This is the mercy of that day crowning mercy 3. For the properties of Gods mercy 1. It s full 2. It s free 1. It s a full and unmeasurable mercy the unmeasurablenesse whereof is set forth 1. More generally when God is said to be plenteous in mercy Psal 86.5 1 Pet. 1.3 Ephes 2.4 Psal 108.4 Psal 51.1 Neh. 9.19 Psal 103.11 2 Cor. 1.3 Psal 145.9 Psal 33.5 Matt. 5.15 abundant rich in mercy his mercy great above the heavens his mercies unsearchable high as the heaven is from the earth multitudes of tender mercies 2. More particularly the unmeasurableness of his mercy is set forth 1. In that there is no creature in heaven or earth but tasteth of it His mercies are over all his works the very dumb creatures speak him mercifull The whole earth is full of his goodnesse he preserveth man and beast nay his enemies 2. In that resemblances to set forth his mercy are taken from the most tender-hearted creatures Hos 11.4 he drawes with the cords of a man He pitieth as a father nay more then the most tender-hearted mother doth her sucking-childe he gathereth people as a hen doth her chickens He hath bowels of mercy Isa 49.15 Jer. 31.20 Luke 1.78 and such as sound and therefore his mercy pleaseth him he delights to shew mercy he forgets not his mercy 3. He is the fountain of the mercy and mercifulnesse in all the creatures in the world toward one another the mercies of all parents to their children of every mother to her little ones of every Christian of every tender-hearted person of every beast and foul to their young ones are but drops that come from the sea of Gods mercy he is the Father of mercies 2 Cor. 1.3 4. He can deliver from every misery Bread takes away hunger drink thirst clothes nakedness knowledge ignorance but no creature can take away every misery Phil. 4.19 2 Cor. 1.3 Psal 23.1 Psal 34.10 wheras God is the God of all comfort he supplyes all our wants comforts in every trouble he hath a plaister for every sore is a Physician for every disease inward and outward and so merciful is he that in the very not removing of miseries he is mercifull Were it not for trouble how should corruption be kill'd holinesse encreased 1 Cor. 11.32 Heb. 12.10 heaven be sweet eternal crowns and triumphs be injoyed 4. He is merciful to his enemies ful of patience and forbearance expecting their return many yeers together giving them rain and fruitful seasons Acts 14.17 Mat. 5.15 filling their hearts with gladness notwithstanding they sin and fight against him with all his goodnesse yea so merciful is he that in their greatest enmity to him Rom. 5.10 he hath often done them the greatest good changing their hearts and making them his friends 6. He bestows mercy with greatest frequency and reiteration he hath many manifold mercies Psal 51.1 Psal 40.5 mercies for thousands more than can be exprest innumerable are the sins of one man how innumerable the sins of the whole world how numberless then are those mercies of forbearance expressed every time sin is committed there being so many millions of sinners every one committing so many millions of sins innumerable are the morsels of food drops of drink the motions deliverances provisions received by one man what then are those received by a whole world and every such expression is a mercy 7. The mercy of God is eternall 1 King 8 2◠and therefore immeasurable he keepeth mercy for ever he will not take away his mercy from his servants Psal 89.2 Psal 23. ult Psal 103.17 Psal 136 it shall follow them all the dayes of their life his mercy shall be built up for ever It endureth for ever 't is from everlasting to everlasting He may hide his face for a moment though that is but according to our thinking but with everlasting mercies will he receive us Isa 54.7 10 The hils may be removed and the mountains may depart but Gods covenant of peace shall not be removed God never repented himself of bestowing his best mercies 8. Gods Mercy is so immeasurable that to help us out of our miseries he that was God sustained them himself It had been mercy to have help'd us by speaking comfortably to us more to have help'd us by the bounty of his hand but to help us out of misery by bearing our miseries by coming to man by becoming of man by suffering so much paine hunger ignominy griefs wounds nay death for man Oh immeasurable mercy Oh my soul acknowledge thine insufficiency either to conceive or requite it 2. The Mercy of God is not only full but free without desert on our parts We deserve no healing from his mercy unlesse by being sore and sick no riches from mercy unlesse by our poverty no deliverance from mercy unlesse by being captives no pardon from mercy unlesse by being guilty no preservation from mercy unlesse by being in danger no mercy unlesse by being miserable God is not tyed to one man more than another he hath mercy on whom he will he hath mercy on the beggar as well as the King on the Barbarian as well as the Grecian the bond Eph. 1.5 6 Rom. 11.5 2 Tim. 1.9 Phil. 1.29 Rom. 3.24 Phil. 2.13 Rom. 6.23 〈◊〉 43.25 as well as the free the Jew as well as the Gentile Election is the election of grace Vocatiou is according to grace Faith is said to be given Justification is freely by Gods grace every good motion is of Gods working Life eternal is Gods gift the putting away of every sin is for his own sake God is mercifull because he will be so his arguments of mercy are drawn from his own pleasure What can our works deserve that are not ours but his working that are all due to him if a thousand times more and better that are all maimed and imperfect Luke 17.10 1 Cor. 4.7 Rom. 11.35 Rom. 8.18 that are all vitious and polluted that are all unequall to the recompence This for the explication of the first benefit which the Apostle requesteth for these Christians Mercy 2. The Observations follow 1. Obs 1. How unbeseeming a sin is pride in any that live upon Mercy Mercy our highest happinesse calls loudest for a lowly heart He that lives upon the alms of Mercy must put on humility the cloth of an Alms-man Renounce thy self and thine own worthinesse both in thy receiving and expecting blessings 1. In receiving them If thou hast spiritual blessings Mercy found thee a bundle of miseries a sinner by birth Ephes 2.1 a sinner in life deserving to be a sufferer for both without grace nay against it by thy birth a poor out-cast Ezek. 16.22 in thy blood as naked of grace as of clothes The Apostle therefore speaks of putting on the graces of the Spirit Col. 3.12 Job 1.21 1 Chro. 22.16 Gen. 24.35 Gen. 33.5 11 the spots
should pass by others better accomplish'd Let his free grace have all the glory Who shall speak of God if thou beest silent Let heart and tongue and life advance him Hitherto of the two first parts of the Title viz. 1. The Person who wrote this Epistle And 2. The Persons to whom he wrote it The Third follows The Prayer wherein the person writing salutes the persons to whom he wrote contained in the second Verse in these words VER 2. Mercy unto you and peace and love be multiplyed IN which Prayer we consider 1. The blessings which the Apostle requesteth may be bestowed which are three 1. Mercy 2. Peace 3. Love 2. The measure in which the Apostle desireth they may be bestowed Be multiplyed 3. The persons upon whom he prayeth that these blessings may be in this measure bestowed Vnto you 1. In this Prayer To consider of the Blessings which the Apostle requesteth for And first of the first of them Mercy Concerning which I shall speak by way Of 1. Exposition Of 2. Observation 1. For the expository part Mercy is referr'd either to Man or to God Misericordia est dolor et aegricudo animi ex miseria alterius injuriâ laborantis conceptus Cic. in Tus 4. Misericordia est alienae miseriae in nostro corde compassio quâ utique si possemus subvenire compellimur Aug. de C.D. l. 9. c. 5. Ex eo appellata est misericordia quòd miserum cor faciat condolescent is alieno malo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Nemo parricidae supplicio misericordiâ commovetur Cic. Tusc 4. Mat. 5.7 Luke 6.36 Luc. 10.37 1 Pet. 3.8 Col. 3.12 1. To Man and so mercy is according to some a grief of heart arising from the apprehension of anothers misery according to Scripture Such a holy compassion of heart for the misery of another as inclines us to relieve him in his misery It is a compassion or sympathy because it makes the mercifull heart a partaker of the misery of him who is distressed and therefore say some called misericordia because it translates the misery of another into the heart of the merciful And for this cause it is called the bowels of compassion Col. 3.12 1 John 3.17 Phil. 1.8 and 2.1 So likewise by the LXX Pro. 12.10 And to have compassion is usually set out in Scripture by a Verb that signifieth to have the bowels moved Mark 6.34 Matt. 14.14 and 15.32 Mar. 1.41 Luk. 7.13 c. because mercy expresseth it self in the bowels especially he that is affected vehemently with anothers sufferings having his very intrals and bowels moved and rouled in him Hos 11.8 and is affected as if the bowels of him that is in misery were in his body Nor is this Scripture compassion a foolish pity whereby a man doth unlawfully tender him that is in deserved misery as Ahab pitied Benhadad and Saul Agag against Gods command but such a compassion as God approveth a fruit of the Spirit commanded and commended in the Word In this grace of mercy is also comprehended a forwardness to succour the miserable the bowels of the mercifull not being shut up 1 Joh. 3.17 This grace the Scripture honours with many precepts and promises A merciful man is Gods Almner his conduit-pipe to convey his blessings his resemblance like unto his heavenly Father who is the Father of mercy And that 's the second consideration of mercy as it is referr'd to God and so indeed it is in this place by Jude In which consideration of mercy as referr'd to God there are three things to be explained 1. How mercy can be attributed to God 2. What sorts of mercy are attributed to God 3. What be the properties of the sorts of mercy attributed to God 1. How mercy can be attributed to God Not as it is an affection of grief for the misery of another But 1. As it signifieth a promptitude and forwardness of the will to succour the miserable Not as 't is miseria cordis or as to be mercifull is taken passively for one to be a fellow-sufferer Zanc. de Nat. Dei l. 4. c. 4. q. 1. Misericordem hominem appellare solemus◠non passivè qui miserum habet cor talis enim potius est miser quà m misericors sed activè hoc est illum qui miscro homini ex corde cupit succurrere Si licuit Augustino dicere quod sit cordis miseria ex alterius miseria concepta our non liceat nobis dicere misericordiam dici quia nobis sit cordi alterius miseria Misericordia duo importat unum tanquam essentiale aliud tanquam accidentale Primum est promptitudo voluntatis ad subveniendum miseris alterum est passio tristitiae quae oritur in appetitu ex cognitione miseriae alterius quantum ad primum summè est in Deo non quantum ad secundum Rich. d. 46. a. 2. qu. 1. lib. 4. Zech. 2.8 Acts 9.4 Exod. 34. Psal 100.5 Psal 145.9 but as 't is miseria cordi as learned Zanchy distinguisheth and as to be mercifull is taken actively for one so to be mindfull of the miseries of others that hee desires and is willing from the heart to help them Suffering with the distressed in their miseries is not essential to mercy but only accidental in regard of our nature which is so subject to passions that without a fellow-feeling we cannot look upon the miseries of those whom we love and this is not in God but a propension and inclination of will to relieve the miserable which is the essential part of mercy is most properly and abundantly in God although sympathy or fellow-feeling be often attributed to God improperly and by way of resemblance to humane affections for the relieving of our capacities and strengthening our faith And in respect of this propensenesse and willingnesse in God to help the distressed are we to understand those Scriptures where God calls himself merciful and of great mercy that is of a most forward nature to help us in our distresses 2. Mercy is attributed to God as it signifieth Gods actual helping and relieving us in our distresses as he bestows those blessings upon us spirituall or bodily which proceed from his alone mercy and of this are those places of Scriptures to be understood where God is said to have or shew mercy as Rom. 9.18 He hath mercy on whom he will 1 Tim. 1.13 I found mercy because I did it ignorantly In which places mercy is put for calling to Christ So Psal 136. Rom. 11.31 2 Tim. 1.18 and all graces which follow it These works or effects of mercy being various and innumerable it comes to pass that though mercy be single and one in God the Scripture speaks of it in the plurall number as Gen. 32.10 2 Cor. 1.3 Rom. 12.1 2. For the sorts or kindes of Gods mercy It is either 1. A general mercy extended to all creatures in common as there is no creature in any misery which in some
upon these clothes are onely thine the garment it self was anothers before it was thine Thou art beholding to mercy for any endowment of minde or body wisdom estate riches honours c. It s hard to be high in place and low in our own esteem Sacrifice not to thine own yarn or net let Mercy have the praise of all thou art and hast Pride is the moth of mercy nay Magnus dives est major divitiis suis qui non ideo magnum sc putat quia dives est Aug. the winde that dryes up the streams both of Gods bounty and thy gratitude That which by mercy was thine by thy pride may become anothers He is truly great in his riches that thinks not himself great by riches The greater our receipts the lesse room for pride the greater cause of thankefulnesse 2. In expecting of blessings only have an eye to mercy Idco Deus meus quia bonorum meorum non in diget Omne bonum nostrum aut ipse est 〈◊〉 ab ipso Aug. de Doc. Ch. l. 5. c. 31. In desires of pardon for sin acceptation of services obtaining of heaven renounce thine own worthinesse either in what thou art or dost How purely unprofitable to God is thy greatest goodnesse it is nothing unto him he is neither the better for thy goodness nor the worse for thy wickedness Is it any benefit to the fountain that thou drinkest of it or to the light that thou seest How full of mixtures of sin are thy holyest services in the sense whereof holy Augustine pray'd Regard O Lord in me not my work but thine own If thou regardest mine thou damnest me if thine own thou crownest me what-ever good I have is from thee and 't is rather thine then mine How full of pride is thy humility thy faith of distrustfulnesse Phil. 3.13 thy zeal of lukewarmnesse of self-seeking thy performances what darknesse is in thy light how unrighteous thy righteousnesse If God should contend with us Job 9.2 3 Qui de perfectione se â—rigit habere se bene vivendi neâ— initium indicat Gr. Mo. l. 9. c. 1. In sola Christi morte te totum contege huic morti te involve si Deus te voluerit judicare dic Do mine mortem Domini mei objicio inter me et te Ans de art Mor. Meritum meum miseratio Domini Bern. Serm. 61. in Cant. Prece post justitiam indiget ut quae succumbere discussa poterat ex sola Judicis pietate convalescat Gr. Mor. l. 9. cap. 14. Etsi ad opus virtutis excrevero ad vitam non ex meritis sed ex venia convalesco Id. Ib. Sordet in districtione Judicis quod in aestimatione fulget operantis Gr. Mor. l. 5. c. 7. James 2.13 2 Tim. 1.16 2 Tim. 4.8 we cannot answer for one of a thousand He that boasteth of the perfection wants the very beginning of holiness That which appears beautifull in thine eyes is foul in Gods The wisest counsell is to cover over thy self and winde up thy soul in Christs death to set that between God and thy soul to acknowledge his mercy thy onely merit Death is a stipend Life is a donative a free gift not a due debt God crowneth with mercy but a swoln head is not fit to have that crown put upon it Who can say he hath cleansed his heart We want a thousand times more grace than we have though sin be cast down in regard of its regency yet it is not cast out in regard of its inherency Thy rectitude compared to thy rule is crookedness 'T is not thy purity but thy pardon that must save thee If there shall be judgment without mercy to those that shewed no mercy then must it be with mercy even to those also which shew mercy It s mercy that must stand Onesiphorus in stead at that day The Crown of righteousnesse Paul speaks of is a crown of mercy too the bestowing it is of justice but the promising it was of mercy 2. Obs 2. The duty of contentation in our greatest wants or smallest receipts If one not engaged to us deny us a courtesie we have no cause of discontentment when God gives it is free mercy when he with-holds he useth his liberty Thy supplyes are without desert and thy wants must be without discontent Wonder not at the blessings thou dost not wonder more at those thou dost enjoy Thy condition is begging and thy part is not choyce Cum aspexeris quot te antecedant cogita quot sequantur Sen. Ep. 15. Repine not if thou canst not reach thy richest neighbour who hast nothing to say against God should the poorest overtake thee Murmur not for what is lost but be thankfull for what is left We must not controll God in the disposing of his alms as if he did not distribute with equality We should bring our hearts to his hand where he stayes his bounty there must we stint our desires 3. I note The impiety and folly of those that abuse mercy that spurn against Gods bowels Obs 3. Sins against mercy are double-dy'd This is the provocation Heb. 3.8 to see Gods works of love and care forty yeers and yet to sin this is to sin against the remedy other sinners may these who thus sin must die These sin at a higher rate than others These in sin cast not off God onely but even the very man Isa 1.3 nay are sham'd by the beasts If to requite good for evill is our duty in reference to man surely to requite evill for good and that to God must needs be impiety This sin renders inexcusable God appeals to the very consciences of mercy-despisers Isa 5.3 4 and offers themselves to judge of the righteousnesse of his proceedings in punishment nay the recollecting of abused mercy will be the most scalding ingredient in that fiery lake when the flaming sufferer remembers he that is now mocking at my calamity once wept over my unkind soul he who is now harder than flint and marble against me was once a tender-hearted God toward me he who now thunders in wrath formerly soundin bowels the way of mercy was once open and plain but now the bridge of mercy is drawn my possibilities are ended I am now in a gulf of woe that heretofore was unprofitably a gulf of mercy How many Kingdoms nay Worlds would I now give for but one drop of that love the sweet and swelling streams whereof I heretofore did but paddle in O Christian sin not against Mercy if that be thine enemy what shall Justice be when Love it self shall be inexorable who shall plead for thee Let mercy make thee blush that justice may not make thee bleed Trifle not away the day of grace The wine of mercy is to refresh the sorrowfull with hope not to intoxicate the sinner into presumption If mercy cannot thaw thee 't will burn thee O let the long-suffering of God be
