for no other more than it will follow from Paul's word Gal. 2.20 He loved me and gave Himself for me Therefore He did love and gave Himself for no other It is sad that Learned men should so please themselves to shift Arguments for certainly a clear difference may be observed between Pual's saying Christ gave His life for me and between Christs saying I laid down My life for My sheep this doth expresly hold forth Christs differencing of these for whom He was to die and His contradistinguishing of them from others who were not of His Sheep nor given to Him and therefore for them He was not to lay down His life whereas that word of Pauls is not spoken to contradistinguish him from any other Believer but to comfort himself in the application of that truth to himself that Christ who died for His Sheep did also lay down His life for him as one of them Again when Christ speaketh of His People of His Sheep and of His Own in this case He doth particularly to say so consider them as a species or kind of people by themselves and differenced in the respect mentioned from others as the scope cleareth but when Paul speaketh of himself in the application forsaid will any think that he speaketh of himself as differenced from all and not rather as one individuall of the species foresaid Therefore although we may conclude thus God hath made man a reasonable creature according to His own Image Therefore no other creature is such because by this qualification man or that species to say so is differenced from all other creatures on earth yet it will not follow Peter is a reasonable creature according to Gods Image Therefore no other man is so because Peter is but an individualâ— person under the same species with others Just so is it here Christs Sheep Own People c. denote a species as it were differenced by such relations from others whereas Paul is but an individuall Believer comprehended under the same A second Objection is That many other Scriptures do assert Christ to be given and to have laid down His life for the World Therefore it cannot be absurd to say that in some sense Christ hath redeemed all and particularly that place Ioh. 3.16 is urged for our scope suffereth us not to digresse to more to wit God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever should believe in him should not perish but have everlasting life In reference to which place we say 1. That the scope is not to shew that Christ was given for all the World taken distributively that is for every person that should be in the World because it is only brought-in here to confirm this generall sum of the Gospel which is laid down vers 15. That whosoever believeth in Christ should not perish but have eternal life Now vers 16. is brought-in as a confirmation of this for saith He God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son for this very end That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternall life Where Gods end in giving of His Son is mentioned to be a ground of quietnesse to all that should believe and will bear that Universal well whosoever believeth are redeemed and may expect the benefits of Christs Redemption because the justifying and saving of such was the end for which God sent His Son and to extend the place any further will not be consistent with the scope thereof If it be said that Gods respect and love to the world indefinitly is mentioned here Be it so yet that will not infer that because He had respect to the world That therefore He intended that Christ should die for all and every individuall person in the world but it will only infer this much at most as if we said in common speach such a Christian King or potent man had such a respect to Christians or to men of such a Nation as to send such a great sum to redeem so many of them as he particularly condescended upon from the bondage of the Turks it may well be said that such a great man had respect to Christians or to such a Nation because he purposed to redeem many of them when he took no thought of others yet it cannot be said that he intended the redeeming of all either absolutely or conditionally seing he did appoint the price given to be paid for such and such as himself thought meet to redeem and not for others Just so is it here in this case at the most and so Gods respect to the world may be opposite to His passing-by of all the fallen Angels Again secondly we say that if World in this place be to be understood of particular persons and an universality of them It must be understood of the Elect World as in the Verse following is clear where Gods purpose of sending His Son is expressed to be that the world through Him might be saved Now there can no other universality be thought to be intended to be saved by God as was formerly cleared but the universality to speak so or the World of the Elect. Neither will the reading be absurd to understand it thus That God so loved the Elect World that He gave His only begotten Son to death for them that by their believing on Him they should not perish but have eternal life And so this place will be interpreted by the parallel thereof 1 Ioh. 4.9 In this was manifested the love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him for us and we in the one place are equipollent to world and whosoever will believe in the other That thus it is to be understood appeareth in this that even according to the grounds of this opinion there can none be expected to believe but the Elect and in the Text there are none profited by this fruit of Christs love to the world but the Believers Therefore this love which giveth this gift must be said to respect the Elect only especially considering that it is in a matter which is the evidence of Gods most special love as was formerly said Only it is expressed in this generall whosoever shall believe c. because the extending of it in this indefinit expression doth sure best with the proposed mould of the offer of the Gospel which is not to invite men to believe because they are particularly elected or redeemed but to invite men to believe because God hath promised to save such as believe and because He doth by the outward Ministrie call hearers thereunto And this is the more to be observed because Christ here as a good Minister of the Gospel is preaching to Nicodemus and laying before him the sum of the Gospel and that which must be the object of his faith and therefore it was necessary that He should take that way of preaching these truths to him so
with every petition of theirs whereby His former affections are stirred to say so and His sympathie awakned to make His divine Attributes forth-coming for their good 4. It would be considered that the Scripture allows these considerations of Christ to Believers for helping them up to communion with Him and so with God in Him and for strengthening them to approach to Him with confidence on that ground 5. As there is an exercising of Faith in God and thereby a keeping of communion with Him so there is a proportionable sympathizing heart-warming and bowel-moving affection allowed us even towards the very Man Christ as one hath to a dear friend or most loving husband that so in a word we may love Him who is Man as He who is Man loves us And this kind of communion is peculiar to the Believer with the second Person of the Godhead as it is peculiar to the second Person of the Godhead as Man by humane affections to love Him And thus we are not only one Spirit with Him as with the other Persons of the Godhead 1 Cor. 6.17 but we are one body with Him of His flesh and of His bone Eph. 5.30 in respect of this union and communion that is betwixt a Believer and the Man Jesus Christ. 6. Hence 6. As we have most accessâ— to conceive of Christs love to us who is Man so we are in the greater capacity to vent our love on Him and to have our bowels kindled upon the consideration of His being Man and performing what He did in our nature for us so the Object is most suited to be beloved by us in His condescending to be as a Brother to us And this doth confirm what is said and is a reason also why Believers vent their love to God by flowing in its expressions directly concerning Christ Because He is both the more sensible Object of our Faith and love and also because there is more possibility to conceive and mention what He in our nature hath done than to consider God and His operations in Himself abstractly 7. Hearts would always remember that He is God and so that they love and keep communion with Him that is God that makes the former the more wonderfully lively as this should make souls keep up the estimation and dignity that is due to such a Person so condescending And so by the Man Christ both to love and believe in God And in sum having the excellencies of God dwelling in the Man Christ whose affections they are more able to conceive of whose sufferings have made Hâ—s love palpable in whom God hath condescended to deal with us and on whom our affections and Faith also may have the more sensible footing by the consideration of His humane affections There is no wonder that this way of adoring praising and loving of God be so much insisted upon and yet even then when the heart is upon this consideration delighting and feeding it self upon the Mediator still His Godhead is emplyed and God in Him delighted in without which all other consolations would be defective And so it is God in the Mediator who is the Object of this delight Now unto this One God be praise in the Church by Jesus Christ for now and ever LECTURE II. Vers. 4. Iohn to the seven Churches in Asia Grace be unto you and peace from Him which is and which was and which is to come and from the seven Spirits which are before His Throne 5. And from Iesus Christ who is the faithfull witnesse and the first-begotten of the dead and the Prince of the Kings of the earth Unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own bloud 6. And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen WE heard of the Persons from whom follows now these to whom the Epistle is sent to wit the seven Churches in Asia and they are particularly named vâ—r 11. and are severall times spoken of in the two Chapters following Therefore at the entry we shall speak to a doubt or two concerning this inscription to them Quest. 1. Why is this Revelation in form of an Epistle sent to particular Churches rather than to the Whole Church 2. And why is it sent particularly to the seven Churches in Asia 3. Why are they stiled seven Churches and not one Church To the first of these Though it be sent to particular Churches yet this excludes none from the use of it to the end of the world for though many particular Epistles as the Epistles to the Romans Corinthians Galatians c. be directed to particular Churches yet the benefit of the Word contained in them extendeth to all Believers in all ages as well as to them to whom they were directed So those particular Epistles directed to the seven Churches in Asia in the 2. and 3. chapters are useful and behoveful to all the Churches of Christ in the like cases as if they had been particularly directed to them therefore is that Word cast to in the close of each of those Epistles Let him that hath aâ—â—ar hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches 2. As to the general subject matter of this Book It concerns not those particular Churches more than others as we told at the entry For ver 1. It is directed to his Servants to be made use of to the end of the world and it 's sent to those particular Churches to be transmitted by them to other Churches and in this sense the Church is called the pillar and ground of Truth 1 Tim. 3.15 as holding forth and transmitting the Truth to others To the second Why is it dedicated to the seven Churches in Asia Answ. 1. Either because those Churches were next to Pasmos where Iohn was now banished for those who are skilled in Geography know that this little Isle lyes off Asia the lesse Or 2. Because it 's like Iohn had particular inspection of those Churches in Asia committed to him which though it be not particularly set down in Scripture yet it 's clear from Scripture that there was a division of inspection among the Apostles without limiting any of them Peter was sent to the Circumcision Paul to the Gentiles Iames shode at Ierusalem And in the Ecclesiastick Story it 's asserted that after Paul had planted Ephesus Iohn stayed there who lived lâ—st of the Apostles And so these Churches being as would seem under his special oversight while he is absent from them by â—anishment he commends this Epistle to them 3. Jesus Christ sends it to them partly because of some special faults that were among them their need so remaining and because of some special tryals they were to endure and the need they had of consolation under these trials partly because they were the most famous Churches then for Ierusalem was now destroyed this being written in the days of Domician the Emperour To the third Why writes â—e to
and acting on Him so by love fear faith c. is really to call Him and count Him Father in whatsoever degree they be which hath the promise of acceptation and is a fruit of the Spirit of Adoption for Gods Covenant runs not to him who believes at such a degree but simply to him that doth believe thus qualified whether his faith or unbelief be more or lesse and so the marks run not these that have Grace or fruits at such a bignesse only but these that have good fruits in any measure have them from Christ and may conclude that the tree is good and therefore cannot but be accounted living branches that will never be broken off which of no hypocrite can be said who do never bring forth their fruits in Him And it is hard to say that fruit brought forth by vertue and communication of life from Christ doth not differ but in degree from fruit brought forth from and to our selves Especially considering that the Scripture doth contradistinguish them on that account without this respect to their degree as we may gather from Hos. 14.8 being compared with Ioh. 15. v. 2.4.5 2. We would advert that this reduplication consisteth not only in the proposing of such an end or being acted by such a motive to wit a command c. but it takes in a singlenesse in both and gives such an end and motive the chief consideration in the act whereby in the practice of duty the heart not only purposeth the pleasing of God in the giving of obedience to a command but goes about it as a thing pleasing to God and honourable to Him and as such doth approve of it for a servant may desire to please his Master and do what he hath commanded and yet possibly not to be single in it as it is pleasing to him which as we said is the thing wherein the great pinch of discerning these differencing qualifications will lye Learned Baxter in his excellent Treatise of the Saints everlasting rest part 3. doth otherwise expresse the Doctrine of the difference and trial of saving and common Grace than what hath been usually rested in among practicall Divines which doth necessitate us someway to insist a litle further in the clearing thereof He hath these Assertions 1. That it is not the Law but the Covenant that can clear the sincerity of Grace as saving to wit as it is accepted by the Covenant as the fulfilling of the condition thereof pag. 205. and 206. 2. He saith that God hath not in the Covenant promised Justification upon any meer act or acts considered without their degree and suitablenesse to their object c. pag. 210. 3. There is no act considered in its meer nature and kind which a true Christian may perform but one that is unsound may perform it also pag. 211. From which he draweth That wicked men may really rely on Christ have recumbencie on him love God c. pag. 211. and 231. and that they may hate sin as sin and as displeasing to God Ibid. 4. He asserts That the sincerity of saving Grace as saving lieth materially not in the bare nature thereof but in the degree not in the degree considered absolutely in it self but comparatively as it is prevalent against its contrary that is when love adhereth more to God than any other thing and such like pag. 222. which he endeavoureth to show both in the infused habits and in the acts of saving Grace and pag. 235. doth assert That in loving God and Christ as Mediator there is no more than a graduall difference between the regenerate and unregenerate and in the end he doth load the common opinion with many dangerous consequents These assertions do seem at the first to be expresly contradictory to what hath been said yet if we will consider the explication thereof we will not find so great difference in the matter it self as to be the rise of a new debate and controversie in the Church wherein there are alace I too many already nor any just cause to reject the former received opinion for any prejudice that follows upon it to which two we shall speak a little 1. We conceive that the difference will not be found so great as the expressions at first seem to carry and were it not that this opinion of his is expresly laid down in opposition to what is commonly received there might be not so great ground to suspect it For. 1. the infusing of habits as necessary and antecedaneous to gracious acts is acknowledged by both and expresly part 1. pag. 158. and 159. he doth condemn the contrary in Grevinchovius at least as an error And part 3. pag. 224. he hath somwhat to the same purpose 2. It is not questioned whether true acts of saving Grace have a rational and deliberate prevalencie over the opposite lusts as he asserts part 3. pag. 212 213. that will be also granted by all Divines that though where true Grace is it may be captivated and not alwayes actually prevail against the opposite suggestions of the flesh yet in a sober and deliberate frame the interest of God and spiritual things will have more room in the heart of one that is renewed as he is such at least than sinful lusts unto which the flesh doth intice 3. It is granted also that beside the act there is necessary for the constituting of it to be saving a sutablenesse and adequatnesse to the object which we will find in the explication thereof to be almost the same with the positive qualifications which formerly we did lay down as pag. 211. and 212. he doth thus expresse it The sincerity of the act as saving consisteth in its being suted to its adequat object considered in its respects which are essential to it as such an object and so to believe in and love God as God and Christ as Christ is the sincerity of these acts but this lieth in believing accepting and loving God as the only supream God c. where expresly the act is considered as acting upon its object under the reduplication formerly mentioned and seems to be by him accounted the same with accepting and loving God above all And again pag. 229. to will God and Christ above all saith he this is to will savingly which he explains thus to will God and God the chief good and Christ as Christ the only Saviour and pag. 230. he saith that a man may will God and Christ who by the understanding are apprehended as the chief good as the devils do and yet by not willing Him as so considered that willing is not saving and wherefore It must be because it wants that reduplication which reduplication in the terme as must be indeed extended to the will as well as to the understanding as he there asserts but is not to be restricted to the degree of its act to speak so but is to be extended also to the nature of it Further we will find the same learned
