can be expected from a Church consisting of such Men speak of Houses where the Devils walk where spirits haunt men dare not dwell there I tell thee That a Family where ignorance and prophaneness is nourished is an house not only haunted but even possessed by Devils And how canst thou eat sleep and live in such a place Fourthly In the primitive times there were a rank of people that were called Catecumini as we said before Candidati or Competentes such who being converted from Paganism were not yet fully instructed in the matters of Religiâ—n and therefore they had time to get knowledg before ever they were admitted to Church-Communion And answerable to this there was a Catechist one whose work and office it was to instruct such before they were Baptized Thus you see how carefull in Antiquity they were that they might have no ignorant persons among them And certainly as in all Arts there are Principles which must be learned before they can come to Conclusions so it 's here in Religion And oh that we could see this Knowledge brought in amongst people To be a Christian is to be anointed and this Vnction teacheth us all things Joh. 2.20 viz. necessary to salvation Fifthly Principles of Religion largely so called are of two sorts either Corrupt Idolatrical and Heretical or true Sound and Consonant to the Scripture Now there are many in the world are too forward to infuse poysonous and dangerous Principles so great a matter is it to consider what men are seasoned with at first either privately or publiquely Thus many are infected with Popish and superstitious Principles many with erroneous and false Doctrines and these foundations being laid it 's very difficult ever to remove them As the vessel is first seasoned or the tree at first planted so it is likely to continue The Apostle cals those Jewish Ceremonies the beggerly elements Gal. 4.9 or Principles of the world Why so because the superstitious Teachers made them the first Elements the Principles the foundation of all and therefore they thought all Religion was taken away if they were removed And thus you have divers persons they have indeed some Principles of Religion but they are Popish and Superstitious such as put out the Knowledge of Christ and the Scriptures And It 's a two-fold labour as Socrates said to a perverted Disciple of his to teach them for they must first be untaught their erroneous Principles and then must be instructed in the truth Oh then look to this that thy Principles about Religion be not false ignorant and superstitious ones Sixthly The true Principles of Religion are reduced to severall heads and are both short and easie but necessary to be known The Doctrine about God and Christ and our selves which is the Credendum The Doctrine about Faith and Repentance which is the Agendum And about things to come which is the Sperandum About God we are to believe That he is and a rewarder of those that seek him About Christ This is eternal life to know Jesus Christ Joh. 17.2 and the holy Ghost for we are Baptized in his Name About our selves the desperate pollution of our natures the hainousness of sinne the aggravation of the curses of the Law The things to be done are Repentance which driveth out of our sins and Faith which driveth out of our own righteousness But because these are Divine Works therefore a man must be regenerated and born again And this Principle Christ insisted on to Nicodemus Joh 3. The things to come are The Resurrection of the Body The immortality of the Soul The Day of Judgment The Heâ—ven and Hell provided for the godly and the wicked These Principles are plain and easie not to flesh and blood but in respect of the manifestation of them They are laid down clearly in Scripture None without horrible impudency can deny them Indeed there are many sublime Disputes about the Trinity and about Christs Incarnation but these are not necessary to be believed by every one Oh then how great is thy ingratitude God hath made the necessary things easie and plain and yet thou art not acquainted with them If God had commanded some greater matter of thee If he had required all thy time all thy study thou wast obliged to have done it How much rather in things of so easie apprehension But now when we say These divine Principles are easie you must take heed of two mistakes 1. We do not mean that the divine Faith and Belief of them is easie to flesh and blood no but they are easie supposing the grace of God in respect of other particulars in Religion For otherwise To believe with a Divine Faith viz. by the Spirit of God inabling upon divine Authority which is only true Faith is the immediate work of Gods Spirit Therefore Faith though it be but Historicall and not saving is the gift of God When we desire a Knowledge and Faith of these Principles we mean not such a Faith as most men have a Faith of custom and humane education a Faith because they are brought up in such a Religion but upon Judgment and Knowledge grounded upon the Scripture That which is usually called the Colliars Faith To believe as the Church believes Is the Husbandmans and the Tradesmans and the rich mans and the poor mans Faith too much in the world So that as Christ saith His yoke is easie and yet also it is very hard Easie to the heart sanctified but grieveous to the unregenerate So it is here The Principles of Religion are easie and plain to the mind inlightned but they are either foolishness or absurdities to the greatest Scholar that is if hâ—s heart be not opened And thus Paul found himself derided and called a Babler amongst the Athenians 2. We do not mean that the bare saying of the Principles of Religian by heart and rote is the true believing and knowing of them As the Child is not said to be fed with milk unless it swallow it down and be nourished by it So neither can they be said to believe the Principles of Religion unless they do with understanding apply them and receive them into their hearts But this is all that most attain unto they can tell you God made them That Christ is their Saviour That they must repent of sinne But these things are by meer rote They learn them as formerly in Popery they learned their Prayers in Lattin they knew not what they prayed for so neither these what they do believe Now the Grounâ—s for Instruction in these Principles are First Because God accounts of no zeal nor devout affections if they be not the fruit of Knowledge Thus Christ told the woman that was so zealous for her Fathers worship Ye worship ye know not what Joh. 4 22. Though God once accepted bruit beasts as a Sâ—rifice to him Yet now saith the Apostle let 's offer up our selves a reasonable Sacrifice Rom. 12.1 The Jew had a zeal but
as babes who are not yet begotten anew by the Word Can we expect any increase or fruit when men are not so much as plants planted by God Many Congregations being like Golgotha places not of dead skuls but of dead hearts Oh how short do our people come of the primitive Christians These very Corinthians see how Paul commends them 1 Cor. 1.5 7. Ye are inriched in all utterance and knowledge and yet he finds faults with them Alas the Ministers of God have farre higher and larger degrees of knowledge and grace to press you to if once the foundation were laid Thirdly There are many choise and excellent duties in the exercise whereof a Christian would have much joy and bring much glory to God but the ignorance of a people makes the Mixister not so frequently urge those because other things must be done first The duties are these Let the word of God dwell plentifully in you teaching and admonishing one another Col. 3 6. And again Exhort and provoke one another c Heb. 10.14 Thus the Father he is to make his family like the Church of God he is to instruct those that are under him in the knowledge of the Lord. Husbands they are to be such as can inform their wives if they doubt of any thing in Religion Let them ask their husbands at home saith Paul 1 Cor. 14.35 So families are to serve God as Joshua and Abraham resolved which is by praying to him and calling upon his Name How can these things be pressed by a Minister upon a people grosly ignorant How few Parents or Masters have you that know how to serve God in their family How few Husbands that know how to inform their wives in matter of Religion And how few Neighbours are able to teach and admonish one another out of the Word whereas the constant exercise of those duties would bring admirable glory to God would be infinite comfort to faithfull Ministers but ignorance and dulnesse hath covered the face of all people How many Families are there who eat and drink and swear and curse and go to bed and rise like so many bruit beasts and you can no more expect religious duties from them than understanding and discourse from the worm that crawleth on the ground Oh that we could once preach to our auditors as spiritual in this particular Fourthly The ignorance of a people restraineth the Ministers of God that they cannot so powerfully presse at first the pure and sincere worship of God and the leaving of all superstitious and traditional wayes of worship but they must by degrees here a little and there a little as they are able to bear it Thus our Saviour shewed in that fore-mentioned place Luke 5. No man putteth new wine in old bottles The people were offended that Christ and his Disciples did not follow that external worship which others did and he tels them it is with Auditors and Disciples as with bottles if old they are not able to bear new and spirituous wine Hence our Saviour told the Disciples at another time I have many ohings to tell you but you cannot hear them now therefore they were to stay at Jerusalem till they were indowed with the holy Ghost from above If we should at first press a people plunged into all ignorance and superstition to the highest and exact worship of God they would judge it madnesse Hence our Saviour by degrees instructs the woman of Samaria who worshipped she knew not what And Calvin commends that known counsel of Austin to a Bishop who desired his advise about Discipline where the sinne of drunkennesse had generally infected all which was That he should proceed wisely and mildly Monendo magis quam minando c. So Cyprian saith of himself In remittendis delictis penò ipse delinquo yet this must not be used for slothfulnesse and remisness in Church reformation For how greatly hath God blessed even the endeavours of a few against universal impiety Thus much for Ignorance Then the Sinfulness of people make them uncapable of many precious truths in Religion As First The Ministers labour is most spent in discovering the damnable nature of grosse sins taking them off from their bruitish beastly wayes and as for spiritual sins unbelief diffidence in the promises carnal confidence in themselves c. These they cannot so much presse against because such Auditors come farre short of civility and therefore much lesse reach to piety Hence though they can go along with Sermons that urge the leaving of grosse sinnes yet those about Regeneration and a New creature they cannot perceive Thus our Saviour If I have spoken to you earthly things and ye understand xot how can ye heavenly John 3.12 Secondly To a people living in grosse sins we cannot so frequently and gloriously preach Jesus Christ in the Offices of a Mediatour We cannot make it our work to set forth the promise of the Gospel in its glory We cannot preach of joy and peace in believing We cannot commend the resting and relying upon Christ for before this be done men must be convinced of the guilt of their particular sinnes Thus Paul did to Felix when desired to preach of faith in Christ Thus Peter indeavoured to prick the consciences of those that murdered Christ the life of glory Thirdly The performing of duties in a spiritual and gracious manner so as to have communion with God and to enjoy him This also is too high for sinfull wicked men Wisdome is too high for a fool saith Solomon and so the spiritual praying hearing enjoying of God in those Ordinances is a paradox and mystery to them What a glorious expression is that We beholding as in a glasse the glory of God are transformed into his image 2 Cor. 3.18 but the world hath not received the Spirit of God to know these things as the Apostle saith in 1 Cor. 2. Vse To arouse and awaken people out of their ignorance and sinfulnesse If Aristotle thought a young man no fit Auditor for his Morals because he was subject to unruly affections how fit can people blind in mind corrupt in affections be to receive the truths of God How great is the labour and grief of a Minister to preach to those that are not so much as babes in Christ The very Ox and Horse know the noise and command of the Driver and turn as he would have them onely man is more unruly and bruitish refusing to order his steps as he is commanded How much of the study labour parts and godlinesse of a Minister may be lost through the indociblenesse of hearers Though we preach not Latine yet the matter we preach may be so spiritual heavenly that it may be as untelligible as an unknown tongue We would go on to perfection were not your slownesse slothfulnesse an obstruction Is not Christ nor the glorious promise no more published thank we our selves for this To such are the wounds the blows and the threatnings of the
of faith Heb. 11.26 And in this respect most fail They do not firmly assent to the Doctrine of Gods Omnisciency of a Day of Judgement of giving an account of every evil word Did they believe these things as the Word of God which cannot deceive which cannot be false how dared they live in such professed impieties But the fool hath said in his heart there is no God Psal 14.1 No Judgement no Heaven no Hell If an humane faith can set men so much on work when yet all men are lyars what shall not a divine faith do Thirdly That which is the compleat and formal act of faith is a resting on Christ a receiving of him a coming to him Hence are those emphatical expressions which are in no humane Authours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To believe in God in Christ and this act of faith is expressed by words of resting rolling the soul waiting and expecting by receiving imbracing A godly man is called a member of Christ and faith is the ligament and that which uniteth a branch in the Olive-tree faith is that whereby we receive fatnesse of it So that the power and life of faith lieth in this that it gives up the soul to Christ and receiveth Christ in the soul hereby it is said Christ dwels in our hearts by faith Ephes 3.17 And this act is only in the godly This is the difference from all hypocrites they are said to believe they know they give credit to many things and this works some slighty affections but they are not united to Christ they cleave not to him so as to to be made one with him They receive him not both as a Mediatour and as an Head to whom they will conform and live as Members answerable to such an Head This then is the marrow and the soul of faith when a man so knoweth so assents as thereby he is incorporated into Christ receiving of his virtue and influence so that all is Christ as it were I no longer live but Christ in me and the life I live is by faith in Christ saith Paul Gal. 2.20 Now this faith thus described hath glorious Effects and also many Properties we will select some of many As First The noble effect of Faith ad intra is to receive the righteousnesse of Christ and thereby to make it ours by which means faith is so often said to justifie and we are justified by faith And Paul did so exceedingly desire to be found not in his own righteousnesse but by that of faith in Christ Phil. 3.9 This is the hand to put on those glorious Robes to cover our nakednesse This is the eye by which we look upon that exalted Serpent to be healed It 's not repenting sorrowing reforming no nor martyrdom it self that hath this honour which faith hath neither is this for any dignity or worth of faith but because it 's an instrument to receive the righteousnesse of Christ which no other grace can be So that as the child new born presently moves it lips and mouth for the brest to be sucking there So the new born spiritual Infant immediately goeth out of its own works it 's own righteousnesse and desireth to be found in Christ onely This way of believing is very paradoxal and hidden to a guilty conscience Cain did not know it Judas was not acquainted with it and thereupon eternally perished A second Effect of Faith ad intra is to receive virtue and power from Christ to subdue our corruptions to conquer our sinnes so that faith is the instrument of Sanctification as well as Justification Thus we are Members and Christ is the Head branches and he the Vine and as these are nourished and enlivened bringing forth fruit by having sap and virtue from the head or tree so are we supplied with virtue and efficacy for all imperfections by faith from Christ In so much that the excellent ready way to conquer any sinne to subdue any passion or unruly affections is by Faith to apply Christ to the soul If the branch would flourish it must not depart from the tree but still be ingraffed closer to receive power and thus thy way to overcome any noisome temptation is not to keep off from Christ to be discouraged by unbelief but the more sensible thou art of thy weaknesse and infirmities to lay the faster hold on Christ But oh how hard is it ere many of the children of God come to learn this good way They lie discouraged in their combate and conflict with sinne they are ashamed of their hypocrisie their guile Oh they are so unworthy and so wretched that they dare not come neer Christ and this hinders them Even as Peter out of a preposterous humility would not let Christ wash his feet but saith Christ If I wash thee not thou shalt have no part in me John 13.8 And then Peter saith Not my feet but my whole body also Oh when thou comest to know how acceptable it is to God and how comfortable to thy own self In the midst of all weaknesses and failings still to catch hold on Christ then thou wilt be inamoured with it saying How foolish and ignorant have I been Even like a beast and an enemy to my own good Therefore if thou art at any time overtaken with a sinne cast not away thy faith also That is as if a souldier because he hath received a blow should throw away his weapon by which he might offend his enemy If by thy doubts and diffidence thou art kept off from Christ how canst thou ever get power against sinne But let us come to the Effects ad extra For all say they believe all are confident in Christ for their salvation there is no man though prophane and abominable but he saith he believeth in Christ with all his heart Therefore there are Effects of faith ad extra in the outward man from which this Faith can never be separated no more than heat from fire or light from the Sunne As First It purifieth a man inwardly and outwardly from all filthiness He that truly believeth he cleanseth himself from all filthiness of flesh and Spirit Having these promises let us cleanse our selves 2 Cor. 7.1 and we have not them to make use of but by saith especially that is to our purpose Act. 15.9 Purifying their hearts by Faith which is seen in a great manner by cleansing away that dross that mudde which is in every mans heart every mans heart is a filthy poisoned noisome fountain and faith cleanseth it purifieth it Thus John also He that hath this hope which is a necessary companion of faith purifieth himself even as God is pure 1 Joh. 3.3 Come then thou who speakest of thy faith What is thy heart thy life are they clean Thy heart men cannot enter into that may be a cage of unclean birds that may be a den of thieves their pride covetousness uncleanness may lodge and none in the world condemne thee for
