then believe no longer as men Do not think or speak as men but as those who have God perswading you Secondly The Scriptures are only the foundation because they are the immediate verity or truth coming from God who is the first essential truth They have not only a Divine Authority but evident infallibility As God himself is Truth and is not like man that may lie So his Word is likewise Truth and cannot lie or deceive as the writings of men Therefore Psal 19. they are said to be purer than gold seven times refined And it 's said The Scripture that cannot lie or cannot be broken John 10.35 It 's an heavy judgement to be delivered up in matters of salvation to believe a lie It 's the spiritual curse that is threatned to those of the Antichristian apostasie 2 Thess 2.11 Now they must needs be thus punished that forsake the Scripture and build upon other foundations Seeing then the Scripture doth contain infallible truth onely and not one iota or tittle of that can fall to the ground and in all other foundations that may be laid there may be falsehood errour and grand Impostures Let then those hearers that are carefull to keep a good faith walk by this Rule Chrysostome said Never expect good from that man who is not searching of the Scriptures attending to the Scriptures It 's an heavy grievous sinne that in your family in your closets you do no more acquaint your selves with the Bible Take a Tree from the River side and plant it in a wildernesse what can you expect but a withering And thus it is if you take a man from the Scripture his seeming faith graces godlinesse will all presently vanish Thirdly The Scriptures onely are the foundation of faith because they are onely immutable and unmoveable They abide alwayes the same they are not subject to changes to perturbations of affections as men are Councils consisted of men carried by passions and interests Even in the Council of Nice and the four first Councils there were great sidings great animosities particular interests and parties and therefore unlesse we had an unchangeable foundation we must be mutable Camelions Now the word of God that is said To abide for ever whereas all flesh is grasse and the glory thereof fadeth away 1 Pet. 1.24 25. It 's called the eternal Gospel Revel 14.6 So then that which was three thousand yeares agoe is still true because the Scriptures are still the same There is no new Bible though there may be many new opinions and new Sects Aristotle commendeth the Government of a Nation by Lawes above the wils and arbitrary resolutions of men because Lawes are fixed and known And so it is in the Church of God that hath a known Law and Rule Therefore it is an hainous errour which the learned note in Cusanus though otherwise not a very bad man in affirming That the Scripture is to be interpreted Secundum currentem statum Ecclesiae according to the present course and exigency of the Church and therefore in some age those things are received which in another are rejected Lastly The Scripture is only to be laid for a foundation because this onely is strong enough to support and bear up in sad hours of temptation and dangerous times of persecutions Who would be cheated or distinguished out of the Truth by subtil Hereticks or scared and terrified by violent opposers Therefore we had need be built upon such a rock that can endure all waves How could the Martyrs have resisted to blood had not they had Scripture-assurance Luther had this temptation Tune solus sapis c. and nothing but the Scripture confirmed him Our Saviour quelled Satans temptations by arrows out of the Scripture quiver When a man comes to die may he not be assaulted about the truth of his faith whether he die not in heresie or damnable opinions and nothing but the Scripture can uphold him Now for the matter of Doctrine to be believed some men lay four rotten and weak foundations others may be reduced to this The first is that of the Papist The Authority of the Church and the Pope being wholly ignorant themselves but resting all on their Authority Bellarmine doth not blush to expound that place Behold I lay in Zion a foundation stone secondarily to the Pope Now although we grant That the Ministry of the true Church is very usefull and necessary as the instrument of our faith and the preservation of it In which sense it 's called The pillar and ground of the Truth 1 Tim. 3.15 yet it is onely a Ministry not a Magistry It 's a political Pillar upon which Edicts use to hang for Declaration of the Magistrates will not an Architectonical Pillar that beares up the house So that Austins speech is true I had not believed the Gospel had not the Authority of the Church moved me viz. by way of introduction and preparation As the woman of Samaria did to the Samaritans who at first believed because she told them but afterwards they believed for Christs own sake We do not believe in the Church as we doe in the matter revealed in the Scripture Therefore that ignorant implicit faith to believe what the Church saith is not a Scripture-faith faith of knowledge besides then every member must believe according to that Church he is of and seeing there are Churches against Churches there shall also be faith against faith The second foundation men lay is The Authority of the Civil Magistrate This is a meer political faith Many men have no other apprehension about Religion than the Laws of the Land wherein they live They matter not whether true or false whether acceptable to God or consonant to Scripture but this is commanded and this they do As Seneca said in his time He observed that Worship of their gods Non tanquam Diis grata but legibus jussa not as acceptable to the gods but commanded by the Lawes But the Apostles example is clean contrary for they preached a faith to be believed that was contradictory to that Religion which was established by humane authority and they resolve thus It 's better to obey God than man Act. 5 29. The third is Private Revelation and Enthusiasmes As the Papists on one side have cryed down the sufficiency and perfection of the Scripture so Illuminatists men fancying to themselves Revelations from God have also decried it making themselves above the Scripture A dangerous and damnable delusion Therefore the Apostle John bids us Try the spirits and that cannot be without the Rule of the Word 1 John 4.1 And Fourthly Another false foundation is Meer humane Reason There are many risen up that make Reason the Judge and foundation of all Doctrinal Points the Socinian especially hereupon they reject the Trinity the Divine Nature of Christ as being against Reason Now although rectified Reason be necessary as an instrument to revive the things of faith yet it
's no Judge no foundation because our natural Reason is corrupt and therefore the understanding must be captivated Many things are above our understanding though not contrary to Reason to which we must yeeld the obedience of faith Vse of Admonition In matters of faith lay this foundation in times of disputes of varieties of opinions such as these are be as a people that have had a good and sure foundation laid among you Runne not on one side into a Popish bruitish and blind obedience of faith Nor on the other side be not carried away as empty straws with every wind of Doctrine Oh it 's a blessed thing to have the full assurance and perswasion of truths necessary to salvation not to have Reubens curse to be unstable like water Especially you that are ignorant and earthy who never make any matter about the principles of Religion do you rouse up your selves Why hath God given you reason and understanding Why are those many Texts To search the Scripture To prove all things if you sit down and regard not these things As a wise master builder I have laid the foundation It hath been observed That it 's a great part of the wisdom and heavenly skill of the Ministers of the Gospel to lay a right and good foundation in the hearts of the Hearers What principles are in any Art or Science the same is a foundation in matters of Religion Now if the principles be false all the Conclusions likewise are false so it is in matters of Religion If we lay rotten and unsound foundations all the building will prove no better You have heard of a fourfold foundation upon which this spiritual building is fixed A foundation of Faith or Doctrine to be Believed and that is The written Word of God only This hath been dispatched The next in order is no lesse necessary and that is The foundation of Gods Worship For as their are heresies and false doctrines which over throw the sound Faith so there is idolatry and superstition which destroyes the true worship of God We shall at this time therefore shew you how necessary it is for the Ministers of the Gospel to lay a sure and right foundation about the worship of God And 1. We shall shew the necessity 2. What is the foundation and the Reasons of it It 's necessary to lay good Principles here First Because there is no sinne doth ordinarily more provoke God then the corrupting of his worship The glorious eyes of God have not sparkled more with vengeance against any persons then those that have defiled themselves in sinfull worship Now three waies God may be provoked about his worship 1. When we adore and worship a false god instead of him Thus all the Heathens that worshipped the Sun or the Starres and other creatures they were guilty of gross idolatry So the Jews when they worshipped Baal-Berith Baal-Phegor and Dagon and Ashtaroth they did point blanck thwart the first Commandement Thou shalt have no other gods before me 2. Gods worship is corrupted when we do indeed worship the true God but not by such means and wayes of worship as he hath appointed but in such a manner as we in our immaginations think best This God often doth caution against that they should not go after the the imaginations of their own heart Thus they set up groves and high places Thus Jeroboam made a golden calf They intended the solemn worship of the true God but only they forsook the true manner of worship he had commanded 3. Then is Gods worship corrupted when though we worship the true God after the true manner yet we adde something to what is commanded We rest not in his simple institution but as Eve added to the Commandement of God so do these Thus the Pharisees they retained the substantial worship of God but then they added a thousand of superstitious observations more to it Now the corrupting of Gods worship any of these waies is a grievous sinne for though the first be a greater sinne then the second and the second then the third yet all of them are such as are immediately committed against God and for which the Prophets do chiefly pronounce those Judgments threatned by them For this sinne Jerusalem was brought low and the Temple had no more a stone left upon a stone The Jews to this day are so sensible of it that of all sins they take heed of this idolatry Secondly It 's necessary to lay a good foundation in this Because this sin doth either immediately break the spiritual Vnion between the Church and God or else much dispose thereunto The Prophet Ezekiel and the â—est do frequently delight to express the sinne of idolatry by adultery and going a whoring after our imaginations And when the Apostle was carefull to lay a good foundation here among the Corinthians in this matter of worship see what he saith His care was to present them a pure Virgin to Christ 2 Cor. 11.1 2. He was afraid they should be corrupted from the simplicity of the Gospel So then Idolatry and Superstition they are Adulteries and Fornications Now as Adultery doth dissolve the marriage bond and may justly provoke the Husband to be no more an Husband so it is in matter of worship It 's true all superstitious worship doth not presently rise to such an height Many sound Churches have retained some superstitious worship yet as wanton Dalliances and meretricious behaviour in a Wise though they do not break the conjugall knot yet dispose thereunto and raise much jealousie and anger in the Husband so it doth in matters of Gods worship Oh then how carefull should people be to see they go upon right grounds in the worship of God Thirdly We had need be carefull because God is so farre from accepting of that worship which he hath not commanded that he accounts it as done to Devils and not to him Though those that worship so thought they honoured God and had a good intention yet God judgeth it as done to Devils not to him So was Jeroboams worship he did not forsake the true God he set up that worship only out of politique designes and certainly the people that went in the ignorance of their spirit little thought to give worship to the Devils thereby yet saith the Text Jeroboam set up this worship to the Devils 2 Chron. 11.6 So these very Corinthians 1 Cor. 10.21 Who would go to the heathen Corinthians Feasts and communicate with them in that worship though they thought they might lawfully do it and it was an act of charity and good society yet the Apostle saith They did drink of the cup of Devils Oh then how shouldst thou be like Ezekiels living creature full of eyes behind and before of heavenly wisdom lest thou worship Devils instead of God Fourthly There is a necessity of laying a good foundation Because our hearts do in nothing more presumptuously work then in the
can be expected from a Church consisting of such Men speak of Houses where the Devils walk where spirits haunt men dare not dwell there I tell thee That a Family where ignorance and prophaneness is nourished is an house not only haunted but even possessed by Devils And how canst thou eat sleep and live in such a place Fourthly In the primitive times there were a rank of people that were called Catecumini as we said before Candidati or Competentes such who being converted from Paganism were not yet fully instructed in the matters of Religiâ—n and therefore they had time to get knowledg before ever they were admitted to Church-Communion And answerable to this there was a Catechist one whose work and office it was to instruct such before they were Baptized Thus you see how carefull in Antiquity they were that they might have no ignorant persons among them And certainly as in all Arts there are Principles which must be learned before they can come to Conclusions so it 's here in Religion And oh that we could see this Knowledge brought in amongst people To be a Christian is to be anointed and this Vnction teacheth us all things Joh. 2.20 viz. necessary to salvation Fifthly Principles of Religion largely so called are of two sorts either Corrupt Idolatrical and Heretical or true Sound and Consonant to the Scripture Now there are many in the world are too forward to infuse poysonous and dangerous Principles so great a matter is it to consider what men are seasoned with at first either privately or publiquely Thus many are infected with Popish and superstitious Principles many with erroneous and false Doctrines and these foundations being laid it 's very difficult ever to remove them As the vessel is first seasoned or the tree at first planted so it is likely to continue The Apostle cals those Jewish Ceremonies the beggerly elements Gal. 4.9 or Principles of the world Why so because the superstitious Teachers made them the first Elements the Principles the foundation of all and therefore they thought all Religion was taken away if they were removed And thus you have divers persons they have indeed some Principles of Religion but they are Popish and Superstitious such as put out the Knowledge of Christ and the Scriptures And It 's a two-fold labour as Socrates said to a perverted Disciple of his to teach them for they must first be untaught their erroneous Principles and then must be instructed in the truth Oh then look to this that thy Principles about Religion be not false ignorant and superstitious ones Sixthly The true Principles of Religion are reduced to severall heads and are both short and easie but necessary to be known The Doctrine about God and Christ and our selves which is the Credendum The Doctrine about Faith and Repentance which is the Agendum And about things to come which is the Sperandum About God we are to believe That he is and a rewarder of those that seek him About Christ This is eternal life to know Jesus Christ Joh. 17.2 and the holy Ghost for we are Baptized in his Name About our selves the desperate pollution of our natures the hainousness of sinne the aggravation of the curses of the Law The things to be done are Repentance which driveth out of our sins and Faith which driveth out of our own righteousness But because these are Divine Works therefore a man must be regenerated and born again And this Principle Christ insisted on to Nicodemus Joh 3. The things to come are The Resurrection of the Body The immortality of the Soul The Day of Judgment The Heâ—ven and Hell provided for the godly and the wicked These Principles are plain and easie not to flesh and blood but in respect of the manifestation of them They are laid down clearly in Scripture None without horrible impudency can deny them Indeed there are many sublime Disputes about the Trinity and about Christs Incarnation but these are not necessary to be believed by every one Oh then how great is thy ingratitude God hath made the necessary things easie and plain and yet thou art not acquainted