that will Buy Six shall have a Seventh Gratis provided they send in the first Payment some time before Midsummer next