expressed in so many words to wit That they must fight but in the roome thereof it is declared by what meanes and after what manner the faithfull must contend For in vaine might one discover a danger unlesse some meanes be prescribed for the avoiding of it He therefore shewes that the faithfull must contend both for themselves and for others For themselves in the 20 and 21 verses and for others their brethren verses 22 23. Whereas they are not in a like danger or fault therefore to some one kind of meanes must be used for they that are fallen by Infirmity must be restored by the Spirit of Lenity Gal. 6. at the beginning But they that have betrayed themselves into their Enemies hands and drawn others they must be brought home againe with Terrour and severity by shewing them their dangerous estate wherein they stand For themselves The way of safegarding themselves is by the diligent practice of one chiefe thing they must keep themselves in the Love of God And fence themselves with it as with a Trench but to the making of this fence they need three things as three ditches or bankes to wit Faith Prayer Hope Briefly There are foure things commended to every Christian whereby he may defend himselfe against the force of the wicked to wit Faith Prayer Love of God Hope Now let us speake of each particular in a word first admonishing this that this care ought not lesse to touch us then those ancient Christians to whom Iude wrote Yea it much more concernes us diligently to provide for our selves least our Faith being vanquished wee be brought into bondage yea everlasting destruction wee being in as great danger as ever were any For we see Reverend Fathers into what times and manners we are fallen for although at the mention of so great Impiety as the Apostle here speakes of There is none but doth feare and tremble yet these are the times wherein Christ foretold That Iniquity should abound the Charity of many wax cold and in which the Son of man when he came to judgement should scarce find Faith in the Eath The Apostles time was the best and as the Spring time fit to grow and increase the Church but these our times are Autumnall fit for gathering fruits which if they be not reaped in their due time do grow flush and wither through too much ripenesse and go backward while at last the graine or Seed being shaken and fallen to the earth there remaines nothing but empty blades I confesse that the horrible Impietie of Popery is by the power of God blessed be his Name long since banished our Church with the neighbour Countries are illustrated with the beames of the truth Yet there doth slyly creepe some secret and lurking evill in the wrapping it self in the cloke of Religion which doth weaken all the strength of Religion Wee will all be called Christians and all professe we know the true God But who almost denies him not with his deeds Wee all make a shew of Piety What Did I say All. I would it could truly be so said For many do so hate the semblance of Piety that they abhorre from all shew of honesty But be it that all professe Piety but how few make Conscience of any Sin Yea who is it not almost that under this name of Religion thinkes not that all liberty is granted to filthy lusts So that although these times have whereof they may boast if they knew to use the good given them yet it is come to that dissolute negligence in all Piety that there is none but can witnesse that to be true which Christ and his Apostles once foretold of the miseries of the Times Wherefore seeing Iniquity the floud gates being set open doth poure forth it self into our Age let us thinke that this exhortation of the Apostle doth meerely concerne us And let us be armed and prepare our selves to the battle and let us diligently attend The Precept of the Spirit that we may be found worthy to escape these heavy times And now let us come to the first particular propounded before The first succour of preserving the love of God in us is Faith it self For this only certainly knowes that we are received into favour Through the alâ—ne mercy of God for Christs sake It feeles all our sins bâ—otted out it knowes that nothing can befall us which is not a furtherance to good Wherefore it must needs be that while this shall remaine in our hearts it will mâ—ke the greatnesse of Gods love to us most cleere and sure And not this only but it doth also so vehemently enflame us to a mutuall love that we shall desire to shew our selves thankfull by all meanes The Woman that had many Sinnes forgiven Loved much and the debter Loves much whose debt forgiven was the greatest 1 Iohn 4.19 We Love him because he loved us first But let us see the Precept it self This Faith is declared in this place by a two-fold argument First from the adjoynt of Holinesse called a Holy Faith because this alone doth teach us to thinke holily of God and to conceive honourably of him It doth purge the heart and