to profess and acknowledg their Ignorance Non Pudor est Nescire aliquid sed Discere Nolle Et Pudor Scelus est 4. The Saints are very desirous to know the Reason of Christs Actions Why speakest thou unto them in Parables 5. Beginnings of Grace and Knowledg are very earnest after more Good hearts are very Inquisitive and diligent to ask and understand the Mysteries of Heaven Dub. 1. And indeed it is a wonder that Christ who loved souls so dearly and thirsted after their Salvation who was sent into the world by his Father to Vnmask the way to Heaven and who had before Explained the Law and taken the Vizor off from the face of it and convinced the Proud and Preached so home to the heart that he Preacht with Authority He Preached plainly when he said Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand He preached plainly when he said Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven c. and now to cloathe his Sermons with such dark Parables it is a wonder Resp To this the Lord Jesus Answers That he therefore preached in Parables i. e. darkly and obscurely Because he preached in Judgment unto some that were present He preacht that they might not understand him Dub. 2. But why should his Disciples admire that he preached now in Parables seeing it was always his custom to do so And Parables do illustrate and clear things more to the understanding than plain phrases Resp Christ was wont to preach in Parables and therefore that is not the Disciples Query at least not the meaning of it why he did now use Parables for he did ordinarily use them but when he did use them he did Explain them Luk. 15. 4-7 and 16. 1-8 9. But now Christ did preach in Parables and not Explain them as he was wont to do And before we leave this Query of the Disciples Why speakest thou unto them in Parables Observe further First Their Charity Secondly Their Modesty 1. Their Charity and love to the souls of others Why speakest thou to them in Parables They understand thee not they first ask Christ why he spake to them in Parables before they ask him to Explain the Parables to them Obs Good hearts desire the Salvation of others as well as their own aeque though not aequaliter 2. Their Modesty towards Christ They do not question Christ's Doctrine or manner of Teaching in publick but ask him in private to Explain himself When he was alone Mar. 4. 10. and Mat. 13. 36. Obs People ought not to question and move doubts against their Ministers Doctrine in publick but in private lest they should by their importunity create stirs and tumult and give to others occasion of doing any thing unseasonably and out of due time Therefore his Disciples move questions in private We shall now descend to the words of our Text To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven but to them it is not given For whosoever hath to him shall be given and he shall have more abundance To you The word to you hath Emphasis in it Vobis vestri similibus To you and such as you 1. To you Elect for Christ speaks of the Elect under the Apostles Persons To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven 2. Vobis amantibus videlicet Sicientibusque veritatem To you Guilliandi who love and thirst after Truth to you that are godly and gracious the Spirit gives to you not only to hear and see these things but to know them and believe and feel them in your hearts And therefore these are no mysteries to you but Salvation and truth Revealed 'T is given that is it comes to pass 1. Not Casu by chance 2. Nor Necessitate by necessity 3. Nor Natura by nature or natural industry That you know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven But 't is given He discovers the gift and Grace of God For O man What hast thou which thou hast not received Obs The knowledg of the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven is a Supernatural gift a gift from above None can understand the mysteries of Heaven but they to whom it is given The gifts of God are two-fold 1. The gifts of Nature 2. The gifts of Grace It was given them by Nature that they could hear or see But it was given them by Grace that they should hear the Gospel and see the Miracles and Face of Jesus Christ but more Grace yet that they could Receive the Gospel and Believe in Christ and know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven It was outward Grace to have the Gospel given them to hear it and Christ given them to see him It was inward Grace to have knowledg to see into the Mysteries of the Gospel and to have Faith to distinguish and apprehend Jesus Christ the Lord of Glory There 's the Gospel of Grace and the Grace of the Gospel To have the Gospel of Grace preached to them and to have Grace to receive the Gospel is a double Grace The mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven Is a Periphrasis of the Gospel and of those