the way Ah the frowardnesse of my heart how crooked have my wayes been in the sight of the Lord I have regarded vanity doted upon transitory pleasures and profits undervalued the true treasure The streames of mine affections have been driven with full saile to that which is little worth but ebbe to what they should covet above measure My whole soule all that is within me should have looked continually upon God and my conversation directed towards him but my thoughts desires affections words and actions have looked ordinarily very often another way How farre am I from that truth which God requires in the inward parts what a masse of wicked fraud and deceit is heaped and piled up within me what rottennesse doth lodge still in my breast what am I but a shop of lies and vanities Easier it is a great deale to know the number of my haires then the running motions of my heart and affections Oh the blind corners the secret turnings and windings the close lurking holes that are therein upon examination I have found a world of falshood in my soul more then ever I suspected or imagined My cogitations are vaine if not wicked and ungodly mine affections unsound mine aimes indirect my course of life palpably grosse in dissimulation before God and towards men If the members of my body were crooked and deformed my mouth face eyes drawne awry or squint if one part did swell another wither and pine away I should esteeme it an heavy crosse But the distemper of the soule is much more dangerous as the safety of the soule is more precious then of the body If in a journey I chance to strike out of the way or fetch compasse about when I might have gone a shorter cut how am I grieved at my ignorance that I knew not or negligence that I enquired not the right way in time But in the course of Christianity I have turned aside and stepped out of the right path to my great losse and prejudice Did I stand convicted before men for some notorious coozener or deceiver I could not but take it grievously but many times I have played fast and loose in the presence of the all-seeing God pretending his service when I have done mine own will offering him the body when the soule hath been let loose after vanity I have too long wandered and gone astray like a lâ—st sheep but now I will keep the testimonies of my God For the Commandement is a lamp and the Law is light and reproofes of instruction are the way of life The Commandements leade directly to that life which deserves the name of life eternall life The Traveller takes the next way to his Journeyes end No wise man will willingly step one foot out of the way to Heaven If our limmes be crooked we omit nothing that Art or Exercise can doe to set them strait and shall not I take care to rectifie my soul and bring it into right order Deceit and falshood is the Image of Satan who abode not in the truth most unmeet to be borne by him that is by adoption the sonne of God The charge of God is Be ye holy for I am holy be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect and hereby may we assure our hearts that we are the children of God if we be true as he is true Truth is the Image of God stamped upon their hearts whom the Lord hath called to be his peculiar people What soundnesse is to the body that is sincerity to the soule a grace of singular excellency and excellent use pleasing to God and profitable to man Wise men delight in sound and faithfull friends the Lord takes pleasure in them that be true hearted to his glory A sound body is fit for labour a true heart is ready prepared for any service that God requires The way is not tedious to men they halt not in it but through weaknesse and imperfection O my soule the way of life would be most pleasant and delightfull crosses easie to be borne the comforts of grace most sweet and admirable were it not that corrupt humours causing distempers did still breed in thee Earthly desires vain delights unruly lusts are great impediments to the quicke and easie dispatch of the Christian Pilgrimage Sincerity is the girdle of the mind to trâ—ffe up these strengthen our loynes and tie the heart to the work commanded We buy girdles for the body and if costly ones we keepe them charily I will seek to Heaven for this girdle of grace for it is woven there no shop can serve me with it but that only O Lord thou that delightest in the simple and true hearted that cleave unfainedly unto thy testimonies create in me a true heart and sincere spirit that without guile I may stick unto thy testimonies and doe what is acceptable in thy sight Naturally I am full of falshood and guile oh thou that aâ—t the God of truth who at the first didst create me after thine Image make me every day more and more like unto thy self in true holinesse and righteousnesse Then shall I be true indeed when Christ the giver of truth dwelleth in my heart Lord strengthen my faith that being knit unto Christ the way the truth and the life more and more I may partake of his fulnesse grace for grace CHAP. I. Of the New Testament or Covenant and how God hath revealed himself therein IN Scriptures New is put for admirable unusuall not before In â—mnibus linguis penè id novum dicitur quod aliis succedit uâ— nâ—vus rex novuâ— maritus Exod. â— 8. Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aq. Theod. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 7. 18. heard of as Jer. 31. 22. The Lord hath created a new thing in the earth Isai 42. 9. Behold the former things are come to passe and new things doe I declare Isai 48. 6. I have shewed thee new things And for necessary noble illustrious excellent to admiration or astonishment as new doctrine Mark 1. 27. is wonderfull excellent doctrine a new Commandement Joh. 13. 34. that is a necessary and excellent Commandement new wine Matth. 26. 29. that is wine which by reason of its excellency is had in admiration And so we reade a new Name Rev. 2. 17. Isai 62. 2. and my new name Follio est ipsâ— facit nova carmina Virg. Eccl i. magna miranda Serd Rev. 3. 12. and a new song Psal 33. 1. which by some is interpreted an excellent song and a new work or a new thing Isai 43. 19. Behold I will doe a new thing The Apostle John saith I write no new Commandement unto you 1 Joh. 2 7. but that hinders not the former interpretation of the word new because it is usuall with that Apostle to use the same word in divers manners That is said to be new also which is another or divers from that which was before Christ came into the world or which was granted to
his Word and Spirit as he knoweth it becommeth both his justice Rom. 9. 24 25 26. 10. 17 18 19 20. Rom. 11. 25 29 30 32 33. and mercy in Christ alwayes reserving to himselfe full and free power to call whom he please according to the good pleasure of his will But this distribution of vocation into externall and internall is not a distribution of the kinde into its specialls but shewes rather what doth concurre to that worke of vocation 1 Cor. 3 5 6. Rom. 1. 5. whereunto obedience is willing and freely yeelded This vocation is instituted and administred according to the eternall decree and purpose of God for knowne unto God are all Act. 15. 18. his workes from eternity and God doth nothing in time which he decreed not to doe from all eternity Whosoever therefore is Ephes 3. 5 6 9 11. Jam. 1. 18. 2 Tim. 1. 9. called in time he was predestinated from eternity that he should be called and in what state place time manner meanes soever a man is called he was predestinated to be called in that state at that time by those meanes and neither sooner nor later nor otherwise for the execution cannot vary from the decree but the note of changeablenesse must be ascribed unto God The company of them that are called effectually is the Church which is visible and invisible as this vocation is inward and outward Rom. 10. 10. visible which doth professe with the mouth and invisible which doth believe with the heart as man is distinguished 1 Cor. 4. 16. into inward and outward And as vocation inward and outward are not two callings but one and the same so the Church visible and invisible are not two Churches but the same Church differently considered Christ hath not two Kingdomes but There is but one Lord one Temple one Ministery Hieron ad Nepotian de vit Cler. Bilson Perpet govern cap. 11. one Kingdome one body one Church whereof every one that is savingly called is a living member The work of grace and heavenly calling is that which giveth being to the Church and make it a different society from all other companies of men whatsoever By effectuall calling and the answer of the soule unto God calling men are admitted into the Kingdome of Christ or Church of God every one that is thus called is of the Church and every one of the Church is thus called He that is not thus called is not of the Church and he that is not of the Church is not thus called He cannot be out of the Church who is in Covenant with God nor can he be a member of the Church who is not in Covenant The sheepe of Christ by predestination and eternall purpose are gathered into this fold some sooner others later some after one Joh. 10. 16. Mat. 20 3. 5. Act. 11. 18. Gal. 3. 28. Rev. 5. 9. Psal 68. 18. manner some after another of all nations kinreds and ongues Jewes and Gentiles bond and free male and female neere and farre off such as haue lyen longer and â—â—â—ke deeper into sinne and such as have beene preserved from the pollutions of the world The end of this vocation as it is the worke of God calling is that they who are given unto Christ of the Father should freely and willingly answer to God and Christ calling and so become the confederates of God by Christ the Mediatour of the New Testament and being faithfull and confederate they should love feare honour worship and obey God in Jesus Christ In respect Pro. 1. 24. Heb. 3. 7 8. Rev. 3. 20. Eph. 2. 11 12 13. Jer. 32. 38 39. Luk. 1. 74 75. Deut. 6. 4 5. Phil. 2. 12. Ephes 1. 6. Act. 13. 47 48. of the outward invitation it is their office and duty to answer to the call In respect of the inward and powerfull worke of the holy Ghost they are certainly inabled and drawne to come unto Christ and give up themselves unto him Another end remote is the Salvation of the elect and the glory of God in which respect calling to grace is a meanes ordained of God and according to the ordinance of God necessary to the communication of Salvation and the answer of the called is a condition requisite and necessary for the obtaining of that end according to the ordinance and appointment of God The glory of God most wife good mercifull just and powerfull doth so Rev. 4 8 9 10. 5. 8. 9 10. brightly shine forth in the communication both of grace and glory that it doth worthily draw the mindes of men and Angels into admiration and loose their tongues into the praise and magnifying of God Eâ— si respectâ— singulorum qui peâ—eâ—nt optabile esset ut homo non peccasset respectu tamen universalis boni câ—jus potius habenda fuit ratio non debuit Deus potentiam suam exâ—rere ad impediendum ne peccaretur Opposite unto this vocation is 1. That God doth suffer some to walke after the vanity of their owne hearts and blindnesse of their mindes and doth not invite them to come unto him or exhort them to repent Thus God regarded not the Gentiles in the dayes of their ignorance but gave them up to the lusts of their owne hearts And at this day many nations are shut up in ignorance and have not heard so much as the sound of the Gospell for many generations It is true the Lord calleth them in a sort by his long-suffering and patience and by the workes of providence in that he filleth their hearts with food and gladnesse but by the promise of mercy he is not pleased to speake unto them 2. Some that be outwardly called they contemne the counsell Luke 7. 30. Act. â—3 46. Act. 7. 51. Psal 81 12 13. Isai 63. 10. and 6. 9 10. Joh. 12. 37 38 39 40. Ezek. 20. 25. Per statuta mâ—la intelligi possunt leges Ethnicorum vel lex Dei quae ipsis in perniciemcessit of God put away from them the Word of grace resist the Spirit of God speaking unto them in the mouth of his Prophet whence followeth blindnesse of minde hardnesse of heart efficaciousness of errour that men should beleeve lies a reprobate sense and delivering into the power of Satan Jer. 4. 20. Thou hast seduced this people scil by false prophets promising them peace which God promised not and giving them up to the efficacy of errour as a punishment of former transgression 3. God doth call some by the Gospell and bestow upon them divers spirituall good things though not such as accompany Salvation And thus some doe heare and receive and rejoyce in the Word and bring forth some fruit but not to ripenesse or perfection CHAP. V. How Christians answer to the call of Christ and so come to have Fellowship with him IN the matter of Salvation it pleased God to deale with man by way of stipulation and promise and so
