way is never like to win the prize Heaven is set forth as a crown and reward of our faithfulness though not for the merit of the work but according to the work it is freely given as wicked works shall not pass unpunished neither shall good works or our faithfulness towards Christ pass unrewarded Every one shall receive according as he hath done in the flesh whether good or evil And he that hath fought the good fight of faith and perseveres therein under all afflictions and that even to death he is the true christian conquerour and for him is laid up the crown of eternal life The true militant christian must not look for the crown if he turn's back to the enemy and that which is most admirable herein is that the method of obtaining this crown is far different from that of obtaining worldly crowns they are got by over-mastering and surviving the enemy but the christians crown is gotten by suffering and dying the christians cross and the crown kiss each other And to set you right that seek after and contend for this crown First Understand what this crown of life is It is not only the translation of the soul after death into the supernal heavens that is not so properly called life but that blessed state which soul and body shall enjoy after the resurrection of the just and therefore it is called a crown of life that is life given most eminently which is the most desirable blessing of all things as being one of the chiefest gifts of the blessed Saints in the resurrection and so part is put for the whole and therefore it is here called a Crown of life To denote unto us first That that blessed state of life which the Saints shall then enjoy will be a most honourable state and so it is often set forth by a kingdom in Scriptures Luk. 22.29.12.32 Rev. 3.21 Secondly That it is an endless estate Thirdly That it is a state gotten by conquest and as a prize set unto a race 1 Cor. 9.24 Fourthly That it is a most glorious estate and a living crown and that that will continue to all eternity Secondly In the next place understand how this crown of eternal life is rightly to be obtained every suffering will not do it The cause must be good that makes a Martyr it must be for Christ and that in faithfulness Secondly The heart must be upright for Christ therein It is not vain-glory or worldly applause or obstinacy in private opinions that will weigh the least to make a Martyr it must be in the uprightness of your hearts and that you can appeal unto God with the Psalmist Psal 44.21 and say The Lord knoweth the secrets of the heart Yea for thy sake are we slain all the day long Lastly This suffering must be out of love unto God and his glory or else all in vain as Paul said 1 Cor. 13.3 If I give my body to be burned and have not love it profiteth me nothing There may many die for Christ and yet not out of love to Christ obstinacy of mind and formal profession may do much in that particular but a true zeal to God and his glory makes the Holocost a sweet smelling Sacrifice and the crown of life its reward Observ The last Observation from these words is Sufferings and afflictions are but the opening the door to a Christians happiness The most happy estate of the worldling is but vanity and the most suffering state of a christian is a crowning when the christian suffereth the loss of all things for righteousness sake he aboundeth then in greater measure of graces yea when he suffereth death it self it is gain unto him for he hath only left thereby a world of troubles sin and vanities for a crown or life and glory For if our hopes were only in this life we were of all men most miserable Therefore be thou faithful unto the death and thou shalt have a crown of life Vers 11. Let him that hath an ear hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death The Spirit doth often inculcate in this and the next chapter this charge and duty on the judicious and enlightened christian to take notice what the Spirit of Christ in this spiritual appearance saith unto the churches To avoid repetition see more on this on verse 7. of this chapter But he that overcometh that is that abideth constant and faithful unto Christ and his truths under all temptations and tribulations and so a faithful christian overcometh it is he that shall not be hurt of the second death that is the second death mentioned in 21 chap. Rev. ver 8. and 20.14 In that Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone for evermore shall not touch him Negatives in Scripture strongly evince the enjoyment of the contrary as Thou shalt not be hurt of the second death that is thou shalt surely live thou shalt taste of the Tree of life in the midst of the Paradise of God and a crown of life shall be thy portion It is here called the second death in respect the first death is but a partial punishment of the wicked but the second death is that when the first death and hell shall deliver up the dead were in them and they shall be cast into the Lake of fire cap. 20. 13 14. there is a first life and a second life that we shall enjoy the first life is that that we now at present enjoy the life of grace the second life we shall be made partakers of at the resurrection of the just The life that the soul in heaven enjoys is but a partial life and incompleat in respect of that at the resurrection as the punishment of the wicked under the first death either spiritual or corporal is but partial so the glory of the elect is but partial and incompleat now in heaven in respect of that that will be revealed at the resurrection Abraham now doth not know us and Jacob is ignorant of us neither do the faints departed know our wants nor are touched with our infirmities Their condition is happy but what it is we know not but this we are sure of at the resurrection we shall know as we are known and see as we are seen and this is eternal life and the crown of life that is so often promised to the Saints in Scripture So then there is a first death and a second death the first death is but a partial punishment for the wicked but the second death is the compleat execution of divine wrath upon them in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone for evermore Observ The Observation from the words are That the constant faithful and persevering Christian is secured from all dangers of death whatsoever Tribulations in this life and death it self does him no hurt that tries him refines him and renders him glorious into the hands of his Creator Hell
bodies and spirits Well then try your faith and profession whether it be dead or formal or active or living by these few particulars it is not a naked assent or unactive outward profession will serve turn this is dead and liveless yea twice dead and to be plucked up by the roots Jud. 12. dead in your first natural condition and dead in your hypocritical profession for by this it appeareth never to be otherwise with you But a lively faith is a working faith by and through the influence of Christ and his spirit being zealous of good works and all for Christ's sake and his glory Paul's whole life Phil. 1.21 was as it were consecrated to Christ for to me to live is Christ says he that is my life is Christ's for his uses his purposes and his glory In short a true and lively faith works by Christ by the continual supply and influence of his spirit and for Christ and with aim at his glory Observ 2. 'T is very usual for dead Formalists to carry a higher hand in outward profession then the real Christian Sardis pretends highly to faith and to a name that she lived beyond her sister churches and the name was only that she aimed at for in the truth of grace she was no better then dead and rotten It is not very usual still among dead and carnal christians to boast of their christianity their baptisme their church their external ordinances and the like They needs would satisfie themselves in the name of christians as the carnal Jews that said they were Jews and were not vers 9. So unto these carnal Formalists the name of christians is pleasant to them yet still are enemies to the true Saints of God and the power of godliness and the reason of this is in that they perceive they want the true working faith which is only acceptable unto God all being naturally self-lovers they would needs content themselves and God too if they might with a guilded sophisticate and dead faith and profession which is to be had at an easier rate then the true one which should commend them unto God and denominate them his Saints in the eye of the world but this faith is too short for such a work being dead false and liveless as a carcass without a soul but that is the faith that justifieth and Christ accepteth that worketh by love 1 Thes 1.3 Vers 2. Be thou watchful and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to dy for I have not found thy works perfect before God Esto vigilans as Beza reads it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and I should rather take it in the active sense Be thou awake or awake thou then be watchful for it it argues the state of life and activity to be watchful watch and pray but to awake it only shows a dormant dead and sleepy state wherein the church of Sardis was for she bore the name that she lived but she was as good as dead therefore Christ tels her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rouse up thy self from thy sleepy state and strengthen the things which remain re-inforce revive and stir up those small remaining sparks of graces that are ready even to give up the very last gaspe within thee and though thou thinkest and maist have a conceit of thy self that thou art something in that thou hast an external profession and name that thou livest yet I must tell thee saith Christ I have not found thy works perfect before God Hence Note Observ A state of sin is a great impairing and consumption unto the life of grace Sardis is brought by it even to death's door her graces that were once eminent are come thereby to some smal remainders and they too almost extinct and neer the grave and though death it self I mean spiritual hath not yet seized her yet she is somwhat neer it she is under the shadow of death for she sleeps and is called to awake and to stir up the remainders of life that is in her least she takes her last sleep by the spiritual death of grace here and eternal death hereafter Sin is to the soul as sickness is to the body 1. It carries with it its distemperatures and disorders of the soul 2. Ugliness and deformity it is compared to the Leprosie under the Law 3. Grief and pain as sickness causes grief to the body so sin causes horror and anguish unto the soul 4. It causes weakness for the more sin the more weakness and disability to spiritual duties We were without strength saith the Apostle Rom. 5.6 weak feeble souls in the things of God whilst we were in sin and the state of nature 5. Every sickness of the body tends to the death of the body so every sin tends to the death both of body and soul eternally The only remedy that we have against this poyson and sting of sin is to hasten to Christ by faith who is the Phisitian of our souls and by whose stripes we are healed Object But is it not said here to Sardis to awake and strengthen the things that remain that are ready to dye Was it not in the power of Sardis to awake her self recover her self and renew her graces without going to Christ by faith I answer Negatively Christ is set up for that very end not only for a propitiation If any man sin we have an Advocate but it is also from his influence and from him as the Fountain of life whereby all our graces are maintained and kept alive For the life I live as the Apostle says is by the life of the Son of God If Christ should withdraw his gracious presence from our souls we should never awake out of sin nor do our first works or renovate our selves by repentance Secondly This duty to awake and renew their graces was set on those of Sardis that had already received the first grace and Christ by faith for it is here said strengthen the things which remain therefore they had a being though a sorry one and those that have received grace from Christ are in a capacity to work from the power of that grace Having received the promises saith the Apostle that is Christ the great end and object of the promises cleanse your selves go on in the work of sanctification in the power of Christ for all our gracious acts are to be done in and through his continued power and influence Thirdly When we are commanded to awake strengthen and renew our selves by repentance c. they must be always taken to be as inseparable parts of a lively faith for we cannot awake from sin unless we first look upon Christ in the promises neither can we possibly renew or restore our falne graces before we first eye God in Christ out of whose fulness we receive grace for grace Therefore in vain to set home spiritual duties on persons that have not first received light and life from Christ Christ is the first work that must be offered and