salvation 4. 2 Pet. 3. Obs 4. Great is the hainousnesse of sin that can provoke a God of much mercy to expresse much severity That drop of gall must needs be bitter that can imbitter a sea of honey How offensive is sin that can provoke a God to whose ocean of pity the sea is but a drop Ephraim saith the Prophet provoked God to anger most bitterly Hos 12.14 or with bitternesses God afflicts not willingly he gives honey naturally but stings not til provoked Every sufferer coyns his own calamities There is no arrow of judgment which falls down upon us but was first in sinning shot upwards by us no showr of miseries that rains down but was caused by the ascent of the vapours of sin no print of calamity upon the earth but sin was the stamp that made it What a folly is it in our sufferings to be impatient against God and to be patient towards sin to be angry with the medicine and in love with the disease Let us justifie God in all our sufferings and condemn our selves God commands that if a man were found dead the City that by measure was found to be neerest to the place where he was found Deut. 21.2 should offer up a sacrifice In all our deaths and woes would we measure impartially we should finde sin neerest let us sacrifice it 5. Obs 5. It should be our care to obtain the best and choycest of mercies God hath mercies of all sorts wicked men are easily put off with the meanest their enquiry is Who will shew them any good But O Christian let nothing please thee but the light of Gods countenance so receive from God as that thou thy self mayst be received to God Desire not gifts but mercies from God not pibbles but pearls Labour for that which God alwayes gives in love There may be angry smiles in Gods face and wrathful gifts in his hand the best worldly gift may be given in anger Luther having a rich present sent him profess'd with a holy boldnesse to God That such things should not serve his turn A favourite of the King of heaven rather desires his favour than his preferment We use to say when we are buying for the body that the best is best cheap and is the worst good enough for the soul The body is a bold beggar and thou givest it much the soul is a modest beggar asketh but little and thou givest it less O desire from God that thy portion may not he in this life Psal 17.14 that what thou hast in the world may be a pledg of better hereafter that these things may not bewitch thee from but admonish thee what is in Christ The ground of Pauls thanks-giving was Ephes 1.3 that God had blessed the Ephesians with spirituall blessings in Christ. 6. Obs 6. How little should any that have this God of mercy for theirs be dismayd with any misery Blessed are those tears which so merciful a hand wipes off happy twigs that are guided by so indulgent a father Psal 25.10 All his severest wayes are mercy and truth to those in covenant if he smiles 't is in mercy if he smites 't is in mercy he wounds not to kill thee but sin in thee the wounds of mercy are betthan the embraces of anger if sicknesse poverty dishonour be in mercy why dost thou shrink at them Wrath in prosperity is dreadfull but Mercy makes adversity comfortable It s the anger of God which is the misery of every misery Peter at the first was not willing that Christ should wash his feet but when he saw Christs mercifull intent therein feet and hands and head are all offered to be wash'd A child of God when he sees the steps of a father should be willing to bear the stripes of a child God will not consume us but onely try us He afflicts not for his pleasure but for our profit Heb. 12.10 Psal 89. God visits with rods yet not with wrath He takes not away his loving-kindnesse Mercy makes the sufferings of Gods people but notions It would do one good to be in troubles and enjoy God in them to be sick and lye in his bosome God gives a thousand mercies to his people in every trouble and for every trouble He burdens us but it is according to our strength the strokes of his flail are proportioned to the hardnesse of the grain Is◠28.27 and merciful shall be the end of all our miseries There 's no wildernesse but shall end in Canaan no water but shall be turn'd into wine no lions carcass but shall be a hive of honey and produce a swarm of mercies The time we spend in labouring that miseries may not come would be spent more profitably in labouring to have them mixt with mercy nay turned into mercies when they come What a life-recalling cordial is the apprehension of this mercy of God to a fainting soul under the pressure of sin Mercy having provided a satisfaction and accepted it nay which is more it beseeching the sinner to beleeve and apply it That fountain of mercy which is in God having now found a conveyance for it self to the soul even Jesus Christ through whom such overflowing streams are derived unto us as are able to drown the mountains of our sins even as easily as the ocean can swallow up a pibble O fainting soul trust in this mercy Psal 33.18 and 147.11 If the Lord takes pleasure in those that hope in his mercy should not we take pleasure to hope in it Mercy is the onely thing in the world more large than sin It s easie to presume Exod. 34.7 Psal 77.7 but hard to lay hold upon mercy Oh beg that since there is an infinite fulnesse in the gift and a freenesse in the giver there be a forwardnesse in the receiver 7. Obs 7. It s our duty and dignity to imitate God in shewing mercy Obs 7. 1 Pet. 3.8 Matth. 5.45 Luke 6.36 Col. 3.12 Rom. 12.15 Plus est aliquando compati quà m dare nam qui exteriora largitur rem extra se positam tribuit qui compassionem aliquid sui-ipsius dat Gr. Mor. 20. A grace frequently commanded and encouraged in the Scripture Mercy we want and mercy we must impart As long as our fellow-members are pained we must never be at ease When we suffer not from the enemies of Christ by persecution we must suffer from the friends of Christ by compassion When two strings of an instrument are tuned one to the other if the one be struck upon and stirred the other will move and tremble also The people of God should be so harmonious that if one suffer and be struck the other should be moved and sympathize Jer. 9.1 Luke 19.41 2 Cor. 11.29 Holy men have every been tender-hearted Grace not drying up but diverting the streams of our affections Christ was mercy covered over with flesh and blood his words his works
most of all when 't is sheltered with appearances professions and priviledges A name to live externall ordinances circumcision in the flesh the Temple of the Lord commend us not to God I will punish saith God the circumcised with the uncircumcised Egypt and Judah and Edom Jer. 9. ult the children of Ammon and Moab for all these nations are uncircumcised and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart The Bible in thy house the word of grace in thy eare will not avail unlesse the grace of the word be in thy heart and the former without the later will but prove like Vriahs letters which he carried for his own destruction Paul accounted all his priviledges as dung in regard of the knowledg of Christ The means of salvation in word and sacraments must be used in faith and repentance Otherwise they being out of their holy use enjoyed will turne to our destruction 4. Observ 4. God labours to win people by mercies before hee wounds them by judgments Israel is first solicited by love God destroyes them not till afterward and if his goodnesse had made them blush his greatnesse should not have made them bleed Oh how propense was that God to save his Israel and how unwilling to destroy them He gave them the honey of deliverance and provisions freely and of his own accord he put not forth the sting of punishment till he was provoked Israel shall first have the cloud to guide them the sea divided Egyptians drowned Mannah showred downe the roks gushing them drink and they by all left inexcusable before they be destroyed Oh that the long-suffering of God might be salvation and lead us to repentance and that by submission to mercy wee may prevent a conquest by judgment and not put the Lord upon a work more unpleasing to him than to our selves whose backs do not suffer so much as his bowells Hos 11.8 when we are beaten 5. Observ 5. Miraculous mercies do not benefit an unholy heart After all the salvations that God had bestowed upon Israel they were fit for nothing but destruction Every step they took in the red-sea they trode upon a miracle of mercifull preservation Every time they tasted a crumb of bread or a drop of water they took in a miracle of mercifull provision Every time they look'd up to the heavens they beheld a miracle of mercifull direction but none of these could work upon stubborn hearts Only he who commanded that more soft rock to give them water could make their hearts obedient They who will not be taught by the word will not be bettered by the rod of Moses and without the spirit wee shall be benefitted by neither 6. Great deliverances abused make way for severest judgments Many times did God deliver Israel Psal 105.44 but they provoking him with their connsel were brought low for their iniquity The whole book of Judges is the Comment upon this truth a book made up of the vicissitudes of deliverance provocation and punishment Sins committed against the love of a God are committed most against the happinesse of a people Every deliverance is a bil of Enditement against the unthankfull This makes God to call to the heavens and earth as witnesses against those children which he had brought up Isa 1.2.3 Josh ult 20. Judg. 10.13 Jer. 15.6 Ezra 9.13 14. and rebelled against him Yea to professe that the owner of an ox and the Master of an asse were more respected by their beasts than he was by his Israel This makes God to professe that he will consume his people after he hath done them good and that hee will deliver them no more and elsewhere that he is weary of repenting After all this is come upon us saith Ezra should we again break thy Commnadments wouldst not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us Oh that England would in stead of murmuring at its present distresses mourn for its abuse of former deliverances and more fear without a speedy reformation that the mercies which still we enjoy shall be removed than hope that those we want shall be bestowed 7. Sin disappoints the hopefullest expectations of mercy Observat 7. Jer. 8.15 Jer. 14.19 It stifles it even when it seems to be come to the birth We looked for peace but no good came and for a time of health and behold trouble Who could have expected but that Israel after so many miraculous mercies being now upon the confines of Canaan should instantly have entred but behold their sin sends them back into the wildernesse there to linger and pine for forty years together Sinners disappoint Gods expectation and justly therefore may God disappoint theirs Isa 5.2 After all the costs bestowed by God upon his vineyard he looked that it should bring forth grapes and it brought forth wilde grapes Israel gives God appearances of holinesse and God gives Israel an appearance of deliverance They flatter God with shews of that obedience which he deserved and how justly doth God disappoint them of those mercies which they desired They fall short of promised duty and therefore of expected delivery Oh that we could condemne our selves and justifie God in the sad disappointments of Englands recovery We made shew at the first of a through reformation but we soon faltered and made an halt and why should God be bound when we would needs be loose Our goodnesse was as the early dew and the morning cloud that goeth away Hos 6.4 and justly therefore was our deliverance as a morning sunshine soon clouded and overcast with unexpected troubles 8. Observat 8. Even in judgment God remembers mercy God was good to Israel when he destroyed Israel God in his smiles will be feared and in his frowns will be loved as it s said of Asher that his shoos were iron and brasse and yet that he dipt his foot in oyl Deu. 33.24 25 so doth God ever mix the hardest and heaviest severities toward his Israel with the oyl of mercy and gentlenesse He spared the children when he overthrew the parents He did as vvell remember his own Covenant as their provocation He cut off some luxuriant branches but did not cut down the tree he punished some for their sins hee punished not all Psal 106.8 Ezek. 23.9 for his own glory He wrought for his Names sake I said I would scatter them into corners I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men were it not that I feared the wrath of the Enemy Deut. 32.27 So good is God that hee raiseth arguments of pitty toward rebellious Israel out of himselfe yea out of his enemies vvhen Israel affords him none Though justice made him cast his Church into the fire to be scorched yet mercy made him pluck it like a brand out of the fire lest it should be consumed Zec. 3.2 And a seed he reserves a remnant that his Church may not be as Sodom Isa 1.8 In the
may prove remembrancers of duty Leah and Alphaeus in imposing names on their Children made use of such as might put Parents and Children another day upon holinesse God call'd Abram Abraham to strengthen his faith Hannah gave the name of Samuel to her son 1 Sam. 1.20 because a son of prayers 'T is good to impose such names as expresse our baptismal promise A good name is as a thread tyed about the finger to make us mindfull of the errand we came into the world to do for our Master 4. Obs 4. Ministers especially ought so to carry themselves as that they may not be ashamed to their names that their name prefix'd may be a crown a credit to their Writings that whensoever their names are spoken of the hearer may bless them that their names may be as a sweet perfume to their actions Many Christians names are so odious that what they say or do is blemish'd because it comes from them it had been good if it had been another's He is a dead man among the living that hath a hatefull name It 's a great mercy when our names out-live us it 's a great punishment when we out-live our names They that honour God shall have the spirit of glory rest upon them He that is a Iude a Confessor of Christ shall never want that honour 5. Obs 5. Wee should not do that which we are asham'd or afraid to own or put our names to I deny not but in some cases it may be lawfull to change our names or forbear to mention them either by tongue or pen but then we should not be put upon such straits by the badnesse of our actions as the most are which we are asham'd to own but by the consideration of Gods glory or the Churches good or our own necessary preservation in time of persecution which may be the more advanced by the concealing of our names Thus Bucer in times of trouble for the Gospel call'd himself Aretius Felinus Calvin's Institutions were printed under the name of Alcuinus But these did not conceal themselves for sin but safety nor yet so much for safety as Gods glory I pass from the Name and I proceed to the second thing in the description of the Author of this Epistle and that was his Office A servant of Iesus Christ Of this 1. By way of Explication 2. By way of Observation 1 For Explication Here two Points are to be opened 1. In what respect Jude was the servant of Christ 2. Why he here so stiles himself 1. In what respect Jude was the servant of Christ He was so in four respects Deus est Caussa rebus tam â—ssendi quam siendi Implicat contradictionem ut Deus communicet alicui creaturae nè à se dependeat hoc enim facto communicaret ut non esset creatuâ—a Dau. in Col. 1.17 Servus in Latina linguadictus est à servando quòd hi qui jure belli possent occidi à Victoribus cum servabantur servi fiebant Aug. li. 19. de C.D. c. 15. 1. Of Creation and sustentation as are all creatures Psal 119.91 All are thy servants from the highest Angel to the lowest worm Col. 1.16 17. All things were created by him and for him and by him all things consist The whole world is but his Family altogether at his finding should he shut his hand the house would be famish'd If he withdraw his manu-tenency the world would fall 2. In respect of Redemption from the power of sin and Satan from their condemning and destroying power Heb. 2.15 Rom. 8.1 Luk. 1.74 From their corrupting and defiling power Rom. 6.18 Eph. 6.6 And that this was a redemption deserving to make us servants to the Redeemer appears in that it was not only by Conquest and vindication from our enemies when as the Conqueror might have destroyed us as well as taken us or destroy'd them in which respect according to all usage and equity we ought to be for ever his servants but a redemption also by purchase the Lord JE SUS having paid no less price then his own precious blood 1 Pet. 1.18 19. 1 Cor. 6.20 in which consideration the Apostle strongly argues That wee are not our own but serve for the glorifying of another 3. Isa 49.3 Heb. 3.5 Psal 89.21 Hag. 2.23 This Apostle was the servant of Christ more peculiarly by way of speciall office and function In which respect as Christ himself Moses David Cyrus Zerubbabel c. were called Gods servants so are the Prophets in the Old Jer. 35.15 Amos 3.7 Rom. 1. Phil. 1. Tit. 1. 2 Tim. 2.24 the Apostles and Ministers in the New Testament called servants Although it 's granted the Apostles were servants in a different way from other Ministers both in regard of the manner of their calling which was by immediate mission and appointment from God as also of the extent of their power which was not tyed up or confined to one place Mat. 28.19 Mark 16.15 Matt. 5.13 but granted to them for the planting and governing of Churches in any part of the world In which respect some think they are called the salt of the earth In regard of this function and Office of Apostleship Iude principally calls himself a servant of Christ though not barely and solely in respect of Gods calling him to it but in respect also of his own diligence and faithfulness in endeavouring to discharge his Office to which he was call'd as Peter exhorts 1 Pet. 4.10 and as Paul speaks of himself 1 Cor. 9.16 For Christ keeps no servants only to wear a Livery As he is not a titular Lord so neither are his servants titular servants All their expressions of service reach not the emphasis either of their desires or duty 2 The second thing to be opened is the cause why the Apostle here stileth himself the servant of Christ 1. Some think to shew his humility and modesty in that he who might have us'd the title either of Apostle or Brother of the Lord rather contents himself with this note of duty and service common to every Christian Others better for the confirming and comforting of himself in his work in that his Lord whom he served and who had set him on work would stand by him both in protecting his person and prospering his work Others and those upon cleerest grounds conceive that the Apostle here imbraceth this title of servant in respect of others that his doctrine might with more respect and readinesse be received by those to whom he wrote seeing that he was called to his work and that by such a Master whose service added not more dignity to him then â—t required duty from them This for Explication the Observations follow 1. Obs 1. They who undertake any publick imployment for Christ must receive a calling from him to be his servants if with comfort to themselves or benefit to others they will go about his work Rom. 10.15 Heb. 5.4 5.
