life by overruling conquering and subduing his enemies Christ though in heaven hath his enemies all those that are enemins to the Church to his Children they are enemies to Christ Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Act. 9.4 We oppose Christ while we oppose his members Do but hurt the feet and the head in heaven presently feels it But mark what is added It 's hard for thee to kick against the pricks Christ will reign his power will be exalted maugre all the malice in the world Psa 2.2 The rage of the Heathens and all their Imaginations were but a vain thing God will set his Sonne upon the holy hill of Sion therefore the Judges of the world are exhorted to kisse the Sonne to give him hearty and humble obedience for they are not able to bear though but a little of his anger Hence Rev. 2.27 Christ is said to rule the Nations with a rod of Iron and he will break them in pieces like a Potters vessell Christ can as easily break all the power and greatnesse that is lifted up against him as we can break an earthen pot with an Iron rod And if you say Why then is the power of Turk and Pope still lifted up against him The Apostle tels us 1 Cor. 15. and Heb. 2. All things are not yet in subjection to him he hath a Kingdom and power but as yet he is only Rex pugnans vincens then he will be Rex triumphans He will put down all Powers and Principalities There will be nothing but Christs power Oh then we proclaim aloud to wicked men As you love your souls as you would avoid this dreadfull power go on no longer in your rebellion and disobedience Christ hath indeed a Scepter of grace but he hath also a rod of Iron and thou wilt finde his blows when he cometh to judge his enemy and whosoever loveth and liveth in sinne he is Christs enemy O that mens eyes were opened and their hearts softened that the wrath of this Judge might not fall upon them SERMON IX Christ under the notion of a Head applied to the Terrour of his Enemies and Comfort of his Members JOH 17.2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh c. THE several Instances or Acts of Christs power have been dispatched I shall only name one Title usually given him which will serve greatly to illustrate this power For although he be compared to many things that denote him the root of all our grace To the bread of life Joh. 6.35 To Manna To the Vine Joh. 15. To the Olive tree Rom. 11. In natural things so also things of power and love in civill things To an husband 2 Cor. 11.2 to a King to a Lord yea a King of Kings and Lord of Lords yet that which I shall pitch on as being most comprehensive and the Scripture most delighting in is That he is an Head to his Church The Apostle doth frequently use this property 1 Cor. 1.3 The head of every man is Christ Eph. 1.22 He is there set to be Head over all things Col. 2.20 The head of all Principality He is there made head of the Angels not properly for Angels cannot be called members of his body but improperly as head is used for the chief Governour Seeing then many places to expresse this transcendent power of Christ over all flesh use this word Head Let us consider what that implieth and the rest shall be spent in practicall improvement of this Point Christ then is appointed an head and so hath power over all things 1. In regard of his eminency and dignity for he is exalted above every name any thing that hath the greatest fame and glory either in this world or that to come Col. 1.18 That he might have the preheminence in all things So that we should account nothing great in comparison of Christ All the great men with their great power that in their generations have made such wonderfull changes in the world in respect of Christ should be but as a Mole-hill to the vast Heavens As God hath set him above every Name so should we We reade of some Christian Emperors and great Lords that they would not be called Domini Lords as being too great a Title only Domni by diminution yea it 's said of Augustus in whose Reign Christ was born that he prohibited himself to be called Dominus Some make a peculiar Providence of God in this because then Christ came into the world who was the Lord of the world The world was made by him and in this particular there is a great difference between a naturall head and this mystical for a natural head doth not make the other parts of the body but is made proportianably with them only this mystical head makes all his members he doth not only give nourishment but create their very being It 's true Christ in the state of his humiliation was a little lower or as the word is to be interpreted for a little while lower then the Angels Heb. 2. But after this he was lifted up above all principality and power and certainly this is a wonderfull thing that so great part of the world should set up that Christ as their God in whom they beleeve that was crucified dead and buried and though now ascended into heaven yet we see him not with bodily eyes neither is his Kingdom and power after an earthly and pompous administration yet for what a long season with so many thousands and millions of men rich men great men Learned men Kings and Emperours of the world hath he been worshiped This sheweth the Name God hath given him Only the Apostle Rom. 2. tels us of many that blaspheme this Name of our God by reason of the wickednesse of Christians You who professe your selves Christians and yet live in beastly and bruitish lusts you keep off Heathens and Pagans from coming in to owne Christ 2. Christ is an head in respect of his spirituall influence and powerfull communication of his grace and strength to those that are his members Col. 2.19 The Apostle there and in other places doth much dwell on this That as the head is the Fountain of all life and motion for the Scripture seemeth to go with them that make the head not the heart the Fountain of all life and motion From that every part hath its proper nourishment so it is with the Church of God so that this similitude affordeth many precious Meditations for is the godly man fearfull his sins will overcome this lust or that lust will be too strong for him he shall not have grace enough to conquer it Let him consider the Fulnesse of his head is there such a sinne that Christ himself is not able to subdue Again do the godly complain they cannot grow they continue dwarfs They do not finde any progresse Oh let them consider that Christ is the head and he will have his members grow up to their due proportion Further Is
affectionate towards God and Christ they would be as labourious for heavenly knowledge They would know how to improve Christ To make the best advantage of the means of grace They would not let any truth go till they did fully understand it but the Scripture complaineth men are wise to do evil but to do good they have no understanding These Moles that live and delight onely in the earth they must needs be blinde These are internal causes External are twofold 1. A negligent ignorant and carelesse Ministry For seeing the Ministry is appointed to be a light to be a guide if that be not light then all the people must be darknesse If they are not salt the people have no seasoning An Idol-Shepherd makes Idol-sheep This God often complaineth of and Christ also when he saith The blinde leade the blinde Mat. 15.14 and that some took away the Key of knowledge And 2. Negligence of Parents and Masters All Governours who have Inferiours under them they are to teach the principles of knowledge Parents are often required to do it and truly hence is the Original of all Ignorance even the rudenesse and wicked orders that are in Families There is no praying no catechizing no instructing and when these are Nurseries of blindenesse and impiety what good can be expected Oh that Parents and Masters would remember how much God requireth of them in this particular It was the commendation God gave Abraham that he would teach his Family and make them worship him Gen. 17. I shall no longer insist about this Point but come to the application for men will hear and hear and never set about the work Let it therefore be a Use of importunate Exhortation to follow you as closely as that Widow did the Judge that if nothing else importunity might prevail with you Let the ignorant pray that they may receive their sight Let them not give over day and night those means that may help them What though thou canst say I am no thief no adulterer no unclean person yet if ignorant thou art upon the brink of hell and so you that are Parents and Masters bring up your Inferiors in the true knowledge and fear of God It 's said of Constantine who was truly great in this that he would have his whole Court gathered together and the Scriptures read to them with Instructions from it to them What you see me do at the Church that let the Master of the Family do at home said Austin Let your Families be Christs School Thou wouldst not have a Servant that knoweth not how to do his proper emploiment much lesse then shouldst thou have one that knoweth not his Christianity Now there are many pregnant arguments to enforce this duty 1. The necessity of a competent knowledge This is eternall life You cannot expect heaven There is no way for thy salvation whilest thou art in this dark night so that this is the one thing necessary Be like Mary to choose the better part Martha was shewing much love in entertaining of Christ yet because Mary was wholly busie in hearing of Christ and learning from him Therefore she chose the better part Oh then thou that art more carefull to know God and Christ then to get any worldly mercy thou choosest the better part This undoeth you you are not possessed with the necessity of it you will not beleeve this text of Scripture you hope to do well enough for all this though the Word saith He that made them will not save them Isa 11. 2. Be stirred up hereunto because there cannot be any godlinesse any true holinesse in thee till this knowledge be in thee Ephes 4. Those that are to have the Image of God restored in them by righteousnesse and true holinesse they are to be renewed in the spirit of their minde As God created light at first in the world so he doth in the new creature hence they are called light in the Lord Ephes 5.8 and conversion is a translation from a state of darknesse into light Oh what a goad should this be in thy side to get knowledge There cannot be any grace not the least degree of holinesse till God renue my minde Though all that have knowledge are not renued yet none are renued with out knowledge and men are said to escape the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Gospel 2 Pet. 2.20 3. Consider what pains men take to get humane knowledge these will condemn Christians at the last day There is no Art or Science can be obtained without much study and daily consumption of the body and men have not thought it too much to impair the health of their body by perfecting their minde and yet how much uncertainty was there in that knowledge did not one of the wisest say This only he knew that he knew nothing so confused and unsatisfied were they in their studies But this knowledge is certain and that which will greatly quiet and satisfie the heart Fides non tantum est apprehensiva sed quietativa 4. Consider how bitterly and wofully thou wilt cry out of all thy negligence and abuse of the means of knowledge hereafter as Prov. 1. God often called and you would not hear Wisdom daily invited you How long will ye passe by O ye simple ones and void of understanding When thou shalt fall into hell that is like thy soul utter darknesse and there remember The time was when Manna fell and I might have gathered it There was a time to have gotten knowledge and understanding but I desperately refused it and now I am suffering the just punishment of my ignorance This must perpetually torment thee It s made an heavy curse in Job chap. 36.12 when a man shall dye without knowledge Therefore it 's not only a sinne but a curse because you would not see God gives you up to a blinde eye and this is the more terrible under the Gospel when a promise of plentifull knowledge is spoken of by the Prophets SERMON XVI Sheweth what Saving Knowledge is in its Concomitants and Effects JOH 17.3 This is Eternall Life to Know thee the only true God KNowledge you heard is necessary to every mans salvation We now come to discover what kinde of knowledge this must be and as for the comprehending of Faith under that knowledge I shall not treat of that notion but referre it till further opportunity offer it self in this Chapter That therefore the knowing man may not presently blesse himself as if his eyes were enough to carry him to heaven though he hath no feet to walk in Gods waies I shall now manifest what knowledge it is and raise this Observation That knowledge which brings to eternal life ought to be accompanied with the true and proper effects of it This is grounded upon the use of the word know which doth denote the affectus and effectui concomitatis frequently in Scripture and that this knowledge must be so here is
the Mother of Austin by her daily praiers was a means of converting Austin So that we may say of the ungodly as Samuel concerning the people of Israel though a stubborn and wicked Nation God forbid I should cease to pray for you And indeed if it be our duty to admonish and exhort others and with much patience to endure if it be possible to bring them out of the snares of sinne no doubt we are to pray that God would blesse such Reproofs That he would prepare the heart to receive them And again the very miserable and wretched estate they are in through sinne makes them fit Objects of praier There is never a prophane man that walloweth in his lusts blessing himself in his hearts desire but he is an Object of great pity Even as mad men that think themselves Great Persons when they are bound up in chains Seeing therefore they lie under such great misery and they feel not this They pity not nor pray for themselves This should make us that can pray to commend their estate to God And the rather because as Preaching of the Word so Praier is appointed as a means of Conversion but by the Word Ask and ye shall receive So that if I ask for Conversion If I pray for the Reformation of another my praier may be the Execution of Gods Election It 's by praier that God will make good this promise Oh how comfortable will it be to see thee a Father answered in praier for the conversion of thy Children That they are the Fruit of thy Praiers So likewise what rejoycing is it to a Minister when not onely his preaching but his praying for his people is answered That it is not all our duty to preach to you but pray for you as Christ did And what a joy is it if we see God answering our praiers in the conversion and reforming of one man It 's true there are some wicked men so highly prophane and so wilfully wicked that they greatly cool the heart of a godly man in Praier It 's said the Church shut Julian out of her praiers and there could not a greater and more sorer judgement befall him for that was futuri judicii prejudicium Vse 1. Is Praier thus hopefull in the behalf of the godly then this should teach the godly to be more fervent and constant in this duty for one another Paul though so eminent in office and graces yet again and again desireth the Churches praiers and he promiseth his praiers for them He informeth Philemon in particular that he makes mention of him in his praiers alwaies Thus you see what the godly have been used to do If David Psal 119.4 when his Enemies reviled him and reproached him yet he gave himself to Praier and humbled himself in Sackcloth for them what then would he do for those that were godly Psal 72. It 's made a great blessing unto Solomon that praier shall be made for him and the fervent Praier of a righteous man prevaileth much Jam. 5.16 If so why do we not stir up our selves more to this duty The Apostle James biddeth us confesse our sinnes and pray for one another in the same place Shall Christ pray for all his and wilt not thou Do not say It 's enough to pray in the general for Gods Church but thou art in particular to pray for others as their conditions and necessities require be moved hereunto First From the common body and fellowship that ye are in The Scripture delights to resemble the Communion of the Church under the similitude of a body to shew how near and conjoyned they are together If one member suffer shall not the Tongue pray for it If any part of thy own body be pained and grieved how much doth it affect thee thou shouldst have the same affections to those that are of the body of Christ Secondly Praiers are an instituted help and means to procure the good of others so that it 's a duty you owe Phil. 1.19 Paul trusted that all the opposition he had would turn to good by their praiers So then the afflictions the mercies that others are under prove good by Praier Oh how apt is one to consume another They are proud under such mercies They are impatient under such afflictions but thou that art thus apt to finde fault dost thou or hast thou praied for them It may be they are no better because thou hast not done thy duty Thou little thinkest how near their sinnes may come to thee Not that we are bound to mention by Name every godly man for that is infinite but as occasion draweth thee out and thou art desired making as much Conscience of praier for others as a debt thou owest or as a pledge thou art to restore Thirdly Fervent Praier for one another will take away all differences all jealousies and suspicions it will make the Godly of one heart and one minde Oh who can bewail the divisions of Jacob Not the garments but the body of Christ is now rent In former times it was said Behold how they love one another how they call one another Brethren but now what differences in opinion and other carnal contentions There is no Love and communion and there is no greater cause then neglect of this duty and it 's also an excellent remedy against all discontents Art thou apt to receive unkindnesses To think this or that hard dealing Go and pray for that man Oh how immediatly will it quiet those windes and waves Vse of Admonition To wicked men to avoid all impiety if not for other Reasons yet for this it makes other mens praiers the lesse effectuall It may be though thou art so vile and naught thou hast a godly Father or a godly Friend praying for thee Though thou art so ungodly thou hast a godly Minister praying for thee Oh do not raise so great a gulf between Heaven and their praiers as thy sinnes are When Lazarus was dead and buried in the grave Mary giveth it over as a desperate case If thou hadst been here he had not died saith she So are we apt to say Lord Praier for such before they come to be thus obstinate before they bave rebelled so much against the Light might have been hopeful But now what hope is there Take heed thou go not so far in sinning that God saith Pray no more for this man SERMON XLII The Excellency and Efficacy of Christs Mediatory Prayer Set forth in many Aggravations of it for the Consolation of the Godly JOH 17.9 I pray for them I pray not for the world THE Subject of Christs Praier is here described First By the Relative particle them and although he speak strictly of his Disciples yet in the end of this Chapter he joyneth all Beleevers unto them So that the 2d Observation is That all the Children of God are under Christs Mediatory Praier Now the Children of God which are also called his Sheep are of two sorts 1. Those
Casuists But then there is a Scandal given or scandalum Pusillorum when those who appear for Religion do such things as are indeed inconsistent with holinesse that can never be made good by the Scripture and of such it is that our Saviour saith Wo be to him by whom offences come Mat. 18.7 Whosoever shall offend one of these little ones it had been better a Millstone were hung about his neck and he thrown into the sea For although it be also a sinne in any man to be prejudiced and alienated from Godlinesse because of the sinnes of those that professe it neither will that be an excuse to them yet because such put a stumbling block in the way therefore is the transgression great Distinguish then between such as through their wilfull obstinacy will be offended and from such who are so through weaknesse and a reall occasion given 4. Such is the enmity of man to what is good that he is glad to have any occasion to blame the Truth with whenas indeed they should mourn and grieve to see any failings amongst those that are religious they rather rejoyce in the discovery of such and they think this is a good reason for their Impiety Why should they come out from the common waies of the world Do not many of those that are so forward do thus and thus And therefore they hope they shall do as well as any other The Apostle seeing this wicked disposition in the world speaks notably to the godly 1 Pet. 3.16 To walk with such a good Conscience that whereas the world will speak against them as evil doers they may be ashamed So 1 Pet. 2.12 These things premised Let us consider the unreasonablenesse and sinfullnesse of condemning Religion for some hypocrites therein For 1. Dost thou not as well see many are sincere and walk unblameably Doth not thy own heart tell thee that thou hast no just cause to speak against them Dost thou not sometimes wish thy Soul might do as well as theirs Dost thou not with Balaam wish thou mightst die the Death of such Righteous persons Shall not the Graces and holinesse of Eleven Apostles more confirm thee then the wickednesse of one Judas offend thee Consider then how unreasonable thou art that dost only minde the weak places of the Wall not â—he strong Thou speakest of many that for gain and secret lusts have fallen off from God but how many thousands of godly sincere men can we tell thee of who because they feared God were neither terrified by threats nor yet seduced by allurements to deny Christ Though a Judas did betray him yet â—here are Millions of Martyrs who have valiantly died in the Confession of him 2. We are not to live by Examples but by Precepts It 's an Old Rule We are to consider what the Scripture requires and commands If that enjoyn a life separated and singular to the wickednesse of the world If that bid thee run not into the same excesse of Riot with them such a strict way and profession thou art bound to follow Though all that go before thee be hypocrites and that go with thee Though all the Apostles had been like Judas yet Christs Truth had still been to be embraced Therefore not mens lives but the Scripture is to be ouâ— Rule If all men prove Hypocrites or Apostates yet we are bound to keep close to the Word Let God be true and every man a Lyar It 's true the life and conversation of others in sincerity and uprightnesse may be a great inducement to holiness therfore the Scripture often cals for a life of light and holinesse that others may be won thereby but yet every one ought to have such an inward assurance both of the Truth of God and his Grace upon his heart that what Peter said presumptuously they are to acknowledge as a duty Though all men should forsake Christ yet he would not It 's not upon men that we are to build either our faith or our godlinesse but though all men should prove devils and there were none in the world but one man that would own Christ thou wert to joyn with him 3. If we should condemn Religion for the falshood of some we were to condemn all the waies of Religion and all parties in the world and so to turn direct Athiests for look upon all the severall waies and parties that are in the world Are there not some that are a reproach to them that the wiser and more sober persons in that way will not own Wonder not then if the Apostle say of some that they are spots in their Feasts Jude 12. And Rom. 2. that they are such by whom the Name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles This hath and will be It is impossible saith our Saviour but there will be offences viz considering the corruptions and sinfull inclinations of men but if you will own no Religion wherein an Hypocrite may come in you must do as Constantine bad the Novatian erect a Ladder and go himself only into heaven Even in heaven it self there were as we may say Judasses for what were those Apostate Angels that did not abide in the Truth but left their first habitation but betraiers of all that glory and honour that was due to God Know then that to throw away Religion because of the hypocrisie of some few is to run the broad way into Athiesm 5. It is not only sinful but very dangerous to thy own soul when thou art prejudiced or leavest the true way upon such grounds Thou dost not hurt them but thou wrongest thy own soul Those Disciples Joh. 6. that took offence at Christs Preaching they did not despise Christ so much as they damned their souls for saith Peter then whither shall we go for thou hast Eternal Life So then for thee to take up prejudices and objections against Christs way because of some mens miscarriages is to be a self-murderer wilt thou destroy thy own soul and throw thy self into one extremity because others may in another way undo themselves Oh know it is an heavy judgement upon thee when thou meetest with stumbling-blocks Those whom God loveth he giveth a better heart unto them Christ himself Luk. 1. 1 Pet. 2.7 To those that beleeve is indeed precious but a stone of stumbling and a Rock of offence unto those that do not beleeve Oh then be afraid lest this be the beginning of Gods judgement upon thee to be so prejudiced and offended by mis representations that thou shalt never have an heart to love God and his way Think not to do them a despight thou art the greatest Enemy to thy own soul 6. If any under the pretence of Religion do act their iniquities quarrell not at Religion it self for that condemneth such waies Neither do those that fear God own such for their members yea where Gods Order is put in practise they cast such from them as a dishonour to God and a reproach to that holy calling
they be thus damnable yet many shall follow their pernicious waies There is no Heresie so deformed but many people will follow it and by this means the way of Truth shall be evil spoken of See this in our daies How greatly do the Papists blaspheme that holy Truth of God by which we are saved because of the many Sects and errours which sprung up amongst us They think this Argument enough if there were no other when they can say how violent is one Protestant against another condemning one another for Heretiques They all pleade the Spirit and yet are opposite to each other and certainly did not the Scripture forewarn us of such things it were enough to make the stoutest beleever sometimes at a stand but 1 Cor. 11. The Scripture saith there again There must be Heresies That necessity ariseth both in respect of mens corruptions and also in respect of Gods wise permission that so the approved and sound may be made manifest It 's no little part of a Christians wisedom in the overflowing of Heresies when men of several waies speciously pretend to Truth and Piety to know how to deport our selves and so to walk that we do not fall from our stedfastnesse Now there is not a surer Buckler to keep off these poisonous arrows from our breasts then to strengthen our selves with powerful Considerations out of the Scripture Thus it must be Thus it will be The Scripture again and again tels us of it men of great Eminency and repute may make shipwrack of their Faith and through deceivablenesse and subtle insinuations will draw many after them Wonder not at this when it comes to passe That is notable to this purpose Act. 20.29 30. Though Paul himself had instructed those Churches yet he tels them after his departure that Wolves would venture in amongst them what a sad change would this be But from whence should they come Even out of your selves will arise men Thus these Toads and Serpents would breed in Gods own Garden As the Leprosie of Heresie is thus a Scandall in Gods Church So the Apostacy and revolt of such as were once forward for the Truth To have them degenerate yea sometimes to become malicious Enemies against what they professed this is very hard Heb. 6. and 2 Pet. 2. mention is made of some who were endowed with eminent gifts and much outward Reformation yet they are supposed to fall away and so to fall as never to recover again Let it not then stumble thee if there be such who will for earthly advantages betray Christ after much love pretended to him That will sell Christ for silver Do not thou loath Religion for this Do not thou begin to say Are there any Religious even in this world Do not thou follow them thinking I may do as they do But rather tremble at such Instances considering how terrible their latter end will be 3. When for the profession of the Truth and Piety we finde our nearest friends and such as ought most to encourage us to set against us yea to betray us and to work our Deaths if it were possible though this be very hard to bear yet say as in the Text This is done that the Scripture may be fullfilled If Christ himself complain it was not an open enemy but thou my familiar friend we took sweet counsell together that did lift up his heel against him that is proudly contemptuously and bloudily set against me Do not thou expect a better condition then Christ thy Master especially attend to that place Mat. 10.34 35. Luk. 11.52 where the consequent of the Gospel preached is to set the nearest relation one against another so that for thy Godlinesse sake neither Father or Friend may own thee yea the wife of thy bosome will betray thee such things have fallen out in times of persecution and therefore be not offended at that which the Scripture hath foretold 4. That Antichrist should prosper and prevail even to the shedding of the bloud of so many thousand Martyrs and yet meet with no remarkable judgement would be an unanswerable Temptation had not the Scripture foretold it The Scripture informeth of a twofold Antichrist a doctrinall one such as John speaks of that denieth Christ to be come in the flesh and a politicall Antichrist or one that is chiefly so in respect of Church-Government who yet also shall be doctrinally Antichrist of whom Paul speaketh that he shall exalt himself above every thing that is called God and of which the Revelation makes often mention for although this Antichrist shall prevail and the greater part of the earth shall receive the mark of the beast yet at last the time will come when those joyfull Songs shall be sung that Babylon is fallen and the judgements of God are just who hath avenged himself upon the Beast Let not then Bellarmine glory in his temporal felicity as a mark of the Church Let him not say in such a daring manner If the Pope be Antichrist and the man of sinne aimed at in the Scripture Why have not horrible judgements from heaven overtaken him All this is easily answered The Scripture foretels he shall have a time and he must for a while make his garments red with the bloud of the Saints But as certainly as he doth this so also shall his perdition come as certainly Wonder not at this or be offended for the Scripture must be fulfilled 5. The manifold exercises and conflicts that Gods own Children have sometimes about the guilt of sinne and sometimes about the power of sinne makes them think there was none so in the world before Oh how shall they bear it there is no mans condition like theirs you cannot hear one reade of the like say they But do not all these troubles arise from ignorance in the Scripture Do ye not reade of David though sometimes on the Mount of Transfiguration yet at other times on the Mount of Calvary Is he not sometimes lifted up with the light of Gods Countenance and at other times so dejected and disquieted he knoweth not what to do And as for the power of Corruption abiding in us Doth not Paul Rom 7. cry out O miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of Death and the Apostle Jam. 4.5 doth the Scripture speak in vain The spirit that is in us lusteth to envy Even in the Godly there is a strong provocation to envy one of the vilest sins and most contrary to the Spirit of Christ Seeing then the Scripture doth thus admonish us Let not the Children of God walk disconsolately Let them not say God hath forsaken them Let them still remember that the Scripture hath forewarned them of such things That the devil is a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour 1 Pet. 5.6 Vse of Instruction Hath the Scripture by it's prediction forewarned against all possible offences that fall out then 1. See the truth and faithfulnes of Christ that hideth not the worst
tense into the present and what God saith he will do to take as done already Lastly There is the comminatory or threatning part Here is Mount Ebal as well as Mount Gerizim The Scripture hath it's sting as well as honey In this Ark there is the Rod as well as Manna Christ hath not only a Scepter of grace but a Rod of iron and those threatnings are farre above the terrors of the most cruell men that ever lived for it 's not onely a threatning of bodily miseries but of hell of eternal wrath and vengeance on the soul as well as the body which no earthly man can do Therefore whatsoever the word of God hath said against an evil man let him look for it as if he were already under that doom Is not Judas here called a son of perdition yea is he not said to be perished in the present tense because of the certainty of it Doth not the Scripture say He that believeth not is condemned even already Joh. 3.8 As when God at first threatned Adam In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt die This was made good though Adam did not actually die at that time because he was put into a state of death and every moment that sentence might be inflicted on him Thus it is with every wicked man whatsoever curse whatsoever vengeance is denounced against thee this night this day this moment it may be fulfilled on thee The ground why the Scripture must be fulfilled is plain Because it is Gods word and therefore it is immortal like himself it will stand as he stands for what should hinder it There was no defect of knowledge or wisdom in God nor of power and strength and therefore the word being out of his mouth who can contradict it Vse of Encouragement to the godly The Scripture hath as many promises for thee as thou canst desire It 's full of glad tidings to thee that fearest God There is not a Chapter but it speaks some good or other to thee Oh do not think these things are spoken in vain and not to be good to be true What shall the holy Spirit of God become false to deceive and delude thee Farre be such blasphemous thoughts from thee Go then and rejoyce say I have enough I have all things the Scripture abounds with all consolations and not one drop of this precious wine shall be lost or spilt to the ground but on the contrary it speaks woe and trembling to wicked men Oh how well were it for you if the Scripture were a book of fables and lies Then thou mightst eat and drink and rise up to play and sport but at the last thou wilt finde every word of it to be true Why then can thy bold heart endure any longer Is there not terrour enough in the Scripture to break it in peeces though it were of iron Thou wilt finde at last God only true but man and the world and thy own heart a liar SERMON LXXV Of the Truth of Scripture-Prophesies And against Judiciall Astrologie and Witchcraft Shewing the Vanity and Wickednesse thereof and of Seeking to them JOH 17.12 That the Scripture might be fullfilled I shall at this time conclude this Text which hath been so fruitful in spiritual matter but before I come to make the last Observation let us Consider In how many sences the Scripture may be said to be fulfilled For there are divers waies of understanding this and indeed there is scarce any thing more difficult in Religion then to make an happy reconciliation of the places quoted in the New Testament with the Old At the first view of many of those allegations you would think there were violent deflections of the Scripture to another sence then was intended but we Christians beleeve that the same Spirit which breathed on the Prophets did also inspire the holy Apostles for the right interpretation of them Though therefore the Solution of every difficulty surpasse the ability of the most Learned Interpreter yet we are to captivate our understandings to the Truth of the Scripture and not the Scripture to our Understandings and nothing will better facilitate a right Understanding of Scripture-allegations then to know that the Scripture may be said to be fullfilled two waies 1. Properly 2. Improperly and by way of accomodation Properly and that two waies Either in a literall sence or a mysticall sence A literall sence either is simply so when it 's a meer prediction of what is to come and hath no Type for the present to be verified in of this kinde or sort are many Examples especially Isa 7.14 Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son Matth. 1.22 applied to Christ This was onely true of Christ and his Mother not applicable to any else for as for Musculus and Grotius who conceive that this was done in a Type and that same Virgin in those daies did marry and bear a Son which was a Type of Christ is wholly improbable and diminisheth this glorious Mystery of Christs Incarnation As for the second kinde of fulfilling which is a compounded sence of the Type and Antitype that is often Thus these things which were fulfilled about the Paschal Lamb the brasen Serpent about Jonah Solomon and David were also applied to Christ as the Antitype As also Hos 11. that of bringing the people of Israel out of Egypt unto Christ Though these places also may be said to be fullfilled in a mystical sence and in this manner the Scripture speaking of Judas his perdition Psa 41. and Psa 109. is to be understood for David in those Psalms literally speaks of his present enemies but typically and mystically this was to be applied to Judas An improper or accomodatitious application is when the Scripture is said to be fulfilled because there falleth out something like that So Christ Mat. 15.7 8. repeateth that to the hypocrites of his time which the Prophet Isa 29 13. applieth to those that lived in his time viz. that they drew nigh him with their lips but their hearts were farre from him This explained observe Obs That it 's a sure Argument and Demonstration of the Divinity of the Scripture That it doth foretell things which long after do come to passe Judas his perdition in the Text was prophesied of many hundred years before As God endowed men with such illumination that they could tell what was done many years before they lived as appeareth in Moses his writing of the History of the Creation so it doth no lesse wonderfully appear in a prediction of such things as shall come hereafter and therefore both the Old Testament and the New have two Books that are wonderfully prophetick of what shall befal the Church in after Ages Daniel prophesied so in his time and John did the like in his Revelations To open this Doctrine Consider First That it is only Gods property to foreknow things to come We matter not those wretched Socinians who
Spirit of God Subjectively preparing and fitting a man by it So that as to an Archer there are two things that are necessary The Mark to aim at and an Eye to see What could an Archer do without Eyes Thus it is with us in all our Actions The Scripture that is the Mark and therefore Sinne is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it misseth of the Mark and then the Spirit of God that must give the Eye Light and Wisedome unto the Understanding The Scripture then is Truth because by it Gods Spirit doth direct and leade us into all Truth Now there is a three-fold Truth that we cannot attain unto without the Scripture 1. True Doctrine 2. True Piety and godlinesse 3. True Consolation and Comfort The want of the first Truth causeth Errour and Heresie The want of the second Hypocrisie and prophanesse The want of the third Distrust and Despair and happy is that man who hath this three-fold Truth and indeed one begets the other True doctrine begets true Godlinesse and true Godlinesse true Consolation For the first Only by this Truth are we guided into true Doctrine whatsoever is brought in contrary or beside this though he were an Angel he is to be accursed Galat. 1. This is the Rule and so what is not according to this must be oblique and crooked Therefore never expect Truth from that man who is not diligent in the Scriptures the Rule of Truth This hath been the Cause why most Heretiques have either accused or despised the Authority of the Scriptures because they know that this Sunne and their darknesse could not consist together They saw their Doctrines and the Scripture could no more stand by each other then the Ark and Dagon Therefore they would rather fall out with Scripture then with their own Opinions as if their own hearts and Consciences were more infallible then the Bible and as if they were not to be made conformable unto the Scripture but the Scripture to them 2. Only by the Scripture do we come to true Piety and Godlinesse You see in this Text Sanctification is by the Truth and James 1.18 God doth beget us by the Word of Truth and many times David doth commend the Word of God for this Effect that it forwarneth man of Sinne That it giveth the Simple Vnderstanding and that even young men may be cleansed from their lusts by taking heed to Gods Word Psalm 119. We see by these Texts that there is no Regeneration or true Reformation but what is wrought by and through the Scripture Therefore Conversion is called the writing of Gods Law in a mans heart So that this makes it clear that though many Heretiques may live civil and externally Religious Lives yet they have no true Godlinesse for false Doctrine begets false Piety when there is falsum in Intellectu that must necessarily produce malum in voluntate And the Reason is plain because Godlinesse is nothing but Truth incorporated Truth digested Truth put into practise It is Gods Law in the heart as you heard Hence as Poison can never nourish a man or afford good Health So neither can any false Doctrine help to any true Piety or Holinesse Men may have seeming Devotions but as the Serpent though it shines and glisters yet is full of inward Poison so whatsoever external Acts of Piety Zeal and Charity Hereticall men may put forth yet by them they cannot be Sanctified if their Errours be Fundamental It was Jeromes Speech Rarò Hereticus fuit pudicus and Vbi malè creditur ibi nec benè vivitur but that is not to be alwaies understood of their External Conversation for many Heretiques have been admirable in their Externals They have had a Sheeps-cloathing upon them and like the Panther have allured others because of their colour till they had devoured them Know thy Errour will make thee more proud loose and it may be at last outwardly prophane and contemning of Integrity for God will not blesse any thing that is not of his own Institution to spiritual Ends. 3. Only by the Scriptures come true Consolations So the Apostle Through the Consolation of the Scriptures 2 Corin. 1. No man hath true solid Joy but the true Orthodox Godly man It is true that as the devil may transform himself into an Angel of Light of Truth So also of Consolation and many Erroneous persons in their way have a great deal of comfort and joy yea they have said they never had so much peace and case as since they have taken up such waies but as their Piety was a counterfeit one so is their joy The holy Ghost that leads into Truth and is the Authour of Sanctification makes such only to rejoyce in him and gives them this Fruit of the Spirit 6. The Scripture is said to be true oppositely to all the Opinions Doctrines and Religions which men set up by their own fancy For every man is said to be a Liar and the Antichristian Doctrines which many are delivered up to beleeve are called a lye by the Apostle 2 Thes 2.11 Turcisme Paganisme is a lye Popery Heresie are Lyes Though they may be never so much pleasing to flesh and bloud Though men carried by humane Arguments may dote on them as they did about Diana's Temple yet all is a lye yea in practicall things whatsoever seduceth thee to do otherwise then Gods Word commandeth this is false Sinne lieth the world lieth the devil lyeth for all that they do is contrary to Gods Word That saith What will it profit a man to win the whole world and lose his soul Mar. 8 36. That saith the pleasures of sinne are but for a season Luk 13.3 Now thou wilt not beleeve this Truth but thou hearkenest to the world to thy own heart and all these betray thee and lye to thee Therefore let the Vse be to perswade and assure thy self of Scripture-Truths walk and live according to the directions thereof SERMON XCIII The transcendent Properties of the Scripture JOHN 17.17 Thy Word is Truth IN what sense the word of God is said to be truth we have declared Let us now come to the Properties of it And 1. It 's the truth of God a divine truth In the Text it 's called thy truth So that Divine Truth must needs transcend Humane or Natural Truths as much as God is above man In humane Authorities we say Thus saith Aristotle Thus saith Plato or thus say such Fathers and Councels but in divine things we must say Thus saith the Lord for because it 's divine or of God it hath an immediate dominion and awe upon the conscience So that whereas in humane Authorities and Philosophical Disputes we may boldly argue against them we may bring our videtur quod sic and quod non yet where truth comes to us as from God there must be an immediate submission though our reason and sense and all the world should contradict yet we must