with them If God had commanded some greater matter of thee If he had required all thy time all thy study thou wast obliged to have done it How much rather in things of so easie apprehension But now when we say These divine Principles are easie you must take heed of two mistakes 1. We do not mean that the divine Faith and Belief of them is easie to flesh and blood no but they are easie supposing the grace of God in respect of other particulars in Religion For otherwise To believe with a Divine Faith viz. by the Spirit of God inabling upon divine Authority which is only true Faith is the immediate work of Gods Spirit Therefore Faith though it be but Historicall and not saving is the gift of God When we desire a Knowledge and Faith of these Principles we mean not such a Faith as most men have a Faith of custom and humane education a Faith because they are brought up in such a Religion but upon Judgment and Knowledge grounded upon the Scripture That which is usually called the Colliars Faith To believe as the Church believes Is the Husbandmans and the Tradesmans and the rich mans and the poor mans Faith too much in the world So that as Christ saith His yoke is easie and yet also it is very hard Easie to the heart sanctified but grieveous to the unregenerate So it is here The Principles of Religion are easie and plain to the mind inlightned but they are either foolishness or absurdities to the greatest Scholar that is if hâ—s heart be not opened And thus Paul found himself derided and called a Babler amongst the Athenians 2. We do not mean that the bare saying of the Principles of Religian by heart and rote is the true believing and knowing of them As the Child is not said to be fed with milk unless it swallow it down and be nourished by it So neither can they be said to believe the Principles of Religion unless they do with understanding apply them and receive them into their hearts But this is all that most attain unto they can tell you God made them That Christ is their Saviour That they must repent of sinne But these things are by meer rote They learn them as formerly in Popery they learned their Prayers in Lattin they knew not what they prayed for so neither these what they do believe Now the Grounâ—s for Instruction in these Principles are First Because God accounts of no zeal nor devout affections if they be not the fruit of Knowledge Thus Christ told the woman that was so zealous for her Fathers worship Ye worship ye know not what Joh. 4 22. Though God once accepted bruit beasts as a Sâ—rifice to him Yet now saith the Apostle let 's offer up our selves a reasonable Sacrifice Rom. 12.1 The Jew had a zeal but
place unlesse the Lord will Those that cannot adde a cubit unto their own stature do yet think by their own strength to work out their salvation Oh know thou hast laid no sure foundation unlesse all thy strength and power be fetched from Christ Thou art too weak a child to go unlesse he hold thee Christ is the rock we must be built upon Fourthly The last part of this foundation is A renewed and sanctified Nature And this is of great consequence Nicodemus though so great a Master in Israel and exact in the external obedience of the Law yet being ignorant of this did fundamentally erre in all his obedience Therefore of all points you see our Saviour chiefly insists on this Vnlesse a man be borne again John 3. This was a very strange paradox to him and it 's no lesse to thousands of people who goe on in a formall customary road they regard the worke done the action it self but never the Regeneration of the nature from whence it is to flow Whereas this is all in all Make the Tree good and then the fruit will be good said Christ Mat. 12 33 The Spring and Fountain must first be clean ere the streames be The root sweet ere the fruit be Why then art thou pleasing thy selfe with the actions thou doest when thou art in the old polluted defiled nature Can men gather grapes of thornes or figs of thistles Let thy external actions be never so religious so glorious they are but like fine flowers on the dunghill or on a dead corpse there must be the inward uncleannesse the inward filthinesse cured first Oh that men had ears to hear this Oh that God would give you understanding in this thing For till the Old man be put off and the New man put on you are still in your sinnes all that you do is fit fuell for Hell none can deliver you from it till there be a change Thus unlesse Ministers and people beginne here though they should build of gold and precious stone the foundation is but of hay and stubble and that is worst of all And certainly if the Apostle make it so hard a thing to be saved though a man doe lay a good foundation if he build hay and stubble on it How impossible will that mans salvation be whose foundation is hay and stubble Mark then and consider these things in your whole conversation Let every good action have these four foundation stones under it The Scripture to direct justification to accept through Christs merit Christ to inable through his Spirit and a renewed nature to sanctifie For as it was with the Temple and the gold in the Temple The gold did not sanctifie the Temple but the Temple the gold So it is here our actions our duties doe not sanctifies us do not justifie us but these priviledges sanctifie and justifie our actions Now let us consider Why we are to be carefull about laying this Foundation First Because it 's very dangerous and it 's very easie to miscarry in this matter As Austin said about the Trinity That in any matter Nec faciliùs nec periculosiùs erratur Thus it is here Not more dangerously because eternal life and death is more immediately concerned herein The welfare of thy immortal soul should be more unto thee than all the world and that is in thy actions If the foundation be not well laid thou art undone for ever In matters of mens estates or of their bodily life how carefull are they to go upon a sure foundation Only they wilfully venture their ruine in the matters of their soule Thou wouldst be unwilling to live in an house whose foundation was rotten thou wouldst feare the falling of it about thy eares every hour Oh but what feare and trembleing should seize upon thee lest all the good thou hast promised thy selfe in thy soules way should fall to the ground for want of a sure foundation Consider then Am I in the right Timor facit consiliativum Fear would make thee jealous and suspicious As we erre dangerously so here Secondly We mistake easily We see the greatest part of Christians never attend to these things And withall the difference between true and false foundations is spiritually to be discerned Now the blinde man doth easily swallow any flie The hypocrites foundation and the true godly mans are very much alike and without much prayer humiliation and consideration we cannot practically discerne the difference Oh then say I do the outward works of Religion I am carefull to discharge them But how easie may I build all upon a false foundation The Parable our Saviour propounded of a wise builder and a foolish one should alwayes stick upon you Matth. 7. Did he speak it in vain you are all builders And every one is either building a Jerusalem or a Babel Apelles was so carefull in drawing his lines because he would pingere aeternitati as he said All thy actions do build either to an eternity of misery or an eternity of happiness Be then in an holy trembling every prayer every word every action hath influence to eternal life or eternal torment Thirdly Therefore we must look to our foundation because of the great confusion that will be at last on those who have failed therein Thus it was with the foolish builder when the tempests arose his house fell and the fall was great It was terrible and dreadfull He did not think so he looked for a comfortable and quiet possession but it proved otherwise So it is here Thou hast lived thus many yeares thou hast gone on in a customary way of religious duties thou hast performed them over and over again but hast never looked to a foundation Oh the confusion that will fill thy face when at the Day of Judgement God shall say for all those duties I know you not When you shall see all these to be a broken Reed to trust unto Oh if men would but consider afore-hand what the agonies and perplexities are that will then fall upon them they would consider and search and never give over till all be sure What confusion was upon the foolish Virgins How did they bewail their condition running up and down if there might be any hope But all is too late Fourthly Therefore lay a good foundation For if this be wanting thou doest nothing but sinne in all thou doest Not onely those plain gross acts of sin but all thy civil natural and religious actions as coming from thee are altogether sinnes To the unclean all things are unclean Titus 1.13 Who can bring a cleane thing out of an uncleane The bad Tree brings forth only bad fruit Without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. Oh then How terrible is thy estate who hast not laid this foundation Thou art damning thy self all day long Thy eating thy drinking thy waking yea thy praying thy hearing as they come from thee are sinnes continually As the Tâ—â—d cannot vent honey but
stoutest trees to tremble The sayings of any men in the world though never so eminent are not brought in religious matters for confirmation but illustration And it 's a great proficiency in hearers when they affect and delight in such preaching Austin while a Marcionite and a great Humanist had much ado to delight in the Scripture because he did not find such humane eloquence but when he came to find the words thereof like fiery darts and arrows in his soul then he was ravished with the excelleâ—cy of it Sâ—condly It 's to preach them with Scripture gravity and solidity As the Oracles of God 1 Pet. 4.11 he doth not say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the words but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the oracles implying the power and efficacy of Gods Spirit upon us aâ— having more of divine inspirations than humane acquisitions The more of mens wits fancies and conceits the lesse of God and so carrieth the lesse reverence and awe And this the Apostle doth greatly aim at Those false teachers came with cunning and enticing words and so deceived whereas the Apostle speaketh to the contrary That the Gospel came unto them not in humane eloquence but in demonstration of the Spirit and of the power of God Indeed humane parts and humane arts they are to be used but as servants not as mistresses It 's Austins allusion concerning Cyprian The Israelites took gold and jewels and earings from the Egyptians and turned them to their own use and so we may take humane abilities and excellencies and make them contribute to the Gospel only they must not be affected nor made the principal As the flowers that may be in a Corn field all the plowing and sowing was not for them but for corn Christs truths you see are precious stones and they need no painting Thirdly They are to be preached with Scripture simplicity in respect of aims and ends For though a man should build gold and silver yet if it be for humane glory and earthly greatnesse he builds hay and stubble though this be known to God only But this fire will discover the secrets of mens hearts And therefore we are not only to look to what we build but why we build Is it the glory of God the salvation of mens souls This will be comfortable at the day of revelation of all things Vse of Instruction With what delight and holy covetousnesse you should receive the truths of Christ they are no lesse worth than gold than precious stones The Tabernacle was covered all oveâ— with gold and they brought precious stones to it and thus is the Church of God still to be built Revel 21.19 And as in Solomons dayes God made gold as common as the stones in streets So in these later dayes those golden truths which before were rare and precious now are common but the common familiarity of them hath brought contempt and neglect of them else thou wouldst take up every truth of Christ as a precious pearl These are the best Jewels in the ear Oh but who can bewail the swinish lusts of men who had rather have their drosse than those pearls No wonder God hath brought so many terrible judgements upon us for we have been wanton under the choisest and most precious mercies even the holy truths of God Every Sermon hath been throwing pearl to some swine to bruitish wicked men that in stead of loving of them have turned again and rent them as much as lieth in their power If any man build hay wood and stubble The Apostle in this Text describes two Buildert the wise one and he builds gold and precious stones viz. the excellenâ— truthâ— of God And the foolish one he builds wood hay and stubble You heard by these later are meant all errours and false doctrines although they be not destructive of the foundation For the Apostle alludes to some kind of building which a man may imagine in his mind whose foundation and chief parts is of gold and silver but all the superstructure wood hay and stubble This would be a most deformed and incongruous sight as the Poets Mulier formosa supernè but aesinit in piscem Now do but observe what contemptible unprofitable and vain matter all false doctrines though never so gloriously dressed are by these similitudes even like Nazianzens Ape in mans cloaths It 's but Michals Image of straw that she put in Davids room for David Observe That all errors and falshoods in Religion though not fundamental are no better than hay and stubble Thus the Apostle Be not carried away with every wind of Doctrine Ephes 4.14 Errours are a sudden gust of winde Philosophers say It 's a dry exhalation from the earth and violently beaten back again from Heaven So is any false Doctrine it comes from earthly and carnal lusts and desires and it is beaten back by God from Heaven he doth not own it Quid vento levius and so these winds of Doctrine are uncertain sometimes they blow in the North sometimes in the South even as necessity and carnal advantages drive them and which is more not only the Doctrine is thus light and empty but the builders are such as their Doctrine the Doctrine is stubble and they are stubble therefore he saith Be not carried away with them as if the persons were nothing but straw Even as the Psalmist saith They that made Idols were wholly like them Thus it is here Let men therefore that broach falshoods and people that receive them never so much dote and be inamoured with their own false opinions as if they were gold and precious stones yet the Scripture cals them no lesse than hay and stubble such as God will raise a fire to consume and devour Thus the Prophet Jeremiah What is the chaff to the wheat saith the Lord Jer. 23.28 The Doctrine of the false Prophets that is the chaff and of the true that is the wheat To amplifie this truth Consider First Though all errours in opinion and religion have no better a name and no better a nature yet those that build them do not think so They judge what they build gold and silver they think their monsters beautifull and comely The false Prophets in the Old Testament they would presumptuously call their dreams and imaginations the word of the Lord and Zedekiah the false prophet struck Micaiah the true saying Which way went the Spirit of the Lord from me to thee 2 Chron. 18.23 Now the Apostle Peter tels us That as there were false Prophets in the Old Testament so there shall be in the New who shall bring in damnable heresies 2 Pet. 2.1 Not that they judge them so for happily they might speak as Paul saith he thought he was bound to do what he did against Christ and his way And our Saviour speaking of the bitterest enemies the Christians should meet with he saith They think they shall do God good service by their persecuting of them John 16.2 Every