It s a great shame if all that are prophets are not the Lords people but it s a grosse errour to think that all the Lords people are ministerially prophets Their being the Lords people makes them fit to hear but not fit to preach fit sheep not fit shepheards Suppose that which constant experience contradicts they have the fitnesse of gifts have they therefore a sufficient Call to preach by way of Office and Ministry Is this enough to be a Kings servant or a Noble mans Steward for a person to have abilities to discharge those places is there not required Commission or Call also and are not Ministers call'd servants and Stewards At this time I doubt it would hardly be accounted true doctrine that every one who hath military gifts courage and policy may be a Commander of a Regiment or Captain of a Troop and that he might gather his Followers without Commission Is it enough for a man to be a Princes Ambassador because he hath sufficient gifts for wit and good expression c. must not the King also give him the authority to be an Ambassadour Is every one that hath good legs or can run a Messenger must he not be sent likewise Besides whosoever hath a commission to preach hath a commission to baptize as is plain from Matth. 28.19 preaching and baptizing reaching alike the Ministery of all ages But hath every gifted-man such a Commission Further doth not our Saviour Mat. 10.41 cleerly distinguish between a righteous man and a Prophet if they had been all one why would he have done so And if gifts make a Minister is it not as true that gifts make a Manistrate and then every one that had understanding and other good governing parts were a Lord Maior nay then why might not women preach as lately they have done many of whom have better gifts then some men And how could that agree with the Apostolicall prohibition for women to speak in the Church 1 Cor. 14.34 Besides all who are called to preach are bound to increase their gifts by giving attendance to reading 1 Tim. 4.13 15. to doctrine and by giving themselves wholly to these things which cannot be done unlesse earthly occupations be laid aside But gifted men are not bound to this therefore they have not this Call which they pretend To conclude Every one that hath this Ministeriall Call hath that Pastorall care lying upon him mentioned Hebr. 13.17 To watch over souls as those that must give an account with joy and not with grief But this can in no wise be said of every one that is a gifted man and therfore gifted persons as such must forsake their pretended claim to a ministeriall call Nor can it be evinced that because the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 14.31 All may prophesie therfore every gifted person may preach For besides that the gift of prophesie was extraordinarily bestowed in that age of the Church not procured by studie and industry but immediately conferr'd by the Spirit upon some as were also Miracles the gift of healing and diversities of tongues all which are now ceas'd its most plain that the word all in that place is not to be taken in its full latitude as if all the men or every beleever in the Church of Corinth might stand up and prophesie for that 's expresly contrary to 1 Cor. 12.29 1 Cor. 12.28 where by an Interrogation the Apostle doth vehemently deny that all are prophets but it s to be taken restrictively to those that were in office and set by God in the Church for that purpose as the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 12.28 God hath set some in his Church first Apostles secondarily Prophets c. Other cavils are weaker then to deserve a mentioning as to argue from that place 1 Cor. 14.34 that because women are forbid to speak in the Church therfore any man may speak What greater strength is in this argument then to reason thus Because no woman may be a Iustice of Peace therefore every man may Because no woman may speak publickly therfore some men must namely such as are in office had been a much better consequence Nor is there more strength in that allegation of Moses his wish Num. 11.27 that all the Lords people were prophets to prove that all might prophesie for in his desiring that all might be prophets he includes a required condition that they might be call'd by God to that employment 2. Obs 2. Allyance in faith spirituall relation to Christ is much dearer and nearer then allyance in flesh Iude might have call'd himself a neer kinsman to Christ or Christs Brother as indeed he was and was so accounted Mat. 13.55 Mark 6.3 as much as Iames who Gal. 1.19 is call'd the Lords brother but that which includes a spirituall relation is to him much sweeter to be a servant of Christ is more desirable then to be a Brother of Christ. To bear Christ in the heart much better then to bear him in the womb What had it profited to have been his kinsman unlesse his servant many that were his kinsmen according to the flesh wanted the honour of this spirituall affinity but such of them who had this honour bestowed upon them had all their other glory swallowed up in this as Christ expressed himself he is my brother Mat. 12.47 50 John 12.26 and mother and sister Blessed be God that this greatest priviledge is not denyed to us even now though we cannot see him yet love him we may 1 Pet. 1.8 though we have not his bodily presence yet we are not denyed the spirituall though he be not ours in house in arms in affinity yet in heart in faith in love in service he is 3 Obs 3. I observe A peculiar excellency and worth in the title of Servant which our Apostle with others before him was so frequently delighted withall It might furnish them and us with a five-fold Consideration full of sweetest delight Sumus Domini non tantum in genitivo singulari sed in nominativo plurali Luth. 1. That he much honours us To serve Christ is to reign It s more honour to serve Christ then to serve Emperours nay then to have Emperours serve us for indeed all things do so 2. That he will assist us in our works If he gives employment he will give endowments too if an errand a tongue if work an hand Phil. 4.13 if a burden a back I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me saith Paul And herein he goeth beyond all other Masters who can toyl and task their servants sufficiently but cannot strengthen them 3. That he will preserve us He will keep us in all our wayes and surely then he will so in all his own work Safety evermore accompanies duty His mercy is over all his works but peculiarly over all his workers Men are never in danger but when they leave working Jonah was well enough till he attempted to
a picture that looks every way his religion leaves him not at the Church-doors he retains his purity where-ever he lives He hath a principle like a fountain in him that supplyes him in the time of drought not like a plash of water lick'd up with an hours heat of the Sun The musick allures him not the fournce affrights him not from God 3. As the actings of a sanctified person are from and according to a renewed principle of life so are they for it and that both in respect of preservation of life in himself and also the propagation of it to others 1. A sanctified person acts for his sanctified principle of spirituall life in respect of preserving it in himself which he expresseth 1. In shunning what-ever may prejudice and impair it much more then a man doth avoid that which would shorten a naturall life as sword poyson diseases c. that which parteth between God and the soul being more hurtfull then that which parteth 'twixt soul and body What shifts have some made to scramble from death throwing estates into the sea leaving them and sweetest relations running thorow rivers fire c. And have not holy men suffered more to keep from sin which tends to spirituall death have they not left goods lands children have they not run thorow fire water nay into them even embracing death rather then death temporall rather then spirituall A man would give all the world rather then lose one naturall life but a Christian would give a thousand lives rather then lose the life spirituall Lord saith he I desire but to live to keep Christ who is my life Psal 63.3 Col. 3.4 2. In a prizing his food that upholds life He loves what nourisheth him delights in the Law of God 1 Pet. 2.2 Psal 19.10 hungreth after the sincere milk of the word accounts it sweeter then the honey and the honey-comb hath a most ardent affection to uncorrupted Truths accounts a famine of the Word the sorest esteems the bread of life the staff of life When he was dead he had no hunger the Word was as food in a dead mans mouth found no savour or entertainment now though God give him never so much of other supplyes yet 't is a famine with him if he have not bread like an infant-King that preferrs the brest before his Crown though he be rich in grace yet he is poor in spirit he desireth grace having the grace to desire He never saith I have enough truth of grace ever puts him upon growth 3. A sanctified person labours to preserve his inward principle of life In using the means that may recover him Jer. 17.11 Psal 41.4 when his life is endangered by sicknesse desiring earnestly that God would heal him embracing the sharpest administrations the bitterest reproofs taking down the most loathed pill bearing the heaviest affliction being willing to be cut sawed seared so as to be saved His great request is that he may be whole walk holily that the pain and impotency of his disease the filthinesse and hurtfulnesse thereof were both removed 2. A sanctified person acts for his principle of spirituall life In labouring to communicate it to others as well as to preserve it in himself The life of a spiritually quickned soul is generative of it self All living creatures have a seminary for propagating of their kinde the spirit of life is fruitfull endeavouring to derive it self from one to another You never heard of a soul that loved to make a monopoly of Christ Grace may be imparted not impaired Samson when he had found honey gave his father and mother some with him John 4. The woman of Samaria calls others to Christ being called How diffusive of Christ was blessed Paul like the wall which reflects upon the passenger the Sun shining upon it How sutable was that wish of his to a sanctified soul I would to God that thou and all that hear me this day were almost and altogether such as I am except these my bonds Act. 26.29 Every Christian labours to raise up seed to his elder brother The great design of the soul is to set up Christ more in it self and others to leaven others with grace and this gaining of souls is a Christians greatest covetousnesse This for the explication of the sort or kinde of their first priviledge Sanctification The Observations follow in the second place 1. Obs 1. Grace whereby we are changed much excels grace whereby we are onely curb'd The Sanctification wherewith the faithfull were said to be adorned was such as cur'd sin as well as cover'd it not a sanctification that did abscondere but abscindere not onely represse but abolish corruption Psal 145. The former restraining grace is a fruit only of generall mercy over all Gods works common to good and bad binding the hand leaving the heart free withholding only from some one or few sins tying us now and loosing us by and by intended for the good of humane society doing no saving good to the receiver In a word onely inhibiting the exercise of corruption for a time without any reall diminution of it as the Lions that spared Daniel were Lions still and had their ravenous disposition still as appeared by their devouring others although God stop'd their mouthes for that time But this sanctifying grace with which the faithfull are here adorned as it springs from Gods speciall love in Christ so it is proper to the Elect worketh upon every part in some measure body soul spirit abhorrs every sin holdeth out to the end is intended for the salvation of the receiver it doth not only inhibit the exercise of corruption but mortifieth subdueth diminisheth it and works a reall change of a Lion making a Lamb altering the naturall disposition of the soul and making a new man in every part and faculty 2. From the nature of this Sanctification I note Obs 2. It changeth not the substance and faculties of soul and body but onely the corruption and disorder and sinfulnesse thereof it rectifies but destroyes not like the fire wherein the three children were it consumes the bonds not the garments it doth not slay Isaac but onely the ram it breaks not the string but tuneth it The fall of man took not away his essence but onely his holinesse so the raising of man destroyes not his being but his unholy ill-being Grace beautifieth not debaseth nature it repairs not ruins it It makes one a man indeed it tempereth and moderateth affections not abolisheth them it doth not extinguish the fire onely allay it that it may not burn the house It doth not overthrow but order thy love hatred sorrow joy both for measure and object Thou mayst be merry now thou art sanctified but not mad-merry thy rejoycing will now be in the Lord elevated not annihilated They are mistaken that think Sanctification unmans a man that he must now alway be sad and sowre solitary that as they said of Mary a Christian
into the eye it presently begins to cry The people of God while troubles are upon them are safe but when they are within them when sin sends away Christ then begins their woe Sin can never quite bereave a Saint of his jewel his grace but it may steal away the key of the cabinet his assurance he may not know where to finde his grace when he stands most it need of it Grieve not that holy Spirit which unites Chrisâ— to the soul and supplyes the soul with Christ Grieve not that Spirit in thy joyes which only can rejoyce thee in thy griefs The Spirit of Christ is a tender thing When Jâ—seph manifested himself to his brethren the Egyptians weâ— made to go forth and when the Spirit discovers the love oâ— Christ to us there must not be a lust allowed in us 5. Obs 5. I note The great happinesse by the second abovâ— what was enjoyed from the first Adam We were holy in the first but are preserved only in the second Adam in the former holinesse was perfect onely in the later it is permanent in Adam we had a power to stand if we would in Christ we have grace that makes us will Adam had life but lost it and derives death Christ hath life keeps it and communicates it Oh the goodnesse of God that he should take occasion by mans hurting himself to do him good and after his falling not onely to raise him up but to keep him up to keep him as the Apostle afterward from falling A mercy which as it requires thankfulnesse Felicior Job in sterquilinio quam Adamus in Paradiso Subjiciuntur miscriis non rejiciuntur cum miseris so it opposeth high-mindednesse Job on the dung-hill was more safe then Adam in that place which was the beauty of the earth Though the faithfull may be cast into miseries yet they perish not with the miserable But though wee stand longer then Adam stood yet by our selves we stand not at all we live in a continued dependence upon Christ if he with-draw his manu-tenency Rom. 11.18 20. the higher we are in grace the lower shall we be in sin We bear not the root but the root bears us let us not be high-minded but fear Who-ever is preserved in Christ must not arrogate his preservation to himself Christ must have the glory both of our setting out and holding out This for the second Priviledge from which the faithfull to whom Jude writes are described viz. Their Preservation in Christ The third and last follows viz. Their Vocation Last in the order of the Apostles writing though indeed first in the order of Gods working the Apostle hereby expressing the ground of their Sanctification and their perseverance therein viz. Their true and effectuall vocation from sin to God at the first Called Of this Vocation 1. By way of Explication 2. By way of Observation The word here used signifieth sundry sorts of Callings 1. Not to speak of calling personall 1 Cor. 7.24 Rom. 1.2 Gal. 1.1 or to a Function and Office whether oeconomicall Military Magistraticall or Ecclesiasticall Acts 1.26 immediate or mediate as not being here intended 2. Nor of that generall calling of all persons in the world by the works of creation Rom. 2.15 and 1.19 Psal 19.1 Acts 17.27 and the light of nature by which God speaks to heathens 3. But of that spirituall calling afforded only unto some Acts 14.17 which is to seek happinesse and blessednesse in Christ This is twofold 1. Only externall and ineffectuall 2. Internal also and effectuall 1. Only externall Ps 147.19 20. Acts 17.30 and by the ministry of the Gospel bestowed sometimes upon Cities Kingdoms Common-wealths A calling according to means common to the elect and reprobates Mat. 20.16 Many are called but few are chosen It s often inefficacious as to the saving good of the hearer Mat. 23.37 Heb. 4.3 Audiunt multi obaudiunt pauci Christ would have gathered Jerusalem's children and they would not The word preach'd profited not because not mixt with faith God by this external calling shewing what is mans duty and what was once his ability to perform the impairing of which later is no exemption from the former Joh. 15.22 24. and hereby rendring men inexcusable they knowing what they should do and not doing what they know And also by this meerly outward calling men are conteyned in externall order abstain from sundry great and heynous sins are profitable instruments in a Common-wealth observe civill Justice c. which God oft rewards with temporall blessings 2. The other sort of this spirituall Vocation is internal and effectual this bringing us into the invisible Church as the other into the visible this uniting us to Christ the head the other tying us to the members this bringing to illumination of faith the other to illumination of knowledge only this making us members the other professors of Christ this curing and changing the other only curbing us this being a calling according to purpose and flowing from election the other a calling according to means only The general way leading to the knowledge of God by the creatures and naturall light or the meer externall revelation of the will of God in the Scriptures sufficing not Totus Psalmus in tres partes distribui potest Prima agit de prima Schola quae est universalis seu omnium hominum communis Secunda de Schola particulari propria Ecclesiae penes quam Deus Oracula sua deposuit Tertia de Schola specialis gratiae internâ efficaci quae ad Unctionem Spiritus refertur quae docet vero salutari modo Riv. arg Ps 19. without the effectuall operation of the Spirit upon the heart in respect whereof as the learned Rivet well observes the Psalmist throughout the 19 Psalm sets down a three-fold School by which God teacheth us and calls us 1. That which is common to all men by the contemplation of the creatures 2. That which is proper to the Church standing in Gods committing his oracles unto it 3. That which is internall and of speciall grace efficacious and to be referr'd to the unction of the Spirit which teacheth and calleth after a saving manner And this is the calling here intended being that powerfull work of God calling persons to be what they are not of sinners to become Saints of enemies to become sons whereby grace is not only offered but conferr'd a work of Gods Spirit whereby the elect are not only morally invited but efficaciously incited to come to Christ For the explanation of which I shall briefly touch upon six Considerations which sweetly agree in three pairs or couples with the ordinary calls or invitations which are between man and man 1. The term from which we are called with 2. The term to which we are called 3. The Caller or who it is that calleth with 4. The persons called 5. The Voyce wherewith he calleth with 6.
