Mark vi the latter end of ver 6. Mat. ix ver 35 36 37 38. Sect. 40. That piece of ver 6. in Mark vi is enough for the Dependance SECT XLI Mat. x. all the Chapter and ver 1. of Chap. xi Mark vi ver 7 8 9 10 11 12 13. Luke ix ver 1 2 3 4 5 6 Sect. 41. The Coherence is so plain that it is not to be doubted of SECT XLII Mark vi from ver 14 to ver 30. Matth. xiv from the beginning to ver 12. Luke ix ver 7 8 9. Sect. 42. _____ SECT XLIII Mat. xiv from ver 12 to the end Mark vi from ver 30 to the end Luke ix from ver 10 to ver 18. John vi from the beginning to ver 22. Sect. 43. _____ SECT XLIV John vi from ver 22 to the end Sect. 44. The Coherence of the preceding Sections needed no Demonstration In the last Section in John vi 4 he speaketh of Christ's third Passover being near when Christ doth this Miracle of multiplying the Loaves and walking on the Sea In this Section you have him in Capernaum Synagogue and from thence doubtless he goes up to Jerusalem to his third Passover And now hath he but one Year to his Passion Non displicuisse meretur Festinat qui placuisse MEDITATIONS UPON SOME Abstruser Points of Divinity AND EXPLANATIONS Of Divers Difficult Places of Holy Scripture In Three DECADS THE HEADS OF THE Ensuing Discourses DECAD I. I. THAT the long Successes of some Sinners do not suppose a total Freedom from a just Sentence but only a Deferring the Execution II. Sin as it exposeth to Punishment hereafter so it is a present Punishment in the Act. III. A Meditation explanatory on the Book of Ecclesiastes IV. The Sin and Punishment of the Golden Calf explained V. How Israel was given up to Idolatry and yet remained a long while after God's People VI. The Case of Widows marrying again considered VII Wantonness unchristian VIII The Fear which seized our Saviour at his Passion innocent IX The Case of Jacob when he wrestled with the Angel explained X. An Inquiry into the Reason of Hezekiah's Tears upon God's Message to him that he must die DECAD II. I. AN Inquiry what Strength that was David requested when he prayed to God to spare him that he might recover Strength Psal. xxxix 13 II. The Necessity of Government explained from this Text Judges xvii 6 In those Days there was no King in Israel but every Man did that which was right in his own Eyes III. Who the SONS of God are and the calling of the Gentiles explained from Rom. viii 21 Because the Creature it self also shall be delivered from the Bondage of Corruption into the Glorious Liberty of the Children of God IV. The Christian's Holiness as well as his future Happiness stiled GLORY V. An Elucidation of Heb. x. 26 27. If we sin wilfully after we have received the Knowledge of the Truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for Sins but a fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery Indignation which shall devour the Adversaries VI. Some Description of the Death and Doom of an ungodly Man VII A Meditation upon the Widow's Mite VIII A Meditation and Explanation of the HOPE of Christians according to the Apostle's Account of it Heb vi 17 18 19 20. XI 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 X. An Explanatory Discourse of the Fall and Punishment of Angels DECAD III. I. An Inquiry which is most to be esteemed Evangelical Holiness or Absolute Perfection II. An Explanation of those Words of our Saviour That Servant that knew his Lord's Will and prepared not himself neither did according to his Will shall be beaten with many Stripes But he that knew not and did commit Things worthy of Stripes shall be beaten with few Stripes Luke xii 47 48. III. An Inquiry why God appointed the Jews a Carnal Ceremonious Institution IV. A Meditation upon the Length of Time the Second Temple was in Building Forty and Six Years was this Temple in Building John ii 20 V. How the Face and Back-parts of God Exod. xxxiii 20 23. are to be understood VI. An Inquiry what that first Resurrection is Revel xx 5 VII An Examination into the Reason of that Eruption of the Apostle O! the Depth of the Riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God! Rom. xi 33 VIII Asa's perfect Heart how reconcilable with his Sufferance of the High Places XI In what Sense the Apostle thanks God that the believing Romans had been the Servants of Sin X. The Papists the Millenaries and the Traditionary Jews confuted from that Place Whom the Heavens must contain until the times of Restitution of all Things c. Act. iii. 21 MEDITATIONS UPON SOME Abstruser Points of Divinity AND EXPLANATIONS Of Divers Difficult Places of Holy Scripture DECAD I. I. That the long Successes of some Sinners do not suppose a total Freedom from a just Sentence but only a Deferring the Execution IN Authors and Writings in the Chaldee Language we find a Thousand Times over the Word which we translate SENTENCE in Eccles. viii 11 Because Sentence against an evil Work is not executed speedily c. But in all the Hebrew of the Bible we hardly find it above once more besides the abovesaid Place namely Esth. i. 20 where the Determination of Aâ—asuerus for the unqueening of Vashti is termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Decree of the King The Word in the Chaldee doth primarily and properly signifie A Word and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Words And nothing is more frequent in that Language Our English hath render'd it A Sentence in that Place of Ecclesiastes and A Decree in that of Esther Where the Chaldee Translator useth both Senses and renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Word of the Decree I observe this the rather because the Sentence of God against Evil is in his Word Uttered and in his Mind Decreed In his Mouth and in his Heart The Lord hath Spoken it the Lord hath Decreed it How infinite in Scripture are Passages of this Nature and Purpose Such and such Judgments shall come For the Lord hath SPOKEN it This is the PURPOSE of the Lord the DECREE of the Lord the WORD of the Lord against such and such Sins And do we read them and can we doubt whether there be a SENTENCE against an evil Work Do not all the Instances and Examples of Judgments and Vengeance executed in Scripture also prove this Truth from the Doom upon Cain in the Beginning of Genesis to the Doom of Babylon in the End of the Revelations And may not this be an Answer or Resolution about all the Judgments that have been in the VVorld that they have been because there is a Sentence against an evil VVork VVhy the old VVorld perished by VVater Sodom by Fire Because there is a Sentence