mans salvation as well as ungodlinesse in practice An unsound mind as well as unsound life may undo a man Austin once made a Question and knew not well how to resolve it viz. Which was worst an Heretique living with an unblameable life or an Orthodox man with a vicious and corrupt life Non audeo dicere saith I dare not determine it Though Austin could not determine it yet Salvian a religious and zealous Ancient he seemeth to preferre an Heretique if unblameable in his life before a wicked liver Now the truth is in some respects one is worse than another only herein there can be lesse said to excuse a prophane wicked Christian than an Heretique because moral duties such as not to lie swear or to be drunk or unclean are more easily known than many points in Religion especially those which are of a sublime consideration But yet if we speak in the general they both do endanger a mans salvation Thus the Apostle Peter saith That ignorant men wrâ—st the Scripture to their own destruction 2 Pet. 3.16 So that you see a man may destroy his soul not only by a prophane life but by a presumptuous abusing and wresting of the Scripture from the true sense And the Apostle James speaketh of it as a great matter To convert one that erreth from the truth he hath saved a soul and covered a multitude of sins Jam. 5.20 To open this Doctrine consider That the understanding of a man hath sâ—veral kinds of corruption whâ—ch do more or lesse endanger a mans salvation First There is ignorance in a mans understanding whereby he doth not know or believe the truth and this indangers a mans salvation This is eternal life to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent John 17.2 Therefore not 〈…〉 these is eternal death God would have all men to be saved and to come to thâ— kâ—â—wledge of the truth 2 Tim. 3 7. Thus as the true knowledg of God and Christ is the way to salvation This is the starre to lead to Christ so ignorance of these things is the way to damnation Hence wicked men are often said Not to know God and yet how universal is this sinne Few have any knowledge or understanding in the matters of Religion They have Eagles eyes to worldly things but very blinde Owles they are in heavenly things A second Corruption of the understanding is Errour Ignorance is in the first act of the understanding which they call simple and bare apprehension but Error is in the second Act which they call Judgement So that to erre is to mis-judge in matters of Religion as those that denied the Resurrection are said to erre because they did not know the Scriptures Mat. 22.29 Indeed sometimes the wicked wayes of a mans life are called errours They have alwayes erred in their hearts saith the Scripture of the Israelites in reference to their ungodly actions Heb. 3.10 because every sinne is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an errour or missing of the mark so that in this sence we may say thy ungodly actions are errours Thou dost well to complain of errours in doctrine but why dost thou not complain of thy errours in thy life Omnis peccans est ignorans every sinner as so is ignorant and erroneous but we speak not of this but of those errours in judgement whereby it judgeth false things true or true false And there is no man in the world but he hath some errour in his mind As there is not in any constitution Temperamentum ad pondus an exact temperament So neither in any mans understanding an exact and right judging of all things in matters of Religion We know in paâ—t saith the Apostle 1 Cor 13. Yea we are ignorant of farre more things than we know Thirdly There is a further corruption of the mind and that is heresie Which word though in the first rise of it was innocent in its signification and is so used twice or thrice in the Acts of the Apostles as some affirm yet in the Epâ—stles it is alwayes used in an ill sense and by ecclesiastical use it 's different from errour two wayes 1. Errour is in matters of lesse consâ—quence that are not of necessity but heresie they make to be of things fundamentall therefore the Apostle speaks of some Who shall bring in damnable Heresies 2 Pet 2.1 2. They make it differ in the affection of the person He that is an Heretique hath pertinacy and obstinacy An Heretique after the first and second admonition reject Tit. 3.10 But errours are with willingnesse to learn and to be informed as Austin Errare possum haereticus esse nolo Thus Ecclesiastical custome hath used the word Heresie though I cannot say the Scripture doth make that the adequate notion of the word Thus you see in these three wayes the minds of men may be corrupted and through every one of them more or lesse a man may be brought to the very brink of hell This is a truth little thought of yea some have thought Heresie to be innocency yea there are some who have maintained a man may be saved in any Religion or in any sect which if so then there could be no damnable Heresies Let us consider the Grounds of the Doctrine And First Therefore errours as well as ungodlinesse in life will damne Because they are a sinfull corruption of the best and noble faculty in a man The understanding is wounded with sinne as well as the will and affections insomuch that if it were possible for a man to have a right will and well ordered affections yet the sinfulnesse of his understanding is enough to damn him Grant then that ignorance errours or heresies are sinnes and you say enough to make any godly man afraid of them Therefore think of this you who make it no matter to hold this or that opinion in Religion If not to know the truth be a sinne know that is an infinite evil that will divide between God and thee and then it 's a sinne of the best and most noble part the understanding and reason whereby we are differenced from beasts A disease in the eye is a dangerous thing because so choice a part and if our eyes be so dear to us as that it 's a Proverb How dear should your minds and understandings be Nature hath provided a covering for them and hair to defend them and thus we should be carefull to keep our minds from all infections Secondly It must needs be damnable Because it 's opposite to saving grace and that is a true faith and knowledge of God in his Word Now this is a Rule We judge of the illnesse of every privation by the excellency of the habit it is contrary unto Now ignorance and errour they are contrary to a sound faith to a true knowledge and deprive the soul of those divine truths which are so instrumental to all holinesse Therefore to say to
foundation in the hearts of their hearers 125 Of a two-fold foundation Fundamentum cognoscendi the foundation of our knowledge and faith in matters of Religion viz. the Scripture And fundamentum essendi or the foundation of the being or existence of all our glory and salvation viz. Jesus Christ ibid Four unquestionable Scripture-foundations ibid. With a discovery of rotten foundations 127 Why it is such a sinne to worship God many wayes as man pleaseth 132 As a wise master-builder 137 Observ That it 's not vanity but a duty in some cases for the Ministers of the Gospel to magnifie and set up their Work and Office ibid In what cases a Minister may magnifie his work and office ibid. And another buildeth thereon 139 Observ That people are not to expect that Ministers should bring any other Doctrine than what is laid by Christ and the Apostles already ibid. The use of preaching notwithstanding the fulnesse of the Scripture 140 But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon 141 Observ The Ministers of God are greatly to take heed that they preach no other thing than what is already contained in the Scripture Or It 's a dangerous thing to put that sense and meaning on the word of God which is not the true genuine sense of it ibid. A two-fold building upon the foundation ibid Why Ministers must take heed how they build upon the foundation 142 Verse 11. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ 145 Observ That the Ministers of God ought to lay no other Foundation than Christ ibid. How many wayes Christ is to be preached as a foundation ibid. Reasons why he must be preached as the foundation 150 Objections and Doubts answered 153 How Duties are to be done and preached with relation to Christ 154 The great Advantages those have that are built on Christ 155 Verse 12. Now if any man build on this foundation gold silver precious stones wood hay stubble c. 157 Observ That the Doctrine and Truths of Christ are very precious and excellent ibid What the comparing them to Gold c. implieth ibid. If any man build hay and stubble 161 Observ That all errours and falshoods in Religion though not fundamental are no better than hay and stubble ibid Some Propositions about errour ibid. Why errours are called hay and stubble 162 Verse 13. Every mans work shall be made manifest 165 Observ That all the wayes and works of wickednesse though acted in never so hidden and secret a manner shall be made manifest ibid. What kind of hidden wickednesse shall be made manifest ibid. The Aggravation of those sins that are secret and hidden 168 Observ That all the hidden and secret wayes of false Doctrines God will one day make manifest 169 The Causes Nature the cunning subtilty in divulging them shall be made manifest ibid. For the day shall declare it 173 Observ That God hath his time when he will discover the errours and falshoods of mens Doctrines ibid. Errours are spiritual judgements the removal in mercy at Gods time 174 Why God will have a day to discover false Doctrine 176 Because it shall be revealed by fire and the fire shall declare every mans work of what sort it is 177 The interpretation of fire 178 Observ That God useth to bring people out of errours and false wayes by his Word and Afflictions ibid. Though the Word and afflictions are both helpfull yet differently 179 How wandring sheep are reduced by the Word ibid. How by afflictions 181 Verse 14. If any mans work abide which he hath built thereupon he shall receive a reward 181 Observ That Gods Truths are of a firm and durable Nature notwithstanding any tryal or opposition whatsoever 182 Truth two-fold Increated and Created ibid Scripture-truths reduced to four heads 183 Verse 15. If any mans work shall be burnt he shall suffer losse but he himself shall be saved yet so as by fire 185 Observ That every man will be altogether a loser in any errour or false way that he hath maintained he shall suffer loss 186 Wherein they shall be losers ibid. He shall be saved yet so as by fire 189 Observ That even errours of judgement may endanger a mans salvation as well as ungodlinesse in practice ibid. The several kinds of corruptions of the understanding that indangers a mans salvation ibid. The Difference between errour and heresie with the grounds of the Doctrine 190 Observ That every godly man though never so eminent yet is very difficultly saved 192 Verse 16. Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you 193 Observ That the consideration of those Priviledges and Relations which all the People that professe God are put into would be a great Argument against all kind of Pollution ibid Some of the chief Titles or Relations which the people of God have 194 Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God 197 Of the word Temple ibid. Observ That the people of God met together to worship him according to his way are the spiritual Temple of God 197 What there is in the Church allusively to the Temple 198 Of Gods presence with his Church 200 And that the Spirit of God dwels in you 201 Observ That the Spirit of God is God 202 The signification of the word Spirit when attributed to God ibid. That the holy Ghost is God and a person ibid. Why the holy Ghost is called Spirit 204 Observ That the Spirit of God dwels in his Church 205 What to have the Spirit dwell in us implieth in that phrase ibid. How many wayes the Spirit may be said to dwell in Gods people 207 The special works and effects of the holy Spirit in his Chruch 209 I. Gifts ibid. How farre the gifts and abilities of Ministers that are acquired by humane study and industry are to be ascribed unto the holy Ghost ibid. II. Sanctifying graces 209 Of the saving inhabitation of the Spirit 212 Verse 17. If any man defile the Temple of God him shall God destroy 216 Observ That those men who defile the Church of God with corrupt Doctrines do highly provoke God to punish them ibid Why errours are said to defile Gods Church 217 How God will punish Heretiques 219 A godly man may fall into a damnable Heresies 220 How a godly man erring differeth from a wicked man ibid. Errours are erroneous persons distinguished 221 Why God is so provoked with corruptions in Doctrine and worship ibid Him shall God destroy 222 Observ That eternal Damnation is the destruction of a man ibid. Of the punishment of losse sense 224 With the Aggravations of this punishment 225 For the Temple of God is holy which Temple ye are 226 Observ The holy Temple of God under the Gospel is not any place though never so adorned or glorious but persons believing and worshipping of him according to his will ibid Verse 18. Let no man
not according to Knowledge Therefore those crafty Principles in Popery to keep men in Ignorance to make it the Mother of Devotion that thereby they may reign and do what they list is to lead men blind-fold into Hell Secondly The Principles are Foundations and are the Root Now he would be an unwise Artificer that should intend to rear up a House and lay no Foundation So that as long as we preach to a people ignorant of these we have no bottom to stand upon Principles are like Seed Every poor man will make hard shift to get Seed to sow with Thirdly Without this good Foundation laid no Preaching or Duties can have any spiritual effect For Why are not the bruit Beasts Why not fools and mad men capable of any benefit by the Word preached But because the one have not rational souls and the other though they have them yet the actual use and exercise of Reason is bound up It is thus with all people destitute of Fundamental Principles All is done in an unknown tongue They are Barbarians to us and we to them Fourthly Conversion cannot be wrought without some Knowledge of the Principles We cannot believe in him we do not know We cannot love him we do not know The Heathens they indeed built an Altar To the unknown God But it is unsufferable for a Christian if a Christian should perform his duties to an unknown God or unknown Christ They must understand and so be converted Isa 6.10 God makes light shine out of darkness 5. The Knowledge of these Principles is necessary to salvation You that are ignorant totally of them cannot upon any just grounds hope for salvation This is eternal life to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Joh. 17.2 They are a people of no understanding therefore he that made them will not save them Isa 27.11 God would have all men to be saved and come to the Knowledge of the Truth 2 Tim 3.7 Oh then how should you who sit in this palpable darkness be afraid People use to fear in the dark and certainly thou should bewail thy self I am an old man an old woman I have lived thus long where the word hath been preached and yet how little do I know Sixthly None can pretend excuses for their ignorance herein To have much Knowledg in Religion there is required much time and study many abilities better education But for these Foundations none can excuse themselves because God hath revealed them in a plain easie manner He that runneth may read them So that it is our slowthfulness if we do not know Seventhly Want of sound Knowledge in these makes many Errors and Heresies Many affect to speak and hold opinions in Religion before ever they were well instructed Those that did not hold Christ the Head they presently fell to the worship of Angels The empty straw is carried about with every wind He that hath no bottom moveth up and down Vse Of sharp Reproof to such who continue in this damnable Ignorance and that though they live where the Word is preached If the Corinthians were to be blamed because they could not bear strong food what then belongs to them who are not capable of milk The very Principles of Religion are too hard for them They know not what you mean when you speak of these things Thus they are as bruit beasts made to be destroyed You may find as much knowledg of God amongst Pagans and Heathens as among some that live in the bosom of the Church Some have not the Knowledg of God I speak to your shame Many have not the Knowledg of God It may be spoken to the confusion of our faces How doth this darkness cover mens faces by Aitheism prophanenes and great negligence They make it not their business to enquire after Knowledg They greatly nâ—glect the means of Knowledg Prayer Hearing Reading Instructing of others Say a man be greatly Ignorant and you say he hath enough to damn him to all eternity He will commit any sin He will embrace any Idolatry even as the man in the dark stumbles and knows not where he goeth Especially this is a sure barre against receiving of the Sacrament for that requires discerning of the Lords body of examining themselves which can never be done without a competent measure of Knowledg in Religion For hitherto ye were not able to bear it neither now are ye able These words contain the reason of Pauls prudence in dispensing spiritual meat to the Corinthians milk and not solid food We may not preach all things to all people There are gyants and dwarfs there are carnal and spiritual The words have no difficulty only our Translators supply a word for in the Greek it is thus only For hitherto ye were not able neither are ye now able they supply to bear or to concoct and digest for he pursueth that metaphor of making Truth the food of the soul Veritas est cibus animi Such a defective expression we have of the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 potero Isa 1.13 speaking of their solemn feasts I cannot bear them And Psal 101.5 Him that hath an high look I will not bear So that the words denote the weaknesse and infancy of these Corinthians and that though they had given themselves up to the faith of Chrâ—st and had daily waterings by the Apostle after their first plantation Observe That it is a great sinne and just reproach to a people that have lived long under the means of grace if they have not got the due profit by it The Word preached is commended in Scripture for several and divine operations Now if thou hast many years been under these droppings and yet art a dry wildernesse how unsufferable is it In other things of the world you think it not to be endured You send your children to be taught and if in many years they should not yet be able to spell the Alphabet you would think all cost in vain If year after year you plow and prepare a field for Corn and yet there come up nothing but weeds and thistles this is a vanity of vanities and vexation of spirit What the Heathens speak of their Tantalus to be up to the chin in water and yet ready to perish for thirst is true in thee For opening this let us consider What are those choise and noble effects of the Ministry for the defect whereof a people may be severely blamed And they are of two sorts Intellectual upon the understanding or Practâ—cal upon the heart affections and outward conversation For the Word of God is both a shining and a burning light And for the first That people will be found without all excuse and under a great condemnation who have not found those intellectual effects First Illumination and enlightning of the understanding to believe the first principles and foundations of Religion Every Science and so that of Divinity hath its first principles
