mouth of rich men Mr. Cherin a rich man and sometimes a worthy Burgess of this Town and an Inhabitant of this Parish whose memory we this day celebrate he was of this mind who gave a great part of his estate to feed the poor He was of St. James's Religion James 2 14-17 What doth it profit my brethren though a man say he hath faith when he hath no works Can faith save him If a brother or a sister be naked and destitute of dayly food and one of you say unto him Depart in peace be you warmed and filled notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body What doth it profit Alas Verba non pascunt ventrem words feed not the belly What doth a great deal of holy talk profit thy poor brother that is ready to starve Yet many such unmerciful Saints for such they would be thought there are who have chosen a Religion for the cheapness to save charges They are afraid to do good works for fear of meriting and have so much faith that they think to supererrogate with it or else it excuseth all good works Alas These men consider not that God's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That God's blessing is doing good but our doing good is our only blessing That man indeed in respect of God lives not by bread only but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God yet man in respect of men lives by bread only but by never a word that proceeds out of the mouth of man 5. That poor men also quibus neque servus est neque arca who want their dayly bread and lie like helpless Lazarus so that word signifieth at the rich man's doors that they might learn not to envy the rich not to steal nor take the name of God in vain Prov. 30. not to despair of God's providence over the poor for why Man lives not by bread only but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God But O our perverse our peevish and crooked wills O our hypocritical absurd and contradictory prayers We pray and that dayly too that God's will it may be done yet secretly we wish it were not done while almost every man impatiently struggles or despairing sinks under a seeming Aetna of evils which God hath cast upon him We pray and that as often but for our dayly bread yet almost every man hoards and treasures up both for himself and for his Children and houshold as if it were for eternity which runs out in few evil dayes and then we leave our riches for others As if there were no word of God to live by but only that 1 Tim. 5.8 That if any provide not for his own and especially for those of his own house or kindred he hath denied the faith and is worse than an Infidel Whence worldly men seeming religious take care not only what they shall eat and what they shall drink but also what their Children and their Childrens Children shall eat and drink to the third and fourth Generation not regarding that that place of Scripture implies no such matter Whence it comes to pass that these needless cares which they ought to cast upon God stops the mouth of their Souls and the word which was ordained to them for life nourisheth not and while they think by their over-hoarding and treasuring up for their Family not to become Infidels they most of all become Infidels But this is oftentimes the fault of the Rich rather than the Poor will ye hear the repining of the poor Vivere me dicas Something I have but God knows it is but a little But little Hast thou not thy share Did not God divide it to thee Is' t not according to his word by which thou must live Wilt thou blame his Wisdom Callest thou that little which he knows enough for thee I tell thee 't is rather great But grant it were but little Do not men receive little and great gifts with like thanks from the hands of Kings What hast thou which thou hast not received from the hand of God And wilt thou be ungrateful to his goodness Is not thy little more than thou broughtest with thee Thou broughtest nothing with thee into the World Is not thy little more than thou seest many others have And hast thou not deserved far less What though but a little so the righteous have it What though but a little so with the fear of the Lord What though but a morsel so with contentment But how little is it Alas But bread and poor raiment Proud unthankful Wretch Was not Jacob a better man than thou a better man Beloved than any of us all yet 't was all he prayed for Bread to eat and raiment to put on Gen. 28.20 The Primitive Noble Army of Martyrs of whom the World was not worthy they had not so much they wandered about in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins being destitute afflicted tormented they wandered in the Desarts and in the Mountains and in the Dens and in the hollows of the Earth Yea yet more than they had thou callest little Our Saviour in the Text had not so much it 's an example so without so above all example that it 's impossible to ascend higher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 10.25 it 's an autarchy it 's sufficient for the Disciple to be as his Master is and the Servant as his Lord is if it be not so with thee thou art yet no Disciple thou art yet no Servant of Christ Consider these things well and ruminate and feed upon this Word and go thy wayes be male-content repine at thine own estate and chide providence if thou knowest for what These and such like Lessons our gracious Father teacheth us humbling us and proving us that we may know that man lives not by bread only but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God And other Lessons also the Son our Saviour teaches us as these Words contain an Answer to the Devils temptation 1. As first A Lesson of humility Sathan implicitely stiles him the Son of God He answers not according to that Title but by a Title lower than the Angels Luc. Burg. Man shall not live by bread only c. Others arrogate no less but sometimes more than they hear themselves styled Yet was he true man nor doth he deny himself to be true God though he saith not so to let us know that we should be greater than we say we are nor must we be less we must not tell a lie Lombard that we may seem to be humble 2. He is tempted to turn stones into bread a glorious work worthy of God yet he doth it not We must not follow the Devils Counsel how fair how plausible how reasonable how profitable how necessary how glorious soever it seem to be such as this might have
commended These things saith he I write 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As there is no necessity so there is no impossibility of sin peradventure they have sinned Medium Neglect not sin as if not worthy to be feared which is and brings with it the greatest evil 2. Be not high minded presume not of thine own wit parts false rules false examples 3. Fear God Love thine own Soul 2. Because Job thought or said so therefore he did so he sent and sanctified his Sons The reason the good man knew well the foul nature of sin and God's extreme hatred of it That the least sin unrepented of offends God leaves a blot upon the Soul disposeth it to the committing of greater sins makes it liable to eternal death excludes it from the City of God into which no unclean thing shall enter Rev. 22. How much more a great sin and one of the greatest such is blasphemy and that the more aggravable from the blessings of God which a man partakes of at a feast in a greater measure and from his own profession that he received those blessings from the hand of the blessed God Another reason His love of God whom he studied alwayes to please and to appease him being provoked against himself or part of himself his children His love also toward his Sons constrained him of whose bliss and happiness he would be assured and therefore would not leave them under the danger of sin though an unknown sin For these reasons Job sanctifieth his Sons But was Job a Priest then that he offered Sacrifice Art not thou a Priest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath made us Kings and Priests to God He that offers is a Priest and must have somewhat to offer Obser 1. Behold in Job the pattern of a Religious Parent Whoever thou art Father of a Family or mayest be hereafter abi tu fac similiter consider his true love unto every one that he suffered not sin upon him his care and tenderness over his Children his bringing them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord Eph. 6.4 Mephibosheth had a fall out of his Nurses arms when he was but a Child and was lame all his life after If we let our nurslings fall out of our arms there 's the like yea a far greater danger Ye read how the unclean Spirit dealt with the young man Mark 9.19 the reason ye have v. 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He was so from a child a secret reflexion on his Parents Obser 2. A Parents suspicion of sin and blasphemy in his Children ought not to break out into wrath and hatred but into a desire of amendment A Physician is not angry with his Patient nor hates him but studies to ease him and bring him to health again Obser 3. If Job were so careful to expiate uncertain sins how much rather ought every pious Parent to endeavour the expiation i. e. the mortifying and abolishing known and manifest sins to sanctifie his Children and endeavour to bring them to repentance Obser 4. Behold a certain character of one truly fearing God such an one as Job was he offers certain sacrifices for uncertain sins Repreh 1. Those who for certain â—â—s return an uncertain repentance and mortification Let us eat and drink and to morrow we will die Alas what is so uncertain as the morrow this night before to morrow they may take away thy life and where then is thy repentance and mortification The door of Grace and Mercy stands now open but when the Master of the house shall rise up and shut the door where then is thy repentance and mortification Custome of sin will draw on a Callus an hardness and brawniness upon thy heart which yet may have some tenderness in it 't will cauterize thy conscience which yet hath some feeling in it the soyle of sin may be washed out but if neglected 't will incorporate and turn to nature and then the Blackamore will not be able to change his skin nor the Leopard his spots What then will become of thy repentance and mortification A reprobate mind Atheism c. will seise upon thee and then what will become of thy repentance and mortification Repr 2. What then shall we say of those who defend their former certain and manifest sins and justifie them by adding more and greater As it is said of Herod that he added to all his sins that he put John into prison and doest not thou the same put the Grace of God in thy prison hold his truths in unrighteousness yea reproach vilifie curse and injure those who earnestly endeavour to bring thee to repentance and amendment of life that thou mayest be saved Terrible is that touching Elie's Sons 1 Sam. 2.25 and that of the Prophet to Amaziah 2 Chron. 25.15 16. There is a rule for both Prov. 29.1 He that being often reproved hardneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy of them that of St. Peter is verified whose judgement now of a long time lingreth not and their damnation slumbereth not 2 Pet. 2.3 Consolation I have been a Blasphemer All sins and blasphemies shall be forgiven unto thee And Peter himself cursed and Paul also blasphemed 1 Tim. 1.13 16. yet repented and believed and so mayest thou NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON MATTHEW XI 28 29 30. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls For my yoke is easie and my burden is light THe true Jephtah sets us a work whoever are his followers to offer up Sacrifice and mortifie whatever sin proceeds from within us and defiles us and the end of the Sacrament and our vow therein renewed puts us upon the same duty A business full of labour and so burdensome that the Prophet complains Psal 38.4 Mine iniquities are gone over my head as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me And therefore our Lord in this Text propounds unto such labouring and burdened ones a seasonable instruction Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy burdened to let them know that their coming shall not be in vain he promiseth unto them the Rest I will give you Rest But lest men should think a bare coming enough whereby they might get that Rest he prescribes a means how that Rest may be obtained Take my yoke upon you yield your selves to my Discipline and Teaching learn of me learn especially these Graces which ye see eminent in me I am meek and lowly in heart learn meekness and humility And lest that yoke should seem rather an exchange of one burden for another by a Prolepsis he tells us My yoke is easie and my burden is light According to this resolution of the words ye have in them these Divine Truths
the false Priests of Jezebel by their false testimonies suppress the true Prophets of God who have the testimony of Jesus which is the spirit of prophesie Rev. 19.10 This therefore is Elias's work to discover the false Prophetess Jezebel and to anoint Jehu a type of Christ who was is and is to come who shall cause her to be trodden under the feet of his Army as the old Jezebel was 1 King And thus Elias must rectifie the worship of God 2. He must also rectifie and set in order the man toward his neighbour Turn the hearts of the Fathers to the Children and the Children to the Fathers He shall put an end to differences between the Spiritual Fathers and their Children Cum Elias venerit solvet nodos He must resolve all doubts He shall put an end to war and bloodshed Jer. 47.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. He must bring back the whole man to God He must restore the Natural man to his right and the Heavenly man to his He must recover all Edom to the house of Israel Obab vers 21. Elias must reduce all things to their first state The Reason 1. The honour of the great God who is the God of Order And can it be possible that alwayes things should be out of order 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 confounded Have all the Beasts had their Reign and shall not God have his His justice is hereby evidently and eminently seen when he restores him to right that suffered wrong it 's honour to the wisdom power and justice of God how much more when all what ever is amiss is rectified and brought to right again 2. It is the Office of Elias so to do wherefore he is called the Tishbite Mal. 4.5 LXX Obser 3. There is a time to be hoped for when all things shall be restored and brought to right again Act. 3.19 These times are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See Notes in Gen. 12.1 2. Object We see so great iniquity and injustice in the Earth that it seems impossible that ever all things should be restored See Notes in Jer. 23.5 Obser 4. This is a ground of patience Consol Alas I find all things out of order in my self And is it possible that all things should be restored to their first state Is any thing impossible unto God It 's not mans work we now plead for but the work of God himself Elias is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. The Lord God himself If the work seem to thee to go slowly on blame not Eliah murmur not at the great God but blame thy self that thou hast fallen so fouly from thy God it 's an easie matter to put the Soul out of frame one disorderly passion of wrath or fear or grief doth it but it 's hard very hard to bring it into order again it 's the work of Eliah God himself But I find my soul more out of course since I began the work than ever before While things are in motu in motion there is much more disturbance than otherwise as an house in repairing there 's hewing and knocking while thy restauration is in doing while thou art in motu there 's a necessity that thou be hewn by the Prophets nay even slain by the words of Gods mouth This chastisement is for the present grievous but it renders the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto those who are exercised by it Exhort Let us entertain Elias when he comes to restore all things Unless we entertain the Fore-runner we cannot receive the Messiah himself when he comes Psal 63.2 3. I have looked for thee in holiness that I may behold thy Power and Glory This is the Righteousness that goes before him Psal 85.13 See Notes in Gen. 26.1 ad finem Sign Our Lord tells us That at his second coming he shall scarce find Faith on the Earth 2 Esdr 15. v. 16. inconstabilitio That there shall be such dayes as were before the Flood They were eating and drinking marrying and giving in marriage until Noah entred into the Ark who was such to the Old World as Elias is unto the New Means Give heed unto Moses and remember his Law Mal. 4. Give heed unto John Baptist preaching repentance and amendment of life They who neglect or oppose the first Grace of God and the work of it they attain not unto the second The Office and work of Elias coming before Christ in the spirit supposeth the Office and work of the first Elias coming before Christ in the flesh Therefore we must be first Johannites before we can be Christians c. See Notes in Mat. 16.17 Thus when by the Ministry of the former Elias we come to Communion with Christ in the flesh we shall by the Ministry of the latter Elias come to Communion with Christ in the spirit When the Grace of God that brings Salvation to all men hath appeared teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts looking for the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON MATTHEW XVIII 15 16 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone if he shall hear thee thou hast gained thy brother But if he will not hear thee then take with thee one or two more that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established And if he shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the Church but if he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican IT is the Prophesie of Caiaphas That it is expedient that one man should die for the people and that the whole Nation perish not unto which the Evangelist adds This spake he not of himself but being High Priest that year he prophesied that Jesus should die for that Nation c. Joh. 11.50 51 52. wherein is implyed the end of Christ's death to reconcile men unto God and that the Children of God should be gathered together into one mind Of the former I spake on those words Heb. 2.17 That he might make reconciliation for the sins of the people thereby the Apostle teacheth how man is to be reconciled unto his God In the words of the Text our Lord sets down a way and means how a man may be reconciled unto his brother If thy brother have trespassed against thee c. In the former words our Lord instructs us how to demean our selves that we give no offence unto our Brother In these he teacheth us how to behave our selves when our Brother offends us which behaviour is either Charitativa or Vindictiva either Charitable dealing with him when he is tractable vers 15 16. or vindictive or punitive punishing him when he declares himself obstinate In the charitable dealing with him two things are considerable 1. The crime which is here called Trespassing 2. The
parabolical Narration of the King of Kings his provision of an Heavenly Marriage-feast 2. His invitation of Guests Jews and Gentiles and 3. His dealing with them The invitation is double The words I have read are a part of the latter invitation wherein we have these two parts 1. The vocation or invitation it self Come to the Marriage-feast 2. The inducement or motive to come unto this Marriage-feast All things are ready As the words are in themselves an Exhortation enforced by a reason so I intend to handle them If I shall first have explained the meaning of the words for both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are Synechdochical such is the fulness of the Word of God they signifie more than they seem at the first view 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here signifying not only the Marriage it self but the Feast of Heavenly Virtues and Graces and therefore the Syriac word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Feast or Banquet properly of Wine So also that which is in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 2.1 is in the Syriac 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Symposium a banquet of Wine So likewise this hortatory word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports not only a bare coming unto this feast of Graces but a yielding a willingness a desire to partake of it as also in our English to be willing or yielding is to be coming The Analogie between the Spiritual and Heavenly Graces and a Feast are in the Substance and in the Circumstances And in the Substance the notion of a Feast imports variety and abundance of the best and choicest meats and drinks fit for sustenance and delight which the Scripture is copious in reciting and that with accommodation to the kinds of food used in the Eastern parts of the world at their Feasts they being otherwise wont most what to feed on the fruits of the earth as appears 2 Sam. 16.1 Bread and raisons and summer fruits and 17.28 wheat and barly and flowre and parched corn Except in times of feasting as appears besides by Esay 22.13 God called to weeping and mourning and they feasted slaying of Oxen and killing of Sheep Jam. 5.5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth and been wanton ye have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter for then as in the Text there was slaying of Oxen and killing of Sheep and such provision mystically the Lord makes for his Guests Oxen and fatlings beasts fat things full of marrow bread and wine wine on the lees well refined c. Esay 25. And all these and more then all these represent Christ with all his Graces and Virtues Abundance of Righteousness it runs down like a mighty stream Amos 5.24 And abundance of peace running down like a river Esay 66.12 and joy unspeakable and full of Glory 1 Pet. 1. For he is that Spiritual meat 1 Cor. 10.3 4. that Flesh Joh. 6.55 that wine that bread that came down from Heaven Joh. 6. v. 51. He is the Lamb the Sheep the fatted Calf the Heifer yea all those Sacrifices which Solomon Hezechias and Josias offered all figured out Christ and Christ alone unto us and all too little In whom are all the treasures of the wisdom and knowledge of God in whom all the fulness of the Godhead dwells bodily Col. 2.9 Who himself is all things Col. 3.11 So that as the bread which God gave his people in the Wilderness had in it the delight of every taste even so Christ the Heavenly Manna hath in him the virtue relish and efficacy of all Spiritual food meats and drinks and is able to content every delight and is agreeable unto every taste Wisd 16.20 21. And very fitly is Christ compared to the food of this heavenly Feast for 1. As food is the support of Natural Life bread strengthens mans heart and wine makes it glad Psal 104.15 So Christ is the nourishment and sustenance of the Spiritual life which gives life unto the world Joh. 6.33 And is the gift of God for that end Psal 104.27 28. These all wait upon thee that thou mayest give them meat in due season when thou givest it to them they gather it when thou openest thy hand they are filled with good and so is Christ also for the same end the gift of God Joh. 4. yea he gives himself for the life of the world Joh. 6.51 There must be a mutual application and union between the nourishment and the body nourished so between the Soul and Christ and therefore the Lords Supper is called Sacramentum unionis and in our ordinary speech the Communion Without food the body perisheth and without Christ the Soul Vnless ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood ye have no life in you These beside many more are the resemblances of Christ unto food at this heavenly feast if we respect the nature of this feast and the substance of it 2. In regard of the circumstances the analogies and resemblances may be many in regard of the Feast-maker the musick the mirth the dancing the attendance it is a marriage feast 1. The Maker and Master is the great King of Kings God the Father he gives his Son the Bridegroom to the Church his Spouse Joh. 3.16 and he the very same gives the Bride the Church unto his Son Joh. 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him which becometh flesh of flesh and bone of his bone yea of one spirit with him 1 Cor. 6. being thus joyned in this Heavenly and Spiritual Matrimony 2. The Musick at this Feast is the harmony of all the Graces and Virtues knit together Virtutes sunt connexae in the good Conscience which it self is the continual feast Prov. 15.15 This is the musick at the banquet of wine Ecclus. 49.1 Hence 3. Ariseth the Mirth which God commands should be at his Feasts Deut. 16.15.14 Thou shalt rejoyce at thy Feasts surely rejoyce But is there any need that the Lord should command joy at feasts He speaks not there of the joy of wild Asses nor of the joy that runs over at the mouth but of that which the stranger intermeddles not withal that joy unspeakable 1 Pet. 1. The joy which proceeds from Righteousness Rom. 14. 4. At the Lords Feasts eating and drinking and dancing and making mirth Judg. 21.19 20 21. The word which signifieth to keep a Feast signifieth also to dance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my heart danceth for joy Psal 28.8 5. The Attendants at this Feast are the Holy Angels whom God hath made for this purpose Ministring Spirits Hebr. 1. yea Christ himself he takes upon him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the garment of a servant Phil. 2. and is among us or in us as he that serveth Luk. 22.27 He according to our decorum and fashion at a Marriage-feast he himself gives himself and makes his Servants to sit down to meat and comes forth and serves them at this
self-love and a strong fancy enstates them in joy unspeakable Whence have they learned this doctrine whence but from their impostors and deceivers who come in the Name of Christ and deceive many our Lord warns us of them twice vers 11. and again vers 24. and then superadds a serious warning and we find great need of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vers 25. for look through the Word of God and see where the everlasting Joy and Kingdom of Glory can be obtained by other means than by suffering the Cross Rom. 8. 2 Tim. 2.11 1 Pet. 5.10 And in the Text the Lord promiseth to those who suffer with him and sorrow to repentance that they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven All the labour of the Impostors and Deceivers is to perswade men that they shall obtain everlasting joy without mourning that they shall enter into Life some other way Joh. 10.1 This is the principal scope the false Prophets and Deceivers aim at Consol To the Tribes and Families of the Earth especially to those who are of the Stock of Abraham Act. 13.26 that is Believers Rom. 4.12 16 24. Gal. 3.26 27 28 29. See Notes on Gen. 12.1 But must we be alwayes mourning Is there no hope of such a state wherein sorrow shall flee away There is indeed such a state but this Indolentia this joy without sorrow and mourning belongs not to the Tribes of the Earth who bear the Image of the Earthly none but to those who bear the Image of the Heavenly Heb. 12. But this belongs to another Tribe the Tribe of the heavenly even the Lords Tribe Psal 122.4 The Psalmist speaking of the true Jerusalem Thither the Tribes go up the Tribes of the Lord to give testimony to Israel These Tribes are called the Tribes of the Lord even the spiritual and heavenly minded ones who have known the Lord from the beginning who is indeed their beginning and they his off-spring his Children who grow out of him as branches from their stock and so his Tribes Thither the Tribes ascend the Psalmist tells us Psal 84.5 that there are ascensiones in corde they ascend to testifie to Israel even the true Israel of God that the Deity dwells among them Chald. Paraphrase when they come to praise his Name as when two or three are gathered together in his Name he is in the midst of them Mat. 18.20 yea to testifie against the rebellious and ungrateful Israel the manifold benefits they have received of Christ and their great unthankfulness who rejected him and crucified him so that the Tribes of the world the Gentiles enjoy the Promises which were made unto the Tribes of Israel these Tribes of the Lord testifie to the Tribes of Israel Crucianum Deum as St. Hilary calls the Lord Jesus the Crucified God These are the Tribes of the Lord who shall sit and judge the twelve Tribes of Israel Mat. 19.28 Exhort Let us now mourn lest we then mourn let us now sorrow to repentance lest we then sorrow to desperation Luk. 6.25 Wo to them who now laugh for they shall mourn This mourning is inferred from the appearing of the sign of the Son of Man in Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then when they see that sign Then shall all the Tribes of the Earth mourn That we may be the more affected with this sign we must know it is luctus pro unico mourning for a Son an only Son Zach. 12. Murder is one of the greatest sins simply the greatest against our Neighbour all other leave a Being this takes away the Being it self Means To produce this mourning are the preaching of the word whence follows that mourning Zach. 12.11 As the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddo where Josiah was slain 2 Chron. 35.22 When Gal. 3.1 before their eyes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ is described and crucified wherefore he saith Weep not for me but for your selves But alas we have not been conformable to his death we come short we have not run our race of Patience it hath not had its perfect work we are not yet redeemed from Earth not yet born the Image of the Heavenly not yet engrafted into the likeness of Christ's resurrection though we profess much Love yet we daily wound him wherefore he saith what are these wounds in thy hands he answers such as I have received in the house of my friends such as with their mouth make shews of love but within are full of envy Exhort See ye refuse not him that speaks from Heaven NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON MATTHEW XXIV 37 38 39. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But as the dayes of Noah were so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be For as in the dayes that were before the flood they were eating and drinking marrying and giving in marriage until the day that Noah entred into the ark And knew nothing untill the flood came and took them all away so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be I Have noted already many things concerning the sign of the Son of Man in Heaven vers 30. wherein we have signum signatum the sign of the Son of Man the Son of Man himself appearing which apparition and coming of the Son of Man is further described by the certainty of it and the time and manner of it secret and suddain The words contain a prophetical-parallel-comparison or similitude and that either contract and brief or explicate and opened more at large 1. Contract and brief vers 37. 2. Explicate and opened more at large in vers 38 39. 1. In the contract similitude we have these particulars 1. Noah and the Son of Man are parallel 2. Noah had his dayes 3. The Son of Man hath his coming 4. The dayes of Noah and the dayes before the coming of the Son of Man are also parallel 2. In the explicate similitude we have these Divine Truths 1. In the dayes before the flood they were eating and drinking 2. They were marrying and giving in marriage 3. Noah entred into the Ark. 4. They were eating c. until that Noah entred into the Ark. 5. The flood came 6. The flood took them all away 7. They were eating and drinking c. and knew not until the flood came and took them all away 8. The coming of the Son of Man shall be even so Noah and the Son of Man are parallel in their like Birth and Name Death and Life and Resurrection 1. In their Birth Lamech was a poor depressed humbled man See Notes on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 5. and he was the Father of Noah And though the Lord Jesus came of the Seed Royal even according to the flesh yet were his Parents poor depressed and humbled so that he was born in an Inn and in the stable of the Inn. Nor did he improve the fortune of his mean Parentage for he had not where
