fear in love then if there be no fear there is no fear of falling away Vse 2. Of direction to poor souls against those 〈…〉 and fears of their hearts if we would be quitâ— of all those cares and grie◠〈…〉 gâ—â—p in love to God to your brethren for there is no fear in love 〈…〉 therefore from all hatred of God learn to take all Gods dâ—gâ— in good part as proceeding from his love to your souls Look at all thâ—se fears and anguishes he puts you to as wholsome for your spirits and the very apprehension of Gods love to you in these will quiet your consciences and scatter those fears Grow up likewise in love to your brethren lay aside all wrath and revenge be tender-hearted and merciful unto them and thus growing in love you shall grow in fearlesnesse Vse 3. Shews the fearful estate of a hateful heart as there is no fear in love so there is nothing but fear in hatred he that findes his heart estranged from God and 〈…〉 love to his brethren why when troubles comes fears increase What is 〈◊〉 reason natural men are so afraid of death and judgement Why because they have hateful spirits whereas a loving soule prays for the hastning of the day of judgement Come Lord Jesus come quickly But an hateful spirit knows the Lord Jesus comes to take vengeance on all his hateful carriages and hard speeches and therefore he trembles at judgement Yea this hatefull disposition is more dangerous to the soule then any sinne besides Let a godly man be defiled with many sins fall into divers weaknesses and frailties yet because he maintains a loving heart to God and his people they do not eclipse his boldnesse David confesseth That the iniquities of his heels compassed him about yet because he kept his heart sincere and upright to God he dares be confident wherefore should I be afraid whereas on the contrary let a man walk never so justly and honestly and do many good things yet if the heart be estranged from God have no fellowship with him nor his Saints let death and judgement come because his heart is not possest of Gods love therefore he is opprest with many fears and anguishes Vse 4. Of consolation to every loving heart if thou findest thy heart possest with love to God and his Saints that there is none in heaven or earth that thou desirest in comparison of him and for the Saints they are the â—ly men of thy delight if thou beest afraid thou art much too blame If thou discernest â—ods love in thy heart bid farewel to groundlesse fears Object But will a loving heart say Have not I just cause to fear do you not see how loosely I walke how often I trip and fall in my Christian course Answ There is no causes of fear Wherefore should I feare in the day of evill when the iniquities of my heels compasse me about These are causes to make me love love God the more that pardons these fallings and to hate sin the more but they ought to weaken thy confidence for there is no fear in love 1 JOHN 4.19 We love him because he first loved us THese words depend on the former words vers 17. he delivered this truth that those that are sound-hearted in love may have boldnesse against the day of judgement this he proves from the resemblance that is between God and a loving heart 2 from the contrariety betwixt fear and love there is no fear in love which he proves 1 From the effâ—â—â— of love perfect love casts out fear 2 From the â—nct of fear Fear hath torment therefore love that is a quiet peaceable grâ— cannot stand with it 3 From the â—oundnesse of fear he that fears is not perfect in love The fourth argument is taken from the cause of love which is Gods love to us if we love God because God loved us first then perfect love casts out fear but we do so Ergo. For this is the nature of love it makes us look at God as good and merciful to us and therefore love casts out all fear of evil from the hand of God In this 19 verse observe two parts 1 The freedom of Gods love to us he loved us not because we loved him but he first loved us 2 The root and spring of our love to God is Gods love first to us preventing us For the first part observe Doct. 1. The love of God to us is altogether free un-prevented and un-deserved on our part If the question be why God loved us it was not because we had done him any service of love but he loved us before we loved him 2 Tim. 1.9 He called us not according to our works but according to his free purpose and grace Deut. 7.7 8. The Lord did not set his love upon you because you were more in number then any people for ye were the fewest of all people but because the Lord loved you So Deut. 9.4 5. he loved them because he loved them and therefore surely without prevention or desert on our parts Reas 1. From the removal of such causes of love as might prevent God on our parts if there be any cause on our parts he loved us either out of foreseen faith or good works but from neither of these not from foreseen faith for it 's the love of God to us that produceth faith Acts 13.48 As many as were ordained to eternal life believed so that our faith springeth from Gods love choosing us to life nor for our good works for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus to good works so that good works did not cause Gods ordaining us to life but Gods ordaining us to life causeth good works so that faith and good works are not causes but fruits of Gods love to us Reas 2. From the eternity of Gods love to us Je. 31.3 I have loved you with an everlasting love Now if Gods love be eternal before the world was then it was not for our sakes who were made after Ephes 4.5 Nothing temporal can be the cause of that which is eternal our love and faith began in time his love was eternal Obj. Though our love and faith began but now yet he fore-saw it from eternity and therefore it might move him to set his love on us Answ It 's all one with God whether you have respect to that which is now or what he knows will be hereafter so a wise man serves a Prince not out of meer affection to the Prince but because he loved himselfe first for he fore-saw if he served him carefully he should have abundant recompence Now to the wise man it 's all one whether he have respect to the future foreseen recompence or to the present and therefore still his service is mercenary therefore when God loved us it was not for any thing we did or was foreseen to be done by us for then we had not loved him because he first loved us but he
grows perfecter every day such a man still grows in fruitfulnesse he grows ready to every good work Joh. 15.2 so that the love of God is perfected in him by obedience As a fruitfull Tree the more it sticks his root downward into the ground the faster it grows so a Christian the more he sticks his root on Christ the faster it grows And so the Husbandman will have more care of a fruitful Tree to prune it he hath no such care of a sower barren Tree but if a Tree be fruitful he cuts off all superfluous Boughs that hinder the increase of such a Tree so a man that is fruitful in Gods Commandments he doth not only stick his root his faith and hope deeper in Christ but the Lord himself is willing to cut down all those noysome Lusts that suck away the sap of grace if God see a man set himself fully to follow God and keep his Commandments the Lord will cut off all cumberances all corruptions all things that hinder the growth of grace Vse 1. For trial of our love to God whether it be perfect or no whether sincere or counterfeit how dost thou finde thy heart affected to Gods Commandments Dost thou look at them as thy way it grieves thee to be out dost thou look at them as thy treasure as most profitable to theee Dost thou look at them as thy ornaments as most honourable to thee Dost thou look at them as the apple of thine eye as thy life most near and dear and precious to thee If thou dost thou hast that love in thee that is perfect without guile perfect in every part of love and in regard of readinesse and constancie but if a man looks at Gods Commandments as a by-path as if he were out of the way if he looks at them as unprofitable and dishonourable if he can break them without any scruple if he would rather part with them all than his life verily the love of God is not perfect in such Vse 2. For direction to all such as desire perfection of love to Christ do any desire to love the Lord Jesus in perfection not only of truth but parts and degrees if he could Why this is the way keep his Commandments take heed of breaking any one of them What is the reason we deceive our selves in our love to Christ We think it is love to Christ if we keep a solemn Feast to him at this time of the year in memory of his Nativity but is there no better Argument nor furtherance of thy love to Christ than this Take heed of it if Christ hath commanded us to deck our bodies and houses if Christ hath commanded us to feast and be liberal you will finde that a great help to further your love to Christ and an evidence thereof but if you go on in any course without a Commandment if you keep such Feasts which end in all excesse and ryot and gaming and playing they begin it may be pretty well but we fall from Religion to civility from civility to intemperance and wantonnesse c. and what is the reason Because we have the custom of our Fathers for it not the Commandment of Christ the Apostle doth not say he that keeps customs his love is perfect but he that keeps Christs Commandments therefore if you would get your love to Christ perfected it must not be by keeping of old customs but by keeping his Commandments what is the reason why the most are so ready to keep such Feasts is it because it is Christs Commandment if it were the more you would find your love perfected you would be more forward to good your spirits grow from one grace to another but because men look at customs they begin in the Spirit and end in the Flesh Take a Christian at the beginning of the Sabbath he findes his heart unlifty to holy Dutie but before it be ended he is so enlarged that he is sorry it is done Why because he obeys a command but if we do any thing out of custom it grows from better to worse so that Christ hath not more dishonour the rest of the twelve Months than he hath these twelve days but would you have your love perfected then frame your lives and courses according to Gods Commandments and then the more you practise the more you may you shall finde your grace growing and your love perfected to every good work be doing Gods will and the Lord will be with you blessed is that soul whom the Lord shall finde doing his Commandments be doing and your doing shall multiply your strength and growth in grace Vse 3 Of Consolation to all such as apply themselves to be doing of Gods Commandments doth a man find himself ordering his ways according to a Commandment if you finde it delightful to you that you would still walk in it you look at it as your way your treasure your ornament c. why this is your comfort the love of God is perfect in you and will grow more perfect so perfect that God covers all your infirmities so perfect that it grows up high to perfection even to all the parts thereof so perfect that God sees you willing and ready to be doing his will so perfect that you resolve to hold on and be constant and if God see you thus moulded to a Commandment and not to customs God will uphold you and help you and strengthen you till he make you perfect which is no small comfort to a soul 1 JOH 2.5 6. Hereby we know that we are in him He that saith he abideth in him ought even so to walk as he hath walked IN Verse 5. you have an obedient Christian set out 1 By his practice he keeps Christs Commandments 2 By his priviledge which is double 1 His love is perfected 2 He knows that he is in Christ 3 Verse 6. here is a duty enjoyned to all men that would professe Fellowship with Christ namely imitation of Christ they ought to walk as he hath walked From the former part of the 5 Verse we have observed Doct. The observation of Christs Commandments is the perfection of our love to Christ Those next words shew the right honouring of Christ and your selves together so as we may honour God and he honour us that is by Knowledge of our Fellowship with Christ and by our duty so to walk as hee hath walked Hereby we know that we are in him By what By the love in us No by keeping his Commandments wee know that we have Fellowship with him though both be coincident so then here is a promise not only of their bâ—ing in Christ but their knowing that they are in Christ Doct. Sincere obedience to the Word of Christ is both a certain and evident sign of our blessed Estate in Christ Hereby that is by keeping his Commandments we know that we are in Christ Quest 1 What is it to be in Christ Ans We are said to be in Christ in
World his spirit is made carnall and stupid and worldly and can arise no higher therefore when Solomon gave himselfe to seek pleasure Eccl. 2.3 to try what was in them though he did not neglect Wisdome as Eccles 1.8 yet he found by experience deal as wisely as he could in the end they did so stupifie him that he was led away by them to Idolatry 1 King 11.4 then is a man become stupid when he is serious about trifles and trifling about serious things by pursuit of these his judgment was quick in earthly matters but in matters of Religion he began to grow very weak and ignorant how much more then they that wholly give themselves to the lusts and pleasures of the World Reas 3. Ever since the fall of our First Parents there lyes a Curse of God upon all the Creatures Gen. 3.17 18. now in cursing the ground he Cursed all the Creatures with it so that now there is a disproportion and unsuitablenesse betwixt the Creatures and man for whom they were made so that the whole Creature is subject to vanity Rom. 8.19 20. Eccles 1.2 Vanity of vanities all is vanity Now if they be all accursed you shall finde that there is a venemous corruption in them all which with-holds us from that chiefe good for which we were made so that let any man put upon you any Profit or Honour or Credit continually you would think your selfe engaged to him and set your selves to be serviceable to him and should not we deale as kindly with God should not we be more obedient to God for his following us with his blessings one would think we should but what is the reason of it the more we have of Profits and Honours and Credit the more full we are of our selves and the more loose from God so that the more he blesseth us the more we neglect him the more he comforts us the more we grieve him how comes this but from a secret curse that lies upon all the Creatures otherwise it could not be that we should grow so carelesse and stupid as the Moon when it wants light it draws nearer to the Sun but when it is at the full and hath most Light it is furthest from the Sun so when God fils us we sit furthest from God our spirits become empty of grace and regardlesse of God therefore this should move us from affecting the World and the lusts of the World Vse 1. A ground of strong exhortation to both old men and young Love not the World nor the lusts of it for there is no proportion betwixt the World and a Child of God what proportion betwixt transitory and everlasting things fading and permanent these are bodily and carnal your hearts are spirituall and heavenly therefore it is for you to look out for other things that will ab de nay why doe you spend your strength for that which will not profit all will not help your souls why should a man swear and toyle for that which when he hath he may loose his own soul he may get credit in the World and yet may be base in Gods eyes it is that which will not satisfie the soul the immortall soul will not be contented with transitory fading things these are but as dreams they dream of abundance but their souls are all this while empty and starving and if these be so transitory why doe we feed on meats that are so unsuitable to our souls if we have once made the World our Element if we be lifted up out of the World to heavenly and Spirituall things we are like a Fish out of the water we faint and gasp and are weary and must return to our mud again we have no comfort at all is not this a woful disproportion Nay further seeing all the things of this World are vanity and folly even lawfull pleasures I said of mirth it is madnesse and folly Eccl. 2.2 why therefore let us be exhorted to wean our affection from them walke among them as snares take heed you be not trapt by them all the Blessings of this life are but Curses if you use them for themselves and then they weaken your spirits and corrupt your hearts therefore love not the World nor the things of the World for these all fade away there is a disproportion betwixt the cursed things of this World and spirituall Blessings indeed they are not Curses if you receive them as coming from God and use them to him otherwise if you set your hearts on them and use them for themselves they will prove a curse to you Vse 2. Let us be exhorted to lift up our hearts to more heavenly and spirituall things let us lift up our souls to those pleasures and profits that endure for ever Joh. 6.26 labour for those pleasures that may truly satisfie your souls desire God to lift up your hearts from worldly to spititual things and then we shall find the Word of God sweeter than Honey and the Honey-comb therefore feed not on Husks and Chaff but feed on Spiritual things which may nourish you to eternal life and for earthly things use them as helps to Spiritual things to make you more vacant for religious exercises more fruitfull in good works so you shall find them helpfull to you and you shall draw near to God by them when we look not so much at honour or pleasure or profit as Gods hand giving them 1 JOHN 2.18 19 20. Little Children it is the last time and as ye have heard that Antichrist shall come even now are there many Antichrists whereby we know that it is the last time c. SAint John writing to all sorts of Christians Old Young and Children he speaks particularly to them all to Young-men and Old he wrote Vers 14 15. Love not the world but for Babes he writes not to them about the love of the World for they are not easily subject to it but no age so flexible as young Children so that if they be once set in a right way and live under faithful Instructers there is no great danger of them therefore he writes to them here to make them beware of false Teachers and cleave to sound Doctrin First now he describes and sets out these false Teachers 1 By their coming in the last time vers 18. 2 By their Apostacy they went out from us 3 By shewing the cause of it they were never of us vers 19. Secondly he gives them signes whereby they may know them and discern them and that is from their Unction they have received vers 20 21. Thirdly He gives a mark of Antichrist he is a Lyer who denieth Jesus is the Christ is a lyer c. vers 22. Fourthly He layes down some means to help them 1 By looking to their Doctrin Keep close to sound Doctrin 2 Cleave to your holy Unction have a speciall care to live righteously Vers 18. In this verse he plays the Trumpeter and warns the Church Little Children
consolation to all such as lose any thing by keeping the Apostles Doctrin whether they lose goods or friends or life or liberty here is a comfort that over-ballances all discomforts Two things chiefly discourage a Christian he may either loose fellowship with the Church and be excommunicate or else he may lose his naturall life here is comfort against both these what though you be excommunicated from society with the Church you shall yet notwithstanding keep fellowship with the Father and the Son Joh. 9.34 the blind man gave such a strong Testimony to Christ that the Pharisees cast him out that is excommunicated him well when Christ heard that he was cast out he found him out and so though this poor man was cast out of the Church by a clavis errans wrong excommunication yet he had fellowship with Christ what if a Christian be cast out why here his comfort a man is no sooner shut out from Fellowship with the Church but he is sent to Christ this poor man Christ came and instructed him though he were cut short from instruction in the publick ordinances yet Christ instructed him and he never spake more powerfully and effectually so that he gave him Faith to beleeve and Grace to worship him so that though a man in a good cause should be cast out from the society of the Church yet he shall find more near communion with Christ 2 A man by professing Christ may be delivered up to the powers and so may lose his life why this is the promise even eternall life he may lose a temporary life but he shall gain an eternall life Doct. Primary Antiquity is a certain note of divine and Apostolique verity Prime Antiquity because he saith here it was from the beginning and he appeals to the Doctrin that was delivered from the beginning of his time that is from the first promulgation of the Gospel If that which you have heard from the beginning abide in you c. So that Prime Antiquity that which the Apostles first taught is a note of the truth Jerm 6.16 enquire for the old way that is the good way Jerm 18.15 he complains that they strayed from the ancient wayes and were run into by-wayes and he complains of it as if thereby they had forgot God therefore when St. John would describe the Gospel he calls it an everlasting Gospel Rev. 14.6 and contrarily when God would confute the people for leaving him he convinces them of novelty Deut. 13.7 they followed other new Gods But why is Prime Antiquity the note of divine and Apostolique verity 1 Because Antiquity is the image of God and every truth is an image of God whilst Satan stood in the truth he had the image of God when a Doctrin reacheth the truth it comes to the image of the ancient of dayes it is the same truth now that was from the beginning of the world 2 From the speciall care God takes to plant and water the Church with pure Doctrin Satan is up early to do mischiefe but God is up before him to do good as soon as God made a World he made a Church and gave them truth though Satan was a Lyar from the beginning yet God taught him truth before he was a Lyar the good seed is first sown and then comes the envious man and sows tares 3 From the nature of all errors they are abberrations from the way of truth What are errors but deviations from the first way therefore there was some way of truth before when our Saviour would tax the error about divorce he saith from the beginning it was not so Vse 1 May serve to be a signe of tryall between the Popish and Protestant Religions they boast much of Antiquity that they can fetch it from the Apostles times why but yet if they fetch it from the prime Antiquity from the times of the Apostles we will not yield it them for John himselfe would not fetch his Antiquity from the latter part of his dayes but from the first promulgation of the Gospel Matth. 5. our Saviour saith it hath been said of old and yet was not truth that is prime Antiquity that comes from the ancient of dayes from the first Institution vetustas consuetudinis est vetustas erroris Ignatius said my Antiquity is Christ Error may come as soon as the truth is sown but yet it hath not prime Antiquity for Satan was a Lyar from the bginning and yet that will not serve to prove that a lye is the truth it is a false Antiquity that comes not from the ancient of dayes for our Religion if we cannot fetch it from the Apostles first Doctrin and from the Prophets and Apostles of old we will renounce it but when we can bring for all our Doctrin the seal of the Prophets and Apostles we have a sure note of the truth we preach no truth but what Christ and his Apostles taught our Antiquity stands not on Monuments or writings though all records were burnt our faith depends not on them but on the prime Institution Vse 2 It confutes the Common cavill against Professors they accuse them of new fanglednesse they say none of your Fathers or Ancestors walkt in this way why it is the way of Christ and his Apostles sin is a new way a new strange thing 1 JOHN 2.25 And this is the Promise he hath promised us even eternall life THis eternall life is said to be promised Doct. Eternall life is given by promise Gal. 3.18 Heirs of eternall life are called Heirs of Promise Heb. 6.17 because they are Heirs of that Promise was made to Abraham Rom. 4.13 14. Reas 1 From the grant of eternall life to Christ and through him to us Gal. 3.16 that therefore eternall life might be by Christ it is needful it should be by promise 2 Cor. 1.20 Reas 2. That it might procure those two great benefits first Honour to God secondly peace to his Children had we pleaded it by the Law we had pleaded it of debt but God provided that what grace should come should be free and therefore by Promise 2 From hence follows peace of Conscience had we been under the Law every failing would make us doubt and therefore that our hearts might be setled he hath given it us of Promise Rom. 6 16. Vse 1 A strong refutation of Popish merits by the works of the Law and that in their own persons why then it is not of grace nor promise that is the true reason why they deny certainty of Salvation because they hold it from the works of the Law therefore there is no peace of conscience in their Relion if it be of the works of the Law then not of grace if not of grace then not of promise if not of Promise then not of Christ for if they be bound to obey the whole Law they are in doubt to break it if they keep it yet they know not whether they shall persevere to the end and so