to grow in knowledge and mind the things of Religion but still we must be sensible of our own weaknesses If any man think he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know 1 Cor. 8.2 Oh it 's a dangerous thing when a man that is weak doth not know his weaknesse but thinketh he doth know as much as others Thirdly The last efficient are for these will come in better in the after verses Worldly hopes and desires of carnal advantages What made Judas cause such a sad breach among the Disciples but earthly gain The Apostle chargeth this upon many false Apostles this made the shipwrack of their faith and a good conscience when men judge gain godlinesse judge gain Religion and measure all things by this it cannot but make great divisions Many of those Hereticks in former times were so discontent they missed that worldly greatnesse and pomp they expected which made Austin put this in the definition of an Heretick that he doth beget or follow new opinions Alicujus temporalis commodi gratiâ for the sake of some temporal advantage Lastly There is an occasional cause but not efficient and that hath been the tyranny and scandalous lives of Church-officers This hath many times made sad rents Church-officers by their loose lives and rigid cruelty have made schismes and then they cry out of them and punish them One cause of Tertullians Montanizing was the loose lives of the Roman Clergy We see by Christs Parable Luke 12.45 it 's no new thing for such Officers to rule in Christs house as shall drink and be drunk and beat their fellow-servants putting off the thoughts of their Masters coming Therefore the bloody cruelty or licentious prophane lives of those that have ruled in the Church have made a just cause of troubles and divisions neither are those that make the division then to be blamed if it be in that which is good and after a good manner but the actings and lives of such Church-officers I should speak of the final causes but they will come in afterwards Vse 1. Of Instruction That Vnity and Catholick consent is not a sure mark of a Chuâ—ch or divisions a note of a false oxe The Papists they think they strike us to the ground by this You Protestants are fallen into manifold Sects they will reckon up fourscore factions Now this indeed is a very plausible objection but it might have been cast upon the Church of Corinth and upon the primitive Churches As for the Protestants they that take themselves to be so indeed for Socinians and others we own them not they differ not in fundamentals In matter of Church-goverment or Rites of Religion there may be some discrepancy but in fundamental Articles they consent And as for Papists themselves their Writers have factions and bitter strifes one with another as might be shewed at large They have no such consent as the vulgar people are made to believe Do not therefore be scandalized to see diversity of factions and opinions What grief is it to hear people say one is of this way and another is of that way who can tell what is true and so they grow very Atheists If thy faith were sound this would not stagger thee God hath wise ends in suffering of these breaches Vse 2. Take heed whom you call factious and seditious for if men go no farther than to strive for the true Doctrine against errors or the power of godlinesse against prophanenesse and that in a prudent and orderly way this is no faction but zeal Christ himself made these divisions Father against sonne and son against father to disquiet Satans kingdome to bring sinne to a due punishment to make a cord as Christ did to cast out all prophanenesse and superstition out of the Church of God This is still no faction but true zeal and love to God Vse 3. Of Admonition to those that are or would be accounted godly be humble modest keep your places God hath put you in Oh think it had been better thou hadst never been born than to make any sinfull divisions in the Church I say sinfull For to divide from sinne and Idolatry is a necessary duty onely be sure hat be sinne and Idolatry which thou callest so All that reproach and scandal which comes to Religion and godlinesse by divisions will in a great measure fall on thee Take up Jonahs resolution when he saw the tempests and winds did rise because of him Take and throw me into the sea for I have sinned If godly men cannot be of one mind yet humility moderation pure ends and love to the Word and Ministry will much further it for the divisions of Reuben were great searchings of heart Cursed be their fury for in their anger they dug down a wall yea they tore the body of Christ Are ye not carnal and walk as men The Apostle had proved they were carnal and so incapable subjects for the sublimer Mysteries of Christ by an enumeration of severall sinnes that did necessarily demonstrate this upon which he makes a repetition or re-inforcement of the Conclusion to be proved Are ye not carnal Where the Interrogation doth put more quickness and sharpness into his words And for the further amplification and shame of them he addeth Do ye not walk as men As if he had said What a reproach and dishonour is it to you who are called of God who have put on Christ who are sanctified by his Name to be as other men of the world Passionate as they are Covetous earthly envious and quarrelsome as they are In the Scripture the word man or according to a man hath severall significations Sometimes it is put for love and mildness Thus God said in Hosea Hos 11.4 He drew them by the cords of a man that is love And so to chastise with the rod of man 2 Sam. 7.14 is to do it moderately and mercifully At other times the Phrase to speak after a man denotes to use any similitude or Comparison from matters used amongst men Gal. 3.15 But most frequently the word is used in a debasing way Either for frailty and misery As What is man And That they may know themselves to be but men Psal 9.20 Ye shall die like men Or else for that which is sinfull and wicked because man is wholly corrupted and plunged into all sin Rom. 6.19 Hos 6.9 So that to call one a man or to say a man you name all sinne and misery at the same time Oh how should this debase and vilifie the proudest and higest of men How should this make them look upon themselves as worse then Toades or Serpents in many respects And in this sense it is used here Walk ye not as men in opposition to God his Power and Holiness which he demonstrated in all Believers Doct. That all those who are named Christians and would be accounted so yet walke and live as those that are more than meer men They must not
them I rather think the latter because it 's used as a Name of honour If any man suffer as a Christian saith Peter 1 Pet. 1.3 Now this title Christian is of great importance Many are apt to say As they are a Christian when there is no reall Christianity in them For to be a Christian is as much as to be one anointed For as Christ was so called because annointed with all Graces in an unlimited manner so every Member of Christ is called a Christian because anointed with Graces Oh then thou that gloriest in that thou art no Heathen no Infidel no Jew but a Christian consider whether this be not a vain boast For is thy prophaneness thy wickedness thy impieties the anointing of Gods Spirit So that to have the reall power of Christianity is a difficult and straight work In after times the title Christian still continued And although they were sometimes called Cornelians from Cornelius Cyrillians from Cyrillus and Joannitae from John Chrysostome Eustathiani from Eustathius yet they did not own these Names And as Heresies began to rise up in many places some teaching one thing some another the Christian that kept to the true Faith that was constantly and universally believed in all the ages of the Church beginning from Christ and the Apostles times was called Catholique or universall in which sense he said Christianus mihi nomen Catholicus cognomen So that to be a Catholique was to believe that Faith which had been universally taught first by Christ and the Apostles afterwards by faithfull men in all ages And for the Papist to call himself a Catholique when the Roman Church hath so manifestly degenerated from the Apostolical and Scripture Doctrine and for them to make the Roman and the Catholique Church all one is as absurd as if a man should call London or England all the world The Papist therefore is no Catholique in a true sense because he cannot prove his Faith by the Apostolical Doctrine in the Scripture yea accuseth the Scripture as insufficient And some of their learned men have confessed that if they should try thir cause by the Scripture meerly it was gone I shall instance in one famous Name given to such who truly own Christ and his Truths and that is Protestants They were called thus not many years since in Luther's time whereas the Orthodox had got some indulgence for the profession of their true Religion and pure worship The Popish party did importune the Emperour of Germany to make an Edict at Worms and afterwards at Spires That no Religion should be publickly professed and owned but the Roman The Lutheran Party both Noblemen and others made a Solemn Protestation against that unjust Decree and ever since all that reformed from Popery have been called Protestants So that all those who have a compliance with Popery that admire their way in their heart or act by their principles cannot truly be called Protestants Thus you have heard the chief names by which Christians are called And still after no mans name And whereas Papists call us Lutherans Calvinists c. we indeed own Luther and Calvin and such men for worthy and famous instruments of Gods glory in their time but it is their calumny to call us after their Names It is true a man by way of difference or distinction he may say a Lutheran and Calvinist to denote some peculiar opinion but to own any man as an Author of our Faith or the foundation of Religion is not consistent with true Christianity There are pregnant Reasons for this First Because as our faith in regard of the efficient cause is the gift of God so the object and motive of it must be Gods authoriâ—y because he speaks and revealeth such things Humane faith is because a man saâ—â—h such a thing divine faith because God saith so Now see how carefull the Apostle was that the Churches faith should not be in humane wisdome but in the mighty power of God And so the Thessalonians received it not as the word of man but as the word of God 1 Thess 2.13 The Apostle saith They had not dominion of their faith 2 Cor. 1.24 They were not able to make any Articles of Faith necessary to be believed You see then none may be called after men we are not their Disciples their believers for that which resteth on men is but an humane faith and we ought to have a divine faith Men indeed may be instruments to propound the things to be believed but the motive is a divine testimony because God saith so Solomon by his wisdome declared to which woman the childe belonged to but he did not cause the affections of the mother to the child So faithfull Officers of the Church may declare the truth of God but they cannot work faith in thee Secondly Therefore we may not be called after men to build on them because we are not baptized into any mans name and we are onely to professe those in whose name we are baptized into 1 Cor. 1.13 Paul doth powerfully urge this Argument why they might not say they were of Paul because they were not baptized into the name of Paul So then his Disciple thou art and his badge thou onely art to wear in whose name thou wert baptized and that is not into the name of a man but the Name of the Father Son and holy Ghost Thirdly The Apostle presseth another Argument Was Paul crucified for you Did Paul die for you 1 Cor. 1.13 His meaning is In him onely we are to believe who is able to make our reconciliation with God who hath wrought our Redemption for us And therefore it 's a very high sinne to build your faith on a man It 's to make him a Saviour it 's to put him in Christs room Fourthly Our Apostle urgeth a further Argument in the same Chapter He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord And Christ is made unto us Wisdome So all boasting in men is to be excluded as well as boasting in works Oh but what is the cause of so many errors of so many divisions It 's from boasting in men such a man and such a man and by this meanes the glory due to God is taken away Fifthly The Scripture makes it a great sinne in matters of Religion and the worship of God to be servants of men 1 Cor. 7.23 Now what is it to be a servant of men when as bruit beasts we are wholly led at the command of others believe what they bid us believe worship with such worship as they command yet this hath been an universal sinne in all ages of the Church Men nuzzled in ignorance and pleasing themselves in their folly have without any judgement or information from Gods Word taken such a Religion and followed such a Worship as hath been imposed upon them Hence they have been sometimes of one Religion and sometimes of another because they have been servants to men and not Disciples of Christ
Malunt credere quam judicare Thus they offer an Asse for a sacrifice Sixthly The Ministers of God though never so eminent have been afraid of this they have prohibited such restings upon them But of this in another Doctrine viz. That it 's the property of godly Ministers not to bring men to themselves but to Christ Several Uses may be made As First That a Papist as a Papist following the principles of Popery and going no further hath but an humane blind faith They are so of the Pope and bound to his Determinations that all their Religion is built upon his Decision One of their learnedst Rabbies Valentia brings in a private Man consulting what Religion he should chuse and he argueth That if he be a Protestant then he must reade the Bible and other Authours and saith he I have not time to do that Therefore I will be of the Popish Religion for it 's but believing as the Church and as the Pope believeth Now saith the Jesuite God will at the Day of Judgement crown this man with glory for believing so yea he merits by believing so Now how contrary is this to Scripture which bids us Search the Scriptures Try the Spirits Not think of man above what is meet So that their Faith is an humane Faith their Religion an humane Religion believed for mans sake And that is the reason why the people of the greatest ignorance are most taken with it for it commends ignorance and pleaseth the vulgar fancy with a gorgeous worship Vse 2. To bewaile the great ignorance and blindnesse that is even in most Protestants For how few are there that believe this Religion upon judgment and searching the Scriptures upon knowledge and faith of the Word but they were brought up in it and the Lawes of the Land command it Oh consider if God would not have a Sacrifice without eyes no more will he have a Faith and a Religion without eyes What Jeremiah can make Lamentations equal to this grosse ignorance that covers the face of all Congregations You have no more than an humane Faith and an humane Religion or Worship of God Vse 3. To blesse God for the Instruments of Faith and the Ministers of grace but still to rest in God for all benefit and fruit by their labours It may be the Ministry hath been no more efficacious no more lively and profitable to thee because thou hast not owned God in it as thou shouldest It is God that openeth the eyes it 's God that openeth the ears and the hearts of men Therefore look up to him For while one saith I am of Paul and another I am of Apollo are ye not carnal The divisions here reproved in the Text have afforded us profitable Observations and yet we have not finished all We come to a third Observe the devils subtilty and emnity to the good and glory of Gods Church how many engines he useth sometimes he stirres up false Apostles who by their venemous doctrine may impoison the fountaines where all should drink and if that will not do then he labours to overthrow the Church by the repute and names of eminent teachers if the wickedness and malice of ungodly teachers do not hurt then the affected admiration of those that are true and godly shall bring about his end Nero was a man that envied and hated other mens excellencies and therefore at his Court when any had a mind to undoe another they would praise him which made Tacitus say Pessimum genus inimicorum laudantium And thus the Devil stirring up Disciples fondly and