be a Judge A Judge a Governor indeed they wanted Unhappy with Israel here For Idolatry now began because there was none to restrain it And in the last Times of the City when the Reins of Government were gone what Murders Robberies Oppression Confusion overspread all And in a word conceive what Outrages and Uproars would be in London with Whoring Thieving Plundering if there were no Government to restrain II. Proof when Men do what is right in their own Eyes they do commonly what is not right in God's This Phrase is put in Opposition to that Right in the Eyes of the Lord that is that that he delighted and took Content to look on Evil he cannot behold but that which is just and good on that he looks with Delight Man's Will and God's are Antipodes If Christ say I came not to do mine own Will but the Will of God making such a Difference betwixt his Will and God's what a vast Difference and Contrariety is there betwixt Man's Will and God's That which is right in Man 's own Eyes is what makes for his own Lusts All seek their own saith the Apostle in Opposition to the things of Jesus Oppression VVantonness c. are right in the Eyes of Men but most displeasing to the Eyes of God So was the Matter of David with Bathsheba But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord. III. Proof That which is not right in the Eyes of God cannot be right or happy for a Nation As Happiness consists in the Favour so in the Fear of God Deut. xxviii All these Blessings shall come on thee and overtake thee if thou shalt hearken unto the Voice of the Lord thy God Blessed shalt thou be in the City and blessed shalt thou be in the Field c. Please him and prosper God dwelt in the midst of the Camp in the Ark and that was his Strength But when any there was unclean he departed God bids Israel not to multiply Horses to place their Trust in them by their Strength to overcome their Enemies but to fear God their Strength This Book shews when Israel did what was Good in their own Eyes they still fell into Misery IV. Proof There are but three things to restrain us from doing our own VVill Conscience Shame and Fear of Punishment How little do the two former prevail without the third If the Government say Let Ephraim alone what would restrain him 1. How rare are Men to be ruled by a good Conscience Most live as if no Conscience belonged to the Soul that they have made Shipwrack of The Apostle saith Rom. ii 15 Which shew the Work of the Law written in their Hearts their Conscience also bearing witness Meaning the Vertuous of the Heathen the rest were given up to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a reprobate Mind So some are now led by a good Conscience but most live as if there were no such thing in the VVorld If there were no Let to Thieves Cheats Murderers till Conscience restrain where should we be Phaeton's Horses let loose would fire the World What would England be in such a Licentiousness As one said of Free-Will Perdidit nos libera voluntas Free-Will hath destroyed us so may I say in this Case such Liberty would undo all They that are for Liberty of Conscience would they have this Tho' some Liberty be to be granted as to Religion yet we should undo all if it were so to Manners Praestat nihil licere quam omnia Better is it that nothing should be allowed than all things You may observe in the Ten Commandments that there is no Penalty but barely Thou shalt not do Murder Thou shalt not commit Adultery c. shewing what proper Bond of Obedience Conscience and Duty is But God saw that would not avail and therefore added the Penalty of Death Restitution Retaliation c. 1 Tim. i. 9 Knowing this that the Law is not made for a Righteous Man but for the Lawless and Disobedient The Antinomians misconstrue here that Righteous Men are exempted from Obedience to the Law But the meaning is the Law is not to punish the Righteous that make Conscience of their Ways but the Wicked that will not otherwise be restrained 2. Shame will restrain some that Conscience cannot But that will not do the VVork neither There be Thousands and Thousands that have no more Shame than Conscience Could they be ashamed A Whore's Forehead a Brow of Brass They could not blush Many such Complaints in the Prophets 'T is ever so with the greatest part of every Nation Rom. vi 21 What Fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are NOVV ashamed Not THEN before ye were converted It is but wild to be ashamed to do that before Men that they are not ashamed to do before God and Angels Yet some such there be But many there are that have no Shame for either Such was the unjust Judge that feared not God nor regarded Man If we were left without Restraint of Law would either Conscience or Shame make one Delinquent less than there is One Thief Whore Liar than there is And therefore Restraint by Power and Penalty is needful as Physic is bonum necessarium where there is no other Help It includes good Sense the Hangman is as needful in the Nation as the Physician Fear of Death to restrain from destroying the Commonwealth as well as the Physician to recover particular Persons God himself hath given Direction and Warrant in this case He hath Mercies and Invitations but he hath Curses also and executes Judgments Esay xxvi 9 When thy Judgments are in the Earth the Inhabitants of the World will learn Righteousness When Men will not learn Righteousness otherwise Judgment makes them do it V. Proof He set up Magistracy for this purpose Rom. xiii 3 4. For Rulers are not a Terror to good Works but to the evil Wilt thou then not be afraid of the Power Do that which is Good and thou shalt have Praise of the same For he is the Minister of God to thee for Good But if thou do that which is Evil be afraid c. There be many parts of the Magistrates Office to relieve the Fatherless to execute Judgment especially to break the Horns of the Wicked This is the more needful part of his Office to encourage and defend the Good is his Work but those are but few but numberless Numbers to be restrained In a word this is a Deputation of Christ in his Kingly Office as the Ministery is of his Prophetic The Use of this Discourse is threefold I. To set our selves another Rule for our selves than our own Will to prevent Magistrates Restraints To be a Law to our selves II. To assist Magistrates with our Prayers III. To take Charge in our several Families to restrain Vice III. Who the Sons of God are and the Calling of the Gentiles explained from Rom. viii 21 Because the Creature it self also shall be delivered from the
he that trains not up his Child to God for whom does he train him up but the Devil For is there any Mean between What Complaint God taketh up against Israel about their giving up their Children to Moloch may he not take up against Thousands in the World upon this Account Thou hast taken my Children and delivered them up to make them pass through the Fire That is the Children which I have given thee and which should have been mine He warned Men against Lying and False-speaking by the Example of Ananians and Sapphira that were struck dead for it Which he called a fearful Judgment set up as a Pillar of Salt at the very entrance of the Gospel into the World that Men might see and hear and fear and not dare to Lie under the Gospel of Truth especially not to the Spirit of Truth And if you look upon Ananias his doing you see him Deceiving and Lying and if you observe Peter's Words you may see he referrs his Lying and Deceiving to their proper Original Viz. That they both are the Work of the Devil Why hath SATAN filled thy Heart to lye and filled thy Heart to deceive and keep back part of the Price of the Land That if you will trace his Wickedness to the Spring-head his Intent to deceive made him lye and his base Covetousness made him deceive and the Devil caused all He gave this Rule concerning Apparel and for the avoiding Pride in what Men put on God allows Men to wear good Cloths according to their Quality and Degree but if Pride be there it is beside his Allowance God allows us Cloths to keep us warm He