it but Faith would quickly dispossess these and make it clean for Christ to dwell in And then thy life How pure is that Dost thou talk of believing in Christ when thou hatest purity makes a scoff and a taunt at it I tell thee if thou didst believe thou wouldst be pure and strict also As Saul that went with no good will to the Prophets when he came to them the Spirit of God sell on him and he prophesied also Thus thou that art a malicious enemy a prophane scoffer at purity and holiness should the Spirit of God once fall upon thee thou wouldst become pure and strict also Know then a man can no more carry faith in his heart and this not reforme his life then oyntment about him and that not discover it self Secondly Where there is a true lively Faith that will make a stout though wise confession of the truth when God doth require it Rom. 10.10 With the heart man believeth with the mouth confession is made to salvation and the Apostle We believe therefore we speak 2 Cor. 4.13 Indeed there is a faith about some disputable poinâ—s in Religion that are not essential to salvation that the Apostle bids a man have it to hâ—mself Rom. 14. but for the main points the owning or not owning whereof is the owning or not owning of Christ Our Saviour speaks terribly to the not confession herein He that shall not confesse me before men though before a croâ—ked and perverse generation him will not I confesse before my Father nor the holy Angels Mark 8.38 Thirdly Where faith is there it will carry a man out to the ready performance of all obedience justice temperance liberaâ—ity equity and every good worke The Apostle James Jam 2. doth at large shew That that man is but a vain man and an hypocrite one who cousens his own soul that thinketh by faith to be saved when this is not incarnated and manifested in all godly conversation Yea faith puts all graces on working as Heb. 11. That seemeth to be the great wheel that sets all others on going Lastly He that doth truly believe is not discouraged from his duty because of any trouble or persecution in the world Christ prayed for Peter That his faith might not fail him No danger no fears could have drawn him into sinne had faith been active It was faith made Moses chuse reproaches and persecutions rather than the glory of Aegypt A man that liveth by sense and by worldly advantages he cannot but with the Chamelion turn into every colour of that object which is by him because worldly fear reigneth and ruleth in his heart but Faith that overcomes the world If it conquer Devils and Hell much more the world Yea it makes a man rejoyce in tribulations Vse of Examination Hath the Ministry had this effect to make you believe Oh you will say Who doubts of that Are we Atheists Do you make Pagans and Infidels of us Consider there is a great difference between the Title Name and Profession of a Believer and the reall Efficacy of it It 's said Simon Magus believed because he outwardly professed so yet he was in the state of gall and bitterness It 's said John 2. ult That many believed but Christ would not commit himself to them because he knew what is in man Therefore Do you really believe all that the Scripture saith And if so How darest thou lie swear deal unjustly No you flatter your selves The Faith of these things would make you tremble yea roar out Oh! What shall I do to escape this great wrath Therefore set Faith more on work from day to day I am no Atheist I am a Christian I believe a Day of Judgment Why then live I thus But Ministers by whom ye belived even as the Lord gave to every man We are come to the last Particular observeable in this Verse and that is the Efficient Cause of this Ministry and Service in the Church with the variety of the Gifts of those that are employed therein Even as the Lord gave to every man This the Apostle addeth still to take off all from the Instruments and give it to God They are indeed Pipes to conveigh Gods grace but they can no longer runne then this Fountain fils them They are indeed spiritual Trumpets to give warning of Gods wrath approaching but they cannot breathe forth any sound but what the mouth of the Lord doth first breathe into them So that although the Church of God in respect of the several Gifts God bestoweth on her Officers be like the Queens Daughter cloathed all in needle and embroidered work Even as the Kings Daughters were wont to go in parti-coloured cloathes Yet all this Ornament and comeliness is put upon her by God alone So that every Minister hath a peculiar Gift yet so as all comes from above from God to him Doct. That God hath given several Gifts and Abilities to the Ministers of the Church and thereby makes use of them all for his glorious ends The Apostle doth in many places delight to compare the Church to a mans body where there are several parts and every part hath its peculiar Office There is the eye the hand the foot and though all are not equally eminent yet all are equally necessary But 1 Cor. 12.4 5. you may see this excellently described I here are diversities of Gifts and of Administrations but all from the same Spirit the same Lord and all is for the same end The manifestation of the Spirit is to profit withall Whatsoever Abilities and Gifts God hath given they are not for vain ostentation They are not for humane applause but for use to profit withall Insomuch that if any man should should use his parts his abilities to propagate errour or to strengthen men in wickedness they did greatly abuse the good Gifts of God and turn wholesome meat into poyson To open this Doctrine you may consider That the Gifts of God to the Church are as to our purpose of two sorts Sometimes the very Office and Function it self is called a Gift To be an Apostle to be a Pastour to be a Teacher is a Gift Thus Ephes 3. Yea Christs Ascension He gave Gifts to men As Kings at their Coronations distribute large and plentifull gifts And what are these Gifts Apostles Evangelists Pastours and Teachers Thus the very Office is a Gift and that a great one too More then all temporal mercies though the ungratefull world cannot think so Thus the Psalmist speaking of the Word of God and the Ministry given to the Jews he addeth He hath not done so to every Nation Psal 147.20 Alas for temporal mercies he had he gave them peace quietness and plenty all aboundance and filled them with good things but this was nothing to the Ministry of the Word And certainly no plenty no quietness no abundance is a mercy equall to the Gospel Therefore Amos threatned the famine of the Word as more terrible
them therefore he concludes The rest will I set in order when I come 1 Cor. 11. ult So that herein also is a great work the labouring to instruct and bring people to a full conformity to all that heavenly order and godly course of life which Christ hath commanded We see men have quickly submitted to the doctrine of Christ who yet do not in their lives to the Laws of Christ men may have a sound faith but a rotten and unsound conversation Oh this is the blemish and reproach of Christianity to this very day Herein is great work still for the Ministerial employment Though we are planted gardens yet they are so full of noisome weeds and poisonous herbs that there must be daily inspection Hath God planted thee and watered thee for this only to become a weed or a bramble The work of the Ministery is necessary as long as there is one bitter root growing up amongst us Esau a prophane man is called a bitter root Heb. 12.15 And so indeed every wicked man is a bitter root bitter in himself he is in the state of gall and wormwood he is not a Naomi but a Marah though he doth not feel it yet his soul is full of all misery and then he is bitter to others both actively and passively actively in grieving and troubling the soules of those that are godly and passively in being grieved at the godly their doings their actions make heavy the hearts of the godly as it was in Lot by the Sodomites Now then what care is here required that there may be nothing in our Assemblies that may offend the pure eies of Gods glory Fourthly This watering lieth in the stirring up of men to fruitfullness in their places and relations The end of watering is to make fruitfull and thus all the spiritual plants in Gods garden though they have deep root yet need this outward watering Barrenness is a great sinne even amongst the godly they may all fear God hath a controversie with them Oh the decayes and consumptions that are upon Christians graces Now how may these withered plants be restored to health and strength again but by the daily watering of the Ministery these spiritual clouds are to drop fatness upon them the barren heart under these waterings is made like the tree planted by the rivers side Here are fountaines to refresh the thirsty soul How distastfull unto God unfruitfullness and unprofitableness is appeareth partly by those terrible curses Never fruit grow on thee more and at another time Cut it down why cumbers it the ground And partly by that enraged anger against that servant who hid his talent in a napkin Mat. 25. Consider then it 's not enough to receive the Truths of God it is not enough to be once planted by him but there must be fruit and still more fruit brought forth by thee Therefore God as he hath appointed watering so he hath an hook also to cut out all the weeds to prune off all the branches and these are afflictions and chastisements so great a matter is it to have people fruitfull and profitable in their places to make the best they can for God and the advancing of his Kingdome At the day of Judgement it is not commission of sinnes but omission of duties for which they hear that dreadfull sentence of departure into everlasting torments In these things mainly doth consist this duty of watering Let us consider Why there is such daily need of those quickening means of grace And First It doth arise from the heart which is an unnatural soil to grace and supernatural things The temporal curse to the ground to bring forth nothing but thornes and thistles is likewise spiritually true in us of it self there come nothing but evil thoughts corrupt affections distempered lusts it 's like an hell from whence are unquenchable sparkes of lusts Were it not therefore for this daily watering and spiritual inspection the soul would immediately degenerate into a barren heath Oh therefore call often for these waterpots thy graces will quickly wither thy heart is no kindly soil As some grounds will bring cockle instead of wheat such is thy heart if not daily dropt upon unless it be alwayes fenced it will bear no crop Secondly The temptations that are so frequent and many do likewise wonderfully destroy and wither all if this constant watering be not As there are Pauls to plant and Apolloes to water so there are also the Devils to plant and his instruments to water men in wickedness Seeing therefore thou art in a daily expence of thy oil thy lamp will quickly go out if there be not daily supply you had therefore need of quickening need of thriving when there be so many obstructions so many hinderances all is little enough to put thee forward the Devil the world thy own heart draweth thee back therefore thou needest daily drawing forward Thirdly There needs watering because of that indispensable duty to grow to grow both in light and heat to grow in head and heart grow in the knowledge of God and in grace 2 Pet. 3.18 It being then a great sinne to stand at a stay to be dwarfes alwayes to be Babes alwayes God having appointed this as the way to grow it behooveth thee the more diligently to wait on this watering Vse of Exhortation To try whether you grow up into more knowledge and grace or no Are ye more acquainted in the wayes of Religion and Piety Know it 's your duty not only to be planted but to grow up exceedingly Oh it 's to be feared that many are dead at the very root at the very heart all the watering the preaching the exhorting makes them not stirre forward If a man water a plant dead at the root or a dead stump of the tree though he do it a thousand times over yet no leaves or fruit will ever grow on it so when you see a people after much preaching many exhortations to be as ignorant as prophane as ever Oh say these are dead at the very root something would sprout forth if there were life Vse of Admonition To the children of God to prize the Ministery and means of grace Be you as the thirsty land and the Ordinances like streames of water fruitfulness and flourishing in godliness is expressed for this end We preach and you are to hear Let the things that are dying be strengthened Let thy decaying love be revived Oh how will formality and deadness trouble thee at thy last hour the barrenness of thy life will be terrible to thee But God gave the encrease The Apostle as you heard doth excellently joyn these two things togeher which the world is so apt to sever The Ministry and Gods efficacy therby We may not rest upon the Ministery so as not to depend on Gods efficacy we may not expect Gods efficacy but in the Ministery Here may be a sweet subordination mans corruption makes the opposition so that this Text as it
rejected Tit. 3.10 Those then are nearest to perdition who after Admonition and Information do still continue refractory Lastly Of all those who defile the Temple and are marked out for perdition Antichrist it is and his party that are the great defilers of Gods Temple He is alled The man of Perdition 2 Thes 2.3 both actively and passively Actively because he is a means to destroy so many thousand souls and passively because he is appointed by God to remarkable destruction Take heed therefore thou art not found in the number of that Antichristian society which is marked out by God for destruction Come out of Babylon least you be partakers of her plague Rev. 18.4 If you ask why God should be thus provoked by corruptions in truth or worship the Reason is plain Because his Glory is more immediately interrested in these things Practical godlinesse and obedience are acceptable but his truth and his worship are that which immediately relate to him Herein his jealousie is said to be drawn out Vse of Admonition Pray and take heed you fall not from your stedfastnesse and be led aside with the errours of the wicked You see here is no dallyance no wantonnesse allowed in this matter God will destroy Art thou not afraid of Gods wrath of Gods vengeance If it were but the anger of a man or the persecution of a man it might be endured but God who is a consuming fire he will never bear this He will not endure this This Text would be like a flaming sword to keep men from false and erroneous waies if duly considered This is that which undoeth us people are either very sottish and stupid not regarding any thing of Religion at all or if they do they do not with that sobriety that humility that fear and trembling addresse themselves to know Gods truths as they ought to do There is a prophane proud unmortified frame of heart upon us and then then no wonder we defile his Temple Him shall God destroy This is the punishment threatned to the Temple-defilers and though but two words God destroy yet both have their weight There are many evils and calamities that yet are not a destruction that is the utmost of all paenall evils and then it 's a destruction from God whose wrath is like himself Incomprehensible It 's not man but God shall destroy Now what this destruction is we have told you not an annihilation of soul and body as Socinians would have it not a Physical destruction but moral viz. depriving the wicked man of all happinesse and comfort We have handled this relatively already as it is the Portion of the Temple-defilers I shall now consider it absolutely Eternal wrath and damnation is described here under the name of destruction which is the reward of every wicked impenitent man whether his sinnes be intellectual or bodily And the Doctrine I shall raise is That Eeternal Damnation is the Destruction of a man It 's the undoing of a man for ever This Doctrine or Truth hath a sting in it and because men are generally so bruitish and feared in their evil waies I do the rather pitch upon it because truths that are of a more sublime nature do not so easily penetrate Let us then improve this Eternal Damnation is the Destruction of a man It 's the eternal undoing of a man To clear this consider First That it is the Scriptures way to represent Hell and Damnation under all those evils that are most terrible to sense as on the contrary Heaven is described by such nams as do usually delight most men Hence it 's called a Kingdom and a Crown of Glory and a City paved with precious stones These are condescending expressions to us who are apt to apprehend nothing great and admirable but what is so to sense and were not our natural corruption so greatly prevailing over us such Scripture baites would soon take us As it is thus for Heaven so for the contrary Hell and eternal damnation is described by all such terrible Objects that the very naming of them should fill us with great horrour and do not think these are vain scare-crows no these expressions do no more represent to the full the torment and pain of the damned indeed then a painted fire doth a reall burning fire Whatsoever the Scripture saith of this destruction of wicked men doth not arise up in the least manner to the torment indeed Therefore that the meditation and preaching of this subject may be profitable set Faith on work believe there is such a state of destruction coming upon impenitent men that all the undoing we can have in this life is nothing to that eternal undoing Let Faith warm and heat thy heart with this and it will work wonderfully to thy reformation If to die be a thing of terrour what is eternal death What is eternal destruction If skin for skin and all that a man hath he will give for his life how much rather for this eternal life Secondly This destruction consists in two things The good it 's privative of And The evil it 's positive of Schoolmen call it the punishment of losse and the punishment of sense The Scripture brings in God inflicting both in that terrible sentence at the Day of Judgment Depart from me into eternal fire Mat. 25.41 Depart from me there is the privation of all good Into eternal fire there is the position of all evil and misery Divines have disputed which is the greatest evil of these two but Chrysostome answers The privation of Gods face is farre worse then all the torments in Hell That Depart from me is more terrible then eternal fire Certainly seeing such a destruction is coming how much doth it concern all to watch and pray about it Descendamus in infernum viventes ne descendamus morientes said Bernard Let us descend into Hell while alive by meditation lest we really descend thither when we die But singularia sunt quae pungunt Let us therefore consider What losse it is First that this destruction doth consist in And First It 's the losse of God in whom only is all happinesse Depart from me At his right hand are pleasures for evermore Psal 16.11 To be with God and to enjoy him is that happinesse which eye hath not seen nor can the heart of a man conceive For such as God himself is such is the enjoying of him He is the bonum in quae omnia bona bonum quo nihil melius cogitari potest The Jehova The beings of all created comforts that are scattered up and down and parcelled in creatures with their several imperfections are united and conjoyned in him in transcendent perfection only To represent what God is and the enjoyment of him would be to empty the Ocean with a shell Then do we best esteem of him when we judge him inestimable Now our destruction lyeth in being deprived of all that good which God would have been to us Oh
