of those who vnderstand what a wofull thing it is to bee a stranger vnto Christ to be yet vnreconciled vnto God by him is that they would with yerning bowels commiserate the lamentable condition of their poore ignorant brethren which they shall meet with every where especially in most country Villages I haue obserued vpon occasions much table merriment which hath beene made by tales which passe about of such absurd senselesse answers as silly Christians haue given being demanded a reason of their faith perhaps vpon their death-beds or at their comming to the Lords table Let such vnnaturall mirth be farre from those who are to striue to haue the same minde in them which was in Christ Iesus You who by the blessed change wrought in your soules haue passed from death vnto life consider with a thankefull reflexion vpon the Father of lights that had not he vouchsafed you a more ingenuous education fairer opportunities to grow acquainted with the mysteries of grace more distinct call of his fanctifying spirit and more illuminated apprehensions to discerne them you might haue groped and stumbled in a thicker mist of stupidity then now befooles your vnnurturd brethren you might haue dishonoured that blessed name by which you are called by as wild miscoâ—â—â—its and horrid follies as any come from them and whatsoever is ridiculous in them might haue bin more prodigoius in you you know what price to set vpon your owne soules You know the soule of the meanest idiot is of equall value with yours and that it cost the redeemer of the World as many stripes and wounds as yours O then pitty thy brethren so likely to perish for whom Christ died yea the rather because they being stuffed with sottish conceipts will be ready to laugh at those who shall pitty them Take all opportunities to doe them some spirituall good as occasion shall be offered conferring with them and praying for them and let Christian sympathies bee the least you can afford them you know what you meane when you pray daily that Gods kingdome may come remember you pray not in earnest vnlesse you doe your faithfull endenuour to helpe it forward as in your owne hearts so in the hearts of your brethren with which at any time you converse Consider I beseech you what a dismall fogge of Popery doth yet darken this Iland Popery which few thinkes of I meane that blind absurd implicite faith of beleeuing as the Church beleeues For there is not a pin to choose betweene him that beleeues in grosse what the Church of England beleeues and him that beleeues as that synagogue of Satan the Church of Rome beleeues it neither knowes any thing explicitly what either Church beleeues Meditate on this and what zeale what conrage what indignation you feele in your breasts against the Antichristian impostures of Rome let them fly I beseech you vpon all occasions against this Protestant Popery But I see no hope but that the Colliars faith will haue the greatest number of professors whilst accurate Catechizing of all sorts of people which did so much good in the primitiue Church is in ours so generally neglected But I conclude bespeaking you in the words of S. Iude But yee beloued building vp your selues on your most holy faith praying in the holy Ghost Keepe your selues in the loue of God looking for the mercies of our Lord Iesus Christ vnto eternall life And of some haue compassion making a difference And others saue with feare pulling them out of the fire hating even the garment spotted by the flesh O thou father of mercies and God of all consolations looke downe from thy throne of eternity and take notice of vs thy poore servants who doe now desire to muster vp all the faculties which thou hast given vs and to employ theÌ„ in an acceptable thankesgiuing vnto thee O Lord wee desire to spend our best spirits even to exhale our dearest soules in thankefull ejaculations vnto thee for that most incomprehensibly admirable contrivance of our salvation by the death of the sonne of thy loue O Lord we desire to be transported with a holy amazement as often as wee thinke of this mystery of mysteries and even to empty our hearts of their secrets in halleluiahs and voices of exultation Most holy Lord wee praise thee for the marvelous light of thy Gospell which hath acquainsed vs with those wonders of mercy which thy Christ hath performed for our soules for those comfortable evidences of our justification by him with which our bruised consciences haue beene most gratiously revived Wee praise thee likewise for those wounders of a new creation which thy blessed spirit hath begunne in our hearts for that it hath begunne to weaken and wast the body of sinne to crucify those corruptioÌ„s which heretofore hath beene most insolent in vs to weane vs froÌ„ those vanities which heretofore haue beene our chiefe comforts and to make vs more willing to bee kept within a holy compasse O Lord we desire wee desire with most enlarged hearts to blesse thy infinite goodnesse for all those ravishing irradiations and glorious Prefaces of our blessed immortality by which thy coÌ„forting spirit hath so often encouraged vs to patient continuance in well doing Wee blesse thee for all the heavenly thoughts affections desires resolutions which thou hast put into vs at any time wee praise thee for that portiou of thy good word which thou hast afforded vs at this time O thou that delightest to pardon