doth on other opposite objects In a word this when the good that is in God is considered on the one hand and the good that is in creatures on the other hand if the soul choose God and love Him beyond any created good That is accounted by him to be saving sincere love and the sincerity thereof to consist in this degree alone From this the ordinary Doctrine differeth especially in these 1. That usually Divines consider the prevalency of Gods interest to be especially in the motive swaying to the act and other qualifications and the act to be sincere suppose of love fear sorrow c. not only because it loves or fears God more than any other object but because single respect to God and spiritual good maketh it love Him fear Him sorrow for the offending of Him in what ever degree the act it self be In the former respect supposing that an act could be prevalent to wit in loving or fearing God more than any other thing such acts behoved to be accounted sincere and saving without any respect to the motive or other qualifications of them and it supposeth that an act may have these qualifications and not be gracious in the last respect acts so qualified supposing that there may be such prevailed over by the violence of other subjects yet are to be accounted gracious because so and so qualified without respect to the degree of the present act and so that no act of an hypocrite can be so qualified 2. The difference is in this that this Reverend Author doth only constitute the difference in that comparative prevalent degree alone and therefore expresly asserteth pag. 235. that there is no more but a graduall difference betwixt the grace that is in an regenerate man and the love that he hath to God and the common grace and love that may be in one unregenerate which would seem to say that the one may love God on the same consideration and account and from the same motives that the other may especially considering that he doth extend this meer graduall difference both to the habits and acts and so the question here cometh to this if there be any other difference than a graduall difference to be inquired for And this is that which we assert that there is beside any gradual difference a difference in kind that is in respect of the former qualifications betwixt saving and common grace and that in our search the one is to be inquired for with the other so that no degree simply can quiet the mind except it be so qualified as aforesaid And we conceive that the instances reasons similitudes and Scriptures that are adduced by that Reverend Author to illustrate and confirm his opinion will do no more but this to wit shew that when a gracious person is acting rationally Gods interest will be prevalent with him in degree and that ever it should be so and that it is most usefull for a Believers clearnesse that it be so in an high degree All which are without question but they will no wayes exclude the qualifications mentioned but rather do presuppose them as for example pag. 231.32 he saith That sincere sorrow must be at such a degree that it prevail over our delight in sin and love to it also iâ— cannot be saving although this be true yet can any say that this is enough except the principle motive c. from which in proceedeth and by which it 's qualified be considered as was formerly hinted Again pag. 234. he saith True love to the brethren consisteth in this degree that it love them above our honour wealth c. And saith he What did the love of some in Queen Maries dayes want but a more intense degree to make it prevail over love to their houses to their honour safety c. that it might be sincere Beside this intense degree there might be wanting a right principle for bringing forth of love and a right account upon which to love them without which the hazarding of lives and estates both for them had never been accounted sincere love before God and with which the giving unto them a cup of cold water as in the name of a Disciple Mat. 10. would have been acceptable And no question many who through fear and self love did keep down the stirrings of sincere love within them so that it prevailed not to make them publickly own these Sufferers as they should have done yet might still carry sincere love in their hearts to them although sinfully they obscured it which will indeed prove them to be guilty and their love to be imperfect but will not prove it altogether to be hypocriticall and unsound in the kind thereof and therefore seing without these qualifications no degree can be sufficient to prove the sincerity of an act and where these are the act in whatsoever degree cannot but be accounted sincere it must rather be these that constitute the sincerity of the act than any degree considered as distinct from them That assertion therfore which is pag. 238. That a hypocrite may love a Godly man for his Godlinesse or a Christian for Christs sake seemeth to be unwarrantable and utterly to make void that mark of the Grace of God which consisteth in true love to the brethren for nothing can be conceived in the comparative degree without the kind but may be in hypocrites and often these that are sincere will be for a time so captivated with self-self-love that they will not evidence their love to others but see for themselves as the Disciples did when Christ was betraied yet it cannot be denied but that then they loved him sincerely and that not in word only but in deed also And although it was exceedingly defective yet unsound it cannot be called and so may be said of love to others And considering that where nature hath dominion there is still enimity at the seed of God as such how can it be that a natural man can love and hate the same person upon the same account at one time It cannot be denied but natural men may intirely love these that are gracious and that also their supposing them to be beloved of God may have some weight with them yet is not that respect had to them upon this account as they are beloved of God or like to Him but at the most as thereby they may gain Gods love or have some benefit by their loving of them or the preventing of some evil or the confirming of themselves in their security and self-conceated opinion from this that they love such an one c. And it appears further in this that they love not all who are Godly and hate not and shun not all that are opposite to Godlinesse and so do not love God and Godlinesse it self singly as such because then their own inclination and secret delights would be hateful to themselves And yet certainly all this would be if Godly men were loved upon this account
of God which may bear great sway with them and more than any meer temporal thing as in the instance of the Iews Rom. 10. Yet there cannot be zeal of any kind without love of that same kind yea zeal presupposeth love and that in an high and intense degree But we shall offer some instances afterward Secondly It would be adverted that we do not assert that hypocrites may thus love or fear God habitually and to say so in their ordinary strain nay we think it extraordinary to them to attain even to this and that it followeth upon the back of some extraordinary manifestation either of Gods love wrath terrour c. If it be said that this meeteth not the question Answ. Indeed that Reverend Author stateth it upon habituall and deliberate acting yet considering that the thing enquired in here is the sincerity of particular gracious acts if there can be any particular act which hath that comparative degree and yet is not sincere nor will prove the person to be gracious Then it will follow that the sincerity of particular gracious acts is not alone nor mainly to be enquired for in that Thirdly It would be remembered that when we speak of this prevalency in the comparative degree that we take not the phrase largely as including the motive end c. or Gods interest swaying to such an act by such a spirituall motive c. but strictly according as we held it forth in two distinctions mentioned before this Gods interest then in this act is not to be considered as it respecteth motives and compareth all these amongst which respect to Him doth sway but it 's to be understood as it respects the act only without respect to the motive what ever inducement it be that perswadeth thereto Otherwise as we said the difference is but in expressions and it 's not our purpose to contend for words And therefore in such an explication we shall acquiesce as to this and we professe not to dispute against that If it be said that the loving of God so comparatively above any thing is not to love Him above all because that for which we love Him is more beloved by us even though thereupon we should be induced to give our lives for His Cause c. Answ. 1. It 's true this proveth it not to be sincere love or to proceed from right principles and motives as is said and this is not intended for even such a person hates God really as was formerly asserted Yet secondly it 's such love as hypocrites use to have to other things to wit that love wherewith they love the world their Patrons and Idols of any sort which is certainly still from some selfish principle or motive and therefore indeed still they love themselves best yet are they said to have such things to be their Idols and comparatively to love them above all other things even above the Lord Himself although it be such a motive as prevaileth with them for that end and may not the same be acknowledged here supposing that the Lord may for a time get that from a man upon carnall considerations which some Idol useth to have Thirdly We conceive it will be in this case argumentum ad hominem for this Reverend Author instanceth the prevalency of love to God and the Brethren not in the motives that swayeth to love them most but in the acts being compared with other objects that is if God be loved above His temporall good things if the Saints be loved more than our estate place c. so as we can quite all these for them as the former instances do clear Now supposing it may be made out that as to the effects hypocrites may so love God and the Saints as to abandon all their temporall satisfactions for them and possibly even their life which is the only thing that that Reverend Author saith was desiderated in the love of some in Queen Maries dayes pag. 237.238.239 though still upon carnall principles and motives Then it will follow that the assertion as formerly understood will be sufficient to oppose that proposition that the difference betwixt saving and common grace is only graduall and that in respect of such a degree as is explained Now we come to instances 1. We may find it in love one that is an hypocrite may in some respect as is qualified love God above all For 1. May it not be said from the zeal that many Iews had that they loved God above all and out of their blind zeal would have preferred Him to their lives or what else was dear to them Yea 2. Was not that in Paul while yet a Pharisee before his Conversion who in some respect had that testimony from his Conscience that zeal and love to God put him to all that he did so that it is like he could have suffered the losse of all things in that quarrell yet it cannot be said but that his love to God after his Conversion was exceedingly different from what it was before although in this comparative degree it might be some way the same to wit he loved God above all before and he continued to do so thereafter but with love far otherwise qualified than formerly he did If it be said that although the Iews and Paul had a zeal of and did love God above all yet was it not according to knowledge as is said Rom. 10. and so could not be accepted by the Covenant as sincere love Answ. This is truth and doth confirm our assertion for wherefore was it not accounted sincere and as such accepted It cannot be said simply because they loved some other thing better for the degree of their zeal and love is not controverted but it is in respect of the qualifications thereof it was not according to knowledge that is in a word not regulated and qualified in respect of the principle end motive and account thereof according to the rule whereby true love should vent which in their ignorance they could not do and therefore still there is some thing beside this degree necessary to the constituting of the sincerity of love that it may be acceptable and so in other acts this must ever be presupposed that they be according to knowledge that is 1. That the matter of it be right in it self 2. That the manner be according to the rule prescribed that is not only Gods glory for the end but the glorifying of Him according as He requireth and prescribeth 3. That both these be known to the person And 4. That as such he perform them and upon that account act in them as they agree to His will otherwise it can never be accounted to be an act according to knowledge as in the former instance is clear whereby it appeareth that the sincerity of an act and this prevalent comparative degree thereof may be separated Thirdly That men may love their Idols above all cannot be denied seing men are naturally mad upon their Idols so
Turks love their Mahomet Baal's Prophets their Baal even beyond their own lives Now may not one love God and Christ as one may love Mahomet or their Idols This Argument is also made use of by the forcited Author to prove that a natural man may love Christ really for kind pag. 236 237. And will not this â—ame hold in respect of the degree also Considering that there is as good ground and more even in a humane respect for Historical faith to believe the truth of the being and worth of God and Jesus Christ and as much proof and experience of the advantages and benefits that come from him as there are for any to be assured of the being and worth of Mahomet Iupiter Apollo c. Now suppose one that formerly loved Mahomet or Iupiter above all should by the force of Historical faith or some extraordinary deliverance be brought to account of and love the only true God as he did formerly love Mahomet or his Idols could that be accounted to be sincere love because the object were changed Supposing still no change to be in the man nor intrinsickly in the act it self in respect of its kind and yet upon the supposition foresaid this act would not be defective in respect of the comparative degree supposing him to love God now as formerly he did his Idol It must therefore be in kind And may not such acts as have proceeded from Nebuchadnezar and other hypocrites upon special and singular appearances of God be accounted such wherein there was some kind of reality as to their actual esteeming of God above all yet still being without sinceritie as the zeal of the Iews was because God was not esteemed of according to knowledge that is as in Christ Jesus in which respect He hath manifested Himself in His Word and without which there can be no degree of love acceptable to Him Fourthly Might not one have loved Christ above all while He was upon earth from the convictions of the worth that was evidently seen in Him and from particular favours received from Him suppose of health freedom from the rage of the devil c. as one man may love another especially His benefactor above all things so that He may become his Idol Now suppose it had been so which was not impossible that men had known and loved Christ thus after the flesh as the Apostle speaketh 2 Corinth 5.17 could that have proven that love to be sincere And yet the fault is not in respect of that degree Again we may instance it in faith for that one may trust Christ in some respect above all is clear by the many examples of the faith of miracles and that both active and passive yet is it also clear that saving faith is of another nature and hath other qualifications concurring in it's acting as such the first acteth on Him as powerfull to bring forth such an act and in respect of some particular manifestation of His Will for the bringing forth thereof the other considereth Him as a Saviour offered to us by Gods faithfulnesse in the Word and for that end to wit Salvation and upon that account to wit as offered and as such it receiveth Him and resteth on Him being moved thereunto by its giving credit to the faithfulnesse of God in respect of His Covenant and offer of speciall Grace So to be willing to have Christ is a main act of Faith and that one in nature may in some respect be willing to have Christ and Heaven above all cannot be denied especially by this Author Neither can it be said that this respect to God and Christ is inferiour to their love to earthly blessings which they prefer to Him as is insinuated pag. 237. for certainly they may esteem Him beyond temporal blessings therefore they will suffer the losse of these and their life it self upon this presumptuous ground of gaining Him by the abandoning of these yet cannot that be accounted sincere willing because they will Him not as such and according to the tearms of His Covenant Further it may be instanced in fear repentance love to the brethren c. as was formerly hinted wherein we will find that natural men may come to this comparative degree in respect of the external object to wit to fear God more than to fear men or any other thing to sorrow for sin in such a degree that it may prevail over delight in it and love to it wherein the comparative degree that constituteth the sincerity thereof is instanced pag. 231 232. and they may love the brethren so as to relive clothe visite them c. and for this end to part with their own case and estate which is the degree that is only marked as wanting to such as loved the Saints but yet could not part with temporal things for them pag. 239. and upon this ground it is we conceive that pag. 232. this necessary advertisement is given That these graces which are expressed by the passion as fear love joy c. are not so certainly to be tried by the passion that is in them as by the will that is contained in them or supposed to them which must either be to shew that somtimes the vehemency of the passion may seem more towards one object suppose in fear of men or love to creatures when yet the will rationally feareth and loveth God more or it is added to shew that somthing must be respected in the trial beside the degree simplie so that this degree is not to be accounted the alone mark of trial otherwise this advertisement were needlesse And what is spoken of the will its acting rationally in its act as contradistinguished from the passion or act of the sensitive part must infer some concurring qualifications to be necessary in the act of the will which cannot be in the sensitive part which doth necessarily infer a racite acknowledging of the necessity of observing somthing in the nature of the act beside this degree alone for the evidencing of the sincerity thereof On the other side may not habits for a time be without acts at least without acts prevalent in respect of this degree Now then what shall be judged of such acts suppose of love fear faith c. which for a time are prevailed over and the heart is led captive by the opposits They cannot be denied to be sincere acts of Grace nor can it be said that there are none such at all for in that one place Rom. 7. we will find the Apostle speaking of such motions of the Spirit or Inner-man which yet prevail not as to the effect but the heart is led captive over them so that what he would that he doth not and he is led captive to the law of sin over the law of his mind yet even then doth he acknowledge these acts of the Inner-man to be sincere acts of Grace and therefore doth comfort himself in them and doth oppose them to the law of sin in
habitually prefer the interest of flesh or any carnal respect to the interest of God and His way or love any thing more than God or equally with Him that man can never warrantably conclude that he hath saving Grace this being inconsistent with it and also one who loveth God sincerely cannot when he acteth deliberately and according to the former qualifications but love Him beyond all because that is the nature of sincere love And 2. We do not seclude this but adde the former qualifications of the kind thereof and therefore this way must be both more convincing to discover a hypocrite when he must not only look to the degree but to the kind also and on the other side be more satisfying to the poor Believer when he hath not only his mark to gather from the degree which often may be exceeding dark and doubtful to him when he considereth many Idols that may have great place in himself and how far hypocrites may come in that respect but when he may also reflect within himself upon his end motive and manner of acting c. he may be helped to discern the sinceritie and honestie of his own act and purpose and have the help of his conscience testimony in reference to these also and so come more confidently to conclude concerning himself It is true it is a most hard task though a most necessary task to discover the nature of sinceritie and saving Grace for the comfort of a tender Believer so as presumptuous hypocrites may not justly stumble thereon to their own ruine yet are they to wit hypocrites more apt to flatter themselves in the truth of their grace suppose of faith love c. in respect of the kind thereof than in respect of the comparative degree thereof And are they not as confident and perswaded of this that they love God above all and trust and lippen to Him more than to any other thing for attaining to life And will be ready to say there is no â—â—her thing they can lippen to and in this they are fixed so as none shall be able to convince them of the contrarie because Gods soveraignity in that respect is so naturally fixed in the conscience that they never debate it but thinks themselves through in it the conviction of its reasonablenesse is so strong on their judgements And indeed upon what hath been said if we will separate the degree from the kind and qualifications formerly mentioned they will have much seeming reason for them and yet even then they will bewray that love faith c. which they esteem to be in this degree to be unsound in its kind as being but the fruit of nature and somewhat readily which is of age equal to themselves c. and therefore cannot be found Therefore we adde that this way will be more useful to convince natural men than the other is because generally they are perswaded of the truth and reality of their grace and to say that their grace were but defective in its degree would 1. keep them from the through conviction of their gracelesnesse and the right uptaking of their deceitful nature which yet is mainly and principally necessary to the work of conversion For it would make them suppose that they had already attâ—ined some beginnings whereas this placing of the sincerity of true Grace in the kind doth at the first point out to them the necessity of a change and more easily discovereth the unsoundnesâ—e of every thing that groweth from the naturall root of an unrenewed condition 2. This placing of it in the degree doth put hypocrites only to amend or quicken their pace and to be adding to their building but not to take a new way or to lay a new foundation now this exceedingly suitâ— with a presumptuous hypocrit's humour who easily will grant that their faith is weak but not that it is unsound and are ever desirous to encrease what they have which will prove but a building upon sand and if this were the alone mark of trial whether God had the chief room by this comparative degree in their acts they would be exceedingly confirmed in their opinion that all is well It 's like when Nicodeâ—â—â— came to our Lord he would not easily have been convinced that he loved or trusted any thing more than God neither doth our Lord take that way for convincing of him but doth shew the unsoundnesse of what he had in respect of the kind thereof and that the tree behoved to be made good and of another kind before any fruit thereof could be approvable and therefore He Preacheth to him the Doctrine of Regeneration and the necessity of being born again and doth not insist to shew any defect of degree but of kind as in that Ioâ— 3. is clear that saith He which is born of the flesh is flesh that is what ever fruits may be in a natural man they are of a corrupt kind as the root is whereby He would obviat a secret objection that Nicodemus or a formal hypocrite might have from the degree or abundance of seeming good acts of zeal love prayer c. as may by Nicodemus his words to Christ be gathered to have been in him be it so saith He let there be many fruits and that in a great degree that is not the thing that maketh them acceptableâ— for they are still but flesh that is of a corrupt kind and thus He rejecteth them all at once and stoppeth his mouth without comparing them in reference to their objects wherein Nicodemus had not been so easily convinced And on the contrary saith the Lord What is bâ—rn of the spirit is spirit whereby He doth not only shew that there must be fruits of another kind to wit spirituall and that nothing of whatsoever degree can be accounted sincere except it proceed from this principle to wit the Spirit but also it sheweth that there is nothing which doth come from that principle if it were but the least motion but it is spirit and acceptable according to the root that it cometh from without consideration of the degree thereof And seing our Lord took that way to discover and convince it cannot but be safest 3. This way also would be dangerous to many poor tender Believers if they were put to try the sincerity of their Grace by this prevalent degree alone for do not they often find their unbelief or leaning to creatures at least in their sense to exceed their faith in God And do not they find love to things of the world more frequently carry the heart to delight therein than in God alone And shall they cast all as unsound in such a case What had Paul done if he had walked by this mark when the motions of sin captivated him Rom. 7. and yet is he still comforted in the sincerity of His Grace and in the actings of the inner-man which cannot be grounded upon this comparative degree but upon the kind thereof Now if this maxime