endue and season it with true holinesse Acts. 15.9 1 Pet. 1.19 20. The second thing by which Faith is here described is the subject Our the common Faith of all the faithfull for the Apostle doth not exhort Christians to build themselves of another Faith whereof themselves have either none or a very slender notion but by this speech he doth warne that no man privately coyne to himself a new Faith devised from that the holy Scriptures would have one and common to all Hence Paul cals the same Faith a common Faith as Iude did a common Salvation Tit. 1.4 2 Pet. 1. chap. 1 verse The thing exhorted to be peâ—formed touching this Faith is noted in this word Build up which is a figurâ—tive speech taken from Architectors or Masons for as that they build not on one side or other besides the Foundation layd but doth reare their building just and straight on the ground-worke and after the worke once begun they never intermit their labour till they have finished the just building So if we desire to beare the force and assaults of the wicked it behoves us that our selves and all our actions thoughts and words be laid on no other then the sole foundation of Faith and that wee never give over so doing till wee have brought our worke to some perfection So that two things are heere commanded First that whatsoever wee doe we referre it to Faith as to the square thereof Second that we labour daily to increase in Faith As touching the first What Faith is That Faith whereby all our actions and counsels must bee ordered as farre as I can judge is not only a certaine and stedfast manner and knowledge of things to be done and not to be done for why should this be called most Holy neither is
aymed at to the which all the other things do serve To wit Faith Prayer and Hope The Love of God may be yea is taken two wayes in the Scripture First passively for that whereby we are beloved of God or Gods love to us And this is that so frequent in the Scripture Second it is taken actively for the love wherewith we love God If we referre this precept to the former kind of love how can we preserve our selves in the same for wee can neither procure the love of God toward us by any merits nor preserve the continuance of it But to resolve this doubt we must understand that the passive love of God is taken two wayes First for the love wherewith he loved us before we were borne or the World was made This love is wholly gratuitall neither did the Lord find any thing in us by which he should be swayed with the least inclination of love to us 1 John 4.10 Yea there was in us contrary matter of hatred And this love in it self is never interrupted never increased or diminished but is one and the same constant and equall And of this Love of God as it is in God the Apostle gives not charge here for wee have no part or act in this that we can preserve it Only touching this we are willed never to let goe the sense of it out of our hearts in which meaning the Apostle uses the word Love Rom. 8.35 39. And therefore it is said Keepe your selves in the Love of God Note and not keepe for your selves the Love of God The other sort or part of this passive love is that which is called actuall beneficence or bountifulnesse by a Metonimye of the cause for the effect that is those effects of love and for those kindnesses wherewith lovers doe prosecute them they love So that to this are referred first the will and pleasure of doing good and then the actuall beneficence it self And this love of God is not alike towards all the Elect but is greater towards these That is he doth bestow greater benefits on those who have fully and wholly put off all corruption of Nature such as are the Saints in Heaven On these I say he bestowes more then he doth on those Elect which either lie still in their sins as not yet called or then he doth on those in whom the grace of Regeneration is begun and yet he bestowes more on these latter then on the other and so we may conclude that they are dearer to him Iohn 14.21 He that Loveth me shall be Loved of my Father c. Wherein he doth shew that he doth bestow a greater measure of love on the Elect called who now actually love Christ then he doth on them that know him not For God loves his own gifts and the more they are the more he loves and the more lively Image of himself he loves more then an obscurer To the same purpose are these words Iohn 14.23 Doct. Whence it is apparent that the more one loves God and observes and keepes his word he is the more beloved of God and Christ and doth find the presence operation and abode of God and his Spirit more effectuall and fruitfull in him then they doe that do lesse love him And thus much of the Passive love of God with the two degrees thereof The Active love of God is that whereby we love God 1 Iohn 2.5 If any keepe my word truly the Love of God is perfit in him That is he shewes that he doth sincerely love God not in word