abundantly pardon all the errours imperfections which haue come either from me in delivering or any of thy people in entertaining thy message Let it not bee a savour of death vnto death vnto any maÌ„ who hath beene within the sound of it but let it some way or other bee beneficiall vnto him in respect of thy kingdome And now oh thou that dwellest in vnapprochable splendor quite out of the ken of mortality seeing thou hast suffered dust and ashes to approch so neere to thee in thy ordinances dismisse not any one of vs wee beseech thee without a blessing send not any one of vs without a comfortable beame of thy countenance shining into his heart Thou art the fountaine of holinesse send vs not therefore out of thy presence without some more cleerenesse in our apprehensions of thy saving mysteries and heavenlinesse in our affections vnto them Send vs not from thy throne of grace but with a heavenly calme in our soules or with such tempests of repentance as may prepare vs for an everlasting serenity O Lord send vs not away but either with that joy which passeth all vnderstanding or that godly sorrow which may prepare vs for it To thee O Father with thy beloued Sonne and blessed Spirit three most glorious Persons one infinite Deity be ascribed all Honour Power Praise Might Majestie and Dominion by vs poore sinners here militant on earth and all the glorified companies triumphant in Heaven from this time forth for evermore Amen Amen
respests if they profit any into whose hands they come I shall lesse blame the importunity of some who for that cause earnestly desired them and the lesse regard the censure of others who may haply mislike the publishing of them As his conuersation was sweet so is his memory pretious to mee as to any other Neither can I thinke it any way stained by the seruice of loue wherein I chose rather to giue life to some things of His than that all should die with him All the good bee thine and all the Glory Gods Farewell Thine in the truest Bond. W. LYFORD 1. COR. 16. V. 22. If any man loue not the Lord Iesus Christ let him bee Anathema Maranatha SAINT PAVL being now to close vp his Epistle to the Corinthians and hauing thus far vsed the helpe of a Scribe is willing to giue them the farewell salutation in his owne hand-writing The salutation of mee Paul with my owne hand in the verse before my Text. His salutation in this as in all the rest of his Epistles is a solemne Apostolicall benediction wishing them the grace fauour of God in Iesus Christ in the verse following my Text. But now knowing too well how many false brethren there were at Corinth who were content indeed to professe Christ for some outward carnall respects but did grossely dissemble with him in their hearts least such should misapply this comfortable salutation vnto themselues least such dogs should imagine these holy things to be giuen them hee salutes them after another manner and preuents their presumption by this terrible thundring execration If any man loue not the Lord Iesus Christ let him bee Anathema Maranatha This Text is somewhat obscure by reason of the strange words which are in it which setting aside all curiosity I will vnfold as nakedly as I can that I may in few words lay open a plaine way to the sense and instructiue matter of this Scripture The word Anathema is a Greeke word in English it signifies Accursed The words Maran-atha are Syriack signify in English Our Lord commeth That the full meaning of the holy Ghost in the vse of these words may more cleerely bee conceaued by you you are to bee aduertised that in this Text there is an allusion vnto the Iewish manner of Excommunication which was twofold 1. The first kinde of it called Nidduî was onely a separation for a time commonly for thirty dayes from all coÌ„merce or society with any man within a certaine distance This is thought to bee that which is called in the New Testament a a casting out of the Synagogue 2. The second more seuere and terrible then the former was when a scandalous offender with curses out of the law of Moses was in the publike audience of the whole Church without any limitation of time excluded from the communion of it This is thought to be that which is called in the new Testament a deliuering vp vnto Sathan This in Hebrew Cherem in Greeke is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word you haue in the Text. This Anathema was twofold 1. Simple when what I haue now mentioned was performed 2. With an addition Anathema Maran-atha when besides all other maledictions out of the law they added this clause Our Lord commeth By which forme the excommunicated person as desperate quite forlorne without all hope of pardon or restitution was left into the hands of the Lord to receaue from him an heauy doome at his coÌ„ming This then being applied vnto my Text the sense runnes thus If any man loue not the Lord Iesus Christ let him bee accursed and that in the most desperate manner expecting due vengeance from the Lord when hee commeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with his holy millions to execute iudgement vpon all and to conuince all that are vngodly as it is in Enochs Prophesie recorded by S. Iude to which this last degree of excommunication Maran-atha or as the Syrians pronounce it Moran-etho our Lord commeth may probably seeme to haue speciall reference If any man c. By any man vnderstand any