Crafts-masters are these Seducers they are very subtle and dextrous in their Stratagems to deceive unawares 2 Pet. 1.16 For we have not followed cunningly devised Fables when we made known to you the power and coming of 〈◊〉 Lord Jesus Christ but were eye witnesses of his Majesty we used none of their Arts and cunning 2 et 2.1 2 3. But there were false Prephets also among the people as there shall be false teachers among you who privily shall bring in damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and so he goes on describing both thâ—â— Persons and the danger that accompanies their endeavours 2 Timoth. 2.17 And their words will eat as doth a canker or Gangrene now 〈◊〉 Gangrene suddenly over runs the whole man unless it be prevented it presently seizes the vitals and so kill and so do those seductious and 〈◊〉 Principles by the subtilty and Art of those instruments of Satan which he hath imployed in all Ages of the Church the Reason why truth is longer a spreading than error is because truth is contrary to our corrupt Nature but error is surable to them our hearts are as tinder to receive what is bad every spark kindles the fire but they are as wet wood to receive those sparks of light that God from his Words darts into them Epiphanius others have taken a great deal of pains in shewing how in all Ages downward ever since the times of the Apostles the Devil hath been at this kinde of work and he hath imploy'd this instruments herein and we are not without experiences in our dayes of those persons that deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God and that would make the death and sufferings of Christ and faith in Christ of no effect This is to deny the Lord that bought them and to bring damnation upon themselves 3. There is a third way whereby Satan lababours to obstruct the spreading of the truth and to suppress the Doctrine of God our Saviour and that is by exercising his utmost cunning himself by working upon mens corruptions 2 Cor. 4.3 4 5. If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not Observe he hath a notable art in blinding the eyes of men with corrupt mistakes and subtle insinuations Chap. 11.3 I am jealous over you lest by any means as the Serpent beguiled Eve by his subtily so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ St. Panl feared the most setled Christians he was jealous of them it was out of the abundance of his love to and care for them Now Satans great designe is if he cannot keep us from this Doctrine then he labours to corrupt it and thereby to hinder the efficacie of it and so to render this Doctrine of Salvation instrumental to promote our destruction And thus those many designes of Satan against this Doctrine and his diligence to carry on those designes is a great Argument of the eminencie of the priviledge of enjoying it 3. Argument The wonderful Providence of God and his perpetual care in preserving this Gospel notwithstanding all the attempts that Hell hath made against it Be sure if any created power or policie for what policie or power is greater than Satans could have prevail'd against this Doctrine of God our Saviour there had not been the least part of this Doctrine remaining in the world at this day This consideration proves that this Doctrine of God is excellent Act. 5.39 the counsel of Gamaliel to the Jews If it be of God it will stand ye cannot overthrow it Now it is an Argnment that this Doctrine is of God because it hath stood so long for above 1600 years and it is an argument that it is the Doctrine of God because it is of such great conc ernment to the Church if it had not been an eminent and needful priviledge he would not have employed his providenees so constantly about the prser vation of it We read when the Israelites had no farther need of Miracles God did not then continue to work Miracles for that people assoon as ever they had the parched Corn the fruits of the Land Manna ceased the self-same day God would not then be at the expence of a Miracle though they came from him as easily as words do from men be would not be at the expence of a Miracle but for his Peoples necessity This Doctrine of God our Saviour is said to be the Foundation upon which the Church is built Thou art Peter and upon this Doctrine this Confession of thine I will build my Church Eph. 2.20 And are built upon the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ being the chief Corner-stone Upon the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles How can that be For it is said other Foundation can no man lay than what is laid c. Neither is there Salvation in any other for there is no Name given under Heaven whereby we can be saved Answ Divines here distinguish between a personal Foundation and a Doctrinal Foundation Jesus Christ is the only personal Foundation the only Person that can be built upon and the Doctrine of Christ in the Gospel that is the only doctrinal Foundation and if we build upon this we build aright I shall give you three Instances to shew how wonderfully the Providence of God hath appeared in the preservation of this Doctrine of God our Saviour 1. In that he hath preserved those Books of Scripture wherein this Doctrine is