cannot be too desirous to receive our Baptism in our Saviours communion for what is communicated from him is also sanctified by him So is it in our prayers we may very comfortably perswade our selves that Saint Mark used the same Abba Father for Christ which Saint Paul had used for us Christians least any man should think we Christians â—ad not the same right to pray or at least not the same spirit of prayer that was in Christ therefore to assure us that both do pray in the communion of the same Spirit both are set down praying in the communion of the same words But yet whether S. Mark borrowed this from S. Paul or not the doubt still remains why this Abba Father is in two several languages when as the reduplication might happily have been as emphatical in one tongue as in two I answer with Saint Augustine Abba propter illorum linguam pater propter nostram Aug. in Psal 78. To shew that Christ did no less belong to the Gentiles then he did to the Jews he useth a Greek word that signifies father for the Gentiles as well as a Syriack word that signifies father for the Jews for at that time the Jews themselves commonly spake Syriack having in the Babylonian captivity learned to mix Chaldee with Hebrew which mixture begat the Syriack The effect of Saint Augustines answer is this Syriack and Greek are both joined together to shew the communion of Jew and Gentile in Christ we may add and not only so but also to shew the cause of that communion even the communication of the same spirit to them both which when it descended visibly upon the Apostles endued them with the gift of tongues and the scripture still retaining the variety of languages in this Abba Father doth not only commemorate that miraculous discent of the Holy Ghost upon them but doth also confirm his continual descending upon us with as good success though not with as great a miracle For he teacheth us no less then he taught them to cry Abba Father which puts me upon a second question who it is that cries Abba Father is it his spirit or our own I answer t is his Spirit not our own t is indeed our voice but t is his breath for we cannot say Abba Father by the breath and power of our own but only by the breath and power of his Spirit and by that we can say it with an undaunted courage and do say it with an immortal comfort because with a hope full of immortality T is then his Spirit that crieth Abba Father though in our mouths And this crying Abba Father is more fully expressed Rom. 8. 26. The spirit helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered whence it may be gathered that the gift of prayer is more in groans then in words more in groans which cannot then in words which can be uttered for Moses cried unto the Lord when he spake not one word And the Lord said unto Moses Wherefore criest thou unto me Exod. 14. 15. So that he prayed by the Spirit whiles his tongue stood still and consequently the gift or spirit of prayer here meant by crying Abba Father may not be placed in voluble effusions but in strong affections not so much in the tongue as in the heart for else many adopted Sons must be denied to have the Spirit of Christ who cannot pour out their conceptions in multiplicity of words And which is as bad many must be affirmed to have the Spirit of Christ who are enemies to the cross of Christ whose end is destruction whose God is their belly and whose glory is in their shame who mind earthly things for many of these men may and do attain to a great perfection in extemporary effusions we dare not then say that all those who take upon them to be eminent in the gift of prayer do truly cry Abba Father or do pray by the Spirit of Christ because we see that many of them by their works do oppose the name and blaspheme the truth of Christ and bring themselves under that terrible reproof and more terrible reproach They profess that they know God but in works they deny him being abominable and disobedient and unto every good work reprobate Tit. 1. 16. But there are doubtless many others more concerned in the gift though less in the pretence of the Spirit who make not so many words but yet make more prayers even whiles they make use of those prayers which their Church hath made for them for these bring their groans though not their words and those groans are the groans of the Spirit which without doubt may as well if not better accompany a prayer that we are sure is according to the mind of Christ as a prayer that we cannot tell whether it will be so or no However we cannot deny but every one who truly prayeth by the spirit of Christ may say what holy David hath put into his mouth and the Holy Spirit put into the mouth of David Oh come hither and hearken all ye that fear God and I will tell you what he hath done for my soul I called upon him with my mouth and gave him praises with my tongue If I incline unto wickedness with my heart the Lord will not hear me But God hath heard me and considered the voice of my prayer praised be God which hath not cast out my prayer nor turned his mercy from me Psal 66. v. 14 c. As if he had said This great miracle of mercy hath God done for my soul which I cannot but speak all you that fear him shall do well to hear he gave me his spirit to call upon him with my mouth to give him praises with my tongue and because praise is not commonly in the mouth of a sinner and cannot be acceptable from it he gave me his spirit also to sanctifie my heart that it should not incline to wickedness hence it is that I do heartily praise him for enabling me to pray because praying in the spirit of his Son I can pray in comfort that he will not cast away my prayer because he cannot cast away his only Son nor turn away his mercy from me because he cannot turn away froÌ„ his own Spirit which by his mercy is now becoÌ„e mine Thus it is said The spirit of the Lord cloatheth Amasai 1 Chro. 12. 18. t is in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Septuagint translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Saint Hierom induit that is The spirit of the Lord cloathed Amasai not barely came upon him but also stuck close to him and covered him all over And indeed so doth the spirit come upon us to cloath our souls as our garments do our bodies that there be neither chilness nor nakedness neither want of zeal nor of holiness in our
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lib. 4. de orth fide cap. 18. They are holy and religious books but yet are not reckoned among the Canonical Scriptures because they were not deposited in the Ark So the Books of the New Testament were known to come from God in that they were deposited in the Ark that is to say in his Church And hence it was that the Epistle of Saint James and some others though they were not at first generally received in all Churches yet were they no longer questioned after once it was made appear by the Testimony of those Churches where the Authentick Copies of them had been deposited that they had been indicted by some Apostle or approved by some Apostolical man till then they were questioned in regard of their Authors if not in regard of their Authority but after that they were questioned in regard of neither so great a confidence did God repose in particular Churches that it is evident he entrusted them with his own Word to keep it to witness it and to explain it as the Church of the Jews with the Old Testament which Church though it were Catholick or universal in its Doctrine yet was it meerly particular or national in its extent for he shewed his word to Jacob his statutes and ordinances unto Israel he had not dealt so with any Nation neither had the Heathen knowledge of his Laws Psalm 147. ver 19 20. And several Churches of the Christians with several parts of the New Testament as the Church of Rome with that Epistle sent to the Romans and the Church of Corinth with those two Epistles sent to the Corinthians and so of the rest And as for the seven Catholick or general Epistles commonly so called they had the title of Catholick or general Epistles not because they were sent to no particular Churches but because they were sent to many as Saint Peters to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus Galatia Cappodocia Asia and Bythinia which being not directed particularly to one of these was therefore called a general Epistle as belonging to them all not because it was sent at large to all of them for so perchance it might have been received by none but because it was to be communicated to all unless that we had rather say that these Epistles were called Catholick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they were sent of purpose to confute some new risen Hereticks or Schismaticks particularly the Solifidean Heresie and the itch of separation either from ambition or covetousness or perversness as may appear by the arguments of the said Epistles however those also were at first deposited with some particular Churches and hence it was that some of them were sooner generally received then others even those which had been at first deposited with the more eminent Churches Thus we see the trust of particular Churches and in them the trust of the Catholick Church concerning the Scriptures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eis credita sunt eloquia Dei They were entrusted with the Oracles of God Rom. 3. 2. that is they were entrusted to keep them and to witness them but Saint Pauls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am entrusted with a dispensation sc of the same Oracles speaks more that they were also entrusted to explain them and we cannot deny the continuance of this trust unto the Worlds end unless we will affirm that God hath laid aside the care both of us and of his Church neither regarding the salvation of our souls nor the authority and continuance of his own Church and so by consequent exterminate out of our Creed as well as out of the world the Catholick Church and the communion of Saints and by consequent deprive our selves of the forgiveness of sins the Resurrection of the Body and the life everlasting SECT III. The second part of the Trust of Particular Churches is concerning the people of God What that Trust is and how it comes to be derived to them is shewed from Saint Pauls speech Acts 20. to the particular Church of Ephesus and from Saint Pauls Epistles to Timothy and Titus and from other several Epistles of his to particular Churches GOD is very angry with a man when he Trusts his soul in his own hands for then he leaves him exposed to the Temptations of his own concupiscence to the errours of his own ignorance to the slips and stumblings of his own infirmity to the precipices and downfalls of his own presumption and to the bondage and thraldom of his own corruption Therefore we justly extoll the power and goodness of God in our preservation no less then in our Creation and himself thinks it no less honourable to keep a soul then to make it and therefore Saint Paul calleth him God our Saviour thrice in one Epistle By the Commandment of God our Saviour 1 Tim. 1. 1. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour 1 Tim. 2. 3. We trust in the living God who is the Saviour of all men specially of those that believe 1 Tim. 4. 10. Which if it had been observed by the transcribers of some private Manuscripts one would not have read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God the Father and our Saviour Jesus Christ Another would not have read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of God our Father and Jesus Christ for this variety of reading proceeded questionless from that opinion which some held That the name of Saviour belonged only to the person of Christ because it is palpable that in the Authentick Copy of the Greek Church as it is in Saint Chrysostome and of the Latine Church as it is in the Edition of Sixtus Quintus the words are read as Beza records them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God our Saviour and the Lord Jesus Christ where God the Father is plainly called our Saviour because he is the chief and principal cause of our salvation For it is the Fathers mercy that saveth us though the Sons merit and we could not have received should not have embraced the merit of the Son had it not been for the mercy of the Father Therefore the same Apostle as delighted with this expression saith again according to the commandmnnt of God our Saviour Tit. 1. 3. being willing to ascribe to the Father no less then to the Son the Honour and glory of our salvation Behold all souls are mine saith God himself Ezek. 18. 4. and Rabbi David gives us this gloss upon the words All souls belong to me and I have given them bodies of flesh to guide and lead after me and I do delight in their life not in their death for they are mine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 umiccebodi nigzaru and they were taken from mine own Glory q. d. They are mine and I care not to lose them They were parts of mine own glory and I am willing to glorifie them they were at first springs and branches of mine own Tree even the Tree of life and I am desirous to engraft them in that Tree
again And this gloss of the Jewish Doctor is agreeable with the best Christian Doctrine For it is Saint Pauls argugument for the Justification of the Christian as well as of the Jew from whence he proves that Justification cannot be by the Law because the Law was given only to the Jew That God is the God of the Gentiles as well as of the Jews Rom. 3. 29. And it is the same Saint Pauls argument for the salvation of the Christian as well as of the Jew For the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him Rom. 10. 12. according to that of the wise man But thou sparest all for they are thine O Lord thou lover of souls Wisd 11. 26. The Text saith Gods supream Dominion over all is the reason why he is willing to shew mercy unto all and how shall we say his Dominion over all is the reason that he hath excluded much the greatest part from mercy Let us seriously consider this and we will never quarrel with our Church for teaching us this prayer That is may please thee to have mercy upon all men For in truth God himself is Originally the general Pastor of souls according to that of the Psalmist The Lord is my Shephard therefore can I lack nothing A Psalm made concerning all Israel saith Kimchi that they should say so when they go out of captivity we need not change but only rectifie his gloss by extending it to all the Israel of God and to their going out of spiritual captivity the bondage of sin and Satan for all the souls that go out of this captivity have God for their Shephard to guide them to feed them to protect them thus is God himself originally the general Pastor of souls and all others that take care of souls are but his Substitutes and Curates For he hath imparted this cure immediately to his Son whence he is called the Shephard and Bishop of our souls 1. Pet. 2. 3. But mediately by his Son unto his Ministers for so it is averred from Christs own mouth as thou hast sent me into the world even so have I also sent them into the world John 17. 18. viz. To take the charge and care of souls And every true Church of Christ may borrow these words from her Masters mouth should speak them with his zeal and justifie them with his constancy To this end was I born and for this cause came I into the world that I should bear witness unto the truth John 18. 37. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that I should be a witness to the truth and if need required also a Martyr for it the first in the affection of my soul the latter also in the preparation of it A witness I am in the best times may be a Martyr in the worst a witness when men love the truth a Martyr when they oppose it They are first enemies to the truth before they can be enemies to me as it follows Every one that is of truth heareth my voice and by the Rule of conversion every one that heareth not my voice is not of the truth But the less they will hear my voice the more they shall feel thy hand the less they will let me speak for the truth the more the truth will cry out against them they may bring the Martyrdom upon me but they will bring the destruction only upon themselves So saith Saint Peter There shall be false teachers by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of What then shall they therefore be able to destroy Gods Church the witness of his truth and the Martyr for it no they shall destroy only themselves as it is said in the same place and bring upon themselves swift destruction 2 Pet. 2. 1 2. But as for the Church that shall be preserved though so as by fire as just Lot was delivered when Sodom was destroyed verse 7. Whence is inferred this Doctrinal conclusion for the strengthning of our Faith for the establishing of our Hope for the inflaming of our Piety and for the encreasing of our Patience The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations ver 9. All the persecutions that can befall the godly though they are others sins yet they are only their temptations and they that have the zeal to pray not to be led into temptation shall atleast have this benefit of their prayers not to be left in but to be led out of them They may be thought to be in captivity but they are not for the truth shall make them free John 8. 32. They may be thought to be in death but they are not For he that is their Truth is also their Life John 14. 6. They will not be false to the Truth and the Truth cannot be false to them they bear witness to the Truth not only for Gods sake to obey his command and for their own sakes to discharge their consciences but also for the peoples sake to save their souls For the same must be the Trustees for Gods Truth and for the peoples souls because there is no way to save their souls but by his Truth And therefore Saint Paul telleth the Church of Ephesus Acts 20. that he had discharged his Trust concerning their souls by teaching them the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth for saith he I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you ver 20. Whence it is evident he preached the whole Truth And again But have shewed you and have taught you publickly and from house to house Testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks repentance toward God and Faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ ver 20. 21. Whence it is evident he preached nothing but the Truth nothing but the right practical Truth such as concerned the good ordering of this present life by repentance towards God nothing but the right speculative Truth such as concerned the knowledge and enjoyment of the life to come by Faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ We see by Saint Pauls example what is to be the chief Doctrine of every particular Christian Church which succeedeth him in the same Trust and care of souls even Repentance toward God and Faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ and consequently the Church is most truly Apostolical which most incorruptly preacheth this doctrine of faith and repentance and most zealously practiseth what it preacheth Nor may such a Church be dismayed that by this means she is like to have many enemies even as many enemies as there are Pharisees and Sadduces in the whole world ready either to deride the Repentance or to corrupt and deny the Faith for so was Saint Paul assured that bonds and afflictions did abide him v. 23. yet he plainly answereth and thereby teacheth every one who succeedeth him in the same Trust what to answer But none of these things move me neither count I my life dear unto my self so that I might finish my course with joy and