man that liues in the light of the Gospell that professes and thinkes himselfe a Christian for to such S. Paul directs his speech if any man thus qualified loue not Christ Iesus let him bee accursed in the highest degree It cannot be expected that such as sit in the darknesse of Gentilisme should loue that Christ whom they haue not heard and therfore albeit their case bee lamentable because they heare of no Sauiour yet sure theirs is farre more fearefull who heare him daily preaching in their streets and take little notice of him but neglect him and trample him vnder foot If any man loue not some imagine an Hebraisme to lye couched in these words Loue not supposing the sense to bee if any man hate and indeed this is the sense but in my weake iudgement the conceit of an Hebraisme is needlesse seeing that as our Sauiour tells vs Luk. 11. 23. Hee that is not with him is against him and questionlesse whosoeuer professes his name and yet loue him not hee hates him at the very heart But if my coniecture deceaue me not my Text may receaue excellent light from Ephes 6. v. vlt. Grace be with all them that loue our Lord Iesus Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in purity or sincerity I suppose those whom Saint Paul curses in my Text to be directly opposed to those whom hee there blesses and seeing to the Ephesians he blesses those who loued Christ with an vncorrupt vnmixed vnfained loue it 's likely that in my Text hee bestowes his imprecations vpon those who great shewes of loue vnto Christ with their mouthes but vnderualue and despise him in their hearts The Text being thus explained not to mangle it with an vnnecessary diuision affords this materiall doctrine Whosoeuer hee bee that professes himselfe a Christian and thinks himselfe verily to bee so and yet hath not the loue of Christ Iesus kindled and setled in his heart is in a most dangerous and cursed estate Great variety of reasons and proofes might bee produced for the inlargement and confirmation of this point those which I intend to make vse of I will reduce vnto two geneâ—all considerations which will sufficiently manifest both how fearefully and how iustly hee stands accursed who professing Christ Iesus with his mouth entertaineth him not with his best affections in his heart 1. My first consideration is this that whosoeuer hath not imbraced Christ Iesus with the sweetest vnion of real loue hath no part in him and therefore all the curses of the Law stand in full force against him I shall not need to insist vpon the aggrauation of the wofull condition of him who is yet in bondage to the law Marke I beseech you the exquisite rigour of it comprised in that one sentence Deut. 27. 26. Gal. 3. 10. Cursed is euery one who continueth not in all things which
after this manner it had beene a thousand times better for him that Christ had neuer been borne into the world or at least that himselfe had beene borne in such an obscure corner of it that hee had neuer heard of him For his outward profession of and with all the prerogatiue of it with which hee contented himselfe without any hearty loue vnto him the faire offers of saluation which hee had and made nothing of shall presse him more heauily at the day of Iudgement then all his sins against the law though they were murders and adulteryes when for these very reasons it shall bee easier for Turkes Americans and Virginians then for him If you demand the reason of all this mischiefe it is because the not laying to heart of what Christ hath done for vs and the not-receiuing him being offered vs with the thankefull affections of loue and reuerence vnmixed delight and compleat content in him is the highest dishonour and basest indignity except wilfull Apostacy or malious blasphemy which can bee offered by a sinfull man to the most blessed and glorious Trinity Should I stand â—o recount and amplify euery circumstance of it I thinke I should both weary and amaze you Suffice it therefore onely briefly to consider how contempt offered to Christ and his Gospell reflects vpon all the Persons of the Blessed Trinity For the Father whosoeuer sets light by his Sonne doth most grosly vnderualue both his wisdome and his goodnesse For his wisdome The contriuing of mans redemption by the death of his Sonne in the fulnesse of time is so farre as is reuealed to vs the master-piece chiefe plot with reuerence bee it spoken which hath been from all eternity thought on by that infinite boundlesse wisdome of God blessed for euer whereby hee purposed to get himselfe farre more glory then hee did by the creation of the world when by a deliuerance so superlatiuely admirable hee should both saue mankind and astonish it This is that for which the Gospell is so often called the wisdome of God vnto saluation This is that mistery of Godlynesse which is great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the confession of all without controuersy 1 Tim. 3. 16. This is that illustrious mystery of saluation which the Prophets enquired after and searched diligently with the Angels to looke into 1. Pet. 1. 10. 12. Lastly this is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that wisdome of God which hath such curious variety in it Ephes 4. 