equall to us Christians in all substantiall graces of the Covenant Fourthly and from the same grounds we may conclude that the soules of the faithfull who departed this life before the comming of Christ in the flesh were immediately received into Heaven For they were taken to glory and saved as we Now such as are taken to glory are taken to Heaven For the Scripture knoweth Act. 15. 11. no place in which God doth ordinarily display his glory but Heaven And what should hinder their translation into the heavenly Jerusalem when they are removed out of this earthly tabernacle Not their sinnes for they which could not hinder them from Sanctification fitting them for Heaven could not hinder them from Heaven Not want of Faith who now have that faith which Abraham and many of them had No want of efficacie in Christ he was the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world he was yesterday to day and for ever his death was effectuall to cause them to find pardon and the Spirit of Sanctification Not any priviledge of Christ for not simply to ascend into Heaven was Christs priviledge but to ascend soule and body as heire of all things and the Authour of Salvation to all that obey him David is said not to have ascended into Heaven but that is spoken Act. 2. 34. in respect only that he was not raised in body and gone into Heaven body and soule as the heire of all things and person who was to sit at Gods right hand It is also said The Fathers received Heb. 11. 39. not the Promise scil of Christs comming in the flesh to performe the worke of our Redemption but as they received the promise of forgivenesse and of the Spirit of Sanctification so after their death they were taken into Heaven They whose Pilgrimage and sojourning ceased with this life they could not but be in their Countrey at home after this life But Heaven is the Countrey of the Saints for where their Father is there is their Countrey Those who walked as strangers here on earth because they looked Heb. 11. 13 14 15 16. Heb. 11. 5. 2 King 2. 11. Luke 9. 31. for an heavenly Jerusalem a City whose Maker was God they leaving this earth were translated thither The translating of Enoch Moses and Elias seeme to figure out no other thing Christ was the fore-runner of Enoch not in act in respect of the assumption of his humanity into Heaven but in vertue and merit From the beginning of the world a place was prepared for all whom God had chosen in Jesus Christ Matth. 25. 31. and 20. 23. but a place was to be prepared of Christ for us in respect of the promised paiment by the force and efficacy whereof the effect was before obtained but with respect to future labours which were both certaine and present with God For a morall cause though it be not present in act if it be supposed as future may have its effect The faithfull before Christ when they removed out of these earthly tabernacles were received into everlasting habitations Luke 16. 9. Now if the godly at the instant departed were bestowed in any place but Heaven they then did goe to mansions which they were to leave in a short time even then when Christ did ascend Our Saviour promised to the penitent Theefe upon the Crosse This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise which if it was not Luke 23. 43. into Heaven but into Limbus it was but for a short time for that was to be broken up within a few houres space But to returne to the matter in hand The Covenant of Promise and the new Covenant are so one for substance that what is in the first for weight and essentiall is in all the degrees following and to be understood though not mentioned and whatsoever in any after degree appeares as substantiall to the Covenant that was included in the first propounding of it but in sundry accidents which nothing hinder their substantiall unity they are distinguished First on the part of the Object Christ exhibited in the New 1 Ioh. 1. 1 2. 4. 14. Mal. 3. 1. Isai 59. 15. Covenant is promised as to come in the Covenant of promise For it was meete the promise should goe before the Gospell and be fulfilled in the Gospell that so great a good might earnestly be desâ—red before it was bestowed and that the expectation of them that waited for the consolation of Israel might not be frustrated Secondly In the manner of administration and measure of faith For the knowledge of Christ and faith in him to come was more obscure and darke then the knowledge of him already come and faith which doth behold him present The manner of Christs Mediation was more sparingly and obscurely revealed his person the manner of execution of the office of Mediatour and the benefits that we receive in him more darkly unfolded sometimes propounded in generall words sometimes shadowed in types and figures seldome more specially described And the reason why these things at first were more darkely delivered may be first because things present or past are seene more clearely then things to Heb. 11. 17. come prophesies be obscure before the accomplishment 2. The Church was then in her Infancy and rude not come to her ripe age the Lord in his infinite wisdome so disposing the matter 3. It was meete the cleare and full revelation of this mystery should be reserved to Christ the chiefe Prophet The Authour of life was to lay open and make manifest the way to life Till the way into Heaven was really entred by the true high Priest after the order of Melchisedech it was not fully manifested Heb. 9. 8. Under the Old Testament the way into the Holiest was not absolutely shut but vailed not altogether untraced but not fully laid open because our true and reall high Priest had not made satisfaction by the offering up of himselfe a sacrifice once for all nor consecrated that new and living way through the vaile that is to say his flesh 4. The minds of men were to be held in a longing desire and expectation of Christ and the obscure revelation of Christ and his benefits did serve to raise their hearts to an earnest desire of his comming in respect of the cleare revelation and great and glorious blessings they might then expect But in this obscurity we may observe some degrees Before the Law given by Moses the promise was more obscure the Law being given even to the times of the Prophets lesse cleare in the times of the Prophets even to Iohn the Baptist more cleare Even from the first giving forth of the promise untill the comming of Christ in the flesh the revelation was more cleare distinct ample as the comming of the Messiah did approach neerer and neerer For the Church by how much it was neerer to her beginnings by so much it was the ruder and therfore to be instructed
intire holy blamelesse conversation directed according to the will of God in every place state and condition of life is said to be perfect Blessed are the perfect in the way Psal 119. 1. Keepe thy servant from presumptuous sinnes then shall I be perfect Psal 19. 13. I was also perfect before him and I kept my selfe from mine iniquity Psal 18. 23. It is recorded of Asa that his heart was perfect with the Lord all his dayes though in the same booke many infirmities are noted in him 1 King 15. 14. 2 Chron. 15. 17. Thus Noah Gen. 6. 6. Joh 1. 1. Hezekiah 2 King 20. 3. are said to be perfect David to walke in his integrity Psal 26. 1. yet these examples must not be referred to the second degree of perfection The body is intire when all parts are so knit together that each is preserved and fit for his office the soule is intire when all the parts of righteousnesse are rivetted together amongst themselves and in the whole the conversation is intire when no office of life is neglected no precept carelessely forgotten or sleighted when no occasions or occurrences can remove men from their holy purposes undertaken according to Gods word This perfect man is set as opposite to the Jam 1. 6. unstable double minded perverse froward and restlesse who are off and on turned upside downe with every contrary wind divided He that can be contented to be naught in any thing is naught in every thing and at odds with themselves who loppe and straiten the Commandements as will best stand with their occasions take and leave at pleasure rest in the externall acts of piety or justice or cleane depart from Gods Commandements The integrity of the upright shall guide him but the perversenesse of transgressors shall destroy them Prov. 11. 3. If I say I am perfect mine own mouth shall prove me perverse Job 9. 20 21 22 Who so walketh intirely shall be safe but he that is perverse in his double wayes shall fall in one Prov. 28. 18. So it is noted of Abijam that his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God 1 King 15. 3. of Amaziah Vzziah Jotham they did that which was right in the sight of the Lord but not with perfect hearts 2 Chron. 25. 2. 26. 4. 27. 2. 2 King 14. 3. 15. 3. and of Solomon that when he was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods and his heart was not perfect with the Lord as was the heart of David his father 1 King 11. 4. 2. That is said to be perfect which hath obtained an high degree of perfection not simply but in comparison of that which is beneath when a man is so habituated in his course that he hath attained a facility and constancy in well doing Children new borne are perfect that is intire but when they be come to ripe age they are perfect in comparison of theÌ„selvs as new born babes But every growth argueth not comparitive perfection but that only which is so great that it may seeme to introduce a new forme or when by long practice a man is so habituated in his course that he hath attained a facility and constancy in well doing Children are more perfect then Infants new borne and Striplings then Children but they are not said to be perfect because the growth is but small but when they are come to ripe age although as age encreaseth much may be added they may be called perfect because then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they have attained as it were a new forme So to be perfect and absolute the Philosopher doth attribute to men of ripe age Arist Hist Ani. l. 2. cap. 1. de part Animal lib. 4. cap. 10. Strong meate saith the Apostle belongeth to them that are perfect or of full age Heb. 5. 14. those that have left the Rudiments of Christian Heb. 6. 1 â— Eph. 4. 11 12 13. Religion are called perfect perfect in respect of them that be babes in understanding and stand in need of milke 1 Cor. 14. 20. The Law makes nothing perfect Heb. 7. 19. because it was a rudiment only which was delivered to children so that he that is seasoned with the knowledge of the Gospell is perfect in respect of them that be instructed only in the Law We speake wisdome amongst them that are perfect 1. Cor. 2. 6. here some understand men and by perfect they understand all Christians in generall who are perfect in respect of them that knew not the Gospell Others them that in speciall had made greater progresse in the faith others understand the word things or somewhat that this sence should be that this wisedome doth consist in perfect things But however this text be interpreted the Apostle elsewhere manifestly confirmeth this point shewing that some were perfect in comparison of others who had not yet attained to perfection Here it must be remembred that howsoever the word perfect be referred to knowledge in the mysteries of Religion in the writings of the Apostles yet it is not seldome referred to practice and manners In the first reference they are said to be perfect who have obtained an high degree of knowledge in heavenly and divine mysteries In the second they that teach in deed and fact that they have learned what they professe Let patience have its perfect work Jam. 1. 4. that is let it shew its sincerity and constancy in works that not in words and gestures but in deed and truth it be approved that it cannot be overcome in the greatest evils but doth hould out and remaine invincible He that can bridle his tongue is a perfect man indeed Jam. 3. 2. that is he is not one that is in exercise to learne which is the meane to perfection but hath learned indeed what he professeth He calleth that perfect which is performed in truth and deed and is not counterfet and so â—in is said to be finished when it is committed Jam. 1. 15. and every sound solid operative grace is called a perfect gift Jam. 1. 17. and sincere unfained love is said to be perfect love 1 Joh. 4. 18. Christ was made perfect through sufferings Heb. 2. 10. as he learned obedience by the things which he suffered Heb. 5. 8. for there is an experimentall learning And to this purpose belongs that speech of our Saviours upon the crosse It is finished for hereby was signified that he had fulfilled all things which he was to doe upon earth Luk. 13. 32. and they that shed their bloud for Christs sake and for the Gospels are said to be perfected Thus the patient are called perfect because patience is a document of a mind most exercised in piety and godlinesse So the power of God is perfected in our weakenesse 2 Cor. 12. 9. for the vertue of Christ is not perfected in weakenesse as in the subject not by infirmity as by the effect but when it sheweth it selfe in the greatest and