them as particular Churches To the seven Churches in Asia and not to the Church in Asia Answ. For clearing of this the Scripture speaks of the Church in a threefold sense 1. As comprehending the whole number of visible Professors scattered through the world so the Gospel-Church is spoken of from the dayes of Christ to His coming again as 1 Cor. 12.28 God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secundarily Prophets c. where by Church is not to be understood this or that particular Church nor the Church in Corinth for the Church he is speaking of is such a Church as God had set the Apostles in and all Officers and that was in no particular Church but is the universal Church spoken of in the Verse before made up both of Iews and Gentiles and so the word is often used elswhere as it is said Paul made havock of the Church and that he persecuted the Church It was not this or that particular Church but all that called on the Name of Jesus Christ to whatsoever particular Church they did belong So 1 Cor. 10.32 the Church is contradistinguished from Iews and Gentiles Give none offence to the Iews nor Gentiles nor to the Church of God that is to the Church visible professing Faith in Christ. And this Church Râ—vel 12. is set out under the similitude of a woman in travel in readiness to be delivered and afterward doth flee which is not this or that particular Church but the Mother-Church comprehending the whole visible number of Professors 2. It is taken as comprehending a number of Believers meeting together in one place ordinarily for the Worship of God the smallest associated part of this body of the universal visible Church as 1 Cor. 14.34 a company of professing Believers met or meeting together for Preaching or Prayer and in this sense the Scripture speaks not so often of the Church 3. It 's taken neither for the whole body of visible Professors nor yet for such a part of that Body that is a company met or meeting together but for a number associated and combined under one Government meeting in their Church-Guides and Officers though under this combination and Government there be many Congregationâ— and Meetings and so the Church at Corinth Ephesus and Ierusalem is to be understood not for the Universal Catholick Church nor for a particular Congregation but for a number of particular Congregations under one Government such as there was in Corinth and Ephesus And yet when he directs his Epistle to one Church as under one Government particular Congregations are included as in Ierusalem there were many Churches and many Watch-men and they could not meet together in one place for the exercise of Gods Worship yet it was not unsuitable to say the Church at Ierusalem as the Church at Glasgow as under one Government though it were not suitable to speak of them as of one Congregation met together for there were many moe Congregations of people in one of those Towns as 1 Cor. 14.34 compared with 1 Cor. 1.3 there were Churches under one Church therefore it behoved to be a mutual combination that made up one body In answer to the Question therefore While he speaks to them as Churches in Asia it is because he looks on them as so many distinct incorporations parts of the whole or because their cases and conditions were distinct and one message could not agree to all the case of Ephesus was one the case of Smyrna another c. And severall cases and conditions required severall letters But if any say It is improper to speak of a Church in the New Testament except of a particular Congregation because it 's said here to the seven Churches in Asia and elswhere the Churches in Judea c. We answer 1. That inference will not hold but rather the contrary for here it 's said the Church at Ephesus and in Ephesus were many particular Congregations therefore it 's meaned of a Church associated and combined under one Government neither ever are Churches in one place mentioned of whatsoever number they be but as one 2. Though seven Churches of Asia be spoken of here yet Revel 12. the Church is spoken of under the similitude of one woman and these Churches must be parts of that one the seed of that woman and children of that mother See more chap. 11. at the end Observâ— That our Lord Jesus Christ taketh notice of the particular estate of His Churches not only how it goeth with the Church in general but how it goeth with this or that particular Church how it goeth with Edinburgh Glasgow c. which shews a reason why he distinguisheth them in the inscription The second part of the inscription is a thanksgiving from the midst of the 5. vers to the 7. vers when he hath wished Grace and Peace from Iesus Christ whom he calls the first begotten from the dead because by vertue of Him all do arise and because He was the first that rose and went to Heaven for though Enoch and Elias be personally in Heaven they tasted not of death and so cannot be called the first begotten from the dead others died again as Lazarus And when he hath called Him the Prince of the Kings of the earth as set down now at His Fathers right hand as the Fathers Lord-Deputy to point out His Mediatory and given Kingdom and His reigning for the good of the Elect and to rule others for their sake though not to subdue and make them willing Subjects yet to bruise them with His Mace and Iron-Scepter When I say he is speaking thus of Jesus Christ his heart beginneth to warm and he breaketh out in a word of thanksgiving wherein there is 1. a description of the Person to whom the thanksgiving is made 2. The thanksgiving it self The description is excellent and of exceeding great consolation to the Church as holding out Christs bowels and the priviledges and benefits that Believers have in and through Him 1. In the Fountain they come from Him that loved us What a One is Christ He is He who loved us this is the Bosome-grace from whence all other Graces and Benefits do flow Prov. 8. everlasting love and the first and chief stile in all our praise If Believers would know who Christ is It 's he who loved us a most comfortable stile 2. In the particular benefits that flow from this love and washed us from our sins in his own blood Every word hath an emphasis in it He had not an empty and complementing love but such a love as moved Him to leave the hight of Glory and come down and take on our nature and in that nature to die and shed His blood for us and by that blood to wash us from the filthinesse and guilt of sin in taking away the evil of sin and wrath And in that He is said to wash us from sin in His own blood It suppones 1. That sin is a
is a sort of patience and meeknesse that wants zeal and sharpnesse in reference to the purging of Christs House a patience that can bear with ill men and this is no more to be commended than the former This Angel is commended that he eschewed both and had both patience and zeal in exercise running in their right channel and put forth toward the right objects and would God these were more seen and discernable in our practice the one would make our zeal to shine and the other would make our patience and humility praise-worthy and if they be not joyned our zeal shall be carnall and our patience luke-warm and neither of these will be commended of Christ. 6. There is no name priviledge or title that should scare people especially the Ministers of God from searching or trying corrupt men that bring corrupt Doctrine pretending a Commission from Christ when they have none though they should have the pretext of Ministers and Apostles and had never so great gifts for very like these men who took this name to themselves wanted not gifts or so smooth a carriage to insinuate themselves on people and to commend their presumption to them for it was commendable zeal in this Angel to try them and discover them 7. If folks will put to proof and triall many things and persons that have fair names they will be found very unlike the names they take It is a time wherein we had need not to take every thing on trust from all persons though their gifts were great and they had big titles and names but humbly and soberly to wait on God for light and direction searching and trying both mens carriage and Doctrine and the Commission they pretend to in carrying of it 8. Where an immediate Call is pretended unto and great titles assumed ordinarily it is to carry on some strange Doctrine or designe and is therefore to be suspected by the people of God 2 Cor. 11. vers 13. 9. The censuring of corrupt unsent Ministers is a most difficult task what from their nature and sometimes from their parts what from the addictednesse of many unto them Yet it is a speciall duty and although it be often difficult to follow and be mistaken by many others Yet that it 's acceptable before Jesus Christ may appear from these considerations 1. That the Scripture holdeth forth no kind of persons as more abominable in themselves and more hatefull to Him for which cause they are called dogs and dumb dogs that cannot bark Isa. 56.10 Salt without savour wolves idol-shepherds such as feed themselves and kill his flock blind guids c. Hence it is that there are not more sad expostulations with complaints of or threatnings pronounced against any than against these Our blessed Lord Jesus multiplies woes unto such in a more terrible manner than was usuall to Him Mat. 23. 2. There is no kind of persons that prove more dishonourable to our Lord Jesus and to His Gospel than such these make the Law to be despised Mal. 2. and the Sacrifices and Ordinances to be counted vile and contemptible 1 Sam. 2. Such especially open the mouths of prophane men against Religion and the Author thereof and exceedingly derogate from the authority of Him they pretend to have sent them and to the Ambassage they are sent with while as they look so unlike Him And upon this account it is amongst others that such particular directions for the singular qualifying of Church-officers are given in Scripture and the censuring of such and that by Christs own Authority vindicateth Him which cannot be but honourable and acceptable to Him 3. The scandalous miscarriages and unfaithfulnesse of Ministers bring a speciall blot upon all Religion as if it were but meer hypocrisie and tended to the fostering of such ills and profane men are exceedingly strengthened in such Atheisticall apprehensions when these ills are not taken notice of and censured by Church Authority whereas by this severity in the exercise of Discipline the faults are seen to be in persons and not in Religion or the Ordinances thereof 4. There is no such contempt done to our Lord Jesus as for one to pretend to have Commission from Him and yet to be running unsent by Him or having gotten Commission to miscarry by unfaithfulnesse in it this is a betraying of trust and cannot but be looked on as a high contempt against Him 5. As there is a suitablenesse in the censuring of such Church-officers to Christs mind so there doth appear in the same a tenderness of and zeal unto His Glory Hence it is that His most zealous servants as Elias Paul yea and Himself when on earth did set themselves most against that generation 6. There is no sort of men more hurtfull to the Church by obstructing Christs end in His Ordinances to wit the edification of His People for such profit them not at all Ier. 23. yea they stand in the way of their profiting sometimes by corrupt Doctrine sometimes by example sometimes by sadning and weakening of these who look more tenderly to the practice of Godlinesse and if no-other way yet by filling the room and so standing in the way of the peoples being provided with such as might be helpfull and faithful Now considering the great respect that our Lord Jesus hath to the edification of His People and considering the weight that He hath placed upon this Ministery as a mean for promoving of that end and withall the great obstruction that followes to that end when this mean disappoints it cannot but be accounted acceptable to Him to remove such an obstruction Yea 7. Considering that there is nothing He commends more than mutuall love to His Disciples and there is nothing wherein love can appear more to them than in seeking their spirituall edification which was that wherein His own love eminently kythed and there is nothing wherein this kind of love kythes more to Him or them than that they be fed with knowledge and understanding by Pastors according to His own heart according to His word to Peter Peter loves thou me then feed my lambs it cannot therefore but be looked on by Him as acceptable service And indeed if it be commendable to relieve a neighbours beast from hazard when there is a slothfull shepherd or to relieve the bodily life from temporall hazard how much more must it be commendable to prevent the eternall hazard of immortall souls which by corrupt Ministers cannot but be in hazard 8. There is nothing that more rejoyceth and hardneth corrupt men than when they are like People like Priest and have Pastors according to their own heart and there is nothing that they are more provoked and displeased with than the censuring of such yea even men who have no respect almost to Religion at all yet abhorr and oppose the censuring of such as if it were a peece of Religion or rather of opposition to Religion to do so which certainly sheweth that the following of
matter of Doctrine as the commendation preceding clears Nor 2. is it necessary here to be understood principally of a decay of love in the habit it self but in the exercise and fruits thereof as is clear by the opposition following do the first works which points out the fault reproved to have consisted in the neglect of these which is again removed by the performing of them though we think there is a suitablnesse between the habit and its fruits as it is with the one so is it with the other and few acts and fruits do evidence the habit thereof to be cold and languishing 3. Neither do we understand here by falling from their first love a total falling from fruits but comparatively a falling from some former acts and degrees or their vigorous manner of acting from love as they had wont formerly to do called first love here and afterwards first works By comparing then this reproof with the commendation we conceive it doth include these three 1. A falling from those duties wherein especially true love to God and charity to others consisted that is they were much in outward reformation profession and zeal that way but wanting inwardly heart-burning love and affection to God and so in some measure were hypocritical in that their love within was not answerable to their profession without but were more taken up in external fruits than in the inward exercise of love in so far agreeing with the Pharisees in that fault reproved Luk. 11.42 Ye tithe mint c. but passe over judgement and the love of God 2. As it looks to others it may say though there was zeal in the external Worship of God yet there was great defect of that love sympathie and affection of one of them with and to another that should be this being ordinary that love inflamed to God-ward and love one to another go together and therefore as it importeth they had fallen from their former warm impressions of love to God so also from their kindly affection one to another and had fallen in part to be more in Sacrifice and externals of Worship than in Mercy and love one to another Hos. 6.7 and Matth. 12.7 The third is a decay of love in the manner of doing duties so that though they continued in the practice of former duties towards God and towards others yet in respect of love to God as the principle acting them in such duties or affections towards others they had much decayed and therefore may be charged to have fallen from their first love though they continued in the externall performances because the former native vigour and life in those duties was decayed Whence we may gather that there may be many things commendable in a Church or in a person and yet there may be a secret quarrel between Christ and them as Psal. 78. vers 34 35 36. compared together do shew yea that there may be many things right in a Believer in respect of externals and yet a dissatisfaction to Jesus Christ in their secret condition That this Angel and many of these written to in this Church were Believers this reproof clears which supposeth them once to have had love that they have many things commendable the former verse is clear to wit pure profession of truth zealous exercise of discipline diligence in doing and labouring patience in suffering honestie in their end for Christs names sake and continuing in all these without fainting yet is there a neverthelesse added which may make hearts to tremble and not to reckon their condition from externall performances and ought to put Believers to it to see how they will free themselves from this part of the challenge 2. Our Lord Jesus doth especially take notice of the love of His people and is much swayed in His commendations and reproofs according as He findeth it in exercise towards Him and towards others 3. Love within may be cold when folks practices without look very hot and upon the matter may be accepted of Christ. 4. Believers often at their first engaging to Christ have their love more warm toward Him and towards others than afterward it will be or Believers ordinarly slips from that warmnesse of affection that accompanieth their entry and becometh more cold in their affections towards God and towards others the first love continueth not 5. Backsliding and declining from what folk have been either in profession or practice is and will be a special article of Christs charge Hence is it that hold fast is so frequently repeated in the following Epistles not only to intimate what is our duty but also to evidence how ill the Lord taketh declining when He finds it among His people Heb. 10. vers 38. If any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him 6. Every decay is a falling and huâ—ts the Work of Grace proportionably as grosse commissions do and it 's as impossible for a man to sit up in the exercise of inward Graces and not to hurt them as for a man to fall from a hight and not be wounded Vers. 5. Followeth the direction which our Lord prescribeth as the duty suting their case and the threatning wherewith He backs it The direction hath three steps every one of them making way for another The 1. is Remember from whence thou art fallen that is advert and consider how it is with thee be it was at the beginning that so by reflecting upon themselves and comparing their present condition with what is past they might be brought to take up their own condition In sum it implieth that there had been in them an inadvertencie unto and forgetfulnesse of their own condition for a time which had made them without challenges slip into and continue in that backslidden condition Unto this remembring is opposed which taketh in not only a simple act of memorie but a sensible exercise of the conscience and affections also following upon their reflecting on themselves like the word Ezek. 16.61 Thou shalt remember thy Wayes c. The second part of the direction is repent this is the fruit and end of the former relating also to what was past that not only they should look upon their own wayes but that their eye should affect their heart for the upstirring of them in the exercise of Repentance which includeth these two 1. A kindly indignation against their sin and against themselves for their sin so as in some part they avenge God of themselves in the judging and censuring of themselves in the behalf of God as it is in 2 Cor. 7.11 2. It taketh in an inward and outward change of their way for the time to come which is ever a fruit of true Repentance when the party is brought not only to confesse but to forsake their sin as the words following clear in the third direction which is do the first works This relateth unto the time to come that is that what once they had been at in the performance of
