meant carnall Christians that had turned from Gentilisme and received the profession of Christian religion but yet followed their carnall courses we may then note that the bare change from a false religion to the profession of the true is not sufficient to salvation A man that hath professed a false religion had need of two conversions the one is from his false religion to the true and the other from profanenesse to sincerity in that religion The corne must be fetched from the field into the barne but that is not enough for so is the chaffe but it must then be taken from the barne into the garner To leave Popery and turne Protestant is not in it selfe sufficient unlesse a man turne from the profanenesse that is in the multitude in true Churches to embrace the sincere profession of the Gospel And there is reason for it for in changing from a false religion to a true a man doth but change his profession or his mind at best but he that will be changed effectually must change his heart and whole conversation and become a new creature So that then these words describe a carnall man viz. that he is such a one as doth not obey the word of God By the Word he meanes here the doctrine published by the Prophets and Apostles and now contained in the Scriptures Many Doctrines may be hence observed 1 The Scripture is Gods Word because God thereby doth expresse the sense of his mind as men doe by their words The Scripture is not the word which God the Father begate but is the word which God the Father uttered and is the word which God uttered to us bodily creatures God though he be a Spirit yet doth speake both to spirits and bodies to spirits by a way unknowne to us to bodies he hath spoken many wayes as by signes dreames visions and the like so by printing the sense of his mind in the minds of creatures that could speake and by them uttered in word or writing what he would have knowne Thus he spake by the Patriarks Prophets Christ and the Apostles They that deny that God hath any words either deny that God is as Psal. 14.11 or else that conceive him to be like stockes or stones or beasts as Rom. 1.23 or else thinke he can speake but will not because hee takes no care of humane things as Iob 22.23 These are Atheists 2. The Scripture is called the Word by an excellency because it is the only word we should delight in God since the fall did never speake unto man more exactly than by the Scriptures and we were better heare God talke to us out of the Scriptures than â—eare any man on earth yea or Angell in heaven yea it imports that we should be so devoted to the study of the Scriptures as if we desired to heare no other sound in our eares but that as if all the use of our eares were to heare this Word Let him that hath eares to heare heare 3. This Word of God now in the time of the New Testament belongs to all men in the right application of the true meaning of it Once it was the portionof Iacob and God did not deale so with other Nations to give them his Word but now that the partition wall is broken downe the Gospel is sent to every creature That is here imported in that unbeleeving husbands are blamed for not obeying the Word which should teach all sorts of men to search the Scriptures and â—o heare the Word devoutly and withall know that the comforts terrours and precepts coâ—â—ained in it will take hold upon all sorts of men respectively 4. The Word of God ought to rule all sorts of men That is implied here in that fault is found with these unbeleevers that they obeyed it not It was given of God to that end to instruct reprove and direct men in all their waies 2 Tim. 3.16 17. It is the Canon or rule of mens actions Gal. 6. 16. It is the light and lanthorne God hath given to men it hath divine authority If we will shew any respect to God we must be ruled by the Scripture which is his Word 5. Unregenerate men have no mind to obey the Word and the reason is because they are guided by other rules which aâ—e false as their owne reason the customes of the world the suggestions of the divell and the like and because too the Word is contrary to their carnall desires and therefore they yeeld themselves to be guided by such rules as are most pleasing to their corrupt natures and besides too the light of the Word is too glorious for his eyes he cannot see into the mysteries contained in it because they are spiritually to be discerned and the naturall man therefore cannot perceive the things of God 6. It is a dangerous thing not to obey the Word of God they are accounted for lost and forlorne men here that doe not obey the Word Men be deceived if they thinke it is a course may be safe for to disobey Gods Word for Gods Word will take hold of them and destroy them and it will judge them at the last day Zech. 1.4 5. 2 Thes. 1.8 They are but lost men cast-awaies that care not for Gods Word 7. Nothing is to be reckoned a sin which is not disobedience to the Word That which is not contrary to some Scripture is no transgression and therefore men should take heed of burthening themselves with the vaine feare of sinning when they breake no commandement of God but only unwarranted traditions either on the left hand or the right 8. The constant omission of religious duties and good workes proves a man to be a carnall person as well as the committing of manifest injuries or grosse offences Here the Periphrasis of a carnall person is That he did not doe what the Word required 9. Men that obey not the Word may be won which should be a great comfort to penitent sinners It is true that disobedience clothed with some circumstances or adjuncts is very dangerous as when men have the means and love darknesse rather than light Iohn 3.20 and when men are smitten with remorse and have blessing and cursing set before them and see their sins and feele the axe of Gods Word and yet will on in transgression Deut. 11. 28. Mat. 3 10. or when men are called at the third or sixth or ninth houre and will put off and delay upon pretence of repenting at the eleventh houre Ma. 20. or when men are powerfully convinced and will raile and blaspheme and contradict the Word Acts 13.45 46. 18.6 and when God pursues men with his judgements and they refuse to returne Ier. 5.2 3 or lastly when men despight the spirit of God and sin of malice against the truth Heb. 10. 26 27 28 29 30. 10. The chiefe doctrine is That sound obedience to the Word of God is the Character of a true Christian a marke to distinguish the true
Christian from the false and from him that is no Christian at all God makes his count by righteousnesse Rom. 10. To professe the true religion to understand the Word to beleeve it with historicall or temporall faith to talke of the Word to receive Baptisme and the signes of the Covenants or the like makes not an essentiall difference It is obeying the Word proves us to be true Christians Not the hearers but the doers of the Word are acknowledged for just persons Mat. 7.26 27. Iames 1.22 23 24. But that we be not deceived in our obedience we must know that unto sound obedience divers things are required as 1. That his obedience be from the heart Rom. 6.17 2. That his obedience ariseth from the love of God and the hatred of sin as it is sin and not from carnall and corrupt ends Deut. 30.20 Iosh. 22.5 Mat. 4.19 3. That his obedience be in all things with respect to all Gods Commandements though it be against his profit ease credit or the like Heb. 11.8 Gen. 22.12 Psal. 119.6 Exod. 15.26 4. That he doth righteousnesse at all times that he continue in his obedience and obey at all times that is constantly and not for a fit Psal. 106.2 Hos. 6.5 Gal. 5.7 2 Kings 18.6 Iâ—m 1.23 5. That he make conscience of obeying the least commandement as well as the greatest Mat. 5.19 6. That obeyes the commandements of the Gospel about beleeving in God and Jesus Christ as well as of the Law that practiseth obedience of faith and lives by faith 2 Thes. 1.8 Rom. 1.5 Mat. 16.16 11. It is to bee noted that the Apostle useth faire language when hee speaketh even of carnall men He gives not these carnall husbands reproachfull words but onely saith they obey not the Word and the reason may be because the conscience of a man is not won by the terror of words but by the evidence of the matter And besides the Apostle did not