things which lye hid in the Gospel Obs The Gospel is a mystery The Doctrines of the Gospel are mysteries Mysterium significat secretum aliquod quod remotum est ab oculis atque absconditum praecipuè vero in verbis ut cùm aliquid dicitur quod obscurum est intellectu difficile Solemus dicere hoc mysterium est Subest his verbis tectum aliquid abstrusum Mysterium sic enim consuevit appellare Scriptura quae praeter spem praeter humanam fiunt Opinionem Ecce mysterium vobis dico Omnes quidem c. Guilliandus in Loc. 1 Cor. 15. The mysteries of God therefore are Faith and the Gospel concerning Christ nay Christ himself is called a mystery because he is a Spiritual thing and remains hid and covered till the Spirit unvail him For whatever the Gospel preacheth they Mat. 11. 25. 1 Cor. 2. 6 7 8. are remote from sense and reason that the whole world cannot apprehend them till they are Revealed by the Spirit You shall see many preach and many hear that Christ was delivered for us to Redeem us but these words are only in ore in the mouth not in corde in the heart For 1. Neque ipsi suis verbis credunt neither do they themselves believe their own words 2. Neque gratiam hanc aliquatenus sentiunt neither do they feel the Grace of the Gospel But to them it is not given Luke hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark hath Luke 8. 10. Mark 4. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui for is sunt sive exteris To them that are without By which he understands not only them that are strangers all their time from the Kingdom of God as the Gentiles but also all those that have been for a time the children of the
Kingdom and by their wickedness and unbelief deserved that a bill of Divorce should be given to them and cast Mat. 8. 12. out of the Kingdom To them that are without i. e. Who only hear with the outward Guilliandus Ear who hear with the outward Ear as well as you but want Faith and care not for the Truth seeking rather their own than Gods glory their earthly rather than heavenly Treasures For whosoever hath to him shall be given and he shall have more abundance c. 1. To him that hath Faith shall be given the knowledg of Hilarius sic Exponit qâ—d Habens fidem mysteria fidei percipiet at Judaei fidem non habentes Legem quoque quam habue rant Perdiderunt the mysteries of the Kingdom of God for these cannot be known without Faith As if he should say To you Apostles who believe in me as in the Messias to you it is given daily to hear and clearly to understand of me the mysteries of Heaven But from the Scribes and Pharisees that have not i. e. Faith will not believe in me as the Messias God will take from them That which they have i. e. That slender knowledg of God and sense of Heaven which they have their Church Kingdom Priest-hood Temple Sacrifices Country he will take from them and make them no people no Church no not in outward Profession 2. To him that hath i. e. That hath an hearing ear Mat. 13. 9 12. and Mark 4. 24. That is that bring with them an humble and sincere affection namely a pure desire of Faith and Truth which the Apostles by the gift of God have to them shall be given i. e. I will Explain and clearly open to them The mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven I will increase their knowledg and add beams to their Light but they that have not i. e. this pure desire of truth but are indulgent to their lusts and to the pride of their own understanding as the Scribes and Pharisees from them the little knowledg which they have shall be taken away and they shall be made blind and therefore it is that I speak not clearly to them but obscurely in Parables Dub. But doth not this prove a power in man to do something naturally that he may gain something that is supernatural To do something morally to attain the gift of Grace that is spiritual And are not these words a promise Faecienti quod in se est Deus non denegat gratiam Res I answer no It argues no such thing it doth not speak a passage out of Morality through the use of natural gifts into the state of Grace As it appears 1. From the 11th Ver. To you it is given to know the mysteries Mat. 13. 