in the throne of a mans heart Conscience is our companion God much more Psal 139. Reas 2. God is our witnesse therefore when we speak soberly we call God to witnesse He is a Judge Heb. 10.3 an Executioner and therefore if Conscience sees cause to condemn us God much more if Conscience see cause to acquit us God much more Psal 139.2 3. Vse 1. A signe of our present estate and what God will doe concerning us if we live and die thus What saith thy Conscience if thy heart assure thee thou lovest thy Brother 2 Cor. 1.12 That thou savourest not sin that thete is no good duty but thou wouldst doe thou hast been humbled for thy sins Conscience hath been an Executioner and yet hath come with pardon sealed to thee with the broad seal of Heaven If thou seest one spark of sincerity in thee God sees more Obj. May not a mans conscience be deceived Rom. 3.17 Luke 18.9 to 14 May not a man say I have no guilty conscience Answ Conscience sometimes bears false witnesse Tit. 1.15 16. If a man have a defiled conscience it will deal falsly A mans conscience through ignorance and partiality doth bring a false verdict As it is many times with a Jury ignorance of law and false evidence makes them bring a false verdict but then send them back again and shew them better evidence and the law c. So Conscience doth oft-times bring a false verdict but its thorough ignorance of the Law of God or partiality Doth thy conscience speak bitter things Consider what the grounds are If such as doe argue thee dead in trespasses and sins then know that God doth call thee from heaven to repentance If it tell thee thou art an hypocrite consider what grounds it hath Conscience may be muzled by ignorance and partiality the Devill puts false glasses before our eyes 2. A ground of serious humiliation to every mans heart whose conscience upon due examination doth accuse him 3. To teach every Christian which hath found that he hath passed from death to life to be afraid to commit any sin And comfort thy soul if Conscience do acquit thee then will God much more 4. Labour we always to be doing some good for we have a companion that hears and sees all and a register that notes every good word or work The Apostle in stead of telling us If our hearts condemn us God will condemn us much more He gives a reason of it describing God 1 From his greatnesse 2 Knowledge Doct. God is better acquainted with our hearts and wayes then our selves Psal 19.12 He means sins not onely secret and hidden from others but from our selves Psal 139.12 Thou Lord knowest my thoughts afar off they are ever before thee 2 Kings 8.11 12 13. Reas 1. From Gods omnisciency his all-sufficient knowledge Heb. 4.13 They are anatomized before him as if every vein and sinew were laid open he divides between the marrow and the bone John 21.12 Rom. 15.11 Job 26.6 Though hell and destruction be both covered yet before the Lord they be both open Whether Hell be in the waters or on the earth they cover not from God Hell and destruction are before the Lord how much more the hearts of the children of men 2. From the creation God made our hearts gave us power to affect think purpose He knoweth what is in us Job 38.36 If God give understanding to the heart he knows much more what is in the heart Psal 33.13 God hath fashioned our hearts therefore he knows them Psal 99 10. 3. From the providence of God We have our motion in God A Mill moves from the Miller because he hath caused it so to doe but the motion of the Mill is not in the Miller it can move without him We move in God as a supportant conservant cause as a Mill moved by the breath of the winde so we by the breath of the Lord as there is not a turning in the Mill but from the winde so not a turning of our hearts without him Our hearts are in the hands of the Lord Prov. 21.1 4. From the unsearchable depth of the deceitfulnesse of mans heart Jer. 17.9 10. Prov. 3.17 Our hearts make us believe we are rich and have need of nothing when indeed we are wretched and miserable poor blinde and naked Prov. 30.2 3. Sometimes that we are more foolish than any man and have not the understanding of a man while we walk in a sinfull way they make us believe we are in Gods favour Luke 18.9 When we are in a good estate and God would have us walk chearfully in him our hearts will cast a thousand discouragements upon us we cannot pray or profit by the Word of God or doe any good duty our hearts will few pillows under our elbowes that so we may sleep quietly but when we go to try our hearts by the Word of God then they will fall out with us indeed 2 Sam. 15. the beginning Vse 1. Take heed of all secret sins Not onely such as may be hid from men but of such roots of sin as are hid from thy selfe yet cannot be hid from God Take heed of such sins as are so subtle that thou knowest not whether they be sins or no sins which our own soules know not of If a man would be kept from presumptuous sins he must cleanse the inward and hidden frame of his heart Q. How shall we cleanse our hearts A. 1. Pray to God with David Psal 19. to cleanse us from such sins which we know not We have confessed such sins as we know by our selves and those which the world knows by us but we must make a new reckoning for such sins as we know not 2. Not to trust our own hearts but the Word of God Psal 119.9 The Word of God saith there are such sins in every age therefore we must pray to God to help us against them 3. Keep our hearts with all diligence observe every winding and turning and take heed of occasions that provoke our hearts any way to sin Prov. 4.23 2. This shews the impossibility of their good estates that look to be justified by habits and works It is the happinesse of Gods servants in that they look not to be justified by the perfection of their hearts 3. Ground of tryall If we finde that our hearts doe not condemn us let us trust our hearts no farther then we prove them by the rule of Gods Word If God hath helped you to look up to Christ for the pardon of your sins and you now sit loose from sin it is an argument that your sins are pardoned because we could not else hate sin Psal 119.6 But on the contrary if we finde our hearts condemning us our hearts are full of selfe-love Parents are full of partiality as that they can scarce see any evill in their children If they see cause of death in them much more God the righteous Judge If they see cause of
The Sun is the life of many Vermine take away the Sun and they dye as flyes but when the Sun shines in its season they live let God take away the Sun-shine of his favour from us we can neither pray nor preach we live a life of grace of holinesse Prov. 16.14 15. Rom. 8.2 Ephes 2.4 5. there is life enougst in Christ to procure us life 2 There is a life of glory of which it is said John 10.27 28. That Christ gives to his sheep eternall life 1 Cor. 15.4 5. John 5.24 28 29. so many whose souls receive life by the Word of the Gospel their bodies shall rise to eternall life How did Christ procure us this life He procured this by his death Rom. 5.9 10. while we were yet enemies we were yet reconciled by the death of Christ We received life of grace and holinesse by his means I will pour out my Spirit of grace upon all flesh Reas 1. It was unpossible our corrupt nature should fulfill any law of God Rom. 8.4 Gal. 3.21 2 The glory of Christ requires that as the Father quickneth so he also John 5.21 Vse 1. This shewes us what our condition is without Christ if God send Christ that we might live through him then in Gods fight without Christ we are dead as dead flyes dead wormes in a cold frost we are utterly dead without true peace we are like thorns that give a blaze but we lye down in sorrow Isa 50.11 Christ is our life without him we can doe nothing we are not able to put forth any spirituall action 2 Let us try our estates Whether can we say that God sent his Son into the world and hereby manifested his love to us Doe you live in Gods sight without him we are but dry bones untill we can say we live in Christ we cannot say we have any sense of Gods favour 3 It teacheth such as have any evidence of life in Christ Joh. 10.10 to come into Gods presence as dry bones intreat God that he would so speake the word as that those dry bones may live 4 To teach all such as have received this manifest token of Gods love to acknowledge the Lord Christ to be their life Phil. 1.21 For me to live is Christ and to dye is gain now Paul is crucified with Christ Gal. 2.20 and now for him to live is Christ now every day he lives he doth the more expresse Christ 1 JOHN 4.10 Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins Doct. THe love of God to us was not procured by our love to him but his own good pleasure he therefore loved us because it pleased him So that in these words we have the freenesse of Christs love he loved us freely because he loved us when we loved not him we did not begin in love to him but he to us and this is set out by the effect and end of it the pardon of our sins What is that love God bare to us before we loved him Answ There is a threefold principle of love which God magnifies and manifests to his people before they love him 1 That love whereby he chose us to life and to redeem us by Christ 2 Tim. 1.9 and the choyce to life was not according to workes but free grace 2 Gods love in redeeming us by Christ was before any love of ours to God Joh. 3.16 3 His love prevented us by effectually calling us drawing implies unwillingnesse therefore it prevented all good affections in us he must draw us out of presumption then out of despair Reas From the difference between the care of Gods love and of our love self love is so â—iveted in our hearts that we cannot love any unlesse it be for some cause concerning us a natural man loves none any further then tends to profit or pleasure but a Christian is inlarged to all Gods children he loves them all and the ground of this is because we know such to be incorporated into the same body with us and so as we see them in some kind our own and so we should never have loved God unlesse we had found his love to us Object A christian comes off freely to many â—ffices of love to them that love not him Answ True but it is because he knows God can abundantly recompence it they sometimes may lay down their lives for their brethren and for the Truth but they know that Christ hath done it for them before 2 From the eternity of Gods love now Jer. 31.3 an everlasting love can have no cause the cause is alwayes before the effect no temporall thing can be the cause of an eternall love 3 From the end of Gods love that he might bring us to walke in love Ephes 1.4 Tit. 2.14 The love of God to his people of old is a fir president to all his children Deut. 7.8 9. compared with Deut. 9.4 5 6. Vse 1. Refutes a popish and Arminian conceit that God chooseth none to life but out of foreseen faith and good works else he had chosen none to life but this is a mercenary love let a servant labour never so hard yet he knows he shall be well paid at the years end and therefore it is servile love this is that love which they would put upon God 2 It exhorts all to begin betimes to love God begin never so soon God hath prevented us Rom. 11.35 it was an early love of Josiah at twelve years of age when he sought after God but Gods love was up before him you cannot be in your love before him though you begin as soon as you are warm in the womb John Baptist was very early when he leaped for joy in the womb yet Gods love was before him an Angel had appeared to his Father and had promised a blessing before John was begotten 3 To teach old people if God have prevented them with love long before how should this stir them up to love God and to be humbled for the want of love to God that hath loved them so long Shall we be to seek in our love to God and cleave to worldlinesse in our old times and let God stay till our children be provided for What an unworthy dealing is this with God This should exhort all Gods servants that have had experience of Gods love to acknowledge the freedome of Gods love Job by Gods testimony was a man that feared God and eschewed evill What saith the Devill Doth Job serve God for naught No but though God had stript him of all as he did yet he had shewed such marvellous love to his soul as that he had just cause to love God for ever if God should not have bestowed on him one dram of wealth 4 This should teach Gods children to be as observant in love to Gods children as God is to them to love them freely to doe kindnesse to them freely Psal 16.2 3.
in the Scripture that bears such strong witnesse to Christ Zech. 4.6 It s not by might or power but by my Spirit that any building of grace is built Answ There is in the Scripture 1. A Spirit of power 2. Of Perfection First Of power Luke 24.49 and it s that power that fell on them on the day of Pentecost which our Saviour intimated to them expresly John 20.21 22. so that their words remit sins and ease the conscience and bind it 1 Cor. 14.24 25. 2 Cor. 13.3 4 5. Now then the Spirit breathing in the Apostles though their outward man was base and weak yet their words were mighty and powerfull and even as Christ was most full of power when he was most debased There is a threefold power in the Scripture 1. There is a mighty power therein to convince men of their sinfull estate and of their need of Christ John 16 8 9. 2. A power to comfort the hearts of Gods servants in sence of his favour Rom. 8.15 hence the Spirit is called the Comforter John 14.15 and when the soule findes this successe it witnesseth that no writings are like them to cast down to hell and lift up to heaven again 3. There is a Spirit of power in the Scripture to cleanse us from all defilements to purifie our hearts to overcome the world to strengthen us against all temptations and discouragements This Spirit breathing in us letâ— us see that Christ came fully furnished for our redemption I can doe all things through Christ that strengthneth me Phil. 4.13 by the power of Christ I can learn to stand even in every condition of life and to walk in his fear Ezek. 36.25 26. Secondly In the Scripture there is a Spirit of perfection whereby the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished to every good work 2 Tim. 3.16 17. There is no calling but a man may finde abundant directions for it in the Scripture the Heathen Moralists have written concerning our carriages towards men but little towards God so the laws of men a man may fulfill them all and yet live an hypocrite and die a reprobate which shews their imperfection and therefore mens laws are often changed and altered if therefore a man find such a word as that when he understands it he finds sufficient directions to lead him in all his wayes and bring him to Heaven this shews the divine perfection of the Scripture that what once it delivers that is absolutely perfect and this Spirit bears witnesse to it 1. The Spirit bears witnesse to Christ as it breaths in our hearts for though the Spirit should breath never so strongly yet if we have not the evidence of it in our hearts we shall not know the truth of such a thing Now the Spirit breathing in our consciences is a Spirit of peace and purity both springing from Christ the Spirit of peace perswades our consciences of the vertue and power of Christs bloud had it not been for Christs bloud we should never have had peace but have been like Cain living in Nod in continuall agitation but Christs bloud speaks peace 2. As he came by bloud so he came by water and this is witnessed by the Spirit of Sanctification and there is in this Spirit a threefold work sutable to this water 1. A Spirit of refreshing as water refresheth the dry and thirsty soule Isa 44.3 so doth the water of the Spirit allay the heat and scorch of Gods wrath 2. As springing water washes and cleanses along as it goes so doth the Spirit of God wash us with clean water Ezek. 36.25 unlesse it be troubled with some obstructions which yet it will overgrow and run clear 3. As water hath a power to make trees fructifie about it Psal 1.3 so the water of life gives a Christian such supplying strength unto his heart that it makes him strong and fruitfull that whatsoever God or man requires he in some good measure is inabled to perform it so that a Christian soule by this Spirit breathing in him can plainly discern that Christ came by water and bloud Vse 1. May be a just refutation of Popery that places the ground-work of our faith upon the testimony of the Church ask them how they will be saved they will say by Christ ask them how came you to believe in Christ By the testimony of the Scripture But how know you the truth of the Scripture by the testimony of the Church say they But may not the Church erre Did the whole Church so dangerously erre as all to consent to the crucifying of Christ and may not they as well erre in putting on us false Scripture Are not all men subject to errours and therefore a Christian dares not build his faith upon humane testimony for their testimony can give but humane credulity but a Christian tels them be therefore believes the Scripture because the Spirit of God breaths in them by a Spirit of power and perfection and withall Gods Spirit breaths in him such peace as he knows Christ came by bloud and such purity as he knows Christ came by water Object Thus you will piâ— the Scripture upon your own private spirit Answ This is not our private spirit but the same spirit that breaths in the Scripture which witnesseth to our conscience the truth Vse 2. To teach Christians never to rest in any Scripture they read or Ministers they hear before they have examined things by the testimony of the Spirit it 's not the saying of all men that can assure you of this but it 's the Spirit of God in the Scripture and in your hearts that must testifie that Christ came by water and bloud if you doe not discern this Spirit in you all your faith is but humane credulity noâ— divine faith Vse 3. For tryal of our faith whether it be the faith of Gods elect or no. Dost thou believe that Jesus is the Son of God Yes thou wilt say But what witnesse hast thou to believe it Is it from the Scripture or because thou hast been taught so and so takest it up as a Principle Why this is no divine faith But dost thou find a Spirit within thee which convinceth thy conscience purifies thy heart Why this divine witnesse testifies that Jesus Christ came by water and bloud Vse 4. Of consolation in the testimony of the Spirit whereas the world 〈◊〉 â—est you â— is but a delusion and a fancy he not deceived This spirit 〈◊〉 truth and such a Spirit as witnesseth that true faith only trust not thy private spirit which agâ—ees not with the Spirit breathing in the Scripture and therefore both are to be joyned together the Spirit breathing in the Scripture and the Spirit breathing in our hearts 1 JOHN 5.6 the latter part Because the Spirit is truth THe Spirit which beareth witnesse to Christ is amplified by the effect witnesse bearing and by 〈◊〉 junct of truth which is the cause of his bearing witnesse he brâ—â—s witnesse
have committed this sin and they know God is not able to break his word Mark 9.22 There comes a poor man to Christ for help for his son and said If thou canst doe any thing have compassion on us What saith Christ If thou canst believe all things are possible to him that believeth viz that I am able why saith he Lord I believe help my unbeliefe he believed God was able to help him and yet was not certain of it neither and yet this faith procured this blessing from God Quest How can this be called believing on Christ when the heart is not grounded on Christ nor rests on him Answ As to believe on Christ is to rest on him as a stone on the foundation so there is a believing on Christ when the heart yet rests not one Christ but rowls it selfe on Christ and that may be done while the heart is yet in motion Resting is a setlednesse of condition but rowling is an unsetled tumbling about sometimes rowls one way sometimes another yet such a Christian believes on Christ because he is rowling towards him that so he may lie on him Psal 37.5 Commit thy ways to the Lord in the original rowl thy ways upon God lean thy soul that way that is done by rowling thy selfe towards him that thou mightst rest on him Prov. 3.6 Trust on the Lord with all thy heart lean not on thy own wisdome a man may be said to lean that way whereon he is not yet setled Quest When is a man said to lean on Christ Answ 1. When a man is perswaded that God is able to help him yet doubts of his willingnesse and yet comes to him leans towards him craves his help as Mark 5.25 there comes a woman to Christ with a bloudy issue she came neither doubting of his ability nor will If I may but touch the hemme of his garment I shall be made whole this was a resting on Christ But the poor Leper was not come so far as to assure himselfe that Christ would doe it but he believes his power and useth the means to make him willing Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean 2 A man may be said to lean on Christ when he believes not his willingnesse nor yet confidently his power and yet desires God to help his unbelief this is a rowling upon Christ If thou caâ—â—â— doe any thing help us in Scripture phrase this kind of rowling upon Christ is called a coming to Christ it 's one thing to be coming to Christ and another thing to rest on him but yet he is a believer if he doe but come to Christ Math. 11.28 this coming to Christ is believing on him for to such he promiseth that he will refresh them and he refresheth none but believers Joh. 6.35 37 67. By coming to Christ we believe on him and he that cometh to him he will in no wise cast out if a man be but coming onwards humbled for his sins and perswaded that God is able to help him if not yet if he be grieved for his unbelief and prayes to God to help his unbelief this is coming to Christ that is making towards him and this is faith Suppose a man tell you in such a field of yours is a rich treasure if you believe the man will you not goe about to dig it up but if you doubt of the truth then you let it alone so God tels you all the treasures of life and grace are laid up in Christ this record God gives of his Son now if we believe this record we will use all good means to attain this eternal life otherwise if we doe not use the means to get this treasure we make God a lyar as if his record were not true Vse 1. It reproves the dangerous sin of such as neither relye on Christ nor rowl towards him St. John tels us we make God a lyar a fearfull thing for mortal men to make the God of truth a God of lyes now if we make God a lyar we make him no God at all if we live in unbelief we live in Atheism all such as find not their hearts resting on God or rowling towards him they make God a lyar and there is no truth in them for if we did but believe that eternal life were to be found in Christ we would not rest till we were assured of it if we know of any Inheritance left us we will â—ow from one end of the land to the other to obtain it so if we believed that the treasure of salvation were laid up in Christ we should never rest rowling towards him till we had got possession thereof Vse 2. May stir us up never to rest till we have brought our hearts to relye upon Christ to lean on him to rowl towards him if we doe not this we are Atheists therefore as we desire to make God a God of truth let â—s never rest till we have found our hearts relying on him Psal 132. â— to 6. It was a notable resolution of David in the midst of all his â—â—bles that he would not give himselfe rest till he had prepared as habitation for God so let us never cease rowling towards Christ till at length we find our selves resting on him Quest What would you have us to doe to â—â—ing our hearts to relye and 〈◊〉 on God Answ 1. Rowl your selves to such places where you may have means of grace Faith comes by bearing Rom 10.17 2 Rowl off your hearts from all your sins come out of your sinful corruptions rowl your selves out of your bodâ— of security 2 Cor 6. two last verses 3 Rowl your selves so far from all worldly comforts as that you set not your hearts on them Psal 62.10 nor on great friends Psal 146.3 4 Cast your meditation on the mighty power of God which is able to heal such untoward hearts as yours 5 Use all the means you may and endeavour with all the strength you may that God may heal you 6 If you doubt of his will and are not confident of his ability pray that God would give you a believing heart Lord help my unbelief Vse 3. For them that have rowled themselves on Christ rest not in rowling there is no rest to be had in rowling therefore from rowling 〈…〉 come to establishment in Christ and thâ—re rest sit down in quietnesse and confidence now if thou wouldst have a stone lye on the foundation thou most cut off all the roughnesse and unsquarenesse or else it cannot lye 〈◊〉 there is none but either he hath some doubts that make him under or else pride that is a great swelling therefore we must lay down all our high thoughts and 〈◊〉 levell with Christ for he is meek and loâ—ly besides all hatred and 〈◊〉 is an uneven swelling in our hearts and how 〈◊〉 can they lye smooth in the building bowles and swelling bodies will not touch but in 〈◊〉 point smooâ—â— things lye flat what swelling of heart we