sinfully to praise eminent persons wrought the same destruction as he would have done by open hostility and persecution If he cannot by such Heretiques as Hymeneus and Philetus by open doctrine draw off from Christ then he will by secret applause and admiration make them so rest upon Paul and Peter that Christ shall not be eied as the author of all faith and success by the Ministery And Austin's observation is remarkable Quamvis non per impiorum sed sanctorum nomina tamen impia agebant Schismata Although they did not advance the names and persons of wicked men but of holy and eminent men yet by these names of holy men they made unholy and wicked divisions Observe That when the Devil cannot hurt the Church by a prophane and sinfull Ministery then he labours to destroy it by abusing the names and esteem of those who are truly holy and eminent The Devil hath his methods Eph. 6.11 and he is the old Dragon for cruelty and craft sometimes he is compared to a Lion roaring and that is in times of persecution sometimes to a glittering and curious Serpent and that is in subtle pretences and colours Now Bernard said Timeo Serpentem magis quam leonem rugientem yea he is said to have his depths Rev. 2.24 his secrets and mysteries of his state of darkness and as they say of some witchery that it comes by praising Hence that phrase praefiscisne loquor when we are about to praise any so the Devil when he cannot destroy souls by stirring up wicked instruments he will endeavour that men should think of good instruments more then they ought To open this First take notice What is the common and most notorious way of Satans doing hurt to the Church of God by the Ministers and Officers in the Church And this way he would alwayes take if he could The first is by corrupting the lives and conversations of the Ministery making them prophane and scandalous by which means all Religion comes to be abhorred Thus Hophnes and Phinehas Elyes sonnes because of their tyrannical violence and uncleanness it 's said the people abhorred the sacrifice of the Lord 1 Sam. 2.14 So that a prophane Minister is like a poisoned fountain where all must drink he doth not only damne his own soul but draweth others to hell with him Thus in the Old Testament the corruption of the whole Church did in a great measure arise from the prophaness of the Priests Hence in the New Testament it 's so carefully required in a Minister that he be blameless a lover of good men not given to any grosse sinne so that the Devil cannot have more service done him nor destroy the kingdome of Christ more then by the scandalous and prophane lives of Ministers this hardens the people this makes them contemne exhortations whereas let a Minister walk holily though their love to lusts will make them hate them yet in their consciences they cannot but fear and reverence them as Herod did John Baptist because he was a just man Mark 6.20 Secondly If he cannot hurt the Church this way then by raising up Ministers full of superstition and doting upon unwritten traditions and bringing in a will-worship where there is no rule or warrant One man though learned is not able to maintain his new notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will-worship as if it were in a
their ministerial actions to plant and to water To begin the foundation of Christianity and afterwards to build a superstruction So that Pauls planting supposeth the Corinthians to be a barren untilled and confused people like the world at first a Tohu and a Bohu a meer horrid wildernesse till the Gospel being planted among them they become a pleasant Garden and a fruitfull Field From whence we may observe That it's Gods unspeakable goodnesse sometimes to send his Word and plant his Gospel among a people that never heard or knew any thing before If you consider all the Countreys and Kingdomes wheresoever the Gospel hath taken effect since Christs time you shall find that they were thrones of Satan places where Idolatry reigned They were like those desolate places the Prophet speaks of where the Satyr and screech-Owl even all black and Heathenish confusion did exalt it self So that where God doth out of stones raise up children to Abraham turn a Paganish Heathenish people into a Church there is wisdome power and goodnesse no lesse yea more wonderfull than when he did out of that deformed confusion and chaos make a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a beautifull adorned world Even this England this ancient Britain was once a place of horrible Idolatry Paganism no knowledge of Christ nor his Gospel But served dumb Idols and walked according to the course of this world having the Prince of darknesse ruling over us as in other places So that the Gospel that is like the glorious Sunne and every Kingdome or Nation is like a doâ—esome black dungeon yea like an hell where Legion of Devils are till the beams of this light do enlighten them To amplifie this Doctrine many things are observable First That when the Apostle saith That he planted the Gospel it doth suppose all people to be a wilde barbarous people till the Gospel both civilizeth and sanctisieth them To plant is properly of Orchards and Gardens and Vineyards and supposeth the great care and skill of him that plants Thus God is said to plant Eden Gen 2.8 And so a people are made the Church and people of God by plantation by Gods goodnesse and power of themselves they are like wilde beasts not knowing the way of happinesse It was the custome of the Grecians and Romans because they had the culture of Arts and good Civil Government to call other people Barbari Barbarians And thus the Apostle opposeth the Grecians and Barbarians together Col. 3.11 Barbarous comes from the Hebrew Bar gâ—minated that signifieth a field untilled a desart so they looked upon all other men in the world But indeed even the Grecians and Romans were barbarous wild people comparatively till the Gospel came among them They had no true knowledge or understanding till the Word the Rule of all wisdome was discovered to them Oh how should this make us of England magnifie the goodnesse of God to this Land who once had no Ministry of Christ who were like so many lumps of earth that worshipped the Devil and the Idols of the world They had their Dryades whâ—ch Julius Caesar speaks of that were like Witches serving for their Priests that lived up and down in woody places Why might not we have been born in those days while Britany was Paganish and Heathenish Antiquity in Religion is no good plea for here was Idolatry and the worship of the Devil before any knowledge of Christ It 's a great mercy to be born in such times in such an age and in such places where the name of Christ is published for this is wholly in Gods disposal he hath determined to all men the times of their life and habitations Secondly Consider That in the Old Testament God did limit his gracious presence to the Jews only In Judea only was salvation and the knowledg of God John 4 That was the Goshen where light was all the world else was darknesse Indeed some few particular persons that were forrainers and strangers became proselytes and gave up their names to God but there were no Countreys or Nations received the Word of God but Judea onely But when Christ came then that partition wall was broken down and after his death he gave a Commission to preach the Gospel to all the world And thus the Word like the Sunne in the Heavens went from one end of the world to another and none could hinder the course thereof Yea where Roman Emperours power and sword could not get dominion there the Apostles and their Successours conquered and prevailed And this and no other is the Universal Grace the Scripture speaketh of whereas formerly it was particular Then Christ the strong man came and bound the Devil who had possessed the earth and kept it in quiet slavery to him so that under the times of the Gospel Christ hath been made known where God hath sent his Word though it were into the utmost parts of the earth Thirdly Therefore that there might be spiritual plantations and holy Colonies the Lord Christ appointed extraordinary Officers furnished with extraordinary abilities to propagate the Gospel These were called Apostles It was for the Apostles and not ordinary Officers to plant Churches so that they had a Commission to go and preach to any people in the world They were not bound to keep residence at any one place but to go from Nation to Nation to disseminate the spiritual seed of the Gospel and that like mustard seed at first small and little presently grew up to a tall tree and spreaded its branches through the whole world And as the Apostles had this universal commission so they were endued with power to work wonderfull miracles for miracles were because of the Heathens and unbelievers By these they confirmed their Doctrine and calling to be of God immediately yet this was not so tied to the Apostolical Office but that in afâ—er ages many Countreys have received the Gospel by other means especially persecution and the patient sufferings of Christians did much help thereunto That as a captive Maid was a means to bring Naaman to the knowledge of God and his Worship so captive persons have been instrumental to make whole Kâ—ngdoms acquainted with the Gospel of Christ Thus God hath alwayes disappointed the hopes of wicked men and that very way whereby they have thought to destroy the Gospel it hath flourished more It 's the Vine that by pruning hath increased As the grain of corn except it die cannot bring forth any fruit so is it with the Gospel These precious herbs the more they are pressed and pounced the sweeter smell they make Fourthly Gods severity and mercy hath been observable about the first planting of the Gospel For when a people have lived rebelliously and sinfully under it a long time then he takes it away and gives it to another Nation Thus God began with the Jews told them That to them the Word must be fiâ—st preached but seeing they had rejected the counsel of God they were to go
doubt may be raised How Paul can say He layeth the foundation which is no other but Christ as appeareth at the eleventh verse seeing God appropriateth it to himself Isa 28.16 Behold I lay in Zion a foundation stone c But The answer is God layeth this foundation 1. By his Decree appointing Christ thereunto And 2. By his temporal mission of him into the world but Paul layed the foundation only ministerially and declaratively by publishing Christ to be the Saviour especially to those who never heard of him before It 's a special part of the wisdome and heavenly art of the Ministers of the Gospel to lay a good and sure foundation in the hearts of their hearers This Paul makes the principal part of his wisdome that he began with a good foundation If people are not rightly built upon this any tempest that ariseth will throw down all theâ—r Religion Our Saviour speaketh a Parable Luke 6.48 49 like to this of the wise builder and the foolish builder And although there it be meant of every particular Christian yet we may apply it to every Minister He that doth not build up his people upon sure and Scripture foundations they are like the chaff and straw that the wind doth drive to and fro There is no true faith no truâ— godlinesse no true hope of salvation where the right and sure foundation is not laid The point therefore in hand is of great consequence both to the Preacher and to the Auditor to consider what foundation his Religion and Godlinesse is fixed upon For the opening of this Consider that Divines do ordinarily make a two-fold foundation The one they call Fundamentum cognoscendi The foundation of our knowledge and faith in matters of Religion and this is the Scripture only We can lay no other foundation for matters of Faith but the word of God Non credo quia non lego said Tertullian of old And Secondly There is Fundamentum essendi The Foundation of the being or existence of all our glory and salvation and that is only Jesus Christ He is the foundation-stone and every one is to believe in him only for Salvation and Justification So that as God made two great lights for the world so he hath done for the Church the Scriptures and Christ This Doctrine is true yet Heb. 6.1 we there reade of more foundations than one for there are practical fundamentals as well as speculative I shall therefore not limit my self to this one foundation mentioned by the Apostle but enlarge my self to the necessary foundations in our Christian life and shew you the necessity of that wisdom which will build upon these fundamentals And although I am not ignorant That the Dispute about what are foundations or fundamentals in Religion and what not is very hard and difficult yet I shall instance in four unquestionable foundations which are the four main pillars that support our Christian building The necessary things of Religion are these four Either 1. The Matters to be believed 2. The Worship and necessary service of God 3. The spiritual Benefits and mercies Justification and Salvation 4. The things to be done by us in our way to Salvation All these are fundamental and necessary in their kind to salvation and therefore it behoveth every Minister of the Gospel to principle and settle his people in all these particulars For herein is the danger not of mens bodies or estates but their immortal souls We will begin with the first The foundation of our faith or divine assent in matters of Religion What is that which every man must build his faith upon What is the foundation he must lay there And that is the Word of God declared and written for our instruction in those Canonical Books of the Scripture When we come to believe the matters of our salvation the ultimate motive into which all is to be resolved is Thus saith the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word of God hath spoken it It 's not antiquity universality or the laws of the Land or the tradition of our fathers that is the warrantable foundation but the Scripture only Thus Timothy is commended for attending to the Scriptures which are able to make him wise to salvation through faith 2 Tim. 3.17 18. So that although other things be required by way of helps and means as prayer interpretation of the Scripture Gods assistance the guidance of the Ministry yet by way of a Foundation or a Rule that is the Scripture only As God at first put all the light into the Sunne and the Starres shine by a borrowed light from it So God hath now put all supernatural light into the Scripture and all guides are to shine by that Hence it is so often compared to a light and a lamp unto our feet So that the Ministers of the Word do then lay a good foundation when in matters of Doctrine and truths to be believed they build them on the Scripture make them a Scripture-auditory a people that dare not that will not take any matter of faith but upon Scripture-grounds Thus those Bereans are commended for a noble and ingenuous people that compared what Paul preached with the Scriptures they then had whether it was consonant to them or no Act. 17 11. So that that people who know nothing of the Scripture are not instructed by the Word have not their faith their Religion from it all they offer to God is a Sacrifice without eyes they do believe they know not what Now that the written word of God is the only foundation of our Christian faith appeareth by these Reasons First A Christian faith ought to be a divine supernatural faith not a bare humane faith Now nothing can be the ground of a divine faith but a divine authority a divine Argument suggested by God himself Most men that call themselves Christians have no more than an humane faith in matters of Religion They believe thus because their parents did so because the Laws of the Land compell them to do so Thus they have no other grounds of faith then the Turks or Papists have for themselves but as copper is not gold so neither is this humane faith that holy and Christian perswasion which the Spirit of God through the Word works in man because revealed in the Word 1 Thess 1. They are commended That they did not receive the Word preached as the word of men but as indeed the word of God 1 Thess 1.13 So that whosoever hath an holy faith he must have a divine perswasion for this from the Authority of God that as an humane faith is because humane authority speaks it so a divine faith because God revealeth it in the Scripture But alas generally our people can no more look into these things then an Owl in the dazelling Sun How few are perswaded of the true Doctrine of Christ from this Divine Authority because God hath said thus God hath spoken thus Oh
