are Strangers to me I never saw them look towards me but away from me Therefore Depart I know you not There is none but would desire to be owned at that great Day Oh! acquaint thy self with God here walk before him continually tha◠〈◊〉 may know thee Be constantly in his House about his Work that he may know thee and take Notice of thee This was the Course of David Psal. lxxxiv 9 Behold O God our Shield and look upon the Face of thine anointed Lord I am here in thy House daily before thee look upon my Face know me own me for one of thy Houshold Thus a Saint and God are come into Acquaintance The Communion betwixt them is yet something more That is the Holy Place this the Holy of Holies Quest. But wherein doth it consist or appear Is a Saint always sensible that he hath Communion with God If so why doth he so oft complain that God hides himself that he hears not that he is angry He cannot find that he is at Peace and Union with God much less in Communion Answer To speak as to the acting of both Parties in this Case For Communion is a relative or mutual thing Viz. Of a Saint to God and of God to a Saint I. A Saint's Communion with God is first that he goes to God as to his only Friend to impart his Mind and Heart to him and to trust in and rely upon him Hence is mention of going with Confidence to the Throne of Grace and of Boldness to enter into the Holiest by the Blood of Jesus Heb. x. 19 As the High Priest went into the most Holy Place to converse with God In all his Straits he goes with Confidence to God as his only Friend in all his Wants he goes to God as his dearest one whom to rely upon Object But many a time he thinks God is become his Enemy that he frowns as a Foe and smiles not as a Friend Answer True but look all the Book through and the Stories of Holy Men and you never find a Saint fleeing from God as an Enemy but getting to him as a Friend The Child tho' the Mother frowns chides whips him yet he will not but still hang upon her David feels God's Arrows stick in him Psal. xxxviii 2 yet at ver 9. he goes to him tells him his Condition as his only Friend and Relief Lord all my desire is before thee c. I tell thee my whole woful Case as my only Friend ver 15. In thee O Lord do I hope thou wilt hear me O Lord my God How doth he there hang on God and will not leave him He sees him frown feels his Rod yet will not run from but hangs on him Lord I will hope in thee I know thou wilt not be always angry but wilt hear me Tho' thou killest me saith Job yet will I trust in thee Secondly He communicates himself to God in engaging his Heart to him and his Ways and his All to him God calls Jer. xxx 21 Who is this that engageth his Heart to me I do it saith the Saint of God with all my Soul to be thine and only thine and at thy Service And this is the Saints Communion with God II. We are to consider God's Communion with a Saint How doth God evidence his Communion with a Saint He once did it visibly as dining with Abraham supping and lodging with Lot He sometimes did it by manifesting his Mind by Revelations But since these ceased we must apprehend his Communion in another manner Therefore consider that Place of Scripture Psal. xxv 14 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant To which is parallel Prov. iii. 32 For the Froward is Abomination to the Lord but his Secret is with the Righteous Observe the Opposition The Froward is Abomination to the Lord. God cares not for him but hates him as his Enemy But his Secret is with the Righteous as a Friend But how is his Secret with him He imparts his Mind indeed to him by his Word and so he does to the Wicked too if they would know it But does he otherways impart his Mind by Revelation Does he always evidence to him his Prayer is heard Doth he ever whisper to him his Sins are pardoned that he shall be delivered out of Troubles Many a dear Saint prays long and yet cannot attain to this Discovery and yet the Secret of the Lord is with him How Ans. His Secret that is 1. The secret Influences of his Grace As Psal. xvii 14 He fills the Bellies of Worldings with his hid Treasure so he fills the Souls of his Saints with his hid Influences 2. Secret Experiences He teacheth the Soul to feel Spiritual Experiences makes him taste how sweet Holiness is and how good it is to serve God So that tho' God communicate not himself by Influences of Comfort yet he does by Influences of Graces We have hitherto considered the Communion of Saints with God now concerning their Communion among themselves What their Communion is since they are scattered throughout the whole World let us search out first by considering wherein their Communion doth not consist then wherein it doth I. Some have conceived it consisteth in Community of Goods from Example of that in the Apostolic Times Act. ii 44 And all that believed were together and had all things common And Chap. iv 32 And the Multitude of them that believed were of one Heart and of one Soul neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own but they had all things common And Cloisters of Monks and Friars forsooth must imitate this as a Saint-like Communion Do I need to speak any thing in Confutation of this Mistake when both Testaments do allow nay do enjoin Propriety and do not only tell that there is a Meum and Tuum but enjoin Men to look to their own to provide for their Families and not to usurp nay not to desire what is another's That particular Example in the Apostles time was upon a singular Occasion of which we are not to expect any Imitation The whole Church then in Jerusalem most of them far distant from their own Countries Thro' this Remoteness there were many poor among them therefore it was needful that some special Provision should be made for these poor lest Poverty should have caused them to Apostatize And God stirred up divers to part with their Estates for such charitable Ends. And none of them knew how soon they and their Estates might be parted by Persecution And Christ had told of an Universal Deluge coming over the Nation Therefore upon these Grounds they make Friends of the Unrighteous Mammon A thing not obliging to Imitation because there is not again the like Occasion II. Some seem to make the Communion of Saints no more than the receiving the Sacrament together and will have none but Saints to receive
to Particulars Eden The Fourth Day The Sun Moon and Stars created The inferiour Hemisphere first sees the Sun Or else the Moon was made before the Sun The Fifth Day Fowl and Fish made The Whale particularly named to shew that even the greatest Creature could not make it self The Sixth Day Beasts and Cattel created and Man Lord of the Creatures on Earth Who come to acknowledge their Homage to Man when they come for their Names Which Adam giveth them GEN. II. Begin to read this Chapter at ver 4. This Chapter is a particularizing upon some Generals of the Chapter preceding at their first Sight according to their Natures He seeth not amongst them all a Mate for himself God provides one for him of his own Flesh marries them together puts them into the Garden gives them the Moral Law in few Words and to shew to them their intire Dominion as well over themselves as over the Creature he leaves them to their own free Will with Power either to stand or fall He gives his Angels charge over them to be ministring Spirits for their Good Some Angels despise this Office and for that Pride are cast from their first Estate of Happiness and are reserved in the Chains of God's Providence under the Darkness of his Displeasure unto the Judgment of the great Day No Comfort they have left them but to have Company of the same Misery and to bring Man into the same Perdition GEN. III. This they soon enterprize and having first obtained Leave of God they assail the Woman by three Temptations to the Lust of the Flesh Lust of the Eye and Pride of Life as 1 Joh. ii 16 she being overcome bringeth the Man into the same Transgression About Three Hours after their Fall God cometh to censure them but first he promiseth Christ a Redeemer Which Promise Adam layeth hold on and for that calleth his Wife's Name Eve or Life God seeth his Faith and teacheth him to Sacrifice clean Beasts as a Seal of his Faith in him who should be sacrificed for him With the Skins of which Beasts he cloatheth Adam and his Wife and driveth them out of Eden even on the Day of their Creation The Seventh Day After the end of Gen. iii. take in the three first Verses of Chap. ii That Adam fell on the day of his Creation were there no other Evidence Gen. v. 2. were sufficient The next Day God by his own Example ordaineth as a Day of Rest for Adam and his Posterity to meditate upon these things Evil Concupiscence generated in Adam by his Fall doth readily forward Adam upon the present Necessity of Generation of Children GEN. IV. He hath two born at a Birth First that which was Natural and after him that which was Spiritual Their Mother upon the Birth of the first of them shews her Apprehension of the Promise and calls his Name Cain a Possession or Purchase †The Original Words may well if not best bear this Sense For saith â—he I have obtained the Lord to become Man But the Purchase or Possession of the Propagation of Original Sin did most shew it self in the Nature of Cain Because his Brother's bloody Sacrifice which properly signified that of Chrisâ— was visibly fired from Heaven and his dry Sheaves of Corn the likelier Materials to burn are not he falls into a desperate Discontent which tho' God himself from Heaven would remove with †The common Gloss upon ver 7. Sin lies at the Door That is the Punishment for Sin is ready to seize on thee is that contrary to the Sense of the Verse going before and the latter end of that Verse God comes not there to deject but comfort him The Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated Sin signifies the Sacrifice for Sin all along Leviticus which was brought to the Tabernacle Door comfortable Words yet sticketh it fast even to the Death of his Brother For which he is made a Runnagate and hedged in that he cannot die as Job iii. 21 tho' he begged of the Lord Let any one that findeth me kill me God gives him a Token that no one should kill him Upon which he grows resolutely wicked as appears in the Discipline of his Children One of which Lamech the seventh from Adam in this Line is notoriously wicked and bringeth in height of Wickedness by his double Marriage This Chapter undertaking to set down the Wickedness of Cain's Brood runs on with the holy Line till it stop at Enosh In whose time that Wickedness began to be notorious See 2 Pet. ii 5 Which Enoch the seventh from Adam in the other Line prophesieth against Jud. ver 12. Yet Lamech boasteth in his Villany and even undervalues his great Grandâ—ire Cain His Children give their Minds to Trades that may further Luxury and Vanity as fatting Cattel Imagery and Music. Thus is Cain's Generation scattered and shall be utterly rooted out by the Flood But these are the Generations of Adam that should hold out and not fail GEN. V. This Chapter is a a Chronicle of 1656 Years from the Creation to Methuselah's Death This time is called Early in the Mâ—â—ning or the dawning of the Day Mat. xx 1 This Chapter cast into a Chronological Table giveth much Light to what went before to what follows and to it self In the Day that God made Adam he created him in his own Image even both the Male and Female he made in this Image and blessed them with Power of begetting Children in the same Image also but they fell on the Day of their Creation so that God names them Earthly Adam the Day that they were created And when Adam was an Hundred and Thirty Years old compleat he begat a Son in his own Image sinful like himself and called his Name Seth. And all the Days of Adam were Nine Hundred and Thirty Years a Thousand within Seventy But now Seventy Years are a Man 's whole Age Psal. xc 10 In this long time Adam saw his Children's Children to the Ninth Generation Enoch the Seventh from Adam is dedicated to God as the Seventh Day and God took him away that he should not see Death when he had lived as many Years as be Days in a Year Enoch before he was translated prophesied against the Wickedness of the World and foretold of the Flood Which those that feared God believed and therefore kept themselves long unmarried because they would not beget many Children for the Waters For Methuselah lived an Hundred Eighty-seven Years and begat Lamech and Lamech lived an Hundred Eighty-two and begat a Son and foresaw that to him should be given Liberty for all the World to eat Flesh whereby they should be much eased of the Toyl which they endured in Tillage of the Ground when hitherto they ate nothing but the Fruits thereof and he called his Name Noah And when Noah was Five Hundred Years old That Sem was Noah's second Son collect from Gen. v.