flexiblenesse a dead carkase is always stiffe So consider whether you be stiffe or no why if there be life of grace in you That wisdome that is from above is gentle and easie to be entreated James 3.17 There are four things in this plyablenesse First He is easily pleased with any indifferent indevours 1 Pet. 3.8 A gracious man is easily pleased if a man be froward and hard to please it s a signe such a soul is stiffe and dead Secondly If he be offended he is easie to be entreated James 3.17 It s a signâ— of a reprobate sence to be implacable Rom. 3.1 Thirdly If he have offended another he is willing to yeeld to that man whom he hath offended so much stiffnesse so much deadnesse Fourthly There is this gentlenesse in every living Christian he is willing to deny himselfe upon unequall terms when he might stand upon his right yet he yeelds his right rather then any offence should grow so Abraham did to Lot Gen. 13.8 9. If we finde it thus we are loving Christians but if men be hardly pleased like Nabal churlish hardly recall'd will not yeeld but stand upon their right to the utmost then they are in a deep swound or dead 3. Whilest the body is alive its savoury a dead carkase is very unsavoury mark your spirits every living Christian is a sweet savour to God his words are savoury Col. 4.5 6. Ephes 4.29 His works savour well in the nostrills of God and man Ephes 5.10 But if your speeches and carriages be unsavoury uncomely and profane are ye not then carnall 1 Cor. 3.3 But a good Christian so carryes himselfe that the bowells of the Saints are refreshed by him Unsavoury speeches and carriages argue the deadnesse of such a soul Vse 2. May shew us the dangerous and uncomfortable condition of every such soul that hath not Christ He that hath not the Son hath not life If we be without Christ we are dead in trespasses and sins Eph. 2.1 5. We may say of men by nature as was said of Senacheribs host Behold ye are all dead carkases 2 Kings 19.35 We by nature have not this act of life Five acts of life we heard of before by Nature we are wanting in them all 1. By Nature we have no spirituall motion all our works are but dead works Hebrewes 9.14 And so dead are we by Nature that we doe no good nay we can doe no good and which is worst of all we will doe no good Rom. 3.12 There is none that doth good no not one All the imaginations of our hearts by nature are wholly evill and that continually Gen. 6.5 And as all his thoughts are evill so are all his words Mat. 12.33 And so are all his works Mat. 7.18 We are as rotten trees we cannot bring forth one good fruit There is not so much in a naturall man as one good thought or word or action that proceeds from faith or is regulated by Gods Word or aymes at Gods glory nay if God should raise us up and inable us to doe good yet we would not Jer. 13. ult Oh Jerusalem wilt thou not be made clean When shall it once be The man that had a bodily disease on him when Christ askt him Wilt thou be made whole He said Yea Lord. But if God ask us the question Wilt thou be made clean we refuse it We finde shifts to put off Christ never could we finde that day wherein we could say This day I would be a Christian but we are either almost perswaded to be Christians or else it must not be this day as bad debtors they would not have the creditors set them a day lest they should break it so wee would be spared from setting God a day for surely we would break it indeed when we are pressed with some fore sicknesse indangering death what say we O! If God would but once restore me to health againe all the world should see I would become a new man and yet when he was in health he said I will seek God and turne to him in sicknesse and thus we put God off from Winter to Summer from Spring to Harvest when we are sick we promise amendment if God will send us health but why not now Doe you know whether ever you shall have health or no And will you hazard your soules And therefore God expects that in afflictions we should seek him 2. They feed not on Christ which was a signe of life but as God said of his superstitious people Isa 44.20 the same may be said of every naturall man He feedeth upon ashes a deceitfull heart hath turned him aside that he cannot deliver his soule nor say Is there not a lye in my right hand Every naturall man hath an idoll that he sets up in his heart and whoever he be that feeds not on the living God feeds upon ashes It is taken from children that for some evill humour delight to be â—â—â—bling upon ashes and coals So every naturall man he feeds upon ashes that is upon dry and unsavoury meat that will not profit the soule for the soul is spirituall and fed upon spirituall food profits and pleasures and honours are no more fit meat for the soul then ashes for the body Solomon complaines of the vanity of mankinde Eccl. 3.21 Who knoweth the spirit of a man that goeth upward or the spirit of a beast that goeth downward Who knows Who considers or takes it to heart that his soule goes to a better place then the beast Who provides better for his soul then the beasts Doe not they all feed on worldly comfort who should feed on immortall food We by nature all of us feed on ashes so that we cannot deliver our soules and say Is there not a lye in my hand Is not this a false course a lying vanity Will not profits and honours deceive me A seduced heart hath deceived him 3. A third act of spirituall life is growth Now a carnall man is far from growing in grace apt is he to grow in sin to proceed on in evill to increase in ungodlinesse 2 Tim. 3.17 Jerem. 9.3 From coveteousnesse to ambition from ambition to voluptuousnesse this is his best growth 4. A fourth act of life was expulsion of noysome lusts Now by nature we are loath to part with our lusts Jer. 4.14 O Jerusalem wash thy heart from wickednesse how long shall vain thoughts lodge in thee We by nature will never cleanse out our lusts but if we doe cast out any thing it s the motions of Gods Spirit we think them superfluous and burdensome and hinderers of our credit and pleasures so that all good motions and good counsells that have been put in us we cast them out Ahab is struck with fear and humiliation but he casts out all by calling a Councell for War Let Cain have a good motion he puts it off by building a City and so takes off his thoughts from once seeking to God to heal
because they are out of Christ 4. Why some for a time make a faire Profession yet hold not out their life of grace is some Land-floud a torrent for a time but not fed by any living spring John 4.14 5. Why the Children of God forsake all for him Matthew 19.27 Job 2.4 6. Why the Children of God live for ever John 14.19 why hath he that believeth Everlasting life Because to believe is to lay hold he that believeth on the Son then layeth hold on Everlasting life Vse 3. This teacheth every one to labour to finde Christ for in finding him we finde Eternal life Prov. 8.34 Proposit 2. The Eternall Life Christ was with the Father 1. He was with the Father as a nourisher to the Creature 1 Sustaining all Heb. 1.3 2 His Church especially preserving unto us that Spirituall life which he conveyed unto us Hence Ephes 1.3 all Blessings as Election verse 4. Adoption verse 5. but when were these before the World was made 2 Tim. 1.9 hence Isa 9.6 he is called The everlasting Father 2. He was with the Father as a delight 1 To the Father hence Joh. 17.24 For thou hast loved c. Mat. 3. ult 2 To the Creature Prov. 8.31 rightly translated Vid. Jun. 〈◊〉 If the Creature can fill and ravish us with servile delights how much more can the Persons of the blessed Trinity one another yea and us also seeing the severall delights which are scattered in the Creatures as in Meats Drinks Company Recreation c. are not so delightfull as Christ Psal 4.6 7. Psal 16. ult Vse 1. Hence we learn 1. Our Saviour Christs Conjunction with the Father 2. His Distinction from him If this life was with the Father then they were together from all Eternity and because there cannot be two Eternals but one Eternal therefore they must needs be conjoyned and united in the same Essence And yet because the one was with the other there must needs be some distinction between them which because it cannot be essentiall for their Essence is one neither can it be accidentall for no Accidents are in God it must needs be Personall Vse 2. If Christ was with the Father in the manner before declared as a Nourisher and Delight then here is an answer to that vain cavelling question of Atheists Obj. If the World be but five thousand and odde years old what did God so many years before Ans 1. They nourished delighted and solaced each other 2. God ordained Christ to be a nourisher and solacer of his Church 1 Pet. 1.20 compared with places above mentioned Vse 3. If Christ was with the Father in whose presence is fulnesse of joy and pleasure for evermore as Psal 16. ult then how unspeakable was the love of Christ to such wretches as we are who for our sakes would leave his Father to take part of our miseries that we might be partakers of his pleasures Would a man think that he whose delight was so unspeakable and glorious with his Father would say that which he doth Psal 16.3 for that whole Psalm is meant of him or of the whole Church but principally of him O where are our hearts that they can delight no more in him our fool sh hearts can delight in any thing more than him Vse 4. If Christ was with the Father then the Children of God may comfort themselves in assurance of this point that we shall also be with God too to behold the glory which Christ hath with the Father Christ is now where from Eternity he was John 16.28 and where he now is he hath prayed that we also may be John 17.24 and doth so pray to this day Rom. 8.34 35. now him the Father heareth always John 11.42 Proposit 3. This eternall life which was with the Father appeared unto the Apostles and Disciples What is meant by appeared 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was made manifest how was he made manifest in the flesh 1 Tim. 3. ult True it is that Christ was made manifest before the Apostles time unto the Patriarchs and that three ways 1. By Apparition in the similitude and shape of flesh Gen. 18.17 and there he is called Jehovah and he afterwards prayed unto him Gen. 27.25 to Hagar Gen. 16.7.13 to Jacob to Moses Exod. 3.2.4.6 to whom Moses prayed Deut. 33.16 2. By Preaching Gen. 3.15 3. By Faith which maketh things appear which appear not which maketh things evident which are not seen Heb. 11.1 John 8.16 Gen. 17.17 But not in the flesh not by Incarnation till the fulnesse of time was come which was the Apostles times Gal. 4.4 Gen. 17.17 Doct. 1. He who was from the beginning with the Father eternall living God became in the fulnesse of time truly man But of this we have spoken at large before v. 1. and that upon the Feast of the Nativity now at this time onely such things are to be spoken of as appertain to his Incarnation so far forth as it was a manifestation of him Doct. 2. The Incarnation of Christ and his conversation in the World was the manifestation of him to the Apostles and Church of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is here called his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 2 Tim. 1.10 it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a Metaphor as if it were the breaking forth of the Sun from under a Cloud hence also John 12.46 For the Reason of the Point this incarnation of Christ c. was the manifestation of him to the Apostles and Church of God First To the outward man 1. Because his Divine Person before that time invisible and sensible by his incarnation became sensible and palpable John 1.18 2. Because that person though before he was known to the Church of God yet but obscurely Secondly It was the manifestation of him to the inward man for though they knew him to be God Psal 110.1 mark our Saviours urging that place Mat. 22 44 45. and Man Gen. 3.15 to be of his Church the King Psal 2.8 9. the Priest Psal 110.4 Dan. 9.17 the Prophet Deut. 18.18 John 4.25 yet how these things should be they knew not Luke 1.24 hence Luke 10.22 23 24. though they knew his benefits before yet but obscurely and darkly as wrapped up in a shadow 2 Cor. 3.13 as things seen afar off Heb. 11.13 but now are brought to light by his incarnation and coming into the World 2 Tim. 1.10 Vse 1. For Knowledge and 2 for Practice 1. For Knowledge and hence we learn 1 The meaning of that difficult place Heb. 9.7 8. why was that way into the most Holy place shut up from the sight of Gods people because the way into Heaven was not manifested that being a type of this but what was that way into Heaven Christ incarnate living and dying amongst us Heb. 10.19 20. hence at Christs death the veile of the Temple was rent in twain and so the way into the most Holy place was opened Mâ—t. 27.51 2. The reason why the
speak well Mat. 12.34 Reas 2. Such as do walk in the light have recovered the Image of God now his Image stood in light Joh. 1.4 light of Knowledge and Holinesse Col. 3.10 Ephes 4.24 what fellowship Adam had with God in Paradise the same have all such as walk in the waies of truth and holinesse Q Do you not see many true Christians that have true grace and yet walk in much darknesse how then have they fellowship with God Isa 50.10 he that feareth the Lord and hearkens to the voyce of his Servants that walks in darknesse and seeth no light c. which shews that a man may fear the Lord and hearken to the voyce of his Servants and yet walk in darknesse Ans Such a one walks not in any grosse ignorance or error and heresie or in darnesse of uncleannesse and prophanesse but hee may walk in darknesse of discomfort and dishonour and yet have true fellowship with God no Christian walks more in light than they that walk most in darknesse those that walk most discouraged they walk more carefully and fearfully whereas many that walk in more comfort walk more loosely and scandalously Q. What need they walk in discomfort if they walk in the light doth not all discomfort arise from ignorance that they do not know their own estate and Gods nature and love towards them c Ans It is true they walk in darknesse and that is the reason why they walk so uncomfortably for if they were truly enlightned in the Nature of God and their own estate they would have more comfort but yet this is no affected ignorance but of infirmity and weaknesse and want of experience it is one thing to be in a way and another thing to walk in that way such a man doth not walk in that darknesse because it is not voluntary he doth not desire to walk in darknesse neither is it continual but he at length grows to be further enlightened Vse 1. Of refutation of the Papists that say we deny Works and maintain the Doctrin of the Solifidians Answ We disclaime all Works as any cause or merit of Justification Psalm 130.3 but we do not disclaim good Works in themselves we do not discourage any from good Works but encourage them thereunto is this no encouragement to walk in the light when we say such shall have fellowship with God and be cleansed by the blood of Christ these are strong motives to good works we maintain good works as the Apostle saith for necessary uses Tit. 3.13 What are these necessary uses 1 For our own parts that we may have fellowship with God 2 To glorifie God Matthew 5.16 Let your Works so shine before men c. 3 To stop slanders of vain men 2 Pet. 2.5 4 That by our good Works others may bee led on to a Christian course a good conversation is a good means of the conversion of others We further say That good Works justifie us in St. James his sense Jam. 2 14. There is a double Justification 1 A justification of a man from sin in the sight of God 2 Of a Christian from Hypocrisie in the sight of both God and Man the first way a man is justified onely by the blood of Christ the second way by good Works for we must know a mans Conscience hath two burthens 1 My Sins are great and liable to Damnation how shall I be acquit of that From this our own works cannot justifie us it is done onely by the blood of Christ 2 I but the blood of Christ cleanseth only true Christians that are in Christ and have true grace but you are an Hypocrite how shall I now be quit from the imputation of Hypocrisie In that I am justified by my works let it appear to my self and others that I have lived in all uprightnesse 2 Cor. 1.12 so that justification from Hypocrisie before God an Man is from the witnesse of my upright and unblameable life so that I am justified from a double accusation from the one by one way from the other by another way I am a sinner that I cannot deny my best works are sinful therefore from that I am justified only by the blood of Christ But Christs blood belongs not to you you are an Hypocrite now how shall I know the sincerity of Faith but from the fruits which is an holy and righteous life so that if I walk so I justifie my self from that imputation How doth Hezekiah help himself when God spake bitter things Remember how I have waled before thee with an upright heart 2 Joh. 3. Isa 53.11 how do I know that I know him Why if I keep his Commandments therefore we say that an holy life is an evident sign of our fellowship with God it glorifies God it stops slanders and brings on others and besides all this a godly life will justifie us from hypocrisie Vse 2 For trial whether we have fellowship with God or no why if we walk in the light we have fellowship with him Col. 3.3 Isa 50.10 if a man walk in light of truth and holinesse in knowledge of Gods Will and obedience to it if a man walk in such a way I say that is if he do willingly give up himself to the knowledge and obedience of the Will of God if he continue therein and grow in grace and go forward from step to step from strength to strength Psal 84. it is a true signe of fellowship with God there is no corrupt nature that can have such desires at least not continue and grow up in them Q. May not a Christian be carried out of his way as David into Adultery Noah into Drunkennesse Peter into Denial of Christ Ans They were indeed wayes of Darknesse but they did not turn into them voluntarily but through violence of Temptation and corruption 2 They continued not in them 3 They grew not up in them they took no pleasure in them A man is not judged by a step or two but according to his walk what is his course a man may take a step or two out of the way but yet if he recover himself we say that is his way God judgeth not of a mans Spirit by a step or two for then who could be justified No Christian but sometimes he steps a wry and it may be three or four steps as David 1 Into Idlenesse 2 Into Adultery 3 Drunkennesse 4 Murther 2 Sam. 11. he went into four wicked steps foul steps but you must not judge a man for two or three or four steps for so on the contrary a wicked man may take a step or two into a godly course he may read some good Book pray hear the Word this is to bring about some end of his he hath another way to go only he is turned out of his way for some conveniency as he thinks so that there is no judging of a man on either part by a step or two but we must judge of men by their
3. Bloud is most mentioned because it is an evident Testimony of death because in bloud is life 2 because it accomplished all the legall types Heb. 9.22 Quest 2. Why is it called the blood of Jesus Christ his Son Ans Because that Christ that shed his bloud was the Son of God and that added efficacy to it Heb. 10.4 not the bloud of sinfull man Heb. 2.26 27. it must be therefore the bloud of an infinite power Acts 20.28 Quest 3. How is this blovd said to cleanse Ans 1 As it Justifies 2 As it Sanctifies 1. As it Justifies us by his bloud are we cleansed Rom. 5.9 Ephes 1.7 we are justified by it because it frees us from the guilt and punishment of sin 1 From the guilt of Sinne guilt is that whereby we are liable to the Curse 2 It frees us from the punishment of sin so that now there is no condemnation to us Rom. 8.1 Rom. 4. ult 1 Pet. 2.24 2. We are cleansed from Sin by a sactifying power in the death of Christ that is it whereby our Consciences being sprinkled we are freed from the stain and lust of sin Heb. 10.29 and are endued with supernaturall grace so that we are afraid to commit any sin Q. What is meant by all Sin A. That is from original and actual sins from sins of Omission and Commission it cleanseth us from the sins of our Birth and of our Life of Youth and of riper years Rom. 5.9 now we could not be justified if any sin were unpardoned Heb. 9.14 if it be a dead work or sin of Omission our Conscience is purged from it for if the bloud of Bulls and Goats cleansed from all sins of the flesh much more the bloud of Christ from all sin no sin but we are cleansed from by Christs bloud except the sin against the Holy Ghost Heb. 10.26 because v. 29. they tread under foot the bloud of the Covenant For the proof of this point see Rom. 8.1 2. Rom. 6.6 Reas 1. From the wonderfull efficacy of Christs bloud in respect of the Divinity of his Person the reason why it is so effectuall is because it is the bloud of the Son of God Heb. 9.14 Reas 2. Because he stood in our Persons on the Crosse through the acceptation of God God accepted him as a Surety for us Heb. 7.22 Isa 5. ult 1 Pet. 2.24 therefore it is as much as if we had done it in our own persons John 10.11 He had no need to shed his Blood for himselfe for he had never sinned Vse 1. To reprove the Papists who teach that the Masse being celebrated for the dead and living justifies from sin but if the bloud of Christ cleanse us from all sin there is no need of the Masse to cleanse us from any sin and they teach that the Masse is an unbloudy Sacrifice now it must be a bloudy Sacrifice that must cleanse Heb. 10.10 14. but if it be often offered it doth not exceed the Sacrifices of the Law Heb. 10.1 to 5. Vse 2. To refute the Popish Purgatory if Christs bloud cleanse us from all sin what need a Purgatory to expiate any sin This is a Blasphemy against Christs bloud Q. Do not Temptation and Affliction and Word and Sacraments and Faith and other Graces purge us from sin and purifie us It is said of Afflictions Heb. 12.11 A. It is true there are many means to purge us from sin but no efficacy in any of them except by virtue of Christs Blood therefore those in Hell have no benefit because Christs bloud reacheth not thither so that if any be bettered by Afflictions or Word or Sacraments it is from the virtue of Christs bloud and if Christs bloud be sprinkled on Purgatory we will not reject it Vse 3. Of refutation of the opinion of many godly Divines that hold we are purified from the sinne of our Birth by the purity of Christs Birth from Sinnes of Omission by his active obedience from Sinnes of Commission by his passive obedience but we must know there is thus much in the purity of his Birth in his Obedience in his Passion that it makes us fit to be cleansed but yet we must hold the Bloud of Christ cleanseth us from all sin that brings this fitnesse to perfection A Lamb defiled in the old Law was never accepted though it were slain for a Sacrifice and if it had been without spot and blemish yet if it had not been slain it would not have been accepted neither so had not Christ been a Lambe spotlesse and undefiled his death would not have cleansed us from our sins and though he were spotlesse and undefiled yet he must be slain or else we could not be cleansed neither the purity of Christs Nature doth not cleanse us from sin but we must take all joyntly together all his active obedience was passive and all his passive obedience was active Gal. 4.4 5. that he was obedient to the Law was part of his Passion and by the obedience of Christ to the death we are cleansed from all sin Vse 4. To refute some that say we are justified by faith as it is a work in us they say we are justified not by the works of the Law but by faith Rom. 11.5 6. but if we be justified by faith as it is a work in us how doth the bloud of Christ cleanse us from sin but it is faith as it lays hold on the bloud of Christ Vse 5. For comfort to all such as walk in the light let them not be discomforted you will say your hearts are full of impatience and coveteousness and uncleannesse these are great sins indeed but the bloud of Christ cleanseth from all sin there is no number nor measure limited Object He cleanseth not all men how shall I know whether my sinnes be cleansed A. Why do you walk in the light as God is in the light if you do then his Bloud cleanseth you from all sin therefore if a man would have comfort he must consider whether he live in any sin voluntarily and walk in darknesse if he doe he hath no part in Christs Bloud but if there be no sin but he is willing to avoyd it no duty but he desires to perform it and amend all it is a signe he walks in light if you see what is amisse and labour to mend it then you walk in the light and then assure your selves the bloud of Christ will cleanse you from all your sins Vse 6. For instruction if Christs bloud cleanseth from all sin then no sin is venial is that sin venial that cannot be cleansed but by Christs bloud Vse 7. To shew us the reason why the bloud of Christ is called precious 1 Pet. 1.19 it is more precious than the bloud of Bulls and Goats c. so all silver and gold in the world cannot remit one sin or save one soul from Hell Psal 49.6 7 8. Heb. 12.24 Vse 8. To teach Christians notwithstanding all