him Now a mans self is to be denied two wayes 1. There is his sinfull and unlawfull self in the pleasures and profits of sinne This must be totally renounced But how absurd this is appeareth in that it is Pulling out our right eye and cutting off our right hand But then 2. There is a lawfull self which is seen in our affections even to lawfull things Now here also a man must-moderate himself yea hate all when it cometh in competition with Christ If a man hate not father or mother for my sake he cannot be my Disciple Luke 14.26 Those that marry must be as if they married not 2 Corin. 7. If a Christian set himself to such a mortified crucified life and not bid his soul take its ease and be vainly merry with the world he is judged a simple foolish man for his labour 2. The duty of faith in relying upon Christ onely and renouncing our own righteousnesse is the great Gospel-command yet nothing is more foolish and absurd to humane Reason than this All the Philosophers thought of no other righteousnesse but that of workes The Pharisees yea all the Jews they looked onely for justification by the workes of the Law Paul till wholly new moulded by the Gospel could not judge all things dung and drosse for the righteousnesse of Christ This is the Rock at which many have splitted their comforts All Popery findes this a stumbling block and it 's so foolish a thing judged by them that they call it a putative imaginary righteousnesse as absurd a thing say they as if we should say a deformed Thersites was fair and beautifull by another mans beauty Therefore this way of faith is only by revelation 3. The duties of Humility and Meeknesse especially forbearing of one another and loving our enemies is esteemed high folly in worldly mens esteem The Heathens thought it a very justifiable thing to hate their enemies Yea the Pharisees traditional Doctrine was to hate their enemies Therefore when Christ came with his But I say unto you love your enemies doe good to those that hate you pray for them that despitefully use you Mat. 5.44 This seemed to make a man a fool in the world More particulars we might instance in But Let the Use be to remove every thing that exalteth it self against Christ and his wayes Thy carnal wisdome is the first enemy that must be destroyed Do not think thy self wiser than the Scriptures submit to the dictates thereof What that saith is to be believed without further dispute believe What that faith is to be done without further cavils immediately obey though it be thy right eye that it must be pulled out If you aske Why men doe not mortifie their sinnes and live more strictly It is carnal wisdome that judgeth another life more creditable Thus it is also concerning every Gospel-duty If any man among you seeme to be wise let him become a foole that he may be wise The Text perswadeth us to put out our right eyes as Nahash the Ammonite did Davids Embassadours onely that was for their hurt and reproach this for our great profit and honour Humane and earthly wisdome is the great enemy to all heavenly things That Doctrine hath been dispatched We come now to consider the Description of this humane wisdome and the Apostle hath two diminishing limitations First If any man seem to be wise he doth not say if any be indeed wise but if he seem to be either to himself through pride and vain-glory boasting of that which is not in him as the empty vessels make the most sound and the empty carts most ratling in the streets if so it 's like another expression of this Apostle If any man thinketh he knoweth something he knoweth nothing as he ought to know 1 Cor. 8.2 Or else if he seem to be wise in the opinion and repute of others and then this wisdome is like honour more â—n the imagination of those that repute him so then in the person himself Plus in hâ—â—orante quam honorato But either way you see it 's but a seeming 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it 's but a wisdome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the colours of the Rain-bow which are no colours indeed but a meer appearance by the Sunnes reflection as some say whereas the Scripture-wisdome is so indeed and in truth Let him become a foole that he may be wise he doth not say as before that he may also seem to be wise but wise in truth The second diminishing limitation is from the nature of it If any man seem to be wise in this world it doth not denote the place where this wisdome is for so the Apostles wisdome was in this world because they were men in the world but the Object and the Manner of tendency to it is worldly It 's about the world and rather a worldly manner therefore in the next verse he saith The wisdome of the world not in the world So that this is a very debasing restriction it 's the wisdome of the world it doth not at all further to Heaven or to eternal happinesse or to eternity it 's only about these fading things which live and die together almost Observe That all humane and earthly wisdome cometh farre short and is but a meer shadow and appearance in respect of Scripture wisdome Even the seven wise men of Greece were but seven fools if they be brought to the Scripture Aristotle with all his syllogistical arguments speaking of so many fallacies yet all his learning was but a fallacy Here was no true and solid wisdome which might make them happy Therefore the Apostle tels us of the oppositions of science falsly so called 1 Tim. 6. They were not Philosophi though Pythagoras out of humility assumed that name acknowledging God onely to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lovers of wisdome but of vanity All that knowledge was a cloud a shadow and they were as if an hungry man should open his mouth wide thinking to feed himself with air and had no true food at all Now the wisdome of the world may be divided into two heads First Their speculative and contemplative wisdome which consisted in the Liberal Arts as they called them In this they had great renown and for this they were admired having many monuments and statues dedicated to them as Rome did to one great Rhetorician with this Inscription Regina urbs regi eloquentiae The Queen of Cities to the King of eloquence This they called Scientia Secondly Their Political and Civil Prudence or Moral whereby as men and societies they labour to make themselves happy and to lead a pleasant life Socrates is commended for this that he brought in moral Philosophy reducing all speculations to practice Now answerable to both these the Scripture teacheth us 1. A way of believing which farre exceedeth their contemplative science And 2. A right motive of doing whereby we may indeed be partakers of everlasting joy and this
farre surpasseth all their morality First then let us shew Wherein the faith of a Christian commanded by the Scripture doth farre surpasse all humane knowledge and science which men by nature do glory in And First Faith doth surpasse all humane sciences in the dignity of the subject The matter about which a Christians faith is exercised doth farre transcend all that about which humane knowledge doth exercise it self For the highest that they could reach unto is only to the knowledge of natural effects produced by natural causes And if any could prove these by the former this they called a demonstration Though some men say No man ever yet gave a demonstration à priori quoad se but quoad nos So then all the excellent wisdom of the world hath been only to consider the nature of sublunary things or to discourse about the nature of the heavenly bodies and their motions and if they did arise to consider of a God the Maker of these it was in a very uncertain doubtfull way Hence the Apostle speaks of them Acts 17.27 that they were as men in the dark feeling after a thing to find it as the Sodomites smote with blindnesse felt for the door This is all our humane wisdome can help us to but now by faith we have the supernatural mysteries of salvation revealed unto us The Scripture tels us Of a God in Christ reconciling man to himself of mans original misery of Christ the Mediator Alas how poor and contemptible are the highest notions even of Plato though called Divine when you come and read Paul There are such admirable and heavenly truths revealed in Gods word that all humane wisdome was no more able to find or apprehend such things then a dwarf could reach to the Heavens If we then consider the dignity and worth of that subject which the Scripture revealeth and faith is exercised about dirt is not more inferiour to precious pearls than humane knowledge to faith Secondly Faith differs from all their humane science in respect of the excellency of the end For the end of all Scripture wisdom is to bring us to eternal life The Scriptures are able to make us wise to salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 The things of Christ are said to be written That believing we might have eternal life John 20 31. There was never any humane knowledge could teach a man to be eternally happy Platoes Divinity and Aristotles Morality though they have the words of happinesse and have large discourses about it yet wanted the thing it self Oh then let us blesse God for Scripture-wisdome for the treasures of knowledge revealed there Learn of David How wonderfully was he affected with Gods word What light and wisdome did he attain unto thereby The Scriptures will teach thee such a blessednesse and such a way to blessednesse that could not enter into thy heart to conceive before the light thereof came into thee Thirdly Faith doth surpasse all humane knowledge in its certainty and infallibility A man that believeth the truths of God revealed in the Scripture hath more certain knowledge then all the more wise and learned men of the world For the object of faith being Gods testimony and his Divine Authority it 's as impossible for faith to be deceived as it is for God to lie Hence it 's called The full assurance of hope Heb. 10.22 And we believe therefore we speake 2 Cor. 4.13 How could the holy Martyrs witnesse those divine truths even to death had they not been possessed with full and sure knowledge of those things they died for whereas if we look into all humane knowledge there is very little certainty insomuch that some have expresly affirmed Nihil scitur yea that that also was not known and what little certainty they have appeareth by the contrary and different opinions in all their main points Fourthly Faith doth more establish settle and quiet the heart of men then all humane wisdome Solomon observeth a vanity and vexation of spirit even in all humane knowledge but now faith doth establish settle and satisfie the soul Heb. 11.1 It is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen Those that want faith are said to be double-minded men Jam. 1. inconstant as the waves of the Sea Oh the anxiety and perplexities that meer humane knowledge hath cast men into And so those who have no other bottome than the Authority of Church or the power of men to believe These are reeds shaken up and down with every wind Their faith is upon ambulatory and moveable considerations wheras faith makes a man like Christ The same yesterday and to day and for ever Lastly The Christian faith is above all philosophical knowledge Because of the strong and mighty effects it hath to convert the heart and reform the life Acts 15 9. Purifying their hearts by faith How can ye believe when ye seek glory one of another said our Saviour John 5.44 Yet these humane Gnosticks did only aim at glory though Philosophers call them the Liberal Arts yet they could not set them free from their lusts whereas Christ John 8.32 said If my Word abide in you you shall be free indeed Never did humane knowledge make such wonderfull converts and work so great a reformation as the Christian saith hath done And although we have now too many who say they do believe and yet do such things as many of the Gentiles would be ashamed of yet these men have not faith indeed but the name and title of it for as much as faith though but like a grain of mustard-seed would bid such mountains of lusts be removed into the Sea In the next place The moral or practical wisdome of the world cometh farre short of Scripture-wisdome For First The most knowing men were ignorant of original sinne which yet is the fountain of our calamity The Heathens indeed bewailed the mortality and misery of man but they know not our natural pollution the ground of all Yea we see Paul himself though a Pharisee was not acquainted with that Law of sinne within him till inlightned by the Word Rom. 7. Now if men know not their disease or the cause of it they can never be cured So that whatsoever precepts about living well they delivered yet they built on a sandy foundation they did not dig deep enough Secondly All humane wisdome and prudence knoweth not how to mortifie and forsake sinne upon true grounds because they were ignorant of Gods Spirit Rom. 8.13 If ye through the Spirit do mortifie sinne They did not crucifie the body of sinne nor bewail it because it was sinne but for humane respects as it did hinder the publique or as it was prejudicial to their glory and fame but they overcame one lust by another Thirdly All earthly prudence cometh short of this wisdome because it 's circumscribed within the bounds of this world and this life It looketh out no further whereas the Scripture giveth directions for
in vain are taken up in the New Testament as well as the Old And experience teacheth us That where Christ is preached and the Gospel in a glorious manner promulged yet it 's but dead preaching to many This voice doth not make them come out of the grave of sinne onely herein the Law and the Gospel differ that the matter of the Law pressed will condemn us none being ever able to fulfill it Yea the godly cannot do all things the Law requireth and so the Law is a killing letter to him But the Gospel that comes with a moderation where the graces of Gods Spirit are though weak and imperfect there through Christ their weaknesse is forgiven So that the preaching of the Gospel to a soul oppressed for sinne is like the year of Jubilee to poor servants and indebted prisoners Howsoever then the preaching of the Gospel is said to be the ministration of life and of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. yet that is not to be understood simply of it self but as accompanied with the power of God Hence the Gospel is said to be the power of God to salvation Rom. 1.16 the power of God not of man It 's not mans wisdome that our faith is grounded on Thus much for what the Apostle meaneth not What he positively meaneth or inferreth are First That it 's not in the power or choise of the Minister to make it effectual He cannot bid or command the Word to work as he pleaseth for then the guilt of all mens souls and the damnation of all would lie upon us As our Divines say to the Papists when they brag The Pope hath the Keyes of power above all things not only in earth but in purgatory Why then doth he suffer those souls to lie tormented there as he doth So it would be here Why are any damned Why do any lie in their sinnes if the Ministry by its own power could convert them No the Ministers of God they can only pray they can mourn and grieve in secret to see the miscarriage of the Word and the wilfull resolution in men to destroy their own souls they can mourn over the dead but they cannot recover them to life Secondly The Apostle by this intends that both the Ministers and the people should keep themselves in their due bounds The Ministers though never so eminent though never so much applauded by a numerous company of Disciples yet they cannot make one black hair white They cannot say of any people obeying the Gospel That we by our own power have made such believe It 's true they are said to be Fathers and to beget men to the truth but that is only instrumentally and metaphorically by external application of the Word not internal power for so we have onely one Father in Heaven Pride and ambition do easily breed in the most eminent parts as worms in the sweetest fruit but when they shall consider that they are nothing and God is all this is a good way to humble them and then the people hereby are also taught much moderation Some mens persons they are apt to admire Not such a man in the world Oh but what a great God is there in Heaven without whom this man is nothing This is spiritual Idolatry and that worship which is to be given to Christ only you give to instruments Lastly In making the Ministry nothing and God all The Apostle would have both Minister and people in their Ministry to have our hearts and eyes up to Heaven As the Bird after every drop of water it sips looks up presently to Heaven so shouldst thou Lord what the Minister hath spoken what he hath pressed oh set it home with a blessing Cause it to come like rain upon the new mowed grasse Oh the carelesse and prophane hearing that is every where This makes God give no increase you matter it not you believe not you tremble not under it you do not earnestly pray about it If a man have a leg or arm to be cut off oh you desire all you meet with to pray about it Why because it may cost him his life How much rather about every Sermon every Duty that is preached shouldst thou pray and again pray Oh it may be the damning of my immortal soul to miscarry therein Quest But how may we addresse our selves to hear and to the Ministry so that God may make them something to us Answ To be made something is when the Word doth greatly wound thy heart or comfort thee when it makes a noise and a pain at thy very bowels when it makes thee sick at the very heart when it makes thee cry out Oh me a wretched sinner what have I done Whither shall I go Ah wretch that I am In what a wofull condition am I plunged Sinne is on one side hell on the other the wrath of God above me and all the curses of the Law round about me Then it 's something then our words fall like hot burning coals upon your consciences you cannot sleep nor rove but tremble under it Now this will be done these wayes First Make it a real and conscientious matter to pray unto God to give increase As to the woman our Saviour said According to thy faith so be it unto thee So according to thy prepared prayer saith God this Sermon and this duty shall be blessed unto you As your cruise is fitted so will God pour in oil If we then complain that the Ministry works no more notable effects that it makes no more transcendent alterations judge whether the blame lie not on thy own self Prayer is that which moveth with God Prayer is that in which the Sermon rolled produceth sutable operations The Word of God is a two-edged sword but prayer maketh it penetrate that sets God on work and God sets his Word on work A man much in prayer is alwayes much in profiting As the Preacher is to pray Christ prayed much in the night as he taught much in the day so the hearer he also must pray much Secondly Exercise strong and divine acts of faith this will make the Ministry something to thee The Word profited not because it was not mingled with faith Heb. 4.2 or as some interpret because by faith they were not mixed as it were with the Word they were not incorporated into it and who hath believed our report Rom. 10. Faith is that which comes at first by hearing and then afterwards makes hearing profitable The Atheism and unbelief which is on mens hearts make the Word without efficacy such are prophane mockers As you see they despised the Prophets that often said The burden of the Lord the burden of the Lord. Men believe not the things preached to be Gods truth that they are Gods word that they will be made good whether they will or no they are living words and sure words and faith only layeth the first foundation of this spiritual building believe the threatning and thou darest
