faithfull to the end square well with those who never truely profess't nor does an advice to Christian constancy concerne those who never began to fight in Religion These Peculiar exhortations therefore meet with Israel onely as the truest objects to fasten on upon whom no command lies under penaltie of Gods disfavour but an happy perseverance and constancy in grace received continuance in Christs word is the best evincement of being his Disciples Joh. 8.31 Victory and Conquest is that which must Crown all Revel 2.24 25. towards the attainment of which God sufficiently dispences what ever may be requisite thereunto As all that are of a cleane heart who make up a Particular Invisible Church may claime an interest in all this as True The Catholique Church actually hath the priviledge of Perseverance so we may reach one step higher That the Catholique invisible Church are actually crowned with that very priviledge of constancy and Perseverance Conditionatum transit in absolutum that which is a Command to a Particular is a Gift to the Vniversall Israel of God There are stept up some wilde disputants of late who take the altering of the state of the Question and the Peremptory deniall of fundamentall truths to be the readiest and compendious way to determine Controversies by Thus Purgatory and Prayers to Saints they confute by denying the soules Immortality or at least by asserting that it sleeps in the grave where it takes a Napp untill the last Trumpe awakes it The Quere about Christs presence in the Sacrament receives a quick dispatch by affirming his bodie to be onely phantasticall not really humane and the question about the being of the Church where it was in the darkest superstitious times is cut off by a concession that Christs Church may totally faile and be wholly extinguished Whether the Catholique Church may totally faile And this is thought proveable 1. By the Nature of Christian Religion which is made up of Commands Promises requiring obedience from a will not necessitated thereunto 2. Because individualls and every Particular Church they conceive liable to this totall failing and therefore they inferre that that which consists of such particulars may do so too This Argument which carries so grand a fallacy of division will not hold à divisis ad composita from Individualls to Collective bodies is but a weake inference Though this or that or every individuall may choose whether he will marry or no yet it follows not that the whole mankind may faile Though a slender strength may snap in two a single arrow yet a Bundle may surpasse its skill so although it should be for once granted that Individualls may fall back and particular Churches faile yet this will not hold in the Catholick There is in things collected and joyned together somewhat more then can be in individualls considered in themselves a twisted thread carrys more strength then many single ones that make it up There are more reasons that makes marriage certaine in all mankind then in all the Individuals singly considered Though this or that each singly considered might faile in the Church yet supposing the Truth of the Gospell once sufficiently revealed It is not possible all should joyntly leave it for that which sways one will not move another to desert a truth much lesse all together To which if we add that peculiar providence under whose wing it shelters it selfe and that undeceiving promise of Christ we may be easily assured that the Church Catholique is founded on a rock which Hell gates shall not prevaile against there will be some though perhaps few with whom he will be to the end of the world From all this discourse it may be manifest how eminently Gods active goodnesse extends to Israel as a Nation a Visible Church and as a Type of that which is Invisible Some Practic conclusions from these premises may not be unseasonable Aplic which may be represented as appliable not only to multitudes and Nations but even to every Individuall in his suitable ranke Quality and Relation For first if David from Gods Goodnesse to himselfe triumphantly takes up this generall conclusion That God is good unto Israel it will be no inconsequence from the Generall to inferr the same and to conclude it of individuals Especially being that Secondly In homogenials there is the same nature in the Parts as in the whole every graine of wheate is the same with the heape and every drop of water participates in nature with the Ocean and every individuall of a society is of the same temper with the whole and we may be assured Lastly That as the same Sun which bestowes its raies upon the world impartially shines on every thing within its View so Providence as it extends to Nations and Societies so it doth proportionably reach to Individuals If the meanest sparrow be cared for and our haires numbred our Persons are not exempted from so Fatherly an eye But to be particular Vse 1. From Gods goodnesse to Israel as a Nation He intends not primarily the ruine of any Nation If therefore God be thus good to Israel as a Nation to every Nation It may teach us First that God do's not primarily intend the ruine of any Nation for his being so good unto them that they might seeke and find him stands not with any such intention Nay that which the Apostle from his new experience positively laid down to devert Cornelius Act. 10.35 is universally true That