but in deed expressing it as St. John speakes of our love one towards another Now to apply this distinction of Love Quest. If you aske whither of these two the Apostle meanes Answ Surely neither must be excluded for though they are distinct yet never severed the last being an effect of the former and a meaner to retaine the same though it bee no cause thereof Yet the Passive love of God must have the preheminence and is chiefly meant and as an argument that this is so may be that Precept of Christ in the same words Iohn 15.9 Abide in my Love and the Apostle here may seeme not darkely to allude thither And whereas this love of God was expressed in two degrees this cannot so well be understood of the first degree but onely of the sense and feeling of that Eternall immense constant and most free love of God is alwayes to be cherished in our hearts and that by the bountifulnesse and operative Love of God which is as a speciall meanes to Seale up in our Hearts the former For this gratifying love of God though it be alwayes gratuitall yet God would there should be some part and duty performed of the Regenerate which while he doth bestow on us as deserving no such thing it might give us a taste of that secret and hidden Love of God and might perswade us to depend and leane wholly on that So that this Exhortation hath this meaning Cherish in your Hearts yee beloved with all care and diligence the sense of the Eternall Love of God wherewith before all beginning he embraced you in Christ and because the Actuall and gratifying Love of God whereby he doth daily bestow his benefits on Soule and Body and is most availeable to preserve this sense and feeling we must give all endeavour that wee may provoke the most bountifull liberality of God towards us especially in things concerning our Soules and Salvation Quest Now if you aske how this may be done Answ Sure Christ hath given us a generall Rule John 15.10 If we will keepe his commands we shall abide in his Love for to those that do continue in the wayes of his Precepts God doth daily give a more plentifull increase of the gifts of his Spirit whereby he doth make that his Eternall Love more conspicuous and witnessed to our hearts And hither belong these places above named wherein God doth promise that hee will familiarly converse with those that doe sincerely love him that he will fix his seat there and never remove it as wee may see how hee testifyed the same upon Davids expressing the uprightnesse of his heart towards God 2 Sam. 7.12 13 14 15 16 c. They that Honour God those wâ—ll he Honour Vse Seeing God doth so largely reward the study of Holinesse and when as the great measure of his Graces in us is a most undoubted testimony of Gods eternall love let thâ—s be the first rule of cherishing the love of God in us and a most strong inducement to perswade us to it and as a notable incouragement to confirme us in the course of Sanctification And this reason St. Peter urges 2 Epist 1.10 11 verses To make sure our Election and calling and to get an inward and evident testimony of Gods eternall Love And let us not thinke it in vaine to serve God and that there is no reward in keeping his command For if all outward
6. Esay 54.9 10. If the World shall not be drowned againe because God hath said it no more shall an afflicted Soule be cast away Yea Ier. 31. at the end Ier. 33. If Gods Covenant with Day and Night and with Sunne Moone and Starres can be broken then may the truth of Gods promises faile Nay they shall not though Heaven and Earth passe 2 Salve is Christ Iesus bloud The second Soveraigne Salve that Christ cures withall is the plaister of his own heart bloud He doth not only help by promising but he performes it it-selfe He doth not only give the Receits but he makes it and affords the Ingredients which grow alone in his garden Hereby Christ takes away the guiltinesse of sin and eases the Conscience and heart of that burden that did crush it Esa 53.3 4 5. 1 Pet. 2. at the end Iohn 1. The Lamb of God Heb. 9. How much more shall the bloud of Christ c. Yea whereas there are three great wounds and running sores in Man First guiltinesse of Adams sin Second Corruption of Nature Third actuall disobedience Christ the heavenly Physitian doth cure all those ☞ The first by his Death The second by the holinesse of his Nature imputed The third by his obedience to the Law 3 Is the working of the spirit The third Plaister Christ afford and provides is the effectuall worke of his Spirit which is as a defensive and disperser and consumer of all the Corrupt humours that they grow not to a head These takes away the dominion of Sin and eats out the Core of Corruption drying up the filthy streames of sin and opening a new spring for Holinesse and Sanctification This Plaister is taught Rom. 6.2 3 4. Phil. 3.10 Heb. 9.14 4 The Intercession of Christ The fourth and last effectuall Remedy is the Intercession