with ease dispatcheth great imployments The Commands of God are not grievous to it Love is the wing that weight and holy proclivity of the soul which if it finds not makes a way Nay 't is so speedy and present an affection that it endures no delayes It accounts not the least time little in which God is withdrawn It follows hard after God and puts not off it's pursuits of dutie or comfort till to morrow or a more convenient time 6. It 's an expensive Psal 16. bountifull costly love It will not offer that which cost it nothing even the meanest gift as alas how much below Christ is all we are or doe comes from a Kingly heart Love contends after excellency and perfection in attending upon that object which it loves under the apprehension of the greatest good How willingly did those Converts lay down all their goods at the Apostles feet and those afterwards burn their books of curious Arts 1 Chr. 22.29 2 Sam. 24.24 though of great value How great was Davids expence for the Temple and his desire that his purchase which he bought of Araunah should be being for his God costly Luke 7. How bountifull was that formerly sinfull woman in her expression of love to Christ How freely were her tears hairs kisses ointment imployed The greatnesse of the debt forgiven her made her love much and the greatnesse of her love made her spend much What save love made Zachâ—â— part with halfe of his goods to the poor Luke 19.8 John 1. Actâ—â—â— â—â— Gâ—n 43.34 and a four-fold restitution to the wronged by false accusation Love will make Peter willing to feed the sheep of Christ and Paul not to account his life dear to him to finish his Ministery Joseph loved Benjamin most and gave him a messe five times so much as any of the rest He that loves God most will lay out most for God 1 Thes 1.3 Heb. 6.10 More then once we read in the Scripture of the labour of love Love resteth in its labour and then resteth most when it laboureth most Nothing labours more or thinks it labours lesse then love I have heard of one that was ask'd for what sort of men he laboured most he answered for his friends He was again ask'd for whom then he laboured least he answered for his friends both answers were true for love made him think he did least for those for whom indeed he did most 7. It 's a submissive stooping patient love bearing from and forbearing for the Beloved any thing It puts us upon things below us for the pleasing of him whom we love it makes us to undertake that which another may esteem weaknesse and indecencie Davids love to Gods presence transported him to leaping and dancing thereby though Mical esteemed it basenesse to honour God Parents out of love to their children play and lisp and stammer Christ himselfe emptied and humbled himselfe for our sakes Love flies not like chaffe in the face of him that fans Rom. 8.38 39 The soule that loves is reconciled to God Cant. 8.7 though it sees not that God is reconciled to it It hath a child-like ingenuity to love and stay with a father that scourgeth it not a servile unsubmissivenesse to threaten presently after stripes departure It doth iratum colere numen follow a frowning father It lives contented with Gods allowance It will patiently be without what he thinks either fit to remove or not fit to bestow and all this not upon force but upon choice It loseth its own will in Gods and had rather will as doth God than understand as doth an Angel It taketh with joy the spoiling of its goods It ever thinks it hath enough left so long as God takes not away himselfe Omnia quae horribilia audis servire mori expiata sancta sunt amori Nier de art vol. It beareth the indignation of the Lord and accepteth the punishment of its iniquity and is willing to receive evill as well as good because from the hand of a God whom it loves For his sake it 's willing to be kill'd all the day long nor can the waters of death extinguish the taper of love 8. It 's a conforming love The Will of God is the Compasse by which it steers It fashions not it selfe according to the world It walkes not by example but by rule The heart will be set like a Watch which goeth exactly not by others but by the Sun It walks not by president but precept It regards not what is either its own or other mens but what is Gods will Its will and Gods are like two strings of an Instrument the one whereof being tuned to the other if the one be struck and sound the other also stirs and trembles when Gods will is declared the will of him that loves God moves accordingly It is much more solicitous to understand duty then to avoid danger It desires to have a heart according to Gods heart to be effigiated and moulded according to Scripture Impressions to love what God loves and hate what he hates to think and will the same with God 9. It 's a sociable love It moves to the full enjoyment of God as its Center Converse with God is its Element The soule where this love is debarr'd from prayer hearing is as the fish on dry land It restrains not prayer from the Almighty It walks with God It sings in the absence of Christ no more than did they in a strange land It loves to have its bundle of Myrh all the night between its breast It delights in every thing in which Christ may be seen Word Sacraments Conditions Soscietie Ministers and the more these have of Christs presence the more it loves them the closest purest powerfullest and most sin-discovering sin-disturbing preaching it loves best The holiest and most exactly walking Saints it loves best The Sacrament or Prayer wherein Christ smiles most sweetly it loves best The condition though outwardly bitterest wherein it sees the face of Christ most clearly it loves best 2 Tim 4.8 2 Pet. 3.12 Chiefly is the sociableness of love discovered in longing after the second coming of Christ in counting it best of all to be with him in loving his appearance in hasting to the coming of the day of God The unwillingness to have that day come proceeds from a Christians unrenewed part so much soreness as is in the eye so much lothness is there in a man to see the light proportionable to our love to sin is the disaffection to Christs appearance and the fear which is in a gracious heart of Christs second coming rather proceeds from a sense of its own unfitness to appear before Christ than an unwillingness to have Christ appear to it and more from a desire to be made meet for him than to remain without him 10. Lastly It s an uncessant Love A flame never to be quenched The Waters of affliction cannot drown it but
godly with a love of complacency True Christians shall have a Benjamins portion of love Mark 10.21 it doth good especially to the houshold of faith brotherly-Brotherly-love is set upon brethren Christ loved the young man a Pharisee by shewing loving respect toward him but he loved Lazarus a godly man with a dear intimate love John 11.3 5.11 the best men shall have the best love There 's a prudence also in the measure of expressing love so to love to day as we may love to morrow We sow not by the bushel but the handfull 8. It 's a mutual reciprocal love Hence 't is Joh. 13.34 Gal. 5.13 Col. 3.13 Gal. 6.2 Jam. 5.16 1 Thes 5.11 that there is so frequent mention of Loving one another giving and receiving benefits is by some compared to the Game at Tennis wherein the Ball is tossed from one to the other and if it falls it 's his forfeit who mist his stroke His disposition is very bad who if he will not provoke will not repay love where Affection there Gain is reciprocal The Pole sustains the Hop and the Hop adorns the Pole the Wall bears up the Roof and the Roof preserves the Wall from wet the wise directeth the strong and the strong protecteth the wise the zealous inflameth the moderate and the moderate tempers the zealous the rich supplyeth the poor and the poor worketh for the rich Love must have an eccho to resound and return 9. It 's a fervent burning love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 q. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Puritie and fervencie of love are joyned together 1 Pet. 1.22 and 1 Pet. 4.8 Have fervent charitie among your selves It must be a love to the utmost not remiss and faint not a love of courtesie and civil correspondencie but of intireness and holy vehemencie such a love as was between Jonathan and David surpassing the love of women The fervencie of it must be so great as that it may burn and consume all intervening occasions of hatred and dislike by bearing with infirmities covering of sins construing mens meanings in the better part condescending to those of lower parts and places 1 King 18. like the fire that fell from Heaven upon Elijahs Sacrifice which lick'd up a trench full of water A love that overcomes the greatest difficulties for the good of others and triumphs over all opposition 10. It 's a constant and unwearied love 1 Phil. 9. Joh. 13.1 15.12 A love that must abound more and more A love that must be like that of Christs who loved his to the end Love is a debt alway to be owed and alway to be paid 't is a debt which the more we pay the more we have And which herein differs from all civil debts that it cannot be pardoned When we have well chosen our Love we should Love our choice and be true Scripture-friends to love at all times not fawning upon our friends when high and frowning upon them when low not looking upon them as Dyals onely when the Sun of success shines upon them we should love them most when they want us not when we want them most This for the explication of the third and last blessing which the Apostle requesteth for these Christians Love 2. The Observations follow 1. Love to God flows not from Nature Observ 1. 1 John 4.7 God is not onely the Object but the Author of it From him for these Christians the Apostle desires it The Affection of Love is natural the Grace of Love is divine As Love is the motion of the will toward good ti 's in us by Nature but as it is the motion of the will toward such an object or as terminated upon God it is by Grace Love is one of the Graces to be put on Col. 3.14 Rom. 1.30 and we are no more born with it in us than with our clothes on us Wicked men are haters of God and that as the word signifieth with the greatest abhorrency 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abhorreo unde Styx they so hate him as to desire he were not that so they might live without the limits of his Law the reach of his Justice God is onely by them look'd upon with fear Ps 139.21 2 Chro. 19.2 1 Joh. 3.13 Joh. 15.18.20 Rom. 8.7 as a Judge and whom men fear as hurtfull they hate and wish they were taken out of the way Mens hearts and Gods holiness are very opposite The carnal mind is enmity against God The very reason of it the best thing that is in Corrupt Nature even Lady-Reason her self is not an enemy onely but enmity and irreconcileable There is in it an Enmity against every truth preferring before it humane mixtures and Traditions and undervaluing Gods mercy and the way of obtaining it in his Sonne misjudging all his wayes as grievous and unprofitable accounting all his Servants base and contemptible An enmitie there is in Affection against his Word wishing every truth which crosseth its lust razed out of the Scripture quenching the motions of the Spirit refusing to hear his voice rejecting the councel of God against his people his Messengers hating them most that speak most of God either with the language of lip or life Enmity in conversation holding the truth in unrighteousness by wilful disobedience forsaking the waies of God to walk in those of Nature casting off his Yoke and refusing to be reformed And all this hatred is against God though man by it hurts not God but himself man being Gods enemy not by hurting his will but resisting it Non nocendo sed resistendo The consideration whereof should humble us for our folly and danger in hating so good and great a God It should also teach from whom to beg renewed inclinations Lord Whither should we go but to thee and how but by thee 2. Love is the best thing which we can bestow upon God Observ 2. 'T is our All And the All which the Apostle desires these Christians may return to God who had bestowed upon them mercy and peace Love from God is the top of our happiness and love to God the summe of our duty It 's that onely grace whereby we most neerly answer God in his own kind he commands corrects comforts directs pitties sustains c. in these we cannot resemble him but he loves us and in this respect we may and must answer returning love for love Love is the best thing that the best man did ever give his God Love is a gift in bestowing whereof hypocrites cannot joyn with the faithful there 's nothing else but they may give as abundantly as the most upright in heart they may give their tongue hand estate children nay life but Love with these or these in love they cannot give And the truth is not giving this they give to God in his esteem just nothing The best thing that an Hypocrite can bestow is his Life and yet Paul tels us That though
that spoil'd us not of what we have and not to a God that furnish'd us with what we have Can we love a man that spar'd and not a God that bestowed our life Can we love him that supply'd us when we had nothing and not him who made us when we were nothing Is any want so great as to be nothing or is any gift comparable to our very being Children love their parents from whom they have their body though they gave it not but God by them And what they did give was not for love of their children but pleasure and possibly they caused their childrens beings unwillingly 'T was not from any love in parents that these children were begotten rather than others because it was not in their choice but when 't was in Gods choice seeing innumerable men whom he could have made he made these rather than others What is it that shores and sustaines our beings but the prop of divine manutenency Did God make the house and then leave it to stand alone Hath not the same power that set it up held it up ever since hath he taken off that hand of sustentation one moment since he built thee Parents and friends have loved thee but was not all their affection a drop of Gods fountain would not else their bowels have been flint and marble and had not God bid them love thee might they not have been upon choice what some tender mothers are upon constraint butchers instead of parents The light of the Moon and Stars in the night is from the Sun though the Sun be not seen so every benefit afforded by man is from God though God be not observed And what save love it selfe was it that re-made thee when thou wert worse then nothing Surely the giving of Christ was the hyperbole of love the highest note that ever love reached A work that looks as if it were intended to draw out love from us Fire in its sphere burns not but in some solid matter so God though love it selfe inflam'd us not with love but by coming to and becoming of man What immeasurable love was that wherby he was debased to our vilenesse that we might be advanced to his Majesty and whereby he suffered even beyond measure and was never prodigall of any bloud but his own A mercy for contrivement so peculiar to Gods love that Angels could no more have invented it than Infants and for manifestation so appropriated to his love that had not he discover'd and tendred it it had been blasphemy and sacriledge saith one once to have desir'd it How great a condescention of love is it for him to become a Suter to thee for thy love to seek and beseech thee to be reconciled to him what 's thy portion but poverty Rom. 5.6 8 what gets he if he gain thy love what loseth he if he misse it what saw he in thy person but deformity what in thy affection but impotency and antipathy How long did Love contend before it conquer'd thee How witty wert thou to shift off happiness How unlike to mans carriage towards man was Gods carriage towards thee Who ever heard before that abused patience should be turned instead of fury into affection If the patience of him that unjustly offends drawes love from him that 's justly offended how much more should the patience of him that is justly offended draw love from them that unjustly offend 5. Obser 5. A Christians greatest service and work for God is most just and equall Why It is to love And what more righteous We are his Creatures if he had commanded a harder task as to Sacrifice our children or burn our bodies to ashes we ought to have done it But 1. He askes no more than this at our hands to Love him And now Israel what doth the Lord require of thee Deut. 10.12 but to Love him Love is a ready prompt willing affection which doth all with ease and is its own weight 2. Love is that which every one hath it 's implanted in every soul If God had required a child the Barren might have had a plea. If God had required our Lands and money the poor If Labour and Travail the sick might have had his plea of exemption but every one hath a Love that hath a Soul 3. This love which he requires he bestowed and he calls for no more than his own he doth but gather the grapes of his own Vine-yard the Waters of his own Fountain the fruit of his own Ort-yard he requires no more than he first gives 4. If it be bestowed on him he returns it much better than he received it He purifies and appeaseth it removes its pain and impurity he slayes nothing in it but the Ram he makes it like to the Rain which though the earth sends up in thick and foggy vapours falls down in pure and silver showers or like to the waters which though they come from the sea brackish and brinish yet return thither again in sweet and Christall streams God takes away the inordinateness unholiness and sensualness of our love he quiets and appeaseth it not emptying it of its honey but only pulling out its sting Love being never unquiet when in its center or stinging when in the hive or vexing the soul when set upon God 5. In loving him we do no more than we have tyed our selves to do We have chosen him for ours Deut. 26.17 for our Husband Father Master he may challenge our love we must not go back we are baptized in his name when we love not God we rob him of our selves we are Adultresses being married not to love 6. In loving we can but repay him though with no proportion not prevent him he loved us first 1 Joh. 4.19 Loved our souls in pitying and pardoning and renewing them loved the body in constant provision protection direction Loved us in giving himself loved us in giving his gifts 7. We must if we love not him love some thing else And where can we find any other upon whom to bestow it Exod. 15.11 who among the Gods is like to him and what among the Creatures is fit for us that can satisfie our exigences that will relieve us in distresse that will stay with us continually that will love us again 8. In loving him we love one another and love is the glue of the world the Cement of society it thinks nothing too difficult for a friend it makes us harmless and helpfull If twenty men love one another every one as himself every one is twenty every one hath twenty hearts forty hands eyes feet Love unlocks every ones Cabinet making the one take out cousnel another riches another strength all something for the good of one another 6. Observ 6. Wheresoever love to God is there will love to man appear The grace of love as hath been opened comprehends love to both from the Fountain of piety must flow the Stream of charity He
unto nay present with him by his universal care and providence he being not far from every one of us for in him we live c. Act. 17.27 28. 2 By assuming the nature of man into a personal conjunction with himself in the Mediator Christ 3 By conversing with man by signs of his presence extraordinary visions dreams oracles inspiration and ordinarily by his holy Ordinances wherewith his people as it were abide with him in his house 4 By sending his holy Spirit to dwell in man and bestowing upon man the divine nature 5 By taking man into an eternal habitation in heaven Psal 16. ult where he shall be ever in his glorious presence 2 There is a love of God to man considered as a love of benevolence or of good will or of willingness to do good to the thing beloved what else was his eternal purpose to have mercy upon his people and of saving them Rom. 9.13 but as it s exprest concerning Jacob this loving them And to whom can a will of doing good so properly agree as to him whose will is goodness it self 3 There is a lover of God to man considered as a love of beneficence bounty or actual doing good to the thing beloved Thus he bestoweth the effects of his love both for this life and that which is to come And the beneficence of God is called Love 1 Joh. 3.1 Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God And Joh. 3.16 So God loved the world that he sent c. By this love of beneficence bestowes he the good things of nature grace glory God doth good to every creature hating though the iniquity of any one yet the nature of none Gen. 1.31 for the being of every creature is good and God hath adorn'd it with many excellent qualities According to these loves of benevolence and beneficence God loveth not his creatures equally but some more then others in as much as he willeth to bestow and also actually bestoweth greater blessings upon some than upon others he makes and preserves all creatures but his love is more especially afforded to mankinde he stileth himself from his love to man Tit. 3.4 and not from his love to Angels or any other creature He is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a lover of man but never 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a friend of Angels or creatures without man His love is yet more peculiarly extended to man in creating him after his own image Psal 8.5 Heb. 2.16 Rom. 5.8 and in giving him lordship over the creatures in giving his Son to take upon him mans nature and exalt it above heavens and Angels to dye for sinning dying man offering him to man in the dispensation of the Gospel with wooing and beseechings Mat. 28.18 and yet of men he loveth some more especially and peculiarly than others Omnia diligit Deus quae fecit etinter ea magis creaturas rationales et de illis eas amplius quae sunt membra Unigeniti et multo magis ipsum Unigenitum Aug. T. 9. in Joh. namely those whom he loveth with an electing calling redeeming justifying glorifying love God loves all creatures and among them the rational and among them the members of his Son and much more the Son himself 4. There is a love of God to man considered as a love of complacency and delight in the thing beloved he is pleased through his Son with his Servants and he is much delighted with his own image wheresoever he finds it He is pleased with the persons and performances of his people He hath made us accepted in the Son of his loves the Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him Psal 147.11 Zeph. 3.17 They reflecting his excellencies and shewing forth his vertues he rejoying over them with joy he resting in his love accounting a Beleever amiable his soul a lesser heaven his prayers melody his sighs incense his stammerings eloquence his desires performances 2 There is a love of Man to God which is when the Soul is moved Amor concupiscentiae non requiescit in quacunque extrinseca aut superficiali adeptione amati sed quaerit amatum perfectè habere quasi ad intima illius perveniens Aq. 1.2 ae q. 28. ar 2. drawn and called out to desire the participation of his presence yeelding up and conforming it self to his will as also quietly resting in the enjoying of him This love is considerable in its several kinds 1 It s a love of desire to enjoy him for ours as the source of all our happiness The Soul loves God under the apprehension of the greatest good and therefore puts forth it self in strongest desires toward him This love is as strong as death and can take no denyal It is the wing and weight of the Soul that carries all the desires into an intimate unity with the thing beloved stirreth up a zeal to remove all obstacles worketh an egress of the Spirits and as it were an haste of the Soul to entertain and meet it According to those expressions of the Saints in Scripture The desire of our soul is to thy name Es 26.8 Ps 119.10.81 119.20 Psal 42.2 Psal 84.2 With my whole heart have I sought thee My soul fainteth for thy salvation My soul breaketh for the longing it hath to thy judgements at all times My soul thirsteth for God I am sick of love c. Oh the vehement panting breathing and going forth of the soul of one toward God who is in love with him he contemns the most serious worldly employments when he is taken up with this and who so discourseth with him of earthly concernments speaks as with one not at home all the world not satisfying without the kisses of the lips of our beloved our desires being a thousand times more for one smile of his face than for all the wealth under the Sun No difficulty so great no danger so imminent nay no death so certain which this love carries not through for the obtaining of the thing beloved this love being a falling mountain that breaks down all that stands betwixt it and the place of its rest In a word no means shall be left unused that by God are appointed for the obtaining of our beloved enquiries of or from others how to find him letters of love sighs tears sobs groans unutterable are sent to win him desires to hear again from him in his promise of grace are expressed The soul is never gotten neer enough till it be in the arms the bosome of God in heaven It saith not as Peter of his Tabernacles Lord Let there be one for me and another for thee but let us both be together in one It s ever night with one who loves Christ till the Sun of his presence be arising He is like a certain kinde of Stone of which some report That if it be thrown into the water