man neither will he take the wicked by the hand He may seeme to neglect but he doth not forget them that follow after righteousnesse he is thought to favour but he doth abhorre the workers of iniquity The eyes of the Lord runne to and fro throughout the whole earth to shew himselfe strong in the behalfe of them whose heart is perfect towards him Psal 18. 25. Howsoever they may be weake in themselves in him they shall be victorious his power shall be perfected in their weakenesse For Psal 37. 18. as it is in the Psalme With the perfect man thou wilt shew thy selfe perfect thou wilt not faile him in his need This is the nature of God that he frameth himselfe to the dispositions of men good to the good hard to the stubborne intire to the perfect that waite upon him The Lord knoweth the dayes of the perfect and their inheritance shall be for ever that is he seeth to what evils they lie open what help they need and ordereth all events to their Prov. 28. 16. 10 9 29. speciall good He that walketh in his integrity is safe no danger can overtake or meete a man in that way because he is under the shadow and protection of divine providence Righteousnesse preserves him that is intire in the way but wickednesse overthroweth the sinner Prov. 13. 6. 11. 5 6. Let integrity and uprightnesse preserve me Psal 25. 21. Integrity is a guard that doth continually keep watch and ward and doth not only leade men to a good way and tell them what is their duty and fit to be performed but maketh the way passible for them and them prosperous in it An intire heart is a channell or Barke in which the graces of the Spirit are contained and faith doth swimme above all stormes and tempests but a mind void of all integrity is full of slisters and chincks that if the most holy liquour of piety be offered it is powred in and out together and at once This is the nature of integrity that by it the soule is intire in it selfe and hath a spirituall continuity which may be shadowed forth by the similitude of things corporall and therefore so long as integrity is preserved the heart is apt to containe and keep safe the graces of the Spirit if it be cracked grace would be lost should not God make up the breaches of it A soule destitute of grace is starke dead an heart without integrity not well compacted is next to death or destruction as a ship full of holes or a body unloosed or dissolved An heart well compact and knit fast together in the Lord as is the intire is Prov. 10. 29. valiant and couragious in all dangers trials temptations It is not put out of countenance with slanderous tongues nor shaken with feare of troubles Though mine adversary should write a booke against me would I not take it upon my shoulder and bind it as a crowne unto me saith Job The hypocrite in peace and security may seeme strong and valarous but let God by some affliction drag him out as it were by the eares from his lurking hole and convent him before his tribunall and thou shalt not see any thing more abject and heartlesse Then is that of the Prophet verified The sinners in Sion are afraid a feare is come among the hypocrites Isa 33. 14 15. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire Who among us shall dwell with the everlasting burning But the entire heart even in this case holds out confident and couragious And no marvell for every man that walketh in his integrity hath the priviledge of a treble guard the guard of Gods protection of the good Angels and of a good conscience for his defence against all adversary power Mark the perfect man and behold the upright Ps 37. 37. Ps 37. 40. Ps 91. 11. for the end of that man is peace for the Lord shall helpe and deliver him he shall deliver him from the wicked and save him because he trusteth in him The Lord will defend the perfect and he hath given his Angels charge over them to beare them in their hands and keepe them in their waies In which respect they may say with the Prophet how many soever rise up against us they be more and stronger that be with us then they that rise up against us Moreover they are blessed of God with a good conscience which is as a strong Castle against which no batteries of the enemy can prevaile he is a most valiant Champion who will not be daunted with any proud on-set of the Adversary which he knoweth to be weake and of no strength As there is nothing more base or sooner abashed then a corrupt conscience destitute of integrity So nothing more bold and hardy then a good and perfect conscience David in the midst of all his reproaches had the face to professe the name of God before Kings and Princes without ever being blanked Ps 119. 23. at their presence And shall a man so guarded regard the enmity of any fear the threatnings of any though never so mighty be dismayed at any hard condition that he is fallen into for the present No he will not be afraid for any evill tidings for his heart is fixed and trusteth in the Lord. Integrity addeth to the glory of our good actions even such as are but of the lower sort There is not the meanest duty whatsoever which integrity will not set a faire glosse upon that in some respects it shall be matchable even to workes farre greater in their owne nature A poore labouring man that lives by his hands having performed holy obedience to God therin with an entire heart may have as much comfort on his death-bed as the best Minister or Magistrate whose service in it selfe is farre more honourable yea if his integrity be greater his comfort also shall be greater For God regards not so much the matter as the forme of obedience nor so much the thing done as the affection wherewith we doe it Wise men regard more the mind of the giver then the value of the gift When we first give our hearts wholly and entirely to God then is our service how small soever very acceptable unto his Majesty It is not the greatnesse or multitude of those good workes which we have done but the good disposition of an honest and entire heart in the doing of them that doth bring comfort as the internall qualification of that faith which makes a sound plea for mercy before the throne of grace An halting heart dasheth the acceptance of the most glorious worke an entire heart addeth weight to the basest service The widdowes mite was little in worth had not her good heart raised it's price In value it came farre short of the superfluities that the rich men cast into the treasury but her heart was better and so her gift greater then theirs When Hezekiah had received the sentence
eye endure she retaineth and bringeth up as her owne the rest that cannot brooke it and winke at it she rejecteth and casteth off as a bastardly brood Others thinke it rather taken from the usuall practise of Chap-men in the view and choice of their wares A wise wary Chap-man that hath to doe with a deceitfull Merchant Draper or other one that keepeth his wares in obscure places where the defects of them cannot so easily be discerned or hath false lights that may helpe to give a counterfeit glosse to them he will take no ware of him upon his word but he will first diligently view it tosse it and turne it to and fro over and over try how it is in the midst as well as at both ends bring it forth into the light hold up his cloth against the Sun see if he can espie any defect or default in it he knoweth he may easily else be over-reached The like must be our practise in all matters of faith and 2 Cor. 2. 17. manners and this is to walk in the truth when we have our conversation honest and hold the truth of Doctrine purely as we may endure the tryall of the light Thus the Apostle joyneth sincerity and truth together as one and the same or as the speciall 1 Cor. 5. 8. 2 Cor. 1. 12. and generall sincerity being a branch of truth This is our comfort that in simplicity and sincerity of God that is godly sincerity we have had our conversation 5. Firmenesse and constancy in every holy duty of our generall or personall calling of piety or righteousnesse A faithfull spirit is stedfast with God the ground of declining is lacke of truth Their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in Psal 78. 8. Psal 78. 37. his Covenant If the heart be not true what shew soever a man makes he is but like an Apple rotten at the coare or as an house built upon the sand the one of which though beautifull will soon putrifie the other though fairly set will quickly fal A man may have many worthy gifts but if he want sincerity upon a sudden may be taken from him both that which he hath and that which he seemeth to have his end be as the fig-tree which making only a shew with leaves having no fruit being cursed lost even those also and withered away by degrees being good for nothing but the fire For as a stomack ill affected with choller though never so wholesome meats be received into it yet it cannot hold them but is provoked so where there is this obstruction of the soul the wilfull love of any sinfull course or subordination of grace to boisterous distempered earthly passions pleasures or profits whatsoever grace is received into the heart it will not let it rest but maketh the soul cast it up upon all occasions Truth and soundnesse is the preserver of grace received an honest and sound heart is as a vessel well closed it will keep and hold the liquour of grace that is powred into it The course of a true Christian is permanent and continueth unto the end This truth or sinceritie is the girdle whereby all other graces are tied close unto us So the Apostle in the description Eph. 6. 14. of the spirituall armour calleth it the girdle of truth And therefore here also that is true of all men which we say of children in the Proverbe Vngirt unblest This girdle hath these uses First It doth adorne us for this was the use of the studded belt which the Souldiers did weare to hide the gaping of the joynts of their armour which would have been unseemly and nothing doth more adorne a soule beautifie our actions or raise admiration in them then sincerity as our Saviour commending Nathaniel gave this speech of him Behold a true Israelite in whom Joh. 1. 47. there is no guile Secondly A girdle doth tie other clothes about us which otherwise the winds would blow abroad and would hang but loose upon us so this girdle of truth doth containe and hold together all other graces wherewith the soule is arraied and unlesse truth doe keepe them together in time all of them will be blowne away with the wind of temptation That grace which was not knit together with honesty of heart came to nothing in the end as appeares in the Parable The body when the soule is once gone may not long stay above ground it must needs be buried The hypocrites graces are but the body of grace they want the soul and life which is sincerity and we cannot thinke they should long endure An unsound horse that hath some secret fault may carry as good a shew as the soundest and at first for a mile or two travâ—ll as freshly and cheerfully as the best but at length he tires and shews what he is so it is with an unsound Christian notwithstanding all his shews fair beginnings and hopefull entrances he continueth not Thirdly A girdle trussing up the loins moderately doth strengthen a man a girdle is put for strength and ornament Isa 23. 10. for in the loines is the seat of strength and might and with a girdle the loines are girded whence are these phrases I will strengthen him with thy girdle Isa 22. 21. Justice shall be the girdle of his loynes Isa 11. 5. He girdeth their loynes with a girdle Job 12. 18. and looseth the girdle of the strong Job 12. 21. She girdeth up her loynes with strength Prov. 31. 17. And the exhortation so often used Gird up thy loynes Jer. 1. 17. Job 38. 3. 40. 7. 2 King 4. 29. 2 King 9 1. So this grace addeth great strength to the inner man as we may see in Job who when God seemed and men did fight against him when heaven and earth seemed to conspire against him yet this did stick by him Vntill I die I will never take away mine innocency from my selfe Job 27. 5. Fourthly In the Easterne Countries where they were accustomed to weare long garments down to the ancles they used to gird them close unto their body when they had any journey combate Exod. 12. 11. or labour in hand least they should be an impediment unto them So they were commanded to eat the Passeover with their loines girded because they had a journey to goe and Elias girded up 1 King 18. 46. his loines and ran before Ahab And so to have loynes girt is to be fitted and prepared for any service travell or conflict Let Joh. 13. 4. Luk. 17. 8. Luk. 12. 35 37. 1 Pet. 1. 13. Act. 12. 8. your loynes be girded about and your lights burning Gird up the loynes of your mind and be sober Gird thy selfe and bind on thy sandales Thus Christians girded with truth are in readinesse for any spirituall duty and to encounter with whatsoever adversary power shall with-stand them in the course of godlinesse Peradventure at the first putting on this
