is that which teaches the soul and conscience of a man 〈…〉 yea that pierces to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit and of the joynts and marrow and is a discerner of the most secret thoughts intents and purposes of mans heart Heb. 4.12 And this is one main difference between mans teaching and Gods teaching Man speaks to the outward ear but it is God that must perswade the heart The heart of Japhet to dwell in the tents of Shem. There is a twofold knowledge of heavenly things There is a notional knowledge of them and there is an experimental knowledge of them There is a Carnal knowledge of Spiritual things 〈…〉 and there is a Spiritual knowledge of Carnal things There is an earthly knowledge of Heavenly things and there is an Heavenly knowledge of earthly things There is an Humane knowledge of Divine things 〈…〉 and there is a Divine knowledge of Humane things Now the knowledge that comes in by the teaching of God it is not a Notional a Carnal an Earthly an Humane kinde of knowledge but it is Experimental and it is Spiritual and it is every way both truly Divine and Heavenly The wisdom that comes from above says the Apostle Iam. 3.15 it is not an earthly it is not a sensual it is not a devilish kinde of knowledge but pure and peaceable and gentle and easie to be entreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisie Secondly The teaching of God Secret 2 it is a secret mysterious kinde of teaching like a voyce behinde a man secretly whispered into his ear Isa 30.21 and saying to him This is the way walk in it thence is the effect of it called in Scripture The hidden man of the heart 1 Pet. 3.4 and the hidden Mannah and A new Name in the white stone Rev. 2.17 which no man knows but he that hath received it We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery says the Apostle even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world to our glory which none of the Princes of this world knew for had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory 〈…〉 4.16 1 Cor. 2.7 8. And in another place Great is the mystery of godliness and Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 13. â—â— Psal 〈…〉 and not unto others says our Savior and The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his covenant The truth is 〈…〉 haber seâ—â—â—am 〈◊〉 tra Plaâ—â—â— triâ—ium 〈…〉 reâ—â— faâ—lt hypâ—â—â—â—â—â—â—â—â—retum 〈◊〉 sol Ser. 9. this teaching of God it is so great a secret and so high a mystery that very few understand the meaning of it The wind bloweth where it listeth says our Savior and thou onely hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth and so is every one that is born of the Spirit 〈◊〉 â— 8 Joh. 3 8. As a man sees not how the grass springs up in the meadow or how the corn comes up in the field or how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with childe 〈…〉 or how the shadow creeps along upon the Dyal of Ahaz even so in like maner grace comes in upon the soul by this teaching of God in such secret insensible paces that a man knows not how to reveal or discover the exact way of it unto you in every step or degreee thereof Mark 4.26 27. Mark 4.26 2â— So is the Kingdom of God says Christ as if a man should cast seed into the ground and should sleep and rise night and day and the seed should spring and grow up he knows not how nor which way Acts 22.9 Comiâ—c Pauâ— vocem 〈◊〉 quia 〈…〉 loqui 〈…〉 Paâ—â—◠〈…〉 quiduam 〈…〉 Christus Fâ—â—gâ—rem 〈…〉 Calvâ—◠〈◊〉 As it was with those that journeyed with Paul to Damascus They that were with me saw indeed the light says he were afraid but they heard not the voyce of him that spake to me there was something secretly whispered into Pauls ear that they understood not who were of his company and that stood hard by him and even so it is with this teaching of GOD it secretly puts a distinction many times between those that have the same parts and means and time and helps even after a wonderful and after an unspeakable maner Gentle 3 Thirdly The teaching of GOD it is a meek Fluct ut reâ— eloquium mâ—â—â— c. in aniâ—â—â— seillâ—â—t audientiam 〈…〉 gratiâ—â—◠〈…〉 Vat. in loc a smooth a gentle kinde of teaching like that of Moses the man of GOD My Doctrine shall drop as the rain says he and my speech distil as the dew as the small rain upon the tender herb and 〈…〉 upon the grasse Deut. 32.2 〈◊〉 the rain comes down from Heaâ—â— and the snow and returns not thither but waters the Earth and makes it bring forth and bud that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater so shall my word be 〈…〉 says God it shall not return unto me void but accomplish that which I please and prosper in the thing whereto I sent it When God teaches the heart 〈…〉 he then appears to it as unto Adam after he had sinned not in the heat but in the cool of