understanding of the prudent Hence it appears that it is a trade driven in the visible Church by those who sell a false unction an oyl and anointing contrary to the unction of the Holy One an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it 's a commodity such as it is that brings great gain to the Crafts-men we read of the spirit of Antichrist 1 Joh. 4.3 to be a spirit of errour and Mark 1.23 an unclean spirit Hos 4.12 and 5.4 the spirit of whoredoms Eccles 7.8 a proud spirit better is the patient than the proud in spirit Rom. 7.8 't is called a spirit of slumber The oyl of these evil spirits soyl the Lamp of the Word and makes it give a false light We read Rev. 10.13 among the rest of the trade and traffick of Babylon Oyl and the bodies and souls of men now the fools of this world are Commodities unto these Oyl-men these who sell the false Unction even their slaves wherefore let us beware and be watchful over our own Spirits and let not our Souls be sold for nought The fools of this world are customers unto these Oyl-men these who sell the false Unction NOTES and OBSERVATIONS on MAT. 25.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And while they went to buy the Bridegroom came and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage and the door was shut WE have heard the Proclamation touching the Coming of the Bridegroom here followeth the Coming it self with the events and adjuncts of it 1. Joyful to the wise they who were prepared entred c. 2. Sad unto the foolish when the wise were entred into the Bride-chamber the door was shut they desire entrance were excluded the Adjunct the coming of the Bridegroom fell out at that same time when the foolish Virgins went to buy their Oyl So that we have in the words these Divine Truths or Doctrines 1. The foolish Virgins went to buy their Oyl 2. The Bridegroom came 3. He came while they went to buy their Oyl 4. The wise Virgins who were prepared went into the Marriage 5. When they went in the door was shut To begin with the first the foolish Virgins went to buy Oyl what Oyl they went to buy may appear if we remember what Oyl they begg'd of the wise Virgins give us of your Oyl it was the wise Virgins Oyl they went now to buy 1. Reason of this may be it was the advice and counsel of the wise Virgins so to do 2. Reason is they found by their own experience that their own false Unction would not serve the turn 3. They knew they ought or must have of the wise Virgins Oyl of their own 1. Observe hence the Oyl of the Spirit and works of Mercy which are here meant by the Oyl is a commodity that is to be had there is an abundance a fulness of the spirit and spiritual good things Amos 5.24 Judgement runs down like waters and Righteousness as a mighty stream 2. Observe the Oyl of the Spirit c. is a commodity that 's saleable and 1. we learn what is not the price of it Prov. 14.15 The simple believeth every word but the prudent man looketh well to his going so that one and the same thing is couched and meant under divers names as Prov. 23.23 Buy the Truth and sell it not also Wisdom Instruction and Vnderstanding the same is meant by the treasure hidden in the field Mat. 13.44 even the field of the mans heart Such is the goodly pearl which the Merchant bought vers 46. So that these Commodities are vendible and to be bought we know well what belongs to buying and selling the main thing here to be enquired is what is the price of this Spiritual Oyl Surely all the money in the world will not purchase the same We read Act. 8.28 Simon Magus was accursed for having such a thought in his heart What then is the price surely no less than all that every man hath Mat. 13.44 45 46. Luk. 14.33 Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath cannot be my Disciple For he who truly loves God his Spirit his Righteousness he loves him with all his heart so that he hath nothing so dear but he must he can he will readily part with it This is to hate Father and Mother c. and a mans own life for the Kingdom of Heavens sake Thus he sells all and buyes the pure Oyl of the Spirit with all that he has whatsoever may intervene or hinder his purchase The Old Philosophers knew this and therefore perceiving that much of this worlds goods hindered them from that wisdom which they desired they parted with all their wealth So did the Cynick Diogenes so did Bias so Crates and others so yea much more the wise Virgin-souls have done and do forsake all that they have for the purchasing of that Spiritual Oyl and happy they who can so obtain it Foelix qui Christum fortunis omnibus emit Yea he refuses no pains for the obtaining of it and these are the money wherewith he obtains the purchase therefore the Prophet having made an out-cry who would buy the Spiritual Riches Esay 55.1 then vers 2 3 and 4. he tells us that our labour of Love and our obedience is the true money the true price of this Spiritual Merchandise Act. 5.33 with Prayer Luk. 11.13 Again these words are understood by others as a serious answer of the wise Virgins to the foolish Go ye unto them that sell and buy for your selves and then we must enquire how this Oyl of the Spirit and works of Mercy can be said to be sold and for what price and who they are which sell them to sell we know is to transfer and pass over ones right and propriety of a thing to another c. as Gen. 25. Esau did sell his birth-right to Jacob at an undervaluing price What profit shall this birth-right do to me 3. Observe they who hope to meet the Bridegroom at his Coming must have the Oyl of the Spirit of Grace and works of Mercy this Oyl they must have in their own Lamps the Word and Spirit must burn and shine in them It is not enough to hear and know that the wise Virgins have Oyl in their Lamps unless they have the like Oyl also in their own Alas what benefit was it unto Jacob and his Sons when they knew there was Corn to be had in Aegypt unless they went down thither to buy and eat of it or will it quench the thirst of Ishmael to hear of water unless he come and drink of it Gen. 21. and what will it benefit thee who art called Jacob to hear of Christ the bread of Life unless thou feed on him nor will it quench Ishmaels thirst the hearer of God which is Ishmael to hear news of the Spirit unless we come unto Christ who gives the Spirit and invites us unto himself Joh. 7. He that is a thirst let him come unto me and
a sharp Reproof which I beseech ye let every one of us look how neerly it concerns us Ye adulterers and adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of this world is enmity with God whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God and Christ who formerly judged others more so to be Consol Unto the poor friends of Jesus Christ who by reason of their sins are discouraged and conceive themselves friendless and helpless He is not falsly called a friend of Publicans and Sinners such Publicans as crave mercy of him Lord be merciful unto me a sinner such sinners as confess and forsake their sins such find mercy He is not called the friend of the Scribes and Pharisees or said to love them at all they were proud and covetous the two beginnings of all sin the second of the greatest though so usual among us that they are hardly thought to be sins He is the friend of the Publicans and Sinners Alas I have none to help me He is not said in vain to love Lazarus i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him that hath no helper Truly so long as we have any helper or such as we conceive able helpers we will not come to Christ I have waited long on the Lord and yet he hath not helped me True but that 's no argument but that he may be thy friend yea it is an argument rather that he is thy friend Joh. 11.5 6. He is a very ill Master who provides not for his Servants yea the good man is merciful to his beast the evil Father provides for his Child Luk. 11. he provides for his swine meat and harbour in a storm how much more loving is he to his friends who is THE LOVE IT SELF 1 Joh. Isa 26. 2 Chron. 20 1-7 But alas how can I be a fit guest and one of our Lords friends He invites those our Lord's friends are they to whom he reveils his Fathers will these he calls his friends But alas I am ignorant I am blind He calls those his friends he invites those who do whatsoever he commands them I am weak and impotent the blind and the lame are they who are hated of Davids soul 2 Sam. 5.8 Dost thou hate David's Soul dost thou hate the will i. e. the Soul of the true David i. e. Christ though thou do not whatsoever he commands thee yet dost thou hate his commands his will O no God forbid O how I love thy Law I love David He is the love it self whom having not seen ye love 1 Pet. 1.8 If thou hate not him he hates not thee the LXX have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vulg. Lat. Coecos Claudos odientes animam David the blind and the lame who hate Davids soul and the Original Hebrew is of very doubtful reading Such blind ones as say they see Joh. 9. the blind Pharisees as our Saviour calls them the blind leaders of the blind Mat. 15. such lame ones as halt in viâ morum in the way of life who make void the Commandments of God by their tradition Halt before their best friends such as pretend infirmity and weakness when indeed they are unwilling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to walk with a right foot in the way of God's Commandments such as these hate Davids soul such as these come not into the house of God but if thou love David and cry unto him as the blind man did Jesus thou Son of David have mercy on me If thou be such a lame one as hast cut off thine offending foot that thou mayest enter into life such blind and lame come into the Temple and he heals them Mat. 21.14 To such as these we may speak comfort be of good cheer he calleth thee The true David invites such poor such maimed and halt and blind Luk. 14.21 He invites those who are rejected and cast out of men Joh. 9.35 the fatherless and motherless Psal 45.10 those who are no body in the world Enochs who walk with God and are not crucified to the world and the world crucified to us lacking both our feet in desire he invites Mephibosheth 2 Sam. 9. Lowly in our own eyes such as are ashamed and blush and cannot lift up our face such an one Mephibosheth signifieth by name What am I that David should look upon such a dead dog as I am Such as are Jonathans Sons as Mephibosheth was i. e. born of the Spirit Joh. 3. To such as these the true David saith Thou shalt eat bread at my Table continually Consol To them that suffer persecution for Christ's sake Christ suffers with them Joseph dined with his brethren at noon Act. 9. think not this to be so strange the Sword must smite even the friend of God the Father Zach. 13. how much more his poor friends if done in the green tree how much more in the dry I say unto you my friends fear not them Luk. 12.4 Exhort To such as pretend to be the Disciples of Christ that they would be his real and true friends that they would come to his Table partake of his death that we may partake of his resurrection there is not such a friend in the whole world This is love that a man lay down his life for his friend These and such as these are the most welcom guests unto the Lords Table Eat O friends drink yea drink abundantly my well beloved Cant. 5.1 our great friend the Feast-maker he thus welcomes his guests with most precious viands the food of Angels the bread of Life the hidden Manna the word of God a lasting meat 1 Cor. 10.2 our Fathers fed on the same it 's a substantial meat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 6.11 Christ himself an everlasting meat Joh. 6.25 a satisfying meat Joh. 6.35 the Spirit of God the blood of Christ the new Wine Exhort 2. If Jesus Christ be our friend then let us use him as a friend the true lovers of Christ are dead with him This is our profession when we approach the Lords Table As often as we eat this bread we shew forth the Lords death so dear a friend unto us that he died for us and if we be his friends we must also dye with him this argument will be powerful with every friend of Jesus Christ if he shall consider that he himself was the death of his friend while we were sinners Christ died for us Rom. 5.8 Isa 53.4 so it is whether we think so or no Jam. 5.6 Ye have live in pleasures on the earth and been wanton ye have condemned and killed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the just one and he resisteth you not The innocent Lamb is dumb and opens not his mouth slain from the beginning of the world the righteousness wisdom and power of God hath been so slain his wisdom reputed foolishness his righteousness sin and iniquity his power impotency Ever since the world began in thine heart he hath been slain in thee what ever is in the
sence seeing so good use may be made of it for the levelling the Lords way and making it plain and even As God according to his ordinary power in nature so in his kingdom of grace he suffers nothing to be empty but stayes till it be empty and then he fills it The Lord killeth and maketh alive he bringeth down to the grave and bringeth up the Lord maketh poor and maketh rich he brings low and he lifteth up he raiseth the poor out of the dust and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghil to set him among the Princes and makes them inherit the throne of Glory for the pillars of the earth are the Lords and he hath set the world upon them The Chaldee turns all in the future as to be fulfilled at the coming of Christ such low such poor dejected abased ones the Lord invites unto himself Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest The low dejected empty estate is the seat of God so himself saith Isa 57.14 there 's Selah lift up your dejected spirits Cast up cast up take away the stumbling block out of the way of my people why for thus saith the high and lofty one who inhabiteth eternity and whose name is holy I inhabit height and holiness where is that Even in the low contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones 2. Prepare the way of the Lord i. e. level it and make it plain This sence the Prophet may seem most to aim at Isa 40.3 and 4. and St. Luk. 3.5 Prepare the way of the Lord how Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill shall be made low the Lord by John Baptist's doctrine doth both he fills up the pits of despair and casts down the mountains of presumption this is the Lords property Job 40.12 13. he levels the way of the Lord for in his hand or power are the deep places of the earth and the heights of the hills are his also Psal 95.4 This doctrine is the fire that goeth before the Lord and burns up his enemies on every side so that the high hills melt like wax at the presence of the Lord Psal 97.5 and every valley is filled and every mountain and hill is brought low Luk. 3.5 Observe then 1. We are altogether in extreams until John the Baptist prepare the Lords way in us we are either 1. high-minded proud and presumptuous or 2. much dejected and cast down by despair It is the Devils practise in the wilderness thus he dealt with the Israelites first he is a lying spirit in the mouth of the Spies who brought an evil report of the good land Numb 13. whereupon Chap. 14. All the Congregation lift up their voice and cryed and despairing ever to come into the Holy Land consult of returning into Aegypt whereupon when the false witnesses died of the plague vers 37. he made many of them presumptuous so that they would conquer the Holy Land by their own strength Thus he dealt with our Saviour in the Wilderness when he had fasted forty dayes and forty nights and was now hungry the devil tryed whether he could deject him and bring him to despair of Gods help Thou seest God hath forsaken thee provide therefore for thy self turn stones into bread When he could not prevail that way he tempts him to presumption God will provide for thee a guard of Angels cast thy self down headlong Thus I fear he deals with many poor souls at this day by reason of the imminent evils like to fall upon us by suggesting heathenish thoughts unto us What shall we eat and what shall we drink c. but we may learn of our Lord to answer him That man lives not by bread only but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God Confine not God to this or that means of thy life if he give thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the super-substantial bread He will give thee what else he thinks fit for thee if our Lord thought not fit to work a Miracle to help himself he will not allow thee to steal cheat plunder c. to maintain thy self Thus he dealt with Peter suggested high thoughts into him of his own strength he would die with his Lord and then he would rescue his Lord drew his sword but our Lord levels his high spirit put up thy sword again into his place all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword Matth. 26.52 when he could not prevail that way he hoped to have sunk him by despair when he had denied his Lord. As the Eagle in the Fable having gotten a Shell-fish which she carried up to the Clouds and could not break there with her talons cast it down upon the rocks and brake it John by his doctrine brought in equality among men so that the brother of low degree rejoyceth that he is exalted and the rich and man of high degree rejoyceth that he is made low Jam. 1.9 see the truth of this Luk. 3.11 he levels the people Let him that is rich part of his superfluities to his poor brother He that hath two coats let him impart to him that hath none for what doth it profit my brethren if a man say that he hath faith and hath not works can faith save him If a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food what doth it profit we are called to be profitable unto men And this is a faithful saying and these things I will that thou affirm constantly that they that have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works these things are good and profitable unto men We have had a great deal of idle and dead faith and contemplation or rather imaginary Divinity come into the world of late foolish questions and contentions and strivings about words those are unprofitable and vain Tit. 3.8 9. Thus he taught equity to the Publicans to exact no more than that was appointed Luk. 3.13 he taught equity to the Soldiers vers 14. do violence to no man a strange Precept to sword-men in our dayes whose rule rather is that which the Wise Man tells us of Wisd 2.11 Let our strength be the law of justice or do no more injury than ye are able to do Again they must accuse no man falsly they must not vent their spleen by reproaching men as malignants and they must be content with their wages they ought not to plunder or spoile men of their honest labours Thus John the Baptist levels the Lords way and makes it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is either 1. Strata via a way beaten down or 2. Elata via a way raised up which I understand to be meant by the word Selah which meets us often in the Psalms and signifieth according to divers Originals or divers places where we find it either 1. A listing up of the dejected soul or
the Truth all they were shadows and he the body Col. 2. And therefore Christ is more excellent than all these as we say in our Greek Proverbs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Second thoughts second counsels second cares second wills c. the more happy the more wise what 's the reason The first Adam will be first in counsel he suggests his earthly thoughts and cares instances of this kind are many Luk. 9. vers 59. one called to follow Christ will first go hury his Father Another will first go bid them farewel that are at home And our Lord likewise because he had the first Adam in him though without sin not my will but thine And mark it when ye will when we are addressing our selves to some holy and religious duty then and then especially we shall find some one or other worldly business to do though we had none before Old Adam then will set us a work now because men take little notice of this hence it is that the earthly sensual life is lived by most There is a threefold life vita plantae vita animalis vita hominis So we men care what we shall eat drink wherewith we shall be cloathed where we shall dwell c. after all these things do the Gentiles seek who live the life of the first Adam and these best agree with him And therefore the Apostle 1 Pet. 4.3 Let the time of your life past suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles Mean time the second Adam the new man though he be the great Counsellor yet his advice is not hearkened unto The poor mans wisdom is commonly despised till it be too late Ecclus. 9.16 And therefore it is not good too suddenly to be resolved in counsels nor to give heed unto the first thoughts which are commonly from flesh and blood Jehoshaphat was wise after the advice of four hundred Prophets he desired to hear a prophet of the Lord 1 King 22.6 7. First that which is natural and then that which is spiritual Observ 4. We learn then what to judge of the world that now is and that which is to come I speak not here of that world which shall come when we have put off our natural body but of that future estate which the Saints attain unto in this life when they are delivered from this present evil world Thus the Scripture distinguisheth between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 12.32 It shall not be remitted in this world nor in that which is to come Mark 10.30 He shall receive an hundred fold in this time and in the world to come eternal life Luk. 18.30 and 20.34 35. The children of this world marry but not so in that world Joh. 12.25 He that hath his life in this world What worlds are these 1. The first is Adams or Edoms or Esaus world 2. The second is Christ's world or Jacob's world as it is called in Esdras 1. Of Adams world the Devil is the prince Joh. 12.31 The prince of the world cometh and 14.30 And the Prince of the world maketh Princes under him 1 Cor. 2.6 The princes of this word that come to naught And this world hath a wisdom proper to it and the Princes of it vers 6. not the wisdom of this world and the princes of this world Jam. 3. fine And as there is a wisdom proper to this world so there are lusts proper to it 1 Joh. 2.15 16. Love not the world all that is in the world are the lusts of the flesh the lusts of the eyes and the pride of life There are children of this world Luk. 20.34 35. And this world lieth in the evil one 1 Joh. 5.19 2. The world that is to come is the Kingdom of the Messiah 1. And he makes his subjects princes in all lands Psal 45.16 He makes them Kings and Priests unto God his Father 2. And he hath his wisdom proper to this world 1 Cor. 2.6 We speak wisdom among them that are perfect c. 3. And as there are lusts of the present evil world so is there a will of God opposite unto those lusts 1 Pet. 4.1 2. He that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin that he no more should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God 1 Joh. 2.17 The world passeth away and the lusts thereof but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever 4. And whereas the world lies in the evil one and his lusts Gal. 1.3 4. Jesus Christ gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us out of the world of the evil one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the will of God and our father They who are delivered from this evil world are thought worthy of the world of the Messiah Luk. 20.35 Such were the Disciples so John 17.11 Now am I no more in the world but these are in the world c. Yet though in the world yet are not of the world vers 14.15 They are not of the world even as I am not of the world and therefore I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou shouldest keep them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of the evil i. e. That thou shouldest deliver them out of this present evil world of the evil one Gal. 1.4 who is the Prince of it Repreh 1. This reproves the vain and proud boasters of Adam's perfections and the powers of Nature there have been such in all Ages they were meant by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the race of Nimrod all vanity is all man in his best estate Psal 39.6 7. Man walks in a vain shew LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatever man proud man thinks The Lord knows the thoughts of man that they are vain that they are vanity it self Psal 94.11 All what man hath his powers and faculties or acts they are no better than he is from whence they proceed there is nothing sound in man till he that is to come be come 1 Cor. 13. Repreh 2. But herein I fear the most of us are justly to be reproved who are outwardly minded and carried by our thoughts only to Christ's outward coming and to what Christ hath only done outwardly and suffered and mean time think little of his inward coming his inward operations and sufferings in our souls Whence I may boldly appeal to your experience whether all the Festivals bearing name from what Christ hath done or suffered have not been generally observed by us as if we had intended by them to have honoured rather the first Old Adam than the second and the New rather Adam the Type than him that is to come Truly Beloved however we believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith Christ born Christ suffering Christ crucified Christ dead Christ buried Christ risen Christ ascending Christ sitting at the right hand of his Father Christ coming again to
unto all men and why so for we our selves also were sometimes foolish Are none of us so still did the Apostle think we bear this testimony of himself that we should word it only or talk of it or that we should examine our selves whether we be such yea or no whether we are thus foolish yea or no Disobedience is the greatest folly in the world and therefore the Wise Man often in the Proverbs understands by the fool the disobedient man O ye foolish Galatians who hath bewitched ye that ye should not obey the truth 'T is a witchery to be disobedient unto our God Who of us would endure a disobedient Son or Servant and shall we call our selves Sons and Servants unto our God and yet continue in our disobedience who would endure these Vices in his Neighbour in his Wife in his Child in his Servant who doth not hate them in all these and yet will a man endure them in himself I beseech ye consider it well shall we live in these sins yet conceive our selves Gods Children what Children then think ye surely not worse than these though ye rake hell for them but if thou doest truly hate this lawless life then surely thou wilt first and chiefly hate it in thy self Charity thus truly begins at home and hardly otherwise I beseech ye Beloved let us suffer the correction and the instruction of the Law that we may be dead in our affections unto this wicked lawless life and believe in Jesus Christ and become conformable unto his death die with him that we may live with him and lay hold upon the Eternal Life And that loving correction shall make us great Psal 18.35 Repreh This reproves those who deal falsly with the peoples souls humour and please them in their sins flatter them in a sinful life wherein they live without the Law like those in Ezech. 13.18 19 22. Thus Ahab spared Benhadad 1 King 20.35 42. It is no good argument that a Magistrate is good towards God that he is merry chearful and lively This man lived i. e. he was frolick and jovial and merry without the Law NOTES more at large on ROMANS VII 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Commandment came sin revived IN these words is contained the estate of the Man after the Law came And that in regard 1. of Sin that revived 2. of the man he died Four things must be explained 1. What Commandment is here meant 2. How the Commandment may be said to come 3. How sin to revive 4. How upon the coming of the Commandment sin revives 1. What Law what Commandment was this the Law of Nature or the written Moral Law Here is now a Controversie there are who restrain this to the written Commandment But if the Law came to some who lived without the Law before there was any written Law then surely it cannot be understood only of the written Law But the Law came to some who lived without the Law before there was any written Law for so Adam lived without a Law when he sinned and to him the Law came and made his sin known so that he was ashamed of it and hid himself Cain lived without the Law and to him the Commandment came and made the burden of his sin known unto him to be greater than he was able to bear Gen. 4.13 Pharaoh lived without the Law and to him the Commandment came and discovered his sin and the righteousness of God so that he confessed That the Lord is just and I and my people are wicked Exod. 9. If therefore unto these and innumerable others who lived without the Law the Commandment came and made their sin known unto them before there was any written Law doubtless these words cannot be understood only of the written Law That when the Commandment came sin revived For the Law of the God of Life which is written in the hearts of men not with ink but with the Spirit of the Living God that comes to every man and tells him what he hath done what he hath left undone it is that which is said here to come it is that which saith inwardly to the man Thou shalt not commit adultery thou shalt do no murder steal covet 't is that which inwardly accuseth the man and saith to him When thou sawest a thief thou consentedst to him and hast been partaker with the adulterers Thou hast let thy mouth speak wickedness and with thy tongue thou hast set forth deceit Thou satest and spakest against thy brother and hast slandered thine own mothers son These things hast thou done and I held my tongue and thou while thou wert alive without the Law thoughtest wickedly that I am such an one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set before thee the things which thou hast done And of men in this estate the Apostle speaks Rom. 2.14 15. But touching this Controversie whether it be the written or unwritten Law it matters not much to us so the Law 2. How may the Commandment be said to come When spiritual things as the Commandment here are said to come we are to understand that they are present and appear to be Thus God and Christ and Faith and the Law are said to come when they appear so the Lord is said to have come to Moses when he appeared unto him Exod. 19. And Christ is said to have come in the flesh 1 Joh. 4.2 when he appeared in the flesh or was made manifest in the flesh 1 Tim. 3. ult Thus 1 Cor. 11.26 as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup shew ye forth the Lords death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 until he come why He is with us alwayes to the end of the world Until he come therefore is until his life appear in us for our receiving of the Sacrament is our profession of conformity unto the Lords death until he come and live in us so 2 Cor. 4.10 Alwayes bearing in our mortal bodies the dying of the Lord Jesus that the life of Jesus may be made manifest or represented so Castel in our body for we which so live are alwayes delivered up unto death for Jesus our true lifes sake that the life of Jesus might be made manifest or represented in our mortal flesh O that every one of us so received this holy Sacrament which is indeed the true end of it Thus also Faith is said to come when it appears to be in us Gal. 3.25 and the reason is spiritual things are said to come when they appear as before So that the Law comes to the man when it is present with him appears to him makes it self known unto him and him known unto himself this explication I conceive may be sufficient 3. But how may Sin be said to revive The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to live not to revive howbeit the ancient reading was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth revived as we turn it and Origen read the Text