garment may seem somewhat straight nothing easie to weare but he that is accustomed to goe girded shall find such ease in it such comfort by it that he can never be well without it never at ease untill it be put on Truth of heart is blessed of God with increase of grace This is it which maketh the least portion of grace to thrive in the hands of Gods children Their faithfulnesse in a little brings them to be Luk. 19. 17. owners of a great deale and to be rulers over much This brought such a plentifull blessing upon the small beginnings of Nathaniel to whom Christ because of his truth in the inward affections promised an enlarged measure of enlightning and that he should see greater things This brought such a comfortable encrease upon the dimme knowledge of the Eunuch and Cornelius they worshipped Joh. 1. 47 50. God in truth of heart according to the measure of understanding they had received and in them the promise was accomplished To him that hath shall be given and he shall have in aboundance they were led further into that great mysterie of godlinesse an Evangelist being sent of God to the one and both an Angell and an Apostle to the other A true hearted Christian is carefull to get charie to keepe and warie to husband what grace hee hath received and how should hee not then encrease from one measure to another Not that a second grace is given for the right use of the first but that the condition of grace is such that one drawes another and for a first given a latter is freely bestowed also in which continuation of grace the right use of grace proceeding from it is contained Sincerity is strengthened of God to be a meanes of comfort to a mans soule in his greatest distresses When Hezekiah was arrested with the sentence of death by the mouth of the Prophet here was his comfort and that which imboldened him to looke death in the face with more courage O Lord thou knowest or remember Isa 38. 3. Jâ—r 12. 3. now for herein I dare appeale to thy Majestie that I have walked before thee in truth He had done many worthy things in the abolishment of Idolatry and in the restitution of the true worship but in none of these simply tooke he content but in the sincerity of his heart and affection in performing of them So Paul in the midst of all his sorrowes this is his rejoycing not simply that he had preached that he had planted Churches wrought miracles converted sinners made Satan to fall downe from Heaven like lightening but that in simplicity and godly sincerity he had his conversation in the world 2 Cor. 1. 12. This puts a kind of heroicall spirit and Lyon-like boldnesse into the children of God in the greatest tryalls Hereupon Paul 1 Cor. 4. 3. was resolute not to passe for mans judgement Faith depends upon the meere grace of God and his free promise but the truer any mans heart is unto God the more bold and confident is he of the Lords support and comfort which alone adds undaunted courage in all temptations The service of a sound Christian is very acceptable to God be Jer. 5 3. 2 Chron. 30. 18 19 20. Joh. 4. 23 24. Col. 3. 22. Ephes 6. 5 8. Rom. 12 8. Psal 145. 18. Deut. 4. 7. it in outward shew never so meane and simple Are not thine eyes saith Jeremie upon the truth If servants be obedient to their Masters in singlenesse of heart they shall receive their reward of the Lord. A cup of cold water given to a Prophet in singlenesse of heart shall not be forgotten The Lord is nigh to all that call upon him in truth he will heare their prayers answer their desires guard and protect their persons Not the most eloquent prayer and best set forth in words but the supplication that is breathed from an honest and true heart finds best acceptation Many actions otherwise fervent enough for want of this sincerity are but froth and vanish then when we stand most in need of comfort but the meanest worke performed in truth of heart shall not go unrewarded As in the naturall body the case of the sound finger is better then of the blindish eye so in the family of God it is more comfort to be a faithfull doore-keeper then an unfaithfull steward A faithfull man shall abound in blessings that is he that dealeth Prov. 28. 20. sincerely and truly with men and is not willing to deceive any in word or deed carrying himself in all holy simplicity towards God as he liveth honestly amongst his Neighbours and that not in one thing but in all and is therefore in the Originall Text called a man of faithfulnesse he shall abound in blessings of all sorts with plenty so farre as is expedient with good estimation with kind friends with spirituall graces c. The more sincerity the more affinity with God for truth is a neere tie and hath an uniting power in it The true and sound Psal 73. 27 28. Christian is the Lords neere neighbour so much the neerer as the wicked are farre off for God will draw nigh to them that draw nigh unto him in truth God is the God of truth Psal 31. 5. Jam. 4. 7. Jer. 30. 21. Christ is truth Joh. 14. 6. the spirit is the spirit of truth Joh. 14. 17. Truth is one speciall branch of that Image of God according Ephes 23 24. 2 Cor 3. 18. to which man was made And the greater measure of truth in the inward parts the more are we to speake with the Apostle changed into the Image of God And the more we resemble God and have communion with him the more is our affinity with him Satan ever did and still opposeth sincerity by persecutions opprobries and reproaches as of pride hypocrisie dissimulation specially when God afflicteth his people Job 2. 6 9. But the more Satan opposeth truth and simplicity the more should we be in love with it for Satan would not loade it with disgraces if it were not excellent Satan labours to foist in the leaven of hypocrisie in our daily course that by little and little he might pick the good seed of righteousnesse out of our hearts but our care must be to disappoint him Here our resistance is to hold us to our owne and pray to God to rebuke him And here to prevent mistaking we must distinguish the degrees of soundnesse and simplicity and the nature of it In nature the soundnes of the godly is true but in degree weake and imperfect and therfore now and then through frailtie and weakenesse in the performance of good duties they looke more at man then at God and propound indirect meanes when they should eye his glory only But as we say of other sinnes so of hypocrisy it is either raigning or not In the hearts of true Christians there may be hypocrisie but not raigning hypocrisie
truth thy word is truth This is Joh. 17. 17. that which begets faith and faith is that which purifieth the heart How came the Romanes to that heartinesse and sincerity of obedience which Paul commends so much was it not by that forme Rom. 6. 17. of holy Doctrine which was delivered Or as we reade it sometimes unto which they were delivered wherein the truth of God is compared unto a mould into which they were cast and by which they were transposed into a new forme enabled to walke sincerely and without halting before the Lord. The mind must be truly informed or the heart can never move aright But there is no meanes to come to the knowledge of the truth but by the word of God which is the word of truth and Gospell of salvation It is truly said the heart can never be sincere till it be humbled and broken and brought to abasement and deniall of it selfe and what means hath God ordained so effectuall as his word to worke this humiliation of spirit Is not this the hammer which Jer. 23. 2â— Act. 2. 37. 2 King 22. 19. breaketh the stone Is not this that which pricketh the heart and maketh it to melt and sometimes wringeth teares from the eyes of them that heare it Besides what hope that ever any mans disease of a false heart should be cured untill he be brought to the sight of it Who seeks for health till he know himselfe to be diseased And shall ever any man be brought to the understanding of his defect in this untill he hath been made to see it by the word What health is to the body that truth and uprightnes is to the soul now bodily health ariseth from the seed is preserved by sound and good diet But the word of truth is the wholsome food wherby the soul is nourished The word is a word of uprightnesse or rectitude and when it is well learned and throughly digested safe lodged and Jam. 1. 20. close applied it doth season and regulate the heart and affections and change them into the nature of it If we bind our crooked affections close to the word of truth they will become strait agreeable unto the word whereunto they are bowed And the same word truly embraced doth enflame the heart with a fervent desire to walke with God in all duties of holinesse and righteousnesse 2. Thornie cares vaine pleasures sinfull delights must be stocked up and digged out of the heart Weeds will grow of themselves if the roots be not plucked up good corne requireth tillage and sowing both Perversenesse is naturall to man corrupt and sinfull and will encrease of it selfe but uprightnesse will not prosper if the fallow ground of the heart be not ploughed and the rootes of worldlinesse and voluptuousnesse killed in them If the world be our treasure our heart cannot be true and upright with God for where our treasure is there will our hearts be 3. A third meanes is to possesse our hearts with this and to have it ever in our thoughts that in all things especially in matters of Religion we have to doe with God and are ever in his sight and presence In our common daily duties to labour thus to performe them with our heart as in the sight of God to his glorie is a ready way to get this grace of truth deeply rooted It is the very maine ground of all hypocisie that this one thing is not duly thought on Men forget him that seeth in secret whose eyes are as a flame of fire wherewith he pierceth further then the outward face and hereupon they are not to imagine that when they have carried the matter smoothly and fairly before men all is well The world either applauds them or accuseth them not and hereupon they flatter themselves as if nothing more were to be looked after Let us then remember this if we would be true and sincere in our hearts The waies of man are before the eyes of Prov. 5 21. the Lord and he pondreth all his paths This kept the Church and people of God of old in their sincerity and preserved them from dealing falsely concerning his Covenant they thought with themselves If we doe thus and thus shall not God search it out Psal 44. 17 21. for he knoweth the secrets of the heart And this consideration moved Paul to faithfulnesse in his Ministerie We make not merchandize of the word but as of sincerity but as of God speake we in 2 Cor. 2. 17. Christ See what things goe together doing a matter in sincerity and doing it as in the sight of God 4. Society and fellowship with the faithfull is a signe of uprightnesse and a meanes of continuance and encrease therein For he that setteth his heart upon heaven will be carefull to draw on and encourage his companion in the same way Coales laid together kindle each other and preserve heate the longer So it is with the faithfull linked together in holy communion 5. It is good to call our selves to a frequent reckoning touching our carriages binding our selves to an examination of them He that hath a servant of whose fidelity he maketh some doubt and whom he desires if it might be to reclaime both for the good of the party and for his owne particular also that he may be usefull to him he will not let him run on too long before he call him to an account he considers that to be the next way to make him carelesse and secure If he expect ever and anon to be reckoned with it will cause him so much the more carefully to looke unto his businesse It is so in this case The word of God telleth thee that thou hast with thee a false coosening deceitfull heart an heart that will beguile thee to thine utter ruine it is ever ready to practise with Satan the professed enemie of thy soule to worke mischiefe against thee Wouldst thou reforme this heart that it might become usefull and serviceable for thee in the great and important businesse of Salvation be sure to call it often to account It will be good to reckon with it once a day to see what hath passed it to examine what thoughts have been framed in it what purposes what intents what acts have been done as effects and fruits of these inward purposes surely this tying of thy selfe to such an often survey and looking back upon thy heart will keepe it in so much the more awe and when it is once accustomed to the sweetnesse which will be felt when it can give account of care and of obedience and to the smart and punishment which followeth the remembrance of failing in holy duties it cannot but be kept in so much the better tune And to finde out the better the guile of our spirit and crookednesse of affection First consider what ignorance vanitie folly infidelity doth still remaine in the mind what stubbornnesse in the will benummednesse in the conscience disorder