Sin truly it is not healed and then not pardoned Obj. I feel my sin so far from being mortified that it grows more strong and vigorous therefore what shall I think of my selfe Ans It may grow stronger in our feeling when it is not so in it self it is not because Sin is stronger but our sense is more quick a man that is in extemity of Sicknesse he feels no pain but when be begins to recover he feels more pain why then the Disease is not stronger but he is more sensible 2. Doe you not find that Sin is more loathsome and bitter to you then it is in some measure mortified for mortifying is a borrowed specch from a Surgions mortifying a Wound they use to binde the joynt and stop all spirit and bloud so that it is made insensible of pain so if we have stopt the freenesse of our spirits to Sin we are not so lively and frolick to Sin it is a signe corruption is mortified but if you see you are as lively and ready and delight as much in Sin as before Sin is not mortified but if it grow loathsome and bitter to us it is a signe of mortification Vse 2. Directs us how to make good use of the bloud of Christ not onely to pardon our Sins but to heal them we are not wont to make use of it for pardon but we must make use of it as well for healing for else we take the bloud of Christ in vain if we make use of it to pardon and not to cleanse for his bloud was sent as well to pardon as to heal therefore pray not to God to pardon your sins through Christs bloud onely but lay his bloud warm to your hearts every day that so you may have your hearts and ways cleansed it is a continued act not of one day or two but throughout our whole life we should make use of Christs bloud to cleanse us 1. Consider what great things he did for us the just for the unjust and the meditation thereof will make us ashamed of sin 2. Pray to God for the quickning work of his Spirit that the same bloud of Christ that hath procured pardon may also procure healing for us Vse 3. It may teach us all to labour to grow in cleannesse of heart and life for the bloud of Christ cleanseth us Zech. 13.1 a Fountain that runs into a Channel that is muddy it will by continuall running cleanse it so though Christ finde our spirits muddy and defiled yet we should let it run daily on us and be ever rincing of our hearts at the fountain Vse 4. Comfort to all Gods Servants that have had any experience of the pardon of their sins you shall certainly in time feel and finde healing and cleansing from your sins if you see a clear Fountain running into a filthy Channel it is very muddy and the worse for the present the mud being stirred but afterwards it is cleansed and made pure and clean so Christs bloud may run into muddy spirits and that bloud at first may make corruption more stirring you finde more pride and vanity and uncleannesse but will it hold so no truely in cleansing it will cleanse and go on till it hath purged all corruption 1 JOHN 1.10 If we say that we have not sinned we make him a lyar and his Word is not in us THese words are a repetition of the former v. 8. but with some addition he aggravates this sin they doe not onely make themselves lyars but they make God a Lyar which is not onely Blasphemous but Heretical it extirpates all the truth of the Word Doct. Opinion and Profession of perfect righteousnesse even in those that are cleansed by the bloud of Christ is not onely an Errour but a blasphemous and heretical Errour it is Sacrilegious and Heretical For having told us before that if we confess our sins God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and that the bloud of Christ cleanseth us from all unrighteousnesse yet if after this we say we have no sin we doe not onely make our selves lyars but God a lyar for if he be not a true God he is no God and his word is not in us that is no part of the Word is in such a man Q. But why doth St. John repeat this thing had he not said enough before that he repeats it Ans 1. Before it might be thought that he spake of Carnal men therefore to make it manifest that even those that had confessed their sins and were cleansed from unrighteousnesse yet even those if they should say they had no sin should make not onely themselves lyars but God a Lyar therefore he repeats it 2. He saw that men were ready to cleanse themselves from sin sinfully if we can by any pretence we will be ready to free our selves from such opinion of sinfulnesse therefore he presses it that indeed we are so foul that if we say the contrary we have no spark of Religion in us not one spark of the Word dwells in us 3. Because it is a point of great necessity to believe the contrary truth therefore he takes up this conclusion again To say is either In Heart In Word In Carriage Well to say thus is to make God a Lyar and so no God for if he be not a God of Truth he is no God for Verum bonum convertuntur Q. Why doth he make God a Lyar A. 1. Because God hath given his Son Christ to cleanse us from all sin and to what end should he send Christ to cleanse sin if we had no sin he that saith he hath no sin overthrows the coming of Christ and the cleansing virtue his bloud 2. God hath often said all men are Sinners in his Word Rom. 3.23 Gal. 3 22. Job 15.14 What is man that he should be clean Job 7.20 David an holy man yet professeth Psal 130.3 Psal 143.2 the perfectest of Gods Servants have testified of themselves that they are Sinners therefore if we say we have not sinned we make God a Lyar. Q. What is meant when he saith the Word is not in him A. 1. It is not in his judgement when he is not perswaded of it 2. It is not in his heart when he trusts not in it and receives it not in love and the saving efficacy of it he that saith he hath no sin receives not the word he speaks of the Word here as Verbum salutiferum Acts 20.32 1 Thes 2.13 2 Tim. 3.15 Now the Word is said not to be in a man when there is not so much Word as will save a man may be ignorant of some Divine truths and yet the Word of God may be in him but if he want the Knowledge and Faith of such Points without which he cannot be saved the Word dwells not in him now he that denies sin to be in him there is not onely a denial of that truth but he is empty of all other saving truths All
at first by Christ and after by his Apostles Luke 1.2 There are three Graces especialy whereby Gods Word is said to continue in us for it is not enough for a Christian to have it rest in his judgement and assent the Devil himself knows and beleeves that Antichristian Doctrin is a lye and he knows the truth yet because he continues not in the truth he hath neither fellowship with the Father nor the Son nor any hope of Salvation therefore there are some more speciall Graces whereby the Word is said to continue in us as David saith I have hid thy word in my heart Psal 119.11 1 By faith 1 Thess 2.13 when ye received the Word ye received it not as the word of man but of God c. men then receive the Word aright when they beleeve it and when they think it effectuall to Salvation able to save their souls Jam. 1.21 when we receive it as the word of life when we receive it as our stock and portion then it dwels in our hearts by faith let a man receive the Word as true only and not as good it will not continue in him the Devils receive it as true but do not receive it as good but think it mischievous to them and therefore they get no good by it 2 It dwels in our Consciences by an holy awe and fear of this Word unless the Word awe us and rule in our hearts we have no fellowship with it Psal 119.161 the heart is taken for the Conscience in the Old Testament we read not of the word Conscience although his heart stood in awe of Princes as when he cut off Sauls skirt yet it was the Word that over-awed him that he would not hurt him this awe of the Word over-awes that authority we might use to evill so Job when he had it in his hand to do wrong yet the fear of God kept him from doing any wrong Job 31.13 14 15. even to the least servant or maid he had Jer. 32.40 3 Obedience keeps the Word in our lives and our lives in the Word Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and I shall keep it to the end Psal 119.32 if a man take liberty to live sometimes by the Word sometimes beside it he will break off from fellowship Herod for a while kept an awe of John but in his life he would not exercise it therefore he shaketh off John and his word and cleaves to his lust so that the Word abides in us by faith fear and obedience Q. What is meant by continuing in the Son and in the Father A. 1. It implies communion with them a man cannot continue in them without communion with them 2 It implies perseverance in them for ever so that he that hath the Word abiding in him hath fellowship with the Son he hath Christ for his Saviour his Brother his King Priest and Prophet and he hath God for his Father an All-sufficient God blessing him with all blessings He shall persevere in this estate for ever What are the Reasons why such continue in the Son and in the Father Reas 1 From the intercession of Christ Joh. 17.20 21 22. without which we neither could have fellowship with them nor eternal life Christ himselfe hath prayed for this and doth and he was heard alwayes Joh. 11.42 therefore when he prays that all they that believe in his Word may be one with him and with the Father they shall have union with them and glory everlasting and so vers 24. Obj. You will say Christs intercession for himself was not sometime heard did not he pray that the Cup of his Passion might passe from him A. He prayed against it and yet did drink it but he prayed conditionally if it might stand with his Fathers Will therefore he had his desire because he fulfilled Gods will Hebr. 5. Secondly He prayed not so much that he might not taste of it as that he might not be over-whelmed by it and so he was supported by his eternall God-head so that he was saved in death and from death therefore Christ having prayed for our union with him and eternall glory we shall attaine it Reas 2 From the effectuall power of found heavenly Doctrin it is the power of God to Salvation it is called the arm of the Lord Joh. 12.38 it is called the glorious ministration of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3.8 2 Corinth 10.4 5. Jam. 1.21 so that this Doctrin is the Ministration the mighty power of God to conveigh to us the Spirit of God which gives us fellowship with the Father and the Son and eternal life the breath of the Word breathes the Spirit of God into us and makes us live spiritually here and gloriously hereafter Vse 1 May shew us what an hard thing it is to persevere and abide in the Doctrin of the Apostles which appears from this strong exhortation one would think that the honesty and purity of the Word should prevail with us to cleave and abide in their Doctrin but yet we see that is not enough but the Holy Ghost useth as strong motives here as any can be he knows the World might over-reach us some come and tell us if we continue in the Word we shall lose our Friends and Goods and may be our Life and why then will you be singular now seeing that the World offers so largely to with-draw us therefore he gives a farre larger offer such an offer as all the World cannot give he out-bids the World and even promises Fellowship with the Father and the Son or Eternall life therefore that we might be established against all the subtilties of the World he offers us such Promises as may eternally establish us in the truth Vse 2 Exhorts us to take hold of this Doctrin while we may have it if we preach no other Doctrin but what hath been delivered from the beginning why then if you would have fellowship with the Father and the Son and eternall glory cleave to this Word abide in it receive it with Faith and fear and expresse it in obedience Lord thou hast the words of eternall life therefore whither should we go from it Prov. 19.16 he that keeps the Commandement keeps his own soul but he that regards not his wayes whether he walk according to this rule or no he shall dye What encouragement would it be to keep a Pill if the Physician should say keep this and you keep your life cast it up and you dye why truly such is the Word of Christ keep it and you keep your life but if you despise the Commandement care not how you live you shall certainly dye this is the promise that if we receive and keep this word we shall not only keep a long life but even a life for ever and ever that is a promise God hath given you even eternall life why this is more than all the World can give this is an argument that countervails all other Arguments Vse 3 Of
no peace it is as impossible for a man to attain Salvation by Works as to be his own Saviour Vse 2 Hence learn the way of attaining peace of Conscience and assurance of Salvation why claim it by promise and it is sure to thee what makes thee doubt of thy Salvation why thou seest this Corruption and that Rebellion and thou seest the want of this and that Grace and therefore thou art in doubt why thou shouldest claim Salvation by promise thou wouldest have thy Works more perfect why that which makes us doubt is a secret cleaving to the Works of the Law but we must not so much look at what we do as what we beleeve what we work as what Christ hath wrought for us therefore take heed of sticking to any Works of the Law and as you desire to maintaine peace of Conscience and to dye peaceably claim Salvation by promise there is no more required of you than to lay hold on Christ he doth not look for perfection of faith but truth of faith be thy faith never so weak if true it gives thee Christ and he gives thee the Promise and that gives thee eternall life Q. But how shall I know whether I have this faith A. If God hath given thee an heart ot distrust self as gifts and parts of Nature and Education and to be humbled and look after Christ if thou prizest Christ and desirest him above all blessings this is true faith if thy faith hath emptyed thee of thy selfe to go out to Christ as thy Portion as the most sweet and comfortable thing I say thou hast that faith that conveys Christ to thee and Christ the Promise and the Promise eternal life say not therefore as some do I thank God I never doubted of Salvation neither have I cause I have alwayes lived honestly c. if thou fetchest thy perswasion from the Works of the Law then not from Jesus Christ nor the Promise therefore do as Paul touching the Law saith he I was unblameable and yet I count all these as dross and dung to win Christ Phil. 3. therefore distrust all these go out out of your selves and lay hold on Christ Vse 3 May teach us to magnifie the grace of God that hath thus devised a way for our Salvation he hath therefore given it us of grace that it might be sure 1 JOHN 2.26 These things have I written unto you concerning them that deceieve you TO help young Children to beware of Antichrist the Apostle had given them some instructions and some means now in this Verse to the end he rehearseth the two special means he had prescribed 1 Was his Writings vers 26. 2 Their Unction vers 27. therefore vers 28. he exhorts them to abide in Christ First In vers 26. we have set out 1 Saint Johns writing to these Babes and the Argument of it 2 A descripition of false Teachers Seducers 3 A description of their Act and Work 1 Their Sin is a seduction and deceiving of men 2 The vigour of it 3 He passeth them by calling them Seducers without naming their persons Doct. There is good use to be made of the Scripture against false Teachers even of those that want not the unction of the Spirit These things I have written unto you you that have received the Spirituall Unction otherwise Saint Johns writing had been in vain and their reading if there had not been use of them 2 Cor. 11.13 he informes the Corinthians of false Teachers Gal. 5.12 Phil. 3.2 Col. 2.8 all these shew that the Spirit thought it meet to instruct even Christiaas against false Teachers Obj. If this annoynting teach all things what need the Scripture be written is it not to give light to the Sun A. No there is a double use of the Scriptures 1 For the confirmation of the witnesse of our own Conscience a Christian mans heart witnesseth against false Doctrin but when the Holy Ghost not only witnesseth in our hearts but in his Word too In the mouth of two or three Witnesses every truth is established 2 Cor. 13.1 2 There is use of them to help our own spirits what though my spirit rise up against such false Teachers yet I might be deceived therefore that I might discern the truth of my own spirit I must try it by the Word a good man may know what spirit he is of Luke 9. 55. in some things therefore that we may discern the truth of our own spirits we must try them by the Word the Word and the Spirit of God in Conscience are like to Tallies they answer one another in every line Vse 1 May teach us to discover the corruption of their spirits who say after they have once received the spirit of regeneration which is indeed but common illumination they need not the Scriptures therefore they neglect reading of them as Enthusiasts and Annabaptists that will neither read nor pray but when the Spirit moves them and to this purpose they abuse a notable place 2 Pet. 1.16 they say we do well to attend to the Scripture till the day dawn and the day-star arise in our hearts but afterwards there is no further use thereof but untill is not alwayes a word of restraint but ye do well to do it before and to do it after as when it is said Michol had no Childe till the day of her death it implies not that then she had any but that she never had any so that it is a vain collection to reason after this manner 1 Tim. 4. Give diligence to reading and exhortation till I come would he have him leave off when he came No but he would rather have him alwayes continue so doing so that place rather exhorts them to attend to the Scripture after the day dawn in their hearts rather than restrains from it 2 The Scripture there opposeth not the Law and the Gospel but he would have them now attend especially to the Gospel 3 This word untill is not limitted to the attending to the Prophets but to the words day dawn meaning their hearts are a dark place until the day dawn and the day-star arise in their hearts therefore such men as these are not of Saints Johns spirit who exhorts those to whom he wrote to attend to his Writings as an help against false Teachers Vse 2. It may exhort us in these seducing days to be diligent and frequent in reading the Scriptures because they are written to help us against Seducers if a Friend should write to us beware of such Cheaters we would give heed to what he wrote and observe his Counsells why we have letters sent from farre even from heaven to warn us of Seducers and our friend sets down their Notes and Marks and means to avoyd them therefore let us be perusing them and observe what they direct us to Doct. 2 The Children of God are to look at false Teachers as Deceivers 2 Joh. 7. 2 Cor. 11.13 Rom. 16.17 18. Q. What is meant
it in we shut it out so we must keep the windows of our hearts open to Christ Vse 4. Have respect to works of righteousnesse it is injustice to sell places of office and suffer men to sell them if men buy dearly they must be forced to deale hardly Obj. A man that buyes dearly may sell so Ans A man may sell what he bought justly a man may but his own right yet not sell it it is injustice to sell what is not our own as places in free election Doct. 3. Such as know that Christ is righteous they doe know that every one that doth righteousnesse is born of God a Child of God Q. What is it to know Christ to be righteous A. It doth not consist in the understanding of it conceiving it and acknowledging it for Pharaoh could say The Lord is righteous Exod. 9.27 and yet he could not come to say that Gods people were righteous and born of God he did not see that God afflicted him for oppressing his people this he was convinced of that God was righteous but yet he would not say you Moses and his people are born of God Luke 23.47 certainly saith the Centurion this was a righteous man and yet we doe not read that he joyned himselfe to the Disciples of Christ but this Testimony was extorted by the wonderfull works of God To know therefore that Christ is righteous is to acknowledge him by divine Faith and they know that he that doth Righteousnesse is born of God There are three things implyed in it 1. No man knows Christ to be Righteous but he that is sensible of his own unrighteousnesse otherwise he cannot know that Christ is Righteous Phil. 3.6 7 8. Paul before his calling thought himselfe Righteous and unblameable but when he saw that Christ was Righteous he saw that himselfe was unrighteous therefore he thought all his own Righteousnesse losse in respect of Christs his education his profession his wisdome his zeal his priviledges he counted all losse to win Christ 2. It implies a sensible experience of the Righteousness of Christ pacifying our consciences and purging them from dead works Heb. 10.22 for Christs Righteousnesse doth both none know Christ to be Righteous but they that know that in his Righteousnesse they have their consciences quieted and purified they are freed from the guilt and uncleannesse of an evill conscience they know that they are such grievous sinners that if Christ were not Righteous they could never look for pardon 3. They finde the power of Christs Righteousnesse purging their consciences from dead works Heb. 9.14 all our works before were dead but now by the blood of Christ we are purged from them and quickned to doe him lively service though a man may have a good opinion that Christ was a good man and may have a generall beliefe that he was so and that he was both God and Man yet none know it but those that know they have so woefully provoked that if Christ their Mediator were not Righteous they could have no hope of pardon or mortification such onely know it certainly by experience in their own soules for Scientia est rerum certarum necessariarum Q. How doe such know that they that work Righteousnesse are born of God A. 1. They know him by experience of their own spirits they know themselves that they never wrought a work of Righteousnesse till they were born of Christ all their works before were for the World or for self-love therefore if they find a man denying himselfe not looking at his own ends going out of himselfe not relying upon himselfe nor aiming at his own ends they know such are born of God or else they could not doe so Rom. 3.10.12 not one naturall man comes off with a good work 2. They know it from the life of Christ that breaths and works in every work of Righteousnesse and the works of it they know their own spirits would not reach it Two things make our conversion to be called a new birth for in it selfe it is but onely an alteration not in substance but in qualities which is properly called alteration but it is called a new birth or regeneration 1. Because it changes the whole man as in generation there is a whole change from one thing to another so in regeneration there is an alteration of the whole old man into the whole new man a new heart new judgement new affections 2. It is the mighty power of God as in generation there is more in it than any work of Parents it could not be without a speciall concurrennce of Gods mighty power so in conversion there must not onely be a change of some qualities but a mighty power in changing us wholly from our old Estate to a new Vse 1. Discovers the fond Paganish Ignorance of such that know not that they that doe Righteousnesse are born of God we would account him no Christian but a very Pagan that should deny Christ to be righteous why if thou dost not know that they that doe Righteousnesse are born of God thou knowest not that Christ is righteous therefore this shews their great Errour that maligne Gods Servants for surely if they knew they were the children of God they would not oppose them or injure them but because they conceive them to be new-fangled persons and likely to prove hurtfull to the State and Kingdome therefore they cast them out but thereby they manifest that they doe not know that they are born of God and if they know not that they do not know that Christ is righteous Isa 66.5 they cast them out in pretence of Gods glory but they shall know that they are born of God and they shall be ashamed that they did not know it before therefore there lies a Paganish Ignorance on the hearts of all oppressors Vse 2. May serve for a ground of tryall dost thou know that they that work Righteousnesse are born of Christ as many a poor soul can testifie it of others that will not say it of himselfe but thou couldest not have known that others were born of Christ unlesse thou hadst known it thy selfe thy own unrighteousnesse and Christs Righteousnesse pacifying and purifying thy conscience therefore let it comfort thee Object May not a carnall man see plainly by common illumination that such are Gods Servants they see a broad difference between them and others Ans So far as they know Christ is Righteous so far they may know that those that work Righteousnesse are born of Christ they have no true knowledge that Christ is Righteous but onely an opinion and this opinion aftewards they may doubt of therefore it is no knowledge but if thou knowest it then thou seest it by experience of his Righteousnesse pacifying thy conscience and purging it from dead works and if thou knowest that Christ is Righteous thou knowest also that they that doe Righteousnesse are born of God but if thou knowest not that Christ is Righteous
gives a reason of this above all there is no surer argument then this A Christian may reason thus If I that have but a little sparke of grace can forgive injuries how shall not the Ocean of love much more forgive me Mat. 18. ult God will never have us to think that if we cannot forgive one injury he will forgive us a thousand Yet a man is not alwayes bound to expresse his forgivenesse unlesse a man come and say it repents him yet from his heart he must doe it Vse 1. Shewes the dangerous and fearfull estate of a man that dares live in envy and malice against his brethren A man thinks he hath cause he will not receive the Sacrament nor suffer them What a poor thing is this Thou hast not thy sins forgiven thou lovest not God nor any Christian soul in obedience to God A Christian dares not allow himselfe in hatred of any Brother but looks at it as an enemy to his soul 2. It exhorts every Christian to enlarge the bowels of his affection to every Brother Psal 119.63 I am a companion to all them that fear thee He doth not pick and choose Psal 66.16 Gal. 6.10 If to all men then especially to the houshold of faith 3. It is a ground of thankfullnesse to God that hath taken care for weakest Christians for want of love to such God will either discharge a man for an hypocrite or else his own corruption shall take him by the throat and make him beleeve that many sins are not forgiven and that he shall hardly get pardon of sins 1 JOHN 3.15 Whosoever hateth his Brother is a murtherer and ye know that no murtherer hath eternall life abiding in him THe Apostle having said in the former verse that he that loveth not his Brother abideth in death he proves it by a Syllogisme taken from a Murtherer Doct. He that hates his Brother is a Murtherer As he that looks upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery so he that hates his brother is a murtherer Reas 1 From the wrapping up and infolding this in the heart as the seed of a tree in the root though it breake not forth So sin hah its seed in the heart Mat. 15.19 No murther could spring from the heart if it were not there A fountaine could not flow over unlesse water were in it Prov. 4.23 2 From the foul murther hatred commits to give offence is a destroying of our Brother now who hates his Brother makes no scruple of giving offence Rom. 14.15 1 Cor. 8.11 3 It is a foul murther in regard of withdrawing many good offices A man shall be unwilling to doe any good office either for soul or body Ill will never speakes nor doth well Vse 1 Teacheth us the spiritualnesse of the Word of God It doth transcend the words of men they never reach farther then speeches and actions they make no Lawes for the hearts of men But the Word of God hath special regard to the heart 1 Sam. 16.7 As it is with wise parents they look not only to the guidance of their childrens speeches but that their countenance and carriage be well framed Gen. 4.6 So soon as God saw hatred in Cains heart and expressing it selfe in his countenance he reproves him for it he will not have so much as a wrinkle in the face 2 Hence we may see a just ground of Divines referring all sins and virtues to the ten Commandements Mat. 5.21 22. Before God unadvised anger is killing so of adultery verse 28. 3 See the wisdome of God in putting such foule names upon the beginnings of sin to make us afraid He that hateth his Brother is a Murtherer As if a Father should say Doe not hate your Brother you will be a murtherer He puts bad words upon the seeds of sin 4 This should be a means to cleanse us from all hatred of our Brother look at it as an ugly and loathsome vice If there be a spirit of envy in thy heart what though thou lift not up thy hand against thy Brother this is murther Doct. That it is a known truth amongst Gods children every murtherer is devoyd of eternall life Rev. 21.8 Reas 1 Because of the injury done to Gods image If a man deface the image of a Prince it deserves death then the defacing of Gods image much more eternall death Gen. 9.6 2 From the seed of all murtherers vers 12. he makes every murtherer to be of the posterity of Cain John 8.44 Now because a man kills his brother out of the seed of the Serpent a devillish and malignant spirit therefore he hath not eternal life abiding in him Vse 1 See the danger of such who in their drinkings quarrell even to murther Obj. If there be no possibility that a murtherer should be saved what say you to David and others in their carnall estate Answ David did indeed kill and God follows him with judgments and afflictions 2 Sam. 12.8 9 10. but yet upon repentance God forgave him his sin And as for such as have murthered in their carnal estate if God give them hearts to be humbled then the blood of Christ is of a lowder cry then the blood of Abel Heb. 12.24 Saint John speaks not of every murtherer for some doe it against their judgments and hearts but others if they repent not have not eternal life 1 Cor. 6.8 9. 2. To stir up every christian man that hath his hands in blood to have recourse to the blood of the covenant for the pardon of their sins and healing of them The sin on Levi held him longest under to bring him to repentance Gen. 49.7.28 Jacob blessed him in a curse God preserves us with curses that may put us in minde of our sins and makes us walk sensibly of them therefore renew we our mournings for our hatred 3 In respect of challenges let us take heed we take them not and that we stop them in the beginning It is not fit that fire should burn out of its place 4 Such as love their Brethren are not only not abiding in death but have everlasting life already abiding in them If you see any hatred spring in thee thou art taken with a dead Palsie You cannot bring out a good word or good countenance so much hatred so much death so much want of love so much want of life 1 JOHN 3.16 Hereby perceive we the Love of God because he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the Brethren THese words are part of the exhortation St. John useth to all christians to love one another He useth many arguments vers 14. He tells us It is a sign we are translated from death to life 2. From the danger of the hatred of our Brother 3 From the exemplary and strong love of Christ 4 From the emptinesse of such hearts of grace when there is no love of their Brethren These words are a notable motive to christians