worship of God There is a secret delight and pleasure men have to make a worship of their own as Children have to make Babies The Scripture fore seeth this and therefore doth so often bid men take heed and they must not follow their own hearts and they must not go in the way they shall choose and they must not do what seemeth good in their own eyes These strict Prohibitions do suppose an itching inclination in men to make a worship of their own and the several ages of the Church have given sad experiences of this sinne The Church which had at first a simple plain and spiritual worship of God became to abound more in external Ceremonies then the Jews as Austin in his time complained If then it be so dangerous to erre about the worship of God What is that sure and stedfast Foundation which both Ministers and people must build upon And that is Only the Command and Divine Institution of God himself I do not speak of natural and necessary circumstances as time and place but whatsoever is the essence or part of the worship of God or the meanes thereof that must have a positive Command and a divine Institution The second Commandement which forbids all kinds or parts or meanes of worship which any man shall make to himself doth thereby command that only which God hath appointed So that as all that money is to be rejected as not currant which hath not the legall superscription on it so also all that worship is to be refused of which you cannot say This the Lord requireth This the Lord hath Commanded Austin doth to this purpose apply a sentence of Socrates God saith he is to be worshiped only in that manner as he himself willeth and appointeth Oh the purity of Ordinances that we should have enjoyed And how beautifull would the Tabernacle of the Lord have been if this Foundation had been alwaies laid Now that no other foundation may be laid but a Divine Command and Gods Institution will appear by several Reasons First There is express Scripture to keep close to Gods Commandement Deut. 31 32. Thou shalt not adde thereto nor diminish from it is Gods Commandement This Command is four times repeated in the Scripture by which it appeareth that no men under any pretence of stirring up devotion or decency may adde any thing unto his Command or deâ—ract from it as the publique Coin of a Land my not be clipt but it 's a Capital crime to do so and equivalent to this is that Exhortation Not to turn to the right hand or to the left Deut. 17.11 alibi In the Hebrew they are Verbes Not to dextrate it or sinistrate it as we may say The left hand is when men out of prophaneness and atheism or irreverence neglect the due worship God hath appointed The right hand is when men out of pretended zeal and good intentions set up that which God hath not commanded We are not then in our worship to offer a Sacrifice without eyes which then we do when we have not Gods Word a light to direct us We are not to be lâ—ke Sheep that follow those that go before Non quà cundum est sed quâ itur as Seneca said Hence those Pharisees that were so diligent and officious in their invented worship our Saviour in two or three words throweth it all down Who hath required these things at your hands And In vain do they worship me Mark 11.7 See there is no worship no service of God but thou must be able to answer this Question Who hath required it Who hath commanded it Otherwise it 's a vain worship In vain do they worship me And of all vanâ—ties this is the saddest when thy Religion and Worship will be found an empty vain thing It hath not advantaged thy soul There is no reward laid up for it Secondly Therefore must Gods Institution be a foundation Because when we have to do with God whatsoever is not of Faith is sinne Rom. 14.23 There was a great dispute in the Church about eating and not eating about observing daies and not observing some placed worship in that which others did not Now among other things what golden Rules doth the Apostle lay down and this chiefly Whatsoever is not of Faith is sinne Whatsoever is not of perswasion that it 's lawfull and acceptable to God if I do it it is a sinne And now How can any man be perswaded that is acceptable to God which is not commanded by him which is not his will Had any man in the Old Testament brought a dog or any other unclean beâ—st to be sacrificed had not this been a great dishonour to God The head in every sacrifice was to be thrown away to shew say some that mans own invention is not to be attended unto in the worship of God Thirdly Gods Institution and Command must be the foundation otherwise all our worship would come from ignorance and it would be endless From ignorance for the Word of God that only is compared unto light so that every one walketh in darkness that is not thus directed Therefore Joh. 4. that woman of Samaria who pleaded so carnaly for her false worship Our fathers they worshiped here and art thou greater then our fathers Our Saviour tels her They worshiped they did not know what It was a worship they had no Command no Institution for and so they did they knew not what As it would come from ignorance so it would be an endless worship for if we have not Gods Institution then every man may adde what he pleaseth As we see in Popery what a multitude of Ceremonies are introduced which they make worship of God And by what reason they do these they may bring in ten thousand more And it cannot be otherwise if once you take away this sure foundation Fourthly To the true and right worship of God there is a gracious Promise of presence acceptance and blessing I said not to Jacob seek my face in vain Isa 45.19 Thus take up all the sorts of worship Prayer and ministration of Sacraments Preaching of the Word these things if done in Gods order return full of precious mercies to those that are imployed therein Now if we are not conformable to this Command we may never look for any Promise for these two are alwaies joyned together As in the old Testament God promised to answer by Vrim and Thummim suppose the High-Priest had taken two other stones would the Lord have answered him No it was not according to his institution What a great breach did God make upon Vzzah because God was not sought in his due order as David said 1 Chron. 15.9 So then as no man or company of men can make a new Article of Faith or can institute a Sacrament because they cannot give the grace signified so it 's in matter of worship they cannot appoint new worship But you may say Why should it be such a sinne
this is a very deep and secret work but God will manifest it Policy is no policy if the design be not laid deep and secret Therefore Isaiah reproving carnal Politicians saith Woe to them that take deep counsel Isa 29.15 And in other places That cover with a covering but not of my Spirit God hath his time that he will discover the thoughts of the worldly wise to be vain he will make known all the secrets and crafty consultations against his truth and people and he will be avenged for all the Atheism and prophane boldnesse and hardnesse of heart such carnal policy hath been accompanied with For he said well That a Politician was a man that stood upon his head with his heels upwards shaking them against Heaven Well then it 's good for such to remember that â—very work shall be made manifest and when the storm ariseth those cob-webs will be driven away Sixthly Dissimulations and inconstancies in matter of Religion This is a secret work God will manifest Divines call it to be a Nicodemite He came to Jesus by night John 3.2 and durst not openly professe Christ for fear of the Jews There were some who have held That they might do any external acts of Idololatrical worship be at Masse say they believe any thing so that they keep their consciences and minds pure The Priscillianists are noted for wicked dissimulations herein In Ezekiel we reade the Prophet is commanded To dig through the wall to see the women and men committing their religious abominations in private Ezek. 8.8 Now God will bring this hypocrisie to light External profession is nectssary to salvation when the command requireth it as well as inward faith With the heart man believeth and with the mouth confession is made to salvation Rom. 10.10 So that in case of confession it is damnable not to acknowledge the truths of God God gives a great commendation of seven thousand in Ahabs time that had not bowed their knee to Baal 1 King 18.19 They would not dissemble that outward worship commonly there are never more subtil and secret shiftings then in matters of Religion But of that more in time In the next place Consider the aggravation of those sinnes that are secret and hidden For although to be an open bold sinner is in some respects a greater sinner than a close private sinner because hereby there is more dishonour to God more scandal to others and more impudency in the sinner which happily might be the cause of that speech attributed to Athanasius Vtinam omnes essent hypocritae Hence some are reproved for having an whores fore head that they were not ashamed when they had sinned that they bâ—asted of it yet in many respects these secret sins have terrâ—ble aggravations 1. It argueth a mâ—n hath more consciousnesse to himself that he doth not welâ— therefore he wouâ—d not have the world know Now when any man sins with a consciousnesse to himself that he doth sinne this is a bloody aggravation Tremble at this you who live in secret wickednesse Why doest thou keep it so close Why art thou so fearfull Why doest thou as Rachel make aâ— excuse to cover thy Idols All this argueth the more consciousnesse the more guâ—â—t in thee Thy conscience is awakened thou hast â—â—ruglings and convâ—ctions within thee this is to rebel against light this is to stop the mouth oâ—â—hy monitour thy conscience within which the very Heathen could say was a god to every man I tell thee sinning thus against conscience more have despaired than upon any other ground Oh they did thus and they lived thus but all this while they had a consciousnesse to themselves they should do otherwise This hath made them so deepâ—y possessed though happily upon false grounds that they have sinned against the holy Ghost 2. This secret sinning puts farre more respect and fear upon men than God Thou wilt be unjust in secret thou wilt be unclean in secret Why thou art afraid such men know it Oh thou wicked wretch Art thou afraid of the eye of a man and not of a great God Carest thou not though God see thee whereas thou wouldst hide thy self if man come near thee Thus thou art a coward to man but thou bravest it to God Thou doest in effect say Though God behold though God know though God be acquainted with it I matter it not Oh foolish and unwise Can man damn thee Can man fill thy conscience with terrours Can man bid thee depart into everlasting howlings Why then art thou afraid of man and not God 3. The more secret any wickednesse is it argueth the heart is more studious and industrious â—bout it how to contrive it how to bring it about Of all Davids sins that in the matter of Vriah the Scripture giveth the greatest bâ—and on it because it was done with such secrecie David did that which was right in the sight of the Lord save in the matter of Vriah 1 King 15.5 and premediation Mark Josh 7.11 how Joshua in Achans sinne observed the secresie and the dissimulation and craft used in it Oh that men and women would consider this thing God takes notice with how much craft and subtilty you commit your sins and none never know it Vse of Admonition Take heed of secret hidden sins God will one day manifest what thou hast been Oh it may be the world thought of all the men that lived thou wouldst never do such and such things but God knoweth thy down-sitting and uprising Whither can you flie from his presence Oh let every one then bewail the plague sore of his own heart When Christ convinced the woman of Samaria of the secret sinne she lived in she crieth out Come and hear one that hath told me all that ever I did John 4. Prevent confusion hereafter at the day of judgment by humble confession of all thy secret sins unto God and he will not then upbraid thee Every mans work shall be made manifest This Proposition hath been handled as a general truth and so is a thunder-bolt against all secret sins what they do in secret God will reward openly The more secresie the more guilt Now I shall consider this Proposition in its limited and restrained sense as it relates to false Doctrines to those that build haâ— and stubble where the very expression That it shall be made manifest denoteth That errour for a long time may go undiscerned it may have a counterfeit passe even hay and stubble may be thought gold The false Prophet may get Elijah's mantle and hide himself in it but it shall be made manifest first to the builder and then to the whole world To the builder it may be a manifestation for Direction and Illumination he shall see he was in errour he shall confesse he was seduced and built unprofitable stubble or a maniâ—estation of confusion He shall be confounded with shame when his nakednesse shall appear and like Adam shall hide himself because of
his nakednesse And 2. It shall be manifest to others to the whole world that they shall see a difference between truth and errour Even as you see the Magicians did such things as Moses and for a while there seemed to be no difference but at last there was a plain discovery which was of God and which was not Observe That all the hidden and secret wayes of false Doctrines God will one day make manifest God will raise a fire to consume hay and stubble it will be put to a touchstone whether gold or counterfeit This certainly should make us tremble about what we teach or preach it will all be examined again God will discover all the Errata's and that by a sharp fiâ—e if we build hay we shall suffer losse All that time labour and study will be wholly lost To open this let us consider What concerning errours will be made manifest And 1. The Causes and Ends of them 2. The Nature of them 3. The cunning Artifiâ—e in divulging of them And First God will manifest all those hidden causes and ends of thy false Doctrines Now the Scripture gives these causes 1. Pride and self-conceit or overweening of thy own abilities and sufficiency such a man is in the high way to all errours For the humble and meek God will teach Psal 25. The valleys are fruitfull when the high mountains are barren Therefore the Apostle in this Epistle and in many others beateth down pride and vain-glory Hâ— that thinketh he knoweth any thing knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know 1 Cor. 8.2 Oh this is a golden truth A man must have that modestie that humility as to think himself a Disciple rather than a Teacher Paul that had such extraordinary Revelations God gave him a thorn in the flesh some extraordinary heavy tempâ—ation to humble him that he might not be lifted up 2 Cor. 12. Consider that God will make manifest all those secret works of thy heart Thou thinkest it zeal thou thinkest thou hast received greater abilities than others but God wil make it known whether it be noâ— thy self-confidence thy self-conceit or no. As in the Apostles times they had miracles to confirm their Doctrine and that they were of God they did heal the sick and raise the dead So I may now say humility is that miracle which may confirm our Doctrine If thou art of God if thy wayes are of God thou hast no glory no boasting in thy self above others Christs symbol was a Lamb and the Spirit of God appeared in the form of a Dove If thou hast the Spirit of God and Christ thou wilt be of a Lamb-like Dove-like disposition Take heed then of heart-pride and pride of gifts it 's worse than pride in cloaths or wealth This carrieth thee to the pinacle of a Temple sets thee on high and throweth thee headlong Vnlesse a man become as a little child he cannot be my Disciple Matth. 18 4. Here is a copy of humility and modesty to write after Many Heretiques have bâ—en bold self-conceited men the first that ever were almost in the Church called themselves Gâ—ostici The knowing men as if none had knowledge or understanding but they but God will raise a tempest that shall discover this root under ground 2. Ignorance and weaknesse of judgement And truly this is the most innocent cause of errours when men through ignorance and weaknesse go in a false way yet this doth not excuse For Peter saith Even ignorant men wrest the Scripture to their own destruction 2 Pet. 3.16 Though ignorant or unlearned men yet that will not excuse them Thus the Disciples through weaknesse of â—heir faith and knowledge manifested very grosse errours about Christ and his Office till they were endowed with the Spirit of God from above And where there is a cordial and plain desire to know the truth they sâ—udy they reade they pray they do conscientiously make use of all means God hath appointed for tâ—at is a great matter to make use of all means what one opinion saith as well as another what one Texâ— saith as well as another such I say as those are to be tenderly handled Rom. 15. Him that is weak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 receive him lovingly In this case Saeviant illi qui nesciunt quantis gemitibus vel tantillum datur intelligere de vero as Austin of old When it 's not obstinacy perversnesse but meer ignorance and thou doest instantly day and night pray to God using all means this doth greatly extenuate though not totally excuse thy blindnesse may make thee fall in the ditch and God will have all this ignorance manifested to thee sometime or other it may be 3. Hypocrisie The Scripture brandeth that for a heavy cause sometimes of the errours and falshoods in Religion This indeed is a work that God only can manifest who knoweth the hearts and trieth the reins yet that this is the bitter root of many bitter errours the Scripture giveth pregnant instances The Pharisees were famous for building hay and stubble What trash and trumpery superstition and false worship did they introduce And now Christ who knew their hearts tels them it was nothing but hypocrisie It was not God nor a love to his truth or glory but their own credit and glory They do all things to be seen of men Woe be to you hypocrites said he often Maâ—th 23.14 And Paul tels of men that taught lies in hypocrisie 1 Tim 4.2 Oh it 's a matter to be trembled at that such hypocrisie should ever fill a mans heart that we should scatter errours propagate falshoods to get our selves a name As they went to build Babel that they might have a name Search thy heart what moveth thee to hold any opinion if it be this hypocrisie God will bring hidden things to light and to have our portion with hypocrites is the highest condemnation Mat. 24 51. 4. Ambition and affectation of high places in the Church of God and to be above others This hath made men build hay and stubble This indeed is a daughter of pride and so is of the same nature yet it 's a distinct head for more bitter fruit hath grown on this root than upon most sinnes which made the Apostle James give that excellent Antidote Not to be many Masters James 3.1 Do not ambitiously affect places of trust and rule in the Church of God and thereupon he makes a large digression to shew the several wicked wayes of the tongue that is the unruly member that setteth all on fire If thou once hast a pronenesse to offend there look to it set a watch before thy mouth nature hath hedged it in by teeth and lips The Scripture also hath put many muzzles on thy mouth especially that My Brethren be swift to hear and slow to speak Jam. 1.13 You ought to be farre more desirous to hear than to speak If ambition and affectation to be above others provoke