same necessary soul-saving things for the affections are slow to receive though the understanding be quick You are not weary of the same sun though it rise every day We proceed to the next particular in the Text viz. the Event or consequent of Paul's foundation Another buildeth thereon So then Paul and the other Apostles laid the foundation in that they planted Churches at first and all that are to come after are only to build on that They must not divulge any new necessary Articles of Faith we must rest content with what is done by them already Observe That people are not to expect that Ministers should bring any other Doctrine them what is laid by Christ and the Apostles already Religion is matter of Doctrine which we receive from the Scriptures not matter of invention that we make of our own head Thus even Timothy is commanded only to build upon not to lay any foundation O Timothy keep that which is committed to thy charge 1 Tim. 6.20 That good thing comitted to thy trust The necessary truths of salvation are deposited in the Scripture and committed to faithfull men Now they must look they deliver the same Aurum accepisti aurum redde as Lyriuensâ—s To open this consider That the Apostles sent by Christ made it their business to inform in all things necessary to be believed and done They declared the whole counsel of God by a lively voice preaching to those that lived in those daies It is true they likewise informed of many other truths and duties in Religion that were not fundamental but still wheresoever they came they preached Faith in Christ and Rpentance Faith in Christ that required the knowledg of things to be believed and Repentance that was about things to be done And indeed if the Apostles had not laid down all things necessary their Commission would have been very imperfect and it would have redounded to Gods dishonour to send such foolish builders that could not lay a sound foundation So that it is horrible presumption for any to think that God hath revealed more to them then the Apostles What the Apostles had not revealed to them as necessary we are not to think it necessary Therefore 2. When the Apostles were to leave the earth and could no longer by a living voice commend those necessary things to them it pleased God that what they had delivered by mouth should be commended to writing These things are written saith John that believing we might have eternal life So then the believing of things written is enough to bring eternal life Joh. 20 31. And Timothy is commended that from the youth up he was acquainted with the Scriptures which were able to make him wise to salvation 1 Tim. 3. Since therefore the Apostles were taken into Heaven the foundations that we have to build on are the Scriptures only Hence though Christ be here called the foundation yet the Apostles and Prophets also are called the foundation Eph. 2.20 upon which Believers are built viz. secondary foundations So that to expect necessary things beyond the Scripture is as vain as to look for another Messiah with the Jews He that cannot see with one sun would not see with an hundred 3. Although the necessary foundations be thus laid yet our preaching and your hearing is not in vain for there is this further work to be done First Those necessary things we are to explain more distinctly and confirm more plainly that so Faith may be the more setled Necessary Principles of Religion have many excellent conclusions latent in them as fire lyeth in a stone which doth not appear but by striking out The Ministry therefore is to explain and distinctly to interprete these things As the candle though of it self it hath light enough yet unless put on a candlestick it cannot enlighten the whole room so the Word of God though it be full of light yet there must be the interpretation and application of it Therefore they are commanded to divide the Word aright 2 Tim. 2.15 The bread must be broken and digested else it cannot nourish So that this building lyeth in the further explication of what is believed We do not preach nova but novè not new things but in a new manner Secondly Though we are only to build on this foundation and no new thing be expected yet matters of Religion may be said to be new in themselves or unto us In themselves and so certainly there can be no new thing preached for as there cannot be a new Christ or a new Scripture so neither any new Faith Yea the Apostles and Christ himself did not bring any new necessary matter of salvation to what the Patriarchs and Prophets had before The Old Testament and the New are the same for the substance of Salvation though there be new Rites and new Sacraments and a clear explication But in the second place things may be new to us As in Popery when the reformed Divines first preached Justification by Faith denyed the merit of works as also the Pope to be head of the Church These were said to bring a new Gospel but it was a slander it was new only to men corrupted with errors and living in ignorance as the sun is new to a man that was blind but hath received his sight Thirdly This building upon the foundation lyeth in the powerfull application of necessary truths to the hearts and consciencies of men For the Scripture that speaks generally the Ministry that is to come particularly that doth as Elisha laid himself upon the Child mouth to mouth and body to body that so life might be procured To do by particular application of what is spoken generally in the Word this is the Ministry Vse of Instruction That it is a fundamental miscarriage in Religion to affect any thing further then the Scripture and the Apostles have left to us To expect such new things as cannot be built on this foundation Oh take heed of being weary of any point in Religion because thou knowest it already There is a sinfull itching both in Preachers and Hearers many times in these things As they were weary of the Manna because used to it We are indeed to grow in knowledg and in light both Persons and Churches are to grow in a reformation yet they must grow within the same kind as a Child groweth in the parts of man-kind he doth not degenerate into another nature But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereon We are now come to the later part of this verse which is Exhortatory Let every man take heed c. By this he sheweth that it 's a matter full of danger his losse may be exceeding great And then withall a man had need use much diligence and circumspection otherwise he may think â—he buildeth gold and silver when indeed it is nothing but drosse or lead And when he saith Every man his meaning is onely of Officers and Teachers he doth not speak
He that would come to God must believe that he is and a rewarder of those that seek him So that this foundation must be laid as well as about Christ And it 's made eternal life to know God the Father the only true God as well as Christ John 17.12 Where the object of our faith that is fundamental is divided into that of God and of Christ the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus also the Doctrine of the Trinity That there are three and these one God is a foundation because we are baptized into the Name of these three and the knowledge of them must needs be fundamental To answer this When we say Christ is to be laid as the only foundation that is exclusive of all humane foundations it doth not exclude God the Father or God the holy Ghost but incluâ—es them rather So then we are not to preach Jesus Christ as the foundation of all our comfort peace and salvation as that God the Father and the holy Ghost are to be shut out of this No they had all their appropriated working in this great Redemption of mankind And therefore as in those places where God the Father is said to be the only God and one God that is not exclusive of the other persons but of made and feigned gods of Idols made gods by men So it 's here Christ Jesus is preached as the foundation yet God the Father and the holy Ghost have their peculiar workings also though only the second Person is the Mediator And therefore secondly Christ Jesus cannot be preached as the foundation unless the Doctrine of God the Father and the holy Ghost be also made known Hence are those expressions He that knoweth the Sonne knoweth the Father also And He that denieth the Sonne denieth the Father And he that honoureth the Sonne honoureth the Father John 8.19 John 5.23 The Doctrine of Christ as Mediatour cannot be laid down without the Doctrine of God the Father giving his Sonne to be thus a Mediatour for us and the Spirit of God as applying working and sealing all those benefits that Christ hath purchased Hence Christ doth often acknowledge the Father in that work he came to do for mankind So that Christ Jesus is the foundation but there may be a more explicite revealing of what is necessarily implied in this foundation A second Objection is Is Christ only to be preached as the foundation And are people to be built upon him Then what need Ministers preach of any thing else but Christ What need they preach of faith and repentance Especially Why should they preach of the threatnings and the curse of the Law of the torments of Hell Doth it become the Ministers of the Gospel to be sonnes of thunder Have they any work to do but to offer Christ to every one Every Sermon should it not be an Ho to every one that is thirsty naked or miserable that is burdened and laden to come to Christ Thus indeed some have runne into extremity and thought Christ was not preached because he is not alwayes proffered as a Saviour to sinners but the Law and Duties and Hell torments are preached Now to this we say many things First When the Ministers of God preach duties the work of repentance or mortification they preach them not as foundations They do not lay them in Christs room and therefore they do not crosse this Text. Doth not this Paul who is so carefull to lay no other foundation but Christ diligently exhort in other places to avoid sinne to live in the fervent practice of holy duties Who is more zealous in this way than Paul Paul to these very Corinthians hath many severe admonitions to make them humble and sorrowfull for their sinnes yet he did not lay another foundation because these are preached only as the way whereby Christ may be obtained We do not then transgresse this Text when we preach repentance to the sinner humility to the proud man heavenly-mindedness to the earthly man righteousnnesse to the unjust man chastity to the unclean man We do not forget our Office we do not runne from our Text because we preach them not as a foundation Indeed if any preach them so as to rest on them to put confidence in them this man layeth another foundation but so do not the Orthodox we preach Christ the meritorious cause duties are the way not the cause And although Christ be said to be in a different sense the way yet duties are the way Christ is the way effectively and meritorious but so are not duties Secondly Though the Ministers are to lay no other foundation yet they are to build upon this they must enlarge themselves in the explication of this foundation They must not build hay or stubble but gold and precious stone So that we are not only to lay the foundation but to adde all other things that may make us a comely building upon Christ Thirdly To preach Christ is not only to preach Christ as the Object matter but all the things Christ would have us to preach That is to be observed we preach Christ when we preach all those things he hath commanded as well as when he is the subject matter of our Sermons When Paul about the Lords Supper said I delivered unto you that also which I received of the Lord Christ Here he preached Christ as well as when he said This is a faithfull saying Christ came into the world to save sinners So that here may be a great mistake thou thinkest Christ is never preached but when he is named when he is the matter of the Doctrine and Use Yet when we preach the whole counsel of God and deliver what ever he hath commanded us to reveal to our people then we preach Christ Thus the Apostles in their voyages and journeys where they went are said to preach Christ and in those Sermons they did not onely preach Jesus to be the Messias but also commanded all other duties of faith repentance love as the Auditories did require Fourthly We are to preach duties but in reference to Christ Take any particular grace that the Ministers of the Gospel provoke men to this cannot be done without bringing the soul to Christ and therefore though the Ministers of the Gospel do not in every Sermon name it yet it is to be supposed As for example take repentance we say every ungodly sinner unlesse he repent unlesse sinne be a burden an heavy bitternesse to him and he fully forsake it he must necessarily perish Now many wayes Christ is concerned in this For 1. He cannot repent and be humbled for sinne unlesse Christ give him strength Without me ye can do nothing The branch separated from the tree hath no moisture no juyce in it John 15. Thus a man without Christ hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an hard heart a withered heart an heart without any moisture any softnesse so then Christ is here
God when it may be thou art further off than ever 2. The truths of Christ are profitable to sanctification and holinesse Sanctifie them by thy truth John 17. By the Word we come to take heed of sin Psal 19. to order our lives whereas errour that is wholly instrumental to wickednesse and impiety A corrupt mind and a corrupt life go together Faith and a good conscience are kept together and lost together When a man fals off from the truth he will also fall off from that power of godlinesse and degree of holinesse â—e once seemed to have Truth is the eye and if the eye be dark the whole body will be dark Grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 3.18 these go together If therefore thou wouldst keep up the whole way of godlinesse all that accuratenesse and strictnesse thou hast been exercised in take heed of erroneous Doctrines they loosen the reins they corrupt good manners Though some Heretiques have been of a seeming religious life yet even they were but as glistering Serpents full of inward poison for all their fair out-side viz. of inward pride and hypocrisiâ— And indeed it is commonly Gods judgement to punish the abuse of knowledge with an ungodly life The Heathens did not glorifie God according to their knowledge and therefore God gave them up to strong delusiâ—ns and vilâ— affections Rom. 1. It 's good to have the heart established with grace and not with meats Heb. 13 9. Loosnesse of opinions is apt to beget loosnesse of lâ—fe as ill distâ—llations from the head breed the consumption of the vitals 3. They are unprofitable for any sound comfort and joy That we through the comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Rom. 15.4 The truths of Christ will only be owned by him and to such as suffer for it he administers much consolation and comfort As the Martyrs felt unspeakable joy and assurance It cannot be denied but Heretiques and erroneous persons may find much sensible comfort in their false way Thâ—refore no man must conclude the truth of a Doctrine from comfort but he must try his comfort by his Doctrine yet even that comfoâ—t men have in a false way is not like the true joy Godâ— truth brings To give differences between them is not here my purpose no more than between the patience of a true Martyr and the quietnesse of an Heretique in their sufferings 4. They are not profitable for duration or continuance This straw will not keep off the rain of Gods tempests Hence God will purge his people from this drosse The Disciples were many times in great errours but Christ did recover them And truly such is the goodnesse of God to his elect people that they shall never totally and finally be deceived you see here they shall be saved by fire and the fire will try it God will by some severe affliction or other means bring his people back again The sheep that wandered will come home again acknowledging their folly and that they did only lose their wool in the briars of needlesse disputes Vse of Instructâ—on To shew the vanity and folly either of such teachers or hearers that dote on errours