sin shall not have dominion over you were not the reason of that a much greater comfort for ye are not under the Law but under Grace For they that groan under the oppression of Tyrants must needs be most glad to be delivered from their unjust and unmerciful dominion and here is that deliverance for sin which is a greater tyrant over the soul then any monster of men can be over the body shall not have dominion over you but they that have once been under the dominion of tyrants cannot be sure they are delivered out of their hands till they see themselves actually under the righteous and merciful dominion of their own rightful Governours And we may accordingly see that such is our deliverance from the dominion of sin in that it is said in the next words for ye are not under the law but under Grace the spirit of Grace now reigns in you and therefore will not let sin raign any longer in you nor the Law reign any longer over you as it is the strength of sin to provoke it or the judge of sinners to condemn and to torment them For if we lay not some such restriction upon the Apostles words we shall never be able to prove it is a mercy not to be under the Law which is gloriously magnified by the Spirit of God as that which giveth both holiness and wisdom Psal 19. 17. The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul there is the holiness The testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple there is the wisdom we must therefore say that the Law had a threefold use to restrain to condemn and to instruct to restrain sin to condemn the sinner and to instruct in righteousness The power the Law had to condemn sinners and to wrack our consciences before Gods judgement-seat is taken away by Christ so that they who truly lay hold on the Merit of Christ are not thus under the Law as condemning them And thus not to be under the Law is an invaluable mercy because the Law worketh wrath Rom. 4. 15. in shewing Gods wrath against sinners and us as sinners subject to that wrath But the power the Law had of restraining from sin and of instructing in righteousness still remains uncontroled of God and should be undoubted and undisputed of men for he that gave to the Jew an inheritance on earth to have his Law kept as t is said Psal 105. 43 44. And gave them the Lands of the heathen and they took the labours of the people in possession that they might keep his statutes and observe his Laws hath not promised to the Christian an inheritance in heaven to have his Law broken Therefore the Law must still restrain us from sin and direct us in righteousness only with this difference The power it hath of restraining us from sin grows less and less every day in the regenerate and can remain no longer then this life because sin it self in them shall remain no longer But the power the Law hath to instruct and direct in righteousness grows dayly more and more and is as immortal as righteousness it self and can never be abolished neither in this life nor in the life everlasting for it is easier for heaven and earth to pass then one tittle of the Law to fail Luke 16. 17. Nay the Heavens shall pass away with a great noise 2 Pet. 3. 10. But this power of the Law shall not pass away for it follows ver 13. that in the new heavens dwelleth righteousness And if righteousness dwell there then also the Law which is the rule thereof for it is not possible that any creature should have its own will but only the will of God for the rule of righteousness on which will it must as necessarily depend for its doing as for its being since nothing can be independent in its working which is not independent in its being and he only is independent in his being who is wholly in and of and for himself that is God blessed for ever who is the efficient and final cause of all things the efficient cause by whom the final cause for whom they are and were created In a word the regulating power of the Law cannot be abolished for that shall still remain in heaven the restraining power of the Law is not abolished but only changed in that true faith makes us more obedient for love then the Law for fear and the condemning power of the Law shall never be abolished for it shall still reign over the damned souls in hell and breed the worm of conscience that dyeth not And yet t is this condemning power of the Law that we are chiefly redeemed from not that the power of condemning is taken from the Law but that we are taken from its condemnation so saith the Apostle Rom. 8. 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus He saith not There is no condemnation from the Law but he said there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ because they that are in Christ do in him fulfil the Law and so cannot be under the condemnation of it For though they perform not that legal obedience which is able to satisfie Gods Justice yet they perform that Evangelical obedience which is undoubtedly acceptable to his mercy Their obedience though not worth acceptance in it self yet is very well accepted in Christ and that makes them that are in Christ so exceedingly strive to shew themselves dutiful and obedient because no other are made the Sons of God in Christ but only those who are made obedient to him by his Spirit And they truly are under grace because they truly are under Christ the fountain of grace for grace and truth came by Jesus Christ John 1. 17. Gratia dupliciter dicitur uno modo ipsa voluntas Dei gratis aliquid dantis alio modo ipsum gratuitum donum Dei saith Aquinas 3a 2. 10. cap. Grace hath two significations First it is taken for the love of God Secondly it is taken for the gift of that love and accordingly he that is under Grace is partaker of both these both of Gods love and of Gods free gift proceeding from that love And the latter is the infallible demonstration of the former the gift is the demonstration of the love For grace as it is the love of God is the cause of no Religious operations in the soul but as it is the gift of Gods love and therefore this phrase ye are under grace doth not bid us look up to Gods decree but look down upon our own souls to see if we can find there such Religious habits as may cause those Religious operations which are the undoubted evidences and effects of the gift of grace and therefore the undoubted evidences because the undoubted effect of it For grace as it is the gift of God in the soul works not immediately by it self or by its own essence but by virtuous
the diffusion of his glory he hath prepared a mansion for us with him by the diffusion of his grace he hath prepared a mansion in us for himself O the immortal comfort of a good Christian and the more immortal glory of the Christian Religion shew me a comfort like to the comfort of a good Christian who is already in his head ascended into heaven shew me a glory like to the glory of the Christian Religion which hath him alone for its author for its head who sitteth on the right hand of God Ask the Jew he will tell you he left his Prophet upon Mount Nebo Ask the Turk he will tell you his Pcophet was left at Meca Ask other Religions they will tell you they know not what is become of their Prophets It is only the Christian Religion that can say it had such a Prophet as now sitteth at the right hand of God A Prophet who taught not a religion without righteousness as is the Religion of Turks and Heathens nor a Religion with Righteousness but which could not make men righteous as was the Religion of the Jews But a Religion with Righteousness to shew it self righteous and a righteousness with Religion to make us so For the law which was the rule of righteousness came by Moses but grace which maketh righteous came only by Jesus Christ John 1. 17. By this He still dwelleth in us even now that he is farthest from us which is so invaluable a blessing that it cannot be valued till it be enjoyed and when it is enjoyed it is found invaluable For the soul of man cannot but have a wretched dwelling in the body and a more wretched dwelling out of it unless Christ have a dwelling in the soul It is the glory of men above Angels that Christ dweleth in their flesh It is the glory of good Christians above other men that Christ dwelleth in their spirits By his grace he dweleth with us and in us by our faith and love we dwell with him in him nor shall this dwelling ever be destroyed it shall only be enlarged when what is now of grace shall hereafter be of glory There is so inseparable an union betwixt Christ and the good Christian that as the Christian cannot be in the state of Grace without Christ so Christ not fully in the state of glory without him The head thinks himself not in honour whiles the members are in dishonour and therefore our head being ascended into heaven makes it his work to draw us the members of his mystical body thither after him For we are united unto Christ by a threefold cord that is not easily broken First by the tie of Election God having chosen us in him before the foundation of the world having predestinated us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will Eph. 1. 4 5. Secondly by the tie of incarnation wherein he took our flesh unto himself Thirdly by the tie of Inspiration wherein he hath given his Spirit unto us All which have begot so inseparable an union betwixt the Son of God and the sons of men by a golden chain reaching from heaven to earth that Saint Paul speaks of the good Christians as of those who are already in glory with Christ And hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus Ephes 2. 6. He looks on them not only as having jus ad rem but also as having jus in re not only as claiming but also as possessing their heavenly inheritance O that we would be so careful or could be so happy as not to abuse those mercies which we cannot deserve O that we would lift up our souls truly and entirely unto the Lord then would our hearts be where our treasure is at the right hand of God For we may not be in heaven by our perswasions whiles we are either in earth by our affections or in hell by our dispositions How can we see our Saviour at Gods right hand whiles Satan stands at ours making us to butcher his servants to deface his Sanctuary to discountenance his Religion to defile or despise his Ordinances to deceive his people to destroy his inheritance How can we believe him to be making intercession for us whiles we care not to make intercession for our selves or at least wise use such extravagant prayers wherein we cannot justly expect much less judiciously hope he should make intercession with us Be it the priviledge of faith to have an eye to be able to see Christ but of devotion to keep that eye alwaies open actually to behold and look upon him for which cause some have thought that prayer was the proper act of justifying faith men then most especially believing in Christ when they are praying to him So that to oppose or disturb the exercise of well-grounded and well-settled devotions under pretence of reforming them is to put out the eye of faith whiles we pretend to take off the film that it may see the clearer For the precious talent of faith must neither be wrapped up in a Napkin nor indiscreetly managed if we expect it should enrich our souls with heavenly and immortal comforts but must be diligently and discreetly imployed in judicious as well as in fervent pravers and praises to Almighty God that so we may fight the good fight of faith by defending and maintaining not only the truth of the Gospel but also our profession and practise of that truth Saint Paul requires both alike of his Scholar and in him of us 1. Tim. 6. 12. Fight the good fight of faith lay hold on eternal life whereunto thou art also called and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses Saint Timothy had not only embraced the Christian faith in general but had also in particular professed a good profession thereof before many witnesses and Saint Paul binds him as well as he had bound himself to make it good Else as many as had been witnesses of his profession must have been Judges and Condemners of his revolt And doubtless God having exalted our Saviour Christ at his own right hand in the heavenly places far above all principalitie and power and might and dominion Eph. 1. 20 21. hath sufficiently declared That we should so exalt and advance the Christian Religion whereby we seek to glorifie his Son in earth as the Father hath glorified him in heaven that neither principality nor power nor might nor dominion here on earth for those in heaven will not endeavour it should be able to remove us from the truth of Christ either in its belief or in its practise no more then they can remove Christ himself from sitting at the right hand of God And we most humbly beseech thee O blessed Saviour who hast conquered all things to conquer also our inconstancies that we may perfectly and without all doubt believe in thee and shew the sincerity of our faith by
of dignities ver 8. such a licentiousness as hates to be controuled and much more to be confined and therefore hates the dominion and dignities which God hath ordained to controul and to confine it Or we are lovers of our profits as in ver 11. They have gon in the way of Cain and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward and perished in the gain saying of Core where Balaam though put in the Second place yet is clearly the first mover in the way of unrighteousness for Cain and Core both do homage unto him For Cain is ready to kill and Core is ready to rebell if Balaam once run greedily after reward Such are we whiles we are manifested to our selves even lovers of our selves in our pleasures to all abominable licentiousness in our profits to all abominable out-rages and such are the cursed effects of our self-love even murders and seditions So that in truth we are self-haters whiles we are self-lovers for we have our woe denounced against us Woe unto them v. 11. Praedicit eorum exitium quoniam Cainum impudenti malitia Balaamum turpi avaritia Core dâ—nique factioso ambitioso ingenio referunt saith Beza in his short notes He foretelleth the destruction of such men because they follow Cain in his impudent malice Balaam in his filthy coveteousness and Core in his factious and ambitious unruliness But if Christ be manifested unto us our love is wholly of him and we will never think that we can sufficiently express that love We will labour to build up our selves in our most holy faith delighting in those things that are for Edification not for destruction and being afraid of that faith which is more for pulling down then for seeting up of holiness for we may not so build up our selves as to throw down others Praying in the holy Ghost that is praying in such a manner as that he may pray in us and in such a form as that he may pray with us not pinning those prayers upon the spirit of God which a sober man would be ashamed to speak and a conscientious man must be afraid to hear Keeping our selves in the love of God and loving whatsoever may be a means to keep us in his love as his word because it instructs us his authority because it restrains us his ordinances because they confirm and strengthen us having our eyes and our hearts alwayes lifted up to heaven looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life This is the only way to be assured that Christ is manifested unto our souls if indeed we thus entirely love him For our faith makes us accepted in Christ not so much from the strength of its perswasion as from the sincerity of its affection and is therefore called by Saint Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a faith which worketh by love Gal. 5. 16. There is no moral certainty to others of our being in Christ without this love In this the children of God are manifest and the children of the devill whosoever loveth not righteousness is not of God neither he that loveth not his brother 1 Iohn 3. 10. There can be no theological certainty to our selves of being in Christ without this same love as it follows v. 14. We know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren He that loveth not his brother abideth in death And again cap. 4. v. 13. Hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his spirit and sure we are that spirit is the Spirit of love Thus if we love we shall be assured of love and the more we find that we do love the more we shall find that we are beloved What have we then to do who profess our selves Christians but to walk in love as Christ also hath loved us Eph. 5. 2. and by this love to give our selves unto him who hath given himself for us So shall we also in him be made an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling Savour being made partakers of the greatest glory that is incident to the creature even to be an offering and a sacrifice to the Greator and of the greatest blessing that is incident to that glory even to be an offering and a sacrifice for a sweet smelling Savour unto him That he smelling the smell of the Goodly raiment which we have borrowed from our Elder brother may bless us and say See the smell of my Son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed Gen. 27. 27. God the Son hath blessed that soul to which he hath given this sweet smelling Savour and God the Father will bless it and God the Holy Ghost will continue the blessing for ever more Amen CAP. III. Of the Comforts that arise from the knowledge of our being in the state of true Christianity SECT I. The first comfort arising from the knowledge of our being in the state of true Christianity is That we are thereby assured of the love of God MANY are the comforts of those who know they are in the state of true Christianity but they are all reducible to these three Heads That they are assured of love from God of communion with God and the continuance of that communion Three such comforts the least whereof is able to outweigh all that can be put against it not only in the balance of the Sanctuary but also in the scales of right reason For man naturally doth love God above his life and doth desire communion where he loveth and doth exceedingly delight in the continuance of that communion So that the comfort which ariseth from the knowledge of our being in the state of true Christianity consists of these three degrees 1. That we are thereby assured of the love of God 2. That we are thereby assured of communion with God 3. That we are thereby on Gods part assured of the continuance of that communion which must needs bring heaven down to us if not carry us up to heaven The first degree of this comfort is that we are assured of the Love of God in whose presence is the fulness of joy and at whose right hand there is pleasure for evermore Psal 16. 12. For God is not as man that he should be changeable in his love but his love is like himself without beginning or ending He loves not more or less in process of time as men do and if he did we should have but small comfort of his love For love that is in time is but for a time not for all times it will be sure to choose the best time If Gods love were such woe would be to us upon whom are come the last and the worst times of this wicked world and therefore the last because the worst The worst as farthest from God and for that reason the last as neerest their own destruction Were Gods love to have a beginning in such times