the undoing of the Nation to this Day Against these our Saviour so declaimeth Mat. xv 3 Why do you transgress the Commandment of God by your Tradition And in other Places And the Apostle 1 Pet. i. 18 where he speaks of their vain Conversation received by Tradition from their Fathers Now these Traditions in the two greatest Points of Religion viz. Concerning Christ and the Way of Salvation had introduced Doctrines as contrary to the Prophets and Truth as might be They made the Way to Salvation so easie that it was no strait Gate nor narrow Way that led thither but a few Ceremonious Works Washings Purifications Sacrifices would do the Business By these they thought they could be justified And how easie was it to perform these As for Christ our Messias they thought he should be a Temporal Deliverer and would live always and converse among them and enstate and keep them in all Earthly Pomp and Prosperity To this it is the Apostle speaks here God will send Jesus Christ among you but not as your Traditions teach to be always bodily present with you for he is now in Heaven and Heaven must contain him and there he must be till the restoring or accomplishing of all things But not of all things that are spoken by your Masters of Traditions but which God hath spoken by the Mouth of his holy Prophets According to the Sense of the Prophets not your Traditions AN EXPOSITION OF Two Select Articles OF THE Apostles Creed VIZ. I. The Holy Catholick Church II. The Communion of Saints AN EXPOSITION OF Two Select Articles OF THE Apostles Creed I. I believe the Holy Catholick Church AFTER the Creed hath done with what is to be believed concerning God it comes to speak of what is to be believed concerning other Matters of Faith It teacheth the Trinity and that we are to believe in Father Son and Holy Ghost and most largely what to believe concerning the Son His Incarnation and Acting for Man's Redemption After mention of Faith in the Trinity I believe in God the Father In his Son Jesus Christ and I believe in the Holy Ghost it first comes to teach what to believe concerning the Church and that in this Article I believe the Holy Catholick Church A Papist's Faith upon this Article comes to this Credo in Ecclesiam Sanctam Romanam Catholicam i. e. I believe in the Holy Roman Catholick Church In which they speak Impiety to believe in Men Falshood to call the Roman Church Holy and Nonsense to call that particular Church the Church Catholick or Universal I shall not insist to confute their Belief in this Point the first Part whereof is so plainly confuted by Scripture that bids not to trust in Man the second by Experience and History that tells of the abominable Unholiness of the Roman Church and the third by all Reason and common Language that tells it Nonsense to call a particular Church the Church Universal I shall first unfold to you the Article and then speak to what is observable upon the Meaning and Intent of it The Church you see is made the Object of Faith in it But of what Faith and in what Sense the Articles following shew Viz. To believe that there is a Holy Catholick Church as that there is a Communion of Saints that there is Forgiveness of Sins c. In the Article are three Things to be believed I. That there is a Church of God II. That it is Catholick III. That it is Holy The hardest thing is What is meant by Catholick and it is not easie to say How there is a Holy Church when there is so much Wickedness and Abomination in the World It is said by the Psalmist Psal. xiv 2 3. The Lord looked down from Heaven upon the Children of Men to see if there were any that did understand and seek after God They are all gone aside they are altogether become filthy there is none that doth Good no not one And where then can you find a Holy Church The Apostle Paul saith Phil. ii 21 All seek their own not the things which are Jesus Christ's And John saith 1 Ep. v. 19 The whole World lyeth in Wickedness And where can you then find a Holy Church Diogenes searched the City throughout with a Candle at Noon day and said Hominem quaero I seek for a Man So search Jerusalem with a Candle and how rarely can we find one that is Holy And where then is the Holy Catholick Church First As to the Word Catholick it signifies Universal It is rendred General in the Titles of the Epistles of James Peter and John And those are call'd General Epistles because not written to particular Persons Cities or Countries as those to Timothy the Romans the Galatians c. but generally to all in many or all Countries As S. Peter to the Strangers in Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithynia S. James to the twelve Tribes wheresoever scattered So the Catholick Church is first meant in Opposition to the particular Church of the Jews and secondly as meaning the Church of the Gentiles of all Nations that truly profess Christ throughout the World The Jews under the Law cry'd The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord are these So since the Gospel even hitherto they cry The Church of God are we But the Scripture tells us they are a Synagogue of Satan And Scripture teacheth us to acknowledge a Catholick Church the Church of God abroad in the World among all Nations at one time or other We shall take up the Words particularly and single And first of the Word Church And the Article doth teach and call upon us to believe That God hath ever a Church in the World I shall not insist upon the Signification of the Word in Greek and Latin nor of the Deduction of it into our English Tongue Some think our English is derived from the Greek Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Belonging to the Lord. As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord's Supper 1 Cor. xi 20 And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord's Day Rev. i. 10 So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Church to mean the Lord's Portion as Israel is called by that Title very oft There is none of you I suppose but know what is meant by the Church of God viz. Those or that Company that worship and serve God throughout the World About the Definition or Description of the Church of God is now and hath been almost ever under the Gospel the greatest Controversie one of them in Religion As at present whether the Roman Church be a true Church Which many Protestants deny And whether the Protestant Church be a true Church Which the Romanists deny Whether the Church of England be a true Church Which Separatists deny Whether Separatists be of the true Church Which the Church of England denies The like Scruple is made of the Greek Russian Jacobin Abyssin and other Churches Into which Controversie I
Particulars 1. Christ loved his Church and gave himself for it What for all that make an outward Profession Adulterers Fornicators Drunkards and the like Doth he love such Doth he give himself for such Many and many better Professors shall be refused of Christ at the great Day because they were not sincere in their Profession tho' not so abominable in Conversation Mat. vii 22 23. Many will say to me in that Day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name have cast out Devils and in thy Name done many marvellous Works And then I will profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye that Work Iniquity We cannot think that such were so abominable in their Conversation but Christ found they were not sincere in Profession The foolish Virgins we cannot imagine that they were Whores for they were Virgins Or that they were abominable in their Lives but they were foolish drowsie and negligent Now if Christ is so far from owning such as are so fair-carriaged think you he owns loves and gave himself for horrid Wretches that despise him 2. The true Church is cleansed sanctified without Spot or Wrinkle Look on the most nay almost all in the visible Church that make an outward Profession and do they carry such a Mark How few are there upon whose Conversation is Holiness to the Lord As Tit. i. 16 They profess that they know God but in Works deny him At Christ's Table there was One Devil to Eleven Saints in the visible Church it is well if there be one Saint to many Devils One of a City and Two of a Tribe like a few Berries after beating the Olive-Tree I may use the Stile of Eliphaz Job xxii 15 Hast thou marked the old way which wicked Men have trodden Mark the way of the World which most Men walk in Observe how unsuitable it is to the Gospel to the Example of Christ and the Discharge of a good Conscience And then look upon these Marks of the true Church of God And then judge whether it be not true that the Church of God is the least part of the VVorld and the least part of the Church visible Our Saviour asserts the former in Fear not little Flock c. Also the latter in Many are called but few are chosen Many in outward Profession in the visible Church but few truly the Church of God And so we may answer that Cavil of the Papists we spake of before Where was your Religion all the time of Popery Answer In the Scripture Had a Jew questioned a Heathen at his first Conversion Where was your Religion heretofore He might have answered In the Scriptures We profess nothing but what is in the Scripture As Acts xxvi 22 Saying none other things than those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come But where was our Church It was but invisible Some there were that worshipped God according to Scripture that he saw and knew tho' invisible and unknown to Men. That then that we are to believe in this Article is I. That God ordinarily hath had hath and will have a visible Church for the glorifying of his Word and Name But II. Tho' the Church be not visible yet God hath always some that belong to him and serve him And this is the Church of God tho' not to be discerned of Men. These most properly are the Church as Ecclesia signifies that is Called out A People called out of the World tho' in the World yet called out of it so that they are not of it Called off from the Course Way Doings of the World as it were into another Climate Many are called that is Have the Call held out to them but they follow it not called to but not called out But these as the Apostles did follow the Call of Christ and forsake the World Called to be Saints and they become Saints or Holy Now for further Explication and Illustration of this Article I shall descend to enquire into two Questions I. Whether every Christian who is bound to believe that there is a Church is bound also to believe that he is of this Church II. How far Christians are obliged to believe the Church that is Councils Synods or Primitive Fathers I. Whether every Christian is bound to believe that he is of this Church For certainly it seems strange for Men to believe as Standers by only as if they were not concerned in the thing believed I believe that there is a holy chosen number to be saved that God delights in them that they faithfully serve him and that they have Communion with God Forgiveness of their Sins But what is all this to thee What art thou the better for it And therefore certainly the Article hath further aim than to intend only a bare Belief But doth it reach to this I believe I am of this number To proceed gradually first let me observe two things by the way 1. That nothing is to be believed as a necessary Point of Faith but it concerns the Soul therefore believing of it must be to benefit the Soul Corde creditur ad justitiam With the Heart Man believeth to Righteousness It is not all to believe the thing is true but fâ—rther to believe so as the Soul may have Advantage Take an Instance One of the first things in Religion to be believed is That the Scriptures are the Word of God and divinely true This who believes not The Devil himself cannot deny it Nay he cited Scripture as the Word of God to our Saviour And there are Thousands in Hell that never made doubt of this Therefore the believing of this must have a further reach that the Soul may receive Benefit upon so believing 2. The believing the needful Points of Religion is not an Act of the Understanding only but of the Will and Conscience also It is a Question Whether Faith be an Act of the Understanding or Will And it is concluded of both especially the latter I believe that there was a Julius Caesar an Alexander Magnus Here is only an Act of the Understanding because I have no more to do with it but only to believe it But I believe that Christ was born died rose again that there is Forgiveness of Sins that there is a God an Heaven a Day of Judgment And in reference to these I have something more to do than barely to satisfie my Understanding that the things are true For I have to work my Will and Affections upon my Belief that my Soul may be benefited to Eternity These things premised let us apply to the thing in Hand Then I am not only barely to believe that there is a Church but my Soul is to be working upon this Belief for its Good to be affected in Heart according to the Import of the thing believed And this may be upon a twofold Reflexion When I say I believe a Holy Catholick Church that there is always a Company of