truth of Scripture Thus Christ John 8.40 told the Pharisees They thought to kill him because he told them the truth And Paul Gal. 4.16 Am I become your enemy because I tell you the truth The Ministers of this truth are compared to light that is offensive to sore eyes and salt that doth grieve and vex the wounded man Indeed truth if rightly considered is not grievous but to do otherwise then obey truth It 's not the threatning of hell and damnation that should be so grievous but the punishments themselves They cried out of our Saviour saying It was an hard speech of what he had spoken but it 's an harder thing to lie roaring in hell-flames to all eternity Vse Is the word of God thus Truth then be possessed and filled with it Let truth be in your mindes truth in your hearts truth in your lives Take heed of all errours and heresies they oppose the Doctrinal Truths of the Scripture Take heed of all prophaneness and impiety they oppose the practical Truths Oh remember if Gods word be truth then woe be to thee thou art in a lying way in a seduced and damnable way Only know it 's not enough to have a general knowledge of Scripture-Truths but endeavour after a particular practical discerning of them The Scripture cals it knowing the Truth as it is in Jesus Eph. 4.21 and the acknowledging of the truth after godlinesse Tit. 1.1 Tantum scimus quantum operamur We know no more in Gods account then we put in practice Take heed then of being in the number of those Rom. 1.18 who hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse Say as the Apostle in his Ministry 2 Cor. 13.18 So thou in thy whole particular conversation I can do nothing against the Truth but for it This would be a Preservative every way SERMON XCIV How requisite a sound minde and a holy life are to a Minister of the Gospel And of Christs peculiar love to and care of such JOH 17.18 As thou hast sent me into the world even so have I sent them into the world THis Verse begins a New Argument or Reason why the Apostles need Sanctification by the Truth It 's drawn not from the generall Consideration as they are Beleevers but from the particular Relation they were in commissionated with Office to preach the Truth of God Before I enter upon the words the Coherence of this Argument with the Petition doth deserve some Consideration though the particle of Connexion be not expressed yet it is to be supposed howsoever this followeth next in order upon that Petition and therefore there cannot be but Coherence of the matter I shall not trouble you with the Conjectures of Interpreters but pitch on that which is easily acknowledged to be very genuine and plain And first Whereas Sanctification by the Truth is desired for the Apostles because they were to be Officers in the Church and Ministers of the Gospel Whence Observe That Truth and Holinesse are requisite in the Ministers of the Gospel Sanctifie them by thy Truth Why because they are sent to preach the Gospel and they have thy Authority This is the reason why Christ though he called his Apostles immediatly from their worldly calling yet it was two years as Chemnitius in his Harmony computeth ere he sent them out to preach but kept them in his Family and under his Instruction that so they might attain both to true Doctrine and an holy Life This was represented Exod. 28.30 by the Vrim and Thummim which were to be on the Breastplate Light and Perfection sound Doctrine and Integrity of Life Hence the Apostle in the Qualification of Ministers requireth doctrinall abilities that he be apt to teach and can divide the Word of God aright as also many practical Qualifications for holy and unblamable life 1 Tim. 3.2 The Scripture compareth the Ministers of God to Stars and that both for their light and purity differing as Philosophers say from the substance of sublunary things 1. Let us Consider the Grounds why they are to be endowed with Truth and to have a sound minde And first From the Quality of the Office Their Office is to preach the Truth They are appointed to declare the Word of God and that only not humane Inventions not the thoughts of their own heart for if Christ himself avoucheth this that his doctrine was not his own but his that sent him and doth still referre all to the Father that sent him how much more ought the Ministers of God to declare what they reade and what they have received of God by the Scriptures not their own conceits Thus the Prophets of old began their Sermons with Thus saith the Lord and the Apostles begin their Epistles with their call and office Apostles and Servants of God Seeing therefore they have such an Office and Trust that requireth in the very Essentials of it nothing but Truth they ought earnestly to pray for it They are called the Light and the Salt of the Earth Now if the Light be dark all the body is dark If Salt hath lost his Seasoning it 's good for nothing By their Office they are to be the Ministers of Truth as Paul said I can do nothing against the Truth but for it 2 Corinth 13.8 This is a Minister after Gods own Heart that is thus qualified Secondly Truth is necessary if you do respect the subordination of their Office Christ hath not sent them to be Masters and Lords over mens Faith to propound their own Dictates and to anathematize such as do not immediatly obey No They have a Ministeriall not a Magisteriall Office for though in respect of the people they are Guides and Overseers and Shepheards yet in respect of God they are Ministers and Servants They are under Christ the Head and so must not deliver any thing but what they have received They may not make Articles of Faith they cannot appoint the worship of God They cannot institute new Sacraments It 's spiritual Treason in them to do this They are like the skillfull Gemmary that doth not make the Jewell only by his skill doth discover which is true or like Solomon that did not make the true Childe but by his Wisedom did manifest it So the Ministers of the Gospel though never so Learned never so holy yet they of their own authority cannot make any new Truth or new Ordinance Therefore they are compared to Embassadors that are bound up by their Commission To Stewards not Masters in the House The Scripture is called Gods Testament or Will Now the Lawyer may not adde or take away from it though he hath never so much skill and knowledge it would be sinful forgery in him to do so Thus Beloved we Ministers are bound up to Gods Word as that last Will he hath appointed how he will have his Church governed how it must beleeve how it must worship and it must be high Sacriledge to adde or detract from it Therefore if Scripture-Truths
necessary because then he may expect Gods blessing and protection When Christ saith I will be with you to the end of the world and he that despiseth you despiseth me this is to be understood of such as are in Christs office Joh. 10. Doth not our Saviour severely reprove such as come not in by the door calling them Theeves and Robbers Gods protection and defence will go along with his Ministers only 2. On the Auditors part for when they are convinced that such are the Ministers of Christ They will 1. Hear with the more reverence and respect even as Christ himself saith A stranger Christs Sheep will not hear 2. They may justly expect spiritual successe in their Labours that God will blesse the Ministry with such spirituall issues God hath promised That it may be a Ministry of Life to them and they may feel an experiment of Christ speaking in them 5. They will account of them as Paul saith as the Stewards of God They will have them in high account for their office and works sake Lastly They will tremble at their unthankfulnesse and unfruitfulnesse under their Ministry for certainly if those officers whom Christ himself hath appointed for thy conversion and reformation can do no good on thee never think that otherwise will help thee No though men should arise from the dead to preach to thee what greater symptome can there be of thy eternal damnation then to be unprofitable and unreformed under Christs own officers such ground is nigh to cursing If their Gospel be hid it is hid to such as perish and Joh. 8. therefore ye are not of God because ye hear not his Word SERMON XCVII That the Scripture appoints a Distinct Office of the Ministry Sheweth wherein the Call to the Ministry consists And that none may enter into that Office without an Authoritative Mission Also what the Ministry of Preaching is and whether Reading be Preaching JOHN 17.18 Even so have I sent them into the World THere remain some further Distinctions to be propounded before we proceed to the proof of the Doctrine And First The word Preaching may be taken either largely or strictly largely for any declaration of the truths of God as occasion and opportunity shall serve or strictly for a Ministerial Preaching by way of Office The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though it be most commonly used of such who preach by way of Office and among the Heathens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is an Officer yet in the Scripture it is sometimes taken more largely as Revel 5.2 An Angel is there described 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 crying with a great voice but more particularly I observe it once and but once used of a private Christian manifesting Christ and his actions Luk. 8.39 The man out of whom Christ had cast devils is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to publish throughout the whole City what Christ had done for him It was a great controversie not long since Whether reading was preaching Many to excuse their ignorance and laziness did maintain reading of the Scripture was preaching Now to this it is answered That if Preaching be taken largely for any declaration or publishing of the Word of God no doubt but it is preaching but yet it is not that ministerial preaching which is enjoyned the Officers of the Church To preach in season and out of season to divide the word of God and that with such faithfulness and ability that the Apostle crieth out Who is sufficient for these things This was more then to reade the Scripture If therefore preaching be taken largely for a publishing of Christ occasionally to others no doubt many ought to preach in that sense Thus the woman of Samaria published Christ to her neighbours and Andrew called his brother Philip before they were put into the Apostolical Office So many private men have writ learned Tractates for the defence of the Christian Religion and some of great learning have made Annotations upon the Scriptures though some of them have delivered much corruption Yea amongst those that are private not invested with the publick Office we are to make a great distinction Some are meerly private some are by education and abilities in order to the publique Now such may publickly preach either by way of trial or else by the approbation of those that can judge and ought so to do Act. 13.15 we reade there The Rulers of the Synagogue called unto Paul if they had a word of Exhortation to speak to them Suppose they did not look upon Paul and his company as Officers yet this proveth no more then that private men by the approbation of those that rule in the Church may occasionally preach And this we reade in Antiquity That Pantenus and Origen did catechetically preach the Doctrine of our Christian faith before ordained into the Office of the Ministry The Question is not about such no nor of private men if doctrinally and practically qualified by Church Officers would submit themselves to trial and so be authorized to do what they do That is another matter to the Question in hand 2. That which we call the Vocation or Authorizing of one to the Office of the Ministry consists in these things 1. An inward Qualification of the person with such gifts as God requireth and they are reduced by Paul to two heads they are Doctrinal for his learning that he be apt to teach that he can divide the word of God aright c. as a workman that needeth not to be ashamed that he be able to convince gain-sayers These gifts require Learning and Knowledge So that a gift to pray well or to speak about plain doctrinal things in Religion though with much affection and zeal is not the whole Ministerial gift for the Apostle requireth more viz. such sound knowledge in matters controverted that he may be able to convince gain-sayers And The second Qualification is for his life that it be holy and unblameable Therefore the sinne of a Minister is greater then another mans by reason of his Office Hence the same Sacrifice was appointed for the Priests sinne as was for the sinne of the whole Congregation Levit. 4. To this qualification some had an inward promptitude and readiness of heart with an holy zeal being moved by God to this work Now although this may be granted in some yet the Apostle requireth it not as a necessary qualification yea it 's the duty of some to be called to the Ministry who through their modesty or fear flie from it as much as they can Thus Moses refused the Office he was called unto insomuch that the anger of God is said to be kindled against him Exod. 4.14 And Jeremy out of the sensible apprehension of his weaknesse Jer. 1.6 did refuse that prophetical Office till God did encourage him and in Antiquity there was a Canon made against those that should any wayes mutilate themselves by deforming their noses or ears that
every degree thereof is from the grace of God Therefore he that praied help my unbelief Mar. 9.24 argued that he could not have one degree of faith by his own power only Christ must bestow it on him 2. As sanctifying grace is very differently given to beleevers so those common gifts which are for service Christ giveth them in much variety Eph. 4. That all these gifts are the fruit of Christs death is plain and therefore the Spirit of God is given by Christ to his Church upon his Ascension Now 1 Cor. 12. The Apostle doth there excellently shew that though there be diversity of operations yet there is still but one spirit and the Scripture much delights in the similitude of a body where there is diversity of members with their peculiar operations and it 's hard for beleevers to be content with these various Administrations Every member would be an Eye Though Christ died equally for all yet he did not give gifts and offices alike to all This variety of gifts is represented by the Kings Daughter whose cloathing was of needle work and it should not tend to envy or division but to mutuall profiting and helping of one another 3 The means of grace are likewise differently administred For although Christ died alike for all beleevers yet the means of bringing them home are not alike Some live under more powerfull means then others Some have not the Spurs and encouragement that others have to that which is holy Again some live in clearer and more evidencing times of Gods grace then others all those that lived before Christs time are said to be in the dark in comparison of the Light that did arise by Christ Many Kings and Righteous persons desired to see what the Apostles did but could not But though all have not the like means yet there is not any one godly man though in never such remote and dark corners but the converting grace of God will finde him out and therefore that is not a sufficient reason which some pleading for Christs death universall for all when urged by this argument That if Christ died for all why then have not all the means of grace why is not the Gospel preached to every one if Christ died for every one They answer thus That even those who hold Christ died for all beleevers yet grant that all beleevers have not the same means of grace to some the Kingdom of heaven draweth nigh more manifestly and evidently then to others But this as I finde is insufficient because though the means of grace to one beleever may be more then another in respect of measure and degrees of Light yet not of efficacy That little means they have is blessed by God to be as effectuall as the most eminent and glorious means whereas by their opinion Christ is supposed to die for such who yet never were sanctified by any means whether more or lesse they did enjoy 4. Their temptatious either inward or outward are greatly different Every godly man hath no◠the buffetings of Satan as Paul had neither are all Martyrs Obadiah could live quietly in Ahabs Court when at the same time Eliah was pursued to death Rev. 10. The devil shall cast some of you into prison But some only yet in these different administrations all beleevers may take the same essential comfort and look to the same substantiall happinesse you must know also that none may nourish themselves in their weaknesses for those that grow and are more strong they have many priviledges which the weak attain not to As 1. The growing Christian shall grow more he that hath it shall be still added to him 2. The strong Christian doth in Gods ordinary way attain to more solid assurance and perswasion of Gods love Therefore 1 Pet. 1. by adding one grace to another they make their calling and election sure 3. God makes peculiar promises to such that do overcome and that do continue stedfast Rev. 2. They shall have the white stone they shall be made pillars in the Church of God 4. They are more serviceable to God The more grace the more improvement for God Others they blesse God for them Many are reformed and comforted thereby Lastly Their glory shall be greater in heaven Though some make the condition of all Saints alike in heaven yet it is more consonant to Scripture to affirm degrees of glory as there have been degrees of grace Vse of Instruction That the lowest Christian in Christs School is not to be discouraged Though never so blinde and blockish as thou art yet remember Christ is a Mediatour for such as are given to him and though some exceed others in grace yet all have the same Christ As though some men have better eyes then others yet all have the same Sun the poor as well as the rich the diseased as well as the sound SERMON CV Of Christs Love and Care of every one of his before they had a being JOHN 17.20 But for them also who shall believe in me through their word WE have heard our Saviour doth in this verse passe from the Apostles to all believers and it is Transitio perfecta as Rhetoricians call it for he mentioneth them he prayed for and so proceeds to others We are in order come to the object of this enlarged prayer and therein is considerable the circumstance of time who shall believe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as before and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It 's true some Copies which Grotius also followeth reade it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the present tense for those that do believe yet because it is most universally received in the future tense and our Bibles go that way I do adhere unto that onely here is the doubt which Austin also of old made why he prayeth onely for them who shall believe for there were many at that time besides the Apostles as Nathanael Joseph of Arimathea the godly Maries and others who did believe were they then excluded from Christs prayer Some answer though they did believe at that time yet because after Christs Resurrection their faith was more clear and explicit therefore they may be comprehended in the future tense their former faith not being worthy the name of faith respectively to that they obtained afterwards But the more genuine answer seemeth to be that by the future tense is included the present tense also it being ordinary in Scripture to expresse a thing that hath a permanent duration by the future tense not excluding the present but denoting the constant succession in 1 Tim. 1.16 Therefore I obtained mercy that in me first Jesus might shew his long-suffering for the instruction of those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who should believe in time to come That Doctrine of Christs long-sufferance was demonstrated to those that believed at that time in a more remarkable manner
Apostles doctrine Let us sin that grace may abound Rom. 6.1 And thus the Papists deal with us and Lutherans also how often do they charge this hideous calumny and consequence upon the Protestants doctrine as if we made God the authour of sin whereas we use but the Scripture words and such expressions no nor such harsh ones neither as some of their own Popish Writers do only it's truth in them but blasphemy in us Indeed what is the evident and plain Consequence of a Doctrine that is to be accounted of as the doctrine it self As whatsoever is a clear genuine consequence from Scripture is Scripture but not every consequence We are apt to deduce Thus it is here what is evidently a consequence from any Doctrine we may charge it upon the doctrine but then we must be sure it 's the proper and natural childe not a bastard that it is the true issue not suppositions 3. Whatsoever truth God may have indeed made known to us or if in our perswasion only we are to be very careful how we publish it This hath been constant fire in the Church of God when men either have or in perswasion only some doctrine different from the current way of the Church at that time Now it 's a very hard thing thus to be with childe as it were and not to be full of pain till we have delivered it to the world Why is an obstinate broacher of damnable doctrines called an heretitk but because he chooseth his own way He invents and excogitates a doctrine of his own therefore compared to theeves and robbers that go not in by the door but climbe up some other way Now such qualifications as these are necessary 1. To question and examine thy own spirit not presently to believe thy own heart This is a firebrand in the Church when men have no modest doubtings and questionings of their own ignorance and pronesse to erre even in that thing they are so confident of how modestly doth the Apostle Paul speak 1 Cor. 7. when he determined the case about marriage I think also I have the Spirit of God and he distinguisheth between that which he had as an expresse command from the Lord and what he was inwardly directed unto wheresoever the Spirit of God leadeth into all truth there he doth likewise into all humility Thus Luthers Tunè solus sapis es is famously known though the Papists charge him falsly with contempt of all others 2. Before we publish it to the world to communicate our thoughts to those that are able wise and learned in the Church of God who have the Spirit of God and his Vnction as well as we Paul though called immediately by Christ yet went up to Jerusalem to confer with the chief pillars there and though he was thus miraculously converted yet he must go to Ananias to be further directed 1 Cor. 14.14 those that had extraordinary gifts yet were to submit themselves to others The Spirit of the Prophets is subject to the Prophets which is interpreted two waies and both pertinently to my matter 1. If the meaning be The spirit of the Prophets is subject to other Prophets they have power to judge the doctrine we publish then it will much more follow that what we have in an ordinary way is exposed to the examen of others 2. If by it we understand it thus there is no Prophet having the Spirit of God moving in them that is so extraordinarily wrought upon but he may retain those motions and vent them in an orderly way not to speak while others are speaking which seemeth to be the scope of the Apostle in that place This is very pertinent to my matter that no man can have such revelations and impulses from Gods Spirit but that he is in a divine method and good order to declare them for the unseasonable publishing of some things is like good Physick but not administred in its fit season Lastly To keep up the unity of faith this is a special means when we do highly prize and delight in the known plain truths of Christ Paul that was snatched up in the third Heavens yet desired to know nothing but Christ crucified Peter thought it not inconvenient to write the same things they knew already Certainly nothing hath more rent and torn the Church of God then affectation of singular high things To bring in some unheard and unknown Truths Oh this is the pride of mens hearts to have it said Such a man was the first that brought that nation into the world as the Jesuite of his scientia media Ego primus inveni But to be weary of the known truth is in effect to be weary of the same God the same Christ Why do we not desire a new Sun a new Earth a new world as well In the second place What will keep up unity in the Churches order and prevent Schism there For although the Scripture use the word schism in a large sence yet Ecclesiastically it is restrained to the breach of order in the Church and that hath often been when they have kept the unity of the Doctrine They did not divide from the doctrine but communion in Church-ordinances Now to keep up an intire body in this Consider 1. That if such be the corruption of the Church that thou canst not keep fellowship with her but by partaking of her sins Then before thou leavest that place take the way the Scripture commands Be sure that it be not for some lesse corruption but that which doth eat up the very vitals of Religion Do not thou leave it till God leaveth it Do not thou unchurch it till God doth 2. Let thy endeavours be in thy place to inform and heal before thou dost depart Pleade and strive with thy mother as Hos 2. because she hath committed whoredomes And then Lastly Let thy secession be unwillingly Thou art compelled to make this departure because the Enemies of all godlinesse will not suffer thee or endure thee under their power These things observed then thou art not guilty of any schism or breach but those that gave the occasion to it When those of the people of Israel would not joyn with Jeroboam in his Idolatry but separated themselves and went to Jerusalem where the pure worship was They did not make a schism but Jeroboam 2 Chro. 11.13 14 15. Thus it is with the reformed Churches The Papist cals the Protestant a thousand times over a Schismatick because he withdraweth himself from Obedience to the Pope as Head of the Church but we say ours was not a schism but a secession They were Schismaticks in falling from the primitive order and institutions in the Church insomuch that the Pope is the grandest Schismatick that ever was in the Church and further we departed not from Rome because of petty corruptions no she was a Babylon ere we left her and then we left her unwillingly They drave us out persecuting with fire and fagot so
after that heavenly unity to have it with the Church here in grace as it shall be with the Church hereafter in glory And certainly if this were not accomplished in Heaven then there would not be all tears wiped away nor would the reproach of Jerusalem cease Thus you have heard what it is that makes this unity of believers consummate and perfect Now let us consider What is the cause of this and that we shall finde to be no humane strength or outward wisdome and policy but the lively communication of grace inabling thereunto by Christ himself Though the Papist pleades That the acknowledgement of one visible Head in the Church is the onely means to preserve unity yet experience sheweth the falsenesse of it The divisions and breaches of the godly like those of Reuben have made sad workings of heart and many have come running in with their water to quench this fire Several Antidotes have been prescribed against this corruption but yet when all is done It 's the onely power of Jesus Christ as Head of his Church that workes this sweet Harmony It 's true indeed many rules and pacificall means are commended by wise and godly men to make an unity but these work onely morally and swasorily that which doth as it were physically and really worke it is the Lord Christ himselfe as the fountain of this unity And the reason is because this unity among believers is not onely externall but internall and spirituall Now no man can worke this unity in the hearts of the godly any more then he can worke purity and holinesse Therefore we see in the Text That because Christ is in us and the Father in Christ therefore are the godly perfected in one so that it requireth a Divine Supernaturall power to make the godly at heavenly accord even as it doth to make them godly Hence it is that in this prayer Christ commendeth it to God to work it as being beyond all humane power to effect it Now Christs being in a believer is a cause of these things in reference to their unity First He is thereby a cause of the Vnity it self For we told you This unity though externall yet is chiefly spirituall and internall viz. The harmonious knitting and joyning of all the Members of Christ together in him their Head Now this being wholly spirituall none can effect it but God alone for naturally we are dis-joyned from God and full of contrariety to him Therefore to be made a member of Christ and implanted into him cannot be by any other but the Spirit of God As those dry bones in Ezekiel could not of themselves gather together nor can a Cyen graft it self into a stock Thus it is here till the Spirit of God joyne us to Christ we are enemies and adversaries unto him That power therefore which gives grace that onely unites As in the naturall body the same cause which makes a member makes it also a united member Insomuch that in all the fractions and divisions we see amongst the godly we ought to have our eyes up more to God to consider that power which makes them holy must unite them and indeed to make them gracious and holy is the greater work yea unity would flow by a necessary resultancy from our membership in Christ but that still our corruptions are too strong and apt to disturb all Secondly Christs being in us is not onely the cause of our Vnity but also of the harmonious sutable proportion to each other We have an admirable description of this harmonious sutablenesse in the unity of Christs body Colos 2.19 Ephes 4.15 16. For the first It 's a Text full of rich and glorious matter and to understand it consider What it is that the Apostle makes the cause why those false Teachers did advance the worship of Angels introduce humane traditions and all to set up other means and wayes of Justification then the Scripture hath appointed It is saith he because they hold not the Head So that every Christian in the matter of all spirituall concernments is still to look up to Christ as the Head and not to let him goe and this he amplifieth from a two-fold precious effect of this Head The first respects the union of beleevers to Christ and so the body is said by joynts to receive nourishment that as the body hath it's nourishment suppeditated by those natural helpes so hath every Christian from Christ Now the joynt that suppeditates these spirituall helps is chiefly the Spirit of God So Romans 8.9 If any man have net the Spirit of Christ he is none of his So that as that is not a member truely united to the Head which is not informed with the same forme the Head is so neither is that Christian really united to Christ which wants the Spirit of Christ Now the Spirit of Christ is here said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To administer nourishment The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly signifie to supply all those ornaments which were necessary to such as kept their sacred dancings and festivities but here it signifieth the supply of those things that are necessary for our spirituall end and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 added amplifieth it denoting the full plentifull and abundant supply it giveth So that you see it 's Christs Spirit not ours which doth thus inable us The second benefit flowing from Christ our Head is of the Members themselves They by bands are knit together Now the band here is chiefly also the Spirit of God though gifts and graces doe ordinarily unite So the Apostle 1 Cor. 12.13 For we all by one Spirit are baptized into one body So that the Spirit of God which is in Christ doth also work in all beleevers inflaming and exciting to such graces whereby they have intimate communion one with another Now from these two benefits conjoyned we have the admirable fruit thereof that the body groweth with the increase of God The spirituall growth of Christians as in the body is called The increase of God partly because God onely is the efficient and cause of it partly formally because the nature of this increase is divine and heavenly partly finally because it is to the glory and honour of God So that by all this we see Every true member of Christ is a thriving and growing member and that harmoniously according to it's respective nature and all this comes wholly by the Spirit of Christ so that an unity in the harmonious increase of it depends solely upon him By this Explication the other fore-mentioned Text may also be discovered Lastly Christs being in us is the cause of the perpetuity and constancy of that Vnity the godly have This Union in Christs body can never be dissolved As the Personall Union of Christ could never be divided so neither the mysticall Therefore our sound Divines doe well from Christs in-dwelling in us propugne and assert the perseverance of the Saints Vse of Instruction
things It 's my Father in heaven that giveth life and motion to every thing and therefore I need not be afraid Know then that all those gnawing worms of unbelief and fears upon thee whereby thou makest thy self an hell to thy self they come from want of this consideration 5. This Relation if rightly considered will put us upon holinesse and an earnest endeavour to resemble and to be like him A good childe loveth to imitate and conform to all those lovely perfections that are in his Father his endeavour is that in him his Father may live even while he is dead Now the Scripture sets forth Gods holinesse as our Copy to write after Be ye holy as I am holy and that ye may be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect Matth. 5.48 and He that hath this hope viz. to be a Sonne of God purifieth himself even as God is pure Oh then let those vile and leprous sinners stand aloof off They call God Father where is thy Image or likenesse of him upon thee Art thou pure as he is pure holy as he is holy Is thy will conformable to his will To love and delight in those things that God loveth and commands The Scripture telleth us the godly are born of God that his Image is restored in them That they are partakers of the divine nature Now let every one see upon what grounds he cals God Father Is it not a meer lye and mockery Dost thou not delude thy own self If God be thy Father wherein art thou like him Art thou holy as he is pure as he is Certainly even in the godly this should raise up their spirits to higher exercise of holinesse They should consider who is their Father It is for them to shew better breeding then to be proud passionate earthly and carnall They are to be as Ignatius was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Those that bear God about with them you may see the resemblance of God in their lives So then this Title and relation doth not only vouchsafe comfort but engage to much duty None should be so cheerful and yet so holy and pure as they are 6. This Relation of a Father will put us upon zeal for his glory and honour a desire to exalt and set him up every where an holy impatiency to have his Name blasphemed and his commands broken What childe can endure to hear his Father spoken against to have his name defamed You see in Christ himself the zeal of his Fathers house did eat him up he could not endure to see the corruption and defilement of his Fathers worship and thus it is with the Children of God his honour is dear unto them To see and hear the wickednesse and prophanenesse of others torments his righteous soul This is against my Father I have no patience when you thus dishonour my Father Oh this is an excellent signe you look upon God as your Father when you are thus affected for his glory for his truth and worship It 's a known story of that dumb Sonne that never spake before yet when he saw one going to kill his Father cried out and forbad it Thou that feelest no anger or grief within thee when God is dishonoured doe thou doubt of thy childe-like disposition Lastly The Meditation of God as a Father may wonderfully support under all afflictions They are the corrections of a Father not the punishments of a Judge and the Apostle argueth the great reasonablenesse of bearing Gods afflictions seeing we endure the chastisement of our Fathers according to the flesh Heb. 12.9 10. where the Apostle shews that a good childe though chastened by his Father giveth reverence to him why then should not we rather obey God who is the Father of spirits and that from the end of God he afflicts for our profit and we live by these chastisements Hence it 's the devils great temptation to imbitter this cup of affliction as much as he can To let them think God is not their Father and if he were a Father he would never lay such a load upon them and all this to stirre up impatience and discontent within them Thus you see what mighty effects this consideration of God as a Father should produce in us In the next place consider Why this doth so prevail with God And 1. Because it 's not a bare Title but accompanied with the reall love and bowels of a Father God is not only called so but is indeed a Father yea a Father above all earthly Fathers yea or mothers too he takes more tendernesse upon him then they can have Isa 49.15 when Zion sadly complained The Lord had forsaken her he tels her Though a woman should forget her sucking childe yet he would not So then love is infinitely in God his kindenesse is like himself beyond all thoughts and expressions and if among men it be so unnaturall for a Father not to love his childe can we think God will not love his He that hath commanded us to love our enemies and to forgive them seventy times seven in a day will not he pardon his Children Children are part of the Father and therefore God visiteth the sinnes of Fathers sometimes upon their Children because they are as one with the Father and Christ praieth that the godly and his Father may be one 2. It 's for the glory and honour of God to hear them when they pray What priviledges and mercies children have tends to the honour of a Father Doth it not disgrace a Father when he is able and yet letteth his Children be almost famished and be contemned in filthy rags Oh we say he doth not go like such an ones Sonne it 's a disgrace to his Father so it is here should not the people of God be holy comfortable heavenly and accepted of this would be as if God did not own them Vse of Instruction Concerning the happy estate of the godly and the contrary of the wicked That which is a comforting fire to one is a consuming fire to the other The godly have alwaies the Scepter held out to them They may go to God as a Father and are sure to be heard either ad voluntatem or ad sanitatem They may say O Lord if I did come to thee as an angry Judge if I did draw nigh to thee as one provoked as one whose sins made a division between me and thee then I might be sent comfortlesse away but I come to thee as a Father a relation thou art not ashamed off and which thou wilt fullfill though as yet the glory of God is not fully manifested but as for the wicked what a thunderbolt is this to them God is not their Father Though they may call him so a thousand times over yet he is not he is thy enemy thy adversary what good things thou hast cometh from him as the governour of the world not as a Father SERMON IV. Of Gods appointing an hour a set time