spiritual understanding and strength and might according to his glorious power And this is more observable in this Epistle because the Colossians were in this condition wherein the man in the Text declares himself Col. 3.3 ye are dead saith he and your life is hid with Christ in God Observ 2. Sin is a stranger to our nature for howsoever through long custom in sin sin and the man becomes all one yet one they cannot be because one and the same cannot be at one time alive and dead Now sin revives and lives and the man dies therefore surely they are not one This was couched in Nathans parable to David 2 Sam. 12.2 where David's lust is represented by a traveller who came to the rich man Vngodly men invite it unto them Wisd 1.12 16. and 2.24 through the envy of the Devil came death into the world it was he that brought it into Judas and then Satan entred into Judas Luk. 22.3 for even Judas the Traytor himself was not all one with it but Satan had darted covetousness and treason into his heart Joh. 13.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 immisisset he had darted Ambition was a stranger to the Apostles There arose a reasoning among them which of them should be the greatest Luk. 9.46 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there entred a dispute among them and vulgar Latin intravit cogitatio the thought came into them it was none of the house Observ 3. Take heed of judging or condemning any one in whom the motions of sin appear especially if the man dye unto them The humours in the body must be moved and flow before they can be expelled The best Saints of God yea all of them pass through the same purgatory into heaven Observ 4. We see then from hence the energie and power of the Law how far it extends it kills it s a killing letter Thus what the murmuring Jews upbraided Moses and Aaron withall is in some sort true ye have killed the people of the Lord Numb 16.41 It cannot give life Gal. 3.21 This was figured by Elisha who sent his servant with his staff to revive the child but it would not be 2 King 3.29 The law of the Lord is a staff so where the Psalmist Psal 23.4 saith Thy rod and thy staff the Chaldee Paraphr puts thy law This staff Elisha sent by his servant to raise the dead child Elisha Who is that See Notes in Col. 3.1 This is that staff of bread which nourisheth not for ever nor so satifieth but that he who eats it hungers and thirsts again so saith the Initial Wisdom which is the wisdom of the Law Ecclus. 24.21 They that eat me shall yet be hungry and they who drink me shall be thirsty Then presently the Wisdom adds all these things are the commandments of the most high even the Law which Moses commanded But our Lord speaks otherwise of the water of life Joh. 4.13 whosoever shall drink of this water shall thirst again but he that drinketh of this water that I shall give him shall never thirst He that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth in me shall never thirst Joh. 6.35 This was figured by Manna which was the food of the people in the wilderness and they gathered it every morning Exod. 16.21 But when they came into the Land of Canaan the Manna ceased Jos 5.12 And they eat of the corn of the Land of Canaan Christ is the true bread and the true land of Canaan the Manna ceased upon the next day after the passover after the death the manna ceaseth The Jews challenged our Lord with this Moses gave us bread from heaven Joh. 6.31 and again vers 49.50 Your fathers did eat Manna and are dead c. and 58. Consol Here is great need of comfort to the disconsolate soul dejected and cast down by the sight of his sins for whereas upon the approach of the Law sin revives and groweth strong in the man yet the Law bringeth no power with it for the subduing of the sin but a guilt and obligation unto death Alas what shall the silly man do but complain I am in trouble my life is spent with grief and my years with sighing my strength faileth because of mine iniquity and my bones are consumed c. Psal 31.10 Psal 116.3 4.5 The sorrows of death compassed me about and the pains of bell-gate hold on me And 142.5 6 7. I cryed unto thee O Lord and said thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living Thus the Law is a killing letter the ministration of death the ministration of condemnation 2 Cor. 3. This was figured Numb 17.10 where the Lord said to Moses Bring Aarons rod before the Testimony When Aarons rod appears and awakens us when the Law figured by Aarons rod of the Almond-tree appears it threatens judgement unto all who rebel against it and therefore the Lord denouncing his judgements against Israel Jer. 1.10 I have set thee to root out and pull down to destroy and throw down the Lord confirms it with a sign saying Jeremiah what seest thou And he saith I see a rod of an Almond-tree Then said the Lord thou hast well seen for I will hasten my word to perform it As the Almond-tree blossoms first of all the trees and hastens the flowers and awakens as it were after a winters sleep as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth so hastily shall vengeance awake and come upon transgressors When therefore weak Jacob sees the Rod of the Almond-tree flourish when the Law goes out of Sion he foresees the judgement hastens and therefore cryeth out we perish we die we all perish we are but dead men But to the comfort of such dying souls be it spoken the Lord in mercy provides a sovereign Remedy for such dying men for upon the complaint of the dying people Chap. 17.12 13. in Chap. 18.1 The Lord said unto Aaron Thou and thy sons and thy fathers house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary The care of the Sanctuary lies upon Aaron that the people might not sin die and perish The terrours of Conscience wrought by the Law are relieved and quieted by Faith in Jesus Christ He is the true High Priest of whom Aaron was but a figure He it is who through death destroyes him who had the power of death i. e. the Devil and delivers them who through fear of death were all their life-time subject unto bondage Hebr. 2.14 15. And therefore the Redeemer comforts them against their sins Isai 41 10-16 Therefore to those who are thus dead unto sin and the motions of sin living in them the Gospel and gladtidings of Salvation is preached so we understand that obscure place 1 Pet. 4.6 The Gospel is preached unto them that are dead that they may be judged indeed according to men in the flesh but live according to God in the Spirit For so these dead men are judged for dead in the flesh
the same reason of all outward services in regard of the man When that which is perfect is come that which is imperfect is done away when we have received the unction from the holy One all outward images and figures cease unto us Hence Ceremonies have their name from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and endure only for a time being for that time serviceable unto the principal Commandment which is everlasting Joh. 12.50 and serve only till the time of Reformation Heb. not any Reformation that ye have had but a far better and greater Doubt The Ceremonial Law is now abrogated And why then doth the Apostle commend it unto us and call it holy I answer as the Ceremonial Law signified and required inward Holiness of the Jews so it doth now signifie to us and require the same of us but with this difference God the Father is not now worshipped by it nor is God the Son as yet to come in the flesh prefigured though figured by it otherwise the same spiritual duty of Sanctification is by it required of us It s a true Rule Ceremoniale aboletur spirituale manet And therefore the holy Ghost retains the same commandment as a Law in force among us Christians until this day For the Saints of God are Citizens of the holy City Ephes 2.19 and are the holy temple of God vers 20.21 This should not be uncouth unto Christians for know ye not that ye are the temple of God c. The temple of God is holy which temple ye are 1 Cor. 3.16 17. yea not only the temple but the priests also in the temple and such as officiate there as the priests of old did 1 Pet. 2.5 ye as living stones are built up a spiritual house an holy priest-hood to offer up spiritual sacrifice acceptable to God by Jesus Christ But it seems the Commandment is yet holy and in force and to be observed For 1. Act. 15. in that first Council the Decree speaks thus It seems good to the holy Ghost c. where they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 necessary things And the Holy Ghost is the Author of them to the holy Apostles assembled in Council 2. Yea secondly whereas that Council was occasioned by the question touching circumcision as appears vers 1.24 we read not that Circumcision is reckoned up among those necessary things yet in Chap. 16. ye find Paul circumcising Timothy The former doubt hath so far prevailed with some that they have for conscience sake abstained from meats made of Swines blood and from all fowls strangled We must know therefore that the things were forbidden are necessary to be abstained from either in themselves because in themselves evil as Fornication which the Gentiles held to be no sin as appears by that saying Non est flagitium Adolescentium Scortari And by the Apostles dehortation of the Corinthians from it 1 Cor. 6.13 14 15. or else they were necessary in regard of the peace of the Church for Charity makes middle and indifferent things in this respect become necessary lest weak ones take offences at the use of them you will conceive this Answer to be full and satisfactory if ye be pleased to compare vers 20 21. where the Apostle gives the reason of the prohibition the reading of Moses in the Synagogue every Sabbath day As to the second St. Luke gives the reason of it Act. 16.1 2 3. Timotheus was the Son of a Jewess but his Father was a Greek Him therefore Paul took and circumcised because of the Jews which were in those quarters yea the Apostle gives us an account of these and all his like actions 1 Cor. 9.20 To the Jews I became a Jew that I might gain the Jews c. Rare and singular Charity especially if we compare it with the cold love in our dayes when we force men to do and speak and think what we only like O how wary and careful we are lest we offend one another as we pass by one another in the way but in regard of scandalizing and wounding the consciences of men how peevishly yea how wilfully do we lash and fall foul one upon another Wo to the world because of offences Observ 1. If the Ceremonial Law be holy if the Commandment be holy and contain in it the beauty of holiness then all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all will-worship falls to the ground as Dagon before the Ark of God Our God cannot will not be known but by his own means instituted by himself for the knowing of himself as the Sun cannot be seen but by its own light The Ceremonial Law the holy Commandment the holy Sacraments are as an Optick glass as the Apostle compares them 2 Cor. 3. whereby we may see know and worship our God if this glass be soiled and dusty the inventions of mans earthly mind makes it so it 's useless and cannot convey the object unto our mind and heart Observ 2. This lets us see their great boldness and presumption who impose their own made and invented holiness upon the Consciences of men There is one Lawgiver saith St. James 4.12 and that 's the Lord saith Isai 33.22 The Lord is our Judge the Lord is our Lawgiver if any Ceremonies be thought necessary as how can an action prescribed in general be perform'd without them Let them who impose them take heed that they be prescribed according to the will of the Lawgiver as such as serve to edifying to decency to order to conformity and uniformity of the body of Christ and these as few as may be lest they hurt more than further the ends before named The holy Commandment the Sacraments and Ordinances of the Church are as a glass saith the Apostle if they be too numerous too pompous they are as paint to the glass intended indeed to adorn it but keeps out the light Jobson saw no difference among the people on the one side or other of the River Gamboa as touching their lives only they differed in Ceremonies one from other as whether the Table should stand here or there above or below this way or that way How much paper hath been blotted with this Controversie of late dayes as also whether at the receiving the holy Sacrament we should sit or stand or kneel about these things we differ and for these things men envy one another and hate one another But who considers that while we eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord we profess to shew forth the Lords death until he come 1 Cor. 11.26 alwayes bearing about in our body the dying of the Lord Jesus that the life of Jesus may appear in our mortal flesh 2 Cor. 4. about these things few words are made and I fear as few thoughts so that like Aesops dog we contend for the shadow and lose the substance As touching Baptism whether Children are to be baptized or no whether with Sureties or without whether with the sign
baptized and all ate the same spiritual meat c. even so the like unbelief and disobedience hinders us from entring into the like Land of Holiness and Righteousness while we are faint-hearted and believe not the mighty power of God for the subduing of our spiritual enemies And as on the contrary Caleb because he had another Spirit even the Spirit of Faith Numb 13.30 and followed the Lord fully Numb 14.24 the Lord brought him into the Land of Rest even so if we have that vigorous faith and believe in the mighty power of God that our spiritual enemies may be subdued that so we may shew forth the like death and that we are well able through the true Joshuah or Jesus to overcome them if we follow the Lord fully Hebr. 3.14 then shall we enter into his Rest NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON I CORINTHIANS XI 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quotiescunque manducabitis panem hunc calicem bibitis mortem Domini annuntiabitis donec veniat Syriac Quotiescunque comederitis panem hunc biberitis hunc calicem mortem illam Domini nostri in memoriam revocatis usque ad adventum ipsius For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup ye do shew or shew ye the Lords death till he come THese words may be understood as spoken to the whole Church in all times and places or to some particular Congregation as that of the Corinthians and now to us or to every Communicant From vers 17. of this Chapter to the end the Apostle 1. Partly reproves the Corinthians for their unholy demeanour of themselves about the holy Sacrament 2. Partly he informs them touching the nature of it to vers 23. And 3. Partly he exhorts them to prepare themselves for the fit and worthy receiving of it to vers 28. The words are a branch of the latter part wherein are contained these Truths 1. The Lord shall come 2. They who eat the Bread and drink the Cup of the Lord shew forth the Lords death 3. As often as ye eat this bread ye shew forth the Lords death till he come The first of these touching the coming of the Lord howsoever of great moment and worthy our consideration yet because the rest are more proper for the present occasion I intend only to explain the first and proceed to handle the rest somewhat more fully Let it suffice therefore to know thus much touching the first That there is a twofold coming of Christ Personal and Corporal Mystical and Spiritual 1. The Personal coming of Christ was performed when he took flesh upon him and became man 2. The Mystical coming is twofold more special general 1. Unto some certain men 2. Unto all men when every eye shall see him The spiritual coming of Christ is yet in three degrees 1. When he bocomes weak in us and as it were new born Of this 2 Cor. 13.14 We are weak in him or with him saith the Apostle and of this Rom. 7.2 The second is when we grow up in Christ and he is become as it were a young man with us and of this the Apostle also speaks in 2 Cor. 13.14 We shall live with him by the power of God towards you 3. Third is when we become old or perfect man in Christ of which the Apostle speaks Eph. 4. Wisdom 4. 1. We see him in his first coming as they did under the Law Esa 53.2 Origen in Matth. 27. We saw him faith the Prophet and he had no form nor comeliness no beauty that we should desire him He is despised and rejected of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and we hid as it were our faces from him he was despised and we esteemed him not Is it not thus with us when we first hear the word of the beginning of Christ Heb. 5. When we speak of Christ's Humiliation of himself to the death even the death of the cross Phil. 2. Is not this preaching of Christ crucified foolishness especially when we speak of our conformity thereunto 2. We see him in his second Degree of his coming as in a glass darkly Yet so that we behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord with his open face and are translated into the same image from glory unto glory 2 Cor. 3.3 We see him in the third Degree of his coming even as we are seen even face to face 1 Cor. 13. When that which is perfect is come Of the last of these especially we may understand the Apostle here The other points contained in the Text are preparations for this coming of Christ 1. They who eat the bread and drink the cup of the Lord shew forth his death Which words are all so plain a man would think that they need no gloss since every man knows what 's meant by eating Bread and drinking Wine and every man thinks at least that he knows well enough what it is to shew forth the Lords death But if these words which contain in them the nature and use of the holy Sacrament were so plain as they seem surely this Sacrament would not be termed as ordinarily it is An high mystery Wherefore since Mysteries always import something hidden under the vail of outward words we must enquire What 's meant by 1. Bread 2. Eating the Bread 3. The Cup 4. Drinking the Cup 5. The shewing forth the Lords death 6. How by the eating the Bread and drinking the Cup we shew forth the Lords death Our Saviour tell us what is meant by the bread I am saith he the bread of life Joh. 6.48 and vers 51. I am the living bread this bread is my flesh The bread of God which cometh down from heaven and giveth life unto the world vers 33. This we must not grosly conceive to be spoken of his visible body or flesh as the Jews did and murmured vers 41. Is not this Jesus the Son of Joseph whose father and mother we know How is it then that he saith I am come down from heaven 2. By the cup is meant by an ordinary Synechdoche the Wine in the Cup For so it appears by Matth. 26. That Christ instituted this Sacrament first with Wine I will not henceforth saith he drink of the fruit of the vine The Wine signifieth his blood yet not corporally nor bodily which he himself would have us to understand where he tells the Jews That his flesh is meat indeed and his blood is drink indeed As if he should say all other meats and drinks howsoever in their nature and degree good Yet if compared with these they are but Figures and Shadows of them These are the meat and drink of the Soul to feed it unto eternity Meat indeed and drink indeed The Flesh of Christ is his Word that 's meat indeed And the Blood of Christ is his Spirit that 's drink indeed And therefore by the eating this Bread which is the Body of Christ and drinking this Wine which is his Blood we
must not grosly conceive any corporal or bodily participation of the one or the other as the Jews did Joh. 6.52 How can this fellow give us that flesh of his to eat But we are to understand it according to that Analogie which earthly and bodily things have to heavenly and spiritual Edere est credere to believe is to receive the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Thus we call Communicating receiving when we believe receive and partake of that Mystical and heavenly food But here we must say as the Deacon did Sursum corda The Deity stoops low when it condescends to our ordinary natural actions We must here conceive a mystical partaking of Christ for the more distinct understanding of this we may consider the mystical eating the Body and drinking the Blood of Christ both 1. In similitude And 2. Dissimilitude unto the partaking of earthly and bodily food 1. To eat it is to partake of the nourishment 1 Cor. 10.17 18. As for the similitude unto the participation of bodily food the Bread Flesh or Meat you know is first masticated or ground with the teeth whence it 's conveyed into the stomach where by the heat partly of it and of the neighbour parts it looseth it self and is turned into Chyle and thence after discretion or separation made of the good from the bad it 's transmitted into every part as every part hath need 2. As for the Wine or whatsoever liquor else we drink it goes down as we say without chewing and after a like change and distinction made in the stomach it accompanieth the more solid meat throughout the body Even thus the heavenly Manna is to be received that is believed Joh. 1. Col. 2. Thus it is to be chewed and ruminated and meditated upon as the Isralites said of their Mannah What is it And so transmitted into the judgement the stomach as it were of the Soul which destributes to every part and faculty supply of the heavenly food For the enlivening and convenience of this food The Spirit accompanieth it For it is the Spirit that quickens Joh. 6. and helps our weakness of concoction Rom. 8. as Wine helps to digest solid meat Thus far they agree and many more resemblances might be found between them But the dissimilitude is greater For 1. Although our corporal food be turned into our bodies and receives a life from them yet Christ the Spiritual food is not so to be transformed into our Souls nor does he receive life from them But contrariwise this heavenly nourishment transforms our Souls and Assimilates them unto it self as the Cion or Graft suppose of an Apple or a Pear is not changed into the Nature of the stock which parhaps is a Thorn or a Crab but it turns the stock into its own Nature So saith St. James Chap. 1.21 Receive with meekness saith he the engrafted word which is able to save your souls To this purpose is that of the Apostle By one Spirit saith he we are all baptized into one body c. And we have been all made to drink into one Spirit 1 Cor. 12.13 2. Nor doth this nourishment receive life from us but gives life unto us for the case is different in this exceedingly Our bodies must first live before they can be nourished for a dead body cannot be nourished But except ye eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood ye have no life in you saith our Saviour Joh. 6.53 And the bread that I will give him is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world vers 51. And he that eateth me even he shall live by me vers 57. 3. A third dissimilitude is the Belly cleanseth Meats Mar. 7.19 But this Meat cleanseth us Bodies and Souls Joh. 13. 5. To shew forth the Lords death what is it but to be conformable thereunto as the Apostle speaks Phil. 3. It also seems to have respect unto that custom of the Jews in the Passover To reveil the Mysteries of it unto their Children which they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Schindl in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But how by eating this Bread and drinking this Cup do we shew forth the Lords death The Analogie seems to be this The Bread we eat and Drink we drink looseth its own Nature and becomes of the same Nature with our Bodies to which they are adjoyned Even so by eating the Flesh of the Son of God and drinking his Blood we become one with him and he one with us and being thus joyned unto him we become conformable unto his death The cause of this why they who eat the Flesh of the Son of God and drink his Blood shew forth the Lords death till he come who can it be but God himself who as he alone can give the thing signified so also to him alone it belongeth to appoint the signs 1. Learn from hence who are the worthy Communicants The Text teacheth us who but they who shew forth the Lords death 2. What the Christian calling is which Christ invites us unto What else but the imitating of his death Joh. 12 23 24. Rom. 6.3 Phil. 3. 3. The Christian Profession is no easie Profession strait is the gate narrow is the way compared to the pangs of Child-bearing Joh. 16.21 4. Our Profession of Christ's death it must be made known shew forth the Lords death The like exhortation ye have elsewhere Let your light so shine before men Let your moderation be known unto all men By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye love one another Exhort Shew forth the Lords death The words may be read thus as others We may be moved thereunto by these Arguments 1. Argument It 's but Reason Rom. 12. 2. Argument It 's most necessary For if we suffer with him we shall be glorified with him 3. Argument It 's an Argument that we love God no greater love than to dye for another 2. Till he come This imports continuation without interruption and extent until Christ come 1. Of the first speak these places Matth. 16. Thou must take up thy cross daily 1 Cor. 15.31 Dye daily proper te mortificamur toto Die Rom. 8. 2. Thou must always bear about in thy body the dying of the Lord Jesus We who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus sake 2 Cor. 4.2 Phil. 1.6 Gal. 4.19 1 Tim. 6.14 2 Pet. 1.19 Repreh 1. It reproves those who have quickly done shewing forth the Lords death They must remember it was the task laid upon us Moriendo morieris and Crucifixion is a long lingering death Far easier it is to dye so than to dye and dye eternally as otherwise we must Repreh 2. It reproves those who will needs be shewing forth the vertues of him that hath called them before they have shewn forth the death of Christ NOTES on 1 ROR. XI 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But let a man examine himself and so let him eat