the perfection of Christ When Darius his mother had saluted Hephestion instead of Alexander the great who was Alexanders Favourite she blushed and was troubled but Alexander said to her It is well enough done for he is also Alexander The meanest Saint is to be beloved for what of Christ is in him he is an old Casket full of pearls But above all how destructive to brotherly love is oppression 1 Thess 4.6 defrauding and grinding our brethren Let no man saith Paul defraud his brother in any matter Even the Jew who might take usury of an Heathen might not take it of his Brother If Lillyes rend and tear Lillyes what may Thorns do Nor must a Christian content himself in not hurting a Christian his care must be to benefit him to do him good And that for his Soul All thy Spiritual gifts of knowledge utterance c. must profit thy brother 1 Cor. 12. 1 Cor. 14.26 Comfort him in his troubles of mind direct him in his doubts reprehend him gently for his faults Not to rebuke him is to hate him Levit. 19.17 To be angry with the sin of our brother is not to be angry with our brother To love the soul is the soul of love so to love thy brother as to labour to have him live in heaven with thee For his name not casting aspersions on him but wiping them off not receiving much less raysing accusations against him but laying hold upon the theif that pillaged his name as knowing that the receiver in this case is as bad as he For his body visiting and sympathising with him in his sicknesse helping him to utmost ability to find the jewel of health For outward necessaries pittying him in his low estate◠casting the dung of thy wealth on the barren soyl of his poverty making his back thy wardrobe his belly Psal 16.3 thy barn his hand thy treasury For body and soul praying for him calling upon God as Our Father not thine alone In the Primitive time saith one there was so much love Tert. Apol. c. 39. that it was ad stuporem Gentilium to the wonder of Gentiles but now so little that it may be to the shame of Christians That which was the Motto of a Heathen Dic aliquid ut duo simus Say something that we may he two must not belong to Christians It s best that dissention should never be born among brethren and next that it should die presently after its birth When any leak springs in the Ship of Christian society we should stop it with speed The neerer the union is the more dangerous is the breach Bodies that are but glewed together may if severed be set together as beautifully as ever but members rent and torn cannot be healed without a scar What a shame is it 1 Joh. 3.14 1 Joh. 5.1 1 Joh. 4.7 8 c. that the bond of grace and religion should not more firmly unite us than sinful leagues do wicked men A true Christian like the true mother to whom Solomon gave the Child may be known by affection As the spleen grows the body decayeth and as hatred increaseth holiness abateth In summ This love to the faithful must put forth it self both in distributing to them the good they want and in delighting in them and rejoycing with them for the good they have Both these how profitable how honourable how amiable are they Most honourable it is for the meanest Christian to be a Priest to the high God Heb. 13.16 to offer a daily sacrifice with which God is well pleased to resemble God in doing rather then in receiving good to be the hand of God to disperse his bounty to have God for his debtor to lend to the Lord of heaven and earth What likewise is more profitable than that our distribution to Saints like an ambassador by lying Lieger abroad should secure all at home that this most gainfull employment should return us pearls for pibbles jewels for trifles crowns for crumbs after a short seed-time a thousand fold measure heaped shaken thrust together and running over What lastly so amiable as for members of the same body children of the same father and who lay in the same womb suck at the same brests sit at the same table and expect for ever to lodg in the same bosom to be at union with and helpful to one another And on this side heaven Psal 16.3 Vid. doctiss Rivetum in loc where should our complacency center it self but upon the truly excellent noble illustrious ones who are every one Kings and more magnificent than ever were worldly Monarchs for their allyance having the Lord of heaven and earth for their Father the King of Kings for their elder Brother Psal 45.9 a Queen the Church the Spouse of Christ for their Mother having for their treasures those exceeding precious promises 2 Pet. 1.4 more to be desired than gold yea Psal 19.10 than fine gold in comparison of which a mountain of gold is but a heap of dung For their guard having the attendance of Angels Psal 34.7 John 6.27 Cant. 1.2 Cant. 4.7 nay the wisdom care and strength of God For their food having bread that endures to eternal life drink better than wine and a continual feast For their apparel having the robes of Christs righteousnesse here which makes them as beautifull as Angels all fair and without spot and attire to be put on hereafter which will shine more gloriously then an hundred Suns made into one For their habitation a palace of glory a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens Having thus first explained this love here desired by the Apostle in its several sorts I come in the next place to touch briefly upon those rare and excellent properties of this grace of love both as it is set upon 1 God 2 Man 1. This grace of love set upon God is true cordial and sincere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not in word or outward profession but in truth and in the inward man not complemental but reall the inward purpose of the heart having an emphasis Of love that hypocrisie and expressions cannot reach And the truth is our loving of God Eph. 6.24 is not so properly said to be sincere as to be our very sincerity Then and then alone a dutie is done in sincerity when 't is done in love and herein stands hypocrisie when though there is much doing yet there 's no loving The love of an hypocrite to Christ like the shining of the Gloworm is without any inward heat and stands only in a glistering profession or like some spices which are cold in the stomack though hot in the mouth or like the fire in Moses his bush it burneth not while it blazeth it proceeds from humane inducements of education Countenance or Commands of Superiours Interest an apprehension of the love of Christ barely to mankind or from this that Christ is out
of sight and troubles not his lusts or from some accidentall circumstantiall Ornaments which attend the Ministery and Truth as wit learning expression elocution or credit of visible conformity to them not from an inward apprehension of the proportionablenesse sutablenesse and fitnesse of Christ to all his desires and capacities Luke 7.47 1 Joh. 4.16.19 as being the fairest of ten thousand or from any reall interest and propriety in Christ which are the grounds of love when true and sincere 2. This love to God is superlattive it surpasseth all other loves the soule in which it abides seeing infinitely more lovelinesse in one God then in all the combined assembled excellencies of all worldly Objects loves him infinitely more than them all It often not only steps over them but kicks them away not only laying them down as sacrifices but hating them as snares when they would draw from Christ When Christ and the World meet as it were upon so narrow a bridge that both cannot passe by Christ shall go on and the World shall go back Christ in a Christian shall have no Corrivals as Christ bestowes himselfe wholly upon a Christian wholly upon every one as every line hath the whole indivisible point so a Christian gives himselfe wholly to Christ he shares not his heart betwixt him and the world all within him he sets on work to love Christ keeping nothing back from him for whom all is too little The greatest worth that it sees in any thing but Christ is this that it may be left for Christ ever rejoycing that it hath any thing to which it may prefer him To a soul in which is this love Christ is as oyle put into a viall with water in which though both be never so much shaken together the oyl will ever be uppermost or as one rising Sun which drowneth the light of a numberlesse number of Stars It loves the world as alwayes about to leave and loath it not as that for which it doth live but as that without which it cannot live The world hath not the top and strength of it's affection It loves nothing much but him whom it cannot love too much It lodgeth not the world in it's best room and admits not such a stranger into the closet of the heart but only into the hall of the senses 3. It 's a jealous or zealous love suspicious lest any thing should and burning in a holy heat of indignation against any thing that doth disturb the Souls beloved Love is a solicitous grace and makes the soul account it selfe never sufficiently trim'd for Christs imbracements never to think that any thing done is well enough done All the soul is and can is esteemed too little for him who is its optimus maximus its best and greatest the more brightly shining the beams of love to Christ are the more motes and imperfections doth the soule ever see in its services It s fear only is lest by sinne and unsutable carriage it stirs up Gal. 4.11.16 Act. 15.2 17.16 18.25 19.8 Jude 3. and awakes the beloved It cannot put up a disgrace expressed by the greatest against Christ It zealously contends for his Word Wayes Worship Worshippers Kingdome All it's anger is against those intercurrent impediments that would stop it in the advancing of Christ it labours to bear down those hinderances of Gods glory with a floud of tears if it cannot with a stream of power The meekest soule in love with God knowes how to be holily impatient and like Moses though when with God to pray for men yet when with men to contend for God Every sin by how much the nearer to it by so much is it more detested by it Of all sins therefore its own have the deepest share of hatred for what it cannot remove Rom. 7. Heb. 12. it mourns heartily crying out of the body of death the sin that doth so easily beset it as of the constant companie of a noysome carcasse endeavouring that every sin may be more bitter to remember then 't was ever sweet to commit looking upon the want of sorrow after sinne as a greater argument of want of love then was the sin it self 4. It 's a chast a loyall love not set upon what God hath so much as upon what God is not upon his but him not upon his rings but his person not his cloathes but his comelinesse upon a Christ though not adventitiously adorned his gifts are loved for him not he for them he is sweet without any thing though nothing is so without him Love desires no wages 't is wages enough to it selfe it payes it selfe in seeing and serving the Beloved A Nurse doth much for the child and so doth the Mother but the former for the love of wages the later for the wages of love Love carries meat in the mouth the very doing of Gods will is meat and drink to one who loves him A heart in love with Christ is willing with Mephibosheth that others should take all so it may behold the King Worldly Comforts shall not fallere but monere Nil dulcescit sine Jesu only they shall be used to admonish how much worth is in Christ not to bewitch the soul from Christ Si ista terrena diligitis ut subjecta diligite ut munera amici ut beneficia domini ut arrham Sponsi Aug. Med. as spectacles by which the soul may read him the better or as steps by which it may be raised up to him the nearer and no further shall they be delighted in then as they are pledges of or furtherances unto the injoyment of him Should God give all to one who loves him and not give himselfe he would say with Absalom What doth all availe me so long as I see not the Kings face Communion with God is the Heaven of him who loves God It 's heaven upon earth for God to be with him and the Heaven of Heaven for him to be with God 5. It 's an active John 14.24 Psal 119.68.140 Esay 45 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say some 2 Cor. 5.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stirring expressive love the fire of love cannot be held in 't will break out at lips hands feet by speaking working walking Love saith as Elijah to Obadiah as the Lord liveth I will shew my selfe the strength of love will have a vent The Love of Christ constraineth and as the word used by the Apostle signifieth hemmeth in shutteth up pinfolds the heart that it cannot winde out from service and cannot chuse but do for Christ Love is a mighty stream bearing all before it It cares not for shame or losse It carries away these as did Samson the other gates upon it's shoulders 'T is strong as death A man in love with God is as a man who is carried away in a crowd who cannot keep himselfe back but is hurried without his own labour with the throng Love
is not impaired The receiving of grace by one doth no more hinder the receiving thereof by another than one mans seeing of the Sun hindereth another from seeing it also God is a rich Father he giveth though not alike yet sufficient portions to all his children Our elder brother had a double portion he was anointed with the oyle of gladnesse above his fellowes Psal 45.7 but the oyntment poured upon the head fell down upon every member He who had holinesse for Abraham Moses David Peter will not suffer the least child in his house to be totally destitute They all drank of that rock which flowes toward us If we had but their thirst here 's as much water still as ever there was The people of God should neither envy one another for their fulnesse nor upbraid one another with their emptinesse but admire the wisdome and blesse the bounty of him who giveth to all though differently The whole Company of Saints is like to a well tuned instrument Varii toni in musica the strings whereof though not all of one note but some higher some lower yet all together make a sweet harmony nor can the loudest be without the smallest In what grace one is defective in that let another labour to supply In what one abounds let another labour to imitate and excell but let all adore and delight in him whose are the scatter'd excellencies bestowed upon all the Saints in the world 3. Observ 3. Where God hath begun grace he is not weary of bestowing more Mercy be multiplyed to you sanctified ones To him that hath shall be given Mark 4.25 God loves not to set up a foundation without a wall nor wals without a roofe He perfects what concerns his people and the work of the Lord is perfect Deut. 32.4 Isai 10.12 And he doth his whole work upon Mount Sion How good is God not only to do good because he will do good but because he hath done so to make one grace a kind of obligation upon himselfe to bestow another God herein resembling some magnificent King who when he hath set his love upon a favourite afterward is in love with his own choice of and bounty on him and loves him for these very favours which he hath given him John 15.2 John 1.50 Every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit Greater things saith Christ to Nathaneel thou shalt see He who killeth one lust shall kill another he who is conscionable in one duty shall be enabled to another He who hath the grace of desire shall have grace bestowed on his desire and he who hath grace to do a little shall have grace to do more God is never weary of giving He hath oyle enough for every vessell and still asketh when he hath fill'd all our vessels as that woman in the story Bring me yet a vessell The meditation whereof 2 King 4.6 as it should comfort us against our spirituall deficiencies in regard we know where to have more grace so should it incite us to proceed in holinesse and never to think we have enough or to answer as he did There is not a vessell In the best things there 's no excesse 4. Obser 4. Onely sanctified ones have the blessing of spirituall multiplication As first God gave the word of Creation before he gave the word of Benediction so doth he still spiritually Whosoever hath not Mat. 13.12 from him shal be taken away even what he hath If there be not essentia there cannot be incrementum If no truth no growth of grace Omnis germinatio supponit plantationem A stake that is meerly thrust into the ground having neither root nor life groweth in nothing but in rottennesse and this speaks the misery of one not in Christ and enlivened by the spirit of regeneration nothing doth him good he devoureth fat ordinances but hath a lean soule he is by the showers of every Sermon and Sacrament made meeter for the axe and fitter fuell for hell 5. Obser 5. Our beginning in holinesse is an Engagement upon us to go on Sanctified preserved called ones must multiply grace The beginning in the spirit must be a caution to us that we end not in the flesh If Saints be barren the Trees of Gods Ort-yard where can increase be expected A fruitlesse tree in the field may haply be born with not such an one in the garden They who are planted in the House of God Psal 92.13 14. should flourish in the Courts of our God still bring forth fruit in old age be fat and flourishing It is an unanswerable Dilemma If the wayes of God were bad why did you begin in them if good why did you not proceed They who are holy must be holy still Rev. 22.11 It 's a great disgrace for religion to be disgraced by her children to be forsaken by her followers The dispraise of any by a friend is easily believed by every one especially by an enemy to the dispraised when sanctified ones grow loose and remisse sanctity is stabb'd by the reproaches of others it is but scratched It 's excellent counsel of the Apostle that we lose not the things which we have wrought 2 Ep. John 8. Luke 22.3 As the vigilancy of Satan is to take from sanctified ones so their care must be to keep what they have gotten and to get what they want 6. Observ 6. God affords graces sutable to all the exigences of his people multiplyed grace to those who are in multiplyed difficulties and tentations My grace saith God to Paul is sufficient for thee 2 Cor. 12.9 When ever God gives a burden he provides a shoulder He never requireth brick from his people without giving them straw He will either multiply grace or diminish the tentation He bids his people up and eat if he sends them a long journey Those Saints of his whom he hath employed in winter seasons he hath ever cloathed with winter garments commonly the best men have lived in the worst times and Gods stars have shined brightest in the darkest ages The faithfull have been more then conquerours in conflicts both with persecuters and seducers Rom. 8.37 And truely grace multiplyed is much better than tentation either asswaged or removed VER 3. Beloved when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation it was needfull for me to write unto you and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered to the Saints VVE have finished the first part of this Epistle viz. the Title The second follows the Body and Substance of the whole Epistle wherein the Apostles scope is to incite these Christians to imbrace a seasonable Exhortation to the 24th verse of the Epistle In it there are four principall parts two of them contained in this third verse 1. The Reasons of the Apostles sending this Exhortation to
these Christians or what it was that put him upon this profitable performance of exhorting them in these words Beloved when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation it was needfull for me to write unto you 2. The Exhortation it self in these words And exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered to the Saints 3. Sundry weighty and unanswerable Arguments to move the Christians to follow and imbrace this excellent Exhortation from the third to the 17th verse 4. Severall apt and holy Directions to guide and teach these Christians how to follow and observe the Exhortation which he had back'd with the former arguments to the 24th verse I begin with the former The Reasons which put the Apostle upon sending this following Exhortation And the Reasons contained in these words Beloved when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation it was needfull for me to write unto you are these three 1. The first is drawn from the dear love which the Apostle did bear to them they to whom he wrote were beloved 2. The second is drawn from the care and diligence of the Apostle for the doing of them good and the furthering of their salvation When I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation wherein consider 1. With what mind and disposition he endeavoured their good or how he was affected in endeavouring it he gave all diligence 2. In what work he was imployed for their spirituall good or by what means he endeavoured it by writing 3. The Weightinesse and great Concernment of that Subject about which he wrote the common salvation 3. The third reason is taken from their need of having such an Exhortation sent to them It was needfull for me to write unto you 1. The first reason is taken from the love which the Apostle did bear to them They were beloved For the Explication whereof Explicat two things are briefly to be opened 1. What the word Beloved importeth and what is contained in it 2. Why the Apostle here bestoweth this title upon them calling them beloved For the first the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beloved noteth two things 1. An amiablenesse and fitnesse for and worthinesse of love in the thing beloved which can and doth commend it selfe to our love It importeth more than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diligendi they who are to be loved for that word comprehends every one even the wicked and our enemies but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beloved properly respects those who have something of excellency to draw out our love towards them Vid. passim and therefore it 's in Scripture only attributed to the faithfull 2. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beloved noteth a very intense dear tender vehement love Rom. 16.5 8.9.12 Col. 1.7 4.7 4.14 Philem. 1.3 3 John 1. Jam. 1.16 Phil. 16.19.2.5 Ephes 6.21 Col. 4.9 1 Cor. 15.58 1 Cor. 4.14 Ephes 5.1 1 Cor. 4.17 2 Tim. 1.2 to the thing beloved and therfore it 's in Scripture not only the title of some most dear friends but of brethren of children and sons nay Christ who was the Son of God by nature who was his only Son that his Son in whom he was well pleased is also called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his beloved Son The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is by Greek Authours attributed to an only child the Septuagint do with this word interpret that phrase Only Son Gen. 22.2 Take thy Son thine only Son They translate take thy Son thy beloved One. And Zech. 12.10 They shall mourn for him as one that mourneth for his only Son they translate as one that mourneth for his beloved One and others attribute this word to an only eye as when a man hath but one eye they call it a beloved eye 2. For the second why the Apostle bestoweth upon them this title of beloved He did it for two reasons 1. To shew what was his duty not onely as a man in which respect love is a debt due to all Rom. 13.8 or as a Christian it being the duty of Christians peculiarly to love Christians the houshold of faith brethren John 13.34 the members of one body c. but especially as an Apostle and Minister What more sutable than for a Father a Nurse 1 Cor. 4.14 15. 1 Thes 2.7 8. John 21. to love their children a Shepherd his flock The Apostles were spirituall Fathers Nurses Shepherds 2. To gain their loves by this affectionate Compellation Beloved that they by observing his love to them might both love him and thereby more readily imbrace the following Exhortation He is very uningenuous who if he will not provoke love from an enemy will not repay love to a friend Mat. 5.46 Even Publicans love those who love them The stone wall reflects heat when the scorching Sun shines upon it Love must be reciprocall if we are to love those who are friends to our bodies estates names c. Si diligis fac quicquid vis are not they to be beloved much more who are our soul-friends Nor was it more the duty of these Christians than their benefit to love this holy Apostle How much would their love to him forward their love to his Ministery Though the message should not be imbraced for the messenger yet it 's not so easily imbraced unlesse the messenger be beloved 1 Cor. 4.14 Gal. 4.19 1 Pet. 4.12 Phil. 1.8 4.1 2.12 Rom. 12.19 1 Cor. 10.14 2 Cor. 12.19 Heb. 6.9 Jam. 1.16.19 1 Joh. 3.2.21 That Minister who is beloved hath a great advantage above another he stands upon the higher ground for doing good and this is the main reason that the Apostles so frequently call those to whom they write beloved They did not desire to insinuate themselves into the hearts of the Christians for their goods But for their good not to set up themselves but Christ they did not wooe for themselves but for the Bridegroom they being his friends they did not seek to advance themselves but their Message their Master 1. Observ 1. Piety is no enemy to courtesie Christianity forbids not sweet compellations Religion doth not remove but rectifie courteous behaviour 1. By a flat prohibition of the act of dissimulation and of sinfull serving mens humours 2. By a moderation of excessivenesse in our expressions which seem courteous 3. By preserving affection pure from being made the instrument of prophanenesse and wantonnesse that the pure seeds of religion may spring up in the terms of affability 2. Observ 2. The work and labour of a Minister should proceed from love to his people The Apostle loved them and therfore he wrote to them Love should be the fountain of ministeriall performances First Christ enquired of Peters love John 21. and then he urged Peter to labour A Minister that speaks with the tongue of men and Angels and hath
not charity is as sounding brasse and a tinkling cymball though he have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and hath all faith though he bestow all his goods to feed the poor nay though he give his body to be burnt 1 Cor. 13. and have not charity he is nothing God will not reward Ministers according to what they have done but according to what they have done in loving to do Love is the marrow the soul of every service All performances without love are but cyphers without a figure in Gods account they stand for nothing they are sacrifices without fire 3. People should study to be fit for the love of their Pastor Observ 3. To encourage him to love them to be diligibiles such as these Christians were whom the Apostle called beloved A painfull Minister should not only be put upon loving his people by conscience of this duty but by encouragement to this duty Ministers are often wrongfully complain'd of for want of love All kind of love must not be afforded to all kind of people a love of intimacy and complacency must only be set upon the godly among his people If a faithfull Minister be not such to his offensive unprofitable hearer as he would 't is because this man is not such to God and his own soul as he should How unworthy a part in any is it to make a faithfull Minister spend that time in weeping complaining reproving which he had much rather spend in sweet complacency familiarity and commendation 4. The love of a Minister must not be slack and remiss Observ 4. but vehement and ardent Ministers are to imitate him in love whose love was the most earnest who was the chiefe Shepherd and had the chiefest care of his flock who purchased it with his own bloud Act. 20.28 who was nothing but love cover'd over with our flesh As he was the President of Ministers love so gave he earnest and frequent precepts to Ministers to testifie this love John 21.15 Love alone can facilitate the difficulties of a Ministers calling Many things must be born as the hatred frowardnesse dulnesse weaknesse of people There must ubera be given though verbera be returned Ministri proferant ubera non verbera Bern. the brest must give its milk though it be struck at Sometimes lawfull liberties must be forborn A Minister must be like indulgent Mothers or Nurses who forbear to eat such meats as they love for fear of hurting the child which they are breeding or giving suck to Paul was such an one who rather then he would offend a weak brother would eat no flesh while he lived A Minister must be lowly in doctrine and life patient laborious and nothing but love can make him be so Every thing will be difficult to him that loves not The object of a Ministers love is the soul the heaven-born soul the precious eternall soul What would it profit a Minister to gain the whole world and lose his peoples souls The beast the name the body of a man must be beloved much more his soul The winning of souls is the wisdome of a Minister Gen. 14.21 A Minister should say of his ease profit and pleasure as the King of Sodom to Abraham Give me the souls and take the goods to thy selfe 5. Observ 5. The Loving of a Ministers person hath a great influence upon the loving of his doctrine The Apostle knew this when he desired that these Christians should know that he loved them It 's the folly of people not to love the word who ever be the speaker The message hath not its commendation from the messenger but the messenger from the message Yet rare is it to finde that Christian who thinks well of that counsell which is given him by a Counseller who is not beloved and therfore it is Satans policy to asperse the Minister thereby to cause a dislike of his Ministry And great is their sin who by their un-amiable carriage often make their Ministry abhorred who either by prophanenesse or unfit austerity confute with their life what they perswade with their lip Some offend by prophanenesse preaching perhaps so holily in the pulpit as some may almost think it pity they should ever come out of it yet when they are out of it shewing so much levity sloth worldlinesse loosenesse as any would almost think it pity they should ever go into it Others offend by unmeet morosity not considering that a Minister must neither be all bait without hook nor all hook without bait as he must not by his flattery sooth so neither by austerity affright his people A Minister must not be a flashing Comet but an influentiall Star not a Storm or a Tempest but a sweetly dropping bedewing Cloud 6. The aim of a Minister in being beloved of his people Observ 6. should be the benefiting of their souls The Apostle desires to be beloved by these Christians that he might have the greater opportunity to further their salvation He robs Christ who improves not the interest he hath in the hearts of his people for the honour of Christ 'T is not service but sacriledge to desire the terminating of peoples loves in our selves It 's better could it be without sinne that all should hate us than that they should love us for our selves for if all should hate us we should have but what is our own if they should love us for our selves we should usurp what is Christs A Ministers designe in being beloved by his people should be but to raise up seed to his elder brother all his services must be but scaffolds to erect a building of glory to Christ Ministers should labour to be good for their own benefit and to be accounted good for the benefit of others They should not do good to get a good name but they should labour for a good name that they may be the more able to do good 7. The love of a Minister to his people Obser 7. should procure love again from his people The Apostle in professing of love to these Christians expected that they should love him again Love must be the eccho of love It 's often seen that they who love their people most are beloved of them least In a spirituall sense 't is likewise true that love descends more than it ascends And ordinarily beggary or at least poverty is all the requitall which is returned for the Jewell of Plain-dealing People love not an eradicative but a palliative cure of their spirituall distempers Spirituall flatterers are commonly more respected than spirituall fathers People and their lusts are so near together that a godly Minister cannot be an enemy to the later but he is esteemed such to the former It 's spirituall phrensie to rage against the Physitian of thy soul A Minister should requite such unkindness with the revenge of pity and prayer and a holy resolution still to love though he be the