contained from utter ruine and extirpation How many choice and admirable Books wherein hath been excellent pieces of Learning have perished and been eaten out by the rust of time Yet those Books have had no Edicts put forth a against them to endanger the owning of them nor against the advancing of the study of them Nay they have had great incouragement to promote those studies and in all respects the greatest care imaginable to preserve them but they have all perished and are utterly gone but this Gospel hath been preserved notwithstanding all the attempts and designs against it we have no Books of Antiquity and ancient standing as the Gospel is It is a smart passage of one speaking of the improvements made in all pieces of Knowledge says he It is but a vain kind of boast to speak of augmenting knowledge since all those new editions that have been made of any science are but the recoveries of what formerly hath been lost as Solomon seems to intimate when he saith there is nothing new under the Sun But God himself takes care of these Books and this proves that they contain in them those Truths that are necessary for the Churches good for the conversion and bringing in of wandring Souls and for the edifying and building up of those that are brought in and so long as there is any one Soul either unbrought in or unbrought up so long
to Titus you find in one general word exprest it was to set in order those things that were wanting Chap. 1. ver 5. and to direct him in the management of that most important affair of the Church In this Chapter you have several duties which St. Paul gives Titus in charge that he should be a faithful remembrancer to those Cretians which duties are many and divers 1. He speaks of those duties that concern some particular Christians 2. Of those that concern all Christians in Common Those that concern particular Christians are Men and Women Young and Old Masters and Servants as you have it in the beginning of this Chapter ver 1. But speak thou the things which become sound Doctrine And then he speaks to young Persons ver 6. Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded And he counsels Titus to shew them his own Example ver 7. In all things shew thy self a Pattern of good works And so he descends to the meanest degree of Christians and that is to Servants Servants were then of a more vile and abject condition than houshould Servants are now among us Servants were then slaves their persons and lives were at the wills of their Masters and because their condition was such they had little comfort from things here below and therefore takes care of them and this shews the greatness of the Apostles care in instructing them how they may live cmfortably and to eneourage them ha tells them they should be obedient to their own Masters and to please them well in all things not answering again not purloyning but shewing all good fidelity The reason he gives is this That they may adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour in all things Some reckon this last clause under the duties which concern all Christians incommon but it is alledged here with particular reference to Servants and for that there are two Reasons given Because the duties here prest upon Servants were duties to which they were very much averse by the harshness or ansterenes of their Masters who had such power over them beyond or above what is used by us and what Christians all along since have had Now they were under danger of those sins that he dissuaded them from as purloyning from them c. And to encourage them he tells them though your condition be never so mean though you are so contemptible in the sight of men yet by your good carriage you may be acceptable 〈◊〉 the sight of God you are not in so low a capacity but you are capable of adorning the Doctrine of God our Saviour Now though this Exhortation be of greater latitude than to Servants yet it is spoken to them upon this account because they had little hopes of finding acceptance with God since they were under such austerity to their own Masters Now if they how much more should others adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour In the words are these two particulars 1. A description of the Gospel it isthe Doctrine of God that speaks it to be of Divine Authority and it is said to be the Doctrine of God our Saviour and that speaks its gracious designation in order to the saving of lost Creature and you find it more fully expressed in the next Verse For the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared c. The Grace of God in afording his Gospel it brings Salvation that is in the tenders and proffers and discovering the way how we may attain it This is a high commendation given of the Gospel it is the Doctrine of God and of God our Saviour 2. Here is a declaration of their duty to whom this Doctrine comes to whom God hath been so gracious as to vouchsafe his Gospel they must adorn it that is render it lovely and beautiful and amiable to others they must carry themselves so as to give no occasion to others of stumbling or taking offence by their miscarriage they must so live as not to give occasion to others to think the Gospel hath no more