people of no understanding therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them and he that formed them will shew them no favour A Creature therefore as of nothing so returning to nothing unless supported thus natural heat ebbs into nothing and is supported by meat and drink all the Creature falls into nothing and is supported by Christ the word of Gods power Portans omnia verbo virtutis suae Hebr. 1. quod fluit sustentatur per maâ—e fluit aqua in fluvio sustentatur alveo Observ 6. Man is a Creature because a Compendium of all the Creatures therefore he may act according to the Natures of them all Jer. 2.24 Thus our Saviour called Herod a Fox because he lived according to the nature of that beast he was subtil without innocency Luk. 13.32 He calls the Scribes and Pharisees Serpents and generations of Vipers Matth. 23.33 because crafty and malicious And he warns his Disciples that they give not holy things to dogs nor cast their pearls before swine Men act according to the nature of the dog when they snarle and bark at one another and bite one another such are furious Zealots in Religion who out of an ignorant and bitter zeal bite and would devour those who offer them holy things better than they are able to digest And therefore the Apostle warns the Philippians to beware of such dogs Phil. 3.2 And he dehorts the Galatians from biting one another lest they consume and devour one another Man acts according to the nature of the Swine when out of supine negligence and restiveness he tramples the precious pearls of Divine Truth under his feet and prefers his swill before them as the drunkards do as tell them of Mortification Let us eat and drink say they to morrow we 'l die Observ 7. As man is called a Creature because an abridgement and brief compendium of all the Creatures so likewise by a Synechdoche because the most excellent of all the Creatures Thus the Jews name the Elephant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the common name of the beasts because the vastest of them all If he be the most excellent of all the Creatures surely he ought to live the most excellent life of them all which he cannot do according to sense in sense the very beasts excell us Nos aper auditu praecellit uranea tactu Vultur odoratu linx visu simia gustu Nor according to sensual and bruitish affections fear and love and hatred and hope and joy and grief and the mixtures and compositions of these if nor rightly placed they are the beasts so are eating and drinking and sleeping and other actions accompanying and following these And what life is now left proper to the man The Wise Man who had made tryal of all tells us Eccles 12.13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter Fear God and keep his Commandments for this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not the whole duty of man though that be true but the whole man so the words signifie properly Ephes 4. the rest is common to other Creatures The New Man consists in Righteousness and true holiness whatsoever is not such is not a man properly But to fear God and keep his Commandments that 's proper to man as man and therefore when men return from their bruitish nature unto God they are said to remember themselves Psal 22.27 All the ends of the earth shall remember themselves and return unto the Lord they had forgot themselves before they remembred not their Creator nor themselves to be his New Creatures O beloved let us remember our selves sensuality and voluptuousness is not our selves covetousness is not our selves envy hatred and malice is not our selves c. these are either the Beasts or the Devils Righteousness and true holiness to fear God and keep his Commandments is our selves The Prodigal abandoning his Swine and returning ad sanam mentem is said to have come unto himself Jer. 4.25 I beheld and lo there was no man and Chap. 5.1 a man that executeth Judgement and seeketh the Truth Observ 8. And over these Creatures the most excellent Creature Man is set to Rule St. Paul implyed as much even such a Soveraignty over the Creatures when he said All things are lawful for me but I will not be brought under the power of any I keep under my body and bring it into subjection where he understands the natural and brutish passions and such an one is a New Creature That he who is in Christ is a New Creature it 's useful for Instruction and Reprehension And first for Instruction it teacheth us the high dignity and excellency of a Regenerate Man of him who is in Christ He is a New Creature Men are wont to admire the work of an ancient hand of a skilful Artisan The New Creature is the work of God the ancient of dayes conformable unto Christ the New Man God's principal Handy-work his Master-piece The Righteous Maâ— is more excellent than his neighbour he it a Man of honour Man being in honour so the Psalmist describes the New Creature he hath in him the Image of his God The Philosopher himself could say That God had no Image but the Righteous Man so excellent is the New Creature and if the New Creature be so excellent how much more excellent is God the Creator Omne bonum in meliori semper est melius Bona est sapientia in cive melior in praetore optima in principe potentia in milite duce rege Simile de justitia pulchritudine munificentia c. Georg. Venet. fol. 16. a. A Meditation worthy of us all beauty strength c. O how much more beautiful c. is God the Creator Repreh 1. Whence they are worthily reproved who disesteem these New Creatures accounting them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non entia 1 Cor. 1. things that are not not so much as Creatures A simple man a good honest man there 's no harm in him so and so they deride Gods New Creature because he hath not so much craft or will not use the subtilty to be a knave like them But to the comfort of such Creatures be it spoken it was written of Christ himself the New Man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mar. 9.12 or if they would account him any thing yet next to nothing a worm and no man the scorn of men and out-cast of the people consider him that endured such contradictions of sinners He walks in the new and living way Hebr. 10.20 in newness of life Rom. 6.4 He serves God in newness of Spirit Rom. 7.6 Behold in him all things are become new how excellent a Creature is such a man Repreh 2. But yet more are they to blame who either are or would be accounted new Creatures yet abase themselves to the service of those Creatures over which they ought to rule Sic te prostitues ut nihil inter te atque quadrupedem esse putes Such as these prostitute the
which we have so long so dearly loved to destroy that which we have so long been building up to crucifie the Old Man which hath so long lived in us to mortifie and kill those lusts which so long have been our dearly beloved life To let those old things pass away which we have loved as intirely as our own souls yea better than our own souls Durus est hic sermo this this is an hard saying indeed who can hear it who shall perswade us to it so that there is need of all motives that can be named yea and the powerful motions of Gods holy Spirit in special manner whereby we may be enabled to destroy crucifie and mortifie this old man and so cause him to perish and pass away Some motives I named for the enforcing of this duty before some others I shall now add The Apostle tells us that the old man is deceitful and so he is a deceitful old Man and that two wayes for whereas a man is miserable one of these two wayes either 1. By failing of a good which he hoped for which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 2. By falling into a mischief which he feared not which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This deceitful old Man makes us miserable both wayes for 1. He puts us in hopes 2. He frustrates and makes void our hopes and makes us secure and fearless and then brings the evil which we feared not upon us Having therefore before used motives of the first kind and shewn that these old things promise indeed much good but cannot perform the good they promise having in them neither 1. Honestum inward or outward true beauty and comliness nor 2. Vtile true profit and advantage nor 3. Jucundum true and lasting delight and pleasure but all the contraries and so shewn that this is a lying and faithless old Man and makes those who trust him miserable the first way I shall now name a Motive or two for the second kind and shew that this old Man these old things however they seem to secure us from evil yet they work us a mischief which neither we feared nor they threatned but secured us of and so it will appear that this is a pernicious and mischievous old Man Our Saviour tells us that the thief comes not but to steal and to kill and to destroy and for the same ends comes this old Thief this old Man to us to steal to kill and to destroy for howsoever he promiseth us liberty life peace and immortality he payes us home with servitude and thraldom death trouble and vexation and eternal destruction 1. This old Man promiseth us liberty by his Vassals and Servants 2 Pet. 2.17 yet who greater slaves and vassals than they themselves are I shall give some instances of this old Mans deceit and of their misery who are deceived by him 1. What sort of men in the world seem to themselves more free and would seem to others than the debaucht dissolute drunkard and who is a greater slave than he While he promiseth himself and others liberty he himself is a servant of corruption And the Apostle proves it in the next words for of whom a man is overcome it is our phrase a drunken man is overcome with drink of the same is he brought into bondage And a cruel bondage this is They say drunkards take no harm it is a Proverb of the Old Serpents invention to bring men into bondage but an extreme false one it is for who hath wo who hath sorrow who hath contentions who hath babling who hath wounds without cause who hath redness of eyes they that tarry long at wine they that go to seek mixt wine Prov. 23.29 30. And see how secure he is in the midst of greatest danger vers 34. Thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea or as he that lieth on the top of a mast see what a patient servant he is and how contented with his service vers 35. They have stricken me and I was not sick they have beaten me and I felt it not See how diligent a servant he is in the next words when I shall awake I will seek it yet again How industrious they are they will loose no time They rise up early in the morning that they may follow strong drink and they are faithful and constant at their work they sit at it till the wine inflame them Isai 5.11 2. Such another vassal to his Lusts is the obscene filthy letcher to whom the old Man the old Pander promiseth all liberty and invites to all licentiousness and useth his vassals to Rhetorical Speech Come let us take our fill of Love until the morning let us solace our selves with loves with much fair speech she caused him to yield and with the flattering of her lips she forced him Prov. 7.18 21. He goes after her straight way as an Oxe to the slaughter and as a fool to the correction of the stocks vers 22. Such a vassal such a slave to this old Man was Joseph's Mistriss though a free woman whom he forceth basely to serve and flatter her own servant to leave no means untryed how she may win upon his favour though she was in her condition free yet by this old Mans deceit enslaved and made a servant to corruption As on the contrary Joseph was a Servant yet a most free Man in that he yielded not to the inticings of the old Man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Chrysostome in 1 Cor. 7.23 A servant may not be a servant who serves not this old Man and the freest man in the world may be a servant who is this old mans vassal Let Servants and Free Men hear this saith the same Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whether of these was the servant he that was ruled over who ruled himself or she that ruled and was over-ruled by her own lusts she that flattered or he who despised her flatteries But these are chargeable old things costly lusts The covetous wretch will not be a retainer to the old Man upon so uneasie terms he will be his drudge at an easier rate the old Man deceives him another way bids him fill his purse his warehouse his barns first and then he will be able to retain these old things and defray them with easie charge when he shall say Soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years take thine ease shut up thy shop give over thy trade eat drink and be merry Foolish Projector he promiseth himself fruition of those old things many years hence and considers not that this night his vapour may vanish away his life may be taken away from him Thou fool this night they shall take away thy soul The like may be said of the proud ambitious envious revengefull impatient man and indeed every vicious man who retains these old things it may be generally spoken of all and every one of them that they are deceived serving
was the Father that Man should be saved that he spared not his only begotten Son and so willing was the Son that he spared not himself but became obedient to his Father even unto death and ought not we to be at least as willing as obedient and that for our own salvation It 's but our duty for hereunto are we called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps 1 Pet. 2.21 a principal duty which the Sacrament requires of us and which every one of us hath promised and vowed solemnly and stand engaged faithfully to perform For as from the death of Christ the Sacraments have their power and efficacy saith the School so their principal end is our conformity to the death of Christ for know ye not that so many of us as are baptized into Jesus Christ are baptized into his death Rom. 6.3 And to speak a word in season because the Church now generally addresses it self to the Holy Communion Know ye not that so often as ye eat that bread and drink that Cup of the Lord ye shew forth the Lords death till he come till his life appear in our mortal body As they relate of Artemesia that she drunk up her husbands ashes in wine and erected unto his memory a stately Monument So the Church the Spouse of Christ erects a monument in her self of Christs death by her conformity thereunto For the Cup of blessing which we bless is it not the communion of the blood of Christ and the bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ 1 Cor. 10.16 But good God how few are there of that crowd of men who call themselves Christians that dare follow Christ down this third step of his Humiliation For do not most men believe that it 's enough that Christ died though they die not that this work is done already to their hand or if they think it their duty do they not put it off till hereafter Let us eat and drink for to morrow wee 'l die Or do they not think to commute this duty and turn it into vain jangling and conceive that it 's enough for them to dispute it out whether Christ died for all men or no But as for conformity to his death few words of that or if words yet but words Nay men are so averse from this duty that I make no question but many would rather part with all their estates than their sins as Rabanus Maurus spake by experience of some who had left large Revenues and Patrimonies that they might embrace a Monastick life and die to the world yet had not left their anger and covetousness but would quarrel for the value of a farthing Nay many would not doubt rather to dye a violent death skin for skin and yield their bodies to be burned in defence of some tenent which they have chosen to hold in Religion than die the spiritual death unto sin For since men of divers and contrary Religions have laid down their lives upon terms of contradiction it may hence be concluded that one of them at the least died in defence of his own will not that he might loose his own will and suffer according to the Will of God so that under their favour who think otherwise it 's no good argument this or that man dyed in defence of such or such a tenent therefore it 's a true tenent But if so few dare follow our Lord down this step to be obedient unto death Quid dicam in crucem tolli What shall I say of that lowest step of his Humiliation He became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross that painful that lingering that infamous that accursed death of the Cross So painful that crux is all one with a torment and cruciare to torment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there being then in use no torment thought so exquisite But si grave breve no 't was a long a lingering death so that it might be thought a favour even to dye And ad damnum accedit infamia to so great so long a torment add the infamy of it 'T is the most shameful death in the judgement of all men Gentiles Jews and Christians whether we respect the quality of the Malefactors adjudged so to dye 't was the death only of servants and slaves and of those the basest and most notorious Homine libero indignum quamvis nocente saith Lactantius whence St. Paul was slain with the sword because a free-man the other Apostles crucified or put to other deaths because reputed servants Or whether we respect the place where 't was executed without the gate so base so infamous the Gentiles thought it Extra Portam dispersis manibus patibulum habebis saith the Comedian and the Jews account it the greatest reproach of Christans that they worship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a crucified God Nay St. Paul acknowledges it a most shameful death by opposing Glory and the Cross had they known him they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory 1 Cor. 2.8 And shame and the cross are all one with him Heb. 13.13 and you 'l think no less if ye remember those who they are without the gate for without are dogs and Sorcerers and whore-mongers and murderers and idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lye Apoc. 22. And among these they reckoned the God of Truth the Lord of Life Nay add but to the shame of men the curse of God that it was an execrable death for cursed is every one that is hanged upon a tree and 't will appear to be the worst of all deaths of all punishmens the worst Summo supplicio i. e. cruce afficiuntur saith the Lawyer O who hath done this wickedness this great wickedness and with so high a hand sinned against God! who but Judas and the Jews they contrived and plotted his death and Pilat he adjudged him so to dye though he himself confessed there was no cause of death in him Alas poor Pilat alas poor Jew you bear all the blame but we we Beloved we are the men who have crucified the Lord of Glory we we also have been his betrayers and murderers For 't is not the Plot of the Jews only but the conspiracy also of all ungodly men Morte turpissimâ condemnemus eum Nor were the Jews the only men that crucified him but all the Nations of the Earth Apoc. 1.7 and we among the rest he was crucified in the great City of the Devil as St. Austin understood it which is spiritually call'd Sodom and Egypt Apoc. 11.8 For what do the Priests else but mock when they preach Christ one way and live another what do they else but imprison him when they know the Truth and hold it in unrighteousness Nay what do they else but crucifie him For they who sin wilfully after they have received the knowledge of the truth they crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and
without patience 'T is true Faith leads the dance but then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 leads on the rest in their rank and order 't is St. Peters Metaphor Add unto your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godliness and to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness charity where 't is most observable that the Apostle directs this Exhortation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to those who had obtained equally precious faith with St. Peter himself and the rest of the Apostles And therefore Faith in Scripture is ordinarily concrete with patience and sometimes expresly joyned with it for where Faith is called a shield it 's not precisely to be understood of Faith but as it is concrete with patience whose property agrees with that of the shield as to defend and keep possession of the Soul and where St. John saith this is the victory whereby we overcome the world even our faith patience must needs be understood together with Faith For Faith in its own nature and of it self includes no such action but vincit qui patitur and where 't is said be faithful unto the death patience is involved in Faith for Faith abstractly taken imports not perseverance or pertinacious enduring Hence it is that Faith and Patience are often expresly joyned together as means necessary to Salvation for so the Saints by faith and patience inherit the promises saith the Apostle And cast not away your confidence for ye have need of patience that after ye have done the will of God ye may inherit the promise Heb. 6.12 and 10.35 36. Yea Abraham himself the Father of the faithful did not inherit the promise without patience for after he had patiently endured he obtained the promise Heb. 6.15 But lest hereby we seem to derogate from our precious Faith or intimate that Faith alone in our Churches sence saves not I beseech ye consider that a lively saving Faith hath patience and suffering with Christ for a part of the object and ground of it For if we be dead with Christ saith our Apostle we believe that we shall also live with him Rom. 6.8 And this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a faithful saying or a word of faith that if we be dead with him we shall live with him if we suffer with him we shall reign with him 2 Tim. 2.10 Now to believe that God accepts Christ's sufferings for ours so that we need not suffer when yet he commands us to take up our Cross and suffer with him Or to believe that our old man is crucified with him when yet our conscience tells us that indeed it is not but that he is yet alive in us What is this but out of an over-weening self-love and a strong fancy to believe a lye For whether God accept Christ's sufferings for ours without ours let St. Peter judge for hereunto are ye called us because Christ also suffered for leaving us an example that we should follow his steps who did no sin nor was their guil found in his mouth who his own self bare our sins in his body on the tree that we being dead unto sin should live unto righteousness 1 Pet. 2. And whether we have followed his example or no whether we are dead with him whether our old man be crucified with him let St. Paul judge He that is dead saith he hath ceased from sin St. Austin gives us a description of him that 's so dead He is like a man saith he that lyes in his grave he detracts from no man does violence to no man oppresses no man He neither eats too much nor drinks too much he is not puffed up with pride nor vain-glory In a word such he is to sin and the temptations unto sin as a dead man is to life And are we thus dead unto sin Is our old man thus crucified crucified he is alive and a crafty deceitful old man he is Wise to do evil but to do good he knows not an old lascivious Letcher a pettish angry malicious envious covetous contentious old man Nay he is as active as malicious his feet are swift to shed blood the work of violence is in his hands he serves in the war of the members and fights against the Spirit Serves nay he is a Commander he reigns and rules in the members he hath cast down many wounded and many strong men have been slain by him Will any man living say this man is dead Are not his works manifest adultery fornication uncleanness lasciviousness idolatry witch-craft hatred variance emulations wrath strife seditions heresies envyings murders drunkenness revellings and such like without doubt this man 's not dead he is a lusty vigorous old man he is alive and like to live many a fair day if he be not put to death if he be not hang'd if he be not crucified But perhaps God accounts him as if he were dead or if he yet live yet God reputes these but as infirmities and weaknesses of the Saints Yes as if to be dead unto sin were only to be thought so and to be baptized into Christ's death were only to have our sins called by a new name as weaknesses or frailties which were deadly sins before we imagined they were crucified By this means we shall have wicked mens couzenage murder drunkenness and adultery and the Saints couzenage their murder their adultery their drunkenness the same only fancied otherwise new christened and called by another name and many like prodigious unheard of distinctions of sins O Beloved I beseech ye Let us not be deceived for God is not he cannot be deceived he always accounts sin sin He never accounts a covetous man liberal nor a drunkard sober nor a letcher chaste nor an angry man patient He judgeth righteous judgement Shall I account them pure with the wicked ballances and with the bag of deceitful weights saith the Lord Mich. 6.11 No this is the time foretold by the Prophet Esay when the vile person shall be no more called liberal nor the churl bountiful But the liberal deviseth liberal things and by liberal things shall he stand Esay 32.8 For if we be crucified with Christ we bring forth fruit worthy of amendment of life Joh. 12.24 as our Saviour speaks of himself under a parable of a grain of wheat If it dye saith he it brings forth much fruit And if we be dead unto sin we also have our fruit unto holiness saith our Apostle Rom. 6. and the good ground brings forth fruit with patience such fruit as St. Paul requires of those who had mortified and crucified the old man Bowels of mercy kindness humbleness of mind meekness long-suffering forbearing one another and forgiving one another Col. 3.5.13 And so we pray for Infants being Baptized into Christ's death that all carnal affections being dead in them all things belonging to the Spirit may live and grow in them And do these fruits of the Spirit these spiritual
be multiplied in infinitum everlastingly And 2. In regard of use this Grain nourishing and sustaining the Tabernacle of man's Soul Gold and Jewels and precious Stones only adorning and beautifying the outside of it And therefore God saith not to Israel thou shalt partake of the riches of the Land but thou shalt eat the bread of the â—â—nd Numb 15.19 And Psal 104.15 the Psalmist commends it unto us for strengthening of man's heart And the Reason is considerable in regard of God who makes bread to grow out of the Earth Psal 104. and feeds all flesh 2. And in regard of man's body which is like a ruinous building alwayes decaying and mouldring away and therefore alwayes hath need of reparation which the Holy Ghost implies in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to eat and to underpropa building as with a shore or buttress which the LXX turn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Judg. 19.5 Comfort or sustain and support thine heart with a morsel of bread 3. That 's a ground of a third reason in respect of the nourishment it self which is fit to support the natural life by recreating and repairing the decayes of blood the vital and animal Spirits which it doth by the aiery parts of it mixt with the quintessence or common Spirit which fills all the World Wisdom 1. whence it is called the stay of bread Esay 3.1 and the staff of bread Ezech. 4.16 and 5.16 But this discourse is fitter for a Physician especially if we add that other excellency that it 's fit for Medicine and the cure of mans body as well as the nourishment of it Nor doth my Text allow me to dwell long upon this Argument but implies only that a man lives a kind of life by bread though not by bread only And that will appear whether we consider bread in it self or in the effect of it enlivening or giving life 1. As for bread in it self it 's a mixt body compounded of the elements and howsoever it hath a kind of life in it self yet it cannot nourish the body of man unless first that life be corrupted and dye in it And how comes that quickned again but through the Spirit of life that gives life to all things that live Much more how comes it to enliven or give life and that not only vegetative but sensitive also as 1 Sam. 30.12 This proceeds not from the essential principles of bread nor is it in the power of bread or any corporal food alone But as that Spirit which fills the World of all the Creatures animal or such as have sense hath taken up man for his Temple 1 Cor. 3.17 as the most excellent of them all And as among all the mineral Creatures or those that want life he manifests his glory most in Gold so among all the vegetable Natures or Creatures that have life and want sense that Spirit hath seated it self in that Grain that 's fittest for bread especially that of Wheat which is concluded by the Physicians to be the most convenient and best fitted unto the temperament of man's body which therefore doth praesentem referre Deum Whence we may well conclude that bread alone enlivens not It is thy grace O Lord that nourisheth all things and not the growing of fruits that nourisheth man c. Wisd 10.25 26. An evident Argument that man lives not by bread alone no not the natural life Wherein we must necessarily distinguish between the Elementary body of bread and that heavenly blessing in it imperted unto it by the Spirit of life as the Scripture intimates Esay 65.8 Mal. 3.10 Which is a forcible reason to perswade us to pray for our dayly bread although we have our dayly bread to bless our Table and pray for our meat although we have our meat and it stand ready for us upon the Table since there is so broad a difference between the bread and the blessing in it Our late experience proves this to be true when God for our sins sent a dreadful Famine in the neck of a devouring Plague 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when he took the staffe of bread and took the blessing from it unless our health and plenty have made us forget our God grow fat and kick if so fear and tremble lest if we forget his Mercies he remember us again with Judgments An Argument to convince Idolaters yea Atheists St. Paul makes use of it Acts 14.15 The living God which made the Heaven and the Earth and the Sea and all things that are therein Who in times past suffered all Nations to walk in their own wayes left not himself without witness in that he did good and gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons filling our hearts with food and gladness Add hereunto Acts 17.25 He giveth unto all life and breath and all things v. 27. That they might seek the Lord if happily they might feel after him and find him for this is the end why he gives us his outward bread for how heinously does the Lord our God take it at those Atheists and wicked mens hands who eat the bread of God and call not upon God ye may read Psal 14. and 53. Whereas he expects that this riches of his goodness should lead to repentance Rom. 2. That this corporal food should point us to the spiritual that the outward bread should guide us to the inward Since man lives not by the outward bread only but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God That 's the second Point Man liveth by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God Whether this word be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whether the outward word of Commandment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and promise or the essential word of God 'T is true in both sences that man lives by every such word c. If we understand the word of commandment 't is either Mediate or Immediate 1. The mediate Commandment is a direction and injunction unto the Creature to feed man which Commandment in Scripture we find to be directed 1. Sometimes to the feeder And that either 1. Extraordinary as when God commanded the Ravens a Bird of Prey and fitter to feed upon our bodies than to feed them to bring bread and flesh to Eliah 1 Kings 17.4 5 6. or 2. More ordinary v. 9. When God commanded the Widow of Sarepta to sustain him 2. Sometimes this Commandment is directed to the nourishment it self as v. 14 15 16. Where thus saith the Lord God of Israel the Barrel of Meal shall not waste nor the Cruise of Oyle fail c. The like command no doubt the God of life gave unto that second meat which the same Prophet eat Chap. 19.6 7 8. For he went in the strength of that meat forty dayes and forty nights Such bread was Moses fed withall who stayed the same time in the Mount Sinai and neither eat outward bread or drank