all honour and glory shall be given by the Saints in heaven to all Eternity to the Sonne only it shall be to him as the meritorious and procuring cause whereby we are brought to enjoy the Father Having thus considered Christs intentions in all his works that the Sun cannot be free◠from spots then his holy will was from all oblique and sinister respects Let us consider man who being a meer creature having all both in being and continuation from God as the beams from the Sun and the streams from the Fountain it lieth as unavoidable upon him to be affected more with Gods glory then his own good This is a very hard task to flesh and bloud but self-love and de-ordination of the faculties of the soul hath made it thus difficult Now we may divide the good of a godly man into two sorts Either that in heaven his treasure laid up there in the upper Region Or all the good he can have in this life in the lower Region And of both these we commit a kinde of horrible Idolatry when we desire them upon any other terms then in tendency to God If it be so great a sinne to alter the bounds and change the Land-marks which the Laws of a Nation have set how much more to break that good and excellent order which God hath appointed between him and the creature Let us consider the first kinde of a godly mans good his eternall felicity and salvation even this glory he is to desire in subordination to Gods glory For if Paul could make a conditionate wish and veleity that he might be accursed from Christ Rom. 9.3 to serve his brethren how much rather might this be done for the glory of God yet take heed of a mistake here some have gone so farre as to say that a godly man is never truly humbled till he can be willing to be damned for Gods glory and that it 's unlawful to look at the reward in heaven This is dangerous as well as false for it 's not lawfull but a duty to seek our salvation Rom. 2.7 To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for honour and glory and Moses is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to have a fixed earnest eye upon the reward Heb. 11.26 So that it 's a Speech full of vanity and no man can speak it truly that he is willing to be damned for Gods glory for such a thing cannot be and our salvation we are bound to desire so that we must take heed lest by overmuch wringing a good truth we make bloud come out instead of milk yet though this be so it 's no contradiction to say that a godly man hath such an holy principle within him that would carry him out to the obedience of God though there were no heaven and that the glory and honour of God is his principal end that it 's dearer to him then his own soul and truly if we see in nature God hath so ordered it that every particular denieth it self to preserve the universall The water will ascend upwards that there may not be a vacuum and the particular orbes are carried about against their own motion according to the power of the first mobile how much more must this hold in man and God all his life comforts and happinesse it self is to give place for Gods honour and glory Let God be glorified and ruat mundus but I shall not insist on this Let us descend to those particular good things we have in this world riches honour greatnesse and parts We shall see it 's the greatest reason in the world that we should not desire these things to advance our selves to satisfie our appetites but only thereby to glorifie God but who doth this yea who is able to bear this truth to take this yoke till a renewed nature hath made it easie And therefore let us first consider the causes procreant or principles constituant of such a gracious disposition as to be able to say O Lord I begge for health for a good name for outward comforts in this world but it 's not for my own sake so much that I do this as that hereby I might glorifie thee And 1. He must necessarily be born again or from above he must be partaker of a divine nature that can ascend thus high He that is of the earth is earthy he that is of heaven is heavenly Till a man have the Image of God and be made like him he cannot but minde earthly things When men are made godly you cannot say O Curoae in terras animae No then their souls as well as their bodies are made streight up towards heaven A worm can never do as the Lark soar up on high singing as she goeth but when descending towards the earth silent as if she were grieved Till then God hath made us new creatures given us new hearts and a new spirit within us we cannot desire these worldly comforts for any other end but our selves To be rich to be great to be wise only for our selves 2. There must be great love to God that can make us relate all things to him Jacobs great love made him do every thing to obtain Rachell and so a strong love to God will make us sacrifice all to him insomuch that our love is of so great an operation that God in a speciall manner commands that for himself and that not a meer love but love with all the heart and might Mat. 22.37 Nothing is to be left out love is fire and where that is it will burn separat heterogenea it divides all heterogeneous matter if riches if honors if friends oppose this it trampleth on them all and for this reason it is that our Saviour saith If a man hate not Father and Mother he is not worthy of me Luk. 14 20. so that the love of God is not kindled in mens hearts if it were as fire assimilateth all things into it self so would this love make us referre all things to him whom our souls love Thus David Whom have I in heaven but thee and Paul the love of Christ constraineth me 2 Cor. 5. Oh that we had the experience of this more Dost thou not see what the love of money puts the worldly man upon What the love of pleasures puts the voluptuous man upon They doe all things in reference to such corrupt ends Thus where there is an heavenly love that makes use of every thing to glorifie God that studieth and meditateth how may I advance and set up the honour of God by these things This love would quickly put out all carnall and worldly love as the beams of the Sun will put out the materiall fire 3. Mortified affections to every thing here below when we can perform the Apostles commands To buy as we bought not to weep as if we wept not 1 Co. 7. This duty of mortification the Scripture often speaketh of as a
there any one sinne any passion or lust that is apt to prevail over them to captivate them here also they may have strong confidence in praier saying O Lord how unseemly is such a member to so glorious a head such an ulcerous noisome part to such an eminent head if not out of love to me yet for thy own honour cure me What head is there that would suffer a leprous noisome part in the body if it could help it Again Do the godly say they cannot perform their relative graces their general calling they are able to discharge comfortably but as a Minister as a Husband as a Wife herein they fail O the weaknesse and imperfections there Consider this head gives nourishment to every part sutably The hand hath a nourishment of the hand the eye of the eye and thus there is in Christ a particular sutable ability for thy proper wants And if you are not enabled in these things it 's not because there is not fulnesse enough in Christ but thy faith is weak There is Oil enough but thou hast no cruse Lastly If the meannesse and lownesse of thy condition trouble thee saying though Christ the head may communicate to such worthy and eminent Christians they are enabled to doe him great service yet will he look on such a dead dog as I am If thou art but the foot the lowest part in the body yet the head mindes that and procureth its welfare as well as other parts so that this very consideration is a Catholicon It 's a Remedy against every Disease 3. This relation of a Head implieth a near Vnion and Conjunction What can be nearer then the head and the body yet such a communion and conjunction there is between Christ and the godly and this very consideration proveth the perseverance of the godly Shall Christ lose one member of his body totally and suffer it to be damned in hell Oh the comfortable and hopeful thoughts the children of God should have from this relation from Wife from Husband though they be bone of thy bone and flesh of thy flesh thou must part but not from Christ This Union with Christ is the foundation of all our comfort and hope against Apostacy Again because of this conjunction we may expect protection and provision even in outward things Doth not the Apostle say No man yet ever hated his own flesh but cherished it Eph. 5.29 Shall Christ then the head forget thee Shall he withhold his eâ—e from his own flesh Will the head suffer the foot to starve Certainly this consideration should wonderfully support against all discouragements and necessities whatsoever Lastly Because of this conjunction Christ hath a sympathy and fâ—llow-feâ—ling with us What is done against the Saints on earth is also against Christ If one part suffers the head condoleth with it and for this end Christ endured those many temptations that he might know how to pity those that were in the same condition Heb 4.15 3. Christ is the head in respect of government and direction he is the King of Saints and the King of Nations You reade he had a Rod of Iron to bruise his enemies only this government though it be in the world yet it is not in a worldly manner The bâ—st and choicest part of it is in preparing and fitting those whom the Father hath given him to eternall life and to these his spiritual government is full of sweetness and full of power admirable in positive and preventing mercies It 's from this gracious government that nothing shall fall out either through the malice or policy of hell that shall be able to hinder them from their crown He is the strong one that hath conquered all the enmity against his people Oh what treasures of comfort are in this Thou art under Christs spiritual government and so all conditions all necessities all occurrences in the world they further thy spiritual good There is nothing can befall thee against his will Thus you see all his power summed up in this that he is the head I shall now spend the other part in practical Inferences for it 's a womb big with many such Conclusions As in the first place Hath Christ this power over all then let us take heed how we refuse him speaking or commanding If his goodnesse and mercy will not win you he hath power enough to awe you If not love let fear bring you in and that quickly lest it be too late The Apostle Heb. 10.17 aggravateth this that if they that despised Moses died without mercy of how much sorer judgement shall they be thought worthy who refuse Christ speaking Think ye saith the Apostle any one that hath reason may gather this that he shall die and be damned without mercy But where is Christ You will say how can we refuse him speaking The Apostle tels you Those that hear not his Ministers declaring his will they do not hear him Ye that live against the Scripture you whose lives are contrary to the Word you are enemies to Christ It 's not we that are refused but Christ by us As if an Embassadour be contemned it 's not he but the great Person that sends him whose Embassadour he is Well then we must lay this down for an undoubted Axiome Every man that liveth in the constant practise of his wickednesse he refuseth Christ who hath all this power Now let these Motives from his power terrifie thee 1. If it were but an earthly worldly power what fear what subjection will that put thee in Rom. 13. If thou do evil be afraid for he beareth not the sword in vain Oh then know much rather if thou do evil be afraid for Christ hath not this power in vain Dost thou fear a Prison and not hell Art thou afraid of losing thy outward estate and not thy soul and all happinesse Thou fearest earthly power but can that damn thee Can that throw body and soul into hell Ignosce O Imperator said one tu carcerem Deus gehennam minatur Well then for every prophane act of wickednesse for drunkennesse uncleannesse unjust dealing there is worse then any Legall fine or mulct Christ hath appointed everlasting torments for those moments of pleasures Be not then so bruitish and athiesticall as to think nothing grievous but what the Sword of the Magistrate can inflict and as for this eternal punishment thou dost not matter it 2. Let this make thee afraid to affront this power because it is his who will be thy Judge before whose Tribunall thou art sure to be arraigned This should be a piercing argument If this power were in him who had nothing to do with thee as a Malefactor in one Countrey feareth not the Magistrate in another Countrey because his power doth not reach to him he is none of his Subject But Christ hath an universal jurisdiction we must all appear whether we will or no and to give an account to him Now what can be more dreadfull
which relateth to eternity so that the first and the last thing thou hast to think on is how to come to this eternall life The Apostle useth an emphaticall word 1 Tim. 6.12 Lay hold on eternall life as a man that runneth in a race at the end thereof streacheth out himself to lay hold on the garland so that as he who runneth in a race neglects all the pleasant objects he runneth by and hath his eye only upon the prize Thus it ought to be with us neither riches honours friends or earthly advantages ought to be inordinately minded by us but eternall life that is the prize upon that our eye is to be after that we are to pray and strive But who may not blame himself and judge himself for neglect herein Oh how little is this eternall life in thy affections and hopes thy cares about thy body about thy estate will greatly condemn that sluggishness about eternall life 2. As this ought to be the great question we are to rise with and go to bed with so we must take the right way to answer it It 's not enough to make the question as Pilate did to Christ What truth was and never matter an answer but we are to be restlesse in our souls till we have a full answer till we know the way Now that we can only be instructed in from Gods Word John 6.68 Whither shall we go thou hast the words of eternall life The Scripture then is this Tree of Life the fruit thereof and the leaves likewise are for eternall healing Hence our Saviour in the next verse tels us what is the way to have this eternall life even by knowing of God and Jesus Christ As all the Heathens were in dark confused thoughts about immortallity so they were in Egyptian darknesse or like the blinde Sodomites groping and feeling for a way to it but could never get in Wouldst thou therefore be resolved in this How may I have this eternall life betake thy self then to the Scriptures make them thy counsellers do not attend to the waies of the world matter not what they say or what they do for that telleth thee the way to heaven is clean contrary to the manners and practises of the world If you do not rectifie your self by the Scripture and resolve to follow the light of this starre though you should hear many hundred Sermons of eternall life yet they would do you no good say then let me consider what way the Scripture would put me into my life I yet live is wholly repugnant to Gods Word whatsoever course that prescribeth though never so contrary to my lusts to my former practises yet I will gladly renounce all Do this and then expect eternall life 3. Consider this deeply that upon this little moment we have here depends all eternity Thou hast a short brittle life in this world and upon the good improvement of this depends all eternity Oh the searchings and turnings of heart this particular should make in you My everlasting condition that estate which is to be for ever and ever it wholly hangs upon this uncertain life It may be thou hast but a day an hour to live longer and all thy eternity depends on this Oh men foolish and unwise who will not lay these things more to heart God hath given us a candle to work by a short day we have to improve and if this passe over thy head then comes unchangeable eternity As at thy death thou art cast for eternall life or everlasting torments so it must be without ever any recovery or alteration Oh how precious should thy time be how dear should every day every hour be all this hath influence into eternity Well might the Apostle Ephes 5.16 command us to redeem the time Time is the most precious jewell in the world eternity depends on it and therefore wilt thou let thy lusts or wicked companions steal away this jewel that is more worth then all the world Oh let us so live every day every hour as those that say as I do now so will eternity be to me 4. Consider this that the most of men even called and injoying the means of grace shall misse of this eternall life What is a thunderbolt if this be not Luk. 13.24 There are few that enter into the strait gate and many are called but few chosen our Saviour used that apothegm more then once How formidable and dreadfull should these words many and few be unto us Many perish in the broad way few enter in the strait way What will make thee cast off presumption security and negligence if this do not The number of those who shall have this eternall life is very few a little flock they are comparatively to those many millions that are cast into everlasting flames Oh how long shall we hear these things and yet be void of all spirituall understanding If such an asseveration should be used concerning any temporall misery or calamity Many shall dye of the plague few shall escape Many shall be cut off by famine or the sword and a very few shall be preserved who would not fear lest he should be one of the many And yet in these things many are as idle having ears they hear not and hearts they understand not 5. Desire to have such thoughts and resolutions now as if thou wert already in eternity For if the damned in hell that see no escape from those everlasting flames were asked what they thought of their sinne how they loved it would they not make miserable howlings it 's that which hath undone us oh that is the sting that enters into the very bowels that 's the scorpion which pierceth to the very heart Oh we mad men and void of all understanding who though forewarned of this and threatned about it yet regarded nothing beleeved nothing but now oh now after millions of years in this tormented place we are as unlikely to come out as at the first Think you they are not then altered and changed do they not cry out of those bitter sinnes which were once so sweet Should God give them leave to be here again upon the earth would they not repent in sackcloth and ashes would they not day and night mourn after God and his forgivenesse Oh that every wicked man who findes pleasure and delight in his sinnes would think and say Do the damned in hell judge it so Do they feel sinne so sweet And thus also desire to have the same inlarged affections and delight in God as those glorified Saints in heaven have Dost thou finde thy heart worldly unruly distempered say Do those in eternall life rejoyce no more have they no more enlivened flames of zeal for God then I have Thus to judge as those who are in eternity would be an excellent spurre to all piety 6. Remember this likewise that it 's farre better thou hadst never been born then to misse of this eternall life
can grow out of this garden No gold sanctified that is not in this Temple 4. Though the true knowledge of God and Christ is to be had in the Church yet all true knowledge that is most plentiful and exact is not presently saving knowledge Therfore in the Text when eternal life is said to be in knowing of God and Christ that is with the due concomitants and genuine effects thereof when we so know as that it is an acknowledgement of the truth after godliness Tit. 1. This is good to be considered by those who have obtained some good measure of knowledge how apt are men to be puffed up by it They swell with this winde as those in antiquity that were called Gnosticks because of the knowledge they gloried in but this light may be and often is without any heat at all Their heads are better then their hearts or their hands so that they are a kinde of a spiritual Monster A mans head above but bruit beasts below look then that with thy knowledge there be also a good conscience and a godly life otherwise thy knowledge will serve but to make hell hotter for thee 5. Though all knowledge be not saving yet without knowledge there cannot be any salvation I speak not of Infants They come not within the ordinary way of Gods dispensation For the Apostle saith Faith cometh by hearing Rom. 10.17 Even as Aristotle saith Disciplina est ex auditu the Ear is the organ of Learning No knowledge no faith no faith no godlinesse and so no salvation Isa 23.11 They are a people of no understanding therefore he that made them will not save them As without this there cannot be any salvation so neither any true piety Psa 14.3 All the wickednesse of man is because he doth not understand or seek after God and Hos 4.1 The Land was full of swearing lying and killing because there was no knowledge of God in the Land Knowledge then is the eye of the soul the needle to draw in the thread and to neglect this is willfully to refuse the Salvation of God offered to them 6. Although this Knowledge be thus necessary yet how woful is the stupidity and ignorance of most people Who can take up Lamentations bitter enough Who hath bowels tender enough to pity those ignorant and sencelesse people that are every where who know nothing of God or Christ we use to pity poor blinde people that are not able to step one step without danger but oh the sad and miserable estate of those who have these blinde and darkened understandings Every step they take they stumble and fall If Paul Heb. 6. did so severely threaten those that were but in their first principles and were not carried on to perfection What danger remaineth for them who have not so much as attained to first principles who have not yet laid a Foundation yet this is the sad condition of many who though in the Land of Goshen have Egyptian darknesse upon their hearts Though baptized in the Name of Christ yet know nothing of God or Christ but are become like bruit beasts that perish 7. It 's not therefore enough for a man to beleeve as others beleeve or as the Church beleeveth without some personall or explicate knowledge of his own He doth not say It 's Eternal life to know that others know To beleeve that others beleeve but he that would have eternal life he himself must know the true God and Christ So that this doth palpably condemn that strange but politique doctrine maintained in the Church of Rome That the common people need no more faith then this to beleeve as the Church beleeveth Politique I call it for hereby they keep the people in a blinde obedience They receive any kinde of worship any kinde of doctrine without triall or comparing it by the Scripture and thus they commend darknesse because their deeds are evil But the Apostles Exhortation is to all private persons as well as others Prove all things 1 Thes 5.21 Beleeve not every spirit 1 Joh. 4.1 Let the Word of God dwell plentifully in you Col. 3.16 Indeed it cannot be denied but that God hath appointed Officers and Guides in the Church and the people are commanded to hear them and to submit to them but all this is to be understood as Paul saith Follow me even as I do Jesus Christ Phil. 3.17 We must take heed of extreme errours either to make the Ministry infallible or else to account of it as nothing at all No there is a peculiar promise of assistance and direction to thee in their work though not of infallibility but this by the way to commâ—nd ignorance to praise blinde obedience and devotion is to offer God a Sacrifice without eyes Do not then think I am a poor ignorant man I have no leisure to minde Religion to enquire after the principles thereof Let those that have learning minde such things What is this but to say It 's not for me to look to salvation It 's not for me to be saved It 's for Learned men and knowing men to goe to heaven not for such as I am certainly our voices are to sound like the Angels Trumpet at the day of judgement to awaken men out of their ignorance Men in the dark are usually afraid Oh then why shouldst not thou be afraid who art all over darknesse Eph. 5 8. as the Scripture cals thee There are too many whom this truth concerneth Now let us consider why some measure of knowledge about God and Christ is necessary to salvation And First In respect of the Object it self there are many duties God and Christ require of us which we are never able to perform without some knowledge of them I grant that as the Starres do differ in their glory and light so one man may farre exceed another in knowledge yea God doth not require so much of some as he doth of others such a degree of knowledge will God accept of in some which he will not in others so that according to the means and opportunities of knowledge more or lesse is required We grant also some may know more then they can expresse through some impediments or other but there is none can be saved who lay not in some measure a competent knowledge in Christianity because there are severall duties required which he that knoweth nothing of God cannot perform acceptably As 1. Every man that will be saved must worship the true God and not the false But without some knowledge this can never be Why is the first and second Commandement so plain to have no other God but him and to worship him in his way and that he is a jealous God in this matter like an Huâ—band whose jealousie is his rage against his adulterous Wife Why is all this but to shew that of all sinners an Idolater is sure to be excluded from the kingdom of heaven Now the ignorant man
plain by that of our Saviour If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them John 13.17 Therefore meer knowledge without doing is not happinesse And this we see the very Heathens could pitch upon that happinesse did not consist in a speculative knowledge but in virtuous actions Yea Aristotle observed that a prophane dissolute life did not corrupt speculative sciences as Geometry and the Mathematicks but it would immediately morall habits So then Knowledge with affections and good effects is that which leadeth to eternall life Hence wicked men are many times said not to know God because though they have never so much speculative understanding yet because by their lives and ungodly waies they dishonour him therefore they are said not to know him Now the concomitants or effects rather of this knowledge are of two sorts either internall in the heart or externall in our actions We will enumerate the first and then the later Saving knowledge hath this internall effect 1. That it makes a man have a firm and divine immoveable assent to Scripture-truths For if we should have all the knowledge of men and Angels yet believe nothing what advantage could it be to us There may be knowledge meerly apprehensive as those heathenish Writers Julian Porphyrius and others who argued and disputed against the Christian Religion in this they knew what it was else they could not have disputed against it but they did not believe it to be true The Pharisees that so much opposed Christ they knew the sense and meaning of this doctrine but did not believe it so that if knowledge be not accompanied with faith though we had the highest degree of it yet it would profit nothing Therefore Christians are not called knowing men so much as Believers that is their frequent title because the firm assent they give to Gods truth is that which is most available to salvation Enquire then after thy faith men of great knowledge are many times great Atheists or Scepticks they can say as much for one way of Religion as for another and hereupon are alwaies wavering and doubting but have no determinate fixing of the heart upon God yea Aquinas observeth that a knowing man hath more temptations against his faith then one more simple It 's well then when with thy knowledge thy faith is also firm and stedfast 2. Then is thy knowledge saving when the main and noble act of the will doth presently follow which is to choose and take God for our chiefest good and to imbrace the goodnesse of all those things we know for the devils they have knowledge enough called therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because of their exceeding great knowledge yet they are most maliciously opposite to God because by their wils they do not choose and imbrace that which is good The two main pillars of the soul or the chief faculties thereof are the understanding and the will The object of the understanding is truth of the will is good Now the understanding is to be like a torch or starre to guide the will and whatsoever the minde discovers to be true and good that the will is readily to receive so that then our knowledge doth attain it's proper perfection when it prevaileth upon the will and moveth that the understanding is the counsellour the will is the Queen if that then be moved to choose the good discovered then hath the understanding obtained its end See then how it is with thee thou knowest God and Christ but how as the chiefest good as to be chosen above any worldly excellency and therefore thy will cleaveth fully to them this is rightly to know While something is done upon the will till that be bowed and changed the strongest hold stands out against God Oh then pray and again pray that thy knowledge may so farre prevail on thy will that it shall renounce all other things to adhere to God only 3. This knowledge of God must draw out those eminent affections of love joy delight and fear of God You see God in the Scripture is made the proper object of all these affections as if we had them for nothing but God our love that God will have all Thou shalt love him with all the heart and so for our fear that is often required Sanctifie the Lord God and let him be thy dread and we are often commanded to rejoyce in the Lord So then seeing God is the proper object of these affections and we may not place them any where but on him and things relating thereunto it behoveth us to see whether our knowledge do thus kindle and inflame us after God or no. Certainly it 's the greatest reason that our knowledge should have such Divine operations for if we know God as he is revealed in his word he is there discovered to be so great so glorious full of all goodnesse that we cannot but give him the superiority in all things 4. Another inward effect must be a melting sorrowfull and grieved heart that we have provoked God by our sinnes For who can but grieve and lament his folly when he knoweth how great and terrible a God he hath provoked Thus Manasseh after his great troubles and afflictions laid upon him when he had prayed mourned and humbled himself it 's said Then Manasseh knew that God was the Lord Then he knew not before 2 Chron. 33.13 A man then truly comes to know God when through the apprehension of his Majesty and glorious power he abhorreth himself is afflicted because of his rebellions As you see when Job had a further discovery of Gods greatnesse how greatly he debased himself 5. A genuine and proper effect of the knowledge of God and Christ is trust and dependance upon them This is so great a matter that it 's called the just mans life The just shall live by faith Heb. 2.4 Now this grace of trust or dependance is branched into two parts First A trust on God for his protection care and providence over us This is the trust David doth so often speak of in his Psalms and the Prophet makes him accursed that makes not God his trust Jer. 17. The rich man trusts in his riches the idolater in his Idols the great man in his power but all these set up another God besides the true God They that truly know God viz. that he is the Lord of hoasts that he is the principall efficient and all creatures are but instruments depending on him both quoad esse and operari will quickly see it a sacrilegious and idololatricall sinne to trust in any but the true God Psal 9.10 They that know thy Name will trust in thee All our unbelief diffidence and distrust all distracting cares about these things below argue our want of knowledge of God Therefore Mat. 5. when our Saviour forbids these dividing cares he saith All these do the Gentiles seek after they that know not Gods power and his goodnesse they are solicitous sinfully about
darknesse and light are all one to him Oh this is a precious and necessary effect of the knowledge of God when it makes a man cry out with Joseph though in the most secret temptation How can I do this and sinne against God Gen. 39.21 Those wicked men incouraged themselves in their wickednesse by this Doth the Lord see and is there knowledge in the most high Psal 73.11 And on the contrary he that truly knoweth God dareth not be wanton unjust dishonest because the eye of God is upon him wheresoever he is David is much affected with this omnipotence and omniscience of God Psal 139.2 4. Thou knowest my downsitting and uprising yea every thought thou knowest afarre off How could there be such works of darknesse such sinnes committed in secret that are not fit to be named but because men do not know God in a right and true manner By this we see there is little true knowledge of God in most towns most families because men live not as sensible of the just and revengefull eye of God beholding them alwaies 4. Where there is a saving knowledge of God there is a good and holy use made of all afflictions and miseries that fall upon them They know they are strokes from God and they come because of sinne that their end is to humble â—s and debase us under the hand of God and thus all the godly have done They have looked up to God and considered not so much the blow as the hand that gave it so Job The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away Job 1.21 not the Sabeans not the devil but the Lord but men that are ignorant of God they discover it in nothing more then in their afflictions they look only at second causes they minde only the help of inferiour instruments they fret they rage they are discontented and thus they think not of God nor their sinnes that have procured these Consider thy self therefore under any exercises and afflictions Is thy heart presently thinking of God dost thou search and enquire into the cause what sinnes of mine have thus offended God have deprived me of my good things I enjoyed this is in a saving way to know him Wo be to that man who like Ezechiel's pot hath boiled in the fire of affliction but his scum hath not gone off 5. A true knowledge of God and Christ will make a man readily suffer and lose all when it 's required and if at any time we are unwilling we love our wealth our life better it 's because we know not the excellency of Gods glory and what an unspeakable reward is laid up for those that deny themselves for him 2 Cor. 4. This made the Apostle say We account these light afflictions not comparable to the eternall weight of glory What made Moses choose the afflictions and reproaches of Christ Heb. 11. rather then the treasures of Egypt it was because by faith he saw him that was invisible The Martyrs were no fools though their enemies judged them so for they knew how great that God was whom they feared how able to reward them infinitely above their sufferings and therefore their greatest wisdom was to lose their lives that so they might save them It 's ignorance of God and Christ that makes us unwilling to bear the crosse he requireth of us In the next place let 's consider the ground why knowledge if not thus accompanied is ineffectuall And first Because knowledge in it self is only a perfection in the understanding and seeing that the whole heart is fully corrupted it must be universally healed else there cannot be any salvation I pray God ye be sanctified throughout in spirit soul and body 1 Thess 5.23 Yea this knowledge is but a morall perfection not a gracious As we see in the devils who have great abilities in their understanding And hence it is that a man may be very knowing and yet very vicious because this doth only dispell ignorance from the minde it doth not sanctifie the heart and affections to love and delight in what is good Knowledge is requisite to bring in grace yet knowledge meerly is not grace So that howsoever it be a necessary duty to get knowledge yet when that is obtained there is a greater work behinde in the cleansing and purifying of the heart Praevolat intellectus sed tardus sequitur affectus with the eye we may discern many miles off in a moment but our feet cannot so quickly go thither 2. Knowledge must have practise following because doing is the end and accomplishment of knowing It 's not knowing the rules of Hippocrates will bring health unlesse there be a practicall use of them Hence beleeving is called eating and drinking of Christ John 6. A man that is hungry though he know never so much of excellent meats yet that will not satisfie him unlesse he eat It 's a rule Scire malum non est malum so God he knoweth evil yet this knowledge is not evil so Scire beâ—â—um non est bonum Philosophers make this distinction between the understanding and the will the understanding draweth the object to it self but the will is drawn by the object to it so if I understand any thing I am not in a morall sense that I understand but if I will any thing or love any thing I am what I love Anima ubi amaâ— not ubi anima 3. Knowledge meerly speculative will not save because Religion lieth most in the affective part Knowledge is desired as a prerequisite but the power and sweetnesse of it lieth in the hearty imbracing of what we know Hence Divines say our eternall happinesse in heaven is initially and radically in the understanding but formally and compleatly in the will Oh then know that all the while Religion is but in thy head and thou hast it out of books and by hear-say thou hast but the shadow of it the substance and sweetnesse of it lieth in the cordiall imbracements and enjoying what we know 4. Knowledge without the effects of it is so farre from saving that it condemneth the more He that knew his masters will and did it not was beaten with more stripes Luk. 12.48 What makes the condemnation of those Christ preached to greater then of the Sodomites the worst of men but because they sinned against more knowledge Vse of Instruction How vain a thing it is to boast of knowledge and learning if an holy life doth not follow it As Absalom was hung by the hair of his head he gloried in so will the knowledge of thy head damn thee Austin said such knowing men go quick to hell oh there are too many such that have much knowledge but no grace that know the Scripture speaking against grosse sins yet they wallow in them The hottest flames in hell are for a knowing wicked man Vse of Exhortation to put all thy knowledge into practise If I know what faith is let me exercise faith If I know what Christ
Scripture otherwise we may take up Origens opinion and say how doth it stand with the goodnesse of God and his pity to let so many Angels and men be damned and not save them all at last But when the Word of God speaks man must be silent and hold his tongue 2. A right knowledge about one true God is not enough without the knowledge of Christ partly on Gods part and partly on our part On Gods part for so he is absolutely considered as a righteous and just God hating all sinne and punishing it where he findes it Now in this consideration he is a consuming fire there is a great gulf between him and us The devils and damned in hell may as well hope for mercy as we if there were no Christ The heathens therefore who hoped for pardon they ignorantly thought to satisfie God as if he could be satisfied by any finite thing as Luther said It 's not Deus absolutus but relativus not God considered absolutely but relatively as a Father in Covenant through Christ that is the ground of all our hope and comfort This knowledge would only terrifie and drive to despair as you see in Adam till he was comforted with the promise 2. On our part It 's necessary to know Christ as well as God because without Christ there is no foundation for any duty We cannot pray we cannot approach near to him As he is a consuming fire so we are combustible stubble Whatsoever ye shall ask in my Name saith Christ shall be given you It must be through that Name our duties are accepted Can two walk together unlesse they be agreed What concord or agreement can there be between a righteous God and a corrupted sinner For this cause it is that the most holy men have praied that God would not enter into strict judgement with them Psa 143.2 If men sanctified dare not appear at the Tribunal of God in their own persons much lesse may sinners It 's necessary then because of that contrariety between God and sinful man there should be a Mediatour an advocate one that should stand between justice and us the condemning power of the Law and us Who is not afraid of justice Who hath so much purity that the Law cannot finde any fault with him So that if we consider of these two particulars we shall see great reason that we have to know Christ and God also Thirdly Take notice That a Knowledge or belief that there is a Messias is not enough unlesse we beleeve that person called Iesus to be Christ For he doth not say This is Eternal Life to beleeve a Christ but that Jesus is Christ The Jews to this day beleeve there will be a Messias all their hope and expectation is for such an one but yet the Apostle saith they are cast off by God for the present that they are branches broken off from the Olive Rom. 11. and why because they erre in two particulars 1. They deny that Jesus born of the Virgin Mary to be the Messiah Therefore they will not beleeve the promises to be fullfilled in him And 2. They look for a temporall Messiah who shall restore them from bodily captivity not for a Saviour in a spiritual sence Indeed before Christ came into the flesh then a belief and expectation of a Messiah was enough as appears by Simeons Song Luk. 2.34 who was one of the expectants for Christ and when he saw him then desired to depart in peace but now since he is come it 's necessary to salvation to beleeve that Person born of the Virgin Mary and crucified by the Jews under Pilate was the true and promised Messias Therefore a great part of the Apostles Ministry was to prove that Jesus was the Christ Fourthly In that Christ makes Eternall Life to lie in these two necessary things therefore the Papists are horribly presumptuous who adde a third thing necessary to Eternal Life which is Subesse Romano Pontifici To acknowledge the Pope to be head of the Church and to submit to him This is de necessitate salutis saith Bellarmine But they have never yet been able to make this out that there is such an universal visible and infallible head of the Church Yea Gregory one of the Popes said Whosoever should arrogate to himself the Title of Vniversal Bishop he was the Forerunner of Antichrist For the great Antichristianism described by the Apostles lieth not so much in doctrines Though they be Antichrists also that deny Christ to be come in the flesh 1 Joh. 2.16 yet the great Antichrist is described by the Church-power and universal dominion he shall take to himself in the Church exalting himself above every thing that is called God 2 Thes 2.4 Therefore howsoever they pronounce such dreadful sentences upon all the Reformed Churches that have cast off the Popes power as if they were not in a way to Eternal Life yet this Scripture may abundantly encourage where there is a true knowledge of God and Christ there is a possibility of Eternal Life Fifthly To know Jesus Christ whom the Father hath sent implieth the knowledge of these particulars 1. That he is really and truly God for how can he be a spiritual Saviour if he be not God Is it not God only that can raise from the dead Could meer man satisfie the justice of God destroy the works of the devil It 's not my purpose here to confirm that main Article of Religion I only inform you that he who truly knoweth Christ must know him to be God the only begotten of the Father else he cannot know him as a Jesus as a Saviour Therefore howsoever Arians and Socinians talk much of Christ dispute much of him yea mention him in their praiers and Petitions yet they do not truly know Christ if the Apostle makes it so great a sinne to deny Christ to be come in the flesh to be man that he saith he is Antichrist that doth so 1 Joh. 2.18 then it must needs be a greater sinne to deny him to be God for as he doth a man a greater wrong that denieth him a rationall soul then that denieth a mortal body to him so he doth in a greater manner dishonour Christ that denieth him to be God then to be man Shall Christ himself Phil. 2. think it no robbery to be equal with God and will they make Christ guilty of such robbery for he assumed to himself both the Title and reality of God 2. To know Jesus Christ is to acknowledge him man as well as God for this was his name given him by the Angel when he was born so that he only knoweth Christ who acknowledgeth him both God and man as the Scripture sometimes cals him the only begotten Son of God so sometimes the Son of man and many places in Scripture speak of both his natures Rom. 9.5 who concerning the flesh was of the Seed of Abraham and yet he is God for evermore concerning the flesh that is