thinke it fit that wives should bee humoured in the violent dispraises of their husbands It is not profitable for inferiours to conceive much of the hatefulnesse of the sins of superiours 12. Religion doth not binde wives to account carnall husbands to bee religious They may know that they are carnall and yet not sin against their husbands in such judgement so as they judge by infallible grounds for though the wife must love her husband with matrimoniall love above all other men yet shee is not bound to beleeve that he is the best man in the world Lastly it is a great affliction to a Christian wife to have a carnall husband Till she have won him shee is but in a distressed estate for other wicked men she might shun and so avoide the discomfort ariseth from seeing and hearing their wickednesse but an evill husband shee cannot nor ought not to depart from him though shee must avoide his sinne 1 Cor. 7. and from such a husband shee cannot have the helps shee should have from a husband that could dwell with her as a man of knowledge Besides the many waies in which such a husband may or will hinder her in the course of godlinesse besides it cannot but bee a great griefe to her to thinke of their parting out of this world that the one of them must goe to hell and that the companion of her life when he dies if he repent not must be an eternall companion of devils 13. Good wives may have ill husbands such wives as are truly religious and obedient may have husbands that will not obey the Word of God and that ariseth sometimes from the improvidence or ill providing of parents Many parents that have children that obey them and will bee ruled by them doe dispose of them for carnall ends to carnall or ill disposed husbands Sometimes from the hypocrisie of such men as feare God but prove not so when their wives enjoy them Sometimes from an unruly affection in good women who though they know the men they choose to bee carnall yet they will have them though it prove to their owne continuall woe and affliction Sometimes from a speciall corruption of nature in some husbands who either are loving husbands and yet but carnall men or are good men but bad husbands Sometimes it ariseth from the speciall grace of God to the wife who though she was carnall when shee married the carnall husband yet afterwards is converted and effectually called and this was the case of such women â—as the Apostle seemes here to write to Sometimes it falls out by a speciall and unavoideable providence of God though all meanes have beene used to trie or prevent this evill in the husband for marriage being to be reckoned amongst outward things God for reasons knowne to himselfe and alwaies just will give ill husbands to good wives And contrariwise it may be God knowes that if some good wives had better husbands they would prove worse wives or both husband and wife would be more unapt for the kingdome of God 14. Unequall matches ought to be avoided as much as may be and that may be gathered from the maner of the Apostles speaking in that he saith If any obey not the Word If any as if he would import that it is a case he desired might be very rarely found amongst Christians They also may be won We reade in Scripture of divers kinds of winnings there is a spirituall winning or gaining and there is a worldly winning About the spirituall winning we reade of the winning of Christ Phil. 3.8 which is the worke of a particular beleever labouring and wrestling with God in the use of his ordinances to obtaine by the gift of his free grace Jesus Christ for his justification and sanctification and finall salvation Likewise we reade of the winning of grace and spirituall gifts and so godlinesse is called gaine and the good servants are said to win or gaine more Talents to the Talents they had And this gaine is gotten by a spirituall trading in the diligent emploiment of the gifts the godly have to get them encreased We reade likewise of the winning of other mens soules in many places and that is done either by the Preachers of the Gospel conquering the hearts of their hearers to the obedience of the Word of Christ and unto sound conversion or else it is done by private persons that by their examples and good carriage or by their admonitions or counsels doe perswade and incline others to a liking of a new life or to humiliation and reformation of some particular faults We reade likewise of worldly gaine and winning when men by their sports strive for prizes or in their trades labour for lucre and gaine Now this latter kinde of gaine differs greatly from the former both in the matter of the gaine and in the manner of seeking it for there is no comparison betweene the gaine of grace and godlinesse and the gaine of riches and honour the one is transitorie the
as turne to him with fasting weeping and mourning Quest. But doth the Lord shew no mercy to wicked men Answ. Yes he doth but deceive not thy selfe he doth not shew them this mercy to forgive their sins or save their soules and that thou mayest know distinctly what mercy God doth shew I will instance in one onely place of Scripture and that is the 9. of Nehemiah for there thou maist see what mercy the Lord shewed to the wicked and rebellious Israelites To omit the extraordinary he gave them good lawes ver 13. and made known to them his holy sabbaths ver 14. and forsooke them not when they dealt proudly against him ver 16 17. and gave his good spirit to instruct them ver 20. and for a long time multiplied his outward blessings upon them ver 21 25. and when they wrought great provocations he sent them enemies to afflict them ver 26 27. and when they cryed sent them Saviours to deliver them ver 27. and after often revoltings he was often intreated ver 28. and did withhold his worst and consuming judgements for a long time ver 30 31. these and such like mercies the Lord may and doth shew to wicked men Hath begotten us againe c. Hitherto of the mercy of God now it followes that I should intreat of the regeneration of man As for the necessity and honor of the worke of the new birth I have touched it before I onely here propound three things to be considered of 1. The meanes 2. The lets and 3. the signes of the new birth For the first the ordinary meanes by which God doth beget us againe is the word preached as these places doe evidently shew Rom. 10. 14. 1 Pet. 1.23 1 Cor. 1.21 Gal. 3.2 Esay 55.4 For the second this great worke is marvellously hindered and that diversly For first many men are seduced seduced I say either with hope of mercy howsoever or with the colours of civill honesty and some good they doe or with pretence of after-repentance or with the examples of wise learned and great men or with prejudice conceited by reason of slanders cast upon such as are converted or with the common charity of the world 〈…〉 when they die or with false opinions as that men have all their regeneration by Baptisme or that reformation will prove an enemy to their credit or profit or contentment or else that they are as they should be because they are better then they were and have more liking of Sermons or care of religion or such like Secondly multitudes of men are senselesse and ignorant and through wretched inconsideration weare out their dayes without care or conscience they never consider either the number filth or guilt of their sinnes or the greatnesse and fiercenesse of Gods wrath and threatnings against their sins or of the certainty and dreadfulnesse of the vengeance to come or of the nearenesse of death or terror of judgement nor consider they the very effects of sin that are already upon them they perceive not their death in sin and the sleep of their conscience and the inefficacy of all Gods ordinances and the absence of Gods spirit and the impotency of all the faculties of their soules unto that which is good Thirdly many are hindered through irresolution and sluggish inconstancy they have many pangs of remorse and are neare the birth and give it over againe For either they forget it or neglect it upon experience of difficulties or objections against it or else because they finde more required then stands with their ease or credit c. Fourthly worldlinesse is a monstrous let in many I say not covetousnesse which is an excessive desire of having