be numbred Yet these things may be said 1. That no self respect ought to have place here but the greater good of the Church and advantage of the Gospel is the great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby this is to be decided 2. This generall is to be found out by comparing of places and qualifications with respect to the number of the hearers their qualifications as they are strong or infirm tractable or stubborn pure or corrupt In respect of their stations as they have influence on publick things or not as they may have influence in communicating their light to other places as the word in his mouth may be more readily and freely received without prejudice and such other considerations of this kind some whereof are hinted in the close of the former Chapter concerning a Minister's Call at his first entry 3 This comparison would not be considered between places as if there were no tye standing between him and either of them certainly there is more disproportionablenesse required to loose one from a charge than would have cast the ballance between places at his entry Also other means of a proportionable setling and providing of such a place would be first seriously essayed and followed if they occur 4. This would be endeavoured to be done by convincing reasons so as if possibly they who have interest may be satisfied if not in respect of their affection yet in respect of their reason to wit that it is the more publick good of the Church 5. No people ought to oppose the removall of their most faithful and beloved Ministers when it 's done upon convincing reasons These people are content to yeeld to the removing even of Paul and Barnabas who no question were most dear unto them And certainly were there endeavours to convince on the one side and an acquiescing to conviction on the other it would look much more Christian-like and prove much more usefull And if this be a called-for duty to wit that a Churchâ—judicatory remove one from a setled Congregation upon such grounds it must be a sin and an opposing of duty wilfully to obstruct the same and if it may be a Call of God there is more need of conscience and submission here to try if it be so or not than absolutely to resolve a peremptory and pertinacious opposition to the same without any respect to the grounds thereof And we conceive that the keeping of a right mean in this practice and eschewing of extreams might conduce exceedingly to the advantage of the Church and it would be exceeding suitable to the unitie of the Catholâ—ck Church and that communion that ought to be in her and well becoming that Authority and care that is committed to Church-judicatories that the severall particular Ministers were upon just grounds proportioned with respect to the edification of the whole And so we have done with this particular relation 3. Concerning the nature and difference of saving and common Grace IN this Epistle there is a large commendation of this Angel's practice which is not only given to him in respect of the matter of his actions but in respect of the qualifications of them as first that he did not only suffer for and have patience in that which was materially right but that he suffered for Christs Name sake and that he did not only hate thee deeds of the Nicolaitans but did it with a respect to Christ which is here added to difference the sincerity of these actions from others that are materially good also for no question there may be much suffering which is not commendable before Christ. And certainly many others even among heathens did hate these Nicolaitans who yet cannot be thought to be alike comprehended under this commendation This therefore that is added for my Names sake must be to show the sincerity and graciousnesse thereof as that which did put a difference between their sufferings and patience and the sufferings of others And it doth imply that this qualification was that mainly which made the Lord take notice thereof It is therefore the same on the matter with that Matth. 5.11 of being persecuted for Christs sake to which the promise is made vers 12. and the same with that 1 Pet. 4.13 of being made partakers of Christs sufferings and of being reproached for his Name which being an evidence and part of blessednesse in these places cannot be conceived but to imply sincerity without which suffering it self even where the cause is good would be of no weight as to that end We do therefore conceive these words undoubtedly to be added to point out that wherein their sincerity consisted and wherewith the Lord was especially well pleased from which we may gather these Doctrines First That there is a great difference between an action morally or materially good and that which is gracious and as such acceptable to God It is not simply suffering and hatred which the Lord commends here but suffering and hatred so and so qualified Hence we will find frequently in the Scripture difference made between these to do that which is good upon the matter and to do it with a perfect heart In actions therefore there are these three to be distinctly considered 1. The act it self as it is natural suppose an act of hatred love grief c. 2. As the act is moral and is directed toward an object that is agreeable to the Law that is to love that which is good and to hate that which is evil and so forth both which in many respects may be in hypocrites who may do that which is materially good 3. We are to consider an act as gracious that is when not only the thing for the matter is agreeable to the will of God as suppose one were acting or suffering for a truth but also when that is done in the manner that the Law requireth and with a suitablnesse thereunto and so one suffers not only for a truth but as a Christian he carrieth himself in his suffering for the same it is this last which makes the difference and which the Lord doth especially take notice of and commend by this qualification that it is done for his Names sake Secondly We gather that this difference wherein the graciousnesse of the act doth consist is not to be inquired for in any incense degree of the act it self whether positive or comparative at least only but it is to be inquired for in the nature and kind thereof to wit in respect of positive qualifications concurring therewith and having influence thereon For this commendation is not given upon the degree but from the nature of these acts it is not commendable hatred because it is in such an intense degree positively nor comparatively because it hateth these errors more than it doth hate truth but because in their hatred of these errors they conform themselves to Christs hatred of them And likewise by that commendation for Christs Name sake is not holden forth any degree
separated which the Lord hath put together a good tree must have good fruit and cannot bring forth evil fruit Mat. 7.17.18 c. Now acts in the least degree so qualified as before is said are in so far at least fruits of a good tree yea of a gracious principle within and therefore they cannot but be such also And if it were not thus that this Angel had patience for Christs Names sake it could be no ground of commendation for differencing his patience from the patience of hypocrites if it did not sufficiently prove his carriage to be sincere And hence Fourthly Ariseth also this that no naturall man or hypocrite though coming the greatest length in the state of hypocrisie can in the least degree perform an act so and so qualified as is before said more than they can act from a principle which they have not for if they might in any measure have patience for Christs Names sake in respect of the end motive and account upon which the heart yeeldeth to suffering it could be no ground of a peculiar commendation to this Angel which is yet contrary to the scope And if the former be true that every act so and so qualified is a sincere act this must necessarily then follow thereupon And so more particularily we say that no hypocrite can thus formally do any thing that is good as to give instances 1. In the duty of love to God an hypocrite cannot love God as God and to suffer for Christs Names sake as is formerly expressed Because 1. That is given here as the evidence of this Angel's gracious practice that it was so qualified and the promises that are annexed to this of suffering for his Names sake whereat formerly we hinted do confirm it 2. This being true of all naturall men that they are reall haters of God and it being true also that naturall men and hypocrites may go a great length in loving God and in expressing the evidences thereof in some respect It must either be said then that they hate God in respect of the materiality of their actions or in respect of the want of the qualifications formerly mentioned that is because they love not him and what he loves as such and upon such an account now it cannot be said that they love not God in the former respect Nay not only in respect of their being defective alanerly in the degree or intensnesse of the act as may be shewed afterward It must be true therefore in the last respect And so it will follow that no man in nature can be said to love God or perform any act in things materially good according as it is formerly qualified 3. This may be added that if respect to good could sway the naturall man so as to make him act according to the former qualifications in any one act then might he perform all other acts upon that same account also for à quaâ—enus ad omno vales consâ—quentia Now if it be absurd to say that one can be a hypocrite and yet in all his performances and actions be so swayed which is the clear evidence of a sincere Professor which needeth not to be ashamed Psal. 119.6 Then it must also be absurd to say that a hypocrite may perform any commanded thing upon that account as such and is formerly qualified 4. The doing of acts so qualified doth necessarily presuppose a gracious principle or habituall change in the person that acts it for it being a fruit In so far as it is so qualified that is good and agreeable to the Law of God in the spirituall meaning thereof it must be supposed to proceed from a tree that is good seing grapes are not gathered from Brambles c. It cannot therefore be consistent with the state of hypocrisie for one to perform acts so qualified who in practice is still a stranger to the spirituall meaning of the Law in the kind of the act 2. It may be instanced in hatred for though one in nature or an hypocrite may hate that which is sin yet from this we may gather that he cannot hate it as sin and as it is hatefull to God Because 1. This hating of the Nicolaitans deeds is given here as a proof of this Angels sincerity and if it were a thing common there could be no such peculiarnesse in it and there can be no peculiarnesse here but that they hated them upon that account as hatefull to God and out of zeal to him they did it otherwise no question heathens and naturall men might have hatred at them in greater vehemency for the degree thereof than these who are commended The difference then must be in the qualifications as is said 2. The reasons for the former instance will confirm this also for if one might hate sin as sin and as hatefull to God then might he hate all sin and what is hatefull to God according to the axiome formerly laid down à quatenus ad omne c. and so he might hate his loving of any thing more than God and his being defective in the degree and manner of any dutie and consequently he could not be said to love any thing more than God seing no man can actually love a thing and upon that same account and consideration hate that act of their love at the same very time in the same very degree It must then follow that what hatred they bear to sin is for some other ends and not upon this account Again if one might hate sin as sin one might love grace as grace it being equally approveable by God to hate sin as sin and to love good as good Now this being disproved in the former instance must also fall in this Lastly The hating of sin as sin must suppose a different principle whence that act doth proceed beside what is in it self sinfull for it cannot be conceived that a sinfull principle as such can hate it self and in Scripture lusting against the flesh or fighting against the law in our members which must be a warring against sin as sin and as proceeding from such a root as the flesh or the old man is ever attributed to the Spirit Gal. 5.17 or the inner man and law of the mind Rom. 7. which doth necessarily inferr a change of the root in these who do hate sin as sin and therefore this can be within the compasse of no hypocrite Neither will it infringe this that by experience we find drunkards swearers and other unrenewed persons hating not only these acts in themselves but even in their children or that we may find it to have been in our selves before regeneration This indeed will prove that a naturall man may hate that which is sin but will not prove that he hates it as sin but as that which is hurtfull or shamefull to him or proves disquieting to the peace of his naturall conscience as from the same experience may be gathered for these sins in others will never affect them
and there will still be many delightsome sins continued in which it may be they will know to be sins and yet carry no such hatred to them And though naturall men in their judgement may be convinced that sin as sin is hatefull and evil in it self yet it will not follow that they will actually hate it as such upon that consideration because there is no particular sin that from the Word may be gathered to be sin but a naturall mans judgement may be convinced that as such it is evill and yet oftentimes do they continue drunk with the love of many of them'r because men do not consider and hate ill simply as ill but as evil to them even as they desire not that which is good simply but that which they conceive good to them and experience daily will make this appear that the heart loveth not or hateth not things as they appear simply in themselves but as it conceives them to be in reference to its present condition Now considering sin as sin simply without reference to any other thing there is nothing upon that account can be conceived in it that can be hatefull to a naturall man who is dead in his sinfull condition It must be therefore for some other respect that he hates any particularl ill as these whom God afterward renews will find in their own experience Fifthly This also will follow that then there is a difference between the acts of saving Grace and the acts of common Grace beside any consideration of the degree thereof so that this difference may well be said to be in kind or ipso genere We need not be curious in the tearms of Physical or moral differences this must be a Physical and real difference as Grace is a Physical and real thing and doth not only differ from common gifts in respect of the Covenants accepting of such a degree and not of another but also in respect of concurring qualifications formerly mentioned for an act performed with these qualifications must either be of the same kind that an act is without them or it must differ from it because of these qualifications And if it differ because of these then is that difference real flowing from the kind of the act and not from the consideration of the degree alone and so not graduall only Lastly It will follow that one in the search and trial of the sincerity and savingnesse of his Grace is not only to consider it in the degree thereof either positive or comparative but may also look to the nature and kind thereof and cannot conclude the sincerity of it except they consider the qualifications formerly mentioned for that must be the only sure way to find out the sincerity of an act which our Lord Jesus proposeth as the ground of the commendation thereof but here we see that the grounds upon which He commends both their patience for Him their respect to Him and their hating of what was evil is not only at least because of any degree that is considered in these acts but because of their kind or qualifications wherewith they are qualified as it is not patience that is patience as it is a Grace because it suffers so much or suffers more for Truth than for any other cause considered upon the matter but because their suffering in a good cause was so qualified as is said we will see this same to be clear in all other instances as it is true saving Repentance not that which hath the deepest sorrow positively nor that which hath more sorrow for sin comparatively than pleasure in it but it is according as the principle and motive are from which the sorrow proceeds and by and according to which it acts otherwayes no question Iudas his sorrow might have been said to have been true Repentance which was certainly not only an intense grief but also comparatively it affected him more than any worldly losse could affect him or any pleasure or advantage which by his sin accreased to him as the story of the Gospel doth clear The like may be said of fear There is no positive or comparative degree can prove it to be saving this being certain that for degree some natural men may fear and tremble and that with anxietie so as the Lord may be more feared in this manner by them than any other thing else trial then must especially be by considering the principle whereby the person is acted in this fear the motive that swayes him to it and the account upon which he acteth on God in it whereby filial fear is differenced from servil and this can be by no consideration of the degree however considered but must be in respect of the qualifications of the act If it should be said That it 's single respect to God swaying one to sorrow for sin or fear more than any other motive doth so in that respect it may be said to consist in the degree Answ. 1. This supposeth the concurring of positive qualifications 2. It supposeth the concurring of the same qualifications mentioned 3. This placeth not the difference in the intensnesse of the act only but in the qualifications that have influence on it and so it doth confirm what we said to wit that more respect is to be had to the nature of the act and the qualification thereof in our trial than to the degree thereof Here it is to be adverted 1. That in all this discourse of the positive qualifications of sincerity they are still to be considered with respect to Christ and the Covenant of Grace so that singlenesse in the end taketh in the glorifying and worshipping of God in Christ and in the motive the consideration of Gods worth and love as considered in Him comes in as the words out of the apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ put in the definition of Repentance do import and in the reduplication it acts on Him considered as such that is it loves God fears him and believs in Him as considered in Christ and this hath an universal approbation of the way of the dispensation of Grace and that as proceeding from a principle of life communicate to them by Christ Iesus whereby they become not only obliged to God for it but obliged to Him in Christ Iesus And thus we may see that this single respect to God and His own goodnesse for Himself doth not shut out simply all respect to our own good for the considering of Him in Christ cannot but include that but it derives all our good from that Fountain and by that Channel Christ and subordinateth all the thoughts thereof to the praise of Gods Grace in Him And this is to be remembered throughout because this doth fully difference true Gospel-sincerity from the moral flashes of love fear faith c. which by some legal work may proceed from natural men who yet can never act any thing for kind the same with these qualifications because the considering of God