allows us Cloths to adorn our Rank and Quality but if we lace and trim our Wear with Pride there is a Leprosie got into the Warp and Woof that rots all God appointed the Jews to wear Fringes upon their Garments to make them still to be remembring the Law I am afraid the Fringing and Finery of two many have a clean contrary Effect It doth but puff them up and make them proud And again If any should ask What Cloths and Hair and Garb may I wear this may be a very direct and satisfactory Answer Wear what you think good so it be without Pride And this I believe will shut out of Doors 1. Wearing a Garb above one's Rank and Degree For I question whether one can wear a Garb above his Rank without Pride And 2. Affecting foreign and strange and few fangled Fashions For tho' it may be possible for a Person to be in the Fashion without Pride because he would not be hooted at for Singularity yet certainly it is hardly possible to affect new fangled Fashions without Pride It is one thing to put on the Fashion to avoid Reproach and another thing to dote upon Fashions and to make them Bravery He that makes his Cloths his Bravery it is very suspicious he makes them his Vainglory and he that dotes on the Fashion it is to be doubted he dotes on the Pride of the Fashion THESE Instances are enough to shew what a plain but fruitful Method of Teaching and Preaching Dr. Lightfoot took But he also took care of his People's Principles to preserve them from warping from the National Church as hath been taken notice of before and from the Church consider'd as Protestant Of which I shall proceed to a few Instances To arm his Auditors against Popery thus he taught them Our Histories tell us That when Austin the Monk came hither into Britain from the Pope as to settle Religion and when some of the British Christians consulted with a grave prudent Man whether they should close with him and submit to his Rules Yes saith he if he be humble do But if he be proud he is not of God Would you take a Measure of true Religion no surer Token than these two Humility and Charity They talk they will prove the Truth of their Religion by Antiquity Universality and I know not what Let them shew it by the Humility and Mercifulness of it and we shall desire no more But I doubt that Religion that teacheth the Merits of a Man's Works is too proud against God to be the true Religion and that that teacheth that the Pope is above all Princes is too proud against Men. And I doubt that Religion that stirs up Mâ—n to murder Princes Nobles People that will not be of that Religion is not the true Religion I am sure Christ and his Apostles were never either of such Pride or Cruelty but further from these Principles of Rome than it is 'twixt Rome and Jerusalem And as he warned them against Popery in general so particularly Against a blind Zeal Zeal without Knowledge or Zeal in a wrong Way It is good always to be zealous in a good Matter but mischievous to be zealous in a bad There was a great deal of Religious Zeal for those Parents to offer their Children to Moloch to be burnt alive in his Arms in Devotion to that God of theirs But it was blind Zeal mad Religion distracted Devotion Their God was the Devil St. Paul in one Place saith That in Zeal he persecuted the Church But in another Place he saith He was exceeding mad against the Church That Zeal of his was mere Madness It was blind and mad cared not whither it went nor what it did Rom. x. The Jew hath Zeal but without Knowledge and that made him so to set himself against the Truth You remember that They that kill you shall think they do God Service It was great Zeal but as blind as a Beetle It runs upon it cares not what as a blind Man runs upon every Post and falls into every Pit And against Cruelty The Papists plead stoutly that theirs and none but theirs is the true Religion If that should be tryed by this very Touchstone Is that can that be true Religion that makes it Religion to murder Men None of you but have heard of the bloody Days of Queen Mary and how many poor innocent holy Men were then put to the Fire and there ended their Lives And this forsooth done by the Papists out of Zeal for Religion Just such a Religion as they were spurred by that offered their Children to Moloch For compare the things together and what can be liker Those Wretches out of that Devotion and Religion as they took on them made their poor innocent Children pass through the Fire a Sacrifice to Moloch These Wretches out of that Devotion and Religion as they took on them made these poor innocent Souls pass through the Fire a Sacrifice to the Pope The Cruelty much alike the Manner of the Death they put them to much alike And were they not Religious think you much alike Such a Sacrifice to their Moloch would they have offered of innocent ones when they would have sent away our Parliament out of the World in Fire and Gunpowder and this forsooth out of Zeal to Religion
And so they maintain it is lawful to Excommunicate Depose Murder Princes out of Zeal to Religion And so they made it lawful nay laudable to murder so many innocent Souls in that Massacre in France Against Transubstantiation I hope every one laughs at the Doctrine of Transubstantion that will fetch Christ from Heaven at every Sacrament The Master-piece of Delusion Satan shews here how much Delusion he can practice in the greatest Ignorance For a Man against Sense and Reason Philosophy and Divinity to believe a Priest can calâ— Christ out of Heaven and turn a piece of Bread into his very Body The strangest Madness in the World I see it feel it Bread and yet must believe it Flesh. I know it was made yesterday by the Baker yet now I must believe it turned into my Creator I know Christ is in Heaven and yet must believe that he is here on Earth The Heathen were never more blind And against the immoral Doctrine of Equivocation Whereof he thus vehemently express'd himself I cannot but admire the Impudency as well as abhor the Wickedness of the Jesuits Doctrine of Equivocation A Doctrine that hath put on a Whore's Forehead a brazen Face and the Devil's Impudency it self before Men as well as it hath clothed it self with horrid Abominableness before God It is a Doctrine that teacheth Men to Lye and yet will maintain they Lye not And by their Doctrine there can be no Lying Forswearing or Deceiving in the World though they Lye Forswear and Deceive never so deeply A Trick beyond the Devils He turns Truth into a Lye These can turn a Lye into Truth A Popish Priest or Jesuite is brought before a Protestant Magistrate He puts him to his Oath Are you a Popish Priest or a Jesuite They will Swear NO roundly and make no Bones of it having this Reserve in their Mind I am not a Priest to you or I am not a Priest of the English Church or I am not a Jesuite to tell you or be your Confessor or some such lurking reserved Thought in his Mind This Man hath not told a Lye tho' he speaks not a Word true He hath not taken a False Oath though he hath Sworn Falsly As the Devil changeth himself into an Angel of Light so these a Lye into a Truth But as he is a Lyar still and is most dangerous when he seems a good Angel so is their Lye when they thus Cloath it with the pretence of Truth Into their secret let not my Soul come and with their Counsil my Glory be not