Holy Men that truly fear God Sursum corda then lift up your Hearts First To be affected with the Goodness and good Providence of God that picketh out and preserveth such a Company to himself Not to think of the Church on Earth but to have such a thought also towards Heaven hereat to observe admire and be affected with God's wonderful Goodness in that regard Such are the Apostle's Thoughts upon the Thoughts of the Church He looks on the Church of Corinth once such a People as he describes 1 Cor. vi 9 10. Fornicators Idolaters Adulterers Effeminate Abusers of themselves with Mankind Thieves Covetous Drunkards Revilers Extortioners But now Washed Sanctified Justified And where are his Thoughts Up toward God 1 Cor. i. 4 I thank God always on your Behalf for the Grace of God which is given you So he looks on the Church of the Ephesians Chap. i. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings c. So on that of the Philippians Ch. i. 3 I thank my God upon every Remembrance of you And so to the Thessalonians 2 Thess. i. 2 We give Thanks to God always for you all And so should a Christian presly thinking of the Church of God have his Heart in Heaven blessing the infinite Goodness for chusing and preserving such a People to himself In the Inundation of Sin and Damnation to pick out a Number for himself to escape Sin and Damnation and in all the Tumblings and Storms of the World to keep a Church undrowned and unoverwhelmed an Handful in Noah's Ark in the midst of the Deluge of Sin and Troubles Secondly To be affected with the Condition and Estate of the Members of the Church He that truly knows that and them cannot but take up that of the Psalmist Psal. cxliv. 15 Happy are the People that are in such a case yea happy is that People who have the Lord for their God When you rehearse this The Holy Catholick Church in the Creed let your Thoughts first recoyl to your Bibles and see how the Holy Ghost pictures them there Lam. iv 2 The precious Sons of Zion comparable to fine Gold Mal. iii. 17 And they shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts in the Day when I make up my Jewels Then that Psal. lxxxiii 3 They have consulted against thy hidden ones They are the Treasure of the Lord's Cabinet laid up with him tho' not minded of Men. Nay yet the Divine Limner lays on more precious Colours Joh. xv 15 I have called you Friends Nay 2 Pet. i. 4 Partakers of the Divine Nature Nay further 1 John iii. 4 We are the Sons of God And that is not all but more if more may be We shall be like to himself Now Christian when thou repeatest this Article write this Exposition of the Word Church in the Margin These are the Lord 's precious Ones His Jewels His Friends His Sons His own Similitude These are His Delight His Portion His Chosen and the very Apple of his own Eye Deut. xxxii 10 And art thou not affected with their happy Condition And affected for thine own Soul's Interest I believe the Holy Catholick Church that is such a Happy Blessed Glorious Company and dost thou not stir O my Soul No Life no Holy Emulation no striving to be like to these A poor miserable Beggar sees the Wealth and Bravery of the great Ones and he may haply envy it but he cannot emulate or hope to equal it But God hath shewn thee a Way that thou mayest be like to these and Partaker of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light and art thou not moved Alexander weeps because He was not so famous as Achilles Julius Caesar because not so famous as Alexander And hast thou not a holy Emulation in thee O Christian Such and such Holy Blessed Dear to God and hast thou no Emulation to be so too Ponder but that Title Friend of Christ and that Title Child of God and do we profess Christ and God And are we not moved at it To be a Child of God carried in the Bosom of his dearest Affections To be a Friend of Christ always in his tender Affections and Remembrances and smiled on by him at the great Day and Heart art thou so lumpish as not to be warmed with such Thoughts This very Hint may answer the Question before us viz. Is every one to believe that he is of the true Church Answer Every Heart here is he not to believe that he should be of this Church that it is not well if he be not so Nay further that he is to strive with all his Endeavour to be of it or else he is not what he should be Set this Church before you in the Picture of it Mat. xxv 33 standing on the Right Hand and Christ smiling upon it Do you not believe you should be of that number Do you not believe you ought to give all Diligence to be of it This it the thing the Article calls to you for when you repeat it And let me be a little further its Interpreter to shew you yet this Church its Meaning I. It would mind you that that is the Church that is a Church for ever The Church of God is that that shall be the Church of God when the World shall be no more I may compare the Church visible and invisible to the Body and the Soul The Body is visible and at last shall come to Dust. But the Soul is invisible and is immortal Visible Churches have died Generation after Generation Where are the visible Churches of Asia Judea c. and time will come when all the visible Churches of Europe must come to nothing But still there was an immortal Soul in those Churches a Company of Holy Ones that go to be a Church of God in another World to praise glorifie and have Communion with God for ever This Church in the World is like the Heart in the Body of Man Primum vivens ultimum moriens The first that lives and the last that dies It began to live in Adam and Eve when they embraced Christ and when it dies the World must die with it When the last Saint is gathered then even the Soul of the World and of the visible Church is gone and they die too The Life of the visible Church is the Word and Sacraments and Ordinances Wheresoever these are there the Church is alive But if these are not rightly administred the Candlestick is removed it hath but a Name that it liveth but is dead And how hath God or may God remove these But the Life of the invisible Church is the Word and Spirit and neither of these are ever to be removed For both are settled in Heaven Observable is that Phrase Jam. i. 21 The ingrafted Word It is fast joyned and growing in the Heart In the visible Church it is in the Hands but to the true Flock of
of Justification lay before the Divines having under their Hand the Consideration of the Homily of Justification Palmer moved that to meet with the Antinomians Repentance might go into the Definition of Justification but it would not pass But a Clause in the Homily was thought good to be inserted Viz. Which though it do not exclude Repentance and Conversion to God c. Yet doth it not include them as Parts of the Works of Justification And this Clause was voted affirmatively But Lightfoot thinking it not sufficient shewed that the Phrase Doth not exclude Repentance did not reach to meet with the Antinomians and Profane ones who abused this Doctrine And therefore he tendred the Word Required and that it should run though it do REQUIRE Repentance and Conversion c. But it was feared that word might be doubtful and therefore they rather inclined to the former Phrase Not excluding And as he shewed his Zeal against this Sect in the Assembly so his Doctrine in his Sermons was to the same Import These words he spake in one of them with much earnestness I have observed and cannot but observe again to you how much is laid in Scripture upon our discharging of our Duty towards our Neighbour upon dealing in Truth in Righteousness in Charity and Integrity with Men as if this were the very ALL we had to do The Jews say that all the Six Hundred and Thirteen Commands of the Law are summed up in those Eleven Psal. xv Reckon up those Eleven and how many of them refer to our upright and righteous dealing with our Neighbour Who shall abide in the Lord's Tabernacle Who shall dwell in his Holy Hill He that works Righteousness and speaks Truth to his Neighbour that takes not up a Reproach against his Neighbour that keeps his Oath though to his own Hurt that takes not Vsury that takes not Reward against the Innocent He that doth these things shall never be moved One would think said he the Answer to this Question Who shall abide in the Lord's Tabernacle should have been such an one as this He that is Devout and Constant in Prayer He that is a constant Hearer and much in Meditation of the Word of God He that is careful to keep the Sabbath and so to relate to the Duties of the First Table But ye see here all referrs to our dealing Fairly Truly Uprightly with our Neighbour And so Mat. xix 18 If thou wilt enter into Life keep the Commandments He saith unto him Which Jesus saith Thou shalt do no Murther Thou shalt not commit Adultery Thou shalt not Steal Thou shalt not bear false Witness c. So that if you ask the Way to Sion If you enquire which Way shall I go to the Lord 's Tabernable to dwell in his Holy Hill Why Friend you must begin at a perfect and good Heart toward Men an so go along to a perfect and good Heart toward God and so to Sion God calls for such Duties towards our Neighbour as it were to set us to our ABC and Primer to learn the first Elements and Lessons of Religion Thus would he sometimes meet with the Antinomian and pull down the high-flying Religionists that were above these low Dispensations of Morality Truth Justice and upright Dealing with Men. These Doctrines therefore and such like broached by Men of unquiet Spirits he liked not and especially when they led Men away from that true Heavenly-mindedness Meekness and Humility which are the great Laws of the Gospel This was one Reason made him no Friend to the Millenary Opinion which taught Men to look for an Earthly Paradise and Reward in this World For these that dreamt of Christ's Personal Monarchy here on Earth imagined themselves also to be some of those that must reign with him and had the Best Right to the Possessions of this World Which was a Doctrine that opened a Door to Violence Rapine and all kind of Injustice to the high Disparagement also of Christ's Holy Religion On that account also he was no Friend to it but as he had occasion confuted it Those that embraced this Opinion concluded that place in the Revelations Chap. xxi 2 I John saw the Holy City the New Jerusalem coming down from God out of Heaven prepared as a Bride adorned c. for a Description of the Times when Christ should come and reign on Earth But our Divine shewed no more to be meant by it but the State under the Gospel And that the New Jerusalem there meant nothing but the Christian Church as might be shewed at large When the Old Jerusalem in Canaan at he spake in one of his Sermons is destroyed John sees a New Jerusalem When the Old Church of the Jews is cast away he sees a New Church And this Church is said to come down from Heaven A Saint is Heaven-born and is Heavenly while he is here upon Earth From Heaven he comes and to Heaven he