and the beauties and excellencies of the Christian Religion making them to proclaim to all the world these three things concerning that Religion which they taught after this new manner 1. That Christian Religion is not opus naturae proceeding from the principles of nature for then they would have used the Method of nature who first planted it but opus gratiae The work of Grace and therefore they used the Method of grace 2. That Christian Religion must not be made opus artis matter of mans invention or institution for if it would not borrow so much as outward form or Method from the art of man there being no science in the world taught by such a Method as Divinity is in the Scriptures much less any inward matter or substance from it 3. That Christian Religion must be taken in the whole in credendis agendis in belief and practice both together for therefore did the Apostles teach it by praying to shew that we must learn it by practicing prayer it self being the best practice of Christianity Thus it is necessary that Christ should be the Alpha and Omega the first and the last in all our thoughts words and works for this is the end of all the Scripture and they who undervalue the Scripture seem not to know this end or not to regard it as saith Saint John But these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing ye might have life through his name John 20. 31. as if he had said God gave us the Scriptures especially the New Testament for this end that we might glorifie Christ as the eternal Son of God and only Saviour of the world and that by so doing we might through him come to inherit eternal glory SECT 11. The sincerity of Christian communion is the bullwark of its authority and first to be regarded by every Christian Church as being the glory of her prosperity and comfort of her adversity such a sincere communion never to be deserted when once happily attained NO particular Christian Church advanceth our communion with Christ as such but only as Christian and therefore no particular Church can justly require another Church to communicate with it any farther then as t is truly Christian or Catholick for no further doth she her self keep communion with Christ And consequently where any Christian Church leaves Christ there other Churches may and must leave Her that is leave Her as to the communion in Her sin whereby she leaves Christ but not in Her righteousness whereby she still reteineth him for that were little less then in her to leave the communion of Christ For this profession of Saint Paul We are not as many which corrupt the word of God but as of sincerity but as of God in the sight of God speak we in Christ 2 Cor. 2. 17. should be the profession of every Christian Church which desires to have other Churches joyn with her in her communion we do not corrupt the word of God and would not willingly pin corruptions upon it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non sumus mangones aut caupones Theologiae we play not the prolers or hucksters with our Divinity or with Gods word putting new dresses or false colours upon the Text or truth to make our own erroneous Doctrines the more passable and the less discernable or rather we do not mingle Gods truth with our own errors as false drawers mingle their wines for so saith Hesychius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here translated which corrupt is a Metaphor taken from those Vintners who corrupt and mingle their wines before they sell them A word that speaks much in little and may serve instead of a whole Sermon to the Preachers themselves For if they preach phansie they mingle water with this wine if they preach faction they mingle blood with it Lord forgive us these horrid mixtures and renew again amongst us thy miracle wrought in Cana of Galilee and once more turn our water into wine and suffer not us any more to turn that wine into blood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Saint Chrysostome To corrupt wine is in effect to bastardize it which consideration should terrifie any Church that hath wittingly corrupted the word of truth seeing she hath thereby laboured as it were to bastardize the eternal Son of God Non cauponantur quia meram veritatem praedicant de Filio Dei nec ipsam quasi aqua falsitatis adulterant saith Saint Cyril of Alexandria Thes l. 12. cap. 3. They â—sc that are true and good Church-men do not corrupt the word because they speak nothing but the truth and do abhorr to adulterate Gods pure wine with their impure their puddle water No Church can be two careful about the sincerity of its Doctrine since the Apostle did not think he could be zealous enough about it And therefore he again immediately enforceth this same duty to the same effect though in other words seeing we have received this Ministry as we have received mercy we faint not but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty not walking in crastiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully but by manifestation of the truth commending our selves to every mans conscience in the sight of God 2 Cor. 4. 1 2. His whole intent and purpose is to make them see his sincerity in preaching the Gospel of Christ thereby obliging every Christian Church which is the grand Apostle of its own nation openly to profess and much more conscionably to discharge the same sincerity for which accordingly he alledgeth two reasons First the incomparable worth and value of the Doctrine and therefore he saith this Ministry by way of excellency for that the Gospel was as far above the Law and much more above all other things as liberty and salvation are above thraldom and condemnation Secondly the indispensible obligation of his trust which God had laied upon him and therefore he saith as we have received mercy he calls it a mercy not a trust the more to endeer it to his own soul and to ours yet in that he saith he had received it he acknowledgeth the trust himself as one accountable according to his receipts for as he had received it from God so he was bound to deliver it to them without either alteration or addition or diminution according to his own former profession I delivered unto you that which I also received 1 Cor. 15. 3. q. d. If I could not prove the receipt I could not justifie the delivery Having alledged these two reasons for his sincere preaching of the Gospel he afterwards shews what it was preserved him in this sincerity and that was his magnanimity his innocency and his integrity First the undaunted courage of his heart we faint not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non deficimus we are not defective to our selves for want of perseverance nor to our duty for want of constancy For
Bishops and Presbyters in Italy shall give an account for souls in England and as much against reason to say or think that souls in England shall not give an account for their disobedience And as this Position concerning the Authority of our own particular Church is reasonable so is it also religious For this is Saint Pauls own argument to the Corinthians Though you have ten thousand instructers in Christ yet have ye not many Fathers for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel Wherefore I beseech you be ye followers of me 1 Cor. 4. 15 16. Whence we cannot but collect this dogmatical conclusion That this Church which hath begotten us in Christ claimeth our obedience in Christ and to renounce that obedience is in effect to renounce our being made Christians And as no other Church can truly say to us I have begotten you through the Gospel so no other Church can justly say unto us Wherefore I beseech you be ye followers of me To sum up all in one word This Doctrine concerning the acknowledging and obeying the authority of mine own Church being both rational and religious I dare not wilfully oppose it for fear of sinning against the God within me that is to say mine own conscience which will certainly by a most terrible and just remorse vindicate the violated dictates of Reason And much more for fear of sinning against the God without me Father Son and Holy Ghost which will certainly by a more terrible and just vengeance at the last day vindicate the violated dictates of Religion CAP. II. That the Church of England hath most carefully discharged her Trust concerning Religion as a most Christian or most Catholick Church SECT I. Gods intent in trusting his Church with Religion was her honour and happiness which should cause our thankfulness to God and our reverend esteem of his Church IT is a great honour to be trusted and as great a happiness to discharge a Trust Accordingly God entrusting his Church with Religion did intend her both honour and happiness Honour with men happiness with himself Honour in earth and happiness in heaven wherein we cannot but admire the goodness and Justice and liberality and mercy of God His Goodness in that he communicateth to his Church his own most excellent property even a will and desire that all men should be saved and come unto the knowledge of the Truth 1. Tim. 2. 4. His Justice in that he giveth abilities proportionable to that desire enabling his Church to promote the salvation of men and to bring them unto that heavenly knowledge his Liberality in that he giveth this desire and those abilities meerly of his free grace to enrich our souls not himself And lastly his Mercy in that by giving this desire these abilities and these riches he expelleth our natural defects arising from errour and ignorance whereby we do walk in the false and cannot find out the true way and prepareth us for that bliss and glory which is above nature who can think of this goodness of this Justice of this liberality of this mercy and not say with the Psalmist Praise the Lord O my soul and all that is withâ—n me praise his holy Name Praise the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits which forgiveth all thy sin and healeth all thine infirmities which saveth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with mercy and loving kindness Psalm 103. 1 2 3 4. For it is his goodness that he forgiveth sin and healeth infirmities his Justice that he forgiveth only the penitent sinners and healeth only those who are broken in heart His mercy that he saveth our life from destruction and his liberality that he crowneth us with mercy and loving-kindness Accordingly he hath commanded his Church to teach especially the Doctrine of Faith to set forth his goodness by which he is reconciled The Doctrine of Repentance to set forth his Justice which hath been satisfied The Doctrine of Free Grace to set forth his mercy in saving us from destruction The Doctrine of eternal glory to set forth his liberality in crowning us with loving kindness O my soul consider the immortal comfort of these heavenly Truths and look upon thy Church which teacheth them as the daughter of immortality as the mother of comfort and as the Bride of the King of Heaven Then wilt thou no more be contentedly without thy Church then thou canst be comfortably without these Doctrines Then wilt thou say with the Psalmist I am fearfully and wonderfully made but with thy self I am more fearfully and wonderfully saved Marvellous are thy works and that my soul knoweth right well Psalm 139. 13. I am much amazed at thy great care and providence over my body but much more at thy great care and providence over my soul Thou madest use of my carnal Parents to make me communicating to them as far as they were capable the honour of my Creation Thou makest use of my spiritual Parents to save me communicating to them as far as they are capable the honour of my salvation should I be a monster of nature if I dishonoured the one and shall I not be a monster of grace if I dishonour the other Didst thou confer on them the Dignity of Causality by thy goodness that I should cast upon them the indignity of contumacy by my undutifulness Can I indeed truly honour thee the Principal and dishonour thy Church the instrumental cause of my salvation Thou laid'st thine hand upon me to make me but thou laid'st thine heart upon me to save me O make me wholly to fix my heart upon thee my Saviour and upon thy salvation Thine eyes did see my substance yet being unperfect and in thy book were all my members written wstilst thou madest my Body But thine eyes would not see my sinfulness nor my imperfections and thou didst blot all my transgressions out of thy Book that thou mightst save my soul Therefore I cannot but say How dear are thy counsels unto me O God Psalm 139. 17. Dear are thy counsels about my Creation much dearer are thy counsels about my Redemption Counsels they were till thou wert pleased to reveal them by thy Church Since therefore I cannot but say How dear are thy counsels I beseech thee suffer me not to say How cheap is thy Counsellor SECT II. The Churches Trust concerning Religion is to see there be right Preaching Praying and Administring the holy Sacraments That preaching belongs rather to the knowledge then to the worship of God and ought not to thrust out Praying which is the chiefest act of Gods worship and most regarded by him especially when many pray in one communion CHristian Religion teacheth us to know and worship God as is agreeable to his Glory and profitable for our salvation So that the Churches trust concerning the Christian Religion is reducible to these two heads the knowledge and the worship of God And because the Church is trusted with the
particular supplication that they may be remedied and yet none are more averse from particular Confession then those that are most angry with the Church for the want of such particular Petitions But to say the truth The Church hath sufficiently provided for such particulars in that she hath taken the Psalms of David into her publick Devotions which Book is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or to use Epiphanius his word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arcula medica a Box of Medicines for all diseases Here he that hath a dead heart shall find affections to enliven it he that hath a slow tongue expressions to quicken it Nor is it possible for that man to want either faith or repentance or thankfulness or any other true spiritual good to comfort and strengthen him either against the evil of sin or the evil of punishment who can truly apply the prayers of the Psalmist to his own heart and truly apply his heart to God and no Prayer whatsoever can either comfort or strengthen him without this twofold application viz. of the Prayer to his own heart and of his heart to God And as for variety of words let him not trouble himself for he were better cordially say with David Have mercy upon me O God after thy great goodness or In thee O Lord have I put my trust let me never be put to confusion then verbally expatiate in greater discourses but lesser desires of this Mercy or of this Trust He will find more true contentment to his soul from the use of one short ejaculation of Gods then in the use of many enlargements of his own making And he were better in brief say with the Publican God be merciful to me a sinner which equally concerns any other true Penitent then make a long prayer with the Pharisee which may only concern himself For it is more like Heathen then like Christians for men to think they shall be heard for their much speaking Mat. 6. 7. and yet if they will needs speak much it is more probable God will hear them speaking in his words then in their own So that if God hath sufficiently provided for our occasional necessities in the holy Scriptures our Church hath likewise sufficiently provided for the same in translating those holy Scriptures and making them a great part of her publick service that we may know how to use them upon and how to apply them to our several occasions For as that general promise whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed Rom. 10. 11. doth warrant every good Christian to make particular application of Gods promises to his own soul by special faith so that other general promise whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved Rom. 10. 