no good Thou wilt die and perish though the Prophets have been amongst you R. 2 2. The end of the Ministery is to bring men to the knowledge of God in a saving way because of the nature and property of it which is wholly supernatural The Word is commanded to be preached not for any natural or civill ends but spirituall and supernaturall When they followed Christ because of the Loaves it was a low and unworthy motive It should have been because of their souls and because of the bread of life to feed their souls If thou regardest a Ministry or comest to hear for any other end but divine and supernatural If it be for custome or to keep up thy good repute amongst men this is to be carnall this is to be a worm and no Christian for God hath given these Officers to the Church and commanded a diligent dispensation therein for sublime and holy ends to enlighten thy minde to soften thy heart to spiritualize thy affections to reform thy life even to polish and preserve thee that thou maist be a stone of glory in the heavenly Jerusalem Say then thou dost nothing if this supernatural improvement be not made of it Thus also it is for the Preacher if he preach to shew his Learning to make himself admired to satisfie any corrupt end This is also low and unworthy Malo ut me reprehendant grammatici quam non intelligant populi yet oh how prone are corrupt and insincere motives to creep in few being able to say with Paul That they handle the Word of God sincerely as of God and in the presence of God Let then the nature of the work raise up our hearts it 's sublime and supernatural in its use It 's holy merchandizing or trading for mens souls and therefore so often called by that glorious Title R. 3 3. The Ministers of the Gospel are to urge this because of the dignity and excellency of the work To bring men to the saving knowledge of God is a noble emploiment a work for Angels to do The great Rulers and powers in the world they do but order the body and the outward man but this work is to enlighten the soul and to make it fit for the enjoyment of God This made Paul so often rejoyce in and blesse God that he had chosen him a vessel to make known the Name of God We are a sweet savour unto God saith the Apostle We are the precious Apothecaries that open the sweet box of the Gospel Hence it is that the Apostle exhorts people to honour and to have the Ministers of the Gospel in high esteem and why for their works sake 1 The. 5.13 Their teaching and guiding of you in the way to heaven is that great work for which you are to esteem them if to direct a Traveller that is farre out of the way into a ready path be so acceptable a work what is it then to inform people who are going securely and joyfully in the broad way to hell of the danger herein and to direct to the way of life If then it be so excellent minde this in the first place Oh say what a wretch am I who know the way to my own house but not to my long home I know how to buy and sell but I know not how to enjoy God R. 4 4. We are to insist on this end because of the difficulty and great opposition that is in the work For 1. The devil by his Instruments endeavours to keep men in darknesse All those black cloudy times which have been upon the Church brought in Idolatrous Superstition and prophanesse insomuch that the devil reigned almost within the Church as much as without his Kingdom was not more promoted by those without then those within No wonder then if such opposition hath alwaies been against times of light and times of Reformation because the bright shining of the Gospel doth immediatly destroy Satans dominion as when our Saviour sent his Apostles to preach he said he saw Satan fall from heaven like lighening Luk. 10.18 and who can bewail that Ignorance which did overflow in the time of Popery The Sun of the Gospel being then in a constant eclipse and howsoever learning of it self is either used well or ill as the Subject is who hath it yet in the general Learning is a special means to preserve and conveigh the true knowledge of God for the Apostle saith The unstable and unlearned wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction 2 Pet. 3.18 So that in some sence we may take up that allegory of Philo Sarah cannot have children without the help of Hagar i. e. The doctrine and knowledge of God is not propagated without the help of humane Learning especially the tongues and arts Therefore it 's required of the Minister of God that he should rebuke with all doctrine and to be able to convince the gainsayers and to divide the Word of God aright which can never be done without learning so that you see the difficulty of it in respect of the opposition 2. The difficulty doth arise in that the true doctrine and knowledge of God is hardly obtained for there must be constant study in the Word of God daily praier unto God to be led into the Truth There must be a godly use of all the means God hath appointed to get this knowledge Hence the Scripture doth foretell of such as shall arise even from the Church and shall speak perverse things men of corrupt mindes yea many shall bring in damnable heresies that they shall have much craft much seeming piety that if it were possible they would deceive the very Elect Mat. 26. So that you see how difficult it is even for the Ministers of the Gospel to finde out the Truth how many think they teach you the way to heaven and leade you to hell Doth not the Papist Doth not the Socinian Doth not every heretick say None teacheth with the true knowledge of God as they do yea and they may be strongly perswaded of this for the Apostle speaks of many that are delivered up to believe a lye 2 Thes 2.11 So that it 's of infinite concernment for people to have such guides that do not give them poyson in stead of food Would the Scripture have said Mar. 4.26 Take heed how you hear and what you hear if there had not been such danger in hearing 3. It 's difficult because of the hearers Every man naturally is so corrupt that he loveth error and will sooner close with any false doctrine then the true You see the Apostle complaining what applause the false Teachers had Oh saith he You suffer if a man smites you 2 Cor. 11.20 If a man wrong you that is if false Teachers were never so tyrannical though they did abuse them and kept them under yet they could like them well enough but they could not abide the Apostles carriage though his severity was mingled with much meeknesse and
those that delight and are swift to hear are commonly such as are ready to obey Again that which is here called keeping of the Word is in other places called keeping the Commandments only this is more sweet and kindly for Word doth properly relate to him that is a Doctor or Teacher Commandment to him that is a Law-giver Now there is a great difference between the Imperious Soveraignty of a Law-giver and the benign condescention of a Teacher but here we take it largely for all that God hath revealed to us and our Saviour saith they have kept the Fathers Word not his because they looked upon Christ as the Mediatour sent from God and so received not his Word as the word of a man but as of God through and by him Obs That those only can pleade a propriety and interest in God and Christ who are careful to keep his Word All others do but cry Peace Peace to themselves when demnation is at hand So that this truth will do for the present as Christ will do at the day of judgement set the Goats on the left hand and the sheep on the right It will be like the Fanne in Christs hand it will winnow the chaff from the wheat Let us therefore consider how much is comprehended in this phrase to keep the Word of God What are the Ingredients of this duty And first In that it 's indefinitely spoken They have kept thy Word It 's implied 1. They had a diligent respect to the Whole Word of God he doth not say they have kept part or some particulars but thy Word Now the word of God hath these parts 1. It 's a word of doctrine to be understood and beleeved 2. It 's a word of commands to be obeyed 3. It 's a word of threatning to be humbled at And lastly It 's a word of promise and consolation to be rejoyced in so that he who keeps the Word of God keeps all these parts of it 1. There is the word of Doctrine to be understood and beleeved and so to keep his word is to abhorre all errours all false doctrines all unsound opinions Those that are Christs Disciples are as tender about Gods truths as about his commands as they would not willingly transgresse a command so neither erre about the Truths of God Hence Joh. 10. our Saviour doth at large shew the true character of his Sheep They will not hear a strangers voice They will flee from a stranger now who is a stranger any one though an Angel from heaven that shall bring any thing that is contrary to the Scripture whosoever shall obtrude that to be beleeved as a truth which is not in the word of God this man is a stranger his doctrine is strange doctrine the sheep of Christ will not hear it Oh then let the Disciples of Christ shew their truth and solidity of grace in this that they dare not receive errours or heresies Oh what pity is it that thou who art tender about the commands of God wouldst not commit a sinne for a world shâ—uâ—dâ—t be large and wanton in thy understanding about the Truths of God Remember it 's his word and so thou art to keep sound doctrine by a pure faith as well as his Commandments by upright obedience and the reason is plain partly because the same God commands both There is his authority upon truths to be revealed as well as precepts to be obeyed God commands the captivity of your understanding as well as of your affections and partly because the true doctrine of God only is instrumental to holinesse a man will never be godly by beleeving any errour Joh. 19. Sanctifie them by thy Truth thy Word is Truth so that as in the use of Superstious customes Popish Sacraments a man can never receive true grace because Gods promise and his efficacy will go only together thus the more errours thou beleevest the more carnal thou wilt grow God will never blesse a lie chaffe and poison shall never be true and good nourishing meat 2. There is the Word of his Commandments and often the Scripture saith if ye love me keep my Commandments and neither may there be any doubt but a true disciple of Christ will be carefull herein for how can he shew his Discipleship otherwise then by obedience to Gods precepts It 's a plain mocking of God outwardly to professe that we take him for our God that we acknowledge subjection to him and yet disobey his commands so that this particular cuts off most hearers from being as yet at least in the number of those who can truly pleade a propriety in God for doth not their constant course of life proclaim an open hostility against God Is prophanesse pride lusts and rioting the command of God Hath the Lord commanded thee to lye swear and curse Are they not rather the lusts of the devil Oh that men should be so foolish and sencelesse as to talk of God and Christ and yet live in open disobedience to them Dâ—dst thou belong to God such would be thy love to him yea such an heavenly nature wouldst thou have that Gods Law and thy heart would have a sweet proportion and sutablenesse to one another as David professeth often it was sweeter then the honey and the honey comb and Paul delighted in the Law of God The Law of sin in the unregenerate man doth not more please him then the Law of God doth the regenerate man There is not a grievous burthen in it The holinesse and spirituality of Gods cammand is that which doth exceedingly assure him 3. There is the word of thâ— eatning and although in one sence we are not to keep that yet in another respect we are with trembling and fear to observe it Thus whatsoever God doth forbid threatning it either with temporal or eternal judgements the godly have an holy awe of They dare not displease God How can I do this and sin against God saith Joseph Thus Josiah when the Law was read his heart did melt and tremble and therefore how graciously did God take notice of that tender disposition in him It 's a vain and erroneous conceit to think the threatnings do not belong to the godly or that they must not with fear make use of them For if so why doth the Scripture propound threatnings even to the godly and that very often and who is there so godly that hath not the remainder of corruption in him who needeth not fear as a bridle to curb sin in him especially when we see Adam though in the state of Integrity was yet threatned by God if he did eat of the forbidden fruit so that even then a threatning had its proper use to Adam though altogether holy Lastly There is the word of consolation or promise and that is worthy of all acceptation as when a man takes a thing with both his hands It 's called embracing the Promises Heb. 11. as gladly and
Motto which Solomon puts upon all these fading things here below shall likewise be set upon thy Religion and devotion Vanity of vanities all is vanity and vexatien of spirit It 's the promise that a godly man embraceth that he looketh after for even in holy actions truly so it 's not thy performance thy grace but the promise that bears thee out Therefore we are all said to be Children of the Promise Gal. 4.28 and heirs of the Promise and 2 Cor. 7.1 Having these Promises let us cleanse our selves If then thou art never so zealous though thou shouldst give thy body to the sire and have not a promise it would profit thee nothing Shouldst thou give away all thou hast Shouldst thou endure all hardship yet if thou hast no promise to this action thou art but a tinkling Cymbal Oh then let the people of God in all their acts of obedience minde the command for the lawfulnesse of them and the promise for the encouragement therunto if no command then no promise God will not water that plant or give encrease to it which he hath not planted And for this end Austin and others did condemn all those famous moral actions of the heathens as glittering sinnes because they had no promise belonging to them of Eternall life As they did them upon humane inferiour motived not supreme and divine so their recompence was but the cockleshels of this world not that weight of glory in heaven Thirdly Obedience must have a command because of the great corruption and pollution which is upon mans understanding so that it 's impossible it should ever choose or do that which is acceptable to God Rom. 8. They that are in the flesh cannot please God And the Heathens even those that were judged most learned yet were darkned in their Imagination Rom. 1. They became vain and the Apostle cals it their foolish hearts It is therefore a most absurd and insufferable indignity offered unto God for thee to take upon thee how thou wilt worship him how thou wilt serve him and for this it is that the Scripture so often complaineth that they went after the imagination of their own hearts So that by this you may judge of what little consequence those excuses are which some make for superstition That they were done out of pious Intentions and a fervent zeal for although such things may in some respects excuse a tanto yet not a toto Hence Vzziah though out of a good intention stopping the Ark not according to Gods order is stricken dead Paul persecuting the Church of God though out of zeal for he thought he was bound to do what he did yet was not thereby excused from being a blasphemer a persecutor and the greatest of sinners Nothing is to be added to Gods precepts Etiamsi vel bonum nobis videtur said Ambrose So that the right understanding of our deep pollution may justly make us afraid of any thing which is ours and hath not Gods command The Apostle Col. 3.2 condemneth even those things because not of God which yet had a shew of humility and great mortification Fourthly Obedience must have a command from the fulness and sufficiency of the Scripture It 's a perfect Rule Whosoever walketh according to this Rule Gal. 6.16 and David commends it for a Lanthorn and Light to his feet Psal 119. So that if our obedience might run out in such things where there is no word for it the Word would not be an adequate Rule It would be too narrow and then if once you grant a Rule besides that you go in infinitum yea we fall into manifest contradictions for how many times doth one mans spirit think that best which is contrary to another mans How comes that opposition in matter of Religion but that the word is not made the Rule but either there are reasons or lusts or temporal interests so that it 's necessary we have the Word for obedience else the Enthusiastical Revelations and Popish Traditions they will both pleade a good Title for acceptableness with God Lastly An Obedience must have a command because else we can never bear up our hearts in all the discouragements we meet with in doing Gods work What hardened the Prophets so that their foreheads were like brasse and iron but only this that they knew God had commended them and they went upon his message Shall Absalom use such an argument to the man when he had killed Ammon Be of good courage I have bid thee How much rather then when God commands 1 Cor. 15. Be stedfast immoveable in the work of the Lord knowing your labour was not in vain Let all the world oppose us when we know it's Gods command our hearts need not shrink within us Thus the Apostles Whether it 's better to obey God or man judge ye Act. 5.29 Vse 1. of Instruction Of how terrible and dreadful a judgement are they worthy of who are so farre from being obedient to Gods command that they live in open and professed disobedience to it if the most devotionall and Religious actions are refused by God for want of a command what shall become of those which are in plain opposition to it Such are all the works of the flesh Such are the works of most men when thou hast been wallowing in the mire of sin to which of Gods commands hast thou been obedient Nay sinne hath its command the devil hath his commands and thou givest up thy self a Servant to them Oh that the eyes of men shall not yet be opened nor their hearts yet mollified who is thy Father thy Master thy Lord Is it not the devil When God commands thee who is the Lord of Hosts who promiseth heaven and an eternal reward that God who hath all sharp arrows of vengeance in his quiver to shoot immediatly into thy heart That God though commanding thee thou refusest and the devil while he bids thee go and fullfill this lust and that lust immediatly thou goest That devil who deludes and deceiveth thee who is the known Enemy of thy soul and will be thy cruell tormentor to all Eternity Oh then lay it closer to heart I am under command either of God or the devil I am an obedient Servant to one or the other and thy works they quickly manifest it Vse 2 Vse 2. of Direction to people That they would be like those noble Bereans examine the ground of their faith and obedience Do not offer a Sacrifice without eyes Blinde obedience is contrary to that command offer up your selves a reasonable Sacrifice or a Sacrifice according to the Word as some expound Rom. 12 1. There are dangerous Syrens that would inâ—ice you out of this way we are apt to judge that a duty that most do not which God commands we think a multitude will dispense against a precept when yet Gods expresse charge is Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil Exod. 23.2 The very heathen could
Though we be washed yet still we need our feet should be washed Thus Paul Rom. 7. and Gal. 6. Seeing therefore in every duty there is such a combat and constict between grace and sinne There is drosse as well as Gold It behoveth us to renounce all and to say Only Christ Only Christ SERMON XL. Further setteth forth the Excellency and Necessity of pressing the Doctrine of Faith in Christ the Mediatour and of our being affected with it And invites the greatest Sinners to come unto him for Salvation JOH 17.8 And have known surely that I came out from thee and they have beleeved that thou didss send me MArvell not if I am the third time upon this Subject for we see our Saviour doth again and again commend this Faith in his Disciples and certainly this is the Summe of the Gospel the marrow and quintessence of Christianity By this we differ from Jews Pagans and Turks yea by this we are separated from Papists Socinians and other Hereticks None of them allowing this imputed Righteousnesse by a Mediatour which by Faith is to be received Therefore I shall proceed in exalting and pressing this Faith in a Mediator that at last we may come to have a spirituall and sound understanding herein For here are two great stones to be rolled out of the way 1. Ignorance or misbeleef in this Point There are very few that have been Orthodox here There are most in the world that have an erroneous perswasion in this matter under the guilt of sinne they do not fly only to Christ as a Mediatour They say Lo here is Christ and Lo there is Christ They have something else they put a confidence in and therefore what the Lord saith in another case is also true here He will reject their confidence Jer. 2.37 Never were the people of Israel more prone to lean on Egipt and Assyria for outward help rather then on the Lord only then we are in a spiritual manner ready to rest upon some spirituall prop besides the Lord Christ so that ignorant people they know nothing of this and knowing people are hardly perswaded of the truth of it A second stone to be rolled out of the way is that senselesnesse and unsavourinesse on mens hearts though it should be granted that they know and rightly beleeve in this matter for indeed none can prize or be affected with this Subject but such a spirituall heart that is sensible of his spiritual disease and the spiritual Remedy They must be Children of the Adoption They must be Evangelical hearers such as have been in a spirituall Transfiguration with Christ on the Mount as it were That are refreshed with these Truths It 's not every hearer It 's not every one that cometh to the Assemblies that can say How welcome are the feet of those that bring glad tidings of the Gospel Therefore we desire your hearts as well as your heads your tender affections as well as solid understandings This is a Truth that must be eaten you will not feel the sweetnesse of it till it be in your belly Now there are very good grounds why we should be thus insisting upon this Subject For 1. It 's the main scope and end of the whole Scripture If you ask why the Word of God was written the Answer is That the chief principal end was that man being convinced of his sinne and of the utter impotency of any righteousnesse in himself or other Creatures should fly unto Christs Righteousnesse as the onely Sanctuary Thus John These things are written that beleeving you might have eternal life All the Administrations in the Old Testament were Types of Christ as the Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrews doth at large open their meaning It was not their Sacrifices but Christ It was not the bloud of Rams and Goats but Christs bloud Hence it 's said that Moses and the Prophets bear witnesse of Christ It 's true the Scripture hath many other subordinate ends but the chief is to direct us to Christ to make us see that nothing in the world can pacifie God for our sinnes but Christ Oh then how necessary must that be which all the Penmen of the Scripture aimed at Moses David all the Prophets They looked at this Messias And the New Testament is wholly spent in describing his person and his Office or the end of his coming into the world Oh then whatsoever thou maist be ignorant of or negligent in yet give thy self to the studying meditating and beleeving of this Subject 2. The great work of the Spirit of God in the Ministry is to convince of this Righteousnesse It is to make us see that all humane Righteousnesse all moral duties no nor the graces God bestoweth on his people are the Righteousnesse God looks for Joh. 16.9 10. The Spirit of God is there said to reprove or convince the world of sinne especially of that great sinne of Unbelief and then of Righteousnesse which Christ procureth by going to his Father Observe that It 's the work of Gods Spirit thus to convince So that all Moral Philosophy and the wisest directions of the most civil men will leave us in a Wildernesse They cannot tell us what is true Righteousnesse and how we come to be accepted of by God Therefore this is revealed by the Gospel only If we would know what is that Righteousnesse which we may trust to which may be as a Skreen between Gods justice and us Neither Aristotle nor Plato among the Heathens no nor Bellarmine and Suarez among the Papists will inform us rightly Because in the matter of Justification and the doctrine of Righteousnesse they have too much consulted with Aristotle as if the Scripture spake of such a Righteousnesse as the Heathens do No this tels us It 's a Righteousnesse of Christ imputed to us without works this it doth again and again Seeing then all natural reason would never perswade us herein it must necessarily be the Spirit of God that will convince us in this and therefore though you hear ten thousand Sermons of this Subject your hearts will never be convinced of your own sinfulnesse and Christs Righteousnesse till you are overpowerd by Gods Spirit Oh then pray to God that he would make thy heart readily to yield to it yea and rejoyce in it 3. The end of the Law and the preaching of that is wholly for this end to discover Christ the Mediatour Those that would not have the Law preached cannot have Christ preached truly and effectually for Rom. 10.4 Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnesse Can the end be obtained without the means It 's the Schoolmaster to bring to Christ The disease must be discovered are we will seek out for a Physician The heart must be wounded ere we shall desire oyl The Law then is to be preached in the exact purity of it and in the condemning power of it That so when we see our selves wholly undone in that Court
by Adam so all shall be made alive Behold the Lamb that taketh away the sins of the world 1 Joh. 2. He is a propitiation not for our sinnes only but the sinnes of the whole world Thus in many other places the Scripture doth expresly affirm such an universality Therefore the Question is Whether this must be understood so generally as that it shall reach to all and every singular Man and Nation and that in all Ages or only indefinitely he died for all sorts So that now no Nation is excluded nor particular person as it was among the Jews and certainly unlesse we will make Scripture both ro contradict it self and experience We must take all those phrases indefinitely and not universally 1. Because we see the Scripture expresly limiting Gods love and Christs death to some only So that those places could never be reconciled without this distinction as Joh. 10. I lay down my life for my Sheep Rom. 8. Upon Christs death we are justified and saved and above all in this Chapter we see Christ often and often again restraining all his praier and Mediation to those that the Father had given him If he would not pour out a praier will he pour out his bloud If he would not shed a tear will he shed his bloud for them So that if we will keep up other places with this we must needs say That Christ died for all indefinitely not universally Even as when we have to do with the Anthropomorphites Those that held God is a body We grant that there are innumerable places of Scripture which speak of Gods eyes arms and his hands yet we say that Scripture may not oppose Scripture There are other places though few which describe him to be a Spirit therefore we are necessitated to say the Scripture speaks so to our condescension thus it is here Though many places of Scripture speak of Christs death in such an universal sence yet other places do plainly limit is to certain persons who are Elected and given by the Father to Christ 2. We must needs interpret it so because those places which are brought for this Universality speak of the actual benefit and fruit of his Death Now it is granted by all that none do actually partake of Christs benefits but the godly as 1 Joh. 2.2 He is a propitiation not for our sins only but the whole world He is a propitiation in an actual sence and he is so a propitiation for the sins of the whole world as the Apostle saith He is for ours viz. actual believers Now then if the whole world should extend to all makinde it would follow that all are actually pardoned and saved so 1 Cor. 15.22 As in Adam all died even so in Christ all shall be made alive By being made alive is plainly meant a Resurrection to glory as the next Verse sheweth Christ the first-fruits Then they that are Christs So that if all be taken universally it would follow all and every man should be raised to glory So in that famous place The Lamb that taketh away the sinne of the world that taketh it away in an actual sence and therefore to say Christ died for all and there is universal Redemption and yet to say all are not saved is to speak not only false doctrine but meer contradiction Indeed to say universal Redimibility by Christs death may have some colour but universal Redemption and yet not all actually redeemed Universal Propitiation and yet not all have their sinnes pardoned is to say the Physician cured such a man but yet he did not cure him or a Magistrate delivered such an one out of prison yet the man was not delivered Lastly We are necessitated to limit such phrases because of experience For if Christ died for all men intentionally how is it that in the Old Testament excepting some few Proselites the offer of grace was onely to some few and though since Christs time the Gospel be said to be preached to every creature yet how many Nations and much more particular persons have there been to whom Christ with his benefits have never been offered Now who can say that Christ died for those to whom he never discovered so much as the very Name of his death It 's true this should make us adore the goodnesse of God that gives us to live where this Gospel-grace is plentifully offered What are we more then all those Heathens and Pagans who sit in darknesse and have no light who never heard of a Mediatour but oh wretched and miserable if we neglect so great salvation SERMON XLIV Reasons why the Scripture speaks thus Vniversally about Christs Death when yet but some were intended Also what Benefits Reprobates have by Christ With some arguments Further proving the Point of Christs dying not for every man but some JOH 17.9 I pray for them I pray not for the world WE are explaining this Doctrine that Christs Mediatory Praier and so his death is not for all and every one of mankinde Many introductory particulars have been commended to you The last whereof was That though the word useth universal expressions about Christs Death as all men and the world yet we are necessitated both from Scripture reason and experience not to take them in a large universality but restrained and indefinite specialis quaedam universalitas est there is a special Universality as Austin said We shall go on to further considerations And 1. There may be very good reason given why the Scripture speaketh thus universally about Christs death Not that we should deduce an error from thence contrary to other Scriptures which restrain it to those the Father hath given him Joh. 6. and Joh. 17. But 1. It may be to shew that this great benefit purchased by Christ was designed for man and not Apostate Angels For Isa 9. It is said To us a Son is born to us a childe is given not to Angels and the Apostle doth amplifie this love of God Heb. 2.17 h at Christ took not on him the nature of Angels but the Seed of Abraham Hence it 's that the Scripture speaks of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Seeing that God so loved the nature of mankinde that he gave his Son for those that should beleeve in him passing by innumerable Angels who might have done him more service It might well be said that Christ gave himself for the sins of the world viz. men the Inhabitants thereof 2. This might be in opposition to the Jews For a long time the means of salvation were only amongst them as Joh. 4. Salvation is of the Jews Therefore we see Peter would not so much as preach the Gospel to the Gentiles till from Heaven he was admonished that he should call no person unclean Act. 9. Seeing therefore that formerly to the Jews only were the Oracles of God committed Now that by Christs coming the partition wall is broken down and God doth not
several waies faith helpeth to keep us Vse of Exhortation to the godly above all keepings to keep faith up The Just is to live by faith and we are to walk by faith and all the while we do so we stand immovable upon a Rock If thou growest secure or revolting if thou beginnest to decay all is because thy faith weakens The streams must dry up when the Fountain doth If the branches wither there is some defect in the Root Vse 2. of Instruction That it 's no wonder if wicked men grow worse and worse if they stumble and fall and never rise more if they become like the Blackmore and Leopard that cannot change their skins for they have no true lively faith in God and so have not whereby to be staid up Till God make a wonderful change in them expect no other but he that is filthy will be more filthy still SERMON LVIII The Greatness of the Mercy of being kept sound in the Truth And the Damnableness of Errour demonstrated JOHN 17.11 Keep through thy own Name those whom thou hast given me WE are now come to the last Interpretation which is part of the compleat sense here intended in this phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that is to take Name for that pure and sound Doctrine whereby God in a saving manner is known Thus Name is used at the 6th verse I have manifested thy Name which is explained by the word they had kept And then the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken properly Keep in thy Name in thy Truth and Word which I have manifested to them For there is a two-fold keeping of Gods Word Obedientially by conforming our lives to it and Doctrinally by preserving the truth of it In this sense Timothy is exhorted to keep 2 Tim. 1.14 the good thing committed to his trust gold he hath received he must look this be not debased by erroneous dross Observe That it 's a special mercy to be kept in the truth and pure faith we have received Faith and Unity our Saviour prayeth for agreement in errour is not true peace and faith without Unity will like a live-coal quickly die of it self alone In these times of Errours and Heresies this Doctrine hath more than ordinary usefulness in it and therefore diligently attend to the grounds why it 's a special mercy to be kept sound in the faith and that we are more to rejoyce that our souls are kept from deceitfull errours than our bodies from infectious diseases And First It 's a special mercy because of the frequent and diligent Exhortations given to all that they fall not from the truth that they make not shipwrack of their faith 2 Pet. 3.17 The Apostle having spoken before that some wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction he bids even the godly beware a word used in matter of great concernment and where there is great danger lest they also be lead aside Therefore errour is not the way to Heaven and the Errour of the wicked it is called Wickedness is shewed in corrupt Doctrines as well as in prophane lives so as to fall from their stedfastness if you begin to shake to doubt it 's a sinne we must not fall from our stedfastness There is a notable place also Jude vers 3. when the Apostle gave himself diligently to write of salvation what doth he pitch upon to strive for the true Faith and he doth not barely write but exhorts his affections as well as his judgement are set on work and it 's not simply to believe or keep the faith but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be in an agony as they that are in a fight or race The faith should be as dear to us as our lives and the word implies a difficulty to keep it because of violent enemies to take away this live childe and put a dead one in the room Lastly you have the character of this faith it was once delivered so that new Revelations are not to be expected But we are to enquire What was once delivered Thus you see a Christian must not be cold and lukewarm in the truths of God but he must with all his soul imploy himself about it Secondly True Doctrine is a special mercy because one main end of the Scripture is to inform and keep us therein As God made the Sunne a fountain of all light and the Starres shine with a borrowed light from it so hath God put all spiritual light into the Scriptures and with this Sunne both Pastour and people are to be cloathed The Scripture is not only a rule of our life but of our faith principally 2 Tim. 3.16 The Apostle there reckoning up the admirable use and end of the Scriptures puts this in the first place That it is profitable for Doctrine How then dare a man say it 's no matter what Religion I am of all the doctrinal Disputes are but Scholastical Subtilties Is not this to blaspheme the perfection of the Scripture and is it not horrible ingratitude to God who giveth his Church the Scriptures as the most glorious Jewel it can enjoy This was the Jews priviledge to them were committed the Oracles of God Rom. 9. Thirdly It 's a special mercy to be kept in the truth because the Lord hath appointed Officers in the Church for this end among others to preserve and propagate the truth If it be then of such esteem with God ought it not to be also with us And wherein doth Gods regard to his truth more appear than in ordaining Officers in his Church whose main work and imployment should be to disseminate this pure seed wheresoever they come Ephes 4.14 There we have Offices given to the Church and one end is that believers be not tossed up and down with every winde of doctrine And though Timothy as some expound that place had prophesies concerning him what a glorious instrument he would be in the Church of God yet Paul doth again and again exhort him to keep the same doctrine he had delivered to him 1 Tim. 9.20 O Timothy keep that which is committed to thee That compellation is insinuating and argueth much affection in Paul and there is a reason even in the very expression of faith he cals it depositum as Aristotle observeth it 's a greater sinne to imbezil or alter that than any thing we have borrowed because this is committed to our Justice but a depositum to our faithfulness The Depositor doth rest upon us as trusty men So that by this all the Ministers of God are to be awakened Christian faith and doctrine is committed to you as the preservers of it The Priests lips are to preserve knowledge and the people are to require it at their hands The Apostle 2 Tim. 1.14 as if verbum sapienti sat est were not true in this matter doth again re-minde him to keep the good thing committed to him See with what esteem he speaks of the true Doctrine
and this is to be done by the holy Ghost The matter is so great that unless the Spirit of God inable us besides all our study and learning we are not able to keep it yea a Deacon must not be ordained unless he hold fast the mystery of faith in a pure conscience 1 Tim. 3.9 Oh then let none have low thoughts about that which God hath appointed an Office for and therefore given them the titles of the light and salt and nihil est sole sale utilius Fourthly It 's of special consequence to be preserved in the pure faith because the more godly and endeared any are to God this priviledge they shall have to be kept in the truth at least so as not damnably to erre Insomuch that a sound judgement in Religion will distinguish a godly man as well as an unblameable life Mat. 24. Our Saviour speaking of false prophets with what powerfull pretences they should prevail saith If it were possible they should deceive the very elect If it were possible You see by this that there are such false waies in Religion that are inconsistent with salvation and therefore the elect man shall not fall into them no more than into grosse and abominable sins viz. so as totally to lose Heaven and salvation Yea John 10. our Saviour describes his sheep and goats not by their lives but by their attending to the true Doctrine My sheep hear my voice and a stranger they will not hear yea they will flee from him vers 5. So that a godly man doth hang his godliness about his intellectuals as well as morals He is not onely to consider Am I diligent in prayer Do I walk conscionably in my wayes But am I also a lover and prizer of the true Doctrine of Christ Fifthly It 's of great moment to be preserved in the pure Doctrine because that is the foundation and necessary pre-requisite to holinesse The will can never apprehend that which is bonum if the understanding do not first show what is the true good The apprehensive faculty must guide the appetitive If the eye be dark the whole body is as our Saviour afterwards prayeth Sanctifie them by thy truth thy Word is truth Gods truth is only instrumental to holiness Errours can no more nourish spiritual life then chaff or stubble yea or poison can nourish a man bodily For as false Sacraments such as the Popish cannot increase grace because they have neither institution or promise so is it also for errours and therefore the same persons that had thrust away a good conscience they could not endure or abide it the same made shipwrack of their faith they put it away 1 Tim. 1.19 They had some good conscience once though not truly sanctified but this they repell they do not love it any more it 's against their interests their worldly advantages their lusts and carnal affections Can we then have too precious thoughts of Gods truths seeing they onely are blessed to a mans true godliness Sixthly It 's a mercy to be kept in the truth because of the proueness and readiness that is in men to be lead aside by errours Gal. 2. I wonder you are so soon carried away so soon Let there come a false teacher and he can quickly do more hurt and pervert mens mindes then the Apostle Paul could do good Wonder not if you see some seducer come to a Town and in a moment corrupt mens mindes and make them his Disciples and so overthrow that building which a faithfull Minister hath been many years building up you see it was of old so Paul though an Apostle neither by man nor of man yet found it so and at another time he complaineth how ready they were to become even slaves to false-teachers they might abuse and domineer over them you suffer if a man buffet you c. onely the true Apostles they could not bear them We see then why it is that a goodly field may suddenly be overrunne with tares a hopefull Church the body of Christ be all over with a Gangrene and made deformed There is a proneness in a man to erre in his judgement as well as in his life Happy then is he whom God keeps Seventhly Errours of judgement are damnable as well as sinfull practises It 's true some errours are fundamental some superstructive onely and so one kinde is not as damnable as another but thus it is in Saints also some are compared to a gnat some to a Camel but as we say of the least sinne it deserveth hell so of the least errour for as no sinne is in it self little because God is not a little but infinite God so no errour is in it self little because it 's against the same glorious God Hence Gal. 5. Heresies are reckoned as the fruit of the flesh among other grosse sinnes and can there be more terrible words spoken against any sort of wicked men then the Apostle Peter doth 2 Pet. 2.1 thunder out against some false Teachers that should privily bring in damnable heresies whose damnation sleepeth not Oh then tremble to lose thy soul among errours as well as sinnes For the Apostle 2 Pet. 3. saith Ignorant men wrest the Scriptures to their destruction Damnation is in perverting of Scripture yea 1 Cor. 3. we see there that even hay and stubble errours of a lighter nature make the salvation of a man difficult he shall be saved yet so as by fire Austin and Syrinensis distinguish between the Haeretici and Credentes haereticis the seducers and seduced The former are in a condition more exposed to vengeance then the latter howsoever errors in Religion as well as corrupt practises tend to hell Austin questioned who was worse a Christian believing truly but living wickedly or an heretick living unblameably but believing unsoundly Non audeo dicere I dare not determine it But Salvian a pious ancient Writer inveighs more against the prophane Christian and as for the unblameable heretick Errant saith he sed piè errant haeretici sunt sed tibi non sibi and thus Bernard reckoning up the three little ages of the Church the first under persecutions the second under heresies the third under corrupt manners makes this latter the more bitter But we cannot absolutely pronounce which of these two is the worse in some respects one exceeding the other Eighthly It 's a blessed thing to be kept in the truth because of that heavy censure the Scripture inflicts upon heretical persons to avoid them to turn from them not to bid them Godspeed John 2. They must not receive such into their house or have any familiarity with them and they are to avoid an heretick yea the Apostle would have us hold such accursed though they were Angels or Apostles themselves and Gal. 1. The same reason viz. a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump which is brought as a ground to cast out the incestuous person is also applied to a corrupt doctrine