of Christ for whereas there are two things which are ready to cause the sore to breake out againe being healed To wit our daily sins and our failings and coldnesse in our best actions The Intercession of Christ doth help both these For he doth thereby daily remember his death to God his Father that it may be effectuall for 〈◊〉 our siâ—s past and to come and he doth forthwith as the great high Priest take his Censer and step into the gap when at any time we have made a breach And for our Prayers he doth perfume them with his sweet Incense Revel 8.4 5. Vse To reach us whither to run in all our miseries not to the deceitfull confections of the Romish Church which are like the Plaister and Salves of many dishonest Surgeons They do but venome and cause the sore to rankle But let 〈…〉 to Christ who is able and willing hâ—â—ever excluded any comming to him for bodily 〈…〉 in the â—â—guish of sâ—â—â—â— he hath said He would not breake the broken Reed nor quench the smoaking Flax. O then let us beseech him with David to heale us and he will restore us Psal 38. How ready is he to imbrace heale the widest gaping wounds as of Manasseh the sinfull Woman the prodigall Child yea many of the murtherers of himselfe whereby they murthered themselves in Soule hee healed Secondly Let it teach us thankefulnesse How is the bodily Physitian honoured and rewarded Much more the healer of thy Soule Psal 103. Luke 17. Remember the Leaper that was clensed he requires no other gift He shewed great love to thee and all Man-kind that he stayed not for sending but he came to visit us Which is strange in the World to see the Physitian seek to the Patient and not the Patient rather to the Physitian O then should we not love our Physitian should wee not follow his direction which is being healed Goe thy way and Sin no more And seeing Christ hath made his Minister the Apothecary to temper and administer these Heavenly Physicks how should wee seeke to their Shops the places of Gods worship how should all that are diseased come and lye down at this Poole of Bethesda wayting till the Lord effect our cure there God opens his Schoole of Physicke and Surgery Examine what comes from thee what thy Pulse is Observe thy heart if any Lust of uncleannesse Ambition or Covetousnesse like a Plurisie vex thee here mayst thou have a veyne opened If any Fever of malice vex thee it may be abated If any swelling of Pride and Vain-glory it may be taken away Doth any Vitall part wast in thee or any Spirituall Consumption ceaze on thee as if any defect in thy Liver that the Word turne not to good nourishment or if thy Lungs be naught that thou growest cold and feeble in Prayer here mayst thou have remedy Doth the Palsie Lethargie Apoplexie or such stupifying diseases creepe on thee heere mayst thou have those grosse and tough humors expelled Doth loathsome Leprosie begin to rise up in botches here it may be cured O then seeing there is such Soveraigne confections why is not the sore of my daughter healed Let it not be said of Israel as it was of Babell We would have cured her and she would not be cured Least the Physick of the Word not prevailing God send his scaring Iron and make Incisions Yea excisions which God for bid Vse Lastly Ministers and Spirituall Physitians are admonished how and whom they heale to wit the Broken and not the whole Ezec. 34.16 Wee must take heed how we draw a dead skin over the wound before it be thoroughly searched For as we may not wound and gall the wounded with sharpe wine of threats and rebukes so neither may we power in Oyle into festered sores and daâ—be with untempered Morter ☞ wee must take heed we sley not the Soules which we should revive and quicken those we should kill Ezech. 13.18.19 20 21 22. For so to doe brings death and was a cause of destruction to the old people of God Lament 2.13 14. O the misery of a Land through foolish and flattering Physitians And thus much of the second Metaphor declaring our misery with the remedy correspondent Vers 28. Recovering of sight to the Blind This is the third comparison or Metaphor expressing our misery by a word fetched from the defect of bodily sight and applyed to the Mind This shall not need much to be insisted in because partly it hath been handled before as a branch of our Spirituall Captivity Yet because the Scripture is most frequent in the use of this as much delighting in it it shall be profitable a little to view the Spirituall blindnesse by that of the body the understanding is the eye of the Soule and the informer and director to the Will affections and so to all our actions now therefore for it to be bâ—ind who sees not the great inconveniences thereof For if the eye be darknesse how great is that darknesse and if the blind lead the blind both shall fall into the ditch now the Scripture doth exceedingly beat of the minds