the day or as unto Elijah in his Vision 〈…〉 First there passed by a great and a strong wind that rent the Mountains and brake in pieces the Rocks before the Lord but the Lord was not in the 〈◊〉 and after the wind there came an earthquake but the Lord was not in the â—â—â—â—â—quake and after the earthquake a fire but the Lord was not in the fire and after the fire a small still voyce and then God spake and said What dost thou here Eliâ—â—â— Thus is the coming of Christ the great Prophet of his Church 〈…〉 punctually deâ—râ—â—d to be He shall not strive nor cry says the TEXT Summa 〈◊〉 nuper 〈◊〉 osse â—umalâ—â—â— sum Chriâ—â— adventum qâ—ia 〈◊〉 â—â—paraâ—◠〈…〉 mox 〈…〉 jiciâ—a◠〈…〉 â—â—ninum 〈◊〉 tem fore ut amabilis 〈…〉 MAâ—◠〈◊〉 TUDO quâ— pastâ—◠〈…〉 neither shall any man hear his voyce in the streets a bruised reed shall he not break nor quench smoking flax until he send forth judgement unto victory Mat. 12.19 20. And although he had zeal and courage enough against both sin and sinners a sufficiency an all-sufficiency a redundancy of zeal and courage yet when he was to deal with any poor creature about Spiritual affairs about Soul-matters his maner was to deal very gently and very mildely with them as with the woman of Samaria at the Well and divers others And he does upon this ground invite us to come and learn of him to come and be taught by him Learn of me says he for I am meek and lowly in heart and
THE NECESSITY OF Divine Instructions In point of REFORMATION Discovered in A Sermon Preached before the Right Honorable The LORD MAYOR The Right Worshipful The Sheriffs and Aldermen with other worthy Citizens of the City of London at a Solemn Anniversary Meeting April 4. 1648. By John Cardell ISA. 54.11 12 13. O thou afflicted tossed with tempest and not comforted behold I will lay thy stones with fair colours and lay thy foundations with Saphires And I will make thy windows of Agates and thy gates of Carbuncles and all thy borders of pleasant stones And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall be the peace of thy children April 13. 1648. Imprimatur Joseph Caryl London Printed by John Field for Henry Overton and are to be sold at his shop at the entring into Popes-head-Alley out of Lumbardstreet 1648. To the Right Honorable the LORD MAYOR AND Court of Aldermen OF ENGLANDS METROPOLIS THE Famous City of London THe Service that I was lately called to by your Honorable Appointment was a Spiritual Service and the Theam or Argument that my Meditations were ingaged and carried out upon was of a Spiritual nature far above the reach of those that live meerly by Sense and Carnal Reason 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Homâ— animalis cui anima prosale non alia quam naturali animi luce prâ—â—itus Bez Non Regnitue per spiri tum sanctum Piscâ—â— and that savor not the things of God The natural man says the Apostle receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 My desire was to suggest something from the Word of Truth in so great a Presence that might advance the Work of Reformation which is so much spoken and talked of amongst us and whereunto we are above all other People in the World so many ways ingaged But surely our misery even in this respect aswel as in some other is many times great upon us Vivâ—â—◠〈…〉 That whilest we onely pretend to a right end we wofully miscarry about the means that should bring us to that end My endeavor therefore was To rectifie this great Error and to lay something at the bottom which might sustain the Building of a Scripture-Reformation viZ. Jesus Christ by his Word and Spirit This is doubtless so â—â—re a Foundation that a better cannot and another ought not to be laid or thought upon Other foundation can no man lay then that is laid which iâ— Jesus Christ says the Apostle The Prophet calls him 〈…〉 â—nn A precious corner-stone A sure foundation Isa 28.16 And whilest men go about to erect Buildings of Reformation or Buildings of Salvation or of any thing that tends thereto upon other Foundations they do but as the Disciples when they fished all night and caught nothing they do but busie 〈…〉 and weary themselves to no purpose and in conclusion utterly lose their labour yea they many times both sow the wind 〈…〉 and reap the whirlwind as the Prophet speaks Now to establish us upon this sure Foundation in point of Reformation was the scope and drift of the ensuing Sermon That we might not meerly hearken unto or carnally rest upon that which men hold forth unto us about that great Work but consult the minde of Christ therein from his Word faithfully interpreted and opened unto us by that Spirit which at the first gave us the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 3.16 Scripture cúm sint à Spiritu Dei non possunt intelligi sine Spiritu Dei Zanch. de sacr