a man we should observe the life of him that praiseth him Rarely will one praise him that takes contrary courses to himself But this should be the care of the best to keep himself from being spoken of reproachfully and truly at the same time by the worst Nor is it lesse the sin of people to blemish the name of him that deserves well then it is the sin of any one to deserve ill The Apostle is tender of receiving an accusation against an Elder certainly he who is so much against receiving would be much more against thieving 2. It s lawfull to use humane helps for the advantage of Truth Obs 2. This help the title of the brother of James was warrantably prefix'd Paul where the fruit of his ministry was hazarded by omitting titles mentions them at large 1 Cor. 9.1 Gal. 1. as to the Corinthians and Galatians and where concealment of his titles might do as well or better he omits them as in both the Epistles to the Thessalonians the like is requisite for us In these things Ministers should consider what tends most to the benefit of souls I have known Ministers of great learning and worth who have been despicable among Idiots because Birth or Vniversity degrees or Allyance have not commended them perhaps they had not a James to their brother 1 Cor. 15.33 Tit. 1.12 Act. 17.28 The Heathens testimonies are not refused by the Apostle to advantage Truth If the naming of a Father in a Sermon tends more to ostentation then edification it may better be forborn otherwise be lawfully used Scripturis non credidissem c Aug. Humane Authority was an Introduction to Austens faith afterward as the Samaritans he beleeved upon firmer grounds Certainly we never so well improve our humane advantages as when Christ is advanced by them How sweet to observe Ministers to set Christ upon their Names Titles Parts Readings 3 The beauty of Consent and Agreement between the Ministers of Christ either in Doctrine or Affection Obs 3. Both these the prefixing of James his name argued between him and Jude Readily and rashly to dissent from other the faithfull and approved Ministers of Christ is not like our Apostles carriage Indeed we must not admire men too much though of greatest learning and piety not so affect unity as to forsake verity or so follow men as to forget God The best men in the world are but rules regulated not regulating We must only so far set our Watch according to theirs as they set theirs according to the Sun Satan endures no mediocrity All Ministers hee represents as Dwarfs or Giants none of a middle stature either they must be worship'd or stoned Avoid we both extremes neither proudly dissenting from nor imprudently assenting to them either in practice or opinion Their gifts must neither be adored nor obscured their falls and slips neither aggravated nor imitated We must avoid both sequaciousnesse to follow them in any thing and singularity to dislike them in every thing The middle way of a holy Scripture-consent joyning in what we may and meekly forbearing in what we may not is a gracious temper Ministers must not so study to have multitudes of followers as to scorn to have any companions to vilifie others for the advancement of themselves to build up their own reputations upon the ruines of anothers Consent as much as may be is no more then should be If Ministers should endeavour a holy peace with all men much more with one another there 's not more beâ—ty then strength in their union How pleasant is it to read Peter mentioning his agreement with his beloved brother Paul 2 Pet. 3.15 that Paul that had withstood him to the face Gal. 2.11 There 's no repugnancy in Scripture why should there be betwixt them that handle it If the Paen-men of the Scripture be at peace in writing Ministers must not be at war in preaching they must not seek more their prâ—ise for wit then the profit of souls When children fall out in interpreting their father's Will the Orphans patrimony becoms the Lawyers booty Hereticks are the gainers by the divisions of them that should explain the Word of Christ The dissention of Ministers is the issue of Pride If there must be strife let it be in this who shall be formost in giving honour if emulation in this who should win most souls to Christ not admirers to themselves It s good to use our own parts and not to contemn others The Apostles in the infancy of their calling were not without the itch of pride Christ laboured to allay it both by precept and example 4. Grace and Holinesse are not only an ornament to the person himself that is endowed with them Obs 4. but even to those that have relation to him The holinesse of the child is an ornament to the father that of the father to the child the grace of the husband to the wife the holinesse of one brother beautifies another It 's true Every vessell must stand on his own bottom and every one must live by his own faith It s a folly to boast of the holinesse of our Parents and neglect it our selves if thy father be holy for himself and thee too he shall go to heaven for himself and thee too The grace of thy friends doth not beget grace in thee but beutifie it The Saints have oyl of grace little enough for their own lamps and where holiness is abhorred by the child that of the parent is but an addition to the childs shame and punishment in being so unlike him spiritually whom he doth so resemble naturally 'T was but a poor priviledge for the Jews to have Abraham for their naturall and the Divel for their spirituall father but when a child a brother a wife love and labour for that grace which those of neer relation have attained it s their honour and ornament in that they who are neer them are neerer to God Indeed it s often seen that they who have most spirituall lovelinesse have least love from us The godly want not beuty but carnall friends want eyes A blind man is unmeet to judge of colours how possible is it to entertein Angels and not to know it The love of grace in another requires more then nature in ones self Blood is thicker we say then water and truly the blood of Christ beutifying any of our friends and children should make us prefer them before those between whom and us there 's only a watery relation of nature But how great a blemish often doth the gracelesnesse the unholinesse of a parent a husband a brother bring upon them that are of neer relation to them It s a frequent question that was propounded by Saul to Abner 1 Sam. 17.56 Whose son is this stripling How disgracefull is such an answer as this The son of a Drunkard a Murderer an Oppressor a Traytor a Whoremaster Love to our friends our posterity
meet this ugly guest in any corner of the house but the heart riseth against it this hatred of evill Psal 97.10 is more then of hell it s a killing look that the soul doth cast upon every corruption He that hateth his brother is a man-slayer he that hateth his lust is a sin-slayer not he that hateth the sins or practices of his brother but the person of his brother so not he that hateth the effects and fruits of sin but the nature of sin not he that hateth sin for hell but as hell Every evill by how much the nearer 't is by so much the more it s hated An evill as it is so to our estate names children wife life soul as impendent adjacent incumbent inherent admits of severall degrees of hatred Sin is an inward a soul-foe Love turned into hatred becoms most bitter brethrens divisions are hardest to reconcile the souls old love is turned into new hatred the very ground sin treads upon is hated There 's a kinde of hatred of ones self for sin every act that sin hath a hand in is hated our very duties for sins intermixing with them and we are angry with our selves that we can hate it no more 3. This hatred puts forth it self in labouring the destruction of sin Love cannot be hid neither can this hatred The soul seeks the death of sin by these ways and helps 1. By lamentation to the Lord when going to him for strength with the Apostle Oh wretched man that I am was there ever a soul so sin-pestred Ah woe is me Lord that I am compell'd to be chain'd to this block Never did a slave in Egypt or Turkey so sigh under bondage as a mortifying soul doth under corruption The sorrows of others are outward shallow in the eye the look but these are in the bottom of the soul deep sorrows It s true a man may give a louder cry at the drawing of a tooth then ever he did pining under the deepest consumption but yet the consumption that is the harbinger of death doth afflict him much more and though outward worldly grief as for the death of a child c. may be more intense and expressive yet grief for sin is more deep close sticking oppressive to the soul then all other sorrows the soul of a saint like a sword may be melted when the outward man the scabbard is whole 2. The soul of a sin-subduer fights against sin with the Crosse of Christ and makes the death of Christ the death of sin Ephes 5.25 1. By depending on his death as the meritorious cause of sins subduing of sanctification and cleansing Christs purifying us being upon the condition of his suffering 1 Cor. 6.20 and so it urgeth God thus Lord hath not Christ laid down the price of the purchase why then is Satan in possession Is Satan bought out Lord let him be cast out 2. By taking a pattern from the death of Christ for the killing of sin we being planted into the similitude of his death Rom. 8.5 sin it self hanging upon the crosse as it were when Christ died Oh saith a gracious heart that my corruptions may drink Vinegar that they may be pierced and naild and never come down alive but though they die lingeringly yet certainly Oh that I might see their hands feet side and every limb of the body of death bored the head bowing and the whole laid in the grave the darknesse error and vanity of the understanding the sinfull quietnesse and unquietnesse of my conscience the rebellion of my will the disorder of my affections 3. And especially the soul makes use of the death of Christ as a motive or inducement to put it upon sin-killing Ah my sin is the knife saith the soul that is redded over in my Redeemer's blood Ah it pointed every thorn on his head and nail in his hands and feet Lord Art thou a friend to Christ and shall sin that kill'd him live Thus a sin-mortifying heart brings sin neer to a dead Christ whom faith seeth to fall a bleeding afresh upon the approach of sin and therfore it layes the death of Christ to the charge of sin The crosse of Christ is sins terror the souls armour The bloud of Christ is old sures-be as holy Bradford was wont to say to kill sin As he died for sin so must we to it as his flesh was dead so must ours be Our old man is crucified with him Rom. 6.6 It s not a Pope's hallowing a Crosse that can do it Mr. D. Rogers Pr. Cat. but the power of Christ by a promise which blesseth this Crosse to mortification 3. The soul labours to kill sin by fruitfull enjoyment of Ordinances It never goeth to pray but it desires sin may have some wound and points by prayer like the sick child to the place where its most pained How doth it bemoan it self with Ephraim and pour-forth the bloud of sin at the eys It thus also improves Baptism it looks upon it as a seal to Gods promise that sin shall die We being buried with Christ in baptism that the Egyptians shall be drowned in the sea It never heareth a Sermon but as Joab dealt with Vrijah it labours to set its strongest corruption in the fore-front of the battell that when Christ shoots his arrows and draws his sword in the preaching of the Word sin may be hit An unsanctified person is angry with such preaching and cannot endure the winde of a sermon should blow upon a lust 4. By a right improving all administrations of providence If God send any affliction the sanctified soul concludes that some corruption must go to the lions If there arise any storms presently it enquires for Jonah and labours to cast him over-board If God snatcheth away comforts as Joseph fled from his Mistris presently a sin-mortifying heart saith Lord thou art righteous my unclean heart was prone to be in love with them more then with Christ my true Husband If God at any time hedg up her way with thorns she reflects upon her own gadding after her impure Lovers If her two eys Profits Pleasures be put out and removed a sin-mortifier will desire to pull down the house upon the Philistims and beareth every chastisement cheerfully even death it self that sin may but die too 5. By consideration of the sweetnesse of spirituall life Life is sweet and therfore what cost are men at to be rid of diseases to drive an Enemy out of the Country The soul thinks how happy it should be could it walk with God and be upright and enjoy Christ be rid of a Tyrant and be governed by the laws of a Liege the Lord Jesus How heavie is Satans yoke to him who sees the beutie and tasts the liberty of holy obedience A sick man confined to bed how happy doth he think them that can walk abroad about their imployments Oh saith a gracious heart how sweetly doth such a Christian pray how strictly doth
God the Father Secondly the Observations follow 1. Even our holinesse administers matter of humility Obs 1. Our very graces should humble us as well as our sins as these later because they are ours so the former because they are none of ours Sanctity is adventitious to Nature Heretofore holinesse was naturall and sin was accidentall now sin is naturall and holinesse accidentall when God made any of us his garden he took us out of Satans waste ws are not born Saints the best before sanctification are bad and by nature not differing from the worst the members that God accepts to be weapons of righteousnesse were before blunted in Satans service when God sanctifieth us he melteth idols and makes of them vessels for his own use Before any becomes as an Israelites wife he is as a captive unpared unwash'd unshaven Sanctification is a great blessing but was this web woven out of thine own bowels the best thou didst bring to thine own sanctification was a passive receptivenesse of it which the very worst of heathens partake of in common with thee having a humane nature a rationall soul and was there not with that a corrupt principle of opposition to God and all the workings of God was not God long striving with a cross-grain'd heart how many denyals had God before he did win thee to himself How far was the iron gate of thy heart from opening of its own accord and if he had not wrought like a God omnipotently and with the same power wherewith Christ was raised Eph. 1.19 20. had thy resistence been ever subdued and when the being of grace was bestowed from whence had thy grace at any time its acting Didst thou ever write one letter without Gods guiding thy hand didst thou ever shed one penitentiall tear till God unstop'd thy spouts smote thy rock and melted thy heart didst thou hunger after Christ till God who gave the food gave the stomack also Was ever tentation resisted grace quickned corruption mortified holy resolution strengthened power either to do or will received from any but from God Doth not every grace the whole frame of sanctification depend upon God as the stream on the fountain the beam on the Sun when he withdraws his influence how dead is thy heart in every holy performance onely when he speaks the word effectually bidding thee go thou goest and do this or that thou dost it 2. Obs 2. The reason why all graces of a sanctified person are for God they are from him Gods bounty is their fountain and Gods glory must be their center He planted the Vineyard and therefore he must drink the wine We are his wormanship and therefore we must be his workmen All our pleasant fruits must be laid up and out for our well-beloved All things but particularly our graces are from him and for him we can never give him more or other then his own when we give all we can The streames will rise as high as the fountain head and so should our graces ascend as high in duty as he who gave them Where should God have service if a sanctified person denyes it 3. Obs 3. From this Author of Sanctification I note t s excellency and worth It s a rare work certainly that hath such a workman a beauteous structure that hath such a builder What is a man to be desired for but his sanctification if we see a beauty on that body which hath a soul how much more on that soul that hath the reflexion of God himself upon it Every Saint is a woodden casket fill'd with pearls The Kings daughter is all glorius within Love Jesus Christ in his worky-day clothes admire him in his Saints though they be black yet they are comely Did the people of God but contemplate one anothers graces could there be that reproaching scorn and contempt cast upon one another that there is Certainly their ignorance of their true excellency makes them enemies they strike one another in the dark 4. Obs 4. Great must be the love that God bears to Sanctification It s a work of his own framing a gift of his own bestowing God saw that the work of the first creation was very good much more that of the second Wonder no more that the faithfull are call'd his garden his Jewels his Treasure his Temple his Portion God hath two heavens and the sanctified soul is the lesser How doth he accept of Saints even in their imperfections delight in their performances pity them in their troubles take care of them in dangers He that hath given his Son for them promised heaven to them and sent his Spirit into them what can he deny them Jesus Christ never admired any thing but grace when he was upon the earth the buildings of the Temple he contemned in comparison of the faith of a poor trembling woman Certainly the people of God should not sleight those graces in themselves that God doth so value as they do when they acknowledge not the holinesse that God hath bestowed upon them Shall they make orts of those delicates that Jesus Christ accounts an excellent banquet 5. The love of God is expressive Obs 5. really and effectually in us and upon us even in sanctifying us Creatures when they love will not put off one another with bare words of bidding be clothed sed c. much lesse doth God If there be love in his heart there will be bounty in his hand Thou sayst that God is mercifull and loves thee why what did he ever do for thee work in thee hath he changed thy nature mortified thy lusts beautified thy heart with holinesse Where God loves be affords love-tokens and such are onely his soul-enriching graces No man knows love or hatred by what he sees before him but by what he findes in him If our heart moves toward God certainly his goeth out toward us the shadow upon the Dyall moves according to the motion of the Sun in the Heaven 6. Obs 6. We are to repair in our wants of Sanctification to God for supply He is the God of grace The Lord will give grace and glory He hath the key of the womb the grave the heavens but chiefly of the heart He that sitteth in heaven can onely teach and touch the heart How feeble a thing and unable is man whether thy self or the Minister to do this He hath the windes in his own keeping and till he send them out of his treasury how necessarily must thy soul lye wind-bound Whither shouldst thou goe but to him and how canst thou go but by him The means of grace are to be used in obedience to him Parum prodest Lectio quam non illuminat Oratio not in dependancy upon them A golden key cannot open without him and a woodden can open with him Man may with the Prophets servant lay the staff upon the fore-head but God must give life How many fat and rich Ordinances have been
edge the soul the sting the malignity of every trouble is removed so that it hath little more then the notion of a misery Gods people are not delivered from evils as oppressive to nature but as satisfactory to Justice whatsoever they suffer though it be death it self they may say Christ hath laboured John 4. and we enter into his labours he hath born the heaviest end death lost its sting in his side There 's honey in the carcasse of this lion this Serpent is but a gentle rod being in his hand 2. This spirituall preservation of beleevers is from Sin and in the state of holinesse their grace being preserved and the image of God never totally obliterated in them God preserving the jewel oft when not the casket a mans self his soul though not his carcasse and from that which is the greatest enemy and evill sin so oft in Scripture call'd the evill John 17.15 Mat. 5.37 and that which makes the very Divel himself both to be and to be called the evil One he both having most and dispersing most of that evil the world to be call'd an evill world Luk. 6.45 1 Joh. 5.18 Gal. 1.4 and men evill men And so this priviledge of preservation from sin and in the state of holiness aptly follows Sanctification the elect being not onely made holy but kept holy Hence we read of him that is able to keep us from falling Jude 24. of Christ praying that his disciples should be though not taken out of the world yet kept from the evil Joh. 17.15 the world kept out of them though not they out of the world of the faithfull their being kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 Of the evill one's not touching him that is born of God 1 John 5.18 and of his not sinning of Gods delivering of Paul from every evill work 2 Tim. 4.18 of preserving blamelesse to the coming of Christ of finishing the good work begun unto the day of Christ Eph. 1.6 All which places intend this spirituall preservation mentioned by Jude which is that gift of God whereby the elect being united to Christ by his Spirit and faith continue in him and can never totally and finally fall from holinesse Sundry wayes doth God preserve from sin and in holinesse 1. Somtime by keeping his people from the very outward tentation to sin if he sees it would be too hard for them often dealing with his servants as the people did with David 2 Sam. 21.17 who would not let him go down to battell lest the light of Israel should have been put out as Gideon dealt with his souldiers suffering not the fearfull to go to fight Judg. 7.3 as we use to keep in a candle in a windy night putting it into a lanthorn 2. Sometime by making them conquerors even for the present over the tentation he strengthens them so with his Spirit as that they break the strongest cords with Samson bearing away the very gates of the City and overthrowing whole troops of tentations Gen. 39. Thus was Joseph preserved as Chrysostom expresseth it in a fiery fournace even when it was heated seven times hotter then ordinary the power of God being put forth therein more then in preserving the three children Thus were the blessed martyrs preserved from sin we read in that holy Martyrologie Heb. 11 35. they were tortured not accepting deliverance How many have overcome fire with fire the fiery flame with love to Christ hotter then fire their holy resolution rising the higher the more opposition they had as a flood that meets with an obstacle or as a ball the harder it is thrown against the ground the higher it mounts in the rebound 3. Alway God so preserves his Saints from sinning Luk. 22.32 that they sin not finally they sin not away all their holinesse their faith fails not ther 's somthing in them that sins not the seed of God a grain of mustard-seed a principle of holinesse which Gratia nec totaliter intermittitur nec finaliter amittitur as it opposeth so it will overcome their distempers as a fountain works out its muddinesse when dirt is thrown into it as life in a man his diseases A Saint is not delivered fully from the being of sin but from the totall prevalency of it from finall Apostacy so that his soul still continues in the state of grace and hath the life of holiness for the essence though not alway in the same degrees he may aliquo modo recedere non penitus excidere Grace may be abated not altogether abolish'd he may peccare Actus omittitur habitus non amittitur actio pervertitur fides non subvertitur concutitur non excutitur defluit fructus latet succus jus ad Regnum amittunt demeritoriè non effectivè Pr.l. Effectus justificationis suspenditur at status justificationis non dissolvitur Suffr Br. p. 187. Secundùm quasdam virtutes spiritus recessurus venit venturus recedit Gr. Mor. l. 2. c. 42. not perire sin but not to death intermit the actings of of grace not lose the habit Faith may be shaken in not out of the soul the fruit may fall off but the sap not totally dry up 'T is true Grace in it self considered as a creature might totally fail our permanency is not respectu rei but Dei not from our being holy but from our being kept holy We are kept by the power of God and if so it will be to salvation Notwithstanding the power of sin in us and the power of Satan without us the frowns and the smiles of the world the musick and the fournace the Winde and the Sun the tide of nature and the winde of example holinesse though in the least degree shall never be lost to be of no degree Satan doth soli perseverantiae insidiari he only aims to take away grace he would never care to take away gold or names or comforts c. if it were not to make us sin He that offers to give these things to make us sin would not snatch them from us but for that end God was not delighted that Job should be tormented but that his grace should be tryed nor Satan so much that Job should be tormented as that his grace should be destroyed But though he winnow never so violently Luk. 22.23 he shall winnow never out all our grace All the power of hell shall never prevail against the God of heaven The immutable eternall decree of God is the foundation of perseverance Isa 46.10 Now the counsel of God shall stand The elect cannot be deceived Matt. 24.24 The impossibility of seduction is grounded upon the stability of election the foundation of God abideth sure 2 Tim. 2.19 it can never be moved out of its place The purpose of God according to election must stand Rom. 9.11 Of all that God hath given Christ by election he will lose nothing John 6.39 And