11. of the Kingdom of Heaven to you i. e. To you my Apostles and Disciples who have more than good nature in you who have blossoms of heaven already in you to you it is given To know i. e. to know further to know more of the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven to you that have the buddings of knowledg in you to you shall be given the ripeness of knowledg in the mysteries of Heaven And then he adds in the 12th Ver. For whosoever hath to him shall be given i. e. Whosoever hath the infant and young workings of grace and knowledg as you have to him shall be given that is an higher stature of grace and knowledg shall be given him 2. From Ver. the 10th The Disciples when they heard the Parable said to Christ Why speakest thou unto them in Parables i. e. Why dost thou preach so Obscurely and Aenigmatically to them Why dost thou not open thy self more plainly to them They are never the better for what thou saiest neither they nor we understand thy meaning And therefore they without doubt Mar. 4 10-13 asked Christ in private to unlock the Cabinet of the Parable to them and shew them the Jewel or meaning of it Now saith Christ to you i. e. Who desire of me spiritual knowledg it shall be given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven For whosoever hath i. e. Such holy desires as you have to inquire and move after the knowledg of Heavenly-mysteries to him it shall be given as it is to you and he shall have more abundance 3. Jesus Christ in the 13th Ver. gives his Disciples an account why he spake to the Pharisees in Parables Because they seeing see not i. e. They are wilfully blind they see the wood and yet will not see the trees they see my Works and yet will not see me to be Christ In seeing they see not i. e. They have seen me and believe not Joh. 6. 36. They see me and my Miracles with the eye of sense and yet will not see me with the eye of faith And hearing they hear not i. e. They hear with the sense of Audientes corporis sensu non audiunt cordis assensu August the ear but hear not with the assent of the heart they hear and are convinced but will not be converted as you have it in the 15th Ver. They perceive but will not receive the knowledg of the truth For to hear is to receive and submit to what we hear It implies the affection with the Organ Now in opposition to them saith the Lord Christ to his Disciples Ver. 16 Blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear Your eyes see me and are taken with the sight of me your eyes see me and your hearts are in love with me your sight of me hath wounded you with the love of espousals to me And your ears hear and suck in the truths you hear from me You hear and submit to the Authority of the Word you hear from me You see with an amorous eye and you hear with a believing ear And therefore to you saith Christ it shall be given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven but to them it is not given i. e. It shall not be given For whosoever hath that is whosoever hath a Believing eye and an Obediential ear to him shall be given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven And he shall have more abundance of knowledg and grace added to him 4. So that the sense and mind of the Text is this Whosoever hath by the gift of God any true beams of Light to him shall be given further Revelations God will give him higher degrees Whosoever hath to him shall be given i. e. He gives after he hath given as a Spring runs when it hath run So that the words speak not a word of the Improvement of Nature but of the gifts of Grace both in the beginning and in the increase Whosoever hath it is by gift and whosoever hath more it is by further gift So that this phrase whosoever hath speaks a gift in that he hath For what hath any man 1 Cor. 4. 7. which
he hath not received The meaning is not then whosoever hath the improvement of Nature to him shall be given true Grace but whosoever hath true Grace given to him to him still it shall be given and he shall have more abundance God will heap favours on them i. e. The beginning of Grace is a pawn of more Grace and every former Grace shall be a pledg of future First God gives Grace therefore we have it whosoever hath then he adds more to it to him it shall be given 1. The words are a Reason why Christ said to the Apostles Vnto you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven For or because whosoever hath to him shall be given I pray mark it I say It is a Reason not why natural men should have Grace given them but why the Disciples should have Grace given them 2. Having or not having is to be understood of Saving Grace Therefore speak I in Parable to them because they seeing see not and hearing they hear not neither do they understand Ver. 13. Here Christ gives the Reason clearly which he toucht in Ver. 11 But to them it is not given why he spake to the Scribes and Pharisees in Parables because hearing Christ before preach plainly the Kingdom of Heaven they would not understand nor believe nor obey him Hearing they would not hear And seeing his Holiness and his Miracles they would not believe nor receive him for the Messia Thus seeing they would not see And therefore they deserved that Christ should now preach in obscure and cloudy Parables to them We see then the cause of Christ's preaching in Parables was the obstinacy of some who were present and they were not meer simple men unlearnd men but the Scribes and Pharisees and Priests who follow Christ only to carp at and catch him 2 To deride him and he was