Author elsewhere to wit in the Appendix to his Aphorisms m. lib. pag. 242. In answer to the 4. objection giving the difference between sincere Covenanting with God and that which is not sincere where he doth lay down six concurring qualifications and so concludes thus Ye see that there is a great difference between covenanting sincerely and covenanting in hypocrisie and so between faith and faith and yet the difference will be found no other thing but what almost is usually asserted by Divines in the like case 4. We will find him also come near in expressions as pag. 226. a specifick difference is acknowledged and although he call it a moral specifick difference yet doth he expresse the same thus that is proceedeth from the agreement and conformitie of our actions and dispositions to the Law which determineth of their duenesse or their disconformitie thereunto again pag. 229. he instances love and delight c. as these things wherein sincerity may be tried for certainly delighting in God is a Grace and a commanded duty as loving of Him is compare it with pag 213. and 214. he doth assert that hypocrites may have delight in the same objects to wit the knowledg of God and His Works which are objects also of the delight of the Regenerate but saith he In the sinner these delights are nearest of the same nature with the former sensual delights for it is not the excellencie or goodnesse of God Himself that delighteth them but the novelty of the thing c. as receiving thereby some addition to its own perfection and not as from God c. and though they delight in studying and knowing God and Heaven and Scripture yet not in God as God or the chief good not out of any saving love to God this contradistinguishing of saving love from knowing of God as God and from hypocritical love doth seem to place the difference in some other thing than the degree alone but either because as some Preachers they make a gainfull trade of it by teaching others or because it is an honour to know these things or be able to discourse of them or at best nota if these be their best motives or the highest account upon which they delight Then they cannot delight in God as God which sincere Believers do nor can they do an act for kind the same and sith there must be a difference between their delight and the delight that is gracious in respect of the kind because they go on different accounts so must it be in other Graces as I said before they delight to know God out of a delight in the novelty c. and natural elevation of the understanding thereby it is one thing to delight in knowing another in the thing known And afterward neer the foot of that page saith So it is the same kind of delight that such a man to wit a hypocrite hath in knowing God and knowing other things whereby it is clearly insinuated that it is another kind of delight which the Believer hath in delighting in God than any unrenewed man can have seing it's an other kind of delight than he hath in any other thing And wherein this kind of difference consisteth we may gather from what is said 1. There is supposed to be a different principle to wit an infused gracious habite which must precede this act 2. There is a different end the one seeketh to please his own curiosity the other respecteth God and his own spirituall good There is 3. a different motive the one delighteth in it because it is profitable or honourable or pleasing to himself to know such things the other delighteth in God Himself as acted therein from the excellency that is in himself and the love that he hath to himself and the spirituall satisfaction that he hath in it 4. There is a reduplication in the act they not only delight in God but in him as God moved thereto out of true love to God which saith he the naturall man doth not Now these four being granted by the said Reverend Author and being the very same thing upon the matter with that which formerly we asserted we may see that beside any consideration of the degree there must be a concurrance of these qualifications wherein ordinarily the difference in kind betwixt saving grace and common is placed and the thing that they call the physicall and reall difference being acknowledged by him as by others it is not of great moment to debate for the termes of physicall or morall Seeing then upon the one side the supremacy of Gods interest in the act is not denied and that in respect to its eminent degree if it be well understood and upon the other the concurrance of these qualifications is acknowledged The difference cannot be great for understanding of this difference which must be lesse than appeared at first we would consider these two 1. That when the degree of grace is spoken of it may be considered either more strictly as contradistinguished from the former qualifications which in this respect are said to be the kind of the act or it may be considered more largely as it comprehendeth the principle motive end c. and so it taketh in the former qualifications It seemeth that this Learned Author when he speaketh of the degree doth take it in this large sense whereas usually it is taken in the first and strict sense and this maketh the difference appear greater than it is and if this distinction might reconcile these mistakes it were desireable 2. The supremacy or precedency and prevalency of the interest of God in us above the interest of flesh in which alone that Reverend Author doth place the sincerity of saving Grace pag. 211. prop. 10. may be considered in respect of the degree of the act it self being compared with the objects whereupon it acts and so comparatively that act may be said to be prevalent suppose of love fear sorrow c. that loves and fears God more than any other thing and hath more sorrow for sin than delight in it c. or we may consider this supremacy and prevalency of Gods interest in respect of the qualifications of the act that is of the end motive c. and thus the interest of God may be said to be prevalent when it is respect to God Himself and the souls esteeming of Him as He is God that maketh it love Him and fear Him and sorrow for dishonouring of Him so that it 's His interest more than any other end or motive that hath influence on these acts in this latter sense there is also no difference from what was formerly said and if that proposition could be so understood there might be an accomodation but the instances and explications added by the fornamed Author seem to limit this prevalency of Gods interest to the act it self as being only compared with other objects or as acting on God or what is approven by Him prevalently beyond what it
because the one is Spirit the other is still Flesh and there is no mids between a natural and a renewed man and what proceedeth from them as such for what is born of the one is Spirit and what is born of the other at what ever length it be it 's Flesh But the former is true Flesh and Spirit are most opposite in all the former respects this to wit the Spirit is an immediate effect of a Physical operation of the Grace of God working a change upon the heart and so must have some suitable Physical thing in the nature of it different from any thing which is not produced by the same cause or by the same manner of causality such as common dispositions are and in the effects there is contrariety the one lusteth against the other for the one is contrary to the other Gal. 5.17 and therefore there must be some real Physical difference between these whose causes and effects are so different 2. If they do not differ in kind then it is either because they are both fruits of the Spirit and that equally or because neither of them is so or because that which is of the Spirit savingly doth not differ from that which is not saving Now none of these can be affirmed Concerning the last this only can be said for answer that although nature and saving Grace may differ so yet common Grace cannot be said to make such a difference it being also a fruit of the Spirit And to this we reply If these common gifts can be consistent with a dominion of sin and compleat deadnesse therein and saving Grace cannot be consistent with these Then there must be a real difference seing saving Grace not only importeth a relative change of a man to wit that he is justified but also a real and Physical change to wit that he is a new or renewed creature which by no common Gifts or Graces can be But the former is true And therefore again 3. If saving Grace be somewhat Physical to speak so and constituteth a Physical difference between a man that hath it and others yea between a man and that which formerly he himself was and if common Grace cannot do that but the man that hath it and no more is the old man still and in nature Then there must be a Physical difference between them But the former is true Ergo. For this is ever certain a man is either renewed or unrenewed and in nature there is no mids Now if there be any difference that is Physical between these two which must be as there is between a good tree and an evil a new creature and an old and not as between a little creature and one that is more big for new and old respect the kind Then habituall Grace must differ from all other common works Physically because it is that which constituteth this difference Adde 4. These common dispositions may evanish or never be so through but the person which hath had them may perish which cannot be said of saving Grace called the Seed of God immortal and inccorruptible that remaineth in them that once had it c. especially considering that it is called immortal in respect of the nature of it and that that continuance is one of the properties thereof For although nothing of it self be eternal and immortal but God yet it cannot be denied but what the Lord mindeth to make immortal He doth otherwise fit and qualifie it for that end than other things as we see in the difference that is between Angels and other creatures and the souls and bodies of men and of that glorious conformity that shall be put on the glorified Members of Christ unto their head And though as he saith that all both Philosophers and Divines do say more yet this is enough which also the forementioned Author acknowledgeth in the Appendix to his Aphorisms pag. 240. And saving Grace being of the same nature with Glory it were hard to say that a man in nature did for kind partake of the Divine nature and of the first fruits of the Spirit and Glory who yet may be tormented in hell for ever Lastly The multiplying of these common gifts could never alter the tree and make it good so as if it were possible that they might grow to the greatest hight and bignesse they would be still but common gifts seing they grow from that root therefore the tree must first be good ere the fruit be good Now common gifts never being able to alter the tree as is said there must therefore be a difference between them and saving Grace in some other thing than in the degree And indeed if these dispositions be of the same kind with gracious habits then the root of common and saving Grace would be one which the Scripture doth still difference and in this respect the habit hath not its sincerity from the acts as if it were gracious because the acts thereof are thus comparatively prevalent but the acts are gracious and prevalent and cannot but be so because they proceed from such an habit and the habit is first gracious before the acts thereof be sincere and therefore there must be a real and Physical difference in the habit it self from common dispositions as it is considered at least in order of nature before the acts and so the difference doth not only lye in the acts themselves Neither can it be said here that habits and dispositions do not differ in kind therefore that difference is not to be sought here for beside that this Assertion will find opposition among Philosophers it can no wayes be acknowledged here where the habit is not natural nor acquired And certainly the names and titles whereby the Scripture doth set forth this habitual Grace as the New-nature Spirit New-man New-creature Gods Workmanship His Seed the Heart of Flesh c. whereby it is not only contradistinguished in its kind from nature and flesh taken in their most grosse acception but from all common gifts of the Spirit also do hold forth a real difference to be between them 2. Concerning gracious acts that are fruits of this Spirit and grow upon this tree of habituall Grace mainly the question is here If that act of love whereby a Believer loveth God doth differ any other way than gradually from that act of love whereby an unrenewed person loveth Him or which he while unrenewed had unto Him that is that the one loveth Him above all and the other doth not though both love Him really and in the same kind for the nature of the act And so if this be not the only mark by which the sincerity of all Graces are to be tried whereof this is a particular instance To say somewhat to this we conceive that the truth and reality of sincere saving Grace in its acts is otherwise to be inquired for than in such a degree only for true love loveth God above all because that is the nature of
true Grace as such to have such acts and so it is rather a consequent following on or a concomitant of true Grace where it is sincere than that which constitutes the truth and sincerity thereof although it may well being rightly understood evidence that even as a Woman that loveth her Husband chastly cannot but love him beyond any other yet doth not that constitute the sinceritie of her love because an Adulteresse may do so to an Adulterer But especially it is in loving him as her Husband and according to that relation otherwise we suppose it is not impossible for a Wife to love her Husband beyond any other man and yet not to do it with true conjugall love but possibly upon some worldly and it may be sinfull principle which if contraried would soon discover that love not to be sound as not loving him as her Husband but for some other advantage or satisfaction as often experience doth clear and must not that differ from the love of another who cleaveth to the Husband out of conscience and affection from that conjugall relation that they stand in and because he is her Head even when many crosses and discontentments occur to her in her adhering to him So it may be in other cases a Servant may fear his Master more than any man as a Son may do his Father yet that there is difference in that fear although both agree in the comparative degree and neither of them dare offend him none will deny This difference then must be in the formality of it to speak so as the same person is distinctly or differently considered by the one and the other and as they are differently swayed and acted in the same thing as in the instance of filial and servil fear is ordinarily illustrated much more may this be conceived in the acting of grace on God there being so many relations under which we may consider Him and act on Him And may it not be supposed that a Woman may at first love a Man above all others and yet not love him for himself conjugally who afterward being Married to him may come to love him on other principles and from other grounds and though there be no difference in the comparative degree and the first possibly seemed to be most vehement yet is there a difference really betwixt what it was and what it is And if this may be in moral and naturall acts may it not be much more in spirituall saving acts when compared with those that are not so It 's upon this ground that the acute Divine Cameron doth expresly assert that the love whereby a Wife loveth her Husband doth differ specie from that whereby she may warrantably love another so that if she loved any other in the least degree with that kind of love wherewith she loveth her Husband she were really an Adulteresse And this is when he is speaking of that question Num Christus Mediator sit adorandus intending thereby to shew that that kind of love adoration c. which is due to God can be given to none other in any degree without manifest impiety And will it look well to say that warrantably we may give love and fear c. of the same kind to men and creatures which we are called to give to God and that only the degree to Him is comparatively to be supream yet upon the former assertion this will necessarily follow for if a Believers love fear c. differ no otherwise from the love fear c. of hypocrites Then that act of love which he hath to God must be of the same kind with what he hath to Wife Children c. except in the degree yet I suppose he would be mightily affected within himself to approve himself to do so in the least degree We say then that the sincerity of Grace is not to be inquired alanerly in this prevalent and predominant comparative degree thereof but there must be some other things concurring at least that constitute the difference betwixt saving acts of spirituall Grace and these common acts which may be in hypocrites For if these two may be separated that is if there may be this comparative degree in the common gifts or graces which an hypocrite may have Then that which constitutes the difference of the sincerity of Grace cannot consist in that only for that must be proper to saving Grace quarto modo which doth difference it from all other things but we may see in instances that if we consider this degree without respect to any other thing it may be found where saving Grace or sincerity is not and contrarily saving Grace may be at least in respect of particular acts where that degree is not Therefore it is not that alone wherein properly and essentially the difference doth consist Before we give any instances we would premit some advertisements especially concerning the first which may possibly look strange-like to some to wit that there may be such a comparative degree of love fear sorrow c. in hypocrites who yet have nothing of sincere Grace and that therefore sincerity is not to be tried by that comparative degree alone Concerning which it 's to be adverted First That when we say there may be in an hypocrite such a degree of love fear c. that may be comparatively prevalent that is not to be understood as if there were love fear c. in sincerity in the least degree in any hypocrite but only this that seing it's certain and this Learned Author asserteth it that hypocrites upon carnall considerations may love and fear God in some respects which yet is out of no true respect to God so it may be supposed that upon the same considerations they may come to love Him or fear Him above any other object comparatively Certainly upon this supposition that it were at that degree upon these carnall considerations it would still be but of the same kind of which it was to wit carnall and hypocriticall love and servile fear Neither can this supposition be thought strange Seing 1. No hypocrite can fear God sincerely more than love Him yet that such an one may upon apprehensions of Gods terrour fear His wrath more than all the world beside cannot be denied 2. Seing also it 's but some carnal motive that leadeth natural men to love any thing most why should it be thought impossible that upon such motives and considerations they may be swayed to love God most Especially considering what flashes of joy may be in temporary Believers although they continue not and what may be supposed to have been in Nebuchadnezar Dan. 4. and Darius cap. 6. and possibly in many hypocrites amongst the Iews and others upon some signal manifestations of Gods goodnesse to them yet even the supposition of the being of such a thing although it actually had never been Even that were enough for confirming of what we say 3. It cannot be denied but hypocrites may have a zeal