in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with Him who is no respecter of Persons and therefore the Manifestation of Gods Justice is with much caution and diligence so to be taught and expounded as that it may not thwart that Goodnesse which he delightfully dispenses to Man Vse 2. The Sinnes of every Nation are sins of Ingratitude Secondly we may learne hence That the sinnes of every Nation are sinnes of unthankfullnesse against that Goodnesse so variously express't unto them This the Apostle accuseth the Barbarous gentiles of Rom. 1.21 That they were not thankful but became vaine in their Imaginations and their foolish heart was darkned And consequently that the punishment inflicted upon them for their sinnes was deserved though it seemed to carry an outward severity yet it vindicated Gods Justice which the Apostle largely proves in the 1. 2d 3d. Chapter of that Epistle to the Romans And if we cast our eye upon the punishment of the old World the eversion of Sodom and expulsion of the Amorites and others we may easily finde God to be cleere in his dealing And therefore what ever fear there may be of an irrespective absolute Aeternall rejection every one must heartily beware of a Iust respective extirpation founded on Mans ingratitude and the base dispisal of his goodnesse 3. Vse 3. To depend upon Gods goodnesse Gods goodnesse to Israel as a Nation argues it more eminently to Israel as a Church and therefore we may
because God therein Promises upon condition which not being performed he is disingag'd from the promise 3. Gods holinesse which assures us he will not regard the uncleane Hab. 1. vers 13. His Justice Which renders to every one according to his workes Rom. 2 6. Assures the punishment of wicked and consequently that they shall have no favour His truth which hath pass't peremptory threatning upon impiety and those obvious examples of denial of mercy as to Cain the bereaving of Israel of those once bestowed do all in an unanimous harmony testify that they who are far from God whose impieties are exorbitant do remove themselves from the influence of his mercy and favour 2. God doth not onely remove these men from him but do's cast them from him and out of sight 2. Because God cast them from him as he threatned Judah 2 Kings 24.3 And therefore it must follow that they that are thus far of must perish which was the conclusion to be made good there needs no more to make them dye then Gods withholding his favour at the removal of this Sun the tree fades at the departure of this animating influence the whole will droop This light taken away a pitchy darknesse succeeds and this happy defence thrown down all is expos'd to assault and ruine Frō all which it may be concluded that they that are thus far from God notwithstanding that glitterring pompe they may for a few days pride themselves withall notwithstanding those fawnings wherewith their sycophants may applaud their condition as happy are in no thriving condition the shaddow of death surrounds them and notwithstanding those high thoughts wherein they lie secure as beyond an assault the bare stop of Gods influence puts them into a withering condition and the contracting of those rayes do moulder them to nothing Unto a perfect perishing there needs no more then to be far from God The sinners in general their end and fate thus discovered we may now with the Prophet descend to the Persons more particularly painted at and their successe Idolatry spiritval whoredome and why to called The Persons are such as go a whoring Had the Prophet meant those that carnally defise themselves with fornication adultery the attribute is truly appliable for the Apostle assures us that whore mongers adulterers God will Judge But the addition from thee intimates that spiritual whoredome which is Idolatry which often goes under that title Exod. 34.13 Psal 106. Ezek. 16. and in many other places The ground of which expression is that amongst those many phrases God sets forth the union between him and his people that of an Husband is eminent Isay 54. vers 5. a violation of which Bond they are adulterously guilty of who worship other Gods Jer. 3.20 Nay even the blind superstitious Heathen themselves though they were not under the Covenant whereof Moses was the Mediator yet were they included in that which was made to Noah And as though they were not formally and directly acquainted with the institution of marriage made by God and recorded Gen. 2. yet nature reason and tradition told them fornication was unlawfull and adultery intollerable so did the same right reason informe That there is but one God and that he alone was to be worshiped and therefore in acting contrary they were without excuse Rom. 1. So that grounding upon that which ought to have been received That one true God is to be served and the soul ought to keep it self intirely for him It will follow that their Idolatrous worship of many Gods was a spiritual whoredome Thus Idolatrous Ninevehs uncleanenesse is termed the whoredome of the welfavoured harlot Nahum 3.4 If it be demanded also whether this wickednesse is incident to any of the Christian Church being that they neither do nor since the dispelling of those black mists by the Gospel did worship the Heathen Gods It may be answered that in the despensation made in the fulnesse of time by the Covenant of grace to articles of Religion this was added That there is one Mediator annexed