Lord thy Redeemer Esay 54.7 8. Psal 32.5 And what doth the Lord our God require for all this only that we shew like love unto our Brethren Eph. 4.32 and Eph. 5.1 as dear Children walk in love Colos 3.13 Be reconciled unto thy Brother Means indirect Remove occasions of offence Vultu laeditur amicitia Friendship may be lost by a look 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not speaking one to another unto a rent in friendship 2 Sam. 13.22 Absolon spake to his brother Amnon neither good nor bad for Absolon hated Amnon such reservedness breeds revenge as it did in Absolon v. 28 29. Positive means 1. Study to be quiet 2. Part with our right it 's a good argument in Christs School Why do ye not rather suffer wrong 3. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts 4. Be loving and kind that wins love ut ameris amabilis esto so that place is to be understood Col. 3.15 Be thankful 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be loving be gracious These are all good means with the God of peace and his blessing on them When our wayes please him he makes our enemies at peace with us Prov. 16.7 And he it is who works our reconciliation one to another for thus he exerciseth loving kindness in the earth Jer. 9. Come offer thy gift When Reconciliation is now made with our Brother the want of which caused suspension of our Oblation Come and offer wherein there are two subordinate Divine Sentences 1. Offer thy gift 2. Come offer thy gift as in the former direction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Go be reconciled Go seemed to some not to be worth taking notice of yet we found something in it not to be sleighted So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Come here seems to one of the best Criticks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be superfluous and redundant But surely our Lord Jesus Christ the great Teacher and Author of the Gospel and Preacher of this Sermon in the Mount who would not that one jot or tittle of the Law should pass till all be fulfilled He would not teach such a Gospel that should have in it any thing redundant and altogether superfluous Come then is so far from having no signification here that it hath Two and both important 1. To come is to believe John 6.35 Heb. 11.6 2. It imports drawing near as Heb. 7.19 Hope whereby we draw nigh unto God and 10.22 with a true heart whence the gift it self is called Corban from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to come near The subordinate axioms therefore are contained in these words 1. Offer thy gift 2. Come offer thy gift 1. Offer thy gift What the gift is and why thy gift and what it is to offer it I shewed in part but as that offering was suspended so was our consideration of it Our Lord preached this Sermon of the Gospel under the Law and therefore he used legal and ceremonial expressions here and elsewhere It will therefore be our business to enquire what the gift here is which is to be offered and the offering of that gift This gift under the Law was figured by many Sacrifices and Oblations they may most what be reduced unto three sorts See Notes on Zeph. 1.7 unto these three add the meat-offering and drink-offering The meat-offering and drink-offering figured the body of Christ which is meat indeed and the blood of Christ which is drink indeed besides all these Incense was offered up which is Prayer Let my prayer ascend as the Incense and thanksgiving which the Lord prefers before all other Oblations And unto these two the Psalmist refers all Psal 50.14 15. Offer unto God thanksgiving and pay thy vowes and call upon me in the time of trouble Reason Why we ought to offer up our Gifts and Oblations may be considered in regard of God of our selves 1. Of God see Notes on Heb. 11.4 Obser 1. Our Lord bids his Disciples offer their gifts though Disciples holy men See Notes on Heb. 11.4 2. Take notice how Gods Command to the Jews and Promise to the Gentiles is performed See Notes on Psal 26. Repreh Those who offer their gift not at Gods Altar but their own confine their worship to some place or time 2. Come offer thy gift i. e. believe and offer thy gift Reason Why is faith required to our offering 1. From the Nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Royalty 3. Consciousness See Notes on Heb. 11.4 What kind of faith Answer In the Father 2. In the Son Obser A lively example of a true living Christian Faith ibidem Consol Undone c. See Notes on Psal 26. Exhort Since outward works may be done by good and bad men Offer what Cain cannot 2. In regard of him who offers the gift 1. A Christian man a Disciple of Christ Now a Christian man is wholly led by the spirit of God who is love peace joy goodness how contrary is this to hatred discord enmity and frowardness 2. This same Spirit unites all the Members of Christ in one Body as one and the same Soul unites the members of the natural body So the Apostle 1 Cor. 12 13. By one spirit we are all baptized into one body and have been all made to drink into one spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are drunk up or swallowed up by one spirit And therefore anger hatred envy rancor and all bitterness is as contrary to Christs mystical body as a mortal wound yea as a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a dismembring a division unto the natural body 3. The Christian life is the life of God the eternal life and nothing can hinder it from continuation with the divine life but only an old wall of earth that 's daily parieted daily supported with butteresses otherwise it would daily fall in regard of which the Apostle desired to be dissolved Now in the Divine Life there is no rancor malice bitterness anger hatred but all love mercy sweetness First be reconciled to thy Brother and then come and offer thy gift These words present unto us two great duties and the order of them and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strange and unexpected not first to God and then to thy Brother but first to thy Brother and then to thy God Reason In respect of God to whom thou offerest thy gift He respects and accepts rather love meekness gentleness Prov. 21.3 than any outward sacrifice thou canst possibly offer Shall we enquire somewhat into a reason of this Quicquid recipitur recipitur ad modum recipientis Whatsoever is received is received according to the mode and manner of the receiver Now sith God is Love 1 John 4. mercy goodness what he receives from us it must relish of love mercy goodness Obser It is not the outward performance that God esteems c. See Notes on Heb. 11.4 Obser 2. The Lord discovers quo animo with what mind we offer ibidem Obser 3. They who would win upon Gods favour and obtain friendship with him
rule for our inward communication When Christ the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word speaks unto us answer it with Yea with our consent thereunto When the evil one speaks answer it with Nay Christ speaks in Righteousness mighty to save Esay 63.1 His yea is yea and his nay is nay He is Amen the Faithful Witness Exhort Let our yea be yea and our nay nay to Christ speaking in us he speaks in Righteousness Esay 63.1 He speaks peace Psal 85.8 He speaks to hinder man from his work and hide pride from man Job 33.14 16 17 18. That having purged his Temple he might dwell in us and speak in us and be our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Oracle in us The Roman God Locutius spake to the Romans until they had built him a Temple and then ever after he held his peace The Lord Jesus he speaks in us that we may prepare him a Temple and a dwelling place in us Exod. Let them build me a Sanctuary and I will dwell in the midst of them When we have built him a Temple He will then be an Oracle in us Ecclus. 33.3 Then what was before in Letter and History and much pains taken for the understanding of it it shall be an inward word Our Saviour tells the Woman of Samaria John 4. He who shall drink of the waters that I shall give him he shall thirst no more but it shall be in him a well of living waters springing up unto everlasting life The Woman said Sir Give me this water that I thirst not nor come hither to draw Who would not desire this when we are the Lord's Temple He speaks what with great trouble and pain men have studied and gathered out of Books he turns Cyriath Sepher into Deber Josh 15.15 How shall we know what word speaks in us surely if the Living Word he withdraws us from Evil and puts Good in the place and increaseth it if it be the Evil Spirit he withdraws from the Good and puts Evil in the place and increaseth it Means Would we hear the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the inward word speaking to us Let us then turn unto our heart Psal 85.8 Let us not add unto his words Prov. 30.5 6. Every word of God is pure He is a buckler to them that walk uprightly add not unto his words lest he reprove thee and thou be found a liar What is more than these comes of evil What is here meant by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we turn more signifieth excess redundancy superfluity whereof there are two sorts 1. Of Good Mat. 5.47 2. Of Evil Jam. 1.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word we render evil is taken personally for the Evil One the Devil So in the Lord's Prayer Deliver us from evil Mat. 6.12 and 13 19. then cometh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See the Essay It may also be taken really as from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iniquity or wickedness Reason From the nature of the Rule adequate unto the mind and will of God which if it be exceeded Vltra citraqué nequit consistere rectum Since therefore there are two great Principles 1. The chief Good the Original of all truth and goodness 2. The chief Evil of all falshood lies sin and wickedness what exceeds the bounds of the one falls under the other Now because all humane actions thoughts and words are to be conformed unto the Divine Rule what exceeds that Note cannot proceed from the Principle of it but from the contrary Be not deceived little children he that doth righteousness is righteous as he is righteous he that commits sin is of the Devil 1 John 3.7 8. Object From hence some reason as they think strongly against Swearing and taking lawful Oaths as conceiving that from this Divine Testimony it 's proved unlawful for a Christian man in any case to swear why because what ever is more than Yea yea and Nay nay is from the evil one and therefore unlaw and evil I Answer this follows not but this indeed follows from hence that usual and customary swearing in our Communication is utterly unlawful and sinful how much more false swearing and lying Object 2. But some will say this which exceeds or is more than Yea yea and Nay nay is from the Evil One and therefore an oath which is more than Yea yea and Nay nay is from the Evil One and so it must be evil I Answer our Lord saith not whatsoever is more than these is evil but it cometh of the evil one A thing may come from the evil one Two wayes 1. Directly and per se 2. Per accidens and indirectly 1. Directly and per se and so an effect naturally flows from the cause of it so wickedness is from the wicked and the evil one is a liar and the father of lies Thus customary swearing comes directly from the evil one 2. Indirectly and by accident a thing may come from the evil one whereof truly and properly he is not the cause but the occasion only And thus the Devil directly and on set purpose excites tempts and stirs up men to sin but that which follows upon sin he is not the cause but only the occasion of it and in this sence a good effect may proceed from an evil cause as repentance from sin But sin is not properly the cause of repentance but of wrath so we say a Fever brings temperance this is no effect per se of a Fever but only by accident for per se a Fever rather tends to death and thus Ex malis moribus ortae sunt bonae Leges Good Laws proceed from evil manners Evil manners properly do not produce good Laws but rather tend to further wickedness as like begets like but occasionally the Magistrate makes good Laws for the repressing of evil manners And thus an Oath though lawfully taken may be said occasionally to come from the evil one As when the Devil the evil one takes away the word of truth out of the heart as he is said to take away the good seed Mat. 13.19 he ingenders in such an heart a lye And because this his work is too frequent and usual hence ariseth in men a fear suspicion and doubt of falshood and lying in those with whom they deal Hence an Oath was introduced and enjoyned by the God of Truth for the clearing and discovering of truth But directly per se a lawful Oath cannot proeed from the evil one because a part of God's worship Deut. 6.13 Obser Swearing any Oath is more than bare affirming or denying Obj. 1. What is more than Yea and Nay is unlawful but an Oath is more c. The communication must be Yea yea Nay nay and no more but an oath is more than these This Objection if well considered brings an answer with its self whether we consider communication or your communication For no doubt but the Christian Communication ought
taught to pray for the bread of God that cometh down from Heaven and giveth life unto the World John 6.33 and because we consist as well of a Natural as of a Spiritual substance we are hereby taught to pray also for the natural food or bread of men and both these that the will of God may be done in Earth as it is done in Heaven and therefore we pray for the heavenly Bread or Christ who is the Power and Love of God who doth all the Fathers Will Acts 13. and is content to do it and enables us to do it Rom. 8. That the Righteousness of the Law may be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Now because ab extremo ad extremum non pervenitur nisi per medium that the Heaven and the Earth may be knit together by the intervention of the Mediator Truth flourisheth out of the Earth and Righteousness looks down from Heaven and teacheth the fallen Humanity to pray for a Sacramental Vehicle a medium whereby the Bread of Life may be conveyed to strengthen mans heart And the heart of man may be lifted up sursum corda unto the Heavenly Bread the Bread of Life and thereby strengthned to do the Lords Will on Earth as it is done in Heaven Doubt 2. How can rich men who have wealth in abundance yet ask bread of God Sol. 1. It 's possible men may have wealth in abundance yet not bread witness the three grand Patriarchs Abraham Isaac and Jacob who were all rich in silver and gold yet for want of bread were forced to travel into other Countries 2. Men may have the Temporal food yet want the Spiritual they may be rich in this world yet not rich towards God Luke 12. 3. Yea they may have the Temporal food yet not the Blessing with it so the Lord threatens Hos 4.10 and there are wicked rich men Mich. 6.12 13 14. Obser 1. That we may Sanctifie and Glorifie the Name of our God the first Petition and the ultimate and last end of man that his Kingdom may come and we may do his Will it 's necessary that we live Shall the dead praise thee Psal 88.10 No the dead praise not the Lord nor they that go down to the silence Psal 115.17 Let my Soul live and it shall praise thee Esay 38.18 19. The Living the living He must first live the Life of Nature and then to the Life of Grace who can duly glorifie our Father which is in Heaven doing his Will on Earth as it is done in Heaven And thus David resolved I will bless thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in vitis meis in my lives in my Natural and in my Spiritual Life Psal 63.4 Obser 2. That man may live food is requisite for him therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Life and Food have both the same name in the Greek victus and our word in English victuals is à vivendo Our bodies are weak and frail and have great need to be supported with the staff of bread as the Prophet calls it Esay 3. therefore Isaac saith that with Corn and Wine he had sustained Jacob it 's the prop and butteress of the Natural Life Bread under-under-props mans heart Psal 104. Comfort thy heart with a morsel of bread Judg. 19.4 Obser 3. How much more necessary to the support of our Spiritual Life is the Lord Jesus the Bread of Life which comes down from Heaven John 6. without which the heart faints and languisheth He who supports all things by the word of his power He who feeds the Angels in Heaven enabling them to do the will of God who feeds the Faithful Souls on Earth enabling them to do the Will of God on Earth as it is done in Heaven and therefore David Psal 73.25 26. Whom have I in Heaven but thee My flesh and my heart fainteth but God is the strength of my heart Obser 4. Note hence what that is which nourisheth the inward Man surely it is the inward and Spiritual Bread that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for as the substance of the body cannot be nourished otherwise than by a substantial nourishment so neither can the Soul be otherwise nourished than by a Real True and Spiritual nourishment the True and Living Bread which came down from Heaven that 's it which supports the languishing and fainting soul Obser 5. Both Natural and Spiritual Bread come from our Heavenly Father He gives Food to all flesh And Christ is called Bread expresly John 6. So likewise the gift of God Esay 9. Joh. 4. Eph. 4. Obser 6. Both kinds of Bread both Gifts are obtained by Prayer Obser 7. The daily Bread we ask for the day that is called bread and daily bread and for to day asked of God it implies a daily need of it a daily use of it See Notes on 1 Cor. 10. To day if ye will hear his voice Obser 8. When we come to the Sacrament yea as often as we pray to God we ought to be in Charity with our Neighbour Give us our daily bread Repreh 1. Who hinder the obtaining of our daily bread who cause the daily Sacrifice to cease 2. Who feed on that which is not bread but imagination the Natural Body of Christ 3. Who come unprepared who examine not themselves yet presume to eat Exhort 1. Let us pray for our daily bread 2. Hunger and thirst after it Psal 42.2 3. Feed on it Eccles 2.24 There is nothing better for a man then that he should eat and drink and that he should make his Soul enjoy good in his labour This also I saw that it was from the hand of God What this eating and drinking is see in vers 26. For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight Wisdom and Knowledge and Joy NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON MATTHEW VIII 16 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When the even was come they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils and he cast out the spirits with his word and healed all that were sick That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the Prophet saying Himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses OUr Lord having finished his Divine Sermon on the Mount in the 5 6 and 7th Chapters of this Gospel He confirms his Doctrine in this 8th Chapter and others following by Miracles no less Divine whereof we have Two sorts in the Text. 1. Casting out Devils and 2. Healing Diseases 1. He cast out the Spirits with his Word 2. He healed all that were sick 3. All this he did That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the Prophet saying Himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses 1. It is not my purpose to spend much time in the handling of the two former otherwise than as they are the accomplishment of the Prophet Esay's Prophesie Himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses 1. He cast out the Spirits with his
thou the burthen of all this people upon me saith Moses Numb 11.11 18. Who is weak and I am not weak Who is offended and I burn not saith St. Paul 2 Cor 11.29 Repreh Their presumptuous and ambitious conceits who preposterously imagine to themselves Life and Salvation the Kingdom of Christ everlasting Glory without tasting of Christs cup without being baptized into his death without suffering with him This is one of Satans the Grand Deceivers stratagems In malis tollit finem à mediis He told our first Mother Ye shall not die though ye eat In bonis tollit media à fine Our Lords rule and order of obtaining his Kingdom is If ye suffer with him ye shall reign with him Satan perswades men they shall Reign with Christ without suffering with him These are the thieves that climb up into the Kingdom another way by some imagination 2. Our Lord asks whether they are able to drink of his cup and be baptized with his baptism which supposeth that he himself was to drink of a cup and to be baptized with a baptism The Cup notes a portion either of good or evil and here it signifieth our Lords passion as appears Mat. 26.39 And the following part of the Sentence the baptism that I am baptized with imports as much even baptisma sanguinis as is implyed Luk. 12.50 which yet was not extant in Ancient Copies Both these import our Lords sufferings of all kinds both those which are called by Divines 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See Notes on Hebr. 2.18 Now as these words suppose our Lords drinking of his Cup and baptizing with his baptism so they enforce his Disciples participation of both which our Lord here asks them whether they were able to do Are ye able to drink of the Cup c. The Reason why doth our Lord ask this question The main and principal reason is That order which the God of Order hath set in things by which men must pass The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that which it often answers to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not here properly understood but figuratively and so we read sometimes of a Cup which the Disciples and followers of Christ drunk of sometimes of a Cup which the ungodly and wicked the Disciples of Antichrist Sin and Satan drink of both which Cups are sometimes distinguished as 1. Psal 11.6 God rains upon the ungodly snares fire and brimstone this is pars calicis eorum but Psal 16.5 The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my Cup. 2 Sometimes the Cup is the same but Gods people begin to drink of it and ungodly men drink the dregs of it Psal 75.8 In the hand of the Lord there is a Cup and the wine is red The Cup whereof the Believes and followers of Christ drink is the Cup of his Passion or Compassion and suffering with Christ This is the same which is administred in the Holy Sacrament when we profess our suffering with the Lord Jesus and shewing forth his death until he come 1 Cor. 11. This hath the name of a Cup 1. In regard of the measurableness of the passion or suffering with Christ 2. In regard of the inward participation and drinking of it 3. In regard of the effect or operation which it works in those who drink of it as a medicinal potion works the cure of the sick patient Both the Cup and the Baptism suppose the Spirit and Life in good measure in those Believers who drink of it and are baptized with the baptism wherewith Christ is baptized for so we are made to drink into one Spirit which is as fire Mat. 3.11 And the Lord Jesus baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire This Spirit of Christ is his true blood and life which is shed for many even for all Believers for the remission and cleansing of their sins And this he requires of us that feed of the Living Bread which is the true word and flesh of Christ which was given for us and for many that we become partakers of the good life of the word which is to drink the blood and life and spirit of Jesus Christ and through the deadning and burying of our sinful life to become wholly united and joyned to him in our inward man in a new life and spirit Hence proceed the sufferings of Christ and of those that are Christs even from the life He knew that for envy they had delivered him When the Sun was up the good Seed which began to thrive and grow up was scorched Mat. 13.5 6. i. e. as our Lord interprets it vers 21. If tribulation and persecution ariseth because of the word And they which in an honest and good heart having heard the word keep it and bring forth fruit with patience Luk. 8.15 Obser It is neither in our power by Nature nor in our choice to drink of the Cup which our Lord drinks of That strait and narrow way of mortification and suffering our Lord saith That many shall seek to enter into it and shall not be able Luk. 13.24 It is a gift of God to drink of the Cup which Christ drinks of Phil. 1.29 Vnto you it is given not only to believe but also to suffer Christ drinks of this Cup when he suffers contradiction of sinners against himself when he suffers death it self so he prayed Let this Cup pass by me This Cup of his passion he drinks for the propitiation and atonement of mankind as men take a potion for the serving of their bodies and the arm is let blood Christ is the arm Thus also baptism is understood being another metaphor whereby the same thing is meant The Lord makes tryal of us in our Conversion and turning unto him whether we be fit for the Kingdom of God yea or no He tryes our wills Luk. 9.23 He tryes our power and strength Prov. 17.3 Ecclus. 2.5 Thus Gideon tryed his Soldiers by their drinking water whether they were fit for him yea or no. And the Lord Jesus who is the true Gideon who treads under and breaks and cuts off the iniquity he tryes us by our drinking the Cup of his passion whether we be fit to tread upon Serpents and Scorpions c. The Eagle proves her young ones by looking on the Sun whether they be genuine or not And the Lord he tryes the Eagles which are gathered to the carcass to the Conformity of Christs death to feed on his flesh and drink his blood whether they be able to look on the Sun that 's tribulation and persecution as our Saviour expounds it Mat. 13. v. 6. with v. 21. whether they can drink of his Cup the Cup of his Sufferings whether they can be baptized into his death Consol To the younger Disciples of Christ who think it strange that they should be entertained into Christs School poculo salis 1 Pet. 4.12 Joseph gave order to him that was Overseer of his house That he
should put his Cup in the sack of the youngest of his Brethen Gen. 44.2 The young Disciples are most ambitious of sitting at the right hand and the left hand of Christ in his Kingdom and therefore the Cup of his sufferings must be put into Benjamins sack But remember it is but a Cup a small measure and for a season 1 Pet. 1.6 and 5.10 And it is the Cup which Joseph himself drinketh of Gen. 44.5 yea it is the same Cup which all Joseph's brethren drink of 1 Pet. 5.9 10. Exhort Drink of that Cup which our Lord hath drunk of be baptized with the baptism that he is baptized with He himself begins to us and shall we not pledge him what was said of Joseph Gen. 44.5 Is not this the Cup in which my Lord drinketh Is not this the Cup which the Lord Jesus drinketh the true Joseph To suffer with him is a gift yea a greater gift than faith it self Phil. 1. It 's not left unto us as a thing indifferent so as if we do suffer it s well if we do not no harm comes of it O no there is a necessity lies upon us We have drunk in iniquity like water we have taken upon our selves a sinful life a death rather than a life in which its impossible to inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6. Gal. 5. The drinking of this Cup of Christs passion the baptizing into this death enstates us in the Eternal Life and Salvation If we die with him we shall live with him if we suffer with him we shall be glorified with him 2 Cor. 1. One of the Hebrew Fathers tells us a man is tryed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 especially by three things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Purse his Cup his Anger Sign 1. Try thy self by thy Purse by thy Money Ecclus. 31.6.10 Amaziah c. See Notes on Heb. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. In his Cup whether thou be sober and temperate or no Wine is a mocker And there is the same reason of meat Prov. 23.1 2. If thou be Lord of thine appetite if thou canst rule thy self as Coverdale turns it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. In his anger how canst thou bear despiciency reproach contempt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the object of anger Our Lord whose Disciple thou callest thy self he could bear this and all contradiction of sinners against himself Heb. 12. when the Jews Joh. 8.48 propounded this question to him Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan and hast a Devil See his answer vers 49. I have not a Devil but I honour my Father and ye do dishonour me Have we learned this of our Master Mat. 5.11 Can we reserve our anger for another object Can we be angry and sin not Eph. 4. angry with our selves our corrupt hearts When the Lord hath tryed us in all these and found us worthy or meet for himself whether can we then give the praise of all this to our God or no in whose strength we drink this Cup and have been baptized with this baptism Prov. 27.21 Can we after all this appeal to the searcher of our hearts whether we have drunk this Cup yea or no Psal 139.23.24 Do we not know that this is the Cup by which the true Joseph Divines And do we not know that such a one as he can certainly Divine Gen. 44.5.15 Wisd 3.5 6 7 8. 4. The Lord promiseth James and John that they shall drink of his Cup and be baptized with his baptism where we might enquire 1. Why Christ called his Passion his Cup 2. How James and John may be said to drink of his Cup and be baptized with his baptism 1. Christ calls his Passion his Cup because his Father gave it him to drink Joh. 18.11 and the same suffering is his baptism I have a baptism how am I straitned till it be accomplished Luk. 12.56 As a potion administred to the patients head is for the cure of the whole body and letting blood at the arm hath the like common effect for he is the Head of the Church and the Saviour of his body the Church And he is the Arm of the Lord that must reign for him Esay 40.10 and 51.5 But although James indeed suffered martyrdom and death yet we read not that John suffered a violent death one indeed of the Ancients saith so but all more ancient than he deny it And how then shall our Lords words be true ye shall indeed drink of my Cup It is not necessary that either James or John or any followers of the Lord Jesus suffer a violent death for Christ unless in special manner he be called thereunto as James and other the Apostles and the primitive Martyrs were But that common Cup whereof all must drink is that fellowship of Christ's Passions and Sufferings and the configuration and conformity unto his death Phil. 3.10 This the Apostle teacheth expresly 1 Pet. 4.1 2. So that although John suffered not a violent death as James did yet he drank of the Lords Cup and was baptized with his baptism in that he was made conformable unto the death of Jesus Christ by dying unto sin and obtained communion and fellowship with the Father and the Son 1 Joh. 1.1 James and John may be said to drink of his Cup and be baptized with his baptism when they suffer the like sufferings which he also suffered 2 Cor. 1. and those outwardly and inwardly outwardly reproach c. all which are suffered within inwardly When we suffer the assaults and temptations unto sin without yielding thereunto when we die from what was before our life Col. 1.24 I fill up how otherwise can we understand what is behind or wanting of the sufferings of Christ in my flesh St. Peter speaks plainly 1 Pet. 4.13 where he saith That they who are tryed by the fiery tryal are partakers of the sufferings of Christ so that it is not ever a proper duty of or to James and John but common to all Believers and Followers of the Lord Jesus Christ to drink of his Cup and be baptized with his baptism for so Mat. 26.27 drink ye all of it Obser 1. This is promised to James and John as a special Grace that they shall drink of Christs Cup and be baptized with his baptism And was it not a special Grace a notable good or gift Vnto you it is given in behalf of Christ not only to believe but also to suffer c. Phil. 1.29 A greater gift than Faith as it appears by the comparison à minori and martyrdom which alone is reckoned a special Grace Obser 2. Whence we learn a great difference between the Grace exhibited unto those men of God under the Law and that given unto the Disciples of Christ When the holy men of God in the time of the Law had the Cup whence we read of such passages as these the blood of Abel cryeth c. Let me see thy vengeance on them The Lord look