Take heed of shutting your eyes against the light or putting out the light because it shines in your eyes Be not weary of God Forget not your ornaments and attire Run not away when God calls Think it not a disgrace to attend the hearing of that which it is your greatest honour to obey Let not your stomack decay because your food is so plentiful Rejoyce in the light not for a season only John 5.35 Let not the Proverb take place here Every thing is pretty while 't is young The longer you enjoy the more rejoyce in the word Let new food finde new stomacks or rather the same food continually new brought Take heed lest wantonnesse under procure a want of the word While your are on this side Canaan love to feed on Manna What a shame is it that God should call louder to us then ever he did to any and yet that we should hear worse then ever any did 5. The dignity and duty of the Ministers of the Gospel Obs 5. 1. The dignity in that God calls by them they are his mouth as the Gospel is his voyce God beseecheth by them to be reconciled they are his Ambassadors his Stewards his fellow-workers they are fathers saviours their work is for the good of souls not for the estate with Lawyers nor for the body with Physicians 't is the heavenly inheritance which they teach you to procure the blood of Christ which they direct to receive You are led by them to Christ Augustine speaks to God thus concerning Ambrose Ad eum per te ducebar nescius ut ad te per eum sciens ducerer who was an instrument of his conversion I was led by thee to him unawares that by him I might through knowledge be led to thee 2. Their duty Ministers should labour to uphold the dignity of their calling the way to do so is more to desire to be profitable then pompous Ministers are to call and cry if they be silent who should speak If peoples lusts hate a faithfull Minister yet their consciences even then honour him as is cleer in Herod Ministers must call aloud they must tel people of their sin thunder out the judgments of God against sleepy sinners they who must not be dumb dogs must neither bite the children in the house nor spare the theeves If any sin in a Minister be unpardonable 't is silence They must call often giving line upon line not being weary of calling waiting with patience when a sinner may repent Importunity at length may prevail They are animarum proci Wooers of souls to Christ one denyall must not discourage them All the day long they must stretch out their hands they must never be speechless till they die They must call in the language of God 1 Pet. 4.11 2 Cor. 2.17 they must speak as the words of God with demonstration of the Spirit There must not be a sinfull curiosity in handling the word better the Grammarian should reprehend then the people not understand Ministers must not so call as to cause astonishment but understanding in people pithy plainness is the beauty of preaching What good doth a golden key that opens not The kingdom of God is not in word but power And as preaching must not be curious so neither over-slight consisting of raw sudden indigested meditations The word must not be torn but divided not tossed but handled the Text not named only but followed there must be a diligent kinde of negligence in handling the word They must not forbid and unbid in their lives whom they call in their doctrine They who are Callers must live like called ones themselves not neglecting that to which they perswade others The health of a Ministers honour can never be maintain'd in the air of a corrupt life If we would have none to despise us we must be examples 6. Obs ult The called of God should live sutably to their calling They must walk worthy of it If men be called to an office they must wait upon it accordingly Rom. 12.7 A base deportment becoms not those in high place Joseph call'd to stand before Pharaoh throws away his prison-garments 2 Thess 1.11 1 Pet. 2.9 Saul call'd to a kingdom had another heart The vertues of him that calleth must be shewn 1. Humility and self-debasing considering so great a God regarded so poor a worm Remember as it was a dung-hil from whence God took thee so thy unwillingness was great to leave it and how long God was making thee willing to do good to thy self how thou hadst nothing to set up with that thy portion was nothing but pride and poverty 2. Pity to those that are uncalled the elect of God must put on bowels they that have obtained mercy must pray that others may do so Look upon others sins with more trouble than thine own sorrows Pity those that cannot pity themselves weep over their dying souls thy soul hath been in the state of theirs Call after others if God hath called thee Luke 22.32 and pray that God would make them hear Embrace the company of the worst to make them good not as a companion but a Physician 3. Contempt of the world Acknowledg thy dignity be above those trifles which thou a childe didst magnifie A Christian is called to a kingdom 2 Thess 2.14 Col. 1.13 Phil. 3.14 1 Thess 2.12 he hath an high calling all that the world can give him he should lay at his feet His heart must be where his treasure is and his treasure onely where Christ is Onely he can look upon the world as small who hath look'd upon Christ as great How unsutable is it to see a King raking in the dunghil or making hay with his Scepter 4. A preferring that voyce before all other which called thee Cant. 2.8 John 10. Ephes 4.14 Gal. 6. It is the voyce of my beloved My sheep hear my voyce Let not the voyce of a stranger with-draw thee Be not tossed up and down with every winde of doctrine be not a follower of men Walk by rule not example Whensoever the world or thy own heart call thee rather fear them than follow them Follow others as they Christ Love that voyce of Christ that calls thee from thy sweetest sin Value one promise of his above the sweetest musick Let every Scripture threat be more dreadfull than a thunder-clap 5. Delight in calling upon him that called thee Prayer is the called souls eccho back again to God As soon as Paul was called Acts 9.11 he prayed God saw nothing in thee and yet he called after thee how much is there in God for which thou shouldst call after him Desire him to draw thee neerer to himself to call thee to him closer to keep thee as he hath call'd thee to him 6. Be thankful for thy vocation 1 Thes 2.12 2 Thes 2.14 that God should call thee when there was nothing but woe and unwillingness and
respect he doth not succour he giving food to the hungry warmth by wool and sundry sorts of skins to the naked medicine by many kindes of herbs the Sun the Clouds the Winds the Rain to refresh the earth severally Psal 147.9 Luke 6.37 Psal 145.15 and thus he is mercifull to the elect and reprobate just and unjust nay men and beasts Or 2. A special mercy bestowed upon the elect alone different from the former both in regard of Gods will to help as also in regard of the effects of that will John 6.39 'T is the will of God that the Elect should be delivered from their sins his wrath Satans power the sting of death and that they should obtain eternal life in Christ Isa 62.4 Mal. 1.10 the wil and pleasure of God is to do them good they are his hephsibah but he hath no pleasure in or speciall love to others The effects likewise of his will to help are different toward the elect from those he expresseth upon the reprobate Rom. 9.15 18. 1 Tim. 1.13 Rom. 11.31 Psal 103.13 Psal 32.10 Psal 86.5 he calling effectually justifying redeeming glorifying the elect The Lord pitieth them that fear him He that trusteth in the Lord mercy shall compasse him about The Lord is plenteous in mercy to them that call upon him Of others he saith I will deal in fury mine eye shall not spare Ezek. 8.18 neither will I have pitie The elect are vessels of mercy the other of wrath To the former he is mercifull in bestowing upon them an eternall to the later in affording a temporal life These two differing as much as the mercy with which a man regards his beast doth from that wherewith he tenders his son the beast is fed to be slain or to be fit for labour the son to be preserved and out of a paternal care for his good To the wicked God affords a drop to the godly a draught of mercy to the wicked the crumbs under the table to the godly Christ with all his benefits that bread of life which endureth to eternal life This special mercy of God here pray'd for by the Apostle is distinguish'd according to those several miseries of his people in which he succours them Take a taste of the kinds of it God is mercifull 1. With a preventing mercy when he makes us holy of unholy ones he loved us first Hee waited to shew mercy Isa 30.18 he doing good to us when we knew him not Ezek. 16.22 Pitying us when we were in our blood regarding us when we neither regarded him nor our selves keeping us from falling into the sins to which of our selves we were prone So that as in respect of good we are what we are from Gods meer mercy so in respect of evil we are not what we are not from the same mercy 2. He is merciful to his with a forgiving mercy fully freeing them from wrath their sins are as if they never had been blotted out as a cloud Isa 44.22 thrown into the bottom of the sea Mic. 7.19 though sought for yet not to be found Deus vindictae gladium miserationis oleo exacuit Jer. 50.20 In a sea of affliction there 's not a drop of wrath The faithfull are look'd upon as sons not as malefactors their sufferings are not to satisfie God but to sanctifie them Heb. 12.6 7. 3. He is mercifull with accepting mercy taking in good part the desires of the soul whenas it findes not to perform accepting a sigh in stead of a service a cup of cold water a mite a broken reed smoking flax a groan in stead of a duty the stammerings of his childe above the eloquence of a beggar a broken heart as the box of spike-nard 4. Hos 14.4 He is mercifull with re-accepting mercy looking upon a returning Prodigal as a son pitying as a father not punishing as a Judg Isa 55.7 multiplying to pardon receiving back-sliders again 5. He is mercifull with providing mercy supplying all our wants suffering no good thing to be wanting to us Psal 23.2 Pet. 1.3 Psal 84.11 alwayes giving what we need if not what we would either asswaging or answering our desires bestowing temporall blessings in subordination not opposition to eternall blessedness giving us if not riches with godliness contentment with our poverty 6. He is mercifull with directing mercy in our doubts guiding us by his counsels Psal 73.24 Gal. 6.16 shewing us the way wherein we are to walk being eyes to us in our blindness light in our darkness a teacher in our ignorance a pillar and a cloud in every wildernesse giving his Word for a rule his Spirit for a guide 7. Mercifull he is with sustaining mercy upholding us in all our distresses making every affliction fordable and carrying us thorow visiting us in prison feeding us thorow our grate knowing our souls in adversity Psal 94.18 leading us gently proportioning our burdens to our back casting a tree into every Marah shining thorow every showre sending supplyes in every siege 2 Cor. 12. Luke 22.32 making his grace sufficient for us in all our buffetings keeping us from being swallowed up of sin and our grace from being totally obliterated 8. Mercifull with quickning enlivening mercy to any holy duty so that we can do all things Phil. 4.13 making us a willing people oyling the wheels of our souls putting into us delight in his law Psal 119. so that we account it sweeter then our appointed food and run the wayes of his commandments he giving as work and wages so hands 9. Mercifull with a restoring recovering mercy and that not onely from sin and miseries but even by them 1. From them bringing out of every distresse bodily and friritual causing every cloud to blow over making the longest night to end in a morning raising us after the fowlest fall and out of the deepest grave Psal 103.9 Joel 2.13 Lam. 3.22 Hab. 3.2 making faith to work out of the greatest Ecclipse he chides not for ever but repents him of the evil through his mercy he suffers us not to be consumed In wrath he remembers mercy 2. By sin and miseries making our afflictions nay our very sins to work for our good and all the smutchings with both to make us brighter more humble watchful and our fiery tryals to burn in sunder only our bonds 10. Rom. 8.28 Mercifull with crowning mercy when he brings us into heaven 2 Tim. 1.18 there he perfectly freeing us not only from the contagion by but even the company of every sin nay the fear of ever being annoyed again thereby delivering us from impure hearts and imperfect graces from foyles from fighting from all our causes of complaint he then giving for every combat we have had a crown for every tear a pearl for every light affliction a mass of glory for a drop of gall a sea of joy for appearing troubles reall blessednesse 2 Tim. 1.18