to the necessary belief of God 1 Tim. 2.5 Joh. 17.2 It is further observable that this Mediator the Son of God is the Marital head of the Church to which he bears a conjugal Union Whether Christians may be guilty of Idolatry Eph. 5.25 32. The Marriage of the Lambe with the new Jerusalem is solemnised with joy Rev. 19.7 and those whom the Apostle converted he assures us he espoused them a chaste virgin unto Christ Things being in this posture though God onely be acknowledged and those blind dieties of the Heathen lookt upon with detestation yet where other Mediators are set up Images worshiped Saints and Angels adored prayed unto confided in for remission of sin impetration of grace for mediation and intercession where all expressions of devotion are tendered to these we may well conclude that the finest Schoole distinction cannot Salve thm from guilt and pollution nor all their holy water wash away these spots It may be worthy of our observing that the principal agent in the great Antechristian Apostacy was represented in the shape of an whore to assure us that Idolatry should be the fairest note to discover it by As for the ground for this comparison there is evident a great similitude between both 1. In one there is a base prostitution of Body and in the other a most unworthy prostitution of soul that he who breaths so noble a being should give devotion the best and most ardent action of his soul to the Devil or a dumb stock deserves not the the title of man that he who is happily priveledged in an accesse to Christ should stop at the servant and croutch to an image seems low ignoble 2. In both these sins there is a grand pollution defilement Ps 106.39 Ezek. 20.7 Thus you see the sinners specified The 2. particular their end claim our next thoughts Thou shalt destroy them The end of Idolatry God by his owne hand destroys them saith the Prophet Which assures unto us this That ruine and destruction from God is the infallible end of Idolaters 1. Take the verbe in the preter tence Thou hast destroyed all ages testifies it the factious Gaecian the superstitious Persian and Heathenish Rome had their Idolatry sealed with ruine Which their very senselesse Idols themselves participated of Dagon looses his head and the Romish Idols were oft blasted from heaven with lightning What ruined Israel and Judah What laid Samaria and Jerusalem on heaps but Idolatry 2 Kings 17.9 Those General peremptory comminations against it which proclaime ruin to the very Children of those that commit it do sufficiously evidence that confounded will all they be that worship carved images This we shall be far from doubting of if we reflect 1. With what height of affection the Scriture represents God in in his proceeding against Idolaters As anger Isa 65.3 Fury Jer. 7.18 Jealousy Exod. 20. If we view secondly
which protects them God hath forgotten him there is none to deliver is that which they are flouted with 2. And whereas Pious spirits do spend themselves in Religions flames and are wholly intent upon the service in which they imploy the best of their faculties their richest indeavours and most of their time this opinion unravels all proclaimes that their travel is in vaine their sweaty labours without profis their sufferings without fruit Their toilsome actions without present advantage or future expectation In a word it peremptorily imputes unto them folly indiscretion and high impertinency and makes them the most miserable of all men I need not take the pains to wipe off the wildenesse of these aspersions Gods power goodnesse and faithfulnesse before discourst of hath already done it and sufficiently evidenc't the contrary hence onely we may conclude how worthily detestable men of this opinion are how neer to sinking they are themselves and how perfidiously injurious they are to others and the very acting of these aspersions is enough to confute them if we accept of the Apostles kinde of arguing 1 Cor. 15. Where she silences the opinion of such as denied Christs resurrection not unlike that which the Prophet was here like to fall into by the absurd and base imputations cast upon Christ and his Disciples 2. This wild opinion is injurious to Gods Children Reas 2 by that great rent and seperation which thereby is made from them For 1. the entertainers of this opinion do therein actually cut themselves off from the communion of saints This heresy being of that black tincture as that it excludes a man from the Church and cuts him off from being a member thereof Nor is this all the Church may daily increase by an happy addition and conversion of some from without against whom this opinion shuts the door and puts a bar which hinders their entrance And as those fainthearted spies which returned with an ill-terrifying report of the Land of Canaan did highly perplex and discourage the people so this evil report of Religion hinders men from it's profession and for them who naturally leek their owne profit it will be a sufficient stop to assure them as this belying opinion doth That they shall get nothing by Christianity 3. This desperate heresy is injurious because it throwes a malicious stumbling block before Gods Children and a just rock of offence Vid Chrysost Hom. 38. in 11. Matth. p. 376. For though it should be supposed that it did not give them a fall they being so well setled as beyond their deceit yet that is no thanks to the contriver