advantages faile yet this doth not an increase of Grace whereby is increased our assurance As St. Paul teaches Rom. 6.22 That being the Servants of Righteousnesse they had this fruit to wit an increase of holinesse So Rom. 5.5 Hope makes not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad That is the sense of the love of God is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit for by him as a most certain pawne or witnesse that we are beloved of God and how good he is and Fatherly affected So that wee see by what meanes this sense of Gods Love is brought into our Hearts even by the Holy Spirit Vse And therefore a second duty to every one that would cherish this sense of the love of God in him is that he cherish the Spirit who is the Author and preserver hereof But we shall not need to seeke other meanes for the effecting of this then those the Apostle delivers in this place For if there shall be a continuall Meditation of our Righteousnesse purchased by Christ If there shall be a serious Meditation of those good things wherewith God rewards the Servant calling on his name If also our hearts shall be throughly enflamed with a constant expectation of that felicity laid up in Heaven for the Faithfull What can be wanting to us for the preserving a lively sense of this Love we speake of See how loftily the Apostle vaunted himselfe in the confidence of never loosing the sense of this Love bearing himselfe only on these grounds and props Rom. 8.33 Who shall seperate us from the love of God in Christ c. Now what can be more renowned and Honourable what more to be desired then that fraile and weake man should bee stronger and more powerfull then Life then Death then the Divel then Sin and all the terrours of Hell and yet St Paul doth witnesse that the sense of this Love alone did put this Noble heart and Victorious Spirit into him And every godly man truely fearing God hath experience of this in himselfe This is that admirable and wonderfull power which carries men violently through glory and Ignominy through good report and bad through fire and torments that they might Magnify the name of their God whose unspeakable love they feele in their hearts 2 Cor. 5.14 The Love of God constrains us 2 Cor. 4.8 9 10. For when they have Gods favour they stand not much on it that the World is against them For say the wicked spoyle their goods thirst after their bloud yet what need they bee discouraged in heart when they know that these light afflictions shall be recompenced with so great reward as is shewed 2 Cor 4.15.16 17. Wherefore let us get to our selves this most strong Bulwarke against all the force of Satan and his adherents Let us endeavour to Sanctity that being made richer in Graces we may have a more plentifull assurance and deeper stampe Imprinted in our hearts which none hath ever tasted or shall no not with the least sipping that sets not himselfe unfainedly to this taske and makes Conscience to proceed and increase in the same course having a pure heart a true tongue and clean hands But alas if these things be so who can sufficiently bewayle these our dayes wherein men shew that they are so farre from preserving themselves in the love of God that they are set to cast themselves out of the same while some seeke above all to preserve themselves in the love of the World and so the love of God cannot be in them They being carryed away so with the Pleasures Honours and profits of the World as they desire no other Others go on in the open breach of all Gods Lawes grieving the Spirit of God provoking him to his face and moving him to turne his Love into Anger Is not the love of many waxed cold and doth not the fayling of this love in men shew that God begins to withdraw his Love which was the beginning of the other What meanes that deadnesse of mens hearts what meanes either a generall neglect of all meanes Simile or a formall outward use of them which never entring into the heart can no more strengthen the life of it then the meate that is taken into the mouth and goes no further can nourish the body O then let us awake and hold fast our Bridegroome Let us entreat him and endeavour our selves in his way then he will enrich us with his Graces take us into his secret Cabinet and Seale up to and in our Soules the Charter of eternall life O how should this make us pray with David O that my feete were so directed c. O how should Christ and his Truth bee in our hearts to dye and to live how should we sigh and contend for it Who would loose his Evidence Take heed of Sin if thou cherish it it will so eate out the letters of thy Evidence that thou shalt not be able to read them and so weaken thy title and tenure in the Heavenly Inheritance that when the Earthly shall faile thou wilt not know what shall become on thee Arise then by unfained repentance from thy Sins and never give over till by thy Teares thou hast so washed out all the Spots as that the letters of thy Evidence may be cleared and that the