cannot do any thing without God therefore we despise it and neglect it as too many do This is to oppose the Principall and the Instrument They will not do so in naturall things though man doth not live by materiall bread alone but by the Word of God yet they will not throw away that Food as needlesse unprofitable and unnecessary Why then will they do so to the immaterial food and heavenly manna of the Word The other extream is To advance it too much To set up the Instrument to the neglect of the Principall and that is when we so rest on and admire the Gifts Learning Elocution or parts of the Minister that we look not up to God and this we are prone unto Therefore the Apostle gives a large Commendation to the The ssalonians 1 Thessal 2.13 That they received the Word Not as the Word of man but as of God which effectually worketh in Beleevers John 4. It 's said of Johns Hearers That they did a while rejoyce in his light They flocked after his Ministry yet afterwards they quarelled with him and said He had a Devil Thus Ezech. 33.32 He was to the Jews a very lovely Song They loved to hear him they came thronging in great Multitudes and Companies unto him but yet they would not do any thing Vse of Instruction If the Office and Abilities of the Ministry are nothing without God then do you lift up your hearts in Prayer to God more That his Power his Voice his Strength may be seen in the Ministry When you go from the Sermon examine whether Gods power and grace come home to your hearts or no Can you say Here was more then the Ministers Study then the Ministers Gifts for Gods mighty heart-changing power did also work on me Oh the Convictions the meltings the burnings and changes of heart that were upon me It was upon my minde like Lightning It was upon my affections and Conscience like Thunder As we are to preach like the Oracles of God 1 Pet. 4.11 He doth not say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not as the Word but as the Oracles as having the Spirit of God immediately breathing upon us So should you hear and receive them as the Oracles As the Prophets received their Visions and the Word that was spoken to them It wrought a mighty change They did not seem to be the same men they were nor did the same Actions Even thus should ye return home Ye come Earthly but go home Heavenly Ye come carnall but return spirituall SERMON LXIV Of the Manner of Christs keeping those that are His. Of a four-fold Principle that is operative to the Preservation of Believers And of the excellent Effects of the lively Meditation of this Doctrine of being kept by Christ to Salvation JOHN 17.12 Those which thou hast given me I have kept c. IN the former part of the verse you heard our Saviour expressing that glorious priviledge of Protection and Preservation of his Disciples and so all that were given him in the midst of all dangers to eternal life Now our Saviour amplifieth the fidelity and diligence he used in this custody So that in the words we may observe Christs diligence and fidelity expressed I have kept them 2. The Subject Whom thou hast given me This is the fift time our Saviour repeateth it and therefore the more to be observed 3. His fidelity in preservation is illustrated by the signe or effect of it None of them is perished 4. He answers an Objection concerning Judas granting that he perished with a twofold reason He was the son of perdition and that the Scripture may be fulfilled All these particulars contain solid and substantial Divinity both Doctrinal and Practical They will serve to confute false Doctrines and reprove wicked conversations And First Let us consider the fidelity and diligence Christ useth expressed in that word I have kept them This is a new and different Greek word from the former which was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but here it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Septuagint make often to answer the Hebrew word Shamar which signifieth to keep with all diligence and circumspection In the New Testament it 's many times used of a corporal violent detaining in prison as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Act 12.4 Act. 23.35 Hence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is often for a prison Act. 16.23 24 27 37 40. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to hale to prison Act 22.19 but when it 's applied in a spiritual sense it signifieth a diligent observing of a command or more frequently a carefull preserving of our selves from sinne as Luke 12.15 1 John 5.21 And hence comes the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 23.5 They made broad their phylacteries called so because by them they were warned to take heed of sinne But in the Text it 's used for protection and preservation to everlasting happiness as John 12.25 onely we may observe the use of it in three places very fit to our matter in hand It 's applied to Shepherds diligently watching to their sheep and that in the night time Luke 2.8 and thus Homer useth it also and hereby is represented that Christ is that chief Shepherd which will keep his sheep though never so infirm or weak that no danger shall befall them 2. It 's applied to the keeping of some precious thing deposited in our hands that we are betrusted with 1 Tim. 6.20 and thus also all the godly are delivered to Christ as his charge that none be lost 3. Lastly It 's used of preserving in a safe place in the midst of dangers Thus Noah is said to be kept in the Ark 2 Pet. 2.5 which is notably true in all the godly The deluge of Gods wrath fals upon all the wicked of the world and the godly are kept safe in Christ as Noah was in the Ark whereas then our Saviour doth so often inform his Disciples that he keepeth them Observe That Christs divine protection and preservation of his people to eternal life is daily to be thought on and improved by them They are not in a transient manner to apprehend it but they are to keep this blessed truth in their hearts till it inflame them As it 's not one showr but plentifull and constant droppings that go to the root of the Tree so it 's not a thought now and then about Christs keeping of thee safe for heaven will affect thee but as Jacob to the Angel so thou art to say I will not let this truth go till it bless me and truly for this end it was that our Saviour doth so often repeat Those thou hast given me and I have kept them to confirm and increase the Disciples faith seeing they have so many strong Anakims in the way to Canaan Every man that looks only to his own strength and the dangers that are in the way would bring up an ill report of Heaven
be so kept that none should perish Such must infallibly be preserved but all the Godly are comprehended in this Prayer for their Preservation You see in these Verses it is Christs whole drift and scope to obtain this for them that though they must be in the world yet that they might be kept from the evil and wickednesse of the world and lest this should be thought for his Apostles onely or such as did already beleeve in him He addeth verse 20. that he praieth for all such as shall beleeve in him Here you see all that do or shall beleeve in Christ they are comprehended in this Praier that none may perish Now it 's plain that the Father heard Christ in all that he desired and there was alwaies an Agreement or Correspondency between his will and the Fathers Now what Christ did for all we see more pregnantly in Peter Luke 22.23 I have praied saith he that thy Faith fail not This is done for every godly Person as well as Peter and therefore upon this Occasion said in the generall to all the Apostles Satan had desired to winnow them if it were possible to have cast them out as Chaff And this Mediatory Prayer continueth still in some sence For Hebr. 5.26 He ever-liveth to make Intercession for us This certainly must necessarily be effectual to our preservation Argum. 5 5. A Fifth Argument is The Godly mans divine protection to Everlasting Happinesse is confirmed by assertory places as well as promissory There are severall Texts of Scripture that doe plainly and clearly declare as much Therefore let that be beleeved before mens Opinions John 6.39 It is the Fathers Will that of those who are given me I should lose none of them To this purpose also is that in John 10.28 Yea that we may firmly be established herein Matth. 16.18 Our Saviour tels us That he will build his Church upon a Rock that the Gates of Hell shall never prevail against it Some would limit the Gates of Hell to Death as it were an Hebraisme but it is plain our Saviour meaneth every thing that shall oppose and hinder him in the Building of his Church and thus not onely Death but Sinne and Hell are great Adversaries otherwise it might so fall out that God should have no Church here upon the Earth which would be a horrible Derogation to Christ as if he might be a Head without Members Another pregnant place affirming this is in 1 John 2.19 If they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us No doubt See how the Apostle puts it out of all Question There is a Disciple indeed and a Disciple in Appearance and Profession onely The Disciple indeed is a Pillar that shall never be removed out of the House but shall abide for ever But the Disciple in Appearance and Shew onely he is not a fixed Starre but a Meteor For all his light and blaze is compounded of terrestriall matter and so will quickly perish and vanish away We may say Dust he is and unto Dust he will return Of such our Saviour speaketh John 10. Every Branch in me that bringeth not forth Fruit he cutteth off and casteth away It is a Branch in him not by lively Insition but externall Profession Another place to bring up the Rear of these Assertory Texts of Scripture is 1 John 3.9 Whosoever is born of God there is the Universality he sinneth not neither can he viz. not as a Cain as a wicked one he doth not sinne he cannot give up himself wholly unto sinne and the Reason is because the Seed of God abideth in him Argum. 6 6. A sixth Argument is The Comparisons and Similitudes the Scripture useth doe inferre the Godly mans Continuance And although Similitudes doe not prove in every particular yet they doe for that end they are brought Now the Scripture excellently illustrates the stability of the Godly by enduring things Psal 1. To a Tree planted by the Waters Side Also to Mount Zion that can never be removed Psalm 125.1 Especially John 4.14 where Regenerating Grace is called a Well of water springing up to Eternall Life and is differenced from materiall water in this respect A man drinketh of that and is thirsty again but whosoever drinketh of this shall never thirst again He shall not goe back into Egypt again desiring his former Onyons and Garlick Argum. 7 7. All those places which admonish the Godly to take heed and to walk humbly do prove their standing Indeed the Arminian inferreth the clean contrary but the Truth is By these Admonitions Exhortations and other means of Grace they are enabled to continue As man by his Food is preserved alive for God useth all these Ordinances as practicall Mediums by which he stirreth them up when secure quickens them when decaying and recovers them when fallen To these we may adde the Afflictions which the Godly are sure to have when they goe astray Therefore whereas Solomon is thought by all to be the hardest Instance of any that had true Grace and apostatized so fouly yet that he died not out of Grace appeareth not onely by the Book of Ecclesiastes which he made at his latter end as a plain Testimony of his Repentance and Turning to God but also fully by 2 Sam 1.14 If he commit Iniquity I will chasten him but my Mercy I will not utterly take away So that these Afflictions being sanctified will be effectuall to awaken them and bring them home with the Prodigall at last to their Fathers House Lastly If God did not vouchsafe Perseverance in Grace as well as Grace he had not done the best for us To keep Grace is far better then to have Grace It 's perseverance that crowneth all Holding out to the end is that which blesseth all Therefore the Scripture describeth God by this That he is able to keep them unspotted and blamelesse till the Coming of Christ It would redound to Gods dishonour as it did to that foolish Builder if God should begin and not finish his work Vse of Encouragement to the Godly in all their Conflicts and Difficulties in the way to Heaven you have need of this Consolation You had need have your Eyes open to see what is for you as well as what is against you This Assurance will not breed Despair but quicken you up to a lively working Though thou art not certain of Life and Wealth yet of Gods assisting Grace to the last SERMON LXVIII Of the Sonne of Perdition Shewing That some Persons are wilfully set to Damn themselves though they have never so many Excellent Remedies and Means to the contrary And what are the Causes that move them thereunto and Characters of such Persons JOHN 17.12 None is perished but the sonne of Perdition THe next thing to be treated of is the implyed Answer to an Objection that might easily be made If Christ had so faithfully kept them all How comes Judas to perish Now our Saviour answereth this two
neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy You see how such men haste to their perdition Know then it comes of the devil who hath a desire to undoe thee for ever when thou takest up prejudices and wicked discontents at such who plainly tell thee of thy sinnes This is made an Argument that David in his grievous Fall had not lost all his grace that when Nathan told him he was the man he doth not rage at the Prophet or threaten to kill him but immediatly humbles himself and saith I have sinned and on the other side King Asaph though a good man yet transgressed in an high manner when he put the good Prophet in prison for reproving of him what a sad affliction befell that King even to the end of his daies Oh then take heed how you entertain prejudices and objections against the Ministers of God who are faithful in their work The first time that we reade Iudas beginning to discover himself and Christ foretelling what one would prove that was of his chosen Apostles it was upon some mutterings and captiousnesse that was shewed at some words in Christs Sermon This might seem a little thing but it proved very dangerous Observe the place Ioh. 6.60 61 64 67 70. Our Saviour there said That his flesh was meat indeede and his bloud drink indeed and that he which eateth him should live This Speech not rightly understood offended some and they began to murmure at it and although our Saviour afterwards explained it that it was to be understood in a spiritual sence yet they were so farre discontented that they quite leave him yea the Apostles were so staggering that Christ asked them Will you also go away Now it appeareth by the Text that Iudas was the chief man that made all this Quarrell at Christs Sermon v. 64. There are some of you that beleeve not for Christ knew who would betray him and v. 70. Have not I chosen twelve of you and one is a devil Mark it in the present Tense he doth not say he will be a devil but he is a devil Our Saviour knew with what a cankered and malicious heart even then he took occasion to quarrell at his Doctrine Let this Example make you afraid how you let such viperous and Serpentine thoughts enter in your breast You think to vex and trouble the Faithfull Minister but thou dost create the greatest trouble to thy own soul Many of these they would never hear Christ more They would not frequent his Sermons but what was this Even to go from him who had the words of Eternal Life This is to leave and forsake Manna and to eat that which is present poison 3. Often rebelling against the Light of Conscience whether it be naturall or supernatural This proveth very destructive in the latter end Rom. 1. Those Heathens who had a natural Knowledge of God and yet detained the Truth in unrighteousnesse They lived against what they knew and committed those very sinnes their Consciences condemned them of what was the issue of it but to be given up to unnatural affection and to work all iniquity with greedinesse This was the fruit of rebelling against meer natural Light but the sinne grows higher when the Spirit of God by the Word doth convince thee and inform thee yet for all this thou wilt go on and thou wilt accomplish thy lusts This will make way for a man to fall irrecoverably Thus the Jews they are come to have a Veil upon their eyes and hardnesse upon their hearts and why because they alwaies resisted the Spirit of God speaking by his Prophets Act. 7.51 This daily resisting of the holy Ghost made them come to the top of all their wickednesse which was to Crucifie the Lord of Glory As the continuall looking into the Sun doth at last blinde the Eyes so those by a frequent beholding of Light in the Word come at last to all Heavenly sight As men with frequent labour get such a callousnesse upon their hands that they have no feeling Thus do many men by a daily rebelling against the Light at last turn so stupid and sottish that sinne and no sinne hell and no hell is all one to them Oh then if thou wouldst not be a Son of perdition nourish all the motions of Gods Spirit take heed of quenching the Spirit If this be chased away thou maist all thy life be like an Adamant and never have more relentings 4. Then men are likely to be Sons of perditâ—â—n when they have been under divers and frequent afflictions yet are not preserved but grow worse and worse under them as the Prophet Isaiah tels the Jews Chap. 1.5 Why should I smite you any more your wound is incurable God he smiteth to awaken men that they shouâ—d repent and turn unto him But when this rod makes them more stubborn and they will hold their sinnes though they cost them never so dear this is a sad Forerunner of perdition Ahaz because in his distresse he grew worse and worse therefore the Scripture giveth him this brand This is that King Ahaz The Judgements and Chastisements of God are medicinal in their Institution but if they do not kindely purge from sinne they become penal and destructive They do hurt if they do no good Oh then let such persons remember this that have many times been under Gods Chastisements They have been often in the fiery Furnace and then with Pharaoh they cry out They will sinne no more They will let their Iniquities go but when they see respite and the Cloud is over they begin with all greedinesse to fullfill their sinnes as if they were delivered that they might transgresse the more Oh Consider that thy afflictions rise not out of the dust God hath wisely ordered them against thee but take heed how they leave thee Dost thou as Iob said come out of them as Gold out of the fire Canst thou say that before thou wast afflicted thou wentst astray These Rods have brought thy sins to Remembrance then blesse God for it but if thou art recovered from the Grave and withall delivered from the bitter pangs and terrours of Death thou shalt again return to thy folly then know assuredly a foul Leprosie hath spread it self over thee 5. Successe and prosperity in the way of our sinnes When we offend God and get all that our hearts can desire this makes a man like the fatted Oxe to go leaping to the Stall even to hell Psal 73.6 When David had complained of the prosperity of the wicked they offended God as they pleased and yet had as much outward happinesse as if they were the onely persons that pleased God He saith therefore Pride compasseth them about as a Chain and Violence covereth them as a garment They were full of violence and bold presumption like the Unjust Steward neither fearing God nor man and this boldnesse in sin was from outward prosperity Hence the heart of such sinners is
so much for they are fully set to be destroied Oh pity and pray for such that do neither for themselves if peradventure they may escape out of the devils snares SERMON LXX Of the Sonne of Perdition Sheweth from the Example of Judas That Men may be Eminent for a while in the Church of God and yet afterward prove dreadfull Apostates JOHN 17.12 But the Sonne of Perdition WE come to observe a second Doctrine from this remarkable instance and certainly if we consider who it is that is here called a sonne of perdition it may be matter of astonishment to us It is Judas one of the twelve Apostles It is he that for a long time continued with Christ working miracles and prophesying in Christs name yet even this glorious starre is become a clod of earth This Apostle an Apostate he that in all mens judgements was once a sonne of the Kingdom he that was the light and salt of the earth is in himself darkness and is become like unsavoury salt fit for nothing but to be thrown away Observe That men may be eminent for a while in the Church of God and yet afterwards prove dreadful Apostates The beginnings of many men in Religion may be very hopefull and admirable but their finals may be tragical and very scandalous Thus Judas his beginnings were excellent At first none more forward more self-denying then him but afterwards we see this rod that scourged others for sinne by his preaching to become a Serpent and see the wonderfull dispensation of God Paul that began carnally and wickedly ended spiritually he that was an opposer became a friend and Judas that was a friend became an opposer So that will we nill we we must acknowledge Gods grace is all in all It 's that which makes a difference only Bad beginnings may have good endings and good beginnings bad endings There are many meteors in the Church that make a lustre and a blaze but afterwards end in noisomness To improve this Doctrine Let us consider what peculiar eminency Judas had and this will make it the greater wonder that he should be a Son of perdition And first Which was the first rise and step to all other his excellencies he was taken from his former conversation into an inward more close fellowship with Christ We reade of three sorts recorded by the Evangelists that related to Christ Even as David had three sorts of Worthies There were those that did believe in Christ acknowledging him yet continued still in their relations and former external conditions they were in such were many of the holy women we reade of in the Gospels 2. There were some selected from the common sort of Disciples and believers that did more immediately depend on Christ and were imployed in special service for him Luke 10.1 There were Seventy chosen by Christ to be in an Office of Ministration and service to him But then there were a third sort and they were more intimate with Christ then the Seventy and all the rest and they were twelve in number called Apostles and these were as it were a Colledge and Christ the Master these were domestick to him they were of his houshold they were never asunder they did eat and drink and live and converse together they were maintained out of one common stock and treasury Now Judas he was one of the twelve he was received into the most inward communion together he was one of Christs family So that it must needs be a great honour and prerogative to Judas who would have other thoughts of him then a sincere eminent man for Christ chose him to be in the first place Christ made as much of him as of the rest Who would not say This must needs be a good man Christ is so familiar with him and whereas John 2. it 's said Many did believe yet Christ would not commit himself to them for he knew what was in man yet here though Judas did not truly believe and though Christ knew what was in him yet he committed himself to him This familiarity of Judas with Christ was of old prophesied of and that to the aggravation of his sinne Psal 41.9 It was thou my familiar friend my acquaintance we took sweet councel together Meditate then on this particular The sonne of perdition is he that was constantly with Christ one of his intimate friends of dear relation together and this will aggravate it more if you consider Christ and his Apostles not as a civil society but a religious one Though Christ did not in his life time on the earth set up a distinct Church from that of the Jews but communicated with the Jews in all their Church-Ordinances yet his family was a religious and heavenly society He was preaching praying and performing all heavenly duties now Judas was as much in all these holy meetings as the other Apostles Therefore it 's said Psal 41 9. They took sweet counsel yea it 's said in whom I trusted so that Judas was admitted into all the secrets Christ had yet the man thus in prayer often in duties often in heavenly conferences often he becomes a Sonne of perdition his heart was not right within him all that while As for those disputes Why Christ would chuse such an one whom he knew to be an hypocrite and especially advance him to be an Apostle seeing that the Scripture commends such strict care about the promoting fit and worthy men to that Office we can but give conjectures no solid reasons as the Ancients do Secondly This is but the beginning of honour Christ put upon him for after they had a while continued thus with him then he instituted a new Office of Apostleship and gave some men this divine Commission and Office the chiefest place in the Church For you must observe as a good Antidote against the Anabaptists who because Christ chose Fishermen and illiterate persons to preach the Gospel conclude such persons may still preach that there cannot be a stronger Argument against them then this instance of our Saviour for when Christ chose his Apostles they left their trades they did not continue in their civil vocations but they followed Christ whereas these men would that persons should follow their trades and yet preach alwayes whereas Paul bids Timothy though of extraordinary gifts To give himself wholly to study and reading 1 Tim 4.13 But secondly Our Saviour after he had called them from their ordinary vocations he did not presently make them Churchâ—Officers but as diligent Interpreters and Harmonists shew They were two years with Christ under his Discipline and information ere they were appointed â—o this Office and then at last when they were to exercise their Apostolical-Office to the whole Church they were endowed with admirable abilities from above so that they could speak in all tongues and were filled with the Spirit of God and infallibly assisted by him to interpret the Scripture of the Old Testament But this by the way
We see by degrees men were prepared to this Apostolical Office in the Church and Judas was one of these Now this was the highest pinacle of the Temple There was not a greater place of honour and trust then to be an Apostle they are called the pillars and the foundations Hence Paul begins his Epistle with this Title Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ which is as great a glory saith Chrysostome as when any Officer under the Emperour writes himself next in place to the Emperour It would be impertinent at this time â—o expatiate in the dignity and excellency of the Apostolical-Office The Ancients said they were Pedes Christi oculi Dei and Ecclesiae mammae Christs feet Gods eyes and the Churches breasts These had infallibility in Doctrine had power to work miracles to expell devils to open and shut heaven as it were and yet the son of perdition is one of these Apostles Thirdly He had not only the Apostolical-Office but the gifts and qualifications of an Apostle He was one of those that returned with joy saying The very devils were subject to them He prophesied he wrought miracles he confessed and published the name of Christ he prayed he performed all the heavenly duties that others did neither do we reade of any neglect in his Apostolical-Office nor is he blamed for defects in any religious duty and certainly if he had been guilty of any such omissions the Apostles would have suspected him but we see when Christ said One should betray him they did no more suspect Judas then themselves Fourthly Christs carriage was as full of sweetness love and respect to him as full of comfort and encouragement to him as to the rest in an external dispensation When they returned from their spiritual circuit Rejoycing as you heard because the devils were subject to them our Saviour speaks indefinitely to them all Rejoyce not in this but because your names are written in heaven Luke 10.20 he speaks here as if Judas his name were written in heaven and Luke 22.30 Christ tels his twelve Apostles They should sit upon twelve Tribes judging Israel Little did men think that Judas would be cast out and one put in his room Now lay all these together and thereby will appear his eminency and esteem in Religion yet for all that he was a sonne of perdition for whereas Chrysostom and others from the fore-mentioned Texts would conclude that Judas was once a true godly man but afterwards fell from his grace that is contradictory to the Scripture as you have heard And when our Saviour condescended to that low humiliation of washing the Disciples feet mentioned onely by John so that the same Evangelist who doth relate in most perspicuous manner the sublimest things of Christ as appeareth Cap. 1. so he mentioneth this action which was of the lowest debasement now in washing of their feet Judas is not excepted Those hands of Christ which wrought so many miracles cured so many diseases bestowed so many blessings yet even these wash not the face or the hands but the feet the meanest part and that of Judas who was immediately to betray him But no wonder he layeth aside his garments and girded himself with a towel and poured water in a bason seeing he formerly laid aside the manifestation of his Divine Nature being in the form of a man and poured out his bloud for us yea it 's thought by many and those learned both by ancient and learned Writers though opposed also by many learned men that Christ gave Judas the Sacrament also Neither say they will this prove that scandalous men may be admitted to the Lords Supper because his sinne was as yet secret and not publick and although Christ as God knew him to be such a secret sinner yet Christ did not in his outward Office of the Ministry act according to the knowledge of God but as a Minister under God in his Office Whether Judas received or no the Lords Supper Those that affirm are many Those that deny are also many Raynardus the Jesuite Lib. cui Titulus vitae optimae finis pessimus at large quoteth the Authors of both sides Some make it a probleme and therefore condemn Prateolus as too rigid who noteth those with heresie that deny his communicating with the other Apostles in this Sacrament In the next place Though thus eminent yet consider these things to debase him 1. In all this eminency and profession of Christ he was an hypocrite he had no true love to Christ nor saving faith as John 6. where at the beginning of all Christ said One is a devil the present tense is not to be neglected and the text saith Even then he did not believe viz. in a saving manner Oh what cause of fear and trembling is this Who can hear of Judas that preacheth that worketh miracles that is often in duties with Christ yet he is not sincere and therefore you may observe that our Saviour in all his Sermons and Parables did press this as the summe of all to look we build upon a Rock to see that we dig deep in our building that we be good ground receiving the seed in a deep and honest heart No subject did our Saviour so much insist on as this when yet we would think in those dayes when Christs teaching and miracles were so visible and outward encouragements to profess him wholly wanting that none should follow him but upon sincere and upright grounds 2. In this time of his profession and communion with Christ he liveth in a secret sinne though the Apostles knew it not yet his own consceence could not but condemn him He was a thief saith the text Christ had many contributers to his sustenance and that was put in a common bag for the maintenance of himself and his Apostles Now Judas he carried the bag how this came about it 's disputed Whether he desired it or no or Whether it was put upon him as judged a fit and faithfull man the Scripture tels not Howsoever we see by this as is to be shewed That it 's a terrible thing to be in such a condition of life as is sutable to draw out the sinnes we are given unto but of that afterward Judas having this great opportunity he stealeth part of the treasury and keepeth part of it for himself What made him to do this whether because he was married and had a charge of children as some conjecture or whether because he had a covetous worldly heart as the Scripture seemeth to encline is controverted So that now Judas becomes a gross hypocrite for the very light of nature taught him not to impropriate that which was common to others he knew it was Christs goods not his own yea many learned Authors say This was not simple theft but sacriledge for what was given to Christ and his Ministry was to an holy use and therefore Judas was guilty of both and the grosseness of his hypocrisie is the more aggravated if
fall out casually but by the wise ordering providence of God 3. This may be brought in to prevent any such errour as might be gathered from our Saviours words as if some of the Elect persons might perish No saith our Saviour he was none of them The Scripture a long while agoe had pronounced fearful curses against him Now to understand this Consider these things First That the Scriptures which do most palpably thus foretell Judas his perdition are Psa 41.10 applied Joh. 13.8 Psa 69.26 Psa 109.8 applied Act. 1.20 Here you see are clear evident places containing a Prediction of what would befal Judas David speaks by way of bitter Imprecation against his implacable and crafty Enemies who set against God and his cause in him and this was a Type of Judas Indeed Junius relateth this passage in the Text not only to Judas his perdition but also to all those severall places of Scripture which speak of Christ and his office in saving of his people but that seemeth not so accomodated to the Context 2. These words are not spoken to take off the cause of perdition from Judas and to lay it upon the Scripture or Gods prevision but only as you heard to prevent the offence the Disciples might take Therefore Calvin saith well that the Scriptures meer prediction is not the cause of an Event Neither did Judas perish because the Scripture said so Indeed no predictions whether divine or humane as Astronomicall politicall c. are the causes of any Event Things are not therefore because foretold but they are foretold because future This is true of prediction or prevision meerly as so not including preordination in it Hence 3. The particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is taken two waies in Scripture sometimes denoting a cause Sometimes an Event only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Learned instance in many places Now here they make it to signifie the Event only that the sence amounts to thus much when Judas had betraied his Master and perished in that wickednesse then were those places of Scripture fulfilled The Scriptures did not force or compell him but when he had accomplished his impieties then was the Scripture fullfilled Indeed Tolet makes it to be causall and Maldonate causall apparently but not really Jansenius grants it may be causall not in respect of Judas his sinne but the end why God permitted all this Lastly Though Gods prevision and the Scriptures prediction be not simply the cause of any thing future yet because Gods prevision is never without his pre-ordination and that though wicked men are justly damned for their sins yet all these things fall not out without some antecedent Decrees of God Therefore we must understand this place as taking in Judas his Reprobation also Obs That so many contrary things to a Beleevers Expectation may fall out in matters of Religion that did not the Scripture foretell them we should be greatly offended This hypocrisie of Iudas was so hainous and monstrous that had not Christ forewarned them out of the Scripture it had been enough to make them stagger and reel To think there was no such thing as Truth of Grace and Uprightnesse To cry out as he did observing the deceitful waies of the world O Vertue I thought thou hadst been some reall thing but now I finde thee to be a meer sound of words c. What if one of the Apostles be thus false then surely there is no Truth or Religion in the world It hath alwaies been thus in the Church of God such passages have fallen out beyond a godly mans expectation that sometimes with David they have been ready to say It 's a vain thing to be godly they have doubted about God and his Word and all hath been because they have not diligently considered that this is no more then the Scripture hath spoken of Let us Consider some particulars so hardly concocted without Scripture-Information And first That the way of Christ should have so much opposition and persecution in the world Did not a man Consider that every Page almost of the Scripture foretels this it would be enough to dishearten him Mat. 10. â—3 there and in many other places Christ foretels their portion in this world They shall be haâ—ed that is the highest degree of mens spirits against them which rests in nothing but the utter destruction of those that are hated Joh. 15.18 There also are serious Informations against this offence that might be taken at Christs way and indeed by that passage it is a Sect that is every where spoken against Act. 26.22 It seemeth many were disheartened it was enough to keep a man off if it were said None in the world likes this you will be the Object of every mans scorn and derision and is it not the great Temptation still in Heavens way that so many troubles do abide those that will live godly They cannot bend and turn their Consciences as the world would have them They must oppose and discountenance sinne though it be never so advantagious and by this contrariety of their works to the works of the world therefore it is they are so much hated Now these things are hardly born a man had need again and again go to the Scripture and inform himself saying This is no more then I reade daily then I am to look for Hence 1 Pet. 4 12. Think it not strange concerning the fiery Triall as if some strange thing happened to you Though the afflictions be never so fierce so terrible yet do not think this any strange matter Say Christianus sum as he did homo nihil Christiani alienum â— me pâ—to I am a Christian and think nothing that may befall a Christian is strange to me Oh thus we would think that the way to heaven should be a pleasant smooth and delight some way That whenever we are in Christs way there should be no Hils or Dales no troublesome passages but we finde the clean contrary and this is a stumbling block to us as David said such things were to him till he went into the Sanctuary of God 2. This is a stumbling block in Religion That some of those who are eminent in the profession of Christ should yet degenerate and turn Hypocrites Heretiques and Apostates Oh these are sad Temptations and cause many weak ones to fall when such pillars prove rotten This was Judasses Case in the Text Better he had never been born even in this respect as well as others that hereby Religion was wounded the souls of many endangered and the Adversaries of Christ more confirmed and made obdurate in their wicked waies Therefore the Scripture foretels such sad things for Heresies that they should break out in the preaching of the Gospel that such Tares should grow up as well as the wheat is again and again spoken of 2 Pet 2.1 2 3. False Teachers shall arise that shall bring in damnable Heresies and though