superâ—luities but a vaine over-loading of the minde with continuall cares about businesses in the world The love of earthly things and the cares of life choake all the sense they get in Gods house For they suffer their businesse to eate up their thoughts and consideration whence flowes forgetfulnesse and hardnesse of heart Fifthly this worke hath many and great adversaries if wee respect it in the truth and sincerity of it It is opposed mightily by devills invisible and by wicked men of all sorts visible sometimes by learned men sometimes by the prophane multitude Satan strives to overwhelme the beginnings of it in many with the floods of reproach and disgracefull oppositions Lastly it is hindered in the most men by the perverâ—e love of some speciall sin with which men are besotted and unto which they are so ingaged as God must have them excused till they finde time to give it over Thus much of the lets 3. Now for the signes of new birth amongst many I instance in foure The first is the washing of mortification by which I meane a serious secret and unfeigned voluntary godly sorow for all sin striving in particular to bewaile those sinnes unto which they have been most prone or in which they have most corrupted themselves This is to be borne of water and of the holy Ghost This is the washing of the new birth The second is the imitation of Christ by which we follow him in the regeneration Now this imitation of Christ must have in it three things First a willingnesse to deny our ease profit credit will or what else can be taking up any crosse that we may shew our desires to be like him in sufferings secondly humility and lowlinesse which will shew it selfe not onely in a continued base opinion of our selves by reason of our corruptions but also in the meeknesse and quietnesse of our affections and in readinesse to doe the meanest office in the service of Christ or his members thirdly innocency of life or a constant care to be holy as he is holy hungring after righteousnesse and loving purity and seeking the contentment of all wel-doing The third signe is the love of all such as are begotten againe of God For whosoever is borne of God loves all those that are borne of God but this love of Gods children is such a love as shewes it selfe first by a desire to love God and keep 〈…〉 godly doe secondly by a willing and ready Apology for such as feare God thirdly by fellowship with them in the Gospell fourthly by sympathy or compassion in their joyes or sorowes and fifthly by an estimation of them as the onely excellent ones The fourth signe is the inbred native desire after the sincere milke of the word By the desire to suck you may discerne a living childe from an abortive birth but then it is to be observed what kinde of desire it is For the comparison sheweth it must be a constant desire such as is renewed every day as we see it to be in the infant and besides it must be such a desire as is joyned with a secret and sound contentment in the word The childe doth almost nothing else but suck and
unto them yea unsearchable riches Eph. 3.6 All ages ought to wonder at the riches of Gods kindnesse to the beleevers in Jesus Christ Eph. 2.7 Christ in us is our riches Col. 1.27 and thus he enricheth us with the favour of God his own merits and righteousnesse the grace of the Spirit and the promises of the Word and the hope of glory The Uses are many Vses First woe to the rich men of this world that are not rich in God and Christ Luk. 12.16 21. Let not the rich man glory in his riches Ier. 9.24 Secondly let the brother of low degree rejoyce in that God hath thus exalted him Iâ—â— 1.9 For godly Christians aâ—e the richest men in the world for their possessions are greatest because theâ— possesse Jesus Christ and his treasureâ— Iames 2.5 For God is rich to all tâ—at call upon him Hee cannot be a poore man that can pray Rom. 10.12 Christ makes amends to the poore Christian for all his wants Thirdly hence we may gather anothâ—r signe to try our faith by If Christ be more precious to us than all the world besides it is certaine we are true beleevers For Christ is precious to 〈◊〉 but beleevers Phil. 3.9 8. Fourthly we should strive with all â—hankfulnesse to admire and praise the grace of God that hath bestowed such riches upon us in Christ Eph. 1.7 Fiftly we should hence learne to â—ake more account of our faith which is therefore precious because it applieâ— Christ unto us Hence poore Christians are said to be rich because they have faith and assurance of faith and hee calleth it all riches of full assurancâ— Col. 2.2 2 Pet. 1.4 Iam. 2.5 Sixtly we should live securelesse Men would promise to live at all hearts ease if they were rich enough why Christians are exceeding rich and possesse more treasure than all the woâ—ld besides and therefore should live henceforth by the faith of the Sonne of God which was given to them Gal. 2.20 Seventhly looke to it that thou keepe Christ whatsoever thou losest resolve to lose father mother wife children friends house lands yea and life too rather than lose Christ who is so precious Eighthly we should shew it thâ—t wee account him our greatest riches and that we shall doe first by esteeâ—ing the Gospell that brings us daily tidings above gold and silver Secondly by oft receiving of the Sacraments we should account the Word and Saâ—raments as Gods Exchequer whither we alwaies come to receive more treasure Thirdly by making much of them that resemble his vertues Fourthly 〈◊〉 longing for his appearing Thus as Christ is our riches Now secondly he is precious in that he is an honour unto us and so some translate it Christ then is a singular honor to every beleever and he is so both in heaven and in earth First in heaven he is an honour to us because he graceth us before God and the Angels covering our nakednesse with the rich garment of his owne imputed righteousnesse and making daily intercession fâ—r us to God and covering our imperfections and presenting our works and prayers to God and giving the Angels a charge to look carefully to uâ— Secondly And so he is an honour to us on earth both amongst the godly and amongst the wicked First Hee graceth us amongst the godly by giving 〈◊〉 room in their hearts causing them to love us and honour us even for Christ onely whom they discover in us by our love to Christ and faith in his name and imitation of his vertues Secondly and he graceth us also amongst the wicâ—ed by protecting and acknowledging us in times of greatest distresse and by washing out the blemishes which our owne indiscretions at any time brought upon us and by cleering our innocencies from their unjust aspersions The Use may be first for confutation of their folly and madnesse that account it a course of abasement to follow Christ and leave the vanities of the world Godly â—ourses are honorable courses No man ever lost honor by cleaving to Christ and living so as might become the faith and love of Christ. Secondly and withall we may hence be informed that all the honor that is without Christ is but obscure basenesse no man can be truely honorable without the faith of Jesus Christ in his heart Thirdly we should hence be resolved to make more account of the godly because Christ is to them all honour they are the onely excellent ones in the world Fourthly we should labour also to be an honour unto Christ and to the faith and profession of his name and service we must remember that he is our surety to God for us and hath undertaken for our good behaviour and therefore for that reason we should be carefull of our duties and besides wee see that the disorders of great mens servants leave an imputation on their master and so it is with us and Christ. If we live righteously and soberly and religiously we honour Christ our Master but otherwise if we be scandalous we dishonour Christ and therefore had need to look to our waies And lastly we should account Christ sufficient honour to us and not regard the scornes and reproaches of the world but rather with Moses esteeme the reproaches of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Aegypt Thus of the consolation to the godly The terrour to the unbeleevers is exprest first partly by charging upon them their offence secondly and partly by describing their punishment Their offence is