Starre which was so darkned may so cleerely shine and directly conduct thee not as it did the wise men to Christ in the Manger but to Christ in glory at the right hand of the Father whither thou shalt alway bee admitted not to offer gifts as they did But to be filled with all pvrfection of happinesse Waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. Hitherto of preserving our selves in the love of God the last furtherance thereunto is here set down to wit Christian Hope It is described by three things First from a property or effect namely Wayting Secondly from the object or thing wayted for the Mercy of Christ called the Grace of Christ 2 Cor. 13. at the end as also the fruit thereof Eternall Life which often is called Hope Thirdly from the end Eternall Life So that the sense of all is Wayting for Eternall Life through the Mercy of Christ Where at the first is discovered that impudent devise and falshood of the Popish Church touching their double justification the first whereof they avouch to be of Grace but that at least of Grace and workes whereas here it is expressed That a Christian justified waytes for Mercy But leaving them to their blindnesse Note let us see what may concerne our selves This Wayting here expressed is a lively property of true Christian Hope in part common to it with Faith For Faith and Hope have both the same grounds the same causes the like effects and therefore as he that Beleeves makes not hast so neither doth he that Hopes So that To Hope Waite Expect and Trust are put all for one in the old Testament Lament 3.40 41. and
followers do more devoutly give themselves to the practice of good workes then wee do What then It may be that a servant may use greater industry and paines then a Sonne is his condition therefore better then the Sons no the obedience which is performed through feare proceeds from love of it selfe this which is done in love doth come from the love of another whom we love Now whereas every man loves himselfe more then another it must needs be that that be greater obedience in outward shew which comes from feare then that is which comes fâ—om love but that greater obedience hath lesse truth and solidity then this lesser and therefore by this it cannot be rightly judged of men it must be left alone to God O that the Papists or seduced by them would consider what wrong they doe Chrstians for while they goe about to make them the Sons of God they make them most fearefull bondmen and prescribe them such a course that the longer they walke in it the further from liberty doe you so reward your followers doe you so blesse your friends And thus much of the Application Now of the reason or manner of applycation verse 25. Why Agar doth resemble the Law given in Mount Sina This is for the great agreement that is twixt Agar and Sina and this agreement is seene in foure things 1. In Name 2. In the Place 3. In the Married condition 4. In the Servile As touching the Name I thinke the Greeke Fathers are here to be followed Chrysostome Oecumen Theophilact who say that Mount Sina had two names the one whereof was Agar For these men in regard of vicinity both of time and place when and wherein they lived might know these things better then we can doe Againe the Article To prefixed before the word Agar being of the newter Gender doth shew that the woman her selfe is not here understood but the name but the name was not a Type of the Mount or of the Law but the woman herselfe and therefore the name is here taken because the name of the Mount was the same as the Scripture seemes to teach 1 Chron. 5.10 And other Authors as Dion in Trajano and Ziphilin The second thing is the place of this Mount whence is great agreement twixt Agar and the Mount and so of the Law delivered there The Mount was in Arabia out of the confines of Canaan and what doth Agar signifie but a stranger as was shewed before so that whether we respect the name it selfe or the force of the Name it might justly and fitly resemble this Mount Whence is manifest that God doth governe and dispose the smallest things in the earth with great Counsell and wisdome For what is more sleighter then the imposing of a name and yet we see here that the names both of men and places are so wisely ordered that they are not rashly imposed but so as may serve most fitly both for his own providence as also for our Instruction and the Law was given on this Mount out of the bounds of the promised Land that we might understand that it was not the Law of our Country and of heyres but of Exiles and banished whither also tended that that Moses the Law-giver could not bring the people into Canaan but Ioshua did it whom the Author to the Heb. calls Iesus And answers to Ierusalem that now is Here is touched the third argument and it is as it were of conjugall condition for as Agar was not the lawfull wife of Abraham but subordinated by her Mistris into the fellowship of the marriage bed So this may seeme to be the meaning of the word in the originall which in military use properly signifies a Ranke in the Army extended from the Fore-front to the rereward or hindmost So was Agar subordinate to Sara in the same ranke or order but behind in a more inferiour place and order then was Sara and so as Agar subordinate to Sara was correspondent to her so was Sina to Ierusalem For this Covenant that God made with the Jsraelites on Sina is compared to a Marriage Ezech. 