make it an opposition to Legall Customs For whereas the Priests of the Old Testament being to enter into the Sanctuary did not only first wash their hands and their feet but put on glorious Garments Thus say they Christ prayed that those Apostles whom he was commissionating to preach the Gospel over the whole world might be though not externally sanctified yet internally by a more plentifull and copious enjoyment of the holy Ghost But this is too much restrictive Others there are that understand it finally 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sanctifi◠them to the Truth that they may be fitted and furnished to publish it Others by truth understand Christ who is the essentiall Truth but the words following demonstrate what is meant by Truth even The word of God So that our Saviours purpose is to informe what is that saving Medium and instituted Organ of our Sanctification even The word of God From hence observe That the word of God made known to us is the instrument of God to our Sanctification It 's by this waters side that a godly man being like a tree planted doth bring forth much fruit Are any lusts too strong for thee Are any corruptions too powerfull This is a two-edged sword to be the death of them Art thou dull cold and lukewarm in matters of Religion This is the fire to inflame thee Art thou fainting and dejected with divers temptations This is the Apothecaries-shop that hath all kinde of refreshments for thee no disease but may be cured no doubt but may be answered Hence the Scripture is commended unto us 2 Tim. 3.16 for that which is profitable to instruction correction so as to make a man of God much more a private Christian perfect and thorowly furnished to every good work But this Point deserveth some Explication First We say the Word of God made known unto us is thus an instrument and this bringeth in the necessity of Officers in the Church who by their Gifts and Ministry are to interpret and publish the Word of God to us For if the Scriptures be kept in the Originall Tongue they are unknown to most people and so are like a Candle under a Bushell or like a Fountain sealed up God therefore who hath appointed his Word as a Rule hath also given gifts to men that there may be such who shall divide this Word aright and give his children fit meat in their due season So that if a man ignorant of the Tongues should have a Bible in Hebrew and Greek What good could he get by it till translated and interpreted This is like a veil upon the Scripture and therefore doth as much hinder our understanding as if we had a veil upon our hearts Hence it hath been the good Providence of God to raise up such able and willing men who have been ready to translate the Scripture into all kinde of Languages that so every Nation might have it in their known Tongue We say therefore the Word of God made known to us is thus powerfull Secondly We say it 's Instrumentall Now there is a two-fold Instrument as to our purpose both which meeting together the Word produceth it's compleat effects There is Gods Instrument that which he hath appointed on his part And then There is that which is Instrumentall on our part and that is Faith As in the fore-mentioned place of 2 Timothy 3.16 The Scriptures are able to make thee wise to salvation through faith So that as Christ who is the essentiall Word of God dwels in our hearts by faith Thus the Scriptures the revealed Word of God become effectuall to us by believing The Word did not profit the Israelites because not mingled with faith Heb. 4.6 So that as the Word of God is a necessary instrument on Gods part Thus faith is a necessary instrument on mans part Whensoever God causeth his Word to be published be thou ready to prepare a believing heart This is that which diffuseth the Word through the whole soul The Word is Bread but it 's faith that eats it and digests it No Sermon can ever doe thee the least good unlesse Faith write it down in thy heart Goe home believing such places of Scripture and this will antidote against sinne If humane Faith can turne a man wholly upside downe How much more may divine Faith Thirdly We say it 's Instrumentall therefore the Word of God preached is not the principall or the efficient No though we have ten thousand Teachers and they all like Angels yet truth could never sanctifie us unlesse God give a blessing to it and therefore you see here Christ prayeth to God that he would sanctifie them by his truth intimating That though they understood it never so clearly and remembred it never so firmly yet if God blesse it not to this sanctifying use they are like a Rock under much rain that never brings forth any fruit and in three particulars we must necessarily acknowledge Gods efficiency First Though men be never so expert and diligent in the Scripture yet if God blesse them not with a seeing eye and a spirituall understanding in stead of being sanctified by the Word they are through mis-interpretations corrupted Doth not the Apostle Peter tell of some who through their ignorance did wrest the Scripture to their perdition 2 Pet. 3.16 There are many Heretiques and erroneous persons who are full of Scripture will alledge many places of Gods Word but putting their corrupt glosses upon it it 's no more Gods truth but mans errour and therefore are not sanctified by it in which sense Luther called the Bible The Heretiques book because they would all confidently boast they grounded their opinions upon that Book when indeed it was upon their own corruptions Oh then besides frequent knowledge and excellent memory of the Scripture know a further thing is requisite even the Spirit of God to lead thee by this Rule into the truth else it is with the Scripture as it was with that pillar in the wilderness it was light to the Israelites to guide them but darkness to the Egyptians 2. The Word of God is not blessed to sanctifie our affections and reform our corruptions unlesse God come in as the principal cause As the Prophets servant could do no good in raising the dead childe till the Prophet his Master came so though thou take up the Scripture reade such a place an hundred times over against that very sinne thou livest in yet it doth not sanctifie till God set it home upon thee Nicodemus was grosly ignorant about the work of Regeneration yet no doubt being a Master in Israel he had often read that promise That God would take away an heart of stone and give an heart of flesh and doth not sad experience tell us of many that have great knowledge in Scripture yet they live prophanely and grosly It 's true such men are to look for greater condemnation then others
but yet how common is it for such who know and read the Word of God yet not to be reformed in their lives thereby Though they look in this glass yet they wash not those loathsome spots that are upon them conclude the Scriptures are not in their proper use to thee till they have reformed thee from such sins as thou didst formerly live in 3. The people of God though they have a spiritual life within them yet under desertions and temptations finde not the Word of God effectual for joy and consolations till God bring such texts and such promises close to their soul That we saith Paul through the Scriptures might have consolations 2 Cor. 1. And David doth often acknowledge That the word of God did comfort and revive him but let a godly man groaning under the guilt of sinne hear the sound of the Gospel a thousand times over yet he will remain like dried bones and a parched wilderness till God sanctifie it Oh how often have the people of God desired comfort and assurance read over the promises again and again gone to the Ministers of the Gospel to have oyl poured in their wounds yet not the Law but even the Gospel hath been made a dead letter till the Spirit of God doth comfort in and by it the Word then of God though instrumental yet is but instrumentall it 's not a principal Fourthly When we say it 's Instrumentall to Sanctification we are to distinguish of instrumental causes For there are Physical and Natural Instruments which work by an inherent and natural power and there are Moral Instruments which work by the sole institution and appointment of another Now the Word of God is not instrumental to Sanctification in the former but in the later way The Word doth not by any inherent vertue and efficacy in a natural manner purifie the heart but by Gods appointment and his voluntary co-operation when and where he will For if it did work thus naturally then wheresoever the Word is preached it would sanctifie it would heal As the fire whereever it is in one Countrey as well as in another it doth burn but experience doth confute this Are there not two hearing the Word of God the one is sanctified the other not At the same Sermon one is humbled made tender The other is more obstinate and hardened Whence comes all this diversity under the Word preached but because it is not a natural instrument Again If the word of God did convert and sanctifie naturally then the grace of God could not so much be amplified and magnified which yet the Scriptures do Though it be Gods goodness that the Sunne shineth the fire burneth yet we do not speak of it or call it his grace but if the Word of God ever touch and heat any mans heart if it ever reform his life this is the meer grace of God By which it appeareth That the Word of God is instrumental only by Gods institution and where he commands it to work there it works where he requireth it to break down all oppositions there it hurrieth all down before it Insomuch that sometimes the most unlikely and prophanest enemies to godliness they are changed by the Word and those that are very ingenuous and civilly disposed remain in a perverse opposition 5. When we say The Word of God is instrumentall to our Sanctification this is not to be opposed to those other causes which God hath appointed Grace is the efficient cause and Christ the meritorious cause onely this is the medium God who could convert immediately and reach home to our souls as he did to the Prophets by an immediate Revelation hath taken this way That as it 's the goodness of God in natural things though he be the first and universall cause and so could do all things immediately himself yet he hath ordained second causes who have their derived causality Thus it hath pleased God in the Government of his Church to use means and external helps the Word and Sacraments thereby to work grace when yet he could change the hearts of men immediately or communicate himself to his Church as he did once without Scriptures When therefore you hear many oppose the Scripture to the Spirit and the Ministry in the Church to Christs teaching this is absurd and tends to the division of those causes which God hath so wisely joyned together The Spirit and the Scripture must not be opposed nor Christs teaching and the Ministers for that Rule is true here Quando duorum unum est propter aliud sunt ut unum Sixthly The Word thus made known is the ordinary means both of our beginning and increase in Sanctification Two things are couched in this particular 1. It 's the ordinary means so that what God may do in extraordinary cases is not for us to dispute but ordinarily there is no other way to beget and increase grace but this Neither may we say this is dishonourable to God to binde him to one way for it hath pleased himself to appoint the communication of his grace by the Word ordinarily so that as in naturall things he will give light to the world only by the Sunne though he could do otherwise Therefore the Sunne was not made till the fourth day to shew us that God could give light to the world without a Sunne Thus it is also in spiritual things though God could otherwise communicate his graces yet he hath pleased to appoint this ordinary way So that there is no expectation of the Spirit but in the Word as the Word can no wayes avail without the Spirit and it 's the goodness of God that he hath commanded all spirits to be tried by this Rule and if not conforming to it to reject them which could not be if the voice of the Spirit could be heard any other way but in and by the Scriptures we then are bound to come to this pool if we will have the divine moving not of an Angel but of the Spirit of God As the Israelite that would escape death was to keep within his doors and those within the Ark who would enjoy Gods Protection Thus must such keep within the bounds of the Scripture who expect Gods Spirit to guide them But although we are thus bound to expect Sanctification onely in this means yet we cannot say that God hath bound himself to work these effects alwayes for though he will not ordinarily dispense his grace but in this way yet he will not alwayes accompany this way yea it 's the savour of death to many 2 Cor. 2 16. Hence in the seventh place The word of God though it be ex se and quoad institutionem an instrument of Sanctification yet to some accidentally through their corruption it becomes an instrument of greater sinfulnesse and wickednesse So that commonly there are no greater sinners under Heaven then in the Church and in the Church none greater then where the best and
say here is a greater then a Pythagoras here Deus dixit Therefore observe the Prophets they do often repeat this Thus saith the Lord because nothing could amaze and humble their hearers so much as that God said it and indeed when once it 's received as Gods truth then the heart doth readily obey as 1 Thess 2.13 you may there see wherein the truth preached doth work in it's due and proper manner even when it 's received not as the word of man but of God Divine truth will have divine operations but when received as mans truth it hath but humane effects such as Tullies Orations or Demosthenes had upon their auditors which is like the influence of the Moon that doth not give true heat and life but the word of God works like the Sun not only in respect of penetrating light reaching into all the inwards of the soul but also vivifical heat It makes men live a spiritual and heavenly life whereas moral truths help only to an external honesty It 's true that which Ambrose said Omnis veritas est à Spiritu sancto Every truth is of the holy Ghost even natural and humane truths are But as God is the author of nature and yet of grace in a more special way so the Spirit of God is the author of all truth but in a more peculiar manner of Scripture truths Therefore all Scripture is said to be given by inspiration 2 Tim. 3.16 Consider then the truths we deliver you out of Gods word are his truth Thus saith the Lord against the heretical person Thus saith the Lord against the prophane person Oh if it were only men that say thus it might be easily rejected but it 's God that speaks it and therefore none may oppose 2. Because it's Gods truth therefore it 's infallible it 's so certain that we can never be deceived whosoever believed according to Scripture and lived according to Scripture that a man was never confounded or ashamed he will never have cause to wish Oh that he had taken another way Oh that I had done otherwise Thus David Psal 119. Then I shall not be confounded when I have respect to all thy Commandments Have a conscientious respect to Gods Word in thy Religion and in thy conversation this will prove infallible this is the Israelites cloud and pillar upon their Tabernacle we are to go when that goeth we are to stand still when that stands still This is the Star that will certainly guide us to Christ All divine faith is infallible in Philosophy in humane Authorities we may be deceived but in the Scripture we cannot Venture all upon the truth of Scripture it will never deceive thee when thou wilt finde Satan and the world liars 3. It 's an eternal Truth Even as God doth abide for ever so will his truth Mat. 5. Heaven and earth shall sooner pass away then one iota or tittle of it Truth will abide when these heavens and earth shall not abide at least not in the same manner as they are now and excellently to this purpose speaks 1 Pet. 1.23 24 25. being born of the incorruptible word of God for all flesh is grass but the word of God abideth for ever and this is the Word which by the Gospel is preached to you Scripture-truth abideth for ever whereas all errours and false ways though they have overflowed for a while yet presently they withered again What is become of the Manichees Arrians Pelagians Nestorians and those thousands of Heretiques They had a time of glory a shew in the world but then died neither lamented nor desired Scripture-truth will prevail even as Christ the essential Truth As the Sun will at last get the better of all clouds and foggy mists and cannot alwayes be in an eclypse so it 's with the truth of God All errors are like men mortal they pass away if any error be so strong as to hold to threescore years it begins like man to be full of pain and sorrow They are compared to hay and stubble these will not long continue They are like Davids rich and great men in the world like the grass upon the house top not only homo but haereticus est bulla Truth will continue in the field when all errours will lie prostrate and conquered and have no other burial but that of an Ass as that despised King had 4. It 's an universal Truth within the bounds of Religion I do not say that all philosophical and mathematical truths are in the Scripture but all soul-saving truths are as 2 Tim. 3. The Scriptures are able to make thee wise to salvation There is nothing for doctrine or for practice but that can guide thee This sufficiency and perfection of Scripture-truth we do justly maintain against the Papists who as they foolishly set up their lighted tapers at noon-day so they add their traditions to the Scripture but it 's often said we may neither adde to it nor detract from it therefore it 's abundantly sufficient Now it 's good with Tertullian to adore this fulness of the Scripture for thy faith and doctrine to believe as thou readest to worship God as thou readest As the childe in the womb is nourished only by the mother through her nourishing Thus the Church of God is instructed nourished and enlivened only from God by the Scriptures We read the Manna fell from heaven but there fell a dew before it to constringe and bind the earth Thus truth fals from God but the Scripture is like the dew to keep it together that it may be for our use Let not then tradition custom antiquity multitudes nor such Gorgons heads lifted up by men terrifie thee but follow the word in thy faith and worship where that stands still do not thou go further where that goeth do not thou stand still And as for faith so for thy life know that hath all practical truth in it necessary to salvation that teacheth and that only how to repent how to be converted how to believe in Christ how to pray how to hear how to be in the world yet to have a conversation in heaven That teacheth thee how to be godly in thy relations a godly father a godly childe a godly master a godly servant Now this most people are greatly faulty in they will be of no Religion but what the Scripture commands yet they will live otherwise and do otherwise When thou seest an heretick thou will bring Scripture against him And is not Scripture against thy prophaneness and impiety as well as there are damnable heresies so are there damnable wickednesses in mens lives 5. It 's a supernatural Truth Many of the truths revealed in Scripture are such as no Plato's no Aristotles no wisdom of man though raised beyond Solomons could ever have attained unto such as the doctrine of the Trinity of the Nature Person and Office of Christ of the Resurrection of a day of Judgment and the
state of men afterwards The former of these especially could never be discovered by natural light even Adam though created after Gods image yet needed a revelation of these We have no innate or acquired knowledge about them and though many worthy Divines have indeavoured to prove the Trinity by reason and humane similitudes yet the surest and most evident way is the Scripture so that we may say of them all which Austin speaks of one of them viz. Of Christs being God and man If you can give a reason it would not be mirabile and if an example it would not be singulare It 's true there are many things in Scripture which we know by natural reason as that there is a God but the knowledge by reason is nothing so evident and firm as that by Revelation so that the truth of God being in the chiefest parts of it supernatural It 's no wonder that the wisest Heathens became vain in their imaginations and that their greatest Religion was their highest impiety and within the Church The more men have forsaken Scripture and pleased corrupt reason in the doctrinal part and corrupt fancies in the worshipping part They have been very erroneous and absurd hence the truth of God is called a mystery and said to be revealed because mans reason could no more attain unto it then a dwarf can reach to the heavens Zacheus must get upon this Tree to see Christ Hence no others have been able to endure the glorious lustre of the Scripture because errours are natural the Scripture supernatural All heresies have runne up and down from one age to another like Cain fearing least every Text of Scripture should kill them Do not then judge of Scripture-truths by thy carnal reason The work is above thy natural understanding 6. It 's a godly holy Truth The holy Scriptures they are called and well may they be so called for nothing is a stronger argument to demonstrate the Divine Authority of Scriptures than the holiness thereof Take all the moral books in the world they do as much come short of the holiness of the Scripture as coals do of the glory of the Sunne Plutarch Seneca Epictetus these will teach you to have the clean skin of morality but not the inward life and sound vitals of holiness What transcendent holiness doth the Scripture teach us such as the men of the world know not Holiness in our natures first of all Regeneration neither the name nor the nature of it was known amongst the Heathens they knew not mans natural pollution neither did they see a necessity of such an internal renovation Again Such holy duties the Scriptures teach that not only the doctrinal but the practical part of it is a mystery to flesh and bloud such are faith in Christ love to our enemies self-denial and a readinesse to take up the Crosse Many of these duties are accounted folly and madness by wise men after the flesh It teacheth an heavenly life fellowship and communion with God to do all things from holy principles and to holy ends so that the holinesse that is in the truth of Scriptures should much affect us But oh how few reade and delight in the Scriptures because of the holinesse in them You reade them for dispute or to know the History and to be able to hold up Arguments but who is there that thinketh this the truths of Scripture are holy They are to make heavenly and pure they will forewarn of sin they quicken to grace they inflame to faith and love Oh minde this all Scripture-truth is for holiness As meat is not to be looked upon but eaten and digested 7. They are precious excellent Truths and therefore compared by David to fine gold and by Solomon preferred above all jewels Prov. 3.15 The Apostle also compareth true Doctrine to gold silver and precious stones 1 Cor. 3.12 and they are called precious promises as a precious faith 2 Pet. 1.1 4. These shew in what high degree and dignity the truths of Scripture should be with us Austin said Veritas Christianorum was incomparabiliter pulchrior Helenâ Graecorum If they did strive about her How much more ought we for the truth of God The Prophet complained of old None pleaded for the truth Isa 59 4. neither were valiant for the truth Jer. 9.3 The truths then of the Scripture should be more unto us then any earthly comforts whatsoever You see Christ makes this one main end of his coming into the world to bear witness unto the truth John 18 37. Ann thus the Martyrs they thought Gods truth more worth then their lives and how many millions have willingly endured the worst of deaths to bear witness to the truths of the Scripture So that it 's very strange how such a spirit of delusion should be upon men to make no matter of true Doctrine to think Heresies and Errours are nothing Certainly the godly Martyrs that burnt at the stake had other thoughts of it and the Scripture doth commend it as the great mercy of God unto a people Therefore God promiseth Jer. 33.6 He will reveal abundance of peace and truth and in many places truth is still joyned unto peace as if all the peace and earthly advantages in the world were nothing if we might not have the truths of God also Therefore the Apostle John told that elect Lady He had no greater joy then to see her children walking in the truth and the Spirit of God is promised as the greatest mercy we can have John 16.13 That he will guide us into all truth Natural truth is precious What pains and travel have many used to finde that out They have dispossessed themselves of their goods to finde it out yea they have been so ravished in the contemplation thereof that they have forgotten to eat their bread and have wholly neglected themselves and all pleasure Hence in their Sacrifices to Apollo whom the Heathens made God of truth they cried out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Truth is sweet Truth is sweet Truth is the natural food to the soul as meat is to the body but then divine supernatural truth which doth so immediately concern our salvation and eternal happiness how precious and dear should that be to us In other things ignorance is not damnable but here to misse of the truth is to fall into destruction It profits not a man to measure the heavens and the motions thereof To understand all the Laws of Nations with their cases thereupon or with Solomon to be able to speak of the nature of all things if a man want the knowledge of Scripture-truths Lastly This truth though precious yet because it 's opposite to a corrupt heart It 's very bitter and makes most men enemies to it It 's a truth requiring holiness hatred of sinne mortification of lusts and because it 's so therefore the vain corrupt hearts of men love errours and lies or deceits by the devil and sinne rather then the
preterperfect tense I have sent them seeing they were not yet sent to publish the Gospel to the whole world for that was not done till his Ascension But it 's answered that it 's ordinary with the Scripture to put one tense for another and besides Christ had begun already to send them though not into the whole world yet into Judea and Luk 6. he had already given them the name of Apostles which is as much as those that are sent yet because after his Ascension he then enlarges their Commission To preach to all Nations beside Judea Hence Joh. 20.21 Christ there speaks in the present tense As my Father hath sent me even so I send you So then the Apostles did not undertake their ministeriall Office before they were sent and for this end are called Apostles Salmasius thinketh he gave them this Name from the Captain of the Jews at that time for in their Synagogues the Governours thereof have their proper Messengers belonging to them who were called Apostles From this Observe That none may undertake the publike Office of the Ministry without a sending or authoritative Call thereunto If Christ did it not as ye heard and the Apostle Heb. 5. is diligent in observing of that much lesse may any men do it for the very word sending doth imply a superiour who hath power to send and also the inferiority and passivenesse of those that are sent Therefore Rom. 10.13 14 15. You have there a Ladder like Jacobs reaching from earth to Heaven where calling on God requires beleeving beleeving requireth hearing hearing requireth preaching and preaching requireth sending See here the golden Chain of our Salvation in an ordinary way No calling no faith no faith no hearing no hearing no preaching no preaching no sending They are all required in their peculiar way with the same necessity and therefore take heed of endangering your souls by despising the lawful Ministry of Christ How shall they beleeve saith the Apostle without this But to inform your judgements in this Point because it 's a necessary Truth and many errours are about it for your good not for our own self-advancement as some are apt to think we shall take this Method 1. Give some Distinctions to clear the Point 2. Shew you the distinct office of the Ministry from other callings and the necessity of a lawful Call thereunto Not that my purpose is to handle all those things which belong to that Famous Common-place in Divinity De ministerio Ecclesiastico but to touch on those things that most relate to this Text And first Consider That there is a two-fold sending a mediate and immediate sending an immediate sending is when God or Christ doth in an extraordinary and peculiar manner give some a Call to this office Thus the Prophets of the Old Testament they were immediatly sent of God and this immediate inspiration and extraordinary gifting of them was enough to authorise them though they had no Call in an ordinary manner from men when they said Thus saith the Lord then they shewed their Commission and thus the Apostles they were likewise immediatly called by Christ and they were gifted in an extraordinary manner thereunto They had no such gifts at first but Christ bestowed them on them In ordinary sendings or missions there men must first try and examine gifts and see them before they confirm any in their office but Christ that can make Children of Abraham out of stones can also make Apostles out of illiterate and rude Fishermen This immediate and extraordinary sending is now wholly ceased even as the gifts of Miracles and therefore though our Divines do sometimes say Luther Calvin and those first Reformers had an extraordinary Call their meaning is not as if they were put into their Church-office by an immediate call of God only there were extraordinary qualifications of them by stirring them up to such zeal and corroborating of them to go through such a work as they did In the next place there is an ordinary mission or authorizing and that is to be perpetual in the Church according to such Rules as Paul laieth down in his Epistles to Timothy and Titus which are a directory concerning the Churches Government to the ends of the world This ordinary sending we are now to have though the Apostles had an extraordinary Secondly Consider that though the Apostles had many personall and extraordinary priviledges yet the essence and substance of their Ministerial office is the same with that which every Minister of the Gospel hath For Matth. 28. there the substance of their office is to preach and administer the Sacraments which is the duty of every Pastor in the Church We may not then argue from the extraordinaries of the Apostles to every Minister but from their substantials as thus The Apostolical priviledges were to behold Christ with their eyes and thereby to witnesse the truth To be infallible in their doctrine to be illimited not bound to one place more then another to work miracles c. Now these were necessary for the infancy and first plantation of the Church Signes being for those that do not beleeve and so it 's not necessary ordinary Pastours should have them but then there are the substantials of their Apostolical Office which was to preach the Word to be authorized thereunto these are belonging to every Pastor and in this they are Successors to the Apostles Mat. 28. ult I will be with you to the end of the world and 2 Tim. 6.14 where in one place God promiseth and in another place Paul is required to keep those Church-Ordinances till the end of the world how can this be otherwise but in the Pastor of the Church who are in this though not in their extraordinaries the Apostles Successors Thirdly There is a great difference to be made between a publike and potestative preaching by way of office and a private wise and humble charitative emploiment of our gifts one Christian to another When we say that only men may by way of office preach We do not thereby prohibit or exclude Those Christian duties and improvements of gifts in pâ—rier and admonition either in Families or one towards another so that there is no Christian though he hath never so good gifts but he hath opportunities enough to improve them in a private way for Gods glory without usurping that office There are many Texts of Scripture that shew how fruitfull and active private Christians should be in their way to do good one to another Col. 3.16 Let the Word of God dwell in you richly with all wisedom teaching and admonishing one another It is your duty to be exercised in the Word of God and to admonish one another out of it so Heb. 10.24 25. There they are to provoke and exhort one another to do good We should in a brotherly way all take care of one anothers soul and this is that Christian Communion so much commended in the Church of God
they might not be in the Ministerial Office Secondly Their Calling partly lieth in the electing and choosing of such a person Though Christ immediately appoint the Office yet the person must be designed by man Thirdly There must be an Examination and Approbation of his Gifts by those who are in Church office For this end the Apostle doth lay down so many properties of those who are to be made Elders which were not to any purpose if they were not to be examined yea it 's directly set down in the Office of Deacons which is an inferiour Office 1 Tim. 3.10 Let them first be proved and then let them have the Office of a Deacon and when Timothy is enjoyned 1 Tim. 5.22 To lay hands suddenly on no man lest he be partaker of others mens sins This inferreth the great examination and trial he is to take of them Lastly There is the confirming them in the Office by laying on of hands with fasting and prayer This is the constant example of all that were set apart to the Ministerial Office that we reade of in the Scripture Act. 14.23 and therefore who may presume to do otherwise when not one instance can be given to the contrary I do not here dispute in whom this constituting or ordaining power is seated it 's enough that we see it alwayes done by those that were Officers in the Church In the last place There may be a two-fold unlawfull entring into this Call 1. In respect of corrupt aims and ends and many other defects 2. In respect of the very Essentials So that he is not a Minister or put in office at all These two are greatly to be discerned Many men may go unlawfully into the Office fail in many particulars yet partake of the substance of the office but others may usurp it so that they have not the very Office it self and this is very necessary to observe For where the Office is null and no Ministry there the administration of the Sacraments is according to the received opinion void As the Papists argue Because we have no Ministry we have no Church no Sacrament Though in these accusations the Protestants sufficiently defend themselves But certainly it may justly be a great shaking to private persons that if the Ministry they live under be not a true Ministry thus their Baptisme is not a true Baptisme the Church they live in a true Church for though a Ministry be not necessary to an Essential Church as in times of persecution when beleevers are scattered up and down yet it is to an Organical Church according to that definition of Cyprian Ecclesia esset plebs adornata clero In the second place we come to shew That there is a distinct Calling of the Ministers from the people so that men may not as they please invade it nor look upon Christs Ministry as a meer humane invention The chiefest Arguments brought by the Learned to confirm this are First From the distinct and different titles that the Scripture giveth them They are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scopi Overseers Elders Pastours and Teachers They are called lights and guides They are said to be over them in the Lord So that it 's plain that the Scripture makes this clear distinction some are Rulers and Guides and Shepherds some again are to be ruled and are under To the Bishops and Saints at Philippi Phil. 1.1 Thus the whole Church is divided into it's Officers and those that are governed It 's a wonder that any can contradict these clear places neither may we think that the Scripture giveth them these names without reality as they did by scorn to Christ calling him King of the Jews Certainly if there were not such distinct relations then the Apostle might as well call the people Guides and Elders and exhort such who were over them to submit to those that were under them Secondly The Scripture doth attribute hereby unto them distinct work and imploiment They are to feed them they are to preach to them they are to watch over them they are to admonish rebuke and cast out unruly persons they are to give themselves to reading to be in these things as the Apostle cals it Now if this did belong to all every one would be bound to leave their Calling for he that is in this Office is commanded wholly to attend to it Thirdly They are under a peculiar charge and account Their estate is more dreadfull then others if they be found negligent Woe be unto me saith Paul if I preach not the Word So Heb. 13. they are said to give an account and it 's desired they may do it with joy and not with grief If there be no Ministerial office then we are not responsible for the souls of men Fourthly The people are required to do distinct duties to them to hear them to obey them to submit themselves to them to esteem of them as the Messengers of God yea to have them in high estimation for their works sake Certainly none can impartially reade the Epistles of Paul therefore I need not name the particular places but he must be convinced of the distinct Office of a Ministry and the peoples duty thereunto In the third place we are to prove That none may enter into this Office without an Authoritative Mission And First Here is constant example and patern of the Church in the Apostles times We cannot reade of any that undertook this Office but they were solemnly set apart to it Acts 14.23 and in other places Now if in the primitive times when yet Christians were so eminently gifted there was a solemn setting of them apart How much more in after ages Neither can any one example be brought to the contrary I mean of taking an Office in the Church without a Call Now is it not farre better to follow the presidents of Scripture then to go after our own thoughts especially when Christ himself though so admirably gifted yet would not undertake this Office without a Call as the Apostle doth diligently consider it Heb 5.7 Secondly The Apostle in his Epistles to Timothy and Titus doth lay down severall Qualifications which ought to be in every Minister Now what necessity is there of this if so be those who are to ordain them were not to attend thereunto The very mentioning of such properties is for this end to shew by what rule they should go by in their Ordination who would not think himself qualified who would not say he had gifts if they were not to be examined and judged in that matter Thirdly If it were not necessary there should be an authoritative Ordination of men to that Office why should the Apostle with such diligence leave Titus at Crete to ordain such if so be their gifts and abilities had been enough It was an absurd thing to leave him there to appoint them for that Office Tit. 1.5 The place is considerable because by that you see plainly Elders
were not to intrude themselves but were to be set apart by Titus Fourthly Yea if there were not such a duty upon Church-officers in confirming of others why should the Apostle likewise to Timothy use that severe and dreadfull adjuration 1 Tim 5.21 where Timothy is charged before God in reference to this matter of laying on of hands as well as other things and Christ and the holy Angels that he do nothing with partiality nor be too hasty herein lest we partake of other mens sinnes How could this be but that men are not of themselves to intrude thereunto otherwise their sins would be upon their own heads who go without a Call Fifthly When the Apostle saith Lay hands suddenly on no man In that negative command is contained an affirmative as Walleus well observeth viz. with deliberation and good advice to lay hands on those that are sufficiently qualified so that there is not only an example but a command and that laying on of hands is not a meer accidental Ceremony appeareth in that by this action he describeth the whole confirmation in that Office which Synecdoche could not be unlesse it were either an essential part or a proper and inseparable adjunct Certainly these Arguments may satisfie any that are not contentious This hath been ever both in the Apostles dayes and since their time a constant custom judged to be grounded upon the Scripture Neither may we look for such cogent and clear demonstrations in matter of Church order as in Fundamentall Doctrines If any desire further insight he may peruse those several learned Tractates that have lately come out to confirme this Truth Object But you will say If a man have Gifts and Abilities why is not that enough Answ I answer first Christ had Gifts and yet he would have a Calling In the primitive times private Christians did abound with Gifts yet they were to be set apart for that Office 2. Gifts in civil offices and relations do not give Power and Authority to do a thing A private Lawyer may have as good or better gifts then the Judge Shall he therefore take upon him to condemne men A man would not willingly have such Divinity in his own Family It may be thy servant hath as good or better Gifts to manage thy houshold affairs might be a better husband doth not spend as thou wilt Shall he take upon him to be thy Master There is many a poor man hath a better gift to husband thy estate then thou doest Shall he therefore seize upon thy revenues There must be a Call besides these Gifts 3. By this means every private man yea woman and childe may administer the Sacraments Cannot a woman sprinkle water on the childe and baptize it There are none so simple scarce but have Gifts for this In the Old Testament others could have killed a beast for the Sacrifice as well as the Priest Might they therefore lawfully do it So that Gifts must have a Call Vse How blessed and happy a thing it is when the publick Ministry and private Christians abilities are orderly improved for the Glory of God when one doth not contradict or encroach upon another but the upper orbes and lower orbes doe all turne about for the publique good when Christians edifie one another and yet have those in high esteeme that labour over them in the Lord. Certainly while this Harmony and Union is kept up the Devil cannot disturb the Church We have a notable Prophecy by Zechary what shall be done in the times of the Gospel Zech. 13.5 where men that had no call to preach being convinced of their errour and that by their dearest friends he shall disclaime that way saying I am no Prophet I am an Husbandman for man taught me to keep cattel from my youth SERMON XCVIII Of Christs Sanctifying himself to be a Mediatour Shewing what is implied in it How pure willing and fit he was for that great Vndertaking JOH 17.19 And for their sakes I sanctifie my self that they also might be Sanctified through the Truth OUR Saviour had praied for the Sanctification of his Disciples and one Reason is from the office they were placed in which hath been dispatched The other is in this Verse From Christs Mediation manifested in his Death for them He had merited and purchased this at Gods hand by making himself an atonement for them Christ you heard was the High-Priest of his Church and two things did belong to them 1. To pray for the people 2. To make a Sacrifice for them Now our Saviour in this Chapter doth both he praieth and offereth up himself a Sacrifice for his people So that in the words we are to consider The Person The Action The object matter The Finis cui and the Finis cujus The Person I sanctifie my self I By this we see partly the Deity of Christ for none but God can say he sanctifieth himself that others may be sanctified and then this denoteth his willingnesse and readinesse Christ did readily offer up himself to all that misery and shame for our sakes Secondly There is the Action 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sanctifie This among many other significations hath these three especially 1. To set apart and solemnly to fit for any duty 2. To dedicate and consecrate in a peculiar manner to the Lord Thus the Priests were sanctified and the Sacrifices were sanctified 3. To make holy by inherent purity and in all these respects Christ did sanctifie himself For 1. He as God did fill the humane Nature with all habituall and actuall Righteousnesse 2. He did set and sanctifie himself to be an oblation and therefore it is that the Apostle doth so often call him the High-Priest in his Epistle to the Hebrews Thirdly There is the object matter and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my self The Priests of the Old Testament did consecrate the Beasts that were slain but here Christ sanctifieth himself So that he is both the Priest and the Sacrifice also It is himself and that is the greater love Further There is the End for whom for them and this doth evidently prove Christ to be a Sacrifice of Atonement For whereas the Apostle Ephes 5.2 there saith Christ gave himself an offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour The Socinian would thereby understand no more then the acceptablenesse of it not that is was propitiatory for us and they compare it with the liberality of the Philippians Phil. 4.18 where the Apostle cals their Gift an Odour of a sweet smell acceptable to Ged yet this is only part of the meaning and the phrase is not wholly alike for in that place of Phil. it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for us as in Eph. 5.2 So that Christ gave himself for a Sacrifice not metaphorically as Praier and Alms are sometimes called Sacrifices but by way of Atonement to satisfie God So that by this means we also are an Odour of sweet smell unto him The Finis cujus