upon these clothes are onely thine the garment it self was anothers before it was thine Thou art beholding to mercy for any endowment of minde or body wisdom estate riches honours c. It s hard to be high in place and low in our own esteem Sacrifice not to thine own yarn or net let Mercy have the praise of all thou art and hast Pride is the moth of mercy nay Magnus dives est major divitiis suis qui non ideo magnum sc putat quia dives est Aug. the winde that dryes up the streams both of Gods bounty and thy gratitude That which by mercy was thine by thy pride may become anothers He is truly great in his riches that thinks not himself great by riches The greater our receipts the lesse room for pride the greater cause of thankefulnesse 2. In expecting of blessings only have an eye to mercy Idco Deus meus quia bonorum meorum non in diget Omne bonum nostrum aut ipse est 〈◊〉 ab ipso Aug. de Doc. Ch. l. 5. c. 31. In desires of pardon for sin acceptation of services obtaining of heaven renounce thine own worthinesse either in what thou art or dost How purely unprofitable to God is thy greatest goodnesse it is nothing unto him he is neither the better for thy goodness nor the worse for thy wickedness Is it any benefit to the fountain that thou drinkest of it or to the light that thou seest How full of mixtures of sin are thy holyest services in the sense whereof holy Augustine pray'd Regard O Lord in me not my work but thine own If thou regardest mine thou damnest me if thine own thou crownest me what-ever good I have is from thee and 't is rather thine then mine How full of pride is thy humility thy faith of distrustfulnesse Phil. 3.13 thy zeal of lukewarmnesse of self-seeking thy performances what darknesse is in thy light how unrighteous thy righteousnesse If God should contend with us Job 9.2 3 Qui de perfectione se â—rigit habere se bene vivendi neâ— initium indicat Gr. Mo. l. 9. c. 1. In sola Christi morte te totum contege huic morti te involve si Deus te voluerit judicare dic Do mine mortem Domini mei objicio inter me et te Ans de art Mor. Meritum meum miseratio Domini Bern. Serm. 61. in Cant. Prece post justitiam indiget ut quae succumbere discussa poterat ex sola Judicis pietate convalescat Gr. Mor. l. 9. cap. 14. Etsi ad opus virtutis excrevero ad vitam non ex meritis sed ex venia convalesco Id. Ib. Sordet in districtione Judicis quod in aestimatione fulget operantis Gr. Mor. l. 5. c. 7. James 2.13 2 Tim. 1.16 2 Tim. 4.8 we cannot answer for one of a thousand He that boasteth of the perfection wants the very beginning of holiness That which appears beautifull in thine eyes is foul in Gods The wisest counsell is to cover over thy self and winde up thy soul in Christs death to set that between God and thy soul to acknowledge his mercy thy onely merit Death is a stipend Life is a donative a free gift not a due debt God crowneth with mercy but a swoln head is not fit to have that crown put upon it Who can say he hath cleansed his heart We want a thousand times more grace than we have though sin be cast down in regard of its regency yet it is not cast out in regard of its inherency Thy rectitude compared to thy rule is crookedness 'T is not thy purity but thy pardon that must save thee If there shall be judgment without mercy to those that shewed no mercy then must it be with mercy even to those also which shew mercy It s mercy that must stand Onesiphorus in stead at that day The Crown of righteousnesse Paul speaks of is a crown of mercy too the bestowing it is of justice but the promising it was of mercy 2. Obs 2. The duty of contentation in our greatest wants or smallest receipts If one not engaged to us deny us a courtesie we have no cause of discontentment when God gives it is free mercy when he with-holds he useth his liberty Thy supplyes are without desert and thy wants must be without discontent Wonder not at the blessings thou dost not wonder more at those thou dost enjoy Thy condition is begging and thy part is not choyce Cum aspexeris quot te antecedant cogita quot sequantur Sen. Ep. 15. Repine not if thou canst not reach thy richest neighbour who hast nothing to say against God should the poorest overtake thee Murmur not for what is lost but be thankfull for what is left We must not controll God in the disposing of his alms as if he did not distribute with equality We should bring our hearts to his hand where he stayes his bounty there must we stint our desires 3. I note The impiety and folly of those that abuse mercy that spurn against Gods bowels Obs 3. Sins against mercy are double-dy'd This is the provocation Heb. 3.8 to see Gods works of love and care forty yeers and yet to sin this is to sin against the remedy other sinners may these who thus sin must die These sin at a higher rate than others These in sin cast not off God onely but even the very man Isa 1.3 nay are sham'd by the beasts If to requite good for evill is our duty in reference to man surely to requite evill for good and that to God must needs be impiety This sin renders inexcusable God appeals to the very consciences of mercy-despisers Isa 5.3 4 and offers themselves to judge of the righteousnesse of his proceedings in punishment nay the recollecting of abused mercy will be the most scalding ingredient in that fiery lake when the flaming sufferer remembers he that is now mocking at my calamity once wept over my unkind soul he who is now harder than flint and marble against me was once a tender-hearted God toward me he who now thunders in wrath formerly soundin bowels the way of mercy was once open and plain but now the bridge of mercy is drawn my possibilities are ended I am now in a gulf of woe that heretofore was unprofitably a gulf of mercy How many Kingdoms nay Worlds would I now give for but one drop of that love the sweet and swelling streams whereof I heretofore did but paddle in O Christian sin not against Mercy if that be thine enemy what shall Justice be when Love it self shall be inexorable who shall plead for thee Let mercy make thee blush that justice may not make thee bleed Trifle not away the day of grace The wine of mercy is to refresh the sorrowfull with hope not to intoxicate the sinner into presumption If mercy cannot thaw thee 't will burn thee O let the long-suffering of God be
whole it swims if broken it sinks he never droops in any trouble unless he apprehends a breaking between him and Christ He is like the marigold that opens with the shining and shuts with the setting of the Sun His heart is lockt up in sorrow when God hides his face and he cannot find another key fit to open it again among all the keyes in the house What 's all the world to him without the presence of God but as a sive pluckt out of the water His comforts are only full when God is in them What are companions to him in whom he sees nothing of God but objects either irkesome or pitied What are Ordinances unless with Christ but as candles that have no light put to them Nay what would the joyes of heaven it self be if it were not for the presence of God but as a funeral feast or banquet where is much provision but no chear 2 There 's a love of Complacency and delight Amor Complacentiae when the soul having ark'd it self in Gods embracements now with infinite sweetness and security reposeth it self in them saying then as David Psal 4.7 8. Thou hast put gladness into my heart more than when their Corn and Wine encreased I will lay me down in peace and sleep and with Peter Lord its good being here and with the Spouse I charge you stir not up nor awake my beloved And when Christ meets it sweetly in Prayer Sacraments or a Sermon breathing thus Oh that Lord this meeting might never end deer Jesus why comest thou so seldom and stayest no longer All the night long do thou lodge between my brests Psal 84.10 A day in thy house is better than a thousand elsewhere Cant. 2.4 My soul is fill'd as with marrow Thou hast brought me into a banquetting-house thou hast made me drink abundantly Thy left hand is under me thy right hand embraceth me How contented could the soul be in such an in-come of Christ were not his pleasure otherwise that it had no avocation to take it off no earthly employment no family feeding of body or relations to call it away from those secret enjoyments of such a beloved Oh thinks the soul what a blessed place will heaven be where I shall never be severed one moment from the embracements of Christ to eternity 3 There 's Amor amicitiae A love to be set upon God for the goodness and excellency which is in himself To love God for the creatures is not to enjoy but to use God To love him for another end than himself Medium quà tale et per se nullam boni appetibilis rationem possidet tota quippe ratio amandi medium est convenientia cum fine Aquin. Mat. 13.21 is to turn the ultimate end into a mean Love to God grounded upon humane inducements is but spurious When the inducement suppose profit preferment is removed that love will discover its falsness And by that very reason for which men contend for the outward appearance and profession of love to God viz. because they love their pleasures and profits which without such a profession they cannot peaceably enjoy By that very reason I say they will be beaten off even from that their outside appearing profession when thereby those profits and pleasures which they love so much shall come to be hazarded It s a dead love to God that cannot stand unless it be shored up True love will stand alone without politick props To shroud our own private ends under the name of love to God is not amicitia but mercatura not to love but to make merchandize of him The love that cannot be warm any longer than 't is rubd with the warm clothes of preferment is but the carkasse of love Then hath this love a soul when God himself is the object of it when 't is not of what he hath but of what he is when he is beloved though we beg with him or though all his Rings and Ornaments are pluckt off nay when he plucks off ours In a word all his wayes ordinances people will have our love drawn out to them for that of God which is imparted to them The word will be received in its purity and power most loved when least adulterated when it discovers most of God to us and most of sin in us when the dearest corruption is struck at the closest duty urged the secret corners of the soul searched when the spiritual sword is laid on with severest blows The persons also in whom most shines the beauty of Gods likeness we shall most be taken with and those shall have our love shine upon them who can reflect nothing back again but holiness 4. There 's Amor benevolentiae A love set upon God endeavouring to bring to him so far as creatures can to an infinite Creator Psal 16 to whom their good extendeth not all service and honour This love returns to God not only a heart but a tongue a hand of praises and obedience All its pleasant fruits are laid up for its beloved all it is and hath is accounted too little Lord saith the soul that I could love thee more and serve thee better how impure is my heart how poor and imperfect are my performances what I have is neither enough nor good enough for thee but had I something better than my self and Oh that I my self were a thousand times better for thy sake it should be bestowed upon thee A soul in love with God is boundless in duty The smalness of his obedience is the greatness of his trouble when another man observes his zeal and vehemency his tears and sobs and wrastling in prayer and sees him so strict and exact in living he thinks it a great matter and is ready as the Disciples who looked upon the beautiful buildings of the Temple to admire him but then the party himself that loves Christ thinks all this as nothing in comparison of what Christ deserves he looks upon his services as Christ fore-told of the Temple as if there were not one stone left upon another This love causeth an universal Joh. 14.24 cheerful constant obedience to the Commandments of Christ In it all our services are steep'd and with it made easie to us and coming from Faith acceptable to God Nor will love think it much to suffer much for Christ 1 Cor. 13.7 nay it accounts it little to endure all things for him who hath born our burdees and shed better bloud for us than any we have to shed for him Faith worketh by love Love is the instrument in the hand of Faith A hand alone can lay hold and receive and so the proper work of faith is to lay hold upon Christ but a hand without an instrument cannot cut any thing no more can faith practise any morall duties without love Faith in justification is alone but in the life of man it worketh by love 3 From this love to God floweth another
sort in respect of the object of love and a third to be considered viz. Love to man whereby our neighbour is loved as our selves This comprehends a love 1 Of our selves 2 Of others 1 Of our selves Levit. 19.18 Mat. 22.39 Quid anima invides carni Nemo tam proximus tibi quem post Dominum diligas Princeps amor humanus est sui ipsius Qui sibi malignus cui bonus It s made the rule of loving others None is so neer us after God as our selves Frequent are the commands of Scripture for the regarding of our selves Act. 20.28 Take heed to your selves 1 Tim. 4.16 Take heed to thy self Phil. 2.12 Work out your own salvation 1 Cor. 11.28 Let every one examine himself And vers 31. If we would judge our selves c. Examine your selves whether you be in the faith Prove your selves Every one is bound to wish to himself that good which to wish is truest love namely The everlasting enjoyment of God None can love God but at the same time he loves himself for he that loves God desires to enjoy him but whosoever desireth to enjoy such a good must needs love himself and this enjoyment of God a man more desires for himself than for another and if it could be communicated to no more than one a man should desire it rather for himself than any one for there are more causes concur why a man should thus love himself than any other Precepto non est opus ut se quisque et corpus suum diligat quoni am id quod sumus et id quod infra nos est in concussâ naturae lege diligimus quae in bestias etiam promulgata est restabat ut et de illo quod supra nos est et de illo quod juxta nos est praecepta sumeremus Aug. de Doct. Chr. l. 1. c. 25 26. for another man may miss of true blessedness without either my fault or misery but I my self cannot And though there be not this express and direct precept in terms Thou shalt love thy self yet where we are commanded to love God we are at the same time enjoyned to love our selves for to love God is to desire to enjoy him for ours who is the chief good and this is the chiefest love And some note that the written Law of God was given for help and relief of the Law of Nature which was much defaced and darkned in every one by sin but the Law of Nature was not impaired as it moved and put men upon the loving and caring for themselves and therefore an expresse command of loving our selves was not needful And whereas the love of our selves is noted in the Scripture as a great sin 2 Tim. 3.2 There 's a Threefold love of our selves 1 Naturalis whereby every Creature by natures instinct desires its own preservation and this is not discōmended 2 Spiritualis or Amor Charitatis A true Charitative love whereby a man desireth to obtain divine and spiritual good and this damps not but inflames the love of God None can desire a divine good too much This is commended and commanded 3 Inordinatus Love which only respecteth good things that please the sense Such a love which so makes us love our selves as to contemn God and to neglect spiritual good things this inordinate love of our selves is taxed by the Apostle We should not so love our bodies as to neglect God but we must so love God as to neglect nay to hate our bodies and this hatred of our bodies is true love to our selves because it s most profitable for us A man may be willing to have a limb cut nay cut off and yet this man may love himself nay because he loves himself and desires the preservation of the rest he therefore yeilds to lose one limb To love our selves is not Curare cutem but Animam to regard our souls not our skins and to regard the soul is to love God and loath sin Prov. 8.36 He that sinneth hateth his own soul He that loves a garment hates the Moth that eats it Neither can he love his neighbor well who doth not so love himself as he cannot write a right line who writeth by a wrong rule It were better that some man should say to one Proximus est vel cui à nobis praebendum est vel à quo nobis praebendum est officium misericordiae Aug. l. 11. c. 30. de Doct. Chr. Proximus non sanguinis propinquitate sed rationis socictate pensitandus est Aug. E. 52 Rom. 15.16 I love you as well as my swine than as well as my soul 2 Love to man comprehends a love to all others who are meant by the word neighbor Thou shalt love thy neighbor Now he is our neighbor and to be beloved with a love both of benevolence and beneficence not only who is our friend as the Pharisees thought Mat. 5.43 but every one who standeth in need of our help Luk. 10.37 He is a neighbour who may want our relief and whose relief we may want A neighbour is to be esteemed not by the neerness of blood but by the society of reason 1 Even those who are most remote in respect of place are to be beloved and are comprehended within this neighbour-hood They of Macedonia and Achaia made a Contribution for the poor Saints at Jerusalem 3 Joh. 5 Quod praestamus nostris per affectum praestamus aliis per humanitatem Lactant. Mat. 5.44 1 Pet. 2.23 Luk. 6.27 Ps 35.13 14 Rom. 12.14 Amicos diiige re omnium est inimicos solorum Christianorum Tert. ad Scap. Gaius is commended for his love to strangers A good man having ability is as diffusive as a common treasury or a fountain A great fire will warm those that sit far from it and love that is fervent will extend to them that are most remote 2 Our Enemies It s the command and example of Christ to love our enemies Blesse them that curse you Do good to them that hate you Every one can love his friend but t is only a Christian that can love his enemy Love like fire in cold weather must be made the hotter by the sharpnesse of cold unkindnesse Our Saviour and Stephen prayed for their enemies Davids imprecations are rather Prophesies than Curses His and Pauls were both against men as they were known to be enemies to God and incurable sinners In our enemy we may find something to be beloved a participation of that nature which may possibly partake of holinesse and eternal blessednesse Theodosius being moved to execute one that had reviled him Answered That if his enemy were dead he had rather restore him to life if it were in his power than being alive to put him to death It s not manhood but childishness to be quieted with striking the thing that hurt us Though enemies be not worthy to be loved by us yet malice is unworthy to be lodged in us
'T is true the precept of loving enemies is contrary to unsanctified nature It was once said by a good man Either this Precept is a fable or we are no Christians Fatigatur improbitas patientiâ But God alone knows how to punish our enemies without passion and inequality It s our duty to weary Persecutors with patience A Christian must not like the flint seem to be cool but be fiery when struck He that takes up fire to throw though against his enemy hurts himself most To be kind to the kind argues civility To be unkind to the unkind argues corruption To be unkind to the kind argueth divelishnesse To be kind to the unkind argueth Christianity He hath nothing supernatural in charity that comes not to this To be ready to requite evil with good Publicans doing good for good and Heathens absteyning from returning evil for evil When the godly in Scripture have rejoyced in the destruction of their enemies it was not out of delight in the punishment of their enemies whom they loved not but in the Justice of God whom they loved Non de malo inimici fed de bono Judice not that their enemies suffered such evil but that they had so good and upright a Judge We must not so much as use the Magistrate to revenge us on our adversary for this were to make Gods ordinances an instrument of our malice Violent things have the more force upon those that resist them A sword may be spoyled with the force of lightning Rom. 12.19 Eccles 7.9 the scabberd not being hurt at all To give place to wrath is councel both wise and holy Anger resteth in the bosome of fools Love to an enimy is a token of a truly noble mind 1 Sam. 24.20 Prov. 16.32 Rom. 12.21 When David spared Saul having power to kill him Saul told him He knew that he should be King It 's a sign of a weak stomack not to be able to concoct light meats and of a weak mind not to digest injuries Wicked men account revenge to be valour These are not like Adam in his innocency that gave Names to things according to their natures It s an unhappy victory to overcome a man 〈◊〉 â—â—oelix victoria ubi superans virum succumbis vitio Bern. and to be overcome by a lust The wisdome of the World and the Word are contrary Is it not a thrice noble conquest to overcome our own and our enemies passions and Satans tentations three enemies at one blow and all this without shedding blood Nay not only not to hurt an enemy but to help him to feed him give him drink in his hunger and thirst nay to feed him cheerfully tenderly such being the feeding commanded by Paul who bids us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propriè significat cibum concisum et intinctum frustulatim veluti in os inderc ut puerulis et aegrotis solemus Non significat simpliciter pascere sed indulgenter pascere ut in conviviis fieri solet quum quis alteri ministrat de iis quae ipsi apponuntur Significat et abundanter pascere frustulatim distribuere Pisc Tollet Eras Bez. Steph. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propina illi Quod verbum in conviviis locum habet Salaz in Prov. 25.1 feed our enemies as birds feed their yong or as sick folks and yong children are fed with much tending and tendernesse their meat being minced and cut or as a man feeds his friend carving him the best And the Hebrew word rendered Give him drink signifieth most properly propina Drink to him as a token of true love 3 The wicked are not excluded the line of love and neighbourhood T is true In societate fruitionis divinae fundatur charitas Sanctior est copula cordium quam corporum holy men are chiefly the objects of our love With these we have communion both of nature and grace also Gal. 6.10 Let us do good unto all especially to the houshold of Faith The love of Complacency must be set upon the good The love of Benevolence must not be denyed to the bad As those objects are best seen which are most in the light because light is that by which every object is seen so those men are most to be beloved which are neerest to God because he makes every object to be beloved Yet wicked men also are to be beloved because being men they may be good as are good men because being Saints Non hoc ago ut sim homine convitiando superior sed errorum convincendo salubrior Aug. con lit Pet. l. 3 c. 1 Apud summum patrem qui non fuerit in charitate fratrum non habâ—bitur in numero filiorum Leo. Ser. 11. de quadr 1 Pet. 1.22 2.17 3.8 Joh. 13.34 2 Pet. 1.7 Col. 3.14 Rom. 12.10 1 Thess 4.9 Heb. 13.1 Non erit tibi concordia cum Christo si sit discordia cum Christiano they are good If a man be degenerate into a beast and wandring from God bring him to his Master again As the nature of man must not make his vices loved so neither must the vices of man make his nature hated St Augustine thinks that Stephens prayer was a great means of Pauls conversion The denouncing of curses against wicked men by Ministers must not be poysonful but medicinal 4. The faithful call for the chiefest room in our love and are eminently to be looked upon as neighbours With our heavenly father he is not in the Communion of Sons who is not in the charity of Brethren The bond of grace is the strongest Creation hath made us friends but Redemption hath made us brethren The frequent inculcating of the coÌ„mand of love of the brethren the brotherhood the houshold of Faith of brotherly love and of being kindly affectionated with brotherly love c. insinuates the necessity and common disestimation of this duty In pursuance of this duty contentions strifes and controversies among brethren are forbidden 1 Cor. 6.6 It s a fault for brother to go to Law with brother Let there be no strife between us said Abraham to Lot for we are Brethren Gen. 13.8 Why do ye wrong one another said Moses since ye are brethren Act. 7.26 The sowing of discord among brethren is one of the abominations which Gods soul hateth Prov. 6.19 In this respect likewise the Scripture opposeth inward hatred and rancor among brethren Gen. 37.4 How dear did this sin cost Josephs brethren He that hateth his brother is in darknesse 1 Joh. 2.11 He is a murtherer 1 Joh. 3.15 As also anger Mat. 5.22 which is a short hatred as hatred is a long anger This causeles anger puts us in danger of the judgement Choler is not alowed by Christianity Most opposite also to brotherly love is the contempt and despising of any brother Despise you the Church of God 1 Cor. 11. said Paul The poorest brother concurs to make up