not to give holy things to Dogs From these the mysteries of Heaven were justly vailed because in seeing and hearing they did not and would not see nor hear and understand Observe hence Obs Such minds as hearers bring to Christ such Sermons doth he preach to them Because they would not understand they shall not When they will not understand those things that are clear and manifest Christ involves his speeches in darkness because the Disciples do plainly and honestly receive what is given they are worthy i. e. counted worthy to whom more secret mysteries should be Communicated Obs As it is the mercy and gift of God that some hear and understand what they hear so it is the dreadful judgment of God that some in hearing hear not nor understand Having travel'd thus far in the Explanation of our Text we now arrive at the several Theses or Doctrines contained in it upon which we will lay the Structure of the following Discourse 1. Doct. The matters of the Kingdom of Heaven are Mysteries 2. It is a matchless aend blessed Priviledg to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven 3. The Divine knowledg of the Mysteries of Heaven is given to some not to others 4. Where there are beginnings of true Graece though never so weak God makes rich additions of more Of these we will treat in order as they lye before us 1. Doct. The matters of the Kingdom of Heaven are Mysteries 1. Jesus Christ is a great Mystery The Creator became a Creature He who made Man was made Man He was born of the Virgin-Mother and yet made his Mother He that was the Father of Eternity was born in time He never offended his Father and yet was the greatest offender in the world A sinner and no sinner For he knew no sin and yet was made sin for us He was David's Son and yet David called him Lord. Mat. 22. 42 43. 2. Justification by Jesus Christ is a great Mystery There is a Curse denounced against them that break the Law Gal. 3. 10. and yet the Saints are not cursed though they never kept the Law The Saints cannot be Justified by the Law and yet the Law Gal. 5. 23. cannot but Justifie them There 's nothing hinders Acceptance but Sin yet Sin doth 1 Tim. 1. 13. not hinder their Acceptance 3. Faith is a Mystery The Apostle saith Faith is the substance Heb. 11. 1. or subsistence of things hoped for and the Evidence of things not seen See and not see things not seen and yet Faith sees them Things to come and yet makes them present and gives them present Being It is a Mystery Christ was born some thousand years after Abraham and yet Abraham saw John 8. 56. his Day By Faith Moses saw him that is Invisible saith the Text Invisible and yet saw him It is a Mystery He saw him by Faith who could not be seen by Sense It is said of Abraham that against hope he believed in Rom. 4. 18. hope 4. Regeneration is a Mystery That a man should be born again and yet not enter into his Mothers Womb it is a Mystery How can a man be born when he is old saith Nicodemus John 3. 4. Can he enter the second time into his mothers Womb and be born So Conversion is a Mystery That a man should be the same and not the same the same man for soul and body and yet not the same in regard of supernatural Life and Being put into him It is a Mystery To see a mans Judgment and Affections turned backward He that was proud before now turned humble and he that was ambitious before now despise the vain World it is a strange Mystery The men of the World stand wondring at it as 1 Pet. 4. 4. the Israelites did at Saul Is Saul also among the Prophets And the Church admired at Paul Act. 9. 21. 5. Humility is a Mystery The Saints know themselves to be Kings and yet refuse not to be every mans Servant To lye lowest is the only way to rise highest Whosoever shall humble himself the same is the greatest in the Kingdom of Matth. 18. 4. Matth 23. 12. August de Temp. heaven But whosoever doth exalt himself shall be abased Videte magreum miraculum c. saith Austin See here a great miracle God is on high and yet the higher thou liftest up thy self the further thou art from him and the lower thou humblest thy self the nearer thou art to him The Angels those great Courtiers and Princes of Heaven such is their humility they become Ministring spirits to the Saints surely the Angels humility is a Mystery Again That a man should use the World as if he did not 1 Cor. 7. 29. 30 31. use it weep as if he did not weep weep and not weep rejoyce as though he rejoyced not rejoyce and not rejoyce And they that buy as though they possessed not buy and not buy that they that have Wives he as though they had none married and yet unmarried it is a Mystery 6. Self-denial is a