the grace of God No Christ doth not call to men that sin yet laugh and make merry but that are weary and loaden to come unto him and then he will ease them Answ 2 But 2. This Doctrine of special and particular Faith doth not encourage to presumption because it cals not upon sinnâ—rs abiding and wickedly persevering so to rest on him but mourning over and abhorring their sins Therefore no man is commanded to believe this first that Christ died for him but to believe the word of God threatning and discovering the horrid pollution that is upon us as also the generall contagion in every part the insufficiency and inability to help himself the necessity of hungring thirsting and seeking out after a Saviour So that in this order and method he must by Faith lay hold on Christ Answ 3 3. This special Faith cannot be presumption or encourage thereunto because the object of it is whole Christ a Lord and Soveraign as well as a Saviour The presumer he divides Christ looketh upon him as a Saviour not as a Lord and Law-giver and therefore takes Christ but upon his own terms not in the Scripture-way and so indeed he takes not Christ but an Idol of his own making and by this it is discovered that he doth not truly believe but presume It 's true Christ as the Object of our justifying faith is to be considered as our Surety and Mediatour as a Gift of the Father to us yet he cannot truly be received as a Saviour but as a Lord and King also So that God having inseparably joyned these two together Faith dare not Faith will not divide So that this will prove Jealousie-water to the Hypocrite he professeth a belief on Christ but it is Christ divided or a part of Christ he looks upon the Atonement he made as a Saviour but not on the Obedience he owes to Christ as a King Christ doth not only promise but command he doth not only offer precious Gifts but enjoyneth strict and exact duties and faith taketh in all these Answ 4 4. Faith cannot be presumption because it doth not only receive Christ but this particular doth also cleanse and purifie the heart Act. 15. When Peters Faith was kept up then all his other graces were enlivened therefore Heb. 11. all those notable acts of high Righteousnesse and Obedience are attributed to faith so that the same Faith hath two hands one inward whereby it receiveth and embraceth Christ the other outward whereby it stirreth up and quickeneth to other Graces Justifying faith though it only justifyeth as it embraceth Christ yet at the same time also it worketh by love by patience by zeal by heavenly-mindednesse So that the exercise of all other graces is imperately from Faith though not elicitely It 's true there is a dead Faith and as Luther called it an incarnate faith a dead faith The Apostle James speaketh against c. 2. which is a bare assent and profession without any lively operation and such a kinde of believer is placed by Sebastian Franco in the Catalogue of Heretiques a luke-warm believer but that faith which doth justifie carrieth a man not only to Christ but is a general exciter and promoter to all holy duties and obedience 5. Faith special cannot comply with presumption because it doth not only believe in Christ as the special object but includeth an assent to the whole Word so that it 's as general as the Word is if therefore the Word of God doth not beget security and carnal encouragements to sin neither can Faith For presumption properly consisteth in this to divide the means from the end to think of obtaining one without the performance of the other can never be admitted by faith which in the special application of Christ is guided by the universal direction of the Scripture Vse of Instruction to humbled sinners Be well informed in this that you are not to stand in generals which are accompanied with great fears and dejections of spirit but in a particular manner to lay hold on Christ Oh let thy necessities drive thee that easelesse and restlesse condition thou art in be like a stone from the center like a bone out of joint till thou art fully united to the Lord Christ Know it is a duty That thou sinnest in an high manner while thou dost thus frowardly keep off from him Vse 2. There is the happiness of believers They receive Christ and so in him all things He that hath the Sun hath all the Stars He that hath the Fountain hath the streams if he hath given us Christ with him he will give all things Now God looks on thee in Christ The devil that seeks to devour thee must devour Christ first And O what a poor weak thing is it to doubt about earthly provision when thou hast received Christ for all things SERMON CXI That a Gospel-Ministry is to continue to the end of the world And for what ends JOHN 17.20 That shall believe through their word I Shall now finish this fruitfull Text. The last thing considerable in it is the instrumental cause of faith and that is the Apostles Ministry This faith is wrought by their word To open this Consider 1. That the word which begets faith is called Gods word vers 6. and here the Apostles word in a different sense It 's Gods word originally and efficiently because revealed by him It 's the Apostles word ministerially because they are the Embassadours to publish it Thus Paul cals it his Gospel as in other places it 's the Gospel of God because the Ministers of God are Stewards to whom is concredited the dispensation of the Word therefore it is called their word 2. Whereas Christ prayeth for all that shall believe even to the end of the world and yet they are said to believe by the Apostles word when yet thousands and thousands have believed since the Apostles death and departure It s necessary that by the Apostles we do not understand only their persons but the succeeding Ministry unto them which is to be perpetual in the Church all that now or hereafter shall beleeve though by the present Ministers that lived many hundred years after the Apostles yet may be said to obtain faith by the Apostles word because they sit in the Apostles chair they deliver the Doctrin which they delivered and succeed the Apostles though not in personal and extraordinaries yet in ordinaries in which sense Christ promiseth to be with them to the end of the world The words thus explained we may observe That God hath appointed a perpetual Ministry even to continue as long as there shall be a Church in the world All that shall beleeve are brought thereunto by the Apostles word now they being long since dead it necessarily followeth either that none can now beleeve or else that there is a Ministry to be perpetually succeeding them for this spiritual effect That the Ministry and Word preached is the means of faith
all in matter of Sanctification he comprehends all in love John 13.34 A new Commandment I give unto you that ye love one another A new Commandment not but that the duty was old onely envy and malice had so prevailed amongst the Jews that to love was a new thing as if it had not been a duty required before In John's Epistles it's called both new and old 1 John 2.8 And then again new because there are new motives and a new patern Love one another as I have loved you There was never such a Patern and President before so that it 's not every kinde of love and unity which will give content but that which is in the highest degree of unity it's added vers 35. By this shall all men know ye ' are my Disciples if ye love one another not if ye work miracles if ye cast out devils but if you cast out discord and variance and therefore there is not a greater scandal to Religion and holines then when those that do believe are as the Levites Concubine that was cut into many peeces Again Ch. 15.12 This is my Commandment that ye love one another as I have loved you This is Christs Commandment as if there were nothing else he required but this and as if this were not enough at verse 17. These things I command you that ye love one another as if he should have said If bare information will not do it if instruction will not do it I lay my command and charge upon you Secondly This Vnity and Love is a special means to bring the world to believe the truth and receive Christ So that what the preaching of the Word and Gifts yea miracles use to do that unity and agreement may do This is twice affirmed to be the consequent of unity vers 21. vers 23. That the world may believe thou hast sent me It 's a special way to convince all the enemies of the truth Thus Chap. 13.35 Men shall know ye are my Disciples if ye love one another and do we not see by experience That Papists Heretiques and all prophane men are confirmed in their wickednesse by nothing more then the differences and opinions of such who are godly Do they not by books and otherwise in derision say One Sect saith that hath the Spirit of God another saith that hath and yet both are contrary one to another Can the Spirit of God be contrary to it self Can it be a Spirit of truth in one and a Spirit of falshood in others Now although this be no good argument because the Spirit of God is communicated but in measure to the godly they know but in part and so they love but in part many errours and divisions we are prone unto yet this is a very great stumbling block and therefore woe be to that godly man who by his pride self-conceit or erroneous Doctrine shall bring such a scandal to Religion what if many perish in hell because of thy froward spirit It is true there ought to be zeal against errours and corruptions though in the godly You see when Peter did not walk right Paul resisted him to the face and would not give place to him or other false teachers no not for an hour Gal. 2.5 Mark that No not for an hour Some think let them alone they will recover themselves they will do no hurt truth needs not be afraid yet Paul was afraid that an hours forbearance might do hurt Therefore he addeth That the truth of the Gospel might continue amongst you as if an hours forbearance might hinder the continuance of truth so that we are to use Scripture-zeal and Scripture-means to convince even those that are godly when erring in Doctrine Therefore the Scripture doth not commend an unity and love so as to let all errours and prophanenesse alone but in that which is good unity in that which is truth and holinesse is that which Christ meaneth here in his prayer and where this is it 's very potent to winne all gain-sayers It 's admirable to mollifie the hearts of the opposers Hence it 's so often reported of the primitive Christians That they were daily with one accord together Therefore the Evangelist Luke records it at least five times so that if nothing else should make thee tender about causing any breaches in the Church of God this should thou dost as much as lieth in thee to hinder any man that knoweth thee ever to believe and to be converted Thirdly This Vnity is promised as a special part of the Covenant of Grace That very Covenant which promiseth to write the Law of God in our hearts and to put his fear in our inward parts that also promiseth unity at the same time Jer. 32.39 I will be their God and they shall be my people I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me for ever Insomuch that it 's one main branch in the Covenant of Grace So Zech 14.9 In that day there shall be one Lord and his name one The meaning is They shall not worship many gods or serve in different wayes of worship but they shall be one To this purpose Ezekiel prophesieth Chap. 37.16 22. which is not to be limited to the Jews only but also to all the believing Gentiles Oh then in these times of differences and breaches amongst the godly What should we runne unto What should we plead in prayer but these promises O Lord to be thus divided to have Altar against Altar Church against Church Prophet against Prophet Is this to have one heart and one way But you may say If God hath thus promised it and Christ hath prayed for it who was heard of the Father in every thing How comes it about that the contrary appeareth This is to be answered in it's time Fourthly Vnity is necessary because hereby a serviceable and beneficiall helping of one another in spiritual things is preserved The people of God are compared to living stones built up together while the stones keep in the building they bear one another but if once removed it fals down They are compared to members in the body while they are joyned together There is a mutual ministration to each other but when divided from the body no part can receive any nourishment Thus it is here while the people of God are in union Oh the wonderfull help they are to one another they provoke one another they stirre up one anothers graces but take these coals from one another and then the fire goeth out And this may be the reason why our Saviour doth not mention the Sanctification and holinesse of believers but their unity because this is a special means to preserve and increase holinesse Two are better then one because of heat and of help saith the Wise-man Eccles 4.10 and so it 's in this work of Grace two are better then one to warm one another How may thy zeal help against anothers lukewarmnesse
vain-glory Did not the Devil think to overcome even Christ himself in this temptation when he shewed him all the glory of the world Begin then to despise and contemn all the earthly glory of this world what will this avail when thou art vile in Gods eyes Thou art a loathsom abominable creature before God though richly cloathed and faring deliciously every day Now the grounds why humane and earthly glory do not arise to this heavenly is from these particulars 1. It 's not a lasting during glory The fear and certainty of losing of it takes off from all the lustre of it A flour is a glorious creature yet because quickly withered none makes long account of it and thus all the glorious things of man are compared to no better The Prophet Isaiah Isa 40.6 and John Baptist of all Sermons and truths were to proclaim this All flesh is grasse and the flower thereof fadeth away c. And this was to make way for Christ implying that while men continued in their confidence about these things they were too high mountains and so no prepared path to receive Christ As therefore our Saviour argued in another case If the grasse be so cloathed with glory that is to be cut down and withereth so if thou art thus carefull to cloath thy body with glory that presently must become dust and worms meat rotting in the grave how much rather shouldst thou look to have thy soul cloathed with the glorious robes of Christ that continue for ever call that glory and that alone which is eternal which will live with thee and not die with thee 2. It 's no true glory because it 's not inward and substantial It 's not this glory of a man in his most substantial part which is his soul The soul of a man in Scripture language is called a mans glory Gen. 49.6 unto their assembly Let not my honour or glory be united that is not my soul If then a man hath the earthly glory of this world this is not the honour of his soul this is not solid it 's not in the noblest part of him If rich and glorious apparel should be put upon a dead corpse what glory were this to the corpse it would not bring life and comelinesse to the dead body So it is here let a wicked man have more earthly glory then a Solomon yet he is but a dead corpse he hath not that which should be the proper glory of a man viz. the adorning of his soul Hence grace is called glory as you heard So that nothing makes a man glorious but grace this is the image of God in him The Heathen could say That an horse is not chosen by his trappings and other rich accoutrements but as he is naked in his own body and certainly man much lesse is accounted glorious by body or wealth but by his soul 3. It 's not the proper glory of a man as he is a Christian And this is much to be considered Every creature hath that which is a peculiar grace and glory to it in its kinde So Seneca We praise a Vine if it burden its branches with fruit if another had golden grapes or golden leaves the fruitfull Vine would be preferred before it So that what is comely to one is not to another now take man as he is a Christian and so all his glory is spiritual and invisible if you look upon Christ who giveth him his glory he had none external nay none had lesse of that then he for he knew not where to lay his head yet in regard of spiritual glory he did abound in it he had the glory of a Messias though not of a temporal Monarch and thus it is here that is only a Christians glory which is excellency in Christianity The Apostle speaking of women saith Whose glory let not it be of embroidered apparel c. 1 Pet. 3.3 but an humble and meek spirit Hence the Kings daughter is said to be all glorious within Psal 45.13 That then which the world doth deride and contemn that is indeed the greatest glory and hence the glory of a Christian is to be justified to be sanctified to have communion and fellowship with the Father in Christ Lastly There is no true glory without Christ because in times of afflictions and tribulations he only gives occasion to glory Rom. 5. We glory in tribulation and Peter saith While we suffer for righteousnesse sake the Spirit of glory resteth upon us 1 Pet. 3.14 What then will thy outward glory avail in the time of Gods wrath when he shall set thy sins in order before thee he will make all thy desirable things to perish When Belshazzar is smitten with trembling for his sins he findes little glory in his stately Palace in his golden cups he was carousing in Oh then prize such a glory that will bear up thy heart in the saddest extremities A second Corollary is That the meanest Christian united to Christ though never so contemptible yet is surpassing Solomon in all his glory Every believer if you look upon him spiritually is more glorious then the greatest Potentates in the world for concerning that they made a blaze in their solemn installings of the Pope saying Sic transit gloria mundi but the glory of heaven abideth for ever It 's true this world doth not see any glory in a believer no more then they did in Christ Therefore in the Caniicles the women asked the Spouse What was her beloved more then other women They saw no such comelinesse and beauty in him and thus it is with wicked men What glory can we see in those that walk more strictly What is admirable in them more then in others Therefore this glory Christ giveth his people is invisible and discovered onely by the eye of faith So that this should exceedingly bear up the heart of a believer while he lieth under all the reproaches contempts and oppositions of the wicked world Oh comfort thy self with this spiritual glory God gives thee glory Christ gives thee glory while the world doth thus despise thee and doe not be discontented because God hath not given thee so much of the worlds glory as he hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ven others What then if he revealeth and vouchsafeth this spiritual glory to thee he doth more then if he should give thee the glory of many worlds Nay further thou many times art dejected in thy own eyes and as thou hast no external glory amonstg men so neither dost thou perceive any spiritual glory in thy self Oh thou criest out that thy soul pollution thy â—oul defilements are worst of all but remember this glory comes from Christ without that it doth not naturally grow up in thee Thirdly Though Christ give part and a beginning of this glory here yet it is not perfected and consummated till hereafter I have saith Christ given them glory already yet he prayeth afterwards for the consummation of this
glory and therefore that state of happinesse is properly called a state of glory yet we have the first fruits of it here In part Christ doth invest us with his glory but this is nothing to what shall be hereafter Even in this life the things are so great That no eye hath seen neither hath it entered into the heart of a man to conceive How much more then will eternal glory surpass all our imaginations Should not then the consideration of this glorious portion we in part have and expect more fully make us walk comfortably be chearfull in our afflictions passe through this world with joy Certainly we put not forth our fixed contemplations on this glory if we did our hearts would scarce ever be taken off it Eudoxus was so affected with the glory of the Sunne that he thought he was born onely to behold it How much rather should we think it our duty all the day long to behold this glory As the Apostle 2 Cor. 4.17 professeth that all the afflictions he went through and he had many yet they were but light and but for a moment to that eternal weight of glory and what made him think so While we look not at the things which are not seen If then thy heart is at any time dejected disquieted oh think of this glory provided for thee it will make thy soul silence it's crying and mutterings immediately yea this will conquer the fear of death and make the thoughts of it lovely and welcome Fourthly Doth Christ give spiritual glory to his Then let this consume all love and desire of vain-glory and esteem of men This love of glory hath been and is the worm that eateth up the best fruit when lusts and sins have not been able to undo a man glory from the world hath Therefore our Saviour makes such a temper inconsistent with grace How can ye believe and seek glory of one another and seek not the honâ—ur which comes from God onely John 5.44 This vain-glory Chrysostom called The mother of hell and indeed How many religious duties doth it corrupt The Pharisees prayed and gave alms to be seen of men yea there is no external duty in Religion but this may put a man upon it But as love of Christ will kill the love of the world fear of God will overcome fear of man so a love to this spiritual glory will quickly out vain-glory It 's good to observe That though all other things in this world be vain man is vain beauty is vain wealth is vain yet custom of speech doth appropriate it only to glory calling it vain-glory Oh then remember there are more glorious things to affect and enlarge thy heart with then these applauses of the world Fifthly Doth Christ give his people glory Then let them faithfully do Christs work notwithstanding all the reproaches and scorns wicked men load them with David rejoyced in that he was despised and contemned while he danced before the Ark I will be more vile still saith he 2 Sam. 6.22 And thus the Apostles rejoyced they were accounted worthy to suffer for Christs sake It 's a great glory to lose thy glory for Christs work Oh this is that which makes men afraid boldly to venture in holy things they shall be censured they shall be contemned Remember that Scripture Those that honour me I will honour 1 Sam. 2.30 It 's a miserable slavery to live dependently upon the breath of others who many times do as children put a Garland upon one of their fellows heads and then laugh at him behinde his back so though they applaud thee to thy face yet secretly backbite thee Be therefore diligent to do Gods work and content thy self with the glory God bestoweth upon thee Doth a man running in a race regard the bird singing upon the tree Eye Christ more and man lesse The Moon that hath but a borrowed light is sometimes full sometimes at the wane never certain Thus a man that liveth upon the applause of others and not approving his conscience to God he is sometimes lifted up and then dejected down even as outward supplies come to him Sixthly Doth Christ give glory to his Then admire the bounty and freenesse of his grace Of all things we would think he would not communicate of his glory to us and indeed God saith He will not give glory to another neither will Christ give his Mediatory glory to others only in some passages of glory he is willing we should reign with him and be co-heirs with him This sheweth how much he loveth us For certainly no man is willing to have another co-partner with him in his glory yea how apt are we to envy the gifts and graces in others that may overshadow us but Christ giveth of his glory to us Lastly Doth Christ give glory to us Let us then glorifie him again Christ indeed he giveth glory to us really and inwardly but we only to him verbally and declaratively Let not the Heavens that are natural creatures exceed us They declare the glory of God and shew his handy-work and shalt not thou then in thy life in thy conversation declare the glory of Christ The title given to Church-officers 1 Cor. 8.23 is in some sense to be applied to all believers they are the glory of Christ SERMON CXXIV That Jesus Christ though God Co-equall with the Father had many things given him by the Father And how that can be JOH 17.22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them WE have treated of the nature of that glory which Christ giveth to all beleevers The next considerable is the description of the manner and way how Christ comes to have this glory and that is said to be by way of gift The glory which thou gavest me Now this seemeth very hard to understand how Christ being God could receive any thing for as God can have nothing given him so it should seem Christ neither could have any thing given him insomuch that this place with many others of the like fence is brought by the Socinians as an unanswerable Argument that Christ was not truly and essentially God for they heap up many places of Scripture where all that Christ hath is said to be given him and from hence conclude he cannot be God But the weakness of this will appear in further discovery of this Truth which that it may be more clearly understood Observe That Christ though God had many things given him of his Father The Fathers giving of many things to him doth not take off from his divine Nature This Truth will be profitable both to inform your judgement in that main Article of Religion and also is of that practical consequence Therefore to clear this Consider 1. That we may conceive of a two-fold giving that which is natural and necessary 2. that which is free and voluntary so that it might or might not be given for a naturall and necessary giving So Christ
knowledge from the inward reason of things we would grant it and think it to be only a strife about words for this is plain as Austin well Non ratio dicti sed dicendi autoritas suadet It 's not reason from the thing but the authority of the speaker that is the cause of faith Now for want of right understanding herein the Socinians they go too farre on the other hand The Papist thinks faith defined better by ignorance then knowledge the Socinian will have such knowledge as shall be fetcht from the inward reason of things and this is the cause why the Trinity and Incarnation of Christ are denied because reason is made the Judge of these things but the knowledge of faith is not like that of the Philosophers who searched into the causes and inward principles of things for then the Scriptures would not be commended to us but the Platoes and Aristotles of the world Therefore fifthly The knowledge faith brings is a knowledge respecting the testimony and revelation of a thing and the authority of him who doth reveal it that he is the supream verity and therefore cannot lie We see in an humane faith a man cannot believe that which he doth not know witnessed a thing that he never heard spoken of and this is that which we justly blame the Church of Rome for That it teacheth an implicit faith viz. That we believe what the Church believeth but now what is it that the Church believeth they know not and it may be never heard of it Therefore that is the way to lead men blindfold to hell for this implicit faith is indeed nothing but a simple grosse ignorance but faith divine knoweth the testimony or that word which revealeth such truth not that they only can believe who can reade for Faith cometh by hearing as well as reading so that they may know the truth confirmed in the Scripture though they cannot reade it Faith therefore is not blinde nor is the obedience of it in this sense blinde as if it did not know what it did believe with such blinde Sacrifices God is not well-pleased and the woman of Samaria is reproved because she worshipped she knew not what Joh. 4. and it 's no lesse guilt when we believe we know not what 2. There is not only a knowledge of the testimony but some though imperfect knowledge of the very things themselves Thus Paul I know whom I have believed 2 Tim. 1.22 and so in many places the people of God are said to know God to know Christ There is an apprehensive knowledge though not a comprehensive Therefore though God doth not give perfect knowledge in this life yet he could if he please turn faith into vision He that made the corporal blinde to see can also take away mental blindness but he is pleased to let us have but imperfect knowledge and that partly because we ought to be humbled in our selves for we see the pride and sinfull corruption of man when it gets any knowledge in the Scripture how ready to be lifted up to despise others to think we are wiser then Solomon which makes the Apostle say Knowledge puffeth up 1 Cor. 8.1 not that it doth so of it self for of it self it would rather humble and debase but such is our corruption and vanity that without the special grace of God as we grow in knowledge so also we grow in pride Again God keepeth us in imperfect knowledge here that so we might be in constant prayer and dependance on him to beg for knowledge and an understanding heart as also that we might study and meditate to be alwayes growing in knowledge as the Apostle exhorts Hence it is that there are so many difficult places in Scripture which will exercise the thoughts of the most learned and those things the ablest men do know yet they may grow in a more firm distinct and powerfull knowledge This Sun may arise upon them by degrees till at last it comes to its vertical point Now that our faith must either be knowing or have knowledge accompanying of it is plain 1. Because the word of God is given as a Rule and therefore compared to a light and a lantern because it doth direct and order our conversations If then faith had not knowledge to what use should the Word enlighten To what purpose also are those frequent exhortations to all private persons as well as Officers to attend to the reading of it to prove all things to try all things Can the Scripture be made use of Can these duties be put in practice and yet there be no knowledge 2. As the Word is light objectivè so the believer himself is light subjectivè Hence they are called light in the Lord light in the very abstract Eph. 5.8 and the Scripture speaks often of their illumination having their understandings and hearts opened insomuch that the soul is a meer chaos and confusion till God create this light in it faith then is accompanied with internal light as well as it requireth external 3. The obedience of a Christian is to be rational it 's called the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the reasonable service Rom. 12.1 and all the Pharisees worship is rejected because it had no word to be grounded upon we are to answer God when he shall say Who hath required you to believe thus to worship thus And how can this be without knowledge Though in Popery a blinde obedience is commended yet Christ requireth a seeing and knowing obedience 4. The just is to be saved by his faith Now if faith hath no knowledge this properly is another mans faith if faith hath no knowledge but believeth because the Church believeth so or a Councel believeth so then it 's not so much his own faith as the Churches faith that must save him Lastly If faith hath not knowledge then it 's impossible to discharge all those effects of faith that the Scripture speaks of as to cleave and adhere to the truth to refuse falshood and all cunning deceivableness of errour Now how can this be if faith hath no eyes of knowledge to discern Trees and men are all one to a blinde man Any Camel will quickly be swallowed up if there be not a knowing faith 2. How can we suffer martyrdom and lose all the dearest comforts we have if we have not knowledge Can a man be banished undone suffer death and all for that which he doth not know whether it be true or not 3. He cannot be thankefull unto God under the truth he enjoyeth neither can he make that practical improvement of them as he ought to do As Christ told the Samaritan woman If thou didst know who it is that asketh thee c. Joh. 4. so if thou didst know what Christ is what the Covenant of grace is thou wouldst make an heavenly use of it whereas now thou knowest no more what to do with it then a swine with a pearl Vse of Exhortation to get out
world though some are elected and others are reprobated Because all those Divines who do hold such an absolute Election or Reprobation do so positively expresse themselves that the cause of mans damnation is wholly from his sin and mans sin is wholly and freely from himself That he is not necessitated and compelled to sin by such supposed pre-definitive Decrees but that he sinneth of himself and so his perdition is of himself as fully as if there were no such Decrees at all These two things the Orthodox suppose that the Scripture affirmeth both such Decrees of God and also man himself to be the only cause of his damnation and if so be that the understanding of man could not tell how to reconcile these two together It 's better with Cajetan to confess the weakness and imbecility of our apprehensions then to deny the things asserted in Scripture In the second place God is righteous as a Judge in that he bestoweth his effectual grace upon some and not upon others For this end it is that our Saviour doth call his Father righteous because he lets the world alone to it self it deserveth to perish in it's unbelief and rebellion but to others he manifesteth himself God is so righteous herein that Luk. 10. our Saviour is greatly affected with it and blesseth God therein Now to our corrupt judgements we are ready to think that Gods wayes are inequal why he giveth his grace to some that it may be are more wicked and more unworthy then others And then again Others that seem to be more civil and restrained from outward impiety he denieth his mollifying grace to them but if we could judge of things aright even in this wonderfull dispensation of God we should admire his righteousness For the full answer to all humane cavils in this respect is That there is none denied grace but such who by their sins have justly deserved so If Judas be not converted and Peter is Judas hath his sins for which God may justly give him up to spiritual judgements If the men of Tyre and Sydon have not the means of grace as well as Capernaum it 's because their iniquities make them unworthy of it So that there is no man living under the means of grace that can justly complain of God because he doth not give him a soft and mollified heart as well as others For it 's his own personal impiety and voluntary wickedness that makes heaven as it were like brasse and iron to him It 's true God could if he pleased give Judas a soft heart as well as Peter but there is no injustice if God doth not dispence his acts of liberality and grace for then justice and liberality a gift and reward would be all one So that the godly indeed who are partakers of converting grace they have cause to admire and bless God for his unspeakable goodness but the wicked who continueth and perisheth in his sins may say My destruction and damnation is of my self God hath done like an holy wise and righteous God but I have brought vengeance upon my own head But these divine dispensations of Gods justice especially as to spiritual judgements require a larger and more exact scrutiny which is not here to be insisted upon Come we therefore in the next place To take notice of Gods righteousness as a Father unto his own people and children And herein the godly are often sollicited they begin to question and to doubt of Gods promise and his kindness Oh they think If I be thus loved of God! If I be one that doth belong to the promise why doth the Lord deal thus and thus with me Every wicked man he prospereth and thriveth in his impiety but I am afflicted all the day long though I wash my hands in innocency Now to the godly thus exercised I have only two particulars to minde them of 1. That because God is righteous therefore it is that thou art afflicted and it may be more then many wicked men are Though it be an heavy temptation and such an one that we reade David at one time had much ado to overcome yet it is so far from being unrighteousness in God to afflict thee though his beloved childe that he would be unrighteous if he did not Doth not David at another time when the cloud was dispelled say That out of very faithfulnesse God hath afflicted him Psal 119.75 So that the righteousness of God as a Father doth require this It 's true thy afflictions are not properly penal to satisfie his righteousness for that is done already by the blood of Christ but they are castigatory of thy sins and by way of prevention for the future so that there is no exercise befals thee but thou art bound to justifie and clear him say It 's righteous with God to do thus to me because of my several corruptions that are so strong in me 2. Gods righteousness is seen as a Father in respect of his fidelity and veracity to keep his promise to us So that though the good things promised may be deferred thou hast not yet any enjoyment of them yet know The righteousness of God will not suffer him to forget thee Heb. 6.10 The Apostle doth there comfort beleevers That God was not unrighteous and therefore he would not forget their sufferings It 's true it 's Popery to plead the commutative and strict righteousness from God as if there were an inward condignity of our holy works in respect of heaven but a righteousness of fidelity we may and ought to encourage our selves with Vse of Exhortation to all the children of God that the meditation of God as a righteous Father should stop the mouth of impatience say as Christ concerning every chastisement Joh. 18.11 Shall I not drink of the cup that my Father hath given me What wouldst thou have God unrighteous for thy sake Wouldst thou have him not deal sutably to his holy and pure nature Thou hadst rather God should be unrighteous then thou suffer any outward evil Oh do thou abhorre and shame thy self Even wicked men have been forced to acknowledge God just and righteous as a Judge and shall not grace make thee acknowledge this in him as a Father SERMON CXL That every Vnregenerate man whether in or out of the Church is destitute of the true saving Knowledge of God JOH 17.24 Righteous Father the world hath not known thee OUr Saviour we heard is continuing Arguments why he should be heard thus in his Petition for all believers and that which is first suggested in these words is the opposition and contrariety between the world and them Though the world be ignorant and obstinate against Christ yet the Disciples they did readily believe in him Now this is a wonderfull aggravation of their holinesse for them only to believe amongst a world of unbelievers and opposers To see amongst so many that are blinde To be wise amongst so many that are mad yea to believe