onely as they increase elevate it The very snuffers of death shall make it burn the more brightly It unconquered out-lives as opposition so its fellow-graces 1 Cor. 13. the faithful are rooted and grounded in love They love God for himself who fails not Ep. 3.17 1 Cor. 13.8 and therefore Love it self fails not Hypocrites are uneven in their love feigned things are unequal appearing friends cannot dissemble so exactly but that at one time or other their hatred will appear In some companies or conditions they will shew what they are In the time of persecution they fall away Mat. 13.21 like rotten Apples they fall off in a windy day True love to Christ Amor uescit ferias knows no holy-daies it ever hath a rest of Contentment never hath a rest of Cessation 2. I proceed to the Properties of love to man First Rom. 12.9 1 Pet. 1.22 1 John 3.18 It 's a love unfeigned without dissimulation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Love without hypocrisie Love indeed and in truth not in word and tongue a love from the heart 'T is not like the love of Joab and Judas that outwardly kiss'd and inwardly at that time designed killing It contents not it self in giving like Nephthali Gen. 49.21 Goodly words The Apostle speaks of Soundness in Charity Tit. 2.2 Unsound Charitie is Courtship not Christianity Of all things dissimulation doth worst in love as being most corrupting of and contrarie to the nature of it and appearing love is nothing but Christianity acted and Religion painted some sins scratch the face of love but hypocrisie stabs it at the heart Secondly It 's an expressive open-handed Love though it ariseth at the heart yet it reacheth to the hand Love is a fruitful grace it bears not onely the leaves and blossoms of words and promises 1 John 3.18 but the fruit also of beneficial performances If Love be in truth t' will also be in deed words be they never so adorned cloath not the naked be they never so delicate they feed not the hungry be they never so zealous they warm not the cold be they never so free they set not the bound at liberty our Faith must work by love Love must be seen felt and understood verbal Love is But painted fire Love is so beautiful a Grace that it 's willing to be seen The Apostle saith Rom. 13.10 Love worketh no ill it 's a diminutive expression there 's more intended even the doing of all the good the Law requires and therefore he adds Love is the fulfiling of the Law Thirdly It 's a forward chearful Love It is not drawn or driven but runs it staies not till the poor seeks it but it seeks for him Onesiphorus sought out Paul diligently Prov. 23.6 2 Tim. 1.17 Rom. 12.13 It relieves not with an evil eye It makes men given to hospitality the water of bountie flows from it as from a Fountain and goes not out as from a narrow mouth'd bottle with grumbling It is not like the spunge that sucks up the water greedily but gives it not out unless it be squeezed Hoc ipso amplius gaudent pauperes cum paupertati corum consultum fuerit pudori Leo. Serm. 4. Duplex Eleemosyna quia damus quia hilariter damus Ingenuous poverty rejoyceth in this forwardness of love as much as in the gift it self for thereby not only it's want but bashfulness is relieved It s a double beneficence when we give and give chearfully The mind of the receiver is more refreshed with the chearfulness of the Giver than is his bodie with the greatness of the Gift Fourthly It 's an extensive universal Love 1. Vniversal in respect of duties it shuns no performance that may benefit Bodie Name Mind Soul of another Love is a Pandora abounding in every good work and gift Rom. 13.10 it 's therefore called the fulfilling of the Law Love is the Decalogue contracted and the Decalogue is Love unfolded Love is a Mother the ten Commandments her ten children and she forgets none neglects none Gal. 6.10 2. It 's Vniversal in respect of persons It remembers the Apostles rule to do good to All even wicked men it loves though not as wicked yet as men the men not their manners Col. 1.4 Non peccatorem sed justum in paupere nutrit qui in illo non culpam sed naturam diligit Gr. 3. past 1 Pet. 2.17 Jam. 2.1 The Love of the Collosians was extended to all the Saints wherever there 's grace love will follow for grace is beautiful wherever it is The Oyntment of Love falls even upon the skirts of the garment as well as the head Love is set upon the Brotherhood the whole Fraternitie of Believers not here and there upon one Holy Love regards grace in its working-day clothes upon a Dung-hill in a Prison Grace in the Ideot as well as in the Scholar in the Servant as well as the Master As all our delight must be in the Saints Ps 16.3 so our delight must be in all the Saints 5. It 's a religious and a holy love It 's from in and for holinesse From it he that loves his brother first 1 Tim. 1.5 loves God 1 Tim. 1.5 first he gives his heart to God as a son before he reacheth out his hand to man as his brother His love is said to be out of a pure heart First he gives himself then his Secondly In holinesse and holy wayes It joynes not hands with any in a way of sin For this is not unity but faction it hath no fellowship with fruitfull works Ephes 5.11 but reproves them it makes a man most angry with the sin of him whom he loves most He fears not only to be fratricida but fideicida he doth not so love a man as to be an Enemy to religion Thirdly for holinesse this love is set upon holy ones because they are so not because they are great but good Gods Image in them is the Load-stone of our love 1 John 5.2 6. It 's a just and righteous love It bestowes gifts not spoyles it hurts not some to help others it buyes not a burying place for strangers with the bloud of Christ it is not bountifull upon any others cost The people of God must be blamelesse and harmlesse Phil. 2.15 not having in the one hand bread for one and in the other a stone for another We must not build Gods house with Satans tools the poorest Saint wants not our unrighteousnesse to help him 7. It 's a prudent discerning love It loves all yet with a difference it is most set upon those that are the fittest objects either for want or worth it beats not the poor from the door while it makes strangers drunk in the Cellar It is not like the Oak which drops its acorns to swine Gal. 6.10 It loves Gods friends best the wicked with a love of pity the
he gave his body to be burn'd 1 Cor. 13.3 Nucleus donorum animus and had not love he should be nothing nothing in Esse gratiae in point of truth worth and grace Love is the beauty of our performances their Loveliness is Love to God in doing them Love is the Marrow of every duty Love is the salt which seasons every Sacrifice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the exquisitest service without it is but as a dead carcass embalmed God delights in nothing which we give him unless we give our selves first He more regards with what heart we give than what we give God accepts no duty when we do it because we dare not do otherwise but when we do it because we love to do it it is acceptable to God He who wants Love though he do the thing commanded yet he breaks the Law Commanding He who Loves keeps the Command Evangelically while he breaks it Legally 3. Observ 3. Love set upon other things beside God is wrong placed The world must often be left and loathed at the most but used never loved So to love it as thereby to lessen thy love to God so to love it as to be excessive either in grief for wanting it or joy for having it and to be over earnest in using it and injudicious in preferring it before thy God is to love it unduely and sinfully if at any time the creature be beloved innocently 't is beloved in and for God as a pledge of heaven as a spur to duty Among all the Creatures there cannot be found a helper fit for man Between the soul and them there can be no match with Gods consent He that is wedded in love to the Creature is married to one that 's poor base vexing false 1. Poor the whole world is but a Curt and unsatisfying good the sieve in the water hath something in it pull'd thence 't is empty the Creature apart from God is empty of all loveliness it 's a brest fill'd with nothing but wind Should the whole world be cast into our Treasury it would hardly be a Mite Hagar out of Abrahams house found nothing but scarcity and all plenty which is not God is but penury Earthly blessings like to numbers cannot be so great but still we may reckon and our desires reach some one beyond them Men in their contentions for the world prove it a scanty thing and that it cannot satisfie all A lover of the world can endure no rivals as knowing how scanty an object he contends for So large a good is God that he who loves him delights in company 2. Base ignoble Whatsoever is below a God is below our soul it s as unfit to rule our hearts as the bramble to rule the trees What we love subdues us it to it self and we are alway below it to love these earthly drossie comforts is to make thy soul a vassal to thy vassal a servant of servants Love leaves the impression of the thing beloved upon the soule if thou lovest the earth thou hast the impression of vilenesse upon a noble soule the impression gives denomination a piece of gold is call'd a Jacobus an Angel a Serpent a Lion according to the stamp it beareth If therefore earthly objects have by love set their impression upon thy soule what is that golden excellent heaven-born creature but a lump a clod of earth The earth should be under our feet not upon our heart 3. Vexing and unquiet Love set upon the world hath more of anguish than love it ever wrangles with us for not giving it enough Peace is the only product of the enjoyment of God If Christ be not in the ship the storms will never cease nor can any thing but his presence bring a calmnesse upon the sonle Rest is peculiar only to Gods Beloved Love never stings but when you disturb anger it and hinder it from resting in a God in him it's hive it is alway and only quiet and innocent 4. False and inconstant They are but lying and flying vanities A soul that loves the world is match'd to that which will soon break and run away none are so foolishly prodigall as the covetous who assures all to that which can assure nothing no not his own again to him The World is like to Absaloms mule that runs away when its lovers most want reliefe it s not able to love again those that love it most The love of that which is inconstant and weak is the strength of our misery The best of earthly blessings have their moth and their thiefe Mat. 6.20 Prov. 25.31 Observ 4. Plus bonitas quam benificientia Expiat infinita venustas omnem injuriam they make themselves wings they flee away as an Eagle towards Heaven 4. God is an Object very meet for our love to be set upon Much he deserves it even for whathe is His own lovely excellencies are so great that even for these our hearts should be set upon him although his hatred were set upon us Goodnesse is more than beneficience God is a bundle an heap of all worth and perfections all the scattered excellencies of the whole Creation Center and meet in him a flower he is in which meet the beauties of all flowers Suppose a creature composed of all the choycest endowments of all the men that were since the Creation of the World famous in any kind One in whom were a meek Moses a strong Samson all the valiant Worthies of David a faithfull Jonathan a beautifull Absalom a rich and wise Solomon all the holy men of God eminent for any grace Nay all the Angels of Heaven with their understandings strength agility splendor spiritualnesse holinesse and suppose this creature had never known us help'd us benefited us yet how would our hearts be drawn out towards it in desires and complacencies but this alas though ten thousand times more exquisitely accomplish'd would not amount to a shadow of divine perfection God had in himselfe assembled from Eternity all the excellencies which were in time and had not he made them they had never been If every leafe and spire of grasse nay all the stars sands atomes in the World were so many Souls and Seraphims whose love should double in them every moment to all eternity yet could not their love be enough for the lovelinesse of our God There is nothing in God but what is amiable Cant. 5.16 he is altogether lovely nothing to cause loathing fulsomness or aversation though we enjoy him to all Eternity And it should much draw out love from us to think what God doth for us Man doth but little and it 's counted much God doth much and it 's counted little and whence is this distemper'd estimate Must mercy therefore be under-valued because it comes from God Doth water lose it's nature because it is in the fountain or heat because 't is in the fire and not in some other subject Can we be thankfull to a thiefe
who hath not love enough for a man Eph. 1.15 where will he find it for a God Love is the pulse of faith and the breath of Christianity Faith worketh by love Gal. 5.6 though love be not a hand to receive Christ yet is it a tool in the hand to work for Christ and that in working for Christians The flames of zeal never consumed the moysture of Charity he who loves God for his own sake will love his brother for Gods Add to your Godliness saith the Apostle Brotherly kindness 2 Pet. 1.7 1 John 3.17 He who shutteth up his bowels to a wanting brother how dwelleth the love of God in him The nearer the lines come to the Center the nearer are they to one another Our love to the godly increaseth with our love to God The Sun-shine upon the dyal moves though not so swiftly yet according to that proportion which the Sun in the firmament moveth and our love to the people of God though it be not so great as unto God yet is it according to the measure of our love to God 7. Observ 7. It 's a great discovery of Gods goodnesse in that with our loving of him he joyns our loving of one another He might have so challenged our love to himselfe as thereby we might neither have had time will strength or allowance to love one another But behold his love he will be served of us in our serving of man He accounts this pure religion Jam. 1. ult Gal. 5.13 to visit the fatherlesse and widow The serving of one another by love he requires as a token of our serving him by faith So gracious is he that he esteems what we do to our own flesh and bloud as done to himselfe Pro. 19.17 Pro. 21.13 Psal 112.9 Mat. 25.40 and accounts himselfe a debtor to us for what we do for our selves he remembers it long rewards it largely and doth both exactly he hath appointed charity as the most safe and gainfull invention in the world Ars quaestuosissima Heb. 13.16 Luke 12.33 It 's a payment to the poor Christian in this place who sends his bill of exchange his prayer to God and he accepts the bill and payes it for our use in heaven we keep nothing as a mercy but what we are willing and one way thus to lose Death robs us by the way if we think to carry our wealth to heaven with us but if we send it by bils we shall receive it safely He who hath laden himselfe with apples in the ortyard and is sure to be searched when he comes out of the gate throwes his apples over the wall to a friend who keeps them for him In this world we lade our selves with gifts death wil undoubtedly search us when we go hence but if while we are here we throw by charity our enjoyments into heaven we have there a friend that keeps them safe He that denyes to give this Interest of his gifts by charity forfets the Principall and he that takes in his worldly commodities without paying God this custome shall lose the whole 8. Prayer is a singular help to bring us to love God Obser ult it was here the Apostolicall Engine in the Text. When we cry for his holy spirit the spirit of love he cannot deny us he heal'd the lame when they cryed When thou cryest and sayest from the heart I would fain love thee but I cannot will he not give thee legs to run after him Prayer brings us into familiarity with God and by converse you know love grows between men God delights to shew himself in his own way and as he did to Moses to send us down from the Mount of Prayer with soules shining with love Prayer exerciseth our love it blowes up the sparkes of love into a flame Love is an especiall gift of the spirit We are taught of God to love one another Gal. 5.22 1 Thes 4.9 'T is he that must warm our hearts with this divine grace and he being sought unto and his power implor'd and acknowledg'd will not deny it Thus much of the first particular in this third and last part of the title the Prayer viz. the Blessings pray'd for mercy peace love The second followeth the measure in which the Apostle desireth these blessings may be bestowed in this expression be multiplyed For the Explication whereof two things would be opened 1. Explicat 1. Wherein stands the multiplication of these Blessings or what it is that the Apostle desireth when he prayeth for the multiplication of these gifts graces 2. Why the Apostle makes this request and prayeth not onely for the bestowing Multiplicari dilatari incrementum capere adimpleri Tum de multiplicatione in quantitate discreta tum de augmento in quantitate continua accipitar Mat. 24.12 Acts 6.17 7.17 9.31 2 Cor. 9.10 1 Pet. 1.2 2 Pet. 1.2 Jude 2. Gerh. in 1 Pet. 1.2 but the multiplying of these Blessings 1. What this multiplying is The word in the original signifieth as to be multiplied so to be increased fill'd enlarged and it is in Scripture indifferently usedto signifie the multiplication of things in their number and their augmentation in measure and greatnesse Whence it is that some render this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 multiplicetur be multiplyed others adimpleatur be fill'd or fulfill'd or fill'd up or increas'd It properly signifieth to increase in number and not in measure and when it is applyed to people and the Church as 't is oft in the Acts of the Apostles it 's only used for an increase in number but when 't is spoken of sin or graces as Mat. 24.12 Pet. 1.2 2 Pet. 1.2 in this place of Jude it may signifie an increase in measure onely And so the Apostle prayeth that the gifts graces which these Christians had already obtain'd Eph. 4.16 1 Pet. 2.2 2 â—et 3.18 John 2.5 Psal 84.7 1 Thes 4.1 11 2 Cor. 13.9 might receive a further degree of augmentation that believers might grow abound and increase in them more and more And thus though the mercy of God which was the first of the three blessings here desired by the Apostle as it is in it self and as in God cannot be increased it being infinite yet in respect of the effects and graces flowing from it upon believers it may be increased More particularly when the Apostle prayeth that these Christians may have this increase and augmentation of grace he comprehends in that his request these several blessings 1. That they may be sensible and observing of their wants and deficencies of Grace That they may often cast up their accounts and see as what they have gained so wherein they are defective that they may resent as their gains with thankfulness so their wants with humility They who see not can neither desire nor receive what they want A Christian must be like a covetous man totus in rationibus much imployed in searching
kept secret since the world began How much to be adored is Gods goodnesse to us to whom the Faith is delivered though from others it was hidden This Faith without the knowledg whereof there 's no salvation Deut. 7.6.7 Mat. 11.25 26 and which could never have been known but by revealed light was not given to us rather then to others who lived and died in the utter ignorance thereof for any preceding difference and disposition thereunto in us but onely out of the meer love and free grace of God 4. Observ 4. The great impiety of those who obtrude a faith upon people invented by men not delivered by God who erect a building of faith upon the foundation of Philosophical principles Schoolmen and Papists fasten many things for articles of Faith upon the people Ex philosophorum ingeniis omnes haereses animantur Tert. adv Marc. l. 1. which they never received from divine delivery but from the discourse of blind Reason What else are their errours concerning Worship Free-will inherent Righteousnesse the merit of Works c. but streams which flow'd from the Ethicks of Philosophers not the Epistles of Paul Humane Reason is deceitfull when it goes beyond its bounds A Philosopher as such is but a naturall man and perceiveth not the things of God Blind men cannot judg of colours beasts order not humane affairs nor must humane Reason determine of heavenly doctrine The principles of Reason are a sandy foundation for the Conclusions of divine Doctrine Hagar must be ejected if she submit not to Sarah Reason must be subdued to Faith 5. Great is the dignity of a Ministers Office Observ 5. 2 Cor. 4.7 The end of it is the delivering of the Faith to people Ministers though earthen vessels yet carry a treasure though torn caskets yet they contain jewels A faithfull Minister is Gods Steward to dispense his blessings He is a Star for light and influence a Cloud to distill down showers of plenty upon Gods weary heritage a Nurse a Father a Saviour a common Good Joseph's Office in delivering out of Corn to the people in the Famine made him honoured how worthy an employment is it then to deliver to souls the bread of life 6. Observ 6. It 's a great sin to part with the faith delivered to us It 's an hainous sin either in Ministers or People In the former when they shall either give it away or suffer it to be taken from them Phil. 1.17 For the defence of the Gospel they are set they must be men made up of fire in the midst of a field of stubble or errours though holily patient when their own interest yet holily impatient when the interest of Christ is endangered They must not be dumb dogs when thieves attempt to rob the House of God the Church Though they must not bite the children within yet neither spare the thief without Nor is any Christian exempted in his station from the duty of keeping Faith Pro. 23.23 they must not sell the truth not patiently suffer Sectaries and Persecuters to bereave them of it not for the love of their swine suffer Christ to go much lesse send Christ out of their Coasts not part with the faith by keeping their money In a word they must keep the faith by perseverance in the love and profession of it by taking heed of errour and profaneness lest being led away with the errour of the wicked they fall from their stedfastnesse 2 Pet. 3.17 2. Jude saith in the amplification of this faith that it was delivered to the Saints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It may here be enquired 1. Who are holy and Saints 2. Who the Saints are to whom this faith was delivered Men are called holy in two respects 1. In respect of the holiness of destination separation Explication or being set apart from common uses and employments to the holy service of God 2 Chro. 7.16 Isai 13.3 1 Kings 9.3 thus the Greeks apply the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to separate and thus not onely men but the Temple vessels Sabboth Tabernacle are called holy The first born Exod. 13.2 God commandeth Moses to sanctifie which he explains Ver. 12. Thou shalt set apart to the Lord c. Thus the Prophets and Apostles are often in Scriptures called holy and Jeremy was sanctified from the womb Jer. 1.5 in regard of this holiness of separation and dedication and all visible professors and their children are called holy 1 Cor. 7.14 as likewise may the whole body of a visible Church 2. In respect of their having holiness really and properly put into them which is done by the holy Spirit whence it is read of the sanctification of spirit it abolishing their native polution and unholiness 2 Thes 2.13 1 Pet. 1.2 1 Cor. 1.2 Exod. 19.6 and bestowing upon them graces and holy qualities by the renovation of Gods image in them And the holy Spirit makes them holy in two respects 1. Of not holy privatively and so man that had lost totally his holines is made holy by regeneration or effectuall vocation 2. Of less holy and so Gods children are sanctified by being enabled to the exercise of an actuall mortifying of sin and living in holiness with proceeding in both 2. Who the Saints are to whom the faith was delivered 1. Some by Saints here understand those holy Prophets Apostles and other Ministers who are holy by peculiar Office and Employment to whom God delivered the doctrine of Faith either of old in an extraordinary or since in an ordinary way that they might be his Ministers in delivering it unto others and these in Scripture are called holy Luke 1.70 He spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which have been since the world began And Acts 3.11 the same words are again used So 2 Pet. 1.21 Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost So 2 Pet. 3.2 The words spoken before by the holy Prophets Rev. 18.20 Ye holy Apostles and Prophets And Rev. 22.6 The Lord God of the holy Prophets And these in a peculiar manner had the doctrine of faith delivered to them Act. 1.8 Yee Apostles shall be witnesses to me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth Mat. 28.19 These had commission to teach all nations By these Heb. 2.3 the great salvation was confirmed Paul tels the Corinthians 1 Cor. 11.23 he had received from the Lord that which he delivered to them And 1 Cor. 15.3 I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received And 1 Cor. 9.17 A dispensation of the Gospel is committed to me 2 Cor. 5.19 God hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation Gal. 2.7 The Gospel of uncircumcision was committed to me 1 Tim. 1.11 The glorious Gospel of the blessed God was committed to my trust 1. Tim 6.20 O Timothy keep that which is committed to thy trust He