light and sound knowledge If he be spiritually judicious and learned I wish him to search and enquire diligently true Berean-like whether things are so or not and declare it forth unto others So shall he deliver his own soul and his Brothers also from the snares of death To all which as the Close of all I say Amen Who am Kerris in Cornwal Nov. 1. 1658. Thine In all Christian services William Hicks The Preface GOD spake at sundry times in old time to our Fathers after a diverse manner by his Servants the Prophets but now in these later dayes hee speaks unto us by his Son and his Ambassadours the Apostles and Ministers of Christ And hee that would desire to know the minde of God towards his people and Church may by the blessing of God and the Spirit of Grace moving on his endeavours in searching meditating and inquiring into the Word of God both Old and New not only finde out that Treasure where out floweth both New and Old things that will make his soule wise unto salvation but also hee shall finde a treasure of wisedom that will replenish his soule whiles here beneath in all the changes of this World with a great deale of Peace and Comfort For what will add greater hopes or be a surer prop to a soule in the time of its Affliction and mourning then to fore see know and be assured next to its interest in Christ of the day of it's deliverance This hath been the Ordinary portion and Lot of every soule that is truly Interessed in Christ Jesus thorow their severall Generations for the Servant must not look to be greater then his Master Christ entered into his glory by Sufferings Temptations sorrows and the way of the Crosse his members must drink the same cup with him whiles here militant though not to the same measure nor to the same ends for herein they are not made mighty to bear his sufferings were to give satisfaction to Divine Justice that hee that knew no sin might be made sin for us that we thereby might become the Sons and Children of God Our sufferings are for the Exercise of our graces and to fullfil the remainder of the sufferings of the Mysticall Body of Christ in our selves in our Journying towards our Celestial Canaan And this hath not only been the portion of particular members but of the whole Body the true Church of God in all ages as appeares by the History thereof Yet notwithstanding our gracious God to manifest his Fatherly oversight and faithful providence and goodness which hee without Intermission dispenseth towards his Church and people hath often for a Comfort to the Godly and warning to the wicked not only delivered them from their oppressours and set them above them but so prefixed the time of their distresses and deliverances that both they and their enemies themselves in observing the events must needs acknowledge the All-wise hand of Gods providence to the one for good to the other in wrath and Judgment God hath promised hee will not be angry with his for ever God hath his accesses and his recesses his comings in and his withdrawings towards his Church Some are conditional as if we keep with God hee will be found of us but if we forsake him he will forsake us Some again are absolute and out of Soveraignty as that I will be found of them that sought me not c. Yet however Gods purpose of doing good to his Church is so stedfast and unalterable that though many of them run upon the performance of some precedent conditions or qualifications in his people yet he will in faithfulness perform his promises towards them in their deliverance either by making them a fit people for so great a mercy by working the condition in them and so will make them a willing people in the day of his power or otherwise rather then any of the promises shall fall to ground unaccomplished will do it absolutely of his good will and pleasure 1. Before the Floud God gave 120. years respit to the old World before he would execute his Judgment upon them Gen. 6.3 When this time was expired his Spirit would contend with them no longer but God came with the Floud and destroyed all living except Noah and what was with him in the Ark. 2. God declared to Abraham that his seed should bee a stanger in a Land that was not theirs in Aegypt and should serve them and they should afflict them for 400. years but withall that Nation whom they should serve hee would judge and afterwards they should come out with great substance Gen. 15.13 14. c. Which promise God did fulfill most faithfully unto them in its due time and after the expiration of the said Terme hee brought out his people with a mighty and strong Arme in drowning the Host of Pharaoh in the red Sea 3. To that Captivity in Babylon God sets a period of 70. years Jerem. 29.10 when that time was accomplished God stirred up the Spirit of Cyrus King of Persia to let the people go 4. To Daniel God shewed that 70. weeks viz. weeks of years being 490. years were to bee determined in which time the Messias should come and be cut off and at length the City of Jerusalem destroyed Dan. 9.24 25 26. verses And how all these things were fully accomplished is most evident to every one that knows any thing of Gods dealings towards his Church and people 5. In like manner there is a certain time set and determined upon the Church of God in the new Testament how long she shall be exposed to persecution and when she shall be delivered from it which is expressed in the Prophet Daniel 7.25 and the 12.7 They the Saints shall be given unto the fourth Beasts hand untill a time times and the dividing of time Which Prophesie of Daniel does answer that of Rev. 12.14 The Woman which is the Church of God shall be in the Wilderness and trodden under foot by the power of the Beast for a time times and half a time which is to say as it is explained in the sixth verse of the same Chapter 1260. dayes or years which terme for the comfort of the Saints the power of the Beast cannot exceed For he that hath set a bound and period to all Kingdoms and Empires in this World hath said it hither thou shalt go no farther And that Angel in the Prophet Daniel 12.7 held up his right hand and left hand to Heaven and sware by him that liveth for ever that it should be but for a time times and half It being then clearly evinced that God will in his appointed time visit his Church with sure mercy and having prefixed in all ages the time and continuance of their Distresses and persecutions and that in the day of his visitation he will come with a certain deliverance to his people and ruine to his enemies it is matter of great Joy comfort to his
his church for the service thereof God first fills them with his Spirit When John was but upon entring upon his prophetical office God ravishes him with his Spirit and fills him therewith to fit him for this office When men in the Apostles days were to be chosen but for the lowest services in the Church as for the over-sight of the poor and the like yet they must be men full of the holy Ghost and wisdom Acts 6.3 Much more then for the highest places as Prophets Pastors Teachers and Elders c. It is said Paul and Barnabas were filled with the holy Ghost and therefore to be separated unto the work Acts 11.24 and 13.2 The Offices of the churches of Christ are for those that have the Spirit of Christ in them in some fulness of it those places are not for such as are filled with the spirit of envie covetousness pride the world contention ignorance and antichristian lording such have not the spirit of Christ in them it may be well said of such that they run for profit here and the like but the Lord sent them not Jer. 14.14 and 23.21 They flatter themselves and think they are called and sent of God because God hath given them some common acquired gifts and parts yet want all the especial graces of the Spirit as meekness self-denial contempt of this world humility bowels of compassion ready to forgive sound knowledge in the truth and holiness and righteousness in their lives and conversations they that want those graces in the truth of them are neither fit for those high functions in the church nor can satisfyingly perswade themselves or others that they are called unto it Let this be as a memento to all such that climbe over the walls into those holy Functions and are well satisfied with a call from men when they were never called of God I say let all such fear and tremble lest God spew them all our together with their flocks that would have it so in his wrath for ever John was rapt in Spirit on the Lord's day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek Whether this day be here called the Lord's day for the great discoveries of those visions made unto John upon this day or because it was the Lord's day for the assembling of the Saints to perform their services unto God it being the same day with that which the Apostles call the first day of the week and our christian Sabbath I shall not much contend but rather am enclined unto the latter for these two reasons First Because the great work of Christ's resurrection on that day wherein he was manifested Lord and Conquerour over hell and Satan purchased it that Title of the Lords day Secondly Because the observation of the Sabbath with all christian publique services were transferred to that day and so is called the Lord's day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or according to the Scottish dialect the Kirks day the Churches day because they held their assemblies and performed their publique services upon that day Hence note Observ That the Lord's day or the day of the great and publique assemblings of the Saints is the fittest time for God's highest discoveries of Grace and Truth John received here on this day his high irradiations of spirit and Prophesies This is God's great Market day wherein there is a constant and mutual Exchange or Bartering of heavenly and divine commodities the Saints come with the returns of their improvements of mercies in praises prayers and thanksgivings God gives out in return farther supplies of grace and greater measure of knowledge in his ways and truths Therefore sure most happy most knowing and most gracious are those Saints that are most found in this way O! this should make all of us that are not in this way to wail for it as David in his absence and exile from the church of God that being the special habitation of God's glory Psal 96.6 and to breath after it even as the Hart brayeth after the fountain streams for this is the day of the Saints assemblings wherein the Angel comes down the Angel of the New Covenant Christ in spirit to stir upon the waters of Bethesda upon the hearts and affections of all his people When John was in this rapture of spirit on the Lord's day then he heard behind him a mighty voice as it were of a Trumpet loud and terrible The Trumpet being a warlike Instrument whose sound is to prepare unto Battel and to the terror of the adversary God's publique admonitions are so unto his church it not only prepares his own unto repentance but is also of terrible signification unto all his impenitent enemies But here comes in a question fit to be discussed John had here his raptures of spirit extasies and heard a great voice as of a Trumpet The Quere will be How shall we know Divine raptures extasies or visions from diabolical For Satan is God's Ape and hath his raptures possessions strange apparitions sounds and voices also For answer first know that God's visions are given either in the sleep as unto Jacob when he saw a ladder reaching from earth to heaven and Angels ascending and descending in Gen. 28. but such are more properly called Divine Dreams Or secondly When the person is awake as here when Iohn was at Patmos on the Lord's day doubtless either in God's services or holy contemplations he received those visions and raptures of spirit and those extasies or raptures of spirit do cause a great alteration upon the person that receives them he is as it were taken out of himself that is in this posture and frame and therefore it is called a rapture or extasie quasi extra se raptus being in that posture not master of the faculties of his own soul which are wholly in the power and motions of the Spirit that acts them and this is common to both sorts of raptures whether from the good or evil spirit Now to discern what spirit moves in such raptures or visions observe first Whether the person passive or that is under such raptures of spirit were always or for the most part of their lives faithful witnesses unto the word of God and of Jesus Christ such have not only the promise of the holy Spirit to teach them all things 1 Iohn 2.27 but to be preserved against the evil one in their bodies souls and spirits Secondly Observe the matter of their visions in such raptures whether it be to denounce God's judgments against sinful practises or not for surely Satan will never be divided against himself if we will believe our Saviour for so his kingdom could not stand though I have read a story in some old Popish Mass-monger that the divel once in the shape of a Priest preached a very catholique sermon but being discovered by some Saint in presence it seems one of an excellent endowment in discerning spirits asked him how durst Satan to appear in that presence with so sound holy