thou united Finally He shewed them the Preference of the Protestant Religion before that of the Papists This is the Reason saith he that so many Protestants turn Papists This he spake in the Year 1674. Because Popery opens an easier way to Heaven a Thousand fold than the Protestant doth Add to this the Viciousness of the Times And the more Viciousness abounds the more will such Apostacy abound according to the intimation of our Saviour Matth. xxiv Because Iniquity shall abound the Love of many to God and his Truth shall wax cold Men would fain enjoy their Pleasures here and yet go to Heaven too They would fain have their Paradise here and have Paradise hereafter This Popery helps them too almost with a wet Finger Hath a Man committed Whoredom Adultery been Guilty of Deceit Luxury Uncharitableness let him go and Confess himself to a Priest and the Priest absolves him and those Sins are gone and there is no more danger of them Or Oh! For how many Thousand Sins for how many Thousand Years can the Pope Pardon him How may Pilgrimage to such a Saint fetch him off How may so many Fastings so many Ave Maries so often lying in Hair-cloth so many Masses make all well and out of Danger That it is as easie almost with them to get to Heaven as for a Man to do his ordinary Days Work But the Protestant Doctrine makes obtaining Salvation a harder Task according to the Truth of the Scripture John vi you read of divers that went away from Christ because they thought his Doctrine a Hard Saying So doth the poor Protestant Religion lose Followers upon the same account None is of poor Michaiah's side because he speaks Truth and Home But let Ahab have the Four Hundred false Prophets for they will be sure to make all well for him let him do what he will There are Four Hundred and Four Hundred false Prophets in the Popish Cause that will warrant the veriest Ahab that ever was Heaven If he have but Money to fee them well will Pray him to Heaven Sing him to Heaven Pardon him to Heaven and he shall never see Hell and it may be not Purgatory It is easie to see by this Comparison which is the truer and better Religion of the Two By these and such like sound and sober Discourses he built up his People committed to his Charge in Truth and Godliness So that it is reported he had not a Dissenter in his Parish The People of his Flock Honest Quiet and Industrious his Church constantly and conscientiously repaired to every Lord's Day with due Devotion And thus I have at length dispatched what I had to say both of our Author and these Remains of his which are now made Publick And I who have once more revived the Memory of this great Ornament of Literature and of our Church of England shall I hope not only be Pardoned but merit some Thanks from the Piously Learned and Sober-Minded Rank of Men. I had some inclination to have added a Fourth Tract of this Author's Namely A Chronicle of Events and Occurrences in the World under the Kings of France and the Ottoman Emperour made by one Joseph a Priest who lived about the Times of Henry VIII Being a Fair Translation out of Hebrew into English done by the Doctor 's own Hand Which he seemed to have taken all this pains about because the History is interspersed with what befel Jerusalem after the Destruction of it by Titus the Emperor and with the Wars waged by divers Kings and Princes for the Gaining and Possession of that Place once so famous for being the Spot of all the Earth appointed for God's Holy Temple to be built on and for the Son of God to Converse and Die and Redeem the World in And also because here is set forth by the Pen of a Jew himself the State and Condition of the Jews in the latter Times and particularly the sad Persecutions and Calamities that befel them by the just Judgment of God in these Western Parts of the World as well as in other Parts by the German and French Nations Whereby might be seen some History of that Desolate Forsaken People and of the Scourge of God upon them in successive Generations ever since they Rejected and Crucified their Messiah and took the Guilt of his Blood upon themselves and their Children The State of which People from Age to Age
not a small Punishment to the Soul that sinneth Not to speak of the Punishment that follows Sin hereafter II. SIN as it exposeth to Punishment hereafter so it is a present Punishment in the Act. FOR it deprives of God and brings under a Curse First It deprives of God It loses God it sets at a distance from God The Scripture stiles sinning a Departing from the Living God Heb. iii. 12 Take heed Brethren lest there be in any of you an evil Heart of Unbelief in DEPARTING from the Living God That is in sinning against God And it stiles sinning also a Coming short of the Glory of God Rom. iii. 23 which means not only coming short of the Glory of Heaven but short of the Glory of God that rested upon Man before he Sinned It was God's Threatning Gen. ii 17 In the Day thou Eatest thereof thou shalt surely Die. And yet when they had Eaten they did not Die Nay they did not so much as Swoon were not so much as Sick toward Dying So that the Devil might vaunt and perswade them You see I told you true when I told you you should not Die Lo you see it is no danger to follow my Counsel For you see no sign of Death at all upon you I but Adam look into thy Soul and there God which was the Life of thy Soul is departed from thee So the Secure Profane Wretched Heart may reason with it self There is talk of Sentence against Sin of Punishment of Sin and I know not what I feel no such thing though I take mine own Courses But I am Fat and Flourish and grow Rich and Prosper and to Day is as Yesterday and to Morrow shall be as to Day and much more abundant But look O wretched Man at thy State within Is God there Is the Presence of the Life of God in thy Soul No Every Sin committed sets thee and him still at more and more Distance looseth him and Interest in him more and more And if this be nothing with thee to lose God what will be any thing This is the very Preface and Porch of Hell the Loosing of God here as the Preface and Porch of Heaven to the Saints of God here is their enjoying and partaking of God here Does any ask or question about the State and Torment of the Damned in Hell This may be a full and adequate Answer They have lost God What is their Damnation They have lost God What their Torment They have lost God Whence their Howling Because they have lost God Whence their Hopelesness Because they have lost God Alas How did they lose him Ask them and they may tell you that their Sins have separated betwixt God and them As Esa. lix 2 That every Sin they committed set God and them further and further asunder and deprived them more and more of God Some Intimation of this you have in Ezekiel Ch. x. 18 The Glory and Presence of God departing from the Temple and flitting away And where is Israel when God is gone from them It is Saul's sad Complaint 1 Sam. xxviii 15 God is departed from me And you see what became of Saul God and Sin cannot dwell together in one Soul As the Bondwoman and her Son must have no abiding with the Freewoman and hers in the same House Now if it be a Punishment a sad Thing to lose God to have God depart away from the Soul then the very Sinning of a Sinner is a Punishment to him because