Script and that must still give us the true sense and meaning of it Not that I would altogether exclude men neither from having any hand in this business any farther then God himself excludes them I knew that in all Times and Ages God hath been pleased to select and chuse out men Magistrates and others and to qualifie them accordingly for the helping on of this great Work not that he stands in any absolute need of Men or Means or Instruments onely to testifie his love and honorable respects unto some he hath been always pleased to take them in and to put that glorious Title upon them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 6.1 of being co-workers with him in this weighty business though they can do no more then what in his strength and in the power of his might Ephes 6.10 they are continually inabled to perform And among other Engines or Instruments of great worth The Preaching of the Gospel by men rightly qualified for and duly called unto that great Work must and will certainly have a very great stroke in this business which accompanied with the Spirit is The Rod of Christs strength Psal 110.2 or The Scepter of his Kingdom that whereby he teaches and governs his People Casting down imaginations and pulling down strong holds 2 Cor. 104 5. and captivating every thought to the Obedience of himself by these weapons that are not carnal And therefore certainly the Civil Magistrate cannot honor Christ more or do Him better service who is King of kings 1 Tim. 6.15 and Lord of lords then by supporting such a Ministery which is Experimentally found and known to be vehiculum Spiritus the Chariot as it were of that Spirit which hath always made a world of Believers to come flocking to Christ and flying apace unto him 〈…〉 like so many Doves to their windows Now as to this the Honorable Houses of Parliament have lately Declared themselves very fully to the Satisfaction I am perswaded of all unbyassed and well-affected People throughout the Kingdom and that in these words among the rest to that purpose Mens consciences say they must be mollified and prepared by the powerful Preaching of the Word â—eâ—â—aâ—ation of the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament concerning the â—apers of the Scorâ— Commistioners 〈◊〉 before they will be capable Subjects of Ecclesiastical Discipline and till then there is no other means to restrain them from vice and impiety but by the Power of the Magistrate armed with wholesom Laws to that purpose and by the powerful Preaching of the Word which is our hearty desire and endeavor to advance throughout the Kingdom Which Noble Resolution of theirs seconded and pursued by the Power and Authority of this great City what a world of good might it do in a short time How mightily in all likelihood would the Sun of Righteousness cast forth his beams even all the Kingdom over if LONDON were but quietly and thankfully possessed of this most savory mercy And truly Iâ—â— â—oyce very much That in taking upon me the boldness to be herein your humble and faithful Movitor Qui monei utfacias quod jam facis ipse monendo laudat hortatu fortius ire juvat that I do but onely intreat the pursuance of that which ye are already doing
For where hath the powerful Preaching of the Gospel always hitherto had more incouragement then from this Famous City I will not here be too busie or too bold in prescribing or giving Information to you about that Ministery which ye ought to favor support and countenance by your Civil Power As that * D. Stoughton B. Light pag. 23. rare man said in a Sermon of his to Ministers I am not of mettal good enough for that The snuffers of the Temple should be of pure Gold Onely thus much give me leave to say in the general That certainly such as deal with the Understandings of men had need to be men of Understanding They that take upon them to teach and inform others had need to be well taught and informed themselves They that make it their work and their imployment to season others had need to be well seasoned themselves otherwise If the salt have lost his savor Matth. 5.13 compared with Luke 14.34 wherewith shall it be seasoned it is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and to be trodden under foot of men But I must remember to whom I speak Verbum sapicutibus 1 Cor. 10.15 Ioh. 10.3 4 5. even to wise men that are able to judge of what I say and to discern the voyce of Christ from the voyce of a Stranger And blessed be God for it that of late you have known no man laboring amongst us in the Word and Doctrine By this Name or By that Name but on both sides such as by long experience you have found Able and Orthodox and Pious and Peaceable they have been equally imployed and incouraged by you which hath somewhat revived our languishing hopes that there may yet be a