and catholique instructions in his mouth The divel or the divelish preacher answered him that whilst he preached good and sound doctrine unto his auditors and they were not followers of it he had his end even the aggravation of their condemnation for their neglect inproficiency and contempt of such good doctrine surely how this odd designe should come into the divel 's head I know not being a liar from the beginning and the truth abideth not in him nor will confess it no further then he is compelled to do it by an over-mastering divine power this were indeed to destroy his own Kingdom and God never sends the evil spirits to be the messengers to provoke to break off from sins to live to God holiness and works of reformation his very nature is contrary to such works and therefore is the great hinderer not the promoter of them This is another mark to discern of what spirits visions are of Thirdly Another distinguishing mark is That in respect those visions and raptures of spirit carries with them a terribleness in the strange apparitions therein they leave a high and strange impression of spirit upon the parties under them and those that are from God leaves always behind them when they are passed away a holy awe and reverence of the divine Majesty and glory and a contempt of themselves and their own worthlesness Isaiah the Prophet when he saw the Lord and had discoveries of his glory he could call out Wo is me for I am undone I am a man of unclean lips for my eyes have seen the King the Lord of Hosts Isa 6.5 Iob also confesseth cap. 42. 5 6. Now mine eyes seeth thee I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes The sight of divine glory and majesty doth always humble in that it brings to sight our own worthlesness even in our best attainments in respect of it which causeth a godly sorrow Now the contrary spirit brings contrary fruits and effects as pride vain-glory c. and therefore not difficult to be differenced in their operations Fourthly Visions extasies or raptures of the Divine Spirit though often they may much grieve and trouble their spirits that are under them as in Dan. 7.15 and 8.27 and take away their senses for the present and their strength and comliness and make them as it were faint dead dumb and breathless as in Daniel cap. 10. 8. 15. 17. verses and as Iohn in verse 17. at the vision of Christ he fell at his feet as dead and in the examples of Zachariah Paul c. yet after they are passed they have no impairing in the parts either of their bodies or souls but rather a greater glory put upon them as Moses whose face did shine coming from the presence and visions of God Paul grew a most eminent light and the highest of all the Apostles after he was strucken as dead with his converting vision Acts 9. Iohn here receives great and high revelations from Christ after he was stricken as dead at his feet by the glory of the vision God is no hard master none were ever losers to be his instruments in this sort for unto such he commonly adds greater additions of parts grace and glory But on the other side by the evil spirit's raptures or possessions many have not only lost the due temperature of their reason and understanding and so become altogether besotted and wittols but have also their bodies impaired by the hard service of their master Hence it is that as it is reported and commonly by experience seen of witches and such wretched creatures that are truly bewitched by the spirit of delusion and have given up themselves as servants to his will have the faculties of their souls so impaired and hurt by his possessions and daylie disturbing of them he being an Apollyon or destroyer from the beginning that being broken in their reasons they conceive in their raptures that they are transformed into strange shapes of cats dogs hares c. and in an instant to be transported and carried into far places distant and in and out to houses though the doors were shut things in themselves above the efficiency of any creature and contradictory to nature and all its works and unless persons of such belief makes two Omnipotents it can never stand Indeed the true ground hereof and of all their confessions in this kind proceeds from hence that the divel from whom they have their frequent extasies and raptures hath so befooled them in their understandings that they do verily believe those things to be really done and acted which the divel does represent unto them in their extasies and trances and so when they are out of them having lost their reasons believes and often confesses them to be of truth though many of them be impossibilities in nature without a miracle and had never a being further then in the fancies of their confused and disturbed brains This is the reward of the divel 's instruments in this kind Fifthly and lastly If all these former distinguishing marks fail for a hypocrite may go very far in complying with the signs of God's word yet herein he cannot deceive to wit in the truth of his vision or revelation in the event thereof this will be sure to try him whether his vision be from God or not Events discovers visions and distinguishes prophets Jer. 28.9 The prophet which prophesieth of peace when the word of the prophet shall come to pass then shall the prophet be known that the Lord hath truly sent him and this is according to that of Deut. 18.21 22. The question is How we shall know whether a vision be from God or not Look to the event if it comes to pass it is of God if not it is a lie Jeremiah prophesied against Jerusalem Hananiah and other false prophets the contrary Jer. 28.2 3 4. Ahab feared not to go against Ramoth Gilead whiles Zedekiah the false prophet told him Go and prosper 1 Kings 22. but when the words of Micaiah proved true to Ahab in his destruction then the false prophets were confounded and Zedekiah ran into an inner chamber to hide himself 2 Kings 22.25 Object But hath not the divel often foretold the truth of events Yes but not with that clearness as the divine Spirit does he leaves no hesitation or doubting on which side the overthrow will be The Beast together with the false Prophet and their adherents must be taken and destroyed the Saints must remain the conquerors Satan in his predictions is but as a good guesser or conjecturer at best to keep his credit good with his complices he gives out his predictions in riddles or aenigma's as of old in the Oracles at Delphos Aio te Aeacides Romanos vincere posse Or that of Croesus Croesus Halyn penetrans magnam pervertet opum vim Both which may be taken in a diverse sense which the constructors took in advantage as to themselves and so proved to both fatal in not
as in sickly bodies have much to do to keep life and soul together Hence I assert a person may receive a call from divers particular churches but the more sound and Orthodox the church is from whence it is derived the more orthodox and sound is the call though in a corrupted church there may be the true essentials of all offices and calls yet not so virtual and with that satisfaction of conscience as in a more sound and undefiled one But for the particular church of Rome as now constituted cannot be a perfect church to this end nay I much question whether she hath not by her abounding abominations false doctrines and idolatries lost the very essence of a church of Christ and so by consequence the essence of all church offices and ordinances also A wife and spouse when she turns a harlot she loseth the priviledges of a wife and ipso facto virtually becomes a cast-out and divorced So the church of Rome though by some too favourably acknowledged to be truly a church though not a true one having not only forsaken her first love but having committed adultery and spiritual fornication with the Kings of the earth and the inhabitants of the earth being made drunk with the wine of her fornication Rev. 17.2 now she that hath played the part of so notorious a harlot as that she is entituled in Scripture v. 5. The mother of harlots and abominations of the earth the great Whore Babylon the great c. how such a church or rather antichristian Synagogue should give an essence to christian officers and ordinances it cannot enter into my judgement or conscience to conclude though otherwise extensive enough in charity to erroneous and backsliding churches and ready to acknowledge and approve whatsoever of truth and God is in them But that which is most admirable to consider in this adulterate Romish church is that God hath so far infatuated her spiritual reason and understanding that of all those offices and officers we read in the Gospel that Christ hath instituted for the work of his Ministery and perfecting of the Saints we can hear but of one to wit Bishops and that too with most abundant Prelatical corruptions in the whole Apocryphal catalogue of the officers of the Synagogue of Rome where is it asserted in Scripture of a secondary monstrous head of the church to be a Pope Where shall you read of those Princely Cardinals in the whole Treasury of God's Word In what page of his word shall you find the Lord-like Titles of Archbishops Lord Abbots Archdeacons c Where shall we find it recorded in holy Writ of all the rest of the rabble and supernumerary officers of this harlot church as Deans Canons Prebends Surrogates Priests Abbots Abbesses Friers Nuns Doctors Proctors Sumners cum multis aliis c And again hath not this adulteress instead of those spurious Issues spewed out of her bosome the sound and orthodox offices and officers of Christ As where shall you hear in all her Egyptian or Babylonish Territory the sound of those Gospel officers as Pastors Teachers Elders Bishops rightly qualified c Therefore sure shame unto all such that will own a derivation of office and call from such a church that hath not only banished such officers out of her jurisdiction as are truly Christ's but is become her self an adulteress and the mother of harlots and also the Throne of Antichrist and yet if any for all this will endeavour to avouch their calls and missions good as unto the essentials thereof from the church of Rome they must in the first place maintain that she is truly a church of Christ as unto the essence at least and to separate and depart from such a church I know not how they can defend it without sin therefore either be so ingenious as to acknowledge to be a true essential christian church and justifie your calls therefrom and hold communion with her or else acknowledge her to be the Synagogue of Satan and of Antichrist together with all her dependencies of missions calls and ordinances which at best are but antichristian and therefore worthily to be rejected removed and loathed of all true christian hearts Besides we have a command for it Come out of her my people and I pray how shall we depart or come out of her if we communicate with her in her holy things Indeed ingenious M. Baxter affirms if the Pope be Antichrist the case is clear as the good Bishops Downam Jewel c. hath evinced See his Worcestershire agreement p. 69 and 70. Object But it may be objected How then should the first Reformers that fell off from Rome have a right call to the Ministerial offices of the church if they had it not from that church from which they departed I answer Surely they never owned their call from Rome from whence they had departed and had manifested to be the seat of Antichrist but withal assert that their call was som what extraordinary and som what ordinary God in that time of spiritual darkness moved most powerfully and vigorously on the hearts of the first Restorers as Wickliffe Husse Luther c. and gave them such a call of abilities and courage that was not ordinary in that great first undertaking and breaking forth of light Secondly He gave them the ordinary call of their respective churches to be their Pastors Teachers c. So being both abilitated and called of God and man they had a true and justifiable call to the Ministery of Christ If any one say the Ministerial office must precede in order before the Being of the church I grant that the church cannot be called or gathered without a precedent officer for How shall they hear without a Preacher Or how shall they preach unless they be sent But withal rejoyn and super-add that in the first constitution of churches extraordinary calls did supply all wants otherwise so I am of opinion it may be granted that in so miserable collapsed church estate as the Antichristian darkness in the times of the first Reformation was God did supply not with ordinary gifts only those that he employed in that work of the first Reformation and in absence of the ordinary call God gave them an additament of parts and gifts not ordinary which was to be observed in all their constant course and Ministery carried on with a Spirit of extraordinary courage and abilities Witness that saying of Luther when he was advised by some of his friends in respect of danger that he should abstain from a Diet wherein he promised to give his adversaries a conference he answered if there were as many divels at the Diet as there were tyles in the City he would not fear them but would among them But in rightly constituted churches the ordinary call is not to be neglected but to be attended to as a positive Law of God indispensable and not in the least to be slighted but where God hath dispensed