must return He is born from above Adorned and Drest from Heaven and in a Heavenly Dress And he is Drest for Heaven The Millenaries made use also of that Expression of the Apostle in the Acts Chap. iii. 21 That the Heavens must retain Christ till the Restitution of all Things Against whom thus he Armed his Auditors This encourageth the Millenary to Dream of Christ's Reigning here on Earth a Thousand Years before the Final End of the World and Swords must be then beaten into Plowshares and Spears into Pruning-Hooks Then an Universal Peace Concord and Tranquility is to be restored to the Church and all the Glorious Things the Prophets have spoken of to come to pass and be settled But as to that Place the Doctor shewed there were two manners of restoring things viz. to their old Estate or to a new and better The Millenary himself dreamt not of restoring to any former Estate And if it be meant of restoring to a new and better that is done already when Elias came and restored all things Mat. xvii 11 And our Divine shewed that this Restoration or Restitution signified no more but that all things in the Prophets should be made good or accomplished This is learnedly treated of in the last Discourse of the Third Decad. To which I refer the Reader The Perfectionists that pretended to live without Sin he saw wanted that Humility and Modesty and constant dependence upon God's Grace that was necessary to the Christian State and therefore by no means approved of them neither And endeavoured to Arm his People against that Doctrine And what his Thoughts were of it may be seen in the first Discourse of the Third Decad. Where to pull down the Plumes of this Vain-Glorious Generation he shewed that a Saint of God in his imperfect Condition did exceed Adam himself in his unsinning Condition in divers respects 4. He was in fine one that had a mighty Concern for the Honour of God and Religion That God might be served in Spirit and Truth Which was
things than the Land of Canaan out of which even the Holiest among them they see excluded Sihon and Og overcome It is Six and Twenty Generations since the Creation Answerably Psal. cxxxvi doth Six and Twenty times extol the Mercy of God His Mercy endureth for ever NUM XXI Beginning the Psalm from the Creation and ending it in the Overthrow of Sihon and Og. By which Israel first took Possession of the Land promised Balaam is hired to curse Israel but cannot He curseth Rome for Crucifying Christ. NUM XXII XXIII XXIV Chap. xxiv 24 This is the Groundwork of the Revelation Balaam when he cannot curse lays a Stumbling-block in Israel's way by bringing Midianitish Women among them NUM XXV By whom they fall to Lewdness which procures a Plague among them that sweeps away those that were yet left of the Account at Sinai When the old Stock is gone they that must enter Canaan are numbred NUM XXVI Thus as they were delivered Moses by number From hence to the end of the Book all things are facil and in order by number he delivers them up SECT VII DEUTERONOMY MOses in the Eleventh Month of the last Year of their wandring rehearseth and explaineth precedent Laws and Stories He blesseth all the Tribes but only Simeon giveth Judah Priority of Levi dieth and is buried by Christ who was to bury his Ceremonies The Cloud of Glory departeth upon Moses's Death SECT VIII IOSHUA JOshua of Joseph succeedeth him to bring them into Canaan as Joseph had brought them into Egypt This Book contains a Story of Seventeen Years beginning from Nisan the Sixth Anno Mâ—ndi MMDLIII The first Seven Years are spent in Wars and then have they Peace and set up the Tabernacle in Ephraim and call the Town Shiloh i. e. Peaceable God gives Joshua Authority and even puts the Law into his Hands as that was the manner of crowning their Kings IOS I. 2 Chron. xxiii 11 This was the Sixth of Nisan that Day he makes Proclamation of Removal after three Days compleat and withal that Day sends two Men to spy Jericho IOS II. who take up their Lodging in a Victualler's House called Rahab an honest Woman tho' of a scandalous Profession But they come out again that Night The Seventh Day they lye in the Mountains the Eighth Day they return The Ninth Day the People march along upon Jordan's Banks down till they come over against Jericho IOS III. The Ark leadeth the Van. They pass Jordan on the Tenth the Waters being divided four Thousand Cubits besides where the Body of the Army marched in two Parts IOS IV The Eleventh Twelfth Thirteenth Days they are busie about Circumcision On the Fourteenth they keep the Passover IOS V VI. and so are sensible of both their Sacraments at once Till the Twenty-first at Even is their Passover Week From thence they strangely besiege Jericho compassing it Seven Days according to the Seven Generations since the Land was promised The Spoil of this Town must deservedly be as the first Fruits of Canaan due to the Lord. Which Achan meddling with makes Israel abominable In the Valley of Achor which is here the beginning of their Trouble IOS VII must be the beginning of their Hope Hos. ii 15 Joh. iv Ai taken and the Spoil given to the Soldiers And here they begin to take Possession of Canaan IOS VIII Then Joshua builds an Altar just where Abraham had done when he took Possession of the Land by Faith Gen. xii IOS IX The Gibeonites deceive by colour of Antiquity A miraculous Day of Thirty-six Hours long A humane History Sepher Jasher cited X c. as Paul cites Heathen Poets and Talmudic Doctors From hence to the end of the Book is a Survey of the Land and some few Histories interlaced of no Scruple for Order Only the Story of Caleb's taking of Kiriah Sepher Chap. xv 14 is rehearsed Judg. i. 12 as if it were after Joshua's Death but in this Book it is in the proper Place It is rehearsed in Judges because there speaking how Judah was appointed Captain by God it relates this Story to shew why Othniel was looked after rather than any other of Judah because of his Valour tried before in this Action SECT IX IUDGES GOD to make easier way for Israel's Possession of the Land of the Amorites useth the Amorites for their Furtherance So Sihon and Vahob King of Moab CHAP. I. fall to Wars and Sihon taketh Land from Moab that Israel might take it from him that was an Amorite for with a Moabite they might not meddle So Adonibezek and his Neighbour Kings fall to civil Wars and he conquers Seventy of them ready to Israel's Hand So that when they have conquered him they have conquered so many They cut off his Thumbs and great Toes and bring him to the great Town of the Kingdom Jerusalem and there for Terror to others do publickly kill him The things next related after the Overthrow of Adonibezek as the taking of Hierusalem Hebron and Kiriath Sepher were done in Joshua's time But they are rehearsed for this reason that we might see that Judah was chosen General after Joshua's Death by God That Israel might war under one to whom they were used and acquainted For Judah was made General by Joshua even in his Life-time And this Matter of Othniel named here to shew why he is made Judge afterward In the rest of the Chapter the Order is proper only whereas some things are mentioned here which are mentioned in Joshua's Book as ver 27 29. about Israel's not expelling the Canaanites it is to shew that as it was not done before Joshua's Death so neither was it done after For which they have heavy tidings from God Joshua's Age and Death mentioned again IVDG II. to v. 11. then read CHAPP XVII XVIII XIX XX XXI of this Book to shew that in his time all was well with them After the Tenth Verse of this Chapter take in the XVII XVIII XIX XX XXI Chapters of this Book for hereabout is their Order For howsoever these these Stories be laid in the end of the Book yet were the things there mentioned done before any Judge arose in Israel For the evidencing of which consider First the Connexion of the Passages there mentioned one to another I. Micah of Ephraim set up an Idol as Jeroboam of the same Tribe did afterward The Danites take it away IUDG XVII XVIII even in Micah's Life time and set it up publickly in Dan as Jeroboam also did afterwards And Jonathan a Grandchild of Moses is the first publick Idolatrous Priest This Moses had for marrying in an Idolatrous Line Dan for Idolatry first set up in his Tribe is not sealed Rev. vii among Israel Upon Toleration of Idolatry all Iniquity follows IUDG XIX XX. so that a City of Israel becomes Sodom Against this City all Israel goes by God's Permission to War
to To nothing but Vanity and Vexation of Spirit Like him in the Story that had a great Iron-bound Chest by him that he thought his Forefathers had filled full of Treasure for him but when he comes to open it it proved nothing but Stones and Old Iron and Rags and such Trash The Title of his Book as you see Chap. i. is Vanity of Vanities all is Vanity Who would read such a Book that carries no better no more comfortable a Title If the Title were Pleasure of Pleasures Profit of Profits Contentment of Contentments here were a brave Book to Study that spoke of such things as these As it is in the Prophet Prophesie to us of Wine and Strong Drink Such an one is a Prophet for this People But a Book that goes about to shew me that all that I set my mind upon and take delight in is but Vanity of Vanities and Vexation of Vexations away with such a Book Like Jeremy's Prophesie with Jehoiakim cut it with the Penknife and cast it into the Fire Thus Flesh and Blood and Carnal Hearts would be ready to Censure and like the Papists with their Index Expurgatorius dash out in all Writings they meet with whatsoever was not to their own Minds But what says the Heart of a Solomon in this Case Nay what says the Sacred Spirit of God in this Case That there can hardly be a more useful Study for Worldly Men nay for all Mortal Men than to Study Find out and be Satisfied that all Earthly things whatsoever are but Vanity That the Heart may be set to hearken after that which is more than Earthly more than Vanity And Solomon the great Student the Wisest of Men never shewed himself more Learned more Wise than in this Convictive Impression upon his own Heart that all things under the Sun are but Vanity of Vanities Vanity of Vanities all is Vanity And as he among the Heathen was accounted the VVisest Man among them that said Hoc scio tantum me nihil i. e. that he knew only this that he knew Nothing so shall he approve himself a VVise Man indeed that can come Solidly Throughly and Feelingly to know and be convinced of this that all Things here below are but Vanity of Vanities Solomon doubles the Word because he would heighten and enhaunce the Sense And if you Observe you shall find also that he takes the Word Vanity in a double Sense viz. For Vanity of Things and Vanity of Minds As all Things here below are but Vanity and Fading in themselves and as the Minds of Men are but Vanity and Foolishness in their Desires and Thoughts And so you shall find that he takes the Word sometimes in one Sense and sometimes in another That saying Chap. viii 11 demonstrates this and speaks to this double Sense Because Sentence against an evil Work is not executed speedily therefore the Heart of the Sons of Men is fully set in them to do Evil. The Verse before is this There is a Time wherein one Man ruleth over another to his own Hurt And so I saw the Wicked Buried who had come and went from the Place of the Holy And they were forgotten in the City where they had done so This is also Vanity That is some Men Oppress Domineer Tyranize over others But at last I saw such come to the Grave And then what proved all their Insulting but a wretched Vanity Nay they went or were separated from Heaven the Place of the Holy One. And their very Name rotted in the very Place where they had so Domineered And they were forgotten in the City where they had done so A Vanity of Vanities that they should lose Heaven and lose their Name too and all they had done and contrived to themselves come to no better Issue And then in the following Verse he speaks of the wretched