efficacie than humane Rules and Reason hath This duty is mentioned in a two-fold extent that they and all they not only Servants but others to whom this Doctrine comes should adorn the Gospel and that they may adorn the Gospel in all things in every branch and part of this Doctrine There are several Doctrines I shall commend to you from the words 1. Doct. That Jesus Christ is not meerly man but really God The Gospel here is said to be the Doctrine of God and this we finde is the ordinary Language wherein the Scripture speaks of Christ at least it is the familiar Language Titus 1.3 According to the Commandment of God our Saviour he is called there God our Saviour and in the 13th verse of this Chapter Looking for the blessed hope and gloriour appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ The Socinians and Arians have been very busie in gathering together several Scriptures wherein the word Eloah and Elohim wherein the singular number is put for the plural are ascribed to Creatures there are two places especially insisted on Exod. 7.1 God tells Moses I have made thee a God to Pha raoh The other is Psal 82.6 I have said Ye are Gods speaking of Magistrates and Princes and the great Ones of the world those that are in the highest Rank of men their design hereby is to weaken the faith of Christians concerning the Divinity of Christ In answer to these two Scriptures it is observed by many Learned Writers though the Name of God be indeed ascribed to Magistrates and great Ones in the world more than once or twice yet is this Title never given to them but with some restriction and diminution and therefore in both those Scriptures before quoted it is not said fimply I will make thee a God to Pharaoh but he speaks of the reverence and esteem that he should finde from Pharaoh and thus it is expounded in Exod. 4.16 God tells Moses Aaron should be to him instead of a mouth and he should be instead of God Aaron is not simply but instead to denote his Authority in giving his Command and Orders So for Psal 82.6 I said ye are Gods but in ver 7. you have this diminution You shall die like men But on the other hand the Name of God is usually given to Christ with some augmentative Epithite and truly that Christ is truly God it is one great foundation of all our faith and hope and I shall clcar it briefly by these Arguments 1. He whom the Scriptures doth not only honour with the Name of God but with those additional Epithites which no Creature is capable of but God must needs be God and not meer man Thus in respect of Jesus Christ God hath honoured him not only with this Name but with many additional Titles He is said to be God equal with the Father Phil. 2.6 He thought it no robbery to be equal with God Titus 2.13 He
outward respects only but also in Spirituals these are dying persons The Prophets do they live for ever But when all our Creature-comforts die and vanish yet the Lord lives There are three things that I shall speak to in the opening of this observation 1. The first is this That the Lord whom we serve is the living God he lives This Title I shall shew how far it is appropriated to God above all Creatures whatsoever 2. That as he is the living God so he lives as Lord. 3. How much this is to the support and comfort of all his people 1. That however all other Creatures may be dying yet God liveth all those Names by which God hath made himself known in Scripture do strongly imply this Truth That great Name Jehovah which is so often mentioned in Scripture signifies A God of Being a God that gives being to all other Creatures and a God that is the Fountain of Being in himself When God send Moses upon that difficult Errand of treating with Pharaoh about the releasing Ifrael out of their for bondage Exod. 3.14 this is the Name by which God makes himself known I am that I am hath sent thee that is I that alone am the name by which the very Heathen spake of their God Zena qusia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as one glosses upon that Name that is they thought him to be a living God But to be short We find that God is often stiled in Scripture the living God to denote him to be the true God 2 King 19.4 when Rabshekah came and put Hezckiah into those fears he sends to Isaiah to pray to the Lord It may be says he the Lord thy God will hear all the words of Rabshekah whom the King of Assyria his Master hath sent to reproach the living God that is the true God So when David expresseth his earnest affectionateness in desiring Communtion with God he speaks of him as the living God Psalm 42.2 My Soul thirsheth for God for the living God that is for the true God When shall I come and appear before God And so Psalm 84.2 My Soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Coasts of the Lord my heart and my flesh cryeth out for the living God And so the Prophet Joremiah parahprasing a little farther upon this word Jerem. 