to expresse and abound in love taken from the great love of God to us Doct. The death of Christ for us is the manifestation of his love to us Such a manifestation as makes it a certain and known truth that he loves us Rom. 5.10 1 Joh. 4 10. He gave his Son to be a propitiatory sacrifice Eph. 4.5 Gal. 2.20 Reas 1. From the greatnesse of Christs self-deniall That which commends love is this to bestow so great matters and to come off freely with it Joh. 15.12 Greater love then this can no man expresse then to lay down his life for his friend But Christ did it for his enemies 2 Cor. 3.8 2 It farther magnifies his love if we consider the great benefit we receive as reconciliation pardon of sins 1 Joh. 4.10 Secondly adoption of Sons Gal. 4.4 5. Such favour as to be accepted as his Sons and Daughters 2. Our corruptions are deaded and mortified Heb. 9.14 Gal. 1.14 Wc are crucified to the world to all objects that draw us to sin temptations and snares 4 Christian liberty that by virtue of Christs death we should be delivered from the curse of the Law Col. 2.13 from the enmity we stood in against the Church Eph. 2.14.15 16. from hell and feare of death Heb. 2.14 that we should have liberty to call God Father enter into his Sanctuary have confidence our prayers are heard have assurance when we dye that we shall enter into the holy place that we shall have right and liberty to the Creation Rrm. 5.1 2 3. Heb. 12.19 This benefit will appear if we consider how miserable our estate had been If Christ had not done this we had been in our sins under the guilt of them and in horror and anguish of spirit 5 How freely hath God done it We gratified God with no kindnesse Some will recompence a small kindnesse with a great reward Rom. 11.35 But all we have done hath been to abuse every mercy of God to his dishonor Col. 1.10.20 Vse 1. It reproves such weaknesse of Gods servants in time of temptations that can see no love of God because he doth not gratifie them with something in this life Gods servants many times doe want necessaries the world abounds withall therefore David hath cleansed his heart in vain Psal 73. But what though Gods servants never see good dayes Yet here is abundant rich and inestimable love that when you were enemies strangers children of wrath Christ dyed for you God hath shewed you more love then the Angels for he laid not down his life for the Angels Heb. 11.14 And if he had done so he had laid down his life for his friends who never displeased him 2 To teach such as abound in outward things not to content themselves therein Eccl. 4.2 We can perceive neither love nor hatred by those outward things Psal 17.14 Labour you to say that God hath laid down his life for you â—â—se you cannot say he loves you 3 It teacheth us that the death of Christ was not the cause of Gods love Gods love is more antient then the death of Christ Where shall we lay the foundation of Gods love but in eternity He hath loved me and given himself for me Gal. 2.20 Gal. 3.16 Obj But doth not God attribute his love to the death of Christ 1 John 4.10 Rom. 3.24 25. Eph. 2.14 15 Col. 2.21.27 Answ In a double respect Christs death is said to make this reconciliation Hereby he hath slain the enemy and hatred on our part that we might be no more enemies to him Obj. But Christ is sent not only to make reconciliation on our part but propition on Gods part Answ 'T is true Christ by his death hath made a way whereby God might shew his love to us whilest sin was in the way he could not shew it Many a Father bears a tender affection to a childe yet will not seem to regard him shuts him out of doores and though he be intreated yet he thinks it not meet for him to expresse his love he will have his childe humble himselfe acknowledge his faults and will send some body to perswade his Son to humble himselfe So God sends his Son out of love to take a course that he might shew us favour notwithstanding his justice 4 Of exhortation to take a view of Gods love that we may be able to say freely We perceive the love of God Rest not in any spirituall duty nor in any common gift till you know that Christ dyed for thee How shall I know this Some will say that Christ dyed for all and so all may know True the sufficiency of Christs death reacheth to all but none can say Christ dyed for him till he find in his soul some fruits of the death of Christ 5 To encourage Gods servants to expect offices of love from God to us and ours all his dayes He hath given his Son what would you have more Psal 84.11 Lay hold on this love of God and plead with him upon his love All blessings are wrapt up in his Son Gal. 4.4 As God in fulnesse of time sent his Son so will he every other mercy 6. To teach us to abound in love to God and to his children hatred against sin Give up all to God work for him suffer for him he loves us being strangers and enemies Doct. Christian men ought to be ready to lay downe their lives for their Brethren The exemplary love of Christ in laying down his life for us ought to provoke us in like sort to lay down our lives for our Brethren Rom. 10.3 4. The Apostle doth extoll the love of Aquila and Priscilla as if all the Church and himselfe were bound to them that were so ready to lay down their lives Phil. 2.17 If I be poured out as a drinke-offering Râ—as From the example of our blessed Saviour He laid down his life for us This is an imitable practice of Christ this is none of his miraculous works but one wherein he sets forth himself as a pattern to us 2. To this add Christs command which binds us to the imitation of this John 13 34. 3. From the neer fellowship of our brethren with Christ We fulfill the sufferings of Christ for his Body Col. 1.2 4. He calls them Christs sufferings Christ suffered in him and he for Christ in his Saints 4. From the subordination of Gods eminentest servants to the Church of God as Christ is for God so Paul and Cephas for the Church God hath subordinated the life of his servants to the Church and the Church to Christ and Christ to God Christ the head of the Church the Church the head of the Members Phil. 2.17 5. From the rule of love God hath given in ancient time Levit. 19.18 We must love our neighbour as our selves Many a christian will lay down his life for himselfe therefore must in some cases lay down his life for the Church A man will lay down his life for his
own salvation and for honour therefore how much more for God and for the honour of Religion In what cases is a man to lay down his life Answ The Apostle meanes we should be ready to doe it for the service of the Church if it cannot be otherwise 1. In heat of persecution to confirme the faith of the people of God who would be ready to think much if he shouâ—d withdraw himselfe though he might escape yet a minister or eminent person is bound to goe before in sufferings So Paul if he be poured out as a dr nke offering every drop of blood in his body poured out if it be for the strengthning of the faith of weak christians he rejoyceth Phil. 2.17 The stronger must lay down their lives for the confirmation of the faith of the weaker 2. There may be a case wherein the weaker are to lay down their lives for the stronger Aquila and Priscilla were ready to lay down their lives for Pauls life they thought it better to expose themselves to the utmost extremity then that Paul should be hurt I must not spare my own life if it may be serviceable to God and the Church Rom. 16 4 5. 2 Sam. 21.16 17. 18.3 3. When we perceive it would much advantage the glory of God that we should rather perish then our brethren Rom. 9.2 3. He could wish himselfe accursed for the Jewes even his soul for a sacrifice Thus Moses Exod. 32.33 4. When a man doth see that the wrath of God is kindled against others for his sin he must rather offer himselfe to death then that that evill should be upon them that converse with him Jonah 1.22 2 Sam. 24. in David Vse 1. Learn we from hence to justifie our selves and others If we should be called to lay down our lives to suffer for our Brethren here is a direction how to suffer Phil. 2.5 God hath given us a commandement to love our Brethren as our selves Also God hath subordinated the members of his Church to the body of it 2. To teach us that though it be lawfull to fly in time of persecution yet if it cannot be without weakning the Church wherein we live we must in heart live and dye together 3. To teach ministers when they are called by God for the service of any Congregation not to dispense with themselves for air or health fearing the cutting short of his dayes You must not live from your meanes Either never take such a charge or make account you must hazzard your lives for the people of God unlesse upon tryall it appears you may doe more good in some other place 4. It reproves such as are so far from laying down their lives as that they will not lay down their estates nor the superfluities of their estates for their Brethrens necessities 1 Sam. 25.11 How shall such ever perswade themselves that Christ dyed for them 5. A ground of such thankfulnesse that God should not only give Christ to dye for us but also would have christians to be fitted to lay down their lives for their Brethren 1 JOHN 3.17 But whoso hath this worlds good and seeth his Brother hath need and shutteth up his bowels of pitty and compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in him Doct. THere dwells no love of God in such a mans heart as having this worlds goods stretcheth not out his hand to help the necessity of his Brother What is it to have the worlds good In the Originall it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the life of this world this worlds living whereof to live whereof to maintain his life Bowels of compassion Because compassion is an affection of griefe and love stirred up in us by the sight and sence of one anothers misery as if we suffered with them our compassion is stirred up as well as theirs Heb. 13 3. To shut up bowels is to withdraw the affections and the stirring of the entrails A man many times hath little means to help but if he have not bowels to worke for him how dwells the love of God in such a man This is a peremptory question utterly denying all Reas 1 From the nature of love Such is love that God dwells in it 1 Joh. 4.26 There is no affection wherein God reveales himselfe more then in love 1 Cor. 13.4 Love is bountifull ready to be doing good succouring others in their need 2 Consider the nature of Brethren 1 They are more worthy then our estate one of their souls cost more then all our estates yea more then all the world How dwels the love of God in us if we love the world more then our Brother 2 Look at our Brother as a member of Christ hungry thirsty naked harbourlesse We could not but love Christ wheresoever we did see him Mat. 25.40 and they are members of our own body 1 Cor. 12.25 26. Vse 1. Of instruction and rules to order our lives aright or any work of mercy 1 Who shall relieve his Brother Answ He that hath this worlds goods that can live he must open his heart and hand This therefore will reach not onely to mens superfluities but if we can but live if we have but what we labour and sweat for Ephes 4.28 We must not only labour for our selves but give to him that hath need 2 Cor. 8.3 4 5. Luke 21.34 8.3 Joh. 13.28 29 12.6 2. To whom must we be helpfull Answ He must 1 Be a Brother 2 Have need 3 Every Brother Gal. 6.10 Beggars that are unable to labour and would gladly labour they must be relieved Luke 16.20 21. or such as though they doe labour yet cannot get a living 2 Thess 3.10 2 A brother that hath need Eph. 8.18 1 Tim. 5.4 5 Such are poor indeed as have neither hands friends nor maintenance A man is said to be in need not onely when he is utterly cast downe but when he is falling 3 Every Brother one as well as another Eccl. 10.2 Job 31.19 4 Consider the matter out of which we must give out of this worlds good Eccl. 10.1 When we have unjustly gotten we must restore Prov. 5.16 17 5 The time when we must give when we see our Brother hath need that we may see it our s elves bestowed It is a vanity to leave almes after our death to be bestowed by others 1 Sam. 20.15 2 Sam. 16.4 19. If we give almes while we are alive we shall have the benefit of them the loynes of the poor shall blesse us and though they have no heart to pray for us yet the warmth of their loyns will blesse us When we are dead their prayers will do us no good Luke 16.8 9. 6 Give alms with compassion give from within as well as from without Isa 58.10 2 Cor. 9.7 Give heartily let your bowels work 7 Give almes out of love to God fetch your love deep even from the love of God who hath given thee a hand to give and him to receive
Obj. If a man be thus free to others he shall empty himself Answ Doe you think that ever any man served God for naught Did Jobs care over the poor draw him dry No he multiplied it abundantly 5 Comfort to all Gods servants that have tasted of this love he that loves you freely loves you for ever because his love stands not upon condition he that loved us when we were enemies will he hate us when we are acquainted with him and reconciled We shall not be worse then we were before and if he loved us because he would love us his love will for ever remain Doct. That the sending of Christ for our sakes was a fruit not only of his love but of his free love Rom. 5.8 4. Herein is love John 3.16 God so loved the world implying there was a love of God that moved him to send Christ before we did believe that believing on him we might have mercy and salvation Love is said to be free in two respects 1 When love is granted without nny desert on their parts to whom it is granted and then it is so much the greater when there is no fitnesse of the persons that receive it but rather the contrary if men shall deserve our love our love is not free Gods love is so free as that he sent his Son into the world to redeem us when we did not deserve it but rather wrath Col. 1.21 2 Love is said to be free when it is without condition so that nothing on our parts shall take away his love Jer. 31.34 He will not remember their sins any more Object But why then is faith required Joh. 3.16 verse 36. He that believes in the Son shall have everlasting life Answ True indeed there is a condition required but in what sort It is this That the same God that requires the condition doth promise likewise that he will work the condition and therefore the love of God is free Object But we did bring something to God that did make him deale thus graciously with us Answ Ezek. 36.32 33. the Lord doth shew mercy freely without any condition on our parts Be ashamed and confounded O house of Israel Object God requires faith on my part but faith is a supernaturall gift nature cannot reach to it he that believes shall be saved but he that believes not shall be damned The condemnation is unjust because it is not in my power to believe Answ He is condemned because light is come into the world and men love darknesse more then light Reas 1. Is taken from the estate in which we lay before Christ was sent into the world we were then strangers and enemies Col. 1.21 we were not fit to receive mercy much lesse to deserve any 2 This God did that the glory of his great name might appear Ephes 1.5 6 7. Deut. 7.8 God did not love us because we were many but because it pleased him to love us there is a great difference in the death of Christ in respect of his own and the wicked the benefit they have by Christs death is this that they partake of Gods patience and bounty for the same day that Adam sinned he and his posterity should have dyed Gen. 3.15 But the benefit that the godly have is that we might live and that we might all come to the knowledge of his grace 2 Pet. 3.9 Rom. 2.4 5. so that if they ask why God is patient to the world it is for Christs sake Exod. 33.1 to 5. 3 God sent Christ into the world that so he suffering his Elect might suffer he growing they might grow and he dying they might dye Col. 2.29 There is a difference between Christs dying for the world and for the elect He so dyed for the Elect as that he prayed that his death might be effectuall to them John 17.9.20 21. he prayes for all them that shall believe in him he prayes not for the world Vse 1. This refutes an errour of the Papists that Christ was equall in his love to all the world and that without difference God sent his Son for the one as well as for the other they say God doth not bestow his love without condition this we deny 2 This teacheth us that have pardon of sins to acknowledge Gods love in that he sent his Son freely Rom. 5.8 3 A ground of comfort if God so loved us when we loved not him then how much more being reconciled Rom. 5.8 9 10. 4 To teach those that have not found reconciliation with God what course to take to be reconciled 1 John 2.2 get the Lord Jesus Christ to be a Propitiatory Sacrifice Doct. That Christ 〈…〉 to be a 〈…〉 forâ—â—â— sâ—â—â— What is meant by Pâ—â—pipâ—â—â— This word signiâ—â—â— four thiâ—â—â— 1 It signifies a pledge satisfaction or â—â—â—emption 〈…〉 some 〈◊〉 35.31 32. Heb. 12.24 the blood of Christ being spilt for our sins speâ—â—â— better things then the blood of Abel his blood cryed for vengeance Christs that I might receive a ransome 2 It signifies a gift to appease wrath Gen. 32.20 3 It signifies 〈◊〉 surety to undergoe wrath for another 〈◊〉 Prâ—â—â— 21.18 Rev. 12.11 4 It signifies a covering not such a covering aâ— the gâ—â—â— to the 〈…〉 a covering is a playster for the word signifies of the 〈…〉 pitch Gâ—â—â— â—4 this keeps the Arâ— from the in jury of the water and to signifies sâ—â—â—nes to pitch as a man doth a wound this blood of Christ will 〈◊〉 are and purge away all our sins as a playster doth a sore God sent Christ in to playster us as to keep us from the wayes of his wrath and to purge away the filth of our souls Reas 1. Taken from the insufficiency of other thi◠〈◊〉 make away sin Heb. 10.1 to 10. Psal 40.11 the blâ—â—d of â—â—ls and Beasts could 〈◊〉 â—â—tisfie Gods wrath 1 Because they are but finite creatures and these things it cannot bâ—oâ— reason that such base creatures worse then men should be a propitiation for 〈◊〉 sins 2 Buls and Goats never dye willingly but by force and 〈…〉 most patient yet did they but know what evill 〈…〉 would 〈◊〉 they would be readyer to run away then come to the place of 〈◊〉 Reas 2. Because of the disproportion of all other things and the piâ—â—â— of atonement we by our sins have provoked God to infinite displeasures Now that gift which must appeale Gods wrath most be infinite and that is only Christ Jesus Vse 1. This holds forth unto us the wonderfull wisdome justice land grace of God that are met together it was Gods wisdome that he took sucâ— a course as would reconcile us to himselfe neither men nor Angels could have done it wherefore when no creature would serve the â—uâ—n God sends his Son to suffer for us Then see the grace of God that he would send his Son to be a Propitiation for us and to be a surety for us to drink up all the dreggs of his Fathers wrath for
his principle being given to Adam Doe this and live this still cleaves to us by nature and this is the Religion of all the Nations to look to be saved by the works either of the naturall or morall Law 2. Suppose you convince flesh and bloud that all his righteousnesse is unclean why yet far off was it from men in St. Johns time to look for salvation in a crucified Saviour this was a stumbling block to the Jewes and to the Greeks foolishnesse 1 Cor. 1.23 3. Suppose you prevail so far with flesh and bloud as to convince them their righteousnesse is unclean and that there is no salvation but onely in Christ yet nature will not be perswaded that Christ did all this for him but in anguish of soule nature runs to merry company to the world to the gallowes rather then it will come to Christ for help and wait on him and cleave to him if therefore a man be brought to believe on him as his Saviour and by his Priestly Kingly and Propheticall Office to look for salvation and trust on him for it is an evidence of our Regeneration Reas 1. From the mighty power of lively faith for St. John here â—oth not speak of a cold dead faith but of a lively powerfull faith now where such faith is it makes us live by our faith Heb. 2.4 The just shall by his faith live a life of justification and sanctification faith looks not at his own works for satisfaction but to him that justifies the ungodly Rom. 4.4 5 6. And so by faith we live a life of sanctification wâ—ether Gods will be to be done or suffered he lives by faith that is he will have a commandement for his rule no duty he takes in hand but he will have his warrent for it 2. Faith looks to the promise for strength when he goes about any Christian duty he goes not about it in his own strength but he derives strength from Christ Without me ye can doe nothing from him is thy fruit found Hos 14.8 9. he relies on the promise for help for comfort for acceptance he doth all in the name of Christ that is in his life and power and looks for acceptance in the name of Christ onely 3. If he suffers the will of God and lies under heavy temptations and afflictions why he waits on God he lives by his faith he knowes that he that will come shall come and will not tarry Heb. 10.36 37. in the mean time the just lives by faith that is quiets himselfe in dependence on Christ and expectation of his promise Vse 1. To refute a Popish Doctrine that teacheth That faith may be common to Gods people with Hypocrites and they professe no other faith then what may be common to Hypocrites and Devills and therefore they disclaim justification by faith because if faith justifie then the Devills and Hypocrites may be justified But the Apostle speaks of a faith that flesh and bloud cannot attain unto therefore that which they call Catholique faith to believe those Doctrines mala fide propounded by their Church is a fiction the Devill believes better then they he believes the word of God to be true but to believe this to be true by a true and lively faith is such a beliefe as whereby we are born of God Vse 2. Of tryall whereby we may take an estimate of our faith thou saist thou believest that Jesus is the Christ Why try that hath thy faith regenerated thee hath it brought thee into subjection to Gods will Dost thou live by thy faith that is if thou beest to doe any part of Gods will dost thou walk by a Commandement for thy rule and dost thou depend upon some Promise for strength if thou beest to suffer Gods will dost thou wait patiently on Christ and quiet thy selfe in him then thy faith is a regenerating faith Contrary if a man say he believes in Christ and yet makes no conscience to live according to Gods commandements relies not on him for strength in his performances is not patient under his hand such a beliefe as this is far from that which the Text speaks of Vse 3. Of direction what course he must take that would become a son of God born of him Why faith is the door wereby we are to enter into this happy estate there is a power in faith not onely to justifie but to sanctifie If therefore thou be convinced of thy filthy unclean state by nature and lookest up to Christ for cleansing if thou findest thy heart submitting to Gods will carefull to walk by a rule going out of thy selfe depending upon him for strength and if God hide his face thou canst waite patiently on him why this is the way to regeneration To believe on Christ and not to make use of him is to say we believe in him and yet believe him not If thou were told that in such a corner of a field there lay abundance of treasure and yet thou livest in penury and want and never goest about to dig it up every man would think thou wert not perswaded of the truth of it but that thou lookest at it as a fable So for a man to say that he believes on Christ and yet to let Christ lie by him as a refused commodity and never look to him for salvation and help who will believe that we are perswaded that Jesus is the Christ the anointed of God Vse 4. Of consolation to every believing soul we are ready to call in question our regeneration and adoption why if God gives us hearts believing that Jesus is the Christ and therefore thou goest about to dig up this treasure in him and therefore art resolved not to leave off till thou hast found him and trustest upon him daily for help and comfort dependest on him seekest him with all thy heart Why be of good comfort thy faith is a sufficient testimony to thee that thou art born of God 1 JOHN 5.1 latter part And every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him Doct. EVery Christian that is affected with the love of God as a father is inlarged also with love to his brethren as those that are begotten of him This Doctrine is not delivered in these expresse termes any where else but something like is found John 20.17 I ascend to my Father and your Father He acknowledgeth his Father to be their Father reconciled in him and he looks at them as his bre hren therefore tell my Brethren He therefore that acknowledgeth God as his father and bears a child-like love to him by the same affection is he carried to love his brethren as those that are begotten of God Reas 1. Because he takes them all to be his Brethren And 2. Because he looks at God as their father as well as his so that he that looks at God as his Father and yet respects not his children as his brethren is a lyer he that loves his