disobedience To them that are disobedient All unbeleevers stand indicted of disobedience and that in three respects For first they are guilty of Adams disobedience For by the disobedience of one man many are made sinners Rom. 5.19 Secondly they are guilty of disobedience against the morall Law which they have broken by innumerable offences and in respect thereof are liable to all the curses of God Deut. 28. Thirdly they are guilty of disobedience against the Gospell For there is an obedience of faith Rom. 1.5 and the Lord complaines that they obeyed not the Gospell Rom. 10.16 and for this disobedience God will render vengeance in flaming fire at the day of Judgement 2 Thes. 1.8 Now men disobey the Gospell not onely when they are bewitched to receive false opinions in religion Gal 3.1 but also and chiefly when they beleeve not in Jesus Christ but live in their sins without repentance Vses The use should be for humiliation unto impenitent sinners they should take notice of their indictment and make haste to humble themselves before the Lord lest sentence come out against them and there be no remedy and the rather because God will aggravate against them their disobedience Now there are many wayes by which a sinner may take notice of the aggravations of his disobedience as First by the number of his offences if hee consider that he hath made his sins like the haires of his head To be guilty of treason but in one particular should occasion
subtiâ—â— Esau. This ought much to bee sought after by Christians that men may see their hearts by their words 2. Cor. 1.12 The sixt is profitablenes rendred in the end of this verse good works They lead a faire conversation that doe good and are helpfull to others and ready to shew any kindnes or mercy to any that live neere them or have occasion to use them This is an admirable prayse The use should be therefore to teach us to study how to adorne our conversation with such integrity and vertuous behaviour as may winne prayse and reputation to our profession especially we should at least shunne all those hatefull evils which by experience we finde to bee grievous and loathsome and are to be accounted as blemishes in our conversings being things as are in a speciall manner loathsome and provoke ill opinion in others as being against honesty and that faire conversation should bee found in us as First the sins of uncleannesse and whoredome and fornication and lasciviousnesse and filthy speaking Rom. 13.13 Eph. 5.3.4 Secondly the sins of drunkennes and riotousnes Rom. 13.13 1. Pet. 4.3 Thirdly the sinnes of passion malice wrath bitternesse clamour and evill speaking Eph. 4.31 Fourthly sinnes of deceit lying dissimulation and hypocrisie Fiftly pride statelinesse desire of vaine glory Gal. 5.26 Sixtly backbiting coÌ„plaining censuring judging Mat. 7.1 Iam. 4. Gal. 5.13 Seventhly idlenesse and slothfulnesse 1. Thes. 4 11.12 Eighthly to bee a busie-body in other mens matters prying and inquiring and meddling with things that belong not to them 1. Thes. 4.11.12 1. Pet. 4. To which adde pratling and talkativenesse 1. Tim. 5.13 Ninthly such courses as have appearance of evill in them such are the use of vain apparell and wilfull resorting to persons and places that are of evill report Thus of the matter to which he exhorts The reasons follow why they should bee carefull of an honest and faire behaviour and first because they live among the Gentiles Among the Gentiles Those Gentiles were such as lived in their naturall idolatry the nations that had not received the Christian faith Those that think this Epistle was written onely to the provinciall Jews alledge the words of this verse to prove it for say they it was written to such as lived among the Gentiles and were no Gentiles and they only were the Jewes But this reason is of no force for those Gentiles that were converted to the Christian faith became Christians and so were no more Gentiles or Pagans And so these words may bee understood of all sorts of Christians that lived among the unconverted Gentiles whether they were in their naturall estate either Jewes or Pagans In that the Christians lived among the Gentiles and must by their faire conversation bee rightly ordered towards those Gentiles divers things may be observed First we may hence note how hard a thing it is to recover men from a false religion though their religion bee grossely absurd In this place whither the Gospell came we see multitudes of men remained Gentiles still and would not receive the Christian faith And this is the more to be noted if we either consider the reasons the Gentiles had to remain in their religion or the manifest causes they had to moove them to imbrace the Christian Religion For for their owne religion they might easily observe these things amongst many other First their palpable and sottish idolatry in worshipping so many gods and those so accounted to bee gods being many of them apparently but senselesse creatures as the Sunne Moon and Starres others of them but dead men and others of them such as of whom there was not the least colour or appearance of Divinity Secondly the most notorious wickednes of life which did every where abound in all the nations that were Pagans Rom. 1. Thirdly that they followed a religion that gave them no hope of a better life after death nor could describe any estate worth the desiring Fourthly there was no agreement among them what should be the chiefe good while they lived but men were carried according to the sensuall desires of their owne hearts On the other side for the Christian Religion they saw that the doctrine of it was every where prooved by miracles and that their owne Oracles in every place where the Gospel came were put to silence Besides they might observe that the Christian Religion did teach the most absolute way for holinesse of life and that the Christians did live the most unrebukeably of all others yea did with gladnes dye in the defence of their religion and further the Christian Religion did shew them the glory of heaven and discovered that certain estate of most blessed immortality Quest. But may some one say what might be the motives to the Gentiles to make them continue so obstinate Ans. There were chiefly five things which caused this obstinacy in the Gentiles The first was the tradition of their fathers forefathers thy would not forsake that religion which for so many hundred yeers their Ancestors had professed 1. Pet. 1.18 Secondly the God of this world did mightily labour to blinde their eyes that they might not understand the Gospell 2. Cor. 4.4 Thirdly they saw that the Christian Religion was persecuted in all places both by reproaches and martyrdome Fourthly they would not receive the Christian Religion because there were but few that professed it and that their wise men and great men of the world for the most part did reject it 1. Cor. 1. The last and chiefe reason was the love of their sins which they saw they must forgoe if they embraced the Christian Religion It was true also that the wickednesse of some hypocrites that crept in among Christians did make the way of God evill spoken of and many Gentiles to blaspheme Rom. 2. I might adde that the doctrine of Christs Passion was a scandall unto many Gentiles who accounted it as a foolish thing to beleeve him as a Saviour that could not save himselfe from so ignominious a death being willingly ignorant of the necessity of that oblation of Christ as the Surety and Sacrifice for our sinnes It is profitable to consider of the obstinacy of these Gentiles together with their motives for first we may see that they stood upon the same grounds in effect upon which the Papists do rest at this day for the Papists maine allegations are the traditions of Fathers and Fore-fathers together with the multitudes of people that follow their Religion but especially the consideration of the wofull estate of forâ—orne men should teach us with the more thankfulnesse to celebrate the prayse of Gods mercy to us that did subdue our natures and draw us out of blindnesse and wickednesse into the true Religion and into the kingdome of Jesus Christ. And Ministers should hence learne with patience to doe their worke and not to be discouraged though multitudes of people be not brought to the obedience of Christ. They must not look to