so called for on the performance of every condition by vertue of compact it hath a legal influence merit and causality unto the production of its end Neither indeed is there any such compact in the Word since the fall of Adam that on the performance of any conditions be they never so Evangelical as Faith Repentance c. Justification or life was promised thereupon only the condition of the old covenant between God and man was death upon disobedience and life upon obedience Man having forfeited the one by his disobedience Christ steps in as the Mediator of a better and surer covenant and makes his soul an offering unto death which was the full performance of the penal condition due unto the sinner and so absolutely purchased a blessed seed unto himself and on such stable conditions performed altogether by himself that they cannot possibly forfeit their inheritance being in so sure a hand and are still heirs though whiles under years they differ not from servants that is whiles under sin and unregeneracy are still in bondage until faith come to discover their heirship and interest unto the purchased possession and in the mean time by evil works they are as enemies strangers and aliens to God and the commonweal of Israel according to the old Legal distinction they have notwithstanding Jus ad Rem though not Jus in Re. And though I deny faith or repentance to be conditions properly so called in the covenant to life or justification yet I say they are required in the same new Law Covenant or Testament as conditions improperly so called or as conditions in order preceding one the other and as benefits of the same covenant But seeing the word condition is of late glown so rampant and overmuch perfumed with the Spiceries of Rome I shall willingly let it lie as that other term of merit which in their first births were more innocent and inoffensive and shall rather call them as duties and qualities required in the new covenant by Christ as necessary in all his redeemed ones to life and salvation And when I say they are duties necessary I would be understood not absolutely necessary but virtate precepti and virtute medii unto all such as are capable of their duties but not unto Infants or Idiots that want the use of reason for to believe and repent are acts of the will and understanding which Infants or Idiots are not capable of and therefore we exempt them from salvation dying so if the condition of faith was absolute and peremptory as Augustine once dreamed and therefore was called durus pater Infantum and all others must conclude the like harsh judgement on them also that hold actual faith and repentance as absolute necessary conditions unto justification and life But again If it were true what the Arminian says That none are saved but on the condition of the To credere or act of faith and none damned but for unbelief then I re-assume that some persons according to this are neither damned nor saved for Infants dying such as aforesaid cannot have by reason of their incapacity the act of faith nor unbelief which is a privation by refusal or resistance of the truth made manifest Indeed such absurdities do they incur that assert such absolute conditions in the covenant of grace to be done on man's part yet I say they are absolute and peremptory on Christ's part to be performed and he having fully finished all the conditions for his elect ones by his death though some of them dying Infants yet are saved by vertue of that everlasting covenant made with Christ in for and on the behalf of all his chosen ones of whom he will not lose one which the Father hath given him From this precedent discourse you may plainly conclude that though I grant repentance a necessary Gospel duty and for divers good ends it is ordained so yet do not in the least place it in any subordinate causality joyntly with Christ in the work of our salvation but only as our duty thorowfare or way thereunto commanded and instituted by Christ as part of his new Law that he himself might have the pre-eminence in all things and the name and glory alone of our salvation And this hereon shall suffice See more hereon v. 23. Observ 2. Another Note hence is That the doctrine of judgments and threats is a very useful Gospel doctrine When Christ hath passed with his doctrine of grace and offers a reconcilement freely if the sinner will but turn from his iniquities and repent and yet the sinner will refuse his gracious terms he hath another burden to tell him that after he hath refused so great salvation he can cast both soul and body into hell fire the most obdurate and incorrigible child must have the sharpest rod a smile or a love-token will work upon the ingenious but saith Solomon a rod is for the back of a fool Neither is judgement a strange work unto Christ for as he is related unto his church as a Saviour and a Father respecting his grace and loving kindness so he is as well a Judge and a Legislator and so may justly chastise his church as contemners and transgressors of his Royal Law If he calls us to repent which is part of his new covenant Law as he did the church of Ephesus and yet go on obstinately in sin justly may he remove his candlestick from amongst us If his Lamb-like quality of mercy and grace will not invite us to return he can roat as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah which will cause us to call upon the mountains to fall upon us and to hide us from the presence of the Lamb wherefore they are much mistaken that would shut out as useless the doctrine of threats and judgements from the Gospel which are to be preached soberly and conditional not peremptory and absolute for if there were not a curb and fear of loss and punishment the wanton straying soul would hardly be reclaimed though the more tender hearted the apprehension of grace and love might reclaim and mollifie Observ 3. Another Observation is To take off God's candlestick or to unchurch a Nation or people is the most grievous of all God's judgements Christ could not afflict the church of Ephesus with a greater loss then to remove his church from among them for hereby First Privatively His glory and special presence of grace and favour is withdrawn Secondly The guidance light and comfort of his holy Spirit is departed Thirdly His Ordinances are all defiled and vanished Fourthly His special protection is withdrawn also Fifthly and lastly Instead of his gracious presence they have his presence in wrath judgements and fiery indignations Instead of his Spirit of light and comfort they have the dismal spirit of darkness errour and despair instead of Christ's holy Ordinances they have the Divel's sacrifices and instead of God's special protection over them they are carried captives by Satan to all foul and
wherein sin is but not in the sinfulness of the action as the Sun that emits his efficacious beams upon a dunghil yet it self is undefiled from the corruption of the dunghil so God that has his hand and efficiency about sin is far from mixing with the obliquities of the creature neither can he be said to be the direct author of it nor the next proper cause thereof sin is only a moral being or entity and it hath subsistence alone in our corrupt natures but all our physical actions are good wherein God hath a concurrence and they become ill or sinful by our own depravities and so the divel and our own lusts are the mixt proper authors and fountains of all sin So let God be justified and all men lyars Secondly Yet I say God hath his hand and efficiency about sin several manner of ways and for distinct method sake I shall briefly set them down 1. God foresees and pre-ordains it else as I said it could not come to pass seeing God is omniscient and omnipotent to hinder it if he would Acts 2.23 Christ was delivered by the fore knowledge and determinate counsel of God What was a greater sin then the betraying the innocent and that too the Saviour of the world Yet this was pre-ordained of God and he meant to draw excellent good out of it and Gen. 15.19 20. Joseph tells his brethren As for you ye thought evil but God meant it for good to bring it to pass as it is this day to save much people alive 2. God permits it God's Decrees imply a necessity that sin shall be but do not impel or enforce thereunto We being left to our free choice God is not bound to hinder us he suffered them to walk in their own ways Acts 14.16 and we being left unto our own choice without God's special grace we are sure to chuse the worser part 3. God hath his concurrence in every action wherein sin is but not in the obliquity of it all our actions and motions are from God but the sinfulness thereof is from the lusts of the heart of man 4. God withdraws his preventing Grace or suspends it from a sinner for God is not bound up to Laws and conditions unto us and he may do it out of Soveraignty and he will do it somtimes in wisdom to try us and see whether we will seek after him and keep close unto him as he did to Hezekiah 2 Chron. 33.31 God left Hezekiah that he might know what was in his heart So somtimes he withdraws his grace in Justice and Judgement Psal 81.12 I gave them up to their own hearts lusts and they walked in their own counsels 5. God gives a concession and permission to wicked Instruments to stir up and move to evil as 1 Kings 22.22 I will go forth and be a lying Spirit in the mouth of Abab's Prophets And God said Go forth 6. God wisely disposes his Providences that they become a snare unto the sinner and yet no dishonour to God for his acts of Providences are in themselves good and are rather motives to holiness and duty if our hearts were sound then temptations to sin yea his very mercies will become unto them a snare Psal 69.22 Let their Table become a snare and their Welfare a Trap. A sinner like the Sea will make all it receives brackish though ever so sweet that runs into it 7. God's hand is conversant about sin as some of his judiciary punishments that he afflicts the sinner with as Rom. 1.26 2 Thes 2.11 God gave them up to vile affections and gave them strong delusions When we leave God and his ways justly may he give us up to our own lusts and perverse ways in a Judiciary way and to a reprobate sense 8. God limits sin Thus far thou shalt go and no farther Psal 76.10 The wrath of man shall praise thee and the remainder thereof shalt thou restrain So far as God gets glory by the permission of sin God will let the sinner take his swing but it shall not exceed its bounds but can presently destroy it or stop the current of it in an instant And so the remainders of wrath thou wilt restrain 9. God disposes the events and ends of all sin to his glory God would never permit sin if he could not bring good out of it Rom. 3.7 Adam's sin as one wittily said was a happy sin because it made way for the grace of God to be more clearly manifested unto the creature Many of God's attributes would never be so clearly advanced if it were not for sin to wit his mercy in pardoning justice in punishing wisdom in ordering power in over-ruling it Let us never therefore murmure against God for pre-ordaining and permitting sin for though the wages thereof be death yet thanked be God we have Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ Observ 4. Another Note from the words The Divel shall cast some of you in prison is That it is the Saints great comfort to know that their imprisonments and afflictions comes from Satan and his wicked instruments Saint Peter's rule was 1 Pet. 4.15 Let none of you suffer as an evil doer The comfort of sufferings will be quite abated by the guilt of sin neither must the Saints sufferings be voluntary and out of choice for unto such it may one day be said Who required these things at your hands There must be a just call unto afflications that must make them comfortable to us It is but a fond presumption to cast our selves upon imprisonments and tribulations Satan and his wicked instruments will be apt enough to do it and in that we may truly rejoyce that Christ hath thought us worthy to be Martyrs to his Truth Acts 5.41 Matth. 5.12 and hath given us so sure and strong a token of our Interest in him together with a sight of that glory of our interest which we then under that condition must virtually and strongly enjoy in him by faith but such are very fond that will desire to fall into imprisonments and tribulations out of an affectation to Martyrdom as many of the Quakers of these days do and Christ hath taught us to pray Lead us not into temptation and this had not been taught us had it not been grievous and evil to fall into it whether it were either the temptation unto sin or temptation of affliction or the cross for Christ himself prayed when his soul was troubled within him Father save me from this hour and Let this Cup pass from me John 12.27 though Christ submitted to the will of his Father and freely chose death and sufferings as our Mediator yet as a private person he would manifest the same affections that are in us and deprecate the evil of sufferings if possibly he could Therefore for us to desire or rush into them would be a mad zeal and irregular and not according to sound knowledge but if we desire to wait on God sincerely and live godly