that admire hay and stubble as if it were gold and precious stones Oh try and prove things first by the Word ere you rejoyce or boast in them 2. What makes a Church truly glorious even when it 's pure from errours and heresies A Church imbracing the truth is like a goodly Edifice of all beautifull excellencies but where errors and falshoods are there is a disgrace and dishonour to it Vse of Exhortation In all the matters of Religion see what solidity and profit there is in the thing thou believest If they be full of divine Authority if they make for godlinesse for exactnesse in life for true and sound peace then it 's something but if they do intoxicate mens brains make them spiritually drunk they stagger and reel if they make them straws an empty reed shaken with every wind then fear these things Verse 13. Every mans work shall be made manifest IN the twelfth verse you had a Description of a two-fold Builder Now in this verse and the other following the Apostle proceeds to shew a two-fold event And 1. He generally declareth that there will be a Manifestation of every mans work And then 2. The Consequent Effectâ— upon that Manifestation that there will be a discovery at last though for a while men may carry on their purposes with much subtilty you have in the first part of the verse Peter said of Pauls Epistles That there were in them many things hard to be understood And Austin he thought as you heard this Text was one of them I shall therefore explain it by degrees And First I shall at this time consider the Proposition laid down by the Apostle as a ground work Every mans work shall be made manifest Consider the Subject the Note of Vniversality and the Attribute 1. The Subject Every mâ—ns work work Here the Apostle calleth erroneous Doctrines as also the publishing and propagating of them works which overthroweth that nice distinction of some who pressed with that place Rom. 13. The Magistrate is a terrour to evil works Works say they not opinions or false Doctrines for though the opinion simply as so is hidden in the heart yet the professing and publication of it is a work therefore here they are made all one So vers 8. it 's called a mans labour And John epist 2. we must not bid God speed to a man that brings a false Doctrine lest thereby we be partaker of his evil deeds 2. Here is the Note of Vniversality Every mans work that is every Doctors every builders work Lastly Here is the Attribute Shall be made manifest Which implieth that all errours and falshoods have a glittering out-side they are maintained with much subtilty and specious pretences so that he who looks only to the seeming out-side and appearances of false wayes will easily be deceived But as the painted face when it comes near the fire will melt so these painted errours when God bringeth his fire will dissolve away So that there is much in that phrase Shall be made manifest Now although this Proposition is to be taken in a limitted sense to the false subtil and crafty wayes of errours and the authours thereof yet I shall first handle it as a general truth and so as the Apostle may take it as a general and then apply it to the particular of foolish builders Observe That all the wayes and works of wickedness though acted in never so hidden and secret a manner shall be made manifest When and how I shall not yet enquire All that I have now to do is That such works though creeping under the ground will be brought to light So Chap. 5.10 Eccles ult ult First We will shew What kind of hidden wickednesse shall be made manifest And then The
salt is the fire of afflection By these places you see then that fire signifieth in the general Gods severe judgment discovering and trying mens waies which are partly by his Word and partly by afflictions So that the Apostle continueth in his excellent Allegory of building Those parts of the house that are wood and straw are presently consumed by fire but gold and silver will abide This I conceive the genuine meaning only further take notice that the Apostle speaks in the Present-tense it is revealed but we translate it in the future because it 's usual in the Scripture to speak of a thing that shall be continued in the Present-tense as also to shew the certainty of it It 's also doubted to what this doth relate The day shall be declared by fire Some say the Lord shall be revealed in fire as 1 Thes 1.7 Others more probably the work of every man Doct. That God useth to bring people out of errours and false waies by his Word and Afflictions The Word to inform and Afflictions to prepare the heart Even as men out of their senses are kept in Prysons with hard usage so God to humble and tame such a people sadly afflicts them that they may hearken to his Word God made Aegypt an Iron-furnace to the people of Israel they lay under great oppressions that so Canaan might be the more welcome to them To understand this consider That though the word and afflictions both help to bring a man out of false waies yet farre differently For First The word of God is of it self sufficient in a way of light to inform and instruct and hath threatnings also to be like a goad in the side but afflictions of themselves do not inform do not teach Gods Word is able to reduce without afflictions but afflictions cannot do any thing without Gods Word Hence all that fire which is poured upon Idolaters and Heathens is like the fire of hell calidus but not luciâ—us because they have not the Word to guide them Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest and teachest thy word Psal 94.12 Should a man go through fire and water give his body to be burnt for any errour or superstitious doctrine all the imprisonments and burnings in the world could do them no good unlesse the Word go before Heretici sunt lapidandi argumentis è Seripturâ petitis Arguments fetcht out of the Scripture may strike down the greatest Goliah Secondly There is a difference between the Word and Afflictions because though afflictions have a voice as well as the Word and the rod speaks as well as Gods Word yet the word of God doth it distinctly and plainly afflictions in a general manner They tell us God is angry they tell us they come for sinne but why and wherein or what are the sinnes that Gods Word doth only inform us So that Gods Word hath the prerogative above afflictions Thirdly Though the Word of God be thus only able to instruct and convince being a perfect Rule yet that doth not exclude other helps especially the Ministry for Ministers are called the lights and guides So that the word of God is the light but it must be put on a Candlestick The Word of God will convince heretiques but in the hands of wâ—â— and faithfull Teachers Otherwise men through ignorance and corruption fetch their errours from the Word of God misapplied Which made Ambrose compare ignorant heretical persons using Scripture to little David in Sauls Armour it was more then he could weild and so instead of defending it did wound him These things being premised 1. Let us see How God by the word reduceth the wandering sheep 2. How by afflictions And First The word of God is instrumental to open the eyes to enlighten the dark understanding David doth wonderfully commend the Scripture for this use that it was a lanthorn to his feet and a lamp to his paths whereby he became wise and understood even more then his Teachers Psal 119. This is the EYE-SALVE For want of searching into the Scriptures it was they erred so grossely about the resurrection When Christ is promised to be as a refining fire Mal. 3. to the Sons of Levi how did he this but by the clearing of the Word from Pharisaical interpretations And Estius though a Papist thinks this place alludes to that of Malachi and indeed there is a great resemblance Secondly The word of God is fire to try mens works because it containeth all matter necessary to salvation So that when we believe hoc credimus quod nihil ultra credere debemus the Scriptures are said to be able to make us wise to salvation 2 Tim. 3 15. If nature doth not fail in natural necessities much lesse will the Scripture in supernatural These things are written that believing you might have eternal life Joh. 20.31 As God at first put all the light into the Sunne so he hath all necessary things into the Scripture The Word of God then will manifest and reveal both objectively in discovering that matter which is true and subjectively in preparing the eye to see which is more then the Sun can do Though that enlighten the medium yet it cannot give a seeing eye to the blind Thirdly The word of God will be a fire to try because it doth direct to all those means whereby we may come out of all errours As 1. It presseth humility not to lean to our understanding God will teach the humble his way Psal 25. Though such may a long while wander yet they will come back and then they are not ashamed to recant before the whole world Peter commends Paul for the wisdom given him of God 2 Pet. 3.15 and yet we know how Paul reproved Peter to the face as is related Gal. 1. This was great humility in Peter to love and commend the excellencies in Paul for all this Austin wrote his Retractations at the latter end of his age which argued great humility 2 The Scripture bids us love that truth we do know and so farre as we have obtained to obey and to walk according to that Rule Phil. 3.16 You heard last day That errours are not only mens sins but their punishments likewise Because men receive not the truth in the love of it they are delivered up to believe a lye Now then the godly are careâ—ull to prevent the cause thereof He that doth my will shall know whether the doctrine be of God Joh. 7 17. Foggy mists draw a cloud over the Sunne and so noisome affections they becloud the judgement 3. The Scripture directs to earnest Prayer That is the Key to open Heavens Treasury Ask and ye shall have If any man want wisdome let him ask it of God James 1.5 David though a great Proficient prayeth that God would open his eyes to understand the wonderfull things of his word Psal 119.18 Prayer must begin and Prayer must end all reading and hearing and all meditations To study
mans salvation as well as ungodlinesse in practice An unsound mind as well as unsound life may undo a man Austin once made a Question and knew not well how to resolve it viz. Which was worst an Heretique living with an unblameable life or an Orthodox man with a vicious and corrupt life Non audeo dicere saith I dare not determine it Though Austin could not determine it yet Salvian a religious and zealous Ancient he seemeth to preferre an Heretique if unblameable in his life before a wicked liver Now the truth is in some respects one is worse than another only herein there can be lesse said to excuse a prophane wicked Christian than an Heretique because moral duties such as not to lie swear or to be drunk or unclean are more easily known than many points in Religion especially those which are of a sublime consideration But yet if we speak in the general they both do endanger a mans salvation Thus the Apostle Peter saith That ignorant men wrâ—st the Scripture to their own destruction 2 Pet. 3.16 So that you see a man may destroy his soul not only by a prophane life but by a presumptuous abusing and wresting of the Scripture from the true sense And the Apostle James speaketh of it as a great matter To convert one that erreth from the truth he hath saved a soul and covered a multitude of sins Jam. 5.20 To open this Doctrine consider That the understanding of a man hath sâ—veral kinds of corruption whâ—ch do more or lesse endanger a mans salvation First There is ignorance in a mans understanding whereby he doth not know or believe the truth and this indangers a mans salvation This is eternal life to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent John 17.2 Therefore not 〈…〉 these is eternal death God would have all men to be saved and to come to thâ— kâ—â—wledge of the truth 2 Tim. 3 7. Thus as the true knowledg of God and Christ is the way to salvation This is the starre to lead to Christ so ignorance of these things is the way to damnation Hence wicked men are often said Not to know God and yet how universal is this sinne Few have any knowledge or understanding in the matters of Religion They have Eagles eyes to worldly things but very blinde Owles they are in heavenly things A second Corruption of the understanding is Errour Ignorance is in the first act of the understanding which they call simple and bare apprehension but Error is in the second Act which they call Judgement So that to erre is to mis-judge in matters of Religion as those that denied the Resurrection are said to erre because they did not know the Scriptures Mat. 22.29 Indeed sometimes the wicked wayes of a mans life are called errours They have alwayes erred in their hearts saith the Scripture of the Israelites in reference to their ungodly actions Heb. 3.10 because every sinne is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an errour or missing of the mark so that in this sence we may say thy ungodly actions are errours Thou dost well to complain of errours in doctrine but why dost thou not complain of thy errours in thy life Omnis peccans est ignorans every sinner as so is ignorant and erroneous but we speak not of this but of those errours in judgement whereby it judgeth false things true or true false And there is no man in the world but he hath some errour in his mind As there is not in any constitution Temperamentum ad pondus an exact temperament So neither in any mans understanding an exact and right judging of all things in matters of Religion We know in paâ—t saith the Apostle 1 Cor 13. Yea we are ignorant of farre more things than we know Thirdly There is a further corruption of the mind and that is heresie Which word though in the first rise of it was innocent in its signification and is so used twice or thrice in the Acts of the Apostles as some affirm yet in the Epâ—stles it is alwayes used in an ill sense and by ecclesiastical use it 's different from errour two wayes 1. Errour is in matters of lesse consâ—quence that are not of necessity but heresie they make to be of things fundamentall therefore the Apostle speaks of some Who shall bring in damnable Heresies 2 Pet 2.1 2. They make it differ in the affection of the person He that is an Heretique hath pertinacy and obstinacy An Heretique after the first and second admonition reject Tit. 3.10 But errours are with willingnesse to learn and to be informed as Austin Errare possum haereticus esse nolo Thus Ecclesiastical custome hath used the word Heresie though I cannot say the Scripture doth make that the adequate notion of the word Thus you see in these three wayes the minds of men may be corrupted and through every one of them more or lesse a man may be brought to the very brink of hell This is a truth little thought of yea some have thought Heresie to be innocency yea there are some who have maintained a man may be saved in any Religion or in any sect which if so then there could be no damnable Heresies Let us consider the Grounds of the Doctrine And First Therefore errours as well as ungodlinesse in life will damne Because they are a sinfull corruption of the best and noble faculty in a man The understanding is wounded with sinne as well as the will and affections insomuch that if it were possible for a man to have a right will and well ordered affections yet the sinfulnesse of his understanding is enough to damn him Grant then that ignorance errours or heresies are sinnes and you say enough to make any godly man afraid of them Therefore think of this you who make it no matter to hold this or that opinion in Religion If not to know the truth be a sinne know that is an infinite evil that will divide between God and thee and then it 's a sinne of the best and most noble part the understanding and reason whereby we are differenced from beasts A disease in the eye is a dangerous thing because so choice a part and if our eyes be so dear to us as that it 's a Proverb How dear should your minds and understandings be Nature hath provided a covering for them and hair to defend them and thus we should be carefull to keep our minds from all infections Secondly It must needs be damnable Because it 's opposite to saving grace and that is a true faith and knowledge of God in his Word Now this is a Rule We judge of the illnesse of every privation by the excellency of the habit it is contrary unto Now ignorance and errour they are contrary to a sound faith to a true knowledge and deprive the soul of those divine truths which are so instrumental to all holinesse Therefore to say to