sodering and a combining amongst those that are really well affected and not in appearance onely through your exemplary Care and Wisdom herein And that in due time Breaches shall be so far healed 〈◊〉 2.4 that Swords may be beat into Plow-shares and Spears into Pruning-hooks and that we shall have no occasion to learn War any more if God hath not a purpose for the Iniquities thereof utterly to ruine the Nation 〈◊〉 militem 〈◊〉 terribilis â—roâ—ucit ad belâ—â—m â— oves ad paâ—â—â—â—ulccdo 〈◊〉 iâ—â—â—â—â— Bellanai 〈◊〉 â—remiâ—um 〈…〉 â—â—hrvsol in 〈…〉 Serm. That as the terrible Trumpet of War hath lately called forth the Soldier into the Field so that now at the length after a few other Storms blown over the sweet Jubile-Trumpet of the Gospel shall gather the Sheep of Christ together and make them lye down in green pastures and lead them forth beside the still waters That God would herein bless your Endeavors Right Honorable and Right Worshipful and bring the Blessing of Peacemakers upon you and make you famous all the Kingdom over and singularly instrumental in this great Work is the hearty Desire and earnest Prayer of Your Servant in the Lords Work John Cardell The Necessity of Divine Instructions In Point of REFORMATION JOB 34.31 32. 31. Surely it is meet to be said unto God I have born chastisement I will not offend any more 32. That which I see not teach thou me if I have done iniquity I will do no more THese words are a part of Elihu's Speech to Iob The words a part of Elihu's Speech to Job after his other three Friends that were elder then he had ended their Discourses with him Because he was yong he was therefore willing to tarry till graver men had spoken and then to shew his opinion also 〈…〉 is 〈…〉 in 〈…〉 which by the way may teach us That Piety is no enemy to Ingenuity or sweetness of Disposition In the 32. 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 6. c. 1. Chapter of this Book from the 6. ver and so on Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said I am yong and ye are very old wherefore I was afraid and durst not shew mine opinion I said days should speak and multitude of years should teach wisdom But yet to shew that God is not tyed to days and years 〈◊〉 not tyed 〈◊〉 days and 〈…〉 says he at the 8. v. There is a spirit in man and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding Great men are not always wise neither do the aged understand judgement 〈…〉 And what it was that even 〈…〉 Therefore I said Hearken to me I also will shew mine opinion For says he at the 18. v. I am full of matter the spirit within me constraineth me Behold my belly is as wine which hath no vent it is ready to burst like new bottles I will speak that I may be refreshed I will open my lips and answer This is the Preface that he makes unto what he had to say To carry you through all the several particulars of Elihues dealing with JOB though but with a brief Paraphrase would tender my Porch too big my Preface too tedious I shall therefore confine my self to this Chapter whereof the Text is part and that I may be brief in surveying the whole Chapter and come quickly to the words you may please to observe The main pâ—â—t of Elihu in 〈◊〉 34 Chapter to justifie God in all his dealings with men That the main plot of Elihu or the thing that he chiefly ayms at here in this Chapter it is to justifie God in all his proceedings with men At the 10. and 11. verses says he there Generally propounded ver 10.11 Hearken to me ye men of understanding far be it from God that he should do wickedness and from the Almighty that he should commit iniquity For the work of a man shall he render unto him and cause every man to finde according to his works This he lays down in the general Illustrated by several passages in the following parts of the Chapter and this he does illustrate or make good by several passages in the following parts of the Chapter And here about the Text he gives instance in several changes that God makes upon mighty men and upon Nations Changes upon mighty men ver 24. He shall break in pieces mighty men without number and set others in their stead at the 24. v. The Reason why ver 28. And in the following verses he tells you why especially at the 28. v. in that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto him and he heareth the cry of the afflicted Pray mark that Expression He heareth the cry of the afflicted says Elihu There be three Cryes that God is said in a special maner to hear 〈◊〉 Cryes 〈◊〉 God hears The cry of Prayer The cry of Blood And The cry of the Oppressed First The cry of Prayer Shall not God avenge his own Elect The Cry oâ— Prayer which cry day and night unto him I tell you says our Savior he will avenge them speedily when once they begin to cry unto him Luk. 18.7 8. That 's one cry that God