16. For this Covenant of the Law was as the fellowship Abraham had with Agar But as this servant though she was admitted into the fellowship of the marriage bed yet was subject to her Mistris so is Sina inferiour to Jerusalem to which God made a Promise of straiter fellowship Hos 2.19 20. This interpretation may shew strange and is new indeed yet me thinks it agrees most fitly with the purpose of this place The fourth Agreement is that as Agar with her sons are in bondage so is Sina with her Sons and in this the Ierusalem that now is on the earth is in bondage also both bodily and spirituall For first they were in subjection to the Roman Empire and are now under the Tyranny and Superstition of the Turke and Mahomet neither was the Inhabitants of that place only in bondage but all those wheresoever they dwell which cleave to the Law And thus much for these foure particular agreements of Sina and Agar which are sufficient to declare that Agar was a Type of the Law Vers 26. But Ierusalem which is above is free Here is the second Application of Sara to the other Testament it stands thus As Sara was to Isaac such is the Church of the New Testament to the faithfull and that the Text might runne more fully some words may seeme needfull to be supplied thus But the other Mother which is Ierusalem or is Sara c. As in the Text This Mother the Church is described by three things First she is above 2. She is free 3. A Mother of all beleevers For the first she is said to be above first in way of distinction from the other that thereby their minds might be withdrawn from thinking on the earthly Ierusalem For as this was a Type of the other above because by the appointment of God it had a Propitiatory yet when the true one comes the shadow will vanish And out of this first respect of this title here fals to ground the vaine boasting and confidence of the Iewes in their earthly Ierusalem for those goodly and lofty Predictions of the Prophets of Sion and Ierusalem did not concern the flesh or the earthly Ierusalem but in a Type God is not tyed to any place though it hath been beautifyed by him with most singular blessings and speciall Promises So then much more vaine is the bragging of the Papists of their Romish Babylon which can shew no such Promise as the earthly Ierusalem had but only resembles herin this in a reducing and reviving all the dead and buried Ceremonies of the Synagogues Second this Ierusalem is said to be above in regard of the Originall of it Because it hath it beginning from the Heavenly grace Iohn 1.13 13. Iohn 3.3 4. Every member must be borne from above Psal 110.3 The birth of thy womb is as the Morning dew which comes from
here who can sufficiently bewayle the blindnesse of men that when their eyes are opened to see that multitudes is no good proofe of a truth and sound Doctrine yet cannot see that it is as deceitfull and insufficient for life and manners yea more deceiveable Because more may see the truth then have grace to practice it that if it hold not in truth of Doctrine it will much more fayle for practice of life as if Treason were naught in one or two yet allowable in a multitude as if one piece of counterfeit silver should be rejected and a thousand of them go for Currant And thus we have seene the misery of the World through Scandals given consider it in Offences taken whence through the great corruption of man not a few evils arise For as was shewed wicked men are offended at the Law many at the Gospell for the Crosse through divisions whence many pretend they know not what Religion to be of many because they hate the godly are offended at their courses they traduce the persons calumniate their actions and make others offended at it Thus Caine was offended at Abels acceptance Esau at Iacobs simplicity the brethren of Ioseph at their fathers love wicked Iudas at good Maries fact the Covetous is offended at the liberall the filthy at the cleane the sluggish Magistrate at the diligent the idle Minister at the diligent Whence comes a new increase of miseries the band of love is broken twixt those of the same place envie repining secret undermining takes place and which is the misery of all while some build diligently others negligently some with good stuffe silver gold others with hay and stubble When will the building be finished and what manner of one will it bee But let us apply this Vse The use of this is