question is a sacrilegious violation of his Testament 6 That he might keep in us everlasting nourishment to feed on in our hearts John 6.56 So that his blood may be his wine to chear us that by the comfort of his blood and mediation applyed to our souls we might have wherewith to sustain our selves in the worst times This is meat indeed and drink indeed no nourishment our souls can feed on but this our souls cannot feed on pleasures and profits spirits must feed upon spiritual things Those are beggerly naked souls that have nothing but lands and riches to feed on the souls food is holy spirituall things and if the ordinances yeeld you any good or comfort whence comes this but only from the blood of Christ that hath besprinkled all these ordinances and made them effectuall Heb. 9.19 It 's the blood of sprinkling that makes every ordinance effectuall to us 7 He came by blood to us that so he might open a way to us into the most holy place Vse 1. Teacheth us that a poor Christian that believes in Christ may thereby overcome the world because he believes on such a one as came both by water and blood by the water of sanctification to purifie and cleanse us and by the blood of his redemption whereby he hath procured for us pardon and happinesse therefore whosoever believes on Christ is so sprinkled with the blood of Christ that he is redeemed from the world to become the servant of God he hath all the promises of God which make him overcome all the promises of the world and encourageth him against all difficulties and so assureth him of heavenly glory so that he looks at the world as a thing little to be regarded Vse 2. To stir up all those that desire to get victory over the world to labour to get faith in Christ Jesus who is so abundantly furnished with helps and means for our redemption fit to sanctifie us by the water of sanctification fit to sprinkle us with the blood of redemption whereas if we do not believe on Christ we shall be continually slaves to the world Hence it is that worldlings take such content and comfort in the things of this life and are so discouraged at the losse of them a plain signe they want faith to overcome the world Vse 3. Of tryall what portion we have in Christ Why what feedest thou on If thou hast a part in Christ thou hast a Spirit of God within thee to comfort thee thou findest the ordinances sprinkled with the bloud of Christ to feed on thou canst say to the flattering world I have better meat and better comforts to feed on then the world can yeeld Psal 4.6 It 's poor nourishment for spirits to feed on the husks of this world but a Christian findes the blood of Christ the only food of his soul and the world to be his Servant and not his Master But if we have no higher matters to feed on then the profits and contents of the world the Spirit of God and grace we relish not why then truly Christians we are not 4 If thou wouldst use the priviledges which come by Christ why this is the way Believe on the Lord Jesus and then he is come for thee by water and blood Distrust therefore thy owne righteousnesse rest upon Christ live in such places where Christ is dispensed in his ordinances that so being brought on to believe thou mayst finde Christ to thy salvation 5 Of consolation to such as renounce the world and esteem Christ to be better worth then all the world why thy hope is not frustrate thou believest on such a one as came by water and blood so that though thou be unclean and thy works defiled yet he came by water to purge and cleanse thee Exod. 28.37 38. And what though thy heart be full of many sinful lusts yet thou trustest on one that can by blood make attonement for thee to procure his Spirit and when thou dyest to give thee an open entrance into the most holy place 1 JOHN 5.6 This is he that came by water and bloud even Jesus Christ not by water onely but by water and bloud and it is the Spirit that beareth witnesse because the Spirit is truth IN these verses as we heard Christ is set out 1. By the manner of his coming he came by water and bloud 2. By the witnesse born to him which are First in generall the Spirit v. 6. Secondly more particularly the witnesses are distinguished into two parts three in heaven and three on earth v. 7 8. It is the Spirit that beareth witnesse here Christs coming is confirmed by the witnesse of the Spirit and that Spirit amplyfied by the certainty that Spirit is truth By the Spirit is meant the Spirit of God breathing in the Word and in the conscience of Gods people both are here included For 1. the Spirit breathing in the Scripture is one of the chiefest testimonies that is born to Christ John 5.39 and therefore this witnesse may not be omitted 2. By the Spirit is meant the Spirit as it breaths in the consciences of Gods people for though the Spirit be strong in the Scripture yet how shall I be ascertained of that truth of the Scripture but by the consent of the same Spirit in my heart It s the Spirit in our hearts that witnesseth to the truth in the Scripture John 3.33 and therefore it s called a Seal 2 Cor. 1.20 All the promises in Christ are yea and amen how appears that by the Spirit breathing in our hearts Quest What is that the Spirit witnesseth Some understand it thus The Spirit bears witnesse that the Spirit is truth if there were no other testimony of the Spirit but the Spirit it selfe it would shew it selfe as the Sun shews its selfe But first the Apostle hath not occasion to speak of the witnesse it bears to its own truth but the scope of his speech is to speak of the witnesse that is born to this truth that Jesus Christ came by water and bloud and therefore the witnesse here spoken of is of the Sonship of Christ and of his powerfull coming and to this the Spirit bears witnesse and that Spirit is truth Doct. The Spirit of God breathing in the Scripture and in the conscience of Gods people bears witnesse to our souls that Jesus Christ came to save us by the water of Sanctification and the bloud of Redemption The Spirit breathing in the Scripture John 5.39 It s not the saying of the Prophets nor Apostles that bears such authentick testimony we look at the testimony of them as of Isaiah and Paul Christ speaks of them I receive not the testimony of men John 1.33 Therefore some that have read them have lookd at them as fables 1 Cor. 2.6 7. What is it then that captivates the world to the beliefe of this testimony but the testimony of the Spirit breathing in them What is that Spirit that breaths
and believes shall be saved but I repent and believe this say they the Scripture no where saith But say we besides the testimony of the Scripture there is a threefold witnesse in heaven and three on earth all witnessing this truth now their testimony is divine and therefore my faith is divine and they all witnesse to this truth that Jesus is the Son of God and that I believing on him shall be saved Obj. All these are but suavis quidam motus cannot produce a divine faith Answ Can the testimony of men produce an humane certainty and cannot three divine witnesses in heaven and three on earth produce more then an humane probabilty If not how doth the text say their testimony is greater then the testimony of men Object How comes it to passe then that this witnesse is so low sometimes that we can hardly discern it Answ We so grieve the Spirit of God sometimes that he delights not to reveal himselfe to us but this is our own fault that we so black this evidence that we cannot read it but if we maintain and cherish it it will be a strong testimony to our souls Vse 2. For tryal of our faith wouldst thou know whether thy faith be true or not If it be it will convey a double trinity of witnesses into thy heart witnessing that Jesus is the Son of God and that he came by water and bloud If you should resolve most mens faith into its principle you should find most mens faith built upon antiquity and authority and universall consent of all men Why if these be the best grounds of thy saith the Divel hath better grounds of faith then so but if thou find this truth confirmed to thee by the testimony of Gods Spirit within thee this faith will hold tryall Vse 3. Of consolation to all them that find this witnesse in themselves Why they have grounds of full assurance of their good estates seeing they have such divine and certain witnesse of it both in heaven and earth 1 JOHN 5.10 11 12. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witnesse in himself he that believeth not God hath made him a lyar because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son c. HAving shewed vers 6 7 8. three witnesses in heaven and three on earth that bear witnesse to the Sonship of Christ vers 9 10. he stirs us up to believe this witnesse 1 A minori If we believe the witnesse of men the witnesse of God is greater 2 From the Divinity of all those witnesses in our hearts and consciences 3 From the nearnesse of this testimony 4 From the danger that follows the not believing this testimony we thereby make God a lyar and he gives a reason of it because he believes not the record that God hath of his Son and he shews what that record is this is the record that God hath given us of his Son even eternal life From the change of the phrase in this 10 vers believing on the Son of God and believing God observe Doct. True faith that believeth God believeth also on the Son of God There is a double phrase used 1 Credere Deo 2 Credere in filium Dei Credere Deo is to believe that there is a God 2 That every testimony God gives us is true Act. 27.25 I believe God that it shall be so as he hath said but to believe on God or on the Son of God is a phrase peculiar only to Scripture not found in any humane Writers Now to believe that there is a God and that his Word is true are acts of the understanding but to believe on God is not only an act of my understanding but of my will whereby I trust on him and rowl my selfe upon him it 's exprest by laying a stone upon a foundation 1 Pet. 2.5 6. Christ lyes as the corner stone of his Church every living stone lyes upon him depends upon him and that is to believe on God to lift up our souls and lye on the foundation John 14.1 Let not your hearts be troubled ye believe on God believe also on me so much belief so much lesse fear and so much fear so much lesse faith Jam. 2.19 The Devils believe and tremble but he that believes on the Son of God feare not this believing on him is a resting on him for many may have faith and not rest on Christ Isa 30.15 In quietnesse and confidence shall be your rest there is no such rowling our selves upon Christ so that as living stones we lye still and quiet upon Christ the corner stone so that you cannot lift off a Christian from his foundation except you overthrow the building and this is when a Chrstian is so established in faith that all mists of doubtings are removed and Gods favour clearely seen and then the soul sits down in calmnesse and quiet Psal 3.5 6. and this hand of faith the children of God are wont to put forth in dangerous times Psal 91.12 He that abideth in the secret place of the most High c. Two things are in God which are the secret place of the Almighty and both exprest in the Name of the Lord. Which implyes 1 his attributes of mercy goodnesse and patience and the like 2 His truth Psal 138.4 Thou hast exalted thy word about thy Name the Word of God doth more comfort and command then any attribute without the Word so that the Name of God is the secret place of God in danger A Christian runs to the attributes and promises of God 2. But if this were all it would exclude from faith all those whose faith is not grown to this quietnesse and rest for many a day is it before we come to such quietnesse and rest but full of doubts and agitations are we as if you commit such a sum of money to be paid at London into a faithfull able mans hand I never doubt of his care or faithfulnesse if I doubt of either my heart is never at rest till I hear how matters goe no Christian ordâ—narily doubts of Gods power and ability but he doubts whether God be willing to put forth his power for my salvation or no hence a poor soule hath many thoughts and cares what will become of his soul yet there is some kinde of saving faith in him that believes his ability and this faith makes him in some measure to lean on Christ as Mark 1.40 the poor Leper came to Jesus and said If thou wilt thou canst make me clean he believed his power yet something doubts of his will yet he comes to him that he might be willing 3. There is a weaker faith then this that is a Christian comes sometimes to doubt even of the power of God that he is not able to shew him mercy and so doubts of it as thus because God hath said That they that have sinned against the holy Ghost shall never be forgiven and they are afraid they
see in us either to pride on covetousnesse or wrath if we would lye smooth and sure in the building we must pare off all these out-running and swellings of our hearts and so bring 〈◊〉 smooth and even we shall lye sure upon the foundation 1 JOHN 5.11 And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life c. VErs 7 8. having declared the three witnesses in heaven and three on earth that bear witnesse of the divinity of Christ vers 9.10 he exhorts us to receive their testimony in these 10 11. vers he tels us what this divine record is which he presseth us to believe and this record is threefold 1 Of an heavenly gift eternal life 2 That this life is given us by Christ 3 That this life is given only to believers Doct. Eternal life is the gift of God Here two things are to be opened 1 That the life given us by God in Christ is eternal life 2 That this eternal life is the gift of God 1 It 's eternal life 1 John 3.16 Eternal ab ante because it was given us before the foundation of the world it 's more ancient then the world or mans fall and this was not only purposed in Gods Councel but this was manifestly promised before the world began Tit. 1.2 And The Trinity then concluded that the Lord Christ should be made head of all 2 That all that did believe on him should have eternal life therefore it 's said He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world Ephes 1.4 and therefore God choosing us as members of Christ he promised to Christ that he would give them all eternal life 2 Tim. 1.9 There was not only a purpose of God but a declaration of the same to Christ of this gift our Saviour speaks John 17 6. Revel 13.8 and this gift is more ancient then our actual vocation for a man is said to be given to Christ when he gives up his heart and service to him but this is given in fulnesse of time but we were given to Christ before we were called to the fellowship of his Spirit and adoption of sons John 6.39 2 It 's called eternal life because the fountain and principles of this life are eternal the Word of God was revealed from eternity and of this Word were we begotten 1 Pet. 1.23 And as in seed there is something more material something more spiritual so in the Word there is both the matter of the word and there is the Spirit of the Word John 3.5 Now we are born of the Spirit and this Spirit in us is a fountain of living water springing up to everlasting life John 4.14 3 The continuance of this life is to everlasting He that believes on Christ shall never dye but have everlasting life John 3.36 John 5.24 and this eternal life is a record which God hath given us of his Son because the gift was given to Christ and througst him as by our Head is the life conveyed to all the members 2 This life is a gift of God Rom. â— 23 All the life we have is Gods gift There is a fourfold life and all given us by God First The life as justification is a free gift Rom. 5.15 we lay all dead in sin now the pardon of all these is the very life of our souls Col. 2.13 Secondly There is a life of holinesse whereby we live to God are for his â—nds and walk by this rule and this life is the free gift of God Ephes 2.4 â— Thirdly There is a life of consolation which is called a mans life 1 Thes 3.7 8. We live if you stand fast he means a life of comfort and this life is given by free grace 2 Cor. 1.4 5. When God so comforts a poor soul he is to be looked at as the Father of mercies and God of all consolation Fourthly There is a life of glory which God hath given us by Christ Rom. 6.23 Reas 1. A minori If our naturall life be Gods gift how much more this spirituall and eternall life Job 10.12 Thou hast granted me life and favour and he speaks of naturall life that is thou in thy favour hast granted me life and preservest it Now if that be a gift of God as it is for it was neither Father nor Mother that could give us life how much more is eternall life the gift of God It was Mephibosheths speech to David 2 Sam. 19.28 What was all my Fathers house but dead men before my Lord the King so take us without Gods gift we were but all dead men before him Now if this naturall life be a gift of God and that of his favour too how much more is this spirituall and eternall life a free gift from God 2. All our life must needs be Gods free gift by removing all that might concur to the making up of our merit of this life Four things must concur to merit which are all wanting in this gift 1. If you would merit you must prevent the other in giving but who hath given to God first Rom. 11.35 and if we give God but his own how then doe we merit 1 Chron. 29.13 14 15. 2. In the nature of merit is required that what we give we should give â—eely not of due debt nor due recompence Luke 17.9 10. If we doe but ouâ— duties what doe we merit When we have done what we can we have done but our duty and how then doe we merit 3. What merits at Gods hands should be perfect and parâ— without spot else it deserves nothing Now our best righteousnesse is defiled Isa 46.6 Exod. 28.38 Our best offerings if God did not accept of them in Christs holinesse he might justly reject them 4. In all merit it is requisite that there should be something proportionable betwixt the work and the reward now what proportion is there between naturall life and spirituall and betwixt our life of grace and the life of glory Our sufferings which are the highest part of our obedience they are not worthy to be compared to the eternall weight of glory indeed they work for 〈◊〉 a plentifull recompence of reward 2 Cor. 4.17 But this is through the free gift of God Vse 1. For reproof of Popish merit if eternall life be the free gift of God then the life of grace is not given us of merit ex congruâ— not this life of glory ex condigno if it be gift then sure we pay no answerable price for it there is no purchase on our part but a gift on Gods part I would know whither this naturall life was given us of merit who dâ—re say â—e hath merited to be a man rather then a Beast of a Serpent or a Toad and how then can we say our eternall life is of merit Doth not every Christian freely confesse at his first conversion that if God should utterly cast him off and never shew him mercy just and righteous should his proceedings be
And how dare any appear that dare claime grace and glory of merit In the continuance of his faithfull obedience who dare claim the least mercy ex condigno how much lesse eternall life Whereas è contra Gods servants doe not think God beholding to them for their service but they never think themselves more engaged and beholding to God then when he inables them to most service they say with David Who are we that we should be able to offer thus willingly 1 Chron. 29.14 they know every jo◠of mercy is free grace every sin pardoned is free grace No Malefactor on earth but if the King send him a pardon he acknowledgeth it to be of the Kings free grace and Royall compassion but yet the Synagogue of Rome will not acknowledge Gods pardon to be of free grace but Gods people acknowledge they are 〈◊〉 but as dead dogs before God and were at not for the free grace of God they had never seen life Vse 2. Of exhortation to all the sons of men that never look after Christ why as ever you desire to see me and that life for ever look up to God for it to derive it from him it is his free gift Every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts Prov. 19.6 Shall we respect Princes so that have but earthly honours and profits to giue that we think it our happinesse to doe them any service and shall we neglect God that hath such great gifts to give even eternall life and a Kingdome of glory it is God that gives us these naturall lives and that gives us power to get wealth Deut. 8.18 nay it s he that gives life of comfort and the life of justification and holinesse and also the life of glory and shall we neglect this great gift and more respect the poor comforts of the world then him in whose hands is our breath and life Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life he means for his naturall life and shall eternall life lie by like a refuse thing that no man looks after Vse 3. Of tryall whether God hath given us this life or no and this we may discern for the eternity of the gift consider whether there be any eternall life shed abroad in thy heart or not hast thou found any pardon of sins that whereas thou sawest thy soul as a dead dog for want of this life now God hath justified thee from thy sins Why the life of justification is eternall life if he hath once pardoned thy sins he will remember them no more Jer. 31.33 Secondly Hast thou found a spirit of life in thee to obey and serve the Lord Rom. 8.2 Why this is eternall life that will never decay John 17.3 hath God shed abroad the comfort of his Spirit and the joy of the holy Ghost into thy heart which is better then life Psal 63.3 this is eternall life which though it may be sometimes overwhelmed yet it shall spring up again as trees after winter if thou finde none of these works in thee then thou hast no life Vse 4. Of consolation to all those that have received this life if we have found the life of justification in the pardon of our sins the life of holinesse in our Christian obedience if we have found the lively comforts of Gods Spirit Why know this is a life that will never decay this is the record of God himself that the life which he hath given us is eternall life it was given us before we were born and will he take it away when we are born that which he gave us before there was a world he will not take away when the world shall be no more it comes from everlasting principles 3rd therefore it cannot decay if therefore we finde this life in us we may be assured that God hath given us this life will preserve it to eternity if it be eternall how can it decay Therefore let us walk worthy of this eternall life and pray with David Consider me Lord if there be any way of wickednesse in me and lead me in the way everlasting Psal 139. ult Sinfull lusts are dead lusts and what hath eternall life to doe with dead lusts keep your hands off from a sinfull carnall life but lay fast hold on eternall life 1 Tim. 6.12 get sure possession of it and let neither Satan not the world wrest it out of your hands 1 JOHN 5 11. the latter part And this life is in his Son Doct. THe Eternall life that God hath given us is laid up for us in Jesus Christ John 11.25 26. Col. 3.3 John 14.6 This life is fourfold of Justification Sanctification Consolation and Glorification All these are laid up in Christ Jer. 23.6 He is the Lord our righteousnesse Psal 4.1 2. For them altogether see 1 Cor. 1.30 He is made our Wisdome Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption Our Redemption not onely from the guilt eternall and punishment of sin but from all the afflictions both inward and outward that Gods servants he exposed unto as for inward temptation in sicknesse and griefs c. Col. 3.3 Your life is hid with Christ in God It s sometimes under a veil of corruptions sometimes of affliction but yet laid up in Christ Quest How is our life said to be laid up in him Answ 1. Because he hath received it for us from God the Father to give unto us John 5.21 26. 1 Thes 5.9 10. He hath appointed us to salvation through Jesus Christ that so whether we remain alive or die yet we may live in Christ 2. Christ hath purchased this life for us 1 Thes 5.9 10. the Father hath not onely appointed us life but he hath appointed it through the death of Christ John 10.10 I am come that my sheep may have life and that they may have it in abundance and this is by giving his life for us 3. It s laid up in Christ as one that prepares it for us and us for it Col. 1.12 it s he that makes us meet to be made partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in light that whereas before we were unfit now he hath adorned us and made us fit Spouses for himselfe which he doth by turning us from darknesse to light by giving us of his Spirit by dispensing himselfe to us in his Sacraments and Christian communion wherein all the members receive nourishment from the head Eph. 4.16 and as he thus prepares us for eternall life so likewise he prepares a place for us John 14.2 3. 4. It s reserved for us principally in himselfe notwithstanding the communication of it dayly to us Jude 1. we are said to be preserved in Jesus Christ to life all our life of grace here and of glory hereafter is preserved in Christ First Because all the claim of eternall life is laid up onely in him we neither desire nor beg any pardon of sin or any grace or comfort or glory but through Jesus Christ