10. Well then to come to the point when the time is come as it is come to vs who liue in this blessed noone-tide of the Gospell that God reueales to any man this astonishing mystery of his infinite wisdome when hee pleaseth to shew any man how admirably hee hath contriued his saluation for him by sending his own sonne to satisfy his iustice and therefore expects abundance of glory by it if that man now abase varlet created by God that hee might applaud his lesser works of creation shall behaue himsele so stupidly that hee forsooth can scarse haue patience to take a full view of his Sonne if hee can espie no such arte in the contriuance as may rauish him no such wonders as may withdraw his minde from those bawbles about which it was before busied O beloued this is an indignity to the glorious wisdome of God the Father beyond all expression of mortall eloquence 2. For his goodnesse and mercy God the Father from euerlasting beholding mankind in the vgly masse of corruption through their owne wilfull rebellion knew he must bee iust and yet desired to bee mercifull And when nothing might make these two stand together but satisfaction from one as infinite as himselfe that he might commend his loue to vs as the Apostle speakes Rom. 3. 8. hee resolued not to spare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sonne of his Loue as hee is called by a significant Hebraisme Col 1. v. 13. but to send him in similitude of sinnefull flesh to vndergoe that heauy businesse for vs presuming as it is in the parable that howsoeuer his other messengers had fared but ill in the world yet his Sonne the heire should bee entertained with reuerence O then can wee imagine with what hellish contempt they euen defye the loue of God towards them who look strangely vpon his Sonne who behaue themselues towards him as if his Father had sent him in a needles err and into the world or as if there needed not to haue beene all this care taken for them 2. In the next place it would bee an endlesse businesse to rehearse the indignities which are offered to the second person in Trinity Christ himself by such as call him Lord Lord but yet deale not honestly with him in their hearts Greater loue then this hath no man then that hee lay downe his life for his friend saith our Sauiour Ioh. 15. 13. True Lord it 's the greatest loue that one friend can shew another but yet thy loue was greater uÌ„to vs in that thou laydest down thy life for thy enemies yea in that thou vouchsafedst for our sakes to take such a life which thou mightst lay down Consider in briefe I beseech you how the Sonne of God out of meere obedience vnto his Father and compassion vnto vs rebellious wormes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 empâ—tied himselfe of the lustre of his Deity and in the forme of a seruant humbled himselfe to the death â—uen the most painefull and shamefull death of the Crosse Phil. 2. 8. Peruse the history of his passion yea of his whole life which was litle better then a passion obserue how throughly the sad predictions of a despised life and ignominious death Isa 53. were fulfilled in him how in euery point hee was made isch enaccâ—both a man of sorrowes draw into a Catalogue the rude discourtesies churlish affronts the â—euilings buâ—â—etings spittings torments agonies and the contradictions of sinners all along that is of sinnefull caytifes which hee indured with patience Lastly remember that all this befell him onely because the Lord laid vpon him the iniquity of vs all Isa 53. 6. where the Hebrew phrase is elegantly significant hiphgiah he hath made the iniquity of vs all to meet on him as our translators haue rightly expressed it in the margent Remember still I say that all this was but what wee had deserued and therefore we may well suppose him with pitifull moanes crying out vnto vs vpon the Crosse in the mouing language of Ierusalem Lam 1. 12. Is it nothing to all you that passe by behold and see if there bee any sorrow like vnto my sorrow Now beloued whosoeuer hee bee that hath read or heard all these things so punctually set downe in the Gospell that hee hath had his sauiour euen crucified before his eyes whosoeuer is conceited and he beleeues this history and yet cannot bleed within or weepe without for his sinnes which were the cause of it but can
bee moued to more tender passions by a Tragicke fable created by the braine of a Poet cannot sympathise with his Sauiour in that passiō which should haue beene his cannot by his serious cōpunction share with him in those agonies which should haue been all his owne cannot take these mercies so deepely to heart as with the earnest pangs of yerning affections to desire to bee crucified with Christ as S. Paul speakes of himselfe Gal. 2. 20. and to liue the rest of his life in the flesh by the faith of the Sonne of God who loued him and gaue himselfe for him questionlesse that man offers his Sauiour the most cutting iniury and does him the most villanous spight that it 's possible for a mortall wretch to offer vnto the Lord of Glory That mans ingratitude is more painefull vnto Christ Iesus then all the thornes were in his head and wounds him more deepely then the nayles did his hands and feete and therefore wee cannot imagine a lighter curse then Anathema Maranatha to bee due vnto him For by his sottish neglect of that death of which his sins aswel as any mans else were a cause he becomes guilty of the murther of the Sonne of God yea one of those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I vnderstang 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and English it who crucifie as much as in them lies the sonne of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and expose him like a◠malefactour to publique shame Heb. 6. 