all its idolatry impiety and that it is indeed wholly at the will of the devil And this suggests a 2d Demonstration that the world doth not know God because the devil is the immediate Prince of it He that is called the Prince of darknesse is likewise said to be the god of this world This is fully expressed 2 Cor. 2.4 where the god of this world is said to blinde the mindes of them which believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine into them Therefore you have a notable description of the devils from the Soveraignty and power they have Eph 6.12 where they are called principalities and powers and rulers of the darknesse of this world how wofull then is the condition of the world of ungodly men who are thus made captive to the devils and are ensnared at their will That as they themselves are reserved in chains of darknesse so do they keep all their vassals they are chains of darknesse such as those who are in a dark dungeon and such as they cannot break neither have the wicked any desire to do it and therefore they never say to the devils chains as the ungodly do to Christs dominion Let us break his bonds asunder and cast his yoke away Psal 2. As long then as this strong one keeps the house for the whole world is his house no wonder if he make it like hell it self yea he makes the world by his ruling in it worse then hell in some sence for in hell he is tied up in some degree of torments but in the world he is let loose to infect and damn others though not without his torments 3. The world must needs be without all saving knowledge of God from the defect or absence of those causes which do alone cause saving knowledge So that as the world at first when it was a confused Chaos without form and void could not make a glorious light to appear upon it but that was Gods work whom the Apostle doth therefore describe as him that worketh darknesse out of light 2 Cor. 4 6. alluding to the work of grace which is now upon the world So neither is the world wallowing in its filth and thick darkness able to create the least light of saving knowledge but must for ever perish if God vouchsafe not his grace Now these causes are wanting which necessarily infer ignorance in the world Even as the absence of the Sun makes night 1. There is not the external Revelation and propounding of the doctrine to be believed unless God in much mercy send it Hence you may see that once in Judea only was the true knowledge of God and the whole world besides groped in more then Egyptian darkness and now though God hath commanded this light to shine over the whole world So that it is not limited to any one Nation yet a great part of the world still is heathenish So that they are darkned and become foolish in all their imaginations The denying of the Gospel is a greater misery then if the Sun should be denied to shine to such a people Now it 's God only that makes this light to shine in one place leaving the other in its darkness Even the Pelagians of old did acknowledge this grace of God necessary viz. a revelation and proposition of the object 2. Besides this external light the world wants that internal light of illumination without which the Gospel though never so gloriously preached is but like the Sun shining at noon day to a blinde man for this is made the work of Gods Spirit only Joh. 16.8 to reprove the world of sin and of righteousnesse Till the Spirit of God doth illuminate in both these the world doth not understand the horrible guilt and aggravation of sin the damnable estate and condition it is in thereby Neither doth it know what is that righteousnesse which only can justifie and where it is to be had so that the world even the wisest and most learned thereof are but like so many blinde moles digging constantly in the earth Neither affected with their disease or with the remedy till Gods Spirit doth wonderfully convince them and this is evidently seen in the Christian world For doth not the glorious light of the Gospel compasse men about yet they are like owles the blinder because of this light Insomuch that such blindenesse of minde is not amongst heathens as amongst impenitent and hardened Christians for besides the natural blindeness which they have common with heathens there is a judicial blindenesse that God smiteth them with for unfruitfullnesse and contempt of the Gospel Thus they are twice blinde as some are said to be twice dead Is it not matter of astonishment that a people living many years under constant and powerful preaching should yet he as brute beasts and understand nothing of their misery and the remedy Surely all this is because that judgement is come upon Israel even blindeness of minde and a veil upon their hearts 3. The world knoweth not God because it hath not that ultimate and compleat cause of all saving knowledge which is the spirit of regeneration and the work of a new creature upon their souls for till God give this heart of flesh and remove an heart of stone all the illumination and strongest convictions which men have upon them is not enough to make them know as they ought to know The Apostle Tit. 1.1 speaks of an acknowledgement of truth after godlines now that is only when a mans heart is mollified as well as his minde is enlightned It 's true the Scripture speaks of some 2 Pet. 2.20 who by the knowledge of God did escape the pollutions of the world but that was only in respect of external conversation for they were in their natures Swine still and not sheep It cannot then be that the world should know God and Christ as long as there is that corrupt enmity and spirit of rebellion and contrariety in it to what is holy Christ told Peter that it was not flesh and bloud which had revealed Mat 16.17 that glorious Confession of faith unto him If then the world be thus without the spirit of God enlightening and converting how then can it in any saving way acknowledge God Vse of Instruction Concerning the terrible condition of the perishing world whether within or without the Church yea it is most terrible to those who are the world really but the Church nominally You are shut out from the face of God and Christ You are without hope in the world Oh your greatnesse your pleasures will not avail to keep you from destruction This is Eternall life to know God and Jesus Christ This then is eternal death not to know him 2. That no knowledge of God or Christ which is not practical and saving deserveth the name of Christian knowledge The world though both by nature and supernatural revelation may know much of God yet because lying and living in
wickednesse is said not to know him and thus generally in the Scripture the wicked are said not to know God Oh then let such who have strong convictions and also strong corruptions tremble at this Let such who live against knowledge fall down for fear at this Is it not the condition of all such who live in grosse and prophane waies Do ye not commit the sins you know ye ought not Do ye not omit the duties that the light of the Scripture enjoyneth thee Oh that men should in the day stumble and not know whither they go Follow then all thy knowledge into a gracious practical improvement of it lest thou perish with the world SERMON CXLI Christ is the great Teacher of his Church JOH 17.25 But I have known thee IN these words are contained the cause and fountain of all that saving knowledge which beleevers have viz. because Christ knoweth God For whereas the immediate opposition should have runne thus The world hath not known thee but these have known thee This is inserted as the cause I have known thee The word is in the Preterperfect tense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Present as John 8 55. I know him and keep his saying Now Christs knowledge may be considered two wayes either 1. Subjectively or immanent in him Or 2. Transitively or by way of communication unto others as the fountains fulnesse may be considered either absolutely in it self or as originally redundant and diffusive to it's streams Now though the first kinde of knowledge be necessarily presupposed yet the latter is chiefly aimed at as appeareth by those words I have declared unto them thy Name and will declare unto them In these words therefore our Saviour doth manifest himself to be the Mediator and in a more peculiar manner the Prophet of his Church whereby he communicates saving knowledge unto all beleevers and that he is the Sunne which enlightneth every one that cometh into the Church That as God hath put all material light into the body of the Sunne and all other things are enlightned by it Thus it is with Christ the Sun of righteousnesse all spiritual knowledge is given unto him and that without measure from whom there are several emanations and irradiations whereby all that know spiritually are enlightned by him Thus he is the truth and the way Obs That Christ is the original and fontal cause of all the knowledge that believers have There is not the least ray or beam of any spiritual illumination that doth not descend from him There are pregnant Texts to confirm this John 1.18 No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father he hath declared him Where we have an opposition of Christ to Moses who yet talked to God face to face and to all other Prophets though they had immediate inspirations and revelations yet none of these saw God at any time that is perfectly and comprehensively They were but servants and had no more manifested to them then what was convenient but Christ he is the only begotten Son of God and in the bosom of the Father he knoweth the minde the secrets all the whole counsel and purpose of God and that of himself and this he doth not keep close in himself as Paul when caught up into the third heavens heard things not to be uttered but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those things that otherwise were hidden and obscure he had made clear and known Thus you see that first Christ hath a full and perfect knowledge of the minde of God and that he hath it not in such a manner as the holy Prophets sometimes received it but of himself and that this knowledge he doth not keep to himself no more then the Sun doth its light but he hath it to reveal and declare it to his people so that we have the minde of God because Christ hath revealed it Therefore some say he is called the word of God because he doth manifest the inward purposes of God for our salvation and the means to attain thereunto This truth also is abundantly confirmed Joh. 3.31.32 where all the Prophets and John himself is debased in respect of Christ He that cometh from heaven is above all All others come of the earth but Christ because coming from heaven the bosom of the Father therefore he is above all but it followeth What he hath seen and heard he testifieth so that he communicateth this knowledge to the world Therefore the unbelief of the world is heavily taxed No man receiveth his testimony Although Christ be to be preferred above all that were ever sent by God for they were only infallible directively and by outward assistance only but Christ essentially and internally yet the world doth not receive his testimony If then it be thus That Christ only knoweth God and from him knowledge is derived to all others Even the Doctors and Teachers in the Church do strive by his light then it 's no wonder if God from heaven doth take us of all others and bid us attend to him Mat. 17.5 Hear ye him So that we are not to regard what the wisest the learned or the most ancient say but what Christ saith To open this truth Consider these things 1. That Christ a◠God hath omnisciency knowing all things 1 Cor. 2.11 What is there attributed to the Spirit of God is true also of the Sonne of God The Spirit searcheth the deep things of God Thus Christ as God must needs comprehend all the things of God and so there is nothing hid from him And this Omnisciency of his was often manifested especially Joh. 2. when it 's said He knew what was in man and needed not that any should tell him 2. The humane Nature of Christ or Christ as man knew not all things but according as the Divine Nature revealed the hidden things of God so he came to perceive him Therefore the Doctrine of the Lutherans seem to confound the Natures when they say The properties of the Divine Nature are communicated to the humane Nature Omniscience and Vbiquity c. This cannot be and yet Christ abide a true man Hence he is said to grow in knowledge yea as Son of man he is said Not to know the day of Judgement Mat. 24.36 which cannot be explained as some would he knew it not viz. to reveal it for in that sense the Father also might be said not to know it yet the humane nature of Christ though it was capable of nesciency yet not of ignorance for as he was without all sin so without all ignorant defects in minde he wanted no perfection that was due to him it was an experimental knowledge he grew in 3. Even the humane Nature of Christ is now lifted up to know many things without which as the Judge of the world he could not accomplish that work For seeing that Christ God-man is appointed to judge the world it 's necessary that
even as man there should be revealed unto him all the thoughts actions and circumstances thereof concerning every man in the world that so he might fulfill the office of a Judge 4. Christ as Mediator God and man is the author and fountain of all the light which is communicated to the Church Hence it is that one of his Offices is to be the Prophet of the Church He is called the chief shepherd of our souls 1 Pet. 5 4. and being our high-Priest he was to offer up himself for us so also instruct and teach us Therefore you heard the whole world is commanded to hear him and therefore it is that he cals himself the truth and the way Joh. 14.16 So that in all matters of Religion we are still to enquire what Christ hath revealed and what he hath manifested now he doth not only reveal the truth to be believed but the duties also that are to be performed and therefore the Apostle makes it so hainous a sinne to refuse Christ speaking above Moses Heb. 12.25 Tremble then all ye wicked men who do constantly refuse Christ still speaking from heaven by his Word and Ministers to leave your sins and impieties 5. The Scripture doth often as in all actions ad extra attribute the same work of teaching and enlightning both to the Father and to the Son and to the holy Spirit So that this great work of saving knowledge is attributed indifferently to all Thus the Father James 1. is called the Father of lights from whom cometh every good and perfect gift So our Saviour alledgeth that promise They shall be all taught of God Joh. 6.45 So the holy Spirit is said to guide and lead into all truth Illumination being frequently ascribed to the Spirit and 1 Cor. 2.10 God is said there to reveal things unto us by his Spirit And lastly Christ himself is said to be the great teacher of his people as Mat. 23.10 For one is your Master even Christ Hence the Apostle magnifieth the Gospel Heb. 1. that whereas formerly God had spoken by the Prophets in these later dayes he spake by his Sonne So that the geeat sinne against the Gospel and the aggravation of all wickednesse is from hence that though this light be come into the world yet men love darknesse rather then light 6. The Lord Christ doth teach several wayes either immediately when he was upon the earth or mediately by the Apostles and the Ministers that he hath appointed in his Church Therefore he is said still to speak from heaven viz. by the Word and the Ministry so that we are not to conceive as if we had nothing of Christ now because he is ascended to heaven for what the Ministers guided by the Word of God do that is as if Christ himself spake it and you are to receive it with the like faith and obedience Hence our Saviour speaking to his Apostles saith Luke 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me he that despiseth an Embassadour contemneth him from whom he is sent Oh that this truth may be as a two-edged Sword in thy heart What darest thou who livest in thy prophaneness if Christ himself were here upon the earth commanding thee to leave thy sins yet to persevere in them if not How is it that you refuse those who come in his name 7. Though Christ hath appointed a Ministry to teach and instruct people yet the whole efficacy and power cometh from Christ alone It 's God and Christ by the Word that can only open the understanding and give a spiritual knowledge so that conversion is so called the teaching of God John 6.45 Therefore a man must hear and learn of the Father before he can come to Christ onely Christ there addeth that this hearing and knowing of the Father comes by him So Joh. 3.26 27. when Johns Disciples said That all men come to Christ he answered A man can receive nothing except it be given him of heaven attributing it to the power of God that any come to Christ Therefore this Sun exceedeth the bodily one which giveth indeed external light but cannot give an eye to see the blinde remain blinde for all that Lastly Though Christ only do effectually give a knowing heart so that although we had the best Ministry of men and Angels yet it would do no good without his secret power and energie yet we must not from thence inferre the uselesness of the Ministry as some foolishly have done opposing the principal and subordinate For in our natural life although it be not the bread we eat but the word of blessing from Gods mouth that makes it to nourish us yet none casts away his food resolving to depend on God immediately Thus though Christ alone give the seeing eye and the understanding heart yet it 's by and in the use of the Ministry though it was God alone that did give the healing vertue to the pool of Bethesda yet the Angel must move it and every lame man must come into it else he could not be healed Hence although Jeremy prophesie of such abundance of knowledge that they shall not teach one another but be all taught of God which may seem and is brought by some to overthrow the Ministry yet the same Prophet Jer. 3.15 declareth it as a special blessing that he would give them Pastors according to his own heart which would feed them with knowledge and understanding So that Gods teaching and the Pastors teaching do not oppose one another It 's said also of Lydia that God opened her heart Act. 16.14 but to what end To attend to the words of Paul So that you must never oppose Gods work and the Ministry together In the next place Let us consider the Properties of Christs knowledge whereby he makes us also to know As 1. The Authoritative and potestative Nature of it he taught as one having authority not as the Scribes and Pharisees Mat. 7.29 Hence Mat. 5. when he had related the corrupt opinions of their Doctors in the Interpretation of the Law he addeth But I say unto you opposing his Authority to them all It 's true he saith he speaks not of himself but referreth his Doctrine wholly to his Father but withall saith He and his Father are one he doth not speak of receiving his Doctrine in the same manner as Paul and other Apostles did of him by revelation 2. There is the freeness of this he teacheth whom he pleaseth There are none so froward and so contumacious but he can open their hearts and others that are of high and eminent understandings for want of him do remain blind owls Mat. 11.26 27. where our Saviour giving God thanks for manifesting the things of the Gospel to some and not to others resolving all into Gods good pleasure Even so Father for so it pleaseth thee he addeth No man knoweth the Father but the Sonne and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him So that where
the Ephesians who though they were made light in the Lord and had the mystery of Gods will so much made known unto them that he did not cease to give thanks for them daily in that behalf yet still he prayeth Ephes 1.17 18. That God would give them the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him that the eyes of their understanding may be inlightned c. Here it 's plain That though these had knowledge yet they might still encrease in it Hence the Apostle Peter 2 Pet. 1.19 doth encourage beleevers for their diligent attending unto the Scripture untill the day dawn and the day-starre arise in their hearts that is till they obtain more firm and evident knowledge of the things of God In the Old Testament we have David Psal 119. though professing he had more knowledge then his teachers and the Word was continually his counsellour yet prayeth he That God would open his eyes that he may understand the wonderfull things of Gods Law Davids eyes are not opened clear enough the word implieth there are some scales and film upon his eyes that must be rolled away and that there are excellent precious things in Gods word that he doth not yet understand For the improving of this truth Let us consider in how many particulars a further constant teaching by Christ is requisite to the most able believers And First They need further revelation in respect of the objects of their knowledge to know more then they do know So imperfect is every godly mans knowledge that it may be called ignorance rather then knowledge We are ignorant of farre more excellent truths in Religion then we do know If the Heathen could say Our eyes were in respect of natural truth but like those of the Owl to the Sun How much more is this true about spiritual objects You see how the Apostles knowledge was successive they come to know one thing after another as Christ revealed it till they had that plentifull effusion of the holy Ghost upon them And the Apostle Paul who was taught not of men but of Christ himself yea he was caught up into the third heaven yet for all that he puts himself in the number of those who know but in part 1 Cor. 13. So that this is true not only of believers but of the eminent Doctors and Teachers in the Church they know but in part yea and that will be true of them even at their last hour though their whole life hath been to obtain knowledge of God Therefore this should quicken all up to diligent use of the means for who can sit down and say He knoweth enough or he knoweth all things Indeed there have been those that were called Guostiques because of the great knowledge they boasted of but yet they made themselves even like bruit beasts O then confess that the waters of divine truth are so deep that though thou wert an Elephant yet thou mightest swim in it we are as the Ancients said Secondly As in the object we need much revelation so in those things we do know we need much assistance and direction from Christ in respect of the adjuncts of it For 1. Though we do know the objects yet we may every day know them more evidently more distinctly more clearly Alas our knowledg about God and Christ is very confused and therefore Paul is every day desirous to know Christ better then he did As it is with digging in a Mine of Gold every daies labour brings richer and fuller supplies or as the draining from a Spring doth not exhaust but makes it more plentifull Thus it is with the heart of a man when set to know God or Christ There are new considerations new respects and new arguments arising alwayes from them Insomuch that God and Christ may seem new to the soul every day we begin to nauseate and grow weary when the same things we know are alwayes suggested unto us but the soul of a man can never he weary of the knowledge of Christ For in him are hidden all treasures of wisdom and grace And therefore even those principalities and powers in heavenly places that are so vast and comprehensive in knowledge yet Eph. 3.10 The Lord Christ is in the Ministry of the Church made more known to them continually So that if Angels do learn in Christs School and obtain more knowledge of him and do with great delight search into these things no wonder then if the most enlightned men may yet search deeper and deeper into the Lord Jesus Christ Paul though one of the highest Scholars in Christs School yet desired to know nothing but Christ crucified for if in heaven the knowledge of God when yet it is intuitive and transcendent to this we have will not weary us but daily provoke the soul to know God more no wonder then if in this life our knowldge be not satisfied when it is but in part 2. As we need Christs daily manifestation in respect of the evidence of them so also in respect of the firmnes and immoveableness of our knowledge Faith you heard is knowledge and that doth necessarily imply assent Now if our assent be not firm and setled We are like children tossed up and down with every winde of Doctrine Instability and inconstancy is much condemned in Scripture and indeed it doth directly oppose faith which makes the soul confidently and firmly-adhere to the truths of Christ as divine as those which cannot be dispensed with or ever prove false for if Paul thought it so great a disparagement that with him should be yea and nay in his words much more would this be reprochfull to Christ himself who saith He is the truth it self Joh. 14. So that as truth cannot be a lie so neither can the Doctrine of Christ be false Now the Doctrine being in it self thus true the power of Christ is seen in making a gracious heart thus strongly to adhere upon divine motives to it as that which wil abide though heaven and earth shall pass away Scepticism and faith are directly opposite when we are inabled to believe we receive it as the truth of God and not as the truth of man So although while this gift of faith was not bestowed upon us we debated truths of Religion like those in Philosophy and were prone to have as Hilary said of old Menstruam annuam fidem a monethly or yearly faith yet when God shall once strengthen us to believe then we are no longer reeds shaken with wind but as Origen of old alluded When many things are removed from us then this Arundo for of that they made pens formerly is made the Calamus the pen of a ready writer Where God strengthens us to believe there that turning this way and that way that mutability is removed and our hearts are fixed so as to be able to dig for that we so firmly adhere unto Thus the Martyrs they were confirmed by God exceedingly in
respect of the stability of their assent to divine truths when yet they had great temptations to assault them and we read sometimes of the Disciples that upon the working of some great miracles by our Saviour they are said then to believe not but that they beleived before only they did grow and encrease in this more Oh then in times of great disputes when learned and godly men differ in many things it behoveth the godly Christian to fly to this manifestation of Christ Oh say declare it Lord and still declare it to me more and more And certainly it appeareth by Mat. 24. That those who are false Prophets have so many fair pretences and deceivable wayes that if it were possible they would deceive the very elect so that it 's a very great mercy to be of a sound mind and established in the truth That as Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and to day and for ever so also believers are to be 3. We need Christs daily declaration in respect of the efficacy and practical operation of our knowledge So that although we know all mysteries yet if the power of Christ doth not make us to acknowledge these things in a godly manner We are but as tinkling cymbals you see Paul made knowledge a meer puff a nothing without charity 1 Cor. 13. and our Saviour puts happiness upon the doing not knowing of these things John 14.17 A Christian may grow two wayes in the extension of knowledge or in the efficacy of knowledge and this is greatly to be lamented many desire to know more opinions and more notions many are still propounding more questions after questions but the Apostle Ephes 4. tels us of the knowing of the truth as it is in Jesus which makes a Christian put off the oldman and put on the new as also an acknowledgment of the truth after godliness Tit. 1. Oh therefore pray that Christ would declare his truths to thee so as they may not only be in thy head but sink down into thy heart and be there like fire inflaming thy bowels It 's not growing in knowledg at it is knowledge but growing in it as it is saving and operative which makes a man fitted for everlasting glory As it is not the knowing of what is excellent food that doth nourish a man but the eating of it and this only doth the Scripture vouchsafe to call knowledge indeed Oh then examine thy self Dost thou so know God as to live on him by faith to love and fear him Dost thou so know Christ as to make him a Mediatour to thee in an appropriated manner Doest thou so know the promises as to relie on them and to make them thy cordial in all temptations This is to know in the Scripture language So that the Christians knowledge is wholly in tendency to operation as all motion is for rest if it be barren it increaseth our condemnation and not further our consolation In the next place Let us consider what are the reasons why Christ must continually teach his people And 1. It is because all heavenly things are revealed from God only Even as it is said of the Creation John 1. All things were made by him and without him was nothing made that was made Thus all knowledge in a supernatural manner comes from him and without him we know nothing Now all those things which require a supernatural power for to give the first existence to them require such a power to continue them therein Hence as Christ made all things Heb. 1. he is still said to bear up all things by his power and thus likewise it is in regard of all saving knowledge that same Spirit of Christ which did at first teach us must in the whole progress of our lives teach us As a man cannot beleive of himself so neither increase in faith or know more firmly and evidently of himself All saving knowledge is part of that work of grace which God is the author of in the soul Now in all the course of grace and progress therein it 's plain we need the auxiliary power of God continually Thus the Apostle speaking even to those that did believe already yet he saith It 's God that worketh in us to will and do and as it 's God that beginneth so it is he that finisheth every good work Hence Christ is said to be the author and finisher of our Faith Heb. 12.2 As it is thus in grace if God did not keep every godly man he would fall into the dirt and all noisome lusts from which he was once converted So if God did not keep us firmly and constantly in his truth there is no damnable heresie or blasphemy that is fetched out of hel it self which a godly man would not fal into So that it 's the Covenant and promise of God which keepeth a man equally from erroneous opinions and sinfull practices 3. There is a necessity of Christs constant teaching his people because of the imperfection and weakness which is in their best knowledge That as he pray'd about his faith I believe help my unbelief so I know Lord help my ignorance and therefore it is that he will have a Ministry alwayes in the Church which as that is to grow constantly in knowledge so ought the people much more Oh then be affected with the true and right apprehensions of the sins of thy minde and thou wilt quickly see that unless Christ be thy teacher thou shalt die in thy ignorance 4. There is a necessity of Christs further teaching because of the great advantage in a grown knowledge As 1. A man is thereby more able to discern between things that differ he can separate the dross from the gold 2. He will be more evangelical in the frame of his Spirit Heb. 6. The babe is unskilfull in the word of righteousness Ignorance causeth many scruples and fears which do hinder those spiritual consolations that should abound in the heart of the godly 3 Hereby they may be guides to others The Apostle Rom 14. sheweth the many duties of a strong Christian in respect of a weak It 's a blessed thing to be a means of edification of others or the reducing of such as have gone astray for want of this growth many parents many husbands though godly for the main cannot do their duties Vse 1. Of humiliation to the best persons and the best Churches they still need more light It 's not enough Christ hath declared to them but he must still declare not indeed new substantials and essentials to salvation but in regard of the superstructures of holiness and truth That Doctrine in Popery The Church cannot erre makes her incurable and is also grosly arrogant In particular persons this would also breed self-emptiness an high esteem of the Ordinances it would prevent heresies and errours men being commonly confident of themselves therein as also any severe and uncharitable censuring of others knowing as it is said Phil. 3.15 God may in
or because that can adde any thing to his happiness but because thereby thou art made capable of his love and so he can communicate of his goodness to thee do not then take comfort so much from thy graces as the evidence of Gods love to thee thereby 5. Take notice that it 's most acceptable and well-pleasing unto God that thou shouldst walk in such sense and feeling of his goodness to thee For why are all those commands to rejoyce in him and to bless his name continually Why doth he invite thee to call him Father And why are there such thunderbolts in the Scripture against unbelief and distrust Why is it the main scope of the Scripture to represent God under all love and loving considerations but that all our thoughts of him should be hopefull and comfortable Do not therefore think thou goest beyond thy bounds or it's presumption in thee to draw nigh to God upon such assured apprehensions of his grace No the Scripture expresly commands the contrary Heb. 4.16 Let us come boldly unto the throne of grace and Eph. 3.12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him Hearken not then to all those doubting temptations within nor all those deceitfull arguments of humane reason without but consider what the Scripture saith and certainly it 's preposterous humility as in Peter refusing to let Christ wash his feet to keep off from the Throne of grace when we are commanded to come to it Besides without this sense of love how can our hearts be raised up to bless and glorifie God It was Davids apprehension of Gods goodness to him that made him call upon his soul and all within him to bless Gods holy Name 6. Consider that this sense of Gods love is the proper and genuine effect of faith in Christ as a Mediator Thus our Saviour doth here make it the consequent of it They have known me whom thou hast sent that the love whereby thou lovest me may be in them It 's not enough to believe in the general That Christ is a Mediator to such as believe in him but with Paul Gal. 2.20 we are to appropriate him who loved me and gave himself for me with this Evangelist John we are to lean our heads as it were in Christs bosom with Thomas we are to say My God and my Lord. Now the genuine but not the necessary and inseparable effect of such an appropriating faith is the sense and assurance of Gods love to me in particular which love of God is so attentive to one believer as if there were no more in the world As they say of the soul it 's tota in toto and tota in qualibet parte so is the love of God totus in universis fidelibus and totus in singulis God loveth a particular believer as much as if there were no more believers in the world Though the objects of his love may be diversified yet his love is not divided or by division diminished Lastly Fix this alwayes upon thy heart that Christ hath prayed for this sense of the Fathers love upon thy soul You see in this prayer where he mentioneth all the great and consequential things unto believers this is brought in at the last as the adorning and sweetning of all the rest for if sanctified if hereafter to be glorified if Christ be in us and we in Christ yet if the experimental knowledge and assurance of this be absent we are as the Disciples under storms and tempests crying out We perish we perish Let the summary Use of the whole be by way of Exhortation to all believers to hunger and thirst yea to have their souls break in longing after the enjoyment of this love of God in us Oh bid all things stand aloof off till thou art made partaker of it Say How long Lord how long is it that thou absentest thy self When shall I have the imbracements of thy love When will the glorious Sunne break out and dispell all the dark clouds that are upon my soul Give not over importuning for it Because of this very prayer of Christ know to thy encouragement that this prayer abideth for ever Though it was once uttered by him upon the earth and he ceased to pray any further yet it still liveth in the efficacy and power of it yea that continual intercession of his in heaven what is it but the reviving of this prayer So that by the vertue of this prayer through his blood we are sanctified we are justified and shall hereafter be for ever glorified FINIS AN ALPHABETICAL TABLE OF THE Chief Heads contained in this TREATISE A Afflictions IT 's a greater mercy to be kept from sinne and evil in our Afflictions and troubles then from the afflictions themselves 444 The Grounds and Reasons why it is so 446 Antichrist That Antichrist should prosper and prevail in the shedding of the blood of so many Martyrs is a dangerous temptation c. 388 A two-fold Antichrist ibid. Apostasie Apostasie and decay in grace may be in several particulars 350 c. Those that plead for the Apostasie of the godly grant there is a distinction to be made 354 Apostats That men may be eminent for a while in the Church of God and yet afterwards prove dreadfull Apostats 372 Arians Arians confuted 73 149 Ascension The benefits of Christs Ascension 291 Assurance Assurance may be attained 356 Astrology How vain and wicked it is to go to Astrologers or Witches or be such 396 Arguments against Astrology and witchcraft 396 397 Atonement Christ was a Priest to make Atonement for us 507 Attributes It is a necessary duty in a Christian in his approaches to God to think to those Attributes and relations in him which may excite and stirre up holy confidence and boldnesse 657 B Beginnings THen Beginnings are hopefull when the Spirit in the Ministry or other means of grace did work upon us 382 Then will Beginnings and endings be alike when grace is radicated and enters deep enough into the soul 383 Good Beginnings will have bad endings when men professe Christ out of sinister and worldly respects ib. Hot Beginnings will end coldly 383 Behold What is that glory which they shall Behold shining in Christ 663 Beholding How much is comprehended in this expression of Beholding Christs glory 662 Belief Our Belief is the fruit and effect of Christs death and our election 537 Two opinions about this ib. The state of the Question in some particulars ib. Arguments to confirm us in the truth 538 Believe Why Gods children are so hardly brought to Believe 211 Why prophane men think it easy to Believe in Christ 213 Why Believing in Christ is so acceptable to God 213 214 Believer In what respect Christ did as much for one Believer as another 525 In some particulars the poor weak Believer hath more love and affection from Christ then a stronger 528 The particulars wherein ib. Wherein God sanctifieth their weakness and
necessary companion to the minding of heavenly things There is no externall duty of praying or hearing that will make the heart moderate and regular in the use of all comforts unlesse it be accompanied with mortification Let not then the waters overflow the banks Do not over-love over-desire over-grieve about these earthly comforts It 's an argument thou lovest them for their own sakes or thy own sake and not for God who art thus over-sollicitous about them so then to say I desire no temporall mercy but to honour God thereby requireth an heart mortified and crucified if we would speak the truth and not deceive our own souls Till therefore we be thus divinely qualified within You may as soon gather grapes of thorns and figs of thistles as the honour of God from such men In the next place take notice of the Reasons why we are to pray for all our comforts in reference to Gods glory And 1. Because God himself doth all things for his own glory His own actions are for it and therefore much more ought ours to be God made the world God saveth his people and all this is for his own glory and indeed as Gods wisedom is only able to comprehend himself so his own love is able to love him in quantum est amabilis yet we are commanded to be holy as he is holy Now as his holinesse is in willing of his own glory and all things in reference thereunto So our godlinesse consists in willing and procuring Gods glory and improving all we have for that purpose If God made the world for his glory do thou use it for his glory If God give thee parts and gifts to glorifie him oh do not abuse these against their good and lawfull end 2. From the nature of Gods glory and all these earthly comforts respectively that is the ultimus finis and these are the media and morall Philosophy teacheth us that media movent bonitate finis it 's not absolute goodnesse in the means but the relative goodnesse of the end in the means that excite and provoke the appetite It 's not Physick for Physicks sake though never so sweet but for healths sake that we take it Lay this as an undeniable argument upon thy own soul These good things are but the means they are not the end Now they are desired not in an unlimited but commensurated manner If a man would quench his thirst he doth not desire all the water in the Sea but as much as will quench his thirst If a man desire a garment to cover his nakednesse he would not have all the cloth in the world but what is proportioned for his body So it 's here Thou art not to will as much wealth as much honour and greatnesse as may be had but what will be serviceable to that great end the glory of God otherwise thou art in thy abundance as David in Sauls armour It was too great for him and in stead of being serviceable was cumbersome and truly hence ariseth the inordinate sinfulnesse of our sences in all earthly comforts we desire them for their own sake and so are infinite and never satisfied still saying Give whereas this regulated desire would much moderate us Appetitus non est regula concoctionis the appetite is not the rule of our concoction is in Divinity true as well as in Philosophy 3. Consider the greatnesse of Gods glory It 's more worth then all the world all thy wealth estate and greatnesse is nothing to this glory of God neither thy soul or body no nor all mens souls and bodies are to be compared to this Better we all perish then that God should lose his glory Oh then how should this make us whatsoever we do to do all to his glory 1 Cor. 10.31 because the Sun is far above one Star the Ocean above one drop 4. If we desire not all things in reference to him we are guilty of spirituall Idolatry we set up another God besides him or we attribute that supreme dominion to another which belongs only to him unlesse we were God himself we might not do so how severe was God against that Jewish Idolatry in worshiping Idols his glory he would not have given to another Now this is not the lesse Idolatry because it 's not so bodily The more secret and hidden it is the more abominable Herod was eaten up with lice because he was not displeased when others said The voice of God and not of man Act. 12.23 He was tickled with it and received it well enough I tell thee such sins as this are committed when thou takest thy wealth thy honours and exaltest thy self thereby and not God Vse of Instruction How few then take notice of this doctrine who desire mercies only to serve God thereby riches and greatnesse to promote God therewith If this were so there could not be those immoderate and unsatisfied affections in thee Thou wouldst be more solliciuous bow to improve all for God Thy heart would tremble lest God receive not more glory by giving thee more mercies We give thee of thy own said David 1 Chro. 29 14. and certainly if we have any thing to glorifie God by both the gift and the good use of it is wholly of Gods grace What wilt thou do who takest the good mercies of God and usest them as weapons against him Thou servest thy own lusts and the devils Will the patience of God alwaies bear this SERMON VII The Text Vindicated from Arians Vbiquitarians and Papists And the power and dominion of Christ observ'd and applied to the comfort of his Disciples and terrour of his Enemies JOH 17.2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh that he should give eternall life to as many as thou hast given him THe Verse before spake of the mutual glorification which is between the Sonne and the Father Now this second verse is specificative or declarative of that wherein or whereby the Sonne may and doth glorifie the Father viz. by the power that he hath in the whole world more especially in the Church of God giving eternal life to them that do beleeve So that this Text containeth one principall way or manner how the Sonne doth glorifie the Father All the wondrous works that are done in the world bring not so much glory to God as the spiritual works which are wrought by Christ in the Church In the words we may take notice of Christs power and the use or exercise of it The power is mentioned in the former part The exercise in the latter Concerning the former observe 1. The power expressed in this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which say some doth not signifie a meer power but a power with right and so difference it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if that signified any power this only is just and lawfull As among the Latines potentia and potestas are diversified but this is not universally true for 〈◊〉