then monastical lives and Votaries of all sorts testifie then they Yet who hath laid more stumbling blocks in the waies of christians and the truth then they by their Balaamitish doctrines and practises It is most usual amongst us to commend the days of our forefathers as most imitable and religious yet how sad to consider when we find the very doctrines of Balaam left unto us from them for though at present I have not numbred the thirty seventh year of my age yet I well remember how rise the doctrines of Balaam were practised here amongst us and that too by imitation from our predecessors We had our Floralia our Feasts and Sacrifices to the Goddess of Maia which were carried on with a great and solemn vanity with much Paganish customs exercised thereabout mixed with a great deal of vanity sin shame and bestiality and this not only permitted but maintained and defended by ungodly Balaamites in opposition to the godly in their times Yet the practise thereof in these parts was so vile that the same persons the same day that they did eat of the body and blood of Christ in his Ordinance of the Supper the same day were drunken and filled with things offered unto Idols I mean in their heathenish sports and vanities but blessed be God that hath now taught us otherwise Yet though at present we make a fair profession yet still we have some remainders of this doctrine of Balaam all England over even in keeping our Wakes our Revels our Parochial Festivals a foot wherein there is a great smatch of Antichristian Idolatrizing and eating things offered to Idols and lusting after the Midianitish women and Flesh pots and Onyons of Egypt in the observation of these and other Roman Festivals If Feasts or Festivals be they never so piously instituted as the ' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or love-Feasts amongst the primitive christians were once come to be defiled and to lose their Primitive virgin institution and ends and to become Sacrifices to Bacchus or Venus or to any Idol whatsoever they are to be disanulled abrogated and laid aside as an unholy thing The Lord deliver his churches and people from the politique Balaamites of these times who will teach Balack to lay a stumbling block before the children of Israel and the Lord give a discerning heart unto our Soveraign Magistrate to discover all such that come unto him and move or teach him to lay stumbling blocks or snares in the ways of the true Israelites of God let such have the wages of Balaam who have forsaken the right way and are gone astray following the way of Balaam the son of Beor so let them receive the wages of unrighteousness for their hire Observ 4. That false Prophets and false Teachers are still ready to insinuate with and please the humors of the Princes of the people in all their wicked designes Balaam was very ready and intense to answer Balack's cursed desires against Israel if the Lord had not prevented him What elsemade Balaam after he had the denial of God that he should not go to Balack Numb 22.12 to make another application to God to get permission to go to Balack And when he knew his errand that it was to curse Israel how often did he tempt the Lord with Sacrifices if possibly he could to draw God to his designe And though God did manifest his displeasure to Balaam in his way in the business he went about by the Angel with the sword and made his Ass miraculously to reprove him yet neither miracle cross providence nor prohibition shall hinder Balaam to serve Balack against the Israelites if he may If once false Prophets perceive the humor of their Princes they will be sure to sew pillows under their arm-holes they will observe the humors of men and apply themselves to please answerably Yet this is not all they will as Balaam instruct Balack in wicked and cursed designes and practises though they have commands enough to the contrary and witnessed sufficiently from heaven against it yet they will justle such cursed and bloody plots into their Princes hearts that they never thought of yea that are abhorrent to some of their natures as it is witnessed in the History of Q. Mary That her own natural disposition was good and merciful and only instigated and taught to persecution against the Saints by the wicked Balaamites false Teachers as Bonner Fisher c. It is observed by some that our late King Charles of England had never split the Ship of the Commonweale against the Rock had he not hearkned too much to the advice of the Balaamites about him the Bishops their corrupt party who taught him to lay snares or stumbling-blocks in the way of the true Israelites of God in this Nation to wit by the promotion and countenance of Romish Idolatries and their Midianitish Fornications But behold the wisdom of God they were both taken in their own snares and laid in the dust together And so acording to that Numb 31.8 They slew the King of Midianitish 〈◊〉 Princes and Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword Beyond Seas it is a Proverb No cursed design afoot but a Priest has a finger in it I could pray it were not in England I could wish that they in our Israel had less of Achitophel or Machiavel in them and more of the simplicity of he Gospel of Christ in the room thereof Observ 5. False Prophets as Balaam lay their designs not only for the temporal destruction of the godly but for the eternal also if they may Balaams designe in his cursed counsel to Balak was that the Israelites should Idolatrize and adulterize that the judgements of God might both reach their bodies and souls together The divel and his agents desire that all may have no better portion then themselves they will not be contented with the destruction of Saints bodies but will night and day like roaring lyons go about to seek to destroy them and to cause them to lose and forfeit their eternal state of happiness if they could It was this that made these churches of Asia to lose their candlesticks and it will be always the Balaamitish doctrines and practises that will cause God to remove his presence of grace power and comfort from one people to another that is more sound and fruitful O therefore ye churches of Christ look to your doctrines and practises that they be right and straight to the rule of God's Word so God will delight to dwell among you and will make you the habitation of his glory otherwise will leave your place desolate and forsaken though you be his people in profession If you turn to idols false worships and wicked practises though Moses and Eliah be among you righteous souls they shall only save themselves but the wicked shall be cut off from the land of the living which is reserved as an inheritance for the pure and undefiled Observ 6. That
them is charity its precedency lies in this 1. In that it perfumes and enlivens all the other graces faith it self is dead without it And to suppose a faith without love is to suppose a man without a soul The gifts of prophesies tongues and miracles are but barren and usless things without this 2. This hath for its object both God and Man we exercise our faith and hope only towards God and his promises but our charity is extended both towards God and Man And therefore love is called Rom. 13.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fulfilling of the Law it is the whole sum and hinge on which the commandements turn In this one word charity both the Tables of the decalogue are abridged 3. It excells in that it is the greatest note of our interest in God and Christ Faith is that giveth right unto the promises but love is that giveth life to faith It is the very soul of all our graces If we gave our bodies to be burnt for Christ and had not charity it will profit nothing 1 Cor. 13.3 By this we know that we are passed from death to life because we love the Brethren 1 John 3.14 and Ia. 1.12 The Crown of life is promised to them that love God and Rom. 8.28 Love is made the very discovery of effectual calling and election 4. Love excells in that it is the perfection of the Law it is the very end of the Commandments 1 Tim. 1.5 and were Love but perfect in us it would make us perfect Keepers and Observers of the Law both towards God and Man Love knits the Members of Christs Body together and so perfects his Body It unites us to God and so maketh the perfecting of divine love in us 1 John 4.12 17. and here it is we are commanded twice to put on love above all things 1 Pet. 4.8 and Col. 3.14 but once above all things to take the shield of faith 5. And lastly when faith hope patience and all other graces ceases charity abideth Love is not only a portion for the Saints in this life but in the other also then we shall love God and Christ when faith and hope ceaseth therefore justly did Christ in this place and the Apostle in 1 Cor. 13.13 give it the precedency above al other Graces of the Spirit 2. Love brings forth another grace service external worship and obedience him whom we love we obey we serve we honour and worship The service of love is most intense and effectual When Christ communed with Simon Peter John 21. and asked him thrice Simon Son of Jonas lovest thou me Yea Lord thou knowest it saith Peter Christ answered feed my sheep The more love that Peter manifested the more service and duty was put upon him Services that we perform to God not out of love but formality or custome are but as scabbed or lame Sacrifices under the Law which the Lord hated Right ends in our services are First Love and zeal to God's glory Secondly Love to the obedience of God's commandments Thirdly Love to the edification of others These ends makes us a true and sincere worship love goeth through all and is the fulfilling of the Law 3. Thyatira is approved for her faith made lively and effectual by love True faith is never seperated from love they go hand in hand together but love hath the precedency for the reasons aforesaid though faith is first in order of nature for faith is that grace that gives the first being unto a christian but love is the perfection of that being There must be first a knowledge of God and assent unto his truths which is the first act of faith before we can love that God or his Truths but withal I say there is so inseperable union between these two graces no sooner hath faith a being and a body but love comes to animate it to make it sound lively and perfect Observ hence Note That it is not a bare opinion or entertainment of the truth that is a true lively faith but that that worketh by love Many will one day say we have prophesied in thy Name taught in thy Name cast out devils in thy Name professed and beleived thy truths and yet the Lord will say unto them I know you not and all for want of this grace of love towards God and his Saints A sound and true faith contains in it these three principal ingredients that gives the very form and being to it First A sound distinct knowledge of the thing believed I know and am perswaded saith Paul Rom. 14.14 Persons that are ignorant of Gods promises and of the word of eternal life can never believe aright Secondly A firm perswasion strongly assuming the heart As a sound believer must not be an ignorant soul so must he not be a wavering-minded man but must have an undeceivable certainty and truth in that he does believe Thirdly A confident resting and rejoycing with satisfaction unto the Soul surely looking to enjoy that it does beleive True faith hath these four acts and degrees in it 1. Knowledge 2. Assent 3. Adherence and 4. Assurance A believer may have the three first acts and want the latter and a sound beleiver and a justified person Though God for causes to himself known may never give the grace of Assurance yet that faith that only knows God distinctly to be a God of salvation in his promises to repentant sinners through Christ and so takes him and adheres unto him in the love and truth thereof doubtless that soul shall never be a cast-away though God's presence of assurance and joyful satisfaction be never manifested unto him If we be saved it is enough though God reserves his comfortable presence and inward love for us unto another world 4. Thyatira hath another excellent grace and that is Patience or sufferance with patience as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 carries it in the Greek A wicked man may suffer affliction but not suffer with patience without murmuring swearing or blaspheming as the godly doth The wicked may haue patience perforce and unwillingly when he cannot help it the afliction being above his reach to remedy but the godly is patient as it is an effect of love because he loveth much he is ready to suffer much with constancy and patience as Jacob served two seven years hardship for his beloved Rachel so a faithful soul is ready to suffer all afflictions chearfully and with much patience all the years of his life because he loves God and Christ and so accounts the afflictions of this life not to be valued with the glory that shall hereafter be revealed to all those that love God 5. Thyatira was a growing fruitful church her latter works were more then her first done upon better grounds and better principles From whence Note Observ That the gracious works of the more grown Christians doe exceed those of the younger sort in soundness The Neophites or young Christians may be more zealous