of those snares who notwithstanding that he fails yet he injuriously and perfidiously deals with them For as he who mischievously digs a pit and leaves it open though men be so wary as that none fall into it yet doth he thereby wrong the Common-wealth and humane society If Sheba blow up a rebellious trumpet though none follow him yet is he a traitor and brochers of heresy and Schisme though they should meet with no followers yet are they heighly injurious to God and his Church by their indeavours of corrupting truth and of renting the peace and unity of the Church But truly if we examine ages past or reflect upon present distempers We shall not cast our eyes upon any heresy so grosse or any principles so fanatick which have not found entertainment Evil words will quickly corrupt good manners Let us eate and drink for to morrow we must dye will easily be received by a corrupt heart 1 Cor. 15.32 And that once entertained Christian Religion will soon be lookt upon as unprofitable and the expectation of a resurrection will seem a folly When these men once come to this height as with their taile to draw some stars from heaven when every corner yeilds them ready fomentors of their conceipts and zealous propagators of their pernicious errors when truth lyes neglected and ill spoken of when poor silly women are led captive when many are unhappily deluded fall from their owne stedfastnes by their deceits we may safely conclude that no greater injury can be done nor any more desperate stumbling block can be laid in the way then to draw mens souls to perdition From whence we may conclude that there is high reason and just ground of those many serious admonitions given by Christ and his Ambassadours That such infectious Hereticks be heartily avoided Rom. 19. 1 Cor. 15. 3 Epist of Saint Joh. c. Were these men onely hurtful to themselves they would deserve some pitty but being so scandalous to the Church and infectious to others men ought not out of pitty to them to endanger themselves The second obseruation which the words afford Obs 2 may be this That the fear of doing wrong and giving offence to Gods Children should stop and deterr us from broaching any thing that is truly offensive and prejudicial to the Children of God The fear of giving scandal ought to keep us from sin and from broaching Heresy This kept off the Prophet from publick declaration and seald up his lips from a further broaching of this Heresy If I should say thus I should offend against the generation of thy Children Experience tells us of a vast difference in the dispositions of men For some too many are so mischeivous that they make choyce of what may do most harme If they can anger fret offend or hurt others the means and counsels thereunto are delightfully embrac't taken and prosecuted to the full Atque ex alienis incommodis sua comparant incommoda Oppression in justice blood and war scandals and offences are but a sport to them Whilst good and ingenuous men are harmelesse and innocent and will chuse rather to disprofit themselves and depart from the Rigour of their owne right then offend others Rather then Abraham will fall out with Lot he will give him the choice of the Land of Canaan and prefer his choice before his owne Rather then the strangers that lodg'd under Lots roof should suffer any violence he will offer his owne daughter to the wicked Sodomites Gen. 19. Christ who was by all Law free and exempted would rather pay tribute then offend Math. 17. And give up his Innocent life a ransome for many rather then all mankinde should be shipwrackt and come short of the glory of God Saint Paul longingly desires to please all men not seeking his owne profit 1 Cor. 10.33 And rather then offend his brother he professes he will never eate flesh 1 Cor. 8.13 And before he would prove a burden to the Church he will forgoe that right which he and other Ministers might have claimed to require a petty temporall maintenance from them that were made partakers of spirituals chusing rather to fare hard and condescending to worke with his owne hands rather then to be burdensome to them 1 Cor. 9.15.19.21.22 Act. 20.34 Such modest charitable examples as these are most fit for our imitation
their eyes whilst the true confidents of God whose hopes are seated in him onely shall find if not a perpetuity of happinesse in their enjoyments here yet an enjoyment hereafter more durable and glorious then to be disturbed SECTIO II. I May seem by what hath been deliver'd concerning the Prophets choice of God by way of preheminence and above all things in Heaven and Earth to have given you the full scope of the words and of the Prophets mind expressed thereby I shall aot conceale from you what I have further thought hereon that it is more consonant to the Text The choice of God alone with exclusion of all other things and to the original words in Hebrew to expound this desire of God alone by such a choice as excludes absolutely other things For to this sense run the words in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is nothing upon Earth that I desire by or with thee And first herein I must not hide from you that the phrase of some of these words is very like to them of the first Commandment for the words of the first Commandment translated Thou shalt not have are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non erit tibi and here in this