and the power and goodness of the promiser Love lives upon Faith we can love God no longer than we believe When the imaginary Faith of wicked men like a candle dyeth within them their supposed love to God goeth out with it also They hate him in Hell and can do no other we love God no longer than we have a good opinion of his love to us 't is Faith that seeds this Lamp with Oyl We love him because he first loved us And therefore when the spring of Faith is low the stream of Love is very ebb Prayer lives upon Faith we pray no longer than we believe Prayer shall be heard We knock no longer at Gods door than Faith seeth we are welcom When a man feels guilt of sin yet Faith seeth the Lord will pardon it for his own name-sake Who is a God like unto Mica 7. 18. thee that pardons iniquity and passeth by the transgressions of the remnant of his heritage He will turn again he will have compassion on us he will subdue i. e. pardon our iniquities so the word signifies and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea When a man feels the strength of sin yet Faith seeth that the Lord will waste and subdue it and doth not this bear up grace from sinking With what courage doth grace fight against sin when Faith tells her God is on your side and you shall overcome Faith finds and feels rest in trouble Vnto the upright there Psal 112. 4. ariseth light in the darkness The life of a Christian is a life of Faith which is a life contrary to sense and reason when the Lord kills what Doth he intend then to save me yes that he doth saith Faith and therefore Though he kill me yet will I trust in him and thus is grace inlivened When the Lord binds me in Cords of misery doth he intend me any good Yes saith Faith he intends to teach thee and instruct thee Blessed is he whom thou chastenest O Lord Psal 94. 12. Vers 13. and teachest him out of thy law that thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity WHILE the pit is digged for the wicked Faith informs the Soul that God is upon a good work whilst he is binding and breaking his people Oh! he is teaching them some high and holy lesson his corrections are their instructions He is preparing them for a day of prosperity As 't is in the next verse That thou mayst give him rest from the days of adversity while the pit is digged for the wicked Where take notice of these two Things 1. While God is chastising his People he is preparing them for a day of smiles and felicities When he was breaking Job upon the wheel of Affliction he was but preparing him for a greater day of Honour and Prosperity 2. While God by chastisements is preparing his people for some greater happiness at that very time he is preparing a Gallows for the wicked he is digging their pit to bury them in That thou mayst give him rest from the day of adversity while the pit is digged for the wicked While the Jews were under a Cloud and God preparing deliverance for them he was at that very time preparing Hamans Gallows The wicked like condemned men are suffered to live till their Gallows and Grave be made ready Now Faith is well read in Divine Mysteries in Gods proceedings she acquaints the soul that God by chastising and touching the Body is teaching her that his strokes are not huntful Nocumenta sunt Documenta Secondly The Lord increaseth grace in his People by preserving a tenderness upon their Consciences 't is grace that makes the Conscience tender and that tenderness nurseth up grace with exquisite care in the soul The most tender hearted nurse is not more chary of her dear Babe to give it suck keep it clean preserve it from harms and see it come on and prosper than the tender Conscience is of her grace the sweet Babe of the Holy Ghost within her Blessed yea thrice blessed are they to whom God hath given a tender conscience As grace withers and shrinks up by an hardness coming upon the heart so grace improves mightily in a soft and tender soyl 1. The tender Conscience startles at secret sins as well as open sins to sin in the dark as well as in the light his Memento or if you please his Motto is Shall not God search this out Psal 44. 21. He fears Gods Eye more than all the Worlds eye The tender Conscience trembleth at your cunning arts and ways of sinning whereby in your bargains you can bring about your covetous desires under hand and no man discern you You call only those sins secret that are done in a corner but if in your publick dealings you can by your subtilties come over another Are not these secret sins too Tender conscience cannot swallow them And is not grace growing now 2. Tender conscience is quick and sensitive of small sins vain thoughts idle words lesser oaths wanton glances wishes and motions to sin He knows no duty small because there 's no Commandment small he calls no sin little because there 's no poyson little no death little no hell little and doth not this give strength to grace 3. The tender conscience smites the Saint after he hath sinned as oft as he sinneth After sin committed his heart gives him no rest till he hath made his peace with God If corrupt nature cannot but sin yet renewed conscience cannot but repent of sin it cannot but rise again if God be offended it cannot but meet him with humiliation if Man be wronged it cannot but make restitution or satisfaction as Zacheus did When David had sinned in numbring the people his heart smote him I have sinned greatly in that I have done Surely 2 Sam. 24. 