showre of tears Isa 38.3 God puts not the oyle of peace into a crack't Vial Heart-peace is a Companion only of Heart-purity 4. Love not the world for t is enmity with God The Sun-shine of earthly enjoyments puts out the fire of spirituall peace the thornes of worldly cares make the peace of many a Saint to goe but with a scratch't face They who have suffered with joy the spoyling have suffered sorrow for the loving of their goods when men sweat in outward imployments their peace is coldest inwardly 4. Holinesse makes no man unpeaceable and turbulent The more God quiets us the lesse shall we sinfully discontent men The world condemns the Godly as authors of dissension but the true reason why they are accounted unpeaceable by the world is because they will not lose their Peace with God to finde trouble in the world is their portion but to cause trouble in the world is not their property They are wont indeed to disquiet mens lusts but are wicked men and sin so neer that the one cannot be distinguish'd from the other The will of a Saint is for peace but 't is necessity that makes him contend Peace rules in his heart Col. 3.15 it doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it sits as the Judge or Umpire was wont to do in the publick games of wrastling or running Apostolus innuit hoc esse hujus virtutis officiū ut agat brabeutem sive agonothetam inter caeteros affectus nam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id significat Cum igitur insurgunt in cordibus nostris turbidi affectus irae odii vindictae haec pax Dei debet suum officium facere id est instar agonothetae lites dirimere tumultuantes affectus compescere omnia ad pacem deducere Davenant in Col. who did rule and order the runners or wrastlers deciding their controversies and giving rewards to the best-deserving so this peace of God when the troublesom affections of anger hatred and revenge arise in our hearts appeaseth strifes ends controversies and renders us peaceable As for wicked men who seem sometimes to be very peaceable among themselves in sin they must know that agreement against God is not Peace but Conspiracy and such a rotten peace makes way for a real war both with others and within themselves 5. It s most sutable to a Ministers Function to further and pray for the peace of others As they are Christians Obs 5. they are cald to peace Col. 3.15 and as Ministers they are cald to be Ambassadors of peace The bodily peace of others should be pray'd for by them Jam. 5.14 Brotherly peace should they promote among their people An unpeaceable people among themselves will be an unprofitable people under him Jam. 3.16 Ministers should endeavour the civil peace put people in mind to be subject to Principallities and Powers Tit. 3.1 and to take heed of Treason and Rebellion To revile them for this is to be angry with the fift Commandement But especially should Ministers labour to bring people into peace with God and to pray them to be reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5.27 and by Ministerial directions to help them to attain peace of Conscience within themselves Confident I am That while mens lusts speak Ministers contentious their Consciences speak them peaceable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicitur vel ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. seipsum toto animo in rem dilectā vel ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod est valdè in re amata acquiescere Ita 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat vehementem affectū ardentemque amorem quo quis alicui sese intimè adjungit et in eo totus quiescit unde et pater Caelestis de filio suo hic est inquit filius meus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 et mox quasi etymologiam subdens in quo mihi complaceo Zanc. de na dei l. 4. c. 3. Amicitia est quasi habitus Amor autem et dilectio significant actum vel passionem Charitas autem utroque modo accipi potest defferenter tamen significatur actus per ista tria nam amor est aliquid communius inter ea omnis enim amor dilectio est vel charitas sed non è converso Addit dilectio super amorem electionem praecedentem unde dilectio est in sola voluntate rationalis creaturae charitas autem ultra amorem addit perfecttionem amoris in quantum illud quod amatur carum i. e. magni pretii aestimatur Tho. 1.2 qu. 16. Art 3. The third and last Blessing desired by this Apostle for these Christians is Love Of which likewise By way of 1 Exposition 2 Observation For the Expository part I shall 1. Specifie the several kinds of Love principally that at which the Apostle seems most to aim 2. Set down the excellent Properties of this kind of Love which make it so desirable Not to stay upon the consideration of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Love Amor aliarum rerum est charitas inter solos homines dilectio ad Deum spectat diligimus Deum charos habemus parentes liberos c. amamus omnes Aret. in Probl. or of its agreement with those other Expressions ordinarily used to set forth after a sort the same thing as charity friendship c. This Love in the general being that inclination or tendency of any thing to the good beloved or that principle whereby one joyns himself to and resteth in an object is of sundry sorts Not to speak of those which are either far from or contrary to the Scope of the Apostle as of natural love which is that quality in any thing following its form by which it tends to and resteth in what is agreeable to it Nor of animal love whereby the sensitive appetite in men or beasts tends to its good and resteth in it Nor of love meerly rational or intelective whereby the will freely embraceth any object presented to it by the understanding Nor of Angelical love Nor of that love which God hath towards himself as the chief good There are Three sorts of Love any of which may be desired from God as a blessing Namely a love of 1 God to man 2 Man to God 3 Man to man himself or others I yet conceiving since the Apostle had desired that these Christians might receive mercy from God and that every particular Beleever might have peace in himself that he seemeth now in the last place to pray That they might again both return love to God and render it also to one another 1 There is a love of God to man though without passion sympathy or any imperfection or weakness these being attributed to him only to relieve the weakness either of our Faith or apprehensions And this love is 1 Considered as a love of desire as love desireth to be carried to the union of the thing beloved This desire of union with man God sheweth many ways as 1 By being neer
unto nay present with him by his universal care and providence he being not far from every one of us for in him we live c. Act. 17.27 28. 2 By assuming the nature of man into a personal conjunction with himself in the Mediator Christ 3 By conversing with man by signs of his presence extraordinary visions dreams oracles inspiration and ordinarily by his holy Ordinances wherewith his people as it were abide with him in his house 4 By sending his holy Spirit to dwell in man and bestowing upon man the divine nature 5 By taking man into an eternal habitation in heaven Psal 16. ult where he shall be ever in his glorious presence 2 There is a love of God to man considered as a love of benevolence or of good will or of willingness to do good to the thing beloved what else was his eternal purpose to have mercy upon his people and of saving them Rom. 9.13 but as it s exprest concerning Jacob this loving them And to whom can a will of doing good so properly agree as to him whose will is goodness it self 3 There is a lover of God to man considered as a love of beneficence bounty or actual doing good to the thing beloved Thus he bestoweth the effects of his love both for this life and that which is to come And the beneficence of God is called Love 1 Joh. 3.1 Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God And Joh. 3.16 So God loved the world that he sent c. By this love of beneficence bestowes he the good things of nature grace glory God doth good to every creature hating though the iniquity of any one yet the nature of none Gen. 1.31 for the being of every creature is good and God hath adorn'd it with many excellent qualities According to these loves of benevolence and beneficence God loveth not his creatures equally but some more then others in as much as he willeth to bestow and also actually bestoweth greater blessings upon some than upon others he makes and preserves all creatures but his love is more especially afforded to mankinde he stileth himself from his love to man Tit. 3.4 and not from his love to Angels or any other creature He is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a lover of man but never 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a friend of Angels or creatures without man His love is yet more peculiarly extended to man in creating him after his own image Psal 8.5 Heb. 2.16 Rom. 5.8 and in giving him lordship over the creatures in giving his Son to take upon him mans nature and exalt it above heavens and Angels to dye for sinning dying man offering him to man in the dispensation of the Gospel with wooing and beseechings Mat. 28.18 and yet of men he loveth some more especially and peculiarly than others Omnia diligit Deus quae fecit etinter ea magis creaturas rationales et de illis eas amplius quae sunt membra Unigeniti et multo magis ipsum Unigenitum Aug. T. 9. in Joh. namely those whom he loveth with an electing calling redeeming justifying glorifying love God loves all creatures and among them the rational and among them the members of his Son and much more the Son himself 4. There is a love of God to man considered as a love of complacency and delight in the thing beloved he is pleased through his Son with his Servants and he is much delighted with his own image wheresoever he finds it He is pleased with the persons and performances of his people He hath made us accepted in the Son of his loves the Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him Psal 147.11 Zeph. 3.17 They reflecting his excellencies and shewing forth his vertues he rejoying over them with joy he resting in his love accounting a Beleever amiable his soul a lesser heaven his prayers melody his sighs incense his stammerings eloquence his desires performances 2 There is a love of Man to God which is when the Soul is moved Amor concupiscentiae non requiescit in quacunque extrinseca aut superficiali adeptione amati sed quaerit amatum perfectè habere quasi ad intima illius perveniens Aq. 1.2 ae q. 28. ar 2. drawn and called out to desire the participation of his presence yeelding up and conforming it self to his will as also quietly resting in the enjoying of him This love is considerable in its several kinds 1 It s a love of desire to enjoy him for ours as the source of all our happiness The Soul loves God under the apprehension of the greatest good and therefore puts forth it self in strongest desires toward him This love is as strong as death and can take no denyal It is the wing and weight of the Soul that carries all the desires into an intimate unity with the thing beloved stirreth up a zeal to remove all obstacles worketh an egress of the Spirits and as it were an haste of the Soul to entertain and meet it According to those expressions of the Saints in Scripture The desire of our soul is to thy name Es 26.8 Ps 119.10.81 119.20 Psal 42.2 Psal 84.2 With my whole heart have I sought thee My soul fainteth for thy salvation My soul breaketh for the longing it hath to thy judgements at all times My soul thirsteth for God I am sick of love c. Oh the vehement panting breathing and going forth of the soul of one toward God who is in love with him he contemns the most serious worldly employments when he is taken up with this and who so discourseth with him of earthly concernments speaks as with one not at home all the world not satisfying without the kisses of the lips of our beloved our desires being a thousand times more for one smile of his face than for all the wealth under the Sun No difficulty so great no danger so imminent nay no death so certain which this love carries not through for the obtaining of the thing beloved this love being a falling mountain that breaks down all that stands betwixt it and the place of its rest In a word no means shall be left unused that by God are appointed for the obtaining of our beloved enquiries of or from others how to find him letters of love sighs tears sobs groans unutterable are sent to win him desires to hear again from him in his promise of grace are expressed The soul is never gotten neer enough till it be in the arms the bosome of God in heaven It saith not as Peter of his Tabernacles Lord Let there be one for me and another for thee but let us both be together in one It s ever night with one who loves Christ till the Sun of his presence be arising He is like a certain kinde of Stone of which some report That if it be thrown into the water
is not impaired The receiving of grace by one doth no more hinder the receiving thereof by another than one mans seeing of the Sun hindereth another from seeing it also God is a rich Father he giveth though not alike yet sufficient portions to all his children Our elder brother had a double portion he was anointed with the oyle of gladnesse above his fellowes Psal 45.7 but the oyntment poured upon the head fell down upon every member He who had holinesse for Abraham Moses David Peter will not suffer the least child in his house to be totally destitute They all drank of that rock which flowes toward us If we had but their thirst here 's as much water still as ever there was The people of God should neither envy one another for their fulnesse nor upbraid one another with their emptinesse but admire the wisdome and blesse the bounty of him who giveth to all though differently The whole Company of Saints is like to a well tuned instrument Varii toni in musica the strings whereof though not all of one note but some higher some lower yet all together make a sweet harmony nor can the loudest be without the smallest In what grace one is defective in that let another labour to supply In what one abounds let another labour to imitate and excell but let all adore and delight in him whose are the scatter'd excellencies bestowed upon all the Saints in the world 3. Observ 3. Where God hath begun grace he is not weary of bestowing more Mercy be multiplyed to you sanctified ones To him that hath shall be given Mark 4.25 God loves not to set up a foundation without a wall nor wals without a roofe He perfects what concerns his people and the work of the Lord is perfect Deut. 32.4 Isai 10.12 And he doth his whole work upon Mount Sion How good is God not only to do good because he will do good but because he hath done so to make one grace a kind of obligation upon himselfe to bestow another God herein resembling some magnificent King who when he hath set his love upon a favourite afterward is in love with his own choice of and bounty on him and loves him for these very favours which he hath given him John 15.2 John 1.50 Every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit Greater things saith Christ to Nathaneel thou shalt see He who killeth one lust shall kill another he who is conscionable in one duty shall be enabled to another He who hath the grace of desire shall have grace bestowed on his desire and he who hath grace to do a little shall have grace to do more God is never weary of giving He hath oyle enough for every vessell and still asketh when he hath fill'd all our vessels as that woman in the story Bring me yet a vessell The meditation whereof 2 King 4.6 as it should comfort us against our spirituall deficiencies in regard we know where to have more grace so should it incite us to proceed in holinesse and never to think we have enough or to answer as he did There is not a vessell In the best things there 's no excesse 4. Obser 4. Onely sanctified ones have the blessing of spirituall multiplication As first God gave the word of Creation before he gave the word of Benediction so doth he still spiritually Whosoever hath not Mat. 13.12 from him shal be taken away even what he hath If there be not essentia there cannot be incrementum If no truth no growth of grace Omnis germinatio supponit plantationem A stake that is meerly thrust into the ground having neither root nor life groweth in nothing but in rottennesse and this speaks the misery of one not in Christ and enlivened by the spirit of regeneration nothing doth him good he devoureth fat ordinances but hath a lean soule he is by the showers of every Sermon and Sacrament made meeter for the axe and fitter fuell for hell 5. Obser 5. Our beginning in holinesse is an Engagement upon us to go on Sanctified preserved called ones must multiply grace The beginning in the spirit must be a caution to us that we end not in the flesh If Saints be barren the Trees of Gods Ort-yard where can increase be expected A fruitlesse tree in the field may haply be born with not such an one in the garden They who are planted in the House of God Psal 92.13 14. should flourish in the Courts of our God still bring forth fruit in old age be fat and flourishing It is an unanswerable Dilemma If the wayes of God were bad why did you begin in them if good why did you not proceed They who are holy must be holy still Rev. 22.11 It 's a great disgrace for religion to be disgraced by her children to be forsaken by her followers The dispraise of any by a friend is easily believed by every one especially by an enemy to the dispraised when sanctified ones grow loose and remisse sanctity is stabb'd by the reproaches of others it is but scratched It 's excellent counsel of the Apostle that we lose not the things which we have wrought 2 Ep. John 8. Luke 22.3 As the vigilancy of Satan is to take from sanctified ones so their care must be to keep what they have gotten and to get what they want 6. Observ 6. God affords graces sutable to all the exigences of his people multiplyed grace to those who are in multiplyed difficulties and tentations My grace saith God to Paul is sufficient for thee 2 Cor. 12.9 When ever God gives a burden he provides a shoulder He never requireth brick from his people without giving them straw He will either multiply grace or diminish the tentation He bids his people up and eat if he sends them a long journey Those Saints of his whom he hath employed in winter seasons he hath ever cloathed with winter garments commonly the best men have lived in the worst times and Gods stars have shined brightest in the darkest ages The faithfull have been more then conquerours in conflicts both with persecuters and seducers Rom. 8.37 And truely grace multiplyed is much better than tentation either asswaged or removed VER 3. Beloved when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation it was needfull for me to write unto you and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered to the Saints VVE have finished the first part of this Epistle viz. the Title The second follows the Body and Substance of the whole Epistle wherein the Apostles scope is to incite these Christians to imbrace a seasonable Exhortation to the 24th verse of the Epistle In it there are four principall parts two of them contained in this third verse 1. The Reasons of the Apostles sending this Exhortation to