13. doth warrant every good Christian to make particular application of his own soul to God by special Prayer And as the holy Scriptures are most abundantly sufficient in the rules and examples of special faith so also in the rules and examples of special prayers And as we justly say That the holy Scriptures do shew their original to have been from God because they speak so much in so little containing so many Truths in so few words for only he that understood all things at once was able to intend and comprize so many things together so we as justly say The Church hath taken the best course she could to improve our understandings in those divine Truths in that she hath made it easie for us to understand the holy Scriptures And consequently though she had devised millions of particular prayers for no other purpose but to instruct us to pray upon particular occasions yet she could not have instructed us half so well as now she hath meerly by imparting to us Gods own Instructions And till the Church of Rome shall do the same it will be vain for her Champions to object that she hath out-gone the Protestant Churches in the care of the peoples souls but this by the way to shew the grounds we go upon in our Religion are equally good against the Papists and against the Enthusiasts But neither is this all that we can say for our Church in this behalf for in truth she hath provided such admirable prayers as are not only according to the Rule of Gods holy Word but also very much according to the Genius of it comprizing much in little having more of Faith Hope and Charity in one of her little collects then is to be found in many of their long prayers who either revile her Devotions or renounce her Communion So that if we will not be as wasps good for nothing but to buz and sting but rather as Bees ready to gather honey even from weeds and much more from the roses of Sharon we shall easily find to the joy of our own hearts and the stopping of others mouths That our Church in her Common-Prayers hath taught us such Generals as may sufficiently supply for all particulars And hath taught us such eternals as ought to be in our account as they are in themselves infinitely beyond all Occasionals our blessed Saviour himself hath taught us this lesson concerning the manner of our prayers Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him Mat. 6. 8. as if he had said you need not ask your heavenly Father as you need your earthly parents in many words but only with true and upright hearts this made our Church delight in short prayers because she rather desired to shew a relenting heart then an over-flowing tongue as praying to him that weigheth only hearts not words in the ballance of his Sanctuary A short prayer best suits with an hearty desire which is too earnest to be long in uttering and also with the desires of our hearts in regard of heavenly things which most commonly are too weak to be long in desiring The Church in her short prayers hath taken a great care for our earnestness and withal provided a certain cure for our weakness and if any man think that Through Jesus Christ our Lord comes in too soon because the Prayers are short or too often because they are many let him know That this one single observation in these five words speaks more to God for us then we by thousands of continued Periods in our longest prayers are able to speak for our own selves and if there were no other reason but this yet for this reason alone were many short prayers to be preferred before one long prayer both in our private and in our publick Devotions Again our blessed Saviour hath also taught us this lesson concerning the matter of our Prayers Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you Mat. 6. 33. as if he had said Regard chiefly your Continual not your Occasional your Spiritual not your Temporal necessities in your Prayers be earnest with God to give you Faith Hope Charity Religion Repentance Obedience
humiliation was in the fulness of time BVT when the fulness of the time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law To redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sons The words do plainly set forth our Saviour Christs emptiness but they carry with them a threefold fulness First a fulness of Time when the fulness of the time was come Secondly a fulness of Love God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law Thtrdly a fulness of joy To redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of sons All which considerations are so fit to welcom Christ at his Nativity That I will conform to them the three Chapters of my ensuing discourse For though time be little or nothing in its continuance an instant only but is all in its succession yet the fulness of time which the Apostle mentions may be to us as a looking-glass wherein to behold and to contemplate if not the nature and duration yet sure the work and the consultation of eternity SECT III. The fulness of time in which Christ came to humble himself was the Perfection of time THE Hebrews call the perfection of every thing its fulness so Cant. 5. 12. The Church speaking of Christ saith His eyes were fitly set but it is in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 manentes juxta plenitudinum sitting or set in fulness that is In all manner of perfection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Aben Ezra set so exactly as those precious stones that are inlayed and set by measure And Saint Matthews 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not only ut Impleretur but also ut Perficeretur not only That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet but also that it might be Perfected To wit That it might be perfected and consummated in the Anti-type which had been only begun or initiated in the Type All the former Prophesies of the Old Testament receiving in Christ not only their fulness but also their Perfection So then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Apostles meaning Gal. 4. 4. represents unto us two things Plenitudo Temporis and Perfectio Temporis the fulness of Time and the perfection of Time And both these were joyned together in that particular Time which the eternal Son of God was pleased not only to honour but also to sanctifie by his coming into the world for it was a full Time and it was a perfect Time SECT IV. God observed the fulness of time for the sending of Christ to fill our souls with Patience and with Piety which two make up the true Christians fulness AS God observes a time for every Gift so he observes a fulness of time for a full Gift To endue our souls with a fulness of Patience and with a fulness of Thankfulness with a fulness of Patience whiles the full gift is yet coming and with a fulness of thankfulness when it is at last come This twofold fulness must be in every Christian soul to entertain our Saviour Christ or it will have an emptiness of Christianity They are both together in the Prophets Hymn of Thanksgiving Isa 25. 9. Lo this is our God we have waited for him and he will save us This is the Lord we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoyce in his salvation We have waited for him there 's the fulness of Patience we will be glad and rejoyce in his salvation there 's the fulness of Thankfulness First God requires in all Christian souls a fulness of Patience Hence it was that though he promised Christ in the first beginning of the world Gen. 3. 15. yet he did not send him till towards the latter end of it surely to make us the more sensible of our own misery and by it the more capable of his mercy And to endear his everlasting love unto our souls whiles we profess by our waiting his leisure That we cannot pretend Desert where we are bound to Patience and consequently what we cannot expect with too much Patience we may not receive with too little thankfulness But there is also another reason of our Patience that as Christ was long expected in his first so he may also be long expected in his second coming For as we waited for the Saviour so also must we wait for the salvation God waits to give it much more must man wait to receive it so saith the Prophet Isa 30. 18. And therefore will the Lord wait that he maybe gracious unto you there 's the first God waiting to give grace Blessed are all they that wait for him there 's the second man waiting to receive Grace And he waits not in vain for he is blessed in and for his waiting and much more after it So saith the Apostle Rom 8. 24. By hope ye are saved Our salvation though it is unseen for it is by hope yet it is not unsure for we are saved we must seek it with diligence that we may find it for it is unseen and we must seek it with Patience because we shall find it by seeking for it is not unsure If there be diligence in seeking there will be joy in finding according to that of the Psalmist Psal 71. 12. As for me I will patiently abide alway and praise thee more and more with the increase of Patience is the increase of Piety the more Patiently he abides the more Piously he praises till at last from a fulness of Patience he comes to a fulness of Piety that is to say a fulness of Devotion and of thankfulness SECT V. The Authority of God and of his Church for a solemn Festival to celebrate the coming of Christ and that the Church did not more then her duty in appointing that Festival and an Advent Sunday to prepare for it and that we cannot justly or safely gainsay that appointment LEss then a fulness of time would not serve God to give his Son Less then a fulness of time may not serve us to acknowledge that gift So that we have a sufficient warrant for a long and a solemn Festival to celebrate the coming of Christ into the world God himself observing a time and a fulness of time to send forth his Son to come to us is warrant enough for us to observe a time and a fulness of time to give thanks and to rejoyce for his coming Be ye followers of me even as I also am of Christ was the Apostles irresistible argument for the Corinthians obedience 1 Cor. 11. 1. And it may still be the Argument of every National Church which is the Grand Apostle of its own Nation and must be till the worlds end you are bound to be followers of me when and where I do follow Christ though no further may you obey me nor may I challenge your Obedience then that we may both together follow our blessed Saviour The Authority of the Apostle is under the
my hands accept of any offering SECT XIII A new song for the coming of Christ God the Father Son and Holy Ghost carefully observed the time of our Saviours coming into the world therefore it can be no true piece of Reformation for men not to observe it THE Church had a new song put into her mouth meerly for the knowledge of the great mercy of her Saviours Nativity How much more then for the enjoyment of it He hath put a new song in my mouth saith the Psalmist even a Thanksgiving to our God Psalm 40. 3. And Saint Paul tells us wherefore this new song was put into his mouth in that he applyes this very Psalm to the coming of our Saviour Christ Heb. 10. 5 c. Wherefore when he cometh into the world he saith Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not but a body hast thou prepared me which words are quoted out of this same very Psalm and point as directly at Christs coming into the flesh as that finger of the Baptist did point at him after he was come when he said Behold the Lamb of God which finger for that very cause as some would perswade us could not be burnt with the rest of his body Gentiles ossa collegerant cumbusserant sed digitus ille quo Dominum ad Jordanum venientem monstravit dicens ecce agnus Dei non potuit comburi Durandus in rationali lib. 7. de decollatione S. Johannis This was indeed a sufficient cause why a New song should be put in the mouth even of the sweet singer of Israel To shew that great was his Thanksgiving yet greater his Thankfulness for this inestimable and undeserved mercy as it appears Psalm 40. 6 7. O Lord my God great are thy wonderous works which thou hast done like as be also thy thoughts which are to us-ward If I would declare them and speak of them they should be more then I am able to express And all these wonderous works and thoughts are summed up together by the Apostle in this saying when he cometh into the world as indeed they were consummated and compleated by Christ himself in his coming when he cometh into the world he saith And yet the words were said above five hundred years before he came It seems God the Son was so long before observing the time of his own coming into the world surely not that the sons of men should labour to forget and resolve not to observe it And God the Father did the like Heb. 1. 6. When he bringeth in the first begotten into the world he saith And let all the Angels of God worship him Pointing as it were at the very day of Christs Nativity or coming into the world yet some men perswade themselves they do enough if they believe his going out of the world and think only upon his Death and Passion And God the Holy Ghost did the same as being the Pen-man and Interpreter of these Texts and the Applyer of them to our blessed Saviour For he it was that spake both by the Prophets and by the Apostles God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost did look and point very punctually at Christs coming into the world Telling the Angels of it that they might worship him and the Angels accordingly sing a most heavenly Hymn of Thanksgiving at his Birth not only in heaven for their own Joy and Exultation for which they are alwaies singing to him there but also on the earth or at least very near it so near as that the Shepherds did both hear and see them singing for our comfort and imitation And therefore it cannot justly be accounted a Piece of Reformation to teach men to look away as far as they can from that time wherein the Church doth celebrate the memorial of Christs coming as if God who had bid the Angels worship him had bid men not worship him which is surely a strain of very bad Logick and of far worse Divinity SECT XIV Everlasting Thankfulness is due to God for this Everlasting Mercy THE Psalmist teacheth us a Lesson of everlasting Thankfulness for this everlasting Mercy as appears Psalm 72. The chief argument of the Psalm is Christ as is proved in the 8. and 9. verses from the extent of his Dominion far beyond Solomons even to the worlds end and much more in the 10. and 11. verses from the excellency of his Person That All Kings should fall down before him And particularly That the Kings of Arabia and Saba should bring him gifts which was literally fulfilled in the Presents of the wise men Mat. 2. who by the Antients were both called and reputed Kings And the Conclusion that is inferred from these Premises is Thanksgiving The argument of the Psalm is everlasting mercy even the mercy of God to man in Christ and the Conclusion of it is everlasting Thankfulness for so it follows ver 18. 19. Blessed be the Lord God even the God of Israel which only doth wonderous things and this wonderous thing above all the rest That the Son of God was made the Son of man that we who were by nature the children of wrath might be made the Sons of God there 's the Thankfulness And blessed be the name of his Majesty for ever and all the earth shall be filled with his Majesty Amen Amen There 's the everlasting Thankfulness Heaven was from the first instant of its creation filled with his Majesty but now the earth was also filled with it And if heaven and earth are both filled with his Majesty what shall we say if our sinful souls be empty For if we be not filled with his Majesty How shall we come to be filled with his Mercy SECT XV. Time not perfect in Gods account from our Creation but from our Redemption The Jews not destroyed and Time not Vntimed meerly in relation to the coming of Christ Time still continued for the world to make a right use of his coming No other Time perfect in Gods account but that wherein he gives his Son and no other Time should be perfect in our account but that wherein we receive him GOD accounted that only the Perfection of Time wherein he wrought the work of our Redemption as if all that had passed before that from the beginning of the Creation had been but an imperfect Time He had no rest in the Creation till he made man He had no rest after it till he Redeemed him Divinely Saint Ambrose in his Hexameron and not the less Divinely because he took it out of Saint Basil for the Latine Fathers borrowed of the Greek-Fathers as later Divines have since borrowed from them Fecit Deus coelum non lego quod requieverit fecit solem lunam stellas nec ibi lego quod requieverit sed lego quod fecerit Hominem tunc requieverit habens câ—i Peccata dimitteret God made Heaven and I do not read that he did rest He made the Earth and I do not read that
cadit sub actu Amoris Scotus in 1. lib. sent dist 18. The first gift which every one gives to him whom he loves is his love which is indeed the only reason of all his other gifts for nothing can have the nature of a gift but as it proceeds from love And therefore God first gives us his love before he gives us any thing else and he gives nothing as a blessing but what he gives in love as for example Government is the best temporal gift to any Nation yet given in anger is no blessing and consequently no gift so saith the Prophet Dedi Regem iratus eis Hos 13. 11. I gave them a King in mine anger This was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A gift that was no gift because not given in love And as it is in Regal so also in Popular Government as appears from the 94. Psalm the 20. ver For whether we read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Septuagint A Throne of wickedness when Kings and Princes sit thereon or sedes iniquitatis with the Vulgar Latine a seat or stool of wickedness when mean People are got up to it it is still a curse not a blessing if the Government be not given in love For then whosoever be the Governors They will imagine mischief as a Law and gather them together against the soul of the righteous and condemn innocent blood So Musculus an excellent Protestant Divine glosseth those words of the Psalmist That they do note unto us judiciary meetings of wicked men to oppress the Righteous and to Condemn innocent blood by vertue of some unjust Laws or Constitutions not at consensus Judiciarios Hominum iniquâ—rum qui ad hoc conglobantur ut Justâ—s opprimerent sanguinem innocentem vigore Legum injustarum condemnarent Thus that Author glosseth upon the place and we cannot gainsay his gloss since it is undeniable that truth and righteousness doth hold only of Christ not of mans Government whether it be by one or by many Again the Gospel of Christ is the best spiritual gift that can be given to any People yet given not in love oft-times proves no Blessing and consequently no gift Like Manna to the Israelites in Psal 78. Manna was a type of Christ so owned by Christ himself Joh. 6. 