it strips him of God and deprives him of that that should be the very Life of his Soul Secondly Sin is a Punishment because it brings the Sinner under a Curse It is not only a Privative mischief depriving him of God though that is enough but it is a Positive Mischief bringing a Curse upon the Sinner Read Deut. xxvii ult And Chap. xxviii from ver 15. and forward and it needeth not more Proof He saith not only as before in Chap. xxvii Cursed is he that maketh an Idol and setteth light by Father and Mother that removeth his Neighbours Land-mark c. But Cursed is he that confirmeth not all the words of this Law And Chap. xxviii 15 If thou wilt not hearken unto the Voice of the Lord thy God to do all his Commandments and his Statutes Then Cursed shalt thou be in the City and in the Field c. He that did not all the Commandments was Cursed and all the People must say Amen And was not that a hard Task to say Amen to their own Cursing For who of them had observed all God's Commandments to do them Durst we do the like And yet God requires the same thing from us in the Sence he did it from them And that was in a twofold Regard 1. To acknowledge their own Guilt and Deserving of a Curse for what was past in that they had not observed God's Commandments And 2. An engaging of their Hearts for the Time to come to Obedience of his Commandments or let them be Accursed And so the Word Amen signifies in a twofold Sense Both an Assertion of a Thing or Averring that it is true And so they and we are to acknowledge that he that continues not in God's Commandments deserves a Curse And Secondly An Imprecation upon themselves if they willingly did so transgress again Now what was this Curse Or what is the Curse that Hangs over the Head of Sinners 'T is true sometimes the Curse falls upon ungodly Men in Visible and Temporal Judgments as upon the Old World Sodom the Egyptians and Ten Thousand more such Direful Monuments But this is not the Curse that he intends for the Ungodly For many and many a Thousand live and die in Prosperity and such horrid apparent Judgments never come nigh them The Jews for their Rebellion had all these Curses against them Deut. xxviii and yet Thousands of them Prospered in the World grew Rich and Great and yet the Curse of God remained upon them for all that Therefore the Curse of God is twofold either to be inflicted in Temporal Judgments or to be inflicted by turning all Things that seem Mercies to a Curse The former lights not on all wicked Men the latter does III. A Meditation explanatory on the Book of Ecclesiastes IN this Book methinks we may see Solomon setting down in deep Study After all the Contents and Delights that he had or could find in Earthly Things he is here set down with his Pen in Hand casting up what all came to And the Summa Totalis â—f all at the Foot of all comes but to thâ—s All is Vanity and Vexation of Spirit Brave Buildings Ortyards Gardens Pomp Wealth Pleasure Enjoying One's self in this World in the fullest Delight possible Solomon what comes all to in the Total Sum Vanity of Vanities all is Vanity Care to provide great Matters here Rule Dominion Maintaining a brave Port and Retinue Study and Prying into the Things of Nature and Men's Actions What comes this
may incline them to Wantonness Wantonness to Apostacy And therefore it was not prudent to take such into Office in the Church and to its Charge The Words admit two Senses I. Wanton against Christ and the strict Rule of Christ that they should be under They will not endure the Yoke as the wanton Heifer but will marry to satisfie their own Will Having Damnation or Judgment that is being justly condemned because they cast off their first Faith or Trust committed to them So that the Apostle condemns not their marrying simply for then he should go against his own Rule It is better to marry than to burn but provides that such Inconveniences accrue not to the Church II. Wanton in Religion She may fall in Love with an Infidel and wantonly may forsake her Religion and so become a Scandal to the Church and Perdition to her self As the Apostle cries down such Marriages 2 Cor. vi 14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with Unbelievers And God complains Mal. ii 11 That Judah had profaned the Holiness of the Lord and married the Daughter of a strange God VII Wantonness Unchristian THE Vulgar Latin reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. v. 11 Luxuriantes in Christo to no Sense at all Others They will marry in Christ to as little But the Words in the English are very proper according to the Greek Wax wanton against Christ. The Greek word as it properly signifies to be wanton or to live delicately and in Pleasure and so rendred Rev. xviii 7 so in proper Derivation it signifies to shake off the Reins as an untamed Horse Hence it may be observed that Wantonness is a thing that is Unchristian a thing that becomes not Christians The Apostle allows it not in any to be employed in Office in the Church in 1 Tim. v. 11 and elsewhere not in any other Rom. xiii 13 Let us walk honestly as in the Day not in Rioting and Drunkenness not in Chambering and WANTONNESS not in Strife and Envying Observe hence two things First That Christians that live in the Day and not in the Night should walk as in the Day Secondly That they should walk 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Honestly Comlily Men in the Night care not how they are dress'd when none sees them but in the Day they take Care of their Habit that it be decent that they may appear comely before Men. And so it is with Christians who are of the Day The Apostle gives two general Rules for Christians walking I. Negatively Not to walk as Heathens which are in Darkness and walk they know not they care not how Eph. iv 17 This I say and testifie in the Lord that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk in the Vanity of their Mind See with what Vehemency he speaks I testifie in the Lord. I speak it from God and charge you before him That henceforth ye walk not as â—ther Gentiles Nil ultra Now the Day is come walk no more as Children of Darkness 1 Thess. iv 3.4 5. For this is the Will of God even your Sanctification that ye should abstain from Fornication that every one of you should know how to possess his Vessel in Sanctification and Honour Not in the Lâ—st of Concupiscence even as the Gentiles which know not God II. Positively as becomes the Gospel Phil. i. 27 Let your Conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ That is as is suitable to the Rule of the Gospel and as may be an Honour to the Gospel And as becometh Saints Eph. v. 3 Now that Wantonness is Heathenish and not becoming Saints let us consider how it may be taken and that under two Considerations First As opposed to that Gravity and Seriousness that should be in Christians and is agreeable to the Gospel Secondly As opposed to Chaste Modesty or that Wantonness that tends to Uncleanness or is the same with Lasciviousness I. It becomes not Christians to be foolish or toyish or wanton in Word Dress or Action but to be of such Gravity as is far from Wantonning and as becomes the Gravity of the Gospel He that knows the Gospel needs no proof out of the Gospel else I might produce the Rules particularly for all sorts of Men and Women In