is a God that loveth a pure heart of all sins hee most hates hypocrisie All Murderers sin hainously but none so hainously as those who imploy a mans own hands to kill himself An hypocrite labours to destroy Religion by Religion 2. As it is hypocrisie to cover lasciviousnesse so is it even heightned profanenesse to cover it with the grace of God Will no cheaper stuffe then grace serve to cloath lasciviousnesse The excellency of any thing adds to the fault of abusing it To make a King's Son Lacquey to a beggar to make hay with the Scepter Royall to dig in a dunghill with a golden spade to stop an oven with the Robes of an Emperour are all actions of greatest unworthinesse and wild unsutablenesse but to make Religion a stirrup to profanenesse and the grace of God a credit to lasciviousnesse is a presumption of an higher and far more unsufferable degree This is to make God accounted a patron of impiety and the Judg of all the Earth to seem the greatest malefactor Ezek. 36.20 and to profane his holy Name 4. This turning the grace of God into lasciviousnesse argueth the grossest folly it is a forsaking of our own mercy a receiving the grace of God in vain What is if this be not to neglect great salvation to be prodigall of blessednese to ravell out and to wanton away the offers of Christ himself Who would not heartily chide himself that by toying trifling or unnecessary lingring in the way to the Exchange misseth of a bargain by which he might have gained a thousand pounds Foolish Sinner Lasciviousnesse under grace is the losse of glory and the losse of heaven can never be redeemed with the tears of hell 4. Grace turned into lasciviousnesse is the top of all Ingratitude What greater unkindnesse then to be evill because God is good If it be a sin for thee to have an evill eye against another because God is good to him what is it to have an evill eye against God because he is good to thee If it be a sin to reward a man evil for evil what is it to return to God evil for good To be lascivious because God is gracious is to fight against God with his own weapons to wound God with that arm which he hath cured Hos 7.15 to kill and crucifie him who hath freed us from death In a word to make that a pillow for presumption which God appointed for an antidote against despair 5. by grace to grow lascivious is destruction even to desperate irrecoverablenesse No poyson is so deadly as the poyson extracted out of grace Abused mercy pleads against a sinner most perswasively If that which was appointed for a sinners rising and standing makes him fall how irrecoverable must his falling be If Mercy be his foe how should Justice ever be his friend Lamentable was the death of Zimri who was burnt by the flames of that house which was for his safety Grace is the sweetest friend but the sorest enemy Lead of it self is very cold and cooling but nothing so scalding if it be throughly heated The lowest place in hell is provided for those who have been lifted up neerest to heaven Grace discovered and abused is THE condemnation Out of him who lavishly spends riches of grace God will recover riches of glory God will not lose by any OBSERVATIONS 1. Obs 1. Great is our natural propensenesse to grow wanton against God by his goodnesse Seldome is God provoked so much by any as by those who most deeply partake of his indulgence It 's very hard for God to smile and for us not to be wanton How frequently doth God complain of the unkinde requitals returned for his loves Do ye so reward the Lord O foolish people Deut. 32.6 Jesurum waxed fat and kicked who because laden with fatnesse therefore forsook God that made him And Isa Isa 1.2 1.2 I have nourished children but they have rebelled against me 'T is pity as we say of fair weather that the goodnesse of God should do any hurt but we are commonly not more unsubmissive under corrections then wanton under comforts Gods severity restrains from that impiety which his indulgence draws forth by meeting with a sensuall heart that turns the favours of God into the fuel of lust It 's much easier to walk steddily in a path of deep dirt than of slippery ice How just nay how good is God to abridg us of that comfort either inward or outward which we abuse to turn us like sheep into short pasture if there we thrive best and rather to deny us mercies in mercy then to bestow them in wrath 2. Observ 2. The best and choycest of outward administrations cannot better a bad heart Even grace may be received in vain The best preaching and Preachers in the world have not seldome been sent to a gain-saying people Rom. 10.21 Luk. 16.31 Neither Moses and the Prophets nor one raised from the dead nay nor the preaching of Christ himself can of themselves work upon the heart Morall swasion comes far short of effectuall grace and the word of grace much differs from the grace of the word Warm cloathes and strong waters cannot fetch life into a dead man The plentifullest showers leave the heath unfruitfull Nature after all imaginable improvements is still but Nature till supernaturally renewed How happy were we if men would attribute the unreformednesse of the times under the Gospel of grace more to the strength of their own lusts then the weaknesse of the Ministers labours and if in stead of glorying I had almost said of placing religion in the parts of Ministers they would humbly and ardently seek God for that blessing without which the fattest Ordinances devoured leave but leane souls 3. Observ 3. The most holy and happy enjoyments are not without their snares There 's danger in enjoying the best things even the grace of God Men ordinarily conceive that there is danger in wanting the Ordinances in sinning in being in sinfull company and using worldly comforts but they consider not that even their graces their good works their comforts every Ordinance and dutie have their snares accompanying them Diabolus surgit armis quibus dejicitur Cave non tantùm ab operibus malis sed etiam à bonis Luth. Our very graces may occasion us to be proud and our very comforts to be secure Luther was wont to advise men to take heed of their good works There are no services so holy but Satan creeps into them and when he cannot hinder the externall hee endeavours to spoil the spirituall performance of them He labours to winde himself even into Paradise and loves to stand among the Sons of God How oft doth he shew men the beautiful buildings of their late performances to a worse end than the Disciples did Christ the buildings of the Temple And how rare is it to finde that Christian who by self-debasing leaves not as it were a
God in future distresses if they had not been in them before Israel might have gathered strength against their distresse at the red sea by considering Gods delivering them from the distresse of oppression Their faith should also have been upheld against straits in the wildernesse by remembring their deliverance at the red sea And their distrustfulnesse after deliverances from their distresses is oft recorded as their sin The graces also of Gods Israel are much manifested by encountring with and overcoming of distresses Their graces hereby are discovered both in their truth and their strength Weak grace cannot go through strong tentation but the distresses of an Abraham a David a Job a Paul prove in the end trophees of triumphant faith And all the power of grace doth but discover the power of God who delights not that his saints should be distressed but that the world and divell should be vanquished by poor beleevers and ultimately that himselfe should be glorifyed by all In stead of murmuring under lesser tryalls consider that these are nothing to the distresses of your betters Remember Christians that if your drink be water or wormwood some have drunke blood Prepare for distresses Christians pray for increase of faith the journey may belong desire God to help you to feed heartily upon the promises even again and again as God bids Elijah when he was to go to Horeb. By bearing lighter labour to grow fit for heavier pressures A delicate Christian will not endure to be a distressed Christian He who by the daily practice of selfe-denyall and mortification doth not displease himselfe will never endure that another should distresse him How fearfull further should we be of censuring the most distressed Abrahams distresse Davids strait Pauls viper proved them neither wicked nor forsaken Oh how much better is it to be a distressed Saint than an enlarged sinner to be in Gods pound than in Satans champain If the one condition hath more liberty the other hath more safety Where God loves there he corrects and where he loves most there he distresses To conclude this In distresse take heed of despondency Recollect former deliverances out of as great distresses When you meet with such a strait 2 Cor. 1.10 pinching Egyptian yoke which God cannot break with burdens which he cannot take down with a red sea which hee cannot divide when you are pursued by a Pharaoh which he cannot devour and are in a distresse which he cannot remove then and not till then distrust him Improve your interest in God 1 Sam. 30.6 and with David in distresse encourage your selves in your God 7. Gods Israel shall not be utterly destroyed Observ 7. Exod. 1.12 though it be in an Egyptian furnace of Affliction The Church is supported even when oppressed When Israel was afflicted they multiplyed Thus it was with the seed of Israel yea thus with the Saviour thereof After his death his name his glory lived more vigorously than ever and they who in his life time sought to destroy him as unworthy to live after his death sought to live by beleeving on him This he foretold of himself If a corn of wheat die Joh. 12.24 it bringeth forth much fruit Thus was it with the antient Christians The more we are mown down the more we grow up saith Tertullian Plures efficimur quoties metimur à vobis Tert. The Church is in Scripture compared to things which though weakest yet are fruitfullest as Doves and Sheep the Vine The Church like the Palm-tree riseth up the more men endeavour by weights to presse it down The Egyptian flames cannot devour the Israelitish bush the gates of hell cannot prevail against the Church Gods blessing overcomes all humane opposition If God saith Increase and multiply all the enemies of the Church help it when they most endeavour to hinder it It s neither from the weaknesse of the flames nor the strength of the bush that it is not consumed but from the gracious presence of him who dwelt in it and his dwelling there he manifests Psal 76.10 1. by restraining the fire and heeping in its fury All the wrath of man which shal not praise God shall be restrayned by God 2. By strengthning the bush against it if not by bestowing worldly yet spirituall power to oppose it How much was Pharaoh mistaken when intending to oppresse the Israelites he said Let us deal wisely with them Exod. 1.10 The sun may as easily be blown out with bellows and battered with snow-balls as Israel may be overthrown by opposition But how great therefore is that folly which puts wormes upon contending with the great God! What do the Egyptians in contriving against Israel but besides the disappointment of their hopes curiously weave their own woe by torturing themselves with envy and making way for Israels deliverance by their own overthrow Against the God of Israel there is no wisedome Prov. 21.30 nor understanding nor counsell Oh how happy were wee if the time which we spend in fearing and shunning of trouble were only improved in hating of sin and cleaving to God! 8. Observ 8. Satan and his instruments then begin to rage most furiously when God calls and stirres u◠instruments to help and releeve his Church Before Moses went in to Pharaoh for Israels releasment the Israelites were used unkindly but afterward they were oppressed tyrannically How cruell was Egyptian rage upon the entrance of Moses into his Ministry As soon as David was annointed King how bloodily did Saul rage In all ages of the Church the Divell indeavours to obscure the dawnings of the Gospell with a bloody cloud of persecution When God begins to cast the divell out of his hold he deals with the Church Promissam gratiam crux sequitur Rivet in Exod. pag. 133. Hos 7.1 as with that man possess'd by him whom when Christ was about to cure him he did rend and tear and lay for dead In the beginning of reformation Anti-christ fill'd all places with blood and slaughter When God begins to heal his Church the Anti-christian humour of violence and persecution discovers it selfe The crosse followes the entrance of the Gospel hence wee should be encouraged and cautioned Encouraged for it 's a good sign that when Satan wars and rageth God is wounding and dispossessing him and that his time is but short Wee should also be cautioned Let us look for tryalls even after Moses hath promised deliverance Commonly when God hath given his Church hopes of mercy he seems to threaten inevitable disappointment of it After God had given Abraham a son in whose seed all the promised mercy was to be accomplished God seems to put Abraham upon the pulling down the foundation of all this happinesse with his own hands And we should take heed that wee impute not our troubles to the reformation endeavour'd but to that opposition which Satan and the distemered world put forth And not to blame Gods care of our recovery but
power of all he had said and done Mark 6.6 We are carried unto unbelief both by the tide of our own natures and the winde of tentation Our hearts ever since we left God crave and look for relief from sensible objects and having forsaken the true embrace even any opinionative God or good which hath enough to flatter into expectations though nothing to fill or to yeeld satisfaction And so great is our natural pride that we had rather steal than beg rather rob God of glory by resting upon our own crutches then go out of our selves to depend upon another for happinesse The batteries of Satan are principally placed against faith He would not care for taking away our estates names liberties unlesse he hoped hereby to steal away our faith He fans not out the chaffe but bolts out the flour Luke 22.32 Satan saith Christ to Peter hath desired to winnow thee as wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not Satans first siege in Paradise was laid against the faith of threatnings He knows that all our strength like Samsons in his Locks is from laying hold upon another If therefore he can make us let go our hold which is our faith he desires no more Faith is the grace that properly refisteth him and therefore he principally opposeth it unbelief befriendeth Satan and therefore he most promotes it in our hearts Oh that we might most fear and oppose that sin which is most difficultly avoided and most dangerously entertained Of all keepings keep thy heart and of all means principally use this of keeping out unbeleef 4. Nothing more displeaseth God Observ 4. than the forsaking of our own mercies In the true loving of our selves we cannot provoke God He is angry with Israel because they refuse that which might make themselves happy God loves to be giving and is pleased with them who are alwayes taking in his goodnesse Unbeleef obstructs mercy and God opposeth unbeleef He delights in them who hope in his mercy He hath such full brests that he is most pained when we will not draw them by beleeving The great complaint of Christ was that people would not come to him for life He was grieved for the hardnesse of their hearts and incensed against those guests that would not come when they were invited to the feast of his Gospel-dainties He is so abundant a good that he wants nothing or if he doth he wanteth only wants If he be angry with us how should we be displeased with our selves for rejecting mercy It s the proud and unbeleving soul which God only sends empty away They who will buy his benefits must leave their mony behind them How inexcusable are they who perish they starve and dye in the midst of fulnesse But alasse wee are the poorest of beggars not onely without bread but without hunger Oh begge that hee who bestowes grace upon the desires would first give us the grace of Desire 5. Observat 5. Nullum genus insipientiae infidelitate insipientius Bern. de Consid None are such enemies to unbeleevers as themselves nor is any folly so great as Infidelity The business and very design of unbelief and all that it hath to do is to stop mercy and hinder happinesse Every step which an unbeleever takes is a departing from goodnesse it self Heb. 3.12 And no wonder if such an one carry a curse along with him Jer. 17.5 and ver 6. if he be like the heath in the desert and shall not see when good cometh Unbelief is like the unwary hand of him who being without the door puls it too hard after him locks it and locks himself out Faith is the grace of receiving and unbelief the sin of rejecting all spirituall good How vainly doth the unbeliever expect refreshment by going from the fountain or gain by leaving the true treasure Distrustfull sinner who is the looser by thy incredulity and who would gain by thy beleeving but thy self What harm is it to the cool and refreshing fountain that the weary passenger will not drink and what benefit is it to the fountain though he should What loseth the Sun if men will shut their eyes against its light what gains it though they open them What good comes by distrusting God unlesse the gratifying of Satan in the damning of thy self How foolish is that disobedience that will not wash and be cleansed from a worse leprosie then Naaman's that like a man in a swoun shuts the teeth against a life-recalling cordiall that will not open a beggars hand for the receiving of a Jewell more worth then all the world that beleeves the Father of lyes who cannot speak truth unless it be to deceive and will not trust the God of truth nay Truth it self to whose nature lying is infinitely more opposite than to our good O Unbeliever either thou shalt believe before thou dyest or not if not how scalding will be this ingredient among the rest of those hellish tortures which hereafter shal compleat thy pain to consider that offered sincerely offered mercy was despised that the promise of grace and truth daily desired thy acceptance but had nothing from thee but contempt That thou who art now crying eternally and vainly for one drop hadst lately the offers and intreaties of the fountain to satisfie thy self fully and for ever If thou shouldst beleeve before thou diest how great a trouble to thy heart holily ingenuous will it be that thou hadst so long together such unkind thoughts of Mercy it self that thou didst deem Truth it self to be a Lyer How angry wilt thou be with thy self that thou didst so slowly beleeve and so hardly wert brought to be happie 6. Observat 6. Our greatest dangers and troubles are no plea for unbelief Notwithstanding Israel's tentation their unbelief was a provocation A houling wilderness and dismall tidings excused them not from sin in distrusting of God Even he who hides his face from the house of Jacob is to be waited for When we sit in darkness and see no light we should trust in the Lord and stay our selves upon our God Faith goeth not by feeling and seeing but should go against both It must both beleeve what it sees not and contrary to what it sees Psal 119.49 114. Verbum fidei pabulum Not outward props but the stability of the word of promise should be the stay of our Faith a stud that ever stands though heaven and earth should fail In thy word saith David I do and thou hast caused me to hope The greatness of danger must not lessen Faith Dangers are the element of Faith among them faith lives best because among them it findes most promises When the world is most against us then the word is most for us Faith hath best food in famine and the fullest table in a time of scarcity The very earth which we tread on should teach us this so massy a body hangeth in the midst of the aire and