32. That was the Typical this is the real Bread from Heaven which nourisheth our souls to eternal Life And it is with this as it was with that bread with the Gospel of Christ as it was with the Manna If given not in love but in anger it will scarce turn to our spiritual nourishment And we may justly fear it is now with the Gospel as it was then with that Manna God gives it without his love to those that either tempt him in their hearts as the Jews did ver 18. asking meat for their lusts looking after the Word more for curiosity then for conscience or that tempt him with their mouths as the Jews did ver 19 20. They spake against God and said Can God furnish a Table in the wilderness can he give bread also can he provide flesh for his people A sin that contentious men are too much guilty of who in the midst of Eden cry out as if they were in in a wilderdess in the midst of plenty repine as if they were in want they do in effect say that God cannot prepare them a table good enough unless their own hands help to make it or will not prepare them a table soon enough unless they overhasten his preparation To complain against God instead of rendring humble hearty thanks unto him to complain against him out of meer wantonness not out of any want save only of a thankful heart within our selves is to do as the Jews did in this place and then we must look to fare as they did for a fire was kindled amongst them and anger came up against them ver 21. And if we make God angry as they did we cannot but expect to feel the same sad effects of his Anger as it is said ver 30 31. But while the meat was yet in their mouths the wrath of God came upon them and slew the fastest of them and smote down the chosen men of Israel Just so is it with those that are of a quarrelsom religion that will not receive Christ in the way that God offers him they commonly have Christ not in love but in anger not to make them the more happy but the more inexcusable not to make them the better Christians but to bring them under a stricter account for their defiance of Christ and their abuse of Christianity they know more of their Masters will but it is to do the less of it that so they may be beaten with many stripes Luke 12. 47. Nay indeed they know less of their Masters will though they would be thought to know more of it For those know least of Christ who seek to know most of him by contention and by faction since he that said learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart Mat. 11. 29. will never take contention for meekness nor faction for lowliness and therefore will not teach such as love to be contentious and factions Saint Paul indeed tell us of some who preached Christ out of Envy Phil. 1. 15 16. but he doth not tell us of any that ever learned him so he said to the Galatians Christ shall profit you nothing and Christ is become of none effect to you Gal. 5. 24. but he had given the reason of that saying before he said it in the first chapter and sixth and seventh ver I marvail that you are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another Gospel which is not another but there be some that trouble you and would pervert the Gospel of Christ wherefore let those that make nothing of removing from the Church by which they have been called to the Grace of Christ take heed lest they cause Christ to remove himself and his Gospel from them let those that surfet of one Christ take heed they have not many Christs for one for there are many false Christs spoken of Mat. 24. 24. who though they shall not deceive the elect who are constant to themselves and to their Saviour yet may not onely deceive and delude but also destroy the wicked that love to gad after their own Inventions and please themselves in their own imaginations For Christ himself if he be indeed given to such men is not given in love and that is the reason that he profits them nothing and becomes of none effect to them though to others he be all in all working with great power to the establishment of their hearts here and with greater mercy to the salvation of their souls hereafter SECT II. Gods love in Christ though it be universal in the diffusion yet is it particular in the obligation IT is observable that Saint Paul first rejoyceth in the
a woman as still a Virgin The Praise of the seventy Interpreters Christs love to us that he would be made the son of a woman whereby he hath exalted men above Angels a mercy not to be forgotten till there be no man left to remember it That the Jews corrupted not the Text proved from the prophesies concerning Christ GReat was the love of the Son of God towards man that he would be sent forth from his Father yet much greater if greater can be that he would be sent forth after so mean a manner as to be made the Son of man And yet even in this meaness was no less then a miracle For our blessed Saviour was so made the Son of man as that he was not made the Son of a woman but of a pure Virgin and therefore Saint Paul saying that he was made of a woman Gal. 4. 4. doth call the blessed Virgin-mother a woman only to declare her sex not to dispute much less to disparage her Virginity for she was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 semper Virgo alwayes a Virgin before in and after the birth of Christ in the judgement of the Catholick Church which reputed Helvidius an Heretick for concluding otherwise from some slight Grammatical notions whereby he did rather blaspheme the Text then understand it whiles he let the itch of his Criticism as too too many in these latter times have done overspread and infect his Divinity Accordingly Saint Chrysostom justly finds fault with Aquila and Theodosius for rendring the words of Isaiah 7. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Behold a young woman shall conceive and he confutes them by the Authority of the Septuagint which saith he are to be preferred before all other Interpreters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys hom 5. in Mat. For their antiquity for their number and for their consent and they interpret the words thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a son But Justine Martyr hath sufficiently cleared this doubt to Trypho the Jew and I have not to do with Jews that I should need insist on this controversie but with Christians for such we are in our belief and had need labour to approve our selves to be such likewise in our practice for fear our practice should else subvert and ruine our belief For he that hath said I will shew thee my faith by my works Jam. 2. 18. hath thereby assured us that contrary works do at least shew if they do not make a contrary faith For which cause they are certainly much to be pittied who scoff and mock at our most Christianlike commemoration of this great Mysterie and greater mercy of the Incarnation of the Son of God for though the Angels were thought worthy of the Mysterie and desired more and more to look into it 1 Pet. 1. 12. yet it was man only that had the blessing of the mercy so saith the Apostle to the Hebrews Heb. 2. 16. For verily he took not on him the nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham Hence it is the priviledge of men equally with Angels to be called the Sons of God but above them if we consider the reason why they may be so called For as the Sons of God is spoken of the Angels Job 1. 6. so the Sons of God is spoken of men Genesis 6. 2. And Saint Ambrose expounding those words thus Viderunt Angeli Dei for he did not read but only expound them so which if our late Criticks had observed concerning the rest of the Fathers they would have found less various lections but more various Expositions of the text I say Saint Ambrose expounding those words of Gen. 6. 2. thus Viderunt Angeli Dei did not meant by his Angeli the spiritual and heavenly substances saith Vellosillo in his Theological Problems but holy and religious men of the Progeny of Seth who because they persisted and persevered in the true Religion and worship of God when all the rest of the world fell away from it by a damnable Apostacy were by the Holy-Ghost honoured with the glorious title of the Sons of God and Saint Ambrose for that same reason calls them Angels O that we would consider how far we have degenerated of late from being Angels in this sense when for want of constancy in Gods undoubted and everlasting truth we may scarce justly be reputed or called men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But holy men were indeed called the sons of God not only because they were holy which gave the Angels that same title but also because they were men did carry about them that nature which the Son of God was determined to take upon himself so that in the title it self the sons of God men are equal with the Angels But in the reason of that title the son of God made man they are above them And for this cause it is that men are often called his brethren as Heb. 2. 17. It behoved him to be made like unto his Brethren because he is of the same flesh and blood with men but never was it said of Angels that they were brethren to the son of God O mercy of mercies the Son of God made lower then the Angels to exalt the sons of men above them This was the good Angels joy for us and sheweth how much more it should be our own joy for our selves They have still joy in heaven for our conversion Luke 15. 10. but they had once joy in earth also for our redemption Earth the place of sorrow because of sin till Christ came on it and then the place of joy because he came to take away the sin and with the sin the sorrow This made earth at that time seem heaven to the Angels and that made them leave of looking on God in God that they might look on God in men leave of praising God in heaven that they might praise him in Earth Luke 2. 13. Lord keep us men from ceasing to praise thee for this mercy of mercies here on earth least we keep our selves from beginning to praise thee for it hereafter in heaven for this mercy God made man is a mercy not be forgotten till there be no man left upon earth to remember it But if it should be forgotten upon earth through our perversness or profaness yet sure we are it will never be forgotten in heaven where this very same son of man now sitteth on the right hand of God and shall at the last day come in the same flesh to judg us in the which we now acknowledge his coming to save us Lord grant that we may so praise thee in this day of salvation that we may not be condemned of thee in that day of Judgement It is an excellent argument that Bellarmine useth amongst others to prove that the Jews never corrupted the Hebrew Text because they still in their Bibles retain all the prophecies concerning Christ insomuch that they are far more powerfully
boisterous men to say ye shall nor ordain nor for timerous men to say we dare not They that are enemies to the ordination to the witnesses can scare be friends to the Doctrine of the resurrection The Lords daies and the Lords Ministers will stand or fall both together and there is no opposing the one without opposing the other and no opposing either without opposing Gods command For indeed they are both alike in general commanded by the fourth Commandment though only one be named even as uncleanness and fornication are both forbidden in the seventh though only adultery be mentioned and they are both alike in special determined by the example of Christ and of his Apostles and the constant and universal practise of the Christian Church As there is an order from the Holy Ghost that concerns the time or the day proved from the first of the Corinthians 16 2. As I have given order to the Churches of Galatia even so do ye that is the same order that I gave to them concerning the first day of the week I give also to you and in you to all other Churches which order was accordingly speedily and generally obeyed because there was an irresistible reason for that obedience so also there is an order from the Holy Ghost concerning the persons proved from Acts 20. 8. The Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers or Biships and Titus 1. 5. That thou shouldst ordain Elders or Presbyters whence it must needs follow that to disturb the persons ordained to be in the Church of God is equally sacrilegious as to disturb the day that was settled by the same order For the determination of the persons appointed to be the Lords Ministers is full as plain to speak but sparingly both in the prescript of the Text and in the practice of the Catholick Church as is the determination of the Lords day and those men are equally inexcusable who make bold to alter Gods determination in the one as those who make bold to alter it in the other for both being established by the same authority are alike unalterable An universal obligation bindeth equally all persons at all times and in all places and therefore only moral and eternal duties of the Text can immediately and from themselves have such an obligation as the duties of faith hope and charity But yet a determination of the Text though by way of example only concerning the publick exercise of those duties which is without controversie in the Gospel of Christ given to us Christians may also immediately and by vertue of the said duties have an universal obligation because to occasion the disturbance or disesteem of the true and laudable exercise of Religion whether by profaness or perversness whether by throwing aside or pulling down the time place or persons appointed for that purpose is certainly ungodly and irreligious and it is at no time lawful to do an act of ungodliness or irreligion SECT VIII That Sunday as the Lords day is most truly a Christian Festival and ought to be most Religiously observed and so ought also other Festivals instituted in honour of Christ as being likewise our Christian Sabbaths NO Christian festival whatsoever but must be wholly Christian both in its foundation Christian Verity and in its institution Christian authority and in its observation Christian service or duty For the day is holy for the duty not the duty for the day and they who teach or practise otherwise are like those Priests of Spain mentioned and reproved in the fourth Toletane Council can 9. who would not say the Lords Prayer but only on the Lords day Orationem Dominicam tantum die Dominico dicere voluerunt as if Religion were an adjunct of time and not rather time an adjunct of Religion Christian Verity Christian Authority Christian Duty no man can willfully go against either of these principles but he must profess himself either Unchristian or Antichristian And behold our weekly festival in honour of our Saviour Christ is justifiable by all these three and consequently being truly Christian in all these respects that is to say in its foundation in its institution and in its observation must needs be an universal feast for all Christians to be partakers of for that it is annexed to the Christian Religion as necessary by the necessity of Justice from the duty and thankfulness we all owe to our Saviour Christ and therefore may not be carelesly neglected much less irreverently profaned without the Imputation of injustice and unthankfulness The Casuists speak louder and say not without the imputation of Sacriledge So Cajetane in his summulae Festos dies in honorem Dei sanctificatâ—s violare peccatum est Sacrilegii quia injuria fit tempori sacro quantum ad illud ad quod sanctificatum est To profane a Holy day that is made and kept holy in honour of God is a sin of Sacriledge because the profanation of time that is sanctified is an affront and defiance of its sanctification so that in effect it is a double Sacriledge for it robs time of that holiness which belongs to it and it robs God of that time which belongs to him This great Sacriledge is yet further accompanied with one of the seven deadly sins commonly so called and that sin is spiritual slothfulness So saith Alensis Accidia opponitur praecepto de sanctificatione Sabbathi In peccato enim Accidiae Tristitia est de spirituali laborioso cum amore quietis carnalis è contra vero in illo praecepto est Amor sanctae quietis quae est cum gaudio in bono spirituali par 2 qu. 140. m. 10. The sin of slothfulness is opposed to that precept of the sanctification of the Sabbath for in the sin of slothfulness there is sorrow for spiritual labour and love of carnal rest But in the precept concerning the sanctification of the Sabbath is commanded the love of a Holy Rest or Joy in our spiritual good which as it is not obtained without great labour so it is not enjoyed without great rest even the sweet and most comfortable rest of the soul in God for his everlasting mercies in Iesus Christ so that all those Festivals which commemorate to us the mercies of God in Christ are to be accounted as our Christian sabbaths and we shall be little less then enemies to our own souls if not to be our blessed Saviour unless we seriously endeavour to make them so Surely if men did truly believe and earnestly desire the life everlasting they would be as carefull not to defraud their souls of due nourishment as they are not do defraud their bodies and would no more begrutch the time for the one then for the other but would rather be more industrious to save their souls then they are to preserve their bodies and consequently more solicitous how to lay in provision for a supply against their spiritual then for a supply against their corporal necessities alwaies remembring that Motto Ex hoc