10.10 But the Lord is the true God he is the living God and an everlasting King at his wrath the earth shall tremble and the Nations shall nto be able to abide his indignation he is the living God and this is the Argument to prove him to be the true God So Dan. 6. when Darius had been surprized in the DecreÌ„e against Daniel and had consented unawares to his being cast into the Den of Lyons he came to the Den and cried with a lamentable voyce unto Daniel and spake saying O Danicl Servant of the living God is thy God whom thou servest continually able to deliver thee from the Lions He is a God indeed But farther he is often stiled the living God in opposition to dead Idols which were the Gods of the Heathen So you have a notable description of those Idols which the sinners of that age did worship Psal 115.3 and so on But our God he is in the Heaven he hath done whatsoever he pleased their Idols are silver and gold the works of mens hands they have mouths but they speak not eyes have they but see uot they have ears but hear not noses have they but they smell not they have hands but they handie not feet have they but they walk not neither speak they through the throat but our God is the living God Again he is stiled the living God in opposition to dying men as Magistrates are sometimes stiled Gods Psalm 82.6 I said ye are Gods but ye shall die like men and so Deut. 5.26 For who is there of all flesh that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire as we have and lived When God would give his people the greatest assurance of the certain accomplishment of his promises he speaks in this language as I live he swears by his own life So you have it Isa 49.18 Lift up thiâ—â— eyes round about and behold all these gather them selves together and come to thee as I live saith the Lord thou shalt surely cloath thee with them all as with an Ornament and bind them on thee as a Bride doth So Numb 14.20 21. when Moses interceded for that repining and murmuring people saith God I have pardoned according to thy word but as truly as I live all the earth shall be filled with the Glory of the Lord. When God would startle sinners and make them sensible of of what is coming upon them as sure as I live saith the Lord his iniquity shall not go unpunished So Ezek 5.11 But I have sufficiently cleared this from Scripture You see then all along that God in Scripture is stiled the living God and it is such a kind of life as no Creature is capable of that is here ascribed to God and that I shall shew in these 5 particulars 1. He lives Originally from himself Psal 36.9 For with thee is the Fountain of life he is the Fountain of life to others and he is the Fountain of life to himself That life which all Creatures have is a deriv'd life it is what they have receiv'd from God Acts 17.25 Neither is he worshipped with mens hands as though he needed any thing seeing he giveth to all life and breath and all things There is not that Creature that liveth upon the face of the earth but it hath its life from God and so ver 28. In him we live and move and have our being but that life which God liveth it is an underived life He is as one speaks One that hath his life from himself The Moon shines with a borrowed light and all Creatures have nothing but what they have receiveâ— their very light it is from God it is his light that we see light there is no Creature but it is beholding to God for its very Being for it is impossible that any Creature should be the Author of its own Being That which once was not could never produce it self for whilst it was nothing it could do nothing and in all successions of being that are in the world here is one Creature proceeds from another and that other from another before it and so on so that in all successions we must needs come to some first Being now this first Being must needs be of himself uncreated and of himself unoriginated that 's one particular how God liveth he liveth originally and from himself 2. He lives intirely and of himself without dependance upon any other The life of poor Creatures as it is received from God so it is upheld by God Rom. 11.36 All things are of him and all things are by him our very breath in our Nostrils he keeps it in
people as they are peculiarly his Therefore David begs Psal 106.4 5. Shew me the good of thy chosen that I may rejoyce in the gladness of thy Nation that I may glory with thine inheritance God hath favour for others but he hath a special favour for his Now this is the great Priviledge of all sincere Believers besides the general love God hath to all Creatures these he looks upon as his Jewels as his darlings as his delight as persons whom he singles out as special Objects of his favour That 's the first 2. Noth withstanding this peculiar love of God to sincere Believers yet they may nevertheless be sorely afflicted the Apostle reckons up here many smart Afflictions in the verses before you read of Tribulation and distress and persocution famine nakedness perils sword life death Angels Principallities powers Now while the Apostle asserts so expresly that none of these shall be able to spearate from the love of God he strongly implies that those that are the people of God those that are the real objects of his love may yet be liable to all these they are not exempted from any of these They may be persecuted and yet are beloved of God they may be exercised with wants with nakedness and undergo cruel usages from men yet beloved of God under great Affliction