God by the promise made to Solomon and so prevailed against the children of Ammon 3. Beware of giving way to the love of any one sin The love of sin hinders beleeving Sin will not act beleevingly nor faith sinfully It s the nature of sin to cause guilt and fear it expects not performances but repulses from God How can any one depend upon me for a courtesie who knows that I am acquainted with his underhand and unkind contrivances against me Besides the love of any one sin hinders from yeilding to the terms of the promise it would be loose and yet have God bound whereas he never made his promises to gratifie lust but to engage us to holinesse Nor will faith act sinfully Faith embraceth the whole word of God even precepts as well as promises and respects the rules prescribed as well as the rewards promised it works uniformly and it trusteth to God in the way of his commands not in the precipices of sin Trust in him and do good Psal 31.3 Besides it acts warily and in the eye of God and therefore holily and tells us that if we must not tell a lie to promote Gods cause much lesse to procure our own comforts 4. Limit not Good for the way of accomplishing of his promise This is the noted sin of Israel Psal 78.41 They limited the holy one of Israel they circumscribed him for the way of bestowing of mercy Dcum metiri suo modulo Cal. in loc within the narrow bounds of their own apprehensions Whereas if hee will work who shall hinder him Faith triumphs over difficulties and measures not God by the narrow scantling of reason knowing that things that are impossible with us Rom. 4.19 are easie with God This was the excellency of Abrahams so much commended faith that hee considered neither the improbability of performing the promise of having a son when his body and Sarahs womb were both dead Heb. 11.17 nor the incongruity of performing the command of sacrificing his son which seemed to destroy both Gods faithfulnesse and his owne expectations And this is indeed the duty of beleevers only to consider who promiseth and who commands and neither to question what is promised though never so impossible nor to forbear what is commanded though never so unpleasing 5. When God affords thee creature-props trust not to them Men would never be distrustfull when the creature departs if they did not confide in it when it stayes If we would not account our selves the stronger for having worldly helps wee should not esteem our selves the weaker for the wanting them Could we live upon God alone in the use wee might live upon him alone in the losse of the creature It s a noble faith that depends upon God in the strength of means like that of Asa and Jehoshaphat the former of whom having an army of five hundred and fourscore thousand to rest upon 2 Chron. 14.8.11 2 Chron. 17.14 15 2 Chron. 20.12 when Zerah the Ethiopian came against him adventur'd not upon so feeble a crutch but expresseth himself thus in his prayer Lord we have no power and we rest on thee and the later when his enemies made warre upon him though he had an army of eleven hundred and threescore thousand fighting men professing thus Lord we have no might neither know we what to do but our eyes are upon thee He who will account God to be all when the creature is at the best and fullest will surely account him so when the creature proclaims its nothingnesse 6. Trust God in the serving of his providence and in the use of such means as he hath appointed and sanctified He that will not do for himselfe what he can may not trust that God should do for him what hee would Though man liveth not by bread alone but by the word of blessing which proceedeth out of the mouth of God yet that word is by God annexed unto bread not to stones and that man shall not trust God but tempt him In viis custodiet nun quid in praecipitiis Bern. ser 14. in Psal Qui hab who should expect to have stones turned into bread If God hath provided staires it is not faith but fury to go down by a precipice thus Davids trusting in the name of the Lord made him not to throw away his sling when he went against Goliah Jacobs supplicating of God made him not neglect the sending a present to his brother The fast of Esther made her not forget to feast the king second causes are to be used in obedience to Gods order not in confidence of their own help the creature must be the object of our diligence though not of our trust Faith while it causeth us to be so diligent in the use of meanes as if God did nothing for us causeth us so to withdraw our trust from the means as if God were to do all for us He who in observing the other rules hath also added this may quietly rest upon God for promised mercy lay the matter before God and humbly put him to the accomplishing part VER 6. And the Angls which kept not their first estate but left their own habitation he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darknesse unto the judgment of the great day IN this second example of Gods severity which was exprest against the falne Angels these two parts are contained 1. The revolt and defection of the Angels 2. The ruine and downfall of the Angels I. In the first these three particulars are principally considerable 1. By whom this defection was made 2. From what this defection was made 3. Wherein this defection was made 1. It was made by the Angels 2. It was from their first estate and their owne habitation 3. It was 1. in not keeping the former and 2. In leaving the later II. In the second are considerable these two parts 1. The punishment which now they undergo in the prison they being in that reserved in everlasting chains under darknesse 2. The punishment which shall hereafter be laid upon them at and after their appearing at the barr They being reserved c. unto the judgement of the great day In the former their punishment of the prison is twofold 1. Reservation in everlasting chains 2. Vnder darknesse In the later their punishment is considerable 1. In that to which they shall be brought viz to judgement 2. In the time when they shall be brought to judgement viz. at the great day I begin with the first part Part 1. their defection and revolt and therein I consider 1. The persons by whom this defection was made viz. the Angels EXPLICATION The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Angels Angelorum nomen sacrae scrip turae peculiare prafani Scriptores Graeci per vocem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Latini Geniorum ferè exprimunt Synop. pur theol disp 12. p. 117. is a terme peculiar to the Scripture profane Writers among the Grecians expresse them
And custome without truth is at the best but the antiquity of error The old path and the good way are put for the same Jerem. 6.16 If the removall of the ancient bounds and landmarks which our fathers have set be a sin so frequently prohibited how heinous is the violation of the ancient boundary of holinesse which at the first was fixed by God himself 3. The depravation of nature Observ 3. introduceth all disorder in practice When these angels had left their originall purity they soon forsake their originall employment and Mat. 7.18 the divel abiding not in the truth becomes a murderer All the irregularities of life are but derivations from unholy principles The corrupt tree yeelds not good fruit Luk. 6.45 Out of the evill treasure of the heart are evill things brought forth The wheels of the Clock going wrong needs must the hand do so the Translation will be according to the Original We see at what door to lay all the prodigious impieties in the world which are but the deformed issues of corrupted nature How foolishly are men angry with themselves for outward and visible transgressions in their lives when they tamely and quietly endure an unchanged nature like men who dung and water the roots of their trees and yet are angry for their bearing of fruit How preposterous and how plainly begun at the wrong end are those endeavours of reformation which are accompanyed with the hatred of renovation If the tree be bitter and corrupt all the influences and showrs of heaven cannot make the fruit good When these angels had lost the integrity of nature even heaven it self did not help them to it How miserable lastly is he who hath no better fountain than corrupted nature for the issuing forth of all his services Even the best performances of an unrenewed person cannot be good coming not from a pure heart Phil. 1.11 Eph 2.10 a good conscience and faith unfained they are but dead carcasses embalmed and at the best but hedg-fruit sowre and unsavoury till they who bear them are ingrafted into Christ and partake of his life 4. Corrupt nature cares not for the joyes Observ 4. joyned with the holinesse of heaven As soon as these angels had left their first estate of integrity they forsook even that holy though most happy habitation Heaven it selfe was no heaven to them when they became unholy A sinner may not unfitly be compared to a common beggar who had rather live poorly and idly than plentifully in honest imployment How great is the antipathy of corrupt nature to heavenly performances when they will not down though never so sweetened The enmity of sin against God and holinesse is not to be reconcil'd How little are we to wonder that heaven is a place only for the pure in heart and that Christ at the last day will say to the workers of iniquity Mat. 7.23 Job 22.17 Depart from me since they not only in this life say to God Depart from us Job 21.14 but should they be admitted into that habitation of blisse with unholy hearts they would be unwilling there to continue with him Let it be our care to be made meet for the inheritance of the Saints in light if we expect to have nay to love the joyes thereof 5. Observ 5. How irrationall is every sinner There 's no person in love with any sin but is indeed out of love with his owne happinesse These angels for a meer supposed imaginary happinesse of their own contriving part with the reall blessednesse of enjoying the satisfying presence of the blessed God None can become a divell till first he become a beast A sinner can with no better plea of reason yeeld to any tentation of sin Jud. 16.6 then could Samson to that motion of Delilah Tel me where thy great strength lieth and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee Wicked men are rightly call'd unreasonable 2. Thes 3.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jud. 10. Psal 49. ult or absur'd such whom no reason will satisfie and brute beasts led with humour and sense against all reason Who that had not laid aside even reason would lose his soul for a trifle a shadow and die as Jonathan said for tasting of a little hony He who accounts it unreasonable to part with the poorest worldly commodity without a valuable consideration much more to exchange a conveyance of a thousand pound per annum for a painted paper is yet much more absur'd in sinning against any command of God which is back'd with the very height of reason both in respect of our duty to the Commander and benefit by the command 6. It s a sin for any even the highest Observat 6. to exempt himselfe from service Angels have their tasks set them by God which they must not leave There 's no creature but hath an allotment of duty Though we cannot be profitable yet must we not be idle God allowes the napkin to none upon whom he hath bestowed a talent nor hath he planted any to cumber the ground and only to be burdens to the earth If wee are all of him we must be all for him It s not consistent with the soveraignty of this great King to suffer any subject within his dominions who will be absolute and not yeeld him his homage nor to his wisdome to make any thing which he intends not to use The first who adventur'd to cease from working was a divel and they who follow him in that sin shall partake with him in the sutable punishments of chains and darknesse It s a singular mercy to have opportunities of service abilities for it and delight in it at the same time It s the priviledg of the glorious angels to be confirmed in their work as well as in their happinesse God never is so angry with any as those whom he turns out of his service 7. The glorifyed are in heaven as in an habitation Observ 7. Luk. 16.9 Joh. 14.2 2 Cor. 5.1 Heb. 11.10 16 Heb. 13.14 Heb. 4.9 Omnis homo est advena nascendo incola vivendo quia compellitur migrare moriendo Aug. in q. 91. sup Lev. Heaven is in Scripture often set out by expressions importing it to be a place of stability setlement and abode as Everlasting habitations a Fathers house Mansions a building of God an House not made with hands eternall in the heavens A city a city which hath foundations a continuing city a Rest How sutable are fixed and immovable affections to this permanent and stedfast happinesse everything on this side Heaven is transitory The fashion of this world passeth away here we have no continuing city Our bodies are tabernacles and cottages of clay which shortly shall bee blown down by the wind of death * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isid Pelus l. 1. ep 65. yea their falling begins with their very building and this whole world is an habitation which ere long will be