10. grace gets ground by this 4. Tender conscience trembles at the appearance of evil as some eyes cannot abide to look on the Picture or Image of a Toad that which looks like sin he abhors it it scares a holy soul from any enterprize if it be but male coloratum an ill aspect Every thing that might any way redound to the wounding of Religion or at which any offence might be taken he entertains it not and doth not this give nutriment to grace 5. Tender conscience is jealous of the appearance of good as it hates the appearance of evil so it dares not always trust every appearance of good The tender conscience as far as it hath light will try all things and hold fast only what is good not what seems so Satan deceives more easily and destroys more dangerously when he assumes the shape of an Angel of light That which is highly esteemed among men is abomination Luk. 16. 15. in the sight of God 6. Tender conscience takes heed of what he knows lawful He doth not only fly what appears evil and try what appears good but
two things Robbery and Murder We are Travellers towards Glory and therefore we must arm our selves against both these for there is one master-Thief namely Satan which hath Interest in all the rest Therefore saith the Apostle Lest Satan should get an advantage of us for we are not ignorant of his devices The occasion of these words is this There was a sad sin that sprang up like a weed in the garden of the Church of Corinth There was a man that had married his Fathers Wife If she were his own natural Mother the sin was most prodigious and unnatural that the child of her womb should be the Husband of her Bed the Son of the Father the Father of Sons by her an high crime a sin which the Heathens stamped Infamy upon Aristotle writes of a Camel that killed his keeper for causing Histor animal l. 9. c. 47. him to cover his Dam and of an Horse that cast himself down head long after he had done the like If she were his Mother-in-law yet 't was against the Law of Reverence if but his step-mother yet 't was a foul step beyond Nature for the Son to uncover the Fathers nakedness 't was such a sin saith the Apostle as is not so much as named 1 Cor. 5. 1◠among the Gentiles The sin therefore though it were bad enough in it self yet there was an adjunct that made it far worse in that he that had done it was a Christian a member of the Church and therefore Paul chargeth them to deliver him unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that his spirit 1 Cor. 5. 5. may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus This he writes in his first Letter to them and the Corinthians were soft-wax to his Impression he commands them and they obey him This spiritual physick applied to the offender had a good success and effect upon him for being punished he punisheth himself he mourns and grieves being cast out of the Church he casts away his sin And therefore the Apostle in this his second Letter or Epistle 2 Cor. 2. 7. to them desires them to forgive their patient and to comfort him and that for two ends The first is in vers 7 Lest he should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow The other is in the words of my Text Lest Satan should get an advantage of us for we are not ignorant of his devices The first reason hath respect to the patient the poor creature that had sinned and was now humbled Lest he should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow The second reason casts its aspect upon the Interest and common good of the Church Lest Satan get an advantage of us In the first he desires them to forgive the penitent for his sake Lest he be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow In the second he desires them to forgive him for their own sakes for saith he I forgave him for your sakes lest Satan get an advantage Vers 10. 