him of nothing But by renovation conscience is good for the time of this life but imperfectly and increaseth in good men by degrees and so because man is renewed but in part it is a part of the goodnesse of the conscience to accuse for sinne especially if it be presumptuous after calling as well as to excuse from faults while the man keeps his uprightnesse That a good conscience should only excuse is true in this world onely of conscience as it was good by creation Now concerning the goodnesse or badnesse of conscience these seven things are to be considered of First that all mens consciences by nature are evill Secondly the difference of evill in mens consciences Thirdly the signes of an evill conscience Fourthly the hurt of an evill conscience Fiftly the meanes how evill consciences may be made good Sixtly the signes of a good conscience Seventhly the great happinesse of the man that hath a good conscience For the first that all mens consciences are by nature evill is manifest because all have sinned in Adam and lost their originall righteousnesse in all the faculties of the soule and so every man in his naturall condition is in every point uncleane and to the impure all things are impure even their consciences are polluted saith the Apostle Tit. 1.15 For the second evill is not in the same degree in all mens consciences but after a different manner in divers men for First in most men wee see that conscience is so feeble and works so little that it seemes to be but a small sparke or like a bubble which riseth now and then and presently vanisheth Now the reason why conscience stirs so little in the most men is not to be taken from the nature of conscience for that can worke all workes mentioned before but from divers things in man For first Adams sinne as it deprived all mens consciences of originall righteousnesse which was the life of the conscience so it brought such a depravation and evill disease upon the conscience that it was never healed nor cured in the naturall man to this day but the weaknesse arising from the infection holds him downe still Secondly the generall ignorance and darknesse which is in the world is one great cause why conscience lieth so miserably weake and neglected For it cannot worke for want of light For in the mind it findes only a few naturall principles or some generall truths of religion which are altogether insufficient to direct in the particular occasions of mens lives Thirdly besides the law of nature is corrupted in man and so those principles are very muddy and uncertaine and the generals of Religion are poysoned with secret objections gathered from the controversies of so many false religions Fourthly further it is manifest that the cares and pleasures of life oppresse conscience in many and in them conscience stirs not not because it cannot stir but because there is no leasure to heare what it saith men are so violently carried to the pleasures and busines of this world As a man that runs in a race many times runs with such violence that he cannot heare what is said unto him by some that he passeth by though it were counsell that might direct him in the right way of the race so is it with men that haste to be rich conscience often cals to them to take heed of going out of the way by deceit or lying or oppression or the like but they pursue riches so violently that they cannot heare the voice of conscience And so is it with the voluptuous person and with the most men that live in any habituall gainfull sinne Fiftly yea this weaknes comes upon the conscience of some by custome of sinnes that are not sinnes of gaine or pleasure as the sinnes of negligence sloathfulnesse passion or the like in which men are wilfully confirmed and will not regard the checks of their owne conscience Finally one great reason why the most of us feele so little of conscience is the evill hearing of the Word of God for the Word of God powerfully preached would awake the conscience but that most men set themselves to neglect it by a willing wilfull entertainment of distractions and in voluntary forgetting of what they have heard and so hood-winking themselves it is no wonder they cannot see Secondly some mens conscience is starke dead it stirs not at all The conscience is compared to a part of the body that is not only without sense and rotten but is feared with an hot iron and this is the case only of some notorious either Hereticks or malefactors that have lived a long time wilfully in some monstrous wickednesse either knowne or secret 1 Tim. 4.2 This seared conscience is either joyned with a greedinesse to commit speciall wickednesse or with a reprobate minde that is so horrible stupid that it judgeth evill to be good or at the best not dangerously hurtfull Ephes. 4.18 Rom. 1.28 Thirdly in some men the evill of conscience lyeth in this that it is over busie and sinnes too much and so in two sorts of men first the superstitious or secondly the desperate The superstitious person is many times disquieted by his conscience in doing well or when he doth that which is not unlawfull as the Popish Priest is troubled for comming to our Churches or the Christian that is carried with preposterous zeale is troubled for obeying the Magistrate in using his liberty in things indifferent in the desperate the evill of Conscience is the horrible tormenting of them beyond the bounds of the offence of Conscience and that in two things First in that it presents the wrath of God to them without the hope of mercy in Christ as did the Conscience of Cain Secondly in that it drives them to doe that against themselves which is desperately wicked as to make away themselves as the desperate Conscience of Iudas and Achitophel did Fourthly in some men there was a temporary goodnesse in the Conscience of which they made shipwracke and so utterly lost the goodnesse they had for a time And thus many hypocrites doe that for a time get the forme of Religion even into their Consciences but afterward falling into the immoderate love of the world or the lust of some particular sinne fall cleane away from Religion and so lose the goodnesse which they had 1 Tim. 1.19 Thus of the differences of evill in the Consciences of divers men the signes of an evill Conscience follow But before I give the signes wee must take notice of a distinction and that is that the Conscience may have evill in it and not be an evill Conscience Conscience in this life in men regenerate is renewed and restored but in part and so may erre sometimes and in some cases and yet be no evill Conscience As for instance in certaine weake Christians in the Primitive Church who yet were godly men the Apostle shewes Rom. 14. that some Christians for Conscience sake did
to him he is no part of his flocke he is without God in the World and without Christ as the lost sheepe is without the protection and keeping of the shepheard Wicked men have no keeper they are left to the way of their own hearts which is a fearefull curse Esay 53.6 The wicked shall be as a sheep that no man takes up Esay 13.14 2. Because hee hath no certaine pasture The provision for his life for soule and body is altogether uncertaine Hee is like Cain a vagabond upon the earth Hee is here to day he knowes nor where he shall be tomorrow God hath not given him any assurance of the keeping or getting of any thing he hath or desires Hee is like the stray sheep that hath all the world before him but knowes not where to settle Mat. 9.26 3. Because in the midst of all the best possessions of this life they have no peace Esay 57. ult The sound of feare is alwaies in their eares If a stray sheep get into a good pasture yet he is still in feare apt to be frighted with every sound ready to runne away upon every occasion so is it with them that are rich in the world and not riâ—h with God 1 Tim. 6.10 4. Because he is shut out from all comfortable society with the godly he enjoyes not the sound fruit of communion with Saints The stray sheep may sort with hogges or wilde beasts but from the sheep it is gone away Evill company is a miserable plague of a mans life to sort with such all a mans daâ—es from whom he may have a world of vanity and filthinesse but not any thing scarce worthy of the nature of men in an age Every wicked man is an alien a stranger and forainer from the Common-wealth of Israel Ephes. 