then the approved Presbiters of a church but the latter zeal is better â—egulated and more sober then the former When I was a child saith Paul I spake as a child I did as a child I understood as a child but when I became a man I put away childish things So it is in our spiritual growth in our first birth we are very childish and zealous of small things external circumstances in worship we then look upon as great things and if a painted window a cross a suâ—pless a cope c. stand in our way we presently stumble at them and think it the most acceptable service we can perform to God either to burn them or break them to peices as Antichristian trumperies Again if we come a little higher then we spend most or all our strength about the defence of external forms of worship as whether Presbitery Independency or the way of the Anabaptists so called be the righter way This humour too is most prevalent in the Neophites but the waightier things of God and his Law is for the elder and stronger sort The one thinks to catch Heaven by Tything Mint and Anniss by being very intense about the smaller things of the Law but the other â—ot leaving the first undone falls upon the kernel and substance of Religion which is fit meat for stronger men The grown christian's graces excels the younger as his love is more sound he loves not for interest or opinion sake as many young ones does but he loves the brethren on this ground as being members of one body being made partakers of the same divine truth with himself Secondly His service is more cordial in respect of the larger experience of the goodness of God to his Soul he hath often met God's presence in his ordinances then the younger christian hath and therefore needs must his desires and affections excell unto God's Ordinances and worships seeing he hath ofâ—ner met God therein as in a special habitation of his glory Thirdly An old christian's faith is sounder then the younger he believes not because he hath heard only with the ear but he believes because he hath seen tasted and experienced the truth and faithfulness of God and his promises to his soul which the other it may be as yet has not attained too Fourthly His patience is more tryed more refined then the younger Fifthly and lastly In effect all his graces are sounder and better circumstantiated then those of the younger christians for ends for grounds for manners for time and in all other circumstances whatsoever Therefore it is our duty to strive that our last works may be more then our first otherwise shame unto us as unprofitable servants Vers 20. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee because thou sufferest that woman Jezabel which calleth her self a Prophetess to teach and seduce my servants to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed unto Idols Yet nevertheless O thou church of Thyatira though I do approve and encourage thy gracious works of love faith seruice and patience and commend thee for thy proficiency in them yet I have a few things certain offences to lay in charge against thee Hence Note Observ If our sins be few and great though our graces be many and eminent yet God will come against us for them Few great and scandalous sins are as dead flies in pretious Oyntment it will defile the whole box of spiritual graces God will not Inhabit quietly and at peace in one mansion with sin and wickedness If Ephraim will have Idols God will let him alone And if Israel will uphold wickedness though his own peculiar people who were abounding in sacrifices and holy services yet that shall not priviledge them from a Babylonish captivity If his own select people will turn wild Olives and cruciâ—â—e the Lords Prophets and his Christ he can cut them off and make them a desolate and dispersed people upon the face of the whole earth Thyatira had many excellent graces and so had Ephesus Smyrna Pergamus c. yet for their sins and especially those of Idolatry and Fornication the corrupt doctrines of Balaam Jezabel and the Nicolaitans God came against them in judgment and fiery indignation and removed his candlesticks from amongst them and left them desolate If we conceive our graces of Faith Love Service c. will secure us from the wrath of God though we admit Antichristian doctrines of Idolatry false and evil worships among us we shall be much deceived Doubtless many of our former Bishops were very godly men as Jewel Downham Usher Hall Davenant c. yet their real graces and holiness could not stop the hand of God in going forth in wrath against the Antichristian practises and false worships tolerated and allowed in the churches of Eng◠〈…〉 only could deliver their own souls but they themselves 〈◊〉 main and the whole function shall smart for it in the day of 〈◊〉 Lord's indignation and though some of them were godly and pious men yet for their tolerating and conniving at false doctrines and worships they themselves shall suffer in the common judgment but their pious and gracious souls shall be saved so as by fire not that of Purgatory first kindled in the Popes Kitchen but by the fire of afflictions sanctified unto them by that fire of purging and cleansing away our dross to wit God's Spirit and Word We are therefore to look to it how we admitt offences amongst us though they be but few they may draw God into judgment against us and though they may not at present unchurch us yet if held unrepented of they may provoke God to come against us quickly with the sword of his mouth O let no man plead for toleration of sin false doctrines or worships from the Primitive practises or presidents of the first churches so as they sinned first in these particulars so they were made the first examples of God's wrath and justice It is but a sad saying of some That their present churches are as sound straight and holy as the Primitive ones They had their drunkards incestuous followers of the doctrine of Balaam the Nicolaitans and Jezabel and we say they in our Parochial churches have not worse Alas they are now made unto us examples of God's righteous judgments for those and the rest of their sins and their very habitations given unto the cursed Mahometans and their off springs turned Barbarians and Heathens and if we be found in the same sins and transgressions with them O May we not fear the same desolating judgment Let us not contemn the long-suffering of God but speedily repent and do our first works So far should we be from boasting on that account that it should rather be unto us just matter of grief and sorrow But to proceed The charge against Thyatira was That thou sufferest the woman Jezabel who calleth her self a Prophetess to teach and deceive my servants c. This woman Jezebel here mentioned doubtless
cap. 18. The Beast and false Prophet joynt companions in evil the one upholding and confirming the other the one by an unrighteous and tyrannical Sword the other by false doctrines and miracles till at last both are caught by Christ and his Armies and cast into the lake of fire and brimstone Rev. 19.20 And if common tribulations were not enough for false teachers and their folowers Christ will cast them into a bed wherein they shall roul themselves in grief cover themselvs in grief and with great tribulation and if all this will not do to bring them to repentance for their wicked deeds and practises Christ hath another bed to cast them into a bed of death and destruction in the next verse And I will kill her children with death except they repent of their deeds Repentance is the only remedy against divine judgments turning from sin and turning to God will turn God's wrath from us and his love towards us See more hereon about repentance ver 5. and 16 of this cap. Vers 23. And I will kill her children with death and all the Churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reines and hearts and I will give unto every one of you according to your works As the true church of Christ hath her children begotten and fostered up by the immortal seed of the word so false Teachers and Heretiques have their children also begotten by the spirit of deceit and falshood and nourished by errors and wickedness So this false Nicolaitish Prophetess had her children followers of her Fornication and Idolatry In the former verse we read of her Adulteries that doth commit fornication with her and promote her doctrines of Idolatries equally with her self and that Christ would cast them together into great tribulation except they repent and here we find their Issue children of the same cursed stock which Christ will aso shew no mercy to but kill her children with death that is will sweep them away in judgment not only with a violent and precipitant deatnh â—ut will also slay them with a death eternal Hence Note Observ 1. That children that tread in the steps of their wicked parents are envolved under the same judgments with themselves If we be partakers of our Father's sins it is just that we should be partakers of their punishments If we follow the steps of our faithful parents we shall have the same reward with them of our faithfulness in the latter day God giveth to every one according to his works the child shall not dye for the sin of his parent nor shall the child be saved for the faith or obedience of his parent For the Soul that sinneth shall dye And he that believeth shall be saved But as for the little ones that are uncapable of actual sin or faith their salvation or damnation is according to his will that sheweth mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardens Rom. 9. Quest. But if it be demanded How will it stand with the justice of God to cut off little children which are innocent nor ever yet done good or evil together in judgment with their parents Answ Little children that had never committed actual sin even babes new born or in the womb doubtless perished in the floud and many in Sodome and yet without impeachment of or derogation to divine Justice First God can do it out of Soveraignty and absolute dominion which he hath over his creatures He is the Potter he that made the Vessel can break it he that gave life to babes can take it away and who can say why dost thou this Secondly all Infants are defiled with original sin and as the wages of sin is death so God can justly inflict death on them both temporal and eternal as the due wages thereof together with their parents Thirdly Little children are part of their parents substance and family and God may justly punish the living parent in his child by death as well as any others of his stock and substance as by a temporal punishment Fourthly Though God may often sweep away in his temporal judgments many little innocent children as by the Sword Famine c. and yet they not perish eternally for violent or sudden death is no Argument of God's hatred to them for many precious souls expire by a more terrible and violent death then that of the Sword Pestilence or Famine Fifthly and lastly For the comfort and the better support of the hopes of faithful parents for the well being of their little innocent dying infants whether they are taken off by God either by an ordinary death or in a common judgment let them understand for their comfort that God hath made an everlasting covenant of grace and salvation with Christ for all his Elect ones Gal. 3.16 Isa 53.11 12. and though the Infants of believers die before they can receive the promise of the Spirit by faith yet the chosen ones in Christ are secure by virtue of God's eternal love towards them in Christ being chosen in him from all eternity Ephes 1.14 and let me with reverence speak it Christ may as soon perish as one of them he being the head they the members making up one mystical church Had God ever cloathed himself with flesh in the person of the Son had it not been to lay down a sufficient price and ransom to divine Justice for all his ever beloved chosen ones And where there is such a predeterminating love as God's is towards his Elect and such an inestimable and compleat price paid for them as Christ's death is how can any such possibly perish without violation and impeachment both of divine Love and divine Justice This is a surer ground of the salvation of some dying Infants of believing parents then that that some Arminianising persons of these days do make to wit the parents faith the condition of the Infant 's salvation Dying Infants with those of that perswasion I leave these few following considerations First They should do well in the first place to produce that grant which they pretend to be in the Gospel covenant that the parents faith is the condition of their Infants salvation dying so but this will be done ad Graecas Calendas it savors too much of works of Supererrogation and Popery to be true Secondly If some dying Infants of believing parents are saved on the condition of their parents faith then all are so saved that dyes so before they have forfeited their condition by their own actual transgressions and if all of them are saved dying so then happier would faithful parents be to see all their children dy whilst Infants and innocent for then they should be sure of their salvation then to see them live for some of them must become reprobate and wicked for few godly parents have ever had all godly children Abraham had Ishmael as well as Isaac Isaac had an Esau as well as a Jacob Jacob had a Reuben Simeon and Levi. brethren