Vanity that is in Mens Minds That because Sentence against an Evil thing is not presently executed therefore the Hearts of the Sons of Men is fully set in them to do Evil. One would expect that Fear should move the Heart that it should not be Evil because there is a Sentence against an Evil Work and that Fairness and Gentleness should move the Heart to be Good because this Sentence is not speedily put in Execution But Behold Wild Grapes indeed Behold the Vanity of Men's Minds therefore the Heart of Man is fully set to do evil IV. The Sin and Punishment of the Golden Calf explained THE Golden Calf is oft laid in the Jews Dish and that deservedly That ever a People should so soon so shamefully fall from God It was not Fourty Days since the Law was given them and the two First Commandments already broken To turn the Glory of God into a Calf as it is exprest Psal. cvi 20 Was that the God that brought them out of Egypt Expositors cannot tell what to say of their Intent For they cannot think they were such Calves And yet what can we say else Jonathan saith The Devil got into the Metal and fashioned it into a Calf The Devil indeed was too much there but it was in their Fancies more than in the Metal The Jews will not suffer Aaron's Relation of this matter to be interpreted Exod. xxxii 24 But the Thing stands upon Record against them Whether they made it in imitation of the Egyptian APIS or of a Cherub Compare Ezek. i. 10 with Ch. x. 14 God Punisht this Sin 1. With the Sword Exod. xxxii 28 There fell of the People that Day about Three Thousand Men. And 2. With a Plague ver ult And the Lord Plagued the People because they made the Calf And 3. Which is worse than both God Punisht the Sin with the Judgment of giving them up to Worship the Host of Heaven mentioned Acts vii 42 Then God turned and gave them up to Worship the Host of Heaven The Verse immediately before speaks of their making a Calf in those Days and offering Sacrifice unto the Idol and rejoicing in the Works of their own Hands THEN it was that God turned because they turned first Hitherto God and Israel were Face to Face but now Contra. As it is said of Moses That he went out from Pharaoh in a great Anger Exod. xi 8 So God turned away from them and leaves them What did God Turn from And VVhither Did he turn from his Covenant They broke it indeed but did he In the Eighth Chapter to the Hebrews ver 9. The Covenant that I made with their Fathers in the Day when I took them by the Hand to lead them out of the Land of Egypt because they continued not in my Covenant They continued not in the Covenant but did not he Yea he returned again set up his Tabernacle among them and brought them into the Land which he Promised them Had he broke his Covenant he had played quit with them And the Covenant was not but upon God's Conditions and those not performed he was quit from
may incline them to Wantonness Wantonness to Apostacy And therefore it was not prudent to take such into Office in the Church and to its Charge The Words admit two Senses I. Wanton against Christ and the strict Rule of Christ that they should be under They will not endure the Yoke as the wanton Heifer but will marry to satisfie their own Will Having Damnation or Judgment that is being justly condemned because they cast off their first Faith or Trust committed to them So that the Apostle condemns not their marrying simply for then he should go against his own Rule It is better to marry than to burn but provides that such Inconveniences accrue not to the Church II. Wanton in Religion She may fall in Love with an Infidel and wantonly may forsake her Religion and so become a Scandal to the Church and Perdition to her self As the Apostle cries down such Marriages 2 Cor. vi 14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with Unbelievers And God complains Mal. ii 11 That Judah had profaned the Holiness of the Lord and married the Daughter of a strange God VII Wantonness Unchristian THE Vulgar Latin reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. v. 11 Luxuriantes in Christo to no Sense at all Others They will marry in Christ to as little But the Words in the English are very proper according to the Greek Wax wanton against Christ. The Greek word as it properly signifies to be wanton or to live delicately and in Pleasure and so rendred Rev. xviii 7 so in proper Derivation it signifies to shake off the Reins as an untamed Horse Hence it may be observed that Wantonness is a thing that is Unchristian a thing that becomes not Christians The Apostle allows it not in any to be employed in Office in the Church in 1 Tim. v. 11 and elsewhere not in any other Rom. xiii 13 Let us walk honestly as in the Day not in Rioting and Drunkenness not in Chambering and WANTONNESS not in Strife and Envying Observe hence two things First That Christians that live in the Day and not in the Night should walk as in the Day Secondly That they should walk 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Honestly Comlily Men in the Night care not how they are dress'd when none sees them but in the Day they take Care of their Habit that it be decent that they may appear comely before Men. And so it is with Christians who are of the Day The Apostle gives two general Rules for Christians walking I. Negatively Not to walk as Heathens which are in Darkness and walk they know not they care not how Eph. iv 17 This I say and testifie in the Lord that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk in the Vanity of their Mind See with what Vehemency he speaks I testifie in the Lord. I speak it from God and charge you before him That henceforth ye walk not as â—ther Gentiles Nil ultra Now the Day is come walk no more as Children of Darkness 1 Thess. iv 3.4 5. For this is the Will of God even your Sanctification that ye should abstain from Fornication that every one of you should know how to possess his Vessel in Sanctification and Honour Not in the Lâ—st of Concupiscence even as the Gentiles which know not God II. Positively as becomes the Gospel Phil. i. 27 Let your Conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ That is as is suitable to the Rule of the Gospel and as may be an Honour to the Gospel And as becometh Saints Eph. v. 3 Now that Wantonness is Heathenish and not becoming Saints let us consider how it may be taken and that under two Considerations First As opposed to that Gravity and Seriousness that should be in Christians and is agreeable to the Gospel Secondly As opposed to Chaste Modesty or that Wantonness that tends to Uncleanness or is the same with Lasciviousness I. It becomes not Christians to be foolish or toyish or wanton in Word Dress or Action but to be of such Gravity as is far from Wantonning and as becomes the Gravity of the Gospel He that knows the Gospel needs no proof out of the Gospel else I might produce the Rules particularly for all sorts of Men and Women In all requiring Sobriety Gravity Modesty Take but that Place Eph. v. 4 Neither Filthiness nor Foolish Talking nor Jesting which are not convenient Take up that Copy As becometh Saints Where do we ever find the least wanton Gestures in the Saints of God upon Record VVhat Gravity what sweet Severity in them It is observed of Christ that he wept but was never seen to laugh Nor do you find much mention of any such thing in his Disciples It was an ingenious Answer of a Painter that Pictured the Apostles of Ruddy Complexions Being asked why he so painted them his Answer was because they would be ashamed to look on the Light VVanton Carriage of many that called themselves Christians The Saints commonly are called God's Fools and the Reason is because they will not be Fools before Men but keep themselves to the Sobriety of their Profession The Apostle saith 1 Cor. iii. 18 If any Man among you seemeth to be Wise in this World let him become a Fool that he may be Wise. But it means as to Reliance upon VVisdom not to befool themselves to make sport to Men. It was Sampson's Misery to be the Philistine's Fool and make them Sport But the same unhappy Misery too many do willingly take to themselves spending their Life in VVantonness and Foolish Sporting As those in Job Ch. xxi 12 13. They take the Timbrel and Harp and Rejoice at the Sound of the Organ They spend their Days in Wealth and in a Moment go down to the Grave And where are they then It is the Speech of an Atheist not a Christian Let us Eat and Drink for to Morrow we Die 1 Cor. xv 32 But it is a Gospel-Counsel that follows ver 33 34. Be not deceived Evil Communications corrupt good Manners Awake to Righteousness and Sin not VVhat did God bring us into the VVorld to do To spend away a Life and in fine to be Damned VVhat are we admitted into the Gospel to do To live in Pleasure and VVantonness like those that know not God How far is this from the End of a reasonable Soul Of a Christian Consider those Words Wo unto you that Laugh now for ye shall Mourn and Weep Luke vi 25 But is no Mirth or Sporting allowed to Christians Is not that too severe Eccles. â—i.2 I said of Laughter it is Mad and of Mirth what doth it And Eph. v. 4 â—here no Jesting is tolerated Durus Serma i. e. A hard Saying To make some Reply to this 1. Earthly Pleasures and Delights are more Delights in Fancy and Opinion than Reality Psal. xxxix Men walketh in a vain Shadow No Substance at all Now a Solid Christian goes upon other Grounds His Delight is upon another Foundation There
Bondage of Corruption in-the Glorious Liberty of the Children of God AMong the Children of Men there are some Children of God These Words speak something concerning them and their Condition The Prophets speak much of Multitudes to be brought in to be Sons of God Esay xliii 6 I will say to the North give up and to the South keep not back Bring my SONS from far and my DAUGHTERS from the ends of the Earth And Ch xlv 11 Thus saith the Lord the holy one of Israel and his Maker ask me of things to come concerning my SONS Hos. i. 10 And it shall come to pass that in the Place where it was said unto them Ye are not my People there it shall be said unto them Ye are the SONS of the living God And Caiaâ—has that prophesied but once John xi 51 Propâ—â—sied that Jesus should die for that Nation And not for that Nation only but that also he should gather together iâ—to one the CHILDREN of God that were scattered abroad Therefore the Holy Ghost in the New Testament sets himself to speak to this thing and to shew who these Sons of God are John i. 12 13. shews who are and who are not But as many as received him to them gave he Power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his Name Which were born not of Blood nor of the Will of the Flesh nor of the Will of Man but of God As many as received him those were Sons of what Nation Quality or Rank whatsoever Not born of Blood nor of the Will of Man The Holy Ghost sets the Regeneration in Opposition to natural Generation In natural Generation Men are born of Blood and of the Will of Man but 't is not so in this Or else he sets the true Begetting and Birth of the Sons of God in Opposition to those fancied Ways the Jews thought Men were made Children of the Godly They concluded none were Children but of Israel And if they came to be of Israel then undoubtedly Children So Christ speaks according to their Sense It is not meet to take the Children 's Bread and cast it before Dogs And the Apostle confutes this Arrogant and Erroneous Opinion Rom ix 7 Neither because they are the Seed of Abraham are they all Children but in Isaac shall thy Seed be called that is they which are the Children of the Flesh these are not the Children of God Now they thought they became the Sons of God or Israelites these Ways I. By being born of Blood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bloods that is long Descent of Blood of Ancestors even to Abraham or by Bloods of Sacrifice and Circumcision II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Will of the Flesh As they took many Wives and desired many Children accounting all Children of Promise III. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of the Will of Man as the Consessus or Sanhedrin did bring in Proselites and make them Israelites Not this nor that nor that makes a Son but he that is born of God and he is so that receives Christ and believes on his Name The Apostle is speaking of the same Subject in this Chapter ver 14 15 17. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God For ye have not received the Spirit of Bondage again to fear but ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father And if Children then Heirs c. And then he comes on to shew whence these Sons especially should come ver 19. The earnest Expectation of the Creature waiteth for the Manifestation of the Sons of God c. By Creature here and whole Creation ver 22. is meant nothing but the Gentiles or Heathen World A Phrase among the Jews ordinarily put so to signifie Mark xvi 15 Col. i. 23 Now this whole Passage is to this Purpose God had prophesied of Sons to come from the Heathen and the earnest Expectation of the Creature that is of the Heathen waited for this Manifestation of the Sons of God Two or three things there were that might awaken the Heathen World a little to consider of their wretched Case 1. It may be they had the Greek Bible 2. Howsoever the Jews scattered abroad among them might something convince them of their Condition 3. We may conceive that against their Call God had stirred up their Hearts by way of Preparative to be weary of Idolatry and groping in Darkness As against the Reformation by Luther all Christendom desired some Reformation and as against the Coming of Christ the People were in Expectation of the Messias Observe that John iv 35 Lift up your Eyes and look on the Fields for they are white already to Harvest By which Words he hinteth at that Multitude of Samaritans and under them of Heathen that were ready to be reaped by the Gospel So the Earnest Expectation of the Heathen World waited now for the Manifestation of the Sons of God Ver. 20. For the Creature was made subject to Vanity c. Not a few understand this of the Frame of the World made subject to Vanity by Sin But the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vanity means Vanity of Mind So Rom. i. 21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Gentiles become vain in their Imaginations Eph. iv 17 The Gentiles walk in the Vanity of their Mind So the meaning is that the Heathen were given up to the Vanity and Folly of their own Mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Made subject put under such a Condition by the just Judgment of God as the Apostle handles it Chap. i. But they are put under in Hope that in time it should be better with them For the Creature it self also shall be delivered from the Bondage of Corruption c. By Corruption is signified here as generally in Scripture sinful Corruption not natural Corruptibility or fading away 2 Pet. i. 4 Having escaped the Corruption that is in the World through Lust. And Ch. ii 19 Servants of Corruption And elsewhere evil Men are stiled Men of corrupt Minds and corrupt Communication Meaning that the Gentiles shall be delivered from their sadly sinful Condition into the Evangelical and Spiritual Liberty from Sin that the Sons of God partake of Some understand it of the Change of the Frame of the World at the end of the VVorld and think Peter speaks of the same thing 2 Pet. iii. 13 He does indeed in some Sense but far from theirs viz. A new State of Affairs in the Church when the Gentiles shall be called This is the new Heaven and the new Earth that they looked for of their Calling the Text speaks which was now in Agitation And of that let us first speak a little partly for the observing of Providence in so great a VVork and partly for the understanding of some Passages in Scripture I. The casting off of the Gentiles was at Babel Gen. xi where there were four Punishments inflicted on them 1. Destroying their Building
so much the Fire that the Romans burnt their City and Temple with as that dreadful Fire and Fury of God's Indignation that consumed all But the Day of the Lord will come as a Thief in the Night in the which the Heavens shall pass away with a great Noise and the Elements shall melt with fervent Heat the Earth also and the Works that are therein shall be burnt up Ver. 10. And in that dreadful Passage concerning the Damned Their Worm never dieth and their FIRE never goeth out We need not dispute what kind of Fire the Fire of Hell is whether Material Fire whether it gives Light whether it is of our Fire-colour With such Disputes some needlesly trouble themselves and others God's Indignation is Fire enough and Hot enough to devour those wretched Souls and we need look no further VI. Some Description of the Death and Doom of an Ungodly Man I. IF any ask what it is an Ungodly Man Dies of it may very well be answered of the Lord's Indignation It was the Threatning of God to Adam Moriendo morieris Thou shalt Die the Death The Ungodly Dies and Dies the Death Natural and Eternal And in his Natural Death he Pays two Debts a Debt to Nature because of the Sin of Adam and a Debt to God's Anger because of his own Sins The Chaldee Paraphrast renders those Words Deut. xxxiv 5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 At the Kiss of the Lord which we read At the Word of the Lord And the Jews speak much of Dying at the Kiss of God thereby not only expressing a Person 's Dying in his Favour but to shew how sweet the Death of God's Saints are to them They are at the Kisses in the Embraces of God as they are Dying They reap Sweetness Comfort Happiness from him even in Dying But where are the Ungodly at that Time Under the Flaming of his Fire and the Scorching of his Wrath. As it is Psal. lxxxviii 31. The Wrath of God comes upon them and slays the Fattest of them It is the Wrath of God that tears the Soul from the Body and devours the Life like a Lion and there is none to deliver It is Wrath that cuts him off to make an end of his Sinning You oft meet with Cutting off threatned to such as commit such and such Sins as that in Numb xv 30 That Soul shall be Cut off from among the People Some conceive it means nothing but Cutting off from the Congregation by Excommunication but it means God's Cutting them off by his Wrath and Vengeance And the Expression is Emphatical to shew their Thread is cut which they would have drawn out in Sinning ever if they might have been let alone Thus every Ungodly Man even in his Death carries God Tokens Dies of God's Anger II. As we have considered the Wretch Dying and having given up the Ghost now let us consider the Soul Departed out of the Body Ah! VVretched Soul where art thou Come into another VVorld into a strange VVorld and such an one as he never Dreamed of and is now confoundded to see Into what a World he is fallen A World where there is neither VVine nor VVomen nor Sport nor Pleasure nor use of any Creature And what a case is that Carnal and Voluptuous Soul in then A worse Place than that that Israel complains of Numb xx 5 How are we come into this evil Place It is no Place of Seed nor Figs nor Olives nor Pomgranates nor any Water to Drink Nay this is a Place where is no Sun nor Moon nor Light a Place where there is no Friend to Comfort no Creature to Refresh no use of any Thing that is Earthly and Bodily This must needs be a sad Change to that Soul that never took any Delight that never thought it lived but in the use of such But this is the least part of Indignation that such a wretched Soul meets withal The Holy Souls of the Saints of God meet with the like Deprivation of the Use of Earthly Creatures and if they had always made them their Life and Delight and had nothing else to feed upon but Meat and Drink and Money and Pleasure the Case would be much the same But there is the Indignation from the Creator meets the Cursed Soul as well as the Deprivation of the Creature and that we shall consider in these several Particulars First Think of that Luke xvi 22 And it came to pass that the Beggar Died and was carried by the Angels into Abraham 's Bosom the Rich Man also Died and was Buried And do you not think the Devils carried the Soul of the Rich Man to Hell In the Text indeed is not exprest so much but that left it to be gathered by the Rule of Contrary if Angels carry good Souls to Heaven Devils carry bad Ones to Hell Acts i. 18 Falling headlong he burst asunder and all his Bowels gushed out The Devil had been two or three Days Bodily in Judas and when he burst in sunder the Devil broke out of him having torn him And do you not think he carried his Soul with him as well as took away his Life It is true indeed that the Devil is not in the Ungodly so Bodily as he was in Judas yet he is said Eph. ii 2 To work in the Children of Disobedience Their Souls are under his Acting and Power to carry them into all Evil. He is the Mover and Actor of their Souls to do his Will VVell when they are Dying is not the Devil busie there waiting for his Prey and for what he hath looked for all along Is he not busie to keep that Soul for his own and that it be not taken out of his Hand Psal. xlviii 14 For God is our God for ever and ever he will be our Guide unto Death He that hath made God his God for ever he may be sure to have God his Guide even to and in his Dying And on the contrary he that hath made the Devil his God and Ruler and Guide all his Time he must expect that he will be with him at his Death As the terrible Apparition to Brutus in Italy told him he would be sure to meet him at Philippi where he was to Die VVell the Ungodly VVretch Dies The Devil hath Led and Ruled and Acted him to the last Gasp And now the last Gasp hath slipt the Soul out of the Body is not the Devil there still looking after his Prey Do you think the Devil hath done and looks after that Soul no more No then is the time that he hath got his Prey and now is seized on the Game that he had been ever hunting after The Dragon Rev. xii 4 stood waiting before the VVoman to devour her Child as soon as it was Born And when the Child was delivered he was frustrate of his Prey because God took care of the Child and Mother for both Child and Mother were his Beloved But in this Case this great Red