off every man from his dearest sinnes The Apostle speaking 2 Pet. 3.11 of this expectation and how the whole world shall be then on fire he cryeth out What manner of persons ought we to be For Heathens and Atheists that believe not this Day it 's no marvell if they eat and drink and take no care but how is it that thou a Believer of these things art not in Prayer often in fasting and humiliation in reference hereunto Vse of Instruction The reason of the deluge of all errours and prophanenesse is for want of good logick They do not inferre good conclusions from good Premises For to be a Church to be Christians to be Believers of such sure and certain things do not those inferre to all What manner of persons should we be in all godlinesse and holinesse of Conversation Do you not know these things Are not these things acknowledged by all How then can wickednesse and sinne be found in any mans life Oh men be either desperate Atheists or mad fools Atheists if we believe not these things fools if we believe yet our lives not answerable thereunto What wilt thou plead at the day of Judgment What will thy own conscience say for thee Wilt thou not become immediately speechlesse not able to open thy mouth when God shall command to take such a sinner such a wicked man and bind him hand and foot and throw him into Hell If these things be not true deny them if you cannot you dare not deny them then go home and mourn in secret and meditate in secret on these things Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God The Introductive Preface hath been dispatched we come to the Assertion it self and therein we are to consider the Subject who are compared And 2. To what they be compared And Lastly The ground or Reason of the comparison The Subject compared is Ye Ye are the Temple of God This Ye may be taken both Collectively as a Church a Community a Society as the Temple was not one stone but a multitude of stones artificially built together And Secondly Distributively Ye that is every man is the Temple of the Holy Ghost As 1 Cor. 6.17 Your bodies are the Temple of the Holy Ghost But the first sense is here chiefly to be retained he speaketh to them as a Church 2. Here is the Matter we are compared to The Temple of God I shall speak more of this in verse 17 Only the word Temple is used sometimes for that magnificent and glorious building of Jerusalem where God had appointed all his worship Sometimes it is used for Heaven as being that glorious Palace wherein the Majesty of God doth effectualy demonstrate it self The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth any large Palace or Tower any Kingly House and is attributed to the Tabernacle 1 Sam. 1.9 It 's used for Heaven as Gods House Mich. 1.2 and Psal 11.4 From Templum comes that word Contemplâ—r because all behold the glory of the Heavens as also some say Considere from sidus But metaphorically the word signifieth First The Body of Christ Destroy this Temple said Christ and in three daies I will build it up Joh. 2.19 And if the Temple were holy because of the Schechinah the habitation of Gods presence there how much rather doth Christs body deserve to be called the Temple because the Godhead dwelled in it so fully for the company of Believers assembled and joyned together in the service and worship of God So that as God promised to commune with the people of Israel from between the Mercy-Seat and did there graciously exhibite himself so it is here Thus then as the Temple was a peculiar place dedicated to God wherein God promised his gracious presence so it is with a company of Believers joyned together in a Church way Concerning the holinesse of the Temple more in verse 17. Doct. That the People of God met together to worship him according to his way are the Spiritual Temple of God The ancient Temple was not more glorious and admirable to the humane eye then such Societies should be to the eye of Faith Thus Antichrist is said to fit in the Temple of God 2 Thes 2.4 that is in the Church of God where the true Church was And learned men think that latter part of Exekiel's prophesie though very obscure concerning the measuring of the Temple is nothing but the Promise of the building of the Church in the new Testament in an heavenly and glorious manner The Scripture delights to allude to those ancient usages in the Old Testament So that Evangelical Duties are sometimes called Sacrifices thus the people of God a Temple in this place To open this Doctrine let us consider what is in the Church allusively to the Temple And First The Materials for the Temple were to be polished and fitted by art ere they could be made part of the building The trees and timber of themselves the stones of themselves were not fit for that goodly structure but they had Instruments of art going over them to prepare them and thus it is ere a people come in to be made Members of a Church indeed there must be a Divine efficacy and power passing over them We of our selves have not Faith have not preparednesse for such Church duties till God doth enable us Look we therefore how we come into the Church of God How is it brought about that we are so If there be nothing but nature and custome or because we are born in such places if we have no more for our being Christians then Jews have for being Jews Turkes for being Turkes this is not to be Gods Temple indeed No that must be said to thee which was to Peter Flesh and blood hath not revealed this to thee Mat. 16.17 Hence the Church of God is compared to a Vineyard to a Garden all which are not naturally so but by art and industry are made such Thus it is here whatsoever our Societies and Meetings are in reference to God it is wholly of his making Secondly The Materials of the Temple were very excellent and precious of gold and silver c. not hay and stubble The best stone the best wood that would not putrifie and all things were covered over with gold and the gold was to be pure gold even the very snuffers were to be of gold Now what did this represent but to shew what kind of people those should be who were of the Church of God even as much differing from the others as gold and precious stones from pibble stones as precious wood from bryers So then if we be the Temple of God we ought to be a people of more noble and heavenly Conversation then the world can reach unto There ought to be no sinfull debasing waies amongst us As Michall though falsly said to David dancing before the Ark Thou hast made thy self like one of the vile fellowes of the Land it is
moved so swiftly because the Spirit was in them Oh then as she said If thou hadst been here my brother had not died So doe thou Oh Lord if thy Spirit had inlivened me and moved in me I had not â—ad such dead duties such a dead profession Oh where is thy Spirit When will it breathe heavenly life and vigour into me Thirdly The Spirit of God doth enable us to kill and mortifie sinne Rom 8. If ye through the Spirit mortifie the deeds of the flesh Through the Spirit There is no sinne so deare and beloved to thee so strong and imbred in thee that is as thy owne soule to thee but by the Spirit of God thou mayest mortifie it Never then be afraid of those great Anakims Oh thou cryest out I cannot believe I cannot be heavenly minded Indeed thou canst not but the Spirit of God doth lift up his people to these things Men by natural conscience may leave many outward sinnes but they doe not or cannot mortifie them this is done by Gods Spirit onely As onely by him they could cast out Devils from the possessed thus onely by him can they subdue such sinnes We see then why it is that so many resolve never to sinne again to be such beasts any more and and yet are overcome Alas they goe out in their owne strength against these Goliahs Oh therefore pray and againe pray for the Spirit of God! O Lord here is a lust or a sinne dwels in me as the Jebusite in Canaan I know not how to be freed from it gladly would I be heavenly I cannot I would be believing I cannot give that holy Spirit of thine unto me Pray thus for the Spirit of God more than for health life or any worldly advantage whatsoever Fourthly The Spirit of God doth bestow a filial and ingenuous spirit upon believers whereby they are carried out upon Evangelical and Gospel grounds in their obedience to God And this is a most precious worke to be desired more than all the world An heart with slavish feares is an hell where a man is a tormenting Devil to himself and the guilt of sinne is a gnawing worme that never dieth but Galat. 4.6 He hath sent his Spirit in our hearts whereby we cry Abba Father There is earnestnesse and a Gospel holy boldnesse Hence it is called The Spirit of Adoption Now how admirable and desirable is this when we through feare were subject to bondage to have this Evangelical freedome of Spirit The people of God should pray and seek for this Spirit of Adoption as well as of Sanctification This would be oyle to the wheel this would be wings and legs to thee Fifthly The Spirit of God workes comfort and joy in the hearts of the godly Hence he is called The Comforter John 15.26 As the Devil delights to keepe us in darknesse and feares therefore he had almost swallowed up the incestuous person with immoderate grief 2 Corinth 2. So the Spirit of God delighteth to turne water into wine Joy is a fruit of the Spirit of God Galat. 5.22 Yea it 's called Vnspeakable joy in the Holy Ghost Doe not therefore thinke that the Kingdome of Grace and Godlinesse lieth in a dejected spirit in a troubled soule No it 's in joy as well as in righteousnesse Rom. 14.17 Those doubts and sad thoughts that do lie like a burden and load upon thee came not from the Spirit dwelling in thee Sixthly That we may have this boldnesse and joy the Spirit of God hath another effect which is To witnesse and seale unto our spirits that we are the children of God Grieve not the Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed Ephes 4.30 The Spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the sonnes of God Rom. 8.16 Oh what a blessed life is this when all these works of Gods Spirit go along together teaching sanctifying and comforting This is the Mount of Transfiguration It 's good to be here Doe not think these things are too great and too good to be had in this life For if we be not wanting to our selves if we bring our cruises he is ready to pour in his oyl Seventhly The Spirit of God worketh wonderfull support and even glorious rejoycing in all afflictions and tribulations Then if ever it 's admirable to see what the Spirit of God doth in believers The Spirit of glory shall rest upon you 1 Peter 4.14 If you reade of the Martyrs burning at the stake if of the persecutions and torments they did with such invincible joy and patience endure it was from the Spirit of glory resting on them Alas we think if God should exercise us with such straits bring us into such troubles we could never bear them Oh consider there is Gods Spirit as well as thy spirit Lastly The Spirit of God doth worke the prayers of Gods people Rom. 8. It 's a Spirit of prayer and mourning he teacheth what to pray and how to pray for spiritual and heavenly things with zeal faith and importunity It helps our infirmities many sins and corruptions are apt to spoil our prayers he helpeth against them yea he worketh groans unutterable he moveth the very foundations of the soul and those prayers cannot but speed because the Spirit knoweth the mind of God All prayers are dead carkasses without the Spirit moving upon them Vse of Examination Try whether thou art one who hast the Spirit of God thus dwelling in thee Oh where is the man or woman that heareth us that knoweth the meaning of these things When Christ spake about eating his body the Capernaites had a grosse understanding therein but saith our Saviour The flesh profiteth little the Spirit giveth life John 6.63 If Christ said thus of his own body than how much rather may we say parts duties an outward Religion profiteth little The Spirit giveth life Rom. 8. Paul saith If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Thou speakest of Christ and thou hopest he died for thee see what the Scripture saith If thou hast not his Spirit thou art none of his Verse 17. If any man defile the Temple of God him shall God destroy THe Apostle in this seventeenth verse aggravates that Argument which before he had propounded viz. The temple of God wherein the Spirit of God dwels ought to be kept pure and not defiled by any corruptions of Doctrine or lives 1So that the Apostle makes all false Doctrines and corruptions in Gods worship to be a sacriledge And therefore in this verse he doth further amplifie the hainousnesse of this sinne wherein you have 1. The malum culpae supposed If any man defile the temple of God 2. The malum poenae proposed Him will God destroy For the sinne supposed If any man defile the temple This is an allusive expression to the custom among the Jews If any man defiled their Temple the crime was capital what accusations were brought against Paul because he brought in Greeks uncircumcised
folly of wicked men that will drink swear and walk in all their bruitish lusts What hast thou not heard of this destruction from God What dost thou not believe that after all these pleasures of sinne God will destroy thee We would wonder what a senslesse bruitish and irrational a creature a wicked man is that should be no more afraid of this destruction Tell him of a temporal undoing he shall be undone in his estate in his life and you make his heart as cold as a stone within him but tell him soul and body shall be undone in fire and brimstone and that for ever he makes no matter of it And why is all this Either First Because of the Atheism and unbelief that is in men Though Christ hath again and again threatned such a place of torment yet they will not believe it O if we had but faith as a grain of mustard-seed it would remove these mountains of sinne Or Secondly If men do believe it yet because it 's apprehended as a farre off it 's not present and imminent upon us as many times temporal destruction is and therefore like bruit beasts they regard only the present Give me to day say they though to morrow I be damned for ever Thirdly Men are either plunged in besotting lusts or in the seducing temptations of the world Many men are become like beasts through sinne A beast will as soon understand things of reason as they of faith and salvation or else swallowed up in earthly cares and desires Now when thus lusts are within they forbid any outward good counsel to enter the heart For the Temple of God is holy which Temple ye are We now come to the Reason Why God is so exceedingly provoked against Temple defilers The ground is Because Gods temple is holy Holy things are not to be violated they are to be handled in an holy manner Sancta sanctè sanctis Holy things belong to holy men and are to be used in an holy manner by such 2. There is the Explication and application of this Temple If they object We have no such Temple as was at Jerusalem there is now no such thing under the Gospel as Gods temple He interprets his meaning This Temple is not wood or stone but ye believers who worship and serve God after his appointment Ye are his Temple In the Greek when he had said The Temple of God is holy then he addeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the plural number because it relates to the subsequent matter not Antecedent which is usuall among Relatives Observe The holy Temple of God under the Gospel is not any place though never so adorned or glorious but persons believing and worshipping of him according to his will This Doctrine hath its great use For once in Gods Church while Popery and her principles reigned all the holinesse spoken of preached for pleaded for principally was holinesse of things not persons holy Temples holy Altars holy Images but reall personal holinesse which God commands was despised and opposed The Kingdome of God doth not come by observation that is we are not to look for external sensible pomp and glory but it is within you saith our Saviour Luke 17.10 The Temple the Church of God are Persons believing The Image of God is righteousnesse and holinesse in our lives To open this consider First That God while the people of Israel were unsettled and their enemies were not fully conquered appointed an ambulatory Tabernacle for his worship This was the place to worship him in and the Ark in it was carried up and down likewise and none might carry it but men even the Levites So that when it was put on a Cart and so carried God was greatly displeased The reason say some why men onely were enjoyned to carry it was that it might not at any time fall For being a token of Gods presence and power if that had fallen it would have been a reproach to the God of Israel But when God came to settle the people of Israel and they had fully subdued their enemies and the Government of the Land was established then God would have a Temple setled And though David had a desire to build it yet because he had shed much bloud not innocent bloud though he did Vriahs but because he had fought many battels God would not have him do it but Salomon whose name signifieth Peace No hammer nor any noise might be heard in making the Temple Thus Christ was born in Augustus his time when Janus his Temple was shut and the world at peace though indeed in the second Temple there they did build with their tools in one hand and their swords in the other because of the opposition they had Secondly This Temple that was built it was very magnificent and glorious and was accounted equal to the seven great wonderous buildings of the world It was a great building and yet Solomon at the dedication of it removeth all carnal and low conceits from God as if he were circumscribed within that place For saith he The Heaven of Heavens do not contain thee much lesse this place 1 King 8 20. It was not therefore that God needed such an house or because he was contained in it but because he was a great God full of Majesty as Solomon saiâ—h and therefore according to the Jewish Pedagogie which consisted in external and sensible Rites and Administrations it was made so glorious Thirdly This Temple had a proper and peculiar holinesse a relative holinesse being dedicated by Gods command unto his worship and a typical holinesse It was typically holy because a type of Christs body Destroy this Temple said our Saviour and I will raise it up in thrâ—e dayes John 2 19. Now when Christ the fulnesse came this Temple was to be destroyed as the Altars and Sacrifices with the Levitical Priesthood even as the flower fals to the ground when the fruit comes in stead thereof It was relatively holy from two grounds 1. Gods Institution He commanded the building of it for his worship and every thing though never so little yet had it Gods command for it as also the Tabernacle had They were to do nothing of their own heads but according to the patern in the Mount And then 2. It was relatively holy Because of Gods special promise to be present there Hence because it was a prayer in that very place there was more acceptance of it with God therefore they did use to pray even their private prayers in this place as the Prophetesse Anna that departed not from the Temple but served God with fastings and prayers day and night Luke 2.37 Yea when they could not be bodily present they did direct themselves towards the Temple as we reade Daniel did and though it was in danger of his life yet he would open his window when he prayed and look that way Dan. 6.10 though in the Text it be said onely towards Jerusalem and therefore it