received to and by souls before they can act towards God in the least acceptable services Object But then again some one may say If the small remaines of grace that were in Sardis were almost dead or ready to dy does not this argue a falling away and a possibility of the faithful to perish totally Answ Grace may be very low and yet not dead it was as sparks of fire under much ashes with Sardis and yet we know sparks are as real fire though not as fervent and virtual as a flaming one Indeed it was low with Sardis in her spiritual condition and it is most just with God when we are great sinners against him that he hides much of his gracious presence from us When by sin we quench the operations of the spirit of God God may justly quench its effects towards us but no sooner shall we follow the motions of the spirit and renew by repentance but presently God gives a more enlivening and effectual spirit into our souls and notwithstanding his former withdrawings yet it is but a Fatherly chastisement not an utter dereliction and forsaking Secondly I answer Persons that are Elect and have really tasted of the vertue of Christ's death and intercession can never utterly fall away unless they would make the power wisdome and preordination of God to be weak and fallible and the death and intercession of Christ impotent and insufficient unto that end to which it is ordained yet withal I assert though Elect persons cannot utterly fall away as being given by the Father unto Christ and none such can be cast away being helped by the mighty powâ—â— of God unto salvation yet Election of a state of persons may fail and perish As to instance in the Jewish Nation the Election thereof did obtain Rom. 11.7 to wit those that did pertain to the Election of God in that Nation did obtain mercy and reconcilliation by Christ yet at last for the sin of that Nation the Election of God did fail as respecting that State and Nation and the Ax was laid unto the root and that good Olive cut down and cast into the fire and the wild Olive or Gentile Nations graffed in upon their Stock Obstinacy in sin and unbelief was their cutting off and faith is the Gentiles incision and graffing in as the one is cut off by unbelief so the other is graffed in by faith Rom. 11.20 Those few names in Sardis that do hold fast the faith they are in a safe condition whilst all the rest of that church may perish utterly the first are marked and written in the eternal book of life of God and of the Lambe and therefore cannot perish but after God had finished his work at Sardis Thyatira Rome Corinth c. and called his Elect out of them and secured their eternal happiness he can remove the current of his Election to another people without any changeableness or shaddow of change in him and make those very people in their posterities the very seat and Sinagogue of Satan who were once his beulahs darling and beloved ones Thirdly there are guilded formal hipocritical graces and believers and such may not be only ready to dy but dead twice dead dead at the root and fit for nothing but to be plucked up and cast into the fire and therefore it is very ordinary in Scripture to say that such are fallen away perished and lost from their faith which they seemed to have all their graces are in the outward appearance only So Demas Simon Magus Judas Ananias and Saphira c. may be said to fall away from the faith because they had never the truth of real grace in them all was but seeming formal hypocritical and at best but historical which the divels may have and for all this perish everlastingly Observ 2. It is a great mercy for God to leave some remains of grace in a sinful Church and people If God had not left us a remnant we had been worse then Sodome and Gomorrah Small sparks being blown and cherished may become a flame so little grace though like a Mustard-seed may become a great Tree If God should deprive us of all the seed of grace there must needs follow a spiritual death unto our souls for when the soul of the soul is gone the soul will be soul-less and dead unto every good and spiritual worke As long as there is life in us though it is infirm and weak yet there is some hopes of recovery but being once dead there is no hopes of Redemption from the grave So as long as we have the Spirit of Christ though it works but faintly and weakly by reason of corruption in us and if it comes but to the first step and lowest degree of spiritual life to wit to be sensible of its dead and carnal condition and to complain under it there are good hopes of recovery unto such a soul and unto such I may boldly say unto its comfort Awake and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to dy Observ 3. Though our graces are but weak and low and ready to dy yet it is our duty to cherish strengthen and confirm them until we bring forth the worke of Christ within our selves unto perfection We are not to contemn the day of small things for he that improves but one Talent well shall be made ruler of many Talents The Beasts in the Prophet always went forward Ezek. 1.11 but grubs that are backward are reckoned among unclean creatures Lev. 11.10 God hath promised that he will not break the bruised reed nor quench the smoaking flax If we cherish the work of grace in us though in never so small a measure God will add a greater and fuller supply unto us God will add unto faith vertue unto vertue patience c. and according to that word in 2 Pet. 1.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they shall all come hand in hand in consort as following one the other as in a chorus or dance Doubtless it would not be labor lost for Sardis to strengthen and revive the remainders of grace that were ready to expire within her though Christ would be at hand to assist her by his grace and spirit yet he would not do it without her motion and improvment as it was once said by Austine Though God made us without us yet he would not save us without us Grace works most kindly when it meets with improving hearts that are ready to say with young Samuel Thy servant heareth Lord speak Though God hath ascertained and decreed the salvation of his Elect yet it does not exclude the duty of creatures and the work of second causes Ezek. 36.37 Jer. 29.11 12. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling we are to worke for life as if life were to be got by working and doubtless the crown will be the more glorious where the greater improvments of grace are made the more grace the Vessel is capable of and filled with here
the more glory it will be capable of and filled with hereafter Every Vessel shall have his fulness in glory but every one acording to its capacity as there is a glory in the Stars Moon and Sun and one differing from another in glory yet every one hath their fulness So in the Kingdom o◠glory when God giveth to every one according to his works every one shall have the reward of their works eternal happiness but some shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel all shall be shining Stars but some of a greater Magnitude then others But to proceed For I have not found thy works perfect before God It was not a legal perfection that Christ could not find in Sardis he did never seek for that absolute perfection in them that would be in vain seeing they were so full of Imperfections But yet this intimates that the faithful christians and their works may be perfect before God although they are not found perfect in Sardis yet may be found perfect in others that are more sound and godly For the clearing of which understand that sometimes in Scripture perfection is taken for sincerity and uprightness as Gen. 17.1 Walk before me be thou perfect that is upright sincere as Iob 1.1 he was a man that was perfect and upright one that feared God and eschewed evil he was a plain simple man honest at the heart in this sense the works of Sardis were not perfect before God they were not honest sincere and upright according to his will they were Hypocritical in name shew and appearance only not in truth and sincerity Secondly Perfection may be taken 1. As respecting our justification Or 2. Our sanctification The first of these in a strict sense is a compleat perfection for the Saints are compleat in Christ their head as unto justification and from all sin and the guilt thereof there is not one sin left which is not washed away by his blood in this respect they are perfect By one offering Christ hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Heb. 10.14 Then Secondly There is a perfection of sanctification and holiness And that is 1. In the respect of the beginnings and parts thereof 2. In respect of the prevailing degree thereof 3. In respect of the aimes thereof 4. In respect of the duration and perseverance of it 5. In respect of others First the Saints in this life have a perfect beginning of holiness as to its parts because it begins in every part they are sanctified throughout in soul body and spirit 1 Thes 5.23 though every part be not throughout sanctified by reason of the imperfection of mediums by which they are sanctified yet they are sanctified in every part throughout in understandings wills affections desires memories thoughts and hearts Secondly They have every grace in their souls not only in the truth thereof but in the prevailing degree thereof as when faith love patience humility c. overcome infidelity hatred impatience pride and other their opposite vices and evils So when this work of sanctification is begun in all parts thereof it may be said a perfect work in beginning and when it comes to the prevailing degree thereof it may be called a perfect work having prevailed against its contrary Thirdly They are likewise perfect in respect of their aims and desires God accepts the will for the deed and he that aims and strives for perfection God accepts as perfect though mixed with much imperfections Christ could not find the works of Sardis perfect in this sense neither Fourthly They are likewise perfect in respect of their duration Apostacy from the faith and truth will loose the honor of perfection and makes their crown to wither when a righteous or perfect man turneth to iniquity all the righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned Ezek. 18.24 Fifthly In respect of others the Saints are perfect souls compare them unto the guilded out side formal christians and they are gold and perfect in respect of them and so Christ could not find the works of Sardis perfect before him as those of Ephesus Smyrna c. Hence Note first Observ 1. The great cause that our works are not perfect but defective before God is for want of honest sincerity in them Sardis was blamed for this very thing and for want of this grace she carried a fair name that she lived in her pretended graces but she was dead there was no sincerity and truth in them If we suppose a man to worship God in all his Ordinances and avoid all outward evil yet if there be double-heartedness in his spirit all is cast off by God as abominable Sincerity is that that gives perfection to every grace it is the very truth and spirit of every grace as when we believe we must believe sincerely when we love we must love sincerely and cordially when we sorrow or repent it must be done sincerely that is truly fully without any mixture or hypocrisie for a double minded man God doth hate Sincere quasi sine cera without wax without composition and as the word here beares it in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have not found thy works full there was somwhat wanting within to make them compleat and perfect without this ingredient grace of sincerity all our duties are but as sounding Brass and a tinckling Cimbal But add sincerity unto the least and most imperfect of our duties and they will become in the esteem of God most perfect God accepts a Lamb from Abel offered in sincerity rather then clouds of Incense and thousands of Sacrifices from a wicked and profain Cain Yea if it be but a widdows mite or some Goats hair coming from one that is sincere God looks upon it as a rich present and calls the presenter thereof perfect Truth of grace and sincerity is our perfection here but in the world to come we shall have perfection in the highest degree as well as the perfection of sincerity and truth of grace in this life therefore let us so walk before God as becometh perfect ones Observ 2. It is the Saints duty that they aim and press after perfection in all their graces works and duties The church of Sardis was worthily blamed for want of this perfection her works were not full and entire there was somwhat wanting and therefore blame-worthy and imperfect First They are to press after the perfection of justification by faith and evidenced by love and works and so make their election and justification sure unto their own souls and manifest it unto others also Secondly To seek after perfection in all graces and parts of christianity in souls bodies and spirits to be perfect intire wanting nothing Ja. 1.4 as ye abound in every thing in faith and utterance and knowledg and all diligence see that ye abound in this grace also to wit charity 2 Cor. 8.7 There must not one necessary grace be wanting in true Saints though