were all their life subject to bondage But when the Scripture nameth death generally it comprehends all that which God threatned in that sentence Thou shalt die the death that penall death which is the reward of sinne but not sinne it selfe which is penall only not sinfull Other mens debts are answered diverse wayes some answer them simply as redeemers some as sureties He that answers them as a suretie must pay the Heb. â— 6. same summe of money that the debtor oweth Now Christ is not only our Mediatour but our suretie Heb. 7. 22. and hence the mediation of Christ is called a propitiation Rom. 3. 25. 1 Joh. 2. 2. and the surety is of debt and justice to make full satisfaction because he hath voluntarily promised it and God the Father did in justice exact it Rom. 3. 24 25. and 8. 32. In the sufferings of Christ we must consider the circumstances and substance of his sufferings The circumstances as the person of the sufferer the cause of suffering and efficacy of the passion in which respect it was more then the Law required for the Law did not require that God should die nor that any one should die that had not finned nor such a death and of such efficacie as not only to abolish death but to bring in life and that by many degrees more excellent then that which Adam had lost but if we respect the substance of punishment it was that which the Law required which he paid of love free and voluntary and yet of justice Justice requireth the same summe of debt the dignity of Christs person nothing hindering and according to justice Christ made satisfaction As concerning the substance of punishment Christ suffered what was due to us but in the circumstances which pertained not to the substance of the debt some thing was pardoned to the dignity of the person In this stands the dignity of Christs person that he might be fit meritoriously to pay our debt so farre was it from freeing or acquitting him for any part of our debt He that knew no sinne was made sinne for us 2 Cor. 5. 21. Surely he hath born our griefes and carried our sorrowes Isai 53. 4. When the Scripture speakes so fully why should humane curiosity limit the sufferings of Christ as if they were not fully satisfactory but by divine acceptilation only Christ suffered not every particular punishment that every particular sinner meeteth withall but his passion was a common price payed at once for all his people satisfying justice for all their offences Rom. 5. 19. Heb. 10. 14. Rom. 8. 33. He bore our sinnes in his body upon the tree 1 Pet. 2. 24. We are redeemed by his bloud Eph. 1. 7. The bloud of Christ cleanseth us from all sinne 1 Joh. 1. 6. Phil. 2. 8. Col. 1. 20. He hath made peace by the bloud Voss respons ad Iudic. Ravens cap. 6. Robert Loeus Examen Eccl. The saur effigiet veri Sabbath of the crosse Touching the punishments which Christ suffered they were not ordinary but beyond measure grievous bitter and unsupportable yea such as would have made any meere creature to sinke down under the burthen of them to the bottome of hell For he suffered grievous things from all the things in heaven earth and hell He suffered at the hands of God his Father and of men of Jewes of Gentiles of enemies insulting of friends forsaking of the Prince of darknesse and all his cruell and mercilesse instruments But whereas of the punishments of sinne some be sinnes and punishments both others punishments only and some common to the nature of man others personall growing out of some imperfection and defect in the vertue and faculty forming the body disorder in diet or some violence offered and some for sinne inherent others for sinne imputed Our Saviour Christ suffered the punishments that are only punishments and not sinne common to the whole nature of man not personall to this or that man the punishments of the sinnes of other men not his own and that of them that should breake off their sins by repentance not of them that would sin for ever if they might live for ever The whole life of our Saviour was a life of suffering but his speciall sufferings were those he endured in the Garden or upon the crosse In the Garden he was in an agony upon the crosse he was pressed with the weight of grievous and unsupportable evils His agony was that sorrow wherein his soule was beset round with heavinesse and feare even unto death Thus the Evangelists describe it He began to be sorrowfull and very heavy Matt. 26. 37 38. Then saith he to them scil Peter James and John My soul is exceeding sorrowfull even unto death He began to be sore amazed and to be very heavy And saith unto them My soule is exceeding sorrowfull Mar. 14. 33 34. Joh. 12. 27. unto death Now is my soul troubled His soul was smitten with horrour that all powers and faculties for a time left their proper functions and did concurre to relieve nature in that extremity as when a man hath received some gashly wound the bloud doth at first retire to comfort the heart But this stay came not from any internall defect which had been sinfull but from an externall cause to wit the horrour which fell upon him as the wheeles of a Watch may cease from motion without any fault in them when they are stayed by the hand of the Artificer He feared also the stroke of the justice of God his Father sitting on the Tribunall or Judgement seat to punish the sins of men for whom he stood forth to answer this he feared as a thing impossible to be escaped in respect of the resolution and purpose of God his Father that by his satisfactory death and no other way man should be delivered And he declined everlasting destruction as a thing he knew he should escape without all doubt or uncertaintie of event though not without conflicting with the temptations of Sathan and the enduring of many grievous and bitter things These passions in Christ were most pure because he himselfe was most free from all taint of sin as if you put cleare water into a cleare glasse though you shake and stirre it never so much it will raise no mud The effects of this agony were two Earnest prayer and bloudie sweat Being in an agony he prayed more fervently He Luk. 22 44. fell on his face and prayed He prayed thrice the same words O my Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me neverthelesse Matt. 26. 39. not as I will but as thou wilt As the sense of nature and inferiour reason presented death and the ignominy of the crosse unto him as they are in themselves evill without the consideration of any good to follow he desired to decline them But as superiour reason considered them with all circumstances knowing Gods resolution to be such that the
world should thereby be saved and by no other meanes he most willingly accepted of them Between these desires there was a diversity but no contrariety a subordination but no repugnance or resistance Consider Christ in private as a man of the same naturall affections desires and abhorrencies with other men and the cup as it was very bitter and grievous and so most justly he feared and declined it and could not but decline it unlesse he had put off the nature and affection of man But consider him in his publike relation as a Mediatour a suretie a mercifull and faithfull high Priest and so he most willingly and obediently submitted unto it And this willingnesse in respect of his office was much the greater and the comfort we may draw from thence the sweeter because in respect of nature his will could not but shrinke for it If nature had not necessarily shrunke sweat startled and stood amazed at that service Christ had not manifested so much love and free submission to the command of grace nor could we have had so much comfortable assurance of the truth of our redemption thereby for it is impossible the nature of man should conflict with the terrible wrath of God and not dread and tremble The Apostle saith Christ in the dayes of his flesh offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and Heb. 5. 7. teares and was heard in the thing he feared In the New Testament the word signifieth reverence Luke 2. 25. Act. 2. 5. and 8. 2. Heb. 12. 28. or circumspect caution joyned with feare Heb. 11. 7. Act. 23. 10. but feare is most fit to this place as it signifieth commonly in good Authours and by the phrase it selfe may be confirmed for he was heard from his feare as he was delivered from death The second effect of this Agonie was a bloudie sweat In a cold night when our Saviour lay upon the ground in the open aire no man being neere unto him no violence offered unto his body he did sweat clotted bloud in such abundance that it streamed through his apparell and wet the ground Never was there sweat like this sweat nor anguish of soul like this anguish that â—e then endured But these I may call the beginnings of sorrow Upon the crosse he uttered that dolefull complaint My God my Matth. 26. God why hast thou forsaken me He complaineth not that his heavenly Father had forsaken his but him Formerly he had wept over Jerusalem and commended his Disciples unto the custody Joh. 17. of his Father being assured they should be gathered though for the time dispersed But the cause of this lamentation was that being now in the hands of his cruell bloudy mercilesse enemies left to endure the extremity of their rage and fury his Father for a time withdrew from him that solace he was wont to find in him The unity of his person was never dissolved his righteousnesse or graces were never either taken away or diminished neither is it possible he should want assurance of future deliverance and present support but for a time the Father did with-draw the sense of favour and comfort that his humane nature might suffer what our sinnes deserved This dereliction was altogether without sin because Christ our Saviour brought it not upon himselfe but was called unto it and in the conflict his faith was most firm not shaken with any degree of unbelief in which cases only the want of comfort is a fault scil when we bring it upon our selves or stain it with infidelity It is here objected that an innocent person ought not to suffer for a nocent for guilt is inseparable from sin The sonne shall not beare the iniquity of his Father neither shall the Father beare the iniquity of the son the soul that sinneth the same shall die Ezek. 18. 20. For the clearing of this objection we must note that there is a two-fold manner of guilt either such as growes out of sin inherent which is the deserving of punishment as it is in us or such as growes out of sin imputed and that not by reason of union naturall as the guilt of Adams sin is imputed unto us which manner of imputation likewise is the foundation of punishment deserved but voluntary by way of vadimonie and susception And so guilt is only a free and willing obnoxiousnesse unto that punishment which another hath deserved In an ordinary course of providence it is true the sonne shall not beare the punishment of the Fathers sin because he is altogether personally distinct he is not appointed so to doe as Christ was he is not able to bear them so as to take them off from his Father as Christ did ours and already hath too many of his own to beare but this was no naturall or unchangeable Law and if the will of the Sonne go along with the Father in sinning it is not strange not unusuall for him to suffer for his Fathers and his own sin together as for the continuation of the same offence More particularly for resolution of the question whether an innocent person may suffer for the guilty we must note first that God out of his dominion over all things may cast paines upon an innocent person as it is manifest he did upon Christ who suffered most grievous things and death it selfe And what ground of complaint could any creature have against God if he should have created it in fire and made the place of its habitation the instrument of its pain Do not we our selves without cruelty upon many occasions put creatures that have not offended us unto pain Secondly it is not universally against equity for one to suffer the punishment of anothers sin We see the Infants of Sodome Babylon Egypt of Corah Dathan and Abiram were involved in the punishment of those sins of which themselves were not guilty The Lord reserveth to himselfe the punishment of the Fathers upon the children Exod. 20. 5. and 34. 7. He punished the sinnes of three hundred and ninetie yeares all together Ezek. Lam. 5. 7. 4 2 5. C ham committed the sinne and yet Canaan was cursed 2 Sam. 1â— 13 14. for it Gen. 9. 22 25. The sin was Gehezi's alone and yet the Leprosie cleaved not to him only but to his posterity 2 King 5. 27. For the sin of Saul his sons are hanged up before the Lord. 2 Sam. 21. 8 14. Achan trespassed alone but he perished not alone but his sons and his daughters and all that he had with him Josh 7. 24. The sin of crucifying Christ was the sin of the Jewes in that age alone and yet wrath is come upon them to the uttermost even unto this day Matth. 27. 25. 1 Thes 2. 16. vid. 1 King 21. 21. and 14. 10. Judg. 9. 56. 1 King 2. 33. Jer. 22. 30. And if it be not unjust to punish one for anothers fault and grant impunity to the offendour it is not unjust to punish the innocent for
Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance to Israel Christs naturall Kingdome doth belong unto him as God coeffentiall and coeternall with the Father Christs dispensatory Kingdome is his by donation as Mediatour Matt. 18. 19. Rev. 1. 1. Dedit autem haec Iesu Christo quatenuâ— Medâ—atori nou ut coessentiali filio Joh. 17. 5. Haec ordinem magiâ— docent quo Deus cognitioneâ— Ecclesiâ— impertit quam origiâ—em scientiâ— respeâ—â—â—ilii Act 5. 31. He hath ordained him to be a Iudge of quick and dead Act. 10. 4â— He hath appointed him over his own house Heb. 3. 2 6. He hath crowned him and put all things in subjection under his â—â—it Heb. 2. 7 8. He hath highly exalted him and given him a name above every name Phil. 2. 9. Therefore he calleth him my King set up by him upon his own holy hill and that in the vertue of a solemne decree Psal 2. 6 7. Therefore to sit on the right hand of the Father doth not note glory and dominion properly divine which doth belong to the Sonne as coessentiall and coeternall with his Father and is his by nature but glory and dominion next unto that which is essentially divine which belongeth to Christ as Mediatour and which is his not by nature but by donation and unction from his Father being made the Head of his Church a Prince of Peace and King of Righteousnesse This glory and dominion was given unto Christ and so was not that eternall glory naturall and essentiall which he had with his Father before the foundations of the world This glory Christ had not before his ascension into heaven but the other as it is naturall so it was from everlasting Saint Paul and Peter doe construe it by raigning immediately over every creature till the Mysterie of our redemption shall be finished 1 Cor. 15. 25. Psal 110. 1. The setting Christ in the throne of Majestie Heb. 1. 3. and 8. 1. and 12. 2. at the right hand of the throne of God the making of him Christ and Lord Act. 2. 35 36. and 5. 31. It is not then Si sessionenâ— Christi non pro jure tantum regende ecclesiae sed pro ipso regnandi actu accipiamuâ— cooperatio illo de qua agitâ—r parâ— ipsius sessionis rectè voâ—â—bitur Mart. de person Christ p. 11 87. Psal 110. 1. Joh. 5 27. the might of divine soveraignty over the creatures which is given unto him for this doth so follow the nature of God that it is necessary with every person that hath this nature This the Son could not relinquish this he cannot be taken unto as which doth necessarily agree to him as God blessed for evermore What is it then A right of executing immediately and in a manner appropriate to this person the soveraigne dominion of God over every creature This soveraignty is given to the person of the Sonne both as God and man now ascended as God for it is a power which none that is a pure creature can take or execute As man because it is given him now ascended into heaven with his humane nature and is to be executed by him as man for his man-hood doth concurre as an instrument working with his God-head in the administration of it The meaning then of this phrase is not to be admitted to Neque per ejusdem essentiae communicationem neque per physicam aliquam transfusionem seâ— transitionem â—e subjecto in subjectum sed per solam ejusdem personae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 equality to the divine nature for this Christ ever had as God and could not but have neither to be admitted into the divine blessednesse setledly to injoy it for Christ as God ever had and could not but have that essentiall beatitude Neither doth it import thus much That the humane nature of Christ is elevated to this honour that it may freely use the divine Attributes omniscience omnipresence omnipotency so as to become by them omniscient omnipresent omnipotent no lesse properly then the divine though after a manner farre otherwise the divine nature being thus by naturall necessity the humane being thus by union with the divine by gracious communication of these unto it with liberty to Non essendo sed habendo non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non per naturam sed per gratiam non in seipsa sed persona 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. use them for the perfecting of it selfe So that according to this opinion the humane nature of Christ is made omnipresent with the omnipresency of the divine nature not as a thing subjectively inhering in it but so really communicated with it that it is made truly omnipresent by it though the divine Attribute never goe forth of the nature of God in which as the proper subject they grant it immoveably inherent The ground of this errour is that they suppose upon the union of the two Vrsin tom 2. de lib Concord cap. 8. p. 598. Inseparabilis unio non inducit coextensionem duarum in Christo naturarum quippe quarum una finita est altera infinita Tâ—tâ— Christâ—â— sed non totum Christi est ubique Sicut caro habet immensitatem i. arctè câ—pulata est immenso verbo non minus verbum habet finitionem i. arctè unitum est carni fiaitae Martia de person pag 637. Dici de â—liquo requirit inesse ergo si verè praedicaâ—tur de humana natura verè etiam eideâ— inesse â—pâ—rtet sive per naturam sive per gratiam sive ut in subjecto primario sive secundariâ— natures in Christ a reall communication of divine Properties to follow as that the humane nature is made truly omnipotent or omniscient not by any confusion of Properties nor yet by any bare communion and concourse of it to the same effect each nature working that which belongeth to it with communion of the other but by a reall donation by which the divine omnipotency doth so become the omnipotency of the humane nature that it may work omnipotently with it no lesse then the divine nature doth it selfe But the union cannot cause the humane nature partake more in the Properties of the divine then it causeth the divine partake in the Properties of the humane Againe if a true and reall communication did follow of divine attributes it must needs be of all as eternity and infinitenesse seeing these are the divine essence which can no way be divided Beside in the union of soul and body which is personall the life of the soul is not communicated with the body but an effect of it only And to what end should created gifts serve when now more noble Properties doe enter Not to mention that infinite perfections cannot perfect finite natures no more then reasonable perfections can make perfect unreasonable creatures Finally this opinion maketh the divine Properties become instrumentary
yet he had not the act and use of it That which some See Maldonat in Luk. 2 40. Quod voluntatem concernit omnes virtutes taâ—e incrementum in ea accepâ—runt quale in creaturam cadere potest Jun. Thâ—ss Theolog. 29. answer that Christ by infused knowledge knew all things and after attained another kind of knowledge which they call acquisite is not so fit because knowledge acquired and infused of the same things is of the same nature and condition and two formes or qualities of one kind cannot be in the same subject The second thing implied in Christs sitting at the right hand of the Father is to be admitted into divine blessednesse setledly to enjoy it Christ as God ever had and could not but have that essentiall beatitude and that blessednesse which he receiveth as man is not to have end The good that is in an intellectuall nature is of two sorts the one of vertue the other of sweet joyfull and pleasing delight And though both these concurre sometimes as in the fruition of God in heaven wherein the perfection of vertue and fulnesse of joy and delight doe meet together yea and though every thing that is vertuous be delightfull yet it is not so much the height of vertue as of delight that is judged happinesse Now our Saviour Christ was joyned to God by the affection of vertue or justice and Vt mori corpus Christi potuit tamen cum unionem tum effâ—ctus quosdam Deâ—tatis participare Ita mori mortem suam derelinqui anima potuit tamen uniâ—ne sua hujus unionis effectis frui Can â—â—◠〈◊〉 lib. 12. cap. 1â— Maâ—donat in Mat. 26. Isa 5â— 4. Joh. 4 6. Hâ—b 4. 15. Joh. 14. 23. Prov. â—5 â—5 Chamier tom 2. lib 5. cap 20. Nullus comprehensor est obnoxius ulâ—â—s calamitatibus could not be devided or separated from him no not for a moment because he could not but love him feare him trust in him but by the affection that seeâ—eth pleasing content in enjoying those ineffable delights and pleasures that are found in God our Saviour as man might and was for a time divided from God Moreover our Saviour Christ in his life time here on earth so restrained and kept within the closet of his secret Spirit the happinesse that he enjoyed in seeing God that it should not spread farther nor communicate it selfe to the inferiour faculties of his soule or impart the brightnesse of it to the body but it was subject to misery and passion The godly in this life doe tast not only some hope of heavenly life but the first fruits of this heavenly joy The Church and every Saint is heaven the soule of the righteous is heaven Our Saviour was both viator and comprehensor blessed in this life with that blessednesse which is not to be had but in heaven but now our Saviour advanced on the right hand of God is admitted into that incomprehensible glorious setled blessednesse never to suffer the least ecclipse for one moment which doth communicate it selfe to C ham panst tom 2. lib 4. cap 4 and 5. Maâ— 17. 2. 1 Pâ—t 1. 11. Heb. 12. 2 Phil. 3. 21. Verè contrâ—stari dolere pati non potest cui divina â—eâ—tâ—tudâ— impassibilitas verè realiâ—er communicata fuit Vrsin Tom. 2. coâ—fâ—ss de person Christ pag. 407. all powers of soule and body that it is and shall remaine for ever incorruptible impatible immortall encreased with strength and nimblenesse shining with brightnesse and glory celestiall and divine Thirdly our Saviour Christ as man is taken to have prerogative before every other creature For this phrase of setting at his right hand noteth the preheminence of him as next to God himselfe that looke as one made a King hath a dignity above all persons named in his Kingdome Dukes Earles Lords So our Saviour taken up as man to this kingly dignity must needs be in preheminence before them It is no wonder for this nature essentially appertaineth to that person which made all these things visible and invisible Againe every person the nearer he is in conjunction of bloud to an earthly King the more he hath prerogatâ—ve Col. 1. 16 Joh. 1. 3. Heb. 1. 2 3. Revel 4 ult above others more dis-joyned so this created nature seeing it is made one personally with God by how much it is more nearely united by so much it is fit that it should have prerogative before others Not to speake that being heire of all things it is meet that he should be before all who are but parts of his inheritance and having more excellent endowments I meane created gifts than any other it is meet he should have the first place before all other Christ is set farre above all principality and power and might and domination which words are commonly understood of the Angels but the two first words may fitly be interpreted as names of excellency found in this present world For principalities and powers when they are put for angelical natures they are not termed so simply but with an addition to the place but these words put for humane excellencies we reade them simply without any thing added And this distribution of power named in this world and in that to come Ephes 1. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 principatus dicuntur Rom. 8 38. Luk. 12 â—â— Significat etiam turmas 1 Sam. 11. 11. Eph 3. 10 Sept. Job 1. 17. and 6. 1â— Sept 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aq. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tit. 3 â— Col. 1. 16. Drâ—s praeter in Rom. 8. 38. Deod ibid. respecteth something in this enumeration fore-named the former these two first named the latter the couple following Fourthly Christ not only as God but as man hath power above Heb. 1. 2. every creature As Mediatour he hath received a power imperiall over every creature which is apparant in this that the Apostle saith Christ is so placed above all that all are subject under Ephes 1. 21. Heb. 2. 8 9. Matth. 28. 19. Duplex est Christi dominium 1. Essentiale quod ab aeterno habet commune cum Patre 2. Vicarium seu Mediatorium quod habet a Patre in cujus locum quasi succedit Camer in Heb. 1. 2. his feet To me is given all power in Heaven and earth that is power whereunto every creature is subject He speaketh of it as done because it was immediatly to be performed This person as God receiving by voluntary dispensation this honour from the Father that he should in an immediate and appropriate manner execute government over all creatures in heaven and earth the same person as man participating in this Kingly divine authority so farre that he should instrumentally concurre in executing all that judgement which Christ according to his divine nature did principally effect Though the Father and the Spirit have a right and soveraignty over the creature yet they doe not immediatly