their profit but t is by a false Arithmetick an Arithmetick that is only in their own fansie by which they cast up that which is not and so must needs be out in their account For they cast up for the time to come making that a part of their reckoning and by that their life longer in their fansie then t is truely in it self or in Gods appointment which is so unimaginable folly that it causeth the Son of God to thwart his own instructions and though he much dislike the language of thou fool Matth. 5. 22. Yet here he useth it saying verse 20. Thou fool this night thy soul shsll be required of thee Thus are our carnal joys great in their proportion not so in their foundation but contrarywise our spiritual joys are greater in their foundation then in their proportion which shews that even the best of us do so live in the flesh as to live too much after it contrary to that profession which should be ours as well as Saint Pauls for though we walk in the flesh we do not war after the flesh 2 Cor. 10. 3. Hence it is that the cause or foundation of our joy in Christ is infinitely greater then the measure and proportion of it But yet the man after Gods own heart the Prophet David sets it out to the full He was a man after our hearts in his carnal failings but a man after Gods heart in his unfeigned repentance which caused his spiritual rejoycings And his spiritual joy was so great that he cals for company to rejoyce wirh him saying Rejoyce in the Lord O ye righteous for it becommeth well the just to be thankful Psal 33. 1. As if he had said since ye are truly righteous and just being made righteous by his propitiation and just by his satisfaction it becommeth you well to rejoyce in him that you may be thankful for this transcendent salvation So let me be just so let me be joyful SECT XI A zealous observation of this Christian Festival proceedeth from the true love of our Redeemer and thankfulness for our Redemption A set form of Praise fittest to express that thankfulness IT were a fowl shame for Christians who are most obliged to serve God to be least devoted to his service and therefore we must beware of shewing less zeal in our moral then the Jews shewed in their ceremonial worship When they celebrated their Passeover they did sing some Psalms of Repentance as a lamentation for the sinner other Psalms of thanksgiving as a triumph and rejoycing for the righteous Canebant quaedam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quaedam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Scal. lib. 6. de emend temp They did sing some Psalms for propitiation some for thanksgiving And this was their hymn for thanksgiving Blessed art thou O Lord our God King of heaven and earth who hast sanctified us by thy Commandments and hast commanded us in this manner to bless and praise thee which hymn of theirs holy Zachary seems to have imitated but withal to have amplified in his Benedictus Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people that we being delivered from the fear of our enemies might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness all the daies of our life A main ground of his blessing God is this That God hath enabled his people to bless and praise him Which invaluable mercy the Greek Church alwaies thought worthy of a particular thanksgiving saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we give unto thee humble and hearty thanks that thou hast given us this Liturgie this good form of serving thee That thou hast called us to this duty of publick thanksgiving That thou hast vouchsafed us this great honour who are dust and ashes and greater mercy who are sinful dust and ashes to bless and praise thee and to call upon thy holy name And they have this reward of their thankfulness that in the middst of the greatest and bitterest enemies of the Christian Religion they do still enjoy their Liturgy groaning indeed under the bondage and oppression of their bodies but infinitely rejoycing in the liberty of their souls the Turks themselves thinking it too inhumane a tyrannie to bring that people into bondage both of body and of soul And as for the Jews they would have laughed at any man that should have offered them whimsies instead of certainties and would sooner have let their bread be taken out of their mouthes then this their hymn of blessing and praising God So great so fervent so constant was their zeal for that which they knew to be true godliness This I say was the general thanksgiving of the Iews at all their great Feasts to the which they added those particular forms of thanksgiving that most properly concerned the occasion And this was their spiritual manner of feasting God himself suggesting no less in that he commanded them to take their Lamb the tenth day of the moneth which was not to be slain till the fourteenth for why was the Lamb to be taken so long before hand but only that their souls might feed on the goodness of God before their bodies feasted on the Lamb And the Jewish Authors tell us that during those four daies the Lamb was tyed to their bed-posts that not only eating and drinking as Saint Paul requires of us 1 Cor. 10 31. but also sleeping and waking they might glorifie their God And so will we too if we have the true love and zeal of godliness saying with those three holy men for the same cause that they did even our deliverance from the fiery furnace not of temporary but of everlasting burnings O ye servant of the Lord bless ye the Lord praise him and magnifie him for ever O ye spirits and souls of the righteous bless ye the Lord praise him and magnifie him for ever O ye holy and humble men of heart bless ye the Lord praise him and magnifie him for ever So that unless we will profess that we serve our selves not our God that we are men whose spirits and souls are unrighteous and that we are unholy and proud of heart we must bless the Lord praise him and magnifie him for ever This is the zeal we should bring with us to this and all other our Christian Festivals as the Prophet requireth saying If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath from doing thy pleasure on my holy day and call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honourable and shalt honour him not doing thine own waies nor finding thine own pleasure nor speaking thine own words Isa 58. 13. which text in Kimchies gloss is to be interpreted of the Sabbath in general for saith he the feast of expiation was strictly to be observed as a Sabbath though it was placed on the 10. day of September which might fall on any day of the week And he proveth a strict observation from the words themselves wherein are both a negative
and necessary in regard of the Jews to keep them in obedience and from idolatry as circumcision sacrificing of beasts the distinction of meats and the rigorous observation of the Sabbath But the Christian Religion requires nothing of us save what is usefull and necessary in it self though it were not commanded as it requires us not to circumcise the foresking of our flesh but of our hearts not to keep a Sabbath by the external rest of the body ceasing from motion but by the internal rest of the soul ceasing from sin and taking its repose in God Not to offer the blood of bullocks but to be ready to offer our own blood for Gods glory not to abstain from certain kinds of meats but to use them all with sobriety for the chastisement of the body and sometimes to use none at all for the advantage of the soul And whereas other Religions have too much of Mammon in them to teach men to forsake their estates ours teacheth us to forsake our selves nor if I had the tongue of men and Angels were I able to express the incomparable purity of that faith whereby we are taught to hope in God not only above hope but also against it in the midst of death to hope for life in the extremity of Justice to hope for mercy and so wholly to trust God with our souls as not to hope for salvation but only to glorifie him thereby desiring his glory equally with our own eternal bliss or rather above it Nor if I had a Seraphins quill were I able to delineate the purity of that worship which teacheth us to pray for nothing but in relation to the honour and with subordination to the will of God and to rest secure in the deniall of temporal blessings whiles we rely upon the promises of those which are eternal This being such a purity as is above our Praise and yet required to come under our Practice plainly sheweth that our Religion is too much above our selves either to proceed from our own understanding or to depend upon our own wills and consequently that God alone was the first founder and is still the Master-builder and defender of it Nor doth our Christian Religion teach us this admirable purity and holiness only in conversing with our God but also in conversing with our selves not only in our duty towards God but also in our duty towards our neighbour Do but consider the ordinary offices of humanity and the Christian Religion will shew you there is some thing of Divinity in those offices for that teacheth you to relieve your brother not only as a member of your own body having the same flesh and blood with your self which is according to the office of humanity but also to relieve him as a member of your Saviours body as a member of God the Son as a temple of God the Holy-Ghost which adds something of divinity to that office Humanitas quà m sit proprium hominis ipsum nomen indicat shew the offices of Humanity to another man for your own sake because you are a man unless you would be accounted a beast was a forcible argument for men to be curteous and friendly one to another before Christ came in the flesh But now that argument must be strained to a higher pitch and we must say shew the offices of humanity to another man for the Son of Gods sake because you are a Christian unless you would be accounted not a beast but a devil So undeniable is the argument of the Christian Religion for the practise of Charity So inexcusable are Christians above other men for the practice of uncharitableness For surely we cannot deny but this doctrine of doing good to all and hurt to none for Christs sake is nowhere to be found but among Christians though their practise in this yron age of the hard-hearted world hath much disagreed from this doctrine As for the Turks religion it was born in the camp smells of the camp lives by the camp it was brought in by the sword savours of the sword is preserved and propagated by the Sword And yet in this respect shame it is to say it but the shame is theirs of whom it may be truly said many Christians are of late turned Turks So that the black-mouthed calumnie of Calvino-Turcismus is in this sense a Truth and the retaliation of that by Papismo-Turcismus is in this sense not to be thought a calumnie for both Protestants and Papists as much as they have of cutting of purses and cutting of throats in their late inhumane rapines and butcheries so much they have of Turcism not of Christianity For that hath said If thine enemy hunger feed him if he thirst give him drink Rom. 12. 20. That is strive to make thine enemy thy friend by overcoming evil with good but in no case to make thy friend and much less thy God thine enemy by overcoming good with evil And indeed this mild voice is only the voice of the Christian religion For even the Jew who came neerest to God and his goodness did nevertheless say An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth and thou shalt love thy neighbour but hate thine enemy T is only the Christians hath learned this lesson from the mouth of their master Love your enemies blâ—ss them that curse you and do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you that ye may be the children of your father which is in heaven Mat. 5. 42. As much then as love is above hatred blessing above cursing forgiving above reviling relieving above revenging and praying above persecuting or in one word heaven above hell so much is the Christians Religion above all other religions in the offices of humanity or in the conversation of man with man Again look upon the conversation of man with woman and you shall find the Christian is taught and the good Christian doth practice a greater chastity in his marriage then other men look after in their virginity He knows he is bound to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour not in the lust of concupiscence even as the Gentiles which know not God 1 Thes 4. 1. and therefore will take heed of making his remedy his disease of adding oyle to the fire of provoking that lust of concupiscence which he should banish and expel for what he retains of lust that he loses of sanctification and honour in his body and of the knowledge of God in his soul This chast consideration being grounded in the hearts of good Christians will either keep them innocent or make them penitent whereas other men that know not this Doctrine or regard it not do let loose the rains of their concupiscence and are further from chastity in their virginity then these men are in their marriage For the one follow the Apostles advice It remaineth that they who have wives be as though they had none 1 Cor. 7. 29. The other
prayers for it was the curse of Judas Let his prayer be turned into sin and I dare not venter to bring that curse upon my self For I that now ask pardon for the sins of my prayers if I make my prayers more sinful then my infirmities do make them for me what shall I have left whereby to ask pardon for the sinfulness of my sins I will therefore ever give God humble and hearty thanks that he hath caused me to be educated in a Church which hath taught me to make my addresses to him only in and by his Son and I wil never cease so to make my addresses to him in behalf of that distressed and oppressed Church For he that hath given us the parable of the importunate widow to this end that we should alwaies pray and not faint will certainly hear our prayers and the prayers of his Church that is now a widow and therefore brought to the state of widow-hood and desolation because we her sons have hitherto been so slothful and sluggish in our prayers suffering them infinitely to out-strip us in the practise who came far short of us in the purity of Devotion and not shewing that zeal towards the eternal Son of God which others have shewed and do still shew towards their petty Deities This our abominable neglect or rather contempt of God hath made him jealous and his jealousie hath made him for a while cast us off but we hope he will not cast us off for ever even for his Truths sake for his mercies sake for his names sake yea though we have slighted his Truth abused his mercy and blasphemed his most Holy name by throwing away our Prayers with as much fury as if Truth had been a lye Invocation had Superstition and Piety had been Idolatry yet we will still hope that he will not cast us away for ever for his Sons sake because in him he is well pleased though with us he be most justly displeased For in him alone in his merits in his righteousness in his intercession have we called and do call for grace and mercy and therefore cannot doubt but in him and for his sake we shall be heard at last and relieved and shall see the salvation of our God For the unrighteous Judge himself could say Though I fear not God nor regard man yet because this widow troubleth me I will avenge her least by her continual coming she weary me Much more shall the righteous Judge say so Yea O Lord we know that thou fearest not thine enemies but yet regardest thy servants and therefore we thy most unworthy servants will never leave troubling thee with our continual addresses nor wearying thee with our daily prayers till thou arise and maintain thine own cause and either avenge our injuries or vindicate our innocency If our Church was once thy Spouse she is now thy widow O let not her nor us for her cry any longer in vain to thee But we beseech thee to avenge her of all her enemies not by confounding but by converting them For this will be a vengeance worthy of thy Justice and of thy Mercy both together when thou shalt indeed destroy the sin but yet save the sinners However we cannot but profess our selves so well assured of the truth of our Religion whiles we adore and worship thee only in thy beloved Son that though all the world discountenance yet we dare not discontinue much less forsake it And though for our many and grievous sins thou still suffer us to be eaten up like sheep and sellest thy people for nought and makest us to be rebuked of our neighbours and to be laughed to scorn and had in derision of them that are round about us yet we will not forget thee nor behave our selves frowardly much less falsly in thy Covenant nor suffer our hearts to be turned nor our steps to decline from thy way Yea though thou still more and more smite us into the place of Dragons creatures that are both mischievous and venemous and cover us not only with the shadow but even with the body of death yet we will ever resolve and we beseech thee to confirm and consummate our resolution not to forget the name of our God nor to stretch out or hold up our hands to any strang God For thou hast told us This is life eternal that we might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent John 17. 3. Lord we desire so to know thee as to love thee so to love thee as to worship thee so to worship thee as to glorifie thee so to glorifie thee in this world as to be glorified by thee in the world to come Thou hast commanded us to forsake all to follow thee Lord make us readily to obey this command that we may so follow thee as at last to come to thee to be with thee and to abide in thee for ever For those who saw thy Son but in tpyes and figures have taught us this lesson of sincerity and of constancy not to be careful to answer any of our adversaries in this matter but readily and chearfully to say Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us and he will in his good time deliver us But if not be it known unto all the world that we will not worship the images which our Fathers have set up nor the imaginations which our children are now setting up for our God is too spiritual to be worshipped with images and too substantial to be worshipped with imaginations He is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth Joh. 4. 24. His worship hath too much of Spirit to consist in images and too much of Truth to consist in imaginations Wherefore we knowing that our worship of God is both in Spirit and in Truth are sorry to see that any should oppose it for it is prodigious as well as odious for any Christian to oppose the glory of Christ but will not give them that occasion of joy to see that their opposition should make us forsake it For he that hath said Seek ye after God and your soul shall live Psal 69. 33. hath taught us to say in our Doctrine What shall we do with a Religion that seeks after any but God since our soul cannot live in any but in him and much more hath he taught us to say in our devotion Lord we make our prayer unto thee in an acceptable time Hear us O God in the multitude of thy mercies even in the truth of thy salvation Psalm 69. which is a prayer in times of persecution for the cause of Religion For as long as we make our prayers only to thee O Lord we are sure that we do pray in the truth of our Religion and therefore may not doubt but thou wilt at length hear our prayers in the truth of thy salvation and that for our blessed Saviours sake to whom with the Father and