2.12 5. A sheepe going astray is easily taken by a strange Lord it is driven any whither by anybody it is so silly And such is the fearefull estate of a man living in sinne strange Lords may easily surprize him false teachers may easily seduce him evill company may carry him to any wickednesse a Prince may turne him to any religion a very Atheist or Divell incarnate may easily lead him captive 6. A Sheep is apt to be worried with Dogs or devoured with Wolves or wilde Beasts when there is no Shepheard to tend him So it is with wicked men their soules their bodies their estates are all in danger to bee seized upon by Divels by unjust and unreasonable men especially as any of them are more simple so they are more liable to become a prey to the mighty ones of the earth 7. Men that wander out of the way of understanding shall remaine in the congregation of the dead Ps. 49.15 Pro. 21.16 And therefore he that converts a man from the erâ—our of his way is said to save a soule from death Iam. 5 ult And this going astray of unregenerate men is the more grievous because they are liable to many aggravations for First they goe astray from the womb they were never yet in the right way Psalm 58.3 Secondly because they wander in every worke they do as was said of Egypt Esay 19.14 All their works are abominable Psal. 14. All things are impure Thirdly because this is the curse of all unregenerate men we are turned every one to his owne way Esay 53.6 Fourthly because they delight to wander place their felicity in their sins and will not be reclaimed or advised Fiftly because they may provoke God so long that he may sweare they shall never enter into his rest Psal. 95.10,11 The third point is the cause of their going astray and that is noted in the originall word They were deceived Now then it is to bee considered distinctly who are the great deceivers of the world that cause millions of â—oules to goe astray First the Divell is the Arch-deceiver he hath beene a lier and a murtherer from the beginning he deceived our first Parents and made them and all their posterity goe astray Iohn 8.44 1 Tim. 2.14 And by him are all wicked men drawne out of the way and led captive at his will 2 Tim. 2.26 Secondly Antichrist is the next great deceiver who by his sorceries made all Nations in the time of the Gospell goe astray Eccles. 18.23 with his divellish doctrine and by wicked sorceries he deceived the Christian world Thirdly a â—â—arme of wicked ministers have deceived whole Townes and Countries and made the sheep goe astray even their whole flocks in many places some of them because they take the fleece and never feed the flock Ezech. â—4 2 c. Iohn 10.12 some of them by preaching lies and flattering the people with devices of men and say Peace when there is no peace Ierem. 23.17 19 20 32. Fourthly the world is a mischievous deceiver and it deceiveth by evill example and evill company and evill report raised against the godly and the good way and the inticements of profits and pleasures and vanities of all sorts and honours and the like Fiftly mans owne heart deceiveth him yea the heart of man is deceitfull above all things Ier. 17.19 It will use such carnall reasons pretend such vaine excuses entertaine such deceivable hopes and joyne it selfe to such swarmes of temptations and lusts as it cannot avoid wandring if there were no other deceivers to go withall the way of our own harts is alwaies to go out of the way Sixtly ignorance of the Scripture is a chiefe cause of erring and going astray both in opinion and life Mat. 22.29 Seventhly the love of some particular sin doth utterly undoe many a man that will not be warned of the deceitfulnesse of sin Heb. 3.12 Thus covetousnesse made many a man to erre from the faith 1 Tim. 6.20 Eighthly God himselfe in a fearefull kinde of justice many times not only consents but permits a very spirit of perverinesse and errour to seize upon some men that refused to be guided or kept by God so as they are given over to eternall perdition and destruction by reason of it Fourthly the signes of a lost sheepe follow and they are First he that refuseth reproofe is out of the way Men that cannot abide to be told of their faults are not healed Pro. 10.17 as he is in the way of life that keepeth instruction Secondly he that liveth in any knowne sinne without repentance is a lost sheepe Thirdly he that fouleth with his feet that which the good sheepe should eate or drinke and he that thrusts with the side and pusheth the diseased with his hornes is no good sheepe Ezek. 34.17 19 21. They are so farre from feeding upon the good Word and Ordinances of God that by wicked reproaches they soule it as much as they can and they that if they find a poore Christian that is diseased with some infirmities will push at him to dishearten him utterly from a religious course these are wicked beasts they are no good
they desire to be as pure as he would have them to be 3. Sound mortification and judging of our selves for what impurity we finde cleave to our workes 't is Christian perfection to judge our selves for our imperfections 1 Iohn 3 3. 4. Freedome from the grosse impurities and vices and vanities of the time God accounts us pure when our spot is not as the spots of the wicked and when we are not infected with the corruptions which are usually in the world 1 Tim. 5.22 2 Pet. 1.4 5. Freedome from the reigne of hypocrisie in the heart and from hypocriticall courses in the life Thus Saint Iames accounts the heart to be pure when men are not double minded Iames 4.8 And in conversation he is a pure man that is like Iacob a plaine man without fraud trickes or dissimulation 6. Precisenesse circumspection or exactnesse of conversation when a man sheweth respect to all Gods Commandements and makes conscience to avoide lesser sins as well as greater Eph. 5.15 Mat. 5.19 7. Devoutnesse and zeale in matters of religion and Gods worship and glory and so a pure conversation is a religious conversation that expresseth zeale and conscience in the things of Gods service in a speciall manner seeking Gods Kingdome first and above all other things 2 Tim. 2.22 Titus 2.14 8. Chastitie in keeping the heart and life cleane from the impurities condemned in the seventh Commandement is one great part of Christian purity But before I come to entreat of chastity in particular I would apply this doctrine of purity in generall first to the Text and then to the times As for the Text a pure conversation is here considered only so far as it may fall into the observation of carnall men and so it comprehends of the former senses chiefly inoffensivenesse separation from impure men freedome from grosse impurities and dissimulation a Christian and wise strictnesse of life and devoutnesse and well ordered zeale in matters of religion Use. Now for the Use of it If these be applied to these times it shewes first how wicked and profane those sorts of people are who reproach godly men for the care and practice of these things as if to be a Puritane even in these senses were to be some vile man not worthy to live amongst men Secondly it shewes that worlds of people that beare the name of Christians are not true Christians because their conversations are not pure for their swearing or drunkennesse or whoredomes or sins of deceit or dissimulation or fashioning themselves to this world or the liberty they take to live as they list testifies against them to their faces that their workes are not pure and therefore unlesse they repent they will all perish Rev. 3.1 2. and the rather because they cause by their evill lives not only the hearts of the good to be grieved but the mouthes of the enemies of religion to be opened to blaspheme Thirdly godly men that find these cares in them should comfort themselves much in the testimonies of their owne consciences and the gracious acceptation of God who will shew himselfe pure with them that are pure 2 Cor. 1.12 Psal. 18. Thus of Purity in generall Now of Chastity as a part of a pure conversation and it may well be that which is chiefly here intended Chastitie is either of the mind or of the body and it is a most certaine truth that God requires a chaste minde as well