all requiring Sobriety Gravity Modesty Take but that Place Eph. v. 4 Neither Filthiness nor Foolish Talking nor Jesting which are not convenient Take up that Copy As becometh Saints Where do we ever find the least wanton Gestures in the Saints of God upon Record VVhat Gravity what sweet Severity in them It is observed of Christ that he wept but was never seen to laugh Nor do you find much mention of any such thing in his Disciples It was an ingenious Answer of a Painter that Pictured the Apostles of Ruddy Complexions Being asked why he so painted them his Answer was because they would be ashamed to look on the Light VVanton Carriage of many that called themselves Christians The Saints commonly are called God's Fools and the Reason is because they will not be Fools before Men but keep themselves to the Sobriety of their Profession The Apostle saith 1 Cor. iii. 18 If any Man among you seemeth to be Wise in this World let him become a Fool that he may be Wise. But it means as to Reliance upon VVisdom not to befool themselves to make sport to Men. It was Sampson's Misery to be the Philistine's Fool and make them Sport But the same unhappy Misery too many do willingly take to themselves spending their Life in VVantonness and Foolish Sporting As those in Job Ch. xxi 12 13. They take the Timbrel and Harp and Rejoice at the Sound of the Organ They spend their Days in Wealth and in a Moment go down to the Grave And where are they then It is the Speech of an Atheist not a Christian Let us Eat and Drink for to Morrow we Die 1 Cor. xv 32 But it is a Gospel-Counsel that follows ver 33 34. Be not deceived Evil Communications corrupt good Manners Awake to Righteousness and Sin not VVhat did God bring us into the VVorld to do To spend away a Life and in fine to be Damned VVhat are we admitted into the Gospel to do To live in Pleasure and VVantonness like those that know not God How far is this from the End of a reasonable Soul Of a Christian Consider those Words Wo unto you that Laugh now for ye shall Mourn and Weep Luke vi 25 But is no Mirth or Sporting allowed to Christians Is not that too severe Eccles. â—i.2 I said of Laughter it is Mad and of Mirth what doth it And Eph. v. 4 â—here no Jesting is tolerated Durus Serma i. e. A hard Saying To make some Reply to this 1. Earthly Pleasures and Delights are more Delights in Fancy and Opinion than Reality Psal. xxxix Men walketh in a vain Shadow No Substance at all Now a Solid Christian goes upon other Grounds His Delight is upon another Foundation There
to Die Because I have newly fallen into a Sin and the Lord I see is offended at it and it is worse than Death to me to be taken away in the Lords Displeasure Jacob had newly fallen into the Sin of Distrust upon his Fear of Esau and his Faith was shaken And for this he saw God was come forth against him in Anger And how terrible was it to him to be cut off by God in Anger He wept So did David Psal. xxxix 12 Hold not thy Peace at my Tears And he made Supplication And his Supplication was much to the like Tenor with that of David in the Verse after O spare me a little that I may recover Strength i. e. That I may recover the Strength of my Faith and the Assurance of God's Favour X. An Inquiry into the Reason of Hezekiah's Tears upon God's Message to him that he must Die EZEKIAH is Sick of the Plague and hath Tidings from God that he must Die of it He receives the Tidings with much Bitterness and Passion He turns his Face to the Wall he Prays he weeps he weeps sore And though it be not exprest yet it may very well be conceived out of his Carriage and the Issue upon it that the Tenour of his Prayers and Tears was that God would spare his Life Esa. xxxviii 2 3. Then Hezekiah turned his Face to the Wall and Prayed unto the Lord and said Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in Truth and with a perfect Heart and have done that which is good in thy Sight And Hezekiah wept sore Why Hezekiah why weepest thou Art thou so unwilling to part with the World No his Mind hath never been upon the World but upon Religion and God Art thou not fitted to Die and meet the Lord Why He was never unprepared Was he afraid of Judgment and that his Lot in the other World would not be good He was secure against that for he fears not to Appeal to God Remember Lord how I have walked before thee Why What ailes the Man that he Weeps so sadly Many and many a Thousand Men of a less gracious Temper than Ezekiah have taken the Tidings of Death with a great deal more Patience and less Passion And what ails him to take it so bitterly Certainly no bare Concernment of his own either in fear of his Soul or of his Body In truth the main Concernment that moved him was the Concernment of God Our Saviour once said Weep not for me but Weep for your selves Ezekiah weeps not for himself but as I may say he weeps for Christ he weeps for God for the Cause Interest and Concernment of God For I. It was sad for him to think that he must Die of the Plague a dreadful Disease that destroys suddenly and fearfully that separates from the Comforts of Friends and that seems to carry with it Tokens of the Anger of God And it might very well be bitter to him to think of being taken away with a stroke that sounded somewhat of God's Anger But this was not all Wicked and Profane Ones would be ready to scoff at his Piety and Reformation if he were taken away by so fatal a Stroke See this is he that hath kept such a Coil in pulling down Altars purging the Temple and setting up of Religion and now behold what is become of him He has God's Tokens upon him Signs of his Anger and dies not the Common Death of all Men but by the fearful Stroke of the Plague It is no wonder if the horror of such Blasphemy as this against Religion set very sadly upon the Heart of the good Man And he was afraid ungodly VVretches would take occasion of such Blasphemings from the fatal manner of his Death And thus it is the Concern of God and his true Religion and not fear of his own Carcase that did stick so much upon this Holy Man's Thoughts under his dangerous condition A very pertinent and needful Desire for every Christian to beg of God that his Death may not be such as to open the Mouths of Wicked Men to Blaspheme God and Religion II It was sad to Hezekiah to Die before he could see Jerusalem and the People of God intirely delivered from their Danger If you well compute the Times of this King you will find that that very Year that Senacherib was so busie and cruel against the Cities of Judah and Jerusalem was the Year of Ezekiah's Sickness And observe that Passage of Esay to him foretelling him of his Recovery and of Fifteen Years added to his Life Esa. xxxviii 6 I will deliver thee and this City out of the Hand of the King of Assyria It appears there was danger abroad and it grieved the good Man to the Soul to be taken away before he saw any Deliverance A very just Cause to beg of God to spare Life And it shews that a Man does it not out of bare love of Life or of the World if he Pray to God with Submission to his Will to prolong his Life that he may See the Good of his Afflicted Chosen and may rejoice with the Gladness of his Nation and Glory with his Inheritance as is the Psalmist's Petition Psal. cvi 5 III. Ezekiah was now but Nine and Thirty Years Old