his members which otherwise he could not do And this sincerity cannot flow from this degree which then is not it must therefore flow from the kind thereof and so be contradistinguished in that respect from any common work of a hypocrite If it be said here that it is true love faith c. that in its sober composed and deliberate rational actings doth prefer God although at fits and times it may be overpowered and that in this respect Paul did in his deliberate actings prevail over the Law of his members though by its surprizals it did captivate him Answ. Although this be granted to be truth yet it will not infringe the Argument because we ask not only what Paul was in respect of his state or of his deliberate acting but what these motions and stirrings of the Spirit in him were that were overpowered whether even these were gracious and sincere or not For if these stirrings be acts as is acknowledeged pag. 224. they must either be sincere or not it cannot be said not upon the grounds formerly given they must be then sincere and if sincere then they must be sincere not in respect of the prevalencie of the degree but in respect of the nature of the act it self as is said For although we say that such a person did in hisâ—â—â—ionallacting of love c. prefer God above all yet that would only prove that the person were habitually gracious and a true lover of God or prove that once he hath had acts truely sincere but that could never be the ground upon which the sinceritie of these present acts could be founded And so as the close of all seing this prevalent degree may be separated from sincere acts and may be in acts that are not sincere in the manner qualified contrà Therefore the formal reason of sincerity is not to be inquired in it alone If it be said that even in such acts wherein corruption prevaileth in the affection or passions yet Grace is still prevalent in the will Answ. Then whether can it be said that there is no true Grace in the affections or whether the actings thereof in them be not sincere although not prevalent If they be gracious even as such Then the Argument doth still hold that Grace may be sincere where it prevaileth not as to the effect if it be denied that they are sincere as such Then it will follow that true Grace is not universal as to the subject thereof or that it may be sincere in the will and not in the affections which yet are acts of the same Grace and soul in so far as renewed striving with it self in so far as unrenewed Beside prevalencie is but in the will as renewed so that it is only as such induced to dissent or consent whereas that same will as unrenewed yeeldeth over that dissent of the renewed will whereby it cometh to passe that acts are elicited thereby which the renewed part did oppose and so indeed as to the effect the renewed will is not prevalent because that is not acted which it would be at yea acts are elicited by the will as is said which had the renewed part been prevalent had not been at all which sheweth that in such a case there is a prevalencie even in the will If it be said further That the love wherewith natural men love God as it is formerly described is but still self-self-love because they love not God as God but upon some other self-account and therefore do still love themselves more and so do not love God above all soveraignly because they love Him not for the goodnesse that is in Himself whereas if Gods interest were main and chief in that love it were to be accounted sincere and this presupposing the habits to be infused this soveraign interest of God in the act will take in the end motive and that which we called the reduplication of the act Answ. If that Assertion that sincerity doth lye in the comparative prevalent degree be thus explained as to take in Gods interest as soveraign in the end motive and formal consideration of the act Then it cometh indeed to be one and if so then there were no reason to fall out with the Doctrine that ordinarily is delivered concerning this and for the expressions we will not contend as we formely said but when we consider the explication of the Author especially as it is opposed to the common Doctrine it seemeth that he meaneth the soveraignity of Gods interest in respect of objects compared together that is God more soveraignly loved feared and trusted than any other and doth not take in the consideration of God in the motive end and formall consideration of the act which hath influence on the person for bringing forth of such an act and so on the act it self that is brought forth for the comparison runneth thus betwixt the objects flesh and spirit who doth prevaâ—l most on the heart but is not in comparing the motive and other qualifications of that act which materially is spirituall and therefore still in that respect the former Argument will hold and the ordinary expressions will suit better to the thing It may be further argued against the placing of the nature of sincerity in the prevalent degree alone Thus if the acts of saving grace be sincere before they be in this degree prevalent Then this prevalency of the degree cannot be the thing that constitutes the sincerity thereof much lesse alone be it But the former is truth That act of love faith c. is saving which is wrestling against its opposits so as to win the heart to love God more than all other objects even before it attain it For we are to suppose this method 1. Gracious habites are supposed as infused whereby the tree is made good Then 2. That these habites have their inclinations and acts that lust against the flesh and fight with the flesh for winning of the heart to the following of its motions and as fighting goeth before the Victory so in this spirituall combate do these lustings and actings go before the prevalent degree and by these the heart is engaged to love God above all whereupon followeth that prevalency as a degree of Victory And yet we suppose that were the least sparkle of grace kindled in the heart so that it were but smoaking in desires of love to God and faith in Him it cannot be denied to be sincere although it hath not broken out in a flame For if this prevalent degree be in some respect an effect of these stirrings these stirrings must be sincere before they come this length as to prevail for they were acts before and if not gracious acts then how could acts that are of themselves unsound produce an effect that is sincere seing the cause must be of the same nature and as noble as the effect And so consequently its sincerity doth not flow from this degree but on the contrary rather this degree is
attained by these stirrings because such stirrings are acts of sincere love and grace whereas they are extinguished in another and come not up that length at least in the former respects because these stirrings were for their kind unsound and so natively the actings and stirrings of grace of any kind must go before either the prevalency or repulse thereof For supposing creatures once to have the heart of man there is first an eslaying as it were by some inward motions to gain the heart from these before actually it be gaiâ—ed Now we say that which maketh some motions gain the heart deliberately to prefer God above all is because these motions are sincere and do suppose as antecedaneous to that degree at least in order of nature 1. An inward gracious principle â—itting the heart so to conceive of God and making it capable to be swayed by spirituall and supernaturall motives and in sincerity to act on them as such 2. It presupposeth an actuall putting forth of this gracious principle in its considering God as such a good in Himself and for its happinesse in Himself desirable and lovely in an other kind than any creature Whereupon 3. The heart is actually inclined as being swayed by such a motive to wit the goodnesse of God Himself and the spirituall happinesse that is in enjoying of Him and as such and upon that account to love Him desire Union with Him and prefer Him above all whereby self as it is properly self sinfull and corrupt is shut by and a spirituall motive beareth sway in the act and so must be supposed in order of nature at least to be before it 4. When the heart is thus affected towards God then the former three to wit a spirituall end the enjoying of God a spirituall motive that is a respect to His worth and a spirituall principle whereby he was enabled so to conceive of Him do concur for the eliciting of this act and that in a new manner upon that object so considered whereupon it acts otherwise in the closing with God as God than ever formerly it did Upon which this prevalent degree and Victory doth follow as the result of the hearts so acting on God which cannot but prevail And thus it loveth God above all and shutteth down all competitours because considering Him as such as He is and to it in respect of the understandings uptaking of Him it doth for such an end from such a motive by such a principle and in such a manner act on Him as so considered which others do not who though they may have a sort of striving in them yet their fighting not being according to the former qualifications can never prevail as it cannot but in the end be a Conquerour in them that thus fight Further supposing this sincerity to lye in that prevailing comparative degree we ask what maketh the love which is in one to prevail so as to love God above all more than in another Or what made Paul after conversion love God in that respect sincerely more than before It must be said that it floweth from the interveening work of the Spirit both operating in the infusing of habits and co-operating in the bringing forth of acts whereby Paul is now enabled to do that which could not be done till first the tree was made good And if so then there must be a real difference in the act it self as being the fruit of another tree or of a tree that is changed and if the trees be different in kind the fruits must be so also for grapes are not gathered off thistles nor contrà and so must it be said of these acts either they proceed from different habits and so must differ in kind or both must be from a gracious habit which cannot be granted seing often these acts in hypocrites evanish which of gracious habits cannot be asserted and to say that different infused habits are not requisite to either will not be urged by any as hath been said We adde that acts of love that flow from common dispositions in a natural man may be considered as acts before they be thus prevalent for he loves fears c. and so they be acts although not gracious acts or sincere but we cannot consider the acts of the gracious habits of love faith fear c. as that a man as renewed doth love fear c. but we must conceive them as such to be gracious and sincere for they are of the Spirit and what is of it is of that kind and what is but like to a grain of mustard seed and cannot be considered as lesse is yet saving and true Grace having the qualifications foresaid the least blossom on that tree being good fruit therefore there must be some difference in kind between common acts and these of saving Grace beside any thing that can be conceived to be in the degree because in the one the qualifications may be and are separated from the act but in the other no act can be conceived as influenced by the Spirit and proceeding from it but it must be conceived as having these qualifications in it to wit it hath a spirituall end is swayed by a spirituall motive and acteth from a spirituall principle and as such is swayed to such an act If it be said that it is the least degree of Grace when it is sincere that is so to be accounted that is when it is so prevalent and that in that respect no act as such is in the least degree prevalent but it is sincere Answ. That will not satisfie for here it is asserted that the act of love as proceeding from these habits cannot be conceived as an act but must also be conceived as gracious and as arising from that root but according to the other opinion these may be separated that is although love act yet is it not sincere love till it act prevailingly and so it may be considered as an act before it come to that prevalent degree of acting which cannot be in the other Beside if so then were not saving Grace Grace as having a different original from common gifts but as having different fruits or effects or different degrees of fruits For clearing whereof we may suppose gracious habits to be in one And 1. do not the acts of love faith fear c. proceed from these infused habits and are they not actings of the New creature And â— are not these acts gracious as such and because they are such they are saving and sincere that is because acts of the New-nature 3. Do not these habitâ— fit and qualifie one to act otherwise than one can do who hath not these habits and that not only in respect of degree but in respect of kind otherwise these habits would not be a different principle from common dispositions or as infusing a different life but helping one to exercise the life which he had which were absurd 4. Do not men who are so sitted by these habits
act accordingly in the producing of their acts otherwise than any other who is not so qualified And so 5. must not then the acts produced be differenced which are thus differently produced And wherein can this difference consist but in the kind For if it be said they differ because these gracious habits bring forth acts in that prevalent degree wherein the Lords interest hath the chiefest room Then it may be enquired 1. Is that the alone difference or can it be said that the new life hath no influence even on the manner of acting considering that the person is furnished with new qualifications both in the understanding will and affections and these cannot but concur in the act and yet must concur differently in respect of what one in meer nature can do 2. It may be enquired could that man have brought out these acts without these habits And if not they must be then different in kind from what formerly he did bring forth seing they could not be produced without a new and different cause 3. Neither can any acts proceeding from these habits be accounted common acts they must then even the least of them be saving And 4. if they be saving and that as acts simply it must be because of something that is in their kind without respect to their degree as the least motions and actings of corruption are sin because they are from flesh even when by Grace they are kept from victory So is it on the contrarie with the least motions of the Spirit Yea if we were strictly considering this very difference as it is proposed in respect of the prevalent comparative degree we will find it to infer a real difference in the kind of the act beside this comparative degree for suppose in the act of sincere love by one the Lord is preferred and all other objects are rejected by another He is loved but some other thing is preferred to Him now that act of love which respects God as the chief good and as such closeth with Him must be different in kind from that that taketh Him but not as the chief good and therefore loveth some other thing more For in this act there is not only a comparing of God with other things but an act resulting from that comparison whereby the heart of one saith when this question is proposed Is God thy chief good Yea and so positively it closeth with Him as such in the other when the heart compareth it saith Nay God is not the chief good and therefore closeth not with Him as such but refuseth Him Now these two nay and yea to accept of Him as such or to refuse Him must differ oppositly and not in degree only For the consideration of God here in the act of the heart is not simply if he be good for that cannot come under consideration but if He be the chief good and so to it and if it will take Him as such and so that act of love to Him must be such as determineth that question by yea or nay and in that respect the one yeeldeth the other rejecteth Therefore here it is not yeelding in this or that degree but yeelding or refusing which in that pinch are contradictory 2. By the one act of love God getteth the chief room and other things are casten down it is quite contrary in the other and can these two be of one kind Or can that act of love which preferreth many things to Him act for its kind on God as that act of love that taketh Him as infinitly preferable to all Because the one considering Him as the chief good accordingly loveth Him and the other not doing so but otherwise This difference must follow thereupon 3. That act wherein there is this prevalencie must either have somwhat peculiar in it which doth make it prevail over its opposits as to love God above all which another hath not that loveth created things above Him or it must have its prevalencie from what is common to both Now this last cannot be said because so it were man himself that did make himself to differ there must therefore be somthing peculiar in the other as a cause producing that effect and if there be a peculiar cause and some peculiar thing in the one which is not in the other differing the rise of this from the rise of the other Then this prevalent act of love which is the effect of that peculiar cause must beside this degree differ in kind also as being peculiarly influenced by that cause which the other is not And seing this peculiarnesse is presupposed to proceed the prevalencie of the act It must necessarily follow according to the same grounds that there must be some positive qualifications concurring for the constituting of the sinceritie of Grace beside the prevalent degree thereof And that therefore sinceritie doth not consist alone in it and so that hypocrites cannot not do the same acts for kind which the Regenerate may do without respect to this comparative degree To conclude then we may illustrate all thus Suppose a dead body were by the power of God made to move or speak as once Balaam's Asse did There is motion and speech there suppose it be to the same object and in the same words yet doth it differ from the motion and speech of a living man that acteth according to reason 1. A dead man is moved only from some extrinsick power without the interveening principle of life from within although he may be moved more speedily and swiftly toward a certain object than one that from an inward principle of life acts himself yet doth the motion of the living man differ in kind beside any comparative degree which can be in the act of moving by a positive concurring of an inward principle of life and a locomotive faculty whereby he is immediately acted So naturall men being dead in sins what ever acts are produced by them are meerly produced by the common work of Gods spirit from without without the interveening of any spirituall principle influencing these acts whereas the acts of a renewed man are indeed performed by the power of Gods speciall grace but mediantibus habitibus by the interveening of infused habits whereby he not only is acted but acts himself in the bringing forth of these As A tree in the Spring-time doth send forth her buds from the native season of the year its having influence thereupon yet also by the quickning of that naturall sap and moistnesse wherewith it is furnished within it self 2. A dead man hath no end before him in his motions or actings as a living man habitually hath concurring in his act so an unrenewed man hath no pure spirituall end in the best acts which the gracious man hath the one eating drinking living and bringing forth fruit to himself Hos. 10.1 Zech. 7.5.6 and the other living and thenceforth bringing forth fruits to God 2 Cor. 5.16 Hence men in nature are said to serve sin and
men in grace to become servants to God Rom. 6. in respect of their design in the same acts 3. Dead men as they have no end before them so have they no reasonable motive as a living man is supposed to have in his actings so naturall men have no spirituall motive supposing it be in loving of God it is some carnal selfish-thing that swayeth them for having no spirituall principle within as matter to work upon No spirituall motive can have influence upon them more than fire can be kindled by any blowing where no kindling or combustible matter is a renewed man as such hath a spirituall motive concurring with and having influence on his actings and so not only loveth God because of some externall benefit but he loveth Him as being provoked from that inward principle of the Divine nature that is in him and respect to Gods Commands and Goodnesse whereby as such he cannot but love Him and these who bear His Image and what is spiritually good even as a naturall Parent or Son cannot but love his own Child or Father and that from another speciall principle than they love any other Child or Parent so also he hath a pure spirituall motive warming this principle and kindling the sympathy and thus he is swayed to love God because of some spirituall good as the subduing of sin the conforming of him to Gods Image the manifesting of Himself to him and such like and he loves Gods People because he taketh them to be beloved of God or to love Him or be like Him as suppose a Woman did carry affection to a Man it may be from some carnal principle as his furnishing of her in her vanity and his being subservient to the lust of vanity pride c. in her yet afterward being matched with him might love him because he were her Husband and had condescended to marry her although he should not serve her vain humour as formerly in this respect her love doth differ from what it was as having a conjugall motive added to it which it had not formerly 4. A living man in his actings is swayed to them as good and as good to him and it is impossible for him to will any thing even though it be good but as it is considered as such by him yea even things that are hurtfull are in his desiring of them considered under this notion as good to him but there is no such thing in the motion of a dead man so a renewed man not only acteth on that which is spiritually good suppose in the loving of God or His People but also he is swayed therein and acteth therein upon this formall consideration as it is such that is he loveth God as He is good in Himself and to Him in what is spiritually good and others as they are such as have title to Him that is Mat. 10. To love them in the name of righteous men that is upon that formall consideration as such to love them And this is that wherein mainly Godly sincerity and singlenesse doth kythe when we are not only moved to do what is good and that from a spirituall motive upon the matter good but are swayed to that thing by this motive as they are such and so considered by us and thus this as doth not only respect the object as it is conceived by the understanding to be such but it doth respect the act as it is inclined to undertaken and performed by the will to wit it willeth it as such although the act it self be not in respect of its degree every way adequate to such an object that is though God get not so much of the heart as it becometh Him to have yet the heart considering Him as such a God who deserveth the heart and ought to have no competitor with Him and as sufficiently able of Himself to make it happy doth so will Him and upon that account doth love Him and delight in Him although it be exceedingly defective in the degree of both and they be but conceived as such to have a being Now as a man is to try the truth of his life not only because he moveth and speaketh but because he moveth and speaketh so in respect of the kind formerly mentioned So a renewed man is not simply to try his new life from his acts but as they are so qualified as is said If it be objected That hither to this seemeth to admit no motive that concerneth our selves as suppose one loved God for being good to him or heaven because they expected to be happy in it and that as if no motive could be admitted in loving God but for himself or how may this motive be differenced in the love of a natural man from one that is renewed Answ. There is no such thing as the first intended it will only say this that as the natural man is swayed in the persuing of moral good as it is so considered by him so a renewed man doth that which is spiritually good and that as it 's considered as such by him Hence there is this difference that a natural man in his considering any act which in it self is spiritually good and materially agreeable to the Law yet in his yeelding to perform it he doth still consider it as a natural good or moral at the best as suppose in loving of God he is considered by such as good to them on a natural or as to them a sinful account as he loveth God because He hath gotten temporal peace deliverance from bodily hazards an easie or honourable life it may be because in providence He hath prospered him in some sinful course this the learned forementioned Author pag. 203. doth justly call one of the greatest of all sins when the holy God is made a pander and servant to our flesh and no question many do love God upon such an account or if they love God for the hope they have of being brought to heaven by Him which is one of their highest motives it is because they hope to get heaven from Him and accesse to their sinful lusts here also thereby supposing because of His goodnesse and mercy that they may sin and serve their lusts and expect even heaven also afterward or they love Him under the hope of heaven not because there they do expect or desire spiritual or heavenly satisfaction in Himself in being satisfied with His likenesse which they never delight in here But because they have a supposed opinion of a greater degree of that same happinesse which now they hunt for and so heaven is never considered by them as a spiritual good or they may love God as supposing Him to love and esteem of them because of some lovelinesse and excellencie that is in themselves and upon that ground expect even heaven from Him and love Him because He so esteemeth of them and this is to think God like themselves and not to love Him upon any spirituall account as is said Again