heaven people must not hear them delivering another Gospel 4. Observ 4. Infinite is the power of God to preserve the faith perpetually and unalterably The doctrine of faith is a torch burning in the midst of the sea It 's a Moses's bush burning not consumed All oppositions are by God turned into victories on its side The smutchings which Hereticks cast upon it are but to make it shine the brighter Naked truth will vanquish armed errour 5. This delivering of the faith once Observ 5. regulates the notion of new lights If we understand by new light a new and further degree of knowledge to understand what is unchangeably delivered in the Scripture new light is a most desirable gift but if by it we understand pretended truths which are new to Scripture varnish'd over with the name of new light they are to be shun'd for false lights which lead to perdition After Christ hath spoken in the word we must not be curious 't is bastard doctrine which springs up after the Scripture This one thing believe that nothing but Scripture Doctrine is to be believed 6. Observ 6. Gods unchangeable perpetuall delivery of the faith is a singular encouragement to expect his blessing in the delivery of it It may encourage Ministers and people He who hath promised a Gospel to the end of the world hath also promised to be with the deliverers of it to that time He who will continue a Gospel to us if sought will also continue his grace to it He who bestows the doctrine of faith will not deny the grace of faith if we duely ask it When the Lord bestowes the seed of his word be encouraged to expect the showers of his blessing If he sticks up his candles comfortably hope that he will put light by his Spirit to them 7. Observ 7. It 's a great comfort to the Saints that in all their changes and losses their best blessings shall never be altered or utterly removed In an impure world there shall ever be kept up a pure word This light shall never be put out till the Sun of righteousnesse ariseth at the last day God will keep his stars in his right hand They who will go about to remove the stars in his right hand shall feel the strength of his right hand Of the Ministry it may be said as Isaac said of Jacob God hath blessed them and they shall be blessed The Saints shall have a golden Gospel though they live in an iron age 8. Observ ult It must be our care to be stedfast in the faith and to shun hereticall superadditions and superstructures We must beware lest being led away by the errour of the wicked we fall from our stedfastnesse 2 Pet. 3.17 To this end 1. We must be grounded in the knowledge of the truth Ignorant and doubting people will easily be seduced Silly women 2 Tim. 3.6 ever learning and never coming to the knowledge of the truth will easily be led away Children in knowledge will soon be tossed with every wind of doctrine Eph. 4.14 They will like water be of the same figure with the vessell into which it 's put They will be of their last doctors opinion 2. We must get a love to the truth Many receive the truth for fear of loss disgrace c. or hope of gaine preferment c. or because others do so and as hounds who follow the game not because they have the sent of it but because their fellows pursue it These who embrace the truth they know not why will leave it they know not how and by the same motives for which they now embrace the truth they may be induced to forsake truth and embrace errour God often sends to those strong delusions that they should beleeve a lie who received not the love of the truth 2 Thes 1.11 3. Nourish no known sin The Jewel of faith can never be kept in a crack'd cabbinet a crazy conscience He who puts away a good conscience concerning faith will soon make shipwrack 1. Tim. 1.19 Those silly women laden with sins may easily be led captives 2 Tim. 3.6 Solomon by following strange women soon embraced strange and idolatrous practices Demas having loved the present world soon forsook Paul 2 Tim. 4.10 Seducers through covetousness wil make merchandise of souls 2 Pet. 2.3 Tit. 1.11 Pride will also hinder from finding and keeping wisdome Prov. 14.6 God giveth grace to the humble and resisteth the proud The garment of humility is the souls guard against every spirituall mischief 'T is prudent counsell to be clothed with humility 1 Pet. 5.5 An humble soul will neither hatch nor easily be hurt by heresies 4. Labour to grow in grace Beware saith the Apostle lest being led away with the errour of the wicked ye fall from your own stedfastness the remedy is immediately subjoyn'd but grow in grace They who stand at a stay will soon go backwards This for the first part of the duty to which the Apostle exhorted these Christians viz. What the thing was which he commended to them to maintain The faith once delivered to the Saints The second followeth namely the means whereby he exhorts them to defend the faith by an earnest contending for it That you should earnestly contend Two things offer themselves in the Explanation 1. 1. Explicat To shew what the force and importance of that word is which is translated earnestly contend 2. More fully what the Apostle here intends by earnest contending for the faith and wherein this earnest contention doth consist as it is imployed for the faith 1. The compound-word in the original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto which our English words Earnestly contend do answer Decerto Bez. Supercerto Vulg. John 18.36 Luk. 13.24 1 Cor. 9.25 Col. 1.29 1 Tim. 6.12 2 Tim. 4.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propriè dicitur de aestuatione animi in eo qui in certamen descensurus est Accipitur pro luctâ in morte Gerh. Harm is onely used in this place throughout the whole new Testament All the severall translations thereof by interpreters speak this contention to which Jude exhorts these Christians to be eminent extraordinary The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of composition though then it importeth not so notable a contention as here in composition it doth is rightly translated to strive to fight and that as for the mastery to labour fervently and signifieth that vehement fighting and striving which was wont to be among wrastlers in their solemn games with sweat pains and trouble but it being so compounded as in this place it importeth a more renowned and famous contention than ordinary It is not agreed by all wherein the force of the composition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consisteth Some conceive that thereby the Apostle intends they should add one kind of contention to another as possibly an open professed to an inward and secret contention Others that the Apostle would have them
than the bereaving Job of his temporall estate namely Job 1.11 the denying of God and the blaspheming him to his face The excellency of the thing for which we contend should strengthen and quicken our resolutions in contending It should be a greater motive to our valour when Christ our Captain tels us we fight to preserve the faith than if he had told us we fight for our lands children wives lives For what are these to grace to glory to our souls to our God all which we lose in losing the faith What Satan in malice doth most assault we in wisdom must most defend 5. Of our selves we are too weak for spirituall conflicts Observ 5. All our strength is from another He who is barely by profession not really united to Christ will soon give in and turn his back in a day of battell he will be a souldier for shew Mat. 7.27 not for service He who is not built on the rock cannot oppose the floods Painted profession will not endure the washing Things which are not strongly joyned but loosly put together will part when thrown into the water so will Christ and the hypocrite in sufferings 6. Observ 6. Moderation is not alway commendable Moderation in bearing the chastisements of God Praedicare verbum Dei est derivare in se furorem totius inferni Satius est conturbari collidi coelum terram quam Christum non praedicari Maledict a sit charitas quae servatur cum jactura fidei in enjoying worldly comforts in enduring private injuries are all most Christian and commendable But moderation which hinders a reall and an earnest contending for faith is no better than lothsome lukewarmnesse I fear ther 's much time-serving neutrality sinfull halting and indifferency gilded over with the name of moderation accursed is that moderation whereby men will lose the faith to keep their estates and crack their consciences to save their skins The policy of these I never did admire and their happinesse I trust I shall never envy How soon learned is the wisdome of shunning troubles of self-preservation and tame silence when religion is endanger'd How easie is it to swim with the stream to hold with the strongest and how easily but alas how falsly is this called moderation 7. Observ 7. The War of Christianity is laborious and dangerous It will soon try our valour and not only the truth but the strength of our graces Religion is like cold weather good for those who are sound bad for rotten hypocrites They who go on to this sea for recreation will soon come back in a storm The more dangerous our conflict is the greater is that strength by which we are supported and the firmer should be our dependence upon it If Satan cease from fighting with us it 's a signe he hath conquered us It 's our wisdome when we have passed over light skirmishes to prepare for greater They who had endured a great fight of affliction Hob. 10.32.36 had still need of patience Though we must never despair of conquest yet also never presume of quietnesse nor expect to be delicate members under a thorny head 8. A Christian should be best when the times are worst Observ 8. and get good by others sins When others contend most against we should most contend for the faith Of the opposition of the truth by others we should make a spirituall advantage As God suffers nothing whereby he gets not glory so a Christian should observe nothing whereby he gets not some good As the faint and luke-warm assistance of friends so the fierce and furious opposition of enemies should make his contention for the truth the more holily vehement It was not only the expression of a gracious heart but of such an one in a very gracious temper Psal 119.127 That because the wicked had made void Gods Law therefore did he love his Commandements above gold 9. Observ 9. It 's the duty and wisdome of Christians to observe directions for their spirituall conflict Who contends with a potent Adversary without considering how to encounter him To this end 1. Let us get a love to the Cause and Captain for which and whom we fight not fighting for fear of his wrath or love of his wages but affection to his interest A souldier of fortune will turn to that side where he shall be best paid but one to whom love is wages will keep to one side The Christian who seems now to fight for but yet loves not the truth will soon either leave it or fight against it 2. Let us not entangle our affections in worldly enjoyments Bid earthly comforts farwell when you go your spirituall expedition It 's pity to lose a victory for regarding the bag and baggage yet the love of the world hath made many a Christian lose both his courage and his crown 3. Let us not go forth in our own strength against our enemies A proud Christian will soon turn a coward A limb though swollen and big to sight is but weak and lame for service If God breath not a spirit of valour into us we shall faint Spirituall souldiers must fight upon their knees 'T is from God we fight of our selves we can do nothing but flie 4. Let faith consider Encouragements Our Cause is righteous and honourable our Captain wise valourous bountifull our supplies great and near our friends in all places if fighting prevailing and if not fighting praying for us our victory certain and sudden our reward massy and eternall VER 4. For there are certain men crept in unawares who were before of old ordained to this condemnation ungodly men turning the grace of God into lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ HEre our Apostle enters upon the third main part considerable in the Exhortation viz. the propounding sundry Arguments or reasons to inforce the embracing of the forementioned Exhortation of Contending for the faith against Seducers The Arguments or reasons used by him are reducible to these two Heads 1. The first is the dangerousness of the company of these Seducers to the Christians to whom he wrote This is set down in this 4th verse 2. The second is the downfall and overthrow of these Seducers amplified and proved from the 4th verse to the 17th verse 1. The dangerousness of the company of these Seducers to the Christians expressed in this 4th verse In this the Apostle describes 1. The entrance of these Seducers into the company of the Christians 2. The impiety of these Seducers who had thus gotten entrance 1. He describeth their entrance into the society of the faithful and that four wayes 1. From their nature they were men 2. From their indefinite number certain men 3. From their subtilty and slyness in getting in they crept in unawares 4. By cleering and vindicating their entrance from the exceptions or objections which the Christians might have raised against Gods
Quaenam foeditas carmen occinere quo Satanas oblectetur And never should we more suspect Satans poyson then when he offers us to drink in a golden cup. Never more fear his seducements then when he useth men and men whose plausibilities are most taking 2. The Apostle describes the entrance of these Seducers by the indefinite and uncertain expressing of their number that had entred among them He neither names who they were nor determines thereby how many they were but only saith they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 certain men 'T is here demanded Why the Apostle mentions not their names or who they were 1. Explicat It was possible though not likely their names might be altogether unknown to him 2. It is by sundry conceived that the Apostle did know them by name Thus Oecumenius Aretius and others the former whereof tels us himselfe some of their names Homines nullius nominis as Nicholas Valentinus Simon and Marcion But it 's conceived that the Apostle did forbear to name them though he knew them 1. To shew how much he disdained them as if he apprehended them to be such vile persons as were not fit and worthy to be named among Christians or by him distinctly but confusedly to be bound up in this bundle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 certain men And this some who conjecture that the discourse of Christ concerning the rich glutton is an history conceive to be the reason why our Saviour gives us the poor mans name Lazarus not so much as vouchsafing to name the rich epicure calling him only a certain rich man * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 16.19 as if it were unfit his name should be left to posterity And this conjecture concerning these Seducers in the text seems to be strengthned not only by the consideration of their detestable practices and opinions which deserved that their founders should be buryed in forgetfulness but also by the Apostles expressing their base and contemptible manner of entrance in the very next word by creeping in unawares as if he had set himself to slight them 2. It 's thought the Apostle forbears to express the names and thereby to determine the numbers of these Seducers to make these Christians more wary and vigilant in their carriage and conversing they living among Seducers and yet not knowing who they were That there were sundry many of them he intimates who or how many he conceals that so they might be the more circumspect in taking heed of all who might any way seduce them And thus the Apostle exhorts the Christians 1 John 4.1 to try the spirits because there are many false prophets gone out into the world If a man be to converse among persons infected by the plague when he is uncertain which of them or how many have that disease he will be the more wary of every one Our not knowing of all those who are erroneous should make us try what we hear even from those who are soundest 1. How much are hereticks and Seducers deceived Observ 1. who expect to grow famous and honoured by being patrons of ungodly and erroneous opinions Heresie never was a foundation of honour to the contriver though the hopes of gaining of honor be a furtherance to become heresiarchs While the pure lights of the Church have burnt sweetly and shined bright even to after ages there is nothing remaining of old Hereticks notwithstanding all their new and pretended light but stink and smoke and snuff Howsoever they may be for a time respected in the world yet as even at first the Scripture proclaimes their infamy and discovers their impostures to some so shall posterity by the advantages of time and Scripture-study reckon their sometimes adored names among the notes of greatest disgrace So that even those who through the love of errour imbrace their opinions shall through the love of honour be ashamed of their names Seducers love to call their books and companies by their own name but their names are not up in Gods Book 2. False teachers are wont to be many and numerous in the Church of God Observ 2. In Saint John's time many though as here 1 John 4.1 2 John 2 7. Tit. 1.10 he names not how many false Prophets were gone out into the world And he saith also Many deceivers are entred into the world And Paul tels Titus that there were many deceivers The Prophets of Jezebel were four hundred Satans Emissaries are sent out by troops what they want of weight they make up in number The goodnesse of any cause cannot be judged by the number of its patrons There may be an hundred false prophets to one and if there were an hundred true ones to one false that false one may possibly have an hundred friends for one that truly loves the hundred who are true Should religion be carried only by vote heresie would oft prevail Argumentum pessimum turba The most are usually the worst Numbers are but a slight argument to a heart that resolves to follow Scripture It 's better to go to heaven with and after a few than to hell with and after the throng Multitudes neither warrant in the way nor comfort in the end 3. Observ 3. Mat. 7.15 2 Pet. 2.1 2. Ephes 4. Christian vigilancy is most needfull in dayes of herefie Beware of false prophets saith Christ Beware saith Peter left ye be led away with the errour of the wicked The cunning craftinesse of false prophets in deceiving our readinesse to be deceived and our hurt in being so call aloud for the duty of circumspection Seducers are crafty errour is catching and it being imbraced hurt to the soul is certain How sad is it to see so many wary men in trading for the world and so many childish and simple in negotiating for heaven Most men invert the Apostles advice for in malice they are men in knowledge children Should all be reckon'd children as indeed they may who know not their right hand from their left in religion where should we find an man The wisdome of the prudent is to understand his way Prov. 14.8 old Scripture preservatives should much be used in times of hereticall infection in ways wherein there are many turnings it 's safe often to enquire The Word is the way the Spirit is the guide humility prayer vigilancy excellent helps to walk in the one and to follow the other Thirdly The Apostle describes the entrance of these Seducers into the company of these Christians from the subtilty and slynesse of their entrance and that thus They crept in unawares 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Explicat Two things offer themselves in the Explication The first The sense and force of the word Secondly The agreement of it to these Seducers in their entrance among these Christians Exod. 15.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deut. 23.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isai 60.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
Sum ex reprobis Aug. Observ 5. Justus quis est nisi qui amanti se Deo vicem rependit amoris quod non fit nisi revelante spiritu per fidem homini aeternum Dei propositum super salute sua futura Bern. Ep. 107. Censure thou mayst their actions but not determine their end Many a Saint recollecting how far himselfe was suffered to go before he returned may truely say I le never despair of any for surely Lord there never will be a baser heart then mine for thee to deal with Sinners must have thy pity not thy despair That the end of their wayes will be death it 's thy duty to declare That the end of those who for the present walk in those wayes will be death it 's thy sin thy danger to determine Least of all despair of thine own salvation This conclusion I am one of the reprobates ought to be repelled as a tentation not more groundlesse than dangerous 5. Whosoever is exempted from this appointment to condemnation is engaged to be eminent and singular in his love to God No motive to love is so effectuall as to be prevented by love Gods love to the elect was early eternall They were chosen by God before they could chuse God How due a debt is love to him when we were who loved us without due debt before we were We ought to love him more than others who is incomparably more lovely and who loved us more than others when we were no more lovely than others Should not we single him out for our God who infinitely excels all and who singled us out for his people when we were no better than any What was it beside election that made Saints by grace of sinners by nature and as I may say white paper of the foulest dunghill rags what but this went between the holiest Saint and the most flagitious sinner both were cut off from the same piece and formed out of the same clay 6. Observ 6. Luk. 12.32 Rom. 8.33.35 c. An timendum est ne tunc de se homo desperet quando spes ejus ponenda demonstratur in Deo non autem desperaret si eam in scipso superbissimus infelicissimus poneret Aug. de bon pers l. 2. c. 22. The faithfull may be strongly armed against tentations to despair The decrees of God depend not upon the pleasure of mans but Gods will The Angels and Adam who fell from integrity plainly shew what would become of man who now hath the treachery of sin within him and the battery of tentation without him if divine predestination were removed Forbear then wretched Pelagian to make the supposed dependence of predestination upon mans will a ground of courage and the certain dependence of mans will upon predestination a ground of despair Proud potsheard expect not happinesse without more humility Lord how soon should I embezzel my happinesse and prove a beggerly prodigall shouldst thou give me my portion into mine own hands 7. Observ 7. incite the best to humility He who fares best hath no cause of insultation over him who speeds worst The least mercy deserves thankfulnesse the greatest allowes not pride The reading of what the worst are and shall be should instruct us what the best had been and should be without free-grace which alone makes the difference Col. 3.12 Humble tendernesse is the badge of election as the elect of God put on bowels Grace found the richest Saint but a beggerly sinner Mat. 5.3 1 Cor. 1.27 and grace makes the richest in possession to be poorest in spirit God hath chosen the weak to confound the mighty not the mighty to domineer over the weak Every receipt is an almes and the best furnished Christian doth but proclaim that he hath been oftenest at the door of mercy The taller thou art in grace the more need thou hast to stoop would'st thou enter into the meditation of thy present estate without danger 8. Observ 8. Forbearance of punishment is no argument to the finally impenitent of their totall immunity from punishment They are bill'd and book'd by God and at length God will call in his debts and the longer he stayes with the more interest The judgements of God are sure if they be late With God delay wears nothing out of memory nor is any thing gained by protraction All things to the Ancient of dayes are present How fruitlesse is a sinners league with hell The Lord laugheth at him for he seeth that his day is coming Mundi laetitia impunita nequitia Grudge not to see impenitency and prosperity go together What 's all a sinners mirth but a litle unpunish'd wickednesse The thunder-clap of wrath will soon make his wine of mirth soure He who now goes on so pertinaciously in sin must either undo or be undone His chear may seem excessive but there 's a reckoning coming which though it be the last yet is it as sure as any part of the entertainment 9. Observ 9. Ministers ought not to propound to the people a reprobation absolute from the means Reprobation is not so to be preached as though men were to be damned whatsoever they doe Nempe hoc verissimum est ita sanè sed improbissimum importunissimum incongruentissimum non falso eloquio sed non salubri ter valetudini humanae infirmitatis apposito Aug. de bo per. l. 2. c. 22. but so as that it may be manifested that destruction is the fruit of impiety It 's possible a Minister may preach what is true concerning Gods absolute decree to save and reprobate men and yet not in that due manner in which he ought to speak For example should a minister preach thus to his people Whatsoever you doe ye shall be such as God decreed ye should be c. This is indeed a true doctrine but it seeming to separate the end from the means it is so true that withall as Augustin saith it is most inconvenient and pernicious because it is not wholsomely applied to humane infirmity Now it is the part of an unskilfull Dolosi vel imperiti Medici est etiam utile medicameutum sic alligare ut aut non profit aut obsit Aug. de bo pers l. 2. cap. 21. or deceitfull Physician so to apply a good playster that either it shall do no good or do hurt Therefore Paul speaking of the reprobates whose end is destruction addeth whose God is their belly whose glory is their shame c. and here Jude having said that these seducers were ordayned to condemnation subjoyneth ungodly men who turn the grace of God into lasciviousness To the handling whereof I now proceed This for the first part of the first argument to move the Christians Earnestly to contend c. The Argument is the dangerousness of the company of these seducers The first part whereof was a description of their entrance The Second followes the description of their impiety they having got entrance Two wayes
wild buls in a net they had rather be able to tear then willing to kiss the rod. Like chaffe they fly in the face of and not like the solid grain fall downe before him that fans them They accept not of the punishment of their iniquity 2 King 6.33 not wait for deliverance from their punishment they either faint under or rage against or take no notice of the hand of God when 't is lifted up against them 7. Not to honour God by regarding of his worship The ungodly call not upon the Lord. Psal 14.4 Only the godly man is made like a man to looke upward The other in their wants go to Baalzebub the god of Ekron or the witch of Endor to earthly and sinfull shifts rather howling through the sense of their wants then praying in the beleefe of receiving the blessings they desire In their obtaining of comforts Hab. 1.16 they sacrifice to their net and burn incense to their drags and are as sensuall in their enjoyments as unsubmissive in their wants They can neither pray when they are afflicted nor sing Psalms when they are merry instead of praying they dispair instead of singing Psalms they revell when they are in want they are as distrustfull as if God could never help them when they abound they are as secure as if God could never hurt them In a word they account not the holy duties of prayer Isai 56.7 Isai 58.13 hearing sacraments c. to be their priviledges but their drudgery They are not joyfull in the house of prayer the Sabboth is not a delight the word of the Lord is a burden and when they are in holy performances they are like a fish upon the dry land 2. Ungodlinesse consists in giving of the honour which is due to God to somthing else beside God And this ungodly men do two wayes 1. Inwardly in the soul will and affections Jer. 17.5 and the whole inner man as 1. when they place their trust and confidence upon somthing besides God and so place it in the room of God making flesh their arm and support Thus one ungodly man depends upon his wealth Job 31.24 making it his hope and confidence another upon his strength resting upon man Psal 20.7 Prov. 3.5 putting his trust in horses and chariots another upon his wit and policy which in a moment God is able to turn into foolishnesse They will not take the word of a man who hath once or twice deceived them but they will relie upon the broken creature which alway faileth fond expectation Jon. 2.8 Josh 62.9 Psal 62.8 and is no other then a lying vanity hereby not only disappointing themselves but dishonouring him who alone requireth and deserveth our trust and affiance 2. When they set that love and delight upon other things which is due to God who is to be loved with all the heart and soul and thus sundry there are who love their pleasures more than God whose belly is their God 2 Tim. 3.4 Phil. 3.19 Ephes 5.5 others there are whose gain is godlinesse and who are fitly therefore by the Apostle called idolaters That which a man most loves is his God Psal 62.10 Ungodly men set their hearts upon that which was made to set their feet upon with unbounded eagernesse they follow the world Moderation holds not the reins of their earthly industry in which they are not carried with the gentle gales of indifferency but the furious winds of violence They will be rich 1 Tim. 6.9 though they lose their souls their God and are drowned in perdition 3. When they bestow that fear upon the creature which is only due to God Isai 8.13 when man not God is their fear and their dread If outward troubles or troublers approach Isai 7.2 they shake like the trees of the wood if man threaten a prison they tremble more than when God threateneth hell Isai 51.12 13. fearing him more that can kill the body than him who can throw both body and soul into hell whence it is that they are insnared by the unlawfull commands of Superiours willingly walking after the commandement Hos 5.11 Prov. 25.26 and falling down before the wicked become like a troubled fountain and a corrupt spring serving instead of the Lord the times 2. Outwardly ungodly men give the honour to the creature which is due to God and that they do by outward religious worship Rom. 1.25 Psal 95.6 when they worship and serve the creature more than the Creatour who is God blessed for evermore before whom religiously we must only kneel and bow down Mat. 4.10 How unlike are ungodly men to him who was God and man Christ refused to bow to the divel not only because he was a divel but a creature denying to him not only inward devotion but outward reverence And how unlike to the three godly men who tell the King Dan. 3.18 Isai 40.18.25 Isai 44.19 commanding them to bow to his image that they will not serve his gods What do they but make a lie when they make an image of an uncircumscriptible infinite God and shew themselves as blockish as the block they worship which is no better than that which even now they burnt Poor is their pretence who to exempt themselves from this ungodlinesse plead though they present their bodies at religious worship yet they preserve their souls for God for why could not Christ for a whole world with all his wisdome find out such a piece of policy and make not body and soul one man that must have but one God one worship Are not our bodies the Lords as well as our souls or can she be accounted a chaste spouse which gives the use of her body to a stranger upon pretence of keeping her heart to her husband 3. Ungodlinesse consists in the giving of honour to God after a false and an undue manner As 1. When it 's given unwarrantably and not according to his revealed will When tradition and humane invention put the Scripture out of place This is to worship God in vain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 15.9 Nothing is more counterfeited and disfigured than religion Men through naturall unsubmissivenesse to the purity and simplicity of Scripture-commands through love of their own conceits novelty carnality are prone to make many golden calves People like the Lacedemonians who were wont to dresse their gods after the fashion of the City love to dresse their devotions after their own humours being zealous but not according to knowledge and like bats converting the humour of their eyes to make their wings large These give not God that reasonable service for the performance whereof Rom. 12.1 they must produce a word a Scripture-reason Mans work is to keep Lawes not either to be or make a Law for himselfe or others 2. Honour is given to God after an undue manner when 't is not given him obediently when