Gentiles long ago for an atonement and satisfaction for their sins but mean time nor consider nor know that these things are acted at this present day and they themselves have been and are the Crucifiers and Murderers of the Lord Jesus Christ And that the Lord not only declares and shews forth what he hath suffered but requires also a like suffering of us that we also drink of his Cup and be baptized with his baptism Consol The Lord propounds this as a promise to James and John and indeed what great comfort is it to have Death and Life c. all Communion with the Lord Jesus to be his Conviva his Guest his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to eat and drink with him at his Table It is a bitter Cup a Cup of deadly wine it s a yoke an heavy burden Yea but it 's his burden it 's his yoke it s his cup and that makes the bitter potion sweet that makes the yoke easie and the burden light Joseph dined with his Brethren at Noon Gen. 43.16 The true Joseph is with his Brethren in the heat of their persecution and tribulation Mat. 13. Exhort To this holy ambition to sit at the right and left hand of the Lord Jesus in his Kingdom NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON MATTHEW XXI 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the multitudes that went before and that followed cryed saying Hosannah to the Son of David THe meaning of these words is more intricate than perhaps the Text promiseth at the first view and therefore beside the known Argument matter of the greatest consequence in the world our own Salvation and the Author of it the difficulty of the sence also will require our best attention The Pole-star which must give Light and guide our Meditations herein is the Original seat of these words Psal 118. which by consent of Jews and Gentiles Ancient and Modern is for to be understood of the Messiah or Christ the Saviour of the world whereof vers 22. is alledged by St. Peter Act. 4.11 1 Pet. 2.4 touching our Saviour and by our Saviour concerning himself Mat. 21.42 and in the 25. vers is contained expresly the principal part of the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Save now I beseech thee O Lord c. Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord. Which words 't is plain are a Prayer into God for the Saviour of the world and that God would prosper the work of Salvation in his hand This was so well known unto the Ancient Jews long before our Saviours Coming in the flesh that whereas God had commanded them to keep the Feast of Tabernacles the fifteenth day of the seventh moneth and to continue it seven dayes and to take unto themselves boughs of goodly trees branches of Palm-trees boughs of thick trees and Willows of the brook and so rejoyce before the Lord their God Levit. 23.39 40. They observed the same Ceremonies and used this part of the Psalm which I now read as a Collect Prayer Anthem and Thanksgiving proper for that Feast So that this Feast of Tabernacles resembles our Feast of Christmas wherein the people are commanded to dwell in Booths in remembrance of their dwelling in Booths when they came out of Aegypt And we keep our Christmas Ceremonies in commemoration of Christs taking our flesh for his Tabernacle and dwelling with us Joh. 1.14 The word was made flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and dwelt or took his Tabernacle amonst us or in us This Feast they kept with the greatest Joy and expressions of it as could be imagined as our Feast of Christmas is wont to be Luk. 2.11 They had their Hosannahs Songs proper for that Feast As anciently and yet in some places we have our Carols at our Feast of Christmas only I do not read that ever they were wont to sit up all night at play or like debaucht Unthrifts prodigally and foolishly lost that at Gaming which they or their Friends for them had hardly gotten the year before No nor that they were wont to be drunk then nor that they revelled or rambled all night No no the Lords Feasts were Holy Congregations Levit. 23. They sung they did not roar they sung Hosannahs not drunken Catches they had decent expressions of joy and gladness and harmless recreations of their bodies and minds such as befitted the God whom they served and the Feast which they kept unto him because our Feasts have not been so kept they are turned into mourning Now because amidst all their joy and jollity at this Feast they ordinarily used this word Hosanna it became vulgar and familiar insomuch that the boughs and branches of trees which they then bare in their hands were called Hosannahs ab adjuncta ipsis acclamatione saith Elias Thisbites whence facere Hosanna and nectere Hosanna was to make such a bundle of boughs as they bare at that Feast nay they scarce prayed or praised but Hosanna was at an end of it So that Hosanna generally is either a Prayer for Christ or a joyful Song for the Coming of Christ According to this double use of it I may divide the Text into an earnest Prayer for our Saviour into an honorifical and joyful doxologie congratulation or acclamation for the coming and welcoming of our Saviour 1. The People pray unto praise God for their deliverance and salvation 2. The Prayer is Hosannah 3. They that go before and they that follow after say Hosannah The joyful acclamation and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for his welcome with the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the parties honouring congratulating and making acclamation They which went before and they which followed after cryed Hosannah unto the Son of David Hosannah then according to the first and fundamental use of it is a Prayer for our Saviour The Text in the Hebrew Matthew set out by Munster hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Greek being not able to express it in the Text make Hosannah We turn it Save now I beseech thee O Lord. And why might it not be so turned in the New Testament save now or save we pray thee but the Hebrew word must still remain Hosannah Those Hebrew Syriac and Chaldee words which are named in the New Testament whether with a Translation annexed as Abba Acheldama Abaddon Ephphata c. or without a Translation as Allelujah Mammon Belial and here Hosannah are left in the New Testament not only because 1. The Jews whence all Christian Gentiles took their Religion used them most frequently but also 2. God would so honour his Word that prophane men should not altogether contemn it for perspicuity and plainness and 3. That the obedient Seeker might still have somewhat to seek for 4. And that the Priest might have some honour at whose mouth the people till they grew too wise should seek the meaning of Gods word and seek the Law at the Priests mouth till they were corrupted and became vile Mal. 2.8 9. These are reasons very probable but others
and earthly things And therefore Luke 21.28 our Lord minding his Disciples of his Coming saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Look up and lift up your heads for your redemption draweth nigh I am ashamed when I read of a Philosopher that when any more dainty meat than ordinary was set before him he would look at it as too good for him tanquam paratus Deo as being prepared for God Observ 3. Take notice here of Gluttony and Drunkenness as great enemies unto true Piety and the eternal Reward of it Even natural and lawful actions prove unlawful and destructive to Nature when they are not in order unto an higher end See Notes on Gen. 1.28 Observ 4. Praesens bonum caput mali the present seeming good is the head of all evil See Notes on Gen. 25. Observ 5. If the exorbitancies and excesses of such natural desires as God himself hath implanted in our Nature be destructive and damnable how much more shall those excesses and exorbitancies become destructive and damnable which the Devil himself hath sown in it if the good seed prove degenerate which the good man sowed in his field what shall become of the Tares which the Devil hath sown in it Such are Envy and Pride and Covetousness and Wrath and made Holiness c. yet see the perverse judgment of the foolish World Every one can point at a great Eater and a great Drunkard and they are very infamous and shameful names But the envious person gets credit by his worst of sins being accounted zealous Carnalia peccata plus habent infamiae spiritualia plus de natura peccati saith Gregory Carnal sins have more of infamy spiritual more of evil 2. The second pair of natural Actions are Marrying and giving in Marriage as the former tends to the preserving of the persons of men so this makes for the preservation of the kind and as they before the Flood eagerly prosecuted the former desires so did they as violently pursue the latter What special Reason is there for this There is an inbred desire of perpetuity name condition and honour which because it cannot be obtained in ones own person the natural desire is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to beget its like and so to propagate it to posterity And herein is placed the natural Man's hope of Immortality Gen. 4.17 19. The former pair of Actions hath influence upon the later for eating and drinking dispose and fit the body for marrying and giving in marriage 2. Yea the vitious eating and drinking incline men to the sins of uncleanness first surfetting and drunkenness then chambering and wantonness Rom. 13. Prov. 23.31 Look not on the wine when it is red thine eyes shall behold strange women v. 33. But what reason is there that our Lord should name only these two excesses of all other since before the Flood all flesh had corrupted its way And before the overflowing scourge our Lord foretels that iniquity abounds as all can witness the truth of it Matth. 24.12 See Notes on 2 Pet. 2.5 Repreh The men of this Generation who spend their time their precious time not in eating and drinking only but in surfettings and drunkenness and actions of this Nature how little care have they of bodily health and safety Prov. 23. How careless of their credit and reputation in the World though they be Children of it Thus Esau was called Edom from his red Pottage Claudius Nero was called Biberius Mero Michael Temulentus Michael the Sot if these have no care of their Bodies will they regard their Souls Quem mihi dabis c. Shew me one man saith Seneca who sets any price upon time who thinks what he doth daily Mysticé There is an eating and drinking a marrying and giving in marriage which no doubt the Lord commands and approves of 1. An eating and drinking a meat and drink that the old World and this later World regards not but is the nourishment of Noah's houshold What Meat what Drink what Bread but the living Word which gives Life where it is received Man lives not by bread only but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 panis supersubstantialis supersubstantial or heavenly bread There is an outward and natural and an inward and spiritual Man See Notes on 1 Cor. 10.34 a spiritual Meat and a spiritual Drink This is a lasting durable yea everlasting Meat and Drink This spiritual Meat and spiritual Drink we ought always to be eating and drinking They saw God and they did eat and drink Exod. In Solomon's days they did eat and drink and were merry 1 King 4.20 Luk. 22.30 Yet all spiritual eating and drinking is not approvable for there is a gluttony and not with meat a drunkenness and not with wine See Notes on Phil. 2. There is also a marriage and giving in marriage which the Son of Man commends and approves of Repreh 2. Even the Sons and Daughters of the spiritual Noah their remisness or want of earnest affection toward the heavenly things How importunate how earnest are the men of this World in pursuing their earthly desires they are eating and drinking See Notes on Gen. 25.21 Exhort We have heard the practice of the old World since Noah's time returns let us take heed lest the same sins return also lest we be likewise deceived by the errour of the wicked See Notes on Gen. 25. ad finem Exhort Suspect and fear the danger of natural and lawful Actions The table may become a snare and that which should have been for our help may prove an occasion of our falling Psal 69.22 When our Lord was an hungry and not till then the Tempter câ—me unto him Matth. 4.2 3. We bend the stick as much the other way to make it streight Let us so deal with the crooked Generation use abstinence from these things fast and pray lest we enter into temptation eat with our loyns girt and our staff in our hand 2. They did thus in the days before the Flood By the days before the Flood we understand either all that tract of time from the preaching of Enoch until the Flood which must be above 1000 years since the time that man begun to preach in the name of the Lord for so I have heretofore proved that Text must be read Gen. 4.26 2. Or else by the days before the Flood must be meant precisely the days of Noah's preaching before the Flood who was the Eighth Preacher of righteousness as he is expresly called 2 Pet. 2.5 which was the time of Repentance given to the old World 120 years before the Flood Gen. 6.3 1. By the days before the Flood in the first sence is implied an aggravation of the old Worlds sins the Lord had sent eight Preachers of Righteousness to warn them of the ensuing judgment And a like aggravation of the sins of this latter World seing the Lord hath sent Preachers also to us to warn us of the destruction
which should nourish us up into the everlasting life and so little notice taken of them that so great abundance God offers of them unto all yet so few come unto them and partake of them Whence is it that there is so little love to what is most lovely so little desire to that which is most desirable so little hunger or thirst after that which can only satisfie Joh. 4. He that drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst more but it shall be in him a well of water springing up to everlasting life saith the Son of God But we live as if that dreadful doom were upon this Generation which Elisha denounced against that Noble Man on whose hand the King leaned 2 King 7.2 Thou shalt see it with thine eyes but thou shalt not eat thereof Hence those are to be reproved who slight the eternal life and the means leading thereunto who despise the wisdom the truth and life of God shining forth in his Saints and Believers under the name of Morality Hence also may be reproved the unbelieving Generation who believe not on the Son of God though witnessed by Moses all the writings of the Prophets testified by John Baptist here in the Text nay though confirmed by those works which the Father gave the Lord Jesus to do even for this very reason to beget faith in us all those miraculous works mentioned by the Prophet Esay as evident characters of the Son of God Isa 35. Hence likewise they are worthy reproof who make very diligent enquiry into the Word of God in Old and New Testament and spend much time in hearing the Word yet after all this inquisition after all this diligent search made believe not in the Son of God that they might have the eternal life This extreme curiosity and lost labour our Lord blames in the Jews Joh. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ye search the Scriptures the words are not imperatively to be read but indicatively and in them you think to have eternal life and these are they which bear witness of me but you will not come unto me i. e. believe in me that you might have life Surely unbelieving men shall not understand they either distrust the power of God or the wisdom of God who knows all things and those which are needful for us or they credit not the will of God which is our holiness or they mistrust the goodness the righteousness and truth of God who is faithful Be we then exhorted to come believe drink of the living waters receive the holy spirit feed upon living bread the Eternal Word of God by which man lives partake of the life the righteousness the kingdom of God our righteousness life and salvation 't was his last word on the Cross Sitio I thirst and 't is the last exhortation Revel 22.7 The Spirit and the Bride say come and let him that heareth come and let him that is a thirst come and whosoever will let him come and take the water of life freely Now Christians shall judgement run down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream Amos 5.24 Shall the spirit of God be promised and be poured upon all flesh Shall the most precious promise be made that we shall be partakers of the Divine Nature Shall all these be exposed and freely offered unto every one and shall we have no share in them Where these are not there is no satisfaction but even as a hungry man dreams that he eateth and behold he is empty still Let us be perswaded to believe on the Son of God the greatest Motive in the whole Scripture is in the Text the Promise of the everlasting life All the whole New Testament was written for this end Joh. 20.31 These things are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that believing ye might have life in his Name However whether we believe or no 't is upon Divine Record the Scripture affords signs Mar. 16.17 These signs shall follow them that believe in my Name shall they cast out Devils and shall speak with new tongues They shall take away Serpents and if they shall drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them they shall lay their hands on the sick and they shall recover So Joh. 7.38 He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living waters And Joh. 14.12 He that believes on me the works that I do shall he do and greater works than these shall he do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which sounds thus But he who disobeyeth the Son shall not see the life where we must enquire what it is to obey or disobey the Son and what it is to see life Negatives are measured by their Affirmatives that therefore we may know what it is not to obey the Son we must first enquire what it is to obey him Who Phil. 2.8 humbled himself and became obedient unto the death even the death of the Cross To obey the Son then is to comply with his Will and submit unto the doing of it as to deny our selves take up our Cross and follow him Not to obey the Son therefore is contrary to all these Now then from this opposition between him that believeth on the Son and him that obeyeth not the Son it 's clear and evident that the true Christian Faith is the obedience of Faith that is to say such a Faith as puts the Believer upon acts of obedience whence it is that the Holy Ghost in Scripture useth Faith and Obedience the one for the other Yea it cannot be but where there is a true belief it must produce obedience though be it so that saving Faith is an assent or consent of the heart Jam. 1.22 Be ye doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving your own souls The Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God is a Doctrine of Obedience We have here then that which we read in other words Mar. 16.16 He that believes and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned 2. He that obeyeth not the Son shall not see life The life is here the same with what in the former words is called the Everlasting Life That we may know what it is not to see this life We know the positive first what it is to see this life by seeing life we are not to understand the exercise or act of our outward sense but by seeing we understand the true knowing and enjoying that life not as our Lord said to the Jews Ye have seen me and not believed but as ye read 1 Pet. 3.10 He that will love life and see good dayes let him refrain his tongue from evil and his lips that they speak no guile 1. The reason of this is in regard of the double object in the Text the Son disobeyed the Life denied to be seen 2. In regard of the persons disobedient unto the Son and denied
c. yet if there were any satisfaction it were the more excusable but the wise man adds The Appetite is not filled he eats and drinks and does the same thing over and over a beast is more happy than such a man because he hath an immortal Soul that hungers and thirsts yet he suffers it to languish for want of food The appetite i. e. the soul so the Hebrew is not satisfied But grant it that the appetite were satisfied yet that natural food can but support the body 'T is no more nor better than if a man should daily be repairing a mud-wall The body cannot continue without such nourishment forty days what a great miracle Consol To those who have this Divine food in them these are they who indeed are filled with all the fulness of God Ephes 3. These are they who seem to want outward meat perhaps but they have meat that others know not of Joh. 4. Martha runs about but Mary hath chosen the better part The Manna of Gods Word hath all tastes in it Wisd 16.20.26 Hebr. 13. Be content with what ye have for he hath said I will never leave you c. He that gathers little hath no want c. 2 Cor. 8.15 Murmur not poor Soul In the time of want they shall have enough Joseph dined with his brethren at noon i. e. in the heat of persecution In my fathers house there is bread enough and I perish for hunger I will go to my Father some comfort for the prodigal who hath wasted his substance and lived among the Swine But I have drunk a cup of deadly wine Psal 60.3 even so Job was charged by Eliphaz Job 15.16 St. John's care was even of the body of Gaius That it might prosper even as his soul prospered Epictetus his sheep brings a full bag and a thick fleece but a fat Oxe eats and treads down the rest Exhort Labour for the meat that endureth to everlasting life Motives 1. It 's a substantial meat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 6.11 no other than Christ himself that bread of life Joh. 6.33.49 50 51. This bread our Saviour directs us to ask of his Father when we say Our Father c. Give us our supersubstantial bread 2. It 's a satisfying meat In Christ all fulness is otherwise what meat hast thou for to morrow Exod. 16. Vide Comparat Orig. ibid. Manna cum verbo Rev. 7.16 3. It 's a lasting meat our Fathers fed on the same we do 1 Cor. 10.2 The meat that endures for ever Joh. 6.27 meat for a siege The folly impiety of seeking after other meat Mat. 6. Other meat may bring a plague with it as in the mistake of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Notes or Marks 1. Dost thou labour for the meat that perisheth and yet sayest thou labourest for this like the Lark and other birds of prey soaring high aimest at things below Dost thou mind earthly things then thy God is thy belly Phil. 3.19 Joh. 3.31 Col. 3.2 2. How dost thou thrive in thy soul hast thou not Caninam appetentiam who art alwayes learning and never comest to the knowledge of the truth 3. Dost thou desire the Word sincerely alone and not to tickle thine ear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apti ad Comedendum sunt redempti de familia Sacerdotis Levit. 22.11 The Reason of this earnest search after Knowledge Esau was a great hunter yet mist the blessing desire of the Tree of Knowledge The Childrens teeth are set on edge For he gives us in command the same he did to Adam Gen. 2.16 which we understand a permission though never elsewhere do we turn that phrase permissively in the very next verse it is Moriendo morieris in dying thou shalt dye Remove false conceit of other food which makes us loath Manna Castel pag. 47. which is rather poyson than meat Custome in the eating makes them think it good Mithridates Means 1. Direct Hunger after it God fills the hungry with good things Confer Psal 145.15 16. and 147.14 15. 2. Ask with them Joh. 6. Lord evermore give us of this meat Beseech the Lord to rain bread from heaven upon us Exod. 16.4 The truth came by Jesus Christ of all those figures and types in the Old Testament Observ 5. The reason of those high contestations those hot and earnest yea bloody disputes now for many years maintained by the confused three-fold Babel concerning the flesh and blood of Christ the nature of the Sacrament the manner of Christs flesh and blood being in the Sacrament whether by Transubstantiation or Consubstantiation There is not any question now more than these hundred years hath blotted more paper or tortured mens wits or divided mens minds more than this Men have not taken notice of Christs true flesh and blood nor the manner of partaking of it reveiled in the Word Observ 6. Hence appears how vain though gainful the practice of preserving 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the reliques of Saints yea though of our Lords body it self as too many do and too long have done shewing with great veneration and devotion some old box of congealed blood or some such like Relique to the curious and credulous beholder which he must believe to be part of some Saints body and blood which long since have returned to their dust But be it granted that the natural body of some Saints have been preserved from putrefaction and corruption so many hundred years yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vers 63. The flesh profiteth nothing Observ 7. Hence it appears that the Sacrament of Christs body is a great mystery it 's called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the less kind are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 3. whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Observ 8. Hence a reason why Children not only natural but also spiritual are not partakers of this Sacrament they are not only unable to examine themselves but also they understand not nor can they bear this spiritual nourishment 1 Cor. 3. 2. Axiom Christs blood is drink indeed as by the flesh of Christ was meant his word Joh. 1.14 So by the blood of Christ is meant his spirit and life Unto this purpose sound many places of Scripture especially Hebr. 10.29 where the blood of the Covenant and the spirit of grace are the same thing 3. So 1 Job 5. so the effect of the one is given to the other Hebr. 9.14 and this appears by our Lords own explication of this hard saying Joh. 6.57.63 My words are spirit and they are life and so Peter understood him vers 68.69 hence the blood the life The effects are these 1. it quencheth thirst My soul is a thirst for God Psal 42.1 2. in the last and great day of the feast Jesus said come to me and drink understood of the Spirit 2. It extinguisheth the heat of concupiscence sensual having not the spirit Blood is the spiritual life we are said to drink into one spirit The words