the generall are persons of an holy conversation To him who ordreth his conversation aright will God shew his salvation Christ will blesse people not by the voice when they shall say they are Christians but by the hands he will handle and feel them And more particularly it is a Good day to those only who have done good to the afflicted friends of Christ No good duty is acceptable to Christ if we reject works of mercy Psal 16.3 2 Thes 1.5 6 7. How chearfully may he look upon the Judge that hath saved the lives of the Judge his wife and children The Saints are tyed to Christ in both relations Phil. 4.5 Si tanta percussione digna est pietas non impensa perpende quid mercatur injustitia illata What can cruelty and oppression expect from Christ at that day but the measure which Zebah and Zalmunnah found from Gideon who wereslain by him for slaying his brethren If the not relieving of the Saints deserve a curse what shall the robbing of them do 6. Observ 6. Great should be the consolation of every friend of Jesus Christ in thinking of this great day It shall be to them a Good day A day of clearing from all undue imputations Moses being charged with ambition in taking too much upon him comforted himself with the thoughts of the morrow Numb 16. 1 Cor. 4.4 To morrow saith he shall the Lord shew who are his When the counsells of the heart shall be manifest every one shall have praise of God When a Christian is call'd a dissembler and an hypocrite he may say at the great day the Lord shall shew whether it be so or no. All slanders defamations shall fall off from the Saints as do drops of water from an oyled post The weight of their glory shall weigh down all their light slight disgraces In all the wants and losses of the faithfull for Christ in this life how great may be their consolation Great shall be their reward in heaven Mat. 5.12 none shall be losers by Christ that are losers for him The day of Judgement shall be the day of restitution of all their comforts God takes away nothing but what he gave and what he will again restore yea for which he will restore a thousand fold This great day should relieve us against the length of our troubles and the slownesse of deliverance Though God asks day for the rewarding of his children yet the greatnesse of the recompences of that Great day shall infinitely more then countervail for the slownesse of the bestowing them In all obscurity and contempt how may the Saints rejoyce to consider that at the great day they shall appear with Christ in glory and shine as the Sun in the Firmament When a Master is absent from a School the Scholers are mingled together those who are of the highest Form are perhaps standing amongst those of the lowest but when the Master comes into the School every Scholer takes his right place so at the last day every one shal have their due place allotted to them though now there be nothing but confussion This great day may comfort Saints in their greatest distances In this world they are oft far from one another Eph. 4.13 both in respect of places opinions affections at this great day they shal all meet yea and in the unity of the faith of the Son of God In all the cruelties and unkindnesses of wicked men It s the duty of the Saints in this life to be patient among it shall be their priviledge hereafter to be freed from the company of the wicked * Quomodo Christus eum damnabit quem propriamors redemit Ambros lib. de Jacob. cap. 6. Quis venturus est judicare te nisi qui venit judicaripro te Aug. in Psal 147. they shall neither be troubled with sin nor sinners nor sorrows the day of Judgement shall be a day of redemption Luk. 21.28 Eph. 4.30 of refreshment Act. 3.19 the thoughts of this day may support them in their absence from Christ At that great day they shall meet with their Redeemer their Spouse their Head how shall not Christ save those from death for whom he hath suffred death Who shall come to judge the Saints but he who came to be judged for them VER 7. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha and the Cities about them in like manner giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh are set forth for an example suffering the vengeance of eternall fire THis Verse containes the third example of Gods severe displeasure against the sinners of former times and it is that of Sodom and Gomorrha c. which the Apostle sets down by way of comparison noted in these words Even as the former part or proposition whereof is in this verse and the reddition or second part in the two next following In this example I observe four parts 1. The Places punished Sodom and Gomorrha and the cities about them 2. The deserving cause of their punishment In like manner giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh 3. The severity of their punishment Suffering the vengeance of eternall fire 4. The end and use of their punishment they are set forth for an example For the first The Places punished Sodom and Gomorrha and the cities about them EXPLICATION Four things may be by way of Explication inquired into 1. What places these cities of Sodom and Gomorrha were 2. What were these Cities about them 3. Why Sodom and Gomorrha are rather named then those Cities about them 4. Why these places are rather named then the persons and inhabitants thereof 1. For the first concerning the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrha to reserve the speaking of their sin and punnishment unto the two following parts of the text Wee read Gen. 13.10 upon occasion of Lots choice of the plain of Jordan for the place of his habitation that all that plain was well watred every where before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrha even as the garden of the Lord like the land of Egypt * Hoc cave cum Lyrano referas ad proxime dictum de Egypto quasi Aegyptum veâ—it esse feracem maxime qua ex ea venitur ad Segor Id non vult sed cum remotiori jungendum Erat inquam illa Jordanis planicies irrigua qua itur in Segorem Mercerus in locum Hanc Lectionem amplectuntur Musculus Mercerus Pererius Willetus as thou comest unto Zoar. The River Jordan taking beginning from the mountain Libanus and arising say some out of two fountaines call'd Dan and Jor which joyned together make the name Jordan after it hath run saith Pererius about fifteen miles falleth into the lake Samechonitis the same that is call'd the waters of Merome Josh 11.7 then it passing along by Chorazin and Capernaum falleth into the lake Genesareth and so it having continued a current of an hundred miles in length till it falleth
to cover the sore If sin be impudent reproof and correction should not be bashfull If a Minister sees that error and profanenesse seek no corners he should not hide truth in a corner Publick offences are like a bag of poyson thrown into a common fountain serving for the use of a whole city And the end at which God aimed in the punishing of offenders Deut. 17.7 was that all Israel should hear and fear and do no more any such wickednesse The Syrians cared not to fight with small or great but with the king of Israel and Magistrates and Ministers should principally strike at reigning sins All the reproofs of the Prophet's and Christ were bent against the impieties of their times I verily beleeve that one main sin whereby God is provoked to make publick officers in Church and State so contemptible as they are is their fear to oppose publick and spreading sins so freely as they should 4. Observ 4. In this our present condition we want as well the affrightments of fear as the allurements of love to keep us from sin The burnt Sodomites should make us fear the fire The overthrow of the Israelites are examples to Saints under the New Testament And let us saith the Apostle therefore he means by the example of the unbeleeving Israelites fear lest a promise being left us of entring into his rest any of you should seem to come short of it I am saith holy David afraid of thy judgements Psal 119.120 Jer. 10 7. Who saith Jeremy would not fear thee Oh King of Nations and Rev. 15.4 Who shall not fear thee O Lord c. for thy judgements are made manifest Fear him saith Christ who is able to throw soul and body into hell Faith is as truly due to Threatnings as Promises and Holy fear is the proper effect of that faith By faith Noah being warned of God moved with fear c. Nor is it possible or profitable so long as we have such an eager pronenesse to sin to want a stoppage by fear So unwilling are we to be weaned from the forbidden breasts of sinfull pleasures that we daily need to fear the wormwood and alloes wherwith the Lord imbitters them all little enough only heaven perfects love and casts out fear 5. There is a pronenesse to sin in every age of the world Observ 5. Why should God make Sodom an example of Caution to succeeding ages if these were not forward to make Sodom an example of imitation Peter saith expresly that these overthrown cities were made an example to those who after should live ungodly The world alwayes was Mundus semper fuit est erit mundus Lutb is and will be the world saith Luther The severall ages of the world have differed in their other fashions but sin was never out of fashion Look over all times and places and it will be found true in both the whole world lies in wickednesse And of all times so true was that prediction of the Apostle the last dayes are the most perillous We now live in the sink the dregs of time Satan now labours to do much mischief and posteth the faster because he shall not long have day-sight Men likewise by long practising and by the sinfull experiments of former times are now grown as in other things so in sin greater Artists then heretofore How carefull should we be that God may have some the more for us even in these worst of times who may love holinesse when most leave it controul if not conquer sin who may shine as lights in the world and who if they can do no good to others yet may get no hurt from others To conclude this Though evill times should not damp our zeal yet neither should they make us impatient The tares and wheat will grow together till the approaching Harvest Mean while none is so much provoked as that God who is most patient Nor should we forget that all foregoing ages have abounded with those sins and difficulties which much imbittered the lives of holy men who lived in them in which respect we may wisely make use of that counsell of Solomon Say not thou What is the cause that the former times were better then these Eccles 7.10 The errours and impieties of these were in former times and are now but newly acted over and let us rejoyce that though the sins of the times should make us mourners for them yet they cannot make us followers of them 6. Observ 6 In all ages God is the same He hates the same sins in after times which he hated in the former Sodomy is now as abominable in his sight as heretofore He is the same yesterday and to day and for ever in him there is no shadow of change he loves the same holinesse now which he ever loved How great a terror is this to those who live in those sins against which God hath formerly declared his wrath God will not go out of his way to gratifie their lusts no it is the duty of the sinner to change Psal 7.12 If he turn not he will whet his sword c. Much may this comfort those who walk in the steps of former Saints 1 Tim. 1.16 Paul was a pattern to those who hereafter should beleeve They find God as ready to accept them as any heretofore Psal 22.4 This comforted the Psalmist Our Fathers saith he trusted in thee and thou didst deliver them We are forward to entertain hard thoughts of God if he continue not the same favours to us which he afforded to others we think he changeth whereas we alone are to be blamed It s not the shore which moves but the boat If we will turn to God we know where to have him our prayers and repentance will make a change in us and make us fit to be accepted they make no alteration in him at all as they who being in a ship and pull at a rope fastned to a Rock move not the Rock to them but themselves to the Rock 7. God is gracious even in his greatest severity Observ 7. Even when he was punishing of Sodom with fire and brimstone he had thoughts of preventing the like punishment upon others for the time to come He warns even when he wounds and punisheth a few that he may spare many he takes occasion by the sin and punishment of Sodom to do good to following ages his justice magnifies his mercy God layes up Manna with the rod and is not forgetfull to feed us even when he smites In his smiles he will be feared in his frowns he will be loved in the midst of judgement he remembers mercy If God be so sweet in his bitter administrations how sweet will he be when he is altogether imployed in the wayes of grace We should herein look upon the Lord as our pattern severity should not make us forget and throw off tender-heartednesse We should have mercifull ends in our
Judgement An unjust Judge is a Solecism a contradiction A Judge should be the Law enlivened To this end Judges must be godly Righteousnesse will not stand without Religion Jethro's advice to Moses was Chuse men fearing God Exod. 18.21 Let the fear of the Lord be upon you said Jehoshaphat to the Judges 2 Chr. 19.6 7. The Aethiopians apprehended that the Angels attended on all Judicatories and therefore as I have read of them they left twelve chairs empty in the judgment-place which they said were the Seats of the Angels but Judges must believe that a greater than the Angels is there 2. Impartiall He must not respect the person of the poor nor honour the person of the mighty Lev. 19.15 and Deut. 1.17 He must hear the small as well as the great There must no mans condition be regarded in judgement nor must the Judge behold the face of any ones person but the face of his cause Job 34.19 God accepts not the persons of Princes A Judge will be a sun of righteousness it shining as well upon the beggar as the noble 3. A Master of his affections Anger hatred pity fear c. the clouds of Affection will hinder the Sunshine of justice The Athenian Judges us'd to sit in Mars-street to shew that they had Martiall hearts Constantine is termed a man-childe Rev. 12.5 So Brightman for his courage He who wil go up to the mount of Justice must leave his affections as Abraham did his Asse and Servants at the foot thereof Love and wisdom seldome dwell under one roof and the fear of man is a snare A Coward we say cannot be an honest man nor will a fearfull and flexible Judge be able to say injustice Nay 4. Deliberate In the case of information about false Worship Deut. 17.3 Moses directs to this deliberation before sentence be given If it be told thee and thou hast heard of it and enquired diligently and behold it be true and the thing certain c. then shalt thou bring forth the man c. What plenty of words are here to prevent precipitancy in Judicature It much commended the integrity of Job who professeth Job 29.16 The cause which I knew not I searched out †See the example of the Heathen Festus Act. 25.16 Both sides must be heard the small as well as the great Though a Judges * Qui statuit aliquid parte inaudita alerâ aequum licit statuerit haud aequus fuit Sen. in Med. sentence be right yet hee is not right in giving it if he give it before either party be heard 5. A lover of truth A man of truth Exod. 18.21 Hating lying executing the judgement of truth Zech. 8.16 His heart must love his tongue speak the truth Exod. 18.21.23.8 Deut. 16.19.27.26 2 Chron. 19.7 nor will the hand without go right if the wheels within go wrong 6. Incorrupt Hating bribes because hating covetousnesse A gift blindeth the wise and perverteth the words of the righteous Of whose hand saith Samuel have I received any gift to blind mine eyes therewith 1 Sam. 12.3 A Judge must neither take money to be unjust nor to be just Righteousnesse is its own reward The Thebeans erected the Statues of their Judges without hands the gaine of bribes is sum'd up Job 15.34 Fire shall consume the Tabernacles of bribery 7. Sober and Temperate He that followes the pleasures that attend on Majesty will soon neglect the paines which belong to Magistracy It was a prudent instruction of Lemuel's mother Prov. 31.4 5. It is not for Kings It is not for Kings O Lemuel to drink wine nor for Princes to drink strong drink lest they drink and forget the law and pervert the judgement of any of the afflicted Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart Hos 4.11 Some understand those words Jer. 21.12 Execute judgement in the morning properly as if they should performe acts of judgement early before they were indangered by abundant eating or feasting to render themselves less able to discerne of causes 2. The second branch of Jurisdiction which belongs to the Magistrate consisteth in the Dstribution of rewards and punishments 1. Of Rewards to those who keep 2. Of Punishments to those who break the Lawes 1. Of Rewards Of this the Apostle speaks Rom. 13. Do that which is good and thou shalt have praise Of this the Supreme Lord gives an example who joynes shewing mercy to thousands with visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children Exod. 20. Nor must a Magistrate be a Sun only for lustre of Majesty but also for warmth and benignity 2. Of Punishments These are of sundry kinds Some concern the name as degradations some the estate as pecuniary mulcts some the body and these are either Capitall or not Capitall as mutilation of some part c. Evident it is from Scripture-commands that it is the Magistrates duty to punish Deut. 19.21 the Judges shall make diligent inquisition c. And thine eye shall not pity but life shall go for life 2. From his Function Rom. 13.4 He beareth not the sword in vaine Governours are for the punishment of evill doers 3. From the Benefit of these punishments To the punished who may grieve for what they have done to the Spectators who may be warned from doing the like Prov. 19.25 Deut. 19 19r Indulgentia flagitiorum illecebra Exod. 21.12 Lâ—v. 24.17 c. Sinfull indulgence silently yet strongly invites to a second wickednesse Even Capitall punishments are injoyned by Scripture Gen. 9.6 Who so sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed A Law which being before the erection of the Mosaicall Polity shews that the Lawes which afterward commanded Capitall punishments did not simply and absolutely but only in respect of some circumstances concern the Israelites The capitall punishment of Malefactors by the Magistrate was dictated by the Law of Nature And as the force of the foresaid command was before so did it continue after Moses Christ himself even from it drawing an Argument to disswade Peter from shedding of blood Mat. 26.52 Nor do I understand but that if all punishments of Malefactors by the sword be now unlawful as Anabaptists dream it must necessarily follow that all defending of the subjects by the sword against an invading enemy is unlawfull also the publick peace being opposed by the one as much as the other nay may we not argue That if the power of the sword belong not to the Magistrate to defend the Common-wealth that it belongs not to any private man to defend himself against the violent assaults of a murderer In sum Capitall punishments may be inflicted but sparingly slowly It is observed by some That God was longer in destroying Jericho then in making the whole world Satius est ut euret pharmacum quam sanet ferrum As many Funerals disgrace a Physician so many executions dishonour a Magistrate The execution of Justice should like Thunder fear many and