Dragon waits till the Soul be delivered out of the Body and as soon as it is delivered he grasps it and seizes on it for God hath forsaken it and utterly cast away all Care of it God hath forsaken it Persecute and take it for there is none to deliver Consider seriously of these two Things I. That Sinful Souls departed are never under preserving Providence more II. That they are given up to the Power of Satan I. They are removed from under God's Preserving Providence True they are kept in Being that they may be kept in Punishment but this is Avenging Justice rather than Preserving Providence Mat. ix 49 For every one shall be Salted with Fire Every such Soul shall be Salted with Fire The very Fire of its Torment shall be as Salt to keep it from Consuming It shall be kept in Being that it may be kept in Fire But first God hath cast away all Care of it and secondly exerciseth nothing of preserving Providence towards it 1 Sam. xxv 29 But the Soul of my Lord shall be bound in the Bundle of Life with the Lord thy God and the Souls of thine Enemies them shall be sling out as out of the middle of a Sling VVhere she intimates that a David a Good Man his Soul is bound up in the Bundle of Life with the Lord But Evil Men their Souls be slung out as out of a Sling God casts them flings them away from him Fly where they will Light where they will Sink or Swim he looks no more after them VVhile VVicked Men were here Providence Preserved them Fed them Clothed them Strove with them with Patience and kept the Soul and Body that the Devil did not run away with the Man Bodily But when the Cursed Soul is departed out of the Body Patience no more Care no more Restraint of the Devil no more but take him Devil and do thy worst VVhich is the Second thing to be considered II. That VVicked Souls are given up to Satan's Absolute Power You read of giving up notorious Sinners to Satan here that if possibly they might be amended 1 Cor. v. 5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the Destruction of the Flesh that the Spirit may be saved in the Day of the Lord Jesus 1 Tim. i. ult Whom I have delivered unto Satan that they may learn not to Blaspheme But when a Soul is now past all Amending all hopes of Amending conceive with Fear and Trembling how God gives up that Soul to the Roaring Lion to tear and spare not And here is one dreadful Symptom and Evidence of the Fiery Indignation that God in Anger gives up the Soul to Satan And this is a Second degree of its Misery that as it hath lost the use of the Creature so also it hath lost the Care and Preserving Providence of the Creator VVe have an Emblem of both in the Egyptians sitting in Darkness which conceive of by reading two Places Exod x. 21 23. It was Darkness that might be felt They saw not one another neither rose any from his Place And Psal. lxxviii 49 where when the Holy Ghost should mention the Plague of Darkness in its order he Characters it in these terms He cast upon them the fierceness of his Anger Wrath and Indignation by sending Evil Angels among them Moses saith that he sent Darkness the Psalmist saith Evil Angels or Devils And both most true Darkness and Devils Devils in the Darkness Moses saith They saw not one another The Psalmist intimates that they saw Devils and yet could not stir from the place where they sate to run from the Sight of them Chains of Darkness that tyed them fast that they could not stir So that the Devil may Roar and Rage and Terrifie and the VVretches not able to stir an Inch from under his Power and Terror The Fearful Estate of Damned Souls in Scripture is called Darkness utter Darkness Chains of Darkness I need not to cite Places And why Darkness Because the Sun Moon and Stars shine not there as they do here Because no Candle there The other World hath nothing to do with such Bodily Lights as these These are Lights for Bodily Creatures not for Souls and Spirits The Holy Ghost tells you that in Heaven where there is all Light yet there is nothing to do with such Lights as these Rev. xxii 5 And there shall be no Night there and they need no Candle neither Light of the Sun for the Lord God giveth them Light Is there Darkness in Hell and utter Darkness where is so much Fire and such Flames Luke xvi 24 There Dives speaks of his being tormented in Flames Fire and Flames and yet Darkness It is the Fire of that Indignation mentioned in the Epistle to the Hebrews that consumes them and that very Fire brings that Darkness with it Darkness for there is not one Spark of God's Favour appearing there nothing but Indignation Indignation And not one Beam of Favour appearing thro' any Chink there Everlasting Burning and no Intermission The VVorm never dies and never but gnawing and the Fire never quenched and never but scorching And it is Darkness because there is no common preserving Providence shining or appearing there God's shews not himself in the least Glimpse of his Care or Tenderness or Preservation there Their State is call'd Outer Darkness Mat. xxv 30 not Utter Darkness only as we say Utter Extremity c. but Outer Darkness The Phrase is very considerable It may be understood Darkness that is without that is Darkness that is out of Heaven As the Heathen are said to be without that is were out of the Church but there the Expression is only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Those that are OUT But this Expression is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Darkness that is OUTER as if he should say that Darkness that is beyond the other Darkness And we may very well interpret it the Indignation of God against the Wicked in Hell beyond the Indignation of God against them here his casting them off and casting off his Care of them in Hell beyond his casting them off and casting off his Care of them here His Wrath and his casting them off here is very black and dark but there it is Outer Darkness a Darkness beyond this Darkness And now think with your selves how fearful a Surprizal that Soul is surprized withal When it is just departed out of the Body it is as it were midwived into the other World by the Devil and the first thing it sees there is that it sees it self in the Paws of the Devil It makes me remember the Story in Saligniacus A Company of Travellers that went to visit the Holy Land would needs for Religion-sake forsooth bathe themselves in Jordan there where John Baptized And as they were refreshing sporting and delighting themselves in the Water and swimming suddenly there comes a Crocodile a dreadful Dragon of the Waters and lays hold of a Frenchman by Profession
to be esteemed Evangelical Holiness or Absolute Perfection THERE is a Generation among us that talk of their Perfection and Pharisaically Boast that they are perfect In which you can hardly tell whether they bewray more Arrogance and Pride or more Ignorance and Folly Folly in that they think they pay such absolute Perfection which it is impossible for poor sinful Man to pay and Ignorance in that they do not know that God does not require such Perfection as they dream of and talk of in their Dreams Well what then is it the Lord requires I might give the Prophet's Answer Mic. vi 8 To do justly and love Mercy and walk humbly with God But I may give it in one Word HOLINESS It is Holiness that the Lord requires and not such Perfection of Pharisee or Quaker that the Lord requires It was Holiness to the Lord that was written in the Forehead of Aaron in a Plate of Gold and it is Holiness that God would have his to be marked with Need I to cite Scriptures that speak his Mind Levit. xi 44 Ye shall sanctifie your selves and ye shall be Holy for I am the Lord Lev. xix 2. Ye shall be Holy for I the Lord your God am Holy 2 Cor. vii 1 Perfecting Holiness in the Fear of God 1 Thes. iv 3 For this is the Will of God even your Sanctification or Holiness And this his requiring Holiness abates much of requiring absolute Perfection For perfect Obedience is one thing and holy Obedience another It is utterly impossible to pay absolute Perfectness but it is not impossible to pay Holiness Thousands of holy ones that have done it are a Cloud of Witnesses And hereupon this Point I may propose to you one or two things that may seem Paradoxes and strange things but yet which carry with them Truth and Soberness I. That Holiness tho' cheaper than absolute Perfection yet is more precious than the absolutest Perfection that ever Man attained to here and that was Adam's in Innocency It is cheaper because it may be attained to here which absolute Perfection here cannot be and yet it is more excellent because being attained to it will never fail which Adam's Perfection did in three Hours God aimed Man at an absolute unchangeable Perfection in Heaven and in Tendency hereunto he created Man in a Perfection on Earth but changeable And his Perfection was so soon changed that it lasted but about Three Hours And it so sore changed that it became most absolute Imperfection And where is poor Man now What is now become of that most absolute Perfection to which God aimed him in Heaven Who will bring me into the strong City Who will bring me into Edom What will now bring him to Heaven What will now bring him to his unchangeable Perfection The poor Man that is travelling 'twixt Jerusalem and Jericho and fallen among Thieves and wounded and left half dead how will this poor Man get home or to his Journeys end A Priest passes by and he helps him not His Natural Perfection in which he was created can help him nothing for that is quite lost and gone A Levite passes by and helps him not The natural Faculties and Abilities that are left in him they can help him little For they are grown now but â—nfirmities and Imperfections But it is the good Samaritan that must do the Work It is Holiness that we speak of that must heal and recover For in it is the Work of Christ and the Holy Ghost as well as any Work of the Saint himself Whereas in the greatest Perfection of Adam in Innocency there was only the Strength of created Nature I might in many things shew the excellent Estate of a Saint endued with Holiness above the State of Adam in Innocency but I shall only briefly mention these two things 1. That a Saint of God in the State of Holiness that we speak of hath a better Will toward God than Adam had in Innocency and a better Obedience toward God than Adam had in Innocency This you will say is strange since Adam then had no Mixture of Sin in him and a Saint of God be he never so holy hath Do but consider this A Saint of God desires with all his Soul to keep in with God labours with all his Endeavour to obey God If Adam would have done so he could have done it If he had desired with all his Soul to have kept in with God he could have kept in with God If he had used his Endeavour to have obeyed God and not to have sinned against him he could have done it So that his Will clave not so close to God as a Saint's endued with Holiness doth And a Saint tho' sinful yet sins not so wilfully so willingly as Adam when he might have stood He sins because he cannot help it Adam could have helped it and yet he would sin Now guess whose Will and Mind was in better Condition 2. How much more desirable the State of a Saint in Holiness is than the State of Adam in his Perfection in Innocency guess but by one Particular to spare more And that you may take up from those Words of the Apostle 2 Pet. i. 4 Whereby we are made Partakers of the Divine Nature And so Adam was not He was made Partaker of the Divine Workmanship but not of the Divine Nature He was not made Partaker of the Holy Spirit in the VVork of Sanctification as a Saint of God is But all his Holiness all his Perfection was rooted and grounded only in his own excellently created Nature So that by this you see the Truth of the Paradox I proposed that tho' Holiness is cheaper to come by than absolute Perfection for it may be come by and the other cannot yet it is more Excellent Precious and Advantageous II. A second Paradox I have to propose upon this Point is That God in requiring Holiness doth not require that we should be sinless for that he knows is impossible but he requires that we should not sin Go and sin no more is what Christ required of the Man healed at the Pool of Bethesda and of the VVoman taken in Adultery And it is the All he requires from us Go and sin no more I and it is enough and enough again you will say for who can do it Sin no more Is not that impossible while we are sinful And in many things we sin all as the Apostle tells us Jam. iii. 2 Sin no more that is the State of Heaven where the Saint is got above all Corruption and Temptation But little one may think to find any such thing on Earth But I will not be afraid to say that the Meaning of sinning no more in a Gospel Sense is to sin no more wilfully to sin no more knowingly customarily habitually to leave off to be a Sinner and to be Holy He that cloths himself with Holiness sins no more But doth not Holiness suppose Sinlesness For the