eternall person Christ man is fitly called God and therefore in Christ man the God-head is said to dwell properly but Christ his humane nature may not be said to be God and therefore the God-head is not so fitly said to dwell in the humane nature as in the person denominated after it that is in Christ man It will be said if Christ rule in the midst of his enemies then it must follow that he is every where present But that is spoken of the person and not of the man-hood alone Psal 120. 2 and what is said of the person doth not necessarily belong to both natures And Christs dominion over all things doth not require his corporall presence with all things According to his divine nature he is every Joh. 8. 58. Christ in respect of his divine nature is every where present without addition and by the spirituall and effectuall presence of his body he entreth the soules and strengtheneth the hearts of all the faithfull by the power of his grace and truth of his promise Ephes 1. 22. Col. 2. 10. 1 Cor. 11. 3. Christ is the first-borne Col. 1. 18. Heb. 1. 2 4. and heire of all things 2 Cor. 4. 5. where present according to the effects of his providence wisdom power grace c. according to his humane nature he is essentially in heaven and now only in heaven but his dominion is over all things which doth not denote soveraignty power or omnipresence essentially divine but glory and Majesty next to divine as was said before The fift thing implied in Christs sitting at the right-hand of the Father is that in speciall he is the head of his Church The word Head is used sometime for one who in any kind is before or above other and in this large sence Christ is the Head of the Angels that is their ruler or governour one that is above them man is the Head of the woman Christ of man God of Christ But here it signifieth that Christ is so over his Church that he is in a more neare and communicative sort conjoyned with it as the head is with the body and members Looke as the King hath a more intimate and aimiable superiority over his Queen than over any other subjects so it is here in Christ our King whose dominion towards his Church who is his Spouse and Queen is more aimiably tempered and nearly affected then is his government over any other Christ hath taken the selfe same holy and spirituall nature with his Church standing as well of that which is outward and sensitive as of that which is inward and intellectuall The faithfull are united to him here by knowledge of faith and love such as Christ himselfe by his Spirit begettetâ— in them as hereafter by glorious light and love He doth communicate unto them that whole life of grace and glory which they have or shall receive direct and move them outwardly by his signifying will and inwardly by sending his Spirit which moveth with efficacy to that which he sheweth and followeth them with aides inward and outward least their faith should be prevailed against Though betwixt the faithfull and Christs naturall body there be a bodily distance yet the Spirit which commeth from Christ doth so joyne them with him that nothing commeth twixt him and them The same life of grace for kind which is in Christ is in every faithfull soule as fire Caro Christi noâ— vivificare dicitur quatenus pro mundi vitâ— data est fide a nobis manducatur hoc est per modum merite simul ejusmodi efficaciae quae Mediatoris personae propriè conveniat Regnat ubique Deus homo divina humana voluntaâ—e ac nutu Filius vivit propâ—â—r Patrem Joh 6. 57. Fâ—lius à Patre habet aeternam increatam vitam ut homo quoque ab codem beatam creâ—tam vâ—â—am habetiut Mediator vitam beatam nobis carnis suae troditione in mortem acquisivit divina sua virtue in nobis effccit Gal. 3. 14. See Field of the Church 1â— 5. cap. 16. Sobin art 3. de person Christ p. 316. Petimus ut Christus nobis velit dare spiritam idqueâ—am humana quam divina sua voluatate tamen non petimus ut secundum humanam naturam ab ipso procedat incorda nostra Sp S seu ut humana per ipsum operetur nam etiam processio Sp. S. operatio perâ—psum est proprium Dei talis opus alterum ad intra alterum ad extra sed ut etiam humana voluntate velit hanc operationem Dei tatis suae in nobis Heb. 1. 6. Ps 9. 7. Phil. 2. 10. Rò 14. 11. Isa 45. 23 Joh. 5. 22. Psal 2. 12. Joh. 3. 15 16 17 18 36. Joh. 6 29 12. 36. Joh. 14. 1. Rom. 15. 12. Mat. 12. 21. Act 7. 50 60. 2 Joh. 3. Rev. 1. 4 5. Ro. 1. 7. Syr. 1 Co. 1. 3. 2 Co. 1 2. Gal. 1. 3. Ephes 1. 2. 2 Tim. 1. â— kindled fire kindling is of the same nature And Christ having fulnesse of grace and glory for all his he cannot be but most ready to communicate with them every thing for their good Christ is the Head of his Church both as God and man our Mediatour For did not the divine nature which is the fountaine of all life naturall and supernaturall dwell with this man or humane nature we could not be enlightned or quickned by it He that eateth my flesh saith Christ hath life in him not that this nature of it selfe can doe these things but because the Deity dwelleth with it and by it as by an instrument joyned personally with it doth properly and efficiently worke these things The omnipotent power of creating spirituall graces is not in the humane nature nor the omnipotent actions which doth produce them doe or can proceed from the humane nature but they are in God only and from God in and with the humane nature working to the same effects according to its property Christs humane nature hath both understanding and will whereby he worketh and is an internall instrument united within the person of God the Son as a part of his person in a sort yea more neerly but these divine works which Christ the Mediatour worketh the chiefe vertue and action which properly effecteth them is in God not communicated really with the other nature though it doth worke them in this humane nature with it yea and by it as a most nearly conjoyned instrument which within the person of God the Son hath his proper actions concurring in an inferiour degree of efficiency to that which the divine nature properly and principally worketh God worketh graces Christ man worketh the same the divine nature createth them and infuseth them into this or that man through Christ man being as a common conceptacle or conduit-pipe The humane nature worketh them not by powerfull creating them but by taking away sin and the cause that so way
might be made for this promised Spirit by interceding Mediator-like for them and by willing the going of such graces from him as who is with God the Son but one worker though a distinct principle of working that is though distinct in nature yet the same person He therefore worketh them as his own workes from his owne power for Gods power is by unity of person made his the divine power not being without him as the power of another person then he is but being personally with him And those things which his humane nature worketh which are wrought after his humane nature the workes not of an humane but a divine person for though the nature according to which they are wrought be humane yet the person working is the person of the Sonne of God Hence it is that Christ-man doth give graces authoritativè effectivè yea according to humane action doth effect them in the highest degree that an instrumentall operation can effect any thing St Paul gives graces by laying on of hands with prayer ministerialiter not as his worke but as intreating it from God in Christ and signifying what God doth in Christ not from any power any way within his person but the power of another not as conjoyned with God as the body with the soule but as an instrument with God Christ the Head of his Church is over all to whom all things are subject He who must be a saving head to us there is great need he should be over all Could he not bind that strong one and cause him re-deliver his possession how should we ever be set at liberty Could he not dissolve the worke of Satan swallow up death create life and quickning in us our case were lamentable The sixt thing implied is That Christ God and man is the object of divine odoration Let all the Angels of heaven worship him All knees shall bow unto him All shall honour the Sonne as they honour the Father Yee believe in God believe also in me saith our Saviour In him shall the Gentiles trust So Steven called upon the Lord Jesus saying Lord Jesus receive my spirit And the Apostles in the entrance of their Epistles desire grace and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ not the Lord of Jesus Christ as some Heretikes would corrupt the text and so in the shutting up of their Epistles The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15. 23. Gal. 6. 18. 2 Cor. 13. 13. Phil. 4. 23. 1 Thess 5. 28. 2 Thess 3. 18. Philem. v. 25. 2 Tim. 4 22. But some object that if adoration be due to Christ God and man then it will follow that the humane nature is omniscient and almighty which followeth not because that which is spoken of the concrete or whole person is restrained to the one nature which should not be The person adored or called upon is man but the humanity it selfe only or solely or in it selfe properly taken is not the proper subject or object of that worship Albeit we may and should adore the man Christ with divine worship yet may we not adore his man-hood or his flesh and bloud Because though the man Christ be God yet his man-hood is not God and by consequence not to be worshipped with that worship which is properly and essentially divine Againe if adoration agree to the humanity of Christ then may his humanity helpe and save us But the humanity of Christ cannot helpe and save us because omnis actio est suppositi whereas the humane nature of Christ is not suppositum None of those who defend the adoring of the humanity of Christ with divine worship doe well and warrantably expresse their opinion First Some of the Schoole-men have found none other respect Aquin. 3. q. 25. Art 2. wherefore the man-hood of Christ can be said to be adored except this that the flesh of Christ is adored by him who adoreth the word incarnate even as the Kings cloathes are adored by him who adoreth the King And thus they make the flesh of Christ to be adored only by accident Ego vero saith the Arch-bishop of De Rep. Eccl. lib. 7. cap. 12. n. 43. Spalato non puto à quoquam Regis vestimenta quibus est indutus adorari And why doth he that worshippeth the King worship his cloathes more then any other thing that is about him or beside him perhaps a Hawke upon his hand c. There is no more but the Kings owne person set by the worshipper to have any state in the worship and therefore no more worshipped by him Others devise another respect wherefore the man-hood of Christ may be said to be worshipped namely that as the divine worship agrees only to the God-head and not personis praecisè sumptis i. Fr. S. Clara Expos art confess Angl. art 28. sub ratione formali constitutiva personarum quae est relatio but only as these relations identificantur with the essence of the Godhead so the man-hood of Christ is to be adored Non per se praecisè sed prout suppositatur à Deo But if by suppositatur they meane as they must meane that the man-hood is assumed into the unity of the person of the Sonne of God for otherwise if they meane that the man-hood is made a person they are Nestorians that which they say cannot warrant the worshipping of the manhood with divine worship because the man-hood even after this assumption and hypostaticall union is still for all that a creature and a distinct nature from the God-head so that it cannot yet be said to be worshipped with divine worship Dr Field layeth out a third way for whiles he admitteth the phrase of the Lutherans who say not only concretively that the Of the Church lib. 5. cap. 15. man Christ is omnipotent but the humanity also he thus distinguisheth when we speake saith he of the humanity of Christ sometimes we understand only that humane created essence of a man that was in him sometimes all that that is implied in the being of a man as well subsistence as essence But this distinction is as if a man should say sometimes by blacknesse I understand blacknesse and sometimes the subject wherein it is together with the blacknesse it selfe An abstract is no more an abstract if it have a subsistence It is the tenet of the Schoole that though in God Aqu. â—qu 13. art 1. the concrete and the abstract differ not because Deus Deitas are the same yet in creatures whereof the man-hood of Christ is one they are really different For the concrete signifieth something compleat subsisting but the abstract such as humanity signifieth something not as subsisting but as that whereby something is Wherefore when some say the flesh of Christ is to be adored the speech is not proper but figurative because properly Polan Syntag. lib. 6. cap 16. the flesh secundum se is not adored because it is a creature but