the claim of eternall life is wholly in him for though God hath promised all those kindes of life its onely in Christ Secondly As he reserves the claim of it in his own hands so he reserves the security of it in his own hand even as a Father doubting how his son will spend his estate he puts not into his hands the writings or evidences but he keeps them in his own hands so God saw the life he communicated to our first parents they prodigally wasted it away and therefore never since would he put it into our own hands but reserved it in the hands of Christ Rom. 4.16 Therefore it is faith that the promise might be sure If our salvation had stood upon our own works the promise had been sure onely so long as we kept our obedience but we are unsetled sometimes inlarged and sometimes straightned so that we should have been at a stand oftentimes not knowing whether we had life or no therefore he hath laid it up in Christ that it might be sure Thirdly The possession of this life is reserved for us in Christ our justification is complete in Christ here never increased though the sence of it may the first day we are regenerate we are fully justified the justification of all Christians is equall though their sanctification be not alike our life of justification is compleat but yet our life of holinesse is but imperfect We know but in part and believe but in part but it s fully laid up in Christ so for the life of consolation we have some beginnings of it here Phil. 4.7 1 Pet. 1.8 But sometimes all our comforts are lost and where then lies it but in Christ as the sap doth in the root in winter time so that in him we rejoyce alwayes Phil. 4.4 and so our eternall life is reserved in him John 14.2 3. Eph. 2.5 Fourthly In regard of the glorious manifestation of this life at the last day 2 Thes 1.10 when he shall come to be admired of all his Saints this life is now laid up for his Saints which at that day he will dispense to his servants to the admiration of all men Quest Why hath God laid up this life in his Son Reas From the impossibility of laying up life for us in the law or in the first Adam Gal. 3.21 If the Law could have given us life verily righteousnesse had been given us by the law No the law that Adam had given him in Paradise could not have secured our life but that we might forfeit it by our own fall nor could Adam himselfe give us this life for in Adam all dyed 1 Cor. 15.22 and therefore its Christ alone that hath restored as to life and glory Vse 1. Hence learn the order of all that life and grace and salvation that is derived to us God did not first give us life and then provide Christ to maintain it in us but he first appointed Christ that in him we might have life Eph. 1.3 4. He hath chosen us in Christ Christ is the first fruites of all that life that we enjoy he loved Christ and in him loved us he first gave him eternall life that he might give it to whom he would John 5.26 he poured this life first on his head and from him this life runs down to the lowest skirt of his garment to the meanest member that belongs to him he poured on him the oyl of grace and from him it drops down upon us he first crowned him with glory that he might glorifie us Vse 2. It teacheth us the dead estate of all men by nature if all our life be laid up in Christ then such as want this life they want pardon of sins and want holinesse and want comfort and want eternall life Eph. 2.11 12. Eph. 4.19 We by nature are aliens from the life of God strangers from the Covenant that as strangers neither meddle nor make with that which is none of theirs so we have nothing to doe with the promises of life till we be in Christ let naturall men goe look at themselves as dead men all their best comforts are but as the crackling of thorns they may warm themselves a while with the sparkles of their own fire but this they shall have at length They shall lie down in sorrow Isa 50.11 Nay by nature we have no hopes of eternall life we must be regenerate to this hope 1 Pet. 1.3 4. Vse 3. May teach all such as live in a dead estate to look out where they may have life look into your own hearts there you shall not find life look into the world that is not able to give you life but get Christ and then you get life as Jacob said to his sons Why stand ye gazing one upon another have ye not heard there is corn in Egypt why go up go and buy it that we may live Gen. 42.2 3. So the Spirit saith to us when we find our hearts ready to starve for want of this life for want of pardon of sin of grace of comfort why stand ye gazing upon the profits and pleasures and contents of this world none whereof can give you life doe you not hear that there is life laid up in Christ goe and buy of him it s the speech of Wisdome even of Christ the wisdome of his Father Prov. 3.85 Who so findeth me findeth life and all that hate me love death Vse 4. Of consolation to all those that have found their parts in the Lord Christ if you have found him you have found life pardon of sin peace of conscience and life eternall Rom. 5.1 If you have found him your sins are done away and no Saint under heaven is justified more then you 2. Having found him thou hast a life of holinesse said up in him so that though we want zeal wisdome patience we may fetch it from him and though we find our hearts sometimes drooping under heavy discouragements and afflictions yet in him thou mayst rejoyce alwayes and what though our life here be poor and base yet there is an eternall life said up for us in him and when he appears we shall appear with him in glory Col. 3.3 4. And the more we may comfort our selves in that our life is not laid up in Satans hands for then we should never finger any of it nor in our own hands for we should lose it at every hand but this is our comfort that our life is laid up in Christ and reserved safely for us in him and therefore it may teach Gods people that if our life be laid up in Christ we must be dayly spinning out life from him what ever we doe let us doe all in the Name and power of Christ 1 Thes 5.9 10. all the peace and comfort we find in our selves or families let us derive it from him live not upon the stock of your own graces but fetch your dayly supply from him Gal. 1.20 I live yet not I but
Christ but not Christ himself and such gifts as might tend to profit but Peter tell him Thy money perish with thee Act. 8.18 19. So Balaam wished O that I might dye the death of the righteous Numb 23.10 but he desired not Christ but own happinesse and freedom from hell and misery and therefore what ever gift he had besides as indeed he had a goodly gift of prophesie he never sought Christ in any of them Nay further a true christian that affects Christ himself seeks him not only without respect to profit or gain or happinesse hereafter but even here in this life in the Ordinances of God wherein he seeks for help against his lusts for increase of grace for supply of comfort he doth not so affect them as to find Christ in them When David fled from Absalon and the Priests carryed the Ark after him as knowing they should never meet with a Prince that more favoured and upheld Gods worship then he David bad the Priests carry back the Ark again If I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring me back again and shew me both it and his habitation but if he say I have no delight in thee here I am let him doe what seemeth him good as if he had said the Church shall not be so much prejudiced as to be deprived of the Ark of God for my sake without which they cannot offer their solemn Sacrifices nor find the presence of God therefore he considers that thereby Gods Name should be dishonoured and the Church wronged and rather then he would doe that he would part with the very Ark the presence of God and his Ordinances which yet was his greatest care and desire Psal 27.4 Now this is an argument of grace in sincerity to be willing to part with the Ordinances rather then have God dishonoured and the Church prejudiced This was Moses care rather then God should be dishonoured by the Heathen he would have God blot his name out of the book of life Exod. 32.32 33. A true christian perfers Gods honour above the pardon of sin above the best graces yea above salvation it self if a christian desire the Ordinances it is that he may find the beauty and loving kindnesse of the Lord in them Psal 63.1 2 3. if he desire the subduing of his lusts it 's not so much for his own comfort as that the power of Christ might he magnified in him he desired salvation if he desires gifts and graces it is not that he might be made excellent but that the grace of Christ might be magnified in him if he desire salvation it not so much for his own joy and happinesse as that he may be with Christ Phil. 1.28 having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better Cant. 5.10 My beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest of ten thousand not only of persons but the chiefest of ten thousand benefits and priviledges which God gives pardon of sin and grace and comfort and salvation it self Christ is better then all these and he that thus affects Christ hath the Son and so hath life Grounds of this 1 Christ must be so received as God gives him but God gives us Christ first in every Ordinance when Philip preached to the Eunuch it 's said he preached Jesus to him Act. 8.35 So in the Sacrament you must first take and eat his flesh and drink his blood and then you have remission of sins Mat. 26.26 No gift of grace but is given through Christ if it be lively and true Herod received joy Jehu zeal Ahab humiliation but none of these received life because they received the shell and not the kernel the casket and not the Pearl the gift but not Christ and therefore their graces were not lively Simon Magus believed yet had no lively faith because Christ wanting except we find Christ we find no true grace Hos 4.8 in me is thy fruit found without me you can doe nothing Joh. 15.5 Hence let us gather an estimate of our selves whether we have life or not If you have the Son you have life try therefore whether you labour not more for the loaves for the benefits of Christ then for Christ himself if thou findest thou comest to the Ordinances rather to find Christ then the pardon of sin and comfort and happinesse and salvation if with the Church in the Canticles thou seekest Christ and not the loaves if thou with her inquirest of the watchmen where thou mayst find him whom thy soul loveth if we thus affect Christ we have the Son we could never have sought him thus if he had not first sought us but è contra if we have longing desires after pardon of sin and after grace and salvation those desires indeed are ordinarily sincere but there may be an Harlots affection in them as an Harlot seeks her an husband not for his persons sake but for his goods sake that her debts may be paid and that she may be a sharer in his wealth now she seeks him not for his ends but for her own so if a man shall desire Christ that he may have his sins pardoned and his conscience pacified and seek not Christ himself why this is but an whorish affection whereas one that loves her husband she will have him though she have but the bare man though she begge with him so one that truly loves Christ he would be glad and think himselfe happy to have him though he should never see good day after never find peace or quiet after Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is nothing on earth that I desire in comparison of thee This will exclude from having of Christ 1. All such as are so far from seeking Christ himselfe that they doe not seek the benefits of Christ they look at grace and christian duties as melancholly wearisome things for pardon of sins they never look after it and for heaven they hope they shall doe as well as others why these men they will neither have Christ nor any thing of his 2. This excludes such from having Christ as have more desire of his benefits then Christ himself pardon of sin and grace and peace of conscience and comfort that they look after but Christ they forget why as yet our seeking is not sincere if a woman perceive that her love seeks more for wealth and dowry then her person no wonder if she hold off so if Christ find we come to him and seek for pardon of sin and grace and peace more then for himself no wonder if he keep off and hide himselfe from us because this may come from self-love from respect to our own good and yet nature teacheth us not to seek such things and those desires are ordinarily good beginnings for indeed christians at first are full of self-love but yet Christ will never fully reveale himselfe till we seek his person rather then his gifts therefore first labour to get Christ
of a promise which is fed by a promise Many times a word of grace and wise admonition sinks so deep into the heart as that it makes many a one amend his wicked wayes and take better courses and reform his life but this is no evident signe of spirituall life So an hypocrite may be so far convinced as to turn the stream of his life and yet without all power of godlinesse and the ground is we cannot receive life from the words or works of the Law it 's altogether impossible Gal. 3.21 All true spirituall life is from some word of promise that hath been dispenâ—ed to us in the Word The word of the Law may reclaim us from giving outward offence but yet without all respect or obedience to God But when we are quickened by a word of promise then the love of God constraineth us Obj. Is it not ordinary for the word of the Law to cast down and humble us before we can lay hold on a promise Answ True Yet this is not that which makes a man a new man this may reach to the reformation of many outward sins but yet it gives not spirituall life till we begin to think of and long after Christ and meditate and talk of him till at length the sight of Christ doth so work on us that we do not only long after him but we so receive him and imbrace him that we are inlightned by him A third cause of life is the Spirit of God John 3.6 There is a shedding abroad of the Spirit into the heart of every regenerate man that he hath not the same spirit he had before Now a mans spirit is the bent and inclination of the soul Eph. 4.23 Be ye renewed in the spirits of your minds The soul and the body is the same But there is another spirit they see other things they never saw before judge otherwise then they did before now they have new thoughts and judgements and affections so that their heart is far off from earthly things and let on spirituall things All things are become new A new heart new conference new imployment new company the whole man hath another frame of spirit in him He that finds it thus hath life For application Consider therefore how you finde your hearts speaking concerning your estates Do you finde indeed that sometimes you have had good motions cast in but before God was pleased to call you to his grace nothing did you good Doe you finde your life wrought by a spirit of promise Do you finde that you are renewed to a new inclination and frame of spirit then you have life Your life springs from true causes if not you have not life A second sort of signes of life is from the effects of spirituall life And 1 Justification or pardon of sins is a principall part of our spirituall life Psal 32.2 3. And this is called justification to life Rom. 5.18 Even as a condemned mans pardon is the life of the man so is the pardon of our sins the life of our souls Now the first effect flowing from the pardon of our sin is 1 Some inward peace of conscience some inward satisfaction that he never found before My sin is not pardoned at least not manifested so to be till I finde some measure of inward peace Rom. 5.1 What was it that burthened thy conscience but guilt of sin If therefore God say to my soul Son thy sins be forgiven thee upon this follows the tranquility of the mind and sometimes in that unspeakable manner that passeth all understanding Phil. 4.7 Though this be not so ordinary yet they alwayes finde a secret peace and ease as if you had cast off milstones from the heart Isa 32.17 The effect of righteousnesse is quietnesse and assurance for ever if sin be pardoned peace and everlasting assurance follows A 2. effect of this life of Justification is that look as you see in a morall life no man hath received life but he strives to maintain it so that all that he hath will he give for his life So if thou hast received the life of the pardon of thy sins thou shalt finde a serious and constant care of preserving that life and peace so that you will let all go rather then the peace of your conscience Thy loving kindnesse is better then life Psal 63.4 And therefore if I finde a tender care in me to maintain my peace it 's a signe I have received life seeing I am so carefull to maintain it A man that hath been in a great debt and lately paid it he is carefull to run on the score no more so when God hath blotted out the score of our sins a Christian is very sollioitous to sin no more but that he may live an holy and spotlesse life all his dayes Notable is the example of Joseph Gen. 39. How shall I commit this great wickednesse and sin against God How shall I break my peace of conscience and run on a new score Sometimes indeed Gods children have received pardon of sins and yet afterwards turned Gods grace into wantonnesse but withall observe if they have been overtaken with some grievous lusts the losse of their peace and favour of God hath been more bitter to them then death it self and if the Lord give us hearts follicitous to maintain our peace it is a sign that he hath given us peace those sins are pardoned which we abhor it 's the nature of life to preserve it self and to expell what may be an enemy to life And this is a signe our peace is not counterfeit but sound if we be carefull to preserve it A 3. effect of our life of Justification is that which our Saviour gives Luke 7.47 Her sins which are many are forgiven her because she loves much He that loves much hath much forgiven him The love of God in some measure proportionable to the sin pardoned is a good evidence of the pardon of our sins Gods pardons are lively pardons they leave not a man as he was but whom he pardons them he heals This woman was a notorious Harlot her loving much shewed that her many sins were forgiven her according to the multitude and measure of sins pardoned such is the measure of our love to God and his Saints And indeed there is none hath so little forgiven him but he thinks it a great deal as indeed well he may and thinks himselfe bound to love God abundantly For application Consider therefore what peace thou hast Perhaps thou wilt say I have had peace all my life long but such peace is ill rooted it springs not from a word of God And 2 It 's fruitlesse Thou sayst thou hast peace but what care hast thou to maintain it and to expell thy sins which hinder thy peace And again if thou hast such peace where is thy love If that be wanting pardon of sin is wanting If thou wouldst have good ground of the pardon of thy sins try thy self
their heat as when a man means to put out the fire he layes one brand from another a signe he means to goe to bed and sleep so when Satan would put out the life and heat of grace in a Family or Town he disjoynts Christians and so they fall into security and grow dead in sins and trespasses all their heat is quite extinguished Therefore the Apostle exhorts us not to forsake the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is Heb. 10.25 2 Pet. 1.21 See that ye love one another with pure hearts fervently Obj. If this heat be alwayes found where life is how comes it to passe that the hearts of Christians are so cold and dead How comes a Christian to be so unprofitable if he digest the Word Doe not Christians meet and afford little warmth and help one to another Luke 24.32 The two disciples hearts burned when Christ talked with them a signe before he came and chafed them up they were cold and dead-hearted Answ True Christians oft-times finde a marvellous coldnesse and benummednesse of heart that they finde little warmth in their breathing in their prayers or conferences and this comes partly from want of supply of new fuell when they walk in their own strength without looking up to Christ for new supply and partly by pouring cold water upon it that is some noysome lusts that put out the grace of God or else the use of outward comforts with wordly hearts these cast cold water on the fire as the fire is put out either by withdrawing the fuell or by casting water on it But yet though this be their fault yet even then when they want chafing and heat there is some striving in them which argues life so much life as in them so much heat As for those two Disciples that went to Emaus though their hearts burned whilest Christ spake yet before Christ came they were talking of Christ and of his sufferings which made them sad then Christ comes and puts life O fools and slow of heart to believe This blew up the sparks in them So much as a Christian hath lost of his heat so much of his life if his warmth be smothered his life is smothered Now this warmth is sometimes exprest in sad looks and pantings and deep sighs and groanings and mourning for his forlorn estate and surely there is life in that for in griefe the heat runs to the heart But worse then this a Christian sometimes vanisheth away in much frothy emptynesse outwardly rejoycing in worldly comforts when there is no life within Peter when he denyed his Master his heart was fill'd with griefe and sorrow and he went out and wept bitterly But what say you to David when he had committed adultery how did he go on from one sin to another He can make Vriah drunk and then kill him and then make no matter of it he is carelesse in all this as if he had quite lost all life and affection to God there was not the least beating of the pulse of a Christian such a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that a man that knew him not before might have written in his forehead a man forsaken of God without any life of grace in him Where now was Davids life None so far gone as he 't is a question whether he prayed or no all this while as some Christians have so lost themselves as for three years together they have not prayed at all as doubting of any acceptance because they were so sinfull yet there is some habit of grace but hardly one act of life yet still this holds true so much warmth so much life as by the Almighty power of God there may be fire and yet no heat as the fiery furnace though made seven times hotter then ordinary yet God so restrained the act that it did not so much as singe the garments of the three children that were cast into it Dan. 3. So è contra there is a marvellous hellish power in sin so as it will suspend all the acts of grace so as a Christian may expresse no acts of grace but lye as a man in a deep swound without life and motion that can be discerned and yet this you shall finde in a Christian at such times a listlesnesse of his heart to sin that he cannot break out into sin with all his strength and power as he did in his naturall condition and the ground is this because there is still flesh and spirit in him so that as the spirit cannot doe what good it would so the flesh cannot doe that evill it would Gal. 5.17 And when a Christian is most lively yet there is still some faintnesse and weaknesse in him so è contra when grace is most weak and corruption most strong yet he cannot commit sin with all his strength as formerly he hath done but he goes about sin unwillingly not with the full sway that he was wont to doe he goes listlesly about it Try your selves therefore by these signes if thou hast Christ thou hast life if life thou hast warmth and heat look to thy knowledge doth it puffe thee up and not edifie Dost thou magnifie thy selfe by it If it be lively knowledge it is joyned with zeal as Christ revealed himselfe to the Church of Thyatira Rev. 2.18 Thus saith the Son of God whose eyes are like flames of fire writing to the Church of Thyatira that was warm in love and growing up therein he revealed himselfe according to the state of the Church as having eyes like flames of fire as that Church had zeal with her light so that if thou hast a true knowledge thy eyes are like flames of fire what thou knowest thou dost with zeal and fervency of spirit as Peter and John said We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard that is which we have certain knowledge of Acts 4.20 See Jer. 20.9 1. Consider therefore whether thy knowledge be joyned with zeal How dost thou breath dost thou smell a sweet savour in the Word Then there is breath in thy nostrills 2. Dost thou breath warmth in prayer pant and sigh after God In thy conference dost thou expresse life and heat Then thou art a living Christian 3. How dost thou finde thy stomach to the Word dost thou relish it or else art thou ashamed of thy unprofitablenesse Then there is life 4. Dost thou love to be disjoynted from thy Brethren like brands cast one from another Then there is no life Life loves to preserve it selfe if you sit loose one from another all heat and life goes out religion ceaseth there is a bidding farewell to all Christian duties but if you see bone joyn to bone one gather to another then you shall see flesh and sinews will cover them and life will come in Ezek. 37.7 Put brands together and there will be some fire and heat propagated 2. A second property of life Where life is there is some plyablenesse and