needs be sure and firm for In him according to that of the Apostle 2 Cor. 1.20 are all the promises of God yea and Amen and that he may get the better faith and credence thereunto he adds another title The faithful and true witness Paul could publiquely profess That he was a faithful witness of the mind and counsel of God to his discsples and that he had hid nothing back that did necessarily conduce to their salvation and think ye that Christ in these Revelations hath not dealt as the faithful and true witness who is the God of all truth himself O ye of little faith that will not believe the truth of those Prophesies the downfal of the Beast Babylon and the whore together with the resurrection of the witnesses and the churches glorious restored state on earth before the end of the world which are clearly and fully asserted and evidenced from this book of Prophesies Hath not Christ promised it that is the Amen in whom all the promises are yea and Amen and coming from him that is the true and faithful witness that can never fail And to take off all suspition of failure of the truth of those prophesies there is a third property here added The beginning of the Creation of God This hath relation to that description of Christ in chap. 1. v. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It may be rendred either The beginning of the Creation of God or The principality of the Creation of God For Christ is both the beginning of all creatures for by him all things were made and without him nothing were made and he is also the supreme Prince and Governour of all the works of the creation for so it necessarily follows That all things should be subject to his principality and government who did at first create them and give a Being to them Therefore to shut up this The sayings of these Prophesies in this book must needs be sure and come to pass in their appointed seasons seeing the Amen the faithful and true witness and the Creator Preserver and Governour of all the works of the Creation hath said and spoken them who will not then believe them coming first from so faithful and true a witness and from one who is the beginning and Prince of the whole creation and therefore most able to perform them Verse 15. I know thy works that thou art neither cold nor hot I would thou wert cold or hot This church of Laodicea as she comes last in place so she comes last in spiritual graces of all her sister churches Christ findes nothing in her that is truly commendable Even in the churches of Sardis and Pergamus though as good as dead and mixed with much corruptions yet there was found in them somwhat praise-worthy some undefiled Names that were not carried aside by the false Doctrines of Jezebel but in Laodicea nothing is found commendable and therefore she hears of nothing from Christ but matter of reproof and of the desperateness of her spiritual state and condition Doubtless there were some sincere faithful Witnesses in this church of Laodicea notwithstanding the Spirit 's silence in it or else she could not be properly numbred as one of the golden candlesticks or as a church of Christ their number being but small they were not sufficient to give a denomination unto the whole for indeed a body politique whither civil or spiritual is to be denominated sound or unsound from the major part as in the case of particular souls or persons if grace be more prevalent in degree in the soul then sin and corruption it is to be tearmed a sincere gracious soul but if sin be most prevalent it may be justly tearmed a sinful and unregenerate soul So is the case of political churches if their frame constitution and matter be most unsound and corrupt such churches are not to be denominated sound healthful bodies We are not to call darkness light or light darkness Though for their profession of their faith they be called churches of Christ yet for the deadness thereof they may with Sardis be rightly tearmed dead ones yea twice dead and to be plucked up by the roots Doubtless under Prelacy both English and Romish there were and are diverse pretious christians and Saints of Christ as in the days of Elijah when the Idol of Baal and his worship and the Priests thereof were exalted yet then in that corrupt state of Israel there were seven thousand that bowâ—d not the knee to Baal yet them few faithful ones in the days of Elijah or those in the days of Prelacy c. Popery came far short to denominate Israel at that time or our English or Forraign Nations under that corrupt frame or temper of antichristian Prelacy to be praise-worthy churches or sound sincere and healthful in their general matter frame or constitution But to return to the charge against Laodicea I know thy works that thou art neither cold nor hot Laodicea was of a strange mongrel composure and temper neither cold nor hot moulded and compacted as a certain odd extraction of two contraries cold and heat I thought before this that that maxime was in all things unquestionable In medio consistit virtus It seems true Religion will not admit of that Principle for Laodicea is here blamed to be in the mean that is in a frame or temper which is neither hot nor cold By hot is here understood one that is zealous fervent in spirit for the truth and worship of God that cannot endure any corruptions will-worships or superstitions shall be admitted in the true christian Worship and Religion and such a one is called a hot fervent or zealous christian and this can never be too intense as unto the degrees thereof if it be considerate and according to sound knowledg The ignorant inconsiderate zeal is reproued and condemned as dangerous and pernitious not the sound and orthodox It is not with God's graces as with moral habits of vertues wherein both the extreams straying from mediocrity either in the excess or in the defect are faults and vices as the excess of liberality may run into prodigality and the defect into covetous parsimony or the excess in fortitude may be called temerity and fool-hardiness and the defect cowardise and pusilanimity and so in the rest but in gracious habits the case is different Souls cannot exceed therein Be ye holy as your heavenly Father is holy no less then an aim unto perfection will serve turn be zealous fervent boyling hot for God and his truth it being sound and considerate it will admit of no mediocrity Lukewarmness or half friend to God and his ways is equally an abomination in God's sight for he requires the whole heart as is coldness or deadness it self and therefore this strange commixture of tempers in Laodicea is exploded by Christ as most dangerous and pernitious and therefore adds I would thou wert cold or hot Hence Note Observ A lukewarm temper among
death and passion he powred out his soul unto death for us that he might have power to heal our souls of all their infirmities therefore he is made unto us both wisedom justification sanctification and all in all The manner of seeking this gold is by bargain and sale I counsel thee to buy of me I shall inquire how this bargain is made up First Understand in all legal contracts there is an agreement of both parties or else it cannot be a bargain Secondly In some bargains and contracts ther is a legal consideration given for the thing bargained for either to the full valew or somwhat equitably proportionable thereunto or Lastly There are other absolute bargains and sales of lands and goods disposed therein freely only on the consideration of the donors or granters of love affection and preferment to the parties beloved and so given freely to them and to their heirs for ever without so much as paying a peny by way of legal retribution for it yea the donor often is so free in his deed of gift that the donee is freed of all fear of forfeiture of his Estate for there is not reserved so much as a Rose or Pepper corn by way of Rent that for non payment thereof the State should be become forfeited And that party that would not be thankful to such a free giver is worse then an Infidel Now to our heavenly bargain and to apply If we will buy of Christ gold and heavenly Treasure we must first come unto him and strike up the bargain with him he will not sell unto us against our wills though he himself must make us first willing and therefore he cries Isa 55.1 Come unto the waters come ye buy and eat and Rev. 22.17 Christ is very willing to sell us freely and we must be ready to buy it and accept it freely all that he expects at our hands is to agree with him on his own tearms and that is to accept it and receive it freely beleive that he can and will do it and it is done Secondly He ties us up to no legal consideration or conditions on our part that on nonperformance thereof be they ever so small we should forfeit the State of our Inheritance he hath paid and performed fully all our dues and legal conditions unto the Father for us and in our stead and he hath taken the possession of the whole Inheritance into his own hand and therefore in the third place he is upon a free deed of gift with us and if we will buy at his hands we are to come and buy wine and milk without money without price Isa 55.1 and Christ calls in Rev. 22.17 to him that is athirst Come and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely and they now that will not be obedient to the commands and laws of this gracious donor by way of gratitude and thankfulness for so glorious and free an Inheritance bestowed upon them are not worthy of the least mercy in his Kingdome if this Inheritance were entailed on us on condition of payment or performance of a small petty grain of corn or the like as is the mite of our faith or obedience c. as the Arminians would have it we should be in bondage fear and danger all our life long if not at least forfeit all by our non-payment and performance therefore blessed be God that hath not left our salvation in our own hands but founded it on the rock Christ which cannot be removed Quest But why doth Christ here counsel us to buy gold of him I answer He that goes about to buy a great Treasure is very careful diligent and his affections intense upon it that none put him out of his bargain So it must be here for this heavenly Treasure we must be earnest with Christ to strike up this bargain we must not let him alone by our prayers until we have obtained this pretious pearl at his hands 'T is true Christ will sell us this pearâ— freely yet we must agree with him for it though we have nothing to give him in the least by way of legal compensation for it yet we must buy it receive it in its own way and method If you will buy any gods that you want you must repair to the Fair or place where it is to be bought So if you want tryed gold to enrich you or garments to cover you or eye-salve to enlighten you you must come to Christ who is the Merchant of these heavenly wares upon his Fair days when such pretious wares are set to sale and to his Ordinances in his Assemblies on the publique days of his heauenly Bartering if you will attain unto this heavenly Treasure But to proceed And that you may the better know the nature of this heavenly Treasure it is here called Gold tryed in the fire You formerly heard that the church of Laodicea was an outside golden candlestick yea she boasted and pretended high to true riches yet for all her vaunting she was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mendicus a poor beggerly church but here is gold that will enrich her to purpose it is gold tryed in the fire it is not sophisticate or hipocritical gold but real tryed gold Hence Note Observ That the graces that come from Christ are the only true and real graces The church of Laodicea doubtless was rich enough in some respects yet she was a beggerly one because her riches was not from Christ If we in those days come to our Ecclesiastical Functions Livings and Benefices not by a callâ— from Christ but by our own struglings beginnings strivings and endeavours thereunto though thereby we may become outwardly rich yet at best we are but basely beggerly rich but the tryed gold that comes from Christ is such that makes the souls truly gratious where it is It is not gotten by begging at the dores of the great ones of the world but at the gates of the Temple in that holy way and order of calling chusing ordaining which Christ himself hath ordained in his word this is truly refined gold because it is the wisdom and way of God which is as gold refined Prov. 8.10 and Psal 12.7 This is tryed and therefore will hold water It is true we may become rich in the eye of the world in parts abilities and humane learning and they may shine like gold in the eyes of the injudicious simple and ignorant but alas if Christ doth not sanctifie them to us they may make us the worse not the better for them Major Cleriâ—us major Hereticus If Christ gives us hearts to seek after his refined gold then surely we shall no longer be so beggerly base as to set up our own guilded parts in the room of Christ's true wisedom which is as gold thrice refined neither shall we any longer set up our own church ways and orders according to our own prudential dictates but shall come into the truly golden way of Christ