an Accusation that might be laid against him Oh! he reforms and pulls down Images and destroys Idolatry and keeps ado and in the mean while he lets the People go contrary to the Command of God in offering Sacrifices in the High Places 'T is true they do so and they should not do so but it is not through any faultering of Asa in his Religion and Piety For his Heart is perfect with God for all this The High Places were not taken away And the High Places were taken away if you compare the Story well together 2 Chron. xiv 3 He took away the Altars of the strange Gods and the HIGH PLACES and brake down the Images and cut down the Groves There the High Places are taken away that is High Places used for Idolatrous Worship But in 1 King xiv the High Places are not taken away that is that were used to the Worship of the true God even their sacrificing to God in every one of their own Towns and Cities when they might not lawfully Sacrifice any where but at Hierusalem See Deut. xii 5 6. And yet you find that it was their common Practice to Sacrifice at their own Synagogues in their own Towns And how oft do you find it in the Stories of the Kings of Judah yea of the good Kings as is said of Asa here Such and such Kings did right in the Sight of the Lord Nevertheless the High Places were not taken away the People still offered in High Places And remarkable is that Passage which I believe every one doth not observe in 1 Kin. xix 10 Elias complains The Children of Israel have forsaken thy Covenant thrown down thine Altars and slain thy Prophets c. Elias his Converse was with the Children of Israel of the ten Tribes or of Samaria and of these he complains that they had thrown down God's Altars They have thrown down THINE Altars Why God by his own Appointment had but one Altar Viz. That that was at the Temple And then how doth he speak of God's Altars otherwhere It was of the Altars which they had set up at their own Synagogues whereon to offer to the true God Because upon every Occasion they thought it too great a Journey to go to Jerusalem to offer their Offerings It might not be an impertinent Discussion to search out under what Notion these High Places were yet standing and in Use even in the Times of some of the good Kings Whether it were by God's Connivance and Toleration as he connived at their Poligamy which was besides the Institution of Matrimony and as he tolerated their Divorces because of the Hardness of their Hearts Or was it done by the Kings themselves in the Way of Policy and Prudence that the People might be eased as much as might be in their Religion and not be compelled more than needs must to travail to Jerusalem but that they might offer their Sacrifices at their own Parish Churches But I shall not insist upon that Inquiry Whatsoever Failing or Offence there was in tolerating these High Places yet Nevertheless Asa 's Heart was perfect with the Lord. And it was not out of any faultering in his Religion that these High Places were not taken away nor out of any halting with God For his Heart was perfect It may seem very hard to reconcile these two together that he failed to reform thoroughly for God and yet that his Heart was perfect with God Much more will it seem hard to reconcile what is besides said of him elsewhere to what is said of him here that his Heart was perfect When Baasha King of Israel comes in War against him he is shaken in his Confidence and Reliance upon God and plunders all the Treasures of the Temple to send Money to the King of Syria to fight for him Can we here subjoin the Words before us Nevertheless Asa 's Heart c Nay yet worse 2 Chron. xvi When he is reproved he claps up the Prophet in Prison And can we write under such a Passage as that Nevertheless Asa 's Heart was perfect Nay yet not much better ver 10. He oppressed some of the People at that time And ver 12. In his Age he grows diseased in his Feet until his Disease was exceeding great yet in his Disease he sought not to the Lord but to Physicians And can the Undersong still be Nevertheless Asa ' s Heart was perfect That his Heart was so is confirmed by the Mouth of two Witnesses the Book of Kings and Chronicles and the Mouth of the Holy Ghost hath spoken it twice over here and there and his Word is Truth and no Falshood in it Therefore the Work is to consider How these things may be reconciled How a perfect Heart may consist with such Failings or such Failings with a perfect Heart And here the great Matter is to consider what a perfect Heart is which God requires and looks after I answer as the Heart means not that Fleshly Part in our Bosoms so called but our Affections so a Heart perfect with God means the Bent and Affections of the Soul perfect towards him the Moving the Inclinations of the Soul and Affections right towards him As a Wife most dearly and intirely and with all her Soul loves her Husband From which Parallel I may take up in one Particular the whole Matter namely that a Heart perfect with God is a Man that loves â—he Lord with all the Heart and Soul and Mind and whose whole and intire Affections are laid out upon God And where this is First The Aim of the Heart will be perfect in reference to God's Law Secondly The Frame of the Heart will be perfect in its own Compactedness as to things relating to God That is when there is a Divine Consort in the Soul when Understanding Conscience Will Affections are all tuned together to the Work of God when all act together in the Ways of pleasing and serving God This is a perfect Heart with God tho' in it may be many Imperfections as it was with Asa. Hence may be gathered two Conclusions I. That a perfect Heart may have its Failings II. That God passeth by the Failings of that Man whose Heart is perfect with him IX In what Sense the Apostle thanks God that the believing Romans had been the Servants of Sin GOD be thanked that ye were the Servants of Sin Rom. vi 17 Had he said God be thanked that ye were the Servants of Righteousness it had been very proper but to hear him say God be thanked that ye were the Servants of Sin may make us amazed One would think this were almost next Door to Blessing an Idol which is spoken of Es. lxvi 3 to bless God for Mens being sinful But to clear the Apostle's Sense consider two things I. We have some Men saying in Latin Authors Fuimus Troes sed miserum est Fuisse i. e. We were of the City Troy but it is our Unhappiness that we must say WE
Heart and trembleth at my Word I will look to such have a friendly Regard and Respect to him Nay I will come and converse and sup and dwell with him This was David's Desire Psal. ci 2 Oh when wilt thou come unto me I will walk in my House with a perfect Heart I will walk in my House when wilt thou come and walk and dwell with me Now this Communion 'twixt God and Saints we may consider in the Rise of it the Nature of it and the Means and Manner of it I. The Rise of it It ariseth from the Union that is 'twixt God and the Saint We can never have Fellowship with God unless we be at one with God Abraham was the Friend of God and so he and God conversed There is no Communion 'twixt Enemies Es. lix 1 2. Behold the Lord's Hand is not shortned that it cannot save neither his Ear heavy that it cannot hear But your Iniquities have separated between you and your God and your Sins have hid his Face from you that he will not hear Why is God such a Stranger to you You are his Enemies But turn to me saith the Lord and I will turn unto you Es. i. 16 17 18. Wash ye make you clean put away the Evil of your Doings from before mine Eyes cease to do Evil learn to do well seek Judgment relieve the oppressed judge the Fatherless plead for the Widow Come now and let us reason together II. The Nature of this Communion is that God imparts himself to the Saint and the Saint to God I your God you my People There is no Strangeness 'twixt them They do freely give up Hearts one to another as they that are in Friendship and tell their Minds one to another III. The Means of this Communion is by God's Ordinances and by his Spirit 1. It is impossible to have Communion with God but by way of his Ordinances the Word Prayer Sacraments and Meditation upon all Communion is more than Union A Man in walking holily walks in Union with God but to come in Communion or converse with God is something more Two Friends apart are at one but their Converse together is by Letter or Conference 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Set-Festivals signifie Meetings also People meeting in Communion with themselves and with God in these Appointments Thou meetest him c. Es. lxiv. 5 As it is impossible to have Union with God but in virtue of his Covenant so to have Communion but in the Administrations of the Covenant Exod. xxiv 11 And upon the Nobles of the Children of Israel he laid not his Hand Also they saw God and did eat and drink By virtue of the Covenant spoken of just before they were at Peace with God so that he laid not his Hand on them and by the Administration of the Covenant they were in Communion They eat and drank with him There is a further striving in Attendance upon Ordinances than meerly to do Work to hear to patter out some Prayers and the like but to taste and feel God in his Word to send up the Heart to God and to lay hold on him Do you not do it here and in your Closet in Prayer and in Reading This is not to draw near to God and hold Communion with him How heartily doth a true Saint pour out his Heart tell his Mind to God his Failings his Wants as one Friend to another This is the reason why we should pray tho' God knows our Wants Your Heavenly Father knows that ye have need of these things Why then have we need to tell him That we may shew our Communion with God and that we trust him with our Hearts and Estates How doth a true Saint lay hold on every Word of God as Benhadad's Servants by Ahab's Oh! this Instruction this Reproof this Exhortation is God's Mind to me This is as a Letter or Message sent to me for my Good He owns God as in Love and Friendship imputing his Mind to him This is Communion with God in Ordinances to tell God all our Soul in Prayer to taste the Mind of God to us-ward in hearing and Attendance upon Sermons But 2. Communion with God is by his Spirit 2 Cor. xiii 14 The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Love of God and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all What does the Apostle wish for in these Words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Communion of the Spirit That they always may have the Fellowship of the Spirit and also by Communion of the Spirit Fellowship with God Take one Example Rom. viii 26 The Spirit it self maketh Intercession Where is this Spirit In Heaven No the Spirit of God in the Soul stirring up and enlarging the Heart The Spirit of Grace and Supplication Zach. xii 10 Here is the double Communion of the Spirit spoken of the Spirit always with the Saint and the Spirit helping him to converse with God in Prayer bringing the Heart and God together The Spirit maketh Intercession Oh! how comfortable are the Prayers of a Saint He hath a twofold Intercessor Viz. The Spirit in his Heart enabling him to pray and Christ in Heaven praying or interceding for him So for Communion in other Ordinances The Eucharist is called the Communion not only of Receivers among themselves but of the true Receiver with God and Christ. God in it holds out the Benefits of Christ. The Holy Receiver by the Spirit and Grace of God thanks him for those Befits takes hold of them and receives them at the Hand of God and tastes the Sweetness of God's Gifts in them So in Hearing the Heart owns God speaking counselling comforting Oh! this is the Voice of my Beloved And the Heart all along gives up it self to God's Counsel Correction and Administration This is Spiritual Communion with God in his Ordinances Besides what I have already said upon this Argument consider but two Expressions whereby Scripture sets forth the Union of a Saint with God and then judge of the Communion I. Under the Notion of Marriage 'twixt the Soul and God Es. liv 5 For thy Maker is thy Husband the Lord of Hosts is his Name Hos. ii 19 I will betroth thee to my self for ever Oh! what Tydings are these to a poor Soul The Lord espouse it be an Husband to it Awake up put on thine Ornaments O my Soul Behold thy Bridegroom coming go forth to meet him Ah! dull dirty Souls of ours why do we sit among the Pots and marry our selves to Earth and Dunghills when a Soul may have the Lord for an Husband and be espoused to him for ever Now Experience tells what Communion there is 'twixt Wife and Husband as well as Scripture tells us what Union Communion of Heart of Estates of Affections neither is their own but one another's Such is the Communion 'twixt a Holy Soul and God They are married together their Hearts as I may say are interchanged and intirely each others Hos.