in his Strength and Prime Young in Comparison of the Ages at which divers then Died. And certainly you can hardly fancy a more probable Reason of his Unwillingness to Die that related to him than this that he thought he had not done enough for God He desired to be yet spared that he might Reform more set up Religion more do more for God and his People A Holy and Blessed desire that aimed at God and his Honour and his Peoples Good regarding nothing the bare Life of this World or his own Carcase in comparison of this Much like is that Psal. lxxi 18 Now Lord when I am Old forsake me not until I have shewed thy Strength to this Generation That I may more Praise thee more impart the Knowledge of thee and thy Power to this Generation and those to come DECAD II. I. An Inquiry what Strength that was David requested when he prayed to God to spare him that he might recover STRENGTH Psal. xxxix 13 WHAT David's present Affliction was we cannot tell whether Sickness of Body some Dejection of Spirit or some sore Trouble from his Enemies It seems most likely to be some sore Sickness of Body at which his Enemies would rejoice and so add to his Trouble Imagine it his deadly Palsie in his old Age when he could feel no Warmth either from his wearing Cloaths or Bed-Cloaths Be it which it will do we think he prays heartily for the Recovery and Strength of his Body Doubtless more especially for refreshing and strengthning in Soul before God should take him That which is rendred Recover Strength in the Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which Word is translated by
They had not been so glorious before but now they are as horrid not so bright before but now as uggly and not so happy before but now as miserable and ruined For S. Peter shews them sinning hurled from Heaven cast into Hell and damned there to Chains and Darkness and Judgment for evermore 2 Ep. Ch. ii Ver. 4. God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them down to Hell and delivered them into Chains of Darkness to be reserved unto Judgment As God once said to Abraham Lift up your Eyes to Heaven and mark these Stars and if you can number them What could be more Bright and Glorious than they by Creation And what an infinite number of them was made and fell when a whole Legion of them several Thousands when they were fallen dwelt in one poor possessed Man And yet these Glorious Creatures Bright Morning Stars for Excellency parallel to the Stars of Heaven for number you may see them all falling from Heaven at one time and tumbling into Ruin Perdition Misery and Hell And what is that and where is that that hath wrought this Mischief and such a Desolation Oh! it is this wicked Haman this cursed thing call'd Sin that never does better that never will do better and whose Trade is only to ruin and destroy The Angels that SINNED God spared not but cast them down to Hell Their sinning which is so shortly express'd here is uttered by the Apostle Jude That they kept not their first Estate but left their own Habitation Now their first Estate was Righteousness and Holiness and their own Habitation was Heaven and Happiness And when they kept not the one and left the other what Estate did they then come into and what Habitation did they then find out Instead of Righteous and Holy they became horridly sinful and instead of Heaven and Happiness their Habitation now is Hell and Chains of Darkness As great a Change as it was possible to be and as it is possible to imagine unless you should imagine that God should be changed Great and sad was the Change of Adam when from all innocent he became all sinful and from all happy to all miserable But this Change of the Angels that fell was more by how much they were once more happy as being in Heaven already and Adam but just setting out for it And in that they being once fallen had no Possibility of Recovery but Adam had And was not their changing from Angels to Devils a greater vaster and more astonishing Change than if they had been changed from Angels to nothing again For if their Change from Angels to nothing had been a strange Change their changing from Angels to worse than nothing was much more strange And by the way may we not say that they wrought in themselves such a Change as God himself could not have wrought in them His Power did change them from meer nothing to Angels And the same Power could have changed them from Angels to meer nothing again but God could not change them into Devils that was their own Work For the most Holy God cannot work a Creature to Wickedness 'T is far from the acting I may say from the Power of the All-holy God to work or make Wickedness in any Creature Well by their own Wickedness from Angels they are become Devils from bright Morning shining Stars they are become as black as Darkness it self and they that were lately in the highest Heaven are cast into the lowest Hell and delivered into Chains of Darkness to be reserved unto Judgment And now how may we look upon such a Spectacle and Change as this Job's three Friends when they first came to him Misery and Sickness had so changed the poor Man that they knew him not But when they did know him they lift up their Voices and wept Job ii 12 Can we know these Creatures now Are these they that were lately so illustrious and resplendent Morning Stars and shone so gloriously in their Sphere and Orb Are these they that were once of God's Privy Chamber and among his choicest Nobles and Princes attending upon him Are these they that are while were singing praising and rejoicing and ere now in Hell in Chains and Darkness Shall we lift up our Voices and weep for them It may be some question whether that may befit us because they are become Devils And we may take up a more proper Rule and Practice Weep not for those but weep for your selves Well shall we rejoice at their casting into Hell and Damnation That may be some Question whether that may befit us tho' they be Devils But certainly we have a more proper Work to do upon the Sight and Consideration of their Case That is To hear and fear and tremble and to learn Wisdom from their Madness and Folly In the Words before us you see an Intimation of their Sin and of their Punishment The former very briefly related that they sinned the latter largely express'd and in several Particulars Viz. That they were not spared That they were cast into Hell delivered into Chains and reserved unto Judgment I. As to the former it is expressed that they sinned but what their Sin was is not expressed neither here nor indeed is it spoken out in plain terms in other Places of Scripture And yet out of other Places and Reason and Argumentation from Scripturâ— it may be reasonably collected and conâ—â—ctured what it was and for Search of it let us begin here 1. Angels could not sin at a lower Rate than wilfully or of Pride or Malice or of both or of all And indeed they could not sin at a higher Rate than they did Not at a lower Rate because of their Nature as they were Angels and not at a higher in regard of their Sin which was aggravated that nothing could be added Ignorance or Weakness was far from them they were created in so noble and excellent a Perfection And deceived into any sinning they could not be partly because of the Greatness of their Knowledge and Wisdom and partly because there was none to deceive them And there can be no deceiving in the World of Spirits It may be probable that there was a Chief and a Captain of them that fell As there was a Chief or Captain of them that stood viz. Our Saviour For you have mention of the Devil and his Angels and the Dragon and his Angels a Chief and Subordinate But it is hardly probable that their Chief did deceive them into their Rebellion though he was Ringleader in it As Demetrius led the rest of the Silver-Smiths that made the Insurrection in Ephesus but deceived them not for they were all of the same Principles They were every one their own Tempters And therein was their Sin so much aggravated above the Sin of Adam And what Stumbling-block they found in Heaven was only in their own Hearts and that not so much any Ignorance or Weakness or being Deceived as Desperate