11. of us for we are not ignorant of his devices Quest What was the advantage that Satan was like to get of them and of the Church if they did not forgive him Answ To lead them into sin Satan would have made an advantage of their zeal to lead them into sin 1. In abusing that power which God had given them for edification to the destruction of a precious soul 2. By heightning them up under a notion of zeal into a rigid austerity and uncharitableness to their offending brother 3. By making them guilty of spiritual murder In whose hands had they gone on this patient had been so roughly handled that he had died in the cure and run into despair 4. Their rigidness towards their lapsed brother Satan would have made use of it to ruine the Church and dissolve the Society It would have bred ill blood in the body begot schisms and divisions among them offended the weak and made the stubborn more obstinate if a poor penitent sinner may not be received again into the bosom of the Church who would be the Child of such a Mother Thus they would have murmured and not without some reason They that favoured the offending party would have cryed down Discipline and Government Besides if pastors and sheep be not mutually careful of one anothers souls by Counsel and Admonition to prevent the fall of some and to raise up others that are fallen to heal the broken to strengthen the weak to comfort the feeble to cure the wounded if all of them take not care of every one how should that flock subsist and continue long 5. The false Apostles those Apostles of Satan who were Pauls Adversaries and the Gospels would have made a strong advantage to accuse the Doctrine of Christ and draw a party to themselves Thus Satan under the Mask of just Discipline went about the perdition and ruine not of one sinner only but also of the whole Church And therefore saith Paul IF Vers 10 11. I forgave any thing to whom I forgave it for your sakes forgave I it lest Satan should get an advantage of us for we are not ignorant of his devices Now to look a little into the words the Original words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Which Ambrose renders Ne possideamur a Satana lest we be possessed by Satan lest he get us into his possession 2. Erasmus renders it Ne occupemura Satana the Vulgar reads it Vt non circumveniamur a Satana lest we be circumvented by Satan lest he cunningly come about us and beguile us by his wiles And this to me seems the right sense and meaning of the word and so Tertullian rendred it Ne fraudemur Lib. de pudicitia a Satana lest we be over-reached or deceived by Satan for his way is to work by policy he plays his game by craft of wit rather than by strength of hand And thus the Scripture tells us of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we translate the wiles of the Devil Put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able Eph. 6. 11. Id est adversus Insidias Technas deceptiones Diaboli to stand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against the cunning Methods Arts and Deceptions of the Devil Methodus Graecis est Ars Techna Method with the Grecians is Art and Skill and is taken in an ill sense for craft a method of cunning an art to deceive so the Ancient 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Glosses expound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 circumvenire id est fallere to deceive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 circumventio that is a deceiving so that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie the same thing only with this different respect he that deceives is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to do it methodically for his handsom art and skill to do it He that deceives is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from his end and scope for therefore do men deceive Vt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
yet Heb. 4. 15. without sin But in our infirmity of the flesh we are seldom tempted by afflictions without sin Although affliction doth not quite vanquish and overcome us yet always almost at the very first on-set it doth like a great blow dizzy the brain and makes us give back If we be not thrown down yet we reel and stagger and sometimes it lays us flat and our faith lyes sprawling upon the ground In affliction there are two things 1. Sensation And 2. Temptation 1. In affliction there is Sensation doloris sensus the sense of pain and grief and this Christ felt as well as we we cannot and he could not taste affliction without pain as we are affected with Dolour when evils lye upon us so was Christ he felt sharp and keen pain and thus Christ was tempted in all things and in the same manner as we are as to sense of pain and grief yet without sin But 2. In affliction there is also temptation to sin and because it is so true that great temptations arise out of afflictions therefore are afflictions Antonomastice called temptations they tempt sadly to murmuring and impatience to wrangling and expostulation with God to unbelief and doubting of his love nay to cast off God Doth God himself tempt me thus and afflict me thus and shall I serve such a Master Ah! look how ye are under your daily afflictions Vse 8. Doth God tempt Abraham Abraham his friend Then you may be the tempted and yet the beloved of the Lord God tempts and tries his dear ones all 's in love 1. He tempts his dear ones he tempts those whom he loves dearly Abraham was high in Gods Books one of his intimate and bosom-acquaintance and yet God tempts Abraham Nay to give you a greater instance than Abraham Jesus Christ was tempted I say Jesus Christ was Heb. 4. 