Mysteries of redemption and the free pardon of sin through Christ And this last way it 's taken Acts 14.3 20.32 where the Gospel is called the word of grace called also Acts 20.24 the Gospel of the grace of God and 2 Cor. 6.1 and Tit. 2.12 grace it self we beseech you that ye receive not the grace of God in vain And the grace of God hath appeared c. In this last signification I take it in this place wherein what the Apostle had called the faith in the foregoing verse for which the Christians should Contend he calls the grace in this which Seducers did abuse and oppose 2. Why is the doctrine of the Gospel called by the name of grace 1. Because it is a gift of grace and it was onely Gods free good will that bestowed it These questions Why it was ever bestowed at all or why one age or place of the world should receive it rather than another why God should discover the mystery that was kept secret since the world began Rom 16.25 26. to those who were sinners of the Gentiles who served dumb Idols why God should be found of them who sought him not and made manifest unto them who asked â—ot after him Isa 65.1 Mat. 11.26 can only be answered by that reason which Christ gives of Gods hiding these things from the wise and prudent and revealing them to babes Even so Father because it seemed good in thy sight 2. Because the subject matter of the Gospel even all the benefits discovered in it flowed meerly from free-grace whether blessings without us or within us Without us Eph. 1.5 Election is the election of grace and according to the good pleasure of his will our vocation was according to grace 2 Tim. 1.9 Regeneration was of Gods own will Jam. 1.18 Faith the gift of God Justification is freely by his grace Phil. 1.29 Rom. 3.24 And a free gift Rom. 5.15 18. Forgivenesse of our sins according to the riches of grace Ephes 1.7 Eternall life is the gift of God Acts 15.11 Rom. 6.23 Even the life of glory is the grace of life 1 Pet. 3.7 Christ himselfe was a token of free love sent to mankind And as his whole work was to love so his whole love was free The portion which he expecteth is nothing but poverty Isai 55.1 Would we purchase any benefit of him we must be sure to leave our money behind us There 's not one soul that ever he loved but was poor and empty sick and impotent unamiable and filthy regardlesse of him and ignorant opposite to him and unkind and often unfaithfull to him and disloyall And may not the Gospel which discovers this goodnesse well be call'd grace 3. As the Gospel doth discover and reveal so doth it instrumentally impart and bestow these benefits of free-grace The Gospel is not only light to discover them but an invitation to accept them not only a story but a testament The language of the Gospel is Luke 14.17 Come for all things are now ready Nor hath it only an inviting but a prevailing voice with some It is made powerfull to overcome the most delaying disobedient sinner by him who doth not only ordain Rom. 1.16 Acts 6.7 2 Thes 1.8 but accompany it This grace bringeth salvation Tit. 2.12 it bringeth it to us not to look upon but to take 1. Observ 1. What an happy difference is between the Law and the Gospel The Law affords not a drop of grace it bestowes nothing freely The language of the Law is Do thou and live if not dye No work no wages but in the Gospel the yoke of personall obedience is translated from believers to their surety there 's nothing for them to pay all that they have to do is to hunger and feed Their happinesse is free in respect of themselves though costly to Christ who by his merits purchaseth for them whatsoever they would obtain and by his Spirit worketh in them whatsoever he requires 2. Observ 2. How shall we escape if we neglect the salvation which the Gospel of grace brings If they are unexcusable who pay not their own debts under the Law what are they who will not do so much as accept of free pardon and a surety under the Gospel Gospel-grace neglected is the great condemnation of the world How mindfull should we be of the Apostles counsell 2 Cor. 6.1 1 Thes 5.1 2 Cor. 3.6 2 Cor. 3.18 Receive not the grace of God in vain not only in word but in power as it is a quickning spirit or spirit and life not begetting only a form of profession but as changing and transforming into the image of God and altering the inward disposition of the heart If the grace of the Gospel make a stop at restraining it only advantageth men ut mitiùs ardeant not to save them 3. Observ 3. The sin and folly of those is great who though poor are yet so proud that they submit not themselves to the freenesse of the Gospel who will not feed upon the supper of Evangelicall benefits unlesse they may pay the reckoning who mix at least their own merits with Christs expecting justification for their own obedience Alas what is our rectitude but crookednesse what our righteousnesses but filthy rags How fond an undertaking is it to go about to establish our own righteousnesse Rom. 10.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what is it but to endeavour to make a dead carcasse to stand alone How just is the issue that rich ones should be sent empty from the Supper A proud heart can no more be fill'd with Evangelicall grace then can a vessel with water poured upon its convex out-side It 's better to be an humble sinner than a proud justiciary 4. Observ 4. How chearfull free and forward should all their services be who partake of the grace of the Gospel Jugum Christi non deterit sed honestat colla Bern. If God have removed the insupportable yoke of legall satisfaction how willingly should we take upon us the easie yoke of Evangelicall obedience Though Saints be exempted from bondage yet not from service Christians though they serve not God by the compulsive power of the Law yet they ought by vertue of the Spirit renewing the soul Their spirits should be free and willing even when strength and power fail them They should delight to do the will of God Psal 110.3 Psal 40.8 If Gospel-grace be free then it 's most unsutable that Gospel-service should be forced The Evangelicall bond to obedience is strong though it be silken 5. Observ 5. Every one should covet to be interested in the benefits of the Gospel they are freely bestowed It is easie to know a house where alms are freely distributed by the crowding of beggers When money is freely thrown about the streets at the Kings coronation how do the poor thrust tread one upon another There 's no such crowding
part with thy dearest comforts for Christ rather then deny him Know nothing to be thine but himself 2. Make a right estimate of the comforts which are to be enjoyed in Christ 1. Account them realities not notions not imaginary though invisible Look upon them as substantiall and indeed John 8.36 2. Account them not as scanty but abundant so large that thou needest not go to other things for additions Look upon Christ only as having enough for thee and able to fill thy vast receptions to the brim 3. View them as sublime precious not as low and vile so excellent that a holy generosity may be kindled in thee and all these dunghill delights accounted unworthy thy stoop 4. Account them usefull and efficacious not idle and unhelping such as want not thee to uphold them but as are able in all distresses to relieve thee and will procure strong and strengthening consolations Heb. 6.18 5. View them as thine not anothers Christ is never good in the souls account till it hath a propriety in him Nor can a soul be contented when it sees a parting from other things unless it considers its propriety in Christ who is far better 6. View them as neer and at hand and alway prepared to relieve the souls exigencies Let faith as a prospective glasse make remote comforts appear hard by 7. Lastly view them as eternal not as finite such as are above the reach of theef and moth and which alone triumph over time and enemies and which shal live and last when all worldly enjoyments are dead and gone Oh who would deny such delights as these for a blast a bubble a nothing what poor nothings of comfort are the sweetest delights which would allure us what poor nothings of misery are the sorest sufferings that would affright us from Christ 3 Labour for an inward reall Implantation and rootednesse in Christ The advice of the Apostle is to be rooted in Christ Col. 2.7 A stake in the ground may easily be pluckt up but a tree rooted in the ground stands immovable They who are in Christ only by way of externall profession may be pull'd from Christ and outward troubles will overcome a meerly visible and outside professor but they who are in Christ by way of reall and internall implantation will keep their standing He who is but a visible Christian may in a short time cease to be so much as visible He who speaks for Christ only notionally will soon be won to speak against him From him who professeth not Christ truly may soon be taken away his very appearances Please not your selves with the form of religion Realities are only durable The colour of blushing is soon down that of complexion remains longer Si ista terrena diligitis ut munera amici ut arrham sponsi diligite 4. Let no wordly comfort be beloved but only so far as it is a pledg of Christs love to thee or an incentive of thine to him Let not Christ content thee with any thing without himself Love not thy enjoyments as gifts but as mercies and love-tokens Look upon every thing out of Christ as a sieve pluck'd out of the water as a coal without fire as a cypher without a figure Were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat I would not look toward thee said Elisha to Jehoram and were it not for a taste of the love of Christ in our worldly comforts we should not much regard them Love nothing but as it is a step to raise thee up higher and more toward him onely as a Phylactery and a remembrancer of thy Friend as that which incites to him not as that which bewitcheth from him If Christians would studie thus by and in every comfort to taste Christ they would not for gaining these comforts be willing to part with Christ 5. Take heed of professing Christ for by-ends Serve him not to serve your own turns Make not Religion a design Let every interest be subservient to Christ Be willing to set up a building of glory for him upon your own ruines Learn to perish that the glory of Christ may live Let Christ be sweet for himself Love him for his beauty not his cloathes In serving him let nothing else be your scope and then nothing will divert you aim not at profit so gain will not allure you not at pleasure so ease will not corrupt you not at friends so favour wil not seduce you Let none but Christ be your end 6 Daily increase sweet acquaintance and humble familiarity with Christ Stand not at a stay in taking in his comforts Stint not Communion with him Oh labour to take in hissweetest consolations fresh and fresh every morning If communion with Christ be but a while intermitted the love of the world will soon be admitted When the people were without their wonted converse with Moses they began to think of a golden Idol The soul cannot live without some comfort or other If it finds no sweetnesse in Christ it will look out for it else where and if it tast nothing in his wayes to whet and keep it up it will be ready to go down as the Israelites went down to the Philistims to sharpen their instruments to earthly delights for relief But if Christ be sweet the world will be bitter And if thine eyes have but lookt stedfastly upon his Glory they will not suddenly behold beuty in any thing else VER 5. I will therefore put you in remembrance though yee once knew this how that the Lord having saved the people out of the land of Egypt afterward destroyed them that beleeved not AT This verse the Apostle begins the second Argument whereby he proves it the duty of these Christians Earnestly to contend for the Faith once delivered to the Saints and now opposed by the seducers of those times The Argument is taken from the certainty of the destruction of those Seducers the Apostle by the zealous prosecution thereof declaring that these Christians must avoid their Doctrines if they would not be involved in their downfall The Apostle in the managing of this Argument doth these three things 1. He gives us severall Examples of Gods severe wrath upon others in former times for sundry heinous sins to the 8th Verse 2. He declares that these Seducers lived in the same sins which God had formerly punish'd in others to the 11th verse 3. He concludes that they practising the same impieties shall partake of the same plagues with those who were before them to the 17th verse For the first of these the Apostle propounds three Examples of Gods most severe displeasure against the sinners of former times The first is of the Israelites who were destroyed in the wildernesse The second of the wicked Angels who are reserved in everlasting chains under darknesse The third of the Sodomites who suffer the vengeance of everlasting fire The Apostle with admirable wisdom making choice of these Examples to prevent
made them an idol which had the figure of a Calf or an Ox Exod. 36 4. Psal 106.20 was because they had often seen the Egyptians under that kinde of image to worship either their greatly adored Apis who had formerly been their King and benefactor and whom now they esteemed their tutelary god or else as other learned men think the River Nilus which by its inundation did make the land of Egypt fruitfull And very probable it is that God intended this bitter oppression of the Israelites by the Egyptians partly as a punishment for joyning with them in their idolatry formerly partly as a remedy to prevent in the Israelites that familiarity and friendship with the Egyptians for time to come whereby they might easily fall again in love with their superstitions For if after all the indignities and cruelties which the Israelites suffered in Egypt they were desirous again as they were to return thither Num. 14.4 how forward would they have been had the Egyptians alwayes favoured and loved them If they loved to be handling of thorns how would they have delighted in Roses And this may serve for the explication of the greatnesse of this deliverance from the Egyptians in this first consideration namely of what the Egyptians had done to the Israelites in abusing them during their abode in Egypt II. But secondly This deliverance will yet appear much more eminent if we consider what God did both to Egyptians and Israelites in delivering the Israelites from the abuses of the Egyptians And first What God did to the Egyptians He powred his plagues upon them he made Egypt the anvill of his angry stroaks He punish'd them 1. Powerfully 2. Justly 1. Most powerfully did God punish the Egyptians For this cause did God raise up Pharaoh to shew in him his power All the judgments which befell the Egyptians Exod. 9.17 came as soon as God called them At his command the waters run blood the frogs the lice the flies the grashoppers the darknesse the hail the thunder and all those wrathfull troops of plagues obey the will of him who commanded in chief and revenge the wrongs of their Maker The most despicable of creatures lice and flies the weakest twigs of Gods rod shall fetch blood when managed by the hand of Omnipotency Nor was his power lesse conspicuous in setting a stint to the very flies and making that winged army to acknowledg their limits and to keep at a distance from Goshen Yea let but God speak the word and frogs and flies and grashoppers depart as readily as ever they came And to shew that he could plague without them the greatest of Egypts plagues is inflicted when they are gone The strength of Egypt their first-born die and are but worms and weaknesse to the strength of Israel All this was much 't was admirable strength which broke the backs of the Egyptians but nothing but pure Omnipotency could break such rocks and oaks as were their hearts but even these also are bowed and broken None so forward now to thrust the Israelites out of Egypt yea to hire them to go as they who even now tyrannically detain'd them Their rich jewels of silver and gold are not too deer for them whom lately they spoiled of their substance Glad they are now to pay them for their old work Those who lately were detained as slaves are now sent away as Conquerors with the spoils of their enemies Still the power of God appears No sooner were the backs of Israel turned to depart but the warlike Egyptians furnish'd with horses and chariots pursue the feeble and unarmed Israelites who hereupon give up themselves for dead and are now talking of nothing but their graves They know not whether is more mercifull the sea before them or the Egyptians behind them but the sea retires and flies and the Israelites put their feet into the way that it hath made them Pharaoh thinks he may adventure as well as they he marcheth smoothly till he be come to the midst of that watery trap and would fain return when it was too late The rod of Moses is now more powerfull than the scepter of Pharaoh Gurges in gurgite The sea is now again unbridled returns in its force and devours the late devourers of Israel And therefore 2. How justly did God punish the Egyptians Was it not just that the bold blasphemer who even now askt Who is the Lord should be made to know him by feeling him and that this Lord should be known upon him to all the world The river Nilus which by its inundations made Egypt fruitfull was by the Egyptians regarded more than heaven and worship'd for a deitie and how righteously are they punished by the blood and frogs of that which they make a corrival with God They had lately defiled the rivers with the blood of infants See now their rivers red with blood and they themselves are afterward over-whelmed in the red sea He who had rather satisfie his own curiosity by the feats of Magicians than labour for humility under stroakes not more smart than miraculous is at once both deluded and hardened They who to spare themselves burdned and inslaved poor groaning Israelites are now plagued when Israel is preserved How justly doth God distinguish when they had done so before They who are hardened are at length broken by judgements They who sinned by the removall are justly punished by the renewing of plagues They who so cruely opprest Gods first-born son his Israel are now plagued in the destrustruction of their own first-born They who lately made poor Israel drudge and toyl in dirt and mire without allowing them any wages but scoffes and stripes now pay them wages for their old work with interest and with their gold and silver bear the charges of that journey which all this while they were hindering the Israelites from taking They who are not taught justly stumble by the people of God To conclude this How just was it that he who with his people hoped that the Israelites were so intangled and shut up in the wildernesse and the sea as they should not be able to make escape that he and his I say should by this bait be drawn so far to pursue the Israelites as neither to be able to go backward or forward 2. The mercy of saving the people out of the land of Egypt will yet more fully appear if we consider what God did to the Israelites He delivered them and this he did 1. Most Wisely 2. Most Graciously 1. Most Wisely did God deliver his people in raising up of Moses to be their deliverer The mother of Moses brought him forth in a time wherin she could not but think of his birth and death at once and hourly expect some cruell executioner to tear her tender and lovely babe out of those arms Admiranda est Dei providentia tam pulchrè Aegyptiis illudens ut quo tempore cogunt Hebraeos servire sine
God by the promise made to Solomon and so prevailed against the children of Ammon 3. Beware of giving way to the love of any one sin The love of sin hinders beleeving Sin will not act beleevingly nor faith sinfully It s the nature of sin to cause guilt and fear it expects not performances but repulses from God How can any one depend upon me for a courtesie who knows that I am acquainted with his underhand and unkind contrivances against me Besides the love of any one sin hinders from yeilding to the terms of the promise it would be loose and yet have God bound whereas he never made his promises to gratifie lust but to engage us to holinesse Nor will faith act sinfully Faith embraceth the whole word of God even precepts as well as promises and respects the rules prescribed as well as the rewards promised it works uniformly and it trusteth to God in the way of his commands not in the precipices of sin Trust in him and do good Psal 31.3 Besides it acts warily and in the eye of God and therefore holily and tells us that if we must not tell a lie to promote Gods cause much lesse to procure our own comforts 4. Limit not Good for the way of accomplishing of his promise This is the noted sin of Israel Psal 78.41 They limited the holy one of Israel they circumscribed him for the way of bestowing of mercy Dcum metiri suo modulo Cal. in loc within the narrow bounds of their own apprehensions Whereas if hee will work who shall hinder him Faith triumphs over difficulties and measures not God by the narrow scantling of reason knowing that things that are impossible with us Rom. 4.19 are easie with God This was the excellency of Abrahams so much commended faith that hee considered neither the improbability of performing the promise of having a son when his body and Sarahs womb were both dead Heb. 11.17 nor the incongruity of performing the command of sacrificing his son which seemed to destroy both Gods faithfulnesse and his owne expectations And this is indeed the duty of beleevers only to consider who promiseth and who commands and neither to question what is promised though never so impossible nor to forbear what is commanded though never so unpleasing 5. When God affords thee creature-props trust not to them Men would never be distrustfull when the creature departs if they did not confide in it when it stayes If we would not account our selves the stronger for having worldly helps wee should not esteem our selves the weaker for the wanting them Could we live upon God alone in the use wee might live upon him alone in the losse of the creature It s a noble faith that depends upon God in the strength of means like that of Asa and Jehoshaphat the former of whom having an army of five hundred and fourscore thousand to rest upon 2 Chron. 14.8.11 2 Chron. 17.14 15 2 Chron. 20.12 when Zerah the Ethiopian came against him adventur'd not upon so feeble a crutch but expresseth himself thus in his prayer Lord we have no power and we rest on thee and the later when his enemies made warre upon him though he had an army of eleven hundred and threescore thousand fighting men professing thus Lord we have no might neither know we what to do but our eyes are upon thee He who will account God to be all when the creature is at the best and fullest will surely account him so when the creature proclaims its nothingnesse 6. Trust God in the serving of his providence and in the use of such means as he hath appointed and sanctified He that will not do for himselfe what he can may not trust that God should do for him what hee would Though man liveth not by bread alone but by the word of blessing which proceedeth out of the mouth of God yet that word is by God annexed unto bread not to stones and that man shall not trust God but tempt him In viis custodiet nun quid in praecipitiis Bern. ser 14. in Psal Qui hab who should expect to have stones turned into bread If God hath provided staires it is not faith but fury to go down by a precipice thus Davids trusting in the name of the Lord made him not to throw away his sling when he went against Goliah Jacobs supplicating of God made him not neglect the sending a present to his brother The fast of Esther made her not forget to feast the king second causes are to be used in obedience to Gods order not in confidence of their own help the creature must be the object of our diligence though not of our trust Faith while it causeth us to be so diligent in the use of meanes as if God did nothing for us causeth us so to withdraw our trust from the means as if God were to do all for us He who in observing the other rules hath also added this may quietly rest upon God for promised mercy lay the matter before God and humbly put him to the accomplishing part VER 6. And the Angls which kept not their first estate but left their own habitation he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darknesse unto the judgment of the great day IN this second example of Gods severity which was exprest against the falne Angels these two parts are contained 1. The revolt and defection of the Angels 2. The ruine and downfall of the Angels I. In the first these three particulars are principally considerable 1. By whom this defection was made 2. From what this defection was made 3. Wherein this defection was made 1. It was made by the Angels 2. It was from their first estate and their owne habitation 3. It was 1. in not keeping the former and 2. In leaving the later II. In the second are considerable these two parts 1. The punishment which now they undergo in the prison they being in that reserved in everlasting chains under darknesse 2. The punishment which shall hereafter be laid upon them at and after their appearing at the barr They being reserved c. unto the judgement of the great day In the former their punishment of the prison is twofold 1. Reservation in everlasting chains 2. Vnder darknesse In the later their punishment is considerable 1. In that to which they shall be brought viz to judgement 2. In the time when they shall be brought to judgement viz. at the great day I begin with the first part Part 1. their defection and revolt and therein I consider 1. The persons by whom this defection was made viz. the Angels EXPLICATION The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Angels Angelorum nomen sacrae scrip turae peculiare prafani Scriptores Graeci per vocem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Latini Geniorum ferè exprimunt Synop. pur theol disp 12. p. 117. is a terme peculiar to the Scripture profane Writers among the Grecians expresse them