Scriptures upon that Account But he reads studies meditates on them finds the Divine Excellency Sweetness Power of them And then he believes they are the VVord of God And that now is not for the Churches sake but for themselves The Church of England in the Thirty-nine Articles hath determined such Books Canonical VVhy Because the Church hath ever held them so That is some Furtherance to their Belief but not the cause of it They first believed the Church held them so but they saw Cause and Reason in the Books themselves to believe they were so As the Samaritans believed not at first that Christ was Christ for the VVoman's Relation but they believed she thought so and believed he might be so but that he was so they believed upon his own Words So we believe the Church owns the Scriptures but he is but a poor Christian that believes the Scriptures are the Scriptures upon no other Account He may believe the Canons of the Council of Trent about Scripture upon such an Account But he is a right Christian that believes the Scripture is the Word of God upon Proof and Trial. II. The Communion of Saints THIS Article harps upon the String of that before I believe the Holy Catholick Church and I believe that Church is in a Communion It is a Church of Saints for it is a Holy Church and tho' it be Catholick dispersed in divers Nations yet there is a Communion of those Saints But to what is this Article material What is it to me whether there be a Communion of Saints or no It is material in it self and if thou beest a true Christian it is material to thee And there is no true Saint but he blesseth God that there is such a Communion and he rejoyceth to be of that Communion as in the opening of the thing you will see the Cause If I should say there is a Communion of Devils or a Communion of ungodly Wretches Devils incarnate I doubt it would prove too true and it might not be unprofitable to observe such a fearful Communion to avoid it But when I say there is a Communion of Saints it is not only a Truth in Divinity but it is a Comfort in Religion and a Perswasive in Reason that Men would strive to be of that Communion if they did but understand what it meant It is not only I believe there is a Company of Saints for the Article before speaks that but I believe there is a Sacred Union Communion common Interest among that Company what is advantageous to every Member and to the whole What this Communion is and wherein it consists we must find out by these Considerations I. That Saints are very thin in the World Here one of Christ's little Flock there another but very rare Jer. iii. 14 And I will take you one of a City and two of a Family and I will bring you to Zion There were many Thousands in the City and but One of so many and many Cities in a Tribe and but Two of all these the Lord 's picked ones to bring to Zion Take the Character of a true Saint of God as David pictures him Psal. xv and how rarely is such an one to be found Day was when in all Jerusalem among Thousands of Persons such a Person was not to be found Jer. v. 1 Run ye to and fro through the Streets of Jerusalem and see now and know and seek in the broad Places thereof if ye can find a Man if there be any that executeth Judgment and seeketh the Truth and I will pardon it Cast out the Chaff and Refuse that is in the World and how very little Wheat is to be found Openly prophane and close Hypocrites carnal Gospellers and lukewarm Christians covetous Worldings and voluptuous Epicures set these aside by themselves and look at those that truly fear God and eschew Evil that deny themselves and dare not break any Command of God and how small is that Number But Three Hundred in Gideon's Army fit to do the Work of God of Thirty-two Thousand If there be Three Hundred of Three Hundred Thousand that prove true Saints it is well if there be so many as it is sad there be no more Let me pose any one or let every one pose their own Heart Dost thou think thou art a true Saint of God Every one will be ready to assume the Title but sift thy Heart to the Bran and what saith it Is there no Love of the World No Malice Pride Self-seeking Coldness in Religion Carelesness of Duty there I tell thee a Saint's Heart is a rare Jewel we may go a great way before we find one Oh! that all the Lord's People were Prophets as Moses said so I say Oh! that they were Saints But it proves not so A Saint is a rare Creature and they grow very thin in the World here and there a Berry in the Top of a Bough here and there a Plant of the Lord 's planting but very rare Therefore when the Creed speaks of the Catholick Church meaning true Saints that serve God in Truth it speaks not Multitude tho' it mean Universal But it speaks that such are scattered up and down the World here some in one Nation there some in another here One in One City there another in another II. Therefore Communion of Saints cannot mean Personal or Local Union or Communion Saints in one Place or in one Lump together Not a College of all Saints in one Place but a Communion 'twixt them as scattered here and there all the World over As there is a Communion 'twixt two Friends one in Turky another in England one in New England another in Old The Jews little understand the Communion of Saints when they construe Hos. i. 11 Then shall the Children of Judah and the Children of Israel be gathered together and they shall appoint themselves one Head c. and such other Places Literally of their Meeting together and going to Canaan together and dwelling there together Whereas the Words mean their gathering into Communion of another Nature How would you understand that Mat. xxiv 31 And he shall send his Angels with a great Sound of a Trumpet and they shall gather together his Elect from the four Winds from one end of Heaven to the other By the Angels he means his Messengers the Ministers by the Sound of a Trumpet he means the Gospel by the whole he means that after the Destruction of Jerusalem of which the Speech is in the Verses before God by the preaching of the Gospel would fetch in his Elect among all Nations or call home the Gentiles But how gather them together What Into any one Place or Country or City No but into such a Communion as we are speaking of in the several Nations or Countries where they lived One Saint in Judea another in Assyria another in Greece All staying in the Place where they receive the Gospel and yet all gathered together into one