6. 3 Lastly whosoever instructed in the Gospell doth not in earnest loue Christ Iesus hee vexes grieues the third person in Trinity the Holy spirit whose chiefe businesse here below is to worke our our hearts vnto the loue of Christ and as I said before to solicite the match betweene him and our soules And this is one reason why our saviour being to leaue this world speakes so much in Saint Iohn of what the comforter should doe for him after his departure He shall testify of me Iohn 13. He shall glorify mee 16. 14. Whosoeuer therefore makes the Holy spirit to labour in vaine not suffering his perswasions to make any impressions vpon his heart or to get thence any glory for him whose agent hee is but thinkes hee does Christ Iesus kindnesse enough in that he suffers himselfe to be called a Christian rather then a Iew or a Mahumetan or Protestant rather then a Papist In what a fit of discontent in what a chafe may we thinke doth that man send or rather driue away the spirit of Grace All that I haue said in this second consideration is comprised in that terrifying place Hebr. 10. 28. 29. which I know is there applyed vnto Apostates but wee must note that all hypocrites are Apostates in Gods fight and therefore what wee may apply vnto an Apostate in particular because hee discouers the rottennesse of his heart in the sight of men wee may apply vnto hypocrites in generall because there is in them the same evill heart of vnbeliefe though wee cannot so particularly smell them out the words are Hee that despised Moses Law died without mercy vnder two or three witnesses of how much sorer punishment suppose yee shall hee be thought worthy who hath troden vnder foote the sonne of God and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the blood of a common man or a malefactor not as the blood of a sacrifice and hath done despight vnto the spirit of grace Applic. You see the fearefully accursed estate of those professors of Christianity who deale falsely with their Saviour and loue him not at the heart you see vpon what slippery tearmes wee stand betweene the greatest curses and the greatest blessings If wee haue indeed made Christ Iesus our portion if wee haue beene so feelingly affected with his favours towards vs that now with the Spouse in the Canticles wee are even sicke with loue of him If as the Apostle prayes for the Ephesians Wee are so rooted and grounded in loue that we can bring good proofes that with a constant resolution we preferre the intellectuall pleasures which issue from his reconciled countenance before whatsoeuer else is most pretious and deare vnto vs O then we may hugge our selues as men over-joyed for as sure as God is God all his rich promises in Christ Iesus shall be yea and Amen vnto vs. But on the contrary if those heauenly raptures and glorious trances of sweetest entercourse betweene Christ and our soules sound as Phantastique dreames harsh Paradoxes vnto vs if wee stupidly content our selues with an empty profession of his name and heartlesse conformity vnto the outward garb of the Gospell never striuing either to expresse or to feele the inward power of it if wee goe on in a heavy sluggish dull manner never retiring vnto our Saviour but in some melancholy moodes which wee are quickly weary of blindly presuming of much from him and caring not how little hee hath from vs O then we most grossely delude our selues for the curse of curses Anathema Maran-atha doth most certainely belong vnto vs I presume almost there is not any man in this assembly but would thinke himselfe much wronged if one should seriously tell him hee did not loue Christ Iesus Not loue Christ Why we imagine wee all doe it naturally wee take it as the custome of the country to say so It is not my purpose to dishearten any man would to God that the least sparke of loue vnto Christ in any mans heart here were a glorious flame But yet I would haue no man to deceiue himselfe in this point then which nothing more easy nothing more dangerous God is not mocked he requireth truth in the inward parts and the exactest kinde of loue that can be imagined Doe you thinke beloued but that the Iewes in our Saviours time were confidently perswaded that they loued God they persecuted our Saviour indeed because they could not apprehend him to be the sonne of God but for God himselfe they made full account that they and none but they loued him aright Here was I dare say as strong a perswasion of loue to God if confidence would beare out the matter as in the greater part of Christians of their loue vnto Christ But behold how miserably they were deceaued Joh. 5. 42. our Saviour expressely tels them But I know you that yee haue not the loue of God in you The like grosse deceit of the Iewes may be observed in the same chapter about their loue vnto Moses why they were 〈◊〉 and naile for Moses The Law and name of Moses was the glory of their nation for which no doubt but many if they had beene put to it would resolutely haue lost their liues in our Saviours time as their ancestors had done before or their posterity since so that one would haue thought hee might haue sworne they loued Moses but yet when the matter