they can keep in their wits But unto whom shall such have recourse Surely under this Kingdom of the Spirit Christ in the Spirit is the chief Teacher Come unto me and learn of me Matth. 11.28 29.30 Object But if repentance be the gift of God as hath been shewn how comes it to be the duty of man It is ordinary in Scripture for God and Man to concurr in one and the same act Believe yet faith is the gift of God Wash ye make ye clean I will cleanse you from all your sins I will sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean God requires that we make our selves new hearts and yet he promiseth to make us new hearts God doth what he doth out of meer grace preventing and enabling and man out of duty walking in that strength Draw me and I shall follow thee Cant. 1.4 Jerem. 31.18 Turn thou me O Lord and I shall be turned and more fully Lam. 5.21 The Church prayes Turn thou us unto thee O Lord and we shall be turned 2. Of us of all his creatures The Lord may justly expect this Duty Why because man alone is able to reflect upon his own act Scio me scire Now returning unto God and repenting is by a reflex Act. Hence the Prophet complains No man saith what have I done but go on as an horse to the battel Therefore the Prophets ask the people what they have done as Joseph examined his brethren What have ye done So Nathan examined David Observ 1. There hath been an Union between us and our God if we must return unto him we have been with him How otherwise can we be said to have faln unless we have first stood Ruth 1. Ruth is said ro return thither where she never was If we have forsaken the Fountain we have drunk of it Observ 2. Before we repent we are averse and turned away from our God we are turned away from the face of God from the light of Life and Holiness from the Truth and righteousness of God and turned unto our selves and divided among our selves we walk in darkness and know not whither we go So Cain impenitent Cain went out from the presence of God Gen. 4.16 and 11.2 The Apostate posterity of Noah departed from the East The story is true of the posterity of Nimrod departing from the Sun of righteousness from the true Light from him whose name is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zach. 6.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They find a place in the land of Shinar which is called Chaldea so may it well enough Shinar signifieth the gnashing of teeth and Chaldea the land of Devils Here they build a City and Tower The City of the Devil Amoores Duo Duas Civitates extruxerunt Two Loves raised two Cities These are the divers Sects of opinionated men in the world who having forsaken the East the Sun of righteousness for their own glory and to get themselves a name every one puts to his helping hand to build up Babel and every several Company out of their zeal to their cause which every Sect calls Gods and makes a several formale Concordiae Articles of Argreement which they defend against others and this is their difference of Tongues they understand not one another A most dangerous generation which most men in the world are part of yet every man declaims against other and sees not that he himself is in the same Babel we all cry out against Rome as the true Babylon or Babel which is all one and surely I believe they have the greatest share of it and are the principal builders of it in the whole Christian world Yet every Sect and divided company of Christians they only excepted who are turned unto God with all their heart help to build up this Babel yet such is our common misery we conceive we have no part of it whereas indeed we see others in their darkness but discern not our own Like men in a Fogg or Mist we see others that they are encompassed with darkness but we discern not the very same condition in our selves especially if we are many who hold the same opinions for then we think to carry all before us by most voices Whereas indeed all the Congregation may be averse from God Levit. 4.13 and 16. And the truth known to a very few Ten of the twelve Spies and all the Congregation were averse from their God only Joshuah and Caleb clave unto him Observ 3. Amos 4.11 12. God's Israel his Church may be in such a condition averse and turn'd away from their God So St. Peter tells those to whom he writes The Church that is in Babylon salutes you 1 Pet. 5.13 such a people turned unto themselves Amos 5.25 Such a Church the Lord had in Babylon in Zacharies days Zach. 7.5 6. They fasted and mourned seventy years and all that time they turned not to God but to themselves such was the condition of Israel in the Text. Observ 4. Few men will believe that their condition is so bad that they are yet unconverted This followeth from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hence the Prophet lifts up his voice like a trumpet to shew his people their sins Esay 58.1 2. And they say what are we blind also Joh. 9. Observ 5. There is no dissembling with God in point of conversion 'T is possible to dissemble with men But he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the searcher of the heart he saith they have not returned unto him Repreh 1. Those who would be accounted true Converts and Penitent ones yet turn not from their sins Beloved I fear this is the condition of most of us for I fear that complaint of the Prophet may be applyed to us Jer. 8.5 Why is this people of Jerusalem sliden back by perpetual back-sliding they hold fast deceit they refuse to return they had many other sins no doubt besides deceit But he blames Jerusalem for deceit I am not ignorant that the original word may signifie all sin but the holy Ghost speaking to a City blames it for deceit Astutus they say comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a City Therefore the Psalmist complains of this Psal 55.9 10 11. Every Trade every Profession hath proper Mysteries and indirect ways of gaining These are advantageous and if we depart from these the hopes of our gain are gone Act. 16. Is' t not so Beloved And may I not then go on with the Prophet Jerem. vers 6.7 The very fowls of the heaven are wiser than we are they shun every climate as the Winter comes on and return at the Spring and Summer but we know not the Winter the judgement of the Lord his judgements are in the earth and yet we learn not righteousness And as if we would hasten the judgements of God to come upon us we divide our City and divide our Kingdom and that by those that should unite us together some are for truth some for peace whereas indeed we understand not
built up for ever Mercy and Truth pretence of Truth without Mercy that would reign It is commonly said that the pride and covetousness and ambition of the former Governours brought the world to that pass wherein it was and truly I dare not excuse them but we are much wronged abroad whether we be teaching or such as would be ruling Elders if we be not altogether as proud and ambitious and covetous as they were and therefore let us take heed lest we continue and increase Gods Judgements among us and provoke him to take away this and all other Government from us Truly the sins of all ranks and orders of men bid fair for such an Anarchy or want of all Rule as ye read of Isa 3 1-8 and therefore we may justly fear that the Lord will make us as the creeping things that have no Ruler over them Hab. 1.14 Consol Here is singular Consolation unto the weaklings the Children that are partakers of flesh and blood who are righteous as yet by the righteousness of the Law and desire to be justified by the righteousness of the second Adam God the Father by his Law hath begotten in them a good will unto Jesus Christ the second Adam and his Righteousness But alas the Law is the strength of sin 1 Cor. 15. and occasions sin to reign more tyrannically and death by sin And because the Children are partakers c. Heb. 2.14 When Pharaoh is most tyrannical the people cry out unto their God and then he sends the true Moses Let us hear holy David speak his experience Psal 18 1-4 The sorrows or the cords Marg. of death compassed me about the floods of Belial i. e. the Devil that hath the power of death Hebr. 2.14 15. vers 5. The sorrows or cords of hell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vers 6. In his distress he calls upon the Lord and what comes of it vers 16 17. the like ye have Psal 116.1 and Psal 142 1-7 Rom. 7.24 25. Repreh 2. Those who in this very nick of time when the Kingdom yea the whole Christian world is in a suffering condition are yet so unseasonably ambitious of Rule that even now they contend for it as the Disciples of Christ when he told them of his passion strove among themselves who should be the greatest Luk. 9.46 This is just Adams property 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is it not much more seasonable to suffer with him As he taught his Disciples upon that occasion Can ye drink of the Cup c. Matth. 20.20 To die with him that we may live with him to suffer with him that we may reign with him Repreh 3. Those who sleight and despise the life See Notes in Col. 2.12 Repreh 4. Those that despise the true sent Ministers of God Luk. 7.32 to be sure the fault is in the Minister If of an austere life as John then he lives like a Monk or if loving and familiar then who is he acquainted with but men without any Religion in them John comes in the way of Righteousness but men will not go out of their own way to meet the Lord in his way And may not this be truly applyed to the men of this Generation who disparage and vilifie the Life that must Reign so far are they from admitting it to reign over them Men are not ashamed to say that the Heathen live better lives than we do Yea that the Jesuites that the Pharisees Difficile est dissimulare diu Death reigned from Adam to Moses These words contain the duration and continuance of the Tyrant Deaths reign with the terms when it began and when it ended I must here remember ye 1. Who this Tyrant is 2. What his reign is 3. What is here meant by Adam 4. What by Moses 5. How Death is said to reign from Adam to Moses 1. This Tyrant Death is not only Natural but also Spiritual and Infernal the first-born of sin the Nephew and Grand-child of the Devil as ye find his Genealogy Jam. 1.15 Job 18. it is otherwise called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we turn Rom. 8.6 to be carnally minded according to the extent of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we may turn it the mind and affection of the flesh and so our Translators Col. 3.2 render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 set your affection and in the margin mind so that according to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the mind and affection of the flesh which is said to be death So that a carnal mind carnal thoughts reasonings imaginations carnal will love desire hope fear joy grief all these are Death 2. This Death is said to have reigned The word is taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indefinitely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so that we may understand it so to have reigned that it doth reign as I fear we shall find it doth for wheresoever there is such a carnal mind will and affection there is the reign of Death 3. By Adam we understand not only the person of Adam the first but the nature and that corrupted in every man which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the souly man or natural man 1 Cor. 2.9.14 and this is here meant 4. Moses may be understood 1. Properly and personally 2. Figuratively 1. Properly according to the history of him Exod. 2. and so ye have his Name and Etymologie of it Exod. 2.10 2. Figuratively and so by Moses we understand 1. The Law given by Moses Luk. 16.29 Joh. 5.45 2. Christ the end of the Law 5. How did Death reign from Adam to Moses The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from may note a time or Epocha and a cause 1. A time and so the reign of Death from Adam's transgression unto Moses's Law is Two thousand four hundred and fifty years 2. 1 From Adam as a cause as a Common Parent polluting and defiling his Posterity vertually contained in him as a common Root So Levi was in Abraham's loyns c. 2. As a common polluted nature in every one propagated from Adam and inclining and disposing every one to the same transgression and it is true That Death reigned from Adam to Moses 'T is also true that sin and death and he that hath the power of sin and death i. e. the Devil reigned from Adam to Moses yea and yet reigns in every man from Adam that common sinful nature in him till Moses till the Law Varro tells us a story that when the Sabins entred Rome the Fort on the Capitol was committed to one Tarpeius He had a Daughter a Vestal Virgin called Tarpeia she let in the Sabins and she covenanted for what they bare on their left arms understanding their bracelets of Gold and Jewels and precious Stones which they wore on their left arms but they cast all their shields upon her and so destroyed her and entred the Fort. So our Mother Eve was taken with the lust of the eyes Gen. 3.6 Adam and every one of us have a Fort to
Esau and came into the world immediately after it as I shewed thee before Where the Apostle saith I lived without the law once The meaning is he was so to the Law as if the Law were not as if the Law had been dead to him and this Metaphor he useth vers 4. ye are become dead to the law Where he compares the Law to the Man and those under the Law to the woman He should seem therefore rather to have said the Law is dead unto you than we are dead unto the Law For the similitude was thus as the Woman is free when her Husband is dead so are ye free when the Law is dead But that had been an odious speech to the Jews to say the Law is dead unto you and therefore he saith ye are dead in the law and it comes all to one and the same purpose As thus Ye are dead to the law and the law is dead unto you So that ye have nothing to do with the Law and the Law hath nothing to do with you no more than living men have to do with those that are dead I was alive without the law the Law was as it were dead unto me whence is appears what life he lived without the Law of Nature or Law of God where we must take notice of a threefold life 1. Of Nature 2. Of Grace And 3. Of Sin 1. Of Nature when a man lives according to the Law of Nature 2. Of Grace when a man lives according to the Law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus 3. Of Sin When he lives according to the law of his members according to iniquity which is a Law unto him I lived according to mine own will and pleasure I thought I lusted I loved I hated I feared I rejoyced I spake I did I left undone all what I would in a word I thought lusted spake did what I listed I had no curb no check no tye of the Law upon me I was a free-man I was alive without the Law For thus the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we turn to live or be alive signifieth neither natural life nor spiritual life here but the life of sin which is improperly called life and more truly a death Thus the life of the man is that wherein he is more principally imployed The life of a drunkard is to be drunk vivere est bibere of a Gamster to game of a covetous man to covet c. and the nature of the man is so deeply moulded in sin that it seems to be his nature envy pride is the nature and life of the envious man the proud man Thus life is taken in the Scripture Thus walking which is conversation living in which ye walked while ye lived in them Col. 3.7 The Prophet David complains Psal 38.19 Mine enemies live and are mighty live i. e. they are lusty sound cheerful merry frolick in their sins and live without the law why doth the living man complain A man who lives in his sin Lam. 3.39 Vivamus mea Lesbia Eccles 6.8 What hath the wise man more than the fool What hath the poor that knoweth to walk before the living i. e. before the rich as the opposition intimates before rich and voluptuous livers Thus to live is taken 1 Sam. 5. vers 6. where David instructs his young men whom he sent to Nabal Thus shall ye say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to him that lives that Vatablus understands as if David should say Do they fare well as long as thou livest as a flatterer said to Claudius that set out the Ludi Seculares which were kept every hundred year and fell in Claudius his days Saepe facias But David is understood to speak otherwise by our Interpreters who add a proper supplement Thus shall ye say to him that liveth in posterity for so to live is taken by the voluptuous Poet. Vivamus Sera nimis vita est crastina vive hodie Thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used 1 King 1.25 They eat and drink before him and say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let King Adoniah live Chald. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let him prosper Psal 22.27 your heart shall live for ever i. e. ye shall be merry and joyful This appears also by the contrary as in the story of Nabal 1 Sam. 25.37 His heart died in the midst of him all his mirth and sport had an end The Reason 1. In regard of the man There is a necessity that his natural and earthly life precede The first man Adam was made a living soul the last man Adam was made a quickning Spirit Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual but that which is natural and then that which is spiritual 1 Cor. 15.45 46 47. Seeing therefore the Law is spiritual and tends to the advancement of the spiritual life The natural life must precede so that he must necessarily say I lived without the law once 2. A second Reason is in regard of the Law for that was ordained for the lawless saith the Apostle 1 Tim. 1.9 as the means are ordained for their end and therefore the end must be before the means the lawless man living before the Law So that had there not been a man who had lived lawlesly and without the Law there had been no need of a Law But what we say of positive Laws is true also of Gods Law Ex malis moribus ortae sunt bonae leges The man is first diseased and then Physick is prepared for him First the man lives without Law lawlesly and disobediently that of the soul is the most deadly disease and then the sound and healing doctrine of the Law is prepared for him for the law was added saith the Apostle because of transgression Gal. 3.19 transgression therefore must precede and the man must first live without the Law 3. In regard of the Law-giver who is the only wise God and therefore well knows how needful a Law was for the man so long as he lived for had Christ and his righteousness lived in the man or had the man believed in Christ who is the power of God and loved Christ who is the righteousness of God there had been then no need at all of a Law to compel him thereunto Why Because the man then through faith in Christ the power of God and through love of Christ the righteousness of God should live in the righteousness of God witnessed by the Law and the Prophets which is that life which God requires Now if the man lived that life which God requireth what need he a Law to compel him so to live 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saith he in Homer Why dost thou spurr a free-horse The law was not made for the righteous man 1 Tim. 1.9 But whereas that the Lord saw that the man had no will unto the righteousness of God nor faith in Christ Jesus but was wholly inclined unto his own lusts and his own will and that sin
puffed up by their fleshly mind their Opinions that they know puff them up 1 Cor. 8.1 2 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This way of Gods Commandments is that way which the Vultures eye hath not seen Flesh and blood reasoned and disputed about the Sacrament Good God how are many minds divided about it what a deal of paper hath been blotted with that Controversie whether the body and blood of Christ be really or corporally under the Elements yea or no little heed is given to our Saviour when he speaks of that My words are spirit and truth the flesh profiteth nothing there 's flesh and blood disputes about the Law Do we keep the Law So much of the Law as we live so much of it we know and no more when we keep it in our spirits and become spiritually minded we are able to judge of it and not before 1 Cor. 2. This reproves those who understand well that the Law is spiritual and that there is a greater and higher measure of obedience required out of it than the outward letter of the Commandments seems to import and in this knowledge they please themselves yet live in disobedience to the outward letter for whereas there is a spiritual wickedness discovered by the spiritual Law Satan perswades men who have learned this that this spiritual wickedness is that only wickedness which is forbidden and that there is no other sin but this hence with freedom they commit outward sins Thus some flatter themselves The true thievery is the appropriating of that which is Gods unto ones self and therefore he makes bold with his neighbours goods The true Father is God and therefore they neglect their natural parents thus the Jews by their tradition corrupted the Commandment of God Mar. 7. it is Corban the true drunkenness is not with wine Isai 29.9 Jer. 51.27 but a drunkenness of opinion and self-conceit and thereupon they allow themselves in surfetting and drunkenness thereupon they make no scruple to be drunk with wine wherein is excess The true adultery is spiritual and thereupon they think they may be bold with the outward and corporal the pollutions of idols Act. 15.20 and 21 25. I have heard and am right heartily sorry to hear that there are and I have known some of this judgement but let such to their terrour hear the judgement of God 2 Pet. 2.20 God forbid there should be any such among us The Spouse of Christ must be holy in body and in spirit she must be cleansed from all pollution of flesh and spirit 1 Cor. 7.34 she must be sanctified throughout in spirit soul and body God is a jealous God See Exod. 20. Many serve not God but their own bellies Object But they are more zealous against Baal Ezech. 8. What husband would believe his wife who should say husband my heart is entirely yours when yet she prostitutes her body to another It was a false speech of Martial Lasciva est nobis pagina vita proba est Our lives are wanton but our life is honest And shall we think that the searcher of all our hearts will believe us that our hearts and spirits are his when we yield our members servants to uncleanness and iniquity Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks the hand works the eye looks the foot walks The French Proverb is here true Nothing comes out of the sack but it was before in the sack A corrupt word comes from a corrupt heart a sinful outward life from a sinful inward life Corporal wickedness proceeds from spiritual wickedness if we break the outward Commandment we break the inward and spiritual also Exhort O that we also knew and were perswaded that the Law is spiritual Would we know this have we an earnest desire thereunto That will betray it self in our outward study and endeavour Lord how I love thy Law all the day long is my meditation on it There 's no understanding of God's riddle unless we plow with his heifer Judg. 14.18 The Law is full of riddles and spiritual understandings Psal 78. Preface Follow the guidance of thy teacher the holy spirit is the only true teacher And God gives his holy spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Ministers are the Oxen who tread out the corn who separate the chaff from the wheat the husk of the letter from the grain of the spirit 1 Cor. 9. Shall we be alwayes learning If ye do the things that I command ye then ye shall know Joh. 7.17 By exercise men grow strong not by eating and drinking It 's a shrewd sign the Oxe is fatted for the slaughter that 's put into a fat pasture that snatcheth here a morsel and there a mouthful and treads the rest under feet like a Bore in a frank The like we may say of those who are all their life time mewed up in a study they will plod out the spiritual and mystical meanings of the Law and practise in another world when there is neither devise c. This is as if a man should drive a wedge against the grain these learned fools much befool themselves they begin at the wrong end they study first and then live they must first live and then study The Lord tryes thee with easie truths practise if thou be faithful in little he will trust thee with more Who of you would put your best liquor into a vessel that ye know not whether it will hold or no ye fill it first with water so doth our God Pray for the Lords Spirit beg of the Lord spiritual eyes that thou mayest see the wonderful things of his Law Lord that mine eyes might be opened Then follow Jesus in the way To what an high pitch of understanding in Gods Law did the Prophet David attain unto by the use of those means Psal 119.98 99 100. If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them Further touching the Law from Hosea 8.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vulg. Lat. Scribam ei multiplices leges meas quae velut alienae computatae sunt Vata Scripsi ei honorabilia legis meae Our Translation I have written to them the great things of my Law but they have accounted them as a strange thing That we may the more orderly proceed in these Meditations concerning the Law I shall remember you of our method hitherto Ye have heard the nature of the Law the Author and end of it the principal effects it hath in the man and those both proper and per se as correcting and instructing and per accidens as making sin to revive and increase Ye have heard also the principal adjuncts and epithets of it both such as concern the inward and outward life as that it is holy just and good and such as concern the inward as that it is spiritual Next in order follows the division of the Law and for this end I have made choice of this Text. In this Chapter containing one entire prophesie the
judged of the Lord O Beloved do we not know that for these things comes the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience Ephes 5. Do we not know for this cause many are sick and weak among us and many sleep 1 Cor. 11.30 Have all our afflictions think we come out of the dust or hath the Lords hand been so long stretched out against us in vain and without cause Have we not by this means now long time provoked him to plague us with divers diseases and sundry kinds of death All the Fathers ate the same spiritual meat yet with some of them God was not well pleased 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There will not need any large explication of these words if we shall remember the opening of the former point for so it will appear that as by the Mannah the body and the flesh of Christ is meant his spiritual body that is his Word which is his flesh Joh. 1.14 Deut. 8. man lives not by bread only so by the water out of the Rock and the blood of Christ is to be understood his Spirit for so St. John speaks expresly 1 Joh. 5.8 Confer Notes in Joh. 6.55 56. This is the Reason why the spirit of Christ whereby we are sanctified and purged from our sins proceeding from the Father and the Son as blood from the body this is called the blood of God Act. 20.28 for in Christ dwells the fulness of the Godhead bodily Col. 2. And so out of him being smitten by our sins Isa 53.4 5. by our transgressions and the Curse of the Law for sins issues the blood and spirit of God This was evidently signified Exod. 17. by Moses smiting of the Rock in Horeb when the Law was given for therefore vers 6. The Lord saith behold I will stand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon the Rock Hence it is that oftentimes in Scripture the blood is said to be the life Gen. 9.4 Levit. 17.11 for blood is the spiritual life and hence we are said to drink into one spirit 1 Cor. 12.13 whence the spirit of God is called the spirit of life Rom. 8.2 Rev. 11.11 Hence we understand those Scriptures which testifie the effects of Christs blood Rom. 5.9 10. 1. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all our sins 1 Joh. 1.7 which is not understood only of the merit of Christ which yet is of inestimable value but also of the power and efficacy of his blood and spirit 2. Christ washeth us from our sins in his own blood Rev. 1.5 Hebr. 10.29 the blood by which we are sanctified 3. 1 Pet. 2.18 19. where the blood of Christ is compared with corruptible things as silver and gold of all bodily things the most durable and preferred before them as being incorruptible it cannot be understood only of that blood of Christ shed upon the Cross which was like ours for Hebr. 2.11 He took part of the same 7. and 4.15 It must therefore be understood of Christ's spiritual blood or his spirit and life as he speaks Joh. 6.63 and therefore Hebr. 9.14 How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living God Observ 1. This is the reason why Moses forbad the people blood but Christ commands to drink his blood Moses knew they were not fit while yet under the Law to partake of the life but our Lord requires that his self-deniers his mortified ones partake of his blood and life What is it to drink the spiritual drink What else but to believe in the Lord Jesus as the Scripture hath said Joh. 7.37 38. What saith the Scripture of Christ That he is the bread that came down from heaven Joh. 6. the light of the world Joh. 8. the door of the sheep Joh. 10. the resurrection and the life Joh. 11. the way the truth and the life Joh. 14. c. He who believes thus in Christ receives him drinks his blood and spirit drinks the living waters Observ 2. Hence it appears how foully they are mistaken who understand the body and blood of Christ the eating and drinking of them no otherwise than of his natural body and blood and we must follow the actions answerable thereunto how then are they called here spiritual meat and spiritual drink Observ 3. Who are the worthy Communicants Who else but they who contentedly abide in Christ in conformity to his death and life who dwell in him such only he invites such only ought to come to this spiritual feast such only are his Disciples Joh. 8.31 Observ 4. Behold the Centre the Rest of all the Children of God Exhort 1. To eat Christs flesh and drink his blood Exhort 2. To abide in Christ 1 Joh. 2.6 But alas how shall I eat the flesh of Christ c My Brother hath something against me Art thou angry with thy Brother c Matth. 5.22 None of all these what then Dost thou live in some great and heinous sin as of drunkenness whoredom or that which is hardly counted sin though a far greater dost thou live in envy pride covetousness None of all these what then Doth thy brother take offence at thee for well doing which he thinks evil doing In this case scandaliza fortitèr saith Martin Luther What then is it wherein thy Brother takes offence He differs from me in Judgement That divides all the world Peter and Paul Paul and Barnabas yet we read not any thing to the contrary but that they met to break bread the first day of the week Observ 5. Here we read of spiritual meat and spiritual drink and a spiritual Rock ye perceive the Holy Ghost useth such expressions as these are when it will signifie something which is the truth of that which is presented to the outward sense whereby such language is warranted as indeed is necessary in speaking of spiritual and heavenly things Observ 6. As hence appears the universality and commonness of the means of salvation so likewise the munificence bounty and goodness of the Author and Giver of it whence it is that it 's generally said of all the Fathers that they were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea no man was excepted yea they went all through the sea and were baptized old and young child and suckling There is express mention made of their little ones Exod. 12.37 Every male was circumcised without exception Gen. 17 11-14 As they were all baptized and circumcised so all did eat of the same spiritual meat they all fed upon Manna c. They all received the holy Sacrament Observ 7. May we not think that some of these were grown up to the spiritual old age there were those among them no doubt who were Elders indeed and such as Moses knew to be such Numb 11.16 17. yet we do not find that any of them pleaded that they were above Ordinances for they all were baptized and