profitable and pleasant answerable in some sort to the nature excellency and use of the thing known And in this case the heart is not over-ruled contrary to the full spirituall and infallible evidence of divine truth seriously thought upon unto a practicall judgement This is the learning of Christ the teaching of the Father the knowing of things which passe knowledge Christ is not known if he be not acknowledged as he is propounded what perfect Si ignorare accipitur pro non attendere dici potest voluntatem humanam vix unquam peccare sine aliqua ignoratione quia quando voâ—untas peccat intellectus ut plurimum aliud agit nec attendit ad regimen voluntatis knowledge doth perfectly that imperfect knowledge doth imperfectly As the end acknowledged cannot be refused by like right neither can the meanes acknowledged the meanes I say necessary only necessary and without which there is no possibility or likelihood to obtaine the end For will is a reasonable appetite and therefore doth not stirre from such a good as is fully and spiritually represented unto it with evidence certainty profit and delight as the most universall adequate and unquestionable object of the desires and capacities of an humane soule and that both simply and in comparison for the freedome and willing consent of the heart is not lawlesse or without rules to moderate it but it is therefore said to be free because whether out of a true judgement it move one way or out of a false another yet in both it moveth naturally in a manner sutable to its owne condition If it be objected the heart being unregenerate is utterly averse unto any good The answer is that it is true the will must not only be moved but renewed and changed before it can yeeld to Christ But withall God doth never so fully and spiritually convince the judgement in that manner without a speciall work of grace upon the soule whereby the will is framed and fashioned to accept embrace and love those good things of which the minde is thus prepossessed The third help is a formall cause a free gracious disposition or Scimus non impetrari remissionem ante prece â—ed dicâ— decretam esse ante preces eam peti precibus quamvis sit decreta P. Malin de eâ—ect ex fide pag. 316. habite of faith by which the will is inclined agreeable to the disposition of it to come unto God This habite is necessary because without it the will being in bondage stained and defiled it is altogether unable to will or desire that which is spiritually good If there could be a will without such habite man might performe the act of a man spiritually alive before he was made alive So that the full answer to this question viz. what is that effectuall help whereby I come to God is this It is a mixt thing standing partly of that almighty power of his put forth for my good partly of that inward Word and inspiration by and with which his power is put forth partly in that spirit of faith and supernaturall life which his almighty power through his Word bringeth forth in my soule What was that help whereby Christ made Lazarus able to come to him out of the grave of naturall death The principall was Christs power the instrumentall his voyce the formall cause immediately helping to it or working it was the spirit of naturall life which the power of Christ by his Word restored to this dead corps which now was fallen And thus we have the effectuall help or grace by which we come actually to convert which are all given from Gods free grace and favour towards us And when God doth infuse the habite of faith into the minde of one of ripe age he doth cause him actually to beleeve as the nature of the thing it selfe and condition doth manifest For if the Spirit by inlightening the minde and renewing the heart doe perswade and move the soule effectually to embrace adhere unto and love the Lord Jesus Christ then the condition of the thing will not beare that grace should be given effectually but the act and motion of the soule must necessarily follow But though the connection of these two be indivisible yet the flexion or turning it selfe is not indivisible or in a point or moment but it may be sooner or slower more speedy in one more remisse in another The will is necessarily bowed or bended but more vehemently in one more slackly in another freely or willingly in all that are turned and yet necessarily And this first thing is well to be noted for from hence we may gather in what standeth the efficacy of grace effectuall to Conversion viz. In Gods effectuall power put forth to execute his intention which he hath of converting some actually before other some It Quaestio non est de irresistibilitate sed de insuperabilitate finali Nam quomodo traberemur gratia irresistibili cum id ipsum quod nolumus Deo resistere â—it ipsa Deigratia Illud ipsum velle resistere nihil aliâ—d est quam resistere doth not stand in any congruity or temperature of grace correspondent to our nature For this doth argue there is inward an incorrupted connaturall disposition to receive grace This maketh the effect of Conversion as much if not more to depend on the active capacity of the will as on the grace of God For it maketh the grace of God worke it morally and externally by perswasion only and the will of man from a power within it selfe which doth more inwardly enter the effect of Conversion then the other It may be questioned in what order doth the Spirit make us come unto God whether immediately or by some preparation going before wherein it is further to be considered what that preparation is or wherein it consisteth To the first branch of the Question it is truly answered that God doth use so to worke our comming to him by beliefe that he doth first for the most part prepare us thereunto As before we engraffe a Sciens we cut it and set it for incision and if a Timberlogg lie sunke in mudd men set to their tacklings first to draw it out of the mire before they lay it on a Cart to carry it away Thus God doth by his power often worke some preparative change in a sinner before he doth by his power and word worke the spirit of faith in them and make them come unto him So God by afflictions is said to boare the eare and prepare to conversion 2 Chron. 33. 11 12. Act 2. 37. When Manasseh was humbled in great misery he sought the Lord. Thus by conviction of sin others were pricked in heart and said What shall we doe to be saved and then speedily they received the Gospel beleeving Sometimes by extraordinary terrours rising from externall accidents yea hidden naturall causes God is pleased to bring men nearer unto him Thus the Jaylor Act. 16.
likewise in his calling to the participation of the Covenant For though this Vocation be every way free gracious and absolute as the Spirit worketh where he listeth yet in the Gospel which is the instrument of Vocation it pleaseth God to propound both the condition which he requireth and the promise which he hath made The promise as an argument to move us the rather to give our selves unto Christ and to doe what is required The prescription of what he requireth as that condition without which we cannot obtaine and by which most certainly we shall obtaine what good is promised Effectuall Vocation on Gods part is the powerfull invitation and assured drawing of the weary and thirsty soule unto Christ that in him it might finde refreshing and comfort The answer on our part is a free and willing comming unto Mat. 11. 28 29. Joh. 6. 44. and 6. 35 37. Christ that in him we might be satisfied the embracing of Jesus Christ and lodging him in our bosome And therefore that which first of all receiveth that Vocation is faith whereby we believe that if a man performe the condition he shall possesse the promise if he come unto Christ he shall be satisfied but if he performe not the thing required he shall not enjoy the promise he shall not be satisfied if he drinke not the water of life And not only so but he shall continue poore naked blinde miserable captive a prisoner an alien from the Covenant and without God in the world nay he shall be punished with contrary evils according to the nature of the Covenant divine where there is no promise without a commination contrary to it This faith is grounded upon the free and gracious Covenant whereby God is pleased to binde himselfe first unto us before he binde us unto himselfe that his promise might be apprehended as the ground of our faith upon which we should firmely beleeve And upon the Isai 55. 1 2. Joh. 7. 37. Rev. 22. 17. free and gracious invitation of Christ generally made to all and every poore thirsty languishing faintie soule parched with the sense of wrath and withered for lack of the sap or fruit of grace to come unto him for ease and sweet refreshing to the contentation and satisfying of their soules to come and drink of the waters of life freely Where let it be observed that Thirst and Drinesse in phrase of Scripture doth note the want of good things as Isai 29. 8. Psal 42. 1. Isai 32. 2. and 55. 1. Psal 143. 6. on the contrary absolute good whereby the desire of soule and body may be satisfied is usually compared to waters To thirst is from a totall defect of the Spirit of Grace or a defect of the whole Spirit of Grace tormenting the soule to desire it And so not to thirst for ever and the graces of the Spirit to remaine Joh. 4. 14. and 7. 38. in us for ever or that water to be in us a fountain of water springing up to life eternall is one and the same In Heathen authors to thirst is exceedingly to desire but for the most part that desire comes from some tormenting want Artemidorus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Cyrus willing to declare his ardent desire of doing good to others saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. Sitio aliis gratificari In which signification it is used by the Latines also Cic. pro Planc Deinde sitientem me virtutis tuae deserüisti Apud Horat. Sitis argenti Apud Juvenal Sitis famae Apud Claudian Sitis praedâ— And the opposition that is betwixt thirst and water will evidence the same For water if we respect the use which it affordeth to the earth and to bodies doth make fruitfull barren fields purifie things polluted qâ—ench or water them that are drie and sweetly refresh them that boyle with heat And therefore if water metaphorically signifie comfort and refreshing wherewith the soul is recreated and rejoyced Thirst which is opposite to water doth denote a soul dried up with grief spent with the heat of Gods indignation and tormented with the vexing or molesting want of grace and consolation To be weary and heavie laden is to be faint or tired under some burden labour Deut. 25. 18. â— Sam. 17. 2. and 23. 10. Psal 6. 7. See there journey disease or work But tirednesse and fainting wearinesse and trouble are no parts of health or â—ase no more then the sight feeling or knowledge of the disease is any part of the cure wearinesse and fainting is neither part degree nor preparative to refreshing if in it self considered And here the doubt touching the precedency of faith and repentance may easily be determined For if faith be taken largely or generally for a beliefe of the promise if we repent and receive it then faith is before repentance for there can be no turning without hope of pardon nor comming home by hearty sorrow without some expectation of mercy Thus the Exhortations run Turn unto the Lord for he is mercifull and gracious Repent for the Kingdome of God is at hand But if faith be taken more strictly for that faith or beliefe whereby we receive embrace or rest upon the promise of God in Christ Jesus for pardon and forgivenesse then repentance goeth before pardon for no remission is promised to Mark â— 4. Luke 24. 47. be enjoyed but upon condition of repentance and if the penitent only be immediately capable of pardon then pardon is received by a penitentiall faith If repentance be necessary to Justification of necessity it must goe before justifying faith because faith and justification are immediately coupled together It is impossible to come unto Christ without repentance but to come unto Christ is to embrace or receive him soundly and effectually to the refreshing of the soul Comming unto Christ is a lively motion of the soul wherein arising from sin it draweth nigh or approacheth unto Christ that in him it might be satisfied The motion is one but the points are two For in drawing nigh unto Christ the soul ariseth from sin which may be called repentance Of the signification of the word I will move no question at this time but take repentance for a comming unto Christ by true godly sorrow from whom we had formerly departed by sin and wickednesse to the extreme hazard of our souls The Author of repentance is God in Jesus Christ Repentance 2 Tim. 2. 25. Jer. 31. 18. is the gift of God but the act of man It is man that repenteth and not God but it is God that giveth repentance inableth and moveth man to repent Regeneration is the act of God repentance the act of man In subject they both agree for he that is Ezek. 36. 25. regenerate doth also repent and so on the contrary but in their formall consideration and peculiar nature they are distinct Christ also as Mediatour is the principall cause of repentance for him hath God exalted to give repentance