as a chaste body and doth forbid unchaste thoughts and desires aâ— well as unchaste words or deeds For unchaste thoughts and desires are first foolish and noisome 1 Tim. 6.9 secondly they hinder the power of religion and true knowledge and grace 2 Timâ— 4 thirdly they fight against the soule 1 Pet. 2.11 A man were as good have his body wounded with weapons as his soule wounded with lusts fourthly they cause many times many and monstrous sins in the life which arise at first from the nourishing of soule desires and thoughts in the heart The wickednesse that was in the lives of the Gentiles did in many of them spring from the lâ—sts which they harboured in their hearts Rom. 1. lastly if men repent not of them in time they will drowne them in perdition 1 Tim. 1.9 But it is the chastitie of the body which is especially here intended our Saviour Christ divides those chaste persons into three sorts some are termed Eunuches from their mothers wombe and so are disabled for bodily fornication some are made so by other men who by violence for their owne service made some men Eunuches Now the third sort are they that made themselves Eunuches for the kingdome of Heavens sake Of this third sort are all chaste persons who by a godly care and watchfulnesse keepe themselves from the sinnes of filthinesse as well as naturall Eunuches doe Mat. 19.12 Now these persons that are made chaste for the kingdome of Heavens sake are either single persons or married persons of chastity in single persons other Scriptures intreat as 1 Cor. 7. of chastity in married persons this place intreats Now this vertue of chastity is of purpose imposed upon godly Christians by the Apostle because the sins of fornication were so rife and common among the Gentiles who oftentimes defended their filthinesse to be either no sin or a very small sin But before I come to speake of chastity in particular some doctrines would be in generall observed as first Doct. 1. A godly Christian must shew the proofe of his religion especially in keeping himselfe free from the sins that are most common and rife in the world and even the more sinne abounds in the world the more strict they should be in resisting sinne as here even the more filthy the lives of others were the more chaste should the conversation of godly Christians be because their love to God should constraine them the more to be zealous for his glory by how much the more God is dishonoured by other men and because they are flatly forbidden to follow a multitude to sin and because God hath chosen them out of all other sorts of men to beare his name and to hold forth the light of the Word in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation and because thereby the conscience of wicked men may be the more effectually convinced and prepared to repentance Thus Lot is righteous in Sodome and Ioshua and his house will serve the Lord though all the Nation serve Idols This point as it should inflame the zeale of the godly to contend for the truth the more earnestly and to resist all the vices of the time so it shewes that they can hardly have any truth of grace in them that are so easily borne downe with the streame of evill example and are so apt to follow the fashion of the world Doct. 2. Chastity may be in married persons as well as in single persons as here wives are said to be chaste in conversation though they with-hold not
have his brothers wife nor must the Corinthian that married his fathers wife be suffered to dwell with her 1 Cor. 5. 3. Diviâ—es generally agree that if there be a precontract with another person in verbis de praesenti in the words of the present time made with consent of parents c. then the marriage after with another is a meere nullitie and such dwelling together is whâ—redome Zanchius brings reason for this from the law of God and Nature and civill and common lawes 4. If a marriage be made without the free consent of the parties or in cases where they are not able to give a free conâ—ent as in the marriage with children under age or with mad men or persons that are drunk when they give consent and doe disclaime it when they are sober These are nullities in the common opinion of Divines of all sorts and the reason is because the consent of parties is essentially requisite to such a bond 5. If there be error personae an errour of the person that is if a man mean to contract marriage with one person and another person is given him as when Leah was given in stead of Rachel to Iacob Divines agree that Iacob might have rejected Leah and that his owne consent afterwards did onely bind him to dwell with her But yet errour about the condition or state of the person is no nullitie If a man contract himselfe to a woman he thinkes to be a free woman and she proves a bond woman or he thinkes he marries with a rich woman and she proves a poore woman these errours do not cause a nullitie he must live with her for all this 6. If marriage be contracted with such as are utterly and incurably unapt for marriage this marriage is a nullitie as in the case of Eunuchs some kinds of incurable palsies or the like And about this I finde no difference amongst Divines Zanchius and some other Divines goe further and pronounce nullities in the cases following as If marriage be contracted yea and celebrated without the consent of parents He brings many arguments from the Law befoâ—e Moses and from the Law of Moses from the testimony of the Apostle Paul and from the lawes of Nations and from the Fathers If marriage be contracted or celebrated with such as have any notorious contagious disease which is knowne to be incurable as the Elephantiasis or worse kind of leprosie or the like because this will prove a mischiefe to the party cleere and to his children and to the Common-wealth and God ordained not marriage to be a mischiefe but a help If marriage be celebrated with a woman that is found to be with child by another man Yea he enclines to those that thinke the marriage of a Christian with an Infidell as a Jew Turke or Pagan as being the knowne and professed enemies of Christ is likewise a nullitie Hee gives many probable reasons and quotes divers authors for the opinion But for my part I dare not venture so farre especially to be peremptorie in it much lesse have I attained to the learning of those Divines that thinke Veneficium versus hanc Witchcraft disabling a man towards that woman onely to be a sufficient cause of a nullitie in the marriage Thus of the case of nullities For the case of divorce I thinke that rule of our Saviour binds peremptorily that no man may put away his wife but only in the case of fornication Mat. 19.9 In that case a man making a lawfull divorce is not bound to cohabitation but freed from it and must not dwell with her any more If it be objected that in the case of disertion when an Infidell forsakes a beleever the Apostle faith the beleever is free I answer that this is not a case of divorce The beleever doth not for the businesse of Religion put away the unbeleever yea the Apostle shewes he ought not 1 Cor. 7. onely if the unbeleever will depart let her depart And so by the wilfull departure of the Infidell the Christian is freed from the bond of marriage as Divines conceive which is a kind of nullity but not a divorce But then a great respect must be had to the kind of unbeleever not every wicked man or woman nor everie person that professeth a false religion but such an unbeleever as is a profest enemie to the Name of Christ is the unbeleever the Apostle speakes of Yet one thing more I must adde about the case of disertion when the disertion is for other causes than Religion if it be wilfull or inevitable then the party diserted is freed from this charge of cohabitation freed I say for a time till the diserted returne and if he never returne the party forsaken is for ever free Thus of the proposition of their duties the exposition of it followes According to knowledge By knowledge I take it here meant that Christian knowledge of Religion and the Word of God which godly husbands had attained by the Gospel for in the end of the verse he speakes of husbands as heires of the grace of life And so before I come to shew what speciall things in the manner of cohabitation this knowledge doth charge upon husbands I