and yet under great Affection from God The disting uishing love of God makes no distinction in these outward things Eccles 9.1 2. No man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before him all things come alike to all there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked to the good and to the clean and unclean to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not as is the good so is the sinner as he that sweareth as he that feareth an Oath Their Afflictions may be as great nay exceed the afflictions of others as you may see Psal 37. and Psal 73 both those Psalmes are upon that subject as to the troubles of this life the most sincere Servants of God may have a deeper share and portion in them than they that do not own God in sincerity In this world you shall have trouble They that will live Godly in Christ shall suffer persecutition c. These are the predictions for the future and if you look back to the experience of former Ages the flaming bush hath been an Embleme of the state of Gods Church while the Church is here the Bush was flaming and burning and yet not consumed You see then it is the Priviledge of sincere Believers that they have an interest in the special love of God and you see also notwithstanding the peculiar love of God to them they are liable to many smart afflictions Thirdly Whatever their afflictions are though they may be above and grearer than others yet notwithstanding they have supports above others even the love of God you may see that this along hath been their great support their relation to and their interest in the Lord as you may read in 1 Sam. 30.6 when David was once stript of no less than his all his Wives his Cihildren his Substance his Cattle all were carried a way Captive yet he incouraged himself in the Lord his God Nay this is the Promise that God hath made to his Psalm 89.31 32 33 34. speaking of them them that are his in Covenant If they break my Statutes and keep not my Commandments Then will I visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulness to fail My Covenant will I not break nor aleer the thing that is gone out of my lips I will chastise them they shall know what it is to provoke me to offend me yet I will have a kindness for them when it is the foulest weather with the people of God here below God by his Providences doth ordinarily make it clear above when the world doth most frown God doth usually most smile when his people are condemened of men he then vouchsafeth them the clearest evidences of their acceptance with him 2 Cor. 4.8 9. We are afflicted on every side yet not distressed we are perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsuken cast down but not destroyed still they had some relief in God and God did let them then especially find it when they did most need it this is usually the time wherein God manifests more of tenderness to his people than at other seasons it is promised Hosea 2.14 I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness and speak comfortably to her A wilderness that is a desert a place full of full of wants of straits and difficulties but that shall be a time and place of Gods love to be manifested The Apostle found this also true As our afflictions abound so our consolations do much more abound upon this account it is that afflictions when they are sanctified and we are supported under them and do make a right use of them they are frequently mentioned is Scripture as choice blessings as eminent favours Thus this Doctrine is cleared Whatever Comforts a gracious Soul may go without what Calamities it may undergo yet it hath this unspeakable support the love of God this love is a peculiar love and it doth not exempt from Afflictions but it doth admirably sweeten those Afflictions that the Servants of God do meet with For the Use of this Point this Informs us of the necessity of an eye of Faith to enable us to make a right Judgment both of Persons and Things Sense and Reason are incompetent Judges of things Invisible because these are above Sense above the reach of Reason many of them we are apt to think when God strips his people of their estates of Creature comforts of Friends of neer Relations that when these are gone all is gone with them no no they have the love of God then as our Saviour said I have meat that ye know not of so they have comforts and refreshments that others know not of Strangers cannot intermeddle with their joy these are out of the reach of all kind of enemies 2. Doct. This peculiar love of God is such a mercy that nothing but the want of it can make any of us miserable This I ground upon the Text The scope of the Apostle in this place is to comfort the people of God against all the discouragements that this life is liable to and capable of Now the Argument he alledges to this purpose is no more than this Nothing can separate you says he from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus and in as much adds nothing more but this he thought he had spoke enough in that one word hence I gather it is a mercy so highly considerable that nothing but the want of this can make any of us miserable All the miseries and calamities in the world that can come upon us