unthankfulnesse and disobedience with corrupt ends and practices As it 's said Because men did not receive the truth in love God gave them up to believe a lie 2 Thess 2.10 So that it 's hard to say whether is more sad to consider the nature of the errours that dishonour God or the cause of them which is Gods anger against a people for barrennesse and unthankfulnesse God then hath his times when for the sinnes of a people he lets Satan loose and suffers this red Dragon to vent his dreadfull poison Thirdly As the corrupt errours of men came from Gods anger so in mercy he hath appointed times wherein he will purge and take away their drosse For these Church-burthens and Church-corruptions have been farre more heavy upon Gods people than State-oppressions Therefore the first thing that Gideon did who was raised up by God to be a Judge to deliver Israel from their cruel oppressions was to remove their Altars and all their Idolatry he began with God first Judges 6.28 And so when Moses had gathered the people of Israel into a body and they were capable of a Civil Government yet the first thing he doth is to prescribe them Lawes concerning the worship of God and in the Decalogue the first Table is for the Duties relating to God By this you see That corruptions in Gods worship and truth as they are greater sinnes than others they are talents when others are pounds so they lie more heavily upon the people of God they bewail them more Rome as it was Aegypt did not so much trouble the godly as it was Sâ—dome the Idolatry more than the cruelty offended the people of God This being so God among temporal promises of deliverance of righteousnesse and peace doth also comfort the godly with times of Reformation in his Church that this hay end stubble shall no longer stand to dishonour his building Thus God by the Prophet Isaiah promiseth To purge away their drosse and to take away their tinne from them Isai 1.25 which doth relate to their Church-sinnes their Idolatries as well as State-sinnes And by Ezekiel you have a glorious promise concerning Church-Reformation Ezekiel 36.25 as well as temporal He will give them to see their Idolatries so that they shall be confounded and never open their mouths Especially God hath those times when people shall be ashamed of their errours of their superstitions and shall never open their mouths again to plead for them or justifie them When they shall see the patterne of the Mount Ezekiel 43.10 You have a notable promise Malachi 3 3 where upon Christs coming there is promised a glorious restauration He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he shall purifie the sonnes of Levi. Christ when he came into the world found all Gods worship grossely polluted all the Priests had defiled themselves Now this was one end of Christs preaching to purifie them to cleanse them from these defilements It 's true prophane and worldly men or meer Atheistical Politicians they make no matter about Gods truth they make advantage of any Religion that serveth a designe but this was the great worke of Christs Ministery to make a Reformation in Doctrine and Worship Though this was very unpleasing to corrupt men therefore it is said Who can abide the day of his coming It is even like a day of judgement to them It is observable what our Saviour saith as much to our purpose and parallel with the Text John 4.23 The hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth You see how God hath his houre his time and season for such a thing and then when that is come they shall worship God will so over-rule enlighten and perswade mens hearts that they cannot but yeeld Such an hour or time God had when we recovered out of Popery Then darknesse covered the face of the earth The Sunne and the Moone and the Starres were turned into blood The Officers of the Church who should have had light to instruct did cruelly and bloodily persecute such as did hold the truth Now though all the world was thus in darknesse yet when God raised up those instruments of his truth Luther Melancthon Calvin and others They were no more able to stop the spreading of the Gospel then they could hinder the Sunne from running its race Gods hour was come and then the eyes of men would be opened There were many persons before Luther's time learned and godly men that did withstand Popish errours that died in contradiction of them but yet the world was not awakened they did not thinke of coming out of Aegypt till Gods time was come Fourthly This Day of Gods revealing may be a long while as to our expectation God may suffer corruptions to cover all the body of the Church You may see onely chaffe and no wheat and this may be a long while so that the godly doe even languish under their expectations Thus in Elijah's time 1 Kings 19 14. to his knowledge and according to visible appearance he onely was left to vindicate the pure Glory and Worship of God And in what a temptation was he about it It 's true God told him He had reserved seven thousand that had not bowed their knees to Baal that did not communicate in Idolatry But what was seven thousand to all the people of Israel No more than the gleanings of the Harvest And thus also we might shew how in the Christian Church when errours had once got possession in it they were like the Jebusites and the wilde beasts in the Land of Canaan which could hardly be destroyed Donatisme lasted above two hundred yeares Pelagianisme and Arianisme though but sparkes yet kindled such a fire that it was not extinguished in many generations So that we may say of this time as Christ to the Disciples It is not for us to know the times and seasons when God will restore his Church to her purity That is enough which our Saviour saith Every plant that is not of my Fathers planting shall be rooted out Matth. 15.13 That is an excellent place compared with this Text God hath his time when he will root out all the plants that he did not plant in his owne Vineyard But how long it will be ere this day breake forth God hath not discovered to us These things thus explained Let us consider the Reasons Why God will have a Day to declare mens workes in matter of false Doctrines And First Because the truth of God is deare and precious to him Christ himselfe makes it one main reason why he came into the world viz. To beare witnesse to Gods truth So that Divines say Though Christs death in respect of God the Father appointing him to be a Sacrifice for sinne was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an attonement or expiation yet if you doe respect men before whom he made a good Confession as Paul saith 1 Timothy 6.13 So it
Thus Jude vers 23. speaking to this purpose of many people led aside with errours saith Save them with fear pulling them out of the fire They were in as great danger as a child fallen in the fire whom the father pulleth out with great fear and amazement Thus Joshua Zech. 3.2 is said to be a fire-brand pulled out of the fire that is delivered from great and imminent dangers The same expression is Amos 4.11 Ye were as a fire-brand pluckt out of the fire he speaketh of such who had escaped the pubâ—ick judgements oâ— God upon them This proverb the Latines and Gâ—ecians also have e slammâ cibum petere This being so clear we would wonder what should make the Popish Interpreters dream of a Purgatory fire for they hold Purgatory a real fire even as that of Hell but the Apostles expression is As it were by fire which denoteth a meer similitude and comparison Gods examination and judgement as also the Word and heavy afflictions these are the fire which he must go thorow Besides many of them hold That the Apostle speaks of the Day of Judgement when all mens works shall be examined and judged so that this fire must not be till the Day of Judgement whereas they hold Purgatory fire presently upon a mans death and so necessarily before the Day of Judgement So that Austin long ago farre more probably interpreted it of afflictions in this life Even as a Merchant in a dangerous tempest throweth away all his goods and â—oseth all that he loved to escape with his own life So shall it be with any man that builds unsound and false opinions when God shall awaken him by tâ—â—bulations he will be content to throw all away to lose all He will forsake all those Doctrines he was so dearly inamoured with that he himself may escape Now here may be a very profitable Question raised Whether there be any Doctor or Teacher in the Church of God yea or Church though never so reformed that doth onely build gold and silver and not some hay or stubble Answ To this onely in the general we say That setting aside the Apostles who were infallibly inspired and directed There is ignorance and sinfull affections cleaving to every man in part and so to every Church and therefore even the most excellent men and Churches have had their straw and stubble whereby even every mans salvation though never so eminent even on his Doctrines part not attending to his life is very difficult All the Fathers had their Navi their hay and stubble And this is true of all though never so eminent in after ages But from the first observe That every man will be altogether a loser in any errour or false way that he hath maintained He shall suffer losse Sometimes by false wayes men propound base carnal ends wealth riches honours and applause in the world sometimes they think of spiritual ends more comfort and peace of heart more enjoyment of God but what Doctrine or wayes are not of God a man is sure to be frustrated of his expectations if they have them for a while they will quickly vanish away as the crackling of thorns make a blaze but continue not In the first place we shall shew Wherein they shall be losers First If they thought by erroneous wayes to better themselves in an outward condition in this world in this they are sure to lose How many have turned from truth when persecuted to errours and false wayes only to have their lives and liberties and external comforts but in the issue have been deceived of all When the Turk so prosperously prevailed many Christians imbraced the Turkish Religion In Popery and times of bloody persecution men through fear and love of the world denied the truth asserted and maintained false Doctrines But what got they many of them Did not our Saviours Rule prove true He that will save his life shall lose it and he that will lose it shall save it Mat. 16.25 And doth not the Prophet Jonah tell us a good lesson They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy Joâ— 2.8 They that would worship Idols or go into superstitious wayes they forsake that very mercy God hath provided for them otherwise Oh that this were well thought of by those who think to better themselves by those wayes that are not of God! Secondly If they looked for honour and outward dignity to be applauded and esteemed this also they shall be losers in For by the judgement of those Churches or persons that are orthodox they shall fall from all that repute and esteem they had The Church of Rome was set up like an high Mountain Did not all the people of the Christian world when there were breaches in Religion look upon her like a brazen Serpent thinking to be heard presently The repute and authority she had in all mens consciences made the politick Popes triumph over all the great ones of the world thereby and enlarge both Civil and spiritual jurisdiction But when her Idolatries and errours were discovered How odious and abominable is her very memory Now it 's the Sodom the Babylon the Aegypt John speaks of So that howsoever errours may have great applause and glory for a while yet God in time will make them vile as dung As of those corrupt Priests in thâ— worship of God God said He would spread dung upon their faces Mal. 2 3. The Phâ—risees by their superstruction of hay and stubble they intended glory and honor of the people They did all things as men acting upon a Theaâ—re but when Christ came and preached the pure word of God and discovered all theâ—r vanity and hypocrisie then their esteem and honour fell immediately inâ—o the dust Mat. 5.19 Our Saviour speaking against false teachers saâ—th If any teach the breaking of the least commandment he shall be called the leâ—st in the kingdom of Heaven The kingdom of Heaven is the Church in this life as some expound And he shall be called the lâ—ast that is He shall be of no repute and esteem Thus the names of all the Heretiques that have lived are they not of unsavoury memory And though some had excellent parts and held many truths yet this dead flie falling into their ointment marred all Thirdly They lose all their ministerial labour and study they used in building such stubble And truly this losse should much affect every man whether Minister or private Christian Some opinions thou hast thinking them truths but they being errours all thy preaching for them writing for them all thy indeavour to proselyte others to thee thy going farre and near to make others of thy mind all this is lost labour It will not have so much reward as a cup of cold water given â—n Christs name will have A Wasp is busie and flieth up and down as well as a Bee but a Bees businesse brings honey a Wasps doth nothing but a sting Thus it may be thou art