First for every one to looke to himself and watch over his own wayes both words and workes for are all these matter of offence and cause of so great woe as hath been shewed O then how carefull should men be of what they say what they do and before whom For be a man never so poore and base thou art threatned this fearfull Woe if thou Scandalize him 1 Cor. 8. Saint Paul shewes two fearfull evils that came of Scandals that makes God so to punish them First the endangering the soule and salvation of man Second the trespasse against the bloud of Christ Now what can be more wicked and unbeseeming Christian profession then to cast away a soule and to cause the least drop of Christs bloud to fall to the ground O the fearfull state of blasphemers prophane talkers loose-livers masters of disorder actors of wickednesse Oh with what feare and trembling should our Salvation be wrought forth Saint Paul on this consideration cryed out that if his brother should be Scandalized through his eating of flesh he would not do it while the World stood Lo love and the care of Paul The second use to all Magistrates and Governours to looke carefully to redresse these evils O how shall they deserve of the Church and Common-wealth For if Christ hath avouched that the World becomes miserable through Scandals ☞ then how much shall they engage their Country unto them if by their meanes these evils be removed then shall they truly bee called gracious Benefactors Thinke it not enough if you can escape the Woe denounced against them that write grievous Lawes If you cannot escape the Woe that comes of Scandals which are rise through your default How doth the Brownists and Anabaptists traduce our Church and draw multitudes after them they all running on the Rock of Scandall in the Church For the many abuses of the Ministry in the entrance and execution of the same Whence they call into question the state of our Church and for personall abuses condemne the sacred Function Now how happy a thing were it that these things were removed that we might have no unsufficient idle or dissolute Ministers who offer strange fire and come before the Lord in their sinnes Such as God himselfe wishes that the Church dores might be shut against Malach. 10. The third use is to the godly to mourne for these to Pray and with patience to wait till the Lord may clense all sorts and degrees that we may be a Holy people and one edifie another in our most holy Faith Fourth here is discovered a two-fold Corruption in man First a great pronenesse and inclination to sin for otherwise there could come no great hurt to others of evill Example but by reason of corrupt nature which as tinder takes the least sparkle of fire and is kindled with the least motion sin being as some herbe or weeds that if but one slip be set in a Garden it will run over it all The second corruption is a great aversion and hatred of good for else how could it be that the good examples of Gods Saints before us should be Scandals to us whereas they are in themselves and ought to be to others great inducements to good and furtherance to godlinesse by their example But that mans corrupt nature is so froward and doth loath good and the meanes thereof It must needs be that offences come Hitherto hath beene spoken of the conclusion or last part of our Sermon reason now followes the second by which the view and sight of our evill will appeare more fully We heard before how heavy a thing a Scandall is and what the misery ensuing was Which had been more tollerable if there had been any way open to escape for evils are then much qualified when there is any refuge for them or avoidance of them But if all meanes of escaping be excluded and all wayes intercepted then a light evill becomes sore As Esay 24.24 Feare pit and snare Amos 5.19 Amos 9.12 Now this doth happen to the Scandals to which above and beyond their own unmeasurable weight there is added as pressing down the burden of Necessity It must needs be Object But whence comes this necessity Ans There is a threefold reason of it The first is from the revenging hand of God for it must needs be that God be just and his justice doth require that his sacred truth and infinite mercy in Christ being offered to the World are contemned and scorned he should suffer Scandals to arise every where wherewith they that would not embrace the truth sincerely being deluded might be carryed away to destruction that those that have loved error and sinne might perish in their own snares and in the fire themselves had made This is manifest 2 Thes 2.11 Examples of this we have in Rehoboam and Jeroboam 2 King 12.15 The like Amos 7.10 And most plainly 1 King 22. Of Ahab who refusing the true Prophets God permitted the Divell to bee a lying Spirit in the mouth of all his Prophets to seduce him This is one reason of Mahometisme and Popery For when the world began to loath the true God he permitted these