Psalme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quis mihi erit And take away the Rhetorick the sense will be nullus alius erit mihi in coelo None in Heaven shall be to me a God And indeed there was as much or more occasion given for this profession at the time when this Psalme was written as when the Commandment was given That which the Apostle tells us Rom. 1.23 That some changed the glory of God into unworthy similitudes was then too true Idolatry was then in fashion and plurality of Gods their Religion in detestation of which the Prophet might well be thought to professe I have no God in Heaven but thee none that I will worship after the custome of Idolaters Nor was this the first profession made in this kind Jacob vowed it then shall the Lord be my God Gen. 28. vers 21. Josuah made it his profession Jos 24. vers 15. And the Psalmes are full of Davids resolutions in this kind all along and as it was enjoyned by God so was it likewise confirmed by Christ him onely shalt thou serve Math. 4. vers 10. And the reason is as pressing for there being but one God none but he ought to be acknowledg'd or adored and therefore I shall not need to give you any other censure or character of Idolaters then what the Apostle doth calling them Rom. 1.22 fools And the Psalmist here in another place they that make them are like unto them Psal 115.8 But because there is mention made in this verse of Persons and things upon earth as well as in heaven and of desire as well as of having I will not restrain this profession of the Prophet to the sense of the first Commandment but conceive it may be thus enlarged I refuse and absolutely passe by all other things and persons in Heaven and Earth and chuse thee O God for the onely object of my desire A profession not without president saint Paul all in raptures professed he desired to know nothing but Christ Crucified 1 Cor. 2.2 Making the World his scorne Abraham expres't the same when he would sacrifice his Son Moses forsooke Egypt and it's pleasures that he might more nobly suffer with Gods people Whether and how other things may be desired when they come not in competition with our duty to God How many Martyrs hath this made whose deaths have testified their resolutions of sacrificing even a thousand lives to the love of their Maker And if it be objected that in such cases where the things of the World comply not with the duty We owe to God this absolute refusal of all things may and ought to take place and the choice made of God alone But how may We determine it in cases wherein there is no such tryall and wherein both may be retained and consist together I Answer 1. When other things were actually Answer 1 known and might be known besides Christ yet the Apostle resolved to know nothing else 1 Cor. 2. vers 2. There is a difference between the faculties of the soul and the desire of them between knowledge and a desire thereof between love and desire of loving between use and desire of the things used the faculties make men capable of the objects but desire is a lively eminent high ardent Spirit that carries the faculties to the object Through desire a man having separated himself seeketh and intermedleth with all wisdome Prov. 18. vers 1. And even in things which may moderately be used desire is forbidden We may eate but without the desire of an Epicure We may desire riches but not like those whom the Apostle reprooves Jam. 5. That treasured up Impiety and grow rich that they might be more ungodly Every Creature was made for our use and enjoyment but none must be the object of our hopes or maine desire but God alone And therefore Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 called the desire of the Nations Hag. 2. vers 7. David sutably in another place all my desire is before thee Psal 39. 2ly It cannot be denyed but that others things Answer 2 are and lawfully may be in a sort desired and loved with variety but then observe That the love or desire of man is set upon many objects in a double manner 1. In dependently and severally Love is independent or dependent for the severall particular reasons which are in the object Thus David loved his Relations and his friend Jonathan with variety yet independently not one for the other but each of them for several reasons more or lesse 2. Dependently when a man doth love or desire one thing first and other things in relation thereunto and because of it Thus the same David loved Mephibosheth for Jonathans sake and Abiathar for his Fathers Now a true Servant of God doth not desire and love God and other things with a love of independency that is God for himself and other enjoyments for themselves But first the love of God is shed abroad in his heart and from thence diffused to others like rivulets that pleasingly wander from their spring affects other things in dependency to the love he bears to God and for his sake as the things loved or desired have relation unto him namely as they are gifts of God dispensed in providence for our comfort or as they are serviceable to his glory or as he hath put a relation upon them unto us and founded the same in our necessities as food or in our nature as are our relations or in his owne ordinances as marriage and Magistracy or in the blessings by him dispensed by their means or lastly in his own will or command or in any or all these put together And that the Saints of God do love all things in God and nothing