15. in all points tempted like as we are and yet the beloved of the Lord he was the tempted and yet the beloved of the Lord he was tempted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eminently superlatively more than us all and yet he was beloved of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eminently and superlatively above us all So that ye may be the tempted and yet the beloved of the Lord nay Jesus Christ was tempted of God himself he was not only tempted by the tempter but by his dear Father God himself My God my God why hast thou forsaken me 2. All is in love he tempts in love he not only tempts his beloved but he tempts them in love that he may love them the more and they in the Issue love him the better How much more did God love Abraham when he saw him forget himself to be a Father and his own child to be his Son for his sake By my self have I sworn saith the Lord for because thou Gen. 22. 16 17. hast done this thing and hast not withheld thy Son thine only Son That in blessing I will bless thee and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is upon the Sea-shore and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies And did not this message from heaven think you kindle a greater flame of love in Abrahams bosom toward God without doubt it did God loves Abraham more Abraham loves God more than ever he did When Abraham saw Gods design and had his Son delivered safe to him again How was his heart filled with a spiritual torrent of joy He gained the experience of Gods love to him and of his love to God and would not have unwished the temptation again upon any terms 3. God tempts and all is in wisdom God tempts his Beloved in wisdom he corrects his Children as well as his Enemies but when he corrects them it is in much prudence and wisdom Quest But how shall I know that God tempts me for my good How shall I know that God afflicts me and tempts me in love 1. Why first because he loves thee whom he loves he tempts and proves them in love you imagine he loves you but you do not feel that he loves you the sense of Gods love would put all these out of doubt 2. You may know he tempts you in love if ye be faithful unto him in temptations if you depart not from God in the day of temptation God is trying and tempting his people at this day and it may be it will be a sad day and a dark day of temptation it may be it will be a strong day of temptation and of long temptation and you would know whether he tempts you at this day in love then make choice of suffering rather than sin of affliction rather than defection The Heb. 10. 38. just shall live by faith saith the Apostle that is shall hold out by faith in the day of temptation But if any man draw back my soul saith God shall have no pleasure in him Would ye know whether God proves you at this day and tries you in love then put on the whole armour of God that ye Eph. 6. 11 14. may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil Stand therefore having your loins girt about with truth c. Watch ye 1 Cor. 16. 13. stand fast in the faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quit your selves like men be strong Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ Gal. 5. 1. hath made us free and be not intangled again with the yoke of bondage Stand fast in one spirit with one mind striving together Phil. 1. 27 28. for the faith of the Gospel And in nothing terrified by your adversaries which is to them an evident token of perdition but to you of salvation and that of God So stand fast in the Phil. 4. 1. Lord my dearly beloved 3. Cleanse your hearts from hypocrisie see that your souls are right before the Lord and then Gods Temptations are all in love all goeth right with upright hearts The upright Prov. 11. 20. in their way are his delight 4. You may know whether God tempts you in love by the issue and fruits of your temptations Abraham sin'd in temptation and Saints may sin in temptation In a temptation you would know whether you shall hold out I will not prophesie but I will give you a sign have you held out through former temptations thou mayst hold out through others Vse 9. You beloved of the Lord bear Gods Temptations with willingness and patience The Apostle stirs up the Hebrews to learn practically this lesson Despise not thou the chastening Heb. 12. 5 9. of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him Furthermore saith he we have had Fathers of our flesh which corrected us and we gave them reverence shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the father of spirits and live Gods Temptations are your gain not your loss but your Gods Temptations are your gain