your faith live dayly by faith and you shall not want life Vse 7. Of consolation to every soul that hath Christ If thou hast Christ thou hast life and shalt have it more abundantly he that findeth him findeth life and they that seek not Christ seek death 1 JOHN 5.13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the Name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have eternal life and that you may believe on the Name of the Son of God WE are now come to the beginning of the conclusion of this whole Epistle wherein he sets down the persons to whom he writes These things have I written to you to you that believe 2 The end wherefore he writes these things to these the end is twofold 1 That ye may know that ye have eternal life 2 That ye may believe on the Name of the Son of God which he amplifies in the verses following These words afford three Notes Doct. 1. This Epistle of John was written and delivered to believers only This is evident not onely in the Text but sundry other places of the Epistle cap. 1.4 He wrote it to such as by reading this Epistle might attain to full joy This is evident likewise by recounting the several sorts of persons to whom he wrote cap. 1.12 13 14. Which were of three sorts Babes Young men and Fathers yet all believers so cap. 4.4 Ye are of God little children His second Epistle was written to the elect Lady and the third Epistle to his beloved Gaius vers 1 2. All his writings were directed to believers so were all the Epistles of the rest of the Apostles directed to believers to Saints to the chosen of God to their brethren as will appear in all their first greetings when our Saviour himself wrote he wrote to such in whom he acknowledged many special graces yea even in the worst of them in the Church of Sardis he acknowledged that she had a few names Now this gives us just occasion to enquire Why they were written to believers 2 Why to them only To Believers 1. In regard of the special help and benefit their writings afford the Church the benefits of their writing to the Church were 1 Teaching 2 Thess 2.2 2 Putting them in remembrance 2 Pet. 1.22 23. 3 Stirring them up to practice what they knew 2 Pet. 1.2 3. 4 To humble the spirits of them that were puft up 2 Cor. 7 8. 5 That they might be strengthned in their faith 1 John 5.13 6 That their hearts might be filled with joy 1 John 1.4 which was effected Acts 15.31 7 These writings have bin the foundation of the faith of all Christians to the end of the world because they have afforded matter of all the preaching of the Ministers for by them the men of God are fully furnished and made perfect to every good work 2 Tim. 4.16 17. 2 He writes to believers only the reason is taken from the little use or profit that unbelievers will make of these writings till they be brought on to believe which is so little that not one of the Apostles directs any of their writings to them but only for the believers sake amongst them it 's with the Apostles writings as with prophesies and not miracles Prophesies are not for them that believe not but for them that believe Miracles are not for them that believe but for them that believe not not but that Miracles may confirm believers but believers should chiefly attend to Prophesies Take a company of unbelievers it 's little good they get by reading their writings for no good is done without faith now faith comes not by reading but by hearing had God ordained that reading should be effectual to the conversion of men he would have confirmed it by Miracles as he did the preaching of the Apostles Again had their writings been sanctified for the conversion of men they would have sent them abroad to the most remoâ—e places of the world where they were never likely to come but we see they did not but rather took pains themselves to goe about the world Rom. 10.15 16 17 18. Object Sometimes God hath blessed the reading of the law to the conversion of men Deut. 31 10 11 12 13. He blessed it not only to them that knew the law before but to their little ones that knew nothing and why then should not the reading of the Gospel be as effectual now seeing of the two it 's fuller of power Answ You shall not read that God blessed the ordinary reading of the law to this end but the reading there spoken of Deut. 31. was a solemn reading of the law at the years of solemn release which was but once in seaven years and the reason of it was because that year of release was an acceptable year and typed out our redemption by Christ for in one of those years of release Christ was put to death therefore to denote that God could give an extraordinary blessing to the reading of the law even to little children and shew that those that are released by Christ they shall read with understanding and profit this solemne reading every seaventh year was instituted and blessed 2 He doth not speak of bare reading but of expounding and applying it likewise which ordinarily accompanyed their readingâ— of the law for so we read expressely that they did at that very feast Neh. 7. ult cap. 8.4 to 9. Ezra stood up and read and then gave the sense whereat they were so much affected that they all wept abundantly Vse 1. May shew us the reason why so many good books written by learned godly men have so little prevailed to bring on any of the Papists few or none converted by any of our writings and no wonder for the writings of the Apostles themselves were not sanctified to this end it 's true writings have ever been useful to the convincing of some to the establishment of others to the satisfaction of others but none have prevailed to the conversion of any Vse 2. The like may be said of our reading Ministers look at all the good that hath been done in such Congregations where they have only readings you shall find them as ignorant of Christ and empty of grace as if they had never heard of such things You will say this is an uncharitable saying But I would know whether is more uncharitablenesse to flatter you in your woeful condition to your destruction or to tell you of your danger 2 Chron. 15.2 3. Now for a long time Israel had been without the true God and without a teaching Priest it cannot be conceived but that they had the law read in their Synagogues for the very Judicial law of Moses was the form of the Government which they could not be ignorant in but yet they are said to be without God because they had not a Priest to teach Object Acts 15.21 For Moses of old time hath in every City them that
Preach being read in their Synagogues every Sabbath Doth not that imply that reading is preaching Answ No it implyes that when he is read he is also preached for they used with the reading to expound and lay open the law to them Amos 8.11 12 13. God threatneth a famine of hearing his Word never was there a famine of reading since the Church was in any measure established but it 's threatned as a grievous curse to want the word preached Hos 4.6 My people perish for want of knowledge because thou hast rejected knowledge I will also reject thee Now wherein they did refuse knowledge did they refuse to read That cannot be conceived but because they refused knowledge to instruct and comfort the souls of the people Vse 3. May teach all that are believers diligently to be conversant in the reading of the writings of Saint John and the other Apostles Shall the holy Ghost have an hand to write and shall not we have an hand to receive or an eye to read To us were those Epistles written even to all that believe to the end of the world Rom. 15.4 How much then is the Church of Rome to blame that lock up those writings from the people that they may not hear them but in an unknown tongue which they understand not nay sometimes the Priests understand not the Latine they read much lesse are they able to expound it Vse 4. Of direction to carnal men what will you say they have no benefit or profit by reading the Word Yea surely 1 By hearing the Word expounded they may be brought on to faith 2 The very reading it self is useful to beget knowledge to stir up their memory to quicken their desires 3 They serve to discover to the people what sin is what moral works be so that they have a power to keep men in civil conformity so that there is good use of them to morall men but they were chiefly directed to believers But yet for unbelievers how should this stir them up to be diligent in hearing the Word preached for may I read much two or three times a day and yet little the nearer salvation How should it provoke them then to give diligent heed to hearing that so wherein reading prevails not hearing may Vse 5. To teach all those that are believers not only to read but to expect and look for in reading those benefits before mentioned if you do not find those benefits by reading you read unprofitably and take Gods Ordinance in vain Now for the ends of his writings which were two 1 That they might know that they had eternal life 2 That they might believe on the Name of the Son of God Doct. 2. Such as doe believe on the Name of Jesus Christ by reading the Epistles of John may come to know they have eternal life 1 Because he sets before them where eternal life is to be found and that is in Jesus Christ as vers 12. 2 He directs them to certain means whereby they may attain eternal life As 1 Confession of sins 1 John 1.9 2. By looking up to Christ as our Propitiation and Advocate cap. 2.1 2. 3. By walking in the light cap. 1.8 9. 3 He gives certain signs whereby we may know whether we be in an estate of eternal life As 1 Walking in the light cap. 1.7 2 Keeping his Commandements cap. 2.3 3 Purifying our selves from sin cap. 3.3 4 Love of our brethren cap. 3.14 5 Boldnesse towards God cap. 3.21 Vse 1. This may be a just refutation of the Popish Doctrine that saith we cannot know that we have eternal life but if that be true then St. Johns end in writing these Epistles is disappointed and not onely St. John but the holy Ghost himself is deceived Whereas they tell us we cannot have a certain but conjectural knowledge only there is a contradiction for if a man saith he knows such a thing it implyes he is certain of it or else he speaks safely and were it for nothing else this doctrine of doubtings were a sufficient discouragement against their Religion that Church that trains up her selfe and children to be ignorant of their Father is not the true Spouse of Christ but an Harlot a sign the Church of Rome hath mixt her selfe with so many false gods that she knows not of whom her children are begot Vse 2. It condemns their excluding the vulgar sort from reading the Scriptures for if by them we may come to know Christ and that we have eternal life then take away them and you take away a principal means of salvation Vse 3. For such Christians as are doubtful of their estate above all the writings of the Apostle read this Epstile it was the main scope of St. John in this Epistle that their joy might be full and that they might know they had eternal life here you shall finde a good ground-work of your good estate Vse 4. To teach all believers to know what they have profited by reading it 's an usual thing to content our selves if we do but read a chapter and pray every morning and our conscience is not satisfied if we omit it but a man may read and pray and yet get no good but if you would read profitably so read that you may know that you have eternal life when you have so read then you have read to purpose therefore in reading learn to search out diligently the knowledge of your estates This verse declares a double end of St. Johns writing this Epistle one was that believers might know they have eternal life of which before the second end was That they might believe on the Name of the Son of God Doct. 3. It 's one of the holy ends and scope of the holy Scripture that believers might belive St. John when he wrote his Gospel it was for this end That they might believe John 20.31 For though believing be already wrought yet they that do believe had need to believe more the Word is the mighty power of God to lead believers from faith to faith Rom. 1.17 that is from one degree of faith to another Phil 1.25 as that is not only faith but increase of faith so 1 Thess 3.10 there is not any of Gods servants even the most exemplary Christians but there is some defect in their faith which had need to be supplyed and this may be the first reason Reas 1. Taken from the defects that are found in believers the supply whereof they had need to increase and grow up to 1 They had need to grow up to the belief of some principles which they believed not before and this is a defect in the objects of faith many of the Apostles believed not the Resurrection of Christ nay Thomas said he should not believe except he should see the print of his nayles John 20.25 So many of the Corinths believed not the Resurrection from the dead a main Article of Faith the Thessalonians lacked this in their Faith they
people so they cast the imputation of ignorance upon God as if God had been mistaken when he sent his Word that believers might believe and they think that reading the Word would make them hereticks Vse 3. For you that do believe be frequent in reading the Word for to you it was written that you might believe Meditate there on day and night The blessed will finde a time to meditate on Gods Word every day and every night and this you shall â—â—â—le very effectuall to the increase of your faith The King himselfe whose employments were greatest the Lord â—aid a charge on him to read in the Book of the Law all the dayes of his life Deut. 17.14 And much more is every private man bound to it If these God hath sanctified to help us in our belief then as ever you would believe â—e diligent in hearing reading conferring examining and meditating on the Word all these are notable means to increase and inlarge our saith therefore if thou â—e wanting in faith consider whether thou hast not been wanting in this practise take away the Word and take away the fuel of your faith And for you that believe not though this Scripture was not so much written for you yet because hearing is the only way of faith 〈◊〉 10.17 be diligent in hearing the Word preached Prov. 8 3â—â—5 Blessed it be that heareth â—â— for whose findeth me findeth life And when you have heard be careful to search and â—â—amine whether the things preached be agreeable to Gods Word By this means many that believed not before have been taught to believe and be careful to conferre on the Word The Lord hath sanctified the Word preached and the Word examined and the Word conferâ—ed aboue to the begetting of faith and the Word read to the increasing of faith â—herefore be steâ—uâ—â— in these and withall joyn hearty prayer to God 1 Tim. 4.4 â— that he would open thine eyes and cause thee to understand and bow thine heart to imbrace every truth that so every ordinance may be effectual to thee to the 〈…〉 and increasing of faith in thee 1 JOHN 5.14 15. And this is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us And if we know that he hear us whatsoever we ask we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him VErs 18. he had shewed a double soone of his writing thâ— atte◠〈◊〉 that they might believe on the Name of the Son of God This he exhorts Christians to vers 14 15 16. by three arguments 1 From the confidence such may have of the hearing of their petitions verse 1â—4 2 From the certain knowledge such may have that their prayers are granted 3 From the prevalency of our prayers with God that as we shall be assured of the granting of our petitions so we shall thereby obtain life for our Brother that both not sinned a sin unto death Doct. A prayer that is made well never speeds ill Or thus A prayer made according to Gods will God will grant according to our will Notable is that incouragement Christ gave to the Woman Matth. 15. â—6 O 〈◊〉 I great is thy faith Be it unto thee even as thou wilt As if God would let such into his privy treasury and grant them what they would For explication Q What is it to pray according to Gods will These two things it holds forth at the first view 1. When we pray for such things as are agreeable to Gods will viz. his revealed will we should ask nothing but what he commands us In the Lords prayer Christ tels us what he would have us pray for for those things we have warrant to pray 2. What ever we ask we ought to ask with submission of our wills to Gods will So did Christ himselfe Matth. 26.39 Not as I will but as thou wilt But for further inlargement 1. A man is said to pray according to Gods will partly as his will is exprest in his word and partly as his will is revealed in our hearts For the will of God exprest in his Word 1. God requires that we should ask for nothing but what he commands us to doe and therefore had need to pray for whatever duty God requires of us that we are to pray for So did David Psal 119.4 5. 2. Whatsoever we pray for God commands us to ask it in the Name of Jesus Christ Joh. 16.22 23 24. To ask in the Name of Christ requires two graces of us Humility and Faith Humility of spirit in prayer is exprest in four acts 1. We acknowledge our selves lesse then the least of Gods mercies Gen. 32.10 So that if God should grant him nothing he would justifie God 2. Another act of Humility is to pray in sense of our insufficiency to think a good thought much more to pray according to Gods will 2 Cor. 3.8 Rom. 8.26 3. A man prayes in Humility when he doth not desire God to satisfie any of his sinfull lusts but that Gods will may be done Matth. 26. vers 39. 4. To pray in Humility is to make mention of no mediation in our prayers but onely of Christ Col. 2.18 They made a shew of Humility as not being so bold as to have immediate accesse to God therefore put up their prayers through the mediation of some Angell but to goe lower then God allows is but pride of heart 2. To pray in the Name of Christ is to pray in Faith Which is exprest in four acts 1. Faith directs us to put up our prayers onely to him on whom we believe Rom. 10.14 But we believe only in God therefore neither Saints nor Angels nor the Mother of Christ the Virgin Mary are to be prayed to but we are to pray to our Father onely Gal. 4.5 6. Rom. 8.15 2. Faith makes us come with some child like confidence to God as our Father 1. By Faith we come to God as our heavenly Father in Christ and well affected to Christ as loving us himselfe Joh. 16.36 2. We come to him as a Father Almighty full of goodnesse readyer to give then we to ask 3. A third act of faith is for a man to come truly cleaving unto Christ not standing in demurre whether we had best leave our lusts or no whether we had best become altogether Christians or no. This wavering cannot stand with faith for it 's such a wavering as whereby he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a double-hearted man an heart for God and an heart for the world sometimes for God sometimes for his own lusts Let not this man think he shall receive any thing Jam. 1.6 7 8. 4. A fourth act of faith is to believe that what we have asked according to Gods will he will certainly grant Matth. 11.24 So far as you have asked with submission to his will so far will he grant according to your wills and though he deferre yet make account your prayers are heard
both sensible and experimentall knowledge of Gods favour and breeds certain knowledge of the hearing and having our petitions granted hearing that is of Gods accepting them Verba sensus cum affectu effectu sunt intelligenda and having that is of the performing and fulfilling of our desires chiefly of the ends and aims of our prayers Vse 1. Serves to take off our hearts from confidence in any worldly thing and incourages them to believe on the name of Jesus Christ why because hence you shall not only be assured of salvation which yet is more then all the travails and p lgrimages and devotions of our Fore-fathers could reach unto but by believing on the Name of Christ you shall have confidence that all your prayers are heard Vse 2. For them that doe believe in Christ here is a method whereby they may be assured of the granting their petitions 1. Make sure your adoption for that breeds much assurance in prayer 2. Meditate much on Christ that Christ is your Advocate and atonement for your sins 3. Labour for a Spirit of faith and hope and fear and obedience and so you shall grow up to confidence and knowledge that your prayers are granted Many a Christian falls short of this confidence because he considers not who helps him to make his prayers who makes intercession for him or else he is wanting in some of those graces and so his prayers are full of doubtings Vse 3. Of consolation to all that believe on Christ why This is our confidence that whatsoever we ask according to Gods will he heareth us How comfortable then is the condition of a beleever Be his estate never so miserable his wants never so great if he can but pray well he may goe on comfortably 1 JOHN 5.16 16. If any man see his Brother sin a sin which is not unto death he shall ask and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death There is a sin unto death I do not say that he shall pray for it All unrighteousnesse is sin and there is a sin not unto death THese words contain a third motive to stir us up to believe on Christ and that is from another benefit we shall thereby be enabled to bestow on our Brethren and that is our prayer for him shall give him life Observe in them 1. A promise to such as shall pray for their Brother that sins a sin not unto death he shall give him life 2. An exception or restraining a mans prayer There is a sin unto death I do not say he shall pray for it 3. The prevention of an objection vers 17. All unrighteousnesse is sin and the wages of all sin is death Kom 6. ult And therefore this promise is of none efect for every sin is unto death Unto this St. John answers vers 17. 1. By granting all unrighteousnesse is sin yet there is a sin not unto death not but that every sin deserves death but every sin doth not cut off all hope of recovery but as Christ said of Lazarus his sicknesse Joh. 11.4 it was not unto death yet he dyed but he means it was not irrecoverable because he was raised to life again so every sin is unto death but every sin is not irrecoverable but that a man may be raised up out of it into life Doct. A beleeving Christian is not to hide his eyes from beholding and observing the sins of his Brethren If any man see his Brother sin he may see it and ought to see it Gal. 2.14 St. Paul did not turn away his eyes from seeing Peters dissembling but took notice of it and reproved him Heb. 3.12 13. Take heed lest there be in any of you an evill heart of unbeliefe He speaks not only of a mans selfe but of his Brother that ye have not an evill heart and therefore he propounds a means to help them and that is exhorting one another This the Apostle exhorts us to Heb. 10.24 Reas 1. From the love we owe to our Brethren God requires larger love towards our Brethren then towards our Oxe or Asse and yet God requires that if we see them lying under their burthen we should help them up Deut. 22.4 Now if God require so much help to their beast much more to our Brethrens souls that if we see them going astray or sinking under the burden of sin we should raise them up again 2. From the love we owe to our selves this benefit we shall reap by it we shall learn to keep better watch our selves when we see our Brethren fall Rom. 11.20 We must not by their falls grow high-minded and pride our selves that we are not so bad as they but their falls must be our fears Q. With what eyes should we look at the falls of our Brethren Answ 1. Look not at them wirh a partial or hypocriticall eye Mat. 7.3 4 5. But we must so look at the mote in their eye as to see a beam in our own we should see as great sins in our selves or greater if God did not restrain us for we all have the same root of evill and should break out into as bad distempers as any if God did not hold us back 2. We must not observe them with a curious and censorious eye for that is an imbred curiosity in us that we love to be prying into other mens sins not to heal them but to censure them This St. James reproves ch 3.1 2 3. Be not many M sters that is be not of a Master-like spirit be not busie in every mans matters and censorious of them 3 Look not at them with an envious malicious eye This Jeremiah complains of ch 20.10 All my familiars watched for my haltings That 's an envious eye when a man watches for an advantage to undermine his Brother 4. There is a wanton eye 1. When a man is not humbled at the sight of his Brothers sins but puft up by it like the proud Pharisee Luk. 18.9 10. he built his comfort on the falls of others This the Apostle reprehends in the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 5.2 That there was fornication among them and yet they were not humbled but puft up they magnified themselves that they were honester men 2. A man sees his Brothers sin with a wanton eye when he thereby grows to imitate him if such a man venture into such a course I hope I need not stick at it This God gtievously complains of in the Church of Judah that though she saw what her treacherous Sister Israel had done and that God had therefore cast her off yet she feared not but went and played the Harlot also Jer. 3.7 8. Now all those heads of seeing our Brothers sins ought to be far from us Vse 1. Hence learn not to neglect the falls of our Brethren as if they belonged not to us and we would neither meddle nor make with them This was Cains spirit Am I my Brothers keeper Gen. 4.9 We should look at