in the powerfull effects of it than to binde the Sunne in chaines that it might not runne its race Now though this is mighty and powerfull yet it 's very foolish and despicable in the worlds account And thus you have the first part For the second The Matter of a Christian hope that also is very foolish A man must be the worlds fool that doth part with all for this hope even the Resurrection of the dead to eternal glory This was the incredible paradox Why should it seem incredible to you said Paul when he preached this Resurrection For this he was accounted a mad man The Athenians so famous for knowledge when Paul preached this they called him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a babler a trifler or as others a sacrilegious fellow Indeed to prove this Article of Religion by natural reason or by examples in nature is impossible though learned men bring pleasant illustrations of it but to those that denied it our Saviour said They erred not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God Mat. 22.29 We see the Artificer can turn by his Art some kind of earth into curious resplendant glasse and cannot God mueh rather make this vile corruptible body glorious and incorruptible But Thirdly and that chiefly The Duties required by Christ and all that practical way of godlinesse which he enjoyneth carrieth with it a great shew of folly We shall instance in some things that so we may not be ashamed to be godly though accounted the worlds fools and mad men Many men have knowledge they are convinced that it 's their duty to live a more strict precise life but they are ashamed they cannot abide mocks and derisions which the power of godlinesse will expose us unto As First Christ requireth of all his Disciples to live contrary to the wicked wayes of the world Christs Disciples must live in a singular way to the world Pure religion is to keep a man unspotted from the world Jam 1.27 especially Rom. 12.2 Be not transformed to the fashion of the world See then whether these duties will not make a man the worlds fool He must not swear or curse as they do be unclean and runne in excesse of riot as they do be proud and earthly and unjust in their dealings as they are Now there is no man if he be thus carefull to avoid all the defilements of the world but he shall be like the Owl among other birds they are so strict so singular and this they deride when it 's no more than Christ hath commanded Who would put himself upon the scorns and contumelies of others were it not Christs command Take up this principle I must not live as most do most men are damned most men walk in the broad way to Hell there is therefore a narrow and strait way that I must strive to enter in at The world lieth in wickednesse hath many wicked bruitish superstitious eustoms it 's the place where the Devil reigneth And therefore whatsoever wicked men say do thou and thy family serve the Lord Let them make songs of thee raise lies and speak disdainfully do thou still persevere to be Christs fool Beza's name was Theodorus and Genebrard the Papist he by scorne calleth him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The fool of God it may be he spake as Caiaphas truly though he did not meane so for Beza desired rather to be a foole in the worlds account than be one of Romes wise men Secondly It is a folly in the world to be so fervent zealous and active in matters of Religion They like well enough a general profession of Christianity a lukewarm obedience unto all the duties thereof but this zeal is forwardnesse they cannot abide that is rashnesse indiscretion that 's madnesse and wilde fire Now it 's true there may be an ignorant and a rash zeal but men are apt to judge so of any more powerfull and forwarder practices of holinesse than they themselves use Whereas the Scripture is plain That no man can be saved that doth not make it his businesse his work his one thing necessary to do the work of God The kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force Mat. 11.12 Doest thou think then by thy formality coldnesse and luke-warm moderation ever to attain Heaven Is not Christianity compared to striving in a mastery to running in a race Do ye not read of Pauls striving forward and forgetting all things that are behinde Phil 3 Did not the holy Ghost descend in the form of fire with a mighty rushing wind to signifie how active it is in those that are godly Doest thou therefore cry out of this forwardnesse and this zeal What is this but to open thy mouth against Heaven On thy death-bed it may be nothing will trouble thee so much as thy slothfulnesse and barrennesse that thou wast not as active for God as for the world thou wouldst then wish thy soul might fare as theirs shall who made it their imployment to serve God Thirdly That part of Christianity seemeth a foolish thing which presseth the life of faith and not of sense Thus the world knoweth not what to make of it That as the Heathens thought the Christians worshipped the clouds because they had no Idols or sensible Images but looked up directly to Heaven So worldly men think the godly please themselves with fancies and imaginations because they talk of the promise and living by faith and not walking according to the sensible principles of the world yet the just shall live by faith Rom. 1.17 A godly man like the earth is fastned upon nothing visible When Habakkuk said Habak 3.17 Though the fig-tree did not blossome c. yet he would rejoyce in God his salvation Would not worldly men think this was his folly rather than faith So when Paul said He was poor yet making many rich and as having nothing yet possessing all things 2 Cor. 6.10 Doth not the world count this folly When Paul said to the believers That all things were theirs would they not say like Festus not much learning but much ignorance had made him mad Lastly To acknowledge Christ and his way though to our outward undoing This seemeth great folly our Saviour therefore doth so fortifie his Disciples That they should not be offended at troubles that they should be hated of all men that they should account it an happy thing to be persecuted for his sake And we see the Apostles and Martyrs chusing the greatest torments rather than to deny any of Christs Truths Now what a foolish thing doth the world account this not to be any thing to do any thing to say and unsay to believe and disbelieve to save a mans estate and his life As the persecutour told Basil the great in this thing indeed great Why would he lose his life for meer neceties and words it was but saying so and so a little matter and all should be well Thus the matter of
Religion and godlinesse is counted such a nicety or nothing to a mans wealth and outward accommodations that he will as was said of one Bishop sing Canticum novum and yet never be out of tune because alwayes serving the times Vse of Admonition If thou wilt be Christs Disciple indeed know the glory and reputation of the world and his commands practised are not consistent together Thou canst not be judged a wise man a discreet man and yet a violent man for the kingdome of Heaven if you goe faster or beyond the common formality of most men you have lost your repute presently As was said of Naaman He was a great man a mighty man but he was a Leper Thus doe thou expect a rich man a good natured man an honest man but too forward too much for purity and precisenesse Oh that ever this should be among Christians The Jew loveth the most zealous Jew The Papist the most devout Papist but we reformed Protestants love not those whose tongues and lives doe most protest both against Idolatry and all wickednesse Well doe not thou give over for all that for though they judge it folly yet thou awest their conscience secretly Let him become a fool that he may be wise The Preceptive part or Duty injoyned hath been considered Let him become a fool It 's pity to lose the least oar of this gold and therefore I shall at this time insist on the last particular which is the Effect or Benefit of this Duty That he may be wise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There are two Greek words among others which the Scripture useth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seemeth to be larger for that comprehends not only the acts of the understanding but of the will and the affections and this is called the wisdome after the flesh Rom. 8. because the whole power of the soul is concerned therein but this in my Text doth chiefly relate to the mind and understanding of a man though Sapientia be à sapere a metaphor from the taste as the palate discerneth of meats so doth a wise man of the nature of things Now much dispute there hath been among Heathens What wisdome is and Who is the wisest man The wisest of the Heathens would not arrogate to themselves to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lovers of wisdome But we see Paul in this Text tels us where indeed wisdome is to be had and that is only from God through the Scriptures all the humane wisdome of the world being indeed folly Hence are Luthers propositions Qui sine periculo velit in Aristotele philosophars necesse est ut ante bene stultificetur in Christo And againe Nemo bene philosophatur nisi stultus id est Christianus Observe That onely in the Church of God or in Christianity is true wisdome As there is no salvation so there is no wisdome out of the Church That which hath the appearance of so much folly and absurdity is indeed the onely true wisdome and that will appear in several particulars wherein I shall not take wisdome in so strict a sense as Aristotle sometimes doth for the knowledge only of most excellent and admirable things Nor as others making wisdome to be only of divine things science of natural things and prudence of humane things But I shall take it as largely as the Scripture which under wisdom comprehends the whole way of faith and godlinesse That therefore only true wisdom is in the Church of God appeareth several wayes First Here we have the only Rule of wisdome which is the Scriptures so that all people without this sit in darknesse and want the starre to bring them to Christ or happinesse David doth in many places acknowledge this excellent property of Gods Word That it giveth wisdome to the simple Jer. 8 9. They have refused the word of God and what wisdome can be in them Thus you see that only Christians have the true Rule of wisdome viz. Gods Word But oh the ingratitude and rebellion of many who love their folly and their darknesse when yet they may be thus spiritually wise Who is there that readeth this Book to believe accordingly to inflame his affections and order his life accordingly Who looketh into this Glasse to dresse himself and compose himself according to those commands No folly no cause of repentance would be in us could we keep exactly to this Rule O me nunquam sapientem cryed Tully when deprived of all his hopes But O me semper sapientem may the godly say while keeping close to Gods Word Though thou art no Scholar no learned man though poor and contemptible yet from the Scripture thou mayest learne great and admirable wisdome Secondly Only in the Church is true wisdome because this cometh from God above and is by divine infusion into us Men may be moral wise men and have great political prudence as Cato was called the Wise but we Christians are to expect a wisdome from above or an heavenly wisdome as the Scripture cals it Jam. 3 17. Alas every man naturally though of never so much raised intellectual abilities in humane things is a very fool and mad man in heavenly and spiritual things Therefore this wisdome is a gift of God and is the eye or chief part of our godlinesse If any man want wisdom let him ask it of God Jam. 1. God indeed gave Solomon political prudence and civil wisdom but that which is necessary for all is wisdom for their souls and to walk in such wayes that bring to happinesse This wisdom a poor despised Christian may have when a great learned Scholar may be without it Thirdly In Christianity there is only true wisdome because there is only true godlinesse Now in the Scripture phrase To fear God to live holily to mortifie sinne this is wisdome The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom Pro. 1.7 and to depart from evil is a good understanding Hence all along in Solomons Proverbs we see godlinesse called wisdome and the godly man a wise man As on the other side a wicked man is the fool and he that sinneth is said to do foolishly There is no Jewish piety no Heathenish piety only Christian piety There cannot be any godlinesse but where the Spirit of God sanctifieth and regenerateth So then if thou wouldst attain to true wisdome know that consisteth in the fear of God and departing from all sinne Thou art never more foolish and unwise than when thou givest way to any lust such things will cost thee a dear and bitter repentance Do not say this wisdom is too high for thee for by praying and seeking to God thou mayest enjoy it Fourthly Christianity teacheth the true wisdom because that only enstructeth about the true and proper end of all our actions which is happinesse How did the wise men of the world stagger up and down like giddy men in
good and so if they abuse the creatures to all manner of wickednesse they can do no otherwise They had them for this end to accomplish sinne thereby If every thing works to their damnation this may make them sin the more desparately But First Divines have a good distinction about Gods Will. There is a will of Complacency or Approbation and there is his will of Efficiency what he will bring about and none shall hinder Now it 's the will of Gods approbation that all things should be improved by the wicked for their good It 's his approving and commanding will that every Sermon should be received by Faith that every mercy be improved fruitfully The goodnesse of God doth invite such to Repentance The afflictions and scourges God brings on them are to humble them and make them to repent of their sinnes But if we regard the will of Efficiency so these things are the savour of death to them that perish The Apostle saith this plainly The Word was the savour of life to such as are saved and the savour of death to such as perish 2 Cor. 2.15 That their is such a will of God will appear by that instance to Pharaoh God inflicted strange and miraculous judgments upon him it was his approving and commanding will that by those Pharaoh should be humbled and repent and let the people go For this end Moses and Aaron are sent to exhort him to this duty Yet if we respect Gods will of Efficiency we see he told Moses that Pharaoh's heart was hardened and he would not let them go and his heart grew harder by these wonders So then Gods will of Approbation and Command is That even the wicked should make all things theirs though Gods will of Efficiency doth not bring it about Secondly If thâ—se things are poison to the wicked and snares to them they may still blame themselves for it 's the corruption of their natures not any violence God offereth them that makes them turn every thing to their own destruction Thy perdition is of thy self O Israel Hos 13 9. So that every wicked man having a corrupted nature and this wickednesse strengthened through actual impieties no wonder if every thing promote his damnation But still it 's of himself As you see poisonous creatures Serpents and Toads they turn every thing they eat to poison because of their venomous constitution So it is here wicked men turn all good things into ill Vnumquodque recipitur ad moâ—um recipientes Put the sweetest liquor into a noysome vessel it will have an ill tincture Paul sheweth this evidently The Law that was for life he found for death Rom. 7. The Law was good aand spiritual yet it stirred up all sinne in him because he was carnal It 's that within thee which defileth all without thee Wicked men sinne as wilfully and as industriously attend to pervert all things to their damnation as if there were no contracted necessity upon them to offend against God in all things The third Doubt is If all things be the Godlies Why then are they so uncomfortable so dejected complaining of wants as if nothing were theirs If this be true we would thinke no godly man should ever be in a plunge he may take up this Text and it would be an antidote against all fears and cares It can be no night with him as long as this Sunne shineth Answ It 's true it should be so but we are weak in faith we do not live upon Scripture-principles and priviledges but sensible and then we stagger and reel up and down While we are cloathed with the Sunne and have the Moon under our feet we walk in light and comfort David when his faith is lively then God is his shepherd he shall want nothing and he will lay him down and sleep because God taketh care for him But let him come from this Mountain of faith and look on the waters of afflictions below his head goeth round and he knoweth not where he is Now a two-fold faith is necessary to bear up the head and heart the one Firmly assenting to the truth of the things The other Fiducially applying them to our selves If we have not the first faith we look upon such things as meer good words as bare expressions Even as if a man should think he had such a Country because he had the Map of it Oh this divine historical faith strongly perswading our selves these things are Gods truth they cannot be a lie they cannot deceive us would greatly establish us And then Fiducial application is the hand that takes these things making them to be ours So that if you ask How all present and future things life and death are ours It 's by faith only A quiet resting and reposing of the soul upon Gods promise puts us into the possession of all these things Secondly As they want faith So an heavenly prudence and skill how to improve them spiritually Though all things be for their good yet they must have wisdome to know how to use all things Therefore Paul who said He had all things saith He was instructed in it as in a mystery Phil. 4.11 Prescribe the best medicines in the world if men have not judgement rightly to order them they can never get good What is a fountain sealed up or a Book that cannot be read though it hath never such admirable matter Thus are all things though never so usefull if thou hast not Christian wisdome There is no condition affliction or event but thou mayest say if I had heavenly wisdome I might make excellent use of it The last Doubt is How are all things the Godly mans seeing for the most part they are most wanting they are in the greatest necessities Had not Dives all things when Lazarus had not not so much as crums Doth not this Doctrine give a mock-comfort as those in Jam. 2.16 who bid some be cloathed and warmed but gave nothing Answ 1. This place doth not so much speak of the possession of all things as the spiritual serviceablenesse of them Those things which they have no possession of may yet serve for their souls good He doth not so much mean what they have as what tends to their good 2. If the godly have not all things they would that want is good for them The want of any outward mercy may sometimes be better than the having of them To lose blood when there is too much fulnesse is healthfull So then complain not saying I have not this or that good thing the not having it is good 3. Thou hast what is best for thee and that according to the wise Gods ordering Let this silence thee alwayes These afflictions these exercises these wants are the best The wise great God of Heaven doth dispense them and they come from his hand 4. Thou hast better things then any earthly thing thou wantest thou hast Christ thou hast a title to Heaven and eternal glory