away Devils I dispute not though sure I am the Ancient Holy Fathers of the Church affirm no less But without all question by the Cross it self the patience of the Saints the great Dragon the old Serpent called the Devil and Satan was cast out and his Angels with him And the Saints overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the Word of the Testimony and they loved not their lives unto their death Apoc. 12.9 By this we tread upon Serpents and Scorpions and all the power of the enemy This this is the Christian Glory Gloriosum est sequi Dominum saith the Wise Man Ecclus. 18. we glory in afflictions saith St. Paul Nay God forbid saith he that I should glory in any thing save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ whereby the world is crucified to me and I unto the world Gal. 6.14 But go we so about to perswade men to follow our Lord down this lowest step of his Humiliation to the death of the Cross as if it were Arbitrary and left to our discretion O no beloved 't is our duty our bounden duty to which we are bound by a double necessity both Praecepti as that of our Saviour and frequently from our Saviour by his Apostles and Medii and this such that without it it 's impossible we ever attain unto the end For the obtaining of the Crown depends upon this bearing of the Cross He that endures temptations when he is tryed he shall receive the Crown of Life saith St. James Jam. 1. that life depends upon this death If we die with him we shall live with him The glory we hope for depends upon the enduring of this shame If we suffer with him we shall be glorified with him This is that furnace of humiliation wherein the gold is tryed and acceptable men come forth vessels of honour meet for their masters use This is the Altar whereon the sin-offering the body of sin is consumed the truth of that whose shadow we contend for This is the Purgatory through which all the Saints of God ever have and shall pass to heaven the truth of that which vain men have made a fable This is the narrow way between fire and water which leads unto the heavenly inheritance This is that strait gate through which we must crowd into life and like the Serpent leave the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the conversation of the old man behind 'T is the death of the Cross not the natural death that purges us from all uncleanness before we enter where no unclean thing enters In a word the Cross whereon our old Man is crucified with Christ Nor ought we to think the Cross to be a burden insupportable if we consider the reward how heavy soever it 's but short and light for our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our English comes short of the full expression a far more exceeding eternal weight of Glory 2 Cor. 4.17 St. Peter calls it modicum modicum passos and modicum we say non nocet no it hurts us not 't was the condition of Nahash 1 Sam. 11 2. of the Devil let me thrust out thy right eye Christs Spirit saith do thy self no harm Act. 16. No the Cross may it must kill us but it cannot hurt us for we neither suffer loss of any thing that 's good nor sense of pain Not loss for though we lay all our affections upon the Cross good and bad together the gold together with the dross the dross will be consumed the gold will not the Humanity of Christ might die the Divinity could not die If a Ram rank carnal joy be laid upon the Altar 't will be slain and burnt if Isaac if true spiritual joy it will come off alive Men look upon this death as if it were the only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most terrible of all terribles whereas indeed there 's no hurt at all in it It 's like the casting out of the unclean Devil the Devil threw the man down that was possest but hurt him not saith St. Luk. 4. we are cast down saith our Apostle but not destroyed as dying and behold we live I am crucified with Christ yet I live yet not I but Christ lives in me no loss then I hope No nor is there sense of pain or what there is 't is ballanced with comfort so much water of affliction in the vessel so much wine of joy as the sufferings of Christ abound so doth the consolation also Nay all the pleasures of this world are not so delightful as the very pains of suffering with Christ Moses who had experience of both he of the two chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Aegypt Think it not strange saith St. Peter concerning the fiery tryal which is to try you as though some strange thing happened unto you but rejoyce inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christs sufferings that when his Glory shall be reveiled ye may be glad also with exceeding joy Nay the pains of this death are so swallowed up with hope of life that there 's no joy but this Count it all joy when ye fall into diverse temptations saith St. James Jam. 1. And what Patient now I pray except an arrant fool or stark mad or desperately sick would not swallow down a potion how bitter soever if assured he could not live except he drunk it how much more if sweetned and made most pleasant with certain hope of life And can we drink of the cup he drank of the cup of his passion or can we be baptized with the baptism he was baptized withall baptized into his death No doubt we can as the Sons of Zebedee answered our Saviour For Christ's Cross is commonly the first lesson we learn in Christ's School to believe that Christ was crucified for us and that we at all adventures are crucified with Christ For who hath not this or the like sentence in his mouth The life that I now live I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me O Beloved we are all of a very easie belief and soon brought off to credit any thing that God hath promised or Christ hath done or suffered for us But to believe that we must be obedient unto his death or bear his Cross after him suffer with him or be crucified with him Indeed to believe we must do any thing but believe here here we stick here the believer will be sure he will not make overmuch hast This was a short cut unto Salvation who ever it was first found it But we must know that the lively Faith which worthily we highly prize hath necessarily other Graces accompanying it and of these especially Charity and Patience for the faithful man can do nothing without Love nor suffer
sin and iniquity as much as lies in them from generation to generation for children having no better pattern which they will follow than their Parents example they suck in their corrupt manners as their milk and insensibly drink in their wicked lives as Rachel is said to have stollen her fathers idols This is the cause of the ruines and destructions of Kingdom and Common-weals as the Lord is pleased to give an account of his dealing with the ten Tribes Their Kings took their pattern of iniquity one from other till at length they were carried away captive into Assyria 2 King 17. and the remnant were like them vers 41. And the like account the Lord is pleased to give why he rejected the Jews Josiah a good Prince left an eminent example to his sons after him who every one corrupted his way 2 Chron. 3.6 yea these ruines which have befaln this land were by Wise men foreseen in the corrupt manners of youth in places of education Exhort 1. Whoever have good Parents let them endeavour to inherit what is good and of God in them 1 King 3.6 2 Tim. 1.5 Exhort 2. To those who have evil Parents as the Hebrews had Let them not look upon what is next them for an example as the brute beast looks only at what is present but look higher at what is more eminent and excellent if none of own progenitors were exemplary in goodness Let us be followers of God as his dear children Eph. 5.1 For is not he thy father that bought thee c. Thus Esay bids us look to Abraham And St. Peter sets the Example of Christ before us that we should follow his steps for as Rivers farther off their Fountains are either brackish or soil'd and muddy So the more remote from the Fountain of life c. Aetas parentum pejor avis c. When Asa saw the wicked life of his Father Abijam who followed his father Rehoboam who imitated Solomon only in his Apostacy Asa looked beyond all these his Progenitors and looked up to David 1 King 15.11 Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord as did David his father as if he had had no Father intervening between him and David Amaziah imitated Joash but the Scripture implies he should have imitated David 2 King 14.3 Therefore the holy Spirit Ezech. 20.13 hath reference to the story in the Text The house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness and vers 18. I said unto their children walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers All flesh is grass Zach. 1.4 5 6. There is also reason from the infirmity and weakness of persons present whose lives are pryed into bodily presence is weak virtutem praesenten odimus semotam ab oculis quaerimus invidi The Pharisees would build the Prophets Sepulchres whom their fathers slew Jehosaphat is commended that he walked in the first ways of his father David 2 Chron. 17.3 David's first ways were rending a lion the devil a bear the flesh a Goliah the world Observ 3. Obedient and good children of vitious Parents ought if I may so say to seek to make God amends for their fathers sin to expiate as much as lies in them their fathers iniquity according to which the Jews said of a good man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exhort That Parents give good examples to their Children lest they being examples of sin they may be also made examples of punishment as these in the Text were The Fathers of the Hebrews tempted God proved him and saw his works forty years Hitherto we have heard the sins of the Fathers with the first aggravation they tempted God though they saw his works The second aggravation is taken from the continuance of time how long they tempted him and that is forty years These forty years are here added to vers 9. signifying the long continuance of the fathers in their sins but Psal 95. they are added unto the verse following and so signifie the continuance of Gods grief for their father sins And divers of the Ancients are of this judgement which reading also the Apostle himself approves of vers 17 18 29. But with whom was he grieved forty years c This diverse pointing of the words is very ancient but to whether of the two soever we joyn the forty whether to the fathers sinning or Gods grief for their sins the sence amounts to one and the same thing although differently applyed as I shall shew in the application of them both Mean time let us consider them as our Apostle applies them The number of forty is a mystical number sometimes of temptation to sin sometime of sin it self sometime of punishment for sin sometime repentance for sin I shall give examples of these 1. Our Lord was tempted forty days in the wilderness Matth. 4.1 2. 2. These fathers of the Hebrews sinned forty years 3. For their sins sake their children were to bear their punishment forty years Numb 14.33.34 Thus the people of the old world was wasted away and blotted out of the earth by forty days and forty nights rain Gen. 7.4 4. The same number signifieth also repentance and sorrow for sin And therefore forty days were allowed the Ninevites for their repentance The reason of this long continuance in sin may be conceived from consideration of the iniquity it self c. See Notes on Rom. 6.19 Observ 1. Sin lasts long and will continue long unless by the mercy of God through Jesus Christ it to be destroyed Iniquity burns like a fire Esay 9. and like fire it increaseth and goes not out alone unless it be quenched by the Spirit of God which is as water Joh. 4. and 7. It grows and encreaseth like the Crocodile which the Naturalists say groweth while it liveth and therefore God hath provided the Ichneumon to kill him c. and iniquity encreaseth and grows and would never dye But the good God hath sent the Lord Jesus Christ who out of meer grace and love to mankind by death destroys him who hath the power of death Rom. 6.6 Eleazer slew the Elephant 1 Macch. 6.46 Observ 2. From what we perceive in this number forty we may collect that there are many Mysteries intended by the holy Spirit in numbers such there are in the numbers of three and four and seven and ten and twelve and the compound numbers and as this number of forty imports temptation tryal of Faith sin punishment and repentance for sin so the number fifty notes remission and pardon of sin whence it was that the fiftieth year was the year of Jubilee Lev. 25. Observ 3. Some there are that continue long time in their perversness and unbelief and harden their hearts This was the condition of this people both in the wilderness and in the Land of Canaan against whom the Prophets every where complain Esay 1.4 Ah sinful nation a people laden with iniquity c. and 5.6 Why will ye be smitten any more c. Yet
of the Life in the young plants a young Saint and an old Devil 't is one of the old Devils proverbs these are the Locusts the Canker Worms and Caterpillars which consume the young Plants and Sprouts the wild Asses who like Ishmael live the life of the wild Ass a savage and bruitish life and oppose the Life of God in themselves and others Job 39.8 The range of the mountains is his pasture and he searcheth after every green thing So that communion and fellowship with ungodly men makes this plant not thrive in us If the Goat lick the Olive Tree it will not bud saith Varro and the Olive is the Church of God Rom. 11. they are the wicked the true Amalekites who lick up the people as the Goat licks up and eats up the young buds Amalek smote the hindermost the weakest if outwardly understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if inwardly taken the licking or besieging sin which in every circumstance besets us supplanting the first good motions These Amalekites or Ishmaelites commonly oppose Virtue in others the Life of God in others as there is antipathy among Plants such there are who calumniate and reproach Christ growing up in his Paradise call his Life Madness Wisd 2. destroy it where ever it appears How is that possible can any hate that which is the true good wickedness grows up like a tree in them and there is an irreconcileable enmity between them for a good work say they we stone thee not Joh. 10.33 If these things be done in the green tree what shall be done in the dry Luk. 23.31 nor will men acknowledge that they hurt the Tree of Life for the good fruit of it But they have some other Reason he blasphemes he is an enemy to Caesar he works by Beelzebub and then take him and crucifie him The Paradise of God is so lovely and Christ the Tree of Life in it that who can hate it but when aspersions are cast upon it men look upon it as covered with them Thus they disparaged the Tree of Life Joh. 10.20 He hath a devil and is mad why hear ye him Observ 8. This Tree of Life is in the midst of Gods Paradise that it may give life to all the Plants he is the midst between God and Men the Mediator without the Church Non est salutare sacramentum sed neque salus sola est Ecclesia per quam sacrificium laudis Deus libentèr accipiat mercedem denarii non nisi qui intra vineam laboraverant acciperunt Observ 9. See their happiness who are in Christ they are in the Tree of Life Joh. 17.21 As thou Father art in me and I in thee so they also may be one in us In these are the true delights and pleasures and therefore truly called a Paradise which is watered with that river of pleasures Psal 36.8 They shall be abundantly satisfied or watered with the fatness of thy house and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures and why for with thee is the Well of Life Gen. 2.10 God is the Husbandman he waters it every moment he fences it he builds a Tower in it it is his hortus conclusus Gods Paradise and they happy who are planted in it Christ is in the midst of Gods Paradise as the Life of all the Trees of Righteousness in the heart of every one of Gods plantations so that we need not say lo here or lo there we like not such Doctrine because we desire to live loosely according to our own wills we avoid strict living because we like well of some of our sins or other we will not come unto Christ that we might partake of his Life being afraid to drink with him of his cup. 1. Hence those are to be reproved who seem to be branches of the True Vine of the Tree of Life yet bring forth no fruit worthy of it Ezek. 15.2 2. Let us be exhorted to remember whence we are fallen and return and do our first works return to this Rest this Paradise an entrance is open when we turn from our sins and all the Creatures and return Toto mundo corde for then we see God then we possess the Kingdom of Heaven which is within us and again delight our selves in the Paradise of God This is the sword of the Cherubim turning it self this way and that way if it turn from God to the Creatures it drives out of Paradise if from the Creatures to God it makes way for our return into the Paradise of our God This is that repentance which made way for the good Thief the two edged sword Hebr. 4.12 FINIS
water And hither we may refer the miraculous feeding of so many with so little food Matth. 15.16 2. The immediate Commandment is directed unto our selves to live upon it and that is the Law of God which was ordained unto life as the Apostle speaks Rom. 7. though the Law of it self cannot enliven us For if there had been a Law given which could have given life surely righteousness should have been by the Law but the Scripture hath concluded all under sin that the promise of faith by Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe Gal. 3.21 22. This points us to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the essential word of God Jesus Christ himself according to his Divine Nature That Word which was in the beginning John 1.1 with God and was God which cannot be understood of the body and flesh of Christ which was not from the beginning Of this inward word the outward Word bears witness John 1. and 1 John 1.1 2 3. speaks experimentally of this Word That which was in the beginning c. The food of which the Saints of God have fed upon even from the beginning 1 Cor. 10. And that this is the word here meant especially as figured by the outward Manna Moses intimates Exod. 16.15 When the Children of Israel doubted what it should be he resolves them this is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat and v. 16. This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded gather of it every man This is the thing in the Hebrew it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth The Word the Vulg. Latine hath Sermo rather than the thing The word is ambiguous and 't was fit for those times for the concealing of so great a mystery which our Saviour opens John 6.33 to which our Translatours refer us in the Margent The bread of God is he saith that essential bread which cometh down from Heaven as the Manna figuratively did and giveth life unto the World Hence it is that we find Christ so often signified by bread both in the Old and the New Testament 1. In the Old Testament Odo the Abbot the most learned of his time hath observed this heavenly Harmony of Corn Wine and Oyl signifying the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity and he quotes a notable place for it Joel 2. whose latter part from v. 28. to the end is alledged by our Saviour Matth. 24. St. Peter Acts 2. and St. Paul Rom. 10. to be fulfilled in these last times v. 19. of that Chapter he promiseth to send them Corn and Wine and Oyl and v. 24. The floors shall be full of Wheat and the fats shall overflow with Wine and Oyl which he fitly applies to the several Persons thus The Son fills the floors with Corn and Wheat The Spirit fills the fats with Wine The Father fills the fats with Oyl 1. The Oyl of mercy which mitigates and asswageth pain well befits the Father of mercies 2. The Corn or Wheat fills the floors with plenty whereof it is an Emblem and strengthens the heart of man 3. The Wine makes glad the heart which is a principal fruit of the Spirit These three ye may find often joyned together by the Holy Ghost as Deut. 11.14 and 12.17 and 18.4 Psal 104.15 2. In the New Testament I am saith he the bread of life John 6.32 And this bread saith he is my body Matth. 26.26 And I would not have you ignorant brethren that all our Fathers did eat the same spiritual meat and drink of that spiritual rock which was Christ 1 Cor. 10.3 4. And the reason why this inward man is to live by this essential word that proceeds out of the mouth of God may be considered either 1. In regard of God who causeth even this word to grow out of the earth Psal 104.14 Aperietur terra germinet Salvatorem Esay 45.4 Let the Earth open and bring forth the Saviour and who rains from Heaven this spiritual Manna on us for Moses gave you not that bread from heaven but my Father giveth you this bread from heaven John 6.32 And in respect of the inward man and his spiritual life to be maintained this spiritual food is necessary Simile à simili nutritur is a known rule like is nourished by the like and we being to grow up and to become 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like to the Angels whom God hath made Spirits God feeds our inward man with spiritual food which the Psalmist calls Angels food And that 's the third Reason in respect of the nourishment it self for whereas the Souls and Spirits of the Saints must live the life of God which is eternal this heavenly food is that which hath the essential life in it John 1.4 Yea that meat which endures unto everlasting life John 6.27 Yea the eternal life it self 1 John 5.20 Great reason therefore there is that man should not live by bread only but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God 1. A Doctrine that is worthy all our observation which that we might know Moses said Exod. 16.32 This is the word or thing which the Lord commandeth fill an Omer of it to be kept for your Generations that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the Wilderness And Deut. 8.2 3. The Lord thy God fed thee these forty years in the Wilderness to humble thee and prove thee to know what was in thine heart and I suffered thee to hunger and fed thee with Manna and that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only but c. For this end that we might know he continued this miracle forty years not that we might only contemplate this truth for verba cognitionis intelligenda sunt cum affectu But 2. That we might learn to withdraw all our Faith Hope Love Confidence Care Fear all our dependence from the Creature and repose it wholly and solely upon our God who gives all the power virtue and efficacy unto the Creature and without whose concourse the whole Creature is weak vain empty nothing The staff of bread is but like a broken reed or like the chaff or husks without power and vertue to sustain us Man lives by every word c. 3. As also that rich man whose servants have bread enough and to spare Luke 15. might learn not to pride themselves or lift themselves up above their poor brethren for why Man lives not by bread only nor doth a mans life consist in the abundance of the things which he possesseth 4. That we may learn a difference between God's providence and rich mens touching the feeding and sustaining of the poor for howsoever the poor man lives not by bread only yet a kind of life he lives by bread which the rich must give them And howsoever the poor man lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God yet he lives not by any word at all that proceeds out of the
that I speak they are spirit and they are life Thou hast the words of eternal life 1 Joh. 5.8 It is the water springing up to eternal life so that blood and spirit are all one Observ 1. The universality the commonness of the means of salvation the Lord makes choice of such Elements as are Parabilia possible to be had really had necessarily to be had and used in all the world usus communis aquarum bread the staff of life Isa 3. Wine may be had either of the Vine or of some other Tree or else of some Corn or other as we read of Wine made of the Palm-tree and Barly Wine and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Diod. Siculus Exhort To thirst after this drink to be thus blood-thirsty Christ's bread is to be eaten not treasured up in the understanding Exod. 16. there it putrifieth Die autem sexta In the evening ye shall eat bread Vid. Orig. They saw God and did eat and drink Exod 24.11 Means direct Go to God for it he hath that which satisfieth and so he gives to drink Psal 36.8 9. of the river of thy pleasure NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON JOHN VIII 24 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For if ye believe not that I am he ye shall dye in your sins Then said they unto him Who art thou and Jesus saith unto them Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning I Shewed lately what the Lord Jesus Christ hath suffered and done for the cure healing and removing of our spiritual maladies and sicknesses Our Lord Jesus in the words read assures us That unless something be done on our part we shall dye of those spiritual diseases if ye believe not that I AM ye shall dye in your sins The words contain part of a Dialogue between the Lord Jesus Christ and the Jews concerning Faith and the object of Faith and the explication of that object wherein our Lord propounds himself unto them as an object of their Faith to be believed on and that at their peril If ye believe not that I AM ye shall dye in your sins whereupon the Jews enquire who he is and he gives them answer to that question In this part of the Decalogue our Lord affirms Two things of himself 1. That he is I AM. 2. That he is the beginning 1. That he is I AM so the Greek words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the Syriack Interpreter so the Vulg. Lat. Thus also Martin Luther and Piscator and two Low Dutch Translations and Pagnin Vatablus thus also the Spanish Translation all the other Latin French Italian and English Translations unwarrantably and unnecessarily add unto the Text and render the words If ye believe not that I am He whereas there is no He in the Text nor any need of it yea it obscures the Text as we shall make it appear In it are contained these Four Axioms 1. The Lord Jesus is I AM. 2. If we believe not that he is I AM we shall dye in our sins 3. The Jews enquire who he is 4. Jesus said unto them the beginning that also I speak unto you 1. The Lord Jesus is I AM. The words are harsh and very strange to our ears but such indeed are all spiritual things unto the natural man and his natural understanding ye know what the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 12.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unspeakable words Hebr. 5.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I render thus Concerning whom we have much speech and hard to be uttered and St. Peter saith of St. Pauls Epistles that there are in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things hard to be understood But these words of the Son ought to be no more strange unto us than those of the Fathers are Exod. 3.14 I AM hath sent me unto you But that the words ought thus to be understood will appear by an harmony of other Scriptures Matth. 14.27 which I render be of good courage I AM be not afraid and in this 8. of John ye have two like Scriptures vers 28. When ye have lift up the Son of Man then shall ye know that I AM and vers 58. which can be turned no otherwise before Abraham was I AM. But what reason can we give of this The expression is of the Sons Deity and a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and a true reason is à priori Can there be any thing in nature before the Deity what saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 11. The head of Christ is God i. e. the Father And the Fathers name is I AM which descends upon the Son and the Son inherits that most excellent name I AM. But enquire we rather into the reason why our Lord Jesus thus expresseth himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I AM of this expression we may conceive Two Reasons 1. Our Lord speaks of his Divine Nature which is better expressed in a Verb Substantive than any Verb Adjective because it notes essence and being 2. Of Beings the present Being best sutes with the Divinity as being alwayes present and not varied by other parts of time 3. Our Lord Jesus hereby notes his dispensation proper to himself Observ 1. A common fountain of Being See Notes on Exod. 20. 2. Christ is immutable ibid. Consol Ibid. 2. If we believe not that Jesus Christ is I AM we shall dye in our sins The proof of this is evident by a like speech of the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.17 The reason of this appears from consideration of Christ himself and the nature of Faith it is the Lord alone who can pardon and take away sin Isa 43.25 Who can forgive sin but God only there is no other name or being 2. Faith is carried to the operative power of God Col. 2.12 Act. 10.48 Observ 1. Unbelievers in the Lord Jesus such as believe not that he is I AM they are dead in trespasses and sins For whereas Faith in the Lord Jesus enstates us in the Everlasting Life Joh. 3.36 where such Faith is wanting men are spiritually dead and continue in the kingdom of darkness and cannot go forth of the darkness It is the speech of Eliphaz Job 15.22 He believeth not that he shall come out of darkness and according to every mans Faith so it is unto him If a man believe that sitting in darkness and the shadow of death he cannot possibly arise and come forth from thence he must here sit still and die I doubt not but there hath been some corruption of the Text for there have been many who have studiously endeavoured to obscure the Eternity of the Son of God Let us examine our Lords Answer The Lord Jesus saith he is the beginning The Greek words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Syriack even the same who began that I might speak with you unless ר be mistaken for ר and if so the words are the beginning who have spoken with you Vulg. Lat. Principium qui loquor vobis having reference to