ascended And to this purpose we may not unfitly reduce all the words which he spake from his Resurrection till his Ascension to these three heads verba instructionis verba consolationis verba benedictionis words of instruction words of consolation and words of benediction or words of grace mercy and peace For like as Saint Paul said to Saint Timothy whom he called his own son in the Faith Grace Mercy and Peace so did God from the beginning speak to his Apostles and so doth he still speak to all those whom he accepteth as his sons though unworthy to be his servants the words of grace by instruction the words of mercy by consolation and the words of peace by benediction Saint Luke saith our Saviour was full forty dayes with his Apostles after his Resurrection speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God Act. 1. 3. He had so fervent a desire of teaching them and in them us the right way of salvation that he differred to enter into his own glory which he had so dearly earned by his sufferings till he had fully instructed and confirmed them in that way He was willing to leave the impression of heaven in their hearts before he was willing to take possession of it in his own body Oh that we did imitate our Master in this his unspeakable charity for though it be above our expression yet may it in some sort come under our imitation by truly desiring and zealously promoting one anothers Salvation This would be indeed to shew not to speak our selves Christians This would be indeed not Verbally but Really to put on the Lord Jesus Christ He was unwilling to leave his Apostles before he had given them all manner of Instructions both how to teach and how to govern his Church the one that he might keep all after-ages from heresie the other that he might keep them from schism Oh that all Christians would accordingly consider what a grievous sin it is not to hearken to Christs own Teaching not to obey Christs own Government And what a Severe account he will call them to when he shall come again as Judge of quick and dead for being hereticks against his doctrine put afterwards in writing in his word or for being Schismaticks against his discipline put immediately in practice in his Church For if he kept himself forty dayes from heaven to settle his Church how shall any that is called a Christian think the best way thither is to unsettle it Our blessed Saviour gave instructions and not only so least we should think any thing of Religion to be arbitrary but he also gave commands That we should know and acknowledge all matters of Religion to be necessary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 After he had given commandments unto the Apostles Acts 1. 2. But where are these commands Are they or any of them devolved down unto us only by unwritten Tradition we dare not say so for that were to make the holy Apostles so regardless of Christs instructions as to care to teach them only to those men who had the happiness to live in their dayes since verbal Tradition is as changable as the breath that derives it whereas what is spoken of Abel is much more to be verified of Saint Peter or Saint John God testifying of his gifts and by it that is by his faith he being dead yet speaketh Heb. 11. 4. Nay more yet Preacheth for the reading of the law of Moses is called Preaching Acts 15. 21. For Moses of old time hath in every City them that preach him being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day and if reading in the Law of Moses was Preaching who dares deny it to be so in the Law of Christ Therefore the books of the New Testament do certainly contain the Instructions and commands which Christ gave to his Apostles by word of mouth during those forty dayes he abode with them And we need go no farther then the written word to know our Saviours mind for it is therein taught us either by Precept or by Promise or by Precedent And consequently what we find not there written for our instruction in one of these three wayes that we must not ascribe either to his dictating or to their Preaching unless we will impute gross forgetfullness to the Registers of Christ as not remembring all things necessary when as our Saviour himself promised them such a Comforter as should bring all things to their remembrance Joh. 14. 26. or supine negligence to the Pen-men of the Holy-Ghost as not writing what was necessary to be remembred For if the words which Job spake concerning Christ were to be engraven with an yron pen lead in a rock for ever Joh. 19. 24. then much more were those words to be so engraven which Christ himself spake to his Apostles words ingraven in a rock with an yron pen are lasting but they are not so legible unless they be also drawn over or coloured with lead to make them conspicuous So Salomon Iarchi glosseth this Text he would have the Characters of his Letters engraven with yron to make a deep impression but after that he would have those same Characters coloured or died with lead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dare litteris aspectum nigrum ut cognoscantur That their black tincture might make them the more legible And without doubt our blessed Saviour took such a course that the main effect of his words should be so engraven as to be both lasting and legible to the worlds end when himself hath said that heaven and earth shall pass away but my words shall not pass away Mat. 24. 35. and amongst the rest sure not his last words Saint Luke records this for one of them that they should not depart from Jerusalem but wait for the promise of the father Acts 1. 4. And this word doth our Saviour Christ still speak to every good Christian saying unto him depart not from Jerusalem though it were in truth what some have made it reputed by their false clamours prophane unclean impure Ierusalem For you may not hope to fare better then Christ and his Apostles whereever you stay and you are sure not to fare worse then they did though you stay in Jerusalem Jerusalem the City of God had been turned into Sodom a cage of unclean birds for its impurity into an Aceldama a field of blood for its cruelty yet here is such a promise annexed to it as makes Christs Disciples willing to bear with the impurities and to bear the cruelties For it is an Elisha promise which signifieth My God saveth And no wonder then if it hath the power of reviving the Soul as Elisha's bones did revive a dead body And when the man was let down and touched the bones of Elisha he revived and stood upon his feet 2 Kings 13. 21. So if the soul be let down never so low into the pit of destruction yet if it touch this Elisha this promise of My God saveth with
and therefore when we have the greatest joyes we should also have the greatest sacrifices For the analogie or proportion is not only historical but also causal which we find set forth betwixt the joy of Gods people and their Sacrifices Nehem. 12. 43. Also that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoyced for God hath made them rejoyce with great joy Because their joy was great their sacrifice also was great God had made them rejoyce with great joy on that day and therefore also on that day they offered great sacrifices And this is the reason why the Church of Christ recommendeth to us solemn Festivals as daies wherein the Lord hath made us rejoyce with great joy and as solemn sacrifices for those festivals particularly the receiving the holy Eucharist and the giving of alms the two proper sacrifices of Christians that our sacrifices may be in some sort answerable to our joy For all the sacrifices we can offer unto God cannot be answerable to the joy we have in him and from him and much less answerable to the joy which we hope to have with him And will you see the reason of this joy it is by reason of the comfort and consolation that good men have in and from God when they cannot have it in or from the world They have comfort from the Comforter and may well have joy with their comfort This made Saint Paul bless God for all the troubles and tribulations he had from men because the more they troubled him the more his God comforted him and enabled him to comfort others 2 Cor. 1. 3 4. Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort who comforteth us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we our selves are comforted of God that is with internal and spiritual comfort which proceedeth from the Spirit of God q. d. I will not repine for mens cruelties but bless God the Father of mercies whiles the more man is my Persecutor the more God is my Comforter enabling me to comfort both my self and others with such comforts as this world is not able to give and therefore sure is not able to take away And the same way doth God please to comfort the soul as the Prophet describes him comforting of Zion for what is Zion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but an illuminated or enlightened soul For the Lord shall comfort Zion He will comfort all her wast places and he will make her wilderness like Eden and her desart like the garden of the Lord joy and gladness shall be found therein thanksgiving and the voice of melody Isa 51. 3. What an immense an immortal comfort is this that the wast places of the soul are comforted and that her wilderness is made like Eden and her desart like the garden of the Lord for the waste place of the soul that needs be comforted is the conscience which is wasted by sin the wilderness or desart of the soul is the same conscience overgrown with cares as a wilderness is with thorns and over-awed with fears and terrours as with so many wild beasts and overcome with drouth and barrenness like the desarts of those hot Countries that starve their inhabitants This wast place this wilderness this desart must be quite changed before it can be comforted The Lord makes this wilderness like Eden a place of pleasure this desart like a garden of the Lord a place of fruitfulness before joy and gladness can be found therein thanksgiving and the voice of melody Till the conscience is purged from dead works it is like a wilderness unlovely and unfruitful unlovely it makes the man out of love with himself and much more his God out of love with him unfruitful it brings forth no fruits either of righteousness or of repentance But after it is purged from sin then it is like an Eden or a Paradise a place of pleasure and of plenty of loveliness and of fruitfulness Saint Paul joyns them both together That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitful in every good work Col. 1. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to all pleasing of God of your neighbours and of your selves there 's the pleasure and the loveliness for no man truly pleaseth himself whiles he displeaseth his God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bringing forth fruit in every good work or bringing forth the fruit of every good work there 's the plenty and the fruitfulness for no man walketh worthy of God but he that is fruitful in every good work that is to say fruitful in the works of piety of temperance and of charity of piety towards God of temperance towards himself of charity towards his neighbour He that thus walks worthy of God cannot but exceedingly rejoyce in God For he cannot but say with the Psalmist And now shall he list up mine head above mine enemies round about me Psalm 27. 6. Hoc erit lentum est nimis He shall lift up mine head would make him stay too long for his joy He may therefore say He hath already lifted up mine head even my blessed Saviour above all mine and above all his enemies that I should not fear them and he is daily lifting me up to my head that I should not fear my self Therefore will I offer in his dwelling an oblation with great gladness I will sing and speak praises unto the Lord ver 7. Hoc erit lentum est nimis I will sing keeps him too long from his duty he therefore doth sing and say Praised be the Lord for he hath heard the voice of my humble petitions The Lord is my strength and my shield my strength to support me when I am not assaulted my shield to defend me when I am my heart hath trusted in him and I am helped therefore my heart danceth for joy and in my song will I praise him Psal 28. 7 8. All this and much more then this is set down to express the joy of the Holy Ghost and it is nothing but Abba Father in the language of those under the Law who though they did not see God in his Son and in his Spirit so clearly as we do under the Gospel yet they praised him as loud both for his Son and for his Spirit as we can praise him for though in some sort they came short of us in the Object of Faith because the Son and the Holy Ghost were not so fully revealed unto them yet they came not short of us in the Act of faith whether exercised in prayers or in praises for they prayed in the mediation of the Son and they praised in the joy of the Holy Ghost SECT V. Fâ—lly and Filiation are together in Gods best adopted children whiles they are in this world The three priviledges of the Saints of Gods not of their own making because of the Spirit of Adoption First
due time which is best for my soul either now to hear thy voice as a sheep to my salvation or hereafter to hear it as a goat to my condemnation Thou hast said My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me John 10. 27. Which is thy voice Lord that we may hear it And where wilt thou be that we may follow thee Is not thy voice in thy Word art not thou in thy Church How then do those men hear thy voice that neglect thy word How do they follow thee that run away from thy Church Surely he is no good sheep that doth this and therefore Christ is none of his shepherd He careth not to answer one that is either a Wolf or a Divel either a Wolf for his bloody cruelty or a Divel for his continued Apostacy or if he do answer such a one it shall be only as he did once answer Judas Iscariot who was both a Wolf and a Divel with a Tu dixisti Thou hast said Mat. 26. 25. An answer tending to nothing but to his conviction or to his condemnation He that hath persecuted or betrayed his Saviour if he say unto him Master is it I shall soon find such an answer returned to him in his own guilty conscience Thou hast said an answer tending only to his conviction or to his condemnation But the answer which our blessed Saviour was pleased to return to Saint Jude the Confessor was of another strain for it was a gracious answer for his instruction a satisfactory answer for his contentation If Christ made so great a distinction betwixt two of the same communion and of the same order no wonder if he still make so great a distinction betwixt those that will not be of the same Church who regard neither the Doctrine of Christ nor the communion of Christians Judas the traytor had not yet forsaken Christs Communion yet was not benefited by his teaching because he regarded not his Doctrine Judas the Confessor that he might be sure to be well taught by him readily embraced his Doctrine and resolved never to forsake his Communion And hence it was that our Saviour Christ returned to him a gracious answer for his instruction teaching him that great Mysterie of the manifestation of the Son of God in the soul of man Nay yet more a satisfactory answer for his contentation assuring him that he would thus manifest himself unto him The manifestation of Christ unto the soul is a great mysterie and a greater mercy the mysterie instructs the soul but the mercy contents it And well it may for t is no less then eternal life In qua quidem manifestatione vita aeterna consistit as saith Aquinas in which manifestation of Christ unto the soul consisteth eternal life and he proveth his saying from John 17. 3. And this is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Aquin. 22. qu. 24. art 12. So then if I will enjoy eternal life I must first know it if I will know eternal life I must know Christ If I will know Christ I must not disesteem his Doctrine or discountenance his communion for if I do either though I live never so long among Christians yet I am like never to come to the state of true Christianity SECT II. Many Christians not so careful of their spiritual as of their temporal estate or condition The State of true Christianity is not external in the profession but internal in the love of Christ which will make us hate all sin No malicious man can be in the state of true Christianity The ground of true Christian charity generally abused to most unchristian uncharitableness charity is more safely mistaken then not maintained IF men were as zealous to look after their spiritual as they are to look after their temporal state the earth would be less filled with sin and heaven would be more filled with Saints But we are generally careless to know the state and condition of our souls because we are generally careless to make it such as might be worth our knowing Hence that sad Epiphonema from our Saviours own mouth so is he that layeth up treasure for himself and is not rich towards God Luke 12. 21. That is so very a fool is he in the account of the eternal wisdom though perhaps he be wise in his own account who is carefull of his Mammon and careless of his God who takes so much pains about his body so little about his soul who is so busie in contriving of his temporal but thinks not at all of his eternal welfare Hence it is that men so easily betake themselves to that profession of the Chrisâ—ian Religion which makes most for their temporal advantages though it much disadvantage them in their spiritual condition and thereby declare themselves not to be in the state of true Christianity for that would make them prefer the love of Christ above all worldly interest whatsoever But we need not have to do with the several professions of the Christian Religion in this case for the state of true Christianity is not to profess but to love Christ and we are then truly in the state of salvation when we truly love our Saviour And this plainly appears by Saint Pauls exhortation to the Ephesians and in them to us where he saith Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children and walk in love as Christ also hath loved us Ephes 5. 1 2. To be followers of God and to be his dear children and to walk in love are put for one and the ame thing And what love is here meant but the love of Christ who so dearly loved us as to give himself for us and therefore may justly require our entirest love And if we entirely love him we will be sure not to love what he hateth nor to hate what he loveth and consequently not to abide in any sin either of commission or of omission for to be wilfully guilty of a sin of commission is to love what Christ hateth and to be wilfully guilty of a sin of omission is to hate what Christ loveth and either of these is enough to keep a man from being a good Christian Therefore saith the Psalmist O ye that love the Lord see that ye hate the thing which is evil Psalm 97. 10. For ye cannot love him unless ye hate what he hateth he hateth every thing that is evil whether it be evil by omission or by commission The state of salvation consists so much of love that t is not possible for an uncharitable and much less for a malicious man to be in that state but either he must forgoe his malice or he must forgoe his salvation for God is love and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him John 4. 16. No man can be in the state of salvation who hath not communion with God and there is no having communion with