Discipline amongst themselves if any of their company did commit any grosse sinne they did cast him out of their company and provided a coffin for him intimating hereby they looked upon him as a dead man This heavenly spiritual life whereby a man doth all things by supernatural and holy principles to holy and godly ends deserveth the name of life Hence Ephes 4.18 it 's called The life of God either because of the conformity and likenesse of it to Gods life or because God is the Authour and worker of this life in his children Tell us not then that such a man liveth richly and happily having a great Estate a glorious Seat large Revenues he liveth that liveth this spiritual life and without it as the Apostle saith of those wanton widows They are dead while alive 1 Tim. 5.6 Oh now thou wouldst weep over thy husband thy child if they were corporally dead why doest thou not much more for their spiritual death We reade of the Aegyptians what an outcry they made for the death of one in every family But how many families are there that have none but dead persons in them Alas thou must needs be dead for thou seest not with thy eyes the beauty of spiritual things Thou hearest not with thy ears the lively word of God neither canst thou walk with thy feet in the way to Heaven Thirdly The godly man onely liveth Because he only hath the true blessednesse and comfort of this life He onely hath true joy and peace of conscience and this not onely the Scripture cals life viz. a prosperous happy estate as when they said Live ô King but the Heathens also Vivamus mî amica vixit dum vixit bene vita non est vivere sed valere There are some men who live this life and yet Job saith they long for death Their life is a burden and a torment to them when it 's day they wish it were night and when it 's night they wish it were day This God threatens as a curse to every one that shall not keep the Law Now the godly man he onely liveth so as to have true joy real happinesse because his sinnes are pardoned God is only his portion and delight At thy right hand are pleasures for evermore said Dâ—vid Psal 16.11 And although the godly may sometimes through their own sinne or for their exercise be deprived of this joyfull and blessed life yet that is for their good as Lazarus's death was that his Sisters faith and Gods glory may be the more magnified And besides as Christs body so their souls shall not alwayes be kept under the cords of this death This is therefore by accident The promise to godlinesse is joy and gladnesse of heart They are called upon to doe it they are commanded to it Lay this then downe for a sure Rule That thou doest not live thou hast not a prosperous joyfull and happy heart till thus sanctified Fourthly The godly only live or life is theirs Because they only know how to improve the dayes of their life for God They make the right uâ—e of their life and time here which is to provide for eternity to glorifie God and save their souls When Paul could say I have fought a good fight I have finished my course 2 Tim. 4 7. This was an argument he lived Our Saviour spake many Parables to shew how we should improve our Talents and be alwayes gaining till our Master come whereas if thou spendest thy time on thy losts and pleasures of sinne if thou art idle and negligent thou hast not lived Idlenesse is the burial of a man alive We do not account our time of sleep so properly part of our life because we do nothing then And this is a full proof that only godly men live because they only make honey while the Summer shines they onely husband their time while it's day calling upon God They onely accomplish that work and errand for which God sent them into the world Remember this he liveth that is active for God in his generation that moveth continually for the good of his soul Let it not be said of thee as Seneca of one who kept close in his house Hic situs est Bascia as if he were buried there Fifthly Life is onely the godly mans Because he hath an interest in eternal life John 5.24 He hath passed from death unto life He shall never die that liveth this life Now alas this temporary natural life doth not deserve the name of a life The very Heathens thought so and the Scripture cals it but a shadow not a substance What are a few evil dayes here and full of misery Shall we judge it a life No surely eternal life deserveth only that name where there is no fear of a change where no power or violence can overcome where mortality is swallowed up in immortality This is the life that the Scripture inviteth all unto Did Dives live though he boasted good things were stored up for him No This night thou fool thy soul shall be taken away Wilt thou call this a life to have a few pleasures of sinne for a season and then to go into eternal torments Do not the damned in hell wish they had never been born that this natural life had never been bestowed upon them Do not thou then matter this moment but set thy heart upon eternity Is not this life a vapour a bubble but the life to come that must make me happy When God promised several outward mercies to Abraham O saith Abraham that Ishmael might live before thee All these outward things are nothing if he live not this spiritual and eternal life Sixthly The godly man only liveth Because he taketh his life from God and referreth it to his glory Whether we live we live to the Lord said Paul Rom. 14.8 They receive their life thankfully from God and they live to his glory Now we say he hath a thing that knoweth how to make the right use of it and thus because the godly know how to receive their life from God and to return it again to him Therefore it is that they have life yea they have it because they can readily part with it at Gods Command I die daily said Paul 1 Cor. 15.31 And this is our Saviours sure Rule Luke 17.23 He that will lose his life shall save it and he that will save it shall lose it You see the way to have life is to part from it he hath it that hath it not as the Martyrs who as willingly laid down their lives as we our garments Seventhly The righteous only live Because they mortifie and subdue those sinnes that kill our bodies that take away our lives Wrath and quarrelling that depriveth a man of the peace of his life now he refraineth his tongue he is of a meek spirit whereas anger is like a fire burning in the bowels and so grief is a waster of the very bones Worldly sorrow worketh
up any Teachers as the principal Head but in all the parts and abilities of the Ministery still to look up to Christ And the Argument is to this effect Those that are instruments only they must not be made principal agents But even the most eminent Ministers such as Paul and Apollo are instruments onely Therefore So that for opening the words Consider the condition and the state of the Ministery It 's an instrument They are Ministers therefore of necessity to be used God that might work conversion without it hath yet appointed this instrument the Ministery And yet 2. It 's but a Ministery not a principal Secondly There is the effect attributed to this instrumental cause viz. Faith The Ministers by which we believe Thirdly Here is the diversity of the gifts in the instruments with the efficient cause Even as the Lord gave to every man Lastly Consider the manner of Paul's expression Who is Paul and who is Apollo This Rhetorical interrogation is spoken to take them off from instruments and to look up to Christ Now in this observe the modesty and godly uprightness of Paul though he himself be one of the men that is thus admired yet he takes them off from himself as well as others he doth not take advantage of them by this their praise and admiration of him Observe That faithfull Ministers seek not to win or gain a people to themselves but to Christ They preach not that their gifts and abilities may be exalted but that the people might be brought out of their sinnes to Christ Admire their preaching praise their Doctrine never so much yet if thou art in thy lusts still if thy life be not reformed from thy impieties they have no true joy concerning thee See how excellently Paul expresseth this 2 Cor. 11.2 I have espoused you to one husband that I may present you a chast Virgin to Christ He doth not espouse the people to himself but to Christ he wooeth and entreateth them for Christ it is not your good to us but your obedience unto Christ that we aime at Thus John Baptist calls himself the friend of the Bridegroom Joh. 3.29 which is the duty of every Minister the friend of the Bridegroom which standeth and heareth rejoyceth greatly because of the Bridegrooms voice It 's an allusion to the custome in those dayes the Bridegroom he had his friend and spokesman to bring him into the Brides presence and he heard their conference if there were a willing agreement between them concluded then the friend rejoyced greatly Thus it was with John and also with every Minister We are Christs spokesmen we wooe you we entreat you we bring you and Christ together every Sabbath day Now if any soul will receive him and be married to him forsaking his former lusts and all by-past sinnes then is the friend of the Bridegrooms joy greatly fullfilled it would therefore be horrible unfaithfullness in us if we should do as Sampson's friend did to him who got Sampson's wife for himself To open this Doctrine Consider in the general There may be a twofold end of preaching the Word of God Either a corrupt sinfull end or a gracious godly plain and upright end The Apostle speaks of many false Teachers that did corrupt the Word to please men 2 Cor. 2.17 and they sought their own glory their own advantages they did not desire to make them Christs Disciples but their own they intended their own greatness their own profit by them Gal. 6.13 Some false teachers they perswaded men to be circumcised that they might glory in their Disciples flesh id est That they might boast we have such and such followers that will presently embrace our doctrine receive our commands and such a Ministery hath alwayes crept in the Church for either they have aimed at external greatness or else to propagate some false doctrines and either of these wayes the people were not taught to come to Christ they were not brought to receive him as their Lord but to rest on them as Teachers Now see how Paul doth wonderfully disclaim all such corrupt preaching 1 Thes 2.3 Our exhortation was not of deceit nor of uncleanness or guil We did not please men we sought not flattering words we did not use the cloak of covetousness he did not under fair pretences rob them of their estates as the Pharisees under pretence devoured widows houses made of long prayers O what a pure and excellent frame of heart was this to disclaim all such base and corrupt ends and see how Paul to these Corinthians 2 Cor. 1.12 comforts himself with this testimony That in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdome he had behaved himself Oh this is a precious cordial when under all the censures reproaches and uncharitableness of the world to the Ministery Ministers can upon good grounds comfort themselves that they have walked in all godly sincerity endeavouring the salvation of mens soules and with tender bowels mourning for those that go astray rejoycing to see any person or families owning Christ setting up his wayes and Ordinances Now this point will be profitable for you the hearers as well as the Preachers in the discovery of it And we will first give you sure Characters of that Ministery which would bring you not to applaud them but to give up your selves to Christ First They that are so do rejoyce in the grace and progress thereof in their people though they should not esteem nor highly prize them Oh this is a good sign Though thou dost not applaud or admire them yet if they see thee walk in the wayes of godliness and mortifie sinne they are glad of it and praise God for it this proveth plainly it 's not themselves they aime at Thus Paul 2 Cor. 13.7 I pray God that ye do no evil not that we should appear approved but that ye should do that which is honest Paul earnestly prayeth that they might not do any evil especially such grosse evils as should deserve his censure not that he might be approved he cared not for that let them think what they will and say what they will if they keep from evil he shall heartily be glad of it To these very Corinthians also see what he saith 1 Cor. 4.8 9 10. We are fooles for Christs sake but ye are wise Ye are honourable but we are despised Ye have reigned as Kings without us and I would to God ye did reign The Apostles meaning is That they thought themselves strong and rich in all grace they despised Paul for his afflictions and contempt the world poured upon him Oh saith Paul this troubleth not me I would ye did reign I wish it were indeed so well with you as you think and then for my part I could be content with all the scorn and reproach I have in the world Oh then when a Ministery is still praying for desiring and pressing men to the reformation of their lives and
for all their reproaches uncharitable judgements he matters them not if he could see them forsake sinne walk holily obey the Lawes of Christ let them account him a reprobate the drosse of men any thing he careth not Secondly Then the Ministry seeks to bring men to Christ and not themselves when they are faithfull and bold to reprove men for their sinnes They do not seek to humour or to please any men Flattery is a debasing sinne in any but in a Minister it 's a kind of Sacriledge Now those places I mentioned shew how Paul did abhorre such a way We use not flattering words we came not in deceit And Gal. 1. he saith If he should please men viz. in their corruptions in their lusts He could not be the servant of Christ But the false Teachers that set up themselves and not Christ They came with enticing words they sought to please And thus the corrupt Teachers in the Old Testament they did daub with untempered mortar Ezek. 22.28 They preached peace peace to such as went on in their wicked wayes and by this meanes the Priests did beare rule over them There cannot be a surer signe of Ministers seeking themselves and not Christ then when they will let every man alone in his way not reprove them for their impieties and wickednesse Alas if he did intreat for Christ if he came upon Christs businesse he would finde the Word of God like fire burning in his bones and he could not hold his peace And this should exceedingly convince people to take all sharp reproofs kindly If we presse hard against any sinne thou livest in for if we did regard our selves we should have more love in applying our selves to humour you to encourage you to do every thing for you you desire But now because we come for God and it 's his Glory and Honour we are to propound we dare not be so unfaithfull as to conceale his anger against such sinnes Oh how should this convince you The Minister in this reproof in rebuking of those sinnes goeth against himself he will be more hated he will lose by it and yet will doe it because Christ commands him Thirdly When a Ministry affects any new false waies that cannot be justified by the Word then it 's a plain sign he cometh for himself and not for Christ Christ himself would not arrogate to come in his own Name but in his Fathers And The Doctrine I preach is not mine but my Fathers Joh. 7.16 Whatsoever I hear of my Father that I do Joh. 8.28 Lo here and wonder Christ himself though the Treasure of wisdom yet coming as sent by God the Father doth therefore still attribute all his Doctrine to the Father Now if Christ do thus shall any Minister who pretends he cometh in Christs Name teach any other Doctrine but Christs Doctrine Declare any thing but what is warranted by the written Word of God I have delivered unto you saith Paul that which I have also received 1 Cor. 11. And Timothy is to keep that which was committed to him 2 Tim. 1.14 So then this is as an Argument of a Ministry seeking it self when it affecteth to broach new Opinions that have no sound foundation in the Word of God They are not in this subordinate Teachers to Christ They do not learn out of the Word but they themselves are the chief Masters therein Fourthly Then they bring their people to themselves and not to Christ when they seek only great external pomp or earthly advantages and not the salvation of mens souls In this the Pope of Rome and the Roman Clergy have been industrious How much craft What artifice hath been used from age to age to bring the Church of Rome to that temporal greatness it is come unto They have commended ignorance been indulgent to men in lusts fomented discord between Princes raised up Civil Warres where they could send their Incendiaries forge lies about Constantines Donation and many such things And all hath been to make themselves great But saith the Apostle in the name of godly Ministers We seek not yours but you 2 Cor. 12.14 The Apostle doth indeed urge it in severall places That those who sow spiritual things should reap carnal yea and be accounted worthy of double honour But yet the principal and chief aim must be the uniting of the people to Christ and causing them to give up their Names to him Lastly Then doth the Ministry labour to bring to Christ and not to themselves when they do not affect a tyranny or dominion over the Faith and Consciences of men Thus the Apostle Not having dominion over your Faith 2 Cor. 1. ult And Peter Not lording it over Gods heritage 1 Pet. 5.3 And that is especially done when they are unwilling the things they preach should be tried by the Word The Bereans are commended for trying Paul's Doctrine by the Scriptures Act. 17.10 They are to compose those duties together to try all things and yet to obey and submit to their Guides Now the Grounds Why a faithfull Ministry doth thus Is First From their Calling and Condition They are servants unto Christ They are Embassadours and so act not in their own name The servant in the Parable that was commanded to traffique till his Master came did not gain for himself but his Master Yea as they are servants to Christ so in some sense servants to the Church also All are yours whether Paul or Apollo And We preach our selves your servants for Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.5 They are not servants in this as if they had their power from the Church or did act in the Churches name no they act only in Christs Name And the Holy Ghost sets them Overseers Act. 25. But they are Servants to the Church because all their Parts and Abilities are finaliter for the Use and Benefit of the Church Seeing then they are Servants they may not take the glory and honour to themselves Secondly As they dare not seek themselves but Christ so if the people should set them up instead of Christ they dare not own it Let no man think of us saith Paul above what he ought to do When the Lyconians would have given Divine worship to the Apostles they rent their cloathes and were grieved at their blasphemy Vse 1. How well pleasing it is to God that the Ministers should walk in all simplicity and plainness of spirit Many Officers in the Church have thought by carnal policy and crafty designes to have advanced themselves but nothing is so well-pleasing to him as for us to abound in all humility self-denyal and publique affections to mens souls If you consider the rage of the Devil and the malice of wicked men you would wonder how God hath preserved a Ministry in all Ages But as the Ark was not preserved in the water as Ships are by the skill of the Pilote and other helps but by Gods goodness So it is with the Ministry and Government of the