The renewed man as such is swayed by spiritual motives in these things that are but naturally and morally good and under a spiritual consideration He acteth on them to wit as they are commanded of God tend to His honour and are usefull to help one in the worshipping of Him and so forth and thus He may be acted even in Eating and Drinking and things that are spiritually good in themselves as the loving of God studying of holinesse c. He acteth in them as such that is he loveth God because He is an infinit spiritual good in Himself and because he hopeth to be made blessed and happy in Him thus to love God and desire union and communion with Him that we may not simplie be happy but happy and blessed in the enjoying of Him and in being made conform to Him is no carnal sinful or mercenary love because this the Lord Himself doth warrand and it supposeth a spiritual principle withdrawing one from common satisfactions and delights and it loveth God as God because thus God is considered as the chief good sufficiently and only able to make happy in Himself and therefore He is desired because no other thing is accounted sufficient or meet for happinesse but he And so love to God for himself and love to Him because we expect to be happy in Him or have already gotten spiritual good such as Regeneration Sanctification Repentance c. from Him are no way inconsistent together and therefore when we speak of loving God for Himself it is not to exclude all respect to our selves and our own good in Him but it excludeth all carnal respect to our selves or respect to our selves as carnal and delighted with things that are such and to shew that the good which we expect from God and for which we love Him is a spiritual and heavenly good having the enjoying of Himself joyned with it which doth commend all other good to us so that it is respect to God and our enjoying of Him that doth make these things lovely And so we love God because He is good and because He heareth our Prayers and because He furnisheth us with what is needful and so forth not because any fleshly lust is pleased or temporal end is gained but because He confirmeth our faith or spiritual joy in Him which many that have the same things which we have obtained from Him and are also carnally chearful in the use of them yet are not joyful upon this account but are delighted in the things themselves or what pleaseth their natures in them but not in God Himself and so in other things Before we close it will be of concernment for the understanding of all this Question to take up rightly the true difference between a moral specifick difference which is acknowledged and a physical difference which is denied This physical difference doth flow from some positive qualifications concurring in the act it self which are not in another act that hath other or contrary qualifications in the place of these again a moral difference as it 's expressed doth not consider the act with respect to any positive qualifications in it self but in respect of some extrinsick consideration as a pound of gold and an ounce of gold are of the same kind in respect of their qualifications physically yet suppose one had hired a servant for a pound or had conditioned so much for the rent of some lands by a subscribed Contract and Covenant in this respect the pound would differ from the ounce morally because the pound by vertue of such Covenants would become the servants hire and the landlords rent which the ounce would not be This is a moral difference and floweth from the bargane wherein it was conditioned that so much and no lesse should be accounted so so saith the forenamed learned Author that this moral difference of Grace doth flow from the consideration of the Covenant whereby only it can be determined what is saving Grace according to the tennor thereof whereby Justification or Salvation are bestowed upon any act pag. 205. And therefore Grace that is thus comparatively prevalent in degree is to be accounted true saving Grace because by the Covenant of Grace that is called for and only accepted as the condition thereof pag. 226. where also he doth say That the sinceritie of Grace doth lye in the degree not formally but materially only because the form of these gracious acts consisteth in their being the condition on which Salvation is promised Where 1. To forbear the Authors esteeming of all Graces equally and gracious acts indifferently to be the condition of the Covenant which yet necessarily this opinion doth presuppose and so is the more to be adverted unto There are two things to be observed wherein the mistake lyeth here 1. That it accounteth nothing to be saving or an evidence of what is saving but what is called for or accepted by the Covenant as the condition thereof whereas any thing that consequently will prove one to be renewed will also prove him to be justified although it be not that to which his Justification is covenanted but is something that doth necessarily presuppose it and follow after in a justified person and can be in no other else for if an act so and so qualified will prove one to have the habits of Grace without which he could not produce it Then must they prove him to be renewed and so to be justified because these acts are holy acts and fruits of the Spirit as they are called Gal. 5. and motions of the Inner-man Rom. 7. and fruits of a good tree and therefore must prove that the tree is good 2. There is a mistake in this that it supponeth the Covenant not to accept of Graces whether as the condition or otherwise suppose of love faith c. but at such a comparative degree only and not simply to accept of them as sincere although not as fully perfect As suppose one by covenant had farmed some portion of land that doth for the time bear nothing but brambles upon this condition that he should have returned to him so many wine grapes bigger than the brambles that grow thereon in this respect one that really gave grapes could not expect to have these accepted as being the covenanted fruit of the vineyard or the rent of his lease if they were not bigger than the brambles which formerly did or doth continue to grow therein whereas the tennor of the Covenant in the condition that it proponeth and in its acceptation of Grace to speak so doth ever propose and accept these Graces simply considered as such that is it accepteth of Faith and the Believer is to be accounted a Believer and in Covenant not only because of the degree of his Faith in Christ but because he considering Him as the Saviour of sinners and as sent of God for that end is drawn out of respect to the faithfulnesse of God in His Word to receive Christ as He
go no more out the accesse that Believers have to Gods company and Temple here hath interruptions and the Believer is again soon down from any mount where Christ may be transfigured before him but faith the Lord when I shall make him a pillar in the Temple of my God and settle him in Heaven there shall no more be any interruption of communion either by Gods hiding of Himself upon the one side or from the Believers whoreing from Him upon the other but he shall be by the powerfull grace of God established there and shall go no more out And this is added as a special consolation to the Believer that is wearie of his own gading and whoreing from God that there is a time coming when that shall be broken off and he shall go no more out The third step is and I will write upon him the name of my God pillars that were erected as monuments of honour were honourable according to the name or inscription that was written upon them Now there can be none more honourable than to have the Name of God written upon them and to be devoted to Him We concieve also it implieth a sharing and partaking of the glory of God in some measure as a poor creature is able to partake of the same The fourth thing is and the name of the city of my God which is New Ierusalem which cometh down out of heaven from my God We must understand 1. What is meaned by this New Ierusalem before it can be understood what it is to bear its Name By the New Ieruâ—alem and city of my God we understand one of two either 1. Heaven which in the seat of the Church Triumphant called here the New Ierusalem because it so far doth exceed the splendor and beautie of the Church or Jerusalem here upon earth and it is said to come down from Heaven because by the preaching of the Gospel the Kingdom of God is brought near even to the door Or 2. The congregation of the first-born that are already perfected in Heaven called the New Ierusalem because though they be of that same Church of Christ yet are they in respect of their glorious qualifications and perfections as it were a new Church And thus it is said to come down from Heaven not so much to signifie any locall mutation as to shew where it is for the time and that their originall as such is from God Both these turn to one and shew that by this promise is understood that the overcomer shall be admitted as a free Burgesse and Citizen to glory amongst the rest of the Congregation of the first-born And thus to have the name thereof written upon the overcomer is to have Him as it were declared a free Burgesse and Citizen of that glorious Incorporation That it is thus to be understood of Heaven and not of any state of the Church upon earth the reasons before mentioned do evince Beside it is a promise that is to be performed to every overcomer and that after his full Victory here and so consequently after his death and therefore can be understood of no other thing but Heaven The last thing is and I will write upon him my new name the Mediators new name is the exaltation which He hath received after His Resurrection and compleat Victory as is clear Philip. 2.9 The writting of this upon the overcomer is the making of Him a joynt sharer of that His Glory and so to sit upon one Throne with Himself and eat and drink at one Table with Him and to behold His Glory as Himself doth pray Ioh. 17.22 23 24. the due and proportionable difference being alwayes kept betwixt the head and members Now put these together and so the overcomer shall be glorious in himself For so 1. He shall be a pillar 2. He shall partake of the glory of God and have His Name upon him 3. He shall partake of the glory of Heaven and the Saints that are there already 4. He shall partake of the Mediators Glory and bear His new Name and what more can be imagined Thus the Lord shall be admired in all that believe 2. Thess. 1.10 in that day when every Believer shall be as a Trophee erected to the glory of the grace of God and for a memoriall of the love that our blessed Lord Jesus had unto and of the Victory He obtained for elect sinners by His redeeming of them It rests now that we observe somethings further from this Epistle beside what is already hinted wherein it is not our purpose to insist Observe 1. There is difference betwixt gifts requisite to the being of a Minister and successe by the exercise of these in the Ministery There is here a little strength that respecteth the first and an open door which respecteth the second and these two are distinguished one from another And thus we will find throughout Pauls Epistles that difference is made betwixt his liberty to Preach upon the one side and Gods opening an effectuall door to him upon the other 2. We see that Christ is the giver of both to wit of giftâ— to Ministers and of successe among the People 3. We see that he distributeth not to all alike but an open door is set before some more than before others and when not at all before others as by comparing this and other Epistles together is clear It may be asked here 1. What way a Minister may know if an effectuall door be opened to him amongst the People seing Paul sometimes afferteth the same 2. How Minister having such an opportunity ought to carry in the improving thereof To the first we say that this cannot be discerned alanerly from a mans gift for it may be shut where great gifts are as we will see hereafter Beside it is like Paul had not alway this door open to him at least it was more in one place than another Nor is it meerly to be gathered from a mans freedom from externall crosses in a place nor yet from the great following he may have for there may be many adversaries where this effectuall door is opened 1 Cor. 16.4 and there may be no such thing where there is great peace and applause Yet we conceive by these and such like characters this may be somewhat discernable 1. When a Minister getteth the door of utterance upon the one side opened to him and there is an opening of ears among the People to welcom the same upon the other which is not to be understood of carnal itching after or being tickled with a gift but of love to edification and simplicity and diligence amongst them which sheweth that such a man and his gift is commended to them and so that they are in the greater capacity to get good of him 2. Where this is it hath reall changes following and much solid work for by it people are not made light and notionall but are made humble serious tender fruitfull c. 3. Where such a
there be some generals laid down which include many particulars as to be holy full of the holy Ghost Acts 6. such as have given good proof of their faithfulnesse and constancie in Religion Acts 1. vers 21 22. and such like Yet beside these the Scripture hath pitched upon some particular characters for the discoverie of this First He is to be a man that ruleth well his own house 1 Tim. 3. vers 4 5. which doth imply a mans faithfulnesse and profitablnesse as a Christian in whatsoever private station he hath been in formerly so it is to be looked how he hath done the duty of a son to parents of a student in his studies of a private Christian in his private walk with others or how he hath behaved himself in families or in other places wherein he hath had more near accesse to be edifying and such like This one character putteth to take trial 1. of a mans zeal and sinceritie in studying edification according to his place 2. Of his prudence in mannaging and ordering what he may meet with And 3. of his Authority how probably he may be able to keep people in a kindly subjection to Christs Ordinances as the particular observing of that place will bear forth which speaketh not only of his fitness to teach but also to govern in the house of God And it would seem that though alwayes the Church is not to be restrained from calling one that is young and without a family yet by a mans living sometime after his going through private studies before his coming to the Ministrie or having a familie to govern there might be much more accesse confidently to discern a Called-minister in respect of this qualification for as the Apostle reasoneth 1 Tim. 3.5 If a man know not how to rule his own house how shall he take care of the Church of God Secondly He is to be tried according to these marks wherewith a Christian may be tried such as to be vigilant to be sober which looketh to sobriety in his whole carriage not only to be blamelesse but to be of good behaviour given to hospitality not greedie or covetous patient c. 1 Tim. 3.3 Titus 1.7 8. In which qualifications not only is to be tried what are mens practices but what are their distempers or infirmities what are their natural inclinations and dispositions and such like and if these be froward except by the evidences of the opposite Graces there be hope that they shall be subdued there can be no confidence to proceed For a Minister should be meek gentle no brawler c. Thirdly He is one that must have a good report from them that are without 1 Tim. 3.7 which importeth a shining eminencie in his conversation so as to be convincing even to wicked men from whom seriousnesse and sincerity will get a testimonie when lightnesse and luke-warmnesse will be abhorred even by them Fourthly He is to be a lover of good men Titus 1.8 It is a mark of a Believer to love the Children of God and here it is made a character whereby one that is to be called to the Ministrie ought to be tried and it is such a love to them as is demonstrable and evidenced to others by their conversing with them estimation of them and that in opposition to others whom in that respect they love not though possibly their naturall ties to such may be moe This character doth first suppone a capacity in them to discern good men beside others And secondly a principle within making them to love and esteem of such which where they are in reality are both commendable in themselves and cannot but be some way discernable to others and therefore may be the more warrantably observed and laid weight upon and when they are wanting proceeding may yea should be at the greater stand and non-entry A fifth evidence is That he be no Novice 1 Tim. 3.6 which holdeth out that he ought to be of some settled standing in the profession of Godlinesse at least there would be ground to think him so which cannot well be if the man have been but as others in his education and possibly come by reason of the thoughts of a Ministery to have some fairer outward carriage than others when yet as to the practice of Religion he may be but a mere Novice and so give no ground to found a rationall charity for expecting any thriving of the work of Grace in his heart or of the work of the Ministery in his hands When these externall evidences are found Then Ministers ought to reflect upon all to see if any thing can be gathered concerning the sincerity of their end spiritualnesse of their walk and such like as by the words of these two eminent Divines formerly cited doth appear And because this cannot be discerned by one act or two or in a month or two therefore it is necessary to take time and to consider the equablnesse of such a mans way for satisfying of themselves concerning him And though it is not like that each Minister can come to a well grounded knowledge in reference to the Admission of every one by his own particular acquaintance yet in such a case it is to be supplied by the testimony of such who being able to discern and throughly satisfied themselves upon solide grounds dare confidently give testimony of the good behaviour and Christian carriage of such a person according to the former characters and such testimony when given ought to have weight Therefore we see that in Scripture the faithfull Servants of God used to commend such as were of their acquaintance to others and such recommendations wanted never weight Only concerning this we say That seing recommendations and testimonies may have much influence upon the good or ill of the Church This would not be overly gone about but these caveats would be observed 1. That when men testifie positively such and such qualifications to be in any they would have ground of satisfaction in their own consciences that such things are true and consistent in their knowledge 2. As this testimony would be on knowledge so the matter testified would be weighty and such as being true evidenceth some good beginning or appearance of the work of Grace There are many testimonies given thorow Pauls Epistles to severall persons but we will still find them have these two 1. The thing testified is something that doth indeed commend them as Christians as having love to God and to the edification of souls and such like 2. It 's upon knowledge yea oftentimes from such evidences as were discernable even to others such as suffering for Christ distributing to the Saints painfulnesse and diligence in what they have been employed about and such like On the other side there is also need of taking heed what testimonies be received And 1. That the testimony be full bearing out these characters sufficiently in the bosome thereof otherwise it can be no proof of them whoever