reason for it in humane affairs because the power of Delegation in Delegates must fill the world with irremediable uncertainties may fill it with intolerable abuses and miscarriages yet in Gods affairs there is no truth in that Rule for his Delegates may and must appoint other Delegates till the end of the world and there 's is reason for it because himself still acteth by these latter Delegates as well by the former limiting their Trust that they may not abuse it as well as declaring their Trust that we may not deny it First we are taught particularly in these Epistles how Saint Pauls commission was given from Christ to him for so he saith The glorious Gospel committed to my Trust 1 Tim. 1. 11. Again I thank the Lord Jesus Christ who hath enabled me for that he counted me faithfull putting me into the Ministery 1 Tim. 1. 12. We doubt not but he speaketh this in the behalf of the other Apostles as well as of himself and by the same reason cannot see why the words spoken in other places to and of S. Peter alone should not belong to S. Paul and to the other Apostles as well as to him Secondly we are taught peculiarly in the same Epistles how Saint Pauls commission was to be derived from him to others after him till the worlds end For so it is said This charge I commit unto thee Son Timothy 1 Tim. 1. 18. And lest we should think the Trust was to end there he saith farther And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses whether concerning the Doctrine or Discipline of the Church the same commit thou to faithfull men who shall be able to teach others also 2 Tim. 2. 2. So there is to be no end of Teachers till there shall be an end of Learners But it is more then time I should now pass to the Trust which God hath given to other particular Churches besides those even to as many as his Apostles sent their several Epistles Thus we may see the seven Churches of Asia had been entrusted by him because he so sharply reproves them for not discharging their Trust and if we may believe some late interpreters the reproof of those Churches still concern our present Churches but we are sure that if our present Churches be concerned in their reproof then also in their Trust and how then can we now oppose those Angels whom we see God himself then entrusted in those Churches But to proceed let us look upon S. Pauls Epistles to several Churches The power of excommunication is given particularly to the Church of Corinth with it doubtless all other spiritual power whether of Order or of Jurisdiction 1 Cor. 5. and the reasons for it are such as evince it to be still given to all other particular Churches 1. That God and his Church should not be exposed to reproach v. 1. It is reported commonly c. 2. That Gods people should not be exposed to infection v. 6. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump 3. That the sinner should be brought to repentance v. 5. That the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus So again to the Churth of the Thessalonians is the same power given and for the same reasons though only one of them be named 2 Thes 3. 14. If any man obey not our word by this Epistle note that man and have no company with him that he may be ashamed I will give but one more instance and that concerns the Christian Church of the converted Jews wherein the Ministers are made governours the People commanded to be subject to their government by the Apostles own express Order Heb. 13. 17. Obey them that have the rule over you ond submit your selves for they watch for your souls as they that must give account that they may do it with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable for you where we have not only the necessity of this obedience to our Ministers they are appointed to rule us therefore we must submit to them but also the reason of it and that is twofold 1. They watch for our souls 2. They must give account for our souls Let our eyes be opened never so much yet we cannot sufficiently watch for our selves therefore God hath in mercy appointed others to watch for us And in that God hath appointed them to be over us it is evident he hath appointed us to be under them and consequently as evident that they will not be able to give a good account for our souls till we our selves shall be able to give a good account of our obedience SECT IV. The third part of the Trust of particular Churches is concerning the worship of God the written word of God is the Rule whereby they are to manage that trust the readiest way to beget a Christian communion among all Churches and a Christian peace in each particular Church T IS a sad consideration that the publick worship of God Wherein Christians are most of all required and concerned to be of one communion should be so ill managed by some Churches so ill received by some people as to be the chiefest cause of our greatest and our most outragious divisions but the reason is palpable t is either because the Churches go beyond their trust in setting up a false Religion or because the people come short of their obedience in setting up a false communion For without all dispute where the Church hath followed God in his Religion there the People are bound to follow the Church in her communion And as it is not lawful for the Church to set up a Religion against the Authority of God so it is not lawful for the people to set up a communion against the Authority of the Church as the Church may not ordain a Religion contrary to the Word of God so the people may not ordain a communion contrary to the ordinance of the Church For as God hath given his word to guide his Church so he hath given his Church to guide his People in the outward exercise of Religion For it is evident that the outward exercise of Religion is entrusted with some body unless we will say it is not worth a trust and therefore as evident that it is entrusted with Gods Church because we cannot find out any other Trustee And it is also evident that in this case every particular Church hath her particular Trust For so saith Saint Paul to the Church of the Corinthians and by consequent to all other Churches Be ye followers of me even as I also am of Christ 1 Cor. 11. 1. which words are the more carefully to be observed and the more conscionably to be obeyed because they are as it were the general Proeem to the Apostles ensuing discourse concerning the right disposition and order of publick assemblies In which discourse he gives the Rule both for persons and for things and for actions for as
Tertullian in any true doctrine which he maintained after he attributed more to Montanus then to the Holy Ghost A faith which is unsound in its Doctrine but sound in its foundation is so explicitely false in its profession as that t is implicitely true in its affection and the truth which is in its affection may recover must restrain the untruth which is in its profession So that such a man may say with Saint Augustine Errare possum Haereticus esse nolo I may be erroneous I will not be an Heretick but a faith which is unsound in its foundation though it be sound in Doctrine is so explicitely true in its profession as that t is implicitely false in its affection the falseness which is in its affection may destroy must diminish the truth which is in its profession so that we may justly say of such a man he may not be erroneous and yet he must be an Heretick because he believes truth not upon the authority of the first truth but upon that authority which may teach him a lye instead of truth that is upon that authority which is not in fallible and therefore must beget in him a fallible may beget in him a false faith SECT III. That the communion of the Church of England is truly Christian in devotion free from impiety either by corrupt Invocation or Adoration THE choice as well as the Duty of Religion being enjoined in the three first commandments concerning its internal acts in the first concerning its external reverence in the second concerning its external profession in the third and the choice as well as the Duty of communion being enjoyned in the fourth Commandment t is evident that every man is bound first to make choice of his Religion then of his Communion first to make sure that his worship of God be true and right before he communicate in the publick exercise of that worship This is the Method Saint Paul commended in the Macedonians and therefore commandeth in us saying They first gave their own selves to the Lord and unto us by the will of God 2 Cor. 8. 5. They gave themselves first to the Lord in the choice of their Religion then to us his Church in the choice of their Communion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Saint Chrysostome fulfilling the Laws of God and also by charity being linked and joyned to us So that in his gloss the faith is before the charity the Law of Religion before the bond of Communion And so he explaineth these words by the will of God to shew they gave themselves unto him not for his own sake but for Gods sake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They gave themselves to us not through any humane affection but for the Divine command therein following Gods will not their own If this were the Method they observed in giving of their substance then much more in giving of their souls they gave themselves first to God then to his Church so must we And consequently we must be sure the Communion of our Church is truly Christian in devotion as well as in Doctrine that we may give our selves to our Church and conscionably joyn in her Communion And when we are sure of this we must give our selves to our Church and to her Communion by the will of God For it is the will of God that we should keep his Commandments in that order which he hath given them and consequently nothing but the apparent breach of the three first Commandments concerning Religion can enervate the obligation of the fourth concerning Communion or of the fifth concerning Obedience And I am clearly bound to my Church both by the fourth Commandment to embrace her Communion and by the fifth Commandment to obey her authority unless I can prove that she hath disobeyed God in setting up a false Religion against the three first Commandments For truly there can scarce be a false or superstitious publick worship without the united breach of all the three first Commandments for what prayer is against the first Commandment in the Object invocated is against the second Commandment in the gesture accompanying against the third in the words expressing that invocation For as with the heart man believeth according to the first so with the body man worshippeth according to the second and with the tongue man confesseth according to the third Commandment Wherefore if the faith be false the adoration and the confession cannot be true As for example in that prayer to the blessed Virgin Tuspes certa miserorum Verè mater orphanorum Tu levamen oppressorum medicamen infirmorum Omnibus es Omnia Te rogamus voto pari laude digna singulari ut errantes in hoc mari nos in portu salutari Tâ—asistat gratia Amen Sequentia in conceptione B. Mariae There is a false faith in believing that of the blessed Virgin which is true only of God particularly that she is all in all which the Apostle peculiarly saith of God 1 Cor. 15. 28. and reason it self bids us say of him only for what is it to be all in all but to be wisdom righteousness sanctification redemption and salvation which are the immediate effects or effluencies and emanations of omnisciency omnipotency and al-sufficiency And as there is in this superstitious prayer a false faith against the first so there is also a false adoration against the second a false profession against the third Commandment and we can do no less in right to Religion then charge such prayers as these both with idolatry and with blasphemy and till those that use them can justifie their Religion and t is palpable from their very composures such prayers have been of no long use in the Church they cannot in justice claim our Communion Therefore it is a singular blessing which we enjoy that we have no other object of our publick prayers but God alone in whom we may must believe as our Almighty Creator and Al-merciful Saviour for there is no other way to keep us from idolatry and from blasphemy in praying since the Apostles question is so propounded as to be declared unanswerable How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed Rom. 10. 14. Where it is evident that faith is made the only ground of invocation and consequently since we can believe only in God we ought to pray only to God For when the Apostle speaks only of God saying The same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved How then shall they call upon him in whom they have not believed t is rather for Sophisters then for Divines to bring in the Saints as his fellow-sharers either in the faith or in the invocation unless we could also bring them in to be his fellow-sharers in the Lordship for because men have faith in God as Lord over all and as rich unto all that call upon him that is because
they believe in his Almighty power and in his all-saving mercy therefore it is that they make their prayers unto him And since they cannot believe in the Saints as such Almighty and All-saving Lords they may not call upon them or pray unto them suo modo credere will not serve the turn it must be omni modo For why not as well say I may have a Saint or Angel after some sort for my God though God himself hath said Thou shalt have no other Gods but me as say I may after some sort believe in a Saint or Angel since the Text saith plainly have faith in God Mar. 11. 22. and again Abraham believed God it was counted to him for righteousness Rom. 4. 3. and again To him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness Rom. 4. 5. Can any Saint or Angel justifie a sinner and why should I have faith in him if I cannot have Justistcation from him and again Abraham was strong in faith giving glory to God Rom. 4. 20. Ought any Saint or Angel to have that glory which is proper only to God And what glory is proper only to God but for a man to believe in him as the first Truth and to put his whole trust in him as the chiefest good We must degrade faith and suffer it no longer to be a Theological Vertue if it may have any other but only God for its object And the like also may be said of Prayer We must deny that to be an elicite act of the understanding apprehending Gods infinity and make it only a little lip-labour before we can bring it down so low as to befit a Saint or Angel For mental prayer which is only in the heart without which the Verbal is no more then an empty sound is in vain offered up to any but only to him that is the searcher of Hearts And he that saith Give me thy Heart hath not said Give another thy Tongue when it expresseth the elevation or lifting up of thy heart Sancte Petre miserere mei salva me aperi mihi aditum coeli and that Prayer to the blessed Virgin Tu nos ab hoste protege hora mortis suscipe and the like if spoken only in the heart are spoken surely in vain for they know not our hearts and are moreover spoken in sin because they know them not So the very sense of the prayer is wicked because it supposeth a man a God And how then can any Divine excuse the words from wickedness whereby alone we are able to judge of the sense Yet Bellarmine hath found out an excuse for them saying Non agitur de verbis sed de sensu verborum nam quantum ad verba licet dicere Sancte Petre miserere mei salva me Item Da mihi sanitatem corporis da patientiam c. Dummodo intelligamus Salva me miserere mei orando pro me Da mihi hoc illud tuis precibus meritis lib. 1. de beatitudine sanctorum cap. 17. 'T is no matter for the words of the Prayers so as the sense be right For in words we may say O Saint Peter have mercy upon me and save me as long as our meaning is save me and have mercy upon me by praying for me or O Saint Peter give me health or patience c. as long as our meaning is give it me by thy prayers and merits If this Interpretation may be allowed to add new words that we may make a new sense farewell to Aristotles Book De Interpretatione for only he that is the prolocutor can be the Interpreter we must overthrow the ground of all reason to make good sense out of bad words Conceptus sunt signa verum verba conceptuum is the first ground in Logick Conceits or apprehensions are the expresses of things as words are of conceits or apprehensions Take away this ground and take away the use of all Logick and consequently the exercise of Reason for if a mans speech be other then his meaning how shall another understand him If his meaning be other then the thing how shall he understand himself Nay we must overthrow the ground of all Religion as far as 't is expressed in words to make hese and the like good Prayers For Religion as far as 't is expressed in words is regulated by the third Commandment that bids us not take the name of the Lord our God in vain in the manner of our speaking meddles not with our thinking or with our meaning so that if the manner of our speaking be faulty when we pray we do take the name of God in vain or there is no obligation there can be no violation of the third Commandment Who can meet with such elusions as these in matters of Religion and not be moved out of the zeal of godliness to exclaim with the Prophet Hear ye now O House not of David but of Goliah Is it a small thing for you to weary men but will you weary my God also Isa 7. 13. Is it not enough and too much that ye teach us to equivocate with men but will ye also teach us to equivocate with our God Will ye at the same time maintain a Liturgie and set up a Directory a Liturgie in words but a Directory in sense Your Liturgie is O Saint Mary O Saint Peter give me health and salvation But your Directory is O Lord help me O Lord save me or is this Catholick in you to have your Directory better then your Liturgie your meaning better then your words your intention better then your expression or is it fitting if it were possible for men to say in words and unsay in sense the same things especially in their prayers and not palpably collude with God and men And what have we done else but reformed that in words which you your selves do reform in sense and why then do you so uncessantly revile so unconscionably oppose our Reformation Is it not affected Atheism not to reform what is really superstitious as it is abominable blasphemie to call that superstition which is indeed true Religion May any Christian abjure and renounce such Prayers as the Spirit of God hath taught and the Son of God doth assist without abjuring and renouncing God himself Is not this indeed the most dreadful and most formidable kind of abjuration that ever was to abjure the intercession of God the Son and the Communion of God the Holy Ghost or is it lawful to deal with a true Christian form of Prayer as the Jews did with Christ who when Pilate said Why what evil hath he done cryed out so much the more exceedingly Crucifie him Mar. 15. 14. We dare not think of wishing an Interdict upon Religion for that is to crucifie Christ but we are bound to wish an Interdict upon Idolatry and Blasphemy for that is to crucifie the two thieves which rob God of his honour and Gods