gratiâ sed naturâ suâ c. Greg. de Val. q. 14. punct 1. Aquin. 1. p. q. 63. Esti l. 2. d. 7. Etiamsi ab initio tales conditi fuissent quales nune per gratiam confirmationis facti sunt nec sic tamen ex conditione naturâ impeccabiles essent sed ex dono gratiae quod etsi hactenus naturale dici posset quia cum ipsa natura datum esset in natura insitum eâ dem tamen naturâ atque essentiâ salvâ posset auferri Solus Deus est qui non gratiâ cujuspiam sed naturâ suâ non potest nec potuit nec poterit peccare Aug. l. 3. cont Max. c. 12. or free from all possibility of sinning Some of them indeed determine it affirmatively but herein they oppose the Fathers Ambrose Augustine and Hierome The two former of whom teach that because it s said that God only hath immortality it follows that he only hath immutability and so by consequence only by nature impeccability The same argument is also used by the learned Junius who denyes that simply God could have made the Angels better then they are by nature because then they should have been most constant in their own perfect goodnesse by themselves which can only be attributed to God Also to the forecited Fathers agree the Schoolmen of the greatest note among whom Estius asserts That supposing that the Angels had been from their beginning created such as they are now made to be by the grace of confirmation yet even so they had not been impeccable or free from a possibility of sinning by the condition of nature but by the gift of grace which although it may be termed naturall as given with and implanted in their nature yet it might have been taken away and removed without the destruction of their nature And he saith It s no derogation from the power of God that a Creature cannot be made by nature impeccable for the thing spoken of is not in the number of possibles Res de qua agitur non est de numero possibilium Includit enim contradictionem ut quod creatum est i.e. ex nihilo productum deficere non possit Ideo non potest Deus facere creaturā ex natura impeccabilem quia facere non potest ut creatura non fit creatura Siquidem eo ipso quo creata est defectibilis est Deo potente subtrabere vel esse vel operari vel ipsius operationis rectitudinem ex quo manifestum est non negatione sed positione creaturae per naturam impeccabilis derogari potentiae Dei. Est in 2. sent Dist 7. § 9. and it is a contradiction to say that a Creature that is a thing made of nothing should not be able to change and that therefore God cannot make a creature by nature immutable because he cannot make that a creature should not be a creature which as such is defectible God being alwayes able to withdraw its being or the operation of its being or the rectitude of its operation Whereby saith he its manifest that not by the denying but by the granting that a creature may be impeccable by nature we derogate from the power of God But 2. I answer with Aquinas p. 1. q. 36. a. 2. that God appointing an inequality in the things which hee created hereby made the world after the best manner The perfection of the whole requires that there should be an inequality in the severall Creatures that so there might be all degrees of goodnesse made up and this is one degree of goodnesse that somthing be so good that there should bee an impossibility for it ever to swerve from its goodnesse and another degree of goodnesse is that some things should bee made defectible and in a possibility of leaving their goodnesse And as the perfection of the world requires that there be not only incoruptible but also corruptible creatures so likewise that there should be some things defectible from goodnesse If angels might have been made more excellent in themselves yet not in relation to that goodly order and admirable beuty which God hath caused in the world by making them in that capacity wherein they were created A Captain a Colonel are better then a common souldier in an army but yet it s better for the order and beuty of the army that some should be common souldiers and commanded than that all should be Officers and Commanders And God as * Aug. Ench. c. 11.27 Melius judicavit de malis bene facere quam mala nulla esse permittere Augustine saith thought it better to bring good out of that which was evil then not at all to suffer evil to be For he that is perfectly good would not suffer evil in his works unlesse he were so omnipotent as to bring good out of that evil 2. By way of explication of this second branch 2d Branch it may be enquired what was that first sin whereby this defection was made or this first estate of the angels not kept And here sundry opinions offer themselves Some falsly expounding that place of Gen. 6.2 Philo. Orig. Josephus Irenaeus Justin Mart. in Apol. pro Chr. Clem. Alex. strom l. 3 Tertul. l. de hab mul. Lactant. The sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair and they took them wives c. imagined that the angels being taken with the love of women sinn'd by lust Strange it is that so many learned men among the ancients should embrace an opinion so flatly opposite to Scripture and reason For not to speak of the spirituall nature of angels whereby they are incapable of Carnall and sensible pleasures or of the different nature of their by some supposed bodies from ours theirs being if they be at all not compounded of the elements but so pure and thin that its impossible they should be fit for generation the Scripture plainly teacheth that the angels fel from their integrity before there were any daughters of men in being besides Christ tels us that the angels in heaven neither marry nor are given in marriage Mat. 22.3 Others conceive that the first sin of the angels was hatred of God Odium omne ex amore est Nascitur odium Dei tanquam prohibentis amantem ab eo quod inordinatè amat Est in 2. l. sent dist 6. §. 2. the adhering of the angels unto God being by love their departure from God they say must needs be by hatred but this opinion seems false because hatred of God must needs proceed from inordinate love of something else God being hated because he hinders the creature from something which it loves inordinately Hatred therefore could not be the first sin but the irregular affecting of something else or some other sin A third opinion is of those who hold that the first sin of these angels was envying the dignity of man in being created after the image of God but this is confuted by Augustine
should grow the more licentious and madly merry Against that servant saith Christ who shall say in his heart My Lord deferreth his coming Luk. 12.45 46 and shall eat and drink with the drunken shall his Lord come in a day when he looketh not for him and cut him in sunder c. Although Gaal and the Shechemites fortifying the City against Abimelech eating and drinking making merry and cursing him at the beginning of the approach of Abimelechs army were told by Zebul that they saw the shadow of the mountains as if they were men yet his army drawing neer he who had before deluded now terrifies them Where saith Zebul to Gaal is thy mouth wherewith thou saidst Judg. 9.26.28 Who is Abimelech that we should serve him Wicked men who now sport in sin and look upon judgment at a distance make a mock of it Adventum aeterni judicis tanto securiores quandoque videbitis quanto nunc districtionem illius timendo praevenitis Greg. mor. l. 14. c. 30. Bonum judicium quod illi districto judicio me subducit Bern in Cant. ser 55. and the Divel tels them that all the terrifying sermons they hear concerning the day of judgment are but the shadows of the mountains and the dark productions of the melancholy fancies of some precise minister but at the nearer approach of this great day when judgement is at the door and the armies of vengeance rushing in upon them how will their mouths be stop'd their confidences be rejected and how great will their folly appear in being so weak and yet presumptuous at the same time Oh sinner more fear of this great day would better become one that hath no more force to resist it The way to be fearlesse hereafter is to be fearfull here Happy is that fear which prevents future trembling 3 Our meditations of this great day should be deep and serious Great things are greatly observed Observ 3. and make deep impression Though feathers and cork being cast upon the water are wont to swim yet lead and iron sink into it though slighter thoughts become matters of lesse concernment yet serious things should be seriously regarded and throughly admitted into our meditations It 's said of the wicked Psal 10.5 that the judgements of God are far above out of his sight Let not trifles expel out of the mind the thoughts of the eternal judgment as the eye is sometimes hindred from viewing an object of the vastest extent by putting of that before it which is not bigger then a single penny 4. Observ 4. 2 Pet. 3.12 ◠Non potest esse verus Christianus nec recitare orationē dominicam qui non toto corde hunc diem desiderat Luth. Perversum est nescio utrum verum quem diligis timere ne veniat orare adveniat Regnum tuum timere ne exaudiaris Aug. in Euar Psal 147 Great should be our desires and longing after this great day Christians only sin in seeking those things that are falsly and appearingly great but the blessings to be enjoyed at this great day are truly great We should love the appearance of Christ and look for and hast to the coming of the day of God if we would approve our selves for the Spouse of Christ let our note be Come Oh why is his Charriet so long in coming Res dulcis mora molesta the sweeter the enjoyment the stronger the desire Be ashamed oh Christian that the day should bee so great and thy desires so smal that a spouse should so desire the day of her marriage a prisoner his liberty a Malefactor his pardon a labourer his rest an heir his inheritance and that thou shouldst be so sluggish and remiss in regarding that day which removes every sorrow supplies with every comfort 5. Observ 5. Judicandum se satis esse diffidit qui male vivit Chrys ser 59. Rom. 8. Phil 3.8 Our chief care should be that this great day may prove a good day to us even as good as its great The judgement day cannot be a good day to those to whom the Judge is not good There 's no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus The comfort of a Christian at the judgement day will be to be one with the Judge and to be found in him by faith not having his own righteousness The Judge will not endure that they who are his own members should be cut off He who hereafter shall be the Judge is now the Advocate of beleevers It can never be a good day to those who are in love with that which makes it and every day evill They who love sin must needs fear judgement If sinners cannot endure the light of the Word in the Ministry how shall they endure the light of divine disquisition at the day of Judgement Men who have taken in uncustomed goods or prohibited commodities cannot desire the company of the searchers who are appointed to open their packs The fardels and packs of every sinner shall be opened at the great day the hidden things of dishonesty shall be discovèred and every conscience rip'd up Empty your hearts of the love of every secret sin if you would not fear a searching Sins unthought of will then seize upon the wicked unawares Multa peccata tum proruent ex improviso quasi ex insidiis Plus valebunt pura corda quam astuta verba conscientia bona quam marsu pia plena Bern. At this great day the purity of the heart will more profit then subtilty of words and a good conscience then a full purse How happy were it that men would be repenting here prevent repenting hereafter It cannot be a good day if the enjoyments of this world be accounted the chief good He who hath no other Paradise but his gardens no other mansions but his beautifull buildings no other God but his gold and possessions cannot delight to see those flames which shal consume them He will certainly cry out as a man doth who hath laid up all his treasures in an house set on fire I am undone I am undone Covetousnesse proclaimes as the worlds old age and its nearnesse to so the unwelcomnesse of its dissolution Wares laid up in a low moyst room will be corrupt and rotten but those laid up in a high loft will be kept fafe And if we lay up our treasures only in this world Mat. 6.20 they will corrupt and come to nothing but those which we treasure up in heaven will be ever safe and sound It cannot be a good day to them who are overtaken with it upon whom it comes as a snare upon the birds who are taken as the old world was with the Flood whose wine was turned into water Luk. 17.26 and whose drunken security was swallowed up in a devouring deluge Lastly it can be a Good day to none but to those who do good Psal 50.23 2 Pet. 3.11 Tit. 2.12 13. 1 Cor. 15.5 8 who in
Judgement An unjust Judge is a Solecism a contradiction A Judge should be the Law enlivened To this end Judges must be godly Righteousnesse will not stand without Religion Jethro's advice to Moses was Chuse men fearing God Exod. 18.21 Let the fear of the Lord be upon you said Jehoshaphat to the Judges 2 Chr. 19.6 7. The Aethiopians apprehended that the Angels attended on all Judicatories and therefore as I have read of them they left twelve chairs empty in the judgment-place which they said were the Seats of the Angels but Judges must believe that a greater than the Angels is there 2. Impartiall He must not respect the person of the poor nor honour the person of the mighty Lev. 19.15 and Deut. 1.17 He must hear the small as well as the great There must no mans condition be regarded in judgement nor must the Judge behold the face of any ones person but the face of his cause Job 34.19 God accepts not the persons of Princes A Judge will be a sun of righteousness it shining as well upon the beggar as the noble 3. A Master of his affections Anger hatred pity fear c. the clouds of Affection will hinder the Sunshine of justice The Athenian Judges us'd to sit in Mars-street to shew that they had Martiall hearts Constantine is termed a man-man-childe Rev. 12.5 So Brightman for his courage He who wil go up to the mount of Justice must leave his affections as Abraham did his Asse and Servants at the foot thereof Love and wisdom seldome dwell under one roof and the fear of man is a snare A Coward we say cannot be an honest man nor will a fearfull and flexible Judge be able to say injustice Nay 4. Deliberate In the case of information about false Worship Deut. 17.3 Moses directs to this deliberation before sentence be given If it be told thee and thou hast heard of it and enquired diligently and behold it be true and the thing certain c. then shalt thou bring forth the man c. What plenty of words are here to prevent precipitancy in Judicature It much commended the integrity of Job who professeth Job 29.16 The cause which I knew not I searched out †See the example of the Heathen Festus Act. 25.16 Both sides must be heard the small as well as the great Though a Judges * Qui statuit aliquid parte inaudita alerâ aequum licit statuerit haud aequus fuit Sen. in Med. sentence be right yet hee is not right in giving it if he give it before either party be heard 5. A lover of truth A man of truth Exod. 18.21 Hating lying executing the judgement of truth Zech. 8.16 His heart must love his tongue speak the truth Exod. 18.21.23.8 Deut. 16.19.27.26 2 Chron. 19.7 nor will the hand without go right if the wheels within go wrong 6. Incorrupt Hating bribes because hating covetousnesse A gift blindeth the wise and perverteth the words of the righteous Of whose hand saith Samuel have I received any gift to blind mine eyes therewith 1 Sam. 12.3 A Judge must neither take money to be unjust nor to be just Righteousnesse is its own reward The Thebeans erected the Statues of their Judges without hands the gaine of bribes is sum'd up Job 15.34 Fire shall consume the Tabernacles of bribery 7. Sober and Temperate He that followes the pleasures that attend on Majesty will soon neglect the paines which belong to Magistracy It was a prudent instruction of Lemuel's mother Prov. 31.4 5. It is not for Kings It is not for Kings O Lemuel to drink wine nor for Princes to drink strong drink lest they drink and forget the law and pervert the judgement of any of the afflicted Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart Hos 4.11 Some understand those words Jer. 21.12 Execute judgement in the morning properly as if they should performe acts of judgement early before they were indangered by abundant eating or feasting to render themselves less able to discerne of causes 2. The second branch of Jurisdiction which belongs to the Magistrate consisteth in the Dstribution of rewards and punishments 1. Of Rewards to those who keep 2. Of Punishments to those who break the Lawes 1. Of Rewards Of this the Apostle speaks Rom. 13. Do that which is good and thou shalt have praise Of this the Supreme Lord gives an example who joynes shewing mercy to thousands with visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children Exod. 20. Nor must a Magistrate be a Sun only for lustre of Majesty but also for warmth and benignity 2. Of Punishments These are of sundry kinds Some concern the name as degradations some the estate as pecuniary mulcts some the body and these are either Capitall or not Capitall as mutilation of some part c. Evident it is from Scripture-commands that it is the Magistrates duty to punish Deut. 19.21 the Judges shall make diligent inquisition c. And thine eye shall not pity but life shall go for life 2. From his Function Rom. 13.4 He beareth not the sword in vaine Governours are for the punishment of evill doers 3. From the Benefit of these punishments To the punished who may grieve for what they have done to the Spectators who may be warned from doing the like Prov. 19.25 Deut. 19 19r Indulgentia flagitiorum illecebra Exod. 21.12 Lâ—v. 24.17 c. Sinfull indulgence silently yet strongly invites to a second wickednesse Even Capitall punishments are injoyned by Scripture Gen. 9.6 Who so sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed A Law which being before the erection of the Mosaicall Polity shews that the Lawes which afterward commanded Capitall punishments did not simply and absolutely but only in respect of some circumstances concern the Israelites The capitall punishment of Malefactors by the Magistrate was dictated by the Law of Nature And as the force of the foresaid command was before so did it continue after Moses Christ himself even from it drawing an Argument to disswade Peter from shedding of blood Mat. 26.52 Nor do I understand but that if all punishments of Malefactors by the sword be now unlawful as Anabaptists dream it must necessarily follow that all defending of the subjects by the sword against an invading enemy is unlawfull also the publick peace being opposed by the one as much as the other nay may we not argue That if the power of the sword belong not to the Magistrate to defend the Common-wealth that it belongs not to any private man to defend himself against the violent assaults of a murderer In sum Capitall punishments may be inflicted but sparingly slowly It is observed by some That God was longer in destroying Jericho then in making the whole world Satius est ut euret pharmacum quam sanet ferrum As many Funerals disgrace a Physician so many executions dishonour a Magistrate The execution of Justice should like Thunder fear many and
c. as well as to our selves should make us love grace Thus much for the third and last particular in the description of the Authour of this Epistle the brother of James and so for the first part of the Title of the Epistle The description of the Penman of it The 2d part of the title or preface of the Epistle viz. The parties to whom the Apostle writes The second part of the Title followeth which is the Description of those persons to whom he wrote which persons are described from a threefold priviledge 1. They are sanctified by God the Father 2. Preserved in Jesus Christ 3. Called Of these in their order The first branch of this description 1. is They are sanctified by God the Father Wherein I consider two Particulars 1. The sort or kinde of the priviledge bestowed upon them viz. Sanctification To them that are sanctified 2. The Author therof or by whom it was bestowed By God the Father 1. Of the kind of Priviledg Sanctification Of which I shall speak 1. By way of Explication of it 1. By way of collecting Observations from it 1. Of the Priviledge Sanctification by way of exposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To them that are sanctified Beza speaks of two Copies that read it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and from thence the Vulgar Translation renders it Dilectis This other reading mentioned also by Ro. Steph. and Gagnaeus To them that are beloved of God the Father which manner of speech as Beza well notes is unusuall in Scripture which speaketh of us being for and in Christ beloved of the Father And Estius though a Papist acknowledgeth that the former reading Estius in loc sanctified is not onely more pure but more sutable to the scope and drift of the Apostle who by calling them sanctified would deterr them from and make them take heed of those unholy and impure Seducers against whom he was now about to write The word here used by the Apostle admits of and signifieth in Scripture severall kinds of Sanctification as 1. Sanctification by way of destination or separation To this purpose the Greeks use the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 29.44 1 King 9.3 2 Chro. 7.16 Esa 13.3 i.e. when things are separated to an holy use so the Lord sanctified the Sabboth day by separating it from other dayes and appointing it for the duties of his own Service Thus also the Tabernacle the Temple the First-born were sanctified Exod. 13.2 God commandeth Moses to sanctifie all the First-born which he explains ver 12. Thou shalt set apart unto the Lord all that openeth the matrix 2. There is a sanctification by way of celebration acknowledging manifestation declaration of the goodness of a thing thus the creature sanctifieth the name of the Creator Isa 29.23 They shall sanctifie my name and sanctifie the holy One of Jacob. 3. Sanctification by way of fruition comfortable use and blessed enjoyment of the gifts of God so 1 Cor. 7.14 the unbeleeving husband is sanctified by the wife and 1 Tim. 4.5 Every creature of God is sanctified 4. Sanctification by way of application to apply a thing to such a holy use as God appointed so we sanctifie the Sabboth Exod. 20.8 i.e. imploy it to the holy use for which God ordained it 5. By exhibition introduction or bestowing actuall holinesse by putting holinesse really and properly into one This the Creator only can do to his creature this God doth by his Spirit which is called the holy Ghost and the Spirit of sanctification 2 Thess 2.13 And thus man particularly is sanctified or made holy three wayes 1. Of not holy negatively Ex non sancto negativè and so Christ as he was man was sanctified for there was a time when as Christ had not this holinesse in his humane nature when his humane nature was not 2. Of not holy privatively Ex non sancto privativè and so man that had lost totally his holinesse is made holy by regeneration or effectuall vocation 3. Of lesse holy and so Gods children are sanctified Ex minus sancto by being enabled to the exercise of an actuall mortifying of sin and living in holinesse with proceeding in both The sanctification here spoken of presupposeth the second afterward in the word Called more particularly to be handled and intendeth the third namely the actuall exercise of the abolition of our naturall corruption and the renovation of Gods image in us begun in grace here and perfected in glory hereafter So that this Sanctification stands 1. In an actuall putting off of corrupt qualities Ephes 4.22 23 24. Col. 2 9 10. Rom. 6.2 Gal. 2.20 Gal. 5.24 Rom. 6.8.5 Gal. 6.14 Col. 3.5 Eph. 2.1 2 a putting on the new and sanctified 1 A Buriall 2 a Resurrection 1 A mortification of the old 2 a vivification of the new man 1 One thing is destroy'd and pull'd down 2 Another set up 1 A taking away of what is redundant 2 an addition of what is wanting 1 The killing power of the Cross 2 the quickning power of the Resurrection of Christ 1. Mortification of the old man is the first part of sanctification wherby the strength power and tyranny of sin is weakened and more and more abolish'd like John Baptist it decreaseth like old folks in a house who are going out of the world and crowded out as it were by the younger the heirs The living of the old man is onely as a clog and eye-sore to the new This work of Mortification stands principally in these three acts or degrees of acting 1. An act of discerning 2. Detesting 3. Destroying sin the souls enemy Knowing causeth hatred and hatred puts us upon seeking the destruction of an enemy 1. An act of discerning Sin may hurt us when wee know it not but we not hate it unlesse we know it Sin had deformity always but we had not always eys to see it It was Leah that lay by Jacob all night but he discern'd her not till the morning Sin is now discovered as it is not as it is coloured over by Satan Sin is uncomly onely to a renewed understanding Nature never sets up a light to discover its own deformities Of others its often said They know not what they do In understanding they are children nay brutes they see with Satans spectacles But a renewed minde discerns between things that differ looks upon the old bosom favourite as a traytor there are new apprehensions of the old man The Apostle not without an emphasis speaks of those things wherof we are now ashamed now not formerly nay heretofore sin was gloryed in but now the soul sees its not onely unsafe and its own death but unsutable and the death of Christ It was striking at me saith a gracious heart but Christ step'd between me and the blow Herein standing sins great deformity as that of drunkennesse in a mans wounds 2. Detestation The eye increaseth loathing It cannot