fear of wrath is born in upon him yet in so far as he hath these and entertaineth them he cannot be called a hypocrite but in so far as he beareth down and passeth over the same For there is a real ground of suspicion and fear within him c. and therefore to be affected therewith is not properly hypocrisie except the same be hypocritically used that is that it be keeped from making discernable to him the rottennesse of his state but on the contrary he becometh the more vain because of such flashes and seeming exercises when yet they have never been suffered to come the length of any real sincerity 2. We suppose that the continuance of such suspicions challenges and fears is inconsistent with the state of hypocrisie of which we are speaking because security and presumption to say so are essentials to such a hypocrite and we conceive that the continuance of such challenges fears c. in any degree cannot be consistent with such an absolute securitie and confidence as was formerly spoken to Yet no such fear or exercise c. will be a proof of sincerity except they be rightly improven for the discovering of a persons self-inability and for the putting of them to the market of free Grace by which only such fears can be rightly removed 3. Where these fits of fears and suspicion are in hypocrites they proceed rather from some apprehension or sense of wrath as in these who dispare concerning their Salvation then from any seen or felt grossenesse of the corruption that is in themselves or from any dissatisfaction with their own faith or sinceritie upon the distinct discoverie of their own rottennesse and hypocrisie in it self and therefore such fears follow not upon their searching of themselves nor result from the discoverie of their own naughtinesse nor are willingly entertained by them but on the contrary it is some apprehension of wrath that wakeneth them and what apprehensions they have of their unsoundnesse are but impressed upon this occasion whereas the Believer first seeth and feeleth the body of death within him and then hath the apprehensions of wrath flowing from that 4. In their doubtings and suspicions they are most sensibly touched with respect to the end and event that is they doubt whether they may attain heaven or misse it and possibly because of their unbelief they may draw such sentences somtime against themselves yet are they not usually brought to sentence themselves in respect of their own state and to judge themselves as lost and gracelesse for eye-salve to discover our nakednesse is a gift of Christs giving and goeth alongst in one bargain with gold white raiment c. Therefore it cannot be thought that any hypocrite can have this kindly discovery of their own nakednesse and natural loathsomnesse in respect of the root thereof though they may have many particular fruits discovered to them 5. If a hypocrite come under any fit of terrour or conviction thus to sentence himself yet even then it is not simple dissatisfaction with his own sinfulnesse which maketh him do the same but some apprehended terrour of God upon him and therefore when that is removed his sentence past upon himself is retreated And so in such a case a hypocrit's sentencing of himself is but his expressing what he apprehendeth to be Gods sentence upon him or it is his foretelling of what he thinks coming and this supponeth still Gods sentence to be past in his apprehension which maketh them not so much passe their own sentence upon the account of their own deservings as to expresse with regrate what he hath passed already which by no means they would do if they could eschew it whereas a sincere person doth arraign and judge himself from the sense of his own guilt accounting it just that God should do so also although they do not look upon his deed as the ground of theirs as in the former case but on their own guiltinesse without respect thereto 5. It may be asked how a Minister may discern a luke-warm temper among the people over whom he hath charge Answ. Although peremptory decision of such a persons state who hath a form of Religion be a thing that Ministers nor others are not to take on them Yet considering that such a case is often most frequent and that it is of most weighty concernment for a Minister to discern the same also that where it is common it is ordinarily one way or other so farr discernable as is fit to a searching discerning eye We may offer from these words such characters thereof as may help a Minister in applying of himself suitably at least to their present frame 1. Such a luke-warm temper hath much more light than life and much more delight in speculative knowledge and in such preachings as bring some new thing to that than they have in what really feedeth the soul and tendeth to search the conscience or awaken any spirituall exercise therein 2. Such a people have ordinarily a heal and unbroken condition without fears exercises or doubts and so accordingly there will be little of such subjects the matter of discourse betwixt them and the Minister yea if such a thing be moved either they will suffer it to die out as a thing which they are not acquainted with or delighted in or so entertain it with some such general expressions as rather shew their desire not to be thought ignorant than any way to expresse their sense of the same 3. Much of their discourse of Religion will readily be to their own commendation even when they seem with the pharisee Luk. 18. to thank God they are not as other men and so still there is some expression of their satisfaction with their own condition that 's discernable in the whole strain of their discourse and way what ever acknowledgements may be intermixed 4. It is discernable by pride self-esteem vain confidence c. that do accompany such which for a continuance of time together can hardly be hid to a searching Minister for this doth not only kyth negatively in their want of spiritual exercises and such like but it will even often kyth positively by their censuring of others when they fall by their asserting their own sincerity and the clearnesse and confidence that they have of their own good condition and by their looking upon all things which may touch at their sore as not belonging to them and as if they were above and without the reach of all such grounds of doubting 5. Such love rather to have the esteem and familiar acquaintance of their Minister than to have profit by his Ministery hence they will be short in no civil courtesie will be desirous of having the Minister frequently with them and that he may love them and readily complain if he humour them not in that yet he may be many nights in their company and find it hard to edifie much or discover any great greedinesse in them to take
no legall imputation to say so but if it be perfect then it is an instantaneous act 3. If it be continued then it is continued as if at first it were not a perfect imputation or perfectly imputed But that were to say that it is not imputation if it be continued as perfect then it is supponed to be instantaneous and past and what was said for Justification doth hold here Indeed if the meaning be that the Gospel doth continue to impute Righteousnesse even after Faith till the Believer be in Heaven and to account such a sinner just by vertue thereof That is truth But that speaketh the changed state of a sinner upon the account of an imputation and justification already so indeed the word of the Gospel continueth still to pronounce Believers justified upon that account and that imputation in its vertue never ceaseth But it cannot be said that the Word doth continue to justifie as justifying denoteth the changing of a persons state from a state of enimitie to a state of friendship even as an absolved Rebel or Debtor once pronounced free by vertue of such a persons intercession or Cautioners payment doth continue to be declared free that is his absolution continueth in force but properly the act of freedom or absolving doth not continue but is instantaneous upon the production of such rights To shut up this we may illustrate the way of Justification which is more clearly expressed in the Gospel under these expressions believe and thou shall be saved by comparing it with the more obscure and typicall expressions used under the Law for it is certain the substance is the same and what is our legall-righteousnesse was theirs and what was their evangelick-righteousnesse is ours also Now the terms or expressions of the Old Testament run thus Levit. 4. vers 3 4 c. When a man sinneth he shall bring his offering c. and he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt-offering and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him c. In which words there is an expresse condescending upon the Lords side to propose something as a righteousnesse for a sinner which was to be accepted for him yet I suppose no Christian will say that it was the external sacrifice itself that was to be accepted for such nor that it was the act of the Faith of the offerer alone that was so accepted for then there needed no sacrifice but it behoved to be the thing typified by that sacrifice to wit the Sacrifice of Christ looked to apprehended and pleâ—ded by the Faith of the offerer that was so accepted Yet the external sacrifices in the Old are as expresly said to be accepted for a sinners Justification or as an atonement for him as Faith is said to be accounted for righteousnesse in the New and as it cannot be said that by vertue of Christs satisfaction or the Covenant with him it was procured that such performances and sacrifices should be accepted of themselves as the persons immediat evangelick-righteousnesse though their ceremonial Law was their Gospel So it cannot be said that there is any such bargain concerning Faith in the New Testament but that Christ apprehended by Faith is the Righteousnesse both under the Old and New Testament which is the thing we intend Concerning Repentance REpentance is much called-for in these Epistles and that with peremptory certification of coming wrath if the same prevent it not as we may see Chap. 2. vers 5. in the Epistle to these of Ephesus who look like a people real in the Work of God though under some decay It is also called-for from Pergamos vers 16. Yea Iezebel hath a door of mercy opened to her upon supposition of Repentance vers 21 22. This also is required of Sardis Chap. 3. vers 3. and of Laodicea vers 21. For clearing of which places and other truths concerning Repentance it may be enquired once for all 1. If Repentance be simplie necessary for preventing of wrath and obtaining of the pardon of sin 2. In what respect it is necessary and how it doth concur thereto 3. If to a Believers recovery after his sin the exercise of Repentance be necessary 4. If so what kind of Repentance For understanding of all we would premit that Repentance may fall under a threefold consideration 1. It may be considered as somewhat previous in time to the exercise of Faith and Pardon of sin This is properly legall-sorrow and is a common work of the Spirit which may be in one whose sins will never be pardoned it is therefore not of it self gracious although the Lord may sometimes make use thereof for a sinners humbling and wakening before his conversion This is not the Repentance that is pressed here 2. It may be considered as it doth not only follow pardon but also the intimation thereof so it is a melting of heart and a self-loathing that floweth from felt love as the promise of the Covenant is Ezek. 16.63 and 36.31 This is the melting of heart spoken of in that woman Luke 7. Who loved much because much was forgiven her vers 47. Neither is this that which is principally intended here 3. We may consider Repentance as a work of sanctifying Grace rising from the sense of by-past sin and hope of future mercy whereby the heart is both affected with indignation in respect of what is past and warmed with desire and love in respect of what it expecteth and so differeth from the first which ariseth from apprehended future wrath and from the second which floweth from self-received mercy This Repentance goeth alongst with Faith and the exercise thereof for the attaining of the hoped-for remission with a through impression of the freenesse thereof in respect of the persons felt sinfulnesse That is the sorrow after a godly manner which is spoken of 2 Cor. 7.11 and it is that which is principally intended here and in other places where Repentance is required in order to remission of sin In Answer then to the first Question We say that Repentance understood in the last sense is simply necessary for the obtaining of the pardon of sin so that without it no unreconciled sinner can expect peace with God which we thus make out 1. from severall places of Scripture and first by these places where the command of Repentance is prefixed to the obtaining of pardon and preventing of wrath and that by way of certification that if it be not remission is not to be expected as Acts 3.19 Repent that your sins may be blotted out which doth imply that without this the blotting out of sin is not to be expected otherwise the proposing of the blotting out of sin could be no great motive to presse the exercise thereof which is the Apostles scope as also Acts 2.38 Acts 8.22 and so in all other places where Repentance is pressed as a mids for attaining of that end 2. We may adde these places where the connexion between
the Emperours Authority in the west the Bishops of Rome grew so that what pride covetousnesse and usurpation this age brought forth in them may be seen at large in Plessâ—us mysterie pag. 4.44 Câ—ntur Magdeburg Câ—nt 4. by all which they did winde themselves someway in to be Umpires or Arbitrators of differences in other Churches which afterward they drew to a debt and obligation on them 4. At that time he being desired did interpose brotherly by his Commiâ—â—ioners with other Bishops and Churches which being for a cause upon the matter good and from an eminent Bishop had much weight with it and was much esteemed and regarded though not as Authoritative which his successours abused in after timâ—s So then the Churches estate betwâ—xt the 300. and 400. years and thereabout will be found as it s here foretold to be Inwardly the Church undone by Hereticks heresies contentions backed with pretended Authority Civil and Ecclesiastick The Bishops of Rome working their Supremacy in all these troubles and he taking occasion to insinuate himself as Moderator among them though yet under ground and that but on the earth and low Doctrine began even then to be in many things corrupted by speciall men in the Church especially concerning freewill ceremonies c. By which may be gathered what great storm this was and how answerable to this type so that its easily applied to it Observe 1. In general what a terrible thing it is to have error heresie division and contention letten louse on a Church it is terrible as fire hail and bloud and terrible in the effects a third part of the trees and grasse are burnt up few believe thisâ— yet these plagues are lesse terrible to bodies than error and the effects of it are to souls 2. See the nature of heresie 1. It is violent cooling love and obstructing practice whereby the soul is kept in life but in contentions for it self and things belonging to it self firy bloudy and cruell The first word looketh at the impurity of the Doctrine striking at the very foundation â—ail The second word fire looketh at the breaking of unity The third word bloud looketh at the destroying of lives such were the false teachers of old such were they in Christs time and after His time 2. It spreadeth on many for number on great men and good men sometime for quality all green grasse and a third part of trees Who would have thought so many famous able men would have been carried away with it that as we said before it became a proverb the world is become Ariaâ— many Bishops and Synods many eminent in parts partly through terrour partly through weaknesse came to verball acknowledgement of the error and to condemn some honest men that spoke for truth This should make us be watchfull and humble would aâ—y think that the God-head of Christ or of the holy Ghost should be denied and yet this is of late revived for the Sâ—câ—nian error is the same in substance and hath many followers 3. Many trees are spared partly as a testimony against others partly to give themselves time to repent they are not taken away altogether Let us arm against such a storm and become more warrie and watchfull LECTURE III. Vers. 8. And the second Angel sounded and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea and the third part of the sea became bloud 9. And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea and had life died and the third part of the ships were destroyed YE may remember when we began to speak of this prophesie of the trumpets we told you that in them was contained the story of the Church from the intâ—rrupting of the peace that it enjoyed under Constantine till Antichrist was at his height and God by pouring out of the vials came to demolish his Kingdom The prophesie of theâ—e trumpets is divided in smaller and greater woes the last three being the greatest The first four do continue the History of the Church from the peace it enjoyed under the sixth seal unto the discovery of Antichrist upon his seat and throne Ye heard in the former trumpet how hard the condition of the Christian Church was and by what means it was weakened 1. By outward inbreaking of cruel barbarous Nations mercilesse enemies to the defacing of it 2. By enemies from within such as Arians Macedonians Nâ—storians and also Schismaticks as Luciferians Novatians Aâ—daeans c. that would not keep unity as the former would not keep purity 3. By corrupting of the Doctrine many unsafe and unsound Doctrines attended with pernicious practices were creeping in amongst famous men in the Church 4. It was also weakened by contentionâ— and ambition amongst Bishops and Ministers for their precedency out of all which Satans designe of raising Rome and bringing in Antâ—christ was woâ—king and took rooting springing and spreading it self more and more till it came to the height We shall say no more of the first trumpet but proceed to the rest This second trumpet advanceth and carrieth on the same scope and if any ask why these trumpets blow not together and yet one succeedeth another I answer there is some interim to see how the former may work and if any will repent God taketh that time of triall 2. When it worketh not a greater cometh then He plagueth seven times more there are degrees even of spiritual judgements Rom. 1. When alarms work not there are worse coming For opening the meaning of this sad judgement we must consider in it these three things 1. The mean made use of or the rise of the judgement it was as a mountain burning 2. It s object it is cast into the sea 3. The effects that follow upon it the waters became bloud and many ships are destroyed Generally it sheweth that this judgement extended further than the former 1. The former was on the land only this taketh in the sea 2. It altereth quite the nature of these seas the former destroyed but trees and grasse that were growing This is more infectious 1. It is said as it were a great mountain to shew it was something figuratively to be understood and not properly like a hill such as Aetna in Sicilie or Hecla in Island are which burneth within it self and dissolveth it self By mountains in Scripture are understood figuratively Powers or Authorities Zech. 4.7 Who art thou O great mountain before Zâ—rubbabel thou shalt become a plain He meaneth the opposition of that Monarchie which then oppressed them Ier. 51.25 Babylon is called a destroyed mountain and a mountain that shall be made a burnt mountain So by mountain here we understand eminent men in the Church and her Authority or these placed in Authority in her who by their place are eminent above others it being the Church here that especially is spoken of this mountain must be their Judicatories and these in power Therefore the Disciples and in them Ministers are said