active and diligent thou art speaking of thy opinion to all but art thou a Bee making honey or a Wasp stinging others Never care to company with those that you perceive have a sting onely and no honey The Pharisâ—es what a deal of pains did they take to disciple others to themselves They compassed â—ea and Land as Merchants to get wealth and when all was done they made themselves and their hearers in greater danger of damnation than before Thus the Jesuites are as industrious as the Devil compassing the whole world to make a prey of mens souls But all this labour will accuse them the more The Wiseman observeth great vanity in all worldly labour but especially in matters of Religion to labour in vain there to lose all thy nights and thy dayes and thy study and thy pains is beyond expression miserable Fourthly They will lose their inward peace and comfort of conscience How many that have turned aside from the truth to errour have found tormenting worms gnawing their conscience They have not found it a light sinne witnesse Spira and many others He that denieth me saith our Saviour him will I deny before the Father and the holy Angels and the whole world Mat. 10.33 And indeed there can be no sound comfort but upon Scripture truths for Gods presence will go along only with his own truths Even as it is in his Sacraments Gods grace will be exhibited and true comfort conveyed only in his instituted Sacraments if men should appoint any of their own head they cannot look for his presence and efficacy So it is here If men broach errours and false wayes God will not own them a fire of straw and stubble will give but short and little comfort to a cold man Fifthly They lose though not the total seed of grace yet the degree and fervency of it yea in regard of outward appearance all seemeth to be lost They have not that tendernesse that strictnesse they once had Hence the Apostle couples The shipwrack of faith and a good conscience together 1 Tim. 1.19 Lose one and you lose the other How carefull is the Apostle to forbid all those disputes which do not tend to godlinesse and which do not edifie 2 Tim. 2.16 The shell-fish was unclean it had but little meat in it and a great deal of difficulty to get it Men given wholly to dispute do not mind the affectionate part of godlinesse Grapes do not usually grow on such thorns This then should make every one look to what he buildeth take heed thou art not falling into a noisom pit look lest that when thy eye groweth dark thy whole body will quickly grow dark and to decay in grace is a great provocation of God To decay in thy estate in thy health are sad things but in thy love to God in thy fervency in thy zeal is much more miserable Remember from whence thou art fallen and do thy first works Rev. 2.5 It 's our duty to grow in grace and for thee to do the clean contrary to decay in grace must needs provoke Now part of this growing in grace is to keep stedfastly to the truth That is very observable 2 Pet. 3 17. They must not fall from their stedfastnesse And how shall that be By growing in grace and knowledge Yea lastly Men lose their parts and gifts They have not that clearnesse and soundnesse of understanding as they had Hence errour doth corrupt the mind as rust doth the iron To him that hath shall be given it 's spoken of the right using of our talents and from him that doth not use it in a right manner shall be taken away all that he hath Mat. 25.29 Vse 1. Of Exhortation to us Ministers to be much in prayer and diligent study in attending unto the word of God You see here unsound and false preaching may bring us to great and sad losses worse than of outward substance and maintenance even of inward comfort and peace with God and this we are the more to attend to by how much we know but in part and understand but in part As the bodily eye is subject to a world of diseases and any distemper there is very dangerous So the mind of a man is subject to much corruption blindnesse ignorance injudiciousnesse vain and false reasonings insomuch that it 's a proverbial expression Humanum est errare what is that but as much as humanum est damnari if God prevent not Seeing therefore we are thus compassed about with infirmities which may prove destructive this should make us humble modest to say as Hierom Nunquam meipsum habui magistrum I never was my own master If others will be bold and presumptuous yet do thou tremble then thou wilt gain when such shall lose Vse of Admonition to you the people see that in the matters of Religion you be no losers Religion is every mans study the Bible should be every mans book Though God doth not require of you controversal and sublime Divinity yet the knowledge of such Doctrines as are fundamental and necessary to salvation you are to be acquainted with yea you are not to be alwayes in principles but as the Apostle saith To be carried on to further perfection Heb. 6.1 Now in all your study you may be losers You may have a vain faith a vain Religion and that is when it 's not upon the Scripture-foundation every man hopes he shall not lose The Turk thinketh he shall not lose by believing his Alcoran The Jew that he shall not lose his expectation of a Messiah The Papist hopes that all his Image worship all his fastings and pilgrimages shall not be lost but the Word speaketh contrary He shall be saved yet so as by fire A two-fold losse you heard was here threatned to erroneous teachers And the first part we have dispatched and now proceed to the later and the phrase is already explained To be saved as by fire signifieth The great extremity and danger such a man is in of damnation He is like a fire-brand pulled out of the fire For that explication of some of the Greek Fathers especially Chrysostome who in many other places of the New Testament doth often judiciously interpret is in this particular very incredible He shall be saved saith he that is he shall be kept alive and yet in hell fire So that he thinketh the Apostle saith he shall be damned yet this damnation is a kind of a living death and a dying life he shall be alwayes in hell fire yet saved alive He doth use saith Chrysostome a good word in a sad and evil matter Every one may see this is forced We stand therefore to the former explication as that which is most genuine And two things may be observed very material 1. Whereas you see erroneous and false Doctrines though not overthrowing the foundation do yet dangerously shake a mans salvation puts it to a great hazard Observe That even errours of judgement may endanger a
rejected Tit. 3.10 Those then are nearest to perdition who after Admonition and Information do still continue refractory Lastly Of all those who defile the Temple and are marked out for perdition Antichrist it is and his party that are the great defilers of Gods Temple He is alled The man of Perdition 2 Thes 2.3 both actively and passively Actively because he is a means to destroy so many thousand souls and passively because he is appointed by God to remarkable destruction Take heed therefore thou art not found in the number of that Antichristian society which is marked out by God for destruction Come out of Babylon least you be partakers of her plague Rev. 18.4 If you ask why God should be thus provoked by corruptions in truth or worship the Reason is plain Because his Glory is more immediately interrested in these things Practical godlinesse and obedience are acceptable but his truth and his worship are that which immediately relate to him Herein his jealousie is said to be drawn out Vse of Admonition Pray and take heed you fall not from your stedfastnesse and be led aside with the errours of the wicked You see here is no dallyance no wantonnesse allowed in this matter God will destroy Art thou not afraid of Gods wrath of Gods vengeance If it were but the anger of a man or the persecution of a man it might be endured but God who is a consuming fire he will never bear this He will not endure this This Text would be like a flaming sword to keep men from false and erroneous waies if duly considered This is that which undoeth us people are either very sottish and stupid not regarding any thing of Religion at all or if they do they do not with that sobriety that humility that fear and trembling addresse themselves to know Gods truths as they ought to do There is a prophane proud unmortified frame of heart upon us and then then no wonder we defile his Temple Him shall God destroy This is the punishment threatned to the Temple-defilers and though but two words God destroy yet both have their weight There are many evils and calamities that yet are not a destruction that is the utmost of all paenall evils and then it 's a destruction from God whose wrath is like himself Incomprehensible It 's not man but God shall destroy Now what this destruction is we have told you not an annihilation of soul and body as Socinians would have it not a Physical destruction but moral viz. depriving the wicked man of all happinesse and comfort We have handled this relatively already as it is the Portion of the Temple-defilers I shall now consider it absolutely Eternal wrath and damnation is described here under the name of destruction which is the reward of every wicked impenitent man whether his sinnes be intellectual or bodily And the Doctrine I shall raise is That Eeternal Damnation is the Destruction of a man It 's the undoing of a man for ever This Doctrine or Truth hath a sting in it and because men are generally so bruitish and feared in their evil waies I do the rather pitch upon it because truths that are of a more sublime nature do not so easily penetrate Let us then improve this Eternal Damnation is the Destruction of a man It 's the eternal undoing of a man To clear this consider First That it is the Scriptures way to represent Hell and Damnation under all those evils that are most terrible to sense as on the contrary Heaven is described by such nams as do usually delight most men Hence it 's called a Kingdom and a Crown of Glory and a City paved with precious stones These are condescending expressions to us who are apt to apprehend nothing great and admirable but what is so to sense and were not our natural corruption so greatly prevailing over us such Scripture baites would soon take us As it is thus for Heaven so for the contrary Hell and eternal damnation is described by all such terrible Objects that the very naming of them should fill us with great horrour and do not think these are vain scare-crows no these expressions do no more represent to the full the torment and pain of the damned indeed then a painted fire doth a reall burning fire Whatsoever the Scripture saith of this destruction of wicked men doth not arise up in the least manner to the torment indeed Therefore that the meditation and preaching of this subject may be profitable set Faith on work believe there is such a state of destruction coming upon impenitent men that all the undoing we can have in this life is nothing to that eternal undoing Let Faith warm and heat thy heart with this and it will work wonderfully to thy reformation If to die be a thing of terrour what is eternal death What is eternal destruction If skin for skin and all that a man hath he will give for his life how much rather for this eternal life Secondly This destruction consists in two things The good it 's privative of And The evil it 's positive of Schoolmen call it the punishment of losse and the punishment of sense The Scripture brings in God inflicting both in that terrible sentence at the Day of Judgment Depart from me into eternal fire Mat. 25.41 Depart from me there is the privation of all good Into eternal fire there is the position of all evil and misery Divines have disputed which is the greatest evil of these two but Chrysostome answers The privation of Gods face is farre worse then all the torments in Hell That Depart from me is more terrible then eternal fire Certainly seeing such a destruction is coming how much doth it concern all to watch and pray about it Descendamus in infernum viventes ne descendamus morientes said Bernard Let us descend into Hell while alive by meditation lest we really descend thither when we die But singularia sunt quae pungunt Let us therefore consider What losse it is First that this destruction doth consist in And First It 's the losse of God in whom only is all happinesse Depart from me At his right hand are pleasures for evermore Psal 16.11 To be with God and to enjoy him is that happinesse which eye hath not seen nor can the heart of a man conceive For such as God himself is such is the enjoying of him He is the bonum in quae omnia bona bonum quo nihil melius cogitari potest The Jehova The beings of all created comforts that are scattered up and down and parcelled in creatures with their several imperfections are united and conjoyned in him in transcendent perfection only To represent what God is and the enjoyment of him would be to empty the Ocean with a shell Then do we best esteem of him when we judge him inestimable Now our destruction lyeth in being deprived of all that good which God would have been to us Oh
the things of this world yet if foolish in heavenly things that earthly wisdome cannot help thee Say then to thy self Oh foolish and unwise sinner Why do I take this moment of pleasure for an eternity of torment Oh foolish and blind man Why do I let the day of grace and the precious time of salvation passe away Will not this be bitternesse in the later end Verse 19. For the wisdome of this world is foolishnesse with God c. THis Verse is brought in as a Cause or Reason why a man should renounce earthly and worldly wisdome because it 's foolishnesse with God See here the different thoughts of God and man the great admired worldly wisdome among men is but foolishnesse with God and that which God cals true and real wisdome men account foolishnesse but it 's quickly decided whose thoughts shall prevail Gods or mans The words of the Text being a Reason asserted in a Proposition we may consider 1. The Subject 2. The Predicate or Attribute The Subject is The wisdome of this world by that you heard was meant all the knowledge learning and prudence which is attained in this world by meer humane industry This is the choice and most excellent pearl that the world hath if their wisdome be thus folly what then is their folly 2. There is the Attribute It 's foolishnesse with God Though the wise men of this world have written several Books as the Encomium hujus moriae the praise of this folly yet God abhorreth and rejecteth it It is foolishnesse with God who is the only wise God who is only able to judge and discern what things are There are many wise learned men in the world whose naked propositions we do more regard than other mens demonstrations But how much more should we acquiesce in Gods assertions We may justly call all humane wisdome meer foolishnesse because God doth so Now when the wisdome of the world is said to be foolishnesse with God that is to be understood two wayes First Actively it is onely contriving plotting and accomplishing foolish things Secondly Passively God turneth it all to foolishnesse as David prayed God would turn Achitophels counsel into folly 2 Sam. 15.31 And as 1 Cor. 1. He hath chosen foolish things to confound the wise things of the world And this passive sense is a great part of the meaning as appeareth by the two-fold testimony taken out of the Old Testament which are to shew that God doth befool and as easily destroy all the wisdome and counsels of meer worldly men as we blow down the houses of clay that little children make in sport Observe That all the admired wisdome of a meer worldly man is nothing but contemptible folly before God The worlds wise man is Gods fool he whose words and counsels in worldly matters are as Achitophels in his dayes like the oracles of God they are by God turned into meer foolishnesse I shall first begin with that active foolishnesse demonstrating by several particulars That all worldly wisdome is meer folly And First This is abundantly seen in all that Idolatry and superstition which the wisest of men are prone unto and wherein they do greatly applaud themselves What more foolish ridiculous and absurd instances have we of folly then of the Idolatry and superstitious worship that the Oracles of their dayes have decreed The Apostle Rom. 1.21 speaketh excellently to this purpose Professing themselves wise they became fools for their foolish heart was darkned And wherein was this seen In turning the glory of the invisible God into an image of an Ox that eateth hay This doth especially relate to the Aegyptians who boasted of their great wisdome and indeed they were the seminary of learning it 's said to all the world yet who more foolish in their Idolatry than they worshipping an Ox yea Mice and Cats and Crocodiles This also might be demonstrated of the Grecians and Romans while applauded for the wise men of the world How absurd and foolish were they in their worship Insomuch that Socrates was called an Atheist meerly because he derided their many gods and Austin relateth a great deal of excellent discourse which Seneca hath against the Idolatry and Superstition than in use though that Tractate be not now among his Works But these are Heathens and so no wonder if we shall find even in the Church of God when men have followed their humane wisdome in prescribing the worship of God by that they become vain and ridiculous witnesse all that heap of foolish and superstitious Ceremonies which Popery brought into the Church by degrees That as the ridiculous deformity of an Ape lieth in imitating or being like a man and yet not a man So the absurd folly of all that superstitious worship did appear in the affectation of Religion and Devotion when indeed it was not so Now this great folly of Idolatry the Scripture doth often aggravate They have eyes and see not c. And they that make them are like unto them They are even such stupid Idols as their Idols are And what holy derision doth the Prophet Eliah put upon Baals Priests launcing and cutting themselves crying O Baal hear us 1 King 18.26 Especially the Prophet Isaiah describeth this bruitish folly when he telleth us of the workmen that with one peece of wood he makes a fire and with another a god Isa 44.19 If you ask then Wherein the great wisdome of the world is foolishnesse I answer in their Worship in their Religion All the golden Images all the curious ornaments and vestments in worship are but beggarly things if compared with the pure spiritual worship of God Thus when the Galatians apostatized from the pure Gospel-worship of Christ and turned to antiquated Ceremonies he cals them Foolish Galatians Chap. 3.1 We doe not breake Christs command when we call such fooles because it 's not from a causlesse anger but a judicious zeal Secondly Worldly wisdome is meer foolishnesse because such men contrive and plot and think to accomplish all their counsels by their own strength and way Now this is a very foolish and absurd thing for the thoughts of a man are in some respect from man but the ordering and disposing of all things is from God Jer. 10.23 I know Lord it is not in man to order his own way Thus you see Achitophel was a meer fool in the issue And thus the Prophet Isaiah cryeth out The princes of Zoan are fools Isa 19.11 even they that boasted in their wisdome We reade of some Romane Emperours and others that did most foolishly affect a Deity especially Caius Caesar for which some thought him the Antichrist Yea some of the Christian Emperours did affect the attribute of God as Constantius the Arian that denied Eternity to the Sonne of God yet would have men salute him with Aeternitas vestra What blasphemous folly was this for a man who was to be worms meat presently Now in some respects all the great wise