would consider of some doctrines in generall implyed by the words as Doct. 1. That the knowledge of Gods Word is a gift of God to bee much accounted of and therefore the Apostle here for honour sake to the man mentions this grace rather than any other And that knowledge is a precious thing or a great treasure may appeare divers waies First by the seat and use of knowledge it is a gift that adornes the mind of man making him by his inward understanding to see excellent things It is a great benefite to have senses to discerne things without us but this divine light that God puts into the understanding of man gives to the understanding power to see admirable things especially when it is spirituall light it shews a man the differences betweene good and evill and reveales such glorious things as no senses can reach to Secondly by the author of it God is the father of light and dwelleth in light Iam. 1.17 and it is the speciall glory of Christs divinity to lighten every man that comes into the world Iohn 1. and the holy Ghost claimes a part in this glory to give illumination to the minde 2 Cor. 3. Thirdly by the testimony God gives of the worth of knowledge eâ—pecially when it is spirituall and religious knowledge 〈◊〉 is called riches 1 Cor. 1.5 and preferred before all outward things in the world Ier. 9 2â— and Christ accounts it a great signe of speciall friendship to communicate knowledge to his Disciples Ioh. 15.15 and God gave Iacob a greater portion when hee gave his word to him than hee did give to all the world besides He did not so with other Nations Psal. 1. Fourthly by the accounts Christ gives unto his Father of the discharge of
doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes See Rom. 1. ult Heb. 10.26 2 Pet. 2.21 Husbands and wives should in a speciall maner remember this for there is a great deale of need that they should take notice of this point Oh it is a grievous thing for a Christian to be wilfully corrupt to doe or leave things undone against his knowledge Doct. 7. One thing here is comfortable that God requires no more of his servants but to doe according to the knowledge they have Ignorances by the benefit of the new Covenant in Christ he will passe by so as they be carefull to get knowledge according to the meanes they have of knowledge This is a great comfort Doct. 8. In knowledge men should excell women therefore is knowledge here specially mentioned in giving the charge to men They are the headâ— of their wives and therefore in them should be the especiall seat of spirituall senses and understanding and their wives are charged if they doubt of any thing to aske their husbands at home It is a great dishonour to many men in this age in many places that women excell them in knowledge both for the measure of it and power of it and care to use the meanes to get it Thus of the generall Doctrines These words as they in particular order the duties of husbands shew divers things they are to look to in their carriage in dwelling with their wives To dwell with them according to knowledge imports 1. Matter of edification and so three wayes for first they must set up religion and the worship of God in their dwellings Iosh. 24.15 They must keepe off the curse of God from them and their wives and children by daily praying to God Ier. 10. ult They must diligently in their kinde instruct their family in the plaine things of Gods law talking and discoursing of the Word of God upon all occasions Deut. 6.7 Gen. 18.19 They must see that Gods Sabbaths bee kept and sanctified in their dwellings and therefore must not only restraine labour but bring their houshold to the exercises of religion and privately help them by examination or repetition Commandement 4. Exod. 20.4 yea and by sanctifying them to Gods worship Iob 1.5 which is done by exhorting them to holinesse and preparation and by humbling himselfe in prayer before God for himselfe and them and hee must sanctifie the creatures they use by prayer 1 Tim. 4.5 Secondly in speciall towards their wives they must use their knowledge in instructing them or resolving their doubts as there shall be occasion 1 Cor. 14.35 Thirdly they must teach their wives reformation and right order of behaviour by their example giving full proofe of their piety discretion providence painefulnesse and meeknesse not daring to commit the faults themselves they reprove in their wives and to live so as not to be liable to any just exception There is a question is often asked about the first branch of this answer and that is whether a woman may performe the duties of religion in the family in case of the absence or insufficiency of the husband Now for answer thereunto it is hard to give any peremptory rule because in this thing we have no Commandement from the Lord but yet seeing some of the duties of religion may be done by the wife as instructing of children and servants for the law of grace should be in her lips Pro. 31. and both Parents are charged with instructing the children Eph. 6. therefore I thinke by Anallogie it will follow that the wife may doe other duties as pray and repeat Sermons But yet it is most likely that this power extends not further than her children and her maids which was the power Hester used ch 4.16 or if it goe further it must be in some speciall cases and with observation of divers circumstances in which their safest way is to get direction and resolution from their learned Pastors 2. Matter of toleration and that in respect of the infirmities of his wife if her infirmities be bodily it must be the praise of his knowledge not to loath her for that because God layeth them on her and shee cannot helpe them And for her faults they are either meere frailties arising from ignorance or insufficiency she cannot help and those he must passe by altogether when he discerneth that she is not willing to offend in them Pro. 19.10 or else they are faults she committeth of knowledge and so they are either curable or incurable Curable are such faults of negligence or waiwardnesse that prove grievoâ—s to him or others for these his rule is he must not be bitter to her Col. 3.19 but shew himselfe to be gentle and easie to be intreated Iames 3.17 He must use all good meanes of counsell and forewarning of her and intreating and such reproofes as may be seasonable and secret as much as may be He must avoid raging and furious passion and reproaches If her faults be incurable that is such as he cannot mend by such courses then I suppose he may flie to the generall remedy of all Christians in the case of trespasses and that is to take one or two with him and admonish her and then if she mend not he may fly to his Pastor and such as have charge of soules with him and get them to admonish her But if none of these courses will serve I thinke the Pastor or others imployed in the businesse may give notice as they have occasion to other Christians of her incurablenesse and they may thereupon forsake her company and reject her as a Pagan or Publican but for the husband he must cohabite still and with patience beare the crosse God hath laid upon him waiting if at any time God will give her repentance or otherwise restraine her wickednesse 3. Matter of circumspection To dwell according to knowledge is to dwell with circumspection and that he must shew in matter of his owne right He must take heed that by no indulgence or remissenesse he lose his owne right He must keepe his authority and rule as head and not suffer things to be done or disposed ordinarily against his will And for the good ordering of necessary directions if his wife will not obey he must then provide to have things done as well as he can by his children or servants This I speake of things essentially expedient to the peace or well-being of the family he must not be his wives underling contrary to the order of nature and ordinance of God Gen. 3.16 1 Cor. 11.3 7 8 9. Eph. 5.23 1 Tim. 2.12 13 14. Secondly he must shew it in the care of his estate restraining her wastefulnesse if she be given to disorder or retchlesnesse in that kind Pro. 14.1 Thirdly in case of sin against God he muâ—t take